The Chen family hasn't come to see Chen Zhou for several months.
Chen Zhou is now a junior in college. His classmates are already thinking about job assignments after graduation, while Song Jianmin will continue to work at the factory as his workshop director.
Song Jianmin took a bite of a lamb skewer and said, "Don't worry about it. There's always a way out."
Chen Zhou didn't need to go to Phoenix Pavilion tonight, so the two of them ate some barbecue skewers near the night market.
Just as Chen Zhou was about to speak, a burst of firecrackers suddenly went off.
"Where are they setting off the cannons?"
Song Jianmin looked in the direction of the sound.
"Oh, it seems like a new Sichuan restaurant has opened in the night market."
Once December is over this year, we will enter the 1990s. Many delicious foods have been introduced to the night market. There is a Hunan restaurant that has just opened in front of the Sichuan restaurant.
The Hunan restaurant only did well on the first day. On the second day, it only had half the number of customers as the first day. Now, it has been open for seven or eight days, and the restaurant is never full, even if you count lunch and dinner.
In contrast, the Phoenix Pavilion restaurant remains bustling with customers, including returning regulars who bring in new customers, and new customers who bring in even more new customers...
Chen Zhou ate until his stomach was bulging.
There were still eight or nine skewers left on the table.
Chen Zhou chuckled twice and placed them all in front of Song Jianmin.
"You eat."
Song Jianmin raised an eyebrow slightly. "Chen Zhou, are you deliberately trying to stuff me to death?"
Chen Zhou: "Who said that? I'm just worried about you, afraid you won't have enough to eat."
Song Jianmin gave her four strings, saying, "You get four, I'll get six."
Chen Zhou replied with three strings of text, "You get nine, I get one."
"You get eight, I get two, that's the lowest we can go."
Chen Zhou reluctantly agreed, "Alright, alright, I'll eat it."
After finally resolving the issue, the two passed Phoenix Pavilion and walked hand in hand towards Peace Lane.
A waiter in the store saw the two of them and said to Xu Songyuan with a smile, "Brother Xu, Lao Wu and Chen Zhou just passed by."
"What's up? Did you hold hands?"
"That's not certain."
Xu Songyuan: "Focus on your work and don't gossip."
...
As they approached Heping Lane, Song Jianmin, not wanting to go back too early, took Chen Zhou for a stroll in a nearby park before disappearing.
It gets dark early in winter, and it was almost eight o'clock when I got back.
"Let go right now."
Song Jianmin remained motionless, gripping tightly, and muttered, "Why is it so dark up ahead?"
Chen Zhou also looked ahead, "Hey? Why aren't any lights on?"
Song Jianmin chuckled a few times, "Are you afraid of ghosts?"
Chen Zhou patted Song Jianmin's arm with his other hand, "Don't scare me, talk properly!"
Song Jianmin coughed twice. "Since the power's out anyway, let's just go back like this. I'll take you to your doorstep and we'll talk about it then."
The alley was quiet.
Normally, people finish their meals around 6 or 7 pm and then go for a walk outside. Today, I guess there was a power outage, so everyone went back inside and lit candles. It was very quiet.
After thinking for two seconds, Chen Zhou decided to let Song Jianmin have his way.
The two held hands and whispered to each other about what to eat for dinner the next night.
Song Jianmin wanted to eat dumplings.
Chen Zhou wanted to eat hot pot.
They wouldn't let anyone sleep, so they started arguing in hushed tones.
We arrived at Chen Zhou's house.
Chen Zhou: "Then how about this, you go buy some dumplings, bring them to the hot pot restaurant, and we'll eat together."
Song Jianmin smiled, his tone reluctant, "Alright, then I'll reluctantly agree—"
"Fifth brother, where are you guys going to eat?"
A voice suddenly interrupted—
Song Jianmin and Chen Zhou exchanged a glance and thought to themselves, "Oh no!"
The two of them turned to look to the side in perfect unison.
Suddenly, the streetlights came on.
One lamp after another.
The light illuminated the dark alley.
About ten meters away.
Song Anmin and Song Rongrong were at the very front, eating watermelons and watching the two of them with smiles.
After that, there were Xu Guiying and her husband, who looked utterly disgusted, and Grandma Song, Qian Yu'an, Song Yun, Mo Hong, and others, all with smiles on their faces...
Aunt Wang and Uncle Sun were also there...
Chen Zhou immediately pulled his hand back from Song Jianmin's palm as he started to work with his toes. His cheeks were burning as he stared at the person not far away, wishing he could dig a hole and bury himself!
The key is still in my bag; it will take time to find it and open the door.
Just as Chen Zhou was wondering what to do, Song Jianmin grabbed her hand again.
Song Jianmin forced a smile, "What a coincidence, everyone's here."
The fifth brother's awkward yet polite voice broke the silence.
Song Anmin grinned slyly, "It is quite a coincidence, isn't it?"
Grandma Song waved: "Zhouzhou, come here quickly, we're eating watermelon here."
Aunt Wang: "I told you they couldn't keep it a secret for long."
Song Jianmin and Chen Zhou: "..."
Song Jianmin looked at his parents.
Both Xu Guiying and her husband had a smile in their eyes.
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