Chapter 567: Unintentionally Planting a Willow, It Grows into Shade

The next day, Wang Yan followed his daily routine, leaving home with Su Meng and pedaling his bicycle to work. After passing Tiananmen, the two went their separate ways—one north, one south. One to the Children's Palace, the other to the Yili Food Factory.

Han Chunming, of course, didn't come along; he had left early on foot. Cheng Army Supervisor wished he could stay eight hundred meters away from Wang Yan, so naturally, he wouldn't go out of his way to fawn over Su Meng...

After parking his bike, Wang Yan sauntered into the office filled with tools, greeted the others who had already arrived, and busied himself with brewing tea in a large enamel mug.

Just as Wang Yan had finished his chores and sat down to read a book in boredom, the office phone rang.

"Rare for today, work comes in first thing in the morning." The older brother at the other desk muttered, picked up the phone, and answered. After a few words, he hung up and turned to look at Wang Yan, who was reading and drinking tea: "Xiao Yan, work for you."

Wang Yan flipped his book face down on the table: "Where?"

"The factory director is looking for you; he wants you to go over." The man smiled: "Judging by his tone, it doesn't sound like a bad thing. What have you been up to lately, kid?"

"Hi, what could I be up to? Didn't I tell you all? I've just been dating, cultivating feelings with a girl. Enough talk, I need to hurry over and see what the director wants."

As he spoke, Wang Yan walked out to the other building where the factory director was located. He was also puzzled, not knowing why the director was looking for him. Although he had been working in this factory for several years and knew many leaders, big and small, he clearly didn't know the director—he wasn't at that level.

Because of the heat, the office doors and windows were wide open. Wang Yan knocked on the door and spoke to the man in his fifties with thinning hair and thick black-rimmed glasses who had looked up from inside: "Director, I am Wang Yan. Did you look for me?"

"You came so fast, come in, come in." The director stood up from his chair enthusiastically and gestured for Wang Yan to sit in the chair opposite him: "I've long heard of you, saying you're the best maintenance technician in our factory. Many problems don't even require people from the original manufacturer; you can solve them on the spot, saving our factory a lot of time and improving our production efficiency. Your contribution is indispensable."

Wang Yan nodded with a chuckle: "This is all what I, as an equipment maintenance worker, should do."

"Do you know why I called you here today?" Seeing him shake his head, the director couldn't help but shake his head and laugh: "What were you doing on Chang'an Street a while ago? Have you forgotten already?"

After thinking for a moment, Wang Yan frowned and asked: "You mean those American foreign devils interviewing me? What's the big deal about that? I even scolded them... It's not that the foreign devils can't afford to lose and are coming to cause me trouble, right?"

"Where did your mind go? If they were causing trouble, would I be smiling like this? What else could it be? On our turf, could the foreign devils turn the sky upside down?" The director waved his hand: "It's a good thing, a great thing. You kid, you hide things well. Running on Chang'an Street every morning and speaking a bit of bird language. That foreign devil took your photo and published it in some New York newspaper in America. It was passed back to the country, and the leaders saw it. They inquired about the situation with the interpreter from that time, and two days ago, they sent people to our factory to investigate."

"They said you are a good example, an aspiring new youth, and that you should continue to study and pursue advanced education to make greater contributions to the country's construction in the future. Originally, the quota for recommending university entrance had already been set, but this time the leaders spoke up, specially approving you to go directly to Jingda to study. You report for school next month. It's fortunate that the leaders have discerning eyes and investigated thoroughly; otherwise, if a talent like you had been buried in our factory, I would have been the one to get in trouble. You kid, too, if you had just said you could speak foreign languages, the factory would have recommended you for university long ago. Why all this trouble, insisting on hiding it..."

The current policy is the recommendation of workers, peasants, and soldiers for university, following the enrollment principle of "voluntary application, mass recommendation, leadership approval, and school review." The food factory certainly has recommendation quotas, but corruption exists in everything. Such major events concerning a person's life destiny naturally involve some under-the-table dealings, so the factory director's words now can basically be treated as hot air.

However, Wang Yan really didn't expect that just accepting an interview would have such a follow-up. Of course, it wasn't that he couldn't think of it; it was precisely because there were too many things he could think of that he didn't bother to. Mainly, this was a small matter, and it wasn't something he did deliberately, so whether he thought about it or not didn't matter; it was inconsequential.

"Although I taught myself the foreign devils' language, our factory really has no use for it, so I never made a fuss about it." He smiled and asked: "Then, Director, what's next for me..."

"Work for two more days. Once your paperwork is processed, and isn't it time to pay wages soon? I'll give you this month's as well, a total of fifty-two, as a reward from our factory for helping improve production efficiency and for showing your face before the leaders. After that, you can go home and have a good rest. When school starts, you must study hard and not let down the leaders' expectations. Strive to achieve something and contribute to our country's construction. Don't forget our factory in the future; you went out from here, and this is your home. Come back and visit when you have time."

"Thank you, Director. I will definitely study hard, resolutely implement the great spirit of studying for the rise of China, and not let the leaders down, nor let our factory's fellow workers down." Wang Yan stood straight and said loudly.

The director nodded repeatedly, waving his hand with a smile: "Alright, go back. Say a proper goodbye to your fellow workers; it will be hard to see them again after this."

Wang Yan politely greeted the director and left to return to the office. Facing the curious inquiries one by one, he didn't hide anything and told them about being specially approved for university. Even if he didn't say it, this group of people would have known in a couple of days.

The news spread quickly, first circulating in the logistics department, and then, through chats during work breaks, it spread throughout the factory. Before lunch, in just three short hours, all one thousand-plus people in the factory knew that Wang Yan had been specially approved for university. Inevitably, there were some rumors, such as Wang Yan having connections, spending money, etc., which is understandable. After all, everyone tells a different version, adding their own embellishments and personal subjective analysis, so the matter became more chaotic as it spread—that's how rumors are born.

Wang Yan sat on the steps, gently exhaling a puff of smoke, looking at Han Chunming, Cai Xiaoli, and Taozi, who were full of curiosity in front of him. He shook his head and gave a wry smile: "Don't believe everything you hear. If I were as capable as that group of people rumored, how could I have worked here for so many years? It's just as I said: when I was running on Chang'an Street in the morning, I ran into foreign reporters who interviewed me. They took a picture of me and published it in a relatively famous newspaper over there."

"This was passed back to the country, and our leaders saw it. Maybe the photo was taken well, and they felt it was quite spirited and could demonstrate our country's enterprising spirit, so the leaders were happy. They sent someone to inquire, heard that I could speak English, and that my academic performance had always been very good, so they felt I was a talent worth cultivating. Isn't that how they waved their hands and let me go to university? They also told me to study hard and contribute greater strength to our country's construction."

Han Chunming chuckled and gave a thumbs up: "Master Wang, you are the one. Who would have thought? You run on Chang'an Street every morning and can run all the way to foreign countries. Admirable, admirable."

Taozi also nodded repeatedly from the side, stammering: "Yes, Master Wang, then you will be a university student in the future. After graduation, you will be a cadre of our country. Won't that be living the high life?"

"This time, I'm afraid your Su Meng will be overjoyed. You've transformed from a worker into a university student. How much face that adds."

Wang Yan waved his hand at Cai Xiaoli: "That's not right. You're treating workers and university students as two different classes. We are in a united front of workers, peasants, and soldiers; we are worker-university students. Your ideological awareness is too low; go back and practice self-criticism and self-improvement. And you, Taozi, is being an official just for the sake of living the high life? That's for serving the people. If an official doesn't make decisions for the people, they might as well go home and sell sweet potatoes. Your ideological awareness isn't good either; go back and study hard."

Wang Yan had nothing to do and could wander around, but Han Chunming and the others couldn't, so after chatting and laughing for a while, Han Chunming and the others expressed their congratulations, and after finishing their cigarettes, they broke up...

After work in the evening, Wang Yan retreated on time. Of course, he went back by himself; Han Chunming and Taozi still had work to finish at the Temple of Heaven. Today was a good day, so he had to buy some meat to take back and have a drink. So he bought some spiced beef, braised fish, and other things outside, spending more than ten yuan, before pedaling his bicycle home leisurely.

Su Meng had a key to the door, so after work, she ran over and lay on the table reading a book.

"You're more than ten minutes later than usual today."

"Yeah, I went to buy some food on the way back. Come, you come out and take the things back to slice them up. I'll wash up and be over in a moment."

Su Meng ran outside and looked at the things tied to the handlebars, looking at Wang Yan with annoyance: "Master Wang, are you not planning to live anymore? You bought so many things; in a while, my grandmother and the others will nag again."

"Don't worry, today is absolutely a good thing, we have to eat something good to celebrate. No need to ask, I'll say it all at the dinner table in a while, saving the trouble of saying it again. Hurry up, take the things back and tidy up, I'll be over immediately."

"Oh my, tell me a little bit first. You know, I can't stand it when things are only half-said."

Wang Yan stuffed the things into her hands: "It's just a matter of eight or ten minutes, hurry up, hurry up."

Su Meng leaned on his shoulder and acted like a spoiled child: "At least reveal a little bit to me, so I can go back and tell my grandmother and the others. Otherwise, how agonizing will these eight or ten minutes be?"

"I'm going to university."

"Going to university?" Su Meng muttered indifferently, then suddenly raised her volume: "What? University? Did your factory recommend you?"

"Look, once you start asking, there's no end to it." Wang Yan grabbed her shoulders and turned her around: "Go, go back and tidy up, and get the wine ready for me."

Su Meng wanted to ask more, but seeing Wang Yan turn and enter the room, and looking at the things in her hands, she let out a long sigh to suppress the doubt in her heart and trotted back to the backyard...

When Wang Yan had changed his clothes, washed his face and hands, and arrived at the Su family home, what he saw was the whole Su family sitting around the dinner table in the room, four pairs of eyes staring straight at him.

Su Meng spoke first: "Can you say it now? The meat is sliced, and the wine is poured full for you. Hurry up, we've been waiting for ages."

Su Mu followed: "Yes, Wang Yan, just now Mengmeng came back and said you were going to university. What exactly is going on? It's almost August now, the university recommendation matter should have been decided long ago, right?"

"It is decided, but I wasn't recommended by the factory; it was specially approved by our country's leaders." Wang Yan nodded with a chuckle and sat down, starting from being interviewed while running on Chang'an Street, all the way to the director looking for him this morning. "The leaders saw that I was gifted and couldn't be buried in the food factory, so they specially approved a quota, letting me skip those procedures and report directly to Jingcheng University in September."

"This is a good thing." Su Grandmother said first: "But you should be criticized. Look at you, child, spending money without a plan. Didn't buying these things cost more than ten yuan? That much money could last us a week, and you ate it all in one night? Diligence and thrift lead to wealth; only diligence and thrift can maintain a household."

"Grandmother, we're talking about going to university, can you not be such a killjoy." Su Meng said impatiently, then turned to look at Wang Yan: "Before, I said you were idle for getting up so early every day to run and practice martial arts, wasting food. Now it seems I was short-sighted. Who would have thought you'd be so lucky? You got interviewed by foreign reporters, appeared in foreign newspapers, showed your face in front of the people of the world, and even got an opportunity to go to university. This is really..."

"During the day, Cai Xiaoli also said you'd be overjoyed if you knew about this. Now looking at you, why don't you seem that happy?"

"I'm certainly happy that you're going to university, but I want to go too."

"Look at you, girl, you've got emotions now. Wang Yan has that fate; he's been getting up early every day to run and practice martial arts for so many years without stopping, and he taught himself English. This was prepared long ago. Otherwise, if those foreign reporters interviewed you, could you have shown the spirit Wang Yan did?" After scolding her daughter a couple of times, Su Father said: "Wang Yan, since you have this opportunity, you must study hard in the future and not let down the leaders' expectations."

"Don't worry, Uncle. You also know that I haven't stopped studying for so many years. Now that I have the opportunity to enter a university campus to continue studying and pursuing advanced education, I will definitely cherish it immensely. Come, Uncle, let's have a drink and celebrate."

Just now, because of the surprise of going to university and it being specially approved by the leaders, they had been sitting there without touching their chopsticks. Now that Wang Yan had a drink with his father-in-law, the meal finally began.

Wang Yan took big bites of meat, shoveling millet rice into his mouth, and looked at Su Meng, who was not in high spirits, saying while eating: "You don't have to be so depressed. According to my observation and analysis, there will be major changes in national policy in the next few years, and the college entrance examination will definitely be restored by then. If you want to do things and develop, talent is the first priority. Cultivating talent means recruiting a large number of university students and selecting talent from so many people, so restoring the college entrance examination is imperative. Su Meng, you can't stop learning and progressing; you'll be able to use it sooner or later. Besides, even if the college entrance examination isn't restored, learning to improve yourself is never wrong."

"I hope it can really be like what you said. But actually, it's quite good now. You've gone to university, so it'll be face-saving for me to go out and say my partner is a university student." Su Meng sighed and asked: "By the way, do you have that photo? Let us see it too. What kind of photo could it be to make such a big leader open the back door for you?"

"If I had it, wouldn't I have taken it out?" Wang Yan shook his head and continued drinking and eating meat.

Su Mu followed up and asked: "Wang Yan, you're going to university now, the situation has changed, so what about the marriage between you two..."

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole Su family looked straight at Wang Yan, including Su Meng, of course. Actually, she wasn't in high spirits before because she had thought about this aspect. She had been in contact with Wang Yan for two months, and of course, she felt the uniqueness of this man and the male charm that made her reluctant to part with him. Now that he had gone to university, and Jingcheng University at that, his future would be very different. She was very afraid that Wang Yan might have other thoughts.

How could Wang Yan not know what the Su family was thinking? He shook his head and said: "Of course, we'll get married according to the original plan. Going to university doesn't make any difference. Even if I go to university, I won't have a salary. Although there is a subsidy, a large part of it is for food. It's not easy for Su Meng to continue to be with me. You all are just overthinking; I'm not that kind of snobbish person."

"Consider you to have a conscience. Let me tell you, if you dare to abandon me, see if I don't scratch you to death." Su Meng gave a charming look and continued eating happily.

Su Mu asked again: "After you go to university, do you have to live there?"

"No need. From here to Jingda, it's only thirty-five li, an hour or so by bicycle. The school doesn't have classes all the time, so it's very convenient to go back and forth, about the same as going to work. It's just leaving a little earlier and coming back a little later, it doesn't delay anything."

Once he said this, the Su family was completely relieved and happily started eating, no longer nagging about the money spent on buying meat. Everyone in the Su family was very satisfied; no one wanted to hear any more twists and turns after such a good thing. By comparison, eating and drinking a little didn't matter at all.

After eating and drinking, Wang Yan and Su Meng went to his small room as usual to be intimate, listening to Su Meng chattering about how he should be honest when he goes to university and not run off with other pretty female students when he sees them. It was this little lady who had a sense of crisis...

The Su family were not gossips, so they didn't say anything outside about Wang Yan being specially approved to attend Jingcheng University. The news spread the next day, told by Han Chunming's mother while chatting with people in the alley, and she praised him again.

"What? Wang Yan specially approved by the leaders to go to university? Jingcheng University? Him?"

At dinner, hearing such news from his own mother, Cheng Army Supervisor opened his eyes wide, full of disbelief.

Cheng Mother explained the reason and looked at her son with annoyance: "He has been good at studying since he was a child, and every subject was first. This is just because there is no college entrance examination now. If it were before, he could have gotten into Tsinghua or Beida even if he took the exam himself. What's there to disbelieve? Look at him, he taught himself English. Look at you, Army Supervisor, I haven't seen you open a book since classes were suspended."

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"No, Dad, Mom, you don't know, that Wang Yan is just a hooligan, he should be arrested and shot. You say he was good at studying since he was a child, but he has been fighting with people since he was a child. And he didn't fight by himself; dozens of people listened to him, and they often had group fights. Bullying little girls, and robbing other people's money. How could someone like him go to university? And specially approved?"

Cheng Father knew this must be a lie, he was just resentful. He took a sip of wine and shook his head: "Don't slander others like that. You don't think about it, if he were really like what you said, the police would have arrested him and thrown him in jail long ago. Besides, the leaders personally greeted him. At such a sensitive time, could his background not be investigated clearly? Don't be jealous just because others are doing well; you should interact with him more. That way, when he becomes successful in the future, it will be easier to ask him for help."

"Ask him for help?" Cheng Army Supervisor looked disdainful: "Dad, Mom, don't worry, I will never ask him for help in my life. You don't know, I was getting along well with Su Meng, and you helped find a job, and I was coaxing her every day, but in the end, Wang Yan cheated Su Meng away. Just for this point, I will never forget him in my life. If the day comes when I have the ability, you watch, hum, I will definitely make him regret it."

"Alright, son, you have ambition. Then you work hard and make progress, Dad and Mom are waiting to see that day. Second son, learn more from your brother, we just need to have this drive."

Cheng Father even poured a glass of wine for Cheng Army Supervisor, encouraging him.

Cheng Army Supervisor had a drink with his father, then turned to instruct his younger brother: "Second son, keep your mouth shut, don't go out and talk nonsense, do you hear me?"

The second son of the Cheng family wasn't as cunning as Cheng Army Supervisor; he was an honest child. Maybe it was also because he had always been bullied by Cheng Army Supervisor, after all, Cheng Army Supervisor was narrow-minded and held grudges, and he was a ready-made punching bag. So Cheng Second Son just nodded without saying anything, and honestly ate his meal.

After dinner, Cheng Army Supervisor stayed for a while, went out to pour the dirty water from the house, and went to the toilet by the way. When passing the east wing of the front yard, he subconsciously glanced at it. The lights in the room were not on, and he didn't see the dog couple that made him angry. After passing the second gate and turning around the shadow wall to leave the main gate, he saw Wang Yan, with a cigarette in his mouth, sitting next to Old Lao Guantou by the chess stall, watching people play chess.

Cheng Army Supervisor put on a smiling face and greeted: "Master Wang, I heard from my mother while eating just now that you were specially approved by the leaders to go to Jingda for university. Congratulations, congratulations. As expected of Master Wang, you are awesome."

Wang Yan nodded with a chuckle, ignored him, turned his head back, and continued watching the chess game.

Looking at Old Lao Guantou's watching-the-fun gaze from the side, Cheng Army Supervisor felt awkward, turned around, and left quickly...

"You kid really has some ability, you're about to become a university student."

Wang Yan had just sat down, he shook his head and smiled: "The ability is great, there's a lot you haven't seen yet."

Old Lao Guantou laughed mockingly and asked: "Why aren't you being intimate with that Su girl today?"

"Seeing that I'm going to university, she's at home reading and studying."

"Alright, learning is endless, not bad." After finishing, Old Lao Guantou stood up and said: "Is it time for your Nine-Gate Commander grandfather to play? Watch me kill my way back and behead you under the horse..."

There were quite a few people playing Chinese chess, and this old man couldn't always occupy it; they had been waiting for a while. It wasn't that there weren't extra chess sets, it wasn't that they had to play with this one, but the difference between four people playing one set and playing two sets was still not small. Playing chess naturally involved a direct contest between two people, but if there weren't people watching the fun and cheering from the side, it would be much less interesting...

After receiving his last paycheck, packing up the things he had brought to the office, and under the farewell of some people, Wang Yan left the factory and would never return.

There were still some days before school started, and he had nothing to do. He was specially approved for admission by the leaders, so naturally, he couldn't be arrogant; this attitude definitely had to be shown. So, except for occasionally going to his subordinates' side to check the situation, he basically didn't wander around much, and most of the time he stayed at home reading, drinking tea, and practicing calligraphy. When cooking, he would go to the backyard to help Su Grandmother.

Su Meng's enthusiasm for learning, which had emerged due to stimulation, was only temporary. After the two of them went to Badaling for a day, they returned to their original form. However, it wasn't that she didn't read books; after all, there were no entertainment activities, and they couldn't play little games between men and women, so in the evening, when Wang Yan was reading and drinking tea, she would also look for some leisure books to read. Chatting here and there, the days were quite happy.

Han Chunming was busy. After working as a laborer at the Temple of Heaven with Taozi, he still did as in the original drama. After paying back a circle of money, he started flipping bicycles again, and finally successfully flipped five hands for eight yuan, getting a new bicycle.

His relationship with Cai Xiaoli remained stable as usual; after all, Cai Xiaoli really cherished Han Chunming. For Han Chunming, she even helped steal bread at the food factory, which shows how deep the feelings were. The two were doing very well and were very warm.

Just like this, time passed in plainness. In September, Wang Yan officially pedaled his bicycle to Jingcheng University to report, becoming a glorious worker-peasant-soldier university student...

Originally, he had thought about waiting for the restoration of the college entrance examination in 1977, but now, unintentionally planting a willow, it grew into shade, and two years earlier was also quite good.

This time, the major he chose was physics. Of course, this wasn't what was arranged for him at the beginning. He proved his self-taught foundation, and only then did he successfully go to the physics department.

The reason for choosing the physics department was also very simple. Although there were related researches on computers at this time, the discipline of computer major had not yet been established. It wouldn't be established and start recruiting until next year, which is 1976.

He still wanted to engage in computers; after all, his researches were all in this aspect. Except for the powerful pill that robs money, computers are the foundation. It just so happened that he now had a resume of formal education, and when the spring breeze blew all over the land, he would come out and set up his own business... ===== CHAPTER 568 =====