Chapter 685 The First Generation of the Ming Dynasty (First update, please subscribe)

Seven o'clock in the morning is the busiest time in Nanhua.

It was almost seven o'clock when hundreds of thousands of people poured out from various neighborhoods in the city, either riding bicycles or walking to the tram stop to wait for the tram. The bustling crowds were all heading towards their respective destinations.

The streets were filled with the sound of car bells and horns, and countless bicycles were moving quickly on the roadside lanes. As early as five years ago, bicycles had gradually become popular in the Ming Dynasty due to the continuous reduction in price, and had gone from being a toy for the rich to a means of transportation for ordinary families.

Bicycles surged forward on the side roads, trams clanged by on the wide avenues, and on the sidewalks beside the roads, except for a few adults, most of them were children carrying schoolbags to school.

These children looked to be about 17 or 18 years old. Most of the boys wore white shirts and black cropped shorts, while the girls wore sailor suits and blue cloth skirts. This was the standard summer school uniform of the Ming Dynasty. Only the school badge on the chest could distinguish the different schools.

These children were the true first generation of Ming people. They came to Nanhua when they were very young and then received systematic education from primary school to middle school in Ming Dynasty.

Although they were not born on this land, they have grown up on this land as far as they can remember, and this land has left an indelible mark on them.

If their parents were immigrants, they were native-born, at least to a certain extent.

Li Pingan, wearing a school uniform and carrying a schoolbag, walked to school as usual. However, he was a little different recently, and he had a lot of things on his mind. After all, graduation was coming soon, and some things had to be chosen before graduation.

Just as he was walking on the sidewalk, thinking quietly, a series of crisp car bells rang from behind him.

"Hey! Li Ping'an, what are you thinking about? I called you several times, but you didn't respond."

Li Ping'an turned around and saw Lin Dong jumping off the bicycle behind him. He forced a smile.

"Lin Dong? Is this the bicycle you just bought?"

"Yes, Phoenix brand, this year's new model, with the electric light in front, so you don't have to worry when there are no street lights..."

54 yuan is almost two months' salary for his father. Obviously his father would not buy it for himself, and of course he would not let his father buy it, after all, it is too expensive.

Even now, my father hasn't bought a bicycle himself. But the tram is faster, Li Pingan thought to himself.

Lin Dong's father was an engineer, earning a few hundred yuan a month, but his father was just an ordinary factory worker, earning less than thirty yuan a month.

The disparity in their family backgrounds did not prevent them from becoming friends, but they would soon graduate from high school. What would happen after graduation?

I hope I can get into a university, or at least a technical college. If that happens, my life will be very different.

"Come on, there are street lights everywhere in Nanhua, and you can still ride a bicycle out of the city,"

A bicycle stopped beside them, accompanied by voices and brake sounds coming from the roadside.

It was Li Mu. One could tell it was him just by looking at his golden hair shining in the sun. He was the son of the deputy manager of the Northern Mining Company. Like his father, he was an early immigrant to South China and attended the club's gatherings every year.

"Hurry up and sit down safely. If we are late, the instructor will pick us up at the door again!"

"Take my seat, Ping An, I've never brought anyone with me before!"

"I can't let you lead me if I've never led anyone before. What if he falls? Let's go!"

When Li Ping'an sat on the bicycle, the crisp sound of the bell was accompanied by the laughter of young people.

The status gap between people does not make much difference in school. Whether they are ordinary people or rich children, they all go to the same school and need to rely on their grades to enter high school. Li Ping'an relied on scholarships to study from elementary school to high school. His name is always on the list of scholarships for outstanding students issued by the school every semester. Although his ranking is not very high, it still gives him the opportunity to enter high school.

If he can get into a technical college or university in the future, he can not only get a scholarship, but also get company funding and sign a post-graduation employment contract. After all, many technical colleges are founded by companies to train talents for them.

Amid the crisp sound of bicycle bells, the two bicycles moved forward one after the other, and soon they arrived at the school. When they vaguely saw the sign of Nanhua No. 1 High School, Li Pingan jumped off the bicycle, and Li Mu, Lin Dong and others also jumped off the bicycles. According to school rules, they could only push their bicycles when entering the school.

"Hello, Principal."

"Hello, classmate."

Song Chaodong, the principal of Nanhua No. 1 High School, and the instructors stood by the school gate, watching the students coming in one after another. When the students passed through the gate, they half-bowed to greet the teachers. The principal also smiled and nodded in response, led by the instructors.

However, unlike the smiling principal, the instructor had a stern face as before, and he even held a "spirit infusion stick" in his hand. Everyone knew how this stick infused spirit, but no one knew who invented it. But what is certain is that in the Ming Dynasty, almost every middle school, the military instructor had such a "spirit infusion stick".

Whenever students see it, they will be full of energy and never be depressed. Just like Li Pingan and Lin Dong, they immediately become energetic the moment they jump off the car, and even say hello with energy.

"Hello, Principal!"

The three bowed and greeted each other loudly. Although it seemed a bit noisy, it brought a smile to the instructor's stern face.

Very good and energetic.

…

The morning's homework was as heavy as usual, and it was not until after lunch that things finally became a little more relaxed. Many people on the playground used their lunch break to play football.

As usual, Li Mu started playing football on the playground as soon as he left the cafeteria. Football was the most popular sport in the Ming Dynasty. It was a "tradition" that was popularized in Nanhua before Emperor Zhu Da became emperor. At that time, there were few women in Nanhua. In order to show their sexual desire, men could only play football on the football field. So, playing football became a tradition. There are even as many as 20 football clubs in the Ming Dynasty now. Although there is no official league, there are many competitions. After all, this is the "traditional sport" of the Ming Dynasty.

Of course, Li Mu does not play football in order to join a club and make a living from it. He plays football purely out of interest. He enjoys the thrill of being a dominant force on the field and prefers to enjoy people's cheers and screams. As for becoming a professional player, he has never thought about it. Of course, if there is an opportunity, he would not reject it.

For him, playing football is just fun.

Looking at Li Mu's agile figure on the court, Li Ping'an's eyes were a little complicated. Deep in his heart, he was always envious of Li Mu and Lin Dong. Their family background determined that they did not need to worry about their livelihood.

And what about him?

Although there are still three months until the high school graduation examination, he has to consider which school to apply to.

Firstly, his father didn’t have the money to send him to a preparatory school, so he had to pass the exam on the first try, which meant that he didn’t have to consider the highly competitive University of South China.

The safest option is to go to a technical college and become an engineer, or an accountant, or a technician, or...

Then what?

He would be like Lin Dong's father, earning a few hundred yuan every month. Of course, when he just graduated, he certainly wouldn't earn that much, but it would definitely be more than what his father earned.

Can……

What is it when you want it?

Is that what I want? What kind of life do I want?

(End of this chapter)