When Deputy Division Commander Jiang heard that Xiao Mandong was coming to the capital to attend the Workers-Peasants-Soldiers University, he decided to use the opportunity to repay a favor.
“My nephew teaches at the Workers-Peasants-Soldiers University. I can put in a word with him. At the very least, he can look out for her while she’s at school.”
Xiao Mandong quickly thanked him. “Thank you, Deputy Division Commander Jiang. We’re troubling you. Knowing someone at the school can keep an eye on her will put my mind at ease.”
Jiang Bingzhong was a decisive man who got things done without delay. He immediately drove the group to the university.
The jeep glided smoothly through the gates of the Workers-Peasants-Soldiers University. Beneath the shade of the trees, students gathered in groups of two or three. Some hugged books to their chests and chatted softly, while others seriously flipped through their red-covered Quotations. Everywhere, there was a simple yet vibrant youthful energy.
As Xiao Mandong looked at the scene, a warm current surged through her heart. She secretly longed for the resumption of the national college entrance examination. She, too, wanted to rely on her own abilities to enter a university and fulfill the dream that had eluded her in both of her lifetimes.
Cars were rare in those days, so the military jeep attracted quite a bit of attention on campus.
The moment they got out of the vehicle and prepared to head toward the academic affairs office, someone called out to them.
“Sister Mandong!”
A young woman’s voice came from behind.
“It really is you! This is wonderful!”
Xiao Mandong turned toward the voice and froze.
“Ziyu, what are you doing here?”
Xu Ziyu was the daughter left behind by Xiao Mandong’s former aunt-in-law. She had been taken in by her maternal grandparents as a child and had even changed her surname to Xu.
Xu Ziyu was equally delighted. Looking at Xiao Manxue beside her, she smiled and praised her, “Manxue, you’ve become more and more beautiful. I almost didn’t recognize you. What brings you here? Is there anything I can help with?”
Xiao Manxue’s cheeks flushed at the compliment.
Xiao Mandong smiled. “I brought Manxue here to enroll.”
Xu Ziyu’s eyes immediately lit up.
“Manxue is going to study here? That’s wonderful! I study here too, although I’m in the Class of ’74.”
“That’s perfect. With you here to keep Manxue company, I’ll feel much more at ease.”
Xiao Mandong turned to Jiang Bingzhong.
“Deputy Division Commander Jiang, I’ll trouble you to take Manxue to complete the enrollment procedures. I’ll wait here and chat with my sister.”
Jiang Bingzhong nodded slightly. “All right. You two talk. We’ll be back soon.”
With that, he led Xiao Manxue toward the academic affairs office. Shen Linzhou also felt it would be inappropriate to listen in on the sisters’ conversation, so he followed Deputy Division Commander Jiang.
Xiao Mandong and Xu Ziyu had only exchanged a few words when a young woman came running over from a distance. Gasping for breath, she called out, “Xu Ziyu, your father is looking for you. He’s waiting at the front gate.”
“Who?” Xu Ziyu asked, unable to believe her ears and wondering if she had misheard.
“A man. He said he’s your father. There are several people with him. You should go take a look.”
Xiao Mandong and Xu Ziyu exchanged a glance.
“You’ve been in contact with Wang Fugui all this time?” Xiao Mandong asked curiously.
Xu Ziyu was just as bewildered. “I haven’t seen him in many years. A few years ago, he kept trying to freeload off my maternal grandparents.”
“If I had a pretty dress, he would say I had too many clothes and should give some to Wang Yuanyuan. He’d say that since we were sisters, I shouldn’t be selfish, and that from then on, whenever I had anything good, I should think of my younger sister instead of enjoying it all myself just because I was better off.”
“When I took private English lessons, he somehow found out my class schedule. He would show up at my house ahead of time with his children and say, ‘Whether you’re leading one sheep or two, you’re still leading them. Since you’ve paid for one person, the three of us can study together. That’s what you call getting your money’s worth.’”
“There were countless things like that. Even when my grandfather took me to banquets, he would block us at the entrance and insist that I take his children in to broaden their horizons.”
“Even when my grandmother gave me pocket money, he would make me split some of it with Wang Yuanyuan. He said that real sisters shouldn’t keep score.”
“It wasn’t until my grandmother could take it no longer and gave him a thorough scolding that he finally stopped.”
As they spoke, the two arrived at the school gate. There, they saw Wang Fugui waiting with Li Fengmei and her two sons.
The moment Wang Fugui spotted Xu Ziyu, he hurried over.
“You child, you got into such a good university, so why didn’t you tell your family?”
If he hadn’t run out of people to borrow money from today, he might never have thought of Xu Ziyu. He had no idea that this ungrateful girl had actually gotten into the Workers-Peasants-Soldiers University. What use was it for a girl to attend such a prestigious school? A place this good should have gone to one of the boys in the family so they could bring honor to the family name.
“Did you need something?” Xu Ziyu asked coldly.
“Can’t I come see you for no reason? I’m your father. Xu Ziyu, who do you think you’re talking to?”
Xu Ziyu rolled her eyes.
“When my grandmother took me in, I cut ties with the Wang family. So spare me the nonsense. If you need something, just say it.”
Wang Fugui hadn’t expected that the sweet and obedient daughter he remembered from childhood would become so sharp-tongued after several years apart.
He licked his dry lips.
“Your father has run into a bit of trouble and urgently needs some money. I want to borrow a little from you. It’s not much—just two thousand yuan.”
He had managed to scrape together a little over a thousand yuan that day, but there was nowhere else left for him to borrow from. That was when he finally remembered this daughter.
Xu Ziyu stared at him in confusion.
“From the time I was little until now, I’ve never spent a single cent of yours. My tuition and living expenses were all paid by my grandparents and uncles. And now you’ve come to borrow money from me? What exactly are you thinking?”
“I’m a student. I don’t even have a job. Where am I supposed to get money for you? And you just open your mouth and ask for two thousand yuan?”
“Besides, I haven’t seen you in years. The first thing you say when we meet is that you want to borrow money. Don’t you think that’s a little inappropriate?”
As soon as Xu Ziyu said this, the students gathered around to watch began whispering among themselves.
“Is he really her father? He doesn’t show up unless he wants money?”
“And where are poor students like us supposed to get two thousand yuan? I’ve never even seen that much money.”
Hearing the crowd’s comments, Wang Fugui’s face became extremely awkward, and he immediately lost his temper.
“What kind of way is that to talk? I’m your biological father! Now that you’ve made something of yourself, you think you can refuse to acknowledge me?”
Xu Ziyu’s words had infuriated him.
“Xu Ziyu, you get more than a hundred yuan in pocket money every month. How can you say you don’t have any money? I truly need it. Please help your father, all right?”
At that point, Li Fengmei came forward as well, wailing dramatically.
“Ziyu, please take pity on us! If we weren’t desperate for money, we wouldn’t have come all this way.”
Then Wang Fugui spotted Xiao Mandong among the crowd. He immediately looked around and relaxed only after confirming that Shen Linzhou was nowhere in sight.
“Xiao Mandong, what are you doing here too? Do you know how badly you’ve harmed us? You insisted on those three thousand yuan—where was I supposed to get that much money all at once?”
“Go talk to that Deputy Regimental Commander. Ask him if he can lower the amount or give us a few more days!”
