Go back to the past and be a schoolboy

Chapter 12 The Way of the World

After finalizing the various matters of the work, at the invitation of Cai Yuanpei and the others, Cheng Nuo stayed and had dinner together in the cafeteria of Peking University.

Although the taste is average, it is better than the large quantity.

What's the matter with simple tea and light food, I have good teachers and helpful friends as my companions, how wonderful it is to eat with knowledge from ancient and modern times.

By the end of dinner, it was almost dusk.

Before parting, Qin Fen still took Cheng Nuo's hand, reluctantly said: "As the saying goes, 'a thousand cups of wine is less than a bosom friend', junior, I only hate seeing you too late, because there are too many knowledges in number theory. The language is gone, why don't you stay here tonight, we'll talk all night long."

Feng Zuxun smiled and said: "Jingyang, if you don't go back today, how will you explain to your siblings tomorrow, I'm afraid they will deduct a sum of your cigarette money from you."

Qin Fen was a little afraid of guilt, but still refused to let go of his hand, and said coyly, "Zhiyuan is my spiritual food now, it's okay to quit smoking for a month, but if Zhiyuan doesn't mind, you can go back to my humble house with me, that's also great .”

Seeing that the joke was going to be taken seriously, Cai Yuanpei was afraid of embarrassment, stood up and smiled and said, "Alright Jingyang, let's let Zhiyuan go for now, as colleagues in the future, there will be more opportunities to communicate, this night is not bad."

Hearing this, Qin Fen let go of his hand, but Cheng Nuo didn't dare to look directly at the eagerness in his eyes.

"Senior, you've been tired all day too, take a good rest, and we'll talk later."

Cheng Nuo left them at the gate of the university after agreeing on the official date of work.

Just as he was thinking about how to go back, he suddenly felt that a figure sitting on the stairs was very familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere.

"Could it be Li Lao San?" Cheng Nuoxin said.

With a skeptical attitude, Cheng Nuo slowly walked up to the man, bent down and looked, it was him.

Right now, he was devouring and gnawing on the buns, and didn't even notice that there was a person in front of him.

Cheng Nuo coughed and asked after drawing attention, "Old Li, why are you here?"

"Mr. Xian?" Li Laosan was startled by Cheng Nuo who suddenly appeared, and almost swallowed the last mouthful of corn bread, but still choked: "Hi~ I've been waiting for you in the inn for a long time, but I didn't see you coming out. I asked the buddy, and they said you had gone out early, so I didn’t think you would come in the afternoon, so I came here and waited for you.”

Cheng Nuo couldn't believe it: "Then you haven't run away all day, what about today's money?"

For the poor, a rickshaw is considered a big item, and they can't afford it if they don't keep it for a few years.

If you really want to run, you can go to the depot to rent a car, but you need to ask the person in charge every day for "car share". Just a dime more.

"Hi~ It's okay, sir, you've paid a lot these few times, and I've paid all the money for the past few days."

Suddenly thought of something, Li Laosan then took out a bulging oil-paper bag from the rickshaw, handed it over, and said with some self-reproach: "Hi~ Sir, this is my family's thank you for the shabu-shabu that night, and specially made fried rice. Triangle, but it’s getting cold after a long time, why don’t you go back and eat it hot?”

"Eat here, it's good to eat cold."

Although Cheng Nuo had already had dinner inside, looking at Li Laosan with a simple face, he suddenly felt a little hungry.

He unwrapped the greased paper and took out one casually, and ate it directly.

"Hi~ Mister, how does it taste? My family's handiwork is not bad."

"Yeah, it's very fragrant. I haven't eaten such a delicious thing for a long time."

"Hi~ hehe, sir, this oil is cottonseed oil pressed at home, and the eggs are freshly laid today, but unfortunately they are a bit cold, if you eat them while they are hot, they will be burnt and crispy."

"Sister-in-law's skills can be a chef, and it's delicious now. Look at how much I've eaten, and there are not many left."

The fried triangles were not very big, Cheng Nuo took one bite at a time, but in the end he ate them all.

But he ate too fast, and in the end he hiccupped just like Li Laosan.

"Hi~Lao Li, I'm done eating, next time I'll ask my sister-in-law to add more leeks, I love this."

"Hi~ When I get back, I'll tell the guy at home, are you going back, sir? I'll take you in the car." Li Laosan stepped forward to wipe the car seat clean, and made room for him to take the car.

Cheng Nuo waved his hand, pointed to his stomach and said, "Hi~ I'm full, let's walk to digest food today."

"Hi~ Come on, I'll follow you."

Just like that, a strange combination appeared on the street. Facing the setting sun, accompanied by the sunset glow, a young man in robes was walking on the street with a master pulling a rickshaw.

Most of the time, it was Cheng Nuo who was asking questions and Youngest Li was answering. After some time, the hiccups of both of them disappeared, but Cheng Nuo still had no intention of taking the car.

Topics also began to broaden slowly.

"Lao Li, how was the harvest at home last year?"

"Fortunately, the weather in Zhili was good last year, and the harvest was barely enough to eat." Li Laosan sighed: "If it were other places, especially Qin Province, it would have suffered a catastrophe."

"What's going on?" Cheng Nuo stopped in his tracks and asked, "Did you suffer a lot?"

"Hey, you don't know. Qin Province is suffering. Their Fuping, Huaxian, and Dali are almost gone. In August, there was a plague of locusts first, and then there was hail. It was hard to snatch some, and the Weihe River gave them all. I ran away, and the villagers ran away to death, I couldn't bear to watch."

A few short sentences that seem to be light and light, but behind them are thousands of people who have been displaced.

Listening to the words, Cheng Nuo suddenly realized that there were many beggars in the streets and alleys.

Bare feet, messy hair, and clothes on his body with few intact cloths.

The younger ones can still hum songs, chasing the rich and calling grandparents, begging for a copper coin.

The older ones just gave up struggling and sought a corner to curl up and tremble.

Seeing a mother with a child on her back, Cheng Nuo just wanted to go up and give her a few copper coins, but was unexpectedly held back by Li Laosan.

"Sir, that child died a long time ago. You might as well give her a bowl of rice if you give her money."

Taking a closer look, the child's face was pale, and there were a few flies chasing it from time to time, obviously not angry at all.

Cheng Nuo felt sad for a while.

Lao Li laughed at himself: "After the Daoguang year, our people didn't live in peace for a few days. Either there was a flood today or a severe drought tomorrow. From time to time, there were earth dragons turning over and insects doing damage. Where can we dare to say that we are whole? of."

"It's still in Sijiu City. I don't know how much there are outside Sijiu City. It's for her own good not to let you give the money. Otherwise, it won't fall into her hands and she won't take it away."

Cheng Nuo looked around and asked cautiously, "They also have someone collecting money?"

"Hey, there is a beggar leader in charge, and he can get as much as he asks for, and ordinary people can't afford it." Seeing that no one was paying attention, Li Laosan said in a low voice: "Do you know that last month there was a big fence?" A small shop opened, because it didn’t show respect to the local beggar chiefs, guess what?”

"What's the matter?"

"The next day, someone threw a dead child at the door. When the common people are bullied by God, they are also bullied by beggars. Hey, this world."

(End of this chapter)