Hong Kong’s Chengrong Group was donating 3 million yuan to Huaqing University to establish the “Chengrong Scholarship.”
This news sparked private discussions among students.
Since it affected every student’s interests – not loving money didn’t mean people would refuse when they could legitimately receive more!
This wasn’t financial aid, which only poor students with good grades could apply for. Scholarships were based on academic performance. Well, at most they might add conduct points for a comprehensive evaluation.
Regardless of family circumstances, anyone meeting the academic requirements could receive a scholarship.
For students from well-off families, it was an honor.
For students already receiving financial aid, being able to earn an additional scholarship through their efforts was incredibly attractive.
Reportedly, the scholarship amounts were quite substantial.
Perhaps comparable to a year’s financial aid.
Was that the highest tier of financial aid, or the lowest?
The highest was over 200 yuan, the lowest was 60 yuan – not a small sum at all.
“These Hong Kong companies are so wealthy!”
“3 million yuan, donated just like that.”
“When we graduate, our monthly salary will only be a few dozen yuan, then slowly increase with professional titles. How many years would it take to save 3 million?”
“Even earning 200 yuan monthly, it would take 1,250 years.”
“Your calculation is wrong. Just the annual interest on 3 million in the bank would be over 200,000 yuan. My mother put money in a fixed-term deposit with 8.28% annual interest.”
A 200-yuan monthly salary was an overestimate – no one could start at 200 yuan, not even Huaqing graduates.
The discussants instantly lost their enthusiasm.
This wealth would take over 1,000 years to accumulate, but a person could only work for a few decades!
What started as amazement at the Hong Kong company’s generosity turned sour.
Seeing the low spirits, Xia Xiaolan couldn’t help interjecting:
“You’re being too pessimistic. Our salaries won’t stay at a few dozen yuan, or even a few hundred. China is reforming and opening up. Maybe in just a few years, our economic level will catch up to Hong Kong! Today it’s a Hong Kong company donating 3 million to Huaqing, in the future we might donate 30 million to our alma mater. Anything’s possible!”
A 200-yuan monthly salary was the limit of Room 307’s imagination, but as Huaqing graduates of the 1980s studying architecture and civil engineering, if they all worked in their fields, they wouldn’t need 30 years – by around the millennium, they’d all be quite comfortable.
Some could achieve 3 million through salary alone.
Not to mention the girls sharing Room 307 with Xia Xiaolan might go into business in the future.
Xia Xiaolan viewed everyone’s future with advanced vision. Her talk of donating 30 million to their alma mater made her roommates’ scalps tingle.
Everyone’s first reaction was: impossible!
Yang Yonghong cleared her throat:
“We can’t compare our salaries with Hong Kong companies. We’re individuals, small screws in socialist construction. It’s enough if our salary covers our needs. Our work has meaning… Are you complaining about a 200-yuan monthly salary? If I could earn 100 yuan monthly in the future, I could support my whole family!”
Comparing college graduate salaries to Hong Kong company donations – looking at farmers digging in the soil, being a college student was already fortunate.
State-assigned jobs, monthly salaries, housing allocation, free healthcare, cadre status – all these added up to stability and happiness, indeed not comparable to simple salary figures.
Xia Xiaolan’s consolation felt good to hear but seemed unrealistic.
Big sister Yang Yonghong was more practical, describing a future they could all expect.
“But Xiaolan, I heard you met the Hong Kong businessman on donation day?”
Xia Xiaolan knew some strange people, and now even Hong Kong businessmen? Not just any businessman, but one who donated 3 million at once!
Xia Xiaolan wasn’t sure whether to tell the truth, but couldn’t completely lie either.
Since Su Jing asked, it meant someone had seen her meet Du Zhaohui – being caught in a lie would be awkward. She knew her roommates always stood by her, so a brief explanation wouldn’t hurt. Some things become more embarrassing when hidden!
“Yes, I met him. He said my father works in Hong Kong and asked if I wanted to go there. You know my parents are divorced, and I don’t have good relationships with any paternal relatives, including my birth father. Besides, I have no plans to go to Hong Kong, so I declined the businessman’s kindness in the office.”
Go to Hong Kong!
And Xiaolan refused!
Su Jing blinked, wanting to ask more, but Xia Xiaolan stopped talking.
This girl couldn’t be from a rural family – even if her household registration was rural before, her family circumstances were definitely different. Her mother ran a clothing store, her father worked in Hong Kong – financially comfortable and respectable.
Xia Xiaolan didn’t know Su Jing’s thoughts, but Room 307 promised not to tell others about this.
Xia Xiaolan had already seen her Uncle Liu Yong. Liu Yong knew nothing about Xia Dajun becoming Du Zhaohui’s bodyguard. Hearing this news, Liu Yong’s brows furrowed enough to kill flies. As a small contractor, he wouldn’t have any interaction with Chengrong Group’s young master, but thinking that someone like Xia Dajun could succeed – Liu Yong couldn’t possibly be happy about that.
Liu Yong wasn’t jealous of Xia Dajun.
What was there to envy about being a rich young master’s bodyguard?
Liu Yong felt that when Xia Dajun disappeared, it was best for both his sister and niece. Everyone living their own lives, not disturbing each other.
Now whether Xia Dajun was injured or struck it rich, what did he mean by having someone bring Xiaolan to Hong Kong?!
The daughter he’d rejected, whom the Xia family didn’t care about, Liu Yong cherished.
Now he wanted to take it back, to talk about father-daughter feelings… What feelings? If there were father-daughter feelings, where was Xia Dajun when Xiaolan hit the pillar and lay in the hospital?
Where was Xia Dajun when people were gossiping about her?
When Xiaolan and his sister Fen weren’t welcomed by the Xia family, if Xia Dajun had been a real man, he would have moved out with his wife and daughter. The country had allocated land to households – if you had land and were willing to work hard, how could you starve?
Liu Yong just looked down on Xia Dajun – looked down on him before, and was even more disgusted now.
Was this man never going to stop? Just because he was following Young Master Du now, did he think he could do whatever he wanted?
He dared to dream – taking Xiaolan to Hong Kong, as if Xiaolan would agree!
Liu Yong felt that a confrontation with Xia Dajun was inevitable.
Yuanhui’s main business was in Pengcheng, where Chengrong Group was also investing. Previously there was no intersection, but now knowing the situation, how could he avoid seeing Xia Dajun?
Bah, Xia Dajun should be the one ashamed – what did he have to fear?
Liu Yong stubbed out his cigarette on the ground and said to Gong Yang beside him: “Work harder this New Year too. Let’s take on more projects. You draw up good renderings, and we’ll start work early after the New Year!”
Yuanhui couldn’t compete with Chengrong Group, but Xia Dajun was just a bodyguard. Liu Yong refused to accept defeat – surely he could build his business success to surpass Xia Dajun!