Shen Xuyue didn't come that day, and Zhao Mingyue was a little worried, but not too concerned. This was his territory, so nothing would happen.
The other two roommates arrived: one was Gao Dongfang, from Harbin, Heilongjiang. As a northerner, she wasn't very tall, probably just over 1.6 meters, with fair skin and a gentle, refined air, like a woman from southern China. She was 25 and unmarried. The other was Mao Jianlan, from Xiangtan, Hunan, the hometown of Chairman Mao. She was dark-skinned and thin, a very feisty girl, 19 and unmarried. Surprisingly, Zhao Mingyue was the youngest in the entire dorm.
Everyone was a little curious that Gao Dongfang wasn't married yet. She was 25 now, and by the time she graduated from university, she'd be almost 30. Li Chunmei, quick to speak her mind, asked, "Gao Dongfang, why aren't you married?"
Gao Dongfang smiled gently: "When you get married, you must find a like-minded friend. If you haven't found one yet, then you have to keep looking."
"You're such an idealist. Do your family members agree?" Tang Weihua asked.
Gao Dongfang said, "My parents are gone, and no one can control me. At my age, not getting married is not bothering anyone or breaking the law. Who can force me?"
Zhao Mingyue secretly admired Gao Dongfang. She looked like a delicate woman, but she was actually a very strong person with a powerful heart. She said, "Sister Dongfang will definitely be able to find like-minded people. Look, haven't all of us like-minded people come together? I heard that the male-to-female ratio in our department is 2:1, which means there are more men than women. Sister Dongfang, take your time to choose."
Zhao Mingyue's words were incredibly bold; who dares to say they're picky about partners these days? Qian Sisheng came over and tickled Zhao Mingyue: "You little rascal, you've got quite the nerve, you actually want to be picky?"
Zhao Mingyue chuckled: "I didn't mean to, I'm thinking of you guys. I don't have any other options, so you'd better keep your eyes open and don't get overwhelmed by the choices."
Qian Sisheng said, "Everyone come quick, tear this girl's mouth off."
Zhao Mingyue was absolutely right. A woman finding a partner is nothing like buying vegetables at the market. When buying vegetables, you have to pick the freshest and most vibrant ones; choosing a partner is even more crucial, as it's someone you'll spend your life with. In the past, it was arranged marriages, with no choice; getting married was like hitting the jackpot. Who has that much good luck? Now it's free choice in love. If you don't choose carefully, you'll be shooting yourself in the foot.
Actually, the male-to-female ratio in their class was less than 2:1. Of the 31 students in Zhao Mingyue's class, only 12 were girls, enough to fill two dorm rooms. Zhao Mingyue wasn't the youngest girl in the class; there was another recent graduate next door, half a year younger than her. Tang Weihua was the oldest girl in the class and the only one who was married. Perhaps married women have more concerns and are less likely to take the college entrance exam, mostly giving their opportunities to their partners.
A new life was about to begin, and Zhao Mingyue was very much looking forward to it. She wrote the letters, ran outside to buy envelopes and stamps, and mailed the two letters. In those days, telephones were extremely rare, and writing letters and telegrams were the only two ways to communicate. Telegrams were expensive and were generally only used in extremely urgent situations; otherwise, letters were the only way to communicate.
All six roommates arrived. Most of them had returned to school after working, and their mindset towards university was completely different from that of ordinary college students. Despite being in an unfamiliar environment, none of them showed much discomfort; instead, they quickly became familiar with their roommates. They chattered excitedly, full of enthusiasm for their new life.
The next day, Zhao Mingyue didn't go out. She was worried about Shen Xuyue, wondering when he would arrive. She borrowed a copy of *Dream of the Red Chamber* from Qian Sisheng to read while waiting for Shen Xuyue. Qian Sisheng was probably the wealthiest person in the entire dormitory; both her parents worked for the Beijing municipal government. Her wealth was most evident in her desk. While others' desks were mostly cluttered with household items or dictionaries, hers was piled high with books, all brought from home.
These days, everyone is thirsty, and this thirst isn't physical, but spiritual—it's in the realms of culture, art, and science. What society lacks most right now is books. Zhao Mingyue once couldn't even afford a complete set of high school textbooks, let alone other books. Reading novels was incredibly difficult. This *Dream of the Red Chamber* was actually the first time she'd read it in two lifetimes; she'd only ever seen the TV series before. Now, flipping through the pages of the book, she was thoroughly enjoying it.
Gao Dongfang asked, "Xiao Qian, how come you have so many books?" Gao Dongfang flipped through Qian Sisheng's books, almost all of which were published before the movement.
Qian Sisheng laughed: "I picked them up. At that time, the Cultural Revolution had just started, and many libraries were ransacked. Piles and piles of books were thrown out, some were burned, or thrown away as garbage. I secretly picked up a lot of them. I was young then, and no one cared. Unfortunately, I only picked up some novels. There were many other books that I didn't take. Thinking about it now, it's a real pity."
Gao Dongfang sighed, "That's right, but thankfully it's finally over. Once classes officially start tomorrow, I can get a library card. Our school library should have a lot of books, so I'll have books to read from now on. Do you know why I went to university? It's because at university I can read freely without anyone bothering me." He then excitedly gestured with his chin.
Zhao Mingyue listened to their conversation and shook her head slightly. Thank goodness, those chaotic days were finally over. Downstairs, the dormitory manager called out through a megaphone, "Zhao Mingyue, room 305, someone's looking for you!"
Zhao Mingyue jolted awake, quickly put down her book and stood up. Because she got up so fast, her knee hit the table leg, and she winced in pain. But she didn't have time to care about that and quickly ran to the door. Sure enough, Shen Xuyue was waiting at the door downstairs.
Zhao Mingyue quickly ran downstairs. Inside the house, Gao Dongfang asked, "What's wrong with Xiao Zhao? Why are you running so fast, like you've lost your soul?"
Li Chunmei was lying on the bed reading a book when she looked up and said, "It's probably her boyfriend who came to see her."
Gao Dongfang exclaimed in surprise, "Little Zhao already has a girlfriend?"
“Yes, her boyfriend’s things are still in our dorm. Look, those bags are his.” Li Chunmei pointed to several luggage bags on the ground.
"I thought it was someone's mess. What does Xiao Zhao's boyfriend do?" Gao Dongfang asked curiously.
Li Chunmei said, "I heard that he just got into Tsinghua University and is a top student."
"Have you seen it?" Qian Sisheng asked.
Li Chunmei said, "I've seen her. She's quite pretty and tall. I escorted her to her dorm when she first arrived. I guess I'll have to come up again to get some things later, you'll see when you get there."
Li Chunmei guessed correctly; Shen Xuyue had come to pick up something. Zhao Mingyue ran downstairs and saw Shen Xuyue standing at the door with a young man in military uniform. The man was very tall. Shen Xuyue was already quite tall, at 1.82 meters, but the man looked much taller than him, at least 1.9 meters. He had a standard square face, wore a yellow-green military cap, and looked very upright.
Shen Xuyue saw Zhao Mingyue and waved to her from afar: "Mingyue!"
Zhao Mingyue ran up to Shen Xuyue and said, "You're here."
Shen Xuyue introduced her: "Mingyue, this is the son of my father's old comrade-in-arms, named Song Huaihai. You can call him Brother Song. He's taking me to school. Brother Hai, this is my girlfriend, Zhao Mingyue."
Zhao Mingyue politely nodded and greeted Song Huaihai: "Hello, Brother Song!"
Song Huaihai extended his hand to shake hers: "Hello, Comrade Zhao Mingyue!"
Zhao Mingyue asked Shen Xuyue, "Shall we go get the things now?"
“Yes, the dorm supervisor won’t let us in. You should tell her.” Shen Xuyue smiled wryly.
Zhao Mingyue said, "Wait for me a moment." Then she turned around and went to talk to the dormitory supervisor. The supervisor looked Zhao Mingyue up and down and, seeing that she spoke politely, said, "Then hurry up and come down. You can't stay too long."
"Okay, sure." Zhao Mingyue turned around and quickly called to Shen Xuyue, "It's ready, let's go."
Song Huaihai followed them upstairs. Zhao Mingyue ran up first and quickly greeted everyone: "I have a friend here to pick up something. He's a man. Is it okay for him to come in?"
Qian Sisheng said loudly, "It's alright, come in."
As Shen Xuyue and Song Huaihai walked in, five pairs of eyes stared at them intently. Shen Xuyue and Song Huaihai were surprised to receive such treatment and felt a little awkward. However, Shen Xuyue was more experienced and greeted everyone with a smile: "Hello, everyone!"
"Hello, welcome!" Everyone smiled at them.
Zhao Mingyue took out Shen Xuyue's things: "Everything is here."
Shen Xuyue picked up his luggage, and Song Huaihai also picked up a bag. As Shen Xuyue turned to leave, he smiled and said, "I'll treat everyone to a meal next time. Mingyue will be here from now on, so please take good care of her."
"No problem," the sisters said loudly with laughter.
Zhao Mingyue went out with them. She also wanted to visit Shen Xuyue's school. She whispered to Shen Xuyue, "I'll go visit your school too."
Shen Xuyue said, "Okay, is everything alright on your end?"
Zhao Mingyue shook her head: "The class meeting won't start until tonight, so just come back before evening self-study."
“Okay, let’s go then.” Shen Xuyue agreed.
Zhao Mingyue asked, "Where did you stay last night?"
Shen Xuyue looked at Song Huaihai's back and said, "I'll stay at Uncle Song's house."
Where is your blanket?
“I also got a bed from Uncle Song’s house. Don’t worry, I’ve arranged everything,” Shen Xuyue reassured him.
Zhao Mingyue thought for a moment and asked him, "What about your home?"
Shen Xuyue said, "There's no one at home right now, but my parents will probably be able to come back in a while."
Zhao Mingyue didn't press the matter further. They left the dormitory building, with Song Huaihai walking ahead. He turned a corner and stopped next to a military green jeep, opened the trunk, and put the bag he was carrying inside.
Zhao Mingyue: "..." Who is this Song Huaihai? He doesn't look very old, no more than thirty, yet he owns a car, and it's a military vehicle at that.
Shen Xuyue opened the car door, put his bag inside, and said to Zhao Mingyue, "Come on in, this is Uncle Song's car, let us borrow it for a bit." He carefully observed Zhao Mingyue's expression. She seemed slightly surprised, but not at all reserved. She got into the car naturally and gracefully, closed the door, and sat quietly.
Song Huaihai got into the driver's seat, started the car, and backed it out, kicking up a cloud of dust. In those days, Beijing Normal University didn't have much concrete; it was all bare ground. Song Huaihai smiled and said, "Little Zhao, you've never been to Beijing before, have you?"
Zhao Mingyue laughed and said, "Definitely not. This is the first time I've ever traveled so far in my life, and it's to Beijing."
“If we have time after Xu Yue finishes his paperwork today, I’ll take you to see the ***,” Song Huaihai offered. In those days, everyone who came to Beijing had a pilgrimage mentality, holding the *** in absolute reverence. Not seeing the *** was like not having been to Beijing at all.
Shen Xuyue said, "Brother Hai, do you have a camera? Can you lend me one? I want to take some pictures of Mingyue."
Song Huaihai nodded and said, "Okay."
February in Beijing is still slumbering in the long winter, unawakened by the spring breeze. There is no greenery; the buildings appear gray and drab, and people's clothing is limited to blue, black, and gray—a gray hue throughout the city. Yet, this Beijing is serene, dignified, and grand. Courtyard houses and narrow alleyways are everywhere, and the streets are neat and clean. It possesses a profound weight and beauty, exuding a dignity and pride that emanates from its very core—a sacred place for countless Chinese people.
Tsinghua University is not far from Beijing Normal University. The car only took more than ten minutes to drive there on the empty streets. When Zhao Mingyue saw the empty streets, she couldn't help but sigh. Such unimpeded travel had become a luxury in Beijing twenty years later.
Tsinghua University is very spacious. Luckily, we had a car; otherwise, it would probably take half an hour to find our way around. Song Huaihai said, "Xuyue, it looks like you need to buy a bicycle. Otherwise, running around like this will make your legs thin."
Shen Xuyue smiled and said, "Forget it, I'll just consider it exercise." A bicycle costs more than a hundred yuan; can he afford that now?
Song Huaihai said, "Why don't you ride my bike? I bought a bike before I joined the army, and it's been sitting at home for a long time. It's probably rusty. You can take it to get it repaired and oiled."
"No need, I'll get up early. I've endured all kinds of hardships in the countryside, what's a little walking?" Shen Xuyue had his own pride.
Song Huaihai glanced at him in the rearview mirror and said with a smile, "You can't always walk to the Normal University, can you?"
Shen Xuyue understood Song Huaihai's meaning, fell silent, and then turned to look at Zhao Mingyue, who was smiling and listening to them talk without saying a word.
Shen Xuyue said, "Alright, Brother Hai, let's stop here."
“You can drive in,” Song Huaihai said. “It’s still a bit of a distance.”
Shen Xuyue said, "Let's not go in. Driving here, people will think I'm some big shot, but in the end I'm just a poor student applying for hardship assistance."
Song Huaihai nodded: "Alright."
The three got off the car, and the two men carried all the luggage. Zhao Mingyue went to help carry the bags, but Shen Xuyue picked up the bags and said, "Mingyue, you carry the bucket and basin for me. We'll take the rest."
Zhao Mingyue glanced at it and took out an iron bucket and an enamel basin from the trunk. The bottom of the basin was printed with a picture of the People's Liberation Army, which was obviously issued by the army and probably came from the Song family.
Shen Xuyue watched Zhao Mingyue examine the basin and whispered, "It was given to me by Aunt Song. She said she had too many at home and insisted on giving them to me so I wouldn't have to spend money to buy more."
Zhao Mingyue smiled slightly, "It's pretty good." Maybe this stuff is something someone really has too much of, and it's just sitting there rusting...
Shen Xuyue looked a little uncomfortable: "I can still afford a bucket and a basin."
Zhao Mingyue said, "What you're doing is called being thrifty and not wasting anything."
Shen Xuyue finally smiled after hearing what she said.
Tsinghua University is one of the best universities in the country, but its accommodation is not necessarily better than that of Beijing Normal University. It is also a six-person room, and the building is a bit older. Shen Xuyue arrived relatively late; his roommates had arrived before him. He was the last one. In fact, they still have one more day to register tomorrow, which shows that everyone is quite enthusiastic about going to university.
Like most Chinese people, Zhao Mingyue has always admired and revered schools like Tsinghua and Peking University since childhood. So she was very proud of Shen Xuyue for getting into Tsinghua. In the future, she could say, "My boyfriend is from Tsinghua." How impressive and prestigious that would be!
After completing the formalities, Song Huaihai treated them to a sumptuous lunch, then drove them to visit the National Museum of China. Along the way, they stopped to borrow a camera. Zhao Mingyue took many solo photos and also posed for a group photo with Shen Xuyue. While taking the pictures, Zhao Mingyue smiled sweetly, trying her best to show her most beautiful side. Taking photos these days is very difficult; these would be precious images of her youth, which she could look back on slowly when she was older.
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