To Get Married - Chapter 33

Chapter 33

During the regular school term, there was only one night off per week, so Lu Yudong would invariably go to Not An Old Friend.

But winter and summer vacations were different. During the day, she had to do homework, and once finished, she couldn’t resist wanting to watch TV with Manzhu. Naturally, she wouldn’t go to the bar every single night.

After all, once school started, she could only meditate and practice her spiritual foundation in the classroom; she couldn’t do anything else. Now that she finally had a vacation, she had to set aside time to practice actual spells.

If she went to the bar every day, how would she find time to cultivate properly? Her usual habit was to go once or twice a week to relax and get some guidance from her Little Master.

However, ever since Zhang Ziyun started working at the bar, Yudong received the same private message on QQ every single day:

— Are you coming to the bar today?

The expectation was clear between the lines.

Lu Yudong felt that Zhang Ziyun probably wasn’t well-acquainted with everyone at the bar yet. Since Yan Chaomu, who worked behind the counter with her, was so taciturn and difficult to approach, Ziyun likely felt bored and wanted a familiar friend to keep her company.

With Zhang Ziyun asking day after day, Yudong didn’t feel right leaving her alone there, so her weekly visits to the bar became more frequent.

Zhang Ziyun had always been clever; she just hadn’t used that cleverness for studying. Now, to keep this long-term part-time job that Yudong had fought for, she worked very hard every day to learn about alcohol culture.

In the process of learning, she discovered she had unexpectedly begun to like these things. She liked the scents of different alcohols, the stories of fine wines, and watching Yan Chaomu mix drinks beside her; for her, it was all a form of enjoyment.

However, even though she was in the bar and becoming more interested, she couldn’t taste the alcohol like the guests did. After all, her mother had strictly instructed Mu Chenshan: “Don’t let my Ziyun touch a drop of alcohol. She’s still young; I’m afraid it will affect her health and personality.”

At that time, Mu Chenshan had repeatedly guaranteed that they would not sell any alcohol to minors, and only then did Zhang Ziyun’s mother leave at peace.

On the night before New Year’s Eve, Lu Yudong sat on a high stool outside the bar, chatting with Zhang Ziyun.

Lately, Ziyun often told her stories—the recipes and origins of each wine, and why they were named as they were. Lu Yudong wasn’t particularly interested in the subject, but Ziyun told them in such an engaging way that she listened seriously and didn’t feel bored.

As she talked, Zhang Ziyun suddenly sighed with emotion.

“I really want to grow up faster.”

“When you first came here, we were only in seventh grade. Time actually passes very quickly,” Lu Yudong said earnestly. “Winter vacation goes by fast too. Once the New Year is over, school will start before you know it.”

Zhang Ziyun smiled. “Winter vacation does go by fast, but school days are so slow.”

Lu Yudong couldn’t help asking, “Have you done your winter vacation homework?”

Zhang Ziyun replied, “I have, I have! I do it during the day!”

Like a little teacher, Lu Yudong said, “That’s good then.”

Zhang Ziyun suddenly looked at Yan Chaomu, who was sitting silently nearby, and asked softly, “On my eighteenth birthday, can I drink a drink mixed by Brother Yan?”

Yan Chaomu had been listening to the two girls chat; being suddenly addressed, he didn’t react immediately.

“Little Master?” Lu Yudong waved her hand in front of his eyes.

Yan Chaomu snapped back to reality and replied, “Okay.” After thinking for a moment, he added, “It’s… it’s on the house…”

“Brother Yan is the best!” Zhang Ziyun beamed. Hearing this, Lu Yudong quickly looked up. “Little Master, I want that too! Is it on the house for me?”

Yan Chaomu nodded. “When… when you both… turn eighteen, drink whatever you want. It’s… it’s on me.”

Lu Yudong asked curiously, “Whatever we want? Just how ‘whatever’ is that?”

Yan Chaomu gave a rare, shallow smile. “In the future, when you come… come here to drink, it will… all be my treat.”

Zhang Ziyun: “For real?”

Lu Yudong: “No take-backs!”

Yan Chaomu: “For real.”

Hearing this, Zhang Ziyun said excitedly, “Then I’m really never going to leave!” She turned to Lu Yudong. “Didn’t you say you wanted to take the college entrance exam for a university in this city too?”

Lu Yudong nodded. “Yeah.”

“Then I’ll apply for a local college too. It’s hard for my mom alone right now, and I don’t want to be too far from her. If I stay in the city, it’s easier to keep this part-time job to pay off the debts.” Zhang Ziyun narrowed her eyes and smiled. “Plus, I can have a drink or two from Brother Yan for free. Why wouldn’t I?”

Yan Chaomu was clearly stunned.

Seeing this, Zhang Ziyun quickly waved her hand. “I won’t drink you into poverty! I’m not that excessive!” She lowered her eyes and shook her head, then looked up with a smile. “I’m just reflecting. I used to always want to go to the Capital, but now I suddenly feel… Yuanchuan is quite nice too.”

“At least… the food here is what I like best. If I really went to the North, I probably wouldn’t get used to the food.”

“I don’t want to live on campus for college. If I don’t have many classes, I’ll come here often. That way, the bar’s business will be good, and my family’s debt can be paid off faster!”

“And, and—this way, the two of us can still see each other often!”

As Zhang Ziyun spoke, she rested her chin on her hands, a slight smile on her lips. Her eyes were fixed on an empty champagne glass, her thoughts drifting to some far-off place.

Listening to her, Lu Yudong couldn’t help but imagine the future as well. The hearts of the young are always filled with longing for the future—the light in their eyes is like the stars.

In the blink of an eye, it was New Year’s Eve, and business at the bar was relatively bleak.

Since it was the big New Year, Zhang Ziyun went with her mother to have a reunion dinner and didn’t come to work. Lu Yudong spent another New Year with Manzhu at the bar.

The Spring Festival dumplings were made by everyone together during the day. No one was allowed to be lazy because, besides eating them themselves, every guest spending the New Year at the bar had to be gifted a plate.

As Huanxi had said, if someone isn’t home on such an important day, their family must not be around, and they must be very lonely. Since the guests chose to be here, they had to feel the warmth of home; a plate of delicious dumplings often feels most like home.

Furthermore, everyone would randomly hide a one-yuan coin inside a dumpling while wrapping it. If a guest found it, their entire bill for the day was half-off. If an employee found it, they could ask the boss for an 88-yuan red envelope.

Don’t ask why it was 88—the answer is that the boss is stingy.

Speaking of wrapping dumplings, there were true experts in the bar who could make them in any shape—especially Xiao Zhi and Gou Hongjie, who could create complex and beautiful patterns.

In previous years, Manzhu’s dumplings were the worst. Once the wrapping was done, if you saw a hideous shape, it was definitely made by that old mountain snake. This year was no exception; her dumplings were uneven and crooked. Aside from being wrapped tightly enough not to fall apart in the pot, there was absolutely nothing to praise.

Of course, Manzhu didn’t like wrapping dumplings much, so she didn’t make many. After casually hiding her coin, she sat to the side to act as a supervisor.

In the end, those dumplings were picked out one by one by Huanxi from the pile of fancy ones and set aside to be part of the staff’s late-night snack. After all, the filling was the same; the dumplings were just a bit ugly, but the taste was fine. They were all “their own people,” so there was nothing to be picky about—as long as they didn’t serve the ugly ones to guests.

Around 11:00 PM that night, the kitchen started boiling pot after pot of dumplings. Soon, steaming dumplings were served to every guest.

At 2:00 AM, after seeing off the last of the guests, the spirits of Not An Old Friend gathered together. Standing or sitting, everyone held a pair of chopsticks, eating the large plates of dumplings on the table with laughter and conversation.

The dumplings came in various shapes: home-style, triangular, crescent, willow-leaf, and gold ingot. There were even beautiful peony and butterfly dumplings. Some were steamed, some were boiled, and when arranged randomly on the plates, they looked quite lovely.

If anything looked out of place, it was definitely the crooked, uneven ones wrapped by Manzhu, which had silently mixed into every exquisite plate.

However, although Manzhu’s dumplings were ugly, they were the first to be finished. The reason was simple: she had only wrapped fewer than thirty, and they weren’t put on the guests’ plates, so the probability of finding the coin in them was much higher. Eighty-eight yuan is eighty-eight yuan; who wouldn’t want a bit of luck on such a festive day?

In the end, Manzhu’s coin was eaten by Gou Hongjie, who ate the fastest.

“Can’t beat him, can’t beat him. Brother Gou eats too fast.”

“Er Gouzi, you’re eating so fast, are you rushing to your next reincarnation?”

“I feel like you ate a third of them! You’re just hunting for the coin!”

Gou Hongjie didn’t care what they said. As the first lucky winner of the night, he immediately pulled his phone from his pocket and scurried over to Mu Chenshan’s side to smugly claim his red envelope.

Lu Yudong ate for a long time, trying one or two of every kind. Finally, she was so stuffed she couldn’t take another bite, yet she still hadn’t seen a coin. She finally chose to give up.

She stood up and walked slowly to Manzhu, who was sitting and resting. She touched her belly and let out a “burp,” then followed it with a massive yawn, her eyes misting over with sleepiness.

Manzhu smiled and gently wiped the tear from the corner of Yudong’s eye with her fingertip. “Full?”

“Stuffed to death,” Lu Yudong said. “I didn’t get a coin.”

Manzhu flicked Yudong’s nose and feigned dissatisfaction. “It’s only eighty-eight. When have I ever given you an allowance less than that?”

Lu Yudong giggled. She walked up to Manzhu, quietly lifted two layers of her sweater, and patted her round little belly under the thermal shirt. “Sister, try patting it. It’s like a little watermelon; the sound is quite crisp.”

Manzhu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She quickly pulled the clothes back down. “Don’t catch a cold!”

Lu Yudong pouted, sat down beside Manzhu, and leaned gently against her shoulder, closing her eyes sleepily.

Manzhu: “Sleepy?” Lu Yudong: “A little.” Manzhu: “Then let’s go home.”

Lu Yudong nodded, stood up, and followed Manzhu as they waved goodbye to the others who were still full of energy.

Back at home, she checked her phone. The class group chat was buzzing with New Year’s greetings, and she had also received a private message from Zhang Ziyun.

Zhang Ziyun had many friends—at school, outside, and online—and she sent out many blessings every year. Usually, Lu Yudong received a copy-pasted message. But this year, the message from Ziyun was different.

The first was a simple New Year’s Eve greeting; the second was a simple Spring Festival greeting. But besides those two, there was a third one this year, much longer than before.

Zhang Ziyun: Lu Yudong, Happy New Year’s Eve!

Zhang Ziyun: Lu Yudong, Happy Spring Festival!

Zhang Ziyun: Lu Yudong, the thing I’m most grateful for is becoming your tablemate in seventh grade. You’ve been so good to me all these years. I have a bad temper and even snapped at you when I was angry, but no matter what happened, you stayed by my side. You even helped me with everything when I was most helpless. My mom’s monthly salary is only 4,000; she has to support the house and my school and clothes. Without you, I don’t know what our family would have done. I am really, really happy you were willing to recommend a job for me, but I also don’t know how to repay you. If possible, from now on, you are the person I care about most besides my mom. I will be good to you, just like you’ve been so good to me.

Lu Yudong read the paragraph twice and thought for a long while before finally replying with one sentence: Happy Spring Festival! We will be each other’s best friends forever!

At this hour, most people should be asleep, but since Zhang Ziyun had been working at the bar, her sleep schedule for the winter vacation had changed. The moment she received Yudong’s reply, she messaged back instantly.

Zhang Ziyun: [Angry face pinching] Have you not looked at your phone all night?

Lu Yudong: Actually, yeah. The bar was quite lively today.

Zhang Ziyun: Are there still so many guests during the big New Year?

Lu Yudong: Few guests, but because it’s the New Year, everyone gathered together to make some noise.

Lu Yudong: We also made a lot of dumplings. I came back after getting stuffed.

After sending that, Yudong sent a photo of the large table filled with various kinds of dumplings.

Zhang Ziyun: [Whoa] I didn’t get to eat any!

Lu Yudong: There were several kinds of fillings.

Zhang Ziyun: [Crying out loud in grievance] Are they all finished?

Lu Yudong: Not yet. There weren’t many guests today, so there are leftovers. If you want to eat them, you can ask Uncle Gou to boil some for you tomorrow night.

Zhang Ziyun: Which kind is the best?

Lu Yudong: They’re all good!

Lu Yudong: But you don’t like celery. Just tell Uncle Gou not to boil the ingot-shaped ones—those are pork and celery.

Zhang Ziyun: [Understood] How are you so thoughtful!

Zhang Ziyun: But it would be embarrassing to eat alone. How about you come tomorrow night and eat with me?

Manzhu had just finished making a cup of hot milk and walked out of the kitchen. Seeing Lu Yudong sitting on the sofa smiling at her phone, she couldn’t help but frown slightly.

A second later, she snapped out of it, pretended not to notice anything, and sat down gently beside Yudong with the milk.

Manzhu asked, “Chatting with Zhang Ziyun?”

Lu Yudong nodded and tilted her phone screen toward Manzhu. “Look, Sister. I’m sending photos of the dumplings to tease her for not coming tonight.”

Manzhu glanced at the chat log, gave a faint smile, and lifted the milk cup slightly. “It’s very late. Say goodnight to your classmate. Wash up after drinking this and go to sleep.”

“Okay!” Lu Yudong nodded and quickly typed a reply to Zhang Ziyun.

Lu Yudong: Okay, I’ll keep you company.

Lu Yudong: It’s late. Sister is telling me to sleep. You should rest early too!

Zhang Ziyun: Then goodnight!

Lu Yudong: Goodnight.

Zhang Ziyun: [Sticker: The night is too beautiful, though too dangerous, someone is always staying up with dark circles under their eyes.]

Lu Yudong laughed and saved the sticker. She put down her phone, took the milk from Manzhu, drank it in a few large gulps, then got up and went to the bathroom.

Manzhu took off her outer coat and leaned against the soft Corgi plushie on the bed. When Lu Yudong came out after washing up, she reflexively turned off the lights as usual, scurried to the bedside, and like a little monkey, dodged Manzhu’s legs and slid into her own side of the covers.

Seeing Yudong tuck herself in, Manzhu lay down as well to prevent any draft from entering the blankets. Soon, Yudong pulled her arm into her embrace.

Manzhu hesitated for a moment but couldn’t help asking, “I heard Zhang Ziyun also wants to apply for a local university and continue working at our bar?”

“Yeah,” Lu Yudong said with her eyes closed, then added a “Huh?” She turned her head, opened her eyes to look at Manzhu, and asked curiously, “How did Sister know?”

“I heard it while chatting with your Little Uncle,” Manzhu said.

“Then Little Master must have told him. Nothing we say in front of Little Master escapes Little Uncle’s ears.” Lu Yudong blinked and laughed. “Little Master is an informant. Last time I secretly said a couple of bad things about Little Uncle, and he ended up knowing.”

Manzhu couldn’t help but chuckle. “What bad things did you say?”

Lu Yudong said, “Nothing serious. I just felt that Zhang Ziyun is doing such a good job—guests are ordering more drinks and refills lately—yet Little Uncle won’t give her a raise. He’s so stingy!”

Manzhu was silent for half a second before smiling faintly. “I sing so hard every day and I don’t see your Little Uncle giving me a raise. You sure care about other people’s income over ours.”

Lu Yudong quickly explained, “No, no, I didn’t mean it like that. I was just joking… and, and Zhang Ziyun’s family owes a lot of money. Part of it is to a classmate…”

“A classmate? How much?” Manzhu asked.

“70,000. To a male classmate,” Lu Yudong said, turning to face Manzhu and frowning unhappily. “That guy has been pursuing Ziyun since middle school and still hasn’t caught her. Last time when Ziyun’s dad had his accident and they needed money urgently, he proactively helped. Now he pesters Ziyun constantly.”

“Pesters?”

“Yeah. He knows Ziyun can’t easily drive him away now, so he pesters her every day. Ziyun has already subtly indicated she doesn’t want to date, but he pretends not to hear… In the end, isn’t he just relying on that 70,000-yuan debt? As long as it’s not paid off, there’s no peace… I want to help her, but I really can’t help with such a large amount.”

Manzhu didn’t know how to respond for a moment. After a while, she reached out to touch Yudong’s face. “Ultimately, that is her own business. You’ve already done your best to help. Don’t blame yourself too much. Get some rest.”

“Mmm.” Lu Yudong nodded, leaned closer to Manzhu, rested her hand on her, and closed her eyes in peace.

Manzhu fell into a deep thought. When Lu Yudong mentioned that male classmate, she was clearly unhappy. Was it her possessiveness toward Zhang Ziyun acting up? Yudong was probably jealous because that guy was using the 70,000 yuan as an excuse to constantly pester Ziyun…

And at the bar, whenever Zhang Ziyun was free, she’d go find Lu Yudong, and the two would always chat happily.

Manzhu thought for a long time until Yudong’s breathing became slow and even. Only then did she let out a long breath and, with a backhand motion, shoved the Corgi plushie off the bed.

At 11:00 AM the next morning, Lu Yudong woke from her dream with a yawn. In the bathroom, the sound of the washing machine hummed.

She had just put on her cotton pajama top when she looked down and saw the silly, cute little Corgi lying upside down on the cold floor. Leaning against the edge of the bed, she scooped it up, patted it off, and placed it on Manzhu’s pillow.

Lu Yudong put on her cotton pants, hopped off the bed, and ran to the bathroom door. Leaning against the frame, she peeked inside. Manzhu had her sleeves rolled up and was scrubbing Yudong’s sneakers at the sink.

“Sister, I can do that!” Lu Yudong said.

“It’s fine. I’m just idling anyway. Wait a moment, I’ll be done soon.”

As Manzhu spoke, she rinsed the foam off the shoes, quickly wiped the sink area, and stepped aside for Yudong to wash up.

While Yudong was brushing her teeth, Manzhu stood at the door and asked, “What do you want for lunch? How about I prepare some of the dumplings we brought back last night?”

Lu Yudong was about to nod when she remembered she had promised Zhang Ziyun they would eat dumplings together tonight. Eating them twice in one day might be a bit much, so she said with a mouthful of foam: “Let’s eat something else. I promised Zhang Ziyun I’d go to the bar and eat dumplings with her tonight.”

Manzhu smiled nonchalantly. “Okay. Then I’ll boil some noodles for you.”

With that, she turned and walked into the kitchen. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got, and she couldn’t help but smash a bowl.

Lu Yudong rushed out of the bathroom with a mouth full of foam, holding her rinse water in one hand and gripping the kitchen door with the other, her toothbrush still in her mouth. She looked shocked. “Sister, are you okay?”

Manzhu took a deep breath and said calmly, “My hand slipped. It’s nothing.”

With a flick of her finger, she sent the shards on the floor into the trash can.

“Oh!” Lu Yudong walked blankly back to the bathroom.

Manzhu opened the fridge, looked inside, then closed it again. She walked back to the bathroom door and said, “I checked. The sauce Uncle Gou fried for us last time is gone. We won’t have noodles today. Wash up quickly and change your clothes; I’ll take you out to eat.”

“Eat what?” Lu Yudong had just finished brushing her teeth, so her speech was clear.

Manzhu said, “Whatever you want. It’s up to you.”

Lu Yudong: “Then I want fried chicken.”

Manzhu asked: “Junk food again?”

Lu Yudong stuck her tongue out. “I haven’t had it in so long.”

Manzhu shook her head and smiled. “Fine. I’ll take you.”

“Love you!” Lu Yudong pounced and gave Manzhu a light peck on the cheek.

The damp sensation on her cheek made Manzhu daze for a moment. Her lips couldn’t help but curl upward. She smiled and pushed the little girl—whose mouth was still wet from brushing her teeth—back into the bathroom.