National Tide 1980.

It is said that women have a sixth sense, but men also have it.

The facts before him soon proved that Xiao Tao's worries were not groundless.

Because the influence that Liu Mei had on Sang Jing was even greater than he expected.

At least Xiao Tao was certain that the reason why Sang Jing had the idea of ​​going abroad was probably because she was deeply influenced by Liu Mei.

Especially after Xiao Tao's plan to help Sang Jing study in Japan did not go smoothly, Liu Mei often gave Sang Jing advice behind the scenes.

As a result, Sang Jing's attitude towards going abroad changed again, and she even came up with a new idea.

The result was that not only did Xiao Tao begin to resent Liu Mei to the point where he was almost at the point of being unable to tolerate it, but it also caused a subtle crack in the relationship between Xiao Tao and Sang Jing.

An important turning point occurred the day after Ning Weimin left the capital.

Since Ning Weimin was in Beijing, Xiao Tao was always busy and had little time to spend with his girlfriend.

So as soon as Ning Weimin left and arranged the tricycle business in Shichahai, he wanted to take some time out of his busy schedule to meet Sang Jing, and they chose Xidan as the place for their date.

In the late 1980s, the environment in Xidan changed greatly, and various consumption places gradually increased.

It is no longer as drab as it was in the early 1980s. Only the second floor of the Xidan Food Mall is available for couples to relax.

In particular, innovative consumer places have sprung up like mushrooms after a rain.

In addition to the "Dadi" Western Restaurant in Xisi, the former Xidan Stadium, which is now the Xidan Quanyechang, there is also a restaurant called "Dongtian" which was converted from an air-raid shelter. These are all good places for young people to have fun.

Moreover, summer cold drinks are not just as simple as popsicles at 3.5 cents, ice cream at 1.2 cents, polar bear soda at 1.5 cents, and sour plum soup. Now there are also Coca-Cola, Fanta, coffee, and even imported beer and foreign liquor for sale.

Like this day, Xiao Tao and Sang Jing made an appointment to meet in Xidan, and they found that a new coffee shop had opened there, on the east side of Xidan North Street near the intersection.

This is a two-story building with a simple and elegant appearance, which has a bit of European architectural style.

The first floor is the public ice cream room, which is open to the public and sells regular cold drinks.

The second floor seems to be more romantic.

So Xiao Tao took Sang Jing along a red carpet on a narrow staircase less than two meters wide, all the way to the second floor.

Sure enough, there is a round carved moon gate at the entrance of the stairs on the second floor, with a plaque with the words "Gui Yue Chan Gong" written in Lishu script hanging on it.

Walking further in, there is a hall of about a hundred square meters, which can be described as a different world.

The air conditioner is on in here, so the temperature is much cooler than downstairs where we only have a ceiling fan.

And as if to create a dark and romantic atmosphere, even though it was broad daylight, the airtight curtains were drawn tightly, and the middle of the hall was where the light was the brightest.

Colorful disco lights shine on a small dance floor of only six or seven square meters.

A multi-mirrored disco sphere hangs above the dance floor.

The circular dance floor is also surrounded by a brass railing.

There are three entrances and exits in total, and the dance floor is one foot lower than the floor of the entire hall.

Most of the area in the hall is occupied by seats for two people arranged in an orderly manner, with a few seats for multiple people interspersed in between.

There are also some light sources emitted from several lighting boxes distributed along the aisles, which are full of advertisements for imported liquor.

The light shines out from the screen, making the photos look realistic and vivid.

Those faint blue lights were scattered in the dark space like the background lights in a movie.

There are two TV screens embedded on both walls, playing some world scenery films and videos of celebrities singing songs.

Xiao Tao has learned from Ning Weimin that this kind of video is called MTV.

They picked a seat and sat down with eyes full of surprise.

A waitress in a red vest came over immediately, handed over two wine lists, and lit the candles on their table.

Xiao Tao noticed at this time that the shape of the candle was an apple, and the wick was the small stick on the top of the apple.

This apple floats in a small basin of water, which is quite unique.

It didn't take long at all for Sang Jing to look through the menu and order two ice creams, two pastries, a cup of lemon tea, and a glass of Kirin beer.

It should be said that at that time, most of these business places were very informal, with random prices, and they treated customers differently based on their taste. Some even sold fake foreign liquor, and they did not have the atmosphere of today's bars.

Most people who come to such places to spend money can't help but think carefully.

The reason why Sang Jing ordered so quickly was because she didn't even look at the price.

This only means that after a long period of contact, the girl has become accustomed to spending Xiao Tao's money and is no longer shy about it.

After ordering the food, they looked around and saw many affectionate couples sitting in other seats in the hall.

There was also a couple dancing to the music on the dance floor.

The lingering stereo music, like brushed silk, softly permeates the dark space.

The song playing at this time was a low and melancholy one played by a saxophone. They couldn't tell what it was called, but it sounded familiar.

Logically speaking, such a romantic place, and the first time they visit it, should have a certain emotional boost for Xiao Tao and Sang Jing, who haven't seen each other for a long time.

It would be convenient for them to sit together shoulder to shoulder and talk to each other intimately. But unfortunately, Sang Jing didn't seem to have such a mind, and her focus was all on going abroad.

She was simply obsessed with going abroad. I don't know if it was because of her yearning for foreign countries or for some other reason, but her mind was full of "going abroad" and "going abroad".

There was no hint of affection when he spoke, nor did he ask Xiao Tao how she was doing recently or what she had done. Instead, he went straight to the point and asked Xiao Tao if she had planned to study in Japan.

This inevitably made Xiao Tao feel quite disappointed, but he still told Sang Jing Ning Weimin's reply in detail.

Even fearing that she might be anxious or unhappy about this, Xiao Tao repeatedly comforted her by saying, "You must know who Brother Ning is. As long as he promises to do it, he will definitely get it done. Don't worry, as long as Brother Ning has paved the way for you, you don't have to worry about anything. When you go to Japan, accommodation, study, and life will definitely be all taken care of for you. Then you just need to concentrate on studying and getting your degree."

However, Sang Jing did not respond to his consolation. Instead, she was in a daze, as if she had something on her mind and did not say a word.

After a long while, Sang Jing finally said to Xiao Tao, "Hey, what do you think about me going to America?"

"America?" Xiao Tao was stunned. He didn't know why Sang Jing had such an idea. "Didn't we agree to go to Japan?

"No, the United States has the world's top medical schools, such as Harvard University and Johns Hopkins University. The medical education system is complete, the scientific research strength is strong, and there are abundant clinical practice opportunities. It is much better than Japan. Moreover, the foreign language I learned from middle school to university is English. Although the level is average, it has a certain foundation. It shouldn't be a problem to take TOEFL after supplementing the lessons. It is better than learning Japanese from scratch."

"But America is so far away. And... and I've asked someone to help you."

"What's so far? We all have to take a plane and go abroad. Even if Japan is close, we can't see each other every day when I go abroad. Besides, you keep asking for help, but there's no definite answer. I think I should try other ways."

"What I just said is in vain. Why are you in such a hurry? What Brother Ning promised will definitely be fine. Studying abroad is not a trivial matter. The procedures are complicated. You have to be patient."

"But Liu Mei told me that people's time is precious. For something as important as going abroad, we can't just leave it alone. What if you can't make it happen? My time will be wasted. I think we should make preparations for both scenarios."

"Oh my god, don't go to America, it's such a mess. How can you handle it as a girl? Besides, you've been spoiled since childhood, you go to America to wash dishes. Can you bear it? It's different in Japan. Brother Ning is awesome in Japan, I'll be relieved if he helps you go to Japan. I guarantee you won't have to wash dishes for a day. You won't have to worry about your life..."

"Come on, you're just a magician with words, and you only talk nice things. If you really can't bear to leave me alone, then you can go with me. You're not short of money, so wouldn't it be nice if we go out together?"

"No, no, why do you drag me into this again? Whether it's Japan or the United States, I'm not going anywhere. Why would I go abroad? I don't want to suffer that. I have enough money for two people to go abroad. But if I go, what about my business?"

"Tsk, your crappy business. It's just managing a few tricycles. What future does it have? Let me tell you the truth. Whether you go or not, I really want to go abroad. Although I have everything I need in China, I am not satisfied. This is called pursuit. If you ask me, you should also have some pursuit. What's wrong with going abroad? Even if you don't go to study, at least you can broaden your horizons."

"Forget it. I spent so much money to send myself abroad just to broaden my horizons. Can I eat or drink that? Besides, foreigners' money is really not as easy to earn as in China. Don't look at those people who study abroad and are so awesome. In fact, they just have a good reputation. In terms of making money, they really don't make as much as I do. Even if they don't come back after graduation, what can they do if they stay abroad? Whether it's Japanese yen or US dollars, isn't it just spending?"

"Money, money, your biggest ambition in life is just that little bit of money... I didn't expect Liu Mei to be right. You are such a loser."

Just with this last sentence, Xiao Tao's face changed, and it looked as ugly as a cloudy day with a storm coming.

You know, although the two people mentioned above had a dispute, it was ultimately just a normal argument and expression of different opinions between lovers.

But what is this last sentence?

Not only could one see Sang Jing's deep-seated contempt for him, it was like a stab in the heart.

What’s more important is that this contempt is mixed with the opinions of outsiders and was also influenced by Liu Mei.

This is completely different. Someone is trying to sow discord between him and his girlfriend. How can Xiao Tao not be angry?

Fortunately, Sang Jing realized her mistake immediately.

Whether it was because she said it completely unintentionally or because she noticed Xiao Tao's mood change, she immediately apologized for her words.

"I'm sorry, I...I didn't mean that..."

As for Sang Jing, who was already feeling a little scared, Xiao Tao couldn't get angry at all.

As a result, he forced himself to suppress the injustice and anger in his heart, and he just sighed silently.

In order to let Sang Jing understand him better, he even did not hesitate to expose his shortcomings and said such words.

"Sang Jing, let me tell you something. When I was young, my family was poor. One year during the Spring Festival, you had to queue up to buy things during the Spring Festival. I was a famous glutton in my family, so they didn't let me queue up for things that could be eaten right away, for fear that I would eat too much. Later, they asked me to go to the grocery store to buy soy sauce and vinegar. What a coincidence that day, they were selling sesame paste, which made me so happy. According to the shopping book, my family bought six taels of sesame paste, so I had to lick it all up on the way. As a result, I started to have diarrhea that night and had to go to the toilet all night. Sang Jing, you may not understand, it's really uncomfortable to be poor. So from that time on, I swore that when I grow up, I must be rich no matter what. When I have money, I will eat sesame paste biscuits with pork head every day."

At this point, Xiao Tao laughed at himself. "It's embarrassing to say this..."

Sang Jing seemed to understand what he meant, but also seemed not to understand.

He smiled awkwardly, then looked away and looked towards the dance floor.

This nonchalant escape was obviously not the response Xiao Tao expected. He clearly felt the huge gap between the two people's thoughts. From then on, sourness began to replace the sweetness of love.

However, despite so many unpleasant things happening during this meeting, Xiao Tao still supported Sang Jing's decision with practical actions.

After all, taking the TOEFL test costs money, and there are five charges totaling US$196. How can a girl like Sang Jing afford that?

Especially now that the black market exchange rate of the US dollar to the RMB has reached 1:8, plus various RMB fees, it costs about 1,500 RMB to take the TOEFL test. This financial cost is far beyond the affordability of an ordinary college student.

So Xiao Tao took the initiative to exchange the US dollars and sent them to Sang Jing.

Fortunately, otherwise he would regret it to death.

It was only after he sent the money that he found out that Liu Mei had given Sang Jing another bad idea, which allowed him to practice speaking English and make money at the same time.

He said he would introduce an American boy to Sang Jing and ask her to take the American around Beijing for four weekends. The remuneration would be $200, which was enough to cover the cost of the TOEFL test.

After knowing this, Xiao Tao was so angry. He had never hated a girl so much before. He really wanted to find Liu Mei and scold her.

Moreover, he couldn't help but feel worried about the fact that there was such a person who was instigating things around Sang Jing.

He clearly had a bad feeling, as if Liu Mei was thinking about how to break them up all day long.

If this continues, it will be difficult for him and Sang Jing to maintain their relationship as before, and huge twists and turns will arise sooner or later.

This Liu Mei is really a nuisance. (End of this chapter)