As soon as the Unified Examination results were announced, Liu Meiyun became a hot topic of discussion among Huaqing students.
Not only is she beautiful, she is also so outstanding. Think about yourself, why shouldn’t I work hard?
So after the Unified Examination, the learning atmosphere at Huaqing became more intense, and the queues at the library in the morning became longer and longer.
Students who did well in the exam were afraid of being surpassed, while those who did not do well tried their best to catch up. In the huge campus, students studying could be seen in almost every corner.
The principal and teachers of Huaqing School are very pleased to see the students' unprecedented enthusiasm for learning.
Ever since the people in the dormitory knew that Liu Meiyu had ranked first in the department and won the first-class scholarship, everyone has been impressed by her.
"Meiyu, you are too strong." The eldest sister in the dormitory, Zhou Yanhong, is only a few years older than Liu Meiyu. She is also married and has children. She works as hard as Liu Meiyu in her studies, but her return rate is not as high as Liu Meiyu's.
Not to mention getting a scholarship in this Unified Examination, she could only rank in the middle of the class.
Tian Xiaoyan also praised sincerely: "That's right, Meiyun, you won the first place without saying a word, you really bring honor to our dormitory!"
Wang Meihua also raised her head from her books and said enviously, "It's a first-class scholarship. I can buy a lot of books with it!"
"This is only the first semester. Everyone, work hard and strive to get a scholarship next year."
While Liu Meiyun encouraged them, she herself did not dare to act rashly.
Huaqing is a place where strength speaks volumes, and she dare not take it lightly just because she got first place this time.
Bai Ting returned to the dormitory and heard everyone in the dormitory praising Liu Meiyu. She went to bed without saying a word and packed her things.
"Bai Ting, are you sick?" Zhou Yanhong, the eldest sister in the dormitory, saw that Bai Ting looked unwell since the unified examination, so she asked with concern.
Bai Ting just glanced at Liu Meiyu with complicated eyes, ignored Zhou Yanhong and walked out with her bag.
"She is so disrespectful!" Tian Xiaoyan was indignant on behalf of Sister Hong.
Zhou Yanhong smiled and waved her hands, "It's okay, she might have something urgent. I saw that she seemed to be very busy these few days after the exam."
Seeing that he always runs outside with a bag on his back, Zhou Yanhong is worried that something might have happened at home.
But Bai Ting was a solitary person and hardly interacted with the people in the dormitory. No one knew what was going on at home, and because her boss was stern, no one dared to ask.
Since Bai Ting pretended not to know her, Liu Meiyu definitely didn't want to be the one who meddles in other people's business.
No matter what people do with their bags on their backs every day, Liu Meiyu feels that someone like Bai Ting, who was able to get a few hundred yuan in breakup fees for herself when she divorced in the 1970s, would not be wronged outside.
Bai Ting, carrying a heavy bag, walked out of Huaqing University and took the bus.
After getting in the car and looking at the gate of Huaqing University, she was still wondering why Liu Meiyu, whom she met in this life, was also so unwilling to be mediocre.
Since they were studying the same major, she thought that even if she couldn't get the scholarship, she would at least be better than Liu Meiyu. However, the test results were beyond her expectations.
She studied very hard, getting up very early every day to hang out in the library and staying up all night in the dormitory. She thought she could get the same reward as the college entrance examination, but the reality was that even with such hard work, her grades could only barely maintain a middle level in the class.
But Liu Meiyu easily got the first place in the exam.
No matter which world Liu Meiyun is in, she seems to be particularly favored by God.
Bai Ting was unwilling, but there was nothing she could do.
She had previously suspected that Liu Meiyu's admission to Huaqing might be due to some abnormal means used by her in-laws, but in this Huaqing unified examination, she and Liu Meiyu were in the same examination room, and the results were definitely obtained by her own efforts.
When the conductor reminded her that they had arrived at their destination, Bai Ting wiped away her depression and hurried off the bus with her bag on her back.
Forget it, I don’t want to think about it anymore.
Since you can't get equal returns in learning, make up for it elsewhere.
She has already been admitted to Huaqing University. As long as she graduates successfully and gets her diploma and concentrates on her career, she doesn't believe that she can't defeat the bookish Liu Meiyu!
Bai Ting, with her fighting spirit rekindled, came to the gate of a high school in Beijing carrying a cloth bag.
After waiting for a while, the school was over and a large number of students came out of the school gate.
Bai Ting stood at the entrance of the alley, looking around, and whispered to several female students who were walking by: "Classmate, do you want a hair tie? One dime each."
"What kind of hair rope?" the female classmate asked curiously.
Bai Ting opened the bag to show them, and inside they saw hair bands of various colors and patterns. They were bright and colorful, much prettier than the rubber bands sold in the supply and marketing cooperative.
"Buy five and I'll give you one for free. If you buy more, we'll give you a discount." Seeing that they were excited, Bai Ting continued.
Several female classmates looked at each other. Ten cents a popsicle was not very expensive. They could just gather their pocket money and eat a few fewer popsicles, and they could even give one away.
The key point is that the style of the rope is really new and it is the first time they have seen it.
"Let's buy five." After the discussion, the female student quickly gave Bai Ting 50 cents.
Bai Ting let them pick out six flowery ropes themselves, sent them away, and went on to look for the next group of customers.
High school students in Beijing are not like those in other small places. They basically carry a few cents or even dimes for pocket money on their bodies. Bai Ting sold out all the more than 100 hair ties in her bag without much effort.
Carrying an empty bag and without food to eat, she took a bus to another place, and after many twists and turns, she came to a house in the alley and knocked on the door.
The person who opened the door for Bai Ting was an older sister-in-law. She carefully glanced behind Bai Ting and found nothing wrong, so she invited her in and greeted her with a smile on her face.
"Big sister, you are finally here. I will make these 150 hair ties for you at noon!" The woman handed more than 100 hair ties she had just made to Bai Ting.
"Well, thank you, sister-in-law." Bai Ting took it and roughly checked it. After checking it, she counted out a pile of bills and gave them to her: "Sister-in-law, here are your three yuan, please count them."
"Oh!" The woman took the money and couldn't stop smiling.
A few days ago, she was sunbathing with her children at the entrance of the alley when this beautiful woman suddenly came up to her and asked her if she wanted to do some handicrafts for a day.
When she asked clearly that they wanted to process this kind of hair tie and charge her 2 cents per piece, she only hesitated for a moment before agreeing.
She has a sewing machine at home, and she can make more than a hundred pieces a day, earning two or three yuan a day, and at least sixty or seventy yuan a month, which is more than her husband's monthly salary.
The woman has been doing this for several days in a row and has earned more than ten yuan. Now she looks at Bai Ting as if she is the God of Wealth.
After paying the woman the processing fee, Bai Ting still had more than eight yuan left. After deducting the round-trip fare and the cost of scraps of cloth and rubber bands, she could make at least six yuan a day, or at least eighteen yuan a month. And this was just the beginning.
She has only visited two or three middle schools. There are so many colleges and universities in the whole capital, not only high schools but also universities. As long as she can find a sales channel, she will not have to worry about making money.
But she was worried that when the demand came in, she would not be able to supply such a large quantity with just one sewing machine, and she was afraid that it would attract too much attention if she hired more people.
There were also scraps of cloth, which she got from a factory in the suburbs by delivering a pack of Daqianmen cigarettes to someone, and the supply was unstable.
In the past, she had only heard that you could make money by doing anything in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but when she tried it herself, she found that it was true that you could make money, but it was also hard work.
As soon as the classes were over every day, she had to rush out to do sales during the high school dismissal time. Not only was she terrified, but she also had to find raw materials and oversee the processing. It was common for her to be so busy that she had no time for meals.
"Sister-in-law, I won't take these hair ties with me today. I'll come back tomorrow to get them. I'll also bring you some scraps of cloth. You can make more when you have time."
In the first few days, Bai Ting was worried about the woman, so she carried the finished products back to school every day. After working together for a few days, she didn't want to be so tired, and it was also dangerous to carry a bag of hair ropes back to school. She had to make money as soon as possible and find a way to buy a small house of her own in Beijing, which could also be used as a warehouse.
"Oh, okay, put it wherever you want." The woman cherished this lucrative job very much, and naturally agreed to Bai Ting's request.
After Bai Ting made the deal, it was almost dark, so she hurried back to school because she had to go to the suburban factory to pick up the scraps of cloth early the next morning.
However, what she didn't know was that as soon as she walked out of the woman's house, an old lady walked in.
"Mom, why are you here?" The woman didn't have time to put the bag of hair ties that Bai Ting left with her back into the house.
The old lady was surprised when she saw it.
"Where did you get these?"
"Mom, please keep your voice down. Someone left this in my house." The woman closed the door.
The old lady was her biological mother and she always thought about herself, so she told her about the idea of making money by doing handicrafts for others.
The old lady was shocked at first, but then she thought about it and brainwashed the girl unsatisfiedly: "She must have taken these out to sell for money. I estimate that each can sell for at least eight cents. You are stupid. You worked so hard for a long time and only made two cents for each. You also put in a sewing machine. She got the most money so easily. You are at a loss!"
"Mom, those scraps of cloth and leather rings were all given by her. Our family didn't spend a penny on them." The woman has not worked at home in recent years and has been relying on her husband's salary to support the whole family. She wants to do something even if she can earn a few cents, let alone two or three yuan a day. When the family was in financial difficulty, she made matchboxes for the street, earning only one cent each, and there were still many people scrambling to do it.
The old lady slapped the stupid girl on the arm, and said angrily: "What time is it now? Haven't you seen that the situation outside has changed? I went to the market this morning and saw someone secretly selling non-staple food. If you sell this hair tie at school, you will definitely make money! She paid for the scraps of cloth, and we also paid for the labor and sewing machine. If you don't ask her for half, at least ask for three cents per piece!"
"Mom, isn't this bad?" When the woman heard that the old lady asked for three cents a piece, if she worked hard and made 200 pieces a day, wouldn't she be earning five or six yuan a day? She couldn't even think about it in a month!
"Besides, we can't get any scraps of cloth. If we raise the price, what will she do if she finds someone else to do it?" The woman finally came across this handicraft that can supplement the family income, and she didn't want to lose it.
The old lady waved her hand and said, "What are you afraid of? She doesn't dare to seek justice for this matter. She must have come to you because she thinks you are honest and short of money. If we ask her for one more cent, she will make money. If we have a falling out, at worst we can threaten to sue her! Just to scare her!"
"Mom, please don't!" The woman was so frightened that her face turned pale. She was afraid that her mother would make a mistake, so she hurriedly said, "If you sue her, I can't escape either. Please don't harm me!"
The old lady was furious. She knocked the daughter on the head and said angrily, "Your head is really made of wood. I said I was trying to scare her, but I didn't ask you to sue her! You are my daughter. Can I let you go to jail for a penny?"
The woman patted her chest and finally breathed a sigh of relief, but she still couldn't make up her mind to bargain with the man.
Finally, the old lady couldn't stand it anymore, so she thought of a comprehensive solution and persuaded the daughter: "How about this, I will go to the gate of the nearby school tomorrow to see how much she sells a hair tie for. If it's less than 8 cents, then we will still make it for 2 cents each. If it's more than 8 cents, then she makes so much money, and it's a shame to only charge us 2 cents each for processing it!"
The woman knew that if she didn't agree, her mother would definitely get angry with her, so she nodded quickly.
So, the old lady went to a nearby school the next day, but she didn't see any woman buying hair ties nearby. Instead, she ran into a girl wearing a hair tie made by her girlfriend. When she went over to ask, she found out that not only did the woman sell hair ties for one cent each, but she also specifically avoided selling them in schools nearby. Wasn't it obvious that she was on guard against them?
"What? This thing is sold for one dime each?" The woman was also incredulous after hearing what my mother said.
Although the hair ties sold at the supply and marketing cooperative were a bit ugly, they were cheap. She didn't expect that Bai Ting's hair ties, which cost only one cent each, would be sold out every day.
Bai Ting had just gotten a large bag of rags from a factory in the suburbs. She carried it with difficulty to the alley to find a woman to process them.
As a result, I met the woman's mother today, and they both asked for a higher processing fee.
It's only been a few days since we started doing this, and she's already done this.
Bai Ting suddenly felt very regretful. She only asked about the woman's character but did not ask about her family.
Now the processing fee has been raised, even though it has only increased by one cent, it's not that she can't afford it, but she feels very uncomfortable because they changed their mind in just a few days. Moreover, the factories in the suburbs are also greedy. Seeing the improvement in the market situation, they know that they can make some money with those scraps of cloth. Now one bag of Daqianmen is not enough to satisfy them.
You have to pay extra!
Her business has just started, and it's unstable on both ends, which makes people feel upset!
The mother and daughter were bargaining. Seeing that Bai Ting looked unhappy, the old lady rubbed her hands and said hurriedly, "We have asked around. Your rope is sold for ten cents each. If you give us three cents, you will still make the most money, excluding the scraps of cloth."
"Okay, three points is three points. If you want to raise the price again, just tell me in advance and I'll find someone else to do it! This business is not mine alone. I have to share these scraps of cloth and rubber bands with others. I can't make a few cents per person, and I have to take risks if I sell them out."
Bai Ting was impatient to settle the matter.
"Oh, don't worry, we will never change again!" The woman felt that three cents was already a lot, and as long as she was quick enough, she could make a lot of money in a month!
Bai Ting's career has finally stabilized. Although it is hard work every day, she can earn two or three hundred yuan a month, which is almost as much as other people's annual salary.
As for Liu Meiyun, she focused on her studies.
As an outstanding freshman, she delivered a speech at the 77th Freshman Opening Ceremony of Huaqing University, which was of special significance. She did not read from a script like other students, nor did she speak at length about profound principles or any study methods. She just talked about her personal experience of why she studied economics and English.
Hao Limei and Liu Meiyun were in the same class. She originally thought that the major she chose was difficult to understand and boring, and it was painful to attend classes every day. However, after listening to Liu Meiyun's freshman speech, she suddenly felt that she and Liu Meiyun seemed to be studying different majors.
The economics that Liu Meiyun talks about is looking at history, the world, current affairs, and national development from an economic perspective. In her eyes, economics is just a bunch of difficult-to-understand theories.
"Meiyun, you are really strong. You have convinced me that I will not fall asleep during this semester's classes!"
When Liu Meiyun finished her speech and returned to her class team to thunderous applause, Hao Limei gave her a thumbs up and admired her from the inside out.
"If you can really stay awake, it means that the task the teacher gave me has been completed."
Not only were the classmates affected, but after Liu Meiyun returned to the dormitory, Wang Meihua also said that after listening to Liu Meiyun's speech, she also wanted to take English as a second major.
Zhou Yanhong, the eldest sister in the dormitory, said with regret: "Meiyun, you don't know. After your speech today, many people in our class have been discussing the importance of English. Many people are ready to start self-study. If I were not too old, I would also like to learn more."
Cyndi Lau: "Age is not an obstacle, the prerequisite is that you like it and persist in it."
"Forget it, I won't bother myself anymore. I'm sure I don't have the perseverance as you guys." Zhou Yanhong waved her hands, and the little flame in her heart quickly went out.
She should just wait quietly until graduation and be assigned a good job by the government!
She has to worry about a lot of things at home, such as her children, mother-in-law and husband. She can't even concentrate on going to school, let alone learning a foreign language.
After the opening ceremony, the name Liu Meiyu became known to more Huaqing students.
Suddenly, there were many more letters in the dormitory manager's mail basket, with Liu Meiyu's addressee written on them.
Most of them were written to her by her classmates at Huaqing.
It's certainly not a love letter.
Most people who know her also know that she is married, and it is a military marriage. Who would dare to write a letter to express love to a military wife?
Most of them discussed learning with her with enthusiasm.
Liu Meiyun admires people of this generation very much. With just a pen and a piece of paper, they can freely express their views and explore the depth of literature with people they basically don’t know, and even treat the other person as a friend and confidant.
In a few decades, this way of communication will basically no longer exist. People will communicate through the screen by tapping on the keyboard with their nimble fingers and sending emoticons. It is more convenient and faster, but also less warm.
"Liu Meiyun! It's your letter again!"
Song Qi went to the dormitory manager to look for letters, but he didn't find his own. Instead, he brought back a few letters for Liu Meiyu.
She said unhappily, "Isn't it just that I got first place in the exam? What's so great about that? I write every day and I don't mind wasting ink!"
Liu Meiyun was sitting on the bed, eating the snacks that Lu Changzheng had prepared for her, while reading a book. She picked up the letter on the bed and said to Song Qi, "Thank you, but if you don't like it, just pretend you didn't see it next time. I'll go get it myself."
"You are so kind, but you are treated like a donkey!" Song Qi snorted, "Don't you see how many letters are piled up at Auntie's place? Someone even got one by mistake! I got it back for you, but I still get nothing in return!"
Liu Meiyun put down the book and saw Song Qi was acting like a spoiled brat again, so she said, "I'm not afraid that you'll get tired, I'm just trying to express my special gratitude. Come, to express my gratitude, please accept this cookie."
Having lived in the dormitory for so long, Liu Meiyu originally thought that Song Qi was the most difficult one to get along with. Later, she discovered that this girl was corrupted by her family habits. She had a lot of bad habits and a bad temper, but she was not a bad person at heart. She was a little competitive, but not as extreme as Bai Ting.
She used to laugh at herself for overestimating her ability by learning English, but after the results of the last Unified Examination came out, so many people praised her, and Song Qi was the one she least expected.
"Liu Meiyun, I was wrong. You are quite capable. Keep going. I won't lose to you anyway!"
Although Song Qi boasted about his abilities at that time, it was really surprising to hear these abilities coming out of Miss Song's mouth.
Of course, this girl's arrogance and self-centered attitude still make her hard to like.
"Who cares about your crappy cookies? I usually only eat the chocolates my uncle brings me!" Song Qi showed off, pulling out a box of chocolates with English words written all over them from his box and showing them off in front of Liu Meiyu. "You've never seen this chocolate before, have you? It's not even sold in Friendship Stores!"
Liu Meiyun: "..."
Liu Meiyu didn't want to pay any attention to Miss Song Qi, so she chose to open the letter silently.
Among the several letters, there were ones from Lu Changzheng, ones from Huaqing classmates, and one from teacher Zhou Qiuhe on the island.
She opened the letter from Lu Changzheng first. Not surprisingly, it was two long-winded pages, written like a diary. He even wrote down when the cafeteria chef put the wrong amount of salt in the rice. He also praised her test scores and her speeches. Finally, he said that the all-in-one recorder he had asked someone to get for her had been sent from Guangzhou, and would probably arrive in the next two days.
After reading Lu Changzheng's letter, Liu Meiyu went to open the letter from Teacher Zhou.
Teacher Zhou also included a letter written on behalf of Wu Guifang, Wu's sister-in-law.
Wu Guifang could not read, let alone write, so she had to ask others to write for her. The letter was full of caring words and some gossip on the island. After reading it, Liu Meiyu felt a little nostalgic.
Zhou Qiuhe, like Wu Guifang, exchanged pleasantries but then came to ask for a favor.
The matter was very small, just asking her to pick out some counseling books for Gangzi in Beijing.
Last year, Gangzi signed up for the college entrance examination with Daya and Erya in the countryside. Daya and Erya were both admitted to Liaoning Normal University, but Gangzi failed.
But perhaps this child has grown up and become sensible. In the past, he refused to study even when Captain Zhu whipped him with a whip. After only one year of training in the countryside and failing the college entrance examination, the educated youth returned to the city, but he refused to listen to Captain Zhu and join the army, and insisted on continuing to take the college entrance examination without admitting defeat.
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