When Zhao Mingyue returned to Beijing, Mao Jianlan had been running the shop on her own for half a month. Seeing her return, she finally breathed a sigh of relief: "Little Zhao, you're finally back. There are already several pieces of clothing piled up here."
"What clothes can't you make?" Zhao Mingyue asked.
“Two men’s suits and three cheongsams, how can I make them? I’d ruin them. You have to make them,” Mao Jianlan said.
Zhao Mingyue took the cheongsam over, with a slip of paper tucked inside each piece of fabric, listing the measured dimensions and style requirements: "They're not in a hurry, are they?"
“I told them you’ll be back later. They can wait if they want, or they can go to someone else’s house to cook.”
"Okay, I'll start now."
Mao Jianlan stopped after working for a while and said, "Xiao Zhao, we won't be able to make clothes together next year."
Zhao Mingyue looked up at her and said, "If you still want to do it, we can open the shop again during the summer vacation."
Mao Jianlan smiled and said, "I will probably go back to my hometown then, and won't stay in Beijing."
"Why? Isn't Beijing good?" Zhao Mingyue asked.
Mao Jianlan shook her head: "Beijing is great, of course, but I don't really want to stay here."
Zhao Mingyue said nothing more. Beijing must be a place of sadness for Mao Jianlan, but one must look forward and not dwell on past memories.
In fact, even if Zhao Mingyue wanted to open a shop, she couldn't. Aunt Cao had already told her that she would be renting out the house long-term to someone else to run a shop. Zhao Mingyue could no longer rent short-term rooms during the summer vacation. If she wanted to open a shop next year, she would have to find a different place. This is a normal phenomenon. With the economic recovery and market activity, everything naturally has to change.
Zhao Mingyue and Shen Xuyue brought some tea from their family's production to visit Commander Song and Aunt Fang. They ran into Song Xiaorui, who was also at her parents' home. Song Xiaorui had just graduated with her master's degree and was staying on to work at the university; it was currently summer vacation. Zhao Mingyue looked at Song Xiaorui; she had gained some weight, her face was slightly puffy, and her lower abdomen was slightly protruding. She asked in surprise, "Sister Xiaorui, are you pregnant?"
Song Xiaorui pursed her lips and nodded happily: "Yes, four months."
"Really? That's wonderful! Congratulations, Sister Xiaorui!" Zhao Mingyue excitedly hugged Song Xiaorui.
Wei Qin was transferred back to Beijing this year, and the couple no longer had to live apart. They had been planning to have a child for a while, but because Song Xiaorui was still pursuing her master's degree, having a child would interfere with her studies, so they postponed it until after graduation. Unexpectedly, the baby arrived right after graduation, which was just in time, and the young couple couldn't be happier.
Zhao Mingyue was happy for her: "I think being a teacher is really great. You get several months of vacation every year, and now that you're pregnant, it's a good time to rest."
“Yes, you’ll be teaching then too, so you’ll be able to enjoy a long vacation like this.” Song Xiaorui touched her belly contentedly. “When the baby is born, I’ll be on winter break, so I can take a longer maternity leave. Mingyue, you two should get married after you graduate next year, and then have a baby soon, so our child will have a sibling.”
Shen Xuyue looked at Zhao Mingyue and smiled: "Then let's go earlier too?"
Zhao Mingyue said shyly, "Then we should at least wait until after graduation."
“Yes, let’s wait until the job is settled,” Shen Xuyue said.
Looking at Song Xiaorui's belly, Zhao Mingyue felt quite envious. Women who are mothers are always the object of her envy: "Sister Xiaorui, your belly will be big in two months. I'll make you a pair of loose pants now."
Song Xiaorui said, "Yes, that's exactly what I was thinking of talking to you about."
Zhao Mingyue said, "What kind of pants do you want? Elastic waistbands or overalls? Since it's winter and you'll be wearing more layers, I'll make you two pairs of loose denim overalls."
Song Xiaorui nodded: "Okay, thank you so much."
"Why are you being so polite with me?"
On the way back, Zhao Mingyue asked Shen Xuyue, "What kind of unit will you be assigned to in the future?"
"I'm not quite sure either. It could be a research institute, or it could be an environmental protection department," Shen Xuyue said.
Zhao Mingyue thought that Shen Xuyue had been a village party secretary in the countryside, and with his family background, he would most likely be assigned to a government department, meaning he would become a civil servant. With one of them a civil servant and the other a teacher, they could manage without much ambition. Given Shen Xuyue's family background, he would likely rise through the ranks, and if he entered politics, she certainly wouldn't be able to go into business. However, Zhao Mingyue wasn't very interested in high office; there were too many things beyond her control, and she often had to manipulate events. She preferred a life of leisure, like two hermits, taking advantage of her rebirth to seize opportunities. But ultimately, it all depended on Shen Xuyue's own choice.
Before the summer vacation ended, Zhao Mingyue received a letter from her cousin Zhao Mingxiu, who was there to share the good news that she had been accepted into the county's teachers' college. The whole family was overjoyed, and her mother even set up four tables for the first time ever. This was the first time she had ever been valued by her family. Although she felt that her mother was actually showing off to relatives and friends, she was also happy that she could finally bring honor to her parents.
Zhao Mingyue was genuinely happy for her cousin. She made two new outfits for her and sent them to her so she could dress presentably for school. With her cousin's situation finally settled, Zhao Mingyue felt relieved. Everything was moving in a positive direction.
After the start of their senior year, everyone began to busy themselves with their future plans, not so much finding a job, but where to work. Since most of this batch of college students were over the age limit and many had families to support, most planned to start working after graduation. Only a very small number of younger students from relatively well-off families planned to pursue further education, such as taking the postgraduate entrance exam or studying abroad.
Zhao Mingyue also hesitated about whether to take the postgraduate entrance exam, but later decided against it. She wasn't the type to settle down and do academic research. However, one of her roommates was planning to study abroad, Qian Sisheng. Qian Sisheng wasn't very old, and her parents were both civil servants, so they weren't short of money. She loved reading and academic research, and planned to apply for a master's degree in European medieval history at Oxford University in the UK.
Gao Dongfang really wanted to pursue further studies, but given her current age, it would be best for her to get married and have children as soon as possible. If she delayed any longer, she would become an elderly mother, so she gave up her plans to pursue further studies.
Romance in the ivory tower is most vulnerable to the impact of reality. I wonder how many people will break up due to various practical pressures by graduation.
During their senior year, students were assigned to various middle schools throughout the city for their internships. The internship period lasted three months, which was not short. Apart from some students who found their own internships, the rest were arranged by the school. Because there were fewer college students this year, the school tried its best to provide a relatively relaxed internship environment. Each school only arranged four to five students from each major, so that students could get sufficient training.
Of Zhao Mingyue's roommates, only Tang Weihua requested to participate in her internship at a middle school in Xi'an, which she had already arranged to attend after graduation. This allowed her to familiarize herself with the work environment beforehand. Zhao Mingyue, however, followed the school's arrangements and was assigned to Beijing No. 4 High School, a prestigious school in Beijing. Gao Dongfang was also assigned to No. 4 High School, while the rest of the roommates were assigned to affiliated middle schools of various universities.
The high college entrance rate of Beijing No. 4 High School has always been a source of pride, which means that the students are of high caliber and intelligent. These intelligent students are often arrogant, mischievous, and unruly. Zhao Mingyue, however, was not afraid of these students. No matter how mischievous they were, they were just a group of children. From her perspective, having lived two lifetimes, the middle school students of the 1980s were simply adorably simple.
Students who are intelligent tend to have lively minds and high expectations of their teachers. Therefore, what truly earns students' respect is a teacher's competence. The biggest problem for student teachers is their shyness, thin skin, timidity, and lack of authority. Teenagers in their teens often crave to challenge authority and assert their presence. Zhao Mingyue's strength lies in her composure and elegance in teaching, even with dozens of bright, expectant eyes. Her clear and articulate speech is enough to command respect from the students.
She hasn't wasted her time these past few years; she's acquired a substantial amount of knowledge, enough to handle all sorts of classroom questions from students. For those students with wildly imaginative ideas, her decades of life experience make it easy for her to handle a few off-topic questions.
So, after only a few classes, Zhao Mingyue won over a group of high school freshmen whose hormones were surging. Teacher Zhao was young, beautiful, witty, and humorous. She taught well, drawing parallels between historical knowledge and real-life situations, making her classes very lively and relatable to the students. She quickly became the most popular teacher among the student teachers.
Gao Dongfang's situation was a bit more difficult. There was a very mischievous boy in her class who always debated with her in class, going on about anything from history to politics, from ancient times to the present, covering any topic, no matter how obscure, and quite radical. According to Gao Dongfang, this student was a very radical element; if he had been born a few years earlier, he probably would have been tortured to death. Now that the Cultural Revolution is over, that student is able to live peacefully until now.
Zhao Mingyue was somewhat worried, thinking that such radicals would likely become key figures in another movement in a few years.
Gao Dongfang said, "That brat made it impossible for me to finish the lesson I had prepared."
Zhao Mingyue said, "You should take control of the class and not let him lead you by the nose. You can keep him quiet in class and then debate with him after class."
Gao Dongfang said helplessly, "I understand this principle, but I can always get angry easily because of this student. It really makes me furious."
Zhao Mingyue shook her head and smiled sympathetically.
Beijing No. 4 High School is not far from their school. Every morning, they set off from the Normal University to go to work at the school, and then rush back to school when school ends in the afternoon. They do this every day, rain or shine.
Shen Xuyue is a science and engineering major, and his internship period is always relatively long. He interned last year and he will internate again this year. The difference from last year is that his internship unit this year was not arranged in another city, but in a sewage treatment plant in Beijing. His internship period almost overlaps with Zhao Mingyue's.
Since they started their internships, the two have seen each other less often, only able to meet on Sundays, and only if both of them are free.
After school that day, Zhao Mingyue and Gao Dongfang walked together. After leaving the Fourth Middle School, Gao Dongfang said, "Xiao Zhao, let's go to that alley over there to eat some noodles with soybean paste. I want to eat some."
Zhao Mingyue said, "Didn't we go eat lunch? Let's go back to the school cafeteria for lunch later."
Gao Dongfang said, "I debated with that brat for a whole class this afternoon, and now I'm exhausted and starving. I need to replenish my energy. Come on, come with me to eat. Anyway, I'll still have to eat when I get back tonight."
Zhao Mingyue smiled and said, "Okay." The noodle shop was a newly opened small noodle shop, but the taste was quite good. It was said that the owner's family used to run a noodle shop and passed down their skills. However, they closed down because private shops were no longer allowed. In the past two years, the policy has been relaxed a bit, and people can do business on their own. So the owner quickly reopened the noodle shop.
To get to that noodle shop, they needed to walk through two alleys. Zhao Mingyue looked at the narrow alleys; there was no one else besides the two of them. She thought to herself, if a robber came here, there would be nowhere to escape. It wasn't that she was overthinking it; it was just that society hadn't been very peaceful lately, and she often heard similar rumors: so-and-so had been robbed, or someone had been burglarized.
Zhao Mingyue had this idea and told Gao Dongfang about it. Gao Dongfang touched his arm, wondering if he was really that unlucky. Zhao Mingyue chuckled twice, "Maybe." As she was speaking, she turned into an alley and then suddenly backed away. Gao Dongfang wanted to ask what had happened, but Zhao Mingyue covered her mouth with her hand and pulled her back for quite a distance.
Gao Dongfang was startled: "What's wrong?"
Zhao Mingyue lowered her voice and said, "Someone is robbing people at knifepoint over there."
Gao Dongfang was startled: "What should we do?"
Zhao Mingyue said, "Listen to me, let's stomp our feet together, stomp our feet quickly, and when I speak, you respond."
Gao Dongfang nodded vigorously, and Zhao Mingyue started pacing in place, saying as she paced, "Xiao Fang, Lao Chen, Liu Xiaofeng, Yang Xi, hurry up!"
Gao Dongfang quickly chimed in, "Xiao Zhao, could you please not be so fast?"
Zhao Mingyue giggled, "Xiao Fang, don't be so fast! Ouch, don't grab me! Let me go! Help!" Then she pretended to be a man and said, "Can you guys stop messing around? You'll twist your ankle again and I won't be responsible."
As Zhao Mingyue muttered to herself, she suddenly rushed forward, glancing back into the alley. The armed robbers were gone; only the victim remained, sitting on the ground. Thinking they were all gone, Zhao Mingyue asked the victim, "Are you alright?"
The boy looked up and saw Gao Dongfang behind her: "Teacher Gao?"
Gao Dongfang looked at the student: "Feng Kan? What's going on?"
"Someone just stole my bicycle."
Gao Dongfang reached out and helped the student up, saying irritably, "Why didn't you ask for help?"
"He forbade me to scream, saying he would slit my throat if I did," Feng Kan said helplessly.
Zhao Mingyue said, "The car is stolen, go report it to the police."
Feng Kan nodded listlessly.
They didn't dare linger in the alley and quickly retreated the way they came. Zhao Mingyue only realized after hearing Gao Dongfang's explanation that this boy was the one who often argued with her. Zhao Mingyue saw that the boy was thin and dark-skinned, with listless eyes, and looked like he had been quite upset.
Gao Dongfang sarcastically asked, "Where did your courage to talk back to teachers go?"
Zhao Mingyue tugged at Gao Dongfang's sleeve: "Hey classmate, don't take shortcuts anymore. Safety first, take the main road. If you're going to take a side road, go with a classmate, at least two or three people." She herself broke out in a cold sweat when she thought about it. If Feng Kan hadn't gone ahead, wouldn't the thugs have run into them?
Feng Kan nodded: "Oh."
After this commotion, the two naturally lost their appetite for noodles and quickly took a car back home. It would be dark soon, and it would be even more unsafe then.
Zhao Mingyue assumed this was something that had happened to them. They told Qian Sisheng and Li Chunmei about their experience that day, reminding them to be careful when going out, just in case. "Why hasn't Jianlan come back yet? Did she go to the library?"
"I don't think so." Li Chunmei said, then remembered something, "Oh, right, didn't she get a tutoring job this semester? Today is Wednesday, she should be tutoring."
Everyone was in the dormitory studying and preparing for lessons, discussing the problems they encountered in class during the day, and exchanging experiences and lessons learned. The atmosphere was very harmonious. Around ten o'clock, Mao Jianlan returned, her clothes still a little disheveled, and her face showing signs of tears. When she saw everyone, she couldn't help but cry.
Everyone was startled: "What's wrong, Jianlan (the fifth brother)?"
Mao Jianlan sniffed: "I got robbed today."
"Huh?" everyone exclaimed in unison, "What happened? What's missing? Are you hurt?"
Mao Jianlan shook her head and said, "After school, I went to tutor a student. On my way back, I passed through a small path when someone suddenly jumped out, covered my mouth, and dragged me into the bushes. I bit the person's hand and screamed for help. The person then punched me hard. Xiao Zhao's fellow villager, Yu Youqing, happened to be passing by. He ran up to save me but was injured by that guy. However, the guy ran away."
Zhao Mingyue's jaw dropped in shock: "Youqing is injured? How serious is it? Are you alright?"
Mao Jianlan shook her head violently: "I'm fine, he was injured and taken to the hospital for treatment."
"Was he hospitalized?" Zhao Mingyue was extremely anxious. "Please tell me clearly!"
Mao Jianlan took a deep breath and stopped crying: "The doctor said he should rest for two days and not be hospitalized. I just took him back to his dormitory."
Zhao Mingyue couldn't sit still any longer and immediately ran outside. Looking at Yu Youqing, covered in bruises, Zhao Mingyue was both anxious and worried: "How did you get so hurt?"
Yu Youqing said, "I came back from tutoring and heard someone calling for help, so I ran over to save the person. I didn't expect it to be Mao Jianlan."
"You were saving someone, how did you end up hurt like this?"
"I hit that person too."
"He still managed to get away in the end?"
Yu Youqing hummed in agreement.
Zhao Mingyue said, "You should also be careful to protect yourself when rescuing others. Look at your small frame, you should work out more in the future."
Yu Youqing chuckled twice.
Zhao Mingyue felt fortunate that Mao Jianlan had encountered Yu Youqing; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable. The guy who robbed her clearly intended to assault her. How chaotic things are now, even in the capital. It seems that crackdown was truly necessary.
Yu Youqing was injured and unable to go into the water. To repay him, Mao Jianlan went to get him meals and do his laundry every day. Yu Youqing's classmates all said that it was a case of a hero saving a beauty, and the beauty reciprocating with her body; the sacrifice was worthwhile. Yu Youqing, however, didn't think that way. If he did, wouldn't that be taking advantage of someone's kindness?
The physics department's internship was scheduled half a month later than the history department's. Coincidentally, Yu Youqing and Mao Jianlan were assigned to the same school. When they met at their internship school, they both felt a little awkward, but couldn't help feeling happy.
Generally, student teachers can apply to their internship unit to stay on as teachers. If a student teacher performs well during their internship and the school happens to be hiring, both parties can reach an agreement. Zhao Mingyue had naturally considered staying at No. 4 Middle School. She discussed it with Shen Xuyue, who said that No. 4 Middle School was a very good institution, and if Zhao Mingyue wanted to be a teacher, she could certainly apply. In fact, Shen Xuyue felt that Zhao Mingyue's talents were better suited for a career in government.
Zhao Mingyue submitted her application. Although many students from her school might not actually end up teaching, she preferred being a teacher to working in a government department. Of course, her other classmates also submitted their applications. Everyone wanted to work for a good institution, but how many people would be hired depended on the needs of the Fourth Middle School.
Several of her roommates submitted reports, even Mao Jianlan, who had initially said she didn't plan to stay in Beijing, submitted an application. Zhao Mingyue found it a bit strange; what had made her change her mind? But she didn't ask further. If she wanted to stay in Beijing, that was naturally the best thing.
Before the winter break, they finally finished their internships and received an excellent internship report. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Did this mean that the possibility of staying in Beijing was even greater?
Before the winter break, Shen Xuyue told Zhao Mingyue, "Go home a little later during the winter break, my older brother is bringing his girlfriend home."
Zhao Mingyue looked at Shen Xuyue in surprise: "Is it that girl from Guangzhou?"
Shen Xuyue smiled and nodded.
"Are you getting married?" Zhao Mingyue asked.
Shen Xuyue said, "Pretty much. I'll bring it back for my parents to see."
Zhao Mingyue said, "Your mother must have known about this a long time ago, right? What was her attitude?"
Shen Xuyue nodded: "My brother talked to her about it last time, and she didn't seem to object in any particular way. The girl comes from a good family; both her parents are military doctors. Apart from not being from Beijing, my mother has nothing to object to."
Zhao Mingyue nodded: "Big brother has finally achieved his goal."
"That's right, it's time to get married, he's already thirty-two."
"Then I'll go back later and get to know my future sister-in-law," Zhao Mingyue joked.
Shen Xuyue patted her hair: "I hope you two can get to know each other. I think you should be able to get along with her."
Zhao Mingyue was also very curious about her future sister-in-law. What kind of gentle woman was she who pulled Brother Shen, this tough guy, out of the trough of heartbreak and made him fall in love with her?
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