On the second day of Christmas, it snowed in Jin Ling City.
Even though there wasn't anything worth looking forward to, Lu Zhou remembered the fireplace in his old house in Princeton. Whenever it snowed in New Jersey, he would move his work from his study room to the living room. He would lean against the sofa and sit on the carpet in front of the fireplace. He would let his thoughts wander in the endless universe and the search for truth.
Even though he was far from the age of nostalgia.
However, as Lu Zhou looked at the snowflakes falling outside the window, he started to miss it.
He sat in the living room and picked up a soup bun with his chopsticks. He dipped it into the vinegar dish sprinkled with ginger and stuffed it into his mouth. He looked at the silver hanging on the short pine tree outside the window and suddenly spoke without any warning.
"I plan on installing a fireplace at home."
Wang Peng was standing in the living room. He looked around and spoke.
"Is there insufficient heating?"
Lu Zhou looked at him strangely and said, "That's weird. Why do you have to install a fireplace when it's cold?"
Wang Peng paused for a second and said, "I'm just asking … Do you need my help?"
Lu Zhou said, "No need, unless you tell me you know how to build a wall."
Even though Lu Zhou was only joking, he didn't expect Wang Peng to take it seriously. After thinking for a while, he replied in a serious manner.
"The General Staff Department has experts in this area."
Lu Zhou: "… Are you guys Doraemon?"
Why do they have all kinds of things?
Wang Peng: "…?"
In the end, Lu Zhou didn't bother the General Staff Department with the fireplace. Instead, he contacted the design company that renovated the Jinling Institute for Advanced Study and asked them to complete the design and installation work.
After all, there was no need to waste state resources on a small matter like this.
There were two things that Lu Zhou didn't like to do. One was to bother other people, and the other was to make a big fuss over small things.
When it came to work, other than being a little smarter and a little more handsome, he never thought that he was any different from others and that he needed such excessive special attention.
If other people treated him like an ordinary person, he would feel more at ease.
Perhaps this was one of the reasons why he was still single.
After receiving a call from Lu Zhou, the design company took this matter seriously.
Compared to a multimillion-dollar project, a fireplace was nothing more than a small business. However, this design company still showed the highest level of professionalism and attitude. They sent a designer and a project team to Lu Zhou's home on the same day. They sent a few design drawings and quotations to Lu Zhou's home before nightfall.
Among them, there were Victorian-style, modern minimalist style, and the relatively retro classical style of red bricks. There were a total of 15 sets of design plans, all designed according to the layout of the living room itself, and each design plan even came with a set of handmade wool carpet.
Lu Zhou looked at the design plans that were so cost-effective that he didn't even want to bargain. He even suspected that he would lose money on this deal.
Even though as a consumer, there was no reason for him to ask for a higher price, Lu Zhou couldn't help but speak when he saw the price of a carpet that was less than five thousand yuan.
"Is it really okay to be this cheap?"
The saleswoman who was responsible for negotiating with Lu Zhou had a smile on her face as she spoke to Lu Zhou politely and enthusiastically.
"No problem, don't worry about it. You are an important partner of our company, of course, we won't cheat you. Bringing the best service to customers at the lowest price has always been our company's business philosophy, and the price-performance ratio is also one of our company's core competitiveness. I believe you will soon experience this. "
Lu Zhou looked at the price and discount below the design plan. He pinched his eyebrows and said, "My math might be a bit too good … What the hell is this 3588 yuan renovation package that comes with a 20,000 yuan handmade wool carpet and 5888 yuan wall decoration?"
The saleswoman smiled and said, "This is our preferential price."
Lu Zhou: "…"
What the f * ck is this!
However, since the saleswoman wanted to make a loss, Lu Zhou didn't want to stop her. After hesitating for a while, he chose the design plan that he liked the most.
"… Then I'll take it."
After confirming the design plan that Lu Zhou chose, the saleswoman used a pen to draw a tick under the picture. She then looked at Lu Zhou politely and spoke.
"Okay, we will install it for you as soon as possible. When is it convenient for you?"
"I'm fine with anything, just arrange the construction time in the afternoon …" Lu Zhou looked at Wang Peng, who was standing next to the sofa. "Do you have time in the afternoon?"
Wang Peng's answer was as reliable as ever.
"I have time 24 hours a day."
Lu Zhou nodded and continued to look at the saleswoman.
"Then two to six o 'clock every day … How long will it take to install?"
The saleswoman gave him a number with a smile.
"Three days at the latest."
In fact, Lu Zhou didn't even have to wait for the third day. The entire fireplace was installed by the evening of the third day after he signed the contract.
Lu Zhou politely declined the saleswoman's offer to help him lay the floor heating pipes for free. After paying the remaining 4,000 yuan, he politely sent the people from the renovation company out of the courtyard. After he returned home, he couldn't wait to put in smokeless charcoal that he bought from overseas and lit the fire.
Lu Zhou leaned against the sofa and sat on the wool carpet. He listened to the crackling sound of the fire and felt the warmth of the fire. He lazily yawned and felt like he was going to fall asleep at any time.
"Nice …"
He stretched comfortably, and just as he was about to take a nap, his phone suddenly rang.
When Lu Zhou saw the name on the caller ID, he immediately pressed the button and put the phone next to his ear.
Before he could even speak, a familiar voice came from the other end of the phone.
"Son Zhou, are you busy this year?"
"It's okay, not as busy as last year." With a relaxed smile on his face, Lu Zhou's throat moved slightly. He paused for half a second and said, "Mom, how are you and Dad doing in Jiangling?"
On the other end of the phone, Fang Mei's crow's feet bloomed like a flower when she heard the word "Mom". She smiled with relief.
"Don't worry about your parents, we're doing great. Your dad is going to retire in a few years, and now he has nothing to do at work all day. All he does is drink tea and read newspapers. If it wasn't for me urging him to go jogging every day to exercise, who knows how fat he would be now? I just wanted to hear your voice, I'm not interrupting your work, am I? "
Lu Zhou smiled and said, "Of course not! Work isn't as important as you guys. "
Fang Mei said, "Don't say that, your career is on the rise, so you don't have to focus on your dad and me. You don't have to worry about our health. But I hope that even though you're busy, don't tire yourself out too much. Your health is always the most important thing. No matter how important something is, it's not as important as your health … Oh right, are you busy before and after the New Year this year? If you are, your dad and I can come and take care of you. "
"No, no, don't be like this, I already said I'm not busy!" When Lu Zhou heard that his parents planned on coming over to take care of him, he quickly said, "I'm free at the end of the year. It's rare that I don't have anything to do, so I'll come back for Chinese New Year."
Fang Mei sighed and said, "You're a good kid, but you're too polite."
Lu Zhou didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"Mom, what are you talking about … Why would I be polite? It's just that I haven't been home for so many years, I'm really homesick. Anyway, don't buy a ticket, I'll drive back for Chinese New Year. "
Even though research was important, it wasn't more important than family.
Not to mention that the Riemann conjecture couldn't be completed overnight. He had just solved the quasi Riemann conjecture, so he needed some time to relax and reorganize his thoughts.
Of course, the most important thing was that his parents were getting old. If there was time, Lu Zhou wanted to go home and reunite with them.
As for the Lunar Orbit Committee, everything was going according to plan. As the chief consultant, he didn't need to make any special arrangements.
If there was a need to adjust the plan, or if there was an emergency, he would naturally put down his work and return to the front line of scientific research.
Fang Mei made sure that Lu Zhou didn't sound like he was being pressured, so she smiled.
If possible, she wanted her son to come home for Chinese New Year. Although his son was doing well in Jinling and was living in a big house in a big city, for them, this was their root. Their family and friends were all here. This was the only place where they could truly live.
Because of this, even though Lu Zhou mentioned moving to Jinling many times, they never agreed.
"It's good that you're back, mom will make you dumplings. Don't be so busy with work all day … Sigh, I told you to study hard so that you would have a better future. Your dad and I didn't expect things to turn out like this. Dad and I can't help you with mathematics. I just hope that you don't stay in the laboratory all day ordering takeout. If you have time, go out and meet other people. "
Lu Zhou coughed and said, "I have to correct you, don't believe what you see in documentaries. Whether it's mathematics or physics, you still need to meet other people …"
Building a car behind closed doors only worked in the past.
Now, even if Lu Zhou wanted to build a car behind closed doors, he couldn't completely cut off contact with the outside world. At the very least, he still had to use arXiv and several commonly used literature databases.
Fang Mei: "No matter what, as long as you're happy. Your dad and I are already at this age. Other than looking forward to having grandchildren, there's nothing else we can do."
Lu Zhou said, "This … Let's talk about this later, there will definitely be grandchildren."
Fang Mei smiled as if she was comforting Lu Zhou, but it also seemed like she was comforting herself.
"I hope so …"
Lu Zhou: "…"
Even though he knew that his mother didn't want to give him too much pressure, he didn't know why, but when he heard her say "I hope so", he felt his heart ache …
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
