Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 313 Yearning
October 1st, Beijing.

Today is a bright and sunny day, with not a cloud in the sky.

The sunlight warmed the asphalt road of Chang'an Avenue, and the Chinese scholar trees at the street corner were still half-golden, with a few leaves, like small palms, falling down when the wind blew.

Wang Ting, with a five-star red flag badge pinned to the collar of her white shirt and red cloth tags reading "Foreign Languages ​​College Volunteer" hanging on her cuffs, stood side by side with her female classmate Xiao Xiao behind the railing in the reception area.

Because of their outstanding spoken English and good grades, the school specially borrowed them to help receive foreign friends attending the ceremony.

The sound of the clock striking ten o'clock seemed to still echo over Chang'an Avenue when the distant sound of cannon salutes suddenly pierced the clear autumn sky.

Wang Ting subconsciously straightened her back, the hem of her dark blue school uniform skirt was gently lifted by the breeze, and her fingers gripping the hem of her clothes tightened even more—this was the first time she had stood beside the viewing platform as a college student volunteer.

Staff dressed in Zhongshan suits led a group of foreign friends toward the viewing platform. The dark-colored fabric of their suits was pressed crisply, creating a striking contrast with the brightly colored coats worn by the foreign friends.

In the crowd, an elderly blonde woman stopped, her thin finger pointing to a banner across the street that read "Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China." With a slight frown, she asked the translator beside her in English, "The '40 years' in these slogans, does it start from 1949?"

Wang Ting happened to be standing nearby. Upon hearing this, she immediately stepped forward and replied in clear and fluent English, "Yes, ma'am. The People's Republic of China was founded in 1949, so this year marks the 40th anniversary."

The old lady's eyes lit up instantly, as if she had discovered something interesting. She pointed to the honor guard marching in formation not far away and exclaimed in amazement, "Those soldiers' steps are so synchronized. Have they been training for a long time?"

Xiao Xiao, standing beside her, immediately chimed in, her tone brimming with undisguised pride, her voice clear and crisp: "They train for months to present their best look on National Day. It's a way to show respect for the country."

The old lady smiled and nodded, took out a brown-covered notebook from her canvas bag, then took out a fountain pen and carefully wrote down what they said.

The pen tip glided across the paper, making a soft rustling sound. After finishing writing, she looked up and asked the two people their names, smiling as she said she wanted to tell her granddaughter, who was far away in New York, that China had such young and enthusiastic college students.

Wang Ting and Xiao Xiao exchanged a glance, both seeing the joy in each other's eyes.

Before long, a group of young foreigners with cameras surrounded them, black cameras hanging around their necks, pointing the lenses at the red lanterns hanging on the viewing platform and taking pictures.

A boy with curly hair held up a camera and asked in broken Chinese, "What is this... red thing?"

Xiao Xiao and Wang Ting immediately went over and patiently explained the meaning of the red lantern to them—it symbolizes reunion and celebration, and is also the most auspicious symbol in traditional Chinese culture.

Wang Ting also pointed to the golden patterns embroidered on the lanterns and told them that these patterns represented peonies and auspicious clouds, which made the young foreigners nod repeatedly, and the sound of camera shutters rose and fell...

As the ceremony concluded, dusk was approaching. The setting sun painted the sky above Chang'an Avenue a warm orange-red, and the streetlights lit up one after another, like countless warm yellow beads strung together.

Wang Ting and Xiao Xiao squeezed onto the school-arranged bus. The two sat in the back by the window, chatting quietly about the fun they had just had with the foreign friends.

"Your voice was trembling a little when you were explaining to that old lady just now," Xiao Xiao teased Wang Ting, nudging her arm with a smile.

Wang Ting blushed and gently slapped her hand away: "And you're talking about me! When you were talking to those foreign students about the red lantern, you spoke so fast it was like a machine gun, they couldn't keep up."

The two chattered away, their faces showing undisguised fatigue, but their excitement remained undiminished. For them, this day had been exceptionally meaningful.

The bus stopped at the entrance of the alley. As soon as Wang Ting jumped off the bus, she saw a white Volga parked under the old locust tree not far away. The door opened and a young man got off the bus.

Wang Ting walked over quickly, naturally taking his arm, her voice carrying a hint of coquettishness: "Have you been waiting long?"

"Fortunately, I got to experience the National Day atmosphere up close," Li Zhe replied with a smile, glancing around at the surrounding shops—each shop had a bright red national flag and National Day slogans hanging at its entrance, the flags fluttering in the wind.

He continued, "Just now, the old man in the alley was telling me about National Day 40 years ago. He said he was a young man back then, and he was watching the parade with the other neighbors in the square. That's when he met his wife. It's quite interesting..."

Wang Ting turned around and pulled Xiao Xiao, who was following behind her, and introduced her with a smile: "This is my classmate Xiao Xiao. She's helping me receive foreign friends today."

Xiao Xiao stood there, her short, ear-length hair swaying slightly in the wind, revealing her smooth forehead. She was tall and slender, wearing the same school uniform as Wang Ting, and while she was poised and graceful, she lacked a certain air of elegance.

"Hello, Xiao Xiao, my name is Li Zhe." Li Zhe politely extended his hand with a gentle smile.

Xiao Xiao grasped his hand: "You're the boyfriend Tingting always talks about, right? She's praised you to me a lot."

Li Zhe smiled, withdrew his hand, and said, "You've all been busy all day, you must be starving. Get in the car, I'll take you to eat."

Xiao Xiao immediately joked, "You guys go ahead, I don't want to be a third wheel."

"What are you saying?" Wang Ting glared at her and grabbed her arm. "Let's eat something together. Who was it on the bus who said they were hungry and could eat a whole duck?"

"That's perfect, let's go eat at Quanjude, I'll order one for each of you." Li Zhe smiled and opened the back door of the car. "Get in, we might not get a seat if we're late."

The two girls sat in the back row. Wang Ting was still whispering to Xiao Xiao about the funny things that had just happened. One minute she was talking about how a foreign friend had called the red lanterns "little red houses," and the next she was saying that she had almost mispronounced the English for "honor guard."

Xiao Xiao listened with amusement, occasionally adding a few embarrassing stories from her own experiences.

Li Zhe sat in the driver's seat, slowly starting the car. He listened to the chattering of the two girls in the back seat, a smile always on his lips. Every now and then, he would chime in to ask them if they had encountered any trouble during the reception, or if they wanted some water.

The car drove smoothly along the street as dusk deepened. The streetlights outside the car window receded one by one, and the warm yellow light shone through the window onto the three of them.

When the group arrived at Quanjude Heping Store, they were amazed by the bustling scene before them as soon as they got out of the car.

Large red lanterns hung at the entrance of the shop, and a huge banner reading "Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China" was displayed at the door. People came and went in an endless stream, and the queue stretched from the door all the way to the side of the street. There were also many foreigners in the queue, holding cameras and excitedly discussing.

The aroma of roast duck wafting from the shop was carried on the wind, making everyone's stomachs rumble.

Li Zhe led the two into the lobby, where a waitress in a red cheongsam immediately greeted them. Her eyes lit up when she saw Li Zhe, and she smiled, saying, "Mr. Li, you've arrived? A private room on the third floor has been reserved for you. This way, please." Xiao Xiao was somewhat surprised and quietly tugged at Wang Ting's arm, whispering, "Your boyfriend is quite something. Quanjude is so popular during this holiday, yet he still managed to find a private room."

Wang Ting was also a little surprised, but she still explained in a low voice, "He has some business dealings with Quanjude, so it was probably booked in advance."

The three followed the waiter up to the third floor and into an elegantly decorated private room.

A round table covered with a white tablecloth was placed in the private room, a pot of blooming chrysanthemums was placed in the corner, and red tassels hung by the window, creating a strong festive atmosphere.

The waiter handed over the menu and said with a smile, "Mr. Li, would you like to try our newly launched National Day set menu today? It includes roast duck and several other specialty dishes."

Li Zhe took the menu and handed it to Wang Ting and Xiao Xiao: "Take a look and see what you want to eat, don't be shy."

The two took the menu, discussed it in hushed tones, and finally ordered a roast duck, as well as several Quanjude specialties such as shredded pork with sweet bean sauce, mustard greens, and braised fish slices.

After the waiter made a note of it, he smiled and left, closing the door behind him.

The private room quieted down, and Li Zhe spoke first, asking about their reception of foreign guests: "How many students from your school went to help receive the foreign guests today?"

Wang Ting thought for a moment and said, "I don't know the total number. There are ten people in our class, and we were assigned to different positions for reception. Xiao Xiao and I were assigned to the viewing platform."

Xiao Xiao looked at Li Zhe curiously and asked, "Brother Li, I just heard Tingting say that you have business dealings with Quanjude?"

Li Zhe picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip of water, and said with a smile, "I'm in the vegetable business. Quanjude gets all its vegetables from us."

Xiao Xiao responded with a sound of agreement, her curiosity lessening somewhat; the vegetable business didn't seem particularly special to her.

At this moment, Xiao Xiao seemed to suddenly remember something, tugged at Wang Ting's arm, and said, "Tingting, Teacher Han said today that the students who participated in the National Day reception for foreign guests can apply for student exchange programs at American universities. Do you want to sign up?"

Wang Ting paused for a moment, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes: "I haven't decided yet. I heard there are very few spots available, and even if I apply, I might not be selected."

"Whether I get selected or not is another matter, but I definitely won't miss such a good opportunity." Xiao Xiao's eyes were firm, and her tone was full of longing. "Going abroad to see the world and learn their advanced knowledge would be wonderful."

Wang Ting looked at her and asked softly, "You've been gone for two years, don't you miss home?"

Xiao Xiao glanced at Li Zhe, then turned back to Wang Ting and teased, "I don't have a boyfriend, so why would I miss home? Unlike you, you have someone who cares for you and waits for you."

"You're so annoying!" Wang Ting said coquettishly, reaching out to tickle Xiao Xiao. Xiao Xiao laughed and dodged, and the two girls played around in the private room. Both were in the prime of their youth, with fair skin and bright eyes, truly a feast for the eyes.

Just then, the door to the private room rang, and the waiter pushed it open, carrying in the dishes. A glistening roast duck was placed on an exquisite white porcelain plate, with thin pancakes, dipping sauce, and side dishes beside it;

The chef skillfully sliced ​​the roast duck into thin pieces and placed them on an elegant plate. The shredded pork with sweet bean sauce was coated in a rich sauce and exuded an enticing aroma; the mustard greens were crisp and refreshing, and the braised fish slices were white and tender.

The waiter arranged the dishes one by one, smiling and saying, "The dishes are all ready, please enjoy your meal." Then he left.

The three of them were starving. Li Zhe picked up a thin pancake, added duck meat, side dishes, and dipping sauce, and put it on Wang Ting's plate: "Try it quickly. Quanjude's roast duck is best when it's fresh out of the oven."

Wang Ting and Xiao Xiao didn't stand on ceremony and started eating heartily with their chopsticks.

The roast duck has a crispy and delicious skin, and the meat is tender and juicy. Wrapped in sweet bean sauce and shredded scallions, it's bursting with flavor in your mouth. The shredded pork with sweet and salty sauce is perfectly balanced, and it's especially satisfying to eat wrapped in a pancake. The mustard greens have a subtle mustard flavor, which is refreshing and helps to cut through the richness. The braised fish slices melt in your mouth, so fresh that your tongue will almost fall off.

The three ate and chatted, with Li Zhe occasionally serving food to Wang Ting, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.

After the meal, the three left Quanjude.

Xiao Xiao said her home was nearby and insisted on taking the bus home. Wang Ting couldn't persuade her otherwise and left only after watching her get on the bus.

Afterwards, Li Zhe drove Wang Ting home. On the way, he casually mentioned, "I just heard Xiao Xiao say that you might go abroad to study through an exchange student program?"

Wang Ting leaned against the car window, watching the street scenes flash by, and said softly, "Yes, that's true. The opportunity is indeed rare, and very difficult to obtain..." She paused, turned to look at Li Zhe, and asked with a hint of hesitation in her eyes, "Do you think I should go?"

Li Zhe tightened his grip on the steering wheel, remained silent for a few seconds, and then said seriously, "It's true that foreign countries are more developed and better than ours. Going abroad can broaden your horizons and help you learn more knowledge, which is a good thing."

But foreign countries don't ban guns, so safety is a big issue; some foreigners also discriminate against Chinese people, and I just don't feel comfortable sending a girl like you there alone.

If it were just a regular friend, Li Zhe wouldn't stop them from going abroad. But his girlfriend was different; two years was too long, and communication was inconvenient. A long-distance relationship couldn't last.

He paused, his tone softening: "Wait a few more years for me. When my company grows bigger, I'll take you on a trip abroad. Then we can go wherever we want without having to stay so long or go through so much hardship."

Looking into Li Zhe's earnest eyes, Wang Ting felt a warmth in her heart. She nodded gently, "Okay, I'll listen to you."

Soon, the car drove into the residential compound of the Beijing Television Factory. Red lanterns hung in front of the residential buildings, and slogans celebrating National Day were posted on the walls, making it look particularly lively.

Li Zhe stopped the car, watched Wang Ting get out, and instructed her, "Get in, let me know when you get home."

Wang Ting nodded and instructed, "Drive slowly on the way back."

"Okay." Li Zhe leaned against the car, lit a cigarette, and watched Wang Ting enter the apartment building.

Not long after, the light in Wang Ting's bedroom came on, and she stood by the window waving to Li Zhe.

Li Zhe smiled and waved, then turned and got into his car, started the engine, and drove away...

(End of this chapter)