Chapter 3: Children's Literature

Coming to the capital this time, Wei Jiefang's idea was to arrange a job for his son and end his dream of going to college.

Failing three times in a row, and even God sending a hailstorm that hadn't been seen in decades—maybe this was fate.

It was just that Wei Pingan had misunderstood at first. After understanding his cousin's request, he sat down again.

It was an impossible task to stuff Wei Ming into Peking University as a student, but arranging for him to work at Peking University was also very tricky.

Employment is difficult in Yanjing now!

In the past, when employment and food pressure appeared in the city, young people were sent to the countryside to be self-reliant. But now, no one had the charisma to launch another "Up to the Mountains and Down to the Countryside" movement.

Coupled with the wave of educated youth returning to the city, Yanjing, with a population of 9 million, had 400,000 unemployed youth!

Recently, I heard that many unemployed young people ran to Qianmen to sell big-bowl tea, two cents a bowl, suffering all kinds of cold shoulders.

In order to solve the potential social crisis that these unemployed youth might cause as soon as possible, besides suggesting they find their own way, all government agencies and units in the city also had to contract a certain number of unemployed youth, naturally including Peking University.

People from other places wanting to work in the city? Keep dreaming.

But these things couldn't be explained to Brother Jiefang; he didn't understand, and he didn't want to understand.

So Wei Pingan gritted his teeth and agreed: "Okay, I'll find a way. I just thought you wanted to stuff Little Ming into Peking University as a student."

"Ah, is that possible?"

"No!" Wei Pingan quickly dispelled his idea.

Wei Jiefang smiled regretfully: "Hehe, a job is fine. Isn't going to school just to find a job? I just said my brother is capable! Little Ming, show your appreciation!"

Wei Ming quickly poured a glass of Lao Bai Gan and said to his uncle: "Uncle, I'll finish this; you drink as you please."

He wanted to show his boldness, but his current body really didn't cooperate, choking him until his face turned red. He still needed practice. He remembered that his tolerance for alcohol was on par with Uncle Pingan's.

In his past life, it was roughly this process, but there were some twists and turns later, and he ultimately failed to get a job at Peking University.

Wei Pingan drank, thinking about the connections he could use.

He was 36 years old and served as the director of the General Office of the General Affairs Department at Peking University. He had to deal with all aspects of the school and had a wide circle of friends.

It's just that at this special juncture, he would definitely have to use up a lot of favors.

This meal lasted until two in the afternoon. Wei Pingan said without blushing or panting: "I'll arrange a place for you to stay first."

"Why spend that unjust money? We..." Wei Jiefang wiped his mouth and swayed, wanting to say that sleeping on the floor in the living room would be fine.

Wei Ming blocked his words in time: "Okay, we'll listen to Uncle's arrangement."

He had also been a city dweller. Even if he wasn't married, he didn't want relatives and friends to enter his private living space, preferring to pay for a hotel.

Wei Pingan felt that this nephew was much more sensible than his father. He hoped he would perform well at Peking University and strive to become a regular employee as soon as possible.

He had already said that the best case would be to start as a temporary worker, and this period was uncertain.

After all, as long as he became a formal employee of Peking University, the school would be responsible for his household registration and housing, at least entering the queue.

Like their building, besides administrative teachers and professors like him, there were also master chefs, school hospital nurses, logistics electricians, etc. In this day and age, equality was emphasized.

After leaving Weixiu Garden, they entered Peking University from the West Gate. At this time, the Peking University campus was bustling, and the arrival of the '79 freshmen made the school vibrant.

Wei Ming looked at the high-spirited college students around him, looking at their clear and foolish eyes, thinking that he could make a fortune just by selling cultural shirts at Peking University.

Wei Pingan introduced them along the way: this is Minghe Garden, this is Jingchun Garden...

After turning a few corners, they finally stopped at Langrun Garden.

Langrun Garden and Yan Nan Garden were places where senior professors of the school lived. The environment was very good. Langrun Garden was surrounded by water, like an island in the middle of a lake.

In the 1960s, Peking University built a large number of apartments in Langrun Garden to solve the housing problem for faculty and staff. At that time, a hotel was also built among the buildings.

This was also the only guesthouse inside the Peking University campus. Because it was in the north of the campus, people called it "North Guesthouse."

The person in charge of the hotel was very polite when he saw Wei Pingan, calling him "Director Wei."

"Wang Jingli, this is my brother, and this is my nephew. They might stay for two days. Do you have any rooms?"

"Since Director Wei has spoken, even if there are no rooms, we must have them. Let me see." Wang Jingli spoke with a worldly tone; one could tell he was a flexible person.

Finally, they were arranged a standard room on the second floor, with two 1.2-meter beds and an independent bathroom.

The scenery was also good. Through the window, one could see a patch of lotus flowers in full bloom. He didn't know if it was the "Ji Lotus."

Seeing Wei Jiefang dizzy, Wei Pingan simply handed the meal tickets and grain coupons to Wei Ming and gave the following instructions:

"In the evening, you can go to the faculty canteen to eat, or go out the South Gate to the Longzheng Canteen. I won't come over. I'll pick you up tomorrow morning to go into the city for a good stroll and have a meal with your aunt."

Wei Ming took the tickets and didn't stand on ceremony. Without meal tickets, he couldn't eat on campus, and without Yanjing grain coupons or national grain coupons, he couldn't eat outside.

It was difficult to go out in this day and age!

After sending Wei Pingan away, Wei Jiefang took off his shoes and fell asleep. Having completed the big task of finding a job for his son, he felt at ease and slept soundly.

Wei Ming tidied up the luggage, but his heart was agitated and hard to calm down, so he pulled the curtains, took off his pants.

First, he took out the huge sum of 12 yuan and 50 cents sewn by his mother, then left a note for Lao Lao Lao Wei and went out.

It read: Wei Ming went to stroll around Weiminghu.

Going south all the way is Weiminghu. Before seeing Weiminghu, one can first see the Boya Tower, which is the tallest building in Peking University.

Seeing a stretch of lake light, Wei Ming began to turn clockwise along the lake.

A lake is a lake, they are all about the same. The key is that it is cool by the lake, and the small breeze helps with thinking.

His top priority is to stay at Peking University. The ultimate goal of staying at Peking University is to settle down in Yanjing. Only a big stage can have big development.

And to stay at Peking University, he must have a good relationship with Uncle Pingan's family. After all, one needs a good wind to soar.

It is now 3:30 in the afternoon. It is estimated that the time is almost up. He wants to pull out a thorn, a thorn that affects the relationship between their uncle and nephew.

So he turned to the "Weiminghu" monument on the west bank, and Wei Ming went directly out of the West Gate.

Besides more than a dozen apartment buildings, Weixiu Garden also built a Peking University affiliated kindergarten two years ago. Wei Pingan's pair of children were just sent there. As long as they were sent in the morning and picked up in the evening, and lunch was provided, it was very worry-free.

Wei Ming was the earliest to go. After a while, some old men and old ladies appeared one after another. Maybe one of them was a master professor. It's just that except for a few star professors like Ji Xianlin, he didn't recognize any of them.

Until the kindergarten was dismissed, Wei Ming didn't see Uncle Pingan. Sure enough, just like in his past life, because he was busy helping him clear up relationships, he actually forgot to pick up the children.

So Wei Ming came.

Although he wasn't familiar with the current Wei Xi and Wei Le, he had seen their recent photos during lunch, and they were twins, so they were easy to recognize.

Soon, the pair of siblings, who looked 70% alike, walked out holding hands. Their looks were outstanding among the children.

They both embarked on an artistic path later. Wei Xi, who grew up, was admitted to the Central Academy of Drama, in the same class as Xin Baiqing and Wang Qianyuan. After graduation, he entered the Beijing People's Art Theatre and occasionally filmed movies and television.

And Wei Le (yue) liked music (yue), proficient in singing and musical instruments. Not only was she admitted to the Central Conservatory of Music, but she also stayed on to teach.

Wei Ming wanted to laugh when he saw Wei Xi looking around. In the 90s, the two worked together at the Beijing People's Art Theatre, and because they were related, their relationship was always very strong. Later, Wei Xi also invested in his company.

Before crossing over, Wei Xi was arguing about divorce with his wife, who was twenty years younger than him, which worried him to death. Unlike now, carefree and innocent.

"Xizi, Lele, here!" Wei Ming called out, summoning the two confused children over.

!

"Who are you?" Wei Le asked.

Wei Ming: "Just call me Brother Ming. Your father, Wei Pingan, asked me to pick you up."

"Oh, then let's go quickly." Wei Xi said.

This child is truly heartless. In his past life, he was lost at this time.

In the original timeline, neither parent picked them up, and the teacher was about to get off work, so Lele suggested walking back by themselves. After all, it was only two hundred meters, and they had walked it many times.

As a result, Wei Xi saw a bicycle selling candied haws passing by, let go of his sister, and went to chase it. Finally, he caught the candied haws, but the person was lost.

It was simply a "let go and disappear."

When Aunt Lu Xiaoyan got off work and went home, she found only her daughter guarding the door. Learning that her husband didn't pick up the children and her son was lost, she was furious.

Although her son was finally sent back by the police, this incident caused the most serious quarrel between the couple after their marriage, so much so that Wei Pingan didn't go to find Wei Jiefang and his son the next morning.

So Lao Lao Lao Wei took his son to the door, and happened to hear the conversation of the two arguing outside the door. Some of it was aimed at their father and son, which was not very pleasant to hear.

18-year-old Wei Ming was a child with strong self-esteem. Originally, asking for help was already very embarrassing for him, and then he was criticized behind his back, so he didn't even take his luggage and ran directly to the railway station, leaving Lao Lao Lao Wei to return to the village by himself.

Although Wei Jiefang said after returning home that Uncle Pingan had already handled the job for him, Wei Ming refused to go, preferring to farm.

Because of this incident, the relationship between the brothers Wei Jiefang and Wei Pingan also drifted apart, and they didn't visit each other for many years.

It won't be like that now. Wei Ming led one in each hand and bought them candied haws on the way.

Xizi was heartless, while Lele remained vigilant. If Wei Ming hadn't looked good, she definitely wouldn't have gone with him.

However, when they arrived at her home, she was completely relieved of this handsome brother and even shared her candied haws with Wei Ming, one for you and one for me.

It's just that they didn't have a key and couldn't get in, so Wei Ming took the two children to play downstairs.

Xizi had paper in his bag. Wei Ming folded planes, boats, swallows, and paper cranes for them. In a short time, he became their idol.

"Xizi, Lele!"

"Mom, Mom!"

It wasn't until it was almost dark that Lu Xiaoyan returned, and the two children threw themselves into her arms like swallows returning to their nests.

She was just 30 years old, much younger than Uncle Pingan, and one could tell she had the temperament of a city dweller.

Seeing Wei Ming, Lu Xiaoyan asked: "Little comrade, whose family are you from? Sorry to trouble you to play with them."

Seeing Lu Xiaoyan at this moment, Wei Ming didn't have any resentment. Aunt Xiaoyan was actually a good person, a warm-hearted person. In his past life, she worried about his lifelong event and introduced many objects to him.

It's just that children are the reverse scale of a mother. Xizi almost had an accident, so she inevitably spoke without thinking.

"Mom, this is Brother Ming!" Lele introduced actively.

Wei Ming smiled: "Hello, Aunt. My name is Wei Ming, from the old home in Hengzhou."

"Wei Ming? Is it little Ming from Brother Jiefang's family!" She and Wei Ming had actually met eight years ago when she got married.

"Yes, Uncle Pingan is busy, so he asked me to pick them up." Wei Ming explained simply.

Lu Xiaoyan sighed: "We are both busy, and there are no elders at home to help. It's hard for the two children. Xizi, Lele, are you hungry? Little Ming, you should come home and eat together."

Wei Ming was about to refuse, but Xizi showed off: "I'm not hungry, I just ate a big string of candied haws!"

"Ah, who told you to eat sugar? Have you forgotten the time when your teeth hurt again!" Lu Xiaoyan suddenly became severe.

Wei Ming quickly took the responsibility: "Blame me, blame me, I bought it."

Lu Xiaoyan calmed down: "Don't blame you, just blame this stinky boy. His cavities are so bad and he still can't control his mouth. He forgets the pain after the wound heals. I don't know how many times I've said it, but he hasn't changed. From now on, for a week, no, for a month, he is not allowed to eat sugar! The White Rabbit toffees at home are all for his sister!"

"Ah!" Xizi stopped smiling instantly.

Lu Xiaoyan invited Wei Ming to go upstairs and sit for a while again. Wei Ming smiled and declined: "The meal tickets and grain coupons are all in my hands. If I don't go back, my dad will be hungry."

It's just that before parting, Wei Ming asked her a question: "Aunt, which magazine are you from? Is the editor's work so hard?"

"Children's Literature," she said, "It's mainly because I just came to this unit and lack connections in terms of children's writers. The monthly compilation of manuscripts is a headache!"

Wei Ming said "Oh," and some ideas popped up in his heart.

After returning to Peking University, he first went to the small shop to buy a stack of letter paper, several envelopes, a bottle of ink, and a notebook, which cost 40 cents in total.

Back at the guesthouse, Lao Lao Lao Wei was leaning against the head of the bed yawning, clearly just woken up.

Seeing Wei Ming arranging letter paper and ink on the table, he asked: "What are you buying these for? It's not like you're here to do academic research."

Wei Ming grinned at him: "Of course, to make money!"

(Ask for monthly tickets, ask for follow-up reading!)

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 4 =====