Chapter 95 (Bonus Chapter)
After dinner, Luo Yan went to school to "rehearse" using the excuse her brother had prepared in advance.
With the shop hiring more people, Zhou Weifang was clearly freed up, and he wasn't in a hurry to see her leave, leisurely sipping his tea.
Luo Hongding was working noisily when he asked, "Yesterday I met Brother Hong, who asked if I wanted to go to Fujian with you guys?"
Zhou Weifang has been busy with his older sister's wedding lately and hasn't been able to meet up with his childhood friends. He said, "Making money is too slow. I want to go south and take a look."
Luo Hong: "It would take about ten days to half a month to go there."
Zhou Weifang: "It takes seven or eight days to travel by train, so it will take at least a month. You can keep an eye on the store's accounts for me while I'm there."
Luo Hong first hummed in agreement, then realized something was amiss: "No, is this how you ask for help?"
Zhou Weifang tapped his finger on the table: "Isn't this an invitation to dinner?"
Luo Hong scoffed, "You know perfectly well who you invited." But he still wanted to advise him, "Yan Yan definitely won't be dating for the next two years, so give up."
My sister has this kind of personality; once bitten, twice shy. If she sees a dead rat on the road, she'll avoid it for the next three months.
Not to mention Zhou Xiuhe is a grown woman. Even though she seems to have recovered on the surface, she probably won't be able to get over this hurdle for a while.
It's not that she was deeply in love and couldn't let go, but this incident brought her a lot of negative emotions and consequences that she didn't like, so the next opportunity would naturally be further away.
Zhou Weifang didn't understand this mental journey, but he also knew the outcome, saying, "That's perfect, I'll make something of myself in these two years."
He was quite pleased. Luo Hong's lips twitched, and he couldn't help but say, "No matter how well you do, it doesn't necessarily mean that our Yan Yan will..."
The implication is obvious.
Zhou Weifang knew, of course, and tilted his head back: "That's still better than being penniless like I am now, isn't it?"
Sigh, Luo Hong didn't know what to say.
He really didn't want to say anything too cruel to his childhood friend, but he was also afraid that the longer he dragged it out, the more invested he would become, and the harder it would be for him to let go.
To use an absurd analogy, he now has the illusion of being caught in the middle between his wife and his mother, wanting to say something but holding it all back.
Zhou Weifang could obviously see his disapproval, so he asked a hurtful question: "Are you advising me because Yanyan isn't interested in me, or because you think I'm not good enough for her?"
"What kind of talk is that?" Luo Hong continued, using an inappropriate example: "Even if the world's richest man came, I would still think he was doing Luo Yan a disservice. But even if it were the President of Japan, what could I do if Luo Yan wanted to?"
Zhou Weifang actually smiled and said, "I have to try it myself before I'll give up."
Okay, okay, you'll know to turn back after hitting a wall.
Luo Hong simply evaded the issue, saying, "You decide your own affairs; I won't say anything more about it."
Zhou Weifang naturally changed the subject, talking about his trip to Fujian. The two chatted for a while longer before he returned to the shop.
Luo Hong said he was busy, but that was all the work he could do in a day.
He had taken a nap in the recliner that afternoon, and when he opened his eyes again, he saw his sister and yawned: "What's for dinner?"
Luo Yan raised her hand to show him: "The cafeteria has opened a window selling liangpi (cold skin noodles) and roujiamo (Chinese hamburger)."
Luo Hong had the most authentic version of this dish during his years working in the countryside in northern Shaanxi. He had some complaints about the version sold in Beijing, sometimes about the lack of meat, sometimes about the gluten...
Unfortunately, there is no democracy in this place. Before he could finish speaking, Luo Yan glared at him and said, "You should be grateful to have something to eat. Don't be picky."
Luo Hong zipped up his mouth while asking, "Doesn't your school give you a summer vacation?"
He heard the students who came to repair cars complaining.
Luo Yan: "They said we'd have a month off, but the rule is that everyone has to submit a social survey report when school starts. Our School of Transportation makes up more than half of the students in the whole school, and the topics we were assigned were all related to public transportation. Many students come from rural or mountainous areas and don't have the conditions to do this kind of survey, so they have to stay in Beijing."
Luo Hong had heard her mention this survey once before, and said, "Is it the one where you have to chase after a bus?"
What does it mean to "chase after the bus"? Luo Yan: "It means analyzing route settings and collecting and statistically analyzing passenger opinions."
Well, that's just how it is. Luo Hong: "You intellectuals just love to nitpick over words."
Luo Yan: "That's already pretty straightforward!"
Luo Hong sneered, and when he saw a customer arrive, he quickly put down the roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) in his hand and wiped it on a tattered towel.
After finishing her meal, Luo Yan saw that her brother was still repairing the car, so she cleaned up her dishes and said, "I'm going to school now."
Luo Hong was busy, and only when he had a moment to spare did he realize that he had forgotten to remind her of something. Afraid that he would forget again, he quickly said to her when he saw her that evening, "You can eat by yourself at school for the next two days."
Luo Yan: "Is he coming again tomorrow?"
Luo Hong: "I can't say for sure."
Luo Yan was a little unhappy that she was supposed to spend her lunch break in her brother's shop, but she didn't object.
However, she was at school, and Zhou Weifang also had to attend school.
On Friday evening, he went to Jiaotong University for an advanced training course and bumped into Luo Yan in the corridor. He asked, "Finished rehearsal?"
Luo Yan did indeed have a rehearsal in the afternoon, he nodded.
Zhou Weifang: "Are you practicing again tonight?"
Luo Yan thought about it and shook her head.
She didn't actually like this feeling of hiding and dodging, as if she had wronged someone first, and even her smile remained flat.
Zhou Weifang keenly sensed something and asked, "What's wrong?"
When it comes to refusing others, Luo Yan is actually very good at adopting a distant and unapproachable attitude, because this is a part of her personality.
However, she felt a little awkward in front of Zhou Wei, unsure how to be polite enough to make him back down. She asked innocently, "What? What's wrong?"
Whether he didn't want to talk about it or he really didn't, Zhou Weifang didn't press the matter further, saying, "If you're not rehearsing, could you teach me a class tonight?"
This is indeed a serious matter. Luo Yan said, "Okay, then I'll wait for you at the shop."
She gets out of school a little earlier.
Having made the appointment, Zhou Weifang entered the classroom, but he couldn't help feeling uneasy, as Luo Yan seemed quite unhappy.
He had doubts, so he couldn't help but observe more closely when they met that evening.
But when Luo Yan was lecturing, she showed no extraneous emotions, only an eagerness to cram all the knowledge into other people's heads.
Zhou Weifang couldn't concentrate on anything else, so he reluctantly followed her train of thought.
After finishing her speech, Luo Yan took a sip of water to rest.
Zhou Weifang flipped through the book, occasionally asking her a question.
The two of them sitting together, at first glance, seem to be a good match?
"What nonsense!" Luo Hong shook his head, banishing all distracting thoughts. The wrench in his hand swayed idly, and then slipped from his grasp, flying a meter away.
If it had flown any further, it would have hit someone.
Luo Yan criticized her brother: "This is a tool, not a toy."
Luo Hongli, though unconvinced, said confidently, "To me, it's just a toy."
Luo Yan scoffed, "You pick up dog poop and call it a toy."
Luo Hongcai didn't care about being exposed; he even reached out and patted her shoulder, saying, "It's this paw."
Although it happened almost twenty years ago, Luo Yan still...
She screamed and grabbed something from the table and threw it at him.
Luo Hong jumped to the right to dodge and said, "Old Zhao is here, I'm going out for a bit."
Old Zhao is the deputy head of the security department at Jiaotong University. His biggest hobby is finding people to chat with.
But he would smoke three cigarettes for every word he said, so whenever his sister was around, Luo Hong would go outside with her to chat.
Although it's called "outside," it's actually not far from the shop entrance; you can see the people inside with just a glance.
But the only people left close to her were Luo Yan and Zhou Weifang. For some reason, she felt uncomfortable and moved her chair to the other side.
Zhou Weifang thought she was trying to escape the smell of smoke drifting in, and said, "How about I take you home first? It's on my way back to the shop anyway."
Luo Yan quickly shook her head: "No need, no need."
Her reaction was actually a bit too much, and after realizing it, she tried to remain calm and said, "I'll wait for my brother."
Zhou Weifang: "Then we'll have to wait a while. Are you hungry? I'll go buy some late-night snacks."
Luo Yan naturally said she wasn't hungry, but Zhou Weifang tried to justify himself: "I am a little hungry, would you like more lung or more intestines in your braised pork?"
When faced with multiple-choice questions, people's thinking can become limited. Luo Yan's eyes lit up: "Lungs."
Only after I finished speaking did I realize that there was also the option of not eating.
Zhou Weifang didn't give her a chance to change her mind. He picked up the enamel basin from the shelf and walked out, looking rather nonchalant.
Luo Yan was annoyed and slapped her thigh in self-criticism: "Why did I speak so quickly?"
After Old Zhao finished his conversation, he went on patrol. Luo Hong came in and asked, "Where did the three parties go again?"
Luo Yan: "Buying late-night snacks."
Well, Luo Hong stroked his chin: "I'm quite lucky with food these days, I'm benefiting from it."
Luo Yan glanced at her brother sideways, as if she wanted to stab him with her gaze.
Luo Hong said helplessly, "You should have waited until the course was over before saying anything."
Luo Yan also had a point: "I promised to help him get first place this semester, so I have to keep my promise."
One thing at a time, she can't go back on her word, especially when it comes to studying.
Luo Hong thought to himself that he was probably the only one in the world who cared about this first place. He wanted to say something, but he was afraid that his childhood friend would come back and he would hold back.
After a while, Zhou Weifang came in carrying an enamel basin in both hands.
He didn't notice that it was a basin without handles when he picked it up, so he had to lift the hem of his clothes to insulate it from the heat, exposing most of his waist.
Luo Yan didn't look at it on purpose; she just glanced at it and immediately noticed, exclaiming, "How come there's such a big scar?"
Zhou Weifang brushed it off: "It was an accidental injury."
He put the basin on the table and shook his reddened hands: "I'll go buy some more drinks."
Luo Hong pressed him down into a chair: "I'll go, it's not good for me to eat or drink your food."
He couldn't really take advantage of others, especially with his sister involved.
Zhou Weifang sat down and met Luo Yan's gaze, asking, "What's wrong?"
Luo Yan felt that his injury didn't look like something that could be caused by "accident," so she took a breath but didn't ask, thinking: Never mind, it's his business after all.
But even so, she couldn't help wanting to know, so she had to forcibly cover her mouth.
Zhou Weifang saw through it all and laughed, "Just say what you want to say."
"This is the stepping stone he paved," Luo Yan gestured on her stomach, "How did you get this?"
She didn't know, but Luo Hong did.
He pried open the bottle of soda he had just bought and pushed it to his sister, saying, "Don't pry into other people's business."
Can't I ask? Luo Yan obediently shut her mouth, her eyes darting around as she guessed something.
Zhou Weifang defended her, saying, "Why are you talking about her? You asked me about it the day I returned to the city."
Luo Hong also had a point: "How could I not ask in a bathhouse?"
He then said to him, "Yanyan is a grown woman now, so from now on, make sure I have proper clothes to wear."
Why is he so angry? Zhou Weifang thought to himself that it might be because he was dressed too sloppily, and said, "Be more careful next time."
He then turned to Luo Yan and explained, "I got this bruise from a fight in the military corps."
After saying this, he noticed a large mosquito bite on Luo Yan's cheek and stood up to look for mosquito coils.
Upon hearing this, Luo Yan revealed an expression of "I knew it," thinking to herself that this person was truly uncouth, and his temper hadn't changed in ten years.
Luo Hongduo knew his sister well, and after a moment's hesitation, he spoke up for his childhood friend: "Someone tried to harass him and then pulled out a knife, and he blocked it."
It's better to put the good things first, as if you're afraid of making a bad impression.
So that's how it is. Luo Yan had already said a few bad things about Zhou Weifang in her mind, and now she was so embarrassed that she didn't know where to look.
Zhou Weifang was unaware of the situation. She just felt that Luo Hong had already explained the whole story and didn't add any more details. She handed her chopsticks and said, "Eat up, it's getting cold."
Luo Yan accepted the gift and said thank you. For some reason, her eyes kept glancing at Zhou Weifang. Realizing she had been caught by her brother, she quickly sat up straight.
Luo Hong pretended not to see it: after all, how things developed was beyond his control.
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Author's note: One more chapter to go, see you later.
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