Chapter 131 Opening of 131
Zhou Weifang's fruit shop opening was quite a grand affair, with eighteen strings of firecrackers even prepared in front of the store.
Luo Yan came with her brother, and seeing the situation, she said, "What time are you planning to release it? I'd better stay far away."
Zhou Weifang didn't calculate an auspicious time or day; he chose the time himself, saying, "Eight o'clock sharp."
"Now is the time," Luo Yan said, then covered her ears and backed away, almost reaching the other side of the street.
Luo Hong felt incredibly embarrassed: "No, she's so old, yet she's still such a coward."
Zhou Weifang: "It was all because you scared me with firecrackers when I was a kid."
Come on, Luo Hong: "We both get a share."
Zhou Weifang refused to admit it, stuck the incense stick into the ground, and the two of them walked away with the air of "generals," the smoke of battle spreading out behind them.
When the wind blew, it choked people so much that they had to put their hands under their noses and wave them vigorously.
Luo Yan stood under the tree until the smell dissipated a bit before approaching the shop entrance. Seeing Zhou Weifang talking to someone, she nudged her brother's hand and asked, "Aren't you going to work yet?"
Luo Hong was about to say that he would see if there was anything he could help with, but his gaze suddenly fell on his sister, and he said meaningfully, "Sure, you're here anyway."
Even if there were eight of them here, they'd only be doing manual labor at best; they couldn't compare to...
Luo Yan was most afraid of her brother speaking like that. She nervously rubbed the soles of her shoes on the ground and lowered her head, saying, "I, I'm going to the library later."
"Go wherever you want," Luo Hong tapped his sister on the forehead with his finger, then went over to his childhood friend and said, "I'm leaving, leaving you a child laborer."
Zhang Hongyang happened to be nearby and chimed in, "Take her back, take her back. Our sister is an educated woman. I'm here, and I still need her."
Luo Hong thought to himself: She really is more useful than you guys, but said aloud: "Who among you can do mental calculations as fast as her?"
Who dares to say there is such a thing? But putting it here is really a waste of its talent. Zhang Hongyang: "Who can't calculate a few cents?"
He turned his head, seeking some support, and asked, "Right?"
Zhou Weifang: "Luo Yan must have calculated it the most clearly."
At first glance, it seems correct. Upon closer inspection, it also seems correct.
But Zhang Hongyang just felt that something was wrong, and his gaze kept shifting between his two childhood friends.
He turned around, but Luo Hong ignored him, forcefully pinched his childhood friend's shoulder, and squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth: "Luo Yanha."
It even includes the full name and surname.
That was quite a blow. Zhou Weifang said, "You should at least show some mercy when you're eating people."
Luo Hong gave him the middle finger: "I've been very polite to you."
After saying that, he left. Zhang Hongyang asked curiously, "What were you two doing, exchanging cryptic remarks?"
"What could it be?" Zhou Weifang retorted. "Aren't you going back to chop vegetables?"
Restaurants are busiest on weekends, and Zhang Hongyang didn't have time to think about that. He ran off and disappeared.
Zhou Weifang breathed a sigh of relief and was just about to say a few words to Luo Yan when Zhang Hongmin called out "Boss" from inside the store.
Whether people are just joining in the fun or genuinely want to buy, the fruit shops are already packed.
Zhou Weifang could only give Luo Yan a look before going inside to work, unaware that the young girl had silently followed him.
There are quite a few people picking out fruit in the store now, with older women and men being the main customers.
Luo Yan didn't know who had stepped on her foot, and thought that she seemed to be in the way, so she decided to go to the library instead.
Just as she was about to speak, she heard Zhang Hongmin reciting something about three times three equals nine, so busy that he could hardly keep track of the money.
How about I go and lend a hand?
Luo Yan, like a blade of grass sprouting from a corner after the rain, suddenly chimed in, saying, "I'll weigh it."
The sudden appearance of another person startled Zhang Hongmin, but he didn't have time to think about it and simply made room for her.
After Zhou Weifang brought out two more baskets of pears from the back warehouse, he saw Luo Yan helping to collect the money.
She was indeed quick at calculating. She glanced at the scale and knew immediately: "Two pounds and three jiao of apricots for six jiao and two jiao, one jin and five jiao of grapes for forty jiao and nine jiao, three pounds of pears for seven jiao and five jiao, totaling one dollar and eighty-six jiao."
The prices were all displayed on the wall. She could remember all seven or eight kinds of fruit after just one glance, but for some reason she was a little nervous, afraid that she might miscalculate the bill.
Zhou Weifang went over to pick up where she left off and said to the customer, "Just give me 1.8 yuan. It's the first day of business. Please take good care of me in the future."
When giving change, he turned his head and said, "I'll do it, you can rest."
He had barely finished speaking when his apprentice, who was in trouble at the car dealership, called him away.
Luo Yan continued to "stand guard," recalling that her biggest wish when she was a child was to work in a department store, for which she had practiced abacus skills for a while.
She actually thought it was quite fun to collect and calculate money this way, but unfortunately, she was only busy with the initial opening of the store, and soon the store became deserted.
Luo Yan began to doubt whether there had really been that many people there, and rubbed her eyes.
When Zhou Weifang finished his work and came over, he saw her and asked, "Didn't you sleep well last night?"
Luo Yan shook her head slightly: "She slept quite well."
The moment the two exchanged those words, Zhang Hongmin made up an excuse and slipped away, giving up his seat behind the counter.
Zhou Weifang stood next to Luo Yan, watching her fiddling with the abacus, and said, "Are you tired? Sit down for a while, I'll go wash a peach for you."
Luo Yan quickly called out to him, "Don't bother, I'm about to leave."
"Go to the library? Will we still be able to get a seat at this hour?"
"I'll borrow two books and then go home."
That means there's nothing important happening today. Zhou Weifang looked at his watch and said, "How about we have lunch here?"
It's questionable whether he can even get enough to eat himself, let alone...
Luo Yan asked, "What good food is available if I come?"
"There are too many," Zhou Weifang rattled off a list of dishes.
Luo Yangguang could tell which shops it was just by listening. He thought the nearest one was at least a kilometer away and said, "If I don't come, you can still manage with a meal. It's too much trouble."
How could that be? Zhou Weifang: "As long as you come, this isn't considered trouble."
Since she didn't want to go through all that trouble, Luo Yan thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll go buy it for you later."
Huh? Zhou Weifang: "No need, no need, I'll go, it's so sunny."
There are two standards for the same thing. Luo Yan: "I know you're dark-skinned and not afraid of the sun, so I'll bring you whatever I can find on the way."
Zhou Weifang said cautiously, "Actually, it would be fine to bring some specifically for him. You even bring food to Luo Hong..."
The voices grew softer towards the end, but Luo Yan heard every single word and instinctively said, "That's my brother."
Yes, he is the biological brother, while I have no official status.
Zhou Weifang: "I'm not a picky eater, I eat everything."
See, I told you he always plays the victim.
Luo Yan fell for this and asked, "Is it okay if I eat braised pork?"
Everyone has food preferences. Perhaps it's the lingering shadow of a bland and unappetizing childhood, but Zhou Weifang now prefers hearty chunks of meat, especially those seasoned with rich, dark sauces.
He wondered if this was just him being coaxed. Satisfied, he opened the drawer and took out the money: "Okay, of course."
"You want to pay?" Luo Yan snorted. "Then don't eat it."
Zhou Weifang turned his hand and picked up the lunchbox: "I'm going to give this to you."
He's quick-witted. Luo Yan tapped him twice with her lunchbox and said, "Let's go."
As soon as she left, a second wave of customers poured in.
Zhou Weifang shouted at the shop entrance and called Zhang Hongmin over from the car dealership. The two of them were practically split into four people.
Even so, you still have to keep an eye on everything.
Zhang Hongmin noticed someone trying to take advantage of the situation and quietly gestured for the boss to look over.
When Zhou Weifang put all the fruit on the shelf, he knew that someone would definitely try to steal it.
He walked over quietly and stood behind the person, saying, "Pears are 25 cents a pound. They were just picked last night, so they're sure to be sweet. If you don't believe me, buy two to try."
He emphasized the two, and the other person awkwardly went to weigh them and took out two pears from their bag.
Zhang Hongmin pretended not to know and said as usual, "Six taels and two ounces, you can give me fifteen cents."
If we act dignifiedly, this matter will pass; after all, doing business is about making money through harmony.
Zhou Weifang didn't take it seriously and continued running around busily. He finally sat down to catch his breath and was about to close his eyes to rest when he heard someone call his name. He jumped up.
This startled Chen Xiuhong, who exclaimed, "Are you asleep?"
Zhou Weifang: "No, no, Auntie, aren't you going to work today?"
Chen Xiuhong got excited as soon as she heard this: "I came here specifically to find you a good marriage."
This aunt was notorious for playing matchmaker. Ever since Zhou Weifang returned to the city, he would avoid her whenever he saw her, pleading, "Auntie, how can I possibly have time to find a partner?" Chen Xiuhong replied, "Let me tell you, this time I've found you an exceptionally good one. She works as a nurse at the hospital right next door. It's only a few steps from here, making it so convenient for you to find someone..."
Zhou Weifang repeated, "Auntie, I really can't turn it."
Then she changed the subject: "Do you prefer pears or peaches? These apricots are also good; I'll bring some for my aunt."
Chen Xiuhong pressed his hand down: "Your aunt only has two teeth left, don't bother her."
Zhou Weifang: "Then it's bananas. I got them specifically from the fruit and vegetable company."
This stuff isn't produced in the city, so he had to go to fruit and vegetable companies to buy it wholesale, which took him a lot of effort.
Chen Xiuhong pushed him away, saying, "No need, no need. If this works out, I'd be happy to eat even if you gave me a hundred or two hundred pounds."
The two of them pushed and shoved each other, but Chen Xiuhong didn't get confused at all. She still remembered: "Just take a look, while I'm still young and have plenty of choices."
No, Zhou Weifang said, both amused and exasperated, "These fruits are young too, you can choose one."
Chen Xiuhong slapped him irritably: "Are you trying to tell me a joke?"
Another possibility occurred to me: "Or are you secretly dating someone? Do you have a girl you like?"
Because of certain events, Zhou Weifang had always respected this elder, otherwise he wouldn't have argued with her for so long. However, he completely distrusted her ability to keep secrets and firmly said, "No."
Chen Xiuhong was skeptical: "Really not?"
Zhou Weifang just wanted her to leave quickly, saying, "Absolutely not, I have someone here who can take you to see for yourself."
Since there was none, Chen Xiuhong was not giving up. Seeing someone standing at the door, she naturally said, "Comrade, please come in and take your pick. We just opened today."
Zhou Weifang breathed a sigh of relief and was about to greet the guests when he looked closely and saw that it was Luo Yan. He thought to himself that if his aunt noticed anything amiss, all the relatives beyond five degrees of kinship would find out. He secretly gave her a wink.
Luo Yan had been hesitant about whether to come in, but now she was in a bind, so she decided to pretend that she really was there to buy fruit and take her time choosing.
Even though others were choosing their own partners, Chen Xiuhong still wouldn't give up, saying, "She's truly a wonderful girl..."
"Oh no!" Zhou Weifang quickly interrupted, "Auntie, I really won't look for her."
"This kid," Chen Xiuhong muttered a few more times, but seeing that she couldn't persuade him, she said sullenly, "Fine, fine, you go ahead and do your thing."
After seeing off the elders with the fruit, Zhou Weifang breathed a sigh of relief, turned his head to examine Luo Yan's expression, and for some reason became extra careful as he said, "My aunt is the most incapable of keeping secrets. If we say a single word to each other, she'll have to ask my mom who you are tomorrow."
And his mouth, it's completely unguarded.
Luo Yan had just realized that the person was there to introduce Zhou Weifang to a potential partner, and she didn't think anything of it at first. But when she heard the words "Who are you?", she felt uncomfortable and thought to herself: I am nobody!
She placed the lunchbox on the counter and said, "You eat it, I'm leaving."
Zhou Weifang couldn't let her go, so he grabbed her in a hurry, but quickly let go the next second: "Yanyan, did I say something wrong?"
Luo Yan realized for the first time that she was quite good at being sarcastic, and said, "No, you're absolutely right."
Zhou Weifang's hair stood on end. She then raised her foot and reached out to stop her, saying, "Tell me if I did anything wrong, and I'll change it. I didn't do it on purpose."
If someone saw this scene, they would definitely think that the couple was arguing.
Luo Yan was even more unhappy at the thought of such a possibility, and said, "No need, I'm no one to you, how dare I tell you what to do?"
Her words were quite obvious; if Zhou Weifang couldn't understand them, he would be the biggest fool in the world.
But he was so overwhelmed with surprise that he froze and didn't react for a moment.
Luo Yan became increasingly frustrated, thinking: He was the one who liked me first.
She doesn't cry as much as she did when she was a child, but she felt so wronged that her nose tingled and her eyes reddened.
Zhou Weifang panicked: "Yanyan, I was wrong. Don't cry. I didn't mean it that way. I thought you didn't want to. I wish the whole world knew that I liked you and that you were with me."
Luo Yan slapped away his hand that was trying to wipe away her tears: "Who said I'm friends with you!"
Yes, yes, you said it backwards.
Zhou Weifang: "It's me, it's me, I want to be with you."
Luo Yan wiped her face with the back of her hand: "Then you can think about it."
Just as Zhou Weifang was about to speak, he realized that someone might come to buy fruit at any moment, so he quickly closed the door.
In the dim light, he became even more humble: "Yanyan, I know this is something a man should say, but I'm afraid you'll reject me like before. I'm thinking of asking you again in a while to see if you're willing. I've almost thought of what to say. Really, you'll see."
He took out a piece of paper that had been folded several times from his wallet, unfolded it, and presented it with both hands.
Luo Yan could tell that the writing on it had been revised several times, with many parts crossed out and rewritten. The densely packed writing made it impossible to read what the words were, and it was even more messy than the draft paper she used for her advanced mathematics exam.
She said, "You call this a quick decision?"
Zhou Weifang: "I...I wrote several versions, but none of them were very good."
Luo Yan was very curious and gave him a friendly look: "What's wrong?"
Zhou Weifang stammered even more, and tried to change the subject, but as soon as he opened his mouth he blurted out the truth: "I'm afraid my writing isn't as good as Zhou Xiu's."
He knew that others had written many letters to Luo Yan, and he knew that his writing skills were definitely not as good as Luo Yan's. Every time he picked up a pen, he would think it over and over again, but in the end, he would still jump around in his limited vocabulary. By now, he had thrown away at least eight hundred or a thousand pieces of paper.
Zhou Xiuhe? Luo Yan recalled the stack of letters under her bed, and her tone softened considerably: "You are you, and he is he. What's the point of comparing them?"
"How could we not compare them?" Zhou Weifang said with a wry smile. "Put the two of us together, and anyone can see which one is better."
Luo Yan didn't like him belittling himself like that, and said, "Does it matter what other people think? You're not going to date them."
Zhou Weifang's eyes lit up at the mention of dating, but Luo Yan immediately shattered his beautiful fantasy, saying, "I'm waiting to see what you finally write."
Now, even if she wanted to pluck stars from the sky or shoot down the sun, Zhou Weifang would respond without hesitation, especially when it came to things that could be considered explicit. He said, "Write, I'll write right away, I'll definitely write it well."
He knew that how well he wrote it was related to his lifelong happiness, and he couldn't wait to grab a dictionary and look it up. He didn't even know how wonderful it was, and he was so happy that he was practically gushing out.
Luo Yan reminded him, "Are you going to keep your shop open or not?"
Yes, of course we should open it. There will be many more places where we need money in the future.
Zhou Weifang opened the door clumsily, his mind seemingly slower than usual, as he looked out at the bright sunshine.
What's interesting outside? Luo Yan didn't find anything.
She thought the braised pork she bought was even more delicious. Remembering that she had almost left it behind, she opened the lunchbox lid and said, "Time to eat."
Meal, yes, I haven't eaten yet.
Zhou Weifang's dazed state was pulled back: "Is it cold? Let me take it over and warm it up."
Luo Yan was already starving and couldn't wait any longer, so she said, "There are no chopsticks."
Zhou Weifang ran back to the car dealership to get it, and also brought her a glass of water.
Luo Yan took a sip of water to moisten her throat, then ate a bite of meat to fill her stomach, thinking: We should eat first and then argue.
Zhou Weifang thought about the same thing, figuring that no matter what happened next time, he should let her eat first. His mind then drifted to how to write the love letter.
To describe his feelings at this moment, one would say it's like the saying, "You only realize how little you know when you need to use it."
He was conflicted and didn't eat much of his favorite braised pork, while Luo Yan ate her fill and put down her chopsticks, saying, "I'm going home to do my homework."
Zhou Weifang escorted her to the store entrance and only turned around after watching her ride away into the distance.
Two minutes later, Luo Yan came back, biting her lip: "Although I am kind, you are not allowed to be perfunctory with me."
As she was about to leave, Zhou Weifang grabbed her car handle, stared at her intently, and said, "Yanyan, I will never be perfunctory with you in my entire life."
A lifetime is too long, Luo Yan said: "Then I'll wait and see."
This time she really went home, leaving Zhou Weifang alone in the shop.
To be precise, all that's left is Zhou Weifang holding a dictionary.
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Author's note: I revised it again and again; this chapter was so hard to write!
good evening!
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