Chen Jing waved his hand: "You accept it for me. We're brothers. If I do a good deed, it's your good deed too. The only reason I wanted to deal with them was because they were blind and kept eyeing my woman."
Ji Xia blushed and secretly tugged at Chen Jing's sleeve: "Speak properly, be serious."
Chen Jing chuckled: "Did I say something wrong? Aren't you my woman?"
Ji Xia rolled her eyes at him. She wasn't flirting with men everywhere, so why did she need to assert her dominance?
The man who came with Chen Jun said with a smile, "I am Chang Feng, Chen Jun's colleague. He said that this ambush was your idea. You have made a great contribution, and our leader appreciates you very much."
Chen Jing gestured for Ji Xia to stay where she was, then patted Chang Feng on the shoulder and said, "Brother, let's talk in private."
Chang Feng followed Chen Jing to the side: "Brother Chen, what do you want to say?"
Chen Jing chuckled and asked in a low voice, "Take a look at my wife, what does she look like?"
Chang Feng was taken aback and subconsciously looked Ji Xia up and down.
The pretty figure leaning against the window, with her delicate, porcelain-white face, her beautiful eyebrows and eyes showing a hint of weariness, and a dark bluish tinge beneath her pretty almond-shaped eyes, seemed as fragile as a willow in the wind, swaying gently.
He suddenly realized why the gang had intended to get off the bus earlier, but had stayed for several more stops because they couldn't bear to give up this best prospect.
Just as he was about to take a closer look, Chen Jing subtly blocked his way, a half-smile on his face.
"Comrade, look, my wife is only eighteen years old. She has never left the county town in her life, and she is very frail. Do you think I would let her take the bus alone and leave with you?"
Chang Feng suddenly realized: "It was my oversight, brother. However, you can get off the bus together, and we'll get you two new tickets after this is all over."
Chen Jing shook his head: "No, my girlfriend has to take an exam in Beijing. If she's late, it will affect her future for life. How can she get off the train now?"
"Alright, in that case, let's report the situation to our superiors and meet again when we have the chance."
"Whether we meet or not is not important. As I just said, if I do meritorious service, it means my brother does meritorious service. Just let him handle it. If you really feel bad about it, you can give me a bonus of three to five thousand yuan and have him pass it on to me."
Chang Feng's eyebrows twitched upon hearing this. A bonus of three to five thousand? The group of people who made the greatest contribution could only apply for a bonus of three to five hundred at most, how could they possibly have three to five thousand?
However, Chang Feng was really reluctant to part with Chen Jing. Although he seemed a bit roguish, he had principles and was also quite intelligent. This time, because of him, they completed the mission perfectly without any casualties.
After getting off the train, Chang Feng asked Chen Jun suspiciously, "What kind of exam is your sister-in-law taking in Beijing at this time? Isn't the college entrance exam taken locally? And it's not at this time either?"
Chen Jun gave a helpless, bitter smile: "I heard it's for the art exam."
"Arts exam? You mean singing, dancing, and performing?"
Chen Jun hesitated for a few seconds: "Probably!"
Upon hearing this, Chang Feng was overjoyed: "If that's the case, you can talk to your brother. If it's because of his fiancée, you can recruit her into the art troupe. Her image is suitable, and she's quite good at both singing and dancing."
After wiping out two gangs, the rest of the journey went much more smoothly.
Until they got off at the Beijing Railway Station, no one else on the train dared to offend them.
Two days later, in the evening, the two finally walked out of the train station with their luggage.
This was Ji Xia's first time visiting the capital. Even in the 1970s, she found the capital to be very prosperous, with some resemblance to the bustling cities of later generations.
Although it could not compare to the prosperity of later eras, this period was definitely the most prosperous and beautiful.
The Central Academy of Fine Arts is located in Chaoyang District. Ji Xia and Chen Jing had already learned some routes to Beijing from Wang Luoran. After leaving the train station, they took a bus to the guesthouse in Chaoyang District and booked two rooms using a certificate issued by the commune.
After checking their credentials and hearing that they wanted to apply to the Central Academy of Fine Arts, the waiter readily booked two rooms for them and instructed them, "You must be back in your room after 8 p.m. and cannot linger outside."
"Also, even if you are engaged, you cannot stay overnight in the girls' room after eight o'clock, as there are people checking at any time."
Ji Xia agreed readily, but Chen Jing was somewhat reluctant.
He and Ji Xia are clearly husband and wife, how can they sleep in separate rooms?
As soon as the waiter left, Chen Jing complained with a sullen expression, "Xia, we are a real couple."
"So what? I need to take the college entrance exam now, and I can only publicly state that I'm unmarried. Do you need me to send a telegram to my dad and second brother asking for a divorce certificate?"
"No, no need. It's just an exam, I can handle it."
Chen Jing smiled apologetically, and only then did Ji Xia have the mood to take a look around the guesthouse.
The guesthouse in the capital was indeed much better than the one in the countryside, with a large 1.5-meter bed, bedside table, wardrobe, and desk, all fully furnished.
However, she only now remembered that in Beijing in the 1970s and 80s, there were no bathrooms or water heaters in the rooms, and you had to go to a public bathhouse to take a shower.
Of course, there was no central heating in those days, and the temperature in the north was much lower than in the south.
The two traveled north, adding layers of clothing along the way. When they arrived in the capital, they had to wear two thick sweaters under their coats, yet they still felt chilly.
At this time, many people probably couldn't stand taking a shower in a bathroom without a heater or central heating.
Ji Xia tidied up her luggage: "Bring me two kettles of hot water. I need to wash up. I haven't showered for two days and two nights, and I feel like I'm covered in rotten smell."
"Okay, you wait here, I'll be right back."
He carried the kettles from both rooms to the hot water room at the end of the corridor, filled two kettles with hot water for Ji Xia, and then brought back half a bucket of cold water.
After washing herself with hot water, changing into clean clothes, and putting on a thick wool scarf, Ji Xia put her documents and money in her backpack and left the guesthouse with Chen Jing.
It was the evening rush hour, and the roads and bike lanes were bustling with traffic, filled with the sounds of bicycle bells and pedestrians.
They were wearing thick work clothes, scarves, gloves, and hats, and their faces were beaming with happy smiles.
This era may not be materially abundant, but the sense of happiness is still very strong.
Ji Xia and Chen Jing walked slowly along the sidewalk, looking at the scenery along the street. She exclaimed, "Although this is my first time in Beijing, I've already fallen in love with this place."
“If you like it, let’s buy a house here. I’ll do your laundry and cook for you at home. You can come back whenever you’re done with school or on weekends.”
Chen Jing spoke softly, and Ji Xia couldn't help but chuckle: "You make it sound so easy. What if I don't pass the exam?"
"If you can't pass the exam, who in the world can? I believe you definitely can—"
"Shut up, stop bragging, people will just laugh at you."
Ji Xia glared at him reproachfully and quickly covered his mouth with her hand.
"I can't even say for sure that I'll pass the exam, and you're already bragging. It's not even close to being a sure thing yet. What if I'm proven wrong later?"
"Heh, at least you have some self-awareness."
A disdainful laugh rang out from behind the two of them, and Ji Xia and Chen Jing turned around in surprise.
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