The old houses in the residential building have been around for quite some years. Downstairs, there is an old locust tree as thick as several people combined. Under the tree, old people sit on folding stools to escape the heat, shaking their hand fans and swatting away flies.
The sunlight filters through the crevice, feeling warm.
Zhou Ran carries his things and opens the door. The soundproofing in the old house is still quite poor; the kitchen window is open, and one can still hear the noise of people talking upstairs and downstairs.
The Old Lady is standing next to the television, muttering to herself. The screen is full of static, and she raises her hand to pat the television a few times, making a loud banging sound.
Zhou Ran puts his things down and reminds the Old Lady, "If you smash it today, its life will have truly come to an end."
The Old Lady hears his voice and turns her head to glance at Zhou Ran.
"You're back?" the Old Lady mutters. "This television isn't working well again. I wonder if it's a problem with the antenna."
Zhou Ran asks her, "If it's a problem with the antenna, why are you hitting the television? Hit the antenna instead."
"I'm just trying to figure out where the problem is, aren't I?"
Zhou Ran chuckles, "No matter where the problem is, hitting it won't help. That whole 'harsh interrogation' routine isn't in style anymore."
The Old Lady waves her hand and lets the television be.
"It's the old way; I'll know where the problem is once I try."
"I told you a long time ago to let me get you a new one," Zhou Ran says.
"Getting a new one would cost several hundred, right? Televisions are frighteningly expensive these days."
She walks over to Zhou Ran's side and rummages through the bag a couple of times. "I told you not to bring anything when you come back, yet you brought another pile. I can't even finish eating all of this."
"Ah," Zhou Ran replies, "Lao Lu brought them over. They're just some vitamins and health supplements. If you don't want to eat them, just leave them there. If they gather dust, he'll just bring you more next time."
The Old Lady pouts, "Don't let Lu Zeming spend this money next time. It's a waste for an old lady like me to eat them."
Zhou Ran walks to the front of the television to take a look, and upon hearing her words, he turns his head to look at her.
"Go tell that to Lao Lu yourself."
The Old Lady digs a jar of gummy candies out from the bottom of the bag. She is wearing her reading glasses, and without even needing to look at what is written on the jar, she is delighted the moment she holds it in her hands.
"I love eating these. Next time, just have Xiao Lu buy me two jars of these."
Zhou Ran takes a screwdriver out of the drawer and begins to unscrew the back casing of the television.
"Gummy candies," he says, "you don't even have many teeth left, yet you want to eat two more jars."
"If you don't know how to hold a conversation, don't come back next time. Just let Zhuang Zhong and Xiao Lu come over instead."
Zhou Ran gives a short laugh, "Fine."
The Old Lady carries the candy jar over to Zhou Ran's side and pretends to take a look, "Can you fix it?"
Zhou Ran does not look up; he doesn't even try to coax the Old Lady, answering truthfully.
"I don't know."
"You don't know, yet you're taking it apart for me?"
"I'm not a television repairman. If it's broken, it's the perfect excuse to get you a new one."
Zhou Ran carefully studies the wiring behind the television, only to find that he cannot make heads or tails of it. The wire is already somewhat damaged, hanging on by a thread.
He picks up a wire with his finger, "It's broken."
The next second, the Old Lady's palm lands on Zhou Ran's arm.
"You brat!" the Old Lady shouts, "And to think you're a university student! You just broke my television the moment you finished saying that!"
"I didn't break it for you; the wire itself is broken," Zhou Ran says, putting down the screwdriver. "Blame me then; I should have majored in maintenance management back then."
After putting down the screwdriver in his hand, Zhou Ran looks down and sees a lipstick tube sitting on the TV cabinet. It's even a designer brand.
Zhou Ran picks it up to take a look, then turns to look at the Old Lady, "She came back?"
"Who?"
The Old Lady is in the middle of opening her candy jar when she looks up and sees the lipstick in Zhou Ran's hand.
"Ah, she came back to take a look and left her things behind."
Zhou Ran frowns and casually tosses the lipstick into the trash can.
With a "thud," the Old Lady looks up again. Seeing that Zhou Ran has thrown the item away, she puts down the candy in her hand and retrieves the item from the trash can.
"Why did you throw it away? This thing is quite expensive, isn't it? If she comes back to look for it later and can't find it, she'll throw another tantrum."
Zhou Ran says nothing.
It isn't cheap; a big brand costs several hundred. With a little more money, he could buy the Old Lady a new television.
It is precisely because it isn't cheap that she left it here on purpose.
"Why did she come back to see you?"
The Old Lady examines the lipstick for a moment, confirming the casing isn't damaged, before placing it back on the TV cabinet.
"Nothing much, just chatting."
Zhou Ran squats down to pick up the television casing and puts it back on, "Did she borrow money from you again?"
"No!" The Old Lady takes off her reading glasses, turns her back, and mutters, "I'm just an old lady, where would I have any money?"
Zhou Ran doesn't give her any face at all.
"Turn around and look at me while you say that."
The Old Lady clicks her tongue.
"Why are you getting more annoying the older you get! You even dare to lecture your maternal grandmother!"
The Old Lady raises her hand and pats Zhou Ran's arm twice. She lightens her touch, not actually hurting him.
"She is your sister, after all."
Well, that was a waste of breath.
Zhou Ran finishes assembling the television and holds out his palm, gesturing toward the Old Lady.
"What for?" the Old Lady asks.
"Give me your mobile phone."
The Old Lady says "Oh," and slowly walks over to the coffee table to hand the mobile phone to Zhou Ran.
Zhou Ran presses the buttons on the mobile phone, and every notification sound is frighteningly loud.
The Old Lady doesn't know how to use the mobile phone, so Zhou Ran flips through the call logs and finds the woman's phone number.
He selects it, his fingers moving quickly, and adds it to the blacklist.
"Done," Zhou Ran says, handing the mobile phone back to the Old Lady. "Next time she comes back, tell her to go directly to the shop to find me."
The Old Lady pouts, "She wouldn't dare go find you."
She asks Zhou Ran, "Have you eaten? What do you want to eat? Your maternal grandmother will go make it for you."
"I won't eat. I have to go back to the shop in a bit."
"You say you're annoyed by her, yet you help her busy yourself with that lousy shop every day," the Old Lady says, rising to walk to the kitchen and pulling a bag out of the refrigerator. "That little girl at your shop, the one with the bad hearing, doesn't she love eating this braised duck? I made two. Take them to the shop and let her eat more; she's as thin as a monkey."
Zhou Ran takes the bag, "Alright."
Just as he is about to leave, the Old Lady calls out to him from behind.
"Hey, Xiao Ran."
"Hmm?" Zhou Ran turns his head back.
"I heard that Zhuang Zhong, that boy, is in a relationship?"
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