Chapter 51 (Second Update)
The 27th day of the twelfth lunar month was Luo Yan's first day of "holiday". She arranged a lot of things for herself and went out to visit Wu Huifang in the morning.
However, Wu Huifang was not home at the time. She was going to leave empty-handed, but before she even left the alley, she ran into her high school classmate Bai Ru.
Bai Ru, carrying two bottles of beer, saw her and shouted, "Luo Yan!!"
His surprise and delight were palpable.
Luo Yan gripped the brake and greeted her, "Long time no see."
He vaguely felt that something was different about her, but he couldn't figure it out as he touched the back of his neck.
Bai Ru didn't give her time to think and hurriedly said, "Wait for me, I'll take this home first."
To be honest, although they were deskmates in the last semester of high school and Luo Yan was very helpful in improving her grades, their relationship was only slightly better than that of ordinary classmates. She couldn't understand why Bai Ru was suddenly so enthusiastic, but she still nodded and said, "Okay, then I'll wait here."
Bai Ru then ran home, and after a while, she came out pushing her bicycle and said, "Let's go to Beihai Park. I have a lot to tell you."
This left Luo Yan completely bewildered, and she even began to wonder if she had a missing memory of a time when the two of them had a very good relationship. However, she still didn't harbor any suspicion towards her and followed her all the way.
Bai Ru took the lead, bought two bottles of soda at the park entrance, found the bench closest to the entrance, and said enthusiastically, "Luo Yan, I am really grateful to you for helping me get into vocational school."
So that's what it is. Luo Yan suddenly felt that the soda deserved it too, and laughed, "It's because you're so good at making things right."
Bai Ru shook her head: "I'm so useless. If it weren't for you and Qianyun, I don't know where I would be now."
Her grades were barely enough to get into a vocational school, so whether or not she passed the entrance exam was a major hurdle for her.
With so many feelings, it must be because life now is vastly different from before. Luo Yan said, "It seems you're very happy at the medical college, and I'm happy for you too."
Bai Ru explained to her in detail: "My family is poor, and my scholarship was rated as first-class, which is eighteen yuan a month. Do you know? This is the first time in my life that I have been able to spend so much money every month."
The family is a microcosm of society; those with money and power are looked up to. When she first got into medical school, she didn't feel like she had escaped any special circumstances. But she gradually realized that as the most educated person in the Bai family, she seemed to have a say in things.
Luo Yan listened to her rambling on about things like, "I don't need anyone to support me now, and I can even save some money for my grandma to spend," and she was genuinely happy for her.
Especially at the end, Bai Ru said, "I've thought it all out. I'll take the exam again when I'm about to graduate and try to continue my studies at a junior college so that I can be assigned to a better hospital."
Luo Yan listened to those mundane family stories and then let them go, but she strongly supported this statement, saying, "That's great! Maybe after you graduate from junior college, you can even take the undergraduate entrance exam."
Current policy only allows vocational school graduates to enroll in the junior college of their own school after passing an exam, but no one can say for sure whether this will change in four or five years.
Bai Ru burst out laughing when she heard her say that: "You said exactly the same thing as Qianyun."
She and Wang Qianyun were close friends and would meet up from time to time.
Unlike Luo Yan and Wang Qianyun, who were similar in temperament but never quite became friends, Luo Yan only heard bits and pieces about Wang Qianyun's recent situation after graduation, saying, "We all think highly of you."
Bai Ru suddenly felt pressured and a little embarrassed: "Actually, I wanted to visit you during my vacation, but I was afraid it would be too presumptuous. Today is such a coincidence, I really, really want to thank you."
Luo Yan's expression was just as sincere and earnest as hers: "You don't need to be so polite, I'm also extremely happy for you."
If they continued, it would become too formal. After a few seconds of silence, Bai Ru suddenly asked, "Did I scare you just now?"
Luo Yan finally realized that she was different from before. The girl who would occasionally show timidity and confusion was now almost nowhere to be seen, like a stone that had been polished for many years and now revealed a smooth texture.
She said, "It wasn't that I was scared, I just kept thinking about what you were going to tell me the whole way."
Even if you put it mildly, you were still scared. Bai Ru stuck out her tongue: "I get excited as soon as I see you, and I don't care about anything else."
He added, "I suddenly pulled you here to talk about all this nonsense without even asking if you had anything else to do later. If you're busy, just say so, it's okay."
Luo Yan could tell that she really didn't mind: "I had something to do today, next time, next time we'll go out and play again."
Bai Ru thought the "next time" was just a polite remark and didn't delve into it, saying, "It's okay, you go ahead and do your work."
Luo Yan wasn't making excuses; after saying goodbye, she headed straight for the car dealership.
She was already late, and Zhou Weifang was already looking around anxiously at the door. Seeing her in such a hurry, he was startled: "What happened?"
Luo Yan gasped for breath: "I...I'm late."
Zhou Weifang knew she was always punctual, so he said, "It's alright, we had guests earlier, so you would have had to wait anyway."
For Luo Yan, waiting for herself and waiting for others were two different concepts. She took a breath and said, "I... I'll wait a bit."
Despite the freezing weather, she was so anxious that her forehead was almost sweating. Zhou Weifang waved his hand to fan her: "Sit down for a while."
Luo Yan nodded in agreement, went into the shop, sat down to rest for a few minutes, and rolled up her sleeves: "What don't you know? Let me take a look."
He looked very energetic.
Although she is usually enthusiastic about explaining the topics, she seemed a little different today. Zhou Weifang couldn't help but ask, "You seem very happy?"
Luo Yan's eyes lit up, thinking that this was a perfect opportunity to set a good example, and she said with rare humor, "I just went to see your senior sister."
Who? Zhou Weifang thought he hadn't heard clearly and leaned forward slightly: "What did you say?"
Luo Yan emphasized: "Theoretically speaking, you are all my students, but she started learning earlier than you."
Zhou Weifang usually used respect for teachers as an excuse to curry favor. He thought to himself that if he really let her settle the formal relationship, it would be terrible. But he couldn't say, "Who wants to be your student?" Now he felt like he had shot himself in the foot. He hesitated for a moment, then asked helplessly, "How are you doing lately, Senior Sister?"
Calling her "senior" sounds a bit strange, Luo Yan said. "In short, she is a lost sheep who has found her way back."
The story of the White Lamb, after being properly artistically adapted, becomes a moving tale. Its dramatic twists and turns make Zhou Weifang feel as if he has just watched a play in a theater, especially the famous quote that was added at the end: "Black hair does not know the importance of studying hard in youth, white hair regrets the lateness of reading."
After hearing this, Zhou Weifang touched his hair and said, "I've really changed."
His recent attitude towards learning has been very good, but perseverance is the most difficult part of anything. Luo Yan couldn't help but worry that he would give up halfway, saying, "I just think her story is very encouraging and I wanted you to know about it."
In reality, these kinds of stories are all pretty much the same in the world, and they don't have much impact on the listener. Even the people involved only realize their mistakes after they've benefited from them.
Zhou Weifang also encountered setbacks everywhere after going to the countryside, which led to his current awareness.
He said, "I understand, I will study hard."
She then urged, "I think your brother should listen to this too."
Forget it, it'll just go in one ear and out the other. Luo Yan said, "I'd rather spend that time seeing you more often."
The phrase "see you" in that sentence refers to the topic discussion, but it was interpreted completely differently by Zhou Weifang. His heart fluttered, and he began to drift off into thought.
Luo Yan waved him back, glanced at her watch, and said, "I can't be late for lunch any longer, let's hurry."
Having just made a promise, Zhou Weifang eagerly took out the book, pointing and saying, "I can't understand these two pages."
Luo Yan took a moment to organize her thoughts before beginning to explain, pausing occasionally to check his expression and make sure he truly understood before continuing.
With her taking it so seriously, Zhou Weifang dared not disobey. The two of them occupied a corner of the car shop, giving lessons amidst the clanging and banging of their apprentices repairing cars.
Luo Yan didn't have the strength to shout, and fearing he wouldn't hear her, she unconsciously moved even closer. Her attention was entirely on the book, completely focused and without any distractions.
Zhou Weifang found it very difficult to do this, after all, his sweetheart was right beside him, but he also realized the truth once again: in Luo Yan's eyes, he was at best just a student.
Luo Yan thought he was frustrated because he didn't understand, so she made an excuse for him: "These two pages are too many. I haven't sorted them out yet. I'll explain them to you again later."
Zhou Weifang: "It's okay, I can just watch it a couple more times myself."
Luo Yan was in a hurry to leave, so she nodded casually without paying attention to what he was saying.
She had arranged to meet Chen Yingying for lunch at Shaguoju Restaurant. She arrived just in time, but luckily Chen Yingying was a little late, giving her a chance to catch her breath. However, as soon as they met, she said, "I was so busy this morning."
After ordering, she briefly recounted what had happened that morning, and then vaguely mentioned Zhou Xiuhe.
Chen Yingying's eyes lit up when she heard this: "What kind of person is he? Is he better than the zoo?"
She kept calling him "zoo" all the time, and Luo Yan had to think for a moment to remember Wang Tongguang's name, saying, "He has a name."
Chen Yingying said matter-of-factly, "Do you think Beijing is that big? It would be even worse if others heard my full name."
That makes sense, so Luo Yan skipped that part and said, "She's good-looking and has good grades..."
Chen Yingying ignored all of this and said, "There are too many people who can use these words. What's the most special thing about you that attracts you?"
Luo Yan thought for a moment and said, "It's probably because of his parents' work that he's so independent."
Zhou's parents travel around with their car all year round, so their son has been living on his own since he was young. He can manage all his needs, and he is less naive than most students who have never been to the workforce.
Chen Yingying suddenly realized: "Then you two complement each other, which is perfect since you're not independent."
Luo Yan does not deny that she is indeed very dependent on her family, saying, "It's comfortable to talk to him, and our problem-solving approaches are always similar."
Chen Yingying clapped for no apparent reason: "I feel like our thinking is not the same now. You're not choosing a class monitor when you're choosing a partner, so why are you looking at the problem-solving approach?"
Luo Yan: "Don't you feel a great sense of chemistry when you have someone who can write the same answer as you at the same time?"
Chen Yingying: "We have great chemistry, but it's not romantic. Anything related to studying now makes me feel hopeless."
Luo Yan: "That's it, we're always studying when we meet, so I can't tell you."
Chen Yingying suddenly exclaimed, "I now think you and the library are a match made in heaven."
Judging from the context, Luo Yan felt that "library" was probably a code name given to Zhou Xiuhe by his friend, and for some reason, she found it very fitting and funny: "Now that you mention it, I also think we're quite a good match."
Chen Yingying immediately disagreed: "We can't make such a judgment so easily. We need to be careful. What if we only know someone's face but not their heart? You're too naive. Some men are..."
Luo Yan listened attentively to the earnest advice and thought she would observe carefully after school started. But when she counted on her fingers and realized there were still more than half a month left, she sighed inexplicably: "Let's not talk about this now, come with me to buy something."
Chen Yingying accompanied her to shop in the department store for an afternoon. In the end, the two of them went back to the counter on the first floor to buy a tin frog that would jump when wound up.
The frog was so realistic that Luo Yan didn't dare hold it in her palm after paying. She quickly put it in her schoolbag and said, "Won't the child be scared and cry?"
It gave her goosebumps just looking at it.
Chen Yingying assured: "No, my nephew has one, he plays with it every day, and recently every kid has one."
Luo Yan was skeptical, but since she couldn't find anything more suitable, she took it with her to meet her brother.
-----------------------
A note from the author: Have a great weekend everyone!
I suddenly realized I made a mistake with the date. I've moved the date of Yan Yan's final exam in Chapter 35 forward a little. It won't affect anyone's reading experience.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com