Chapter 202: Time Has Been Advanced

Bai Fengyu pouted at what was said, but she wasn't annoyed: "If you want me to follow your arrangements, then I'll follow them, why are you shouting~"

Ning Weidong was speechless inside.

His original intention was to ask Bai Fengyu what she thought; he had recently set up a house for Shi Xiaonan, and since Bai Fengyu had been with Ning Weidong for a longer time, Ning Weidong figured he should give her some benefits too, so she wouldn't have any hard feelings if she found out later.

As the old saying goes, one does not worry about scarcity, but about inequality.

Bai Fengyu and Shi Xiaonan were similar in status and position, and they had lived in the same courtyard for several years, often competing with each other both openly and secretly.

Neither woman's fate had been very smooth, and after many twists and turns, they both ended up with Ning Weidong.

Originally, Bai Fengyu was content, but knowing that Ning Weidong had gotten Shi Xiaonan a house with a private entrance and courtyard as soon as he made a move, anyone would feel unbalanced.

Of course, Ning Weidong wasn't afraid of her putting on a long face or throwing a tantrum, but there was no need to make things uncomfortable for himself.

Before he transmigrated, Ning Weidong understood that if you want the people around you to serve you well, whether they are men or women, you must focus on balance.

If you don't pay attention to small matters, they might brew into big ones.

Ning Weidong said: "Later, you sign up for a Correspondence Secondary Specialized School course. I'll help you find a teacher, you go study once every Sunday, and strive to pass the exams next year."

Upon hearing about studying, Bai Fengyu was slightly surprised: "Me? Study?"

Ning Weidong glared at her and said: "Are you not happy about it?"

Bai Fengyu twisted the corner of her clothes with her fingers and said nervously: "I~ I'm afraid I won't study well, I haven't looked at a book in over ten years."

Ning Weidong said: "What are you afraid of? I'm not asking you to take the university entrance exam, it's just a Correspondence Secondary Specialized School."

Bai Fengyu didn't dare to make any more excuses.

Ning Weidong continued: "Once you get the diploma, I'll look for some people and get you a formal position..."

Before Ning Weidong could finish, Bai Fengyu's eyes lit up, and she blurted out: "Really!"

She had been working at the Neighborhood Committee for these past few months and truly felt the difference between having a formal position and not having one.

Ning Weidong said: "Would I lie to you? Once you have a position, it will be easier to find a way to transfer to the Street Office."

Bai Fengyu was overjoyed. Regardless of the fact that the windows and doors were open in the middle of summer, she hugged Ning Weidong and gave him a kiss: "Weidong, you're so good~"

At this moment, Bai Fengyu was truly moved.

She was a smart person and understood the value of Ning Weidong's promise; this was giving her a guarantee for the rest of her life.

If she could really get a formal position and transfer to work at the Street Office, Bai Fengyu would have no more worries.

Even if she took a step back and Ning Weidong got married in the future and wanted to cut ties with her, her life would still be guaranteed.

Ning Weidong smiled with satisfaction and took the opportunity to pat her on the bottom again: "Don't get too happy yet. Getting the position and transferring to the Street Office is conditional on you passing the Correspondence Secondary Specialized School exams for me. If you can't pass, everything is for nothing."

Bai Fengyu's morale was high at this moment, and she no longer felt intimidated: "Don't worry, I wasn't any worse at studying than Fengqin when I was little. If she could get into university, I can certainly handle a secondary specialized school~"

Ning Weidong smiled, very satisfied with Bai Fengyu's spirit and state of mind.

A moment later, Bai Fengyu returned home.

Bai Fengqin was boiling the second pot of dumplings and immediately noticed that Bai Fengyu's mood was off, so she asked: "Sister, what's wrong with you?"

Bai Fengyu didn't hide it either; she rattled off the situation that had just happened at Ning Weidong's place, and at the end, she said: "Fengqin, do you think a Correspondence Secondary Specialized School is hard? Can I pass it?"

Bai Fengqin felt a moment of jealousy in her heart, thinking to herself that Brother Weidong was truly thoughtful.

If she could swap, she would be willing to give up her opportunity to go to university, take the Correspondence Secondary Specialized School exam herself, and be by Brother Weidong's side...

Unfortunately, there were no "ifs."

Bai Fengqin was filled with mixed emotions, but she hid her feelings on her face, looking down at the pot: "How would I know? But since Brother Weidong asked you to take it, there must be a reason for it. Listening to him is never wrong."

Bai Fengyu said "Mm," though she had just asked casually and didn't expect Bai Fengqin to give any real answer.

Unlike Shi Xiaonan, who had certain accomplishments in her professional field and also had ambition, Bai Fengyu had no ambition and no long-term plans; she was more like an ordinary person, living one day at a time, and her trust in Ning Weidong was even more blind.

"Oh no, it's boiling over!" Bai Fengyu suddenly cried out, hurriedly taking a water ladle to pour some cold water into the pot of boiling dumplings to press down the white foam that was about to spill over, muttering: "You silly girl, what are you thinking about~"

Bai Fengqin had just been distracted; she came back to her senses and hurriedly stepped to the side.

Bai Fengyu took her place, used a strainer to push the dumplings on the surface slightly, and once the water boiled again, she scooped the dumplings out: "Let's eat~"

Bai Fengqin replied, having already set the bowls and chopsticks.

Their appetites weren't big; one plate of dumplings was enough for them.

Bai Fengqin blew on one, took a bite, swallowed it, and said: "By the way, sister, didn't Brother Weidong say he would treat us to roast duck last time? When are we going~ I have to report for school in half a month."

Bai Fengyu said: "You greedy cat, eating dumplings can't stop your mouth. If you want to ask, go ask him directly; I'm too embarrassed."

Bai Fengqin pouted and muttered in a low voice: "I'll ask if I want to, I'll go in a little while."

Bai Fengyu said: "Perfect, go get the plates back, and I'll wash them all together."

"I'm going, I'm going!" Bai Fengqin muttered again, speeding up the pace of putting dumplings into her mouth.

Just at this time, Lu Dama walked in from outside, asking as she walked: "Fengyu, are you home~"

Bai Fengyu immediately replied and stood up to welcome her: "I'm here, I'm here~ Lu Dama, please come in and sit."

Lu Dama was all smiles: "Oh my, the two sisters are eating dumplings~"

Bai Fengyu said: "They're vegetable-filled, not very oily, have a couple and try them."

Lu Dama hurriedly waved her hand: "No, I just finished eating, I can't eat any more. By the way, you have a good relationship with little Heir, do you know where she is now?"

"Shi Xiaonan?" Bai Fengyu was surprised: "Why are you looking for her? Ever since she moved out, I haven't seen her either."

Although she said they had a good relationship, in reality, Bai Fengyu and Shi Xiaonan had only been superficially close before.

Lu Dama slapped her thigh and said: "I'm just asking on behalf of your old Wang Dama~"

Bai Fengyu said: "Didn't Shi Xiaonan divorce Wang Kai?"

Lu Dama said: "They are divorced, but as the saying goes, a husband and wife are best when they are the original pair. But when I went to the theater troupe to ask, little Heir hadn't been there for a long time, and nobody knows where she went specifically."

Bai Fengyu suddenly realized: "Is that so~ Lu Dama, I really don't know. Why don't you go ask Master Yin across the street? Doesn't their daughter-in-law have relatives who are related to Shi Xiaonan~"

Lu Dama waved her hand: "I went, they don't know either."

After that, Lu Dama didn't stay long. Bai Fengyu saw her to the door and came back. Bai Fengqin curled her lip and said: "What was he doing earlier? Now that his wife has run off, he knows to be anxious."

Bai Fengyu glared at her: "Showing off again, just eat your food."

Returning to her chair, she pondered: "Where do you think Shi Xiaonan could have gone? She's divorced, and she even quit her job..."

Bai Fengqin said: "If you ask me, nine times out of ten she's found someone else. Otherwise, getting a divorce would have been enough; there was no need to quit her job. Wasn't the reason she made such a fuss about the divorce in the first place because of that job of hers~"

Bai Fengyu nodded: "That's true~"

Little did she know, the 'someone else' they were talking about was her Brother Weidong.

As for Lu Dama, she had asked around at a few houses in the courtyard, but she didn't come to find Ning Weidong.

Ning Weidong was a young man; it wouldn't be appropriate for her to come and ask Ning Weidong about a divorced woman.

After finishing the dumplings, Ning Weidong played the hands-off master, tossing the plates and bowls onto the table; he knew Bai Fengyu would definitely come to get them later.

After the meal, he brewed a pot of tea.

It was exactly seven o'clock, so he turned on the radio to listen to the news.

It was meant to be a way to pass the time, but a piece of news came over the radio that made Ning Weidong's heart tighten:

According to this station's report, at 17:20 yesterday evening, a conflict broke out in Kabul...

Ning Weidong was stunned for a moment, thinking he had misheard.

In his memory, it seemed like it should have been another month or two away.

The reason he remembered it so clearly was that before he transmigrated, he had spent some time specifically researching this period of history.

The operation in Afghanistan was widely recognized as a major event in the Soviet Union's transition from prosperity to decline.

Ning Weidong was very clear about this period of history.

First, Taraki, with the support of Moscow, overthrew Daoud.

Subsequently, internal divisions occurred within Taraki's faction, and the second-in-command, Amin, overthrew Taraki.

The operation being broadcast on the radio at this moment was the one launched by Amin, which ultimately became the fuse for the war.

"Did it happen early~"

Ning Weidong leaned back on the sofa next to the radio, fished a cigarette out of his pocket, and lit it absent-mindedly.

He wasn't sure if this event happening early was a butterfly effect caused by his transmigration, or if it was caused by something else.

However, Ning Weidong only struggled with it for a moment and didn't get hung up on it. Although the specific timing had changed somewhat, the general trend of the world's development hadn't shown any particularly large deviations.

Ning Weidong came back to his senses, and the radio was already broadcasting other news.

After all, a coup occurring in a foreign country couldn't be reported on endlessly in China.

Moreover, at this time, the whole world didn't expect that this would be the fuse for the Soviet Union's operation, and even more so, one of the important reasons that would eventually lead this behemoth, the Soviet Union, toward its end.

Ning Weidong took a deep breath and secretly calculated in his heart that it seemed necessary to step up the establishment of connections with the Soviet Union.

With the outbreak of the war, the Soviet Union would soon fall into the quagmire of this war, known as the graveyard of empires.

Coupled with the corruption and inefficiency at home, as well as the trend of international oil prices, it would cause the Soviet Union's economy, which looked decent for the moment, to plummet and go from bad to worse.

And this was exactly Ning Weidong's opportunity...

Ning Weidong's thoughts drifted, and just as he was thinking aimlessly, Bai Fengqin came in from outside.

The room had its door open, with only a mosquito net curtain hanging.

Bai Fengqin called out "Brother Weidong," lifted the curtain, and walked in: "Finished eating, right! I'll take the plates back to wash them."

Ning Weidong pulled back his thoughts, looked toward the doorway, and said with a smile: "Fengqin, thanks. These dumplings were fresh enough today."

Bai Fengqin felt a bit embarrassed: "My sister wrapped them all; I just helped out."

As she spoke, she tidied up the bowls and chopsticks on the table, but she didn't rush to leave.

She had built up enough mental preparation before coming, so she was quite open about it now: "Brother Weidong, last time you said you'd treat me to roast duck, when are we going? I've grown this big and I still haven't eaten it yet~"

It was called Beijing roast duck, but in reality, most people in Beijing might not have had the good fortune to eat it; after all, people's living standards in this era were still limited. Let alone eating roast duck of that grade, even going to an ordinary restaurant was something most families had to calculate carefully.

Ning Weidong said: "I really would have forgotten if you hadn't mentioned it~"

Bai Fengqin pouted, feeling a little aggrieved. It wasn't that she was greedy for that bite of duck, but that Ning Weidong didn't care about her at all.

Actually, Bai Fengqin knew clearly that there was really no significant relationship to speak of between her and Ning Weidong, but knowing was one thing, and she still felt unwilling in her heart.

Ning Weidong was teasing her, laughing out loud: "You big glutton, I'm teasing you~ How could I really forget your roast duck?"

Bai Fengqin couldn't help but be stunned, her heart rising and falling, making her cheeks flush red. She said "You're annoying" and ran off carrying the plates.

Returning home, Bai Fengyu was washing dishes by the sink. Hearing footsteps, she didn't turn her head and asked casually: "You were gone for so long, did you really go and ask about the roast duck~"

Bai Fengqin gave an "um" and placed the plates to the side.

Bai Fengyu smiled gently: "Then what did he say?"

Bai Fengqin said huffily: "He said he didn't forget."

Seeing this, Bai Fengyu guessed that Ning Weidong had teased her and made her angry, but she didn't comfort her; anyway, this girl Bai Fengqin would turn around and be fine as long as it involved Ning Weidong.

Reaching out to wash the plates and bowls she had just brought back, Bai Fengyu wiped her hands and asked: "Fengqin, you're good at your studies, help me think it over. Weidong wants me to take a Correspondence Secondary Specialized School course, what subject do you think I should study?"

Bai Fengqin blinked her eyes and said: "How would I know that~ But, sister, in your situation, you should choose what you're best at. As long as you pass the exam, what the major is... it shouldn't be important, right~"

Bai Fengyu thought that was true; anyway, what she wanted was that Secondary Specialized School Diploma.

Watching her fussing on the side, Bai Fengqin sighed in her heart.

If only she could stay by Ning Weidong's side, how good that would be; she would even be happy to trade a university degree for a secondary specialized one.

A few more days passed, and it was already mid-August.

The day before yesterday was Sunday, and Ning Weidong kept his promise, taking the Bai sisters to Quanjude to eat roast duck once.

Three people, one duck plus two stir-fried dishes; when they finally settled the bill, it gave Bai Fengqin a shock.

She had known before that the duck at Quanjude was expensive, but she didn't have a concrete concept of it.

Even though she had made full mental preparations today, she was still shaken by this meal.

For an average worker, eating this one meal would cost a whole week's wages.

And that is assuming they only ate and didn't drink.

When Ning Weidong brought the two of them out, he naturally wouldn't let them drink, and with no one to drink with, Ning Weidong didn't have much interest in it either.

Otherwise, a bottle of decent alcohol would cost several more yuan.

When they finally finished eating, Fengqin was likely stuffed to the neck; one could clearly see her belly was a circle rounder than usual.

Bai Fengyu hadn't eaten little either, but she was much more restrained than Fengqin.

Ning Weidong smiled and said to Fengqin, "If you like it, I'll bring you again when you come back on break."

Fengqin hurriedly waved her hands: "Forget it, it's enough to have tasted this duck once; I don't want to eat it again. It's truly fragrant, but it's also too expensive!"

Bai Fengyu nodded in agreement.

Although she knew Ning Weidong had money, one shouldn't squander it like this even if one is rich.

After finishing this meal, Fengqin began preparing to report to Handong University.

Although she had to wait for the start of the semester on September 1st, since she was going to a place where she was unfamiliar with the people and the environment for the first time, she definitely had to go a few days early.

In this era, it wasn't popular for parents to send their children to university; once in university, one was considered an adult, and given the special circumstances of the past two years, many university freshmen were already in their twenties or thirties.

The train ticket had already been bought; Ning Weidong had someone buy a sleeper berth for August 25th. The train ride would take a day and a night to reach Jingzhou City, Handong Province.

The speed of trains in this era was truly hard to describe in a few words.

Over the remaining five or six days, both Bai Fengyu and Fengqin felt a sense of melancholy; having lived and eaten together for nearly a year, they were finally going to be separated.

On the other hand, Ning Weidong had no time to pay attention to them.

After returning to Beijing, Natasha, who had been hospitalized for over half a month, was finally discharged.

Although she hadn't fully recovered, the rest could be managed by resting at home.

In the evening, after getting off work, Ning Weidong went straight to the company's Siheyuan.

Natasha and Liu Guangzhi were temporarily living in the front courtyard's reverse-facing rooms, while their child was at the grandmother's house, living with the grandfather and grandmother.

When Ning Weidong entered, he didn't see Liu Guangzhi; Natasha was likely inside the room, and he didn't feel it was appropriate to go in.

He went to the middle courtyard to meet with Zhao Ruyi.

Qin Huairu had already prepared dinner; now that there were two more people, Natasha and her husband, she had to prepare an extra portion when cooking.

While eating, Zhao Ruyi said, "Natasha moved over this afternoon. I went to see her, and she told me she wanted to see you."

Ning Weidong picked up a chopstick of shredded potatoes, stuffed them into his mouth, chewed a few times, swallowed, and said, "It seems they are the ones who can't sit still anymore."

Zhao Ruyi said, "It should be that they are anxious about the child's schooling."

Liu Guangzhi and Natasha's daughter didn't have a Beijing household registration, so coming back this time, she certainly wouldn't be able to enroll in school.

If they asked Liu Yun and her husband to help find someone, it could probably be solved, but with Natasha discharged from the hospital, their family had to face the fact that Ning Weidong had gone to such great lengths to bring their whole family back from Heilongjiang Province, and they had to wonder what his intentions were.

Before, because of Natasha's health condition, they could temporarily not think about it, but now that her condition had stabilized and she was discharged, not thinking about it anymore would be self-deception.

Therefore, they decided to take this opportunity to find Ning Weidong and Zhao Ruyi and lay everything out on the table.

Ning Weidong nodded: "It is time."

More than half a month ago, after Amin launched the coup, Moscow reacted very fiercely.

According to the current situation, in the world before Ning Weidong transmigrated, the war that wouldn't break out until the end of the year would likely be moved up by two to three months.

Ning Weidong said, "Let's go over and take a look after eating."

Half an hour later, Ning Weidong and Zhao Ruyi went to the front courtyard together.

It was only six-thirty, and the sky hadn't turned dark yet.

Natasha and Liu Guangzhi had also just finished eating.

Liu Guangzhi was sitting at the doorway, washing clothes in a large basin.

Natasha was sitting on a bamboo chair nearby, watching with a smile on her face.

Because her skin was naturally fair, one couldn't tell she had just recovered from a serious illness.

"Brother Liu, Sister-in-law~" Ning Weidong came out through the Chuihua Gate and arrived before the two of them.

Liu Guangzhi looked up, stood up hurriedly, called out, "Weidong," and then greeted Zhao Ruyi as "Manager Zhao."

He was now an employee under Zhao Ruyi, so he certainly couldn't be negligent in his address.

As for Ning Weidong, he was addressed based on his connection to Liu Yun.

(End of this chapter)