Chapter 56
On the morning of the third day after the official opening of school, all the freshmen were summoned to the auditorium. The auditorium was large and had a terrace, which could accommodate more than 4,000 people at most. The interior of the auditorium was decorated with palace lanterns and colorful paintings, with red being the main color. It was both retro and magnificent. I heard that many foreign leaders had given speeches here. Jiang Jiang and the others couldn't help but feel excited as they sat in such a sacred place.
First, the president spoke. He was an elder with a peaceful face. He said in a strong voice, "Your arrival has injected fresh blood into Capital University and made this ancient campus glow with youth...Tung blossoms bloom along the Danshan Road for thousands of miles, and the voices of young phoenixes are clearer than those of old ones. This era belongs to you, an era that requires you to take on responsibilities and realize your dreams through hard work. All the teachers and I have high hopes for you."
“I hope you will cherish your time and forge ahead. I hope you will not forget your original aspirations and mission, and you will be able to achieve success in your studies, have strengths in your studies, be brave to take on responsibilities, realize your dreams, and become a person of value to society and the world. Dear students, Capital University welcomes you! Thank you all!”
The principal's impassioned speech made everyone in the auditorium feel excited and their blood boil. After the speech, the entire auditorium burst into prolonged applause and cheers.
After the principal finished his speech, the host continued with the next process and invited representatives from previous years to come on stage to speak.
A man in a black suit walked onto the stage. Jiang Jiang, who had been leaning against the back of her chair, sat up straight all of a sudden. She looked at the man on the stage from across the front row of audience, feeling a little surprised.
Jiang Jiang didn't expect to see Zhong Xing at their school's freshman assembly.
Different from the youthfulness of those days, the man standing on the podium was a steady and composed young man. His voice was clear, like a mountain spring in an empty valley. He held the microphone, and his every move showed a noble temperament. Jiang Jiang was a little absent-minded and didn't even hear what he said specifically.
Someone nearby explained, "I heard that he was a senior in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Capital University. He was one of the first students admitted after the resumption of the college entrance examination. He had excellent grades while in school and was an exchange student abroad. After graduation, he was assigned to the Capital Machinery Factory. Within two years, he started his own business. This former representative made a speech. Our school leaders invited him several times, and he agreed this year..."
"How come he looks better than the male stars on TV?"
After Zhong Xing stepped down, it was the turn of the freshman representatives to speak. A very well-dressed and pretty girl walked to the front of the stage under everyone's attention and began to give a speech on behalf of the freshmen. She mainly talked about her feelings about being admitted to Capital University, her plans for her college life, and how she would fulfill her mission in the future and contribute to the development of the country and society.
Jiang Jiang heard her roommates complaining quietly, "Who is she? How did she get selected as the freshman representative? What are the criteria?"
"In terms of looks and grades, our Jiang Jiang isn't bad either."
Jiang Jiang came to his senses and said quickly, "No, I can't compare to them. I'm just an ordinary person."
The freshman representative was a pretty girl, wearing a lively and pretty red dress that revealed her two white and slender legs. She spoke confidently and generously on the stage, like a dancing white swan.
Several people's eyes fell on Jiang Jiang. She was wearing a light blue top and a denim skirt today. Her long black hair was simply braided and hung down in front of her chest. She looked simple but beautiful. If we really talk about appearance, Jiang Jiang is more beautiful than Tang Yu on the stage. Xu Yingchu smacked her lips and said, "Come on, she is a well-known talented woman. She is proficient in Russian, English and other languages, and can play many musical instruments, such as cello and piano. Her family is also the best family in the capital."
Everyone couldn't help but be stunned when they heard this. This was really amazing. Then they looked at Jiang Jiang, who came from the local area and was heard to be from an ordinary cadre family. They really couldn't compare.
After the freshman meeting, Jiang Jiang went to the dormitory to eat with several roommates. The people in the dormitory planned to go back to the dormitory to take a nap, so Jiang Jiang separated from them at the cafeteria door because she wanted to go to the library.
Before the formal classes started, Jiang Jiang wanted to read some related books to learn more about the knowledge of this major.
Jiang Jiang chose economics as her major, a discipline that specializes in the study of economics. Jiang Jiang was confused about her major at first, but with the analysis and suggestions of Lin Youqing and He Guijuan, and based on her interests, she finally chose economics as her major.
However, their library cards had not been issued yet, so they could only borrow books in the library and could not take them away. After flipping through the books, Jiang Jiang memorized the titles and page numbers in his mind, intending to borrow them back home after he got his library cards.
It started raining outside at some point, and she stretched out her hand to catch the rain, which was cool.
A black umbrella was opened above her head, blocking the moisture outside. Jiang Jiang turned around and saw the person behind her. She said in disbelief, "Brother Zhong Xing?"
"Jiang Jiang, long time no see."
After many years, Jiang Jiang looked up at the man who was obviously much taller than her and said softly, "Brother Zhong Xing, long time no see."
In fact, Zhong Xing went to the station several times, but didn't run into them. He thought about going to school to find her after school started, but he was busy in the past two days. It happened that his alma mater invited him to give a speech as a representative of alumni, so he arranged to meet Jiang Jiang today.
Just now, when Zhong Xing saw Jiang Jiang and her roommate together, he did not go up to disturb them.
"Come on, brother invites you to have tea."
Jiang Jiang had no reason to refuse, so she nodded and said, "Okay."
The umbrella was big enough to accommodate three people. Zhong Xing's car was parked at the school gate. As soon as he put his hand on the passenger door handle, he saw Jiang Jiang shaking his head, "Brother, I'd better sit in the back seat."
Although Zhong Xing didn't understand why, he still let her go.
This is an old teahouse with a strong ancient charm. Zhong Xing asked for a private room on the second floor, which overlooked the lake. Looking out from the window, he could see raindrops falling on the lake and willow branches swaying on the shore. Such a scene made people feel very comfortable. Jiang Jiang said that he didn't drink tea often, so Zhong Xing ordered a pot of green tea and some signature snacks in the store.
Next to each snack there was a small sign with the name of the snack written on it. The snacks were exquisite in style, and each one was just the right size for a bite. She had never eaten such small and exquisite snacks before. Jiang Jiang picked up a piece of snack that looked like a mung bean pastry and tasted it. She was surprised by the outer crust as soon as she took a bite. The crust was very crispy, and the mung beans inside were minced very finely. It felt like milk was added in it, and the mung beans tasted sweet and dense, with a strong milky flavor.
“It’s delicious.”
Jiang Jiang couldn't help but try other snacks, and sure enough, each one was delicious. There was also a snack that looked like milk jelly, served in a delicate white porcelain bowl. It had a strong milk flavor and a faint osmanthus scent. It tasted icy and cool, and she couldn't help but fall in love with it after the first sip.
Zhong Xing poured her a cup of tea and said, "It won't be so greasy if you drink it with tea."
"Thank you, brother."
Jiang Jiang picked up the tea and took a sip. The tea was not very bitter, and there was a sweet aftertaste lingering on the tip of his tongue after he finished drinking it. Jiang Jiang's eyes fell on Zhong Xing's hands as he was making tea. His fingers were long and slender, with distinct knuckles. His movements in making tea were smooth and flowing, which was very pleasing to the eye.
After finishing their tea, Jiang Jiang and Zhong Xing just went downstairs when someone who knew Zhong Xing came over to greet them, "Mr. Zhong? What a coincidence! I didn't expect to see you here."
The middle-aged man greeted warmly.
Compared with the enthusiasm of the middle-aged man, Zhong Xing's attitude seemed less warm. He had a sense of alienation and kept just the right distance from everyone. He was calm and decent. From a distance, he looked like a bamboo in winter, straight and tall, cold and clear; from a close distance, he had a gentle and elegant feeling of spring breeze, which was impeccable.
Zhong Xing exchanged a few simple pleasantries and left with Jiang Jiang. When passing by a farmer's market, Zhong Xing stopped the car nearby and planned to buy some fruit for her.
Jiang Jiang looked at the man picking fruits at the stall from a distance of one or two meters. Thinking of how he interacted with others in the teahouse just now, she suddenly felt a sense of strangeness for some reason.
This was clearly the person she had always wanted to meet, so why did he feel a little strange now that he was right in front of her?
"Why are you looking at me like that? Don't you recognize your brother?"
Jiang Jiang came back to her senses and took the bag of strawberries he handed to her. Jiang Jiang knew that strawberries were very expensive, so she forced a smile and said, "No, I was distracted just now."
Zhong Xing rubbed her head and asked, "Are you used to going to college?"
Zhong Xing's action brought the two of them closer together. Jiang Jiang saved her head from his grasp and said, "I'm used to it."
After Zhong Xing bought the strawberries, he bought her a lot of other fruits. If Jiang Jiang hadn't stopped him, he would have bought more.
When they just left the teahouse, Zhong Xing packed a lot of snacks for her to take home and eat slowly. Now they bought so many fruits. Fruits don't last long, so it's a pity to waste them.
Zhong Xing comforted him, "It's okay, you can share these fruits with the people in your dormitory. This will also help to unite the dormitory."
When they arrived at the gate of their school, Jiang Jiang was about to get off the car when Zhong Xing called her. He quickly wrote two lines on a notebook with a pen, then tore off the paper and handed it to her, "The one on top is the address of my work, and the one on the bottom is the address of my residence. If you have any problems, just come to me. Don't be afraid of causing trouble for your brother."
Jiang Jiang looked at the two lines of sharp and freehand handwriting on the paper and nodded, "I understand, Brother Zhong Xing."
Zhong Xing helped her carry two large bags to the downstairs of the girls' dormitory. He watched her go upstairs before turning around and leaving.
When Jiang Jiang was carrying two large bags back to the dormitory, several roommates who had been chattering immediately surrounded him.
"Jiang Jiang, Wang Ling from the next dormitory said that she saw you going out with that student representative from the previous year in the afternoon. Great, how do you know her?" Jiang Jiang was pretty and she came from a well-off family. She was also a little famous among the freshmen of their class. People in the neighboring dormitories knew her.
Jiang Jiang put the things in her hand on the table and thought about how to explain to them, "He lived in our house for a short period of time when he went to the countryside before. He has always been very caring."
"So you're from the same hometown. I really envy Jiang Jiang. The neighbor brother who accompanied you last time was already eye-catching enough, and you actually know such a powerful person!"
"Jiang Jiang, why did you buy so many things?"
"I didn't buy them." Jiang Jiang took the fruits and snacks out of the bag and greeted them, "They are just some fruits and snacks. Let's eat them together."
Lin Guiying and Li Wanjun had never seen strawberries, and Xu Yingchu had only seen them but had never eaten them. "Strawberries? This fruit is so precious."
Strawberries have only been grown on a large scale in recent years. They are not durable and can easily rot. The transportation cost is very high, so strawberries are sold at a very high price on the market.
“How much?”
Xu Yingchu sighed, "A few dozen yuan per pound."
“So expensive!” They were so shocked by the price that they almost dropped the strawberries in their hands. Such a thing actually costs dozens of dollars per pound?
Xu Yingchu looked at the strawberries in her hand thoughtfully, "Did Zhong Xing, who went out with you, buy these for you?"
Jiang Jiang nodded, "Yes."
"He's so nice to you."
Jiang Jiang was stunned for a moment. Indeed, Zhong Xing had always been very good to her. When she was a child, he took her to find her father at the risk of an avalanche, celebrated her birthday, and gave her shoes... Every single thing still made her feel warm even after many years.
"Yeah, he's very nice to me."
Jiang Jiang brought back not only strawberries, but also some mangoes, apples and grapes.
It was also Jiang Jiang’s first time to eat strawberries. She took a bite and found that the fruit was full of sour and sweet juice and smelled fragrant. It was indeed delicious, but it was too expensive and really not worth it.
Except for Xu Yingchu, everyone else smelled it again and again before eating it in small bites like they were eating ginseng fruit. However, they only ate one and didn't want any more. Jiang Jiang forced a few more into everyone's hands, and then shared the other fruits together.
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