Zhan Xi had a good sleep all night, but her cheerful spirit could not stop the virus from invading. When she woke up on Sunday morning, her fever had become even worse.
When she got up, Zhan Jie had already gone to the company to work overtime, leaving Qin Fei and Weiwei at home.
Liu, the intermediary, called Zhanxi and asked her what she thought. Zhanxi thought about it and made an appointment with him to go to the store to sign the contract after get off work on Monday. She decided to rent Room 802 in Qingque Jiayuan, just acting first and asking for permission later.
—
Luo Jingyu arrived at the dessert shop half an hour early, not because he was too excited or nervous, but because he didn't calculate the travel time correctly.
After entering the store, he took off his mask and looked around. At 10 o'clock in the morning, there should not be many customers, but at this time, an area of the dessert shop was crowded with more than a dozen people, including five or six kindergarten-age children.
Luo Jingyu couldn't hear, so she walked over to take a look and found that the children were all doing handicrafts and the parents were helping. It should be a parent-child activity organized by the dessert shop.
A waitress came to greet him: "Welcome, sir, there is a vacant seat over there, you can scan the code to order."
Luo Jingyu looked at the materials on the children's table and typed a line of words on her mobile phone's memo to show the waiter: Can you give me a piece of paper
The waiter was stunned. Luo Jingyu pointed to the colored paper on the table. The waiter smiled and said, "Sure."
She took a piece of pink A4 paper and gave it to Luo Jingyu. Luo Jingyu took it and typed for her to see: Thank you.
The waitress blushed and led him to the window. Luo Jingyu sat down in the empty seat, cut out four squares with A4 paper, and then began to fold the paper.
This was his hobby when he was young, and it was great for killing time, but he hadn't folded any in a long time, and he had forgotten some of the steps for making several difficult shapes, so he could only fold simple small animals.
There are children in the store, so it should be very noisy, but Luo Jingyu's world will never be disturbed by such noise. The jumping figures of the children become a cute background, which makes him feel childish.
His ten fingers moved flexibly. He first folded a pink rabbit with two long ears, then a kitten. He took out the pen he always carried in his pocket and drew black eyes on the rabbit and the kitten. When he was folding the tropical fish, his phone vibrated. Chang Ting sent a WeChat message saying that she was almost there.
This was Luo Jingyu's first blind date. Chang Ting was a colleague of her brother-in-law Gao Yuan at the District Disabled Persons' Federation. Half a year ago, Gao Yuan also introduced a girl to Luo Jingyu. After the two added each other on WeChat, the girl was very proactive and chased Luo Jingyu to chat every day. Unfortunately, Luo Jingyu's chatting skills were too poor. When he was working, he would ignore her for several hours. After she didn't answer several questions, the girl got angry and blocked him directly.
This time, Luo Xiaomei told Gao Yuan not to let Luo Jingyu chat on WeChat, and that the two parties should meet in person.
My younger brother's obvious advantages are his height and good looks. If the girl sees him first, half the job is done.
After reading the message, Luo Jingyu put the origami and pen into her pocket and sat upright.
"Egg pudding" made him dress neatly and decently, and Luo Jingyu changed into a down jacket, also black, the first time she wore it this winter. The clothes also had the aroma of wood in the closet, a refreshing pine and cypress scent, and a deep breath would reveal a hint of bitterness.
Not long after, a young girl came into the store. Luo Jingyu watched her lower her head and send a message. Almost at the same time, his cell phone vibrated.
Chang Ting: I'm at the store, how about you
What a big fish: I'm at the window.
Chang Ting turned her head to look at the window and saw a young man in black clothes standing up and waving at her.
She had never seen Luo Jingyu's photo, but only heard Gao Yuan say that his brother-in-law was very handsome. When she saw him in person, Chang Ting's heart skipped a beat and she found that he was really handsome! His hair was not well-groomed like that of a professional. It was black and fluffy, with a student-like look. His bangs covered some of his eyebrows. His skin was smooth and fair, his eyebrows were clear, his nose was high, his smile was shy, and he was very tall.
Chang Ting smiled shyly, walked over, pulled out a chair and sat down. After Luo Jingyu also sat down, the two looked at each other quietly, and Chang Ting started signing first.
Chang Ting: I am Chang Ting, hello.
Luo Jingyu: Hello, I’m Luo Jingyu. Let’s order first.
Compared to written typing, sign language is Luo Jingyu's mother tongue, and communication is easier and more natural.
However, the way the two communicated like this would naturally attract other guests to look at them. Luo Jingyu was used to it and took out her phone to scan the code at the corner of the table to place an order.
Nowadays, many restaurants require customers to scan codes or use tablets to place orders. At worst, there is a paper menu for customers to select dishes. Compared with the traditional ordering method many years ago, it is much more convenient for Luo Jingyu and Chang Ting.
Luo Jingyu showed Chang Ting the ordering page on her phone and asked her in sign language: What would you like to drink
Chang Ting ordered a cup of coffee, Luo Jingyu chose a cup of hot lemon tea, and ordered a snack platter. When he scrolled through the menu, he saw "egg pudding" and his heart moved, so he ordered two servings directly.
After placing the order, he looked up and found that Chang Ting was still smiling at him.
Chang Ting is pretty and dresses fashionably. Luo Jingyu knows that she is not bad either. Many female classmates liked him when they were in school. It’s just that he was even more introverted then than he is now. He thought more about his future and never paid attention to dating.
The waiter brought the drinks and snacks over, and Luo Jingyu and Chang Ting chatted in sign language, and learned each other's age, education, and work. Gao Yuan had told them all this information, and Chang Ting knew Luo Jingyu's situation, but now that they were talking face to face, Luo Jingyu could feel that, apart from their similar ages, there were still many differences in their life trajectories.
Luo Jingyu only has a high school education and has never attended college. In a general sense, he does not have a stable job. Compared with Chang Ting, who graduated from college and currently has a stable job at the District Disabled Persons' Federation, his conditions are much inferior.
Chang Ting: I am not an only child. I have a younger brother who is hearing. What about you
Luo Jingyu: I have an older sister who is deaf like me.
Chang Ting was slightly stunned. Brother Gao Yuan was a disabled person, but he had no problem with hearing and was fluent in sign language. He said he wanted to introduce his brother-in-law to her. Chang Ting didn't expect that his wife was also hearing-impaired.
Generally speaking, hearing-impaired people have their own circle, and rarely look for hearing people when dating or getting married, because there is a huge communication gap. If Gao Yuan's wife and brother-in-law are both hearing-impaired, then this is a very serious problem.
Chang Ting pondered for a while, stroked her hair, and was hesitant when signing, and her gestures were not so quick.
Chang Ting: Excuse me, I want to ask, why can’t you and your sister hear
This was not the first time Luo Jingyu faced this question, and she answered it quickly.
Luo Jingyu: Because it’s hereditary for both her and me. My father, my mother, my grandfather and my grandmother are all deaf and dumb.
Chang Ting's face changed. Luo Jingyu knew that this was what Luo Xiaomei meant by "knowing what to say and what not to say". But this was the truth, how could he hide it? He still had a frank smile on his face and looked at Chang Ting gently.
Chang Ting: I became deaf at the age of four due to improper use of medication.
Luo Jingyu: I was born with this ability and have never heard of it.
Chang Ting raised her hands, as if she wanted to express something but didn't know how. Her hands stayed in mid-air, and finally Luo Jingyu took over.
Luo Jingyu: I know you want to ask me if this condition can be inherited. To be honest, I don't know. My sister is married, but she hasn't had any children yet. The doctor said that genetic testing is needed to know if she has the genetic gene. If so, it depends on the probability of inheritance. There is indeed a history of congenital deafness in our family, so I really don't know. If you mind this question, I think you should think about it carefully. Personally, I prefer not to have children. I don't want to gamble.
Chang Ting looked at Luo Jingyu's hands flying in front of her very seriously. After typing out a long paragraph of sign language, she fell silent, which was within Luo Jingyu's expectations.
A few minutes later, she said she had something else to do and had to leave first. Luo Jingyu didn't say anything.
After Chang Ting left, Luo Jingyu looked at the almost untouched snacks and pudding on the table and began to eat slowly by herself.
The egg pudding in this shop tastes good, sweet but not greasy, and smooth in the mouth. After Luo Jingyu finished her own portion, she took Chang Ting's portion that she hadn't touched at all and ate it all.
Luo Jingyu understood Chang Ting's concerns very well.
As time goes by and society progresses, the concept of eugenics and good parenting has long been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people in the city. As for marriage and childbirth, the ideas of grandparents and parents are very simple. They think Luo Jingyu must get married and have children no matter what, so his mother will persevere in forcing him to go on blind dates.
Genetics? What's there to be afraid of! They all went through this, aren't Luo Jingyu and Luo Xiaomei doing well now
Luo Xiaomei did not marry a deaf-mute, which was considered unusual in her family, which was shrouded in the shadow of congenital deafness. Luo Jingyu and her sister discussed the issue of having children, and Luo Xiaomei said she planned to give it a try because the family's cases showed that heredity was not a foregone conclusion.
Luo Jingyu asked, "What if?" Luo Xiaomei didn't answer. They all knew that no one could answer such a matter that depended on luck and probability.
After finishing the snack platter, Luo Jingyu wiped her mouth, scanned the code to pay the bill, took out the folded rabbit and kitten from her pocket, walked to the group of children on the other side of the dessert shop, and put the two origami animals on the table.
A little girl with pigtails quickly grabbed the rabbit, raised her head to look at Luo Jingyu, a smile spread across her rosy face, and she asked loudly, "Uncle, is this for me?"
Luo Jingyu understood her lip language and nodded with a smile. The other kitten was surrounded by three or four children, and the children who didn't get one looked at the little girl with envy. The little girl was very happy: "Thank you, uncle!"
Luo Jingyu smiled, pulled up the hood of her down jacket and put it on, then put on a mask, and left the dessert shop with her hands in her pockets.
He did not return to Qingque Jiayuan, but took the subway to the north of the city.
When swiping his card to exit the station, he recalled the blunder that happened at this subway station a week ago. He glanced at the security personnel, reluctantly pulled down his hat, took off his mask, and slowly walked towards the exit.
When he got to the ground, he immediately armed himself again, leaving only his eyes exposed.
Luo Jingyu couldn't explain why he had such a habit. In short, when he went out, he would try to be "invisible" as much as possible and was not willing to communicate with others.
After walking for twenty minutes, he arrived at a busy residential area and walked into a small community supermarket along the street.
Dad Luo Mingsong was sitting behind the cashier counter wearing reading glasses. On the glass table with various cigarettes was a tablet playing a TV series. The computer screen next to it showed surveillance footage of the supermarket from four angles. Luo Mingsong would occasionally glance at it.
There were people choosing things in the supermarket. Luo Mingsong saw Luo Jingyu coming in and smiled and signed: Are you here? Have you had lunch
Luo Jingyu had a stomach full of pudding and snacks and was not hungry at all. She replied: I have eaten. Where is mom
Luo Mingsong: I went home to cook. I will bring food over later. Did you go on a date this morning? Did you treat a girl to dinner
Luo Jingyu took off her mask and sat down next to her father. Luo Mingsong kept looking at him, waiting for his answer. Luo Jingyu couldn't avoid it, so she could only sign: I have seen the girl introduced by my brother-in-law. She knew that my deafness was hereditary, so she left.
Luo Mingsong's eyes, which were originally full of expectations, suddenly dimmed. He lowered his head, sighed heavily, took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, took off his glasses and pointed outside, indicating that he would go out to smoke a cigarette.
Luo Jingyu frowned: You should smoke less.
Luo Mingsong smiled at him, but his smile was very bitter. He walked around the counter and went outside. He stopped again and turned back to sign to his son: Xiaoyu, it is mom and dad who are sorry for you and your sister, but the one who is most sorry is you. Dad knows that you blame us in your heart, but you have to understand that no matter what, you and your sister are our good children.
Luo Mingsong went outside the store to smoke. After the customers finished choosing their items, they came to the counter. Luo Jingyu stood up and helped them scan the code to check out with a barcode scanner. A middle-aged aunt who lived nearby recognized him and asked loudly, "Xiaoyu! I haven't seen you for a long time! Are you back to see your parents today?"
In fact, no matter how loud she shouted, Luo Jingyu couldn't hear her. However, it was true that the louder the voice, the more obvious her lip shape was. Luo Jingyu understood and nodded with a smile.
The aunt said, "It's so fast! When Lao Luo's shop first opened, you were still a little kid. Now it's been more than ten years, and you've grown into such a tall and handsome young man!"
Luo Jingyu put all the goods into a plastic bag and handed it to her. After the customers left, Luo Jingyu just sat down when the phone in his pocket vibrated. He took it out and saw that it was a WeChat message from "Egg Pudding".
Egg Pudding: Dear student, did your blind date go well today
Luo Jingyu smiled unconsciously and typed on her phone.
What a big fish: Oops, failed.
What a big fish: cat crying.jpg