Chapter 115 College Entrance Examination
After the announcement of the resumption of the Gaokao, the two men no longer concealed their intention to take it, and naturally, the police station knew about it. Some were understanding, while others thought they were being reckless. However, Lan Qingshan and Shen Mingguang were both very supportive, even letting Zou Li take over as acting team leader, sharing some of the work.
No one expected that the other person who took the college entrance examination was Wang Jian
In recent years, Wang Kunyi has had another son, now just over a year old, giving him a son and a daughter. Because of the burden of his child, Wang Kunyi was transferred from the boiler room at the heating station to a less demanding job in the cleaning crew. Isn't it ridiculous for a street sweeper to take the college entrance exam? But Wang Kunyi didn't care what others said and resolutely signed up.
This was something Jiang Nan particularly admired. The couple went to No. 1 Courtyard to find Wang Jianrong, explaining that they were both taking the Gaokao. They told Wang Jianrong if he had any questions, he could just go to them. Even if they didn't know the answer, discussing it and exploring new ideas was better than figuring it out on your own.
Others weren't refusing to take the Gaokao either. Take, for example, Phoenix Man Tian Jiaguang, who was also tempted and secretly registered. But firstly, he wasn't a good student and didn't want to let anyone know, lest he lose face if he didn't pass. Or perhaps it's said that the more you lack something, the more you value it. Tian Jiaguang was very concerned about his reputation these days. Secondly, as a frontline oil worker, he was constantly on the wells, leaving him with little time to review, and his chances of passing were slim.
Hearing that Jiang Nan was going to take the college entrance exam, Qiu Paner naturally wanted to join in the fun. No matter how well she did in her studies, she just wanted to compete with Jiang Nan. Others, like Cheng Meijuan and Tong Lili, hadn't even thought about signing up.
Cheng Meijuan grew up in a well-off family, but her studies were erratic, she'd fall asleep as soon as she looked at her textbooks, and knowing she wouldn't pass the exam even if she signed up, she simply didn't register. Tong Lili was even worse. Widow Qin taught her that nothing else mattered to her, except marrying well. She never forced her to attend school, so of course, she didn't enjoy studying.
Only Cheng Gaigai registered, making him another candidate for the open Gaokao. Speaking of which, once the news of the Gaokao's resumption came out, something else happened: Tang Xi actually came to her specifically, asking to borrow textbooks. Jiang Nan only had one set, and it was a rather inappropriate set for freshmen. She didn't have any other textbooks like physics and chemistry. How could she borrow them? It was unclear why Tang Xi had come to her. According to the original text, Tang Xi already had the textbooks, so there was no need to borrow them.
[Host, Tang Xi is trying to confuse the other members of the educated youth center. She has a complete set of math, physics, and chemistry self-study books, but she only has one set. She and Ren Pinglan need them, and they can't be borrowed, so they're here to borrow them.]
Jiang Nan: "Ren Pinglan's father hasn't been rehabilitated yet?"
[It's almost time. She's already been picked up. Tang Xi has good grades and books, so Ren Pinglan didn't leave. They stayed to review together and prepare for the college entrance exam.]
Jiang Nan curled her lips. It had to be said that these days, without some scheming, you couldn't even be the heroine. Of course, being scheming wasn't necessarily a bad thing; it all depended on how you used it.
I've strayed off topic. The two months of preparation for the Gaokao were truly hectic. The operations department's leaders had several empty rooms set aside for the returning educated youth to review. The police station, knowing both Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing were taking the Gaokao, rarely assigned them any work. Even the simple task of picking up the kids from work was handled by Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua, who truly wished everything would make way for the Gaokao.
Just like that, on the eve of the college entrance examination, Jiang Nan suddenly became uneasy and couldn't sleep in the middle of the night. She sat up and poked Zhou Zhixing: "You said that explosion, it won't happen again?"
Zhou Zhixing, who hadn't fallen asleep either, shook his head firmly. "No. The monitoring program has automatically failed, which means it can't detect any signs of an explosion. Don't worry."
Even so, neither of them could sleep. The system had originally said that the explosion had killed everyone in the building. What a massive case this must be! Although I hadn't had much contact with Courtyard No. 1 in recent years, I'd lived there for so long, and whether it was good or bad, I still had feelings for it. No one wanted anything to happen to them.
Fortunately, the system was quite effective, and the next day was really peaceful and nothing happened.
[Congratulations to the host, the main mission is completed, and the main system will give you a reward of 50,000 Chigua coins.]
Jiang Nan was just changing her shoes at the doorway when she was stunned by this good news! Fifty thousand Chigua coins—more than she'd earned in the past few years. Without even changing her shoes, she immediately opened the system and checked her Chigua coin balance. Wow, ninety-one thousand, two hundred and sixty-three, in whole and small amounts—more than her family's savings! If only she could convert this into cash.
With this good news, the couple rushed to the college entrance examination venue.
The announcement of the resumption of the Gaokao (National College Entrance Examination) was made on October 21st, with the exam scheduled for December 1st. I don't know what the weather was like elsewhere, but here in Chaoyang Oilfield, on the day of the exam, snowflakes fell thickly, blanketing the sky and earth in a blanket of white. Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing tightened their scarves and plunged headfirst into the snow, heading for the most important exam of their lives.
Examinations these days are not so pretentious. There is no need to accompany the examinee. After asking his parents and Aunt Wen to take good care of the three children, the two of them set off with their admission tickets, pens and stationery.
The two of us were assigned to the same exam room, Oilfield Second High School, though we weren't in the same classroom, which was lucky. Once inside, I finally understood what the age gap mentioned in period literature meant. Among the candidates, there were scruffy men who looked like they were almost thirty, and there were also young men and women in their late teens, with innocent faces. The only thing they had in common was the light of hope for the future in their eyes.
Unlike later college entrance exams, the first section was politics. This wasn't a difficult task for either of them. They'd been reading newspapers for over a year, and the radio at home broadcast the news daily. Simply applying the newspaper sentences to their answers was a surefire way to avoid any major setbacks. After the politics exam, everyone left the room with smiles on their faces, clearly feeling they'd done well.
Next up was the liberal arts or science exam. Since both of them had signed up for science, they naturally had to take the science exam. Jiang Nan, with her previous life's experience, didn't find the questions difficult. But after the exam, seeing everyone's tearful faces, she belatedly realized that perhaps the questions were still too difficult for everyone who hadn't studied systematically for ten years.
After the first day of exams, the family didn't ask any questions; everything went on as usual. Cha Cha, who loved to act like a grown-up, sat upright, just like usual, except for the occasional glare of her big eyes at her parents. Perhaps because Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua had warned her against it, she said nothing, only glancing at them now and then, making Zhou Zhixing and Jiang Nan laugh inwardly. Xiao Zhi and Xiao Ye were still two mischievous children, no different from usual.
On the second day, the math exam was held in the morning. Perhaps the questions were too difficult, so when the Chinese exam came in the afternoon, there were many empty seats in the exam room. This was because some students had given up. Jiang Nan felt sorry for them. They had persisted until now, so what was the difficulty in taking another Chinese exam?
Jiang Nan lowered her head and scanned the paper. She was stunned when she saw the title of the essay: "Unforgettable Moments." If she remembered correctly, this was the exam question for Gan Province during her time. Who knew which butterfly flapped its wings and blew the Gan Province exam question to the Chaoyang Oilfield?
What should I write? Jiang Nan bit her pen, thinking carefully. The movement might be over, but people's minds won't change instantly. It takes time, a process that, for some, can be excruciating. This meant the article couldn't be too radical; it had to be grounded in reality, ideally tied to her work.
Jiang Nan thought of the cases she'd been involved in, from the biggest murders to the smallest finds like a scallion or a cat. What were the most unforgettable moments? It was uncovering the truth and clearing the victim's name. It was finding lost property and seeing the faces of the people who reported the case weep with joy. It was also the colleagues who braved the hardships, gritted their teeth despite fear, and bravely pressed forward. It was the generous and kind smiles on their faces when they were thanked by the public.
Jiang Nan began to write, recounting the unforgettable moments of her police career. Leaving the exam room and settling into the back seat of Zhou Zhixing's car, Jiang Nan and Zhou began discussing the theme of their essay. Their paths diverged, but they reached the same conclusion. In Zhou Zhixing's essay, the years of struggle, the search for clues despite danger, were unforgettable moments. Even the trivialities and small details of ordinary life were unforgettable moments. As long as one remains a cog in society, every moment is a memorable one.
Jiang Nan curled his lips and whispered, "You flatterer."
Zhou Zhixing pedaled his bicycle and sighed, "You don't understand this, do you? I'm trying to elevate the subject. Just wait and see, my score won't be lower than yours."
Back home, Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua didn't ask about their grades at all, just watched them eat and drink. As Jiang Mancheng had said before the exam, no matter how you did on the test, you couldn't change it, so what else could you say? It was best to take each test and forget about it. Once the test was over, forget everything. That was the best state of mind.
However, they still had to estimate their scores after the exam, so they didn't dare forget. They took the English test on the third day, and only then did they consider the exam completely over.
When estimating their scores, Jiang Nan estimated 328, while Zhou Zhixing's was 326, a difference of just two points. Don't underestimate them; the total score for the college entrance exam is 400, and both of them scored above 300, which is considered a very high score.
My family had already decided on my choice of major: the Public Security University in Beijing. If I could stay in Beijing after graduation, I'd stay there; after all, the educational resources here are better than anywhere else. I graduated in 1982, and when Chen Jinhua retired in 1983 at age 50 and Jiang Mancheng took early retirement, the whole family could move to Beijing to reunite.
The years from 1978 to 1982 weren't a good time to do business. After all, no one knew what the reforms entailed or how long they would last. Uncertain, no one dared to make the first move. By 1983, five years into the reforms, everyone had gained some experience. That was when Jiang Mancheng could really show his talents, start a business, and make a fortune.
In the previous five years, the young couple went to college, Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua worked in the oil field, and everything had to be done in a safe manner.
Of course, that's all for the future. Just estimate your scores, fill out your application, and wait for the results. On the day we submitted our applications, we ran into Wang Jian, who greeted us warmly: "Xiao Nan, Xiao Xing, what were your estimated scores?"
Seeing their applications, Wang Jianji was filled with envy: "I didn't do well on the test, with only a little over 210 points. I can only apply to agricultural and forestry colleges in my province, and that's technical secondary school at that."
Over 200 points is not a small number. Jiang Nan said with a smile, "It's not a small number. Sister Jianan, you will definitely pass the exam."
Wu Jianguo, standing nearby, held a little boy in one hand and a larger one in the other, his smile radiant. For the past month, Wang Jianyi had been ridiculed, and Wu Jianguo had naturally been subject to a fair share of gossip. But so what? The couple had agreed that Wu Jianguo's high-paying job meant he wouldn't have to move. If Wang Jianyi wanted to move, the only way out for them, with their limited backgrounds, was to take the college entrance exam.
After submitting my application, the next step was to wait for the results. That month was even more agonizing than the exam itself. Wang, who went to a technical secondary school in his province, was one of the first to admit students. Before I even received my acceptance letter, I received a physical exam notice. I didn't know if I'd be accepted, but since I could get the physical, I figured it wouldn't be a big deal.
It is said that when Wang Jianyi received the medical examination notice, she burst into tears. This was the first time that a strong woman who had supported three younger brothers cried like this, which made everyone sigh.
The next day, Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing also received the physical examination notice. They went, so they went. But they found out they had to take off their clothes! Jiang Nan, not to mention being stunned, did a lot of self-consolation and hypnosis before stripping naked and heading in. After the physical, Jiang Nan came out with a sullen face. After they were a good distance away, he exchanged glances with Zhou Zhixing and laughed awkwardly.
Jiang Nan consoled herself, "It's okay. We're all women. No one has more flesh than the other."
Zhou Zhixing hummed a sigh of relief. He'd been served by servants since childhood, so he didn't mind such matters. Seeing Jiang Nan had let it go, he said nothing. It had only been two or three days since the physical exam, and it was already 1978. No one was in the mood to celebrate New Year's Day, so they just made do with a good meal of chicken, duck, fish, and meat, and considered it a good way to get through the holiday. Everyone was waiting for the notice, so they really had no mood to celebrate New Year's Day.
Within two days, the long-awaited admission letters were issued one after another. The first to receive them was Wang Jianli.
Wang Zilii and Wang Gengsheng were so happy at the police station that day that they were completely lost. After lunch, they ran to the supply and marketing cooperative, bought two large bags of candy, and kept handing out candy at the police station.
"My elder brother has been given my sister's job. He's already going through the paperwork to return to the city." When the message reached Jiang Nan, Wang Zili scratched his head and chuckled. "Sister Xiaonan, you got a high score and applied to a good school. My sister said you'll definitely be accepted in the last batch. Don't worry."
Jiang Nan took the candy and teased Wang Zili: "Do I need your comfort? Zili, I can still think about going to college despite the hardships, so why don't you and Gengsheng have any ideas?"
Wang Zili kept waving his hands. "Sister Xiaonan, please forgive me. My sister is always nagging me and Gengsheng. We finally have a job, so please stop talking about it. It's not that I don't want to take the exam, it's just that I really don't like studying. I only graduated from junior high school and didn't even get into high school. Tell me, how can someone like me take the college entrance exam?"
Wang Gengsheng echoed: "That's right, that's right."
Okay, Wang Yanji gave the job to Wang Fendou. Jiang Nan could think of this, but what she didn't expect was that Wu Jianguo and Wu Dachui actually agreed.
But that was all someone else's business. Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing only took notice of it for a moment, then passed it by. The most important thing was the admissions notice. Fortunately, the Public Security University offered early admissions, so both of them received their letters the next day. Jiang Nan was accepted into Criminal Science, while Zhou Zhixing had his major switched to Public Security Studies. This wasn't the time to dwell on a major; just being accepted was a great accomplishment.
After that, they had to handle the procedures for transferring their household registration and retaining their public office. Nowadays, full-time university students with at least five years of work experience can continue to study with a salary. Since they both started working in 1968, they already had sufficient years of work experience. In other words, their university education not only cost nothing, but they actually earned money.
With the formalities in place, the next step was to host various banquets, including a special banquet for Courtyard No. 1. Since it was winter, Jiang Mancheng specifically contacted the logistics department to borrow the cafeteria for the banquet. Setting up tables downstairs in the freezing weather was out of the question. Everyone was very considerate of this sort of thing, and the venue was secured without a hitch.
At the banquet in Courtyard No. 1, Tong Lili stared blankly at Jiang Nan, who had given birth to three children but was still as bright as a flower. She finally understood why Qiu Pan'er was always jealous of her. The whole audience looked at her, wondering which woman had such a good life!
When a girl is young, her parents treat her like a treasure, loving and pampering her. After she gets married, her husband is willing to live with his father-in-law for her. Just for this reason, many men can't do it.
Even after giving birth to three children, she still has a slender waist and long legs, and her skin is as smooth as a peeled egg, even more delicate than when she was a girl. Now, with a smile as beautiful as a flower, she toasts the whole place, laughing and talking as she pleases, and the whole cafeteria is filled with her laughter. Any woman would be jealous of such a man, right?
"Lili, Jinjin needs to pee. What are you standing there for?" Lin Bing poked Tong Lili's shoulder with his chopsticks, his face looking rather grim. Lin Jin was their son, five years old this year, a very hardy boy, and Lin Bing loved him very much. This wasn't their first child; the first had been miscarried at just over seven months old. Tong Lili later got pregnant again after recovering. Tong Lili was spoiled to death; even at five years old, he still needed his mother to take him to the toilet.
Tong Lili couldn't help but dote on him. Since she gave birth to Lin Jin, her belly hadn't moved. Not only was she anxious, but Lin Bing was also somewhat dissatisfied. In recent years, he had become increasingly impatient with Tong Lili, muttering quietly, "You can't do anything right."
Tong Lili came back to her senses, glanced at the disdain in Lin Bing's eyes, and felt bitter. Then she thought, men are all lustful. Jiang Nan is well maintained now, but what about the future? When she gets old and ugly, she will be disliked by men like her. Tong Lili comforted herself, took her son's hand, and whispered, "Jinjin, come on, Mom will take you to the bathroom."
No one noticed the little incident here. Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing were toasting at the Fang family's table. Sun Qiaolian had clearly aged over the years, with white hair on her temples. She looked at the two of them with a complicated look. She still remembered that she had taken a fancy to Jiang Nan and wanted her to be her daughter-in-law. She had never imagined that she would be so successful now, even getting into university. As for her own tigress, not only could she not have children, she had also taken over Chen Jinhua's job and became the famous Tiger Aunt in Building No. 4. What kind of life had she and her son been leading these past few years?
Looking at Fang Nanshan again, the smugness in his eyes had completely vanished, replaced by the resigned silence of a man who accepted his fate. They hadn't told him to go to the oil fields, only to sweep toilets, so he'd do it. As long as they paid him, he'd do anything. It was better than starving to death without money. Besides, there was still that silly woman, Cheng Meijuan.
She said she wanted to give Niu Niu a complete family and not let him stand still. It was a good thing the silly woman was willing to think that way. Only if she thought that way would he have a chance to continue to cling to her and start a family. After all, they wouldn't divorce, and he wouldn't suffer any loss. As long as he didn't starve to death, that was enough. Back then, all those efforts were just to avoid starvation.
Sitting silently beside them were Fang Nansheng and Fang Nanhai, already eighteen years old. They had just returned from the countryside, hadn't gotten into university, and didn't have a job, but they had vowed never to return to the countryside. Even if Cheng Meijuan was in a bad mood every day, they would stay in the city no matter what.
After not seeing each other for so long, Jiang Nan almost didn't recognize them. It was only after being introduced during a toast that he finally spoke a few words. Also at the table were the Cheng family. Cheng Kantan and Lan Qingli had a son and a daughter, and their life was relatively harmonious. Old Cheng had become increasingly inconspicuous, sitting there like an invisible figure. Unless you looked carefully, you couldn't spot him.
Cheng Gaigai eventually returned to work, prompting the Jing family to realize that this daughter-in-law was a difficult choice. Jing Aihua was furious, but he also knew that divorce wasn't worth it. He couldn't marry a woman with better conditions than Cheng Gaigai in a second marriage. Furthermore, divorce wasn't good for either of their futures, so they had no choice but to continue living this way. Only he knew the pain of it.
After the banquet, watching the people leave, Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing realized that their relationship with Building 4, Yard 1, had come to an end. Going to university, staying in Beijing, meeting new friends and colleagues, they gradually forgot about these people and events.
In the evening, the two discussed that there was an extremely inconvenient thing about studying at the People's Public Security University, which was that the school was under closed management. The couple had to live on campus while studying and were not allowed to go out without reason on weekdays. They could only go out on Sundays.
This made it difficult to arrange for Cha Cha and her two sons. If they left them at home, they wouldn't see them for half a year, and they wouldn't want to leave them. If they took them with them, they wouldn't have anywhere to live.
The couple discussed it all night and decided to go to Beijing early, preferably before the New Year, to see if they could rent or buy a house. Grandma Wen would then move in with the child, and the couple could still see the child on weekends. Otherwise, if they didn't see him for months and years, the child would become estranged, and raising him would be difficult in the future.
Having made their decision, the two went to buy train tickets early the next morning. It was better to hurry early than late; the sooner things were done, the sooner they could feel at ease. It wasn't until Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua got off work that they realized they had made such a decision.
Chen Jinhua packed their luggage and continued to grumble, "You two live on campus, and your father and I will take care of the children. What else do you have to worry about? Why do you insist on taking the children with you? How can Aunt Wen take care of three children by herself? Why are you so stubborn? Why don't you listen?"
Jiang Nan smiled apologetically, "Mom, Cha Cha, Xiao Zhi, and Xiao Ye are naughty, but you and my dad always spoil them. That's not okay. Even if they have to endure some hardships following us, they'll at least learn a little bit about what's right and wrong, so they won't be completely clueless in the future."
Chen Jinhua was about to say something when Jiang Mancheng pulled her sleeve. Jiang Mancheng asked, "How long will you two be gone this time? When will you be back? It's almost Laba Festival now, can you come back for the New Year?"
Jiang Nan shook his head. "It would be best to find a house. Mom and Dad, think about it. Buying a house is such a big deal. It will take at least half a month, right? After buying it, we have to renovate it and buy some miscellaneous things. I guess we'd be lucky if we can come back by the tenth day of the first lunar month at the earliest."
Jiang Mancheng nodded and said nothing more. Five-year-old Jiang Cha ran over, clutching a large teddy bear, and pouting, "Mom, why don't you take me? I'm over five already. I can be your advisor when buying a house. I've built countless houses with building blocks, so I know a lot about it."
Jiang Nan laughed: "Okay, okay, you can be an advisor. But if you leave, grandpa and grandma will be left alone to celebrate the New Year. Besides, your two brothers will be reluctant to leave you. So many people miss you, can you just leave like this? You are so important, this family can't do without you."
Jiang Cha looked at her chubby brothers, who were playing with building blocks in the corner of the living room with runny noses, then looked at her grandparents who were looking at her with longing eyes. She sighed softly and spread her hands with a helpless and worried expression: "I wish I had Sun Wukong's 72 transformations. Oh, I'm so popular that I can't leave anywhere."
The little girl's cocky tone made everyone laugh. When they were lying in bed at night, Zhou Zhixing said, "My parents might be transferred to Beijing."
Jiang Nan had already lain down, ready to sleep, but upon hearing this, he sat up: "What did you say?!"
She, who has a system, didn't even notice it, so how did you know?! Of course, if she had asked the system, she would have known, but they had an agreement that the system couldn't be used on family members, so Jiang Nan really didn't notice it.
Zhou Zhixing patted Jiang Nan's shoulder and pulled the quilt up: "Alright, lie down, lie down first."
Jiang Nan lay down obediently, and Zhou Zhixing spoke up. "Think about it, if Cha Cha, Xiao Zhi, and Xiao Ye go to Beijing, and only Aunt Wen is left to take care of them, how can Mom and Dad rest assured? I guess as soon as we leave, the two of us will have to go to Grandpa's place. Grandpa is a big shot in the oil industry, and he was a university student before the liberation. He must have a lot of friends and relatives. If he goes to Beijing to do some activities, he might be able to be transferred there. But we don't know where he'll be transferred to yet, so Dad can't say for sure."
Jiang Nan thought about it and realized that it was true. She nodded and said, "That's great. I was afraid that we would be separated for four years. We have to look for a house carefully. It would be best if it has convenient transportation. It would be great if we could buy a courtyard house. It will be very valuable in the future..." Her voice became lower and lower, her breathing gradually became longer, and she actually fell asleep.
Zhou Zhixing tucked his back, thinking, "You're really generous." He didn't know where he'd be transferred, but buying a house these days is tough. At least not a shantytown, you have to have a siheyuan. But are siheyuans that easy to find? Without three or four thousand, there's no way you can get one. Even though we have money, if we spend it all at once, we'll be strapped for cash if things get tough later.
Zhou Zhixing quickly fell asleep, his thoughts swirling around. No matter how much he thought, he had to go see it. The fact that the family could still live together was more important than anything else.
The next day, Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua woke up bright and early and went to the cafeteria for breakfast. It was a hearty breakfast of fried dough sticks, tofu pudding, large steamed buns with braised pork, and a small dish of homemade kimchi. Afterward, they dropped Cha Cha off at kindergarten, went home to give Xiao Zhi and Xiao Ye a few words of advice, and then packed their bags and headed to the train station.
With their acceptance letters, the two had a much smoother time buying tickets, and now they were able to board the train faster than others, a gesture of consideration for the first batch of university students. They didn't skimp on money, using connections to buy adjacent berths, which happened to be the two lower berths.
As I entered the sleeper, the aroma was overwhelming, like a tangy, pungent aroma. A woman in her forties sat on the left side of the lower bunk, one leg still in a shoe, strutting across the white sheets. She was leaning over, unpacking a homespun bundle on the small table. She held a scallion in her left hand and a pancake in her right, munching away with delightful, crunchy bites.
In addition to the aunt, there were two people sitting on the small stools next to the berth, and another person sleeping on the upper berth covered with a quilt. The entire berth was still moving, and that was the aunt eating green onions.
Seeing the two people come in, the aunt first narrowed her eyes, and then seemed to remember something, and pointed to the lower bunk on the right with the hand holding the scallion: "You two are on the lower bunk, right? I'm on the upper bunk, you male comrade can sleep on it. Ladies, come and sit here, you sleep on this bed at night. I'll sleep on the one over there." Good guy, it turns out you also know that your shoes will get dirty if you step on them, but you still want to sleep on a bed that hasn't been stepped on at night.
Zhou Zhixing didn't give in. He simply placed their luggage on the lower bunk on the right side and turned to find the conductor. This kind of person is always a bully, and you can't reason with them. It's better to go to the conductor directly. If you dare to challenge the conductor, we have a next step. There are always ways to deal with you. I hope you don't refuse my toast and drink the wine for punishment.
Sure enough, when the old lady saw the conductor coming, she didn't dare to say a word and put her feet down immediately, she was so obedient. When the ticket was checked, it was found that this lady didn't have a sleeper ticket at all. The guy in the upper bunk hadn't boarded the train yet. I don't know how this lady got in. She was so arrogant. If not you, who should I check?
Before being escorted away by the train police, the old woman glared at Zhou Zhixing fiercely and also looked at Jiang Nan with a very unfriendly look. As police officers, they wouldn't be frightened by such a look. Jiang Nan specifically asked the system and found out that this old woman was really a talent, and she came to the sleeper car specifically to steal things.
Jiang Nan remained calm. He turned the sheets over and made them straight, then sat there for another ten minutes. As if he had suddenly remembered something, he rummaged through his luggage bag and then his body, his face filled with anxiety. "Did we get robbed? Zhou Zhixing, check quickly to see if anything's missing."
The noise was quiet, but the sleeper was so quiet that someone could hear it. Everyone passed the word around, and soon, a few people who had lost something were scrambling to find the train attendant. Well, that old lady was in big trouble.
Jiang Nan was in a particularly good mood. She had been on a good train, but something like this happened. If she didn't let this out, she wouldn't be Jiang Nan! Fortunately, the two of them had established their authority, and the rest of the journey went smoothly. After a day and a night on the train, they finally arrived in Beijing.
As soon as he stepped off the bus, a strong historical atmosphere hit him. The ancient, dilapidated walls seemed to have become more profound and imbued with the atmosphere of history in this part of Beijing. Jiang Nan had been to this city before, but that was the later-generation, high-rise city, not the one in the early 1970s and 1980s, with its vast courtyards and bungalows.
Honestly, Beijing at that time wasn't as good as Chaoyang Oilfield. At least the number of cars on the streets wasn't as many as in the oilfield. In Chaoyang Oilfield, they lived in a 120-square-meter house with heating, a bathroom, and a kitchen. But now, what they were looking for in Beijing was a courtyard house with no toilet or shower.
There were apartments available, but firstly, they couldn't find any. Second, even if they did, they couldn't compete with the locals. Even if they were university students, they were still locals, with relatives and friends living in Beijing. Even if they defaulted on their rent, the landlord would know who to ask for payment. As for them, they were from out of town. What if they packed up their things and ran away? The landlord would have nowhere to cry.
This was also the downside of the initial population movement: mutual distrust. The two stayed at a guesthouse near the school and traveled for two days before reaching this conclusion. Jiang Nan was exhausted and furious, fuming the entire way. Zhou Zhixing was also tired, but he was a fashion-conscious person. He had heard about Lao Mo's restaurant from somewhere, and seeing that Jiang Nan was in a bad mood, he immediately dragged her along, wanting to go eat at Lao Mo's.
Jiang Nan was unhappy: "I'm already full of anger, and I'm still eating."
Zhou Zhixing pushed her along, "Auntie, we've only been away for two days, why are you in such a hurry? Now that we're in Beijing, let's try some delicious food. I heard there's so much good food at Lao Mo's Restaurant. Come on, isn't it said that good food heals everything? Let's go and heal it now."
As he said this, he ignored Jiang Nan who kept hitting him and smiled as he brought the man to Lao Mo's restaurant.
Actually, Lao Mo's restaurant wasn't called that. Its official name was the Beijing Exhibition Hall Restaurant. It was built with Soviet aid in the 1950s and was then known as the Soviet Exhibition Hall. The attached restaurant was called the Moscow Restaurant, serving Russian-style Western cuisine. Later, Sino-Soviet relations deteriorated, but everyone got used to calling it that, and no matter how the official name changed, it remained.
By today's standards, the restaurant was luxurious. Oil paintings hung on the walls, the tables were covered with snow-white tablecloths, and even the chairs were soft springs with fabric upholstery on the cushions and backs. Most importantly, the waiters were all young and beautiful.
They were both experienced people, so of course they weren't afraid. Even though a salad cost $3.40, they remained calm. They ordered a bunch of signature dishes like pot roast, cream of mushroom soup, creamy grilled mixed vegetables, and foie gras. They then handed the menu back to the waiter, comforting Jiang Nan, "We still have plenty of time. If you don't have a house, don't you still have a courtyard house?"
Seeing the waiter walk away, he lowered his voice and said, "Didn't you say that courtyard houses will be very valuable in the future? Now many people have been rehabilitated and are gradually returning to the city, and the work of returning their ancestral property is also underway. Those who own a lot of houses are worried that the situation will recur in the future, so they are anxious to sell their houses. Now is a good time to buy a house. Why rush? Just wait, you will definitely be able to buy one."
Jiang Nan stirred the mushroom soup with a spoon impatiently, rolled her eyes at Zhou Zhixing, and replied in a low voice, "How can I not be anxious? Siheyuan is nice, I want to buy one, but now it has no toilet and no heating, so it's not comfortable to live in. Let me tell you this, Siheyuan is bought to wait for its future appreciation, not to live in. And as you said, your parents are going to be transferred here, so we have to rent an apartment anyway, right? It's unbearable to live in Beijing in the winter without heating."
Zhou Zhixing imitated the others, gracefully cutting his steak and laughingly saying, "Are you being too picky? I was there back then, so how could I not know how to make this house more comfortable? Don't worry, as long as we have a house, we can guarantee you'll live comfortably. It's just heating, right? We can just buy a boiler and run it ourselves. We can always find a way."
Jiang Nan squinted at him and said, "How much will that cost? Even if I just buy the house, it won't cost as much as renovating it."
"That house is for living in, right? We'll make it as comfortable as possible. And we have to buy two, oh no, with three kids, we'll have to buy at least four. One for each of the three kids, and one for the four of us elders. That's enough to share." Zhou Zhixing chewed his steak and said soothingly, "It's going to cost a lot, but we have four workers in our family, and our expenses haven't been high these past few years. We still have enough for two. We can take our time with the rest, and we'll always find opportunities to make money. Don't worry, there will be courtyard houses, and if you want to live in an apartment, there will be one too."
Seeing that this guy was not in a hurry at all, Jiang Nan fortunately stopped worrying: "Okay, if you are not in a hurry, then don't worry. Beijing is such a big city, I don't believe I can't buy a house."
Zhou Zhixing laughed along: "See, it's much easier to think this way. Don't worry, we have to go to college for four years, and our parents also have to live in the house for four years. This is not something that can be done in a hurry. We have to find a place slowly..."
The two chatted, unwittingly, their neighbors overheard them. It was also their unfortunate location; they arrived late, and the only remaining spot in the restaurant was a corner, next to a pillar that obscured their view. Unbeknownst to them, there was another table not far behind the pillar, quite close to them, and the people at that table could hear their conversation clearly.
Soon, the two of them paid their bill and left. The man, who had overheard, also hurriedly paid his bill. He looked to be about twenty-four or twenty-five, lean and slender, with a very gentle face. He wore gold-rimmed glasses, had sharp eyebrows, and narrow eyes. He was about 1.8 meters tall. Although he didn't conform to the contemporary aesthetic of a rugged and powerful man, everyone who saw him would say he was a handsome man.
The handsome man followed the two of them for a few steps. Seeing that the two people holding hands were well-dressed and their words and actions were measured, he knew that buying a house was not just a casual talk. Then he caught up with them, scratched his head embarrassedly, and said, "I'm sorry, I just happened to be sitting next to you and heard that you wanted to buy a courtyard house in Beijing? Don't get me wrong, I didn't mean to eavesdrop on your conversation. It was just a coincidence that I was sitting next to you and accidentally overheard..."
Seeing the man and woman stop and look at him, with no accusatory look in their eyes, the man finally felt relieved. He secretly praised the man's good looks and demeanor, and introduced himself: "My name is Yan Hui, and I live in Qingyun Hutong, Qianmen Street. I have a courtyard house near Guang'anmen, and I'm planning to sell it. If you two are interested in buying, I can take you to see it tomorrow."
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