Chapter 87
◎As a Matter of Course, Naturally◎
They were the first batch of candidates after the restoration of the college entrance examination. Not only was there a large gap in the students’ regions and ages, but many of the students were also already married and had children. The unmarried students were relatively easy to manage, but for the many married students, they couldn’t just have them divorce their spouses. So, for student relationships, the school adopted a neither-encouraging-nor-discouraging attitude.
As long as it didn’t delay their studies and didn’t cause any problems with their conduct, the school basically turned a blind eye.
Tangtang and Zhou Shunian’s relationship was not a secret in the dormitory.
But besides teasing them a couple of times at the beginning, Liang Cuixia and the others didn’t make a big deal out of it. They were all adults, and being in a relationship was a reasonable and normal thing. It was already a common sight in the university environment.
After the meal that Zhou Shunian had treated them to, they had even more tacitly agreed that this couple would definitely last.
Tangtang and Zhou Shunian being together was so natural and as a matter of course.
The two had known each other for many years, and some fate had already taken root in each other’s hearts since they were young. Now, it had just followed the course of time and naturally grown into its current appearance.
Rather than saying they were in a relationship, it was more like they were a mortise and tenon, as a matter of course as planting in the spring and harvesting in the autumn. Anyone who saw them would feel that they should be this way.
But in the end, Tangtang and Zhou Shunian didn’t have much time to be alone. Their schoolwork was busy, and with her interest group, she really couldn’t get away. Only on the weekends would they go out for a stroll. Sometimes they would go to a noodle shop for a delicious bowl of eel noodles, sometimes to a cold drink shop for an ice cream cone, and sometimes for a walk in the maple leaf park. He would pick out the fish bones for her and put the meat in her bowl, and she would also sew the buttons that had fallen off for him with a needle and thread.
Tangtang felt that every day, every moment she spent with Zhou Shunian was simple and happy.
The lights in the snack shop were very bright. The steaming food was served from the window, and the air was filled with the fragrance of fried meatballs and sweet congee.
Zhou Shunian brought two bowls of sweet congee, a plate of red bean cakes, and a few skewers of fried meatballs to the table.
“What’s wrong? You’ve been so quiet all day. Is something on your mind?”
“It’s Teacher Sheng from my elective class. She has a project on organizing ancient books and wants me to join her interest group. You know I’ve already joined the joint research and development group between Capital No. 2 Daily Chemical Factory and our school. If I join another interest group, we’ll have very little time together.”
“Organizing ancient books?” Zhou Shunian moved her bowl of sweet congee in front of her. “Are you interested in organizing ancient books?”
Tangtang thought seriously for a moment. “I really like my elective class teacher. Every time I see her, I feel very close to her. She’s also very good to me. If I join the interest group for organizing ancient books, I will also work hard to do the work assigned to me.”
Zhou Shunian breathed a sigh of relief. “I thought it was something serious. If you like it, then go for it. Don’t hesitate because of me. I will only support you in doing what you want to do.”
Her heart felt sweet. “Brother Shunian, you’re so good.”
Zhou Shunian ruffled her head. “Hurry up and eat.”
This sweet congee was fifteen cents a bowl. It was just white rice cooked with coix seed. It was glutinous, and every grain of rice had bloomed. White sugar was added, and it had a cool and refreshing taste.
Tangtang took the first sip and her eyes couldn’t help but light up. “It’s so delicious.”
“You should try these fried meatballs. They’re also very delicious.” Zhou Shunian handed her a skewer of fried meatballs.
“This is also so delicious.”
This kind of meatball was made by mincing lotus root and meat into a paste, then shaping it into small balls and frying them. The clear sweetness of the lotus root perfectly neutralized the greasiness of the meat. They were crispy to eat, and the surface was also sprinkled with pepper, which was particularly fragrant.
On Friday, Professor Ruan gathered all the members of the group for a progress meeting.
Professor Ruan pushed up the reading glasses on his nose and his gaze swept over the group members sitting around the lab bench. “Today, besides talking about the progress, I also want to introduce a new partner to everyone.”
“This is classmate Lu Youxin from the management department. In the future, she will join the research and development group and be responsible for coordinating the project management module.”
“I still have some things to deal with. For the rest of the time, you can get to know your new partner.”
As soon as Professor Ruan’s voice fell, a young girl walked in. She was wearing a moon-white polyester suit that was ironed crisp. A small pearl brooch was pinned to her collar, glistening with a gentle light under the fluorescent lamp. On her feet was a pair of shiny black mid-heeled leather shoes. The heels made a crisp sound as they hit the cement floor.
Tangtang heard someone in the back row speak, their voice filled with undisguised amazement. “The talented girl from the management department—”
“The one who gave a speech in a red dress at the new student conference? I heard she can play the piano while translating Russian literature?”
“That’s not all!” someone picked up the thread, their lowered voice filled with the excitement of gossip. “My sister saw her file at the academic affairs office. She’s studied abroad in Paris, France, and learned ballet from a Soviet expert. She speaks English and French fluently, and she can read the original version of War and Peace in Russian!”
“Isn’t her mother Professor Sheng Ruiru from our school’s Chinese department?”
“Isn’t she! Professor Sheng teaches ‘A Study of the Art of Poetry.’ Her father is a high-ranking cadre in the army, and her grandfather is a retired provincial-level cadre!”
“I’ve seen her playing the violin by the lake. Her appearance and posture are simply amazing. She’s truly a proud daughter of heaven. We and her are not from the same world.” The voice of the girl in the back row suddenly softened, with a certain longing sigh.
“You guys, why did she come to our broken laboratory?”
Chen Xiaohui listened to the whispers of the people around her. Her Adam’s apple rolled, and the knuckles of her fingers, which were holding the distillation tube, turned white from the force.
“Hello, everyone. I am Lu Youxin.” Lu Youxin took in all the discussions below. A sweet and lovely smile appeared on her face, and her voice was soft and glutinous when she spoke. “Mmm, I’ve seen the report from the past two weeks. The energy consumption data for the distillation process is not complete. How about this, I’ll have my family’s driver send over an imported counter tomorrow. That way, we can be accurate to the second.”
Lu Youxin tilted her head and showed a sweet smile. “Actually, I’m just an ordinary student like everyone else. Everyone, please don’t have any other filters on me because of the rumors about my family background. A few days ago, I was still queuing up at the third canteen to buy steamed buns. I told the person serving the food to pour more cabbage soup, and he even complained that I was being long-winded.”
After Lu Youxin finished speaking, the whispers below stopped. Only the distillation still was gurgling, as if in response.
After the meeting was dismissed, a few people were left in the laboratory to clean up. “Our ordinary is different from her ordinary. It’s so good. I also want to be like her and emphasize that I’m just an ordinary student.”
One of the girls who was sweeping the floor shrugged her shoulders. “The ordinary she’s talking about is the ordinary of ‘can play the piano, can dance ballet, and is proficient in English, French, and Russian.’ Our ordinary is the ordinary of ‘clothes are patched and patched,’ and ‘we have to calculate our food expenses when we go to the canteen to get food.'”
“I’m so envious, so envious.”
“I’ve never even touched a piano in my life, let alone seen one.”
“What’s the use of being envious? Her grandfather is a provincial-level cadre. Our grandfather is still farming in the countryside.”
The fan overhead cast a rotating shadow on the desk. Chen Xiaohui looked at the pile of bottles and jars on the desk, her lowered eyes a little sore.
After a semester of hard work, her grades were now basically at a medium level, twenty places behind the first-place Tangtang.
She had originally thought that her family was a scholarly family, and it was already very difficult for her grades to be surpassed by Tangtang, who came from a small, rural place. Now she finally knew what a bigger crush was.
…
Tangtang handed the bound materials in her hand to Sheng Ruiru. “Teacher Sheng, these are the annotations and commentaries on the Nineteen Ancient Poems that I have compiled. Please take a look.”
Hearing this, Sheng Ruiru put down the water cup in her hand and took the materials she handed over to look through.
A thick stack of materials was packed in a kraft paper bag. The handwriting was dense. Every word on these materials was written very seriously, in a small, regular script, beautiful and elegant.
So much material, it couldn’t have been compiled in ten days or half a month, and it must have taken a lot of effort.
Sheng Ruiru hadn’t expected Tangtang to be so serious. She turned to the last page. “It’s very well-compiled. Not only is it complete and comprehensive, but many of the subtle details are also marked. How long did it take you to compile it?”
“Only seven or eight days.”
Sheng Ruiru couldn’t help but pat her shoulder. “Good child.”
Hearing Sheng Ruiru’s praise, Tangtang’s eyes were filled with an unconcealable smile.
“It’s almost noon, and I haven’t had lunch yet. I’ll treat you to lunch at the school canteen,” Sheng Ruiru said.
“Teacher, this…”
Sheng Ruiru smiled. “I know what you’re going to say. It’s just a meal. Don’t be so formal with me.”
As she spoke, Sheng Ruiru packed her things and walked with her towards the canteen.
“Mom!” a sweet and delicate female voice sounded. Lu Youxin ran over and held Sheng Ruiru’s arm. She rubbed her head against Sheng Ruiru’s shoulder. “Why didn’t you look for me after class? I wanted to have lunch with you.”
Sheng Ruiru gave her a playful look. “Don’t you usually dislike the food at the canteen the most?”
“That’s different. If I’m with Mom, even the canteen food becomes delicious.” As she spoke, she tilted her head and looked at Tangtang next to her with a puzzled expression. “Isn’t this the classmate who saved Grandpa at our house last time? Why are you two together?”
“Tangtang is now a member of our ancient book compilation interest group.”
Lu Youxin pouted. “Ancient book compilation? Mom, why didn’t you ever think of letting me join your interest group?”
“I asked you last time. Didn’t you find it boring?”
Lu Youxin hugged Sheng Ruiru and acted spoiled for a while before she remembered that there was someone else next to her. She blinked. “Classmate Su Xintang, we meet again.”
Tangtang took in the interaction between the mother and daughter, a serene smile on her face. “Yes, we meet again.”
“I’m sorry, I can’t let my mom have lunch with you. Because I’m going to have lunch with my mom now.”
“It’s okay.” Tangtang nodded to Sheng Ruiru. “Teacher Sheng, then I’ll go back first.”
“Alright, then you should go back and rest. Don’t be too tired.”
Sheng Ruiru was pulled forward by Lu Youxin’s arm for a long way. She still couldn’t help but turn her head and say, “Tangtang, let’s still have lunch together.”