Chapter 44 The Forty-Fourth Day of Not Running Away The Forty-Fourth Day of Not Running Away...

Chapter 44 The Forty-Fourth Day of Not Running Away The Forty-Fourth Day of Not Running Away...

During the first month of the lunar calendar, Beijing was bustling with activity, and the entrances to temple fairs at major temples were packed with people.

Fatty repeatedly recommended that Wen Chan and Chen Bozheng visit the White Pagoda Temple Fair, saying that it was a lot of fun there, with food, drinks, games, and people selling old things at stalls.

He's a really good talker; he even won over Wen Chan.

Chen Bozheng saw Wen Chan slumped in her chair and asked, "Are you going or not?"

Wen Chan was somewhat tempted, but looking at the pale gray sky outside and listening to the howling north wind, she couldn't help but tighten her cotton-padded coat. "I'm not going."

For some reason, when she's at home, she prefers wearing cotton-padded jackets to down jackets. Although they're old-fashioned, they're so comfortable to wear.

"So afraid of the cold?" Chen Bo joked with a smile, taking a few pieces of coal from outside and putting them into the coal stove.

The coal stove sits on top of water, serving both as a water heater and a source of warmth.

"Hmm," Wen Chan mumbled in agreement. "I'm not going out. You go by yourself."

"Sister-in-law, you've been cooped up for days. If you don't go out for a walk soon, people will think you're incubating eggs at home," the fat man said, cracking sunflower seeds.

Wen Chan was furious and grabbed a walnut from the side and threw it at the fat man.

The fat man chuckled and dodged aside, picking up the fallen walnuts from the ground. "My sister-in-law is so good to me, she even gave me walnuts to eat."

Wen Chan was so angry she almost laughed.

Chen Bo got up and went off to do something. He came back a while later with a hot water bottle in his hand and handed it to Wen Chan. "I'll fill this hot water bottle for you. Put it in your arms and go for a walk. How about that?"

That's more like it.

Wen Chan thought for a moment and nodded.

These past few days, Wen Chan has been constantly hearing the sounds of children laughing and playing outside. Even with the TV on at home, she can't sit still and her mind is already wandering.

The fat man chuckled, "Then I won't go, so I won't be a third wheel."

Wen Chan didn't bother to pay him any attention and said, "If Xiao Jiang calls later, ask her what the stock market price is today."

"Alright, you can hold it now," the fat man said.

There were so many people during the first month of the lunar calendar. The buses were packed with people, not to mention the main streets. When Wen Chan got off the bus, she saw that the temple entrance was crowded with people, and she almost regretted her decision.

Chen Bozheng understood her meaning and took her hand, saying, "Since we're already here, let's play outside for a while, and then go inside to burn incense and pray to the Bodhisattva for blessings."

"There are so many people," Wen Chan said lazily, pulling open her scarf so that her breath turned into white smoke and dissipated into the air.

And sure enough, as soon as the scarf was pulled open, the aroma of all the snacks from the temple fair wafted in from all directions: roasted sweet potatoes, candied chestnuts, cotton candy, popcorn...

Sizzle—

At a breakfast stall, they were frying dough sticks. The chef was skillful and nimble. He pressed the short, thin dough in the middle with chopsticks, then pulled it with both hands, twisted it, and fried it in the oil. It immediately puffed up.

Four or five fried dough sticks were already laid out on the iron rack next to them, and several small tables were full of people, holding soy milk in rough porcelain bowls. Taking a bite of fried dough stick and a sip of soy milk, it was enough to make passersby drool.

On the other side, they were selling steamed buns, big, steaming hot buns. When the steamer was opened, each one was about the size of a man's fist. The buns had thin skins and large fillings. The dough was wheat-colored and the bottom was oily. They sold for 50 cents each.

There are both beef and pork fillings.

When Wenchan was at home, she didn't like this or that, but after coming here, she couldn't resist and bought a big steamed bun with beef filling.

The beef-filled buns also contain onions and carrots, giving them a crunchy texture.

Wen Chan took two or three bites, then hesitated.

Chen Bozheng had already devoured two pork buns in a few bites. Seeing that there were many people around, he protected Wen Chan inside. Now that he saw that she had stopped eating, he asked in confusion, "What's wrong? Eat it while it's hot."

Don't be fooled by how hot the steamed buns are when they come out of the steamer. It's very cold now, so you have to eat them quickly before they get cold.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to eat anything later if I eat this," Wen Chan whispered to Chen Bozheng.

"What?" Chen Bozheng didn't hear it. There were too many people in this place, all talking at once, and their voices were loud, mixed with the shouts of vendors from all over the country.

Wen Chan stood on tiptoe and tugged at Chen Bozheng's ear, "I said I'm afraid if I finish eating, I won't be able to eat anything else later!"

Chen Bozheng's ears turned bright red, as if a plain had been set ablaze.

He simply took the steamed bun from Wen Chan's hand and said, "I'll eat it for you."

He finished the rest of the meat bun in two bites.

Wen Chan opened her mouth slightly and looked at him.

Chen Bo turned to look at her. "What's wrong?"

"No, it's nothing." Wen Chan turned her head away. Indeed, if they wanted to avoid wasting food, they could only let Chen Bozheng solve the problem.

But those steamed buns were leftovers from her meal. Doesn't Chen Bo care?

Wen Chan was somewhat absent-minded, thinking of the gold necklace she had received on New Year's Eve.

Chen Bo bought her roasted sweet potatoes and sugar-roasted chestnuts. Wen Chan had big eyes but a small belly. He bought a lot of things, but she only ate a bite or two of them.

This journey, with its food and sightseeing along the way, is much more fun than staying at home.

"There's a balloon popping stall over there, let's go over there." Seeing a balloon popping stall, Wen Chan immediately pulled Chen Bozheng over.

A crowd had gathered around the balloon popping stall. Unlike the game in later generations, the balloons in this era were not inflated; instead, small balloons were hung on the stall from top to bottom. The more balloons you popped, the better the prize you could win.

Wen Chan set her sights on an alarm clock prize—a giant panda, so adorable, but to win it, she had to hit at least twenty.

This is quite difficult.

"Is this all you want? Nothing else?" Chen Bo asked Wen Chan as he paid the girl at the stall.

Wen Chan laughed and said, "You're quite arrogant. Let's hit it first."

"Big brother, these balloons are not easy to pop," the little girl said with a smile.

Chen Bo was holding a rifle, without using a scope at all. "You'll know once you try it."

A few minutes later, Chen Bozheng had swept all the balloons off his stall.

The little girl was quite good-natured and said directly, "Big brother and sister, please choose five items. Pick whatever you like."

Wen Chan only wanted the panda; they already had plenty of other things, so taking these extra items back would just be pointless.

After eating, drinking, and having fun, it's time to go inside and do something special, like offering incense.

Wen Chan was asking Chen Bo where he learned his marksmanship.

Chen Bozheng laughed and said, "Is there any need to learn this? My grandfather used to have a homemade gun. I used to use it to shoot birds when I was ten years old. I learned how to shoot birds after shooting a lot."

"However, I prefer a slingshot to a homemade gun, because slingshots are more accurate."

"Really, I'll take a look sometime when I have the chance," Wen Chan said with a smile.

Just as the two were about to enter the main gate of the temple, they saw an acquaintance.

Liu Yan was pulling and tugging at a man in a jacket.

People passing by glanced at them as they walked.

The man looked somewhat uncomfortable and couldn't help but raise his hand to push Liu Yan away. "Liu Yan, haven't you always been different from other women? Why are you being so pretentious and ungenerous now?"

Liu Yan's face turned red with anger. "Wang Xing, how can you say something like that? We've talked for so long, and you're just going to break up with me like this?"

"Oh, so your partner is breaking up with you."

"Why are they doing these things in this sacred Buddhist place?"

The elderly people couldn't stand it.

Wang Xing, being easily embarrassed, couldn't stand being talked about, so he said to Liu Yan, "No matter what, that's what my parents mean. We've been together for so long, and I haven't treated you badly. If you feel wronged, just name your price, and I'll give it to you later."

"You—" Liu Yan felt even more humiliated than if she had been slapped in the face when she heard this.

"Who are you talking to? Why are you being so rude?" Chen Bozheng walked over with Wen Chan and shoved Wang Xing.

Caught off guard, Wang Xing stumbled and fell hard on his backside, wincing in pain. "Who are you? How dare you touch me? Do you know who I am?"

"They are my friends, what do you want?" Liu Yan glared at Wang Xing with red eyes.

Wang Xing, realizing he was in the wrong, stammered a few words, stood up, and mumbled, "Anyway, it's over between us. I'm leaving now."

He was afraid Chen Bozheng would beat him if he didn't leave.

The elderly folks were quite disappointed to see that there was no more excitement to watch.

Wen Chan pulled Liu Yan outside and handed her a handkerchief, saying, "Wipe your face so it doesn't get cold when you turn around."

"Thank you." Liu Yan took the handkerchief and wiped her tears. She covered her face with her hands, but after a while, she couldn't help but cry out.

Wen Chan gave Chen Bo a wink, signaling him to take his things and move aside.

Chen Bozheng knew that Liu Yan had a strong personality, so he left without saying anything.

Liu Yan cried for a while, her handkerchief soaked with snot and tears. Luckily, Wen Chan had an extra one with her, which allowed her to wipe her face clean.

"I'm sorry you had to see this," Liu Yan said in a low voice, her eyes swollen.

"Don't say that. We're all friends. Everyone has their bad days," Wen Chan said. "Was that your boyfriend just now?"

Liu Yan gave a wry smile, "It's already over."

She leaned against the wall outside the temple, not caring that her new clothes were getting dirty and her shoes were crunching on the weeds. "He comes from a high-ranking family, and his parents are both officials. He looks down on our family's circumstances."

Wen Chan's mouth opened slightly.

This kind of thing is not unusual. The man's clothes and appearance were definitely not those of an ordinary person. That jacket was a foreign style, and there aren't many people in Beijing who can wear clothes like that.

"Sister Yanzi, I don't know how to say anything nice. There's an old saying that goes, 'A blessed woman doesn't marry an unblemished one.' You're such a good person, capable and beautiful. It's his loss if he doesn't want you. In the future, we'll definitely do better than them."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yan forced a smile. "Thank you for comforting me. Don't worry, I'm just sad right now. I won't do anything foolish."

“I know you’re not that kind of fool,” Wen Chan said. “I’m not just trying to comfort you. Think about it, their success is due to their parents’ abilities, but your success is due to your own. Times have changed. Who knows, maybe in the future your business will grow bigger and you’ll be better off than theirs.”

Liu Yan smiled through her tears: "Thank you for your kind words."

She was a respectable person and didn't make things difficult for Wen Chan and Chen Bozheng. When Wen Chan and Chen Bozheng invited her to go back together, she politely declined with an excuse.

He said he was going to visit a friend.

But neither Chen Bozheng nor Wen Chan believed it. Who would make a special appointment with a friend when they're out meeting their partner today?

Wen Chan felt a little sorry for Liu Yan. "Sister Yan's ex-boyfriend really doesn't know what's good for her. But how come we've never heard of her having such a boyfriend?"

Chen Bozheng said, "Liu Yan's parents did say that the man she found was unusual, but they didn't expect him to be from the compound. Liu Yan is a tight-lipped person. Given her personality, it's normal for her not to let the people in our compound know until she gets engaged. She's the kind of person who's afraid of being laughed at."