Chapter 22: Gathering in the Great Hall

Dawn was just breaking.

Zhong Yuxiu packed her things and went downstairs. It wasn’t Sister Lian’s shift at this hour—the inn operated on a two-shift schedule, with both a night and a day shift; Sister Lian worked during the day, and someone else took the night shift, someone Zhong Yuxiu didn’t know and had never spoken to.

She hurriedly left the inn and grabbed breakfast at the state-owned restaurant. Time was tight; she didn’t even have a moment to see Uncle Wang off. Zhong Yuxiu headed straight for Hua University, following the address and time given by the young comrade yesterday, and found the auditorium already buzzing with voices.

She stepped inside, quietly found an inconspicuous seat, and was about to sit down when she caught the eye of a slender, somewhat short male student beside her. His eyes lit up at the sight of her.

“Hey, are you in Physics Class One too?” he asked.

“Yes.” Zhong Yuxiu gave him a polite smile, then stepped back to sit behind him beside a female student.

The male student, oblivious to her reserved manner, only grew more enthusiastic. “I’m Diao Pingyuan. We’re classmates now.”

“Zhong Yuxiu,” she replied out of courtesy.

“That’s a lovely name—Zhong Ling Yu Xiu.” Seeing she was willing to answer, his eyes shone even brighter. “Zhong, why did you choose the Physics Department? There are so few girls in our major—look, counting you, I’ve only seen five so far. I wonder if there’ll be more.”

Zhong Yuxiu smiled without replying.

The girl next to her turned and said, “Diao Pingyuan, could you be quiet for a minute? Every time a new student comes in, you chatter away. My ears are getting calluses.”

“Alright, alright.” Diao Pingyuan turned away, a bit abashed, clearly stung by her bluntness.

“Is he always like this?” Zhong Yuxiu gestured subtly toward Diao Pingyuan, now facing away, and asked.

The girl nodded emphatically. “Not just talkative—he never stops. He asks everyone their name, age, and hometown. Meets a guy, he talks physics; meets a girl, he asks why she picked physics. For such a big guy, he sure is a chatterbox. Who knows who’ll put up with him in the future?”

Pfft—

Clearly at her wit’s end, the girl’s complaints were sharp and biting.

Zhong Yuxiu covered her mouth, stifling a laugh. Her impression of Diao Pingyuan improved a little; earlier, seeing his bright eyes and the way he approached her, a girl, she had been somewhat put off.

“Don’t laugh—I’m serious,” the girl said, frowning earnestly.

Zhong Yuxiu couldn’t help herself. “Alright, alright, I know you’re serious. But as long as he doesn’t mean any harm, it’s fine.”

The girl paused, considering it, and realized that was true. She felt less annoyed.

“You’re right—he isn’t a bad guy, just a bit much with the talking.” She sighed. “Anyway, enough about him. I heard you say your name’s Zhong Yuxiu?”

Zhong Yuxiu nodded. “Yes.”

“Nice to meet you, Zhong. Let’s introduce ourselves properly. I’m Xu Hongqi, twenty-eight, married, from Xiahe County, Yunnan Province, Physics Class One.” Xu Hongqi offered her hand, her earlier irritation fading, a smile lighting her face.

When she smiled, Xu Hongqi was actually quite pleasant to look at—her face was square, her complexion sun-kissed. Her smile was cheerful, if not quite aligned with the era’s standards of beauty.

“Nice to meet you, Xu. I’m not really sure where I’m from, so I’ll leave it at that.” Zhong Yuxiu shook her hand; they exchanged a smile and withdrew their hands in unison.

Xu Hongqi was a little curious, but knew better than to ask. “No worries. Which dorm are you in? I’ll visit when I get a chance.”

“I’m not living on campus.”

“You’re off campus? Isn’t rent expensive?”

Zhong Yuxiu hesitated for a moment, then shook her head lightly. “Sorry, I’m not sure.”

“You’re not renting?”

“No, it’s a relative’s house. They’re not in the capital, so they let me stay and look after the place.” She had no family or background to rely on; anyone investigating would find she was an orphan. She had to be cautious and guarded with outsiders.

Xu Hongqi nodded, full of envy. “You’re lucky—having relatives who let you live in their house. I was hoping to rent a place so I could bring my husband and child here. Finding a part-time job in the capital shouldn’t be hard; with both of us working, we could support the family.”

“Xu, I’d advise against bringing them here,” Zhong Yuxiu said gently, seeing Xu’s puzzled look. “Back home, you have food and work—even in the countryside you can earn work points. What can you do in the capital? Is the pay high enough to cover your family’s expenses? And then there’s the residency issue. If your child studies here but isn’t registered locally, the fees are sky-high.”

She remembered her grandparents telling her in her first lifetime that the 1970s and ’80s were a time when everyone wanted to squeeze into the cities, but household registration was tightly controlled. Children without local registration paid several times the normal tuition to attend city schools, and if they didn’t keep up, they were advised to leave.

Xu Hongqi clearly hadn’t considered all this. “Then… what should I do?”

She shrugged. “Nothing, really.” What could she do?

Xu Hongqi sat there in a daze for a while, then sighed regretfully. “I’ll wait till I graduate and get a steady job, then think about it.”

Zhong Yuxiu didn’t say anything more—these were decisions only Xu herself could make.

“Zhong, I live in Wenhua Building, Room 201, second floor. Come visit when you have time. There are four of us in 201, two in the Physics Department. We can help each other out,” Xu offered, her earlier worries set aside.

“Sure, I’ll come by if I have time.”

As they talked, several leaders entered the auditorium. At the head was an elderly man with white hair, followed by several middle-aged men, all dressed in Zhongshan suits.

The eldest was the dean of the School of Physics and Chemistry; the others were physics professors. They each took turns giving impassioned speeches. Zhong Yuxiu let the words go in one ear and out the other—she was thoroughly tired of these clichés.

When they finally finished, she breathed a sigh of relief; any longer, and she’d have fallen asleep.

“Next, let’s welcome the Science College Entrance Exam Top Scorer to the stage.”

The students burst into excited applause, the sound echoing through the hall.

A tall, upright young man strode up to the podium, brimming with confidence and joy even from afar.

“Respected President, professors, fellow students, good morning. I’m Yan Wenqiang, newly admitted to the Physics Department. It’s my honor to stand here today—ten years have passed, and I finally have the chance to attend university again...”

Zhong Yuxiu massaged her ear; the speech was all about his achievements, hopes for the future, and encouragement for his fellow students not to waste this hard-won opportunity—to study diligently now, and one day contribute to the country and the people, and so on.

Xu Hongqi, moved by the fervor, squeezed Zhong Yuxiu’s hand. “What a fantastic speech! Now that we’re back on campus, we really have to cherish what we have. Entering university is only the first step; there’s a long road ahead, and it’s a goal we’ll strive toward for years to come.”