It is not easy to find a parking space at meal time. Guan Ze's car slowly circled in the parking lot looking for a spot, with cars circling around everywhere.
"Who do you think Ning Juan is going to bring to dinner?" Lin Yao asked while staring out the car window. Suddenly, he pointed to the side and shouted, "Open the door! I'm getting out!"
Guan Ze unlocked the car, and Lin Yao jumped out. He ran to the side of the car that was reversing out at the speed of a 100-meter sprint. Before the car was backed out, he squeezed into the parking space by the door, and then bowed to the other car that was about to enter the parking space: "Sorry, please look for it again."
Guan Ze's car slowly backed into the parking space, but the other car did not move away and remained parked there.
What's going on? Are you unhappy and don't want to leave? Lin Yao frowned and turned to look at the car.
He hadn't looked closely just now, but now he found that the car looked familiar. Before he could look at the license plate, the window of the driver's cabin was lowered and someone stuck half of his head out: "Yaoyao!"
"Fuck," Lin Yao was stunned, "Brother Qi?"
"That's awesome! You've even learned how to grab a parking space with your body! If it were someone else, I would have slapped him in the face!" Qi Jian laughed at him.
"Are you coming here to eat?" Lin Yao saw that there was someone else in the car. He couldn't see clearly, and he didn't want to tilt his head to look inside too obviously. Besides, Qi Jian's companions always changed, so he didn't look again.
"Yeah." Qi Jian nodded, turned and said something to the people in the car.
Lin Yao saw the passenger door open and a woman got out of the car. When she turned around, his eyes almost popped out of his head.
"Ning Juan!" Lin Yao slapped the hood of Guan Ze's car, startling Guan Ze who was locking the car.
"Well," Guan Ze looked up and saw Ning Juan getting out of Qi Jian's car. He didn't seem to be very surprised. He greeted her calmly, "Juan'er."
"Let's go in first. He'll come up after he finds a parking space," Ning Juan smiled and nodded at Lin Yao. She looked at Guan Ze again, her eyes fell on his head, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just said, "You've lost weight."
"Really? You've gained some weight recently, but you haven't moved much." Guan Ze smiled.
"Sister Ning." Lin Yao came back to his senses from his shock and greeted Ning Juan.
"I don't need to introduce them anymore," Ning Juan led them to the restaurant, "You and Qi Jian are pretty familiar with each other."
"Yes." Lin Yao responded. To be honest, he couldn't understand how Ning Juan could end up with Qi Jian. It was hard to say whether Qi Jian was a good or bad person. Anyway, Lin Yao always felt that he was a mess.
Ning Juan booked a small private room. When she was ordering food from the waiter, Lin Yao nudged Guan Ze with his foot and moved closer to Guan Ze, pretending to let him look at his phone. "I feel like Qi Jian is really unreliable. How could Ning Juan choose him?"
"Whether it's reliable or not," Guan Ze poured him tea and answered in a low voice, "It depends on whether you can hold it. If you can hold it, it's reliable."
Lin Yao didn't say anything else. Guan Ze's words sounded reasonable. He didn't know Ning Juan. His impression of Qi Jian was that he would assign projects to Lian Jun and that he would have companions of different genders at every party. In addition, he would act like a hooligan from time to time. He didn't know what the real Qi Jian was like. He just felt that Ning Juan was a master at taming wolves if she could catch such a man.
"Hey Lin Yao you are awesome," the door of the private room was pushed open and Qi Jian came in, "You stole my parking space. I turned around four times before I found a place to park."
"Where did you stop?" Lin Yao took a sip of tea.
"I parked next to the flowerbed. The security guard told me to put the car in neutral and not to pull the handbrake. He said if I got in the way, they could push my car out of the way..." Qi Jian threw a pack of cigarettes in front of Lin Yao, then took a menu and handed it to Guan Ze. He looked at his bald head and quickly turned his eyes away. "Brother Guan, order the food."
"Just order what you want," Guan Ze opened the menu and flipped through it casually, "How did you get in touch with him?"
"Huh?" Qi Jian was stunned. Guan Ze changed the subject so quickly that it took him a few seconds to react. "I found Ning Juan's classmate, that Hu Na. They have been in contact all the time. I told Hu Na that if she didn't hand over Ning Juan's phone number, I would kidnap her son. Otherwise, I would go to school and tell her son that I was his biological father. Anyway, I could make a mess of it by making up stories, and she gave it to me."
Lin Yao choked on his tea and coughed for a long time on the table. This was Qi Jian's style.
Qi Jian didn't say much during the meal. Ning Juan was chatting with Guan Ze, talking about work, Ning Juan's store, and Uncle Ning. When they talked about the past, he just listened in silence. Lin Yao didn't say much and just buried his head in eating.
In the past, when he heard Ning Juan and Guan Ze talking about the past that only they had, he would have felt so jealous that he wouldn't even have to buy vinegar when eating dumplings during the Chinese New Year, he could just rub it on his face. But now he just felt at ease. He felt very comfortable watching Guan Ze chatting with Ning Juan about all sorts of things.
When Guan Ze sent him home after dinner, he was a little emotional: "Is Qi Jian considered a good man?"
"I don't know." Guan Ze smiled.
"Wife," Lin Yao pulled the seat belt, crossed one leg over the seat and looked at him sideways, "I think Ning Juan can really control Qi Jian. How come Qi Jian is so well behaved in front of her?"
"What's so strange about this? Qi Jian cares about her."
"Then tell me, do you care about me?"
"Nonsense." Guan Ze glanced at him.
"Can you be so well behaved in front of me?" Lin Yao asked with great interest.
"Am I not being good?"
"No, I think I listen to your instructions more often."
"It depends on the person. Different people have different ways of being good," Guan Ze said with a smile. "Besides, how can you be the same as Ning Juan? Ning Juan can see through me, but you don't have that ability."
"Damn," Lin Yao sighed, thought for a moment and then smiled nonchalantly, "That's good, people like me don't have to worry about anything."
The time before the Chinese New Year this time came especially early because Guan Ze was in the hospital. Lin Yao felt that before he could react, it was already Chinese New Year. In addition, his mother took turns dragging him, Lin Zong and Guan Ze out to rob people every day. Lin Yao felt that time passed especially quickly as he felt sleepy and tired.
When he woke up on the morning of the 30th, he heard someone talking downstairs at home. He looked at the time and it was past nine o'clock.
"Fuck." He almost rolled off the bed. He had agreed with Guan Ze to pick up Lu Teng from the welfare home at noon today. He took the phone, but there were no missed calls. Was Guan Ze still not awake
He dialed Guan Ze's number while hurriedly putting on his clothes. A few seconds later he heard a familiar ringtone coming from downstairs.
He ran to the door in his slippers and just as he opened it, he heard Lin Zong shouting downstairs: "Stop fighting, the person is here!"
"When are you coming..." Lin Yao leaned over the corridor railing and saw Guan Ze standing in the middle of the living room with Lin Zong. He also saw a pile of firecrackers and fireworks in the living room. "Are you two going to set up a stall?"
"Well, come and help collect the money," Lin Zong glanced at him, "You got up really early."
"Why did you buy so many this year?" Lin Yao didn't bother to talk to Lin Zongpin. He jumped down the stairs and looked at Guan Ze. "Did you get them from your friend who makes cannon barrels?"
"Cannon barrel?" Guan Ze was stunned. "That thing is called a salute cannon."
"Never mind what it's called, eh?"
"Yes, but I didn't choose it. Lin Zong chose it."
"Are you satisfied with the fireworks?" Lin Zong patted the fireworks beside him. "I'm satisfied today. There are so many kinds. If the car could hold them all..."
“When did you guys go?” Lin Yao yelled. The happiest thing for him since he was a child was to go buy fireworks with Lin Zong. Buying fireworks was also a great pleasure for him when he grew up. Now, looking at so many fireworks, he was very sad and angry that he didn’t enjoy the selection process. “Why didn’t you call me!”
"I came here early in the morning and knocked on your door for ten minutes, but you didn't respond. I guess you were tired, so you went with Lin Zong." Guan Ze smiled.
"He always locks the door now. Why don't you just go in and drag the bed off?" Lin Zong clicked his tongue.
"Forget it," Lin Yao waved his hand and circled the fireworks a few times, still quite happy, "Are you going to pick up Lu Teng?"
"Um."
"Is there anything that the kids like to eat? I'll make some snacks and drinks later," Mom leaned halfway out of the kitchen, "and I'll go out and buy some more."
"More buying?" Lin Yao's voice was a little off-tune, "Don't buy it, Mom. It's like being on war preparedness. I'm so stressed. I also need to lose weight. I..."
"I bought it for the kids, who told you to eat it?" Mom smiled. "Guan Ze, you should know what kids like to eat."
"There's really no need to do anything special. He enjoys eating anything."
"Ah, that's right," Mom seemed to remember something, "Children who grew up in orphanages are not as picky as ordinary children. I'll do it as I see fit."
"All the relatives came over around noon, and the party won't end until tomorrow," Lin Yao sat in the back seat of the car and stuffed money into red envelopes. This was the New Year's money that he and Guan Ze prepared for the children in the welfare home. "I'm worried that your brain won't be able to handle two days of this. Anyway, if you feel uncomfortable, just stay in my room."
"Well, it should be fine. I've had a good rest during this period," Guan Ze touched his head, "My hair has started to grow."
"It's not as nice to touch as before. It pricks my fingers now." Lin Yao lowered his head and laughed for a while. "I guess I won't have the chance to touch a head as smooth and round as yours in the future."
"If you want to touch me, just shave it." Guan Ze said easily.
"Come on, you're bald and you don't look like a good person. If I walk with you, I'm always worried that the police will come to check your ID." Lin Yao clicked his tongue.
When giving New Year's money to the children in the welfare home, Lin Yao felt particularly emotional. He inadvertently thought of Guan Ze, who was also very poor. At that time, he was not as lucky as these children and probably had never seen New Year's money.
"Don't think about it," Guan Ze patted Lu Teng on his back, "I have asked for leave from the hospital, and now I can take Lu Teng away."
"Well," Lin Yao pinched Lu Teng's face, "Let's go to my brother's house to celebrate the New Year."
Lu Teng nodded happily, thought for a moment, and then tilted his head to ask Lin Yao: "Brother, can I bring back some delicious food?"
"Take as much as you want." Lin Yao smiled.
Lin Yao was driving when he took Lu Teng home. Because Lu Teng was too excited and chattered non-stop, Guan Ze had to stay in the back seat and chat with him.
"Dad, you look good with a bald head. Better than me. My head isn't round enough."
"It's not so bald now. I have hair."
"Dad, when I get there, can I call everyone uncle or aunt?"
"Well, the older ones are called grandpa and grandma."
"Dad, are there other children?"
"Well, there are a few. You can play with them."
"Dad, if someone gives me food, I will eat it."
"Well, remember to say thank you."
"Dad, I know how to make dumplings. I can help you make them."
"Just play with the kids. There are uncles and aunts making dumplings. They make them very quickly."
"dad… "
"Hey," Guan Ze hugged Lu Teng to his lap, "Stop talking, why are you like Brother Lin Yao, always nagging..."
When the car returned to Lin Yao's home, there were already several cars parked in the yard. Lin Yao used the squeezing skills he had learned from driving a small Xiali to squeeze his car in between his uncle's and his uncle's cars. When getting out of the car, except for Lu Teng, he and Guan Ze both held in their stomachs and chests to squeeze out from between the two cars. In the process, they wiped the cars clean with their clothes.
As soon as he entered the door, he heard a noisy sound mixed with children's laughter. Lin Yao shouted, "I'm back, I won't yell at everyone!"
"Don't shout, I won't give you any New Year's money anyway," Third Aunt shouted back, raising her voice, "You need to introduce your friend to someone else!"
"My friend Guan Ze was alone here during the New Year, so I asked him to come over to spend the New Year with me," Lin Yao was a little nervous. Auntie's voice attracted the attention of more than a dozen people in the room. He touched Lu Teng's head and said, "This kid is called Lu Teng."
"Happy New Year, everyone." Guan Ze greeted all the relatives in the room with a smile.
Lin Yao turned his head and looked at him: "These are..."
Just as I was thinking about introducing one by one or something, the uncle spoke up: "Happy New Year, happy New Year, don't be so formal, we'll get to know each other soon, Guan Ze, right? It's right for you to come here to celebrate the New Year, our family has the most fun celebrating the New Year, kids come over and see what you like to eat."
"Happy New Year, uncle," Lu Teng said a little embarrassedly, but still spoke in a loud voice, "Happy New Year, everyone."
"Oh, this kid is not shy at all," Lin Yao's cousin was happy. She came over, took Lu Teng's hand and led him to the table, and stuffed a red envelope into his pocket, "Come here and have some snacks."
"You're back," Mom ran out of the kitchen. She was a little surprised when she saw Lu Teng's legs. Her eyes suddenly turned red. "Lu Teng, right? Come over here and see grandma."
"Happy New Year, grandma." Lu Teng was smiling happily while holding a small cookie in his hand.
"Oh, you are so good," his mother hugged him and took out a big red envelope and put it in his hand, "Take it and buy toys. The children are playing in the backyard. Can grandma take you there?"
"Thank you, grandma." Lu Teng secretly glanced at Guan Ze while holding the red envelope.
Guan Ze raised his chin, indicating that he could keep it, and then he put the red envelope into his pocket.
"Where are your grandparents?" Guan Ze asked after everyone returned to their lively chat. He could follow Lin Yao to greet all the uncles and aunts collectively, but the elderly still had to be greeted individually.
"They are probably upstairs, either in my room or my brother's. They need to conserve their energy to play cards in the afternoon until the evening." Lin Yao took him upstairs. "You should try your luck, too. Didn't you promise my mom to avenge him on my dad's behalf?"
"I'm lucky. Today is the day I put an end to your father's dominance in the card world." Guan Ze was happy.
"Grandpa!" Lin Yao shouted from the corridor on the second floor, "Which room are you staying in?"
"Where is your room?" Grandma came out of his room. "Is this your friend?"
"Happy New Year, grandma," Guan Ze walked over, "My name is Guan Ze."
"Happy New Year, happy New Year, he's quite handsome," Grandma stared at Guan Ze for a while, "Are you married?"
"No." Guan Ze smiled.
"Do you have a girlfriend?" Grandma became interested.
"Grandma..." Lin Yao walked over helplessly, hugged his grandmother's shoulders and walked into the house, "Can you please stop promoting your old sisters' granddaughters whenever you see a handsome guy?"
"The girls are all very nice," Grandma pushed him away and reached into her pocket, "Don't get in the way. Come on, Guan Ze, Grandma will give you some New Year's money."
Before Guan Ze could react, grandma took his hand and put a red envelope in his hand. Guan Ze quickly declined: "Grandma, why are you giving me a red envelope..."
"Grandma," Lin Yao was also stunned, "Guan Ze is already 30 years old. Do you think he's your child?"
"I have been giving money to you and your brother, and to all the unmarried young people," Grandma held Guan Ze's hand tightly, "and the friends that Lin Yao brought to our house for the New Year must be close friends, so take them quickly!"
“… Then you take it.” Lin Yao looked at Guan Ze.
"Thank you, grandma." Guan Ze smiled and took the red envelope.
"What is my grandpa doing?" Lin Yao walked towards his room.
"Playing on your computer." Grandma said from behind.
What! Lin Yao was startled, and at the same time he saw his grandfather sitting in front of his computer, flipping through his folders intently.
"Grandpa!" He couldn't help but shout. Grandpa didn't know how to use the computer. He had to use a magnifying glass to scan the screen. There were a lot of shameful things in Lin Yao's computer, which were usually hidden in system files. But computer illiterate people are often the most troublesome. If Grandpa found the pornographic films he used to entertain himself, he would have a heart attack on the spot.
"Oh, you shouted so loudly that you scared me." Grandpa put down the mouse that was clicking all over the screen and turned around.
"Happy New Year!" Lin Yao rushed over and quickly glanced at the screen. Fortunately, the folder that was opened was the folder where he kept his design sketches.
"Okay, you're shocked."
"Happy New Year, Grandpa." Guan Ze walked over, holding back his laughter.
"Happy New Year, this is about..."
"Guan Ze."
"Well, Guan Ze, have fun. You don't have to be restrained at home. We don't have any rules. Just have fun." Grandpa stood up and patted Guan Ze.
Grandpa and grandma chatted with them for a while and then started their pre-dinner walk. They went out for a stroll in the community. Lin Yao then hurriedly checked the folders that his grandfather had opened.
"Hidden porn movies?" Guan Ze watched him and laughed.
"Don't you have it?" Lin Yao glanced at him and turned off the computer.
"I put mine out in the open," Guan Ze leaned against the table, folding his arms, "I never hide anything."
"Nonsense. No one would touch your computer if you were alone. If I were to live alone, I wouldn't hide it. I would play it on repeat from morning to night for fun." Lin Yao sighed, turned around in his chair and faced Guan Ze, "Let me ask you a question."
"ask."
"Your little porn movies..." Lin Yao scratched his head, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed to ask, "Your little porn movies..."
"They are all AV," Guan Ze smiled and flicked his finger on the screen, "I've never seen anything like what you have here."
"Do you want to see it?" Lin Yao became interested.
"Now?" Guan Ze curled his lips, "Okay."
"You are so shameless! Who told you to look at it now?" Lin Yao pointed at him, "How did you develop such a strong mentality?"
Guan Ze wanted to say something when he heard his mother calling downstairs to prepare dinner.
"Let's go set the table," Lin Yao patted his shoulder, "setting the table and serving the dishes was one of my greatest pleasures during the Chinese New Year when I was a kid."
"Wait for the fun of eating." Guan Ze followed him and pinched his waist when he went out.
"Don't be a hooligan, you're calling me!" Lin Yao turned around and said viciously, then reached out and grabbed Guan Ze's chest.
"Ah—" Guan Ze shouted.
The sound was not loud, but it still scared Lin Yao. He pushed Guan Ze into the house and hid: "Why the hell are you howling!"
"I'm in a good mood," Guan Ze smiled, leaning over and kissing him on the forehead, "Really."
"You are stupid, you howl when you are in a good mood," Lin Yao laughed for a while, "You have to have confidence, you will always be so happy when you are with me, but you have to get used to it, don't howl all the time, understand?"
Guan Ze suppressed his laughter and nodded seriously: "I understand."