CIATB Chapter 198 You guys seem to be living a pretty comfortable life.
Chapter 198 You guys seem to be living a pretty comfortable life.
Chapter 198 You guys seem to be living a pretty comfortable life.
It was another evening.
Morning News Hall.
Yu Huan stared intently at the appointment document on the notice board.
In particular, he couldn't help but scrutinize that official-looking headshot against a blue background: a neat suit, an exquisite tie, and a smiling face, making him appear both approachable and dignified.
Behind the black-rimmed glasses, a pair of eyes shone brightly with wisdom.
The crow's feet around his eyes were just the right number, with three lines on each side.
Awesome!
I've never realized Lin's father was so handsome.
cough cough...
In short, as scheduled, Lao Lin took office as editor-in-chief today, and from now on he will be the real Director Lin.
This must be a busy time, with many social obligations to attend to, and the doorstep might be worn out from all the footsteps.
Yu Huan simply sent a congratulatory text message and didn't go to the editor-in-chief's office to make a fool of herself.
After all, very few people in the newspaper knew that he was Old Lin's son-in-law.
Old Lin still has a lot of room for improvement, and Yu Huan hopes that he will leave the newspaper before his son-in-law identity is fully exposed.
It is now 5:20.
Yu Huan looked away from the notice board, her newly acquired Xiaomi phone tucked into her coat pocket.
With one hand in his pocket, he walked towards the parking shed to retrieve his electric scooter and go home.
The sun was setting, and night was approaching.
He rode his electric scooter at breakneck speed, passing streetlights emitting an orange-yellow glow, and soon entered the cigarette factory's residential compound.
Press the brake in front of the garage roller shutter door.
Without his keys, Yu Huan locked up his electric scooter and strode into the stairwell.
He climbed up to the third floor in one breath and knocked on the door.
A short while later, the door was pushed open from the inside.
Xu Hui smiled and stepped aside to make way, greeting him warmly, "Brother Huan, you're back."
"Eh."
Yu Huan responded, then walked into the living room and casually closed the front door.
"Have you prepared everything I've told you?"
"Everything is ready! It's just that Brother Songnian drove here and parked outside the community, so I didn't buy any alcohol, only two large bottles of drinks."
"Oh, what dishes are there?"
Upon hearing the question, Xu Hui rattled off the names of the dishes as if they were his own treasures: "There's dry pot bullfrog, braised beef brisket, braised tofu with yellow catfish, boiled shrimp, corn stewed with pork ribs, and some green vegetables."
"How much did you spend on these vegetables?" Yu Huan asked casually.
Xu Hui shook his head after hearing this, "Brother Huan, no need!" Before he finished speaking, he quickly turned around and walked towards the kitchen.
In the kitchen, the overhead range hood was making a "buzzing" sound.
Yu Huan glanced at it from afar and saw that pork ribs seemed to be blanched in the pot.
When Yu Chengcheng left home in the morning, she had already tidied up the clutter piled up at the door, sorting it into categories and putting it in its proper place.
She even lined all three trash cans with trash bags.
Yu Huan placed one in each of his kitchen, living room, and master bedroom.
Overall, everything is in good order.
Yu Huan slowly walked to the coffee table and looked at the large and small bags on it.
There are strawberries, red pomelos, rock sugar oranges, and persimmons, all of which are seasonal fruits in winter.
There was even a bag of sunflower seeds.
He immediately asked, "Who bought these things?"
Xu Hui, who was in the kitchen, caught the question and replied briefly, "My sister and the others."
"Oh." Yu Huan nodded slightly.
He took the coarse grain phone box out of his coat pocket, tossed it lightly on the coffee table, then reached into his trouser pocket for his wallet, opened it, and pulled out three hundred-yuan bills.
He pushed open the sliding glass door and stuffed the banknotes into Xu Hui's coat pocket.
Xu Hui was stirring the ribs with a spatula while blanching them when he noticed something. He quickly switched the spatula to his left hand, reached into his pocket with his right hand, took something out, and looked down.
Seeing that it was three hundred yuan, he hurriedly turned around to try to stuff it back to Yu Huan: "Brother Huan, no need!"
"Take it, one thing at a time. I'm treating you to dinner, why would I need you to pay?" Yu Huan pushed his hand away forcefully.
Xu Hui clutched the three bills tightly. To him, it felt wrong to put them in his pocket, but it also felt wrong not to put them in his pocket.
She pursed her lips, looking somewhat embarrassed, and said, "Brother Huan, actually, we didn't spend that much on groceries."
To eat this well outside, with each dish being very generously portioned, would cost well over 300 yuan.
Furthermore, the ingredients are guaranteed, and it's clean and hygienic to have them at home.
"It should be pretty close." Yu Huan took a step back to prevent Xu Hui from making any further excuses.
He paused briefly, then asked curiously, "Where are Songnian and your sister?"
"They should be on the terrace." Xu Hui reluctantly put the money in his pocket, turned around and scooped the ribs into a large bowl, and said, "Sister Cheng has an appointment and is out. She's not home."
"Oh, I understand." Yu Huan nodded, then turned and walked towards the second bedroom.
He saw that the security door to the inner room was wide open.
He saw the granite floor on the terrace, bathed in the glow of the setting sun, turning a beautiful and serene orange-yellow.
Walking briskly past the bed, which was a mess like a dog's kennel, Yu Chengcheng had obviously rushed out the door after waking up at noon.
Yu Huan stepped onto the terrace and looked around.
On a bench under the sunshade, a couple sat side by side, basking in the sun.
The two of them raised their phones almost simultaneously, each absorbed in their own world.
Yu Songnian had a cigarette dangling from his lips and one hand on Xu Qian's shoulder.
The latter was cracking sunflower seeds, mechanically placing the shells into a plastic bag beside him. Yu Huan coughed softly, breaking the silence.
The two turned around at the sound and, seeing it was Yu Huan, greeted him in unison:
"Brother Huan."
"Hey, Huan-ge is back!" Yu Huan exclaimed excitedly.
"Eh."
After Yu Huan responded, he joked:
"You guys are living a pretty comfortable life, huh?"
Yu Songnian took a deep drag on his cigarette, exhaled a long plume of smoke, and said with a contented expression, "But it's definitely not as comfortable as it is with you, Brother Huan!"
"I'm not comfortable at all. I've been working all day." Yu Huan raised her arm and leaned against the door frame.
Yu Songnian didn't continue arguing with him about who was more comfortable. Instead, he straightened his expression and said in a deep voice, "Brother Huan, the people from the Price Bureau came over this morning to conduct an assessment and test."
"Oh? What do you mean?" Yu Huan asked.
"They said the results would be available in no more than seven business days."
"Oh." Yu Huan nodded, indicating that she understood.
Xu Qian glanced at the potted plants under the windowsill, and seeing that Yu Huan and Yu Songnian had finished their business, she said with a smile, "Brother Huan, it's such a waste not to keep some potted plants and flowers on your big terrace!"
Yu Songnian also had a little idea, and suggested enthusiastically: "We could also build a pond to raise fish, and put up a small artificial hill, that would be even more perfect!"
Yu Huan smiled brightly after hearing this: "Forget about the fish pond, it's too much trouble. I can just buy some flowers to grow."
"Do we still need to buy it?" Yu Songnian drawled out his words.
"Huh?" Yu Huan was a little confused.
"Aren't there many on the back mountain?" Yu Huan raised an eyebrow.
Xu Qian nodded and continued, "Brother Huan, there are tea bushes everywhere on the back hill. If you look carefully, you might even find orchids!"
"That's right!" Yu Huan exclaimed as if waking from a dream, clapping her hands excitedly. "I definitely have to go back and visit when I have time."
Orchids are a rare find!
These days, wild orchids are not yet fully listed in the protected plant list, and some of the more common orchid varieties can still be dug up.
Of course, digging up wild orchids was banned ten years later, and selling and buying them became illegal.
“Huan-ge, you only get one day off for New Year’s Day again.” Yu Songnian stubbed out his cigarette on the ground and then flicked it into the trash bag next to Xu Qian. “Otherwise, you could come back with us and have some fun.”
He had obviously learned something from Yu Chengcheng.
"Don't you need to deliver anything?" Yu Huan asked curiously.
Yu Songnian pointed to the elastic mesh cap he was wearing and said proudly, "I've already received compensation for lost wages, why would I do any work? I took a whole week off!"
"Alright..." Yu Huan changed the subject: "Is the broadband installed yet?"
"It's installed!" Yu Songnian nodded repeatedly. "It's installed on the balcony of your room. The WiFi password is your phone number."
Yu Huan immediately took out her phone and found a Wi-Fi network with a good signal to connect to.
Then, he leisurely walked over to Yu Songnian and sat down next to him, opened WeChat and browsed the new media department's work group, which had 99+ messages.
Everyone is discussing the newly appointed editor-in-chief, Lao Lin, and the departmental short film that will be released tomorrow.
There was nothing of importance to do, just a lot of idle gossip. Yu Huan swiped through the chat with her fingertips, then closed WeChat and started browsing Tianya Community.
Xu Qian finished cracking a handful of sunflower seeds in her palm and picked up the shells scattered on the bench.
Suddenly remembering something, she looked up at Yu Huan and said, "Sister Chengzi said she'll be bringing a friend back for dinner at 6:30."
This is clearly telling him when to eat.
"Okay." Yu Huan nodded slightly.
After playing on my phone for a while, it was soon past six o'clock.
The setting sun slowly sank below the horizon, night quietly fell, and the sky gradually merged into darkness.
A gentle breeze swept by, carrying a slight chill.
The terrace was somewhat dim, with only light filtering through the bedroom doors and windows.
Yu Huan snapped out of her daze and hurriedly got up to tidy up the quilt cover that was drying in a corner of the outer terrace.
He smiled and politely declined Xu Qian's offer to help, then simply folded the duvet cover and put it in the wardrobe in the second bedroom.
I went to the terrace again, folded up the clothes rack, and placed it against the wall under the sunshade.
After finishing these chores, he beckoned Yu Songnian and Xu Qian into the room, then pulled the handle of the security door and slowly closed it.
The group moved to the sofa, slumped down, and started watching TV.
Although the New Year's Eve gala didn't start until 7:30, Yu Huan decisively grabbed the remote control and eagerly tuned it to Zhejiang TV, his whole being filled with anticipation.
TV station New Year's Eve galas have been thriving for years, with stage designs getting cooler and cooler each year.
Competing on star power, creativity, and spending... In the struggle for limited celebrity resources, singers' appearance fees have skyrocketed, reaching staggering costs.
Every year, the New Year's Eve gala becomes a fierce battle among more than a dozen TV stations vying for viewership.
But it was still early, and with the TV playing in the background, the two brothers were each playing on their phones.
Xu Qian got up and went to help in the kitchen.
"Brother Huan, here are your keys."
As Yu Songnian finished speaking, Yu Huan felt something being gently tossed onto his stomach.
He stared intently at his phone.
He reached out and touched the bunch of cool, icy keys, then casually stuffed them into his pocket.
"Brother Huan, is this unopened, low-quality cell phone yours?" Yu Songnian asked curiously, glancing at the phone box on the table.
Yu Huan glanced at Yu Songnian and explained, "This is for Grandpa."
"Does he know how to use a smartphone?" Yu Songnian scratched his head in confusion.
Without hesitation, Yu Huan said, "After you and Chengzi go back, won't you teach him how to use it? He played with my phone quite well last time."
"Alright then." Yu Songnian nodded slightly.
(End of this chapter)