78: Bringing his wife and children to Harbin Institute of Technology

The train arrived at Harbin Station at noon the next day.

Ye Bingwen carried Ye An'an out of the station, where a cold wind greeted them.

"It's so cold." Zheng Shuyun shivered.

"Harbin is much colder than Shenyang," Ma Kui laughed. "But you've come at the right time; it's not the coldest time yet. In another month, it will be truly cold."

Cai Xun hailed a taxi. "Let's go to the school first, and settle in first."

Several people got on the car, and Ye Bingwen looked out the window at Harbin.

Harbin in 1978 was completely different from what it would be fifty years later. There weren't as many skyscrapers, and the streets weren't as wide, but it had a unique charm.

The buildings along the roadside are mostly in the Russian style, with domes, spires, and carved windows, exuding an exotic charm.

"Is it pretty?" Ma Kui asked.

"It looks good." Ye Bingwen nodded. "Better than I expected."

"Of course," Ma Kui said with some pride. "Harbin is known as the Moscow of the East. The Russians built many wonderful things here back then. It's a pity that some of them were demolished later, otherwise it would have been even more beautiful."

The car arrived at Harbin Institute of Technology quickly.

Ye Bingwen got out of the car and looked at the large characters on the school gate, a strange emotion welling up in his heart.

In his previous life, he was a professor at Peking University and didn't know much about Harbin Institute of Technology, only that it was a very good engineering school.

Standing here now, he truly feels the weight of this school.

"Let's go, I'll take you to your accommodations first," Ma Kui said.

Ma Kui rented a small but very clean house for Ye Bingwen near the school.

There is a bed, a table, and a few chairs; the kitchen and bathroom are shared.

"The conditions are a bit basic, but you'll have to make do for now." Ma Kui said somewhat embarrassedly, "Houses near the school are hard to find; I had to ask several people for help to find this one."

"That's already very good," Ye Bingwen said sincerely. "Thank you, Teacher Ma."

"Don't mention it," Ma Kui said with a smile. "You guys pack up first, I have some things to take care of at school, I'll come find you for dinner tonight."

After Ma Kui left, Ye Bingwen began packing his luggage.

Zheng Shuyun put Ye An'an on the bed, and the little girl rolled around on the bed, curiously looking around her new home.

"An'an, this is our home from now on," Zheng Shuyun said softly.

Ye Bingwen felt a warmth in his heart as he watched this scene.

Although the conditions are simple, being together as a family is better than anything else.

After packing his luggage, Ye Bingwen sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the scenery outside the window.

Downstairs is a small street with several vendors selling daily necessities and food.

"Bingwen, do you think I can do a good job in the publicity department?" Zheng Shuyun asked with some concern.

"Of course I can." Ye Bingwen grasped her hand. "You're a promising student for Tsinghua or Peking University, so doing publicity work should be a piece of cake for you."

Zheng Shuyun laughed at him, "You're just trying to flatter me."

"I'm telling the truth," Ye Bingwen said earnestly. "Shuyun, you have to believe in yourself. You are very talented; it's just that I've held you back all these years."

Zheng Shuyun shook her head, "What do you mean by delaying things? I've never regretted being with you."

As the two were talking, Ye An'an suddenly burst into tears.

"She's hungry." Zheng Shuyun quickly picked up the baby. "I don't have enough breast milk, An'an is always hungry lately..."

Ye Bingwen frowned.

He knew that Zheng Shuyun's breast milk had never been enough. In the past, when they lived in the countryside, they could find a way to feed the baby with rice water, but now that they lived in the city, it was even more inconvenient.

"We need to find a way to buy some milk powder," Ye Bingwen said.

"Is baby formula expensive?" Zheng Shuyun felt a pang of heartache.

"I have to buy it no matter how expensive it is." Ye Bingwen stood up. "I'll go out and see where I can buy it."

He went out and walked around the neighborhood, only to find that milk powder was indeed hard to buy.

In those days, milk powder was a scarce commodity, rationed. Ye Bingwen didn't have any ration coupons, so even with money, he couldn't buy it.

He was a little anxious, but he didn't want Zheng Shuyun to worry, so he had to go back first.

"How did it go? Did you manage to buy it?" Zheng Shuyun asked.

"No," Ye Bingwen shook his head. "I'll go to the school tomorrow and see if there's any way."

In the evening, Ma Kui came to find them for dinner, bringing some vegetables and steamed buns.

"The conditions are simple, so we'll just have to make do with what we have," Ma Kui said with a smile.

During the meal, Ye Bingwen brought up the topic of milk powder.

Ma Kui thought for a moment, "Well... the school's supply station should have milk powder, but you need ration coupons. You've just arrived and don't have household registration yet, so you can't get the coupons."

Ye Bingwen was somewhat disappointed.

"However..." Ma Kui changed the subject, "If you can achieve something, the school might make a special exception. For example, if you participate in a research project and bring honor to the school, you can have whatever you want."

Ye Bingwen's eyes lit up. "What research project?"

"Well..." Ma Kui smiled, "You should settle in first, then go to school to register tomorrow, and we'll talk about it then."

Ye Bingwen nodded, already having made up his mind.

In his previous life, he worked on airborne weapons integration and was very knowledgeable about both mechanics and electronics. Although the conditions are rudimentary now, he can still handle some small projects.

As long as I can make money, buying baby formula won't be a problem.

After finishing his meal, Ma Kui said goodbye and left.

Ye Bingwen lay in bed, his mind starting to plan his next move.

First and foremost, you must excel in your studies; this is the foundation of your life.

Then I need to find a way to make money; I can't skimp on baby formula.

September 26, 1978, was the day for new students to register at Harbin Institute of Technology.

The morning sunlight streamed into the campus through the large glass windows of the Soviet-style building, where long queues had already formed in front of the main building. Freshmen, carrying their luggage and speaking in accents from all over the country, eagerly awaited their turn at their respective department's registration point.

Ye Bingwen held his daughter Ye An'an in his arms, while Zheng Shuyun carried two canvas duffel bags. The family of three stood in the registration line for the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

"Daddy, there are so many older brothers and sisters." Ye An'an is over a year old and still doesn't speak very fluently, but her big eyes are always darting around, and she is curious about everything.

"Yes, An'an will go to university in the future." Ye Bingwen kissed his daughter's forehead.

The person in front of him was a tall, thin boy wearing glasses. He turned around and glanced at Ye Bingwen, his gaze sweeping over the child in Ye Bingwen's arms and Zheng Shuyun beside him, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"Excuse me, are you here to register too?" the tall, thin man couldn't help but ask.

"Yes, the Department of Mechanical Engineering." Ye Bingwen nodded with a smile.

"Bringing...bringing a child to college?" The tall, thin man's voice changed.

Several freshmen around him glanced at him and whispered among themselves.

"There are all kinds of people these days."

"I heard that someone even brought their child to university last year, I didn't expect it to happen again this year."

"You look quite young, how come you already have a child?"

Ye Bingwen remained calm; he had anticipated these comments. In 1978 China, getting married and having children at 21 wasn't unusual, but it was certainly conspicuous on a university campus.