As he spoke, he raised his elbow to the spot where the leaves had been piled, and began to wipe carefully, again and again, as if to completely remove every trace of stain. After confirming that the corner was almost clean, he straightened up and turned to Wang Xiaolan who was standing beside him.
The man smiled as he took the heavy luggage from Wang Xiaolan's hands and carefully carried it onto the train. Then, as if remembering something, he untied the slightly worn cloth tied around his waist and gently spread it in another corner of the train. After doing all this, he smiled at Wang Xiaolan, signaling that she could get on board.
"Comrade, just sit here!"
After Wang Xiaolan sat down, she said, "Let's go to Kyoto University."
The man said, "It's great that you're going to Kyoto University. My home is right in that direction. Miss, are you going to Kyoto University to visit relatives? Or on a business trip?"
Wang Xiaolan said, "Neither."
The man asked, "So, you were admitted to this school?"
Wang Xiaolan nodded in agreement.
The tricycle driver said, "It's not easy to get into this school! My son is also taking the exam this year."
Wang Xiaolan asked, "Did your son also take the exam this year?"
The tricycle driver nodded and said, "It's a pity that he didn't pass the exam. I kept him at home to review and prepare for next year's exam. I didn't let him go to Peking University. Anyway, many of his educated youth have returned."
Wang Xiaolan said, "Their only way out is to go to university."
The weather-beaten tricycle driver sighed deeply and said slowly, "Alas! People like us who don't have a stable job can only rely on doing odd jobs to make a living. It's harder than climbing to the sky to bring back our son who was sent far away in the countryside!"
"But as a father, I can't just watch my son suffer all his life at Peking University! So the only thing I can do now is to try my best to take on more work. Even if it's a little tiring and hard, it doesn't matter. As long as I can earn a little more money, my son can study at home and strive to get admitted next year."
The tricycle driver was a cheerful and talkative man. He had just finished chatting with Wang Xiaolan about his son.
He changed the subject and began to talk endlessly about the customs and people of Kyoto. From the ancient architectural style to the unique traditional customs, to the local mouth-watering food culture, the chef described it vividly, as if he wanted to present the entire Kyoto to Wang Xiaolan.
Wang Xiaolan, on the other hand, sat quietly on the tricycle, listening attentively to the story told by the driver. As the wheels continued to roll forward, the driver's voice became like a lullaby, and gradually Wang Xiaolan felt a wave of fatigue coming over her.
She was trying to stay awake at first, but she couldn't resist the invasion of sleepiness. Her eyes slowly closed and she fell asleep unknowingly.
Time passed quietly until the honest tricycle driver patted Wang Xiaolan on the shoulder and whispered, "Girl, wake up, we've arrived!" Wang Xiaolan suddenly woke up, rubbed her sleepy eyes, looked around, and suddenly realized that she had arrived at her destination.
She slowly opened the car door and stepped lightly out. She tilted her head slightly upward, her gaze fixed on the slightly quaint gate of Kyoto University not far away—or, more accurately, its back gate. When her sight truly reached the campus, her eyes widened, and an indescribable shock welled up in her heart.
Wang Xiaolan carried her luggage and came to the back door of Kyoto University. The scene before her was completely different from the street at the back door of Kyoto University in her later life.
These well-proportioned houses have a unique and unfamiliar architectural style, as if carrying a heavy atmosphere that has been deposited over the years. They do not have the cold and regular style of modern high-rise buildings, but instead have a design full of artistic sense and humanistic charm.
Compared to the familiar 21st century before the time travel, the buildings here seemed to have stepped out of an ancient painting. The eaves rose high, like the wings of a bird; the exquisite carvings and paintings on the walls were already covered with the dust of time.
Wang Xiaolan strolled along the street, and everything around her was new to her...
Not far away, she came to an alleyway filled with residential buildings. While they did look slightly better than those in the provincial capital, they still fell short of her imagined beauty. At that moment, she couldn't help but feel a deep longing for 21st-century Kyoto.
As she walked, she kept looking around, hoping to find a decent hotel. Before coming here, her brother had told her that hotels in Kyoto were hard to find! Many people who came from other places, to save money, often chose to stay overnight in the company's bathhouse.
I heard that the bathhouse opens at 9 o'clock, and there are simple long chairs inside that are used as beds.
However, Wang Xiaolan was not going to be so hard on herself. After some searching, she finally found a decent hotel not far from Kyoto University and checked in successfully.
The next morning, she slowly rose from her bed, stretched, and gently opened the mysterious space. A flash of light appeared, and a hearty breakfast appeared before her: steaming buns, fragrant soy milk, fresh fruit, and exquisite pastries.
She happily placed the delicacies on the table and slowly savored them. Every bite was filled with the taste of happiness, leaving her feeling incredibly satisfied. After breakfast, she packed up briefly and left the hotel alone, beginning her search for an apartment.
She strolled along the streets surrounding Kyoto University, her gaze constantly wandering. The houses along the street were arranged in an orderly fashion, some quaint and elegant, others modern and minimalist. Admiring the scenery, she scanned the roadside rental listings. However, such listings were scarce, and before she knew it, hours had passed, yet she still hadn't found a satisfactory apartment.
As soon as she walked into an alley, she heard someone shouting "Catch the thief", and then a person ran towards Wang Xiaolan quickly.
In the blink of an eye, just as the thief darted past Wang Xiaolan like lightning, Wang Xiaolan remained calm and composed, extending a foot slightly. This footstep seemed casual, but it contained a clever force and precise timing.
The next second, there was a loud "thump". The thief who was running happily and thought he could escape from the pursuit suddenly lost his balance as if he was cast under a spell and fell heavily to the ground in an embarrassing posture.
Although the thief was bruised and battered by the unexpected fall, he held the stolen goods tightly and refused to let go.
At this moment, the thief turned his head suddenly like a frightened bird, and his eyes instantly fell on the slim Wang Xiaolan.
In an instant, the anger in his heart exploded like a lit powder keg!
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