Chapter 107 Where is he?
Luo Hong didn't just "mock" his childhood friend; he also had to advise him: "I don't think Yan Yan really has any feelings for you. Forget about it."
Zhou Weifang didn't respond, only saying, "Let's go."
Luo Hong, unusually meticulous with his words, drawled out, "Honest advice is hard to swallow."
Zhou Weifang hadn't gone far when he waved to his childhood friend with his back turned, whether he was genuinely nonchalant or just pretending.
Having said everything he needed to say, Luo Hong squatted down to continue working when he suddenly heard a familiar voice. He looked up and asked, "Mom, what brings you here?"
Then he asked, "Where's my dad?"
Liu Yinfeng looked around and said, "Your father went to visit Old Chen in his hospital room."
Luo Hong casually wiped his hands on his trouser legs, poured water for his mother, and then asked, "What happened to my Uncle Chen?"
Liu Yinfeng: "Unfilial children and grandchildren are a source of heartache."
She didn't sit down, but wandered around in this tiny space, talking to her son about the Chen family.
Luo Hong listened while working, occasionally chiming in with a few words.
As the mother and son chatted, Liu Yinfeng noticed something on the shelf and changed the subject: "No wonder Yanyan has been complaining of having a sore throat these past few days; she must have bought so many snacks."
Luo Hong urged, "If you buy it like it's free, I think you'd better be careful with your wallet."
Liu Yinfeng rolled her eyes at her son: "How much money could I possibly give her? It's all because you spoiled her."
Her husband's salary was actually decent, but she was a thrifty person who knew how to manage the household. No matter how much she loved the children, she still had to be careful with the money. She saved most of her monthly income, because she needed money for her children's weddings and for her and her husband's retirement.
But Luo Hong is different.
He now earns more than his father, and after giving his family thirty yuan a month, he still has a lot left over. Apart from his own food expenses for two meals, he is very generous with his younger sister's allowance.
However, he justified himself by saying, "I'm just following the example set by my superiors."
Don't use those useless words, Liu Yinfeng: "I don't understand."
Luo Hong couldn't help but sigh, "Mom, no wonder I can never get into my studies; it seems I take after you."
Liu Yinfeng raised her voice: "She inherited some of the good qualities. If she were like your father, would she still be able to open a shop?"
Yes, yes, yes, anyway, they'll talk badly about whoever isn't around.
Luo Hong: "That's right, look at Yan Yan, she's just like my dad."
As soon as he finished speaking, Luo Xinmin stepped into the store and asked, "What's the same?"
Liu Yinfeng wasn't afraid for him to know: "Saying Yanyan is like you is like saying that outsiders are just two quails."
Luo Xinmin chuckled: "Anyway, I'm just a quail at home."
He was acting as if someone had bullied him. Liu Yinfeng glanced at him and said to her son, "You go about your business, we're going back."
Luo Hong responded, and a moment later saw his mother rushing over, startled: "What's wrong? Where's my dad?"
In my haste, I lost my balance when I stood up and swayed from side to side.
Liu Yinfeng: "It's nothing, I just came to get a basin. There's a mutton offal soup being sold at the street corner, you guys like to eat it, right?"
"Lamb offal soup!" Luo Hongsong breathed a sigh of relief. "Mom, you almost scared me to death."
Liu Yinfeng was only focused on finding fault with him: "It's late at night, say something auspicious."
She picked up the enamel basin from the shelf, washed it, and then went outside.
Luo Hong shouted, "Mom, I want lots of spicy!"
"Okay, okay," Liu Yinfeng waved the basin, and a moment later carefully brought in the mutton offal soup: "It's hot, just right for Yanyan to eat after school."
After placing it on the table, I looked it over and over: "Why doesn't this have a cover? Remember to bring one from home tomorrow, there are a lot of flies and mosquitoes in the summer."
Luo Hong raised his shoulder and wiped his forehead: "Okay."
His clothes weren't clean either; his forehead was stained black after wiping it. Liu Yinfeng clicked her tongue in disgust, then, remembering that her husband was still waiting for her, she shook the towel she had borrowed from the stall owner and left.
My parents never eat late-night snacks, and they have to eat three meals a day at regular times, otherwise their internal organs will either be causing trouble or churning.
Luo Hong didn't try to stop her. He watched his mother walk a few steps outside before continuing his work.
Half an hour later, Luo Yan was dismissed from school.
As soon as she entered the store, she smelled the food and looked at it from left to right, her eyes darting around as if she were thinking about something.
Luo Hong was busy for the moment and didn't even look up as he said to her, "There's a late-night snack. See if you're still hot."
Luo Yan touched the basin with an "oh" and said, "It's alright."
"Then you eat first."
Luo Yan hummed in agreement, hung up her schoolbag, washed her hands, took two pairs of chopsticks from the drain basket hanging on the wall, set out her brother's bowl and chopsticks first, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Where is he?"
Luo Hong turned around: "Who?"
However, he quickly realized, "It wasn't bought by a third party; my parents were just here."
This time it was Luo Yan's turn to feel strange, because his parents only came after the business opened, and they didn't even ask how the business was doing, for fear of putting too much pressure on their son.
She exclaimed and looked at her brother while holding her chopsticks.
Luo Hong offered a brief explanation, put down the hammer, washed his hands perfunctorily, sat down, and said, "Are you hoping he'll come, or are you hoping he won't?"
He hadn't actually wanted an answer, but Luo Yan started to think about it seriously.
She ate the mutton offal soup in the order of heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys, and finally said very seriously, "Actually, I was very angry with Zhou Xiuhe a while ago."
"Why?"
Luo Yan: "He only tried it a little before giving up."
That's just how people are. If Zhou Xiuhe had kept pestering her, she probably would have found it annoying too. But his attempt to make peace, as if it were just a formality, also displeased Luo Yan.
Luo Hong could roughly understand, and asked, "If he keeps coming to you, will you reconcile with him?"
Luo Yan said, "I don't know."
A person's reason can imagine scenarios that have not occurred, but it may not be able to control whether emotions will be swayed at that moment. This is also the first time she has fallen in love. Although she is very determined on the surface, she also feels that Zhou Xiuhe is different from her.
Luo Hong then posed another question: "If all three parties keep trying to be friendly with you, would you agree?"
Luo Yan: "I don't know either."
She could only be certain of her feelings at this moment, but she couldn't guarantee anything for the future.
Although the answers were the same, Luo Hong felt they were heading in completely different directions. At least Zhou Xiuhe had absolutely no chance with his sister now, while his childhood friend still had unlimited possibilities.
Looking at it this way, it's unbelievable that Zhou Weifang actually has a chance of winning.
Luo Hong laughed out loud for some reason and said, "You find it annoying when people come."
"Annoying?" Luo Yan actually felt that this word was not accurate, but she couldn't find a more suitable one, so she simply didn't respond.
Seeing that she was frowning, Luo Hong stopped talking about the topic and changed the subject.
He didn't even get to chat with his sister for long before another customer came in needing his car repaired.
Seeing her brother busy, Luo Yan ate half her fill, then covered the mutton soup with something and took out her books to review for the final exam.
She watched with exceptional focus. A customer struck up a conversation with the owner: "Is this your daughter? She's so serious even on her holiday. Unlike mine, she just plays all day."
These words startled Luo Hong so much that he almost dropped the wrench on his foot. He said, "It's not a girl, it's my sister."
The guest said embarrassedly, "No wonder, I was wondering why you two look alike."
Even if they look alike, they can't look like father and daughter!
Luo Hong said it was fine in front of them, but as soon as they left, he slammed his fist on the table and said, "No, am I that overworked?"
He had spent five or six years working in the countryside in northern Shaanxi, where living from sunrise to sunset was a luxury. The relentless sandstorms of the Loess Plateau were grueling, making him look older than his age.
Luo Yan, recalling these thoughts, slammed her hand on the table and exclaimed, "Of course not! What kind of look is that on his face?"
Exactly, the brother and sister criticized others for a while.
Luo Hong finished the rest of his late-night snack amidst the bad talk, and also finished the odd jobs he was doing, saying, "Let's go home."
Luo Yan packed a few books into her bag and then took out a few more and placed them on the shelf.
Luo Hong asked, "Aren't you going to review when you get home tonight?"
Luo Yan: "I borrowed it for him from the library."
Luo Hong noticed something: "That's strange, do you really dislike calling out the names of the three parties?"
Luo Yan: "Maybe it's because I don't call him that often, so it always feels a bit awkward."
He was unhappy again: "You know who I'm talking about, don't you?"
She even threw a tantrum, but Luo Hong said, "Fine, fine, you're the boss."
Luo Yan argued confidently, "It's my decision to make all the decisions."
Luo Hong suddenly remembered what his father had said about "quail" that night, and after locking the door, he shared it with his sister.
Luo Yan laughed as she recalled, "But I don't think I've ever really seen our dad angry."
Luo Xinmin became a father in middle age. The cruelty of war and disability made him feel only the beauty of life. He treated his children with the utmost patience and gentleness, even summarizing his son's naughtiness with the words "it's a small matter".
Therefore, the relationship between Luo and his father has always been very good, but Luo Hong vaguely remembers: "Once, we were both beaten."
Luo Yan, riding her bicycle, tilted her head slightly: "Impossible, right? Me too?"
What do you mean? Luo Hong: "I forgot the reason, but I think it must have been extremely deserving of a beating."
Luo Yan agreed with this, but she couldn't recall it at all when she thought about it the whole way. As soon as she entered the door, she rushed to her parents who were watching TV and said, "Dad, Dad, Dad, my brother said you used to hit us."
Why was his daughter so excited? Luo Xinmin was puzzled: "Why do you look like you're looking forward to being beaten?"
Luo Yan grinned and said, "I think it must be because it's fun."
It was actually quite fun, Liu Yinfeng said: "When my brother took you to clean the firebox, it scared your dad to death."
My daughter was so young then, she couldn't understand much of what people were saying. But after being hit a few times, she learned that fire was dangerous and wouldn't even step into the kitchen. My son, however, didn't remember. He only learned what pain was after his hand was burned, and he still has a small scar on the back of his hand to this day.
After hearing this, Luo Hong showed an expression of "I knew it," and said, "I knew it wasn't unjust."
It's good that he knows. Liu Yinfeng: "Raising you is such a hassle."
Later, she gave birth to a daughter, which she considered a blessing from God. If she hadn't been born at home, she would have suspected that she had been switched at birth.
Luo Hong smiled obsequiously: "You've worked hard."
This child actually brings a lot of joy to his parents.
Liu Yinfeng felt that the days were passing by too quickly, and couldn't help but grumble again, "If you really think I'm working hard..."
Okay, okay, you don't need to listen to the rest.
Luo Hong interrupted, "I'm going to take a shower."
He ran quite fast, Liu Yinfeng scolded him: "It's pitch black, why don't you wait for your sister?"
In fact, the hutongs become more lively in the summer evenings, with people sitting in front of every house enjoying the cool air, unlike in winter when even the wind blowing by is unsettling.
Luo Yan followed behind her brother under the moonlight, stopping every now and then to say hello.
Luo Hong was no exception, especially since he had many friends. Once he started talking, he couldn't stop, but then he remembered he had something to do and stopped himself: "I'll come find you later."
Since opening his shop, he hasn't had much free time. Unlike before, when he would play cards and drink with his childhood friends after get off work, he was in a rare mood today. After taking a shower and sending his sister home, he was about to head out.
His parents had just turned off the TV, and seeing this, they encouraged him, saying, "You must be exhausted from working all the time. Go play, and you can take a day off tomorrow."
Luo Hong laughed uncontrollably: "Now I know how Yan Yan feels every time you guys tell her to read less books."
To be honest, although they weren't dealing with the same issue, the siblings actually had a lot in common in terms of personality.
This great advantage certainly makes parents happy, but they can't help but worry, saying, "You need to balance work and rest."
Luo Hong replied, "I understand," and then disappeared without a trace, his voice still lingering in the air.
The parents exchanged a helpless glance and shook their heads, then told their daughter to go to bed early before going to their room.
Final exams are just around the corner, but those two words are practically nonexistent in Luo Yan's vocabulary. The lights in her room stayed on until midnight.
Luo Hong chatted with his childhood friend for most of the night, then yawned and knocked on his sister's door: "Go to sleep quickly, you're not growing taller."
Luo Yan muttered that she had stopped growing, but still obediently turned off the light and went to sleep.
However, she put the book under her pillow, hoping that knowledge would enter her dreams, before lying down, closing her eyes, and quickly falling asleep.
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Author's note: Good night!
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