Chapter 1371: Xiao Qianxi

The scorching heat of summer had not yet passed; the sun was intensely baking the earth, and finally, the time for school to start had arrived.

At the Jingcheng train station, Wang Yan, having returned to his hometown to fetch his admission notice and packed his luggage, disembarked with his large backpack slung over his shoulder, merging into the crowd to exit the station.

Outside the platform, students from various universities in Jingcheng held up signs to welcome new arrivals.

Holding his admission notice, Wang Yan found the reception spot for Beiqing University. In truth, there was no need to search, as the first thing one saw upon exiting the station was a cluster of prestigious universities; other ordinary universities had to stand aside, and some didn't even have reception teams at all—top universities were simply different.

After presenting his admission notice, he received a bottle of mineral water and, led by a student union member handling reception, went to the parking lot to find the shuttle bus.

Swinging his large backpack around to wear it on his front, Wang Yan swayed unsteadily as he boarded the bus.

The students inside were buzzing with conversation; seeing a newcomer board, they instinctively focused their gazes upon him.

Generally, when people find themselves the focus of attention, they become flustered; with so many eyes staring, those with weak psyches or lacking confidence would instinctively avert their gaze from those staring eyes.

It need not even be the gaze of many; merely walking toward someone in a sparsely populated place, when both parties' eyes meet, one's heart still trembles. One either looks down at the road, turns one's head to look at the surroundings, or starts fiddling with a mobile phone.

Wang Yan was different; boarding the bus and sensing everyone sizing him up, he casually swept his gaze around, causing these talented scholars admitted to Beiqing to avert their eyes.

The smile forever hanging on his face blossomed into a brilliant grin.

"Greetings, comrades! Since everyone is looking at me, let me introduce myself. My name is Wang Yan, 'Yan' as in speech; I'm from Liaoning Province, majoring in Photography at the Academy of Fine Arts. My professional skills are solid; I take incredibly good photos. If you want pictures, come find me; I charge cheaply. We can send them home later, letting our parents see what university looks like."

"Tsk..."

As soon as Wang Yan finished speaking, sounds of disapproval erupted from all sides; everyone was mocking Wang Yan for bragging.

"Don't disbelieve me; how could a photographer not have photos? Let me show you the results." Wang Yan smacked his lips, appearing quite unconvinced himself; without taking a seat, he rummaged through his bag at the front and pulled out a stack of photographs.

"Come, Driver, take a look. Judging by your broad-faced and kind appearance, with a full forehead, your family must be harmonious. You probably haven't taken many photos over the years, especially with your wife. That's a genuine revolutionary love story of yours. Come find me later, and I'll shoot a set for you. I'll only charge the cost price; I guarantee your satisfaction."

"Come, come, come, everyone take two sheets and pass them around to look. I'm not bragging; my professional skills are absolutely solid. This is the market in my hometown, this is the park, look here, this is a couple kissing; they were extremely satisfied and gave me five yuan. Look at this old lady, oh my, she's had it really hard..."

Chatting and laughing while distributing photos, Wang Yan approached a young lady sitting alone; she had long hair, was very quiet, and was smiling as she watched Wang Yan's antics.

"Oh my, what a great beauty, truly stunning. Come find me later—no, I'll come find you; I'll definitely take some excellent photos of you."

"So she's the only good-looking one, and the rest of us are no good?" A young lady nearby became unhappy, glaring at Wang Yan.

"How could that be? Aesthetics are highly personal; one person appears in a thousand and ten thousand different ways in the eyes of a thousand and ten thousand people. Do you understand fate? I just feel I have a connection with her."

"Pah, you're just lusting after her beauty."

Wang Yan laughed heartily: "The love of beauty is common to all; I am a young man still growing. Although it is already autumn, the lingering echoes of spring still remain within me."

While speaking, Wang Yan raised an eyebrow at that young lady, then turned back to hand three photos to the girl in the seat: "Take a look first; I'll be sitting here in a moment."

Regardless of how the girl reacted, Wang Yan continued distributing photos, indeed handing out two or three photos to everyone on the bus.

After everyone exchanged and looked through them, they couldn't help but offer positive remarks.

"Actually, I must say, these are taken quite well."

"See? Do I look like someone who brags?" Wang Yan laughed heartily. "Let me tell you, comrades, you must seize opportunities when they arise. If I accidentally become a famous photographic artist, you won't be able to find me for photos even if you want to. Right now, it's a friendship price: you buy the film, I charge a five-yuan labor fee, and you can shoot however you like. Adding the cost of developing the film and materials makes it a very fair deal."

"Isn't five yuan too expensive?"

"What kind of talk is that? Isn't shutter wear and tear money? Running around with you, wouldn't I need to eat two steamed buns stuffed with meat? If you buy several rolls of film, I'll take more pictures for you. We can also split by group; later, when you report to your dormitory brothers and sisters, I'll charge per person, two yuan each, and that settles it, doesn't it?

Don't think that just because I'm studying photography and engaging in art, my family isn't poor. I'm at the age of growing my body; comrades, please show some kindness, let me earn some living expenses, and let me have a couple of bites of meat too."

No one refuted this statement; after all, it was the start of the school term, and everyone was leaving home for the first time, surely wearing new clothes. Wang Yan, however, was not like that: he wore a white short-sleeved shirt on top, faded shorts that had been washed until the color bleached, and on his feet were Warrior brand white sneakers that were not white and had even come unglued. His large backpack was visibly dirty.

It wasn't that Wang Yan was unclean; rather, the shoes couldn't be scrubbed clean, nor could the bag, so he hadn't struggled against it nor bought new ones, making do with what he had, though he did have changes of clothes and shoes.

"Alright then, I'll check later to see if anyone wants photos. We'll come find you when the time comes."

"Good brother, rest assured, I guarantee I won't disappoint you." Wang Yan smiled cheerfully. "Everyone finished looking? Come, come, gather them up, gather them up; these are all my works, and even without an audience, I must appreciate them myself."

"They really are quite good; it's just that they're mostly black and white, which feels a bit uninteresting."

"That is truly interesting; do you know how much color film costs versus black-and-white film? Comrades, look at my dirty, unglued white sneakers. Being able to afford black-and-white film and afford to develop it is already quite something.

If you want color photos, buy them yourselves; 135 or 120 format, reversal or negative film, it's all fine; I have cameras for everything and can shoot anything. Developing certainly won't be a problem either; later, I'll mooch off the school's darkroom and materials and such, which would be equivalent to the school treating everyone to photos."

"You dream quite beautifully; one or two rolls might be fine, but if you're trying to make money, they certainly won't allow it."

"Who knows? Let's wait and see."

Chatting and laughing, they gathered the photos back up; Wang Yan chatted a few words with the driver, as the driver was genuinely moved and really wanted to take photos.

After coordinating the time, Wang Yan lifted his large backpack, found a gap to stuff it onto the luggage rack, and plopped down into the seat next to the young lady from before.

"What should I call you?"

"Xiao Qianxi. 'Xiao' as in vividly lifelike, 'Fang Qian' as in the great thousand, 'Xi' as in joy." Xiao Qianxi's hand gently rested upon Wang Yan's hand.

Wang Yan politely touched it briefly and withdrew: "From Sichuan Province?"

"How did you know?"

"I heard it in your speech."

"Do I have an accent? Is it very obvious?"

"It's manageable; if you pay attention, you hear it; if you don't, you don't." Wang Yan said with a smile. "I estimate it won't take long before it becomes hard to detect. This old Jingcheng doesn't have much of anything else, but it has plenty of authentic local flavor; there are also many locals in the university. After a long time blending in, ah, this Putonghua will become truly 'ordinary' 【putong】."

The corner of Xiao Qianxi's mouth curved upward; she covered her mouth and laughed: "You are truly amusing."

"Isn't this the honest truth? Do you think I'm telling you jokes? Wait until you've lived here for a while, and you'll know; it's genuinely authentic."

"How do you know? Have you been here before?"

"No, earlier on the bus I chatted with someone from Jingcheng; that person was extremely authentic."

Seeing Wang Yan's utterly serious expression, Xiao Qianxi still wanted to laugh; she covered her face, her shoulders shaking. Seeing Wang Yan's speechless, choked-up expression, she said apologetically: "Sorry, I really couldn't hold it back; you're too funny."

"Let me correct you: it's humor."

"Is there any difference?"

Wang Yan pretended to ponder seriously: "It might make me appear more serious. Humor is a trait, whereas 'funny' is merely a descriptor beneath humor."

"That makes sense." Xiao Qianxi nodded affirmatively. "Then you are very humorous."

"Thank you."

Xiao Qianxi raised the corners of her mouth again.

"Haven't asked yet, what's your major?"

"Chinese Literature Department."

Wang Yan nodded: "Good. In the future, if my photos win any awards or something, you can publish a critique and help sing my praises."

"Okay." Xiao Qianxi nodded with a mix of amusement and helplessness, "But my praises might not amount to much; after all, I don't have any fame."

"A person's fortune is unpredictable; until that moment arrives, who knows how things will turn out."

"That's true. Then I wish you become a photographic artist soon."

"I'll borrow your auspicious words," Wang Yan said with a chuckle.

"Can I take another look at those photos of yours? Artist?"

"Oh, right, I just said I'd show them all to you. I was too eager talking to a great beauty and future critic; it's all my fault. Wait a moment, let me pull them out again."

"If it's troublesome, there's no need; there will be other opportunities in the future."

"No trouble at all; I have nothing else to do anyway."

While speaking, Wang Yan got up, fetched his large backpack again, pulled out even more photos, and only then returned to his seat to sit down.

"Why don't you just photograph her directly now?" a Miss nearby couldn't help but say.

Wang Yan smiled: "Do you think I don't want to? It's just that during the entire train journey here, I used up all my film rolls. But since she's right here and isn't going anywhere, there will be plenty of time to take pictures later. Isn't that right, Qianxi?"

Xiao Qianxi smiled without speaking, merely taking the photos from Wang Yan's hands and beginning to look at them.

Wang Yan didn't disturb her appreciation but instead chatted idly with the people around him. They were all young people, not that difficult to get along with. Especially given the natural familiarity he displayed, along with some humor and wit, these university students didn't reject him; on the contrary, they very much wanted to talk nonsense with him.

For no other reason than it was interesting.

Thus, while waiting for more people to board the bus, Wang Yan became quite familiar with these individuals and, taking this opportunity, made on-the-spot arrangements to photograph them after their military training.

They pounded their chests, saying that even if their roommates didn't get photographed, they were willing to pay five yuan, plus the cost of developing and printing. Young people still value their promises greatly; failing to fulfill them would bring a strong sense of shame, unlike those big-shot debtors who owe money and act like they couldn't care less.

"Your photos are really good. Although I haven't seen the works of those famous photographers, I feel you certainly aren't inferior to them."

"Comrade Qianxi, you have an eye for talent, and simultaneously possess excellent aesthetic appreciation abilities." Wang Yan nodded solemnly, wearing an expression as if he had found a kindred spirit.

"You're exaggerating too much." Xiao Qianxi felt embarrassed, her pretty face flushing slightly red.

"I'm serious."

Wang Yan was certainly not speaking falsehoods, because his capability was exactly where it stood; his photography experience was extremely rich, possessing his own unique style, which was a kind of insight into society and a discovery of beauty.

Oh, no, he did have shortcomings in this regard. On this point, Chen Laoshi was superior to him.

Of course, he had no intention of surpassing Chen Laoshi anyway...

That Xiao Qianxi could see it and speak it out, whether sincerely or with slight exaggeration, led Wang Yan to consider Xiao Qianxi a person with an eye for talent; this was not contradictory, after all, Xiao Qianxi was praising him, Wang Mou.

After waiting for nearly half an hour, the bus was finally full and departed, driving past Chang'an Avenue toward the campus of Beiqing University.

All along the way, the students inside the bus were looking out the window at Jingcheng.

The Jingcheng of the year two thousand was not like that of twenty years later, yet various buildings still stood row upon row, the streets were bustling with traffic, and crowds surged constantly. From time to time, foreign faces could be seen on the streets.

It already possessed the atmosphere of a major international metropolis.

The journey was not congested, and it didn't take long to arrive within the campus. Even though they could disembark at either end, the students still eagerly stood up, blocking the narrow aisle, and crowded their way off the bus.

Xiao Qianxi was very patient; seeing that Wang Yan did not move, she did not urge him.

"Do you have a lot of luggage?"

"It's... okay..."

"That means quite a lot then. Let me help you; I'll deliver you to your destination before I leave."

"That's too trou—"

"No problem." Wang Yan waved his hand, "It's just a simple favor, and I have nothing urgent to do. As the saying goes, 'If you help someone, help them to the end; if you escort Buddha, escort him to the West.' Let's go."

Seeing that everyone behind them had left, Wang Yan stood up, first helping Xiao Qianxi carry her bulging, heavy backpack, and only then shouldered his own large backpack.

Xiao Qianxi stood behind him, looking at the large brown bag: "Your bag is really huge."

"All my worldly possessions are in here."

"I've seen it in magazines; this kind of bag seems to be what foreigners call that... travel bag, right?"

"Hiking backpack," Wang Yan smiled, "Made of triple-proof fabric; rain or snow, it fears nothing. Quite reliable."

"So does that mean you've gone hiking before?"

"Just for fun. Come on, let's get off the bus; watch your step, these steps are quite high."

The two were the last to disembark. Wang Yan followed Xiao Qianxi to retrieve her luggage: one large, old suitcase and a large handbag. Wang Yan gauged the weight; not to mention for Xiao Qianxi, even for an average man, it would be considered heavy.

"Whoa, you really didn't bring a little. It must have been quite difficult coming all this way."

"There were many good people on the road; everyone helped out."

"Mostly young men, I suppose?"

Xiao Qianxi smiled gently; of course, she knew she was quite pretty. Immediately, she didn't continue along that line of conversation but reached out to take the suitcase: "Let me carry one myself; it really is quite heavy."

"No need, I can handle it; like I said, 'escort Buddha to the West.'"

Seeing the doubt in Xiao Qianxi's eyes, Wang Yan held the satchel in one hand and the suitcase in the other, effortlessly lifting them both level with ease.

"You really are strong!" Xiao Qianxi couldn't help but widen her eyes, her surprise overflowing in her expression.

Wang Yan smiled: "Let's go, time to register."

And so, Xiao Qianxi led the way asking for directions, while Wang Yan followed behind carrying her luggage; they first completed Xiao Qianxi's registration, after which Wang Yan registered himself, and the two chatted and laughed as they headed toward the girls' dormitory building of the Chinese Literature Department...

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? (End of Chapter)