Wu An entered the main room, where his father, elder brother, and A Qing were playing Dou Dizhu (a card game). The father and son were being inhumane, ganging up on A Qing, which made him laugh heartily.
Aqing's skills are lacking, and she shouts loudly but doesn't laugh.
Even if you lose, you can still be happy.
Someone came over for a casual chat.
Normally, Li Juan's house wouldn't be this lively; after all, there's always gossip around a widow's door.
Most of the people who came here to chat were there because of Wu An.
Everyone was curious about how Wu An returned safely, so they asked, "An, how did you avoid such a big storm at sea?"
Upon hearing this, Aqing was about to show off excitedly, but Wu An held him down, preventing him from getting up, and said with a smile, "Of course, you've found a safe haven."
“I didn’t save a person, I saved Old Fu from Shangwan Village.”
"He was an old fisherman who knew the area very well. He led us to an island."
"The island looks like it's being embraced by a person."
“We hid inside; it was safer than the village dock.”
Everyone suddenly realized.
“I know that island.”
"We pass by it when we go out to sea, but we've never gotten close."
"That's right, there are quite a few reefs over there."
Wu An pressed A Qing down again; "We were lucky, and it was Old Fu who was driving the boat. He's very experienced; he could drive the boat with his eyes closed without any problem."
"So that's how it is."
"It sounds alright."
"Are you out of your mind? Ah An is just being modest. Don't even mention such a big storm, try sailing across in calm waters."
"Am I looking for trouble?"
"That settles it."
Someone even whispered to Wu An whether the ship needed more people.
Wu An said he did not lack it.
Some people asked where they set their traps and used longlines, but Wu An gave a vague answer, saying, "Are you kidding me? You can't just say that."
Frankly speaking, these are not questions you should ask!
If it weren't for the fact that he had a decent relationship with the person asking the question, he wouldn't have given them a friendly look.
He guessed that people weren't really there to chat idly.
They all had their own purposes.
Wu Yingwei was playing cards, squinting as he smoked. He seemed not to be watching, but he was actually paying close attention. Seeing that Wu An handled things well, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up.
He truly is my son.
Steady, reliable, and not at all ostentatious.
good.
good.
Wu Yingwei praised in his heart, but he didn't know who he was praising.
The man was still a bit annoyed because he didn't get any information. He had only said a couple of sentences when, without Wu An saying anything, the others chimed in with sarcastic remarks. Feeling embarrassed, the man snorted twice and left.
Li Juan came to have dinner.
Those who had been gossiping then left.
There weren't many flying insects today, and the weather was cool, so I simply set up a table under the pergola.
Light mosquito coils around the area, just in case.
A variety of seafood, chicken, duck, and other hearty dishes were laid out on the table, some of which had to be stacked to fit. The aroma of the food and the fragrance of wine mingled and permeated the air.
Not only the men drank alcohol, but Mei Yueqin, Li Juan, and the neighbor lady also drank some homemade rice wine today.
People nearby, hearing the cheerful laughter coming from the courtyard, thought to themselves that this widow's house hadn't been this lively in a long time.
We ate and drank until after 8 p.m.
After the meal, Wu Yingwei and Wu Ping were flushed from drinking, but they were still relatively sober. They ate and drank their fill and didn't stay long.
Mei Yueqin didn't leave; she helped with the tidying up.
Aqing and Wu An followed along.
The two brothers brought some snacks to go with their drinks, planning to go back to their old house for a few more. To be honest, drinking with family wasn't as enjoyable as it used to be.
Just as he stepped outside, Wu An texted Gu Anran, saying he was drunk.
Aqing, carrying groceries, glanced at the sign and asked, "Brother, why are you lying to me?"
Wu An said righteously, "Nonsense, how can dating be called deception?"
We walked to the convenience store.
Wu An planned to buy some cigarettes and alcohol. Although he didn't smoke, he always carried cigarettes with him. He had met quite a few people today, and they had all left.
We need to restock.
I greeted Lao Jiang, grabbed a carton of cigarettes and two bottles of liquor, and will deliver two more cases of liquor to the old house when Lao Jiang is less busy.
Old Jiang happily agreed.
Wu An saw some chewing gum and took a box.
Green Arrow.
Fresh breath brings us closer.
Wu An felt it was a good omen and decisively bought it.
As they were talking, a series of footsteps came from the doorway, and then four or five young people lifted the curtain and walked in.
“Ah An”.
"What a coincidence."
Wu An turned around and saw Mao Wang and Shen Nan.
They were all villagers around his age, the oldest being only three or four years older. Shen Nan wasn't the oldest, nor was he of a high generation, but it was clear that these people were all in charge of Shen Nan.
Wu An nodded and returned the greeting.
He didn't pay attention to Shen Nan, but he glanced at Mao Wang a few more times. He heard that this kid had been cooped up at home for two days, and now he couldn't come out?
Mao Wang lowered his head awkwardly as he was being stared at.
"Everyone in the village is talking about you today. You've been making quite a splash lately," said Shen Nan with a smile.
Looking at his forced smile, Wu An said, "You almost died at sea. Whoever wants the limelight can have it."
"Well, I've finished buying, so I'll make room for you."
“If I stay any longer and delay your shopping, Lao Jiang might kick me out.”
As he spoke, he took a step and walked out.
Shen Nan said, "We didn't have anything else to do. Mao Wang is also planning to go out to work. Since we grew up together, I organized a gathering to send Mao Wang off."
Wu An frowned and looked at Mao Wang.
Mao Wang seemed to lower his head even further.
What is this guy feeling guilty about?
After a moment's thought, Wu An suddenly realized that Mao Wang, the ultimate sycophant, was probably going to find Shen Fang!
Grass!
He cursed inwardly, but said aloud, "That's good."
It's hard to reason with a damned devil.
It's gotten to this point, and Mao Wang is still going through the "wife-chasing-after-the-cremation" process. What else can anyone say? Maybe once he gets out and sees some other women, Mao Wang might change his ways.
Before leaving, since they had grown up together, no matter how close or distant their relationship was, they were still childhood friends. Aqing patted Maowang on the shoulder, said "Have a safe trip," and then quickly followed Wu An.
Shen Nan frowned slightly as he looked at him, muttering under his breath, "Not easy to deal with..."
"Shen Nan, what are you muttering about?"
"Nothing much, Lao Jiang, just a pack of cigarettes... and..." Shen Nan bought a bunch of things.
Those nearby, watching Wu An walk away, couldn't help but chirp.
“We grew up together, but Wu An is really cold to us.”
"That's right, they're far inferior to Shen Nan."
"Mao Wang wanted to go out to work, which was ultimately thanks to Wu An."
"Alright, that's enough."
"I'm not a coward. He just made money because he was lucky. If I had his luck, I could do it too."
"Good luck is nothing, you have to know how to handle things."
“Anan is the one who can accomplish great things.”
"Anan, from now on we'll follow you."
Shen Nan paid the money, turned around and smiled, "What do you mean by 'follow me'? We're childhood friends, so of course we'll make money together."
"As for Ah An, you should all keep your mouth shut."
Everyone has their own ambitions.
Everyone pursed their lips and muttered, "He's just arrogant."
"It's just getting into university, what's there to be so proud of?"
"They're not like us now."
"that is……"
Normally, Shen Nan would be quite happy to hear people say that, but for some reason, he felt uneasy today.
Thinking about Wu An's indifferent attitude towards him, he couldn't help but wonder.
He considers Wu An his rival and has already secretly sabotaged things once.
But Wu An...
Did you consider him a rival?
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