Chapter 20 Spring Day Green (3) At least I know what I should do in the future...
He Chuan and Lin Xia took the subway from Wudaokou Station and walked all the way to the southeast gate of Tsinghua University. However, they took the wrong road. Although Tsinghua University welcomes foreign tourists, the southeast gate is not the entrance for visitors. Only students of the university can enter. Student cards are required to enter and exit the gate.
Lin Xia thought, why not go around to another door, but the other door was very far away from here, and it would take almost half an hour to walk there.
The two people stood on the side of the road and looked at each other.
He Chuan thought for a moment and said to Lin Xia, "Wait a moment."
He made a phone call and waited for more than ten minutes before seeing two people riding bicycles approaching from a distance. Bicycles abound on Beijing streets, especially near the university. Lin Xia hadn't realized they were coming for them until she saw one of them waving frantically from a distance. She felt vaguely familiar with the scene, and when the person got closer, she saw it was indeed He Chuan's classmate, Tan Zhizhou.
Lin Xia remembered that this boy seemed to have been admitted to Peking University, which is next to Tsinghua University.
I haven't seen him for two years and he has changed a lot. University is really a melting pot. His dressing style has also become much more fashionable.
Tan Zhizhou parked his bicycle, walked up to He Chuan and punched him on the shoulder without any hesitation, then said with a grin:
"Didn't you say you didn't have time to see me today? Why did you suddenly come here? Luckily, I just had dinner with a friend at Wudaokou."
He Chuan missed his old classmates after not seeing them for a long time. He smiled and said, "I decided to come here on a whim. I wanted to go around Tsinghua University."
Tan Zhizhou glanced at Lin Xia standing beside him and was surprised: "Hey, aren't you that so-and-so? How did you two meet again?"
Lin Xia answered honestly: "I came to Beijing for training."
"By the way, you're an art student. Oh, you wanted to come and see Tsinghua Academy of Fine Arts, right?" Tan Zhizhou looked at He Chuan meaningfully. "I see. No wonder you called me over. Okay, buddy, you've got good sense. Let's get together tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. Give me the things first."
He Chuan pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to him. Tan Zhizhou happily took it, playing with it lovingly, and then turned it on. Lin Xia then realized it was a mobile phone, but a very special one. There was no keyboard, and the screen took up the entire body. She had only seen it in a lucky draw commercial on TV. It seemed to be a new, expensive brand of mobile phone.
Tan Zhizhou asked: "Where's the box? Where are the accessories?"
He Chuan replied: "I can't bring that one here."
"Alright, I'm satisfied with this. Don't you know that this is very popular now? The Hong Kong version is over a thousand cheaper!"
Tan Zhizhou played with it for a while, then reluctantly put the phone into his schoolbag, and said to He Chuan:
"I'll transfer the money to your card later. You guys go in with my friend and we'll contact each other when you have time!"
After Tan Zhizhou left, Lin Xia finally noticed the friend who came with him. She was a girl with long, straight black hair and a black dress. She had a cold expression and spoke concisely:
"Come with me."
Although student IDs are checked at the school gate, it is not that strict. You can get in if you bring a Tsinghua student with you.
The girl in the black skirt led them into the school gate and said to them:
"Just keep going straight and you'll reach Tsinghua Road. Just walk along Tsinghua Road."
Then she got on her bike and rode away without even leaving her name.
Lin Xia looked at her leaving figure and said blankly, "She's so cool."
Are all girls in Tsinghua University so cool?
He Chuan couldn't help laughing: "She might be a little angry. I called Tan Zhizhou over when he was halfway through his meal."
Lin Xia realized something: "She is Tan Zhizhou's girlfriend?"
One from Tsinghua University and the other from Peking University, this is so amazing!
"It's possible. He's always been popular with girls."
He Chuan was not as curious as her, and only said,
"let's go."
"Um."
The two people walked forward according to the instructions of the person suspected to be Tan Zhizhou's girlfriend, and did not dare to turn, because Tsinghua University was too big, with too many buildings and too many forks in the road, and they would get lost if they were not careful.
Of all the schools Lin Xia had attended so far, the largest one was Experimental High School. However, it only had two teaching buildings, a dormitory building, a gymnasium, and a playground. She had never seen such a large school and didn't even dare to imagine it.
How big is this place? It feels like it's almost bigger than Wangchun, right? Even if it's not as big as the entire Wangchun, it should be as big as an entire district!
Tsinghua University isn't just vast; its campus is also breathtakingly beautiful. Now, in the height of summer, trees shade the landscape, the grass verdant, and buildings of various styles stand out: retro, modern, Chinese, Western, each distinct yet harmoniously coexisting. Lin Xia sees the countless students walking, cycling, reading, and chatting on the lawn. Each one possesses a unique spirit, each filled with high spirits and confidence.
Coincidentally, the Academy of Fine Arts was just a short distance from the southeast entrance. From the outside, the building looked imposing and stylish. Standing in front of it, Lin Xia's heart raced as she gazed at it. This time next year, she, or perhaps someone in her class, would have the opportunity to study in this building. It sounded incredible. Who would be so lucky, who would have such a blessing?
Tsinghua Road is the main thoroughfare within the campus, and many famous architectural attractions are located near it. As you enter Tsinghua Road, you'll notice a noticeable increase in pedestrian traffic, with groups of guided tour groups and elementary and middle school students in their school uniforms often spotted.
He Chuan smiled and said, "The Chinese University of Hong Kong often has tour groups visiting. One of my foreign classmates said that Chinese people are the only ones in the world who are keen on visiting universities when traveling."
Yes, because Chinese people are the only ones in the world who firmly believe that knowledge can change one's destiny, and that after ten years of hard study, one will be admitted to a prestigious university. Therefore, they have such a devout worship for universities, the temple of knowledge.
Lin Xia and He Chuan followed a tour group past the Central Building, the I-shaped Hall, the Near Spring Garden, and Zhu Ziqing's Lotus Pond. They were looking for the famous Shuimu Qinghua Pavilion, but they couldn't find it despite repeated attempts. Only much later did Lin Xia realize that the pavilion was actually not far from them, but they had been so lost in the area that they had missed it several times.
Tsinghua University's Great Hall is a unique and beautiful building, a fusion of Greek and Roman architecture, with a red brick dome. In front of the Great Hall is a large lawn that looks very familiar, perhaps from a TV series. A newlywed couple in wedding attire is photographed there.
The sun was setting in the west, and the dark clouds that had been gloomy for most of the day had dispersed at some point. The sunlight shone on the earth and also on the sundial at the southern end of the lawn, which was once a relic of the Old Summer Palace.
Lin Xia stood there, unable to calm down for a long time.
From 1912 to the present, Liang Sicheng, Lin Huiyin, Yang Jiang, Wen Yiduo, Cao Yu... so many shining stars in history have come out from here. She has never been so close to these names in textbooks in her life.
At this moment, a desire and urge she had never felt before ignited in her heart. She wanted to study here, she wanted to be one of these students, she wanted to study in a classroom like this, she wanted to sketch by the lotus pond! She had to work hard, she had to do it, she had to succeed!
Yet, at the same time, a wave of sadness and helplessness washed over her. How could it be possible? How could she possibly deserve to be admitted to one of the nation's most prestigious universities? How could she possibly possess such a wonderful thing? How many students took the national college entrance exam each year? How many took the art exam? How many made it to Peking University and Tsinghua University? She was just an ordinary, ordinary student among them. How much hard work and opportunity would it take for her to succeed?
These two emotions kept intertwining and stirring in her heart, but they gradually calmed her down.
Well, that's it. I've been here, I've seen it, and at least I know what I should work hard for in the future.
Finally, Lin Xia and He Chuan arrived at the Second Campus Gate, Tsinghua's most iconic building, the three-arched memorial archway with its white columns and blue bricks. Many people were taking photos there, so He Chuan pulled out his phone and asked Lin Xia if she wanted to take a picture.
Lin Xia shook her head: "No, even if I take the photo, it won't belong to me."
She raised her head and took one last look at the three words "Tsinghua Garden" on the school gate, and silently made a great wish in her heart:
This will be her last time visiting as a tourist. The next time she comes here will be when she enrolls as a student at Tsinghua University. Otherwise, she will never come again!
Then, she turned around and said to He Chuan with a smile:
"let's go."
.
The two walked for a whole afternoon and were both tired and hungry. So after leaving Tsinghua, they went to Wudaokou for dinner.
Many of Beijing's place names are quite arbitrary and quirky. It's said that Wudaokou was originally named after the fifth railroad crossing on the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway departing from Beijing North Railway Station. Later, it prospered due to the numerous universities nearby. It was already nightfall, and the view was filled with tall buildings, shops, a constant stream of people and cars, and a dazzling display of neon lights. It was a truly bustling scene.
He Chuan texted Tan Zhizhou ahead of time, and he recommended several restaurants. So, the two of them headed to the first one they saw. It was a shengjian (a type of fried dumpling) shop, selling Shanghai shengjian (a type of fried dumpling with a scallion or scallion) dumplings, vermicelli soup, and other snacks and pastries. Lin Xia had never tried it before, so everything seemed intriguing. However, the prices were a bit high, so she didn't dare order more. She cautiously ordered four shengjian (a type of fried dumpling) and a bowl of porridge.
Everything is expensive in Beijing, and she is not used to the prices here yet.
He Chuan saw what she was thinking but didn't point it out. He just ordered two more servings of shrimp dumplings, one serving of soup dumplings, one serving of pearl glutinous rice dumplings, and a few side dishes.
The restaurant requires payment before serving food. When he was taking out his wallet, Lin Xia stopped him:
"I'll do it! Now I have my own pocket money. I've eaten so many delicious foods from you before, so this time you have to let me treat you."
He Chuan pressed her hand down, handed the money directly to the waiter, and said with a smile:
"Just keep your pocket money. You're all alone here, and you need to spend money everywhere. I usually work part-time to pay for my studies, so you don't have to save it for me. Just order whatever you want."
"That's enough!"
Lin Xia felt a little embarrassed, but because the person was him, she didn't seem to feel that embarrassed. He was nice to her, and she just felt very happy.
"Do you usually work? What do you do?" she asked.
"It's not difficult to find a part-time job on campus. The school has a forum specifically for student helpers, and some professors will also send out emails recruiting. They usually look for jobs like office assistants, helping with data organization, questionnaires, literature translation, and locating citations for papers. They're paid hourly, and the pay is decent. If you're diligent, you can basically earn enough to cover your living expenses."
"That sounds amazing!" Those were all very distant things to Lin Xia. She sighed with genuine emotion, and at the same time, she felt that he worked so hard. His tuition was covered by a scholarship, and he earned his living expenses by himself. Perhaps he really did as he promised and never asked his family for money again.
Lin Haisheng likes him very much and is definitely willing to support his studies. Not to mention that it is indeed a huge expense, it is just not legitimate after all. The boy has his own dignity and stubbornness, and he will never rely on others if he can rely on himself.
Lin Xia didn't want to bring up this topic any further and cause embarrassment, so she joked:
"You spend so much time immersed in books and documents every day, so your myopia has worsened, right? When did you get glasses?"
She knew that he was a little nearsighted when he was in high school, but because it was only over 100 degrees and not too serious, he never wore glasses.
He Chuan was a little helpless: "Last semester, I went to Shenzhen with my classmates to get my prescriptions fixed during the holidays. My prescription has indeed increased. Now my left eye is 230, and my right eye..."
"How much for the right eye?"
"Right eye...250."
Lin Xia burst out laughing:
"Very good, a very auspicious number."
It was like this during my student days. I always found some homophones and coincidences very funny. I don’t know whether to say it was naive or boring.
He Chuan knew she would make fun of him, but he didn't get angry. He took a sip of tea and responded slowly:
"Don't just talk about me, talk about you. Is your English level over 100 now?"
He really knew what her death was.
Upon hearing this, Lin Xia immediately wilted. She groaned softly and said weakly:
"Don't even mention it. When I entered high school, the maximum score for English went from 120 to 150, but my score got even lower. I really, really can't do cloze tests, reading comprehension, or even a 7-choose-5 question! But at least I don't have to study English for the next few months. Don't let me recall such painful memories for now..."
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