Chapter 153

Chapter 153

At 8:30 p.m., night had already fallen in Beijing.

No one in the family had washed up yet. Wang Shuanzhu moved the TV to the courtyard of the training school to show TV programs. It didn’t matter if the viewers were from this street or lived farther away—no one minded them coming to watch. So, by evening, the training school was crowded with people, some who couldn’t afford a TV at home and others who just came for the fun atmosphere.

Even by 1991, some families still couldn’t afford a television.

This became the most harmonious time of the day in Changchun Alley.

The program significantly increased the neighbors' approval of the training school. Even those who had previously been dissatisfied with the school now knew better than to complain. After all, bosses like Feng Yanwen, who earned money and were still willing to entertain their neighbors, were rare.

Xu Meng occasionally joined the fun. Lately, she'd been enjoying going to livelier places.

Around 8:30, she was laughing with the crowd when she thought she heard someone call her name. But when she turned to look, no one was there.

On the other end of the phone, Feng Yanwen said, "She’s not home right now. Can you leave a phone number? I’ll have her call you back when she returns."

Han Jiming was about to recite his number when his roommates called out to him: "Qian Qing isn’t feeling well. We’re taking her to the clinic for some medicine. Do you want to come along and get checked too?"

The irregular meals during the journey had left many with gastroenteritis.

During the trek and extreme food shortages, they hadn’t noticed it, but after arriving in Delingha, as they relaxed, their bodies started acting up. Han Jiming was hardy, but many of his classmates had fallen ill.

Their vehicle also needed repairs in Delingha. It was best to replace the tires, which had been patched many times, with new ones. Since they weren't sure if the auto shop had new tires, the group might be stuck in Delingha for a while.

Han Jiming asked, "What time does she usually leave in the morning? Would it be convenient for me to call at seven tomorrow?"

After getting an affirmative answer, Han Jiming hung up.

When Xu Meng returned home, she learned someone had been looking for her.

Hearing it was a man, her heart raced. "Did he say who he was?"

Feng Yanwen eyed her suspiciously. "Your boyfriend?"

Xu Meng hesitated for a moment before finally admitting honestly, "Yes."

Feng Yanwen glanced at her daughter—already eighteen and so grown up… Well, she wasn’t sure how to handle this. She was afraid that being too strict at this age might backfire. She hadn’t interfered much over the years, and it was too late to start now. After a pause, she said, "Just be mindful of boundaries. No more going out at night. Kids your age don’t understand anything. The school may not crack down on dating now, but if things go too far, there will still be disciplinary consequences… You know where to draw the line."

Xu Meng barely slept that night.

The voice she had heard calling her earlier must have been Sister-in-law Qian’s. It had been so noisy then that she never imagined it could be Han Jiming. She regretted going to the school that day and kept tossing and turning in bed.

The next morning, she rushed to Feng Yanwen’s courtyard early, opened the gate, and crouched in front of the phone, waiting.

When Sister-in-law Qian came to make breakfast and saw someone sitting in the living room, she nearly jumped in fright. "Oh, it’s you! Why are you squatting here?"

It was downright scary.

The others in the house also woke up. Feng Yanwen, wearing her pajamas, came out, looking somewhat exasperated: "It's only six-thirty."

Wasn't it supposed to be seven?

Xu Meng hadn't slept well all night. One moment she dreamed Han Jiming was carried off by a wolf, the next she had all sorts of chaotic dreams. She woke up multiple times in a daze, checking the time as soon as her eyes opened. By a little after six, she couldn't sleep at all, so she just waited by the phone.

She thought, what if he called early?

As it turned out, he called precisely at seven. When Xu Meng heard his hoarse voice on the phone, she couldn't say a word. She wanted to cry again.

Since receiving the admission letter, she had become fussy.

Han Jiming chuckled on the other end of the line, "We just left uninhabited areas and arrived in Delingha last night. There’s only one repair shop here, so we need to fix the car before driving all the way back to Xining, then take the train home from there..."

He briefly shared some of his experiences on the journey back from Golmud, selectively sharing only the amusing parts.

As for the dangers they had faced a few days earlier, he summed it up in one sentence: "Hit some snags... but got lucky and found water quickly. The yak meat here’s killer, and the yak milk is great too, though it’s rare to come across herders slaughtering yaks. But here in Delingha, it’s easier to find. I bought some dried meat to bring back for you."

Yaks are livestock native to high-altitude regions, primarily found in Qinghai, Tibet, and western Sichuan. The meat’s way more tender than that of ordinary cattle.

Xu Meng listened quietly to his stories. After a long while, she heard someone calling his name in the background.

Han Jiming said into the phone, "My classmates are calling me to eat."

The voice on the other end belonged to a girl.

Xu Meng felt a pang of sadness. Though she knew she shouldn’t be suspicious, all she could muster was a quiet "Uh-huh."

Han Jiming hung up without setting a time for their next call. He was swamped in Delingha—writing reports, repairing the car, and preparing supplies for the next leg of the journey. The trip from Delingha to Xining was still a considerable distance, though much better than the trek to Golmud, and the crew was way more chill now.

————

The factory in Gaojiazhai was nearly complete, and recruitment had recently begun. Xu Meng doubled down on her efforts into the project. Round one was hiring fifty workers, with Zhang Mingqing temporarily overseeing management and Huang Xiaoying serving as the technical lead. During this endless boring summer, the factory project consumed most of Xu Meng’s time.

As for the skating rink and motorcycles, they were pushed to the back of her mind for now.

Autumn arrived at the end of August, followed by an Indian summer that sent temperatures soaring close to 40 degrees Celsius.

The factory had no choice but to postpone its opening. In the meantime, they left the doors wide open to air out the lingering smell of fresh construction.

The factory walls remained unpainted—exposed red brick inside and out—with only the floors covered in a layer of cement. However, the employee break rooms and management offices had white-paneled ceilings, plastered walls, and built-ins, all of which needed time to air out.

Huang Xiaoying visited the factory and was blown away by the huge space!

She even had her own private break room. It got her thinking—if others were resting here too, she might not need to return to Changchun Alley. This place was just as good.

Xu Meng lingered at the factory until sunset before riding her motorcycle back. Next thing she knew, she found herself in Shijia Hutong, where she didn’t run into anyone she knew—except for Sun Miao, who was wandering around in the alley.

The last time she had seen Sun Miao was on May Day, when she and Han Cheng had gone to a concert—coincidentally, at the same time as Xu Meng and Han Jiming.

Sun Miao had clean-cut looks—not strikingly gorgeous, but pleasant to look at.

Xu Meng laid on the horn a few times from behind, but Sun Miao didn’t seem to hear, continuing to stroll slowly ahead. If Xu Meng hadn’t been sure that people don’t have eyes in the back of their heads, she might have thought Sun Miao was deliberately blocking her way.

Eventually, Xu Meng slowed down and followed at a distance. After a while, someone coming from the opposite direction shouted at Sun Miao, who then finally shuffled out of the way. Only then did Xu Meng confirm it was her.

Sun Miao, however, recognized Xu Meng immediately. Her eyes widened at the sight of Xu Meng perched on her red bike.

It was Xu Meng. It was actually Xu Meng.

Xu Meng saw her too. The confident, proud Sun Miao from months ago was nowhere to be seen. Now, she looked like a beautiful piece of furniture left untouched for too long—dusted over with neglect, that made you just want to look away. Xu Meng only glanced at her before speeding up, heading straight for Changchun Alley.

Meanwhile, just as Sun Miao exited Shijia Hutong, she ran into another familiar face.

Xu Jia stared at her, eyes wide with excitement, and hollered, "Sister Sun! Sister Sun! What are you doing here? I’ve been meaning to visit you at the Han family, but every time I asked, they said you weren’t there. Where have you been staying?"

Sun Miao froze, locking eyes with Xu Jia.

Xu Jia looked at her with concern. Months ago, this Ms. Popular "Sister Sun" had given her a concert ticket—worth over a hundred bucks. Back then, Xu Jia had followed her around, kissing up to her endlessly. But then, for some reason, Sister Sun had fallen off the radar.

"Are you Xu Meng's sister?" Sun Miao asked.

"What sister? I have nothing to do with her. She's not even my third uncle's biological daughter." Xu Jia was displeased to be associated with Xu Meng.

This was no secret. Sun Miao knew, but so what? Her past slander of Xu Meng in the Han family now left her utterly humiliated. Even Han Cheng wanted nothing to do with her now. She had originally planned to keep him waiting for a while, but just before their engagement, he suddenly called it off.

At first, Sun Miao didn’t take it seriously. She had rejected Han Cheng once in high school, and a few years later, she figured he’d come running back at the slightest hint from her. But this time was different. After their breakup, Han Cheng hadn’t reached out to her even once. Before summer break, the school had mostly finalized the fall recruitment plans. Her school was mediocre, stuck in the shift from state-assigned jobs to a market-driven system. Now, many graduates had to rely on job fairs, and the few policy-assigned positions were quickly being snapped up by those with connections. Sun Miao, growing desperate, had no choice but to turn to Han Cheng.

To her surprise, Han Cheng, who had always been obedient to her, gave her no face this time. He even told her that since they had broken up, they should cut ties completely.

The promises he’d made about helping her find a job still hadn’t materialized, and Sun Miao couldn’t help but feel frantic. Her attitude toward Han Cheng softened slightly—just a little. In the past, Han Cheng would have eagerly jumped at any sign of warmth from her, but this time, he remained indifferent.

Today’s trip to Shijia Hutong to see Han Cheng ended in rejection. Under these circumstances, it was no wonder she was in a foul mood.