Bai Fumei in the 70’s

Zhao Lanxiang nestled her head on his slightly hot back. The cold wind at night was whizzing, but she didn't feel cold anymore.

He Songbai took her to a state-run restaurant.

This was the first time he took her openly to eat in a restaurant.

When the waiter asked them what they wanted to eat, He Songbai did not know what to say. Naturally, he wanted to say: 'the more expensive and the better,' but he was afraid that she would dislike him.

He coughed lightly.

Zhao Lanxiang quickly answered, "Let's have two bowls of meat-filled wonton, two big bowls."

After all, it was their first time here. He Songbai didn't want to save money and wanted her to eat something good.

Zhao Lanxiang said, "Just eat it. The first time I brought you to the city, we ate wontons."

Her soft words drew him into a memory that seemed so long ago. He also remembered the brightly lit night in the hospital, and she had arranged everything for him inside and out.

At that time, he was reluctant to eat such a good thing. Because of a bowl of wontons, he felt too inferior to lift his head. Now he could generously ask her to eat something delicious.

Time flies fast.5

He Songbai's lips raised slightly.

"Okay." He showed his white teeth.

The wontons at the state-run restaurant were slightly more delicious than ordinary wontons, but the craftsmanship is far less than Zhao Lanxiang's.

He Songbai gently sucked the wontons, then he pursed his lips and said, "This meat is not as fresh as ours."

"The skin is too thick, unlike the one you rolled."

But he still ate happily.

Zhao Lanxiang gave him half of the portion in her bowl. "Fill yourself and work hard."

He Songbai put her half-eaten wontons in his mouth, and said vaguely: "It's fragrant and sweet."

"Good to eat."

Obviously, they were eating a bowl of wontons, but Zhao Lanxiang suddenly blushed.3

He ate the wontons she had picked up in two bites and looked at her with a faint smile. His lips were stained with a bit of soup, and they looked a little rosy. He wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and slightly licked his lips with his tongue. After doing these actions, he looked at her bowl, as if he was questioning why she was eating so slowly.

She swallowed the wontons violently, put down the bowl, and stood up neatly, "Let's go."

"Come back home!"

On the way back, Zhao Lanxiang sat in He Songbai's bicycle's back seat, opened his leather bag, and hurriedly read the agreement they signed.

She said, "I think this contract needs to be a little bit more stable. In the future, you have to find their leader to sign."

"Otherwise, when the gods fight, you little shrimps will suffer."

He Songbai stretched his eyebrows and said, "I know."

"Let them eat a few full meals, and talk about it when they have eaten enough."

He paused and answered again, "I know."

Zhao Lanxiang couldn't help but smile. She hides the contract properly in his bag and holding it on her chest.1

...

In the He family's bullpen:

After finishing writing the letter, Teacher Gu put the pen in the pocket of his coat.

Hu Xianzhi glanced at the letter in his teacher's hand and hesitated to speak. But he saw Teacher Gu ready to go to bed after writing the letter and thinking of his brother's help in the past, he hesitated and asked, "Is this... a letter of recommendation for younger brother?"

Teacher Gu folded the letter and pressed it in the book. He said lightly, "No."

At this moment, Hu Xianzhi felt as if he was choking.

Teacher Gu said, "This was written for my son to report that I have arrived in the country in peace."

He could see the disappointment in Hu Xianzhi's heart through the calm face of his disciple.

He said in a huff, "Why, disappointed that I don't write for him?"

"It is right that I don't write anything. Principal Fu at X university is the most upright, stubborn, and hated people who walk from the back door the most. Those with real talents and education, Principal Fu will naturally not miss it.

"You told Wu Yong to let him prepare well. It's justified to do some hard work."1

Hu Xianzhi heard his words and glanced at his teacher gratefully.

He soon went to Wu Yong to tell him the news.

In March, during the spring plowing season, the spring breeze blew across the earth, and everything that had been quiet for the winter gradually recovered, and there was a thriving life everywhere.

Wu Yong's good news also spread into this small village as if the story had wings.

The X University hired him as a teaching assistant. When he left, many people went to see him off. Although he was not from the Hezi village, he had lived here for a long time, and he forged a relationship with the village.

His household registration was transferred from Hezi village to X University, which was personally obtained by the party branch secretary, Li Dehong. After that, he solemnly told Wu Yong a few words in front of everyone.

Zhao Lanxiang also went to see him off, because it is human nature to love to join in the fun. It was a glorious thing to have a university teacher from this ditch. At this time, Zhao Lanxiang also discovered that Wu Yong's household registration was in the Hezi village. It's no wonder that the villagers of the brigade are all like him.

Of course, Zhao Lanxiang's household registration was now in the Hezi village because she is an educated youth that joined the program.

There are two ways for educated youth to go to the countryside. One of them is called skipping the queue. As the name suggests, the educated youth became ordinary brigade members, working with the crowd and would receive food distribution at the end of the year.

Teacher Gu originally had a household registration in City B. Still, because of his punishment to live in a bullpen, his household registration naturally fell here, as did Hu Xianzhi. But Wu Yong was a faultless party in that accident, and he was a native of city B. However, his household registration was also in Hezi village, which surprised Zhao Lanxiang.

Seeing her so surprised, He Songbai thought she knew it before. He quietly moved away from the crowd and explained to her, "Before you came, Teacher Wu was already here."

"It seems that it is because of the problem of his family, so he was assigned to reform here."

Zhao Lanxiang said with emotion, "Now he has the opportunity to go to X University, which is also good for him."