Chapter 638
Lofty Ideals
Chapter 638 Lofty Ideals
Kim Sung-taek is quite tragic.
He's lived for almost 19 years, and I doubt he's ever been so disliked by a girl before.
Logically speaking, this whole thing is very strange. Comrade Xiao Jin is handsome, rich, and has a good personality. How many young girls wouldn't be attracted to him? Even if Chunlan doesn't like him, she wouldn't blatantly stab him in the heart.
In reality, the reason was still Chunlan's first love, Wang Jinshan. Although a year and a half had passed and Wang Jinshan was in labor reform, the shadow and harm that relationship had caused to the girl were still too great.
Perhaps the best way to heal from a broken relationship is to start a new one. Zhang Yunqi thought about it and told Jin Shengze about it. Jin Shengze didn't say anything for a long time after hearing it, and just smoked in silence. The next day, after attending Chunlan's college entrance banquet, he and He Lin returned to Lijin.
After the graduation banquet, Zhang Yunqi escorted Chunlan to Harbin Institute of Technology.
This was the first time the girl had traveled so far, especially to the Northeast, 3,000 kilometers away, where the food and lifestyle were completely different from those in the South. The night before her departure, Zhang Ma kept nagging as she prepared a whole bunch of things for Chunlan.
The following day, Zhang Yunqi and his two companions arrived in Harbin and checked into the Singapore Grand Hotel that evening. It was the most luxurious international hotel in Harbin in the mid-90s.
When Zhang Yunqi checked in, he subconsciously asked the hotel staff to open two double rooms. On the way to the room in the elevator, he gave a room key to Chunlan, and Chunlan, arm in arm with her Chujian sister, chatted and laughed as they entered the same room.
He stood alone in the corridor, on the verge of tears.
Zhang Yunqi's itinerary in Harbin was only two days. On the first day, he planned to accompany Chujian and Chunlan to stroll around Harbin. On the second day, he would take Chunlan to Harbin Institute of Technology for registration.
The time was quite short. The next day, after breakfast, Zhang Yunqi took the two girls to visit Stalin Park and the Flood Control Monument. They then took a boat to Sun Island on the Songhua River and cycled around together. In the evening, they went to Central Street. In 96, it was already a nationally famous pedestrian street. The road surface was made of century-old cobblestones, and European-style buildings lined both sides. It was especially suitable for an evening stroll to experience the everyday life of Harbin.
It was the height of summer, but mid-August 1996 was the most comfortable season in Harbin. Although there was no heavy snow covering the land, it was full of European charm, cool climate and unique summer allure.
The next day, after having breakfast at the hotel, Zhang Yunqi took Chujian and Chunlan by taxi directly to Harbin Institute of Technology.
The gate of Harbin Institute of Technology in 1996 was rather simple. The main building directly in front of the gate was gray and had a rigid and serious style. The morning light slanted onto the mottled brick wall, creating distinct light and shadow.
A large red banner had already been hung on the side of the school gate, with the words "Welcome New Students" fluttering in the wind. By this time, there were already many boys and girls who had come to register. One after another, tender faces passed by Zhang Yunqi's eyes. Most of them carried brand-new leather suitcases with the words "Yanjing" or "Shanghai" printed on them, or brightly colored plastic thermos bottles. The accents from all over the country were mixed together, making a noisy sound, but there was a kind of burgeoning atmosphere.
Chunlan was one of them.
The girl's cheeks were flushed with excitement.
When they registered, they were greeted by a senior student named Liao Jun, who was in the same department as Chunlan. He was decent-looking, but more importantly, he was extremely diligent, like an ox. He insisted on helping Chunlan carry her luggage and leading her to the dormitory.
Zhang Yunqi resolutely accepted his senior's help.
Free labor is always welcome.
Otherwise, he would have to carry all these things. As for Chunlan's contact information, since her parents are around, the younger brother wouldn't dare to ask for it.
Chunlan's dormitory is a four-person room, and the conditions are quite good. The other three female classmates are all from out of town. Girls this age are already very good at reading people. While Chunlan and Chujian were tidying up their bedding, Zhang Yunqi had a brief chat with them. They were Liu Jiaojiao from Shanghai, Qian Meie from Sichuan, and Zhao Lina from Jiangsu.
After making the bed, Zhang Yunqi asked Chunlan to invite her three roommates to lunch. Zhao Lina, dressed to the nines, agreed without hesitation.
We had lunch at Huamei Western Restaurant.
The group of six enjoyed an authentic Russian meal together, including braised beef, borscht, and rye bread.
None of them were from Northeast China, so the exotic food was very appealing. As they chatted, the three girls gradually opened up and became quite sweet-talking. Zhao Lina looked at Chu Jian and said to Chunlan, "Your sister-in-law is really beautiful. Hubei is known for its beautiful women."
Chunlan took Chujian's arm and said with a smile, "That's right. My sister Chujian is beautiful, gentle, kind and talented. She is a sophomore at Peking University now, and her first novel is about to be published."
Chunlan and Chujian had known each other for so many years, and Chunlan was obviously very satisfied with her sister-in-law. However, Chujian blushed from Chunlan's praise and kept saying that it wasn't as exaggerated as Chunlan described. But Chunlan's three roommates took it seriously and kept pestering Chujian for autographs, saying they would support Chujian when her novel was published.
As they chatted, they became more and more familiar with each other. After drinking some red wine, the atmosphere became even more lively, and they talked about living expenses.
This is something freshmen often talk about when they first start school; Zhang Yunqi and his roommates also chatted about it during their first meal together. Perhaps because they were all freshmen, they didn't seem to have much of a concept of this. Liu Jiaojiao, who was probably from a wealthy family, casually said, "My dad gives me 1000 yuan a month for living expenses."
Zhao Lina looked quite envious: "So much! Jiaojiao, I only make 500 yuan a month."
The other roommate, Qian Meie, kept her head down and didn't respond. Judging from her simple clothes, she was probably from a rural area and her family wasn't well-off. But Zhang Yunqi had talked to her before and felt that she had a gentle personality.
In 96, the prices of food in the canteen were not expensive. A meat dish cost 1-2 yuan and a vegetable dish cost 0.5-1 yuan. However, with the addition of daily necessities, college students needed at least 150 yuan a month to survive. Most college students' monthly living expenses were between 200 and 400 yuan.
The problem still lies in income. In those days, the average monthly income of workers was less than 500 yuan. As for rural areas, the average annual income of farmers was only a little over 1,000 yuan. Therefore, it was not easy for an ordinary family to raise a college student, not even including tuition fees.
Zhang Yunqi raised his glass of red wine and clinked it with the girls, saying, "Actually, 500 yuan a month isn't a small amount. Nowadays, the average living expenses for college students are around 200 yuan a month. Chunlan's living expenses are 400 yuan a month."
He paused for a moment, then added, "Of course, if she's in a relationship, she can have some more dating expenses, but girls shouldn't spend boys' money so easily."
Everyone laughed at these words, and Chunlan rolled her eyes at her second brother without any politeness: "I have no intention of dating."
Liu Jiaojiao found Zhang Yunqi's words hard to believe. Although this boy didn't have the ostentatious airs of a rich kid, he was still quite generous. It was a certainty that he would spend two thousand yuan on a meal for his roommates. She had seen the dress his sister Chunlan wore at the Dior boutique in Shanghai! His girlfriend Chujian carried an LV bag and was so beautiful. If he wasn't from a wealthy family, he couldn't possibly afford all that. But if he was from a wealthy family, how could his family only give his sister Chunlan 400 yuan a month for living expenses?
Thinking about this, Liu Jiaojiao became even more curious. She took a sip of red wine and asked with a smile, "Brother Yunqi, how much is your living allowance per month at school?"
Zhang Yunqi said, “I don’t have living expenses, so I earn some money outside to support myself. Compared to you, I’m a bit of a slacker. You are different; you are all top-notch students. Choosing Harbin Institute of Technology shows that you have lofty ideals and are focusing on your studies so that you can contribute to the modernization and strengthening of our country’s military in the future.”
This is what he thinks.
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