yournovel Chapter 251 Life Goes By at a Steady Pace
Chapter 251 Life Goes By at a Steady Pace
Chapter 251 Life Goes By at a Steady Pace
At 11 p.m., a dense drizzle was pattering against the windowpane.
Yu Songnian slumped in the high-backed dining chair, his mouth dripping with oil. Just as he put down his chopsticks, a satisfied burp escaped from deep in his throat.
He casually reached into the outer pocket of his cotton-padded coat and pulled out a pack of Jingbaisha cigarettes, only to find it empty when he opened it.
With a gentle squeeze, it flattens out and is casually tossed onto the messy table.
Then, he unzipped his cotton-padded coat and pulled out an unopened pack of cigarettes from his inner pocket.
Yu Huan, who was sitting opposite Yu Songnian, was putting the cilantro that had been cooked at the bottom of the pot into her bowl, and glanced at the white, unpatterned cigarette box in Yu Songnian's hand.
A mocking smile crept onto his lips: "You're taking the old man's cigarettes again, aren't you?"
As Yu Songnian tore open the plastic seal, he widened his eyes and said, "How can you slander me like this... This was given to me by the old man himself!"
He took out a cigarette, took a deep sniff of it, and then put it in his mouth.
With a "click," a small flame leaped out of the lighter and ignited the cigarette butt.
He took a drag of his cigarette, and through the swirling smoke, he said calmly, "The old man said that your father-in-law gave him two packs of cigarettes when he went fishing last time. I immediately stuck to him like a dog skin plaster, refusing to let go until he got them. The old man had no choice but to give me two packs."
Yu Huan put the cilantro into her mouth and chewed it with relish.
Yu Songnian patted his chest as he spoke, indicating that there was another package inside.
He couldn't help but chuckle, and while chewing on some cilantro, he slowly said, "My mother-in-law got these cigarettes from the factory."
"The old man had a few drinks and started chatting, and now everyone in the village knows that your mother-in-law is a leader at Hunan Tobacco!"
Yu Songnian exhaled a puff of smoke, then chuckled and said:
"To be honest, this is my first time smoking the premium White Sand cigarettes. I don't know how they differ from the ones on the market."
Yu Huan joked, "I don't know. I don't smoke. Talking to me about this is like casting pearls before swine."
"Your mother-in-law is a leader in the tobacco company. With such good conditions, you have no shortage of good cigarettes. How come you don't smoke them, Huan-ge?" Yu Songnian sighed with great regret.
Upon hearing this, Yu Huan smiled and said, "Smoke one less cigarette, and you'll be healthier every day."
Before he could finish speaking, Yu Songnian shook his head and chimed in, "A cigarette a day is better than being a living god!"
Yu Huan shook his head, feeling speechless.
He swallowed the chewed cilantro and threw down his chopsticks.
The "Clean Plate Campaign" has now come to an end.
Yu Huan immediately got up to clear the dishes, glanced at Yu Songnian's few tufts of hair that were whitened by putty, and immediately said with a smile, "Songnian, you should go back and take a shower and rest early."
“I definitely need to take a shower.” Yu Songnian nodded and touched the hair on the top of his head.
After a moment's consideration, Yu Huan said, "I have a routine work meeting tomorrow. Come over at six o'clock, and we'll have Peking duck for dinner."
"Okay! Come tomorrow."
Yu Songnian gave an 'OK' sign, then stood up and walked towards the front door.
I changed my shoes and opened the door.
His gaze fell on Yu Huan's retreating figure as he carried the electric hot pot into the kitchen. He raised his voice a few notches and said, "Brother Huan, I've hurt my elbow!"
Yu Huan turned around and smiled: "Take care! The rain hasn't stopped outside yet, drive carefully."
"Don't worry, I haven't been drinking, I'm perfectly fine." Before Yu Songnian finished speaking, he stepped out of the door.
The strong, muscular figure disappeared from Yu Huan's sight as the door was gently knocked shut.
He immediately turned around and began to busy himself with something.
There was still a lot of cleanup work to be done. After washing the pots and pans, Yu Huan rushed out of the bathroom to get a mop and walked into the messy karaoke room.
Once everything was in order and Yu Huan was finally able to relax, she slumped wearily onto the sofa.
A glance at the wall clock revealed that it was already 11:40 p.m.
Drowsiness washed over him like a tide, and Yu Huan couldn't help but yawn. He fought off the sleepiness, took out his phone from his pocket, and opened the WeChat app.
He first sent Lin Yourong a message: 'Wife, are you still busy?'
These days, Lin Yourong would always finish work around 11:30 and then chat with him.
After waiting for a while without receiving a reply, I got up to brush my teeth and wash my face.
He didn't do any heavy work today and didn't sweat much. He's really sleepy now, so he just rinsed his feet with the shower.
As he crawled into bed, his phone, which was on the bedside table, suddenly vibrated and a message notification sounded.
Yu Huan immediately reached out, grasped the cold body, and brought it to his eyes to unlock and examine it.
Wife:
"I finished recording the song tonight, and took care of everything at the studio this afternoon! Tomorrow, Sister Ru and I will pack our things and head back to Changsha on Saturday!"
Between the lines, an undisguised sense of joy is evident.
Yu Huan yawned, a smile involuntarily spreading across her face. She typed and sent: 'Finally, we can be together every day! I'm so happy!'
"Hmm!" Lin Yourong replied briefly with a single word.
Yu Huan smiled and continued typing rapidly: 'I have something to tell you. I've soundproofed the second bedroom closest to the road, so you can practice singing and playing instruments at home without worrying about disturbing the neighbors.'
"Huh?" Lin Yourong immediately sent another message: 'How was it modified?'
"I replaced the windows with soundproof ones, installed a soundproof ceiling, and covered the entire outer wall with polyester fiberboard. I'm also planning to lay down a carpet." Yu Huan squinted her dry eyes, her fingertips rapidly tapping on a nine-square grid, and continued to emphasize, "The materials I used are primarily environmentally friendly and pollution-free; they should be barely enough for your needs."
Did you have it done by someone else?
"I had the soundproof windows replaced, and Yu Songnian painted the outer layer of plasterboard on the ceiling white. The rest I did myself in my spare time these past few days."
After a few breaths.
A chat bubble containing Lin Yourong pops up on the phone screen:
'You go to work every day, and you get so much done without making a sound!'
Converting a room used for storing miscellaneous items into a karaoke room would definitely be beneficial.
Furthermore, for Lin Yourong, this is a necessity.
Yu Huan's mind was perfectly clear; her fingertips flew across the nine-square grid: 'That's right, how so?'
'I didn't expect you to be so thoughtful! You're so considerate!'
'My wife's affairs are my affairs! I must consider my wife's needs in everything!'
After finishing her sweet talk, Yu Huan yawned wearily and continued typing:
"Honey, I'm so sleepy, I'm going to bed first."
'Okay, it's past midnight! Honey, go to sleep early~'
'You should go to bed early too. You've finally managed to be a healthy person, don't let your jet lag kick back in.'
'Okay, goodnight!'
Yu Huan chuckled, pressed the power button on her phone, and tossed it onto her pillow.
I turned off the bedside lamp and closed my eyes.
In the deep darkness, he soon fell into a deep sleep.
The warm and soft bedding enveloped his body, giving him a sense of security and comfort.
As time passed, Yu Huan moved his eyelids, feeling a faint ray of light penetrate his eyelids, pulling him out of his daze. He slowly opened his eyes, initially seeing only darkness, but as his vision gradually adjusted, the outlines of the room began to become clear.
I fumbled for my phone next to my pillow; the screen showed it was just past seven.
I woke up too early and wanted to go back to sleep, but I found that I was wide awake and every cell in my body was cheering and welcoming the new day.
He immediately threw off the covers.
A gust of cold air swept over him, making him shiver involuntarily.
He quickly put on his clothes, slipped on his slippers, and went to the balcony. Through the glass window, he gazed at the faintly lit sky at dawn.
Thick, continuous white clouds obscured the sun.
Today is a cloudy day, and I'm sure it won't rain, so I'm in a good mood.
For the first time ever, Yu Huan arrived at the Zaobao building more than half an hour early.
He carried a heavy bag of dried fish in each hand, walked lightly through the deserted lobby, and took the elevator directly to the eleventh floor.
With a "ding," the tightly closed elevator doors opened to the left and right.
Yu Huan stepped out of the elevator and pondered for a moment.
He planned to place the dried fish he was holding at the door of the editor-in-chief's office, and then send a message to Lao Lin explaining the situation.
However, when Yu Huan got to the door, she switched the two bags of dried fish to her palm and tried to turn the doorknob, only to find that the door was not locked.
I thought Lao Lin might not have arrived yet, since he needed to take his mother-in-law to the cigarette factory first.
Surprisingly, Lao Lin was already in the editor-in-chief's office.
Without a moment's hesitation, Yu Huan pushed open the door.
Looking around, all that could be seen was Old Lin sitting behind the tea table, holding a mobile phone, looking towards the door with some surprise at the sound.
Old Lin's thought process was roughly like this: Who is so ignorant of the rules, barging in without even knocking?
However, upon seeing who it was, a deep smile immediately spread across Old Lin's face: "How strange, coming to work so early today."
Yu Huan carried the dried fish and stepped inside. The door slowly closed automatically behind him.
Hearing Lao Lin's words, he laughed and joked, "Dad, when you were the editor-in-chief, I never saw you arrive this early!"
Old Lin put down his phone and explained, "Your mom had a meeting this morning and some materials to prepare, so I took her to work at seven o'clock this morning."
"Oh." Yu Huan nodded.
He placed the two bags of dried fish by the door, then walked to the opposite side of Old Lin, pulled out a chair, and sat down.
“The sun was shining brightly a few days ago, and the dried fish are all dried now. I kept five for myself, and the rest are here.” Yu Huan paused, then asked, “Dad, shouldn’t President Xu be coming to the Morning Post building today?”
Old Lin nodded slightly: "He will come. I'll give him a bag then."
Yu Huan suggested obediently, "It's still early, how about we get a couple of cups of morning tea?"
Upon hearing this, Old Lin immediately turned around and started boiling water: "What kind of tea would you like to drink?"
“Phoenix Dancong,” Yu Huan blurted out.
Yesterday's dinner and late-night snack were both lamb, so I need to cleanse myself of the lingering greasiness.
Old Lin looked up and asked, "I heard you're going to Shanghai tomorrow to drive You Rong and the others back?"
"Yes, it was arranged a long time ago." Yu Huan nodded slightly.
Old Lin took a can of tea from the small cabinet, his eyes and tone revealing his concern: "It's been more than ten hours on the highway. When driving long distances, don't drive while fatigued. Be careful."
Yu Huan smiled brightly: "I plan to split the more than ten-hour journey into two days. When we pass through Jiangxi Province, I plan to take Rongrong to Jingdezhen for a night, and treat it as a road trip."
Old Lin nodded: "This is a good plan. Jingdezhen porcelain is world-famous and definitely worth a visit. Anyway, you have two days off this weekend, so you can stroll around and appreciate the porcelain."
"Dad, do you need me to bring you any souvenirs?" Yu Huan asked.
Upon hearing this, Old Lin smiled and waved his hand gently: "You don't need to bring anything, just the two of you have fun."
"Oh." Yu Huan scratched his head thoughtfully.
Old Lin certainly wouldn't be polite to him, but he'd have to bring a small gift for his mother-in-law.
Life moves at a leisurely pace, and I enjoy good meals every day.
After lunch, we'll have dinner.
The evening arrived as scheduled.
Yu Huan stepped out from under the door of the roast duck shop, carrying a heavy bag of Beijing roast duck.
Although it was only a little past 5:40, night had already completely fallen, shrouding the entire Star City in darkness.
The orange-yellow streetlights on both sides of the street are like strings of little suns, casting a faint golden hue over the surroundings.
Under the streetlights, cars streamed endlessly, their red taillights and white headlights reflecting each other.
The leaves on the trees lining the road in front of the shop were still, and there wasn't a breath of wind. Vehicle exhaust and dust filled the air, making Yu Huan hold her breath slightly.
He sidestepped hurried pedestrians, placed the roast duck on the footrest, mounted the electric scooter, and inserted the key.
He immediately twisted the accelerator and sped off towards home, weaving through any gaps in the road.
On the way, Yu Huan received a phone call from Yu Songnian. After a brief conversation, Yu Huan stopped by the roadside at the entrance of the residential area to wait for a while.
Before long, he saw Yu Songnian's cargo van speeding towards him.
The two brothers greeted each other, and Yu Huan rode his electric scooter in front. After saying goodbye to the gatekeeper, he led Yu Songnian's van into the community.
A moment later, the two brothers stepped into their home.
Yu Songnian consciously changed into the slippers he had worn yesterday. The slippers were covered with some grayish-white putty that hadn't been washed off yet, making them easy to spot.
He quickly and impatiently snatched the bag containing the roast duck from Yu Huan's hand.
He then strolled over to the dining table and asked, "Brother Huan, did you get me a Coke?"
"It's arranged, one can per person."
“Okay!” Yu Songnian put the bag on the table, turned around and went to the kitchen. He squeezed some dish soap on the sink and washed his hands.
Yu Huan slowly changed her shoes and followed Yu Songnian into the kitchen, standing behind him and saying:
"Since you drove your van over, all the equipment in the karaoke room came from Brother Gou. I only need the stepladder; could you deliver the rest to me first?"
“No problem!” Yu Songnian readily agreed.
He turned off the tap and vigorously shook the water off his hands.
Seeing this, Yu Huan tore off a few tissues from the table and handed them to him to wipe his hands.
The wall clock ticks slowly and steadily, and time flows by leisurely.
The two brothers sat around the dining table and devoured the roast duck meant for four people.
After chatting about trivial matters for a while, we immediately got down to business.
With Yu Huan's assistance, Yu Songnian, who was already skilled, put down the putty knife in just over an hour and declared the job done.
He climbed down the stepladder and said in a muffled voice, "In a day or two, once it's completely dry, sand it again and apply latex paint."
Yu Huan looked around at the smooth ceiling with satisfaction and nodded: "It's acceptable."
The rest of the tasks are relatively simple, so there's no need to ask others to do them.
He can handle it himself.
(End of this chapter)