novelraw Chapter 237 : Volunteer
Chapter 237 : Volunteer
Although the roads were closed and public transportation shut down, with calls to stay home as much as possible, there were still scattered pedestrians and vehicles on the streets.
They said the epidemic zone had already reached the point of locking down residential complexes, but here, people still relied on self-discipline to stay home. The residential complexes didn't have any entry or exit checks or anything like passes.
Chen Yao duo queued with Zhu Yongwen while Lin Nan watched from the side, occasionally chiming in with a couple of jabs. It really had the atmosphere of their old internet cafe gaming sessions.
This Zhu Yongwen guy had a pretty good relationship with Lin Nan. They'd been deskmates for three years in high school, so she could imagine what he liked like. He was short, and not just short but fat and short. Did she mention he was short? When trash-talking online he seemed domineering, but in daily life he had a completely submissive personality. Almost anyone could bully him a bit.
Lin Nan especially loved bullying him, mainly because it was rare to find a classmate with an even softer personality than herself.
Because his surname was Zhu and he was short, Lin Nan had given him the nickname Peppa, but Zhu Yongwen was easygoing and never minded Lin Nan's harmless jokes. (TN: Chinese name of Peppa Pig is Zhu Peiqi. Please ignore the lack of accents.)
"Peppa, have you lost weight recently? Send a photo so I can see." She curled up in the chair, holding the microphone as she asked.
Chen Yao beside her interjected, "We video chatted at lunch. Seems like he's gotten quite a bit taller, and not as fat anymore."
"Oh!" Lin Nan immediately became interested, urging the other party to send a photo.
When the photo came through, the former pudgy kid was now just slightly plump, and seemed to have grown quite a bit taller. He'd also learned to dress up, specifically styled his hair like a spirited young man. He looked pretty decent.
Then Zhu Yongwen turned around and urged for Lin Nan's photo. Lin Nan immediately unplugged the microphone jack, acting like she didn't know anything, and returned to lie on the bed.
"Speaking of which, why did your mom start crying yesterday..." Lin Nan lay on her side, propping her cheek with one hand, looking at Chen Yao's back and asking.
Chen Yao shrugged, also feeling his mother was a bit too embarrassing.
"Women, you know. Cry first, then make a fuss, then threaten suicide. But my mom usually just fake cries. Otherwise why do you think my dad bought her diamond earrings?"
Lin Nan nodded thoughtfully, feeling she could learn this aunt's technique.
Just acting cute alone was easy to develop antibodies to, like with her uncle, but if she cried and made a fuss, scamming money would be much more convenient and easy.
Chen Yao was playing his game when he suddenly felt a chill, somehow feeling his upcoming days might not be good.
Chen Yao basically spent the entire afternoon gaming, while Lin Nan caught up on some good anime on the laptop. Although she usually claimed to have no interest in anime, it was mainly because she was too lazy to follow weekly updates.
When she was at her grandfather's house, she basically spent every day holding her phone or computer watching videos too, but there, no matter what she watched it felt boring to death. But by Chen Yao's side, her emotions were inexplicably elevated, and she no longer felt that emotion of boredom.
The game ended. Chen Yao sat for the entire afternoon and only felt his back and waist aching. Stretching lazily, he got up and then flopped lazily toward the bed.
Lin Nan quickly rolled over, almost getting flopped on directly. She suspected this guy did it on purpose.
"Speaking of which, after a while when the epidemic isn't so serious, we should have a high school reunion, right?" Chen Yao lay flat on the bed. Unable to stay idle, he pulled out his phone to look at recent news while talking.
"We'll talk about it when the time comes."
Lin Nan wasn't very willing to face her former friends and classmates in this completely changed appearance.
New Year's Eve was coming up soon. Counting it up, this should be the first New Year's Eve spent at someone else's house, with no parents or any relatives by her side... Although in the past at this time she basically just watched the Spring Festival Gala and ate an ordinary meal, thinking about it now she missed it terribly.
"In some places the residential complexes are locked down and won't let people out." Chen Yao told Lin Nan about recent news. "But we're doing okay here. At least the supermarkets are open."
"Mm."
Lin Nan rolled over, moving a bit further from Chen Yao, then used the Calm emotion magic.
Some pre-New Year melancholy, along with the physiological reactions from being too close to Chen Yao, were almost instantly suppressed, leaving her body and mind comfortable.
She didn't know if this magic could be used when having nightmares.
After waiting a moment, the aunt called Lin Nan and them out to eat dinner.
When the two of them sat side by side at the dining table, Lin Nan discovered there was actually a red envelope placed in front of her seat.
She looked up at the uncle and aunt in confusion. Before she could speak, she heard the explanation: "New Year is coming, this is Auntie's New Year's money for you."
"That... isn't that not quite right?"
That's what she said with her mouth, but Lin Nan still unhesitatingly stuffed the red envelope in her pocket.
Mainly because even if she refused, she couldn't beat the battle-hardened aunt.
"What about mine?" Chen Yao searched all around his table for a long time without seeing a second red envelope. He looked up incredulously and asked, "Your own son doesn't even get New Year's money?"
"You're an adult, still asking for New Year's money! Aren't you ashamed!"
"No, Lin Nan is also an adult!"
He was trying to argue his case when he suddenly noticed movement in his jacket pocket. Looking down, he saw Lin Nan's hand quickly withdrawing from the pocket.
He felt his pocket and found it was the New Year's money from just now.
He looked a bit confused at Lin Nan, who was burying her head in eating. He didn't know why this money-grubbing person was being so proactive today.
Could it be she's handing over the money for me to manage?
"Hurry up and eat! What are you staring at Nan Nan for!" The aunt smacked Chen Yao's hand with her chopsticks. "You see her every day, isn't that enough?"
Chen Yao was a bit embarrassed by the teasing, but still stubbornly retorted, "If you were as pretty as her I'd look at you every day too."
Just as he was speaking, Lin Nan stepped on his foot. Just as he breathed a sigh of relief, his waist was poked hard by Lin Nan.
His face turned pale from the pain, but he held it in and didn't dare make a sound, only considering changing seats in the future...
"By the way, the property management said they're looking for volunteers to take turns checking temperatures at the complex entrance. We're both planning to go." The aunt suddenly spoke up.
Lin Nan couldn't be bothered to eat anymore. She frowned and asked, "Why not just stay home at a time like this? It's very dangerous outside."
"Staying cooped up at home all day, people are about to go moldy. We're getting old, we can't stay idle." Uncle answered helplessly. "Being a volunteer, we can at least go out and walk around. Plus we'll wear masks."
You've only been cooped up for two days, and these two days you've either been going out to buy groceries or going to the neighbors' to play mahjong.
Chen Yao also nodded in agreement with Lin Nan's statement. "Better to be careful. What's the point of being a volunteer? If something happens to you two, you'll implicate me and Lin Nan."
As soon as the words left his mouth, he received angry glares from his mother.
Is this child stupid! Setting up an environment for you two to be alone together and you don't know to cherish it!
He suddenly understood, and pressed down on Lin Nan's head, pushing Lin Nan back down just as she was about to speak. "It's fine. For elderly people, exercising outside is always better than being at home."
"But it's very dangerous..."
When she first arrived, Lin Nan hadn't been this aware, but these past two days Chen Yao had been constantly instilling in her the concept that outside was very dangerous, viruses were everywhere, so now Lin Nan didn't even dare go downstairs to buy cola.