Chapter 175 (Updated 1751)
Today is the reopening day of Zhang Hongyang's restaurant. In the evening, several of his childhood friends gathered together and chatted until midnight, drinking quite a bit of alcohol.
Zhou Weifang and Luo Hong were both there. They had almost finished drinking and were about to leave, but Zhang Hongyang said, "No need, no need. I've booked a large dormitory room, and I'll sleep here tonight."
The place was a huge communal sleeping area, without even straw mats or pillows. Luckily, it was summer, so there was no need for blankets.
The guys were all a bit tipsy, and they just slumped over and made do.
But I suffered when I woke up.
Luo Hong couldn't stretch his neck, Zhou Weifang couldn't straighten his back even with his feet on the ground, and the others all had their own pains, saying, "Old Zhang, you should at least put down a mat."
Zhang Hongyang himself was also upset, shaking his hand and saying, "It'll definitely happen next time."
They then arranged for everyone to have breakfast before leaving.
Some people have to go to work today, so they're rushing back to tidy up.
Even those who weren't working wanted to go wash up, but Luo Hong and Zhou Weifang both felt itchy all over, so they went home.
When Luo Hong arrived home, the family of three was already having breakfast. As soon as Liu Yinfeng saw her son, she asked, "How much did you drink? Why didn't you come back?"
Luo Hong could have actually come back last night, but it's more than a kilometer away. He said, "I'm too lazy to walk. Hongyang has a place to sleep."
That's good. Liu Yinfeng: "I was afraid you'd fall asleep halfway there."
Luo Hong pinched the back of his neck: "When have I ever done something like this?"
His childhood friends are all reliable. Even when they drink a little too much, there are always two of them who are relatively sober and will be responsible for taking the person away. Zhou Weifang is usually one of them.
Because they've never been outside before, the family can eat breakfast here with peace of mind.
Liu Yinfeng also asked, "Did the three of them drink a lot?"
Luo Hong gently pressed his younger sister's head, which had been tilted back, down again, and said, "He just got back too."
Zhou Weifang may seem reckless, but probably because he's always been the leader among his childhood friends and used to being the eldest brother, he's mostly the one cleaning up after them.
Luo Yan wasn't too worried and said, "You stink."
Luo Hong himself could smell it too, so he pinched his nose and went back to his room to get his clothes.
The bathhouse wasn't open yet, and he wasn't impatient to wait for the water to boil, so he just rinsed off with cold water. But it was hot in August anyway, so it didn't bother the young man.
But when Liu Yinfeng saw that her son had washed his hair, she nagged him, "Be careful not to get a headache."
Luo Hong shook the water off his forehead, sat down to eat breakfast, and asked, "What are we having for dinner?"
Today is Luo Yan's first big day receiving her salary. She said, "Let's eat Lao Mo."
Luo Hong suddenly started doing some calculations: "After you finished eating, you spent twenty yuan, and then you kept saying you wanted to buy gifts to send money home. What will you have left of your salary this month?"
Luo Yan flashed her cutest smile: "Guess?"
Luo Hongzhen's wallet tightened, and he waved his hand: "You'd better go to work quickly, you're giving me a headache."
Without further ado, Luo Yan tossed her braid and said, "No one is allowed to be late."
No one dares to neglect her affairs.
Luo Hong thought for a moment and said, "Dad, I'll pick you up after get off work."
Luo Xinmin said "okay," and seeing that it was almost time, he headed out. Only Luo Hong was in no hurry, leisurely chatting with his mother, and even taking a nap after dinner.
At this time, Luo Yan was sitting in her office, hesitating whether to go to the finance department to collect her salary. She noticed that no one else seemed to have gone yet, and feeling embarrassed to appear anxious, she could only remain motionless while looking at the documents.
After reading only two pages, Wu Huiling gave her a task, saying, "The traffic light issue has been temporarily settled, but we need signatures and confirmations from several departments."
When she said a few, Luo Yan assumed it was numbers like one, two, or three. But when she opened the list, she found there were actually twelve. She looked troubled and said, "I don't think I can finish running all of these today."
Wu Huiling quickly said, "No, you go to the police station and the power company, and Xiao Zhao and I will split the rest."
The work arrangement is reasonable enough. Although everyone has different numbers of tasks to complete, Luo Yan's two tasks are completely different, and she'll probably be spending the whole day on them. She didn't want to deal with too many strangers anyway: "So, I'll go do the fieldwork now, right?"
Wu Huiling also wanted to go, saying, "Let's go, we can collect our wages right away."
Luo Yan couldn't help but let out a slight smile, which she quickly suppressed.
Wu Huiling saw it clearly: "Your first paycheck from work, aren't you happy?"
Luo Yan bit her lip and nodded: "I've never earned money before."
Being young has its advantages; you only have to worry about yourself. Someone like Wu Huiling, who has elderly parents and young children to support, has to set aside fixed expenses each month.
On payday, she would start calculating in her mind. Even after including her husband's share, there wasn't much left. She thought to herself: It's better not to be married.
Luo Yan had no idea that others were thinking so much. In front of the finance department staff, she counted the money clearly, stuffed it into her pocket as if it were ten thousand yuan, and went off to do fieldwork with a cheerful air about her.
However, she wilted as soon as she stepped out of the building because the sun was too strong outside.
She felt she wouldn't have the strength to ride her bicycle back, so when she got to the bus stop she remembered something. She ran to the phone booth to call Zhou Weifang, wanting to tell him she didn't need to come pick her up that night.
But there was no one at either his usual office or his new home that was under renovation, so Luo Yan could only leave a message. She wasn't sure if he had received it, and she was afraid that he would be anxious if he went to pick him up but couldn't find him.
After leaving the power bureau, Luo Yan spotted a phone booth nearby. Gritting her teeth, she decided to make another call, thinking to herself: "So this is what it feels like to spend my salary."
She was lucky this time; Zhou Weifang was in his office, and the call was answered quickly.
He said, "Why are you calling at this hour? Aren't you at work?"
Luo Yan: "I'm going out on fieldwork."
Fieldwork? There was a phone booth right by the roadside. Zhou Weifang glanced at the sun and asked, "Where are you? Are you alone? I'll come pick you up when I'm done."
Luo Yan had to take three buses to get to the power bureau, and the smell of sweat and the driver's constant braking were making her nauseous. She didn't try to be a hero: "Can you come pick me up now?"
Without a second's hesitation, Zhou Weifang said, "Where are you? Find a shady spot and wait for me."
Luo Yan gave a place name, bought preserved plums at a roadside shop, borrowed a small stool from the owner, and sat down to chew them while waiting.
When Zhou Weifang arrived, he saw her looking so pitiful, so he squatted down and asked, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Luo Yan shook her head slightly: "I just get carsick."
He added, "There's a direct route from my workplace, but I have to take three buses and go through a huge detour."
Zhou Weifang felt very sorry for her and touched her forehead: "Have you eaten?"
Luo Yan perked up at the mention of food: "I want to eat tomato and egg noodles."
Well, Zhou Weifang knew she was alright, so he found a noodle shop nearby and said, "I think you should learn to ride a motorcycle sooner rather than later. Next time something like this happens, you can ride it. It's only a 15-minute ride for me to get here, which is seven or eight kilometers away."
Although Luo Yan had promised to learn, she was still a little afraid of falling. But the dizzy feeling was still there. She clenched her fists and made up her mind: "I'll learn this week."
Zhou Weifang coaxed her, "If you study hard, I'll buy you gifts, and I'll buy you whatever you want."
Luo Yan couldn't think of what she lacked for the time being: "We'll talk about it later."
She was so hungry that she didn't even have time to talk when the noodles were served, and finished the soup in just a few bites.
Even Zhou Weifang couldn't eat as fast as her. He asked, "Are you full? Should I order you another one?"
"I'm having Lao Mo again tonight."
She was most enthusiastic about what to eat for each of the three meals a day. Zhou Weifang shook his head helplessly. After the meal, he took her to the entrance of the Public Security Bureau and planned to wait for her to come out.
Luo Yan didn't agree: "You go ahead with your work. I have to run to several offices, and if the person isn't there, I'll have to wait. I'll go over myself after I finish signing."
The beginning of the month was indeed busy, and Zhou Weifang was a bit tied up, repeatedly telling him, "Call me anytime if anything happens."
Luo Yan nodded obediently, took a deep breath, and stepped into the Public Security Bureau. Following their procedures, she sought a leader's signature, working tirelessly from top to bottom. Fortunately, she managed to complete her task just before the end of the workday.
At five o'clock, the sun showed no sign of setting, and the streets were congested. Luo Yan knew at a glance that the bus was not suitable for her, so she simply hailed a passenger tricycle.
The driver, still energetically pedaling his bike, chatted casually with people, even pointing out things along the way: "Look over there, the Prince Gong's Mansion, that's where my great-grandfather was..."
Things have really changed. Ten years ago, who would have dared to mention these things?
Luo Yan didn't know if the other person was genuine or not, so she just said "oh" or "ah" to show her support. In fact, she hadn't put anything down in her mind. She was enjoying the gentle breeze and even felt a little drowsy. When she was almost there, she suddenly snapped out of it and stared wide-eyed to see who had arrived first.
The first to arrive was Liu Yinfeng. She had nothing to do today and strolled over. She stood under the shade of a tree waving her little handkerchief and waved to her daughter.
After paying for the tricycle, Luo Yan skipped over to her mother and said, "Men are just so slow and indecisive."
Liu Yinfeng smoothed her daughter's hair: "You bet, you're always dragging your feet."
Luo Yan made a bet with her mother: "Do you think my brother should bring my dad first, or Zhou Weifang?"
Liu Yinfeng, though nearly fifty, had excellent eyesight and spotted the person from afar, saying calmly, "I bet three parties."
"Huh?" Luo Yan asked curiously, "Why didn't you choose my brother?"
Liu Yinfeng simply said, "Then I will definitely choose the one who can win."
Are you really that confident? Luo Yan was about to speak when she seemed to realize something, turned around and looked at her, saying, "Mom, you can't do this."
Liu Yinfeng laughed: "You didn't see it yourself, so you can't blame me."
Luo Yan tried to back out: "I haven't chosen yet. I was going to choose him anyway, so we're even."
What else can you do but take care of your own child?
Liu Yinfeng patted her daughter's hand and turned her head: "The three parties are here."
Zhou Weifang was very proper in front of his elders. He would straighten his collar before speaking, his back was straight, and his hands were neatly placed along the seams of his trousers when he greeted them.
Luo Yan couldn't hold back her laughter. She tilted her head slightly back, looked at the sky, and winked at Zhou Weifang.
Zhou Weifang couldn't make any physical contact in front of his elders, so he held his hands slightly and told his future mother-in-law about the progress of the house renovation.
Halfway through the conversation, the last two people arrived late.
As soon as Luo Hong arrived, he preemptively showed his sister his watch: "5:30, not late."
Luo Yan was originally going to say that they were the last to arrive, but now she had to hold back, though she still pinched her brother's arm.
Luo Hong gasped, "You just wait until after you finish eating."
Luo Yancai wasn't afraid of him. She walked inside hand in hand with her mother, followed by three men standing in a row behind them.
As usual, Luo Xinmin asked about the progress of the renovation, saying, "If you're too busy, have Luo Hong lend you a hand."
"Why is it me again?" Luo Hong said, "Dad, don't you usually say you'll go by yourself?"
Luo Xinmin shook his empty sleeve: "What can I do there?"
Zhou Weifang had never encountered such a frank mention before, and was a little embarrassed for a moment. His own son, however, didn't care and said, "You can act like a future father-in-law and give me some pointers."
Luo Xinmin now wanted to point at his son and say, "We're all family, why are you putting on airs?"
Luo Hong had his own twisted logic, and the things the father and son said just by going up those few steps were equivalent to what Zhou Weifang had said to his father over the past year.
--
The group sat down in the restaurant, and Luo Yan took charge of ordering. After ordering, everyone chatted idly.
She suddenly remembered: "When I went to the police station this afternoon to sign some papers, I heard them talking about a crackdown, it seemed to be the one in the newspaper."
Recently, there has been a lot of talk about illegal activities in the city, and there are far fewer vagrants on the streets. Liu Yinfeng said, "Anyway, we are all law-abiding people."
As she spoke, her gaze swept over her son and future son-in-law. Last year, the crackdown was on economic crimes, and many self-employed individuals were investigated for speculation and profiteering. Although she herself was upright and had nothing to hide, this kind of thing was still not good.
Luo Hong reassured her: "The news reports it; it's a criminal offense."
Liu Yinfeng had no idea how to distinguish these things. She didn't even have a clear understanding of what criminal cases were, and said, "Does it just mean arresting those who commit murder and arson?"
"There are also petty thefts and fights."
The moment the topic of fighting came up, Liu Yinfeng's expression changed again.
Zhou Weifang thought to himself that people really shouldn't have a "criminal record," and assured her, "Auntie, we absolutely won't."
Liu Yinfeng laughed back: "I've just gotten used to it. Before, whenever someone mentioned how good or bad a child was, I knew it was you two even without them mentioning names."
Zhou Weifang scratched his face and lowered his head. He noticed his girlfriend was chuckling to herself, so he quietly took her hand that was under the table.
Luo Yan was usually the most easily startled person, but this time she wasn't surprised at all and scratched his palm with her fingernail as a warning.
With so many people around, Zhou Weifang quickly relaxed, but immediately became lively again after the meal.
Luo Hong escorted his parents home, and the three of them, without paying any attention to the couple's relationship, sped away so fast that they disappeared from sight.
The young couple strolled around the park for a while longer before Zhou Wei finally took Luo Yan home.
When she got home, Luo Yan first gave her mother ten yuan.
Liu Yinfeng felt that regardless of who earned more or less, it was best to treat both children equally in many matters, so she accepted the money as usual.
The next second, Luo Hong threw his wallet at his sister.
Luo Yan, who wasn't usually that quick-witted, was unusually sharp-eyed and quick-handed today, and said very politely, "I'll take thirty."
She rarely spent money. When she went out with Zhou Weifang, she didn't even have to pay for ice cream. When she went out with her brother, she always ended up taking money back. Thirty yuan was enough for her to live on for a long time.
Luo Hong watched TV indifferently, then remembered something: "Remember to wash my car."
I know, I know. Luo Yan got up early Sunday morning and started scrubbing the motorcycle, as if she wanted to give it a coat of wax.
Luo Hong got up and saw this: "Wow, they're working really hard."
Luo Yan placed her hands in front of her and bowed: "It's all what I should do."
Luo Hong's hair stood on end, and he rubbed his arms: "Be careful when you learn to drive today, don't fall."
Luo Yan herself was also worried, so when she met Zhou Weifang, she deliberately lingered and chatted for a while: "The traffic lights will start to be installed next week. This batch is semi-automatic. The red light duration is set, but which direction the red light turns on is still controlled by the traffic police."
"My application report for the pedestrian overpass has been approved, but a design plan still needs to be prepared. This is not under our department's jurisdiction; the construction department next door is responsible for the project's construction and design."
"The Fourth Ring Road is about to be built. I haven't even driven on the Third Ring Road since it opened. Do you think they'll build the Ninth and Tenth Ring Roads in the future? And..."
She rambled on and on, some of which Zhou Weifang had already heard before.
But he was happy to listen to her, his fan swaying slightly in his hand.
Luo Yan didn't have much to share, but seeing the sun getting higher, she made up her mind and said, "Let's begin."
Zhou Weifang patted her head and comforted her, "It's okay, you won't fall."
He held the handlebars himself and let Luo Yan sit on the motorcycle: "Turn it a little bit and it will start moving."
Luo Yan only dared to twist it a tiny bit, and asked, "Why isn't it moving?"
Zhou Weifang was both amused and exasperated. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and put his hands on hers to help her twist.
Perhaps in his embrace, Luo Yan found some peace of mind, and watching the car move, she said, "It's gone, it's gone."
Zhou Weifang even suspected that he was pushing the car. After she got used to it a bit, he said, "I'm letting go, don't be afraid."
He added, "You need to twist it a little more; it will fall if you're too slow."
Luo Yan listened to him and found that she could actually ride it that way, exclaiming, "That's too easy!"
Without being taught, he let go of the motorcycle and put his feet on the ground to stop it.
Zhou Weifang followed the motorcycle the whole way, saying, "It's actually the same as riding a bicycle."
He added, "Ride a couple more laps to get used to it."
The place where they were learning to drive was an open space, so Luo Yan could wander around freely. However, she couldn't stand the strong sun and hid under the shade of a tree, saying, "Next week is my shift, so I can take a day off to take my driver's license test."
Motorcycle driving license tests now consist of two parts: traffic safety regulations and on-site driving. Luo Yan doesn't need to prepare for the former at all, but she needs to practice the latter more.
She was having a great time and didn't mind taking a break in the sun, but her joy turned to tragedy when she lost control and crashed into a tree.
Zhou Weifang ran two steps forward, turned off the motorcycle, and then looked at her and asked, "Did you get hurt? Does it hurt?"
Luo Yan wasn't moving fast. She pointed and said, "I think it's in trouble."
Zhou Weifang's car was indeed imported; the hardware was very sturdy, and there wasn't even a scratch on the paint. He was naturally concerned about the car, looking it over and saying, "It's perfectly fine."
That's good, after all, it's something worth five or six thousand yuan.
Luo Yan touched her tenderly, saying, "I will treat you well."
Hmm? Zhou Weifang sensed something was off about the tone and said, "Yanyan, you don't need to 'baby' this car, 'baby' me instead."
Luo Yan chuckled: "No, you're arguing with the car?"
Why not fight?
Since there was no one around, Zhou Weifang put his arm around her shoulder and acted pitiful: "You have enough people in your heart, I don't even have that many, and you can't have a motorcycle take me away."
Luo Yan coaxed him, "I just love the house because of its inhabitants."
Zhou Weifang nuzzled her face: "Just love me, don't worry about anything else."
Luo Yan whispered in his ear, "Okay, I only love you."
Zhou Weifang released her hand with satisfaction, and seeing that it was almost time, he led her to have a nice meal.
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Author's Note: Second update in progress
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