My era, 1979!

Chapter 56 Two Places of Contemplation, Each Knowing Its Own Understanding

Fudan University's canteen is tucked among several red-brick dormitory buildings, with wisps of white smoke rising from its blue-brick chimneys.

门口的黑板用粉笔写着今日供应：玉米糊糊（0.05元/碗，粮票 2两）、馒头（0.03元/个，粮票 1两）、炒青菜（0.1元/份）、红烧肉（0.3元/份，肉票 1两）。

At the very bottom, it was written in red chalk: "Porridge is served today. Refills are free with your ticket."

Free porridge was actually a characteristic of that era.

Although the grain supply in 1979 was more relaxed than during special periods, it still required careful planning.

The cafeteria's practice of providing free refills of low-cost liquid foods such as porridge and soup reflects its commitment to ensuring basic sustenance.

The queue had already circled halfway around, and it was mostly students and faculty members staying on campus.

The boys in blue shirts carried military green canvas bags, with the corners of enamel lunchboxes peeking out from inside.

The girls with ponytails huddled together, chatting and laughing quietly, the ribbons at the ends of their braids swaying gently as they lined up.

Xu Chengjun had just stood still when he heard someone call out behind him, "Comrade Xu!"

Turning around, he saw Lin Wei standing on tiptoe waving at him, her ponytail swinging like a small whip: "I didn't expect to run into you in the cafeteria!"

Chen Yang, who was standing next to her, was holding two grain coupons. He smiled apologetically at Xu Chengjun and said, "I was too harsh yesterday. I'll treat you to braised pork today as an apology."

"No way, I hold grudges, you'll have to treat me to two meals."

Xu Chengjun smiled and told them to line up at the front, "But let's make it clear first, the braised pork in the cafeteria is much fattier, so you get to eat the fatty part and I'll eat the lean part."

Based on what they said yesterday, Chen Yang seems to come from a well-off family.
It's obvious from both sight and sound.
The polyester shirt he was wearing looked several times newer than everyone else's.

His accent had a slight Shanghainese flavor, but he deliberately concealed it.

Although he spoke ill of him yesterday, he did so with discretion, so he's probably not a bad person.

Lin Wei didn't hesitate at all. She immediately turned to the window and shouted, "Master, four steamed buns, three bowls of porridge, and two servings of vegetables!"

Then he turned back and asked, "How many servings of braised pork do you want? Chen Yang said he's treating."

One serving is enough.

Xu Chengjun took out his grain coupons and handed them over, saying, "Meat coupons are more precious than banknotes, so use them sparingly."

He figured that a serving of braised pork wouldn't be too much of a burden for Chen Yang.
He accepted it with a smile.
However, he proactively bought enough dishes and staple food for three people.

The royalties from "The Fitting Mirror" and "The Barn" are coming soon. They're not rich, but they're enough for some social obligations.

The cook was a bearded man who scooped food from a large iron basin with an iron ladle, the edge of the ladle clanging against the edge of the basin.

"Comrade educated youth?" He glanced at Xu Chengjun a couple more times as he took the grain coupons.

"Master has discerning eyes."

Xu Chengjun smiled and nodded, "If I came to Fudan University, I would come to your place for meals every day."

"Then I'll give you an extra half spoonful of meat."

The uncle deliberately tossed the braised pork a few times when scooping it up, and the fat dripped down the edge of the spoon into the bowl. "My son is also working in the countryside and is about to return to the city."

When looking for a seat, Lin Wei had already reserved a wooden table by the window.

The desktop is pitted and uneven.

As soon as Xu Chengjun sat down, he saw the corn porridge steaming, with a thin skin forming on the tender yellow surface. He took a bite of the steamed bun, and the aroma of wheat mixed with the taste of alkali spread in his mouth.

"The food in Fudan University's cafeteria is pretty good," Xu Chengjun mumbled, chewing on a steamed bun.

Lin Wei muttered, "It's just lacking in flavor, not spicy enough!"

"Be content." Chen Yang shoveled some corn porridge into his mouth and retorted, "Last year during the food shortage, even this corn porridge was mixed with sweet potato flour, and you still wanted spicy food!"

Lin Wei scoffed and glared at Chen Yang as he put a piece of braised pork into Xu Chengjun's bowl: "Eat some meat to nourish your brain. How about we go to the department's mock exam this afternoon? We'll be your judges."

Just as Xu Chengjun was about to thank her, he saw Su Manshu carrying a cloth bag passing by the entrance of the canteen, her moon-white shirt shining brightly in the sunlight.

She seemed to be looking for a seat, and when her gaze swept over this side, it met Xu Chengjun's eyes, who was holding a bowl to catch the meat.

He paused for a moment, then smiled, waved, and turned to walk to another table.

Chen Yang glanced at Xu Chengjun and Lin Wei, pursed his lips, and said, "You know her?"
-
After finishing his meal, Xu Chengjun said goodbye to the two men and wandered around the campus alone for a while.

Give your brain some "breathing space".

When I returned to the archives, Su Manshu was already sitting by the window. She was looking down and circling on a manuscript paper with a red pen, the scratching sound of the pen tip across the paper was particularly clear.

"Su, this economics genius, has switched to copying ancient books. This crossover is enough to win a Nobel Prize."

Xu Chengjun put the canvas bag on the table and joked with a smile.

When Su Manshu looked up, her eyes were also smiling. She pushed the open "Annotations on Wenxin Diaolong" and said, "Student Xu, stop being so glib. Huang Kan's annotations are the real work of a top scholar."

“I read a bit of your paper at noon. The section on ‘Adaptation and Change’ contains the phrase ‘Change leads to longevity, and adaptation ensures abundance.’ This is a perfect way to explain the traditional transformation theory in your paper.”

Xu Chengjun leaned closer and saw her copying the annotations onto the graph paper; her handwriting was delicate yet strong.

"Your handwriting is even neater than printed text. If you had practiced calligraphy back then, you might have become a master."

"I don't have that kind of free time."

"I just finished submitting my own thesis, so I have to help you finish this in my spare time."

"By the way, Professor Zhang mentioned 'the contemporary vitality of traditional literary theory' in his lecture last month. You can steer your interview in that direction."

Look at this service, it not only helps with copying, but also conveys cutting-edge academic knowledge through lectures.

I have to give it a good review!
Xu Chengjun smacked his lips and laughed, "Your service deserves a five-star rating. I just don't know if I can give you a banner after the interview."

"Five-star review?"

It was strange talk, but it sounded kind of funny.

"Forget about the banner."

Su Manshu pushed the copied annotations over to him, her fingertips inadvertently brushing against the back of his hand. "If you really become a Fudan student, remember to treat me to the osmanthus rice cake at Green Wave Corridor."

"That's definitely no problem!"

Xu Chengjun looked at the dense annotations on the manuscript paper.

Without saying a word, he buried himself in revising the literature review and cited Huang Kan's viewpoint.
This part is actually the weakest link in the paper.
But there's no other way; time is limited, and the available literature is incomplete, so we can only do our best.

Perhaps it's because I've been sitting and writing for too long.

Maybe he just wanted to talk to someone.

He opened the draft of the paper and pointed to the chapter "The Beauty of Harmony and the Tension of Realism": "Student Su, look here. I want to use the Tongcheng School's 'moral textual research and literary style' to correspond to the three elements of creation. Is that too far-fetched?"

I wasn't expecting any response.

did not expect,
Su Manshu tilted her head and looked for a moment, but gave Xu Chengjun an answer he did not expect: "We economics students talk about cost and benefit. Doesn't literary creation also emphasize input and output? Textual research is the cost of accumulating materials, moral principles are the intellectual benefit, and literary style is the premium of presentation."

She suddenly laughed, "Does that make the connection less far-fetched?"

This cross-disciplinary interpretation caught Xu Chengjun's eye.

He smiled and said, "Professor Su's ability to transfer theory is such that it would be a shame if she didn't pursue a doctorate."

Su Manshu tidied up the manuscript papers and scolded playfully, "You're being cheeky again!"

"However, you need to be careful to strike a balance in your paper. It shouldn't be too pedantic, but it should also show academic depth."

The two huddled around a table to discuss something, sunlight casting crisscrossing shadows on the manuscript paper.

Xu Chengjun shared his observations during the creative process, and Su Manshu used economic models to help him organize his logic.

At first glance, it sounds like a joke, but upon closer examination, it makes some sense.
They might argue occasionally, but they always manage to reach a consensus on some point of view in the end.

Suddenly, they both remembered something and wanted to say something.

They looked up in tacit agreement.

He was stunned for a moment again.
They smiled at each other.
It's as if everything is understood without words.

Who taught the red lotus to bloom every year on this night?

"Each of them pondered in their own way."

As the administrator, Grandpa Zhang, passed by, he shook his head with a smile: "These days, young people are more enthusiastic about discussing academic matters than about dating."

Su Manshu's face suddenly turned red.
-
A beautiful woman, graceful and elegant. Our chance encounter was exactly what I desired. —From "Wild Grasses Bloom in the Fields" (Zheng Feng)

　I'm not sure if I've written what I wanted. My writing skills are limited; I feel I've written it, but it's still lacking. I don't know what that lacking part is, but readers who have read this far should know that I like to leave things unsaid when describing things. I've been reading everyone's comments since the beginning of this book, and I've revised the good suggestions that I could. I've deleted the really disgusting negative comments, but I haven't touched the others. Sometimes I even reply to things I think are outrageous, and sometimes my words are harsh, so please forgive me. I've been too busy with work, life, and writing lately, and I'm quite annoyed. However, I hope this serendipitous, telepathic first encounter can bring a smile to everyone's face. If there are any beautiful extensions or memories in this section, that would be even better. My writing skills are limited, but I've done my best. I've been revising this part of the encounter for two days, and I'm not entirely satisfied. I may not have written your white moonlight yet, but at least for now, it's Xu Chengjun's white moonlight. Thank you again for your support. I'm shamelessly asking for monthly tickets and to keep reading!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)