T1983 Chapter 55

T.N: Hello! Unfortunately, there won’t be an update on Friday, as I’m travelling a little bit this week and won’t have enough time to translate. I hope you won’t be that sad! See you next week!🤗

That day and the following night, every time Shu Ran went to the bathroom, he would see the sexy little suit he had worn hanging to dry. He didn’t feel shy for one second when the two of them were making out before, but when he saw it hanging like that afterward, it made his face feel even hotter.

After resting in the hotel for a day, Shu Ran and Xu Shen dressed in suits and leather shoes and took a car to a certain work unit, to visit a future famous professor in the field of finance.

Shu Ran pointed to the row of tall Western-style buildings outside and said: “This will be a famous scenic spot in the future. Tourists who come to Shanghai love to hang out here.”

Xu Shen also took a look outside: “Our old octagonal buildings are more beautiful.”

“Didn’t you always care about small, foreign-style mansions in the past?” Shu Ran crossed his arms and turned to look at him.

“It’s just like that, after seeing too much…” Xu Shen smiled and continued: “I had never seen the world at that time, so everything I saw was new. I always thought that foreigners’ stuff was good, but in fact, our own stuff is pretty good as well.”

“Yes.” Shu Ran nodded, sighing with emotion… How many of our traditional things were lost during the Westernization boom? He already knew that it would take years before various revivals could start again.

The same went for the clothing styles they produced. Although the tailoring and design were very fashionable and novel, they still retained some Chinese style elements.

When the national style was heavy, the level of splendor and brilliance was unparalleled.

After passing through that area of Western-style buildings, there was nothing fancy inside. Most of the houses were tiny, but the roads were quite spacious. The occasional tall construction was what Xu Shen called the old octagonal building. It was a style that would be protected as a cultural relic in the future, and they still stood tall 40 years in the future. ¹I think they are referring to the Fujian Tulou (Tulou 土楼 meaning earth building), a type of rural dwelling from the Fujian region of China. This mountainous province located in the south-east of the country has many examples of this traditional architecture. The community buildings were built by the Hakka people from the 12th century to the 20th century. Their architecture is recognizable for its size, shape, construction technique, and above all for its unique function. They were built both for a defensive purpose and to establish a community organization. Is a “fort” style of building that can accommodate multiple families, with a shared open space in the middle. Initially, the Fujian Tulou followed a square shape (fanglou 方楼), open inside. The corners were then more exposed, less luminous, and with a distinct and less performing ventilation. Later the round shape (yuanlou 圆楼), became a viable alternative. The figure of the circle reinforced the community idea, the defensive vocation, and allowed better diffuse ventilation. The rectangular shape also developed distinctly, as a variation from the original square shape. From these three typologies, other forms developed, such as the oval, the hexagonal, or the half-moon. Of the 35,000 clay buildings in southern China, more than 3,700 are classified as Tulou. Most of them are square (more than 2000) or circular(more than 1000)

It was business as usual, and many people were drinking tea and eating melon seeds upstairs. The atmosphere was crowded, but very lively.

“In the future, this place will become a world-famous financial center,” Shu Ran said. “When we have money, we’ll buy land here and start a business.”

“Okay, work hard to make money.” Xu Shen nodded and agreed.

With the assistance of his wife, a person from the future, they had an indisputable advantage. If they still couldn’t make money, it could only mean they were stupid.

It wasn’t that they loved money too much… It was just like Shu Ran said. One could do a lot of things with money, but without it, you couldn’t do anything.

However, Xu Shen heard that many capitalists in the future would prefer to go abroad after making a fortune. As for him, even if he became a rich man and no matter how noble that might be, he would definitely not choose to become a foreigner.

The driver listened to the two people’s lofty ideals and couldn’t help but look back at the two distinguished passengers, silently guessing their identities.

The accent sounded like someone from a different province. In short, they must be rich and expensive, otherwise they wouldn’t be able to afford to take the newly emerged taxis.

That future talent from the field of finance lived in the dormitory of his work unit. He was actually not a very famous person at the moment, just an ordinary young teacher.

Shu Ran deliberately inquired about the other party’s residence and situation and then went to recruit some talents.

They wanted a share in the financial pie but didn’t have the corresponding abilities, so naturally, they could only try and make some friends while they were not famous yet.

The position of teachers back in the 80s was very different from that of teachers in the future. At the end of the 20th century, teachers were the reserve of talent in various fields. Some went into business, politics, or even entertainment. After all, they were the first to acquire knowledge and had extremely flexible minds.

It was late February in Shanghai, and there was a layer of fog in the sky, almost covering the roofs of the surrounding buildings.

Shu Ran was walking in a wet corridor when he saw a familiar thin figure coming out with a basin to pour water. He stepped forward and asked: “Are you Teacher Tu?”

Tu Wenzhi, who was about thirty years old, wore glasses and had his hair combed into a three-quarter length. He looked at two young people who were dressed as capitalists, and said in a serious, but cold tone: “I am.”

If Shu Ran knew that his elite style of dressing would be considered that of a capitalist, he would have simply worn a cotton-padded jacket to visit.

In the eyes of the public, the capitalists of those days were the exploiting class and the public enemies of the people!

Shu Ran handed over a business card with both hands and said with a smile: “Hello, Mr. Tu, we are people from the Capital who want to promote Chinese culture! This is my business card.”

A person with great ambitions was promoting national style culture?!

Not to mention that Tu Wenzhi was surprised, even Xu Shen beside him secretly raised his eyebrows… What was his wife talking about?!

…Did you secretly give yourself a new title without even asking me?!

Shu Ran also suddenly got excited and felt that that way of introducing oneself was very stylish.

Tu Wenzhi took the business card in surprise: “Why did you come to see me?”

They were not from the same social class. He couldn’t figure out why they came to him.

Xu Shen saw the slight resistance in Tu Wenzhi. He laughed when he thought of something, then pointed at Shu Ran and said: “He’s a writer. Many students like to read his books. Teacher Tu may have heard of him.”

Tu Wenzhi took another look at the name on the business card, and he actually had an impression. It turned out to be a writer, someone related to his profession as a teacher. He immediately pushed up his glasses and laughed: “It turns out to be you. I have admired you for a long time.”

The two shook hands cordially, and Tu Wenzhi continued enthusiastically: “You two, please come and sit in the room!”

Shu Ran reminded: “Teacher Tu, your basin…”

“Oh.” Tu Wenzhi quickly picked up the basin, and then sighed: “My wife is still waiting for me to get hot water! Wait a moment, wait a moment!”

“It doesn’t matter, you do your things. We’ll take care of ourselves.” Shu Ran said quickly.

The staff dormitory was very narrow, and the sound of a baby crying could be heard from the room separated by only a curtain. It sounded like a newborn.

Shu Ran and Xu Shen sat down in the small living room, looking at the ordinary yet promising lives of others, with mixed feelings in their hearts.

“Wife, do you think Teacher Tu would be willing to follow us ?” Xu Shen whispered.

Just the contrast just now made him feel very confused.

“Whether he follows us or not depends on whether we are smooth-talking or not.” Shu Ran said.

“Then you tell me…” Xu Shen reminded: “I think this teacher is very high-spirited. When he heard that you’re a writer, his attitude changed immediately. He should not fall for our tricks.”

“Then what do you think we should do?” Shu Ran asked.

“Smash him with money.” Xu Shen smiled.

“Simple and crude.” Shu Ran also smiled: “But that method is indeed useful, and it’s useful for most people.”

Xu Shen nodded, fearing that Tu Wenzhi might be among that small group of people who wouldn’t bend for money.

After a while, the baby in the room stopped crying, and Tu Wenzhi took the swaddling baby out: “I’m sorry, you two, but the baby has just finished eating and refuses to sleep. My wife is tired, so I have to hold him.”

“It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter.” Shu Ran said. “How old is your child? My sister will also give birth soon, either at the end of this month or the beginning of the next one.”

“Only two months old.” Tu Wenzhi smiled. Wearing a military coat, he stood in the room with a small baby in his arms: “I don’t even dare to sit down. He’ll cry if I do.”

“That smart?” Shu Ran felt that the little bundle was only two months old, so he hesitated a little before stretching out his hand, and asking: “Can I hug him?”

“Okay, let the child touch the talent of a writer.” Tu Wenzhi said with a smile and put his son in Shu Ran’s arms.

Shu Ran had held a baby as young as one-month-old without any fuss before, otherwise, he wouldn’t have dared to reach his hands out. He moved skillfully and gently patted the swaddle in his arms, and the child didn’t even cry.

“It’s so cute.” Xu Shen came over and looked at the baby’s face.

“Huh? This child…” Tu Wenzhi laughed and wanted to scold his son. “Then I’ll quickly pour tea for you two.” After saying that, he entered the kitchen, with a cup of hot water and tea leaves in it.

Shu Ran thought to himself… That father really trusted them enough and was not afraid of them running away with the child in their arms!

Maybe that was the trust that contemporary people had in each other… If they thought you were a good person, they would trust you with all their heart.

“Thank you.” Xu Shen took off his gloves, took the hot tea from Tu Wenzhi, and drank it.

Shu Ran still held the child in his arms and refused to let go. Tu Wenzhi felt relaxed and sat down next to him, making a charcoal fire to warm the guests’ hands. He said: “I’m unknown, how did you two find me here?”

“Teacher Tu is being humble.” Shu Ran said. “I have read both articles you’ve published last winter and they were very insightful. This time, my friends and I came to Shanghai to inspect the market, so we also wanted to come and visit you.”

Tu Wenzhi heard that it was those two articles that attracted the person before him, and his mood suddenly soared. After all, it was not some ordinary person who recognized him, but the famous Shu Ran. The feats and legends of that young writer were all known to every teacher.

“It feels like I won a prize…” Tu Wenzhi was happy, but also a little sad. He thought that his talent was not appreciated. So what if he published two articles? He was still unknown, and he couldn’t compare to a writer like Shu Ran who became famous almost instantly.

“Teacher Tu, have you ever thought about changing careers?” Shu Ran patted the baby in his arms and continued: “Your talent will not be valued in the education industry. After all, you know… When we’re not famous, our words have no weight, even to the right people. Others don’t recognize it either.”

Just like when he came today. Tu Wenzhi might not have been willing to pay attention to him if he hadn’t relied on his aura as a best-selling author.

Tu Wenzhi looked at Shu Ran in surprise and asked tentatively: “Are you here to recruit me?”

Shu Ran nodded.

“Who says I haven’t thought about it?” Tu Wenzhi was silent for a moment and then smiled bitterly at them. “All the talented senior brothers around me have changed careers… But I am just a grassroots teacher with little experience from my ancestors, and I can’t change my career even if I want to, ah!”

If one wants to move to another industry, let alone being led by acquaintances, they must at least produce a letter of introduction. Even that letter of introduction was difficult for ordinary people to get, as if they needed to pluck it from the skies themselves!

“If it doesn’t work, just come with us.” Shu Ran hugged the baby and smiled sincerely: “The company I organize is definitely not a shady one that exploits working people. You can trust me.”

Tu Wenzhi said nonchalantly: “…Of course, I can trust you. Your book is still selling like hotcakes. I can’t imagine how much money has already been donated.”

…If he had such a best-selling book, he wouldn’t be willing to donate the profits from it.

That kind of mind alone was enough for him to admire.

“Well, a dozen schools in various places have been completed, and the rest are still under construction.” Shu Ran said conservatively. “I estimate that dozens of schools can be built.”

“A role model for our generation.” Tu Wenzhi praised.

“You can do it too!” Shu Ran patted his arm: “Teacher Tu, let’s become the new generation of entrepreneurs together. From now on, there can be hundreds of schools, not to mention a few dozen.”

Tu Wenzhi pushed up his glasses, and felt overwhelmed when he heard him: “Hey… Do you think so highly of me?”

Shu Ran said: “Of course, don’t you have confidence in yourself?”

Tu Wenzhixin wanted to agree… It was just that in the past few years, he had already been worn away by life and lost all his energy. He only wanted to support his wife and children safely.

Unlike when he was young and only thought about doing big things… The reality was that after graduation, he found that teaching in the workplace was the best choice, and later, he found out that marrying a wife wasted all his remaining energy.

And that was how people slowly accepted their fate.

But faced with Shu Ran’s solicitation, Tu Wenzhi’s chilled heart became alive again. “You can trust me, and of course, I have confidence!” he said.

“That’s fine.” Shu Ran said.

Seeing that it was almost time for lunch, Xu Shen stood up naturally: “I think you guys won’t be able to finish chatting for a while, so let’s do this. I’ll go out and buy some food, and we’ll have a meal with Teacher Tu at noon.”

“How can this happen? I’ll go buy it!” Tu Wenzhi immediately stood up and rushed to leave. “You’re guests, so there’s no reason for you to buy it!”

“Sit down, I’ll be fast.” Xu Shen pushed Tu Wenzhi back onto the chair and walked away gracefully.

“Teacher Tu, let him go, and let’s continue talking.” Shu Ran also said.

Tu Wenzhi rubbed his shoulders and thought… That boss Xu was really strong! “Hiss… You northerners have such good physiques, but I’m still a little weak!”

“Haha, I’m weak too! We can’t compare with him.” Shu Ran agreed.

“You don’t look like a northerner.” Tu Wenzhi looked at the young man with a gentle temperament that made him feel like a spring breeze. Thinking that he was only twenty years old, he felt mixed emotions in his heart.

But that was destiny, and everyone had his own.

“It’s true that I’m not. I moved to Beijing from Nanshi.” Shu Ran said. “Where is Teacher Tu from?”

“From Anxian County, but stayed in Shanghai after passing the school entrance examination.”

“That’s amazing!” Shu Ran said sincerely. He could start from a random village and become a famous professor step by step. How could Teacher Tu achieve that without some real ability?

“The folks back home think I’m doing well…” Tu Wenzhi shook his head and sighed. “Actually, this is all.”

Looking at the small house that was so narrow that one couldn’t even turn around… Even after his wife gave birth, they couldn’t bring his mother to help her.

Shu Ran patted the sleeping baby in his arms and sighed.

Xu Shen bought a lot of food from the street, including chickens, ducks, and eggs. Probably because he saw the difficult situation of Teacher Tu’s family, he bought everything according to the needs of confinement.

Shu Ran took a casual look and thought… Is still Brother Shen who’s careful and considerate!

As for Tu Wenzhi, he was very embarrassed. In fact, he was able to provide those things for his wife during her period of confinement. But two months later, they could no longer afford to eat meat for every meal.

The baby got hungry very quickly and started crying in Shu Ran’s arms within two hours of eating. Tu Wenzhi quickly took him in to feed him.

Xu Shen, who was in a suit and leather shoes, rolled up his cuffs and cooked a meal at someone else’s house, an action that gave Tu Wenzhi a new understanding of him.

Looking at Xu Shen’s appearance, he thought he was a big boss with great style, but he didn’t expect that Xu Shen actually had no airs and had a calm temper. He only looked a bit cold.

“Excuse me, Boss Xu…” Tu Wenzhi said gratefully as he picked up the food for his wife. “Your craftsmanship is much better than mine!”

“You’re welcome.” Xu Shen raised his lips and smiled. Of course it was… He served his family every day!

After the meal, Shu Ran left some money and the address of the hotel to Tu Wenzhi, asking him to take care of the school affairs before coming back to them. Then, they went to inspect the market.

The so-called “market inspection” was just visiting the most glamorous places, with the intention of brooding their horizons.

There were so many places to eat, drink, and have fun… And so many shops and department stores that dazzled the eyes!

However, Shu Ran was okay since he was already used to it, and he could explain everything to Xu Shen. After analyzing it like that, Xu Shen also felt that it was nothing impressive.

…………

The person they went to visit the next day was no longer someone unknown like Teacher Tu. He was already a leader in the financial field and didn’t give them much face, sending them off after a quick meeting.

It was not surprising. After all, in the eyes of many people, they were ignorant nouveau riche. They knew nothing about finance, and the secret was revealed in less than three sentences…

…It was quite helpless, but there was nothing they could do about it!

“Is he very powerful?” Xu Shen sat in the tavern, picked up a bowl and took a sip of old wine while asking: “Is he richer than us?”

That tavern was very lively, and everyone still drank from a bowl.

Shu Ran also took a sip of hot old wine to warm up, and said hesitantly: “He might not be richer than us, but he’s a talent in the system and his words have weight… We’re just nouveau riche.”

“Yes, those who study look down on those who do business.” Xu Shen smiled and continued. “It doesn’t matter. Since he refused to communicate with me, I’ll communicate more with Teacher Tu then.”

Didn’t Shu Ran say that Teacher Tu will also become an extraordinary person in the future? Then, his achievements would not be worse than those of the person they just met.

“Come on, let’s do it.” Shu Ran bumped the edge of the bowl with him.

“I’ll peel an egg for you.” Xu Shen wiped the corner of his mouth after drinking and put down the bowl.” After eating, let’s go and look for a house, in case Lao Tu has no place to live after he leaves the school.²“Lao” means “Old”, is a way to address someone you’re familiar with“

“He won’t be able to go back once he leaves…” Shu Ran peeled some boiled peanuts and threw them into his mouth accurately: “With this mark on his file, it will be difficult to go back to teaching in the future.”

“Then he won’t go back.” Xu Shen said. He also understood what Shu Ran meant. Lao Tu dared to make a desperate move.

Teaching was an important job. One needed to study hard for more than ten years just for it, and many people couldn’t get it.

It could only be said that Lao Tu’s ambitions didn’t stop there.

In 1985, many residential communities were built in Shanghai, with five or six floors. Most of them were small apartments with two or three bedrooms, very suitable for small families to live in.

Shu Ran and Xu Shen took a look and found that the price was not expensive, so they bought them one by one without blinking an eye, as future employee benefits.

Since they were used to living a simple life, they planned to decorate a three-bedroom apartment for themselves as well. It wasn’t that Shu Ran didn’t want to live in a big house… But a big house was difficult to maintain, and hiring a nanny would easily expose his relationship with Xu Shen. So after thinking about it, he might as well live alongside his future employees.

A few days later, Tu Wenzhi came to the hotel to look for them at night, afraid he might miss them if he came earlier. The school didn’t understand his intention to resign, but since he wanted to leave, they didn’t want to keep him.

The next day, Shu Ran and Xu Shen hired a tricycle to help them move to the newly purchased apartment. Back in those days, when a community apartment was sold, all the water and electricity work was already done, in a unified style.

However, each household had to buy their own furniture.

Tu Wenzhi was very satisfied with the new residence. “Now that I have a better place to live, I can bring my mother over to take care of the baby!”

When Xu Shen was organizing furniture and electrical appliances for his own house, he also arranged some for Lao Tu. Later, he even asked Tu Wenzhi for some learning insight.

Lao Tu was so active that he seemed to have never left his role as a teacher, wishing he could give Xu Shen eight lessons a day.

Shu Ran said it… Xu Shen was very careful when he wanted to please someone, but he wouldn’t do things without a purpose.

A few days after moving, Tu Wenzhi decided to go back to his hometown and pick up his mother. With his mother there to take care of his wife and children, he could fully concentrate on his new job, so he entrusted his family to Shu Ran and Xu Shen to look after.

It seemed that they had known each other for only a short time, but he returned to his hometown very relieved!

Shu Ran had no choice but to go over and help carry the child from time to time, while Xu Shen was responsible for their three meals a day. Fortunately, Shu Ran liked children, and Baby Tu was not difficult to entertain.

After such a busy period, the beginning of March arrived and Nanshi called to announce the good news. Zhou Hui gave birth to a baby girl on the 1st of the month. The couple was very happy but then became worried.

Zhang Yunsheng was born in the work unit, and according to the military regulations, he could only have one child. If things stayed as they were, the couple would probably only have this one offspring in their lives.

However, Zhang Yunsheng was all alone, and his parents were already dead, so his family could only be described as meager. Zhou Hui wanted to give him more children, but the policy did not allow it.

“What should we do?” Shu Ran turned to Xu Shen after answering the phone and continued: “If they want more children, he’ll lose his job. If he wants to keep his job, he’ll have no family…”

“Then it depends on my brother-in-law, whether his job is more important or the children are more important.” Xu Shen frowned and felt that it was very difficult to put himself in Zhang Yunsheng’s situation. He heard that the other party had a chance to get promoted that year. It was a pity to lose such a good opportunity.

“Hey…” Shu Ran sighed, remembering that although not that strict at that moment, the one-child policy would be unshakable for many years to come. “I used to hear from the older generation that some couples would fake a divorce in order to have more children… Some of them managed to remarry after the birth, but most remained separated for life. Some even left for good…”

“Brother-in-law is not that kind of person. Divorce doesn’t sound good.” Xu Shen still had to carry the title of a divorced man… Although he didn’t really care about it and not many people knew about it anyway.

“Then they must not be forced to divorce!” Shu Ran glanced at Xu Shen and continued: “My sister is very interested in clothing and can even do it herself… If I can leave the Shanghai branch to her, I’ll feel relieved.”

The premise was that Zhang Yunsheng was willing to leave the military unit.

“Do you dare to mention it to our brother-in-law?” Xu Shen asked.

“I don’t dare!” Shu Ran poked his boyfriend’s arm. “How about you go and talk with them?”

“I dare to do it when you don’t dare?!” Xu Shen poked him back, feeling funny.

“Why, I don’t have to beg you, right?” Shu Ran said. “I only have to order you to go.”

“…” Xu Shen looked at his wife, feeling speechless. What else could he say besides smiling?

Shu Ran didn’t insist that Xu Shen should go and talk about it right now. After all, it was still very early to have a second child. It was better to see what Zhang Yunsheng and his wife would decide.

It was both warm and cold in March, and the temperature dropped back to winter from time to time. However, that was not the most uncomfortable thing. The worst thing was that it rained continuously and there was no sunshine for half a month.

That morning, it was drizzling again.

“I didn’t expect the weather in Shanghai to be like this.” Xu Shen glanced at the balcony and continued. “My pants would go to waste.”

Indeed, there was not enough sun to even dry their clothes. They could only wear everything until it was completely worn out, and then try and dry them on a chair, next to the charcoal pot.

It was like that for them, but the situation in Lao Tu’s house was even more tragic. His charcoal basin was surrounded by diapers.

“Is this considered done?” Shu Ran pointed to the floating “chicken feet noodles” in the pot, which were actually just pieces of rice noodles as thick as a little finger. “I’ll take a bowl first, and then you add some chopped green onion.”

Xu Shen made a large bowl for his wife, filled with more eggs than rice noodles. He then added chopped green onions and filled another large bowl with them. Shu Ran picked it up and gave it to Mrs. Tu.

When he came back, there was an additional little naughty egg in his arms that was too full and refused to sleep. Xu Shen smiled and said: “Let me hold him. You can eat in peace.”

“Okay.” Shu Ran wanted to finish his meal quickly and take the baby out of Xu Shen’s arms, but his man was very efficient while eating, with one hand holding the chopsticks and the other holding the baby. The child was too stunned to even cry. Shu Ran gave him a thumbs up: “Brother Shen is awesome…”

“What’s this?” Xu Shen smiled proudly.

“You’re awesome, you’re talented!” Shu Ran teased Baby Tu, whose eyes were wide open while watching them eat: “Hey, look here, look here!”

“Are you teasing a dog?” Xu Shen lowered his voice and laughed.

“Otherwise, what should I say when teasing a child?!” Shu Ran was seriously confused. To tease a cat is to “meow”, and to tease a dog is to shout “woof-woof”.

Other animals also had their own special sounds, but children didn’t!

“I don’t know either.” Xu Shen was also caught up in that strange question. He looked at the ground and thought. When he couldn’t figure it out, he said: “Anyway, you can’t mix it with dogs. Please be more respectful.”

“Okay.” Shu Ran took a bite of rice noodles.

“He watches me eat…” Xu Shen asked: “How old does a child need to be to start eating other things?”

“You mean complementary food, right?” Shu Ran was not sure. “Maybe five or six months… He’s still too young anyway.”

It was definitely not the time now that he was only two months old!

“That can’t be helped then.” Xu Shen looked at Baby Tu with an apologetic look: “You’re too young, don’t worry about adult food!”

“He’s too young. Maybe he’s just curious.” Shu Ran continued. “Children are not thinking about adult food, but thinking about what they can put in their mouths…”

“Like chicken droppings…” Xu Shen somehow thought of that and blurted it out.

The room suddenly became quiet.

Shu Ran stared at him: “Hello?!” There was a strange picture in his mind… “Can we stop saying such disgusting things while eating?!”

“Actually, it’s okay if you don’t emphasize it…” Xu Shen didn’t think deeply about it at first, but when Shu Ran said it like that, he also began to feel it was unbearable.

Shu Ran thought to himself… I deserve it, I’m the one who lets you talk nonsense!

The two of them spent a long time finishing that unfortunate breakfast.

Xu Shen could no longer help him carry the child. He had to go out to work, decorate a new store, and get a business license.

“Wear more clothes, I think it’s quite windy outside.” Shu Ran glanced at the drizzle outside the window.

“I’m wearing a lot.” Xu Shen stood up and showed it to him. Inside, he wore a home-produced thermal coat. It was made out of velvet and had a very good thermal insulation effect. On the outside, he paired it with a leather windbreaker. “It’s drizzling, so I’m wearing this as a raincoat…”

“You still have to bring an umbrella.” Shu Ran pointed to the black umbrella standing next to the shoe cabinet.

“Okay…” Xu Shen didn’t want to take it with him at all.

Before going out, the two of them shared a sticky farewell kiss while covering Baby Tu’s eyes in a tacit understanding.

“I’ll go.” Xu Shen let go of his wife, picked up his hat, and put it on. He was holding a black umbrella in his hand, looking upright and graceful. Shu Ran couldn’t take his eyes off him. It was… So beautiful!

“See you at noon.” Shu Ran said.

Xu Shen couldn’t help but turn around and kiss Shu Ran again, causing Shu Ran to kiss him back again. After going back and forth several times, they finally stopped, and Xu Shen finally went downstairs.

Not long after sending Xu Shen away, Shu Ran took Baby Tu back to Sister Tu to take care of. He took back the dishes, washed them, and hung them to dry, and then started to write something and answer some letters.

The publishing house would regularly send the letters they received to Shu Ran, and he had been replying to them one after another. The unopened letters he had on his desk were all brought from Beijing.

However, as soon as Shu Ran saw an address from Shanghai, he simply picked it out and wrote back.

Because he wanted to… Complain about the terrible weather in Shanghai!

Since everyone was living under the same sky, the people who read his letter should feel the same!

………………

Tu Wenzhi traveled back and forth for several days and finally brought his mother to Shanghai.

There was an old father left behind in his hometown, who took care of the family’s livestock and crops. Otherwise, he also wanted to come to Shanghai to see his newborn grandson.

Since Lao Tu was back, Shu Ran finally didn’t have to hold the child anymore. He had been holding the baby frequently in the past few days, all the way until Xu Shen’s dog nose said he smelled like milk.

“Brother Shu!” Tu Wenzhi came over with half a sack of things and said: “These are the crops my mother and I brought from home. There are soybeans and peanuts. They’re not valuable, so please don’t dislike them!”

“Hey, so many?!” Shu Ran waved his hand. “I don’t mind, I don’t mind, these things are good, it’s all green food!”

Soybeans could be used to make soup and porridge, and peanuts were delicious either cooked or raw. Everything was nutritious and healthy. Shu Ran looked at the sack and said: “Oh, it’s hard for you to carry them all the way here.”

This was how it used to be… Taking all the big and small bags… And even livestock to the train.

Tu Wenzhi smiled when he saw that Shu Ran really liked the things he brought. “Where’s Boss Xu?” He asked.

“He went out to run some business.” Shu Ran poured him a glass of water and continued: “I’m writing something at home.”

“Oh? Is it a new book?” Tu Wenzhi took the water “Then your book fans are in luck!”

“Yeah…” Shu Ran scratched his head. “It’s so brain-burning. I want to kill myself for writing the first part. How could I write such a difficult ending?!”

“Hahaha!” Tu Wenzhi laughed.

Of course, he knew that was a very modest statement for Shu Ran. Since he could write the first part, writing the second won’t be a problem.

After chatting for a while, Tu Wenzhi said: “I have to go back and work hard. I’ll sort out the notes that Boss Xu asked for. They’re all things I thought about when I was in school.”

Shu Ran nodded: “He’s interested in this, please teach him more.”

“You’re welcome!” Tu Wenzhi said.

When Xu Shen returned home, he saw half a sack of things lying in the kitchen, so he shouted toward the study: “Lao Tu is back?”

“Yeah, he’s back.” Shu Ran felt hungry, so he quickly put down his pen and came over to point out the situation. “Hurry up and make me pork belly and braised pumpkin. I’ll eat it in half an hour.”

“You’re so arrogant…” Xu Shen said softly, but without delay, he quickly rolled up his sleeves and went to cook pork belly and stewed pumpkin for his little ancestor to eat.

“You’re used to it!” Shu Ran said with a smile.

“Yes.” Xu Shen looked quite proud.

Shu Ran felt itchy and leaned over to kiss him on the face.

“Don’t tease me.” Xu Shen said. “Do you still want to eat in half an hour?”

“Hey!” Shu Ran rubbed his belly and thought for a moment. “Then… Let’s eat first.”

After he stopped the fire, Xu Shen looked at him sideways: “It seems that my charm is not as good as a meal.”

Shu Ran smiled and said nothing. It was just a matter of order, it’s not like he couldn’t have them all!

The two squatted together and picked a medium-sized pumpkin, enough to finish in about two meals. In fact, eating pumpkin after the meal was sweeter and more delicious.

“Peanuts can be boiled in salt water. You can have it after a full meal.” Xu Shen said.

After a while, while they were having dinner, Lao Tu came back with his notes and a pot of old wine in his hand. “I’ll put it in the charcoal basin to simmer, and you can drink it in a while.”

“Have you eaten?” Xu Shen stood up, took the notes, and turned them over. “Are you busy? Can we talk tonight?”

“We just ate.” Tu Wenzhi looked at their food with a smile: “You guys ate pumpkin?”

“Well, this pumpkin is very sweet and glutinous…” Shu Ran praised and ate a big piece of it deliciously, right in front of Lao Tu.

Xu Shen stood still and asked Lao Tu: “You really don’t want to eat anymore?”

“It’s really not necessary.” Lao Tu waved his hands hurriedly.

After eating, Xu Shen put the salted peanuts down and asked Shu Ran, who was walking back and forth in the house, to eat and watch the heat while he and Lao Tu drank and learned.

Shu Ran was quite moved when he saw the two people’s earnest efforts.

Shu Ran really liked Xu Shen’s serious way of doing things, whether it was something as small as chopping green onions or peeling sugar cane, or as big as chopping firewood or doing carpentry with his shirt off… Or even dressing like a model for the camera…

He watched for a while, all the way until he heard the water from the peanuts boiling. He quickly turned down the fire.

“Let me see if you could do it.” Xu Shen’s voice appeared behind him.

“I…” Shu Ran rolled his eyes and said: “I’m a top student from a prestigious school, and I’m not mentally retarded! Thank you!”

Xu Shen smiled and went back to continue his discussion with Lao Tu. Judging from their energy, they would probably continue to talk by candlelight all night long.

Shu Ran got some boiled peanuts and went to the study to continue to write, wearing a big cotton coat. Sure enough, it was late at night before Xu Shen was willing to send Tu Wenzhi out.

Shu Ran, who was concentrating on writing, was kissed on the cheek before he looked up. He stretched and asked Xu Shen: “You’re done talking, are you okay?”

“I’ve benefited a lot.” Xu Shen sighed, touched Shu Ran’s cold hands, and quickly put down the pen in his hand: “Stop writing, your paws are cold, I’ll warm them for you.”

“My feet are a little cold too…” Shu Ran shrank his toes inside his cotton-padded shoes. He had been stationary for a long time without blood circulation so, not only his feet but also his buttocks were cold.

“Just wait, I’ll get hot water.” Xu Shen moved quickly and immediately went to get a bucket of hot water.

And so, Shu Ran sat on a low stool, soaking his hands and feet together. After the water warmed him up, Xu Shen wiped him dry and hugged him.

“Do you feel tired from serving me like this every day?” Shu Ran turned to look at Xu Shen who was taking off his thick clothes.

“I’m not tired.” Xu Shen said while lying next to him. “I’ll serve you like this for as long as I can move.”

Shu Ran was finally relieved and convinced. It was such a simple and crude Xu-style love talk, but he simply loved hearing it!

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  I think they are referring to the Fujian Tulou (Tulou 土楼 meaning earth building), a type of rural dwelling from the Fujian region of China. This mountainous province located in the south-east of the country has many examples of this traditional architecture. The community buildings were built by the Hakka people from the 12th century to the 20th century. Their architecture is recognizable for its size, shape, construction technique, and above all for its unique function. They were built both for a defensive purpose and to establish a community organization. Is a “fort” style of building that can accommodate multiple families, with a shared open space in the middle. Initially, the Fujian Tulou followed a square shape (fanglou 方楼), open inside. The corners were then more exposed, less luminous, and with a distinct and less performing ventilation. Later the round shape (yuanlou 圆楼), became a viable alternative. The figure of the circle reinforced the community idea, the defensive vocation, and allowed better diffuse ventilation. The rectangular shape also developed distinctly, as a variation from the original square shape. From these three typologies, other forms developed, such as the oval, the hexagonal, or the half-moon. Of the 35,000 clay buildings in southern China, more than 3,700 are classified as Tulou. Most of them are square (more than 2000) or circular(more than 1000)
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  “Lao” means “Old”, is a way to address someone you’re familiar with