Chapter 141
When Han Shengyi came down, the two were still chatting.
"Which class are you in?"
"Class Two."
"You're in Class 2 too! What a coincidence, me too!!"
Without looking at her expression, Han Shengyi could tell how excited Chu Jiujiu was.
He walked out of the door and saw the young man in front of Chu Jiujiu. He had a very ordinary hairstyle and wore very ordinary clothes. The only unusual thing was that he wore a pair of thin glasses, which made him look more gentle and refined than others.
Fang Cheng noticed that Han Shengyi had been looking at him, and the smile on his face paused for a moment. Chu Jiujiu noticed this, turned around, saw Han Shengyi coming out, and waved to him happily: "Brother Shengyi, come here quickly, I'll introduce you to each other!"
…
This dinner went from being a meal for two to a meal for three.
When I first entered the school, the registration office not only gave me keys, but also gave me a few meal tickets. This can prove that I am a college student of the school, but it does not mean that I can buy meals. I still need to pay with food coupons to buy meals.
There are subsidies for college students, but these days I have been busy with reporting matters and it has been so chaotic that the subsidies cannot be paid out so quickly.
In front of the window, Fang Cheng felt that he was the most powerful and originally planned to treat them both to a meal, but Han Shengyi took out the money faster, so he had no chance to show his ability.
Fang Cheng silently took his hand out of his trouser pocket, held the dinner plate, and continued to discuss his future college life with Chu Jiujiu.
"School officially starts in two days, right? I heard the school will organize tours, and each college will have different activities."
"Really? Then I'll go too. If you hear any news, remember to let me know."
"No problem. We are the first class since the university was restored, so there are lots of activities."
"How do you know?"
"You forgot, everyone in my family works in this field. My second uncle is the deputy director of the Security Department, and my third uncle is a professor in the Language and Literature Research Office. But they are them, and I am me. I didn't get in through any backdoors. I got in entirely on my own merit."
Chu Jiujiu's laughter was like a silver bell, attracting the attention of many people nearby. "Alright! Seeing how nervous you are, I haven't thought about that yet!"
Fang Cheng also laughed, "By the time you start thinking about that, it's too late."
The two of them were chatting so animatedly that Han Shengyi had no chance to interrupt.
So, in the entire cafeteria, everyone was happier and happier the more they ate, but there was one special case who became less and less happy the more he ate.
…
The food at school was pretty good and delicious. Chu Jiujiu ordered two dishes, and neither of them was disappointing. She strolled by the lake for a while, then said goodbye to Han Shengyi and Fang Cheng. They sent her to the downstairs of the female dormitory before turning around and leaving.
Chu Jiujiu returned to the dormitory and saw Song Xiaoying eating the leftover pancakes with pickles. These pancakes were originally her dry food on the train, but she didn't finish them on the train and left them at school.
Song Xiaoying invited Chu Jiujiu to eat with her, but Chu Jiujiu was full and refused her. When she heard that Chu Jiujiu had already tasted the food in the cafeteria, she hurriedly asked how the meals in the cafeteria were charged.
Chu Jiujiu explained it again, detailing the price of each dish. Song Xiaoying listened and smiled at Chu Jiujiu: "Not bad, much cheaper than I thought. It seems I don't have to live with a jar of pickles all the time in the future."
Chu Jiujiu sat cross-legged inside the mosquito net. She was amused by Song Xiaoying. "Of course not. The subsidy will be issued in a few days. No matter how hard life is, we can't let our children suffer. No matter how poor we are, we can't let our children suffer."
Song Xiaoying nodded, "Yes, only when you have enough food can you study well."
That night, Song Xiaoying and Chu Jiujiu were the only ones in the dormitory, and the next morning, the third female comrade also arrived.
This person's name is Shen Dongkui. She is 23 years old this year. She was an educated youth who went to the countryside in Northeast China. She is not as outgoing as Song Xiaoying, but her attitude is also very good. She answers whatever Chu Jiujiu and Song Xiaoying ask her. It was also through this question that Chu Jiujiu realized that Shen Dongkui was a native of the capital.
When fellow villagers met, their eyes were filled with tears. Chu Jiujiu did not hold back tears, but she could say a lot of words.
"You're from the capital too, where is your home? Maybe we're neighbors."
Shen Dongkui's parents were ordinary factory workers. Their family lived in the factory's staff quarters. Chu Jiujiu had never been there or seen them.
Come to think of it, the capital is so big, how could it be such a coincidence that people with close connections always meet each other?
Shen Dongkui chose the upper bunk of Chu Jiujiu, and the dormitory became even more crowded. When the fourth student came in, there was almost no place to stay.
The fourth person is called Cao Lu. She is about the same age as Chu Jiujiu and is eighteen years old. As soon as she came in, she smiled sweetly and didn’t call everyone comrades. Instead, she just said, hello, sisters.
Song Xiaoying was sitting closest to the door, fanning herself with a palm-leaf fan. When she heard Cao Lu's voice, she started to laugh. "Don't rush to call me sister. We both deserve the title, but it's hard to say who's older, you or Xiaochu."
Cao Lu was stunned for a moment. She followed Song Xiaoying's finger and looked at the man named Xiao Chu.
Beautiful, bright, and eye-catching, these are the three impressions Chu Jiujiu gave to Cao Lu.
Cao Lu didn't have as much luggage as others, and she only carried two simple suitcases, which looked quite neat.
Looking at Chu Jiujiu, Cao Lu studied her for a while without leaving any trace, and then smiled brightly, "Hello, my name is Cao Lu."
She extended a hand to Chu Jiujiu, who sat on the bed because she didn't want to cause trouble for Shen Dongkui. Cao Lu wanted to shake her hand, but she had to bend down hard. Chu Jiujiu took a look at her difficult posture, and without understanding what was going on, she extended her hand and shook her hand. "Hello, hello, my name is Chu Jiujiu."
Cao Lu straightened up, but the smile on her face didn't fade. "I'm from Qingdao. I'm eighteen years old and just got my high school diploma in July. How about you?"
Chu Jiujiu was holding a book, which was borrowed from the Cultural Relics Archives. Unlike other books, this book had a humorous style and she liked it very much. Even though she had memorized it, she was still willing to hold it and read it slowly.
Hearing Cao Lu's question, Chu Jiujiu answered obediently: "I am a local, seventeen years old."
As for when she got her high school diploma, Chu Jiujiu didn't say, because she found it strange why she had to mention her high school diploma when introducing herself.
Song Xiaoying was standing opposite Chu Jiujiu, waving a palm-leaf fan with a half-smile on her face.
She originally thought that the dormitory would be quiet from the beginning to the end, but unexpectedly, she came to this conclusion too early.
Shen Dongkui had been packing her things. Except for the time when Cao Lu just came in, she looked up and then ignored them. There was only one bed left, which was next to the door and she had to climb up and down. Cao Lu didn't want to sleep there, but when she looked back, she saw that the lower bunk next to the door was occupied by Song Xiaoying. This woman was the oldest, slightly fat, and had calluses on her hands. It was obvious that she was a married woman. Cao Lu didn't dare to make any demands on her. She was afraid that Song Xiaoying would be unhappy and make a scene.
Looking at Shen Dongkui again, she was a taciturn person with short hair. She looked a bit like a cadre who often patrolled the streets, so Cao Lu didn't dare to provoke her.
Since neither of these two works, Chu Jiujiu is the only one left.
From the moment she came in, Chu Jiujiu had been reading. Her bed was the best, sheltered from the wind and sun, and, being the lower berth, far from the doors and windows. Cao Lu didn't know if it was just her imagination, but she always felt that Chu Jiujiu's bed was prettier than the others.
How could it not be beautiful? All of this was done by Han Shengyi, who has obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Carrying the suitcase, Cao Lu refused to put it on the ground. She twisted her neck and kept looking at Chu Jiujiu. Song Xiaoying observed her for a while and knew what she was thinking.
Cao Lu's look was really bad. She thought Shen Dongkui was a cadre, but in fact, Shen Dongkui was just an ordinary educated youth when she went to the countryside. She thought Song Xiaoying was an ordinary woman who could only take care of children at home, but in fact, Song Xiaoying was the only female cadre in their village.
Song Xiaoying is old and used to managing the villagers. Although no one mentioned it, Song Xiaoying is basically the head of this dormitory. At this moment, she feels that she has an obligation to nip Cao Lu's improper ideas in the bud.
Cao Lu raised her leg to walk towards Chu Jiujiu, and Song Xiaoying raised her leg to walk towards Cao Lu. At this time, Shen Dongkui picked up the broom and swept Chu Jiujiu's side first.
Hearing the sound of sweeping the floor, Chu Jiujiu shifted her gaze, and when she retracted her gaze, she happened to pass by the alarm clock that she had placed next to her pillow.
Chu Jiujiu immediately dropped the book, jumped up, and yelled, "Oh no! It's already half past four! I have to get out!"
Chu Jiujiu quickly put on her shoes. Cao Lu didn't move for a moment when she was interrupted. Song Xiaoying turned her head and asked her, "Are you going out to eat with your brother again?"
Chu Jiujiu buttoned her sandals and explained while searching for her wallet, "No, I made an appointment with my friend this morning to have dinner together in the cafeteria. We agreed to meet at 4:30, but it's already 4:30."
Finally taking out her wallet, Chu Jiujiu quickly checked and found her key inside. She turned around and said to her roommates, "I don't know what time I'll be back tonight. If there's any event, you guys can go by yourselves."
After saying that, without waiting for anyone to say anything, she ran downstairs. In the quiet dormitory, the only sound was Chu Jiujiu's frantic running down the stairs.
Cao Lu was stunned. She asked Song Xiaoying curiously, "Sister Song, is Xiaochu's house right next to our school?"
Otherwise, how could her brother and friends all come to the cafeteria to eat with her?
Song Xiaoying smiled and said, "No, she lives in the city. Her brother and her friend are also college students at our school. One is in the Department of Political Economy, and the other... I forgot what department, but they are in the Medical School."
Cao Lu opened her eyes wide in surprise. At this time, Song Xiaoying turned her head and asked Shen Dongkui, "I think there is another one, named Nie something. Is he Xiao Chu's younger brother?"
Shen Dongkui was sweeping the floor. Without even looking up, she corrected Song Xiaoying, "It's the son of her father's comrade-in-arms."
"Oh, yes." Song Xiaoying patted her head.
Cao Lu lowered her jaw in shock and looked thoughtful.
…
Dabao has completely disappeared since he reported, and no one knows what he is doing in his dormitory. Han Shengyi said he would go and see, and Chu Jiujiu was happy to be free, so she ignored her for the time being.
There are several canteens in the school. The canteen that Chu Jiujiu and Qi Baozhu agreed to go to is the one closest to Qi Baozhu. One of them is in the south and the other is in the north. If they want to meet, they probably have to ride a bicycle.
After the dishes were brought over, Chu Jiujiu didn't eat them immediately. She first asked Qi Baozhu, "How are you? Are you adapting to the dormitory?"
Qi Baozhu pursed her lips. She would lie to her parents, but there was no need to lie to Chu Jiujiu.
Shaking her head, Qi Baozhu said, "It's the first day, and we're not familiar with each other yet. We haven't talked much to each other yet. After a few days, they'll know how weird I am."
Chu Jiujiu frowned, "You're not weird, you're just different from others."
Qi Baozhu smiled bitterly, "Is there any difference?"
Chu Jiujiu: "Of course there are differences. Everyone is different. I'm afraid of ghosts, and you're afraid of talking. In the end, we're all afraid. Everyone has things that others find strange. It's just that others hide them deeply, and you're unlucky and can't hide them."
Qi Baozhu sighed, "It's okay, no need to comfort me, I'm used to it. I'm here to learn how to be a doctor, not to mess with my classmates."
Chu Jiujiu held the chopsticks for a few seconds before she slowly said, "But if you want to be a doctor, you have to learn how to deal with different people. Baozhu, why don't you give it a try?"
She suggested to Qi Baozhu, "You attend classes by yourself, and study by yourself. When it's time to eat, we can eat together, or you and Dabao can eat together. This way, the time you spend with your classmates will become very less. In this little time, try to say a few words to them. It doesn't have to be too long. Just wait until they look for you, and then speak."
After a moment of silence, Qi Baozhu nodded and said, "I'll try."
Chu Jiujiu laughed.
This is what she agreed to now, but after the two of them separate and Qi Baozhu returns, Chu Jiujiu doesn’t know whether she will try it.
But that was all she had to say. She couldn't just hold her head down like Qi Baozhu's mother and force her to talk to others. If she wanted to overcome her fear, the person herself had to take that step. If she couldn't do it herself, no matter how others urged her, it would be useless.
The reporting date was over, and the campus was filled with laughter again. The first day of school was also the first day of class. Unexpectedly, the university also had a flag-raising ceremony, and at the flag-raising ceremony, Chu Jiujiu saw the legendary principal.
The speech of the university president is different. Every word comes from the heart. It seems that the president himself has deep feelings. After the speech, there was prolonged applause in the playground, and some people even had tears in their eyes.
Ninety percent of the people present were victims. Some had lost their youth, some had lost their families. The oldest person in Chu Jiujiu's class was 32 years old, and the youngest was her, 17 years old.
After the principal finished speaking, everyone went back to their classes. Since they didn't know each other, they basically sat according to their dormitories. Chu Jiujiu walked into the classroom and Fang Cheng sat in the first row.
He smiled at Chu Jiujiu.
Chu Jiujiu also smiled at him.
Cao Lu stood behind Chu Jiujiu and frowned subconsciously.
How come Chu Jiujiu knows so many people? Didn’t school just start?
At that time, college students were not yet associated with the word "lazy". Being able to get into college meant that the person was extremely hardworking and diligent. This class was like this. Everyone wanted to sit in the front, so the students who came in first sat in the first row, and those who came in later sat in the back row. By the time all forty people came in, the front seats were already full.
The back is still empty. Every modern person would feel uncomfortable seeing this scene.
But Chu Jiujiu didn't feel that way. She even sighed secretly as she looked at the occupied first row.
She couldn't hear what the teacher said clearly sitting at the back. If the seats were not fixed, she should get up earlier in the future and try to get a good seat.
Chu Jiujiu herself didn't realize that she had been completely assimilated by this era.
…
The head teacher was a man in his forties. He looked quite serious. He started by telling everyone about the school rules, and then went on to deal with matters one by one, such as distributing textbooks, giving subsidies, introducing the differences between university and high school, and electing class committee members.
It was called a selection, but the homeroom teacher took a look at the list and said to himself, "Since no one knows each other, I'll appoint them. Our class is lucky. Several high-scoring students have been assigned to our class. We should all learn from them."
"Student Fang Cheng, you have the highest score, so you should be the class monitor. Do your best. If you don't do well, you will be removed."
Fang Cheng smiled at the teacher, "Don't worry."
Looking at the list, the teacher continued, "Well... Chu Jiujiu, you will be the vice-class monitor."
She had been mentally prepared since the teacher appointed Fang Cheng as the monitor. She raised her hand, and Chu Jiujiu's clear voice echoed in the classroom, "I promise to complete the task."
Hearing that it was a girl's voice, everyone turned around and stared at her for two seconds.
Even the teacher was amazed by her, but only for a moment.
Slowly lowering his head, the teacher continued to appoint: "Miao Bafang, you are the Party branch secretary."
"Song Xiaoying, you will be the propaganda committee member."
“…”
The teacher read out the names one by one, and even the group leaders were designated by him. It seemed that this teacher didn't like trouble, so no matter how senior the class leaders were, they were all prepared to get it done at once today.
Sitting in the back row, Song Xiaoying lowered her voice and asked Chu Jiujiu, "How many points did you get in the college entrance examination?"
Chu Jiujiu: “Ah?”
Song Xiaoying nudged her with her elbow. "Don't play dumb. I actually got 353 points. Wow, before the teacher read it out, I thought I had the highest score in the class. Come on, tell me, how much did you get?"
Chu Jiujiu smiled, and after a while, she chuckled twice, "Not much, four hundred and eight."
Song Xiaoying opened her eyes wide and was about to speak when Chu Jiujiu quickly deflected her attention, "But I didn't get the highest score. Fang Cheng scored 415. He was the runner-up, and I was only the third place!"
Song Xiaoying was stunned for a moment, "How do you know how much the monitor scored?"
Chu Jiujiu: “…” This is called squad leader, why haven’t I seen you call me deputy squad leader?
Chu Jiujiu pouted and replied, "He said so himself. He also said that taking the liberal arts exam wasn't challenging enough, so he wanted to take the science exam. Even if he did, he wouldn't apply for a science major because he said there's nothing interesting to learn in popular majors. He prefers unpopular majors, where there's peace and quiet."
Song Xiaoying: “…”
Based on what he said, he will definitely not be able to remain as squad leader for long.
Song Xiaoying was speechless. Cao Lu sat on Chu Jiujiu's right. She leaned over the table and asked Chu Jiujiu in a low voice, "How did you get to know the squad leader?"
Chu Jiujiu touched her face and said, "Last year, I went to Henan with him and stayed there for a few days."
Cao Lu asked, "What are you two doing in Henan?"
Chu Jiujiu: "It's not just the two of us, there are several of us."
Cao Lu: "Then why did you go to Henan?"
Seeing that she was eager to know, Chu Jiujiu told her the truth, "There's an ancient tomb in Henan. An elder I know organized an investigation team to go and see the tomb together. Fang Cheng used to work at the Cultural Relics Archives, and he was also a member of the investigation team. I was pushed in by the elder. He actually disliked me at first."
At the end of the conversation, Chu Jiujiu smiled sheepishly. Cao Lu said nothing. Song Xiaoying, who was standing beside her, teased her, "You hated it at first, but you definitely don't hate it now. I say, you two are truly destined to be together."
Chu Jiujiu knew she was joking, but she still explained, "This is called fate. He works at the Cultural Relics Archives, so he must have applied to the History Department. There are only two classes in our department, either Class One or Class Two. The probability is fifty to fifty, and if it's one to ninety-nine, that's called fate."
Song Xiaoying smiled, "You're the only one who can say that."
Chu Jiujiu was attending classes at Sanjiao on the first day. The teacher didn't actually teach much, just talked about the rules. After class, Chu Jiujiu walked out. She was in a hurry and had no intention of going with the other three. Song Xiaoying knew the inside story. Shen Dongkui didn't care where she went. Only Cao Lu stretched her neck, wondering why she was so anxious.
As soon as she left the teaching building, the sky brightened. Chu Jiujiu hurried toward the main road. Halfway through, someone grabbed her arm. Her first instinct was to elbow the person, but then she realized the force and the feeling were familiar. She turned around and relaxed. "I was so scared! I thought..."
Han Shengyi raised his eyebrows: "Do you think I'm an outlaw?"
Chu Jiujiu smiled uncomfortably. "How could that be? Brother Shengyi, you are a handsome and elegant young man, as bright as a jade tree in the wind. Even a single finger of yours is filled with the light of justice. The moment you touched me, I was immediately baptized by your righteous spirit. How could I admit my mistake?"
Han Shengyi narrowed his eyes at Chu Jiujiu, unmoved by her sweet talk. He let go of her arm and instead stretched out two fingers to pinch the back of Chu Jiujiu's collar. He dragged her out and said, "No oily dishes for lunch today."
Chu Jiujiu was being dragged by him, but she didn't feel embarrassed at all. She turned her head happily and asked curiously, "Why?"
Han Shengyi lowered his eyes and glanced at her leisurely, "You are so slick, do you still need to let go?"
Chu Jiujiu: “…”
She reached out to hit him, but Han Shengyi reacted very quickly and dodged it. The two walked farther and farther away, while Song Xiaoying and others were still standing on the steps.
Looking at the two of them, Song Xiaoying thought of her own two children. She said with emotion, "It would be great if my son and daughter had such a good relationship when they grow up."
Cao Lu suddenly turned her head and asked, "Is that person Chu Jiujiu's brother?"
Song Xiaoying was startled by her, "Ah? Yes, what's wrong?"
Cao Lu raised the corners of her mouth, smiling as if she had found a treasure, "Nothing."
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