Chapter 156: 1990: A Family by the Spring Chapter 156 The Ugly Duckling Becomes a White Swan, a Wonderful Plot Unfolds

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Protagonist:

Lin Xiyu

Li Qing's parents helped change the bedding, thanked her profusely, and left.

Because Lin Xiyu had given her the lower bunk, Li Qing felt especially fond of her.

Lin Xiyu, harboring her own little thoughts, also deliberately coaxed her.

Two girls of similar age, after the little incident of changing beds, unconsciously grew closer.

"Is your family in the clothing business?"

Taking advantage of going to the school canteen for dinner with Li Qing in the afternoon, Lin Xiyu deliberately steered the topic to the business card.

"Yeah."

Li Qing didn't think much of it, saying rather proudly: "My mom is a fashion designer and has won many awards; my dad opened a company under my mom's name, doing import and export of foreign trade clothing."

"Your parents are really impressive."

Lin Xiyu smiled and flattered: "Designing and making your own clothes, and even selling them overseas."

"Mm-hmm, I also think..."

Hearing her praise her parents, Li Qing raised her eyebrows proudly, a bit tsundere.

"Your family runs a company, doing big business..."

Lin Xiyu, intending to flatter her, said something very pleasant: "As the daughter of a famous designer, you must know a lot about the clothing industry, right?"

"That's for sure..."

Li Qing was very happy to be flattered, even more proud: "Among Shanghai's well-known clothing brands, there isn't one I don't know; just touch it with my hand, and I can tell how much that piece of clothing is worth."

"Awesome."

Lin Xiyu gave a thumbs-up to express admiration: "With your talent, it would be a pity not to study fashion design; you're born to be a designer."

"My dad won't let me study design; he insists I study foreign languages."

Li Qing shrugged helplessly: "He says minor languages are very marketable now, and wants me to take German as my second foreign language elective, so I can do business with Germans in the future."

Lin Xiyu's eyes lit up with surprise: "You're taking German too? Me too."

"Actually, I don't want to learn German."

Li Qing glanced at her and smiled sheepishly: "Nowadays, learning Japanese is popular in Shanghai; many schools offer Japanese courses as a second foreign language, and I have several friends who went to study in Japan, saying they plan to settle there in the future."

"Why settle in Japan?"

Lin Xiyu couldn't understand: "Isn't it good domestically? Going abroad, you're unfamiliar with the place and can't speak the language; what's so good about it?"

"Japan is a developed country, and its standard of living is much better than domestically."

Li Qing said matter-of-factly: "Many Shanghainese have gone to Japan to work; the money they earn there is many times higher than domestically."

"Oh, oh."

Lin Xiyu had no concept of developed countries, and subconsciously didn't want to have anything to do with Japanese people, so she didn't take her words to heart.

"And also..."

Li Qing said it addictively, covering her mouth and laughing: "There's a joke popular in Shanghai now; it's really funny."

"What joke?"

Lin Xiyu smiled and echoed: "Tell me, let me have a laugh too."

"Export husbands."

Li Qing didn't disappoint her, saying something astonishing.

"Ah?"

Lin Xiyu looked completely baffled, having trouble keeping up with her rhythm.

"Hahaha, I knew you wouldn't understand what it means."

Li Qing looked at her slightly dumb-cute little expression and laughed until she couldn't close her mouth.

Lin Xiyu helplessly rubbed her forehead: "Stop keeping us in suspense, say it quickly."

"Export husbands means..."

Li Qing stopped laughing, thinking she was very considerate in satisfying her curiosity for gossip: "Because of working abroad, many Shanghainese men have settled in Japan and married Japanese women."

"Japanese men are chauvinistic, not as considerate and gentle as Shanghainese men, so a trend arose; Japanese women like to marry Shanghainese men, and Shanghainese men are also keen on marrying Japanese women. With the numbers increasing, the term 'export husbands' came about."

—

"Oh, oh, so that's how it is."

Lin Xiyu suddenly understood, looking at her mischievous little expression, and felt a bit more curious: "But even if Japanese women like to marry Shanghainese men, you don't need to laugh so ambiguously, right? Is there something else interesting you haven't told me?"

"Hahaha, I haven't told the joke yet..."

Li Qing couldn't hold back just thinking about the joke about export husbands popular among the common people; before the words came out, she laughed first.

"Say it quickly."

"I'll say it, but you have to hold back; don't laugh too excessively and spray me in the face."

"Is it that funny?"

Seeing her laugh nonstop, Lin Xiyu also had her curiosity piqued by her.

"If you don't laugh after hearing it, I lose."

Li Qing was full of confidence.

"I'm all ears."

Lin Xiyu straightened her spine and assumed a posture of serious attention.

"As for why Japanese women are especially fond of marrying Shanghai men, the reasons they give are......"

Li Qing was satisfied, very contentedly appreciating her upcoming expression: "Shanghai men are gentle and considerate, capable in the hall and in the kitchen, they can wash clothes and cook rice, and they'll take care of leftovers."

"Pfft."

Lin Xiyu really couldn't hold back, spraying a mouthful of soup out.

"Hahaha, funny, right?"

Li Qing saw the expected effect and laughed even happier.

Lin Xiyu: "......."

She was ignorant and narrow-minded after all.

The humor of Shanghai people truly had the characteristics of Southerners.

The northern big shots couldn't understand it.

—

For college students pursuing ideals, wanting to reach a higher level, and getting into graduate school, university life was far from as rich and colorful as imagined; days spent going back and forth between the dormitory, teaching building, and library, with no change in their routine, were boring to the point of weariness.

From the first day she entered university, Lin Xiyu set herself a goal: to get into Fudan University's graduate program, attend the same school as the person she liked, and through her own efforts, become his alumna.

With a clear goal came the motivation to study; after military training ended, she threw herself into the library, buried herself in hard study, wanting to achieve good grades and gain a higher ranking to prepare for the postgraduate entrance exam.

However, ideals are beautiful, reality is harsh.

Students qualified to enter East China Normal University were all top students from all over the country, with too many excellent grades to count.

To stand out in a school crowded with top students was extremely difficult; moreover, she had only gotten into her ideal school by relying on being a Martyr's Child and adding twenty points.

Less than a month after classes officially began, she realized the true gap between herself and the study gods, was hit hard, and almost lost confidence.

—

"I can't compete, I really can't compete......"

"Those people are too terrifying; clearly their grades are so good, yet they still work so hard—I can barely keep my eyes open from tiredness, while they're still studying, not leaving the library until the lights go out......"

"No more chatting, I still have problems to do and haven't practiced my spoken English; I really can't chat anymore, we'll talk about anything else next time....."

Guben was at Fudan University, double-majoring in law and computer science, and his studies were also tense; even so, he would often call her dormitory to care for his fiancée.

Every call he heard the same lines; after a long time, he also sensed something was wrong, and had the mind to visit her school and comfort her in person.

Thus, on a weekend in mid-October, on a day when the sky was especially blue, the clouds especially white, and the autumn air especially crisp, on the campus of East China Normal University, a wonderful plot unfolded.

—

After classes started, Lin Xiyu had always been buried in hard study, studying to the point of exhaustion, and had never participated in any of the various social events held by the school.

Unfortunately, it was precisely on the day Guben came that a senior from Shandong came to find her, earnestly inviting her to participate in a fellow-townsmen social event.

Lin Xiyu, because that person was an English Department senior sister and also the vice chairman of the student union, found it hard to refuse her face, and reluctantly agreed.

She thought the fellow-townsmen social event was just meeting and chatting, getting to know each other, and becoming familiar faces.

Unexpectedly, when she arrived at the location of the event, she found the fellow-townsmen all dressed up to the nines; men wore shirts and ties, women wore high heels and dresses, with light makeup, each dressed as if for a blind date—needless to say, how grand it was.

Upon entering the venue and inquiring, she suddenly realized that the so-called fellow-townsmen social event involved dancing ballroom dances.

"Xiyu, why did you come dressed like this?"

The English Department senior sister, seeing her with a bare face, wearing an oversized and sloppy T-shirt and jeans, out of place with the atmosphere of the entire social event, slightly displeased, furrowed her brows.

"I don't know how to dance ballroom dances; let's forget it, I won't participate."

Lin Xiyu wanted to decline, but the senior sister absolutely refused; helplessly, she could only return to the dormitory to change into that white dress with orchids kept at the bottom of her trunk, borrow Li Qing's cosmetics, and apply a little lipstick.

The young lady was naturally fair-skinned and beautiful, with a graceful bearing.

After this primping, she was like a pearl brushing away dust, dazzling and eye-catching.

"Wow, Xiyu, after you change clothes, it's like you've become a different person......"

Li Qing stared with wide eyes, her face full of disbelief: "Hurry up and throw away those ragged clothes you usually wear; it's simply concealing one's brilliance."

"Can't throw them away."

Lin Xiyu sighed resentfully: "Dressed like this, grabbing a seat in the library is too eye-catching; it's more convenient to wear a T-shirt and jeans."

"I'm truly speechless at you."

Li Qing was choked by her into speechlessness, utterly speechless.

"No more talking, I'm leaving first; after the social event ends, I still have to go to the library."

Lin Xiyu's mind was no longer on the social event; she wanted to show her face and then slip away.

"I'll go with you."

Li Qing looked at the radiant beauty, suddenly became interested, and affectionately linked arms with her.

"A Shandong fellow-townsmen gathering; what are you, a Shanghainese, going there for?"

Lin Xiyu looked at her in surprise; her instinctive reaction was that this girl had impure motives, and most likely had some ulterior purpose.

"I can count as half a Shandong person......"

Sure enough, Li Qing's next words confirmed her guess: "Besides, you're dressed so beautifully; I'm not reassured, I must be your flower-protecting envoy, otherwise those hormone-flooded suitors, fighting over a beauty......"

"Stop!"

Lin Xiyu couldn't listen anymore, interrupting her fantasies: "If you want to see a joke, just say so; no need to find excuses."

"Hehe."

Li Qing didn't deny it, narrowing her eyes and smiling like a cunning fox.

—

Just as Li Qing expected, the beauty made her entrance, blinding many people's eyes.

When Lin Xiyu, wearing the white dress with orchids, returned to the social event venue, the entire hall fell silent for a moment.

Everyone watched with unbelieving eyes as they witnessed the miracle of the Ugly Duckling turning into a White Swan.

"That's more like it, you look so pretty dressed like this."

The English Department senior sister's eyes flashed with amazement, and she exaggeratedly raised her arm, announcing publicly: "Now let me introduce everyone, our junior from the Class of '93 English Department, Lin Xiyu, Quancheng Tourism Image Ambassador from Jinan, Shandong, the pride of our Shandong students."

"She's Lin Xiyu, that high school student who filmed a documentary?"

"Oh, so it's her, I was wondering why she looked familiar."

"She really came to our school to study? I thought the documentary interview was just a gimmick, like acting, all filmed that way on purpose to attract attention."

"A documentary can't be fake, right? It records the real lives of the people in the siheyuan."

"Who would have thought there's a celebrity among our fellow townspeople this year, tsk tsk, really low-key, I wouldn't have known if the senior sister hadn't said anything."

"What celebrity, her family looks pretty poor, living in an old siheyuan, a whole family with only two rooms..."

"Not exactly poor, just can't say they're rich, being able to support a college student means they must have some savings, otherwise they couldn't afford it..."

"Hey, you're already speaking up for her, she hasn't even taken a liking to you yet."

"I'm just telling the truth, no other meaning."

"No other meaning, what are you stuttering for? If you've got the guts, don't feel guilty..."

"Hahaha..."

—

Once the beauty's true identity was exposed, it caused an uproar, mixed with envy and jealousy.

"Xiyu, you're too much!"

Li Qing heard about the documentary and was both surprised and delighted, looking at her with especially fiery eyes: "You filmed a documentary and didn't tell me, having a big star as my classmate, I can brag about it for years when I say it out loud."

"Stop bragging, I'm not a star..."

Lin Xiyu smiled humbly: "You haven't even seen it, which shows the documentary's promotion isn't strong enough and hasn't reached the expected effect."

"You're being a bit too humble."

Li Qing rolled her eyes, pretending to be unhappy: "We're good friends, don't play those tricks with me, your fellow townspeople have all seen the documentary, showing how big its influence is, spreading to Shanghai is just a matter of time."

"Hope so."

As a native of Jinan, Lin Xiyu sincerely hoped more people could see the beautiful scenery of her hometown.

Even though she had left her homeland to study in Shanghai, whenever she heard someone praise her hometown, she would still feel happy from the bottom of her heart.

"Classmate, may I ask you to dance?"

The beauty was gorgeous and charming, strongly attracting everyone's gaze, a student who considered himself handsome couldn't contain his excitement, stepped forward first, and invited her to dance.

"Sorry, I don't know how to dance."

Lin Xiyu had no intention of dancing, smiling and politely declining.

"Hahaha..."

"She doesn't like you."

Laughter filled the hall, boys who wanted to see the fun cheered loudly.

"I can teach you."

The boy was unwilling to give up, his gaze burning.

Lin Xiyu didn't give him a chance: "I have no musical talent, I can't keep up with your rhythm."

"She's unwilling, stop standing there, come back."

"Next one, who else wants to invite the beauty to dance, hurry up, don't waste time."

"Let me see, who exactly is the lucky one tonight who can win the beauty's heart."

The beauty's rejection didn't lower the suitors' enthusiasm, but instead stimulated them to be even more excited.