Chapter 26 Notification
There's a saying: "walking on thin ice."
Wang Tongguang is in this state now, afraid of offending people even by breathing, and he keeps glancing around out of the corner of his eye.
Luo Yan quickly regained her composure, then remembered that she wasn't alone and asked, "Are we having lunch later?"
The city zoo is a major tourist attraction, with several restaurants, including a rare Western restaurant.
Wang Tongguang had already thought it through: "Do you want to eat Western food?"
Luo Yan had treated them to noodles with soybean paste, so she felt awkward about bringing back a Western meal: "How about dumplings? Noodles are fine too."
Wang Tongguang first published an article in a magazine when he was thirteen years old. Since then, he has saved up a sum of money from his writings, which has accumulated to a considerable amount today.
He was fully prepared today, but he couldn't go against her wishes, so he said, "I'm fine with anything."
The kind of talk that says "anything goes" is actually the most annoying.
Luo Yan thought to herself that going out with people she didn't know well was indeed troublesome; it seemed like every decision was fraught with countless concerns. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Then let's have dumplings."
Wang Tongguang naturally had no reason to refuse, and the two sat for a while before going to eat.
The cafeteria was just renovated and reopened at the beginning of the month. The style is slightly different from when it was first built, but the sign at the entrance is still the same.
Luo Yan looked up and murmured, "What Fengtang was it again?"
Wang Tongguang glanced at it: "Bin Feng Hall".
Originally pronounced with the first tone, "bin," Luo Yan asked, "Is it still written in the documents?"
Wang Tongguang: "No, it's in the book."
He was indeed well-read, just as Luo Yan had imagined.
She said, "Although I don't know the meaning, it has a very elegant feel to it."
The name is elegant, but the venue doesn't have that kind of atmosphere.
It was peak dining time, and the restaurant didn't even have enough chopsticks, let alone tables and chairs.
Luo Yan couldn't compete with anyone, so she could only turn her head and hope for Wang Tongguang's help.
But just queuing to order food was a struggle for him. He was pushed to the back by two elderly women, clutching his food coupons, looking bewildered.
Luo Yan looked at him with concern, thinking that she should have known he was a refined and cultured person.
However, her own situation is not optimistic either; every time she lifts her foot, someone else beats her to it.
They didn't know how long it would be before they finally had a meal.
Wang Tongguang's shirt was crumpled and wrinkled, making him look as disheveled as a failed scholar.
He must have sweated a lot, because even his carefully styled hair couldn't hold its shape, and his face looked disheveled.
Luo Yan thought to herself that she shouldn't have mentioned eating dumplings, and felt a little embarrassed towards him, saying, "There are so many people."
Wang Tongguang sighed unconsciously: "Yes."
The two exchanged a glance, feeling a sense of helplessness as fellow sufferers, but Luo Yan harbored a vague dissatisfaction.
The only man she usually spent the most time with was her brother, and by his standards, Wang Tongguang didn't seem so good.
Being talented is certainly a good thing, but knowledge gained from books alone cannot put food on the table.
But Luo Yan thought about it more carefully and realized that she had the same shortcomings, so it was not fair to use them to criticize others.
After thinking it over, her already diminished appetite became even less.
Wang Tongguang noticed she was eating slowly: "Is it not to your liking?"
It's strange, his face is still handsome, but now it looks like something's missing.
Luo Yan was also confused, but she forced a smile and said, "No, it's just a little hot."
Wang Tongguang: "I forgot to bring my fan."
Luo Yan: "It's okay, I'll just blow on it."
After finishing her meal, she had almost already decided what to do. Wiping her mouth, she asked, "Shall we go look at the air conditioner now?"
The sun was high in the sky, and the reptile house was packed with people.
People weren't just there to experience the air conditioning; some were also peering through the glass to see the giant python.
The big ones didn't look that scary to Luo Yan.
The slightest movement sent shivers down her spine, and she clenched her two fingers tightly.
Seeing that she didn't know where to look, Wang Tongguang said, "Why don't we go?"
Luo Yan nodded slightly and let out a long sigh of relief after coming out.
Wang Tongguang thought to himself that coming to a reptile house was definitely not a good idea, and scratched his head in frustration.
Luo Yan joked, "I didn't think I was that cowardly."
Wang Tongguang: "It's because I didn't choose the right place."
Luo Yan raised her hand to shield her eyes from the glaring sunlight: "I wanted to come myself."
She hopped forward two steps and hid under the shade of a tree: "It's almost time to go home."
Wang Tongguang glanced at his watch and thought it was too early, but he had no reason to keep her there: "Okay, I'll take you back."
He escorted Luo Yan to the bus stop, and they chatted for a few more minutes while waiting for the bus.
Luo Yan responded half-heartedly, and upon seeing the car, said, "I'm leaving."
Wang Tongguang: "Slow down."
Luo Yan can't be slow.
She was practically dragged onto the bus, barely managing to keep a distance from the people around her. She smelled the stench of sweat coming from who-knows-who, and her face turned pale from the swaying.
The daughter returned home like a lost soul, startling her parents: "What happened?"
Luo Yan sat down, leaning on the table: "I'm a little carsick."
Liu Yinfeng thought something had happened, but her heart settled down. She rummaged through the cabinet and pulled out some hawthorn slices: "Let's press them down."
Luo Yan ate several, took a sip of tea to wash it down, leaned back in her chair, and suddenly asked curiously, "Mom, why did you marry Dad back then?"
This question piqued Luo Xinmin's curiosity, and he perked up his ears.
Liu Yinfeng smoothed the ends of her daughter's hair: "You've really stumped your mother. I need to think about it."
The father and daughter waited for her to decide, munching on sunflower seeds.
Liu Yinfeng: "Don't eat it, it'll make you feel hot."
Who else could it be? Luo Xinmin couldn't continue to muddy the waters, so he reluctantly let go.
Luo Yan covered her mouth and chuckled, suddenly realizing that the answer wasn't really that important.
However, Liu Yinfeng already had a reason for saying this: "I only value that your father has a job and a place to live."
She fled famine with her family, enduring hardships and displacement along the way, clinging to every straw for survival, and never really thought about anything else.
Luo Yan thought that this wasn't the answer she had expected, and turned her head: "Dad, what about you?"
Luo Xinmin touched the teacup: "Your dad was poor when he was young, it was quite an achievement for him to find a wife."
Luo Yan: "So, according to you, marriage is about matching the pot with the lid?"
My daughter is all grown up now, and I can't just brush her off with "you'll understand when you grow up" like I did when she was little.
Liu Yinfeng: "I remember when I got married, my father-in-law said that there was not much dowry in the family, and now that things are like this, everything should be kept simple. In the end, I still got married with a red veil on."
People are like that; sincerity begets sincerity. She doesn't understand things like love and affection.
Luo Yan was even more confused: "Is a red veil very expensive?"
Liu Yinfeng: "It means that everything that should be there is there, and there is no difference."
Everyone is struggling to make ends meet, so people try to save money wherever possible, which is understandable. But marriage is a major life event, and it's always good that someone is willing to put in the effort.
Luo Yan seemed to understand: "Then what if it's not the right time to get married yet? What should we do?"
Liu Yinfeng: "How could you not know whether you're happy or not?"
Luo Yan hesitated, "I don't think I'm very happy today."
Parents know who their daughter goes out with.
Liu Yinfeng: "What's bothering you?"
After Luo Yan finished recounting what happened at the restaurant, she said, "Our personalities seem quite similar; we'll probably get bullied a lot in the future."
A well-mannered child has his own disadvantages in society, and Liu Yinfeng also hoped that her daughter would find someone who could stand up for her in everything: "Then I won't find him."
Luo Yan: "But I don't find him annoying."
Liu Yinfeng: "If I ask you to go out again next time, will you go?"
Luo Yan was not only tired from walking today, but she also seemed to have to rack her brains to talk to Wang Tongguang, for fear that it would be impolite to say something that fell on the ground.
She said, "I don't want to go."
Liu Yinfeng patted her daughter's arm: "No, I'll go cook."
Luo Yan leaned on the table and whispered to her father, "What kind of person do you think I'll marry in the future?"
Luo Xinmin: "Anything is fine. Your mother and I just hope that you will have a good life."
She wouldn't care what kind of king or general she married.
Luo Yan: "Isn't there a more specific standard?"
Standard? That's just childish talk.
Luo Xinmin: "There's no standard; you'll find out later."
It was that same phrase used to coax a child again. Luo Yan grumbled and complained to the kitchen, "My dad is eating sunflower seeds again."
Liu Yinfeng poked her head out, holding a spatula: "You still won't listen to me."
Luo Xinmin: "I'm practically moldy from staying home all day."
He used to be able to attend all his classes even when he was physically disabled, but now he's recovered quite well and can't sit still at home.
Everyone else is trying to find ways to take sick leave, but when given the chance, he can't seize it.
Liu Yinfeng: "I'm going for a follow-up check-up tomorrow to see what the doctor says."
Luo Xinmin straightened his back: "There's definitely no problem."
Liu Yinfeng said, "Your opinion doesn't count," and threw a handful of vegetables into the hot oil.
A crackling sound echoed throughout the house as Luo Hong stepped inside.
He washed his hands in the yard and deliberately splashed water droplets on his sister's face.
Luo Yan wiped her hand and tapped his back from behind: "Annoying!"
Luo Hong smiled happily and didn't forget to ask her how her day went.
Luo Yan had no choice but to repeat herself, and even asked for his opinion: "What kind of person do you think I should find in the future?"
Luo Hong: "You think this is like doing a math problem? There are no answers."
Luo Yan: "That's because you don't know!"
Wow, you're shouting pretty loudly.
Luo Hong: "Mmm, mmm, mmm, who could know as much as you do?"
Enraged, Luo Yan stomped on his foot and briefly announced that she was breaking off all ties with her brother.
They broke off relations eight times in one day, but no one took it to heart.
Even Luo Yan herself quickly forgot, and during the meal, her eyes lit up, and she said affectionately, "Brother~"
Luo Hong glanced sideways: "What?"
Luo Yan: "I heard that you can dance at the Nationalities Palace."
Ballroom dancing only became popular this year, and the city has now approved a total of four dance halls.
Just by listening, you can tell that almost everyone who goes is in a couple.
Luo Hong: "I understand. I'll take you there in a couple of days."
He added, "You only show this face when you need something from someone."
Luo Yan wasn't guilty at all, and her smile was especially adorable.
Even if she's wrong, who would be willing to criticize her?
Luo Hong couldn't help it either, and shook his head helplessly.
Luo Yan laughed even more happily, thinking that she was indeed more suited to staying at home, where she didn't have to rack her brains to find topics to talk about with anyone.
Luo Hong ignored her and reached into his pocket: "I almost forgot, Mom, the industrial vouchers you wanted."
Liu Yinfeng counted: "We've exchanged quite a bit, is the money enough?"
Luo Hong: "That's enough. There will be a few more tomorrow."
He added, "The tickets aren't hard to get, I'm just worried about how you and your sister will carry all this stuff."
Liu Yinfeng hadn't been back to her parents' home for many years and wanted everything: "Don't underestimate your mother. Back then, I carried my load all the way to Beijing."
"It's an old saying," Luo Hong said. "I think I should send you back."
My son is just about to be promoted to a permanent position, and he's been taking a lot of leave lately.
Liu Yinfeng: "No need, Aunt Zhang's son is on a train back to southern Anhui. He'll reserve sleeper berths for us and will take care of us."
Luo Hong thought that if he insisted any longer, his mother would probably say, "Then I won't go back." So he could only say, "Okay, then everything is ready except for the admission notice."
After much anticipation, Luo Yan's admission notice arrived ten days later on a sweltering afternoon.
The postman was even more excited than the person in question, shouting at the gate of the courtyard, "Luo Yan! You passed the exam!"
Only the mother and daughter were left at home; one was sewing shoe soles while the other was reading a book. They both looked up when they heard the sound.
Luo Yan reacted quickly, and with a whoosh, she took off running.
The elderly folks playing chess and cards in the alley had already surrounded the postman before she could ask, "Which school?"
The postman kept the surprise for the student, handing her the exam admission ticket after checking it: "Here, college student, take a look for yourself."
Luo Yan didn't rush to open it. She waited until her mother was also standing still before she started. Holding the thin piece of paper, she was filled with emotion, as if the first half of her life had become light and fleeting.
Liu Yinfeng didn't know many characters, and even when her daughter showed her a few, she couldn't see them clearly. She urged, "Say something!"
Luo Yan: "Jiaotong University, Transportation Management Engineering major."
"I don't quite understand these words," Liu Yinfeng asked. "How will they be allocated in the future?"
Among the dazzling array of professional names, Luo Yan had some understanding of this one.
She said, "Most of them go to the railway bureau."
The railway bureau is a thriving unit now, and Liu Yinfeng listened with satisfaction: "That's great."
He added, "Quickly call your dad and your brother."
Luo Yan jogged to the phone booth and chatted with Grandpa Zhang, who was in charge of the phone, while the call was still disconnected.
When she got home, her mother had already put candy on the door.
No, when did you buy the candy?
Luo Yan leaned closer and said, "Mom, people who don't know the situation would think someone in our family is getting married."
Liu Yinfeng: "You'll have everything you need for the rest of your life, isn't that more important than getting married?"
"Yes," Luo Yan said, clinging to her mother's arm. "My brother said we're going out to eat tonight."
We're definitely going to have a meal today; even Luo Xinmin was allowed a small drink.
The remaining wine wasn't wasted either; Liu Yinfeng and Luo Hong, mother and son, split it in half. They drank until their faces were flushed, and on the way home, they walked arm in arm like two good buddies.
My mother is not tall, and she almost has to be carried by my older brother to walk.
Luo Yan carefully protected her from behind, but found the scene utterly ridiculous.
Luo Xinmin smiled and extended his good hand: "Feng'er."
Liu Yinfeng instinctively grabbed him, remembering to say, "I'll help you, you won't fall." Luo Xinmin replied, "Then you'd better hold on tight."
The couple kept an eye on each other, which resulted in their son falling flat on his face.
He was physically unharmed, but claimed to have suffered emotional distress and extorted five yuan from his parents for medical expenses the next day.
Actually, he didn't remember anything about it. When he woke up and saw a bruise on his knee, he didn't think much of it. It was only after his sister "told him" that he found out. As a witness, Luo Yan got 60% of the money and went back to her hometown with her mother to visit relatives.
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Author's note: I have a few drafts saved up, but not many. I have something to do in a couple of days, so I'll use them sparingly for now.
I researched all the science and engineering majors and chose them based on the plot and my understanding. I also figured out Yan Yan's career path, which is a type I haven't written before.
P.S.: How about we guess whether Xiao Wang is actually your first love?
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