Chapter 85 Hao Zhenzhen The next day, Geng Yunye brought Cheng...
The next day, Geng Yunye took Cheng Xin to the city bank and the gold shop designated by the People's Bank of China.
Instead of buying fancy jewelry, he very pragmatically chose gold which can maintain its value, is easy to carry and can be converted into cash.
He chose a solid gold ring, a simple solid gold necklace, a pair of small gold earrings, and a necklace made of dozens of small gold beans.
The gold beans are not big, but there are many of them, with a considerable total value, and it is very convenient to remove a few and sell them individually in an emergency.
"Take all these with you," Geng Yunye carefully put them into an inconspicuous velvet bag, "and keep them close to you. They are not for you to wear, but emergency money. Just in case, and I mean just in case, you encounter special circumstances and need money, just go to a local regular gold shop and sell them. Remember, safety first, declare according to the rules." He repeatedly reminded the precautions for carrying and keeping the money to ensure compliance with security regulations.
On the way back to the village, the two deliberately went around to the west end of the village.
A new factory building stood there. The red brick walls were particularly neat in the sun, the tiles on the roof were densely laid, and the outer wall of the factory area had also been built.
Different from the bustling scene of laying the foundation a few months ago, the factory is now quiet and orderly, with only a few workers doing the final cleaning and landscaping work.
Geng Yunye introduced to Cheng Xin: "The factory building has been completed as planned, the equipment is being transported by sea, and the technicians sent by the partner will arrive next week."
He turned his head to look at Cheng Xin, his eyes full of tenderness: "Once the equipment is shipped in, installed, debugged, the workers trained, and the production line is running smoothly, this process will take at most three months."
He stopped and held her hand. "Xinxin, as long as the factory's production is on track, I will immediately apply for a work visa. Peter has made the contacts there, and they will issue a formal business inspection invitation letter to support my visa application."
She shook his hand back vigorously, with a smile in her eyes: "Well! I'll wait for you, Brother Yunye, you should also take good care of yourself at home, don't be too tired."
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The Shanghai airport in summer is like a huge steamer. The concrete ground is emitting scorching heat, and the air is mixed with the smell of engine oil and sweat.
Cheng Xin stood in the team that was about to go to the ocean, surrounded by relatives and friends.
The gathering time was at twelve noon. Geng Yunye went out three hours in advance and took his whole family to a state-owned photo studio.
In front of a red velvet background, Cheng Cunzhi and Xu Fengxia sat upright, their hands placed stiffly on their knees, their backs straight, with an expression of awkwardness and tension on their faces.
Xu Fengxia tugged at her new clothes uncomfortably. Cheng Cunzhi cleared his throat vigorously, his eyes unfocused.
Cheng Lei stood behind his parents, looking around excitedly, full of curiosity about the camera and the spotlight.
"Sister! Stand next to Dad!" Cheng Lei commanded excitedly.
Cheng Xin held her father's arm affectionately, and Geng Yunye stood tall beside Cheng Xin.
"Okay! Look at the camera and smile. One, two, three!"
Cheng Cunzhi and Xu Fengxia subconsciously held their breath, their faces becoming even more tense. Cheng Lei grinned, revealing a big smile. Cheng Xin smiled gently, and Geng Yunye looked at the camera with a firm gaze.
A white light flashed, capturing the Cheng family's first official family portrait.
"Take a photo of the young couple alone!" the photographer shouted.
Cheng Xin and Geng Yunye walked to the front of the curtain. Their shoulders gently touched each other, and one of his arms was slightly bent and hung naturally at his side, forming a silent protective circle.
Cheng Xin turned her head slightly and looked at Geng Yunye beside her, with a faint blush on her cheeks. Geng Yunye lowered his head, his eyes fell on her face, and the corners of his lips, which were always firm, rose upwards.
The white light flashed again. There was no intimate action in the photo of the two people, only the tacit understanding and silent affection between them standing side by side.
The photos were developed on an expedited basis and were still warm when I received them.
Cheng Lei snatched it away, his face glowing with excitement: "Dad, Mom, look how pretty my sister and brother-in-law are, prettier than the people on TV!"
Cheng Cunzhi and Xu Fengxia held the photo, their rough fingers carefully stroking the smooth paper surface. Looking at the daughter and son-in-law in the photo who looked like a perfect match from a painting, their eyes couldn't help but become moist, and they kept saying, "Great, really great."
Cheng Xin carefully put away the two precious photos. She put the family photo in the pocket of her shoulder bag, and put the photo of the couple in the inner pocket of her shirt, close to her heart, as if she could feel his body temperature and strength left in the photo.
Geng Yunye stood in front of her and explained everything in detail: "The large luggage can be checked in, and the shoulder bag can be carried with you. I put a few thick coats in it for you to change into. New York is not like home. It is cold in the morning and evening. It can rain at any time. The dried bamboo shoots and tea leaves you like to eat, as well as the chili sauce that your mother packed for you, are all in the innermost compartment of the shoulder bag. They are sealed with several layers, so don't worry."
He talked a lot, and Cheng Xin looked at him intently: "I have kept the cold medicine, fever medicine, and gastrointestinal medicine separately, and the usage and dosage are labeled on each box."
Then he took out a thick manila envelope and a hard card with foreign letters printed on it from his suit pocket. "Inside the envelope is the US dollar cash that can be exchanged for and taken out according to regulations. This is the bank account certificate in the United States, and the password is your birthday. Don't save money on spending, and tell me if you don't have enough."
His eyes were fixed on Cheng Xin's: "The hard currency in the bottom of the box must be kept close to you, and you must not touch it until you are penniless. Remember?" He was referring to the bag of emergency gold jewelry such as small gold bean necklaces and gold rings.
Cheng Xin nodded vigorously, her eyes burning with heat: "Remember, Brother Yunye. Don't worry, I will keep it safe."
The parents' exhortations were filled with reluctance. Cheng Cunzhi patted his daughter's shoulder, his throat choking a little: "My daughter, study hard when you get there! Make us proud!"
Xu Fengxia held her daughter's other hand tightly, her eyes swollen like walnuts: "Please take good care of yourself, eat well and keep warm, don't be reluctant to leave, and write to your family if you miss home."
Cheng Lei squeezed from behind his parents to the front, his little face flushed, his eyes sparkling with curiosity and yearning for the distant country: "Sister, when you get to the United States, you must write down what it is like there and tell me! Are their buildings really able to reach the sky, are the roads full of cars, do they eat bread and drink milk for every meal? You must write everything down, don't leave out a single word! I want to know what foreign countries really look like!"
Cheng Xin was infected by her brother's excitement, and rubbed his furry head with a smile: "Okay, Xiaolei, I promise you. I will write to you if I see anything new or learn anything new! You have to listen to your parents at home and study hard, understand?"
"Yes!" Cheng Lei puffed out his chest and promised loudly, "I will study hard and become as good as my sister in the future. I will go abroad to see the world!"
Chen Yuan hugged Cheng Xin and gave her a big hug. She gave her a notebook she had carefully selected: "Cheng Xin, I really don't want to leave you. You must write to us. Come on!"
Guan Shengnan gave Cheng Xin a big bag of cakes and preserved fruits: "I think the most practical thing to do when leaving home to study is to bring food with you."
Hou Feifei was naturally absent.
At this moment, a clear and pleasant female voice sounded, breaking the atmosphere of farewell.
"Cheng Xin! Classmate Cheng Xin! I finally found you!"
Cheng Xin looked in the direction of the voice and saw a girl of the same age with a bright smile walking towards her quickly. The girl was wearing a well-cut silk shirt with a pearl white lace doll collar, a denim skirt, and excellent leather sandals.
This fashionable outfit is the top-level configuration that a girl from a wealthy family and with good taste can own.
The other party stretched out his hand generously, and looked at Cheng Xin with his bright and clear eyes, which were full of curiosity and excitement.
"Hello! I'm Hao Zhenzhen from Capital Foreign Studies University. I finally meet you in person!"
Her smile was full of playfulness and heartfelt admiration: "I have been following you for a long time, the genius who fought his way out of the crowd and got the only public funding quota!"
Hao Zhenzhen's tone was extremely sincere: "You know, my grandmother is the dean of the Foreign Languages Department of Capital University of Foreign Studies. She translated and reviewed many English textbooks in China. My mother works in an embassy abroad. I have learned English as my second mother tongue since I was a child. I have been staying abroad during winter and summer vacations. My father always said that there are always people better than you, and I finally believed it."
Her eyes curved into crescents: "You defeated me, so I applied to the school to go abroad at my own expense. From now on, we will be comrades who rely on each other across the ocean. Please take care of me!"
Cheng Xin was infected by Hao Zhenzhen's enthusiasm, and smiled and stretched out her hand to shake hers.
"Hello, Zhenzhen. I was lucky to get the quota. We can learn from each other and make progress together in the future."
The boarding announcement sounded.
Geng Yunye stared at Cheng Xin, and all his words finally turned into a heavy promise: "Study hard and wait for me."
Cheng Xin nodded heavily, trying hard to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes. She took one last look at her tearful family and walked towards the boarding gate to the United States with her newfound friends.
The Boeing plane roared and rushed into the sky with huge thrust. The overweight feeling made Cheng Xin feel uncomfortable, but soon, the vast and boundless sea of clouds surging outside the window was so magnificent that it took her breath away.
Hao Zhenzhen was obviously a regular customer. She adapted well and even started chatting in fluent English with a gray-haired, elegant foreign old lady sitting next to her.
Cheng Xin sat quietly by the window, looking down at the land beneath her feet that carried her hometown and loved ones, which was becoming smaller and more blurred.
The long flight seemed to have no end. When the plane finally landed at the international airport on the east coast of the United States, the moment I stepped out of the cabin door, the heat wave mixed with the smell of car exhaust and unfamiliar perfume hit me in the face.
Everything in front of me is filled with a strong sense of impact.
The towering glass curtain walls reflected the dazzling sunlight, and the skyscrapers were like steel forests; on the wide roads, cars of different colors rushed like rivers. People of different skin colors and strange clothes hurried through the huge terminal, and various languages intertwined into a buzzing background sound.
Hao Zhenzhen was like a bird that had flown out of a cage. She looked around excitedly and chattered away.
Cheng Xin looked at this legendary center of the world with a bit of curiosity and trepidation.
The tall buildings, the traffic, the skin color, the language… everything was strange and fresh, and there was no trace of timidity or inferiority in her eyes.
Although the prosperity of the United States was shocking, it made her feel more resolute than ever before. The prosperity in front of her would surely be the same in the future for her motherland, or even better! And now, she was here to learn from that future.
She silently said in her heart: "King's College, here I come."
After many twists and turns, I finally arrived at King's College.
The college's student apartment management is relatively relaxed, and visitors only need to register downstairs to enter the corresponding floor.
Cheng Xin and Hao Zhenzhen were lucky enough to be assigned to the same double apartment, which had a private bathroom and a small open kitchen.
After putting down the heavy luggage, the dizziness and fatigue caused by jet lag came over me like a tide.
On the first night, the two of them lay in a strange bed. They were so tired that they stared at the ceiling without any desire to sleep.
Hao Zhenzhen simply turned on the bedside lamp, and the two girls chatted quietly in the dim light, ranging from the special snacks in their hometown to their expectations for courses, from their uneasiness about living in a foreign country to their aspirations for the future.
In a strange environment far away from their hometown, two equally outstanding girls met because of a competition and quickly became close because of their common journey.
The pace of the formal class was faster than I could imagine, as if the fast-forward button had been pressed.
Cheng Xin's major is Business English, and the schedule is so dense that it is hard to breathe. She absorbs nutrients like a sponge thrown into the ocean of knowledge, but the pressure brought by the huge amount of information and cultural differences often makes her feel exhausted. It has become commonplace for her to look up information, revise reports repeatedly, and practice speeches in front of the mirror late at night under the desk lamp.
Hao Zhenzhen is active in a completely different diplomatic arena. She is equally busy, but her natural social skills and cheerful and optimistic personality allow her to handle various occasions with ease, as if she has endless energy.
In addition to their busy studies, the small apartment became a warm haven for them.
On weekends, Cheng Xin would take out the dried bamboo shoots she brought from home and her mother’s secret chili sauce and show off her cooking skills in the small kitchen.
When the familiar aroma of food filled the room, Hao Zhenzhen sniffed and rushed over: "Xinxin, you are simply an angel! It smells so good, I am so happy!" She circled around Cheng Xin, "From now on, the kitchen is your territory. I, Hao Zhenzhen, will take care of washing dishes, sweeping the floor, entertaining and entertaining you!"
She did what she said and not only kept the apartment clean and tidy, but also became a source of happiness for Cheng Xin.
When Cheng Xin was exhausted by the heavy schoolwork, Hao Zhenzhen would take her to the campus lawn to bask in the sun and feed the chubby pigeons. When homesickness quietly filled the air in the dead of night and Cheng Xin felt lonely, Hao Zhenzhen would share the new snacks she had found, and vividly recount interesting anecdotes about the capital or embarrassing things that happened in class, making her laugh.
Hao Zhenzhen's presence, like a vibrant little sun, greatly dispelled Cheng Xin's loneliness and homesickness in a foreign country.
They are completely different kinds of people, but they become each other's strongest support in a foreign country.
However, when one is in a foreign country, illness can be devastating.
The unpredictable weather in New York State made Cheng Xin catch a cold. She stayed up late for several days to prepare for an important simulated international business negotiation, and her body was completely broken down late one night.
The high fever spread like wildfire, with her body temperature approaching 40 degrees. The severe headache made her feel like her head was about to explode, her bones ached, and her throat was swollen and painful like a needle.
Her consciousness alternated between boiling magma and the icy abyss, and she was so weak that she didn't even have the strength to lift a finger.
Cheng Xin curled up in bed. The thick quilt could not dispel the bone-chilling cold. She felt so uncomfortable that she just wanted to curl up into a ball. She couldn't even make a sound.
That morning, Hao Zhenzhen discovered that Cheng Xin's cold had worsened. She had an important course in the morning that simulated an international multilateral meeting. As the chief representative of a certain country, she had prepared her speech for a whole week. It was related to the group's performance and she absolutely could not be absent.
Seeing Cheng Xin's fever, blurred consciousness and in great pain, Hao Zhenzhen was so anxious that tears welled up in her eyes and her heart was broken.
"Xinxin! Wake up, can you hear me?" She called anxiously, placed the antipyretic drugs, water cup and phone within Cheng Xin's reach, and put a cold compress on her forehead.
"The medicine and water are on the bedside table. If you feel unbearable, you must call! Call the dormitory assistant or Mary next door. I have asked her to come and see you at noon!"
"You...you go quickly, don't be late." She knew how important Hao Zhenzhen's class today was. If Hao Zhenzhen's group performance was affected because of her, she would be overwhelmed by self-blame.
Hao Zhenzhen held Cheng Xin's hot hand, her voice tearful, "Hold on, Xinxin. I'll rush back as soon as the get out of class is over, no, as soon as I finish my speech, wait for me!" Time was running out, she was reluctant but had to leave, looking back every few steps.
The apartment was deathly silent, with only Cheng Xin's heavy breathing as the sound. Time seemed to be long in the endless pain. She felt like a broken ship about to sink in the stormy sea, lonely and helpless.
She was in a daze, not knowing how much time had passed, when a rapid knock on the door penetrated the chaotic fog brought by the high fever and reached her ears persistently.
Was it Zhenzhen who came back early? Or was it Mary? Her instinct for survival made her burst out with her last bit of strength. Like a stranded dying fish, she struggled to get out of bed with all her strength, the cold tile floor irritating the burning soles of her feet.
She wrapped herself tightly in the blanket and moved towards the door, holding onto the wall. Each step was weak and floating. She felt dizzy and her vision went black. She almost fell to the ground several times.
Just a few steps feel like a long journey.
Cheng Xin finally moved to the door. Her trembling fingers could hardly hold the door handle, and she struggled to turn the door lock.
The dazzling light from the corridor poured in, and Cheng Xin closed her eyes. In her blurred vision, a tall and straight figure, so familiar that it made her soul tremble, stood at the door like a rock.
He was dusty, with fatigue on his face and blue stubble on his chin, but his deep eyes were filled with anxiety and heartache. He was holding a plastic bag with a pharmacy logo in his hand.
"Brother Yun... Brother Yunye?" Cheng Xin said in a faint hoarse voice. She blinked her sweaty and hot eyelids hard, trying to see the figure in front of her clearly.
Was it an illusion caused by the fever? Or had she started to revolve around? She wanted to raise her heavy arms to touch it to confirm whether it was the real temperature, but even this little strength was completely exhausted, and her body slid down the door frame softly.
"Xinxin!" Geng Yunye rushed in and picked up Cheng Xin steadily before she collapsed to the ground.
"It's me, I'm coming! Don't be afraid!"
He carefully put the light-hearted Cheng Xin back on the bed and covered her with a blanket. His palms touched her hot forehead and cheeks, and the scorching temperature instantly twisted Geng Yunye's brows into a knot!
He immediately put down the pharmacy bag, which contained strong antipyretic drugs, a thermometer, and several bottles of electrolyte supplements that he had bought at the pharmacy just after getting off the bus.
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