Chapter 89 Chapter 89 He can also fix the leak
After years of ups and downs, the lucky students of Class of 1977 who returned to the university campus often showed symptoms of knowledge hunger and thirst. At that time, it was rare to see people strolling arm in arm on the university campus. Most of them were people holding books while walking or burying their heads in studying.
After experiencing being out of tune with other boarding students in 301, a day student dormitory where families generally have good financial conditions, the four of them quickly found their own place.
Cai Weihong, for example, had earned her place in the university through her own relentless thirst for knowledge. Within a week, she had joined most of her classmates in a life of selfless dedication and selfless dedication. Although she was a day student, she actually lived in the dorms for most of the week. At night, after the lights went out, she would bring a stool and huddle under the streetlights with her classmates to read.
Xiao Lanqin, known as the avant-garde, pampered "capitalist lady" with a job, found it difficult to fit in with the frenetic learning crowd and became a complete loner, rarely interacting with other students. She was often picked up and dropped off by a black sedan, and her academic performance was lagging behind. Gradually, the faculty began to become disappointed with her lack of ambition.
It was around this time that Lin Xinghuo heard that Xiao Lanqin's path to university was different from others': she was a member of the last class of workers, peasants, and soldiers in 1976, and had been recommended to a technical secondary school in a county near Beijing. However, due to the dramatic changes that followed, the enrollment of the 1976 class of workers, peasants, and soldiers in Beijing and its surrounding areas was postponed from summer to winter, and Xiao Lanqin's school even delayed its opening until March of last year. However, by March, calls for education reform had already been heard. The Xiao family, whose entire family worked in propaganda, had a far better sense of the situation than most. They obtained a hospital certificate for her, and it was said that Xiao Lanqin had been on "sick leave" at home to study since May... Fortunately, the government allowed workers, peasants, and soldiers currently enrolled in technical secondary schools to take the college entrance examination, and Xiao Lanqin was able to register.
This is also the reason why some people look down on her: Xiao Lanqin's grades were not good enough for her to enter this school, which was selected as one of the five key medical schools in the country in 1960... The specific way she did it is unknown, but she first took up the once precious quota for workers, peasants and soldiers, and then squeezed into the group of proud students whose admission rate that year was only 4.8% in a less honorable way. Moreover, she was not hardworking and diligent. She regressed in several quizzes and now she is lingering on the edge of passing.
After the news broke, not only did her classmates ostracize her, but the two previous classes of workers, peasants, and soldiers at the school also became even more hostile to Xiao Lanqin. Those who performed better academically were particularly resentful. The workers, peasants, and soldiers had to move from commune to commune, returning to the brigade to work as farmers after graduation, while the new college students, admitted through the college entrance examination, had a promising future. However, these students hadn't had the same opportunity from the start: last year's admissions regulations prohibited workers, peasants, and soldiers already enrolled in junior colleges and universities from taking the college entrance examination.
Due to all these factors, Xiao Lanqin quickly became famous. If the courses at the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine were not difficult, numerous, and highly professional, which consumed too much of the students' energy, there might have been people with frozen minds who would have posted big-character posters about her.
Of course, Xiao Lanqin's escape from the embarrassment of being posted on big-character posters was largely due to Lin Qiyun's car. The first batch of university students after the reinstatement of the college entrance examination generally had lived in the lower classes, and either forced or naturally, they had learned some "adult" diplomatic skills or reticence. The more they cherished their hard-earned academic time, the more they desperately wanted to make up for the lost ten years, the more they suppressed other desires and focused solely on studying.
But this repression wasn't complete. In May, a newspaper article about the criterion of truth sparked a huge debate. This sharp arrow, overturning the once deeply held "whatever" dogma, unleashed a particularly powerful wave on campus, with long-absent big-character posters reappearing. Fortunately, most people were immersed in heart-wrenching self-reflection, and the few "exposures" of Xiao Lanqin's crimes that appeared sporadically in corners were quickly dealt with by school workers and teachers.
This month, Lin Xinghuo was inevitably drawn into this debate. Her class held a meeting where students were asked to speak on stage according to their age. As for why age was the key factor, it had to do with the large age gap among the twenty-plus students in the class. After all, the semester wasn't over yet, so the actual rankings couldn't be determined, and the admission scores were only representative of the past.
Among Lin Xinghuo's classmates, the oldest age is "unverifiable". The older brother's vicissitudes of life face makes it hard to believe that he is 30 years old according to his household registration. But the youngest, who is the last student to report to dormitory 301, is only 15 years old.
He was about the same age as Lin Xinghuo when he bid farewell to his master and went down the mountain in a daze.
Fifteen-year-old Tan Yuemei is much more mature than Xiao Lanqin.
Xiao Xijin, Xiao Lanqin's second brother and her biggest support in the school besides her fiancé's background, thought so. Although Tan Yuemei's speech was clear-cut but conventional, it was this kind of calm and plain words that were much more pertinent than Xiao Lanqin's passionate and intense words at home but cold and indifferent at school.
Xiao Xijin isn't a student; he's a full-time counselor for several classes. With the arrival of this new batch of university students this year, the college counselor system, severely disrupted during the movement, has officially been reinstated, leaving a significant vacancy for full-time counselors. Because Xiao Lanqin's life at school is difficult, Xiao Xijin gave up a promising promotion in the publicity department of a major factory and transferred to the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, hoping to help his sister integrate and cherish this precious time.
Tan Yuemei, the last speaker, bowed and left the stage. Xiao Xijin announced the start of the next debate session. The students formed a simple circle around their desks, sitting in groups of three or four. The debate quickly became heated. Xiao Xijin, who was not participating, merely serving as moderator and maintaining order, sat in a corner, observing the proceedings. He quickly noticed the two silent girls sitting across from him.
Lin Xinghuo and Tan Yuemei rarely spoke, yet they quietly blended into the group, neither standing out nor standing out. Xiao Xijin noticed that many students, after expressing their opinions, would proactively consult Lin Xinghuo. Lin Xinghuo usually nodded, his pen twitching as he wrote down everyone's opinions and comments, while Tan Yuemei fiddled with her tape recorder. These two seemed to be observing from the sidelines like him, yet strangely, they still held a place in the group, played a role, and even held a certain prestige.
Xiao Xijin sighed inwardly again. These two people's taciturn nature was completely different from his sister's. Lan Qin was still like a young plant that hadn't taken root, swaying in the wind. Her passionate speeches at home were just parroting others' ideas, while her silence on campus was a forced silence due to lack of recognition and opportunities. But her two roommates remained silent, demonstrating their own opinions. Because their beliefs were firm and unchangeable, this debate was meaningless to them.
He had advised his sister many times to integrate into the dormitory first, get close to her roommates and make friends with them, and then she would naturally learn from them how to integrate into the group. But Qinqin was stubborn again on this matter: she respected and feared the large group of the class, but had inexplicably "high requirements" for the small dormitory with only four people living in it, as if it was wrong for the small group not to actively accept her?
Xiao Xijin simply couldn't understand his own sister's actions: she first had an unreasonable hostility towards Tan Yuemei, the youngest and the last to report. After the little girl Tan Yuemei quickly approached Lin Xinghuo, who was in the same major and class as her, Xiao Lanqin's dissatisfaction shifted to Lin Xinghuo... And Cai Weihong, who was famous for his diligence and love of learning, automatically and consciously put himself in the majority without much hesitation.
When Xiao Xijin tried to persuade her, Xiao Lanqin's resistance was unexpectedly fierce, and her grievance was evident in her words, as if she had really suffered some great grievance... But Xiao Xijin dared to guarantee that she had not. The four people had different paces. Xiao Lanqin seldom returned to the dormitory after a month of school starting, and she could not even be seen. How could others wrong her?
"Xiao Lanqin's second brother is looking here again." Tan Yuemei used the eldest brother's radio to shield herself and whispered in Lin Xinghuo's ear: "Can he stop staring at us?" Who has the time to isolate his sister? It was obviously Xiao Lanqin who used cold violence against others. This brother should do a good job of ideological work on his own sister first, and then mobilize them for friendship and unity.
Tan Yuemei curled her lips and said, "She's just used to being given in by others. She feels normal only when they give in to her and protect her."
Lin Xinghuo kept writing and chuckled, "That's true. She used to work in the countryside in our village, just like you now. She was the last one to go to the countryside and the youngest..." Whether it was the educated youth or the villagers, they all felt that it was too difficult for her because of her young age, so they subconsciously protected her more. She was a little lazy and a little pampered, and no one ever cared about her. Even if she had a bit of a stubborn personality occasionally, they would still be grateful to Xiao Lanqin for taking out so many delicious foods sent by her family in the city.
Because Xiao Xijin tried a little too hard to improve the relationship between his sister and her roommate, the gossip that spread caused some trouble for Lin Xinghuo, which made her unable to help but secretly say a few words behind their backs.
To put it bluntly, Xiao Lanqin initially disliked Tan Yuemei because she felt she occupied a special position with her. As someone who once held a vested interest, she instinctively rejected the tolerance and care Tan Yuemei received from others due to her youth. Her change in attitude toward Lin Xinghuo was likely due to the fact that Tan Yuemei was too clever, and immediately "came to her side" after sensing Xiao Lanqin's hostility. Did she then perceive Lin Xinghuo's natural "acceptance" as a betrayal?
In fact, Tan Yuemei and Lin Xinghuo really didn't pay attention to Xiao Lanqin's emotions when the incident first happened. They didn't deliberately make friends to form cliques, but their personalities were quite compatible. They were in the same class, so it was natural for them to go in and out of the dormitory together.
After Tan Yuemei accidentally encountered Lin Xinghuo during the Wu Nian Festival, she openly expressed her desire to be friends. This woman lived in the Panjiayuan Flea Market, now called the Flea Market, but once a renowned "ghost market" for fine antiques. Tan Yuemei's family had been in the antique business for generations, and after the family's fortune was returned, she still had a shop in Panjiayuan. While she didn't dare open it openly, she still set up a flea market and secretly started collecting items again.
The few things Wu Nian had made were acquired by her father, sighing and exorbitantly, from other people, for a few brand-new artifacts at a price that could have bought the real thing. But not a single member of Tan Yuemei's family, from the elders to the young, objected. They all admired and sighed over them. Their fascination was naturally for the exquisite craftsmanship, but their sighs were a businessman's nature. These things would have to remain in the Tan family treasury for at least a few generations; once the maker passed away, their value would be gone...
But do we have to wait until Wu Nian dies? Lin Xinghuo was very pessimistic about the deal the Tan family had invested in, especially since the pieces that had flowed out of Wu Nian's hands were just his practice pieces, while the real masterpieces were all on display in the gardens on both sides.
"Can I touch the incense burner you placed on the bedside table?" The little girl Tan Yuemei really couldn't help herself and begged hurriedly while the meeting was still going on.
"I'll show you my stamp album and my money album."
Master Fang had a custom of burning incense in May to ward off evil spirits, and as the weather got warmer, Lin Xinghuo changed the incense in the house. The incense burner in the dormitory was one that Wu Nian had left in her bag. The last time Lin Xinghuo took Lin Beiguo here for lunch break, he took it out and lit a burner of incense.
Tan Yuemei took a fancy to the small purple clay stove. She often hung around it, but she had a good habit passed down from her ancestors: no matter how much she liked something, she would not touch it without the owner's permission.
"Okay!" Lin Xinghuo agreed readily.
Tan Yuemei's eyes narrowed as she smiled.
As soon as the meeting was over, Tan Yuemei pulled her to the dormitory.
Lin Xinghuo only had time to hand the notebook to the squad leader before he waved his hand and was pulled away.
The monitor of their class was the oldest student, with a few white hairs visible on the back of his head. He rubbed his head and spread his hands to the male classmates around him: "He has his own problems, there's nothing I can do."
Several male classmates sighed and looked at the two figures walking away, reluctant to look back.
"Brother Ge, next time, just invite Lin to join our debate team."
Brother Ge waved his hands quickly: "Don't! How many times have I helped you? But classmate Lin has a girlfriend and even a child... Besides, can't you see from her attitude? There's no hope!" If these people had no bad intentions and no courage, he would not help others do such a thing of poaching.
"But Lin's file shows that he is still unmarried!" As long as he is unmarried, everyone has a chance.
He understood that these people were just attracted by the pretty face of the female classmate, but why didn't they say that the girl's boyfriend was even better looking? Squad Leader Ge ignored them without hesitation, flipping open his notebook and reading the detailed and neat records. He couldn't help but shake his head: "Let's not talk about their shorthand skills, just their handwriting, what can these guys do to match her?"
"Hello, is Lin Xinghuo here?" Two neatly dressed young men knocked on the door and asked.
They all knew one of them: Wei Chunxing, who studied Traditional Chinese Medicine next door. They were rumored to be a relative of Lin Xinghuo. They hadn't seen the other one, but his clothes, which were practically new without a single patch, and adorned with a gleaming school badge, made it easy to guess which school he was from. Well, he could tell he came from a wealthy family. Judging by his age, he probably wasn't married, right?
Xiao Xijin, who was still in the corner, looked up and guessed the man's identity.
But a few of the more dignified male students in the class didn't know this and immediately felt that this might be another hidden rival. They looked at each other, feeling a sense of strength in numbers, so a tall, thin boy asked, "What do you want with Lin?"
He and Wei Chunxing came to his aunt for some advice, but these people were very nosy.
Wei Chunxing understood the "too many monks, too little porridge" mentality. After all, his own class was also more male than female, and the male students more or less wanted to protect their own scarce resources. Wei Chunxing stopped them and said, "We're here to see our aunt. We need her advice on something in the village... Hey, did she go home or back to the dorm?"
"He, he is also Lin's nephew?" a male classmate asked hesitantly.
Wei Chunxing nodded twice, and the male classmate nodded to the one he didn't know and said dryly, "Student Lin is walking to the back, so he must be going back to the dormitory."
"Thank you." After Wei Chunxing and the other man disappeared, the rest of the people in the classroom still stretched their necks to look. No matter how they looked at them, the two men didn't look alike. They were actually both Lin's nephews.
"No," squad leader Ge counted on his fingers, "Isn't Lin's generation a bit too old?"
"Why do I remember that since the start of school, many people who came to see her called her 'Auntie'?" There were boys and girls, old and young, and they were all college students, just not from the same school.
Xiao Xijin knew something about the situation. He'd been to Buxian Village twice, especially the first time, where he'd stayed quite a while. It wasn't just the university students who called Lin Xinghuo "Auntie." Virtually everyone in the village, save for the dignified elders at the brigade headquarters, was a nephew. Xiao Xijin couldn't quite figure out how their generational relationships worked, but he knew the young man he'd just met called Lin Xinghuo "Auntie," and his father probably called her "Auntie" too... Even some of the educated youth, like the locals, would follow suit.
Xiao Xijin casually explained on Lin Xinghuo's behalf, saying it was probably a custom in her hometown. There were no students from the northern Snow Province in this class, and everyone accepted his suggestion quickly... Because they were about the same age as Xiao Xijin and he didn't teach, the male students got along quite well with him. Squad Leader Ge even patted him on the shoulder and advised, "Alright, everyone in our class knows that your sister originally worked in the countryside in Lin's hometown and now lives in the same dormitory. It's okay for you, as her older brother, to know more... But those students from other classes might think you have some feelings for Lin, which isn't a good idea. You should be careful."
Squad leader Ge is the oldest and is used to worrying about everything. Now he is the squad leader. In fact, he is the one who has the most contact with Xiao Xijin. At this moment, he remembered some gossip that had been spread outside before, and couldn't help but remind Xiao Xijin.
Xiao Xijin was a bit confused. He had indeed paid too much attention to Qinqin's roommates in order to ease the relationship between them. Originally, he treated the other three people in Dormitory 301 the same way, but others saw Cai Weihong as completely absorbed in her studies, a complete academic nerd, while Tan Yuemei was a bit too young. Only Lin Xinghuo, who was of the same age and had a striking appearance, stood out. This really led to the misconception that he had "ulterior motives."
Previously, we said that Cai Weihong and Xiao Lanqin were at opposite ends of the spectrum, those who either integrated or rejected the collective. Tan Yuemei was somewhere in the middle, belonging to a fringe faction with a set direction and goal. Then, Lin Xinghuo was like a fruit tree planted amidst the shrubbery, a bit different yet harmonious. Among them, Cai Weihong also managed to grow into a tree, Tan Yuemei was a self-sustaining vine, and Cai Weihong was like a shrub, neither rising nor falling, wanting sunlight but refusing to reach upwards...
Only Lin Xinghuo thought that her classmates were all sponges who were devoted to learning. To a certain extent, these people were indeed sponges who were eager for knowledge and absorbed it quickly, but each sponge had its own color, and some sponges had squeezed themselves into the shape of a "heart" - in such a prime time, once they had jumped over the dragon gate, how could they not be full of energy and ambition, how could they not be "gentlemen seeking a good wife"?
When the female students looked over, they saw the figures buried in their studies, only to see their fixed mindsets, imprisoned and yet to fully open up. Like animals springing to life in spring, they displayed what they considered their best sides to the opposite sex. Like wolves displaying their hunting prowess, these young men, young and old, simply wanted the girls to see their diligence and ambition.
Compared to these "nerds" who have not yet truly opened their minds, Wu Nian's performance is obviously more stable and more subtle.
The handsome young man driving the ox cart was waiting outside Lin Xinghuo's dormitory again, but this time no one looked at him differently. The logistics aunt who managed the building even smiled at the boy, which was rare. Although the aunt was big and strong, her smile was more frightening than not smiling.
"Is this really good for insulation?" Auntie looked at the pile of things on Wu Nian's ox cart and enthusiastically poured him a glass of water. "Wait until classmate Lin comes back. I'll call you from inside the building and then you can go up."
Wu Nian was very calm and polite. He took the water and thanked the owner. He said, "First, let's put it on 301 and see the effect. If it works, I'll bring a few people to clean up the dormitories next to the whole building."
These off-white boards were simple insulation panels made from wool, straw, and hemp rope. These materials were truly remarkable, absorbing moisture and retaining heat. They were also incredibly low-cost and easy to construct. These were scraps from Lin Xinghuo's suburban garden. With the department's permission, she also took classes in the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Many people knew she had a suburban garden and enjoyed growing herbs—a reason she'd clearly stated in her application.
The dormitories at the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine are only three stories high. These buildings, in particular, were built a few years ago, when supply was tight. Construction prioritized sturdiness and minimal materials, with no regard for comfort. Lin Xinghuo's dormitory, 301, was notorious for its poor insulation in winter and summer heat. Otherwise, these dormitories wouldn't have been allocated to day students. Living there was truly miserable.
Wu Nian, who was learning and helping Master Rong, had somehow remembered her casual words and asked him to tinker with these boards. After asking his friend outside to test them in the workshop, the man directly drove the finished products to him.
"Auntie, it would be better if you could lay two layers of these boards on the roof. The effect would be better, and this thing wouldn't be afraid of rain."
The aunt didn't really understand, but when she heard the words "rainproof," she smiled even more brightly: "Wow, it's waterproof? There's a leaking spot on the west end of the roof, just cover it up! Hey, wait a minute, I'll call the janitor for you!"
Wu Nian wanted to explain, but after thinking about it, he put his hand down.
Okay, he can fix the leak.
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Author's words: Transition chapter.
Note:
In 1961, the Party Central Committee issued a special document at the Lushan Conference, proposing the establishment of full-time counselors in all universities, which was implemented. During the 1989 Revolution, ideological and political work was exploited by the "dictatorships," and its reputation was damaged. In 1978, the State Education Commission issued a document to restore the counselor system in universities. Due to the serious job transfer of ideological and political personnel (including counselors) before the 1989 Revolution, professional teachers were mainly employed part-time as political counselors. The work of counselors was no longer limited to political work, but gradually shifted to ideological and political education.
At that time, the state allowed workers, peasants, and soldiers who were studying in technical secondary schools to take the 1977 college entrance examination, but those who were studying in junior colleges or universities were not allowed to do so. — "1976·The Last Worker, Peasant, and Soldier Students·From Commune to Commune"
In 1977, 5.7 million applicants registered for the Gaokao, of which 273,000 were admitted, for an admission rate of 4.8%, equivalent to 1 in 29. In 1978, a total of 6.1 million applicants were admitted, with 402,000 admitted (107,000 of whom were admitted due to an expansion), for an admission rate of 6.6%.
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