"I heard the school will be locked down this afternoon, so I took leave to come and see for myself," Liu Ying said with a smile after learning that Lu Wanqing was also there to check out the exam venue in advance.
She didn't quit her job at the soap factory, which shows she has a backup plan. She applied through the factory, so even if she doesn't pass the exam, at least she can keep her job.
Actually, although Lu Wanqing had told her to study in advance for this exam, she hadn't prepared much, so she didn't have high hopes.
After the group finished looking at the exam venue, Lu Wanqing, seeing that everyone was an acquaintance, suggested that they find a place to have lunch together.
Wu Minzhi had work to do and it was inconvenient for her to leave the school, so she declined.
Having nothing else to do, Liu Ying took Lin Xiaocui's hand and happily followed them.
After walking for about five minutes, they returned to the vicinity of the guesthouse. There happened to be a state-run restaurant next door, so they went inside.
The restaurant was unusually lively today, probably because they knew everyone was there to take the exam, so they added some fresh dishes.
Those without money can buy a few steamed buns for a few cents and still be full. Those with more money in their pockets can order a few dishes and chat while they eat.
The saying goes, "A poor home makes for a rich road." People in this era rarely had the opportunity to travel. If they really had to go out, they would try to bring as much money as possible so that they wouldn't suffer too much while away from home.
Lu Wanqing wasn't short of money, so she naturally focused on ordering the main dishes. She ordered braised pork, braised beef, and steamed sea bass, which she didn't usually eat. She also ordered vegetarian dishes, such as braised eggplant, stir-fried eggs with chives, and stir-fried cabbage, making a total of six dishes. With rice, the total cost was six yuan and twenty cents.
Liu Ying saw that the meal cost so much, equivalent to ten days' wages, and thought she would pay the bill later. However, when she secretly went to pay, the cashier told her that the money had already been paid.
"You shouldn't even have that idea, since the minority should obey the majority." Seeing her looking a bit dejected, Lu Wanqing teased her.
Liu Ying wasn't one to take advantage of others, so she invited everyone to her house for dinner that evening.
"My dad said he's going to take two days off specifically to cook for me so I can take my exams! Why don't you come over tonight and try his cooking!"
Lu Wanqing thought to herself, if it were just her, it would be fine, but wouldn't it be too troublesome to bring so many people with her?
When Liu Ying saw that she wouldn't agree, she started to whine, "I heard that Xiao Cui has good grades, and I was thinking that she could tutor me!"
Since things have come to this point, there's no need to refuse.
Since we're going to eat out anyway, instead of spending money on food outside, we might as well use the money to buy Liu Zhengfeng a bottle of good wine.
After receiving a positive answer, Liu Ying's face lit up with a smile. After finishing her meal, she hurriedly left, saying she needed to talk to Liu Zhengfeng and prepare properly for the evening.
It was still early, so Lu Wanqing wasn't in a hurry to go to Liu Zhengfeng's house. She decided to go back to the guesthouse to sleep first.
The guesthouse bed was narrow, and Lu Wanqing, being heavily pregnant, took up even more space. Lin Ye cuddled her from behind as they slept, with half of his back almost dangling over the edge of the bed.
Of course, Lin Ye himself didn't say anything, and Lu Wanqing, with her face turned inward, wouldn't notice this little detail of love.
When Lu Wanqing woke up from her afternoon nap, it was already three o'clock. She asked Lin Xiaocui to pack her schoolbag so they could go to Liu Ying's house later.
Before setting off, she asked Lin Ye to buy two bottles of Moutai from a nearby state-run store, which cost nine yuan.
The county town wasn't big. It took them about twenty minutes to walk from the guesthouse to Liu Ying's house, which was a blink of an eye in an era when the main mode of transportation was walking.
However, Lu Wanqing was born with triplets, so the twenty-minute journey was doubled.
On the way, Lin Xiaocui chatted with Wang Xu and Luo Chunlei, her grape-like eyes occasionally scanning every corner of the county town.
She loved the various shops, guesthouses, and factories in the county town and longed for city life.
In fact, the county town wasn't very developed, but in her eyes, it was many times more prosperous than the countryside.
Her goal for taking the college entrance exam was to leave the countryside, live in the city, and create her own future.
"Look, that's a meat processing plant. I heard that all the pigs collected in the countryside are sent to the meat processing plant first! The people who work there must have plenty of meat to eat!" Lin Xiaocui chattered on.
Wang Xu was also excited: "If I can find a job in a state-owned enterprise, I'll never have to worry about food and clothing for the rest of my life!"
Luo Chunlei scoffed, "According to your logic, if the meat processing plant doesn't lack meat, then the garment factory won't lack clothes. With so many employees, their own employees could bankrupt the factory!"
They walked to a tree-lined path, and there was a garment factory right across from them.
Lin Xiaocui glanced at the factory gate and saw a familiar figure greet the gatekeeper before going inside.
"Sister-in-law, I think I just saw Huang Ming!" Lin Xiaocui hurriedly went to Lu Wanqing's side and told her about this important discovery.
Lu Wanqing paused, her brows furrowing slightly. Then she thought about it and realized that Huang Ming was in the clothing trade and had heard that there were clothing factories in Dongguan. He must have normal business dealings with the clothing factories here.
"They're probably going to discuss business. Let's go." She didn't take it to heart.
These two days are crucial for the college entrance examination, so I don't want anything else to distract me.
Soon, they arrived at Liu Ying's house. The father and daughter had already returned ahead of time and bought a lot of vegetables and meat.
"Captain Liu, I'm sorry to bother you again!" Lu Wanqing politely placed the wine on the table.
Liu Zhengfeng didn't stand on ceremony. Lin Ye could think of buying land, so he certainly didn't lack a few dollars. Besides, he planned to finish the wine that night.
However, he underestimated Lin Ye's patience. He knew that Lu Wanqing didn't like the taste of alcohol, and he, who used to enjoy a few drinks, hadn't touched a glass of alcohol for several months.
"I have an exam tomorrow, so I won't drink with you. I'll join you for a drink after the exam," Lin Ye politely declined.
A bottle of Moutai had already been opened, its aroma filling the air. Liu Zhengfeng was so tempted that he had no choice but to drink it himself.
"Why didn't your mother come?" Liu Zhengfeng asked casually after having a few drinks.
Lin Ye hurriedly told him that his older sister was taking care of him at home, so he didn't bring his mother with him.
A hint of disappointment flashed in Liu Zhengfeng's eyes, but he smiled and said, "Actually, I have a spare room here. If they come over, they can stay here temporarily."
As he spoke, the scene of Zhao Xiaolan barging into his room and touching the small flower on his shirt came to mind.
Having worked in the police force for so long, he hadn't seen that kind of pure and innocent look in his eyes for a long time.
Lu Wanqing sensed something and quickly chimed in, "Next time we have the chance, we'll bring her out again. Whenever we mention the police uniform, she smiles, as if she's not afraid at all!"
Most ordinary people in that era were simple-minded and had never seen much of the world. They would get nervous when they saw commune leaders, let alone police officers in uniform.
That's a trick many mothers use to scare their children.
Zhao Xiaolan had seen Liu Zhengfeng in uniform, but she didn't seem afraid at all and even enjoyed being close to him.
Since Lin Ye's father is not showing up, it would be a good thing if Zhao Xiaolan could marry a man like Liu Zhengfeng.
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