Chapter 11
Luo Zhengzheng and her group visited all the attractions in Dali, then went to Lijiang, where they spent about a week and bought many local specialties before heading home.
Upon arriving home, they learned that Gu Shi had gone abroad on a business trip.
That evening, they took the gifts they bought for the family to the in-laws' place and distributed them to them.
Looking at the pile of things, Liu Hanyue asked, "What did you buy?"
Luo Zhengzheng smiled and explained, "Some local specialties, and some trinkets. They're not valuable, but they're unique."
Liu Hanyue took a silk scarf and wrapped it around her neck. "This scarf is quite pretty. Is the embroidery on it handmade?"
This kind of craftsmanship was very rare nowadays.
Luo Zhengzheng nodded. "I searched many places before finding it. I brought one for each of you."
Although Wang Yaning didn't particularly like things without brands or labels, she accepted the scarf because it was Luo Zhengzheng's thoughtfulness.
Yu Shuang noticed a set of ethnic minority clothing nearby. "What's this?"
Luo Zhengzheng said, "That's for Chenghui. She can wear it if she likes." She handed the clothing to her.
Yu Shuang's eyes widened in surprise and she happily took it. "You even brought a gift for Chenghui?" The clothing was so beautiful that she couldn't resist asking the maid to take Chenghui to change.
Wang Yaning looked over and Luo Zhengzheng said, "I also brought a gift for Chengrui, a bamboo boat."
Wang Yaning smiled, "Chengrui loves boats."
Gu Chengrui did indeed like the boat; he hugged it and went to play with Chengjia.
Chenghui happily changed her clothes and came out, looking at her mommy, "Mommy, like."
Yu Shuang touched the hair accessory in her hair and smiled, "Auntie bought this; say thank you to Auntie."
Chenghui said shyly, "Thank you, Auntie."
Luo Zhengzheng, who had no daughter, adored delicate little girls. Chenghui, well-mannered and sensible, wasn't spoiled, thanks to her mother's upbringing. She smiled and said, "You're welcome."
Liu Hanyue, wearing a silk scarf, took a photo and posted it on her social media account with the caption: "A gift Fourth sister-in-law brought back from her trip—a hand-embroidered silk scarf. The embroidery is exquisite; I love it very much."
Many people saw the photo and commented that she had a wonderful sister-in-law, and they wished they had one too.
Liu Hanyue was pleased. With this photo, who could say they, as sisters-in-law, didn't get along?
Wang Yaning naturally saw Liu Hanyue's photo. She hadn't expected Liu Hanyue to genuinely like the scarf. Given Liu Hanyue's personality, even if she wanted to show harmony between them, she wouldn't casually post a photo on social media if she didn't truly like the scarf.
Ye Li carefully examined the embroidery of her own silk scarf, exclaiming, "This embroidery is practically a work of art! It's perfect!"
Wang Yaning was surprised that mother-in-law also praised the scarf so highly and felt a little self conscious. Was her taste really that bad?
Luo Zhengzheng was unaware of Wang Yaning's thoughts, and even if she did, it wouldn't matter. Giving gifts was just a matter of courtesy; whether she liked it or not, the gift was given.
As for her father-in-law and Chengjia's uncles, the gifts were more casual—each were given a box of tea.
Having not seen their grandson for almost half a month, Gu Boyuan and Ye Li naturally missed him, and couldn't resist but hold him in their arms during meals.
That night, lying in bed, Luo Zhengzheng received a call from Gu Shi. His slightly deep voice came from the other end of the line: "You're back? Why didn't you tell me?"
Luo Zhengzheng felt a little embarrassed. Could she say she forgot to tell him?
Of course not.
So she said, "I wanted to surprise you, but I didn't expect you to be away on a business trip. Hey, why didn't you tell me you were going?"
Not only did she not admit she'd forgotten him, she also turned the tables.
Gu Shi was amused and annoyed. Did she really think he was unaware of her little scheme? He didn't argue with her and said, "I'll be back the day after tomorrow. What do you want? Make a list and I'll bring it back for you."
Luo Zhengzheng's eyes lit up. A woman's wardrobe was never short of something, but she said, "You've already worked so hard, you don't need to bring me anything back. Just your return is enough."
Holding his phone, Gu Shi stood by the window, looking outside. Hearing her words, he smiled, "Such a sweet talker?"
Luo Zhengzheng said, "It's all from the heart."
Gu Shi: "Really?"
Luo Zhengzheng: "Of course."
Gu Shi suddenly asked: "You brought gifts for Mom and sister-in-laws, did you bring one for me?"
Luo Zhengzheng thought to herself, this man is so petty. Luckily, she saw that tie and thought it suited him, so she bought it: "Of course I'll bring you a gift, and it's different from everyone else's."
Gu Shi smiled faintly: "Looking forward to it."
After hanging up, Luo Zhengzheng opened her suitcase, took out the tie, and hung it in his closet so he could see it as soon as he got back, lest he think she wasn't sincere.
The next day, after breakfast, Luo Can went out to look for work.
Luo Zhengzheng asked him: "What kind of job are you planning to look for? Don't get scammed." Her younger brother was still young at this time, with almost no social experience and lacking the shrewdness of later generations. She was somewhat worried about him.
Luo Can waved his hand: "Elder Sister, don't worry, I'll call you if anything happens." Then he ran out.
Luo Zhengzheng caught up with him: "Have the driver take you out; there are no bus stops nearby."
Luo Can: ......
Luo Can disagreed with having the driver take him, waving to Elder Sister, "I'll run out."
A classmate of Luo Can came to the capital and was handing out flyers. He had arranged to meet his classmate last night, planning to go with him to hand out flyers for a few days.
Handling flyers didn't require any skill; one just ran to where there were lots of people. In the sweltering summer heat, Luo Can and his classmate handed out flyers on the bustling streets and were sweating profusely.
His classmate's name was Wang Zehao. Both were handsome; Luo Can's handsomeness was the sunny type, while Wang Zehao's was the reserved type. Luo Can frowned, glancing at the sun overhead, then at the flyer in his hand. He pursed his lips and asked Wang Zehao, "Let's buy some water, our throats are parched."
Wang Zehao nodded. The two found a convenience store, spent three yuan on two bottles of mineral water, each taking a bottle and gulping them down.
After finishing his water, Wang Zehao looked at the white-collar and gold-collar workers in smart uniforms hurrying to and fro in the office building across the street. A profound realization suddenly struck him. He pointed across the street and said, "I want to be like that."
Luo Can looked in the direction he was pointing. He had been to the Ye Group headquarters and spent a day there and his feelings were even more profound than Wang Zehao's. He said, "As a country boy, who wouldn't want to be like that?"
Wang Zehao's grades weren't as good as Luo Can's. He felt he hadn't done very well in the college entrance exam. He said, "I didn't do very well on the exam. I don't know what university I can get into."
Luo Can patted him on the shoulder: "The exam results will be out in a few days. Don't think too much."
Wang Zehao wasn't in a good mood.
Luo Can comforted him: "At worst, you can retake the exam next year."
Wang Zehao shook his head. His family's situation didn't allow him to retake it.
Seeing that he didn't elaborate, Luo Can wisely didn't press him.
At noon, the two each ate a boxed lunch. Afterwards, they continued handing out flyers. As night fell, Luo Can smelled a delicious aroma. He couldn't resist looking over and saw a hot pot restaurant. He tugged at Wang Zehao's arm: "Have you ever eaten hot pot?"
Wang Zehao shook his head: "There are hot pot restaurants in our county, but I've never been."
Luo Can said, "Me neither." He couldn't help but glance at the hot pot restaurant again, swallowing hard. He earned eighty yuan a day handing out flyers; he wondered how much a hot pot meal would cost.
Wang Zehao pulled him away, "Don't look anymore. We worked hard all day to earn this money; let's save it."
Did Wang Zehao not want to eat hot pot? It was just that the money he earned had more important uses.
That evening, Luo Can returned to Elder Sister's house exhausted. He plopped down on the sofa. After standing and running around all day, he didn't want to move at all.
Little Chengjia was already asleep. Luo Zhengzheng washed up and came downstairs. Seeing his disheveled appearance, she said, "I asked Nanny Wang to make you some chicken soup. It's so late, you must be hungry, right?"
Luo Can looked at Elder Sister and said weakly, "Not only hungry, but also thirsty."
He had never known Wang Zehao was so frugal, even saving water. He only drank one bottle of water the whole day. It just so happened that he wouldn't buy any, nor would he let him buy any.
Luo Zhengzheng poured him a glass of water, which he gulped down in a few mouthfuls. Luo Zhengzheng took the cup and asked him, "Want some more?"
Luo Can shook his head. He and Elder Sister always talked about everything: "When I was handing out flyers today, I came across a hot pot restaurant. The aroma was indescribable! Just thinking about it makes my mouth water."
Luo Zhengzheng glanced at him: "Want some hot pot?"
Luo Can chuckled, not shy at all in front of Elder Sister: "Yes."
Luo Zhengzheng chuckled: "It's just hot pot, right? We'll go tomorrow."
She didn't plan to interfere with younger brother's work handing out flyers. But working a summer job to improve himself and wanting hot pot didn't conflict, so she naturally granted his request. Although she didn't know what kind of improvement handing out flyers could provide.
Luo Can then asked, "Elder Sis, can another person join?"
Luo Zhengzheng smiled and said, "Sure."
The next day, around noon, Luo Zhengzheng had the driver take her to the hot pot restaurant Luo Can had mentioned. Considering the strong smell, she didn't bring little Chengjia.
Upon arriving at the hot pot restaurant, she called Luo Can to tell him she was waiting for him in a private room.
After hanging up, Luo Can pulled Wang Zehao towards the restaurant. Wang Zehao looked reluctant: "Your elder sister invited you to a meal, is it appropriate for me to come along?"
His family was poor and they didn't have internet. There was only a secondhand cell phone given to him by his elder maternal cousin. Luo Can never talked about his family at school, so he didn't know who Luo Can's elder sister was, only assuming she worked in the capital. He felt embarrassed to be treated to a meal for no reason.
Luo Can said, "It's okay, my elder sister said to call you. Let's go, don't be shy."
Only then did Wang Zehao obediently follow behind him.
The two found the private room Luo Zhengzheng had told them about. Pushing open the door, they found Luo Zhengzheng already sitting there, cooking vegetables in a pot. She glanced up at them when she saw them and continued cooking: "I've ordered some dishes first. Order whatever you like."
Wang Zehao was stunned. He hadn't expected Luo Can’s elder sister to be so beautiful, and so dazzling.
Luo Can tugged at the dazed Wang Zehao. "What are you standing there for? Sit down and start eating."
The hot pot restaurant had air conditioning, which helped clear his head somewhat from the sweltering heat outside.
Luo Zhengzheng smiled at the two of them, "You've already taken the college entrance exam, you can have some beer, want a couple?"
Wang Zehao's face flushed slightly and he hurriedly said, "No, no need."
However, Luo Can said, "Let's have some, it's not satisfying to eat hot pot without beer."
Wang Zehao looked at him, "Haven't you ever had hot pot before?"
Luo Can chuckled, "I saw it online."
Wang Zehao glanced at Luo Zhengzheng and said, "Then... let's have some."
Finally eating the hot pot they'd been craving, Luo Can and Wang Zehao were both very excited.
Luo Zhengzheng sat beside them, cooking beef, watching them eat and drink beer. Halfway through, her phone rang. She picked it up and saw it was Gu Shi calling. She answered and said hello.
On the phone, Gu Shi asked, "Where are you?"
Luo Zhengzheng put the cooked beef into her bowl, "Eating out."
Wang Zehao glanced at Luo Zhengzheng and continued eating. Gu Shi asked again, "Where are you eating?"
Luo Zhengzheng said, "The hot pot restaurant next to Financial Street."
Gu Shi's indifferent voice came, "I haven't eaten."
Luo Zhengzheng abruptly asked, "Where are you?"
Gu Shi loosened his tie, "At home. It seems you don't remember me coming home today."
"No, I thought you'll come back this afternoon." Luo Zhengzheng wasn't suffering from amnesia; she tentatively asked, "How about you come over for hot pot too?"
Gu Shi carefully assessed the truthfulness of her words and said, "I don't want hot pot."
Luo Zhengzheng asked him, "Then what do you want to eat?"
Gu Shi said, "Want to eat your cooking. Is that alright?"
Luo Zhengzheng didn't want to cook, and besides, she hadn't had hot pot in a long time. Right now, all she wanted was hot pot. She said, "Why don't you ask Nanny Wang to make you something to eat? I'll cook tonight."
Gu Shi hadn't seen Luo Zhengzheng for half a month and just wanted to see her. He hadn't expected her to be such a carefree woman. He said slowly, "I bought you a lot of things—clothes, shoes, jewelry… Since you don't like them, I won't bring them next time."
A wise person knows when to yield. Luo Zhengzheng immediately said, "Actually, I'm already about 70-80% full, that's about enough. Eating too much will make me fat. I'll come back and cook for you right away."
After hanging up the phone, Luo Zhengzheng handed Luo Can a card, telling him to swipe it after the meal, and instructed, "Order whatever you want." Then she went out, got into her car, and drove away.
Luo Can, holding the card, said to Wang Zehao, "My elder brother-in-law is back from a business trip abroad. Never mind her, we'll eat."
Wang Zehao paused the chopsticks in his hand. "Your elder sister is married?"
Luo Can nodded. "My nephew is over a year old."
Wang Zehao said "Oh."