By mid-September, the hottest part of the year had passed.

University students, exempt from the autumn harvest, lived in their ivory tower.

Located on the West Third Ring Road, the Beijing Normal College was often confused with “Beijing Normal University” by some people. Though the College wasn’t comparable to the University, it was still a first-tier undergraduate institution under municipal administration. Given An Qing County’s educational level and teaching resources, it was still a school that required tremendous effort to enter.

Xia Zi Yu from Da He Village and the educated youth Wang Jian Hua both got into Normal College.

A couple getting admitted to the same university was quite a moving love story. At least in Xia Zi Yu’s dormitory, after lights out each night, her roommates most frequently teased her about openly going around with Wang Jian Hua.

Xia Zi Yu’s roommates joked about “Old Wang of the Xia family” – Wang Jian Hua was indeed relatively old, entering university at 25.

However, Wang Jian Hua was tall and handsome, looking quite compatible with the oval-faced Xia Zi Yu. Her roommates were envious.

Although she had taken quite a bit of money from home, Xia Zi Yu remained very frugal in her daily expenses. She firmly believed Wang Jian Hua was a long-term investment – wasn’t investing in potential all about making sacrifices?

Wang Jian Hua was an educated youth sent to the countryside, and his family situation was complicated. Xia Zi Yu had many places where she needed to spend money.

She was simple and modest, studied diligently, and had a dignified appearance. Just half a month into school, she had already made good relationships in class and even left an impression on the teachers. Starting university, Xia Zi Yu found everything around her fresh and exciting. All the sweat she had shed to get into university had paid off, and her relationship with Wang Jian Hua was developing well… if not for the troublesome matters back home, Xia Zi Yu would be even more comfortable.

When she first arrived at school, she received a telegram from home saying her cousin Xia Xiao Lan had attempted suicide by hitting a wall due to pressure from rumors, though she hadn’t died.

Half a month later, Xia Zi Yu received another telegram. Though brief with just over ten characters, it contained a lot of information:

“Liu Fen divorced, mother-daughter moved out, Zhang Er Lai arrested for theft.”

Telegrams were charged by character count, and Xia Zi Yu knew that even though her parents were earning some money now, they wouldn’t spend freely. Her mood immediately soured upon receiving the telegram.

What kind of person was her Second Aunt?

A complete pushover who couldn’t even fart after eight strikes with a stick, a pure victim who didn’t dare go west when Second Uncle said east because she couldn’t bear him a son – how dare she bring up divorce? It certainly wasn’t her Second Uncle who proposed it, otherwise the telegram wouldn’t have just written ‘Liu Fen’s’ name, emphasizing who initiated the divorce.

It seemed Xia Xiao Lan’s wall-hitting incident had triggered long-accumulated family conflicts.

Although Xia Zi Yu disliked Xia Xiao Lan, she didn’t actually want her to die. After all, her life path was completely different from Xia Xiao Lan’s now, so she could naturally afford to be magnanimous as a “successful person.” But she was still dissatisfied – dissatisfied with her parents’ poor execution!

They had made it sound so simple, given such clear instructions, yet they still let things spiral out of control.

Zhang Er Lai was arrested for theft, Liu Fen divorced, and the mother-daughter pair moved out of the Xia family – how could she keep Xia Xiao Lan’s fate firmly in her grasp now? The mother and daughter must have moved to Qi Jing Village. Liu Fen’s maternal family was small, with a married sister they rarely contacted, but her only brother took good care of Xia Xiao Lan and her mother.

Thinking about them mixing with Liu Yong, Xia Zi Yu felt much more at ease.

Liu Yong was good for nothing, and Liu Fen had no capital for remarriage. Stuck in the countryside with a ruined reputation, Xia Xiao Lan wouldn’t amount to anything.

Beauty might give women temporary advantages, but what mattered more was having brains.

Xia Zi Yu threw away the telegram. Knowing Wang Jian Hua had a full morning of classes and that the Law Department professors tended to run over time, she took two lunch boxes and headed to the cafeteria.

After waiting briefly by the small flower bed in the classroom corridor, she saw Wang Jian Hua getting out of class. His classmates couldn’t help but envy him:

“Jian Hua, your girlfriend brought you lunch again!”

“Jian Hua, you two are close!”

“You lucky dog, don’t know where your good fortune came from…”

Xia Zi Yu greeted them openly, and after some teasing, they left.

“We got out of class late, you should have eaten first. Why wait for me?”

Wang Jian Hua was a typical northerner – tall, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, a young man with proper features, though his brow always carried a sense of keeping people at arm’s length.

Looking at this man, Xia Zi Yu’s eyes were both tender and joyful, “I didn’t wait long. Besides, we’re boyfriend and girlfriend – if I don’t think about you, who would I think about?”

Wang Jian Hua had nothing to say.

The two found a spot by the flower bed to sit. Xia Zi Yu handed him her lunch box.

When Wang Jian Hua opened it, the large lunch box was divided – half filled with pure white rice, the other half with glistening braised pork. Xia Zi Yu opened her lunch box, which contained only steamed buns with stir-fried cabbage. One was the cafeteria’s highest standard meal that even teachers might not splurge on, while the other was the poorest fare – steamed buns with cabbage… Even the usually cold and distant Wang Jian Hua felt his heart soften.

His relationship with Xia Zi Yu began with an accident.

He didn’t want to be unfaithful, but he had no choice but to take responsibility for Xia Zi Yu.

Initially, Wang Jian Hua was very unwilling, after all, he liked Xia Xiao Lan. But after actually being with Xia Zi Yu, his stone heart gradually warmed. Xia Xiao Lan was spoiled, often quarreling and requiring Wang Jian Hua to coax her. Xia Zi Yu, however, was gentle and understanding, not only managing his daily life meticulously but also showing great care for his family.

“You gave me all the meat and aren’t eating any yourself.”

Wang Jian Hua tried to move the braised pork to Xia Zi Yu’s box, but she refused, holding up her lunch box while dodging and laughing: “I just like eating vegetables.”

In the 1980s, hardly anyone genuinely preferred vegetables – everyone was thinking about how to get more meat.

Xia Zi Yu had genuine feelings for him.

Wang Jian Hua was very touched, “If you won’t eat it, I won’t either.”

The two reached an impasse until Xia Zi Yu finally took two pieces of braised pork.

This was the daily affection between two university student lovers. Xia Zi Yu wouldn’t mention the telegram she received at all – let Da He Village’s matters stay in Da He Village. This was Beijing, and she had finally escaped the poor countryside, how could she go back?

She also wouldn’t mention Xia Xiao Lan in front of Wang Jian Hua.

Foolish women always clung to certain things – the more you care, the harder it is for men to forget. Now she was the one by Wang Jian Hua’s side daily, and naturally, with time, she would occupy all his thoughts.

Xia Xiao Lan?

She was no longer worth considering as a rival.

After eating, Wang Jian Hua seemed to remember something, “The money we sent to the farm – my parents received it. Zi Yu, you’ve shown great kindness to our Wang family.”

Xia Zi Yu showed some shyness, “That small amount can’t accomplish much, but it can improve Uncle and Aunt’s living conditions a bit.”

Though Xia Zi Yu had taken 500 yuan from the Xia family to Beijing, she lived very frugally because she had sent all the money to Wang Jian Hua’s family. While Wang Jian Hua had been sent down to Da He Village as an educated youth, his parents were at an even harsher farm. Though Wang Jian Hua had gotten into Beijing Normal College and escaped Da He Village, there was no movement on his family’s return to the city.

But the Wang family would return to the city eventually.

Xia Zi Yu firmly believed this point – her current investments would pay off!