Struggle Life in the 1970s

Before the end of summer vacation, Chu Ye went back to the technical secondary school. The school had already arranged jobs for them. After everyone received their registration card, they had to leave for the new school immediately.

Chu Ye received her own certificate, and the school written on it was indeed the one where she was doing her internship. Since her luggage was in the rented courtyard, she didn't have to carry large bags to the new school like everyone else.

So she thought about asking if there were people from the same school as her, to see if she could help them out and get some things. After all, if nothing unexpected happened, they would be working together for the rest of their lives, so it would be good to get to know them in advance.

Thinking of this, she went to find her class teacher, who had a list recording the assigned locations of all students in the entire grade.

After hearing clearly the purpose of Ye's visit, the head teacher was very pleased. He praised her a few words and then turned the page. However, after a moment, the head teacher looked at her with an indescribable look.

"Student Chu Ye, only two people were assigned to your school, one is you, and the other is Student Qiao Mingzhu." Everyone in the school knows about Miss Qiao's spoiled temper, even the teachers have heard of it.

The head teacher looked bitter. The two most beautiful girls in the class were assigned to the same school. One of them had a good temper and the other had a bad personality. He was really worried that Chu Ye would be bullied.

Chu Ye smiled knowingly and comforted the head teacher, "It's okay, teacher. I won't offend anyone unless they offend me. She may not be able to get away with it under my command."

The teacher really doesn't know some details of how students get along with each other. Qiao Mingzhu is indeed spoiled and she inexplicably caused trouble for Chu Ye at the beginning of the school year. But Chu Ye would never tolerate her. If she dared to find fault with him, Chu Ye would immediately fight back. After two or three times, Qiao Mingzhu became the one who avoided her.

Chu Ye also discovered in several confrontations that Qiao Mingzhu was a person who was strong on the outside but weak on the inside. She looked difficult to deal with, but she would break easily if poked. If she was attacked too harshly, she would not be able to find the words to fight back, and would end up making herself very angry.

She looked around the class but didn't see Qiao Mingzhu. She thought maybe Qiao Mingzhu had left, so she prepared to wait for the bus at the school gate, but unexpectedly Qiao Mingzhu was there.

She was wearing a blue plaid dress and a matching headband on her head. When the train arrived, the conductor came down to help her carry her luggage. Chu Ye took a look from the side and was surprised to find that this young lady was not idle either and was helping to carry the luggage as well.

This really opened Chu Ye's eyes. She thought Qiao Mingzhu would be arrogant and order others around. She still remembered that when school just started, a street vendor selling wontons complained that this young lady accidentally touched the edge of the pot and stained her skirt black, but she refused to let it go.

Comparing it with now, it is obvious that Qiao Mingzhu's temper has indeed improved a lot.

She looked at her twice more. Qiao Mingzhu was busy moving luggage and didn't notice her. Seeing that someone was helping, Chu Ye didn't go up to join in the fun. She got on the car, found a seat and sat down. After waiting for a while, Qiao Mingzhu also got on.

She looked from front to back. In this hot summer day, there was not a single good seat on the bus. Either the whole family sat together, or there was one seat left next to an elderly person. The only good seat was Chu Ye's.

Chu Ye, the person she hated.

Qiao Mingzhu walked over here with a pout, then sat down next to Chu Ye, "What bad luck." Qiao Mingzhu muttered softly, and tidied her hair unnaturally.

Chu Ye looked out the window and pretended not to hear.

The car was bumpy all the way, and the scenery outside the window quickly receded. In this sultry afternoon, everyone in the car was too hot to talk. Only the wind blowing through the window was wandering in the car.

More than two hours later, they arrived at the school. The car stopped at the school gate, dropping off a pile of luggage and Chu Ye and Qiao Mingzhu who were still standing there.

Qiao Mingzhu looked at the school gate, the luggage on the ground, and Chu Ye standing side by side with her, and couldn't help but ask in confusion, "Why did you get off the bus with me?"

Chu Ye looked back with amusement, "Because I was assigned here too."

Qiao Mingzhu's eyes widened in disbelief, "What? You and I are in the same school?"

Chu Ye replied as a matter of course, "What else?"

After saying that, she no longer paid attention to Qiao Mingzhu's reaction and turned around to find the old man to open the door.

The old man was in the guard room and came over quickly after hearing the noise. He learned from Chu Ye that the girl at the door was the new teacher. He opened the door happily and greeted her warmly.

Qiao Mingzhu smiled back somewhat awkwardly, turned around and walked towards school with her luggage.

"Hey, Teacher Chu, the director told us this morning that you should still live in your previous dormitory when you come back. He also said that if there is a new teacher in your school, if he is a male, I will take him to the dormitory, and if he is a female teacher, she will live in the same dormitory with you. You can also help the new teacher with anything he doesn't understand." After opening the door, the old man remembered what the director had told him and quickly told Chu Ye.

Chu Ye nodded. She had been here for a year and was familiar with everything, so there was nothing wrong with this arrangement.

So she turned around, picked up two pieces of Qiao Mingzhu's luggage, and motioned for her to follow her.

Qiao Mingzhu behind her was reluctant, but she was not stupid. From what the guard had said just now, she knew that Chu Ye must have been here during his internship. No wonder he had so many bags while she had nothing.

Seeing Chu Ye helping her carry her luggage, she felt very uncomfortable. She had said bad things about Chu Ye before, but she didn't expect that she would still be willing to help her.

She never expected that the "country girl" she casually mentioned in the restaurant a few years ago would become more beautiful and dazzling than herself. In fact, she knew in her heart that the reason why she was hostile to Chu Ye was just because she saw that there was a man who took care of her so well, and she was better than herself in academics. She originally looked down on Chu Ye because of her appearance and family background, but who knew that after she didn't have to work in the fields, she gradually lost her rusticity and looked more like a young lady than herself.

She was spoiled by her family since she was a child, and had the best food and clothing. Suddenly, she met someone who was obviously inferior to her in every way but did not praise her at all. Naturally, she was very angry.

So whenever she saw something she didn't like, she would say a few sarcastic words, but every time she was fought back by Chu Ye, and in the end she ended up with nothing good happening to her.

At this moment, Chu Ye actually helped her carry her luggage regardless of the past. She turned her head away, feeling a little embarrassed.

The two of them ran back and forth twice before they got all the things. In the dormitory, Chen An's bed was originally piled with Qiao Mingzhu's things, while Chu Ye's bed was empty. Her things were still in the rented house.

At this moment, Qiao Mingzhu wiped the bed clean with disgust. Seeing Chu Ye was about to go out, she hurriedly called out to stop him. Chu Ye turned his head and looked at her in confusion.

Qiao Mingzhu murmured for a long while, and finally closed her eyes and said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Chu Ye replied softly and turned to close the door.

She returned to the rented house. Mu Jiajun had already packed his things. After she greeted the landlord and his wife, the two of them carried their luggage to the school.

Mu Jiajun took the initiative to give the light luggage to Chu Ye, and when they arrived at the school gate, the old man opened the door for them.

Qiao Mingzhu was making her bed in the dormitory. When she heard a knock on the door, she quickly opened it. Then, Chu Ye appeared at the door carrying luggage. She put her things on the ground first. Behind her, Mu Jiajun also appeared with a large bag of luggage.

Before coming, Chu Ye told him that a girl had already come to the dormitory, so after he entered the room, he first smiled and nodded to greet Qiao Mingzhu, then put his things away without looking away, and followed Chu Ye out.

Mu Jiajun naturally didn't know Qiao Mingzhu, but Mingzhu was deeply impressed by this man's appearance. After all, the first time she satirized Chu Ye was because there was a peasant girl standing next to a handsome man and the two of them didn't look a good match.

Now? She snorted coldly, thinking that they were a perfect match.

She had already seen through it long ago. They were not cousins ​​at all, but a pair of young lovers.

Here, Chu Ye and Mu Jiajun soon came back with their luggage. This time they had moved everything completely. Finally, it was getting dark, and they planned to go to a restaurant in the town for dinner. When leaving the dormitory, Chu Ye asked Mingzhu if she wanted to join them.

After all, this is Qiao Mingzhu's first time here. No matter what their relationship was like before, she still has to fulfill some responsibilities at this time.

Mingzhu hesitated for a while, but still refused Chu Ye. Although she was very hungry, she still felt embarrassed and didn't want to walk with these two people.

Chu Ye did not hesitate and went to the town to eat with Mu Jiajun. After the meal, Mu Jiajun sent them to the school gate and went back to the hotel.

In the dormitory, Qiao Mingzhu had tidied up her things, which deepened Chu Ye's understanding of her. She had thought that this young lady couldn't take care of her own housework.

Now it was Chu Ye's side that was in a mess. The luggage was piled on the floor and the bed was bare. If he didn't tidy up, he would have no chance of sleeping.

She took out a piece of rag from her luggage and planned to wipe the bed board, but after wiping it, she was surprised to find that it was clean.

This shouldn't be the case. She hadn't been back for two months, so there would definitely be some dust. She suppressed her doubts, looked around, and found that the table in the dormitory was also very clean.

There were two wooden tables in their dormitory, one at each end of the two beds, usually used to place their personal belongings. She saw that Qiao Mingzhu's table was also very clean, with three or four bottles of things on it, which looked like facial wipes.

Her eyes swept across her clean desk, then looked at the clean bed, and finally glanced at Qiao Mingzhu who was looking around.

She just avoided looking up and down. For a moment, the dormitory was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

Qiao Mingzhu felt very uncomfortable because Chu Ye kept looking at her.

"What are you looking at! Who asked you to help me move my luggage today? Why are you meddling in other people's business? I'm doing this to avoid owing you a favor, so that you won't accuse me of taking advantage of you in the future." Qiao Mingzhu couldn't stand the look in her eyes, and spoke loudly and arrogantly.

After hearing this, Chu Ye did not comment. She pursed her lips to prevent herself from laughing out loud. After thinking for a while, she was about to speak when she heard thunder in the dormitory. Qiao Mingzhu blushed instantly and pulled the quilt over her to hide inside.

Chu Ye found it funny, but she didn't dare laugh out loud, for fear that Qiao Mingzhu would hear it and make a fuss. She pretended not to hear it, rummaged through her luggage, and finally took out a pack of biscuits, walked to Qiao Mingzhu's bed, and stuffed the biscuits in through the corner of the quilt.

She said, "If it weren't for Miss Mingzhu's help in cleaning the bed, I don't know how tired I would be tonight. Miss Mingzhu really helped a lot. This cookie is my thank you gift to her."

(End of this chapter)