Chapter 28.1
A faucet?
Where is the faucet in the yard? Isn’t it all well water?
Yu Le was confused, but he trusted that Lu Yao wouldn’t be mistaken, so he obediently left the hall and went to the backyard.
The locust tree, battered by days of heavy rain, drooped sadly, and fallen leaves and flowers were scattered on the ground without being cleaned up.
Da Huang was once again sleeping under the tree, leaning against the water jar.
Yu Le walked around the yard, stepping on the fallen flowers, and still didn’t find a faucet. Bored, he decided to take a broom from under the eaves and started sweeping the flowers off the ground.
The ground wasn’t completely dry, so the broom got wet and picked up mud.
Since people couldn’t sit on the bluestone if it was dirty, Yu Le didn’t sweep it. When Lu Yao arrived, Yu Le was carefully using a fan to brush the flower bits from the stone onto the ground.
He also didn’t forget to scratch Da Huang’s chin.
Lu Yao smiled and walked over, tossing the swept-up trash into a wooden bucket in the corner.
When Yu Le saw him, he asked, “Where’s the faucet you mentioned? I couldn’t find it.”
Lu Yao: “There really isn’t one. I must have remembered wrong.”
“……”
Yu Le was speechless. “You can mix up something like this? By the way, who was that person earlier?”
“That’s Lu Qin,” Lu Yao said, putting down the broom and changing into a pair of plastic gloves. He half-squatted in front of the stone and began grooming Da Huang. “He’s the adopted son of Grandpa Lu and Grandma Lu.”
Yu Le sat down next to him, and Water Jar whimpered a couple of times before resting his head on Yu Le’s lap. With nothing else to do, Yu Le started massaging the dog’s head. “Adopted son?”
Lu Yao: “Yes, since they didn’t have any children, they brought Lu Qin back from the orphanage.”
“Oh.” Yu Le asked, “So you’re quite close with him?”
Lu Yao: “Not bad.”
Yu Le: “No wonder. He’s actually quite nice. Even though we met for the first time, he was willing to give me things for free. But I think it’s all because of you…”
“Yu Le,” Lu Yao suddenly called him.
Yu Le responded reflexively and then cut off his words, asking, “What’s up?”
Lu Yao: “Do you want to go to a bar?”
With the rainy season over and summer vacation beginning, not only had many kids returned from school, but tourists escaping the heat had also flocked in. The once peaceful and secluded Daiwa Town had suddenly become lively.
Yu Le had never thought that this small, secluded town, mostly occupied by elderly women, would have a bar.
At first, he was surprised when Lu Yao mentioned it. But when he learned that the bar owner was Wen Yuan, he wasn’t surprised at all.
Wen Yuan, in his impression, was a peculiar person who did peculiar things, so it made sense.
“But why haven’t I heard of it before?” Yu Le asked. “And the town usually doesn’t have many people. With such a small audience, wouldn’t Wen Yuan risk losing money?”
He originally wanted to say that it might go out of business, but realized it might be impolite and changed his words.
“It’s not open usually.”
Lu Yao finished calculating this month’s expenses and closed the computer. “It only opens during peak tourist seasons. Since the place belongs to him, he doesn’t have to pay rent, so there’s no risk of losing money.”
Hearing this, Yu Le thought Wen Yuan was quite business-savvy.
Just after seven in the afternoon, they left the inn and headed to the street.
The reason for saying they were in a grand procession was that the four people living on the third floor also followed. The mountain was usually too quiet, and they wouldn’t miss out on any fun.
However, when they arrived, Yu Le found that this so-called bar was quite different from what he had imagined.
The building was old-fashioned, with dim lighting but not cold, and the music was played from an old-fashioned phonograph.
The whole bar, from its decor to its overall atmosphere, exuded a sense of “modern thoughts but outdated taste.”
The local young people were fine, but the tourists seemed to have adapted, sitting in booths, toasting and chatting, not as if they were there to get drunk or have fun, but more like they had found a cozy teahouse to relax.
“Hey, you’re here!” Wen Yuan, who had been behind the bar with a pad, immediately noticed Lu Yao and Yu Le and waved at them. “Come sit here. I’ll buy you drinks!”
Wen Yuan led them to a corner booth and eagerly helped them choose the best drinks.
After Wang Wenyan looked around and found the bar didn’t suit her taste, she quickly left with Chen Fa.
Zhou Fei also didn’t stay long. He realized that coming here was quite foolish, as Lu Yao and Yu Le were present. If he stayed, he would have to remain silent all evening.
Guan Zheng, feeling like an outsider among the group, left after the other three did, as he didn’t know Wen Yuan well.
From the original six people, only two were left by nightfall.
Wen Yuan brought the drinks, served in not just ordinary straight glasses but mostly ceramic cups and even a wine jar. With a bamboo wine ladle, dry ice was placed in the base dish, creating a puff of white smoke, enhancing the relaxed atmosphere.
“Compared to a big city, it’s not as lively here, and many noisy things are hard for the older locals to accept. So this is just right; they can come here occasionally if they want.”
Wen Yuan ladled out drinks and, looking pitifully at Yu Le, asked, “Pretty boy, you’re not feeling bored and wanting to leave, are you?”
“Not at all. I think it’s quite nice.”
Yu Le examined a white porcelain cup with floral engravings and said casually, “Besides, this quiet and peaceful atmosphere is just perfect for me. As long as someone doesn’t keep climbing the mountain in the dark during rainy days, life feels wonderful.”
“Someone?”
Who could this “someone” be?
Wen Yuan placed the drinks in front of Yu Le and Lu Yao, his eyes darting between them with a meaningful smile, as if he knew something but chose not to say.
Lu Yao remained silent, taking a sip of his drink, the glass just right to cover his upturned lips.
“Is this drink strong?” Yu Le asked Wen Yuan, holding a fragrant drink.
Wen Yuan said, “It’s alright, pretty average.”
Lu Yao set his glass down and bluntly stated, “You have such a small tolerance for alcohol that it doesn’t really matter whether it’s strong or not.”
“That makes sense,” Yu Le hesitated. “Should I drink it then?”
Lu Yao: “Go ahead. I’ll keep an eye on you and won’t let you end up sleeping on the street.”
With that assurance, Yu Le felt at ease and began tasting the drinks Wen Yuan proudly presented. As he drank more, he became more inebriated and somehow started referring to Wen Yuan as a buddy.
A young man went up on a small stage in the middle and began singing. Yu Le asked Wen Yuan, “Does your bar also have a KTV?”
Wen Yuan chuckled, “What KTV? That’s a resident performer I hired, a summer worker. He gets 280 a night.”
Yu Le: “A high school student?”
“No, high school students are too busy. This is a college student with some free time,”
Wen Yuan said, suddenly thinking of something. He quickly glanced at Lu Yao and asked Yu Le, “Hey, can you sing? Want to go up and perform a love song or something to liven things up?”
Yu Le: “No, I’m really bad at singing.”
Wen Yuan, disappointed, sighed.
Yu Le thought for a moment. “But I can play some instruments. Can I give it a try? Do you have any instruments here?”
Wen Yuan immediately perked up. “Of course. What instrument?”
