1985, the year of the great writer, began with Infernal Affairs!

Six hundred yuan.

Her father only makes five or six hundred yuan a year working in the factory.

This is the salary that only junior managers in the factory receive.

"Don't worry, I earned this money myself."

"Earned it? How did you earn it?"

Xie Lu took out the reply from "Contemporary" magazine from another pocket and handed it to her. The envelope was a little wrinkled, but the handwriting and official seal on it were still very clear.

Zhao Wanwan took it, pulled out the reply letter inside, and first looked at the official letter. The handwriting was neat and formal, written on a typewriter. The payment was six hundred yuan, twenty yuan per thousand words.

She read very slowly, whispering each word as she read.

After reading it, Zhao Wanwan looked up at Xie Lu in disbelief.

"Is this true?"

"Really, I collected the royalties today. It was 600 yuan in total. I paid back 100 to Liu Zhenyu, so I have 500 left. The 160 is for my train ticket."

Zhao Wanwan looked down at the letter again.

She turned the letter over and over again, as if to confirm that it wasn't fake.

Then she took a deep breath, looked up, and a bright smile returned to her face.

She was truly happy for Xie Lu.

"You're amazing! I knew you could do it."

As she said this, Zhao Wanwan's eyes shone.

"Do you believe me now?"

"I believe you." Zhao Wanwan nodded vigorously. She carefully folded the letter, put it back in the envelope, returned it to Xie Lu, and then took the 160 yuan. She counted it; there were 16 bills, no doubt about it.

But after she finished counting, she looked up and noticed something amiss. She quickly frowned and asked, "Two tickets? Who are you going to Wuhan with?"

When Zhao Wanwan asked this question, her tone was very natural, as if she were just asking casually, but Xie Lu still noticed that her fingers were unconsciously gripping the edge of the money, and she was doing so with a little force.

Having lived half a lifetime longer than expected, Xie Lu was confident that the girl's little actions wouldn't escape his notice.

Xie Lu suddenly felt like teasing the silly girl in front of him.

Xie Lu pretended to be casual: "A female classmate of mine, she also got into a university in Wuhan, so we can travel together and look out for each other on the way."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Wanwan's smile froze for a moment.

She lowered her head, smoothed out the bills one by one, and folded them neatly, her movements very slow.

"Oh, that's good...it's nice to have people to talk to on the way, so it's not boring."

Zhao Wanwan lowered her head, clutching the money in her hand, her eyes feeling a little sore.

"Are you close to her?" Zhao Wanwan asked again, her eyes fixed on the money in her hand, not looking at Xie Lu.

"We're pretty close, we went to the same high school and we talk to each other often."

"A high school classmate? From our class?"

"No, from the class next door."

Zhao Wanwan clutched the money in her hand, her knuckles turning slightly white. She quickly went through her female classmates who had been admitted to Wuhan University. Who else could it be besides her?

Wang Fang? No, Wang Fang took the exam for the provincial teacher's college.

Li Xiuying? Li Xiuying applied to the University of Finance and Economics, which is not in Wuhan.

Who is that?

She thought for a long time, but still couldn't remember who it was.

"Who is it?" Zhao Wanwan couldn't help but ask.

Xie Lu found it amusing to see Zhao Wanwan so cautiously jealous, but he kept a straight face.

"you guess."

"I can't guess." Zhao Wanwan was a little angry. How could someone be like this? "Besides you, who else from our class got into Wuhan University?"

Yes, there is one more.

"Who?"

"You."

Zhao Wanwan was stunned.

She looked at Xie Lu, blinked, and didn't react for a moment.

Xie Lu leaned forward and lowered his voice: "I said that ticket was bought for you."

The courtyard was quiet for a few seconds.

The storytelling on the radio had just finished a segment, and Shan Tianfang said, "To find out what happens next, stay tuned for the next episode." Then the end credits music started playing, the sound drifting from afar, intermittent and broken.

Zhao Wanwan's face turned red at a visible speed.

It started on her cheeks, then spread to her ears and neck, turning red.

She clutched the money tightly in her hand, staring at Xie Lu with wide eyes, a mixture of surprise and panic in them...

"What did you say?"

"I said, 'I'll buy two tickets, one for me and one for you.'"

I'll pay for your ticket, as a thank you for lending me the hundred yuan.

"However, you'll have to pay me back later if you lend me a hundred dollars. We'll have to wait until I write another article and earn some royalties."

Zhao Wanwan remained silent.

She looked down at the money in her hand—one hundred and sixty yuan, a thick wad of cash. She squeezed it, then loosened it, then squeezed it again.

The wind blew through the yard, the jujube leaves rustled, and the clothes on the clothesline swayed gently in the wind, causing water droplets to drip even faster.

After a long while, Zhao Wanwan whispered, "No, no, that won't do. I have my own money."

"It's your business if you have money. I'm willing to pay for your train ticket. If you don't accept it, then I won't ride the train with you."

"But."

"No buts, it's settled then. Ask your uncle to help you buy the tickets, sleeper berths, it'll be two days and one night, hard seats are too tiring."

Zhao Wanwan raised her head and looked at Xie Lu.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, falling on Xie Lu's face and into his eyes, making them shine.

Zhao Wanwan's heart was beating a little fast.

She bit her lower lip, unsure of what to say for a moment. After a long while, she stammered, "Well, you don't need to rush to pay back that hundred yuan. Wait until you have the money."

"Okay." Xie Lu nodded.

The two remained silent for a while.

Zhao Wanwan suddenly remembered something and asked, "Then, when are we leaving?"

"I plan to leave on the 4th, and report to Wuhan University from the 5th to the 7th. I need to get there and settle in as soon as possible."

"The fourth is perfect, since East China Normal University also has registration from the fifth to the seventh. Leaving on the fourth is just right."

"Then number four," Xie said.

"Okay." Zhao Wanwan nodded.

Xie Lu looked at Zhao Wanwan, who lowered her head and dared not meet his gaze. She was still clutching the money tightly in her hand, her face flushed, and the tips of her ears were especially red.

Xie Lu suddenly felt that this was quite good.

A quiet courtyard, afternoon sunlight, the sound of a radio broadcast in the distance, and the girl in front of me.

This is what the summer of 1985 should have been like.

"I have to go."

Zhao Wanwan looked up: "So fast?"

"Yeah, I still need to go back and pack my things. I'll come see you again the day after tomorrow, and we can set a specific time then."

"The day after tomorrow," Zhao Wanwan repeated softly, then nodded. "Okay."

Xie Lu turned around and pushed the cart out.

He turned around as he reached the courtyard gate.

Zhao Wanwan was still standing under the jujube tree, clutching the money in her hand, looking at him. Sunlight shone from behind her, gilding her with a golden hue. The wind ruffled her stray hairs, and she reached up to smooth them.

"I'm leaving." Xie Lu waved to Zhao Wanwan.

"Be careful on the road." Zhao Wanwan's eyes never left Xie Lu until he got on his bike and disappeared from her sight.