Rebirth : How A Loser Became A Prince Charming
Qin Guan was reborn and sent back to his final semester in High School 18 years ago. Getting a second chance at life, he works hard to turn things around and eventually become a Prince Charming. What will his life be like the second time around? What will he have to go through? How will he succeed in turning from a loser into a Prince Charming?
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Chapter 1: Eighteen Again
Translator: May Wiggins Editor: Efydatia
Qin Guan was reborn and sent back eighteen years in time.
He was having a pancake at the dining table when he realized what had happened. He was so shocked, and the scallion pancake his mom had made for him was so resilient hat small pieces landed on his face as he tore at it with vigor.
A scallion escaped and landed on his hair, the sauce splattering right in his nostrils.
Qin Guan's dad, who was sitting across from him at the table, glanced at him calmly and turned a page on the newspaper that stood between them like usual.
His dad looked really young. He had few wrinkles on his face as he was just over 40, the very prime of his life. He was reading a newspaper while eating. He seemed really good at multitasking, unlike 18 years later when he would have poked himself in the face with his chopsticks if he'd tried to do the same thing.
Qin Guan touched the sauce on his face and looked at the dishes on the table. There was fried oyster, shredded cucumber and millet congee. He turned towards his mom, who was making pancakes in the kitchen. He thought that she still looked attractive.
Qin Guan got up and walked to the bathroom. He turned on the tap and washed his face by the sink. When he'd cleaned all the sauce off, he thought to himself, "Take things as they come. That's the spirit."
Lifting his head, Qin Guan grabbed a towel off the shelf. He chanced a glimpse at the mirror and lowered his head, then raised it back up.
"Oh my God! Who is that?"
In the mirror, there was a man with thin rosy lips, pretty white teeth, and a Roman nose. If he ignored the scallion on his hair, he looked like a complete toy boy. No, a lady-killer.
Qin Guan grinned, and the man in the mirror smiled as well, revealing his bright white teeth. Qin Guan looked in the mirror and removed the scallion from his hair. He looked around, and then put his hands down his blue-and-white school trousers and touched his penis. "There it is! Good, I'm still a man."
Qin Guan had always had more male hormones than most people. At 18, he already had whiskers on his face.
Thanks to his stubble, pot belly, his chest and leg hair, the fact that he wore a vest and shorts, and of course his favorite pastime of watching TV with his legs spreading wide, Qin Guan looked like the very definition of a sloppy guy.
Now his body had changed, and Qin Guan, who was just beginning to accept that he had been reborn, was confused once again.
"Was I reborn or did I travel through time? How come my appearance has changed?"
Before Qin Guan could think it over, his mom's voice rang out through the house.
"Qin Guan, are you full? You're going to be late for class!"
Qin Guan was aware that 18 years ago he had still been in high school. He popped his head out and took a look at the calendar in the living room. It was March, 1998. Jesus, it was only several months before the College Entrance Examination!
Qin Guan hastily toweled his face and ran to his bedroom. He grabbed his schoolbag and swept all the test papers that had been on his desk inside it.
Snatching his bike key off the desk, he walked into the living room, picked up the rest of his pancake and shoved it into his mouth, lisping, "Mom, I'm out."
He put on his green cotton jacket and ran down the stairs.
Qin Guan reached the entrance of the building and got on his bike. It was an old 28-inch-diameter that made all kinds of noise but had a nonfunctional bell.
As he headed to school, he finished the rest of his pancake and thought to himself, "What were the questions on the College Entrance Examination? I can't remember. Forget it. Should I ask Zhou Jing to come play a video game? Yes, definitely."
Wow, did it feel good to be young.
Qin Guan's high school was one of the best in the province. The campus was swarming with straight-A students.
Qin Guan had taken a lot of blows since enrolling there. He had gradually gotten used to it, but with so many straight-A students around, former straight-F students had to work extra hard. However, thanks to their influence, Qin Guan had managed to get accepted into a respectable technical college.
Although he would have to go through the suffering of the College Entrance Examination one more time, Qin Guan did not feel stressed at all. He would just follow the steps of the straight-A students like last time. He would need to change his major, though. There were hardly any cute girls at technical colleges, a fact that Qin Guan had always complained about before his rebirth.
Riding over another slope, Qin Ran could finally see the school gate. There were more students on the road, all in blue-and-white or red-and-white uniforms. Panting for breath, Qin Guan stopped at the base of the slope. He wheeled his bike up with one hand, while he used his other hand to push the last piece of pancake into his mouth.
If there was anything bad about his rebirth, it was his physique. He might be taller, but he was rather thin. Looking at his small ribs, Qin Guan let out a sigh. He decided his priority would be to work out.
Qin Guan was wheeling the bike forward when he passed by a group of girls. The girls giggled and ran alongside him for several steps.
One of the girls looked back and whispered to the girl next to her, "Wow, he looks so cute, even while eating a pancake!"
The other girl whispered back, "The school hunk? I sure envy that pancake!"
Qin Guan listened in. He was so surprised to hear the word pancake that he nearly spat out the sauce before swallowing it. From what he remembered, high school girls were quite shy. How come they suddenly wanted to switch places with a pancake?
When the girls walked away, Qin Guan wheeled his bike forward and entered the campus. He went to the bike shed, locked his bike and walked into the teaching building.
Qin Guan went to the third floor, into Class 8, Grade 3, and found his seat. It was the one by the window, in the second row from the back. He knew his way around well, so he reached his seat fast and dropped his schoolbag on the desk. How good it felt to relive that!
In less than five minutes, the bell rang. Watching the head teacher come in, Qin Guan felt his eyes water. He had not seen her in years, but the elderly lady was still as plump as ever.
Qin Guan took a look at the seat behind him. It was empty. Zhou Jing, who always sat in the back row, was late again. As Qin Guan was thinking about him, a tall boy rushed through the door and bumped right into the head teacher.
The teacher saw it was Zhou Jing and started yelling at him, "You're late again, Zhou Jing! How many times have you been late? You know the rule, go stand in the corner!"
Zhou Jing did not say anything. He left his schoolbag in his seat and went to stand in the corner. Under the guidance of the head teacher, the straight-A students started their routine morning self-study. When the teacher was not looking his way, Qin Guan twisted his head back, pouted his lips at Zhou Jing and whispered, "Did you stay up late last night reading about martial arts and chivalry fiction?"
Zhou Jing looked shocked that Qin Guan would initiate a conversation with him. Stuttering, he answered, "Are you talking to me?"
Qin Guan felt confused.
"Yes," he said.
Zhou Jing sniffled and said, "You've been buried in books for the past three years. You're always ashamed to be seen with straight-F students like me, because you think we'll damage your image and reputation. Now you're talking to me first. Did the sun rise in the west today? Maybe it does once in a blue moon!"
Qin Guan felt horrible. How the hell had this version of Qin Guan behaved at school before his rebirth?
The way Zhou Jing had described him chilled Qin Guan to the bone. He turned to Zhou Jing again and said, "I had a brain fade for two and a half years, but now I'm feeling better. I'll make it up to you. Let's go to an arcade this weekend."
Zhou Jing looked excited. "I'll take your word for it. Your treat, though," he added quickly.
Qin Guan grinned and formed the victory sign with his fingers before turning back to his book.
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Chapter 2: Crushing on Cong Nianwei
Translator: May Wiggins Editor: Efydatia
English was the first class after their morning self-study.
Qin Guan took out his textbook. "Merlin had tried different ways to make himself roll. Finally, he decided to put two wheels under each of his shoes."
As Qin Guan read, he gradually started feeling sleepy.
"What am I going to do?"
As a science geek who had worked on the machine manufacturing industry for more than ten years, Qin Guan had always felt extremely distressed during English class.
While he read the words on the textbook again, he thought that every single one of them sounded familiar, yet he could not remember their meaning. Qin Guan recognized his carelessness in not using English for so many years.
For a science student, the five compulsory subjects in the College Entrance Examination included Math, Physics, Chemistry, English and Chinese. Qin Guan was quite confident in his Math, Physics and Chemistry.
However, Chinese and English were a big pain for him. It had been ten years, and he had forgotten almost everything that he had ever learned. Apparently, in the next few months Qin Guan would have to focus on Chinese and English in order to learn fast.
Looking at the number 122 on the blackboard, which stood for the days to go before the College Entrance Examination, and watching his classmates work so hard, Qin Guan thought that he should feel really sorry for himself if he did not take advantage of this second opportunity to get admitted into a prestigious university in the capital.
Picking up his book, he started from the first page and began to recite very hard.
English, Chinese, English. No matter what the class was this morning, these two subjects were what he would study on his own. At the end of the day, when he looked up from his desk dizzily, he was amazed.
Just in one morning, he had read eight English texts and recited around 250 words. Thinking back, he found that he had already memorized 230 of them. As for the four ancient Chinese pieces of prose, he was able to recite every word of them. Was this a stroke of luck brought by his rebirth that would always help him along? Qin Guan was thrilled. That was fantastic!
The morning classes were over around noon time. Students in Grade 3 didn't get any breaks. They only got an hour and a half off for lunch. Qin Guan did not want to waste it. He turned his head back, kicked the leg of Zhou Jing's desk and said, "Do you want to ask Fatty Li for handmade noodles?"
Both Zhou Jing and Li Jian, who had just come over, paused.
Was Toy Boy Qin Guan really talking to them?
Other students moving around in the classroom had paused, too. A 5'9'' guy with dark skin, a 5'2''plump one, and a tall thin guy like a stick. They made quite the picture.
Qin Guan did not seem to be aware that he was a looker. He dragged along Li Jian, whose body consisted mostly of fat, and told Zhou Jing, "Old Zhao Ramen. My treat."
They passed by all the girls of the class, who were glaring at them as if wanting to say, "These two dare get invited for ramen by the Prince Charming? How I envy them! I want to go with too. What's so special about them and they got so lucky?"
The two boys followed Qin Guan and walked off the campus.
Old Zhao Ramen was a small noodle restaurant by the high school's side entrance. It was known among the students for its affordable and delicious noodles.
As their noodles were getting served, Qin Guan could not wait to pick them up with his chopsticks and suck them into his mouth. Broth, white noodles and red chili oil. Yes, that was heaven.
Watching Qin Guan eat his noodles unrestrainedly, the two boys, who were sitting across from Qin Guan and shoveling noodles into their mouths, gave him inscrutable looks. As they watched him lift one of his legs onto the rung of the chair and suck his noodles, they could no longer help but be persuaded.
"Qin Guan, we all know that you are upset, but you can't give up on yourself just because you got rejected. It's fine if you want to hang out with us, but how could you not care about your image anymore? It's the only thing you ever talked about."
Raising his head from his noodle bowl, Qin Guan looked at a loss while he asked, "What rejection? I have not given up on myself."
His words confirmed Zhou Jing and Li Jian's suspicions. They both said compassionately, "You told the monitor yesterday that you had fallen for her, but she turned you down."
Qin Guan spat out his noodles.
"What? I told the monitor that I had fallen for her?"
Zhou Jing and Li Jian nodded sympathetically. Sniffling his nose, Qin Guan thought of their monitor. Her hair was usually pulled into a neat ponytail and her big eyes were always twinkling. Suddenly, he felt very upset.
The one thing that he'd wanted the most, but had not dared do in his last life, he had done in this one and he had failed. Damn! He could not get over it.
For someone as careless as Qin Guan, this second chance at life was not a big deal, neither were the changes in his appearance. That girl with the big eyes, though, was like a dream for him.
Who didn't have one or two friends that they'd had a crush on when they were young? It was fine. He had said it, and he'd gotten rejected.
Looking at the empty bowl in front of him and turning to his two best friends who obviously cared about him, Qin Guan felt moved. He pretended not to care and said, "Crap! How is it even possible to be devastated over a little girl that's still in her puberty? I forgot about it already."
Feeling proud of his words, Qin Guan watched Li Jian wink at him. Qin Guan felt happy. "Such a good friend. Always entertaining me."
Qin Guan got up, pinched Li Jian's cheek and said, "You agree with my theory, too, right? Good boy."
Zhou Jing sighed. Sometimes he worried about Qin Guan's EQ. He poked at him with his finger and pointed behind Qin Guan's back.
Qin Guan twisted his head back. Oh, no… It was the little girl. The monitor was standing right behind him, holding a tray of fried noodles with beef in her hand, her eyes twinkling and looking adorable.
Before Qin Guan could feel good about himself, a tray of fried noodles had landed on his head. The monitor gave him a smile and asked the owner for one more tray of fried noodles. "Who's a little girl now?"
The owner popped his head out of the window and shouted, "One more tray of fried noodles with beef!"
The patrons in this small noodle restaurant were all students from their high school. They had all witnessed the scene between the Prince Charming and the straight-A girl, and were not planning on keeping it a secret.
Qin Guan was not mad, despite the fact that a mass of noodles hung right on his face. He held it up to his mouth and sucked it in. He had not expected the gentle monitor to turn out to have such a hot temper. He had to have her. He just had to.
Ignoring the noodles on his head, Qin Guan grinned at her. She had such beautiful sparkling eyes.
"I like you more now. What am I going to do?"
Seeing this extremely silly side of Qin Guan, the young monitor thought that he was very down-to-earth after all. Nothing like the hypocrite she'd always thought he was." For some reason, she blushed.
Flipping her ponytail, she ignored him and went to get her noodles.
Qin Guan felt happy. He had a chance with her. He would handle the College Entrance Examination first, and then he would handle the prettiest girl in class.
He meant what he had said.
The rest of the months flew by, with Qin Guan giggling towards the monitor from time to time over his books. When he had nothing to do, he would tuck himself into bed, close his eyes and recall bits and pieces of his day.
He was very happy. It felt good to be back in high school. To start his life over and chase after the girl of his dreams… If he won Cong Nianwei's heart, he would not have lived his life in vain.
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Chapter 3: The Days Before the College Entrance Examination
Translator: May Wiggins Editor: Efydatia
Qin Guan led a busy life.
Every day before dawn, he would go out and ran several laps around the small park in his neighborhood. If there was anything that Qin Guan was unsatisfied with, it was his weak physique.
He was too thin. Any man who did not have body hair had to at least have some muscles.
Only by exercising more could he get more toned and have a healthy physique. Just because he was sloppy, it did not mean that he could not be physically strong.
Qin Guan's classmates found that he had changed. He was no longer as aloof and unapproachable as he used to be.
After each class, he would ask other straight-A students for help with his homework, not ashamed at all to learn from his inferiors. He had gotten bold, generous and unconstrained, and he was no longer punctilious. Everyone thought that under his arrogance Qin Guan had a kind heart that enjoyed life to the full.
Without realizing it, Qin Guan began getting increasingly popular among his classmates. Boys who had never associated with him before became best friends with him one after the other, more and more girls got closer to him, and of course, he kept getting an increasing number of contemptuous looks from Cong Nianwei. But why did he feel so happy?
More than three months flew by in this manner.
The exam period came. Through multiple inquiries and investigations, Qin Guan had discovered that Cong Nianwei had given up on the college recommendation of the school and would take the College Entrance Examination, aiming for Tsinghua University in the capital.
He gritted his teeth. With his current progress, he was much better than he used to be in his past life, but he was still a long way from getting admitted into Tsinghua University. If he wanted to keep Cong Nianwei away from other boys, then he would have to take measures. If he could not go to the same university, he had to at least go to the same city!
Since he had always wanted to study finance, Qin Guan aimed for the Capital University of Finance and Economics. It was in the same city, so he would not feel far away from her.
On July 7, 8, and 9, Qin Guan took his exam admission ticket, a 2B pencil and a pencil case filled with pens, and headed bravely to the examination room that would determine his future.
The first exam was Chinese. His focused learning over the past few months had played a decisive role. He found that 98% of the multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank questions were on things that he had learned. He had no difficulty answering them.
His textbook knowledge was imprinted on his mind. He could remember it all clearly. It was not difficult for him at all. The reading part was quite easy as he answered the questions with standard practice. The writing part was even easier, because that's when Qin Guan played his trump card— he cheated through his memory.
More than ten years had passed. Qin Guan had long forgotten the questions on the examination papers, but he could still remember the topic of the writing part. Qin Guan turned his examination paper to the last page and read the topic:
Tenacity: A Quality to Pursue
Overcoming Vulnerability (Alternative Topic)
Qin Guan was ecstatic. He had guessed right. The Chinese writing topic of the College Entrance Examination had not changed. He felt reassured. He had answered all the questions on the Chinese examination paper, and there was still more than 30 minutes left.
Qin Guan checked his paper carefully, and when there was still fifteen minutes to go before the end of the examination, he submitted his paper and walked out of the examination room.
The Chinese exam was a really good start to Qin Guan's College Entrance Examination, which meant that he would now be more confident when taking the rest of the subjects.
Math, Physics, Chemistry, none of them could stop Qin Guan. When he had written the last word on the English writing exam, his hand, which was still holding his pen, trembled slightly. It was over. He had finished this battle that could determine his future, and he was both happy and excited!
The scorching heat of July could not diminish Qin Guan's happiness. "I did really well. Do you know that, Cong Nianwei? I like you so much. I want to see you again!"
Qin Guan submitted his examination paper, ran out of the campus and spotted the girl with the big eyes who was leaving through the school gate. Qin Guan waved wildly at her and shouted, "Cong Nianwei, what are your plans for this summer?"
As soon as Cong Nianwei walked out of the examination room, she saw a tall thin boy with white skin standing on the other side of the road. He was waving at her under the scorching sun.
The sunshine shone down on the boy's face making his sweat glisten. He was grinning rather unattractively, showing his white teeth, but Cong Nianwei felt that nothing in the whole wide world could hold a candle to him.
Qin Guan was surrounded by boys who were making fun of him, but the girls across the road looked really jealous. In that moment, Qin Guan felt time stand still and all sound disappear. All he saw was Cong Nianwei slowly walking towards him.
She crossed the road and went up to Qin Guan. Looking at his mouth, she said, "I will go back to my grandma's this summer. But next year, I'll be waiting to see you and give you an answer."
Qin Guan felt his heart beat fast, as if a flower were growing in it, bright and beautiful. For some reason, he was moved. "Okay," he answered slowly, "This time next year, no matter where you are, I will come find you."
Qin Guan said goodbye to her and went back home in a daze. Watching their absent-minded son, his parents assumed that he had not done very well in his College Entrance Examination. They were too afraid to ask him about it though, in case he became even more upset.
Instead, they decided to comfort him in a more subdued and mild manner. Qin Guan did not explain anything to them. He had already forgotten about the College Entrance Examination and had begun to fantasize about his future. In his heart, he had a dream.
He would need to take good care of himself to get the girl of his dreams, and then convince her to marry him. They would have a few kids together, and keep them close. He would live a happy life with them and earn a lot of money.
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Chapter 4: Graduation Party
Translator: May Wiggins Editor: Efydatia
It was late July when the students could finally check out their examination results. Under the gaze of the whole family, Qin Guan's mother tremblingly dialed the last digit.
A mechanical voice rang out from the receiver: Register Number 3799… Score: 689. She had gotten through on the first try.
Lest they should have misheard the score, Qin Guan's mother hang up and dialed the number again: 689. It was true.
Qin Guan's first choice was Capital University of Finance and Economics. No doubt he had surpassed the minimum admission score.
Qian Guan's parents were overjoyed. They had thought that Qin Guan had failed the College Entrance Examination, and it had turned out to be a big surprise for them. They were more than thrilled.
Qin Guan's parents were proud to spread the news right away, wishing to let all their friends and relatives know.
Qin Guan became the most annoying kid in the family. He was both handsome and studious, so all his relatives' kids were gnashing their teeth at how unfair it was.
When the results of the College Entrance Examination came out, it was quite natural that some people would be happy while others would be sad.
The College Entrance Examination was not such a big deal for Class 8, Grade 3 which was full of straight-A students. When Qin Guan went back to school to submit his college application, he met with his head teacher who informed him of the date and time of their graduation party.
On the day of the party, everyone in class showed up. They were all dressed casually instead of wearing their school uniforms. Now that the tense atmosphere of the College Entrance Examination was gone, everyone could enjoy themselves, fool around, drink and eat.
Li Jian produced two boxes of beer out of nowhere and poured a glass out for everyone. He saw all these straight-A students with their thick glasses staring at the beer, their eyes showing that they all clearly itched to have a glass.
Qin Guan suddenly understood why people with super high IQs were always described as devious, secretly cunning and wickedly smart.
After drinking three glasses of beer, the Class President, who was the one wearing the thickest glasses, suddenly slapped his glass on the table. His blurred vision and flushed face betrayed how drunk he was.
Qin Guan thought he was about to witness the most honest student in class make a drunken fool of himself when suddenly the Class President started accusing him, "Damn you, Qin Guan! I hate you the most out of the whole class!" Hearing his loud voice, everyone went quiet all of a sudden. "What did you have going for you in the past besides your good looks? You were an absolute unsociable hypocrite and your grades were below average. You were just a hypocritical bastard. But despite that, you were still recognized as the school hunk. You even dared tell Cong Nianwei that you liked her, which made me hate you even more…"
The Class President stuttered. He got increasingly emotional until he somehow ended up crying.
Despite the snot and tears on his face, the Class President went on, "But how can you do this? Couldn't you just stay true to your old ways? Why did you have to get funnier and funnier? Now our classmates have started to talk to you. Your performance has been getting better, and the teachers also seem to like you. But even so, I can't give up! Cong Nianwei, I like you too. I like you more than he does. Qin Guan, I hate you!"
By now everyone was looking at the most honest student in class crying at the wine table.
Qin Guan believed that this was a typical case of alcohol making a coward temporarily brave. He was about to start laughing when voices began to ring out all around him.
"Wang Ping, it was me who wrote you that love letter in Grade 2. I like you," said Bu Lu, who sat in the first row.
"Qu Mei, I have been taking advantage of your weakness for three years. You know what I'm talking about."
Qu Mei pretended convincingly that she didn't know what he was talking about.
The head teacher was like an old monk during meditation. He ate and drank as if nothing of importance was going on, completely ignoring all these crazy boys.
The girls all remained very calm. The eight boys who had spoken with Dutch courage ended up feeling like cowards instead and retreated like scared birds. It got strangely quiet in the room.
Suddenly there were glasses clanging and tinkling, and the Vice President stood up. She was so emotional that she knocked over her own chair. She was a slender girl with fair skin. Lots of boys in class had a crush on her.
She puckered her lips and picked up her chair. Before everyone's eyes, she suddenly approached Qin Guan, clutched his shoulders and kissed his cheek. Then she returned to her seat as if nothing had happened.
The room had gotten even quieter. Qin Guan looked around and all he saw was ferocious stares. He was about to say something when he saw eight girls stand up and start to bombard the Vice President with words.
"You're so cunning!"
"That's right! You should have warned us before you did that!"
"I had wanted to do this for such a long time, and now you stole my thunder!"
The girls quickly ran over to Qin Guan. Some grabbed his hair while others tore at his clothes. They each gave him a kiss on the cheek.
Qin Guan quickly slipped under the table.
The head teacher glanced at the dishes on it. "Ah, the braised intestines with brown sauce taste really good at this restaurant."
The girls did not let go. They started tearing at Qin Guan's clothes to claim him for themselves.
Peeping through the table legs, Qin Guan saw Cong Nianwei looking at him angrily.
He was about to sit up when fists started beating on his head like raindrops. It was the boys.
"Beat him. I can't stand it anymore."
"Give my girl back! I'll fight you to the end!"
All at once, dishes, beer glasses, roast chicken and vegetables came his way.
An increasing number boys and girls surrounded Qin Guan.
"Sir, take a picture for us."
"Yes. A group photo," they told the head teacher, who did not seem disturbed and remained focused on his food.
The head teacher wiped his mouth and took a Seagull SLR camera out of his bag. He zoomed in a quite professional manner before shouting to his students, "Over here! One, two, three!"
Time stood still right then and there. The girls were inside it and the boys were outside. They were all either beating or dragging the boy under the table, and he was trying hard to lift up his head, grinning wide and bright.
"From this day on, my classmates will start drifting apart and our best and most innocent time will be over. I wish all my high school classmates academic success and a smooth journey in life."
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Chapter 5: The Moneymaking Barbecue Stand
Translator: May Wiggins Editor: Efydatia
It was the end of July and the weather had been getting increasingly hot. Cicadas were singing merrily outside the windows.
Qin Guan was lounging in a chair, his face buried in a watermelon. He was thinking about his life and how he would make a living.
When it came to making money, Qin Guan was at a loss. He had been an engineering student in his past life, and every day he'd had to deal with excavators, battering rams and road rollers.
Now that he had been reborn though, he did not want to carry on with his old business. However, he could not recall any winning lottery numbers, nor did he know anything about the stock market. What else could he do?
"Others would have acted more boldly given the chance to be reborn. I have been very cautious."
Qin Guan sighed. Even though he had the opportunity to start over, he was not able to make money in an easy, smart way.
He spat out the watermelon seeds filling his mouth. He went out in a pair of flip-flops, heading to the foundry where his cousin worked. He wanted to ask him to make him a barbecue cart using waste sheet iron.
Walking out of the foundry, Qin Guan realized that he would need help. He called Zhou Jing and Li Jian from the small grocery store next to the foundry. These two boys had no goals in their lives. They already knew that they had barely passed the minimum score for admission into a respectable college in the College Entrance Examination. One of them stayed at home, bored, with little to do except eat and sleep; and the other read smut, trying to catch up on all the chapters he had missed during the College Entrance Examination period. Listening to Qin Guan's plan on the phone, the two boys could not bear to stay at home anymore. They all agreed to meet in the farmers' market.
Holding two chemical fertilizer sacks with the word "urea" on them, the three boys bargained heatedly with the owner. In the end, they bought two wholesale sacks of charcoal and hundreds of bamboo sticks that they planned to use as skewers.
Li Jian asked the elder niece of his mother's elder aunt's younger cousin to help them set up a stall at the night market, and Zhou Jing brought some tables and short stools from the recreation room of the Bureau of Retired Officials where his father worked.
The three boys had put together all their pocket money to buy all those things, but they still had more than 300 yuan left. That meant that they could also afford to buy the ingredients. Everything was ready except for the barbecue cart.
Qin Guan's cousin was very efficient. He delivered the cart to Qin Guan in less than three days. Qin Guan's parents were staring at their son as if he was a monkey, but Qin Guan calmly fastened the cart, ready to start work the next day.
The iron cart was equipped with a brazier where one could make fried noodles by lowering the iron plate, and on its right side there was space for hanging a coal stove where one could fry kebabs using an oil pan.
It could match any modern multi-functional automatic barbecue cart.
Everything was ready.
The next day, at four o'clock in the morning, Qin Guan borrowed a tricycle from the factory his mother worked at and rode to the market.
Chicken, pork, mutton, all of these were must-haves. Garlic, chili, onion and potatoes were also essential for roasted dishes. "There are even wholesale cold noodles! Great. We also need cooking oil and seasonings."
Qin Guan bought a tricycle worth of groceries. By the time he was done, he had very little money left.
It was already after seven when Qin Guan struggled to ride the tricycle successfully back home.
He proudly called Zhou Jing and Li Jian to wake them up and ask them to come and help.
When Zhou Jing and Li Jian showed up at Qin Guan's home with a case of bed head, Qin Guan had already taken the ingredients out from the bags and put them in large bowls.
Looking at a living room full of ingredients, Zhou Jing said anxiously, "Who can handle the meat? I've never been inside a kitchen." Hearing this, Qin Guan felt very self-satisfied. As a sloppy bachelor for years, he'd had to cook so he wouldn't have to eat instant noodles every day.
Qin Guan shook his head complacently and began to assign tasks, "Zhou Jing, you distribute the ingredients, and skewer the meat and vegetables. Li Jian, you come and help me." Then he rolled up his sleeves and walked into the kitchen.
Qin Guan laid a piece of mutton on the chopping board. The kitchen knife danced in the air as the mutton was sliced into small strips, stacked neatly on the board.
Qin Guan put the sliced mutton into an iron bowl, saying loudly: "Ready!"
Then Zhou Jing and Li Jian began the first step of their business: skewering the meat.
In just one morning, the three boys made several hundred kebabs and put them away pack by pack. As long as they managed to clean and cut the vegetables in the afternoon, they would be ready to start their business.
After lunch, they packed everything up and lied down haphazardly on Qin Guan's small bed.
Qin Guan said bitterly, "Others make money with no effort at all. Why do we have to be so miserable?"
Li Jian stated the obvious, "We're useless high school graduates. Some would say we're not even strong enough for manual work. And now we have our own barbecue stand. That's already amazing. I told our other classmates from high school and they were so jealous."
Qin Guan quietly wiped his tears. "It's because you've never read stories about rebirth. People lead lavish lives after being reborn! They have good friends and date beautiful girls. They leave their remote villages to become businessmen. They start up their own companies, buy shares in the stock market and invest in venture capital."
But he himself was tired like a dog just by setting up a stand, and he had even gotten rejected by the girl he liked. Why was his life so different from others'?
Qin Guan got up. As a strand of hair hung down his face, he realized that he had not cut his hair since the College Entrance Examination and it had gotten rather long.
Qin Guan kicked the two boys on the bed and said, "Let's go to my cousin's and have a haircut. We're now businessmen. We have to pay attention to our image."
Qin Guan's cousin was 20 years old. She was a senior hairdresser at a new hair salon downtown, and was trying to learn the latest hairdressing trends in Guangdong Province.
The three boys strolled into the hair salon. There were few people there in the afternoon. Qin Guan's cousin planned to practice her skills on his hair.
Zhou Jing and Li Jian sat behind his chair and watched Qin Guan's cousin move the scissors up and down. They took a glance at Qin Guan and found that he was very handsome with his new hairstyle. He would definitely make all his friends jealous.
Suddenly, they heard Qin Guan's cousin scream, "Whoops, my hands slipped!" Then they saw Qin Guan's scalp.
"Ha ha!" Instantly the two boys felt satisfied. It was like Buddha himself had granted their wish.
Qin Guan's cousin tried to correct her mistake, but it only got worse. She did not stop until it was obvious that the hair could not be salvaged.
Qin Guan flicked his hair and looked at his choppy hairstyle in the mirror. It was so uneven that he could not even bear to look at it. Moments ago it had been too long, and now it was all gone. Instead, he had a silly buzzcut that was missing two spots for technical reasons.
He had turned from a Prince Charming into a woodlouse in mere seconds.
All day long, Zhou Jing and Li Jian could not help laughing at Qin Guan, even while he set up the stand in the night market.
Zhou Jing and Li Jian kept laughing while they unloaded kebabs and took vegetables down from the cart. Qin Guan did not care. He grinned and rubbed his short hair.
"Well, this sure must feel cool in the summer."
Qin Guan lit the charcoals in the brazier, put the oil pan on top of it and prepared the iron plate. It was almost dark and the lights in the night market were on.
More and more people flocked there to have a fun summer night.
Qin Guan took out several kebabs and roasted them on the fire.
Oil dripped onto the burning iron plate from the newly bought mutton, producing puffs of smoke and giving off a sweet smell.
In just a few minutes, several people were already approaching the stand.
"New stand. Let's try it. Ten mutton kebabs, ten pork kebabs, and two lamb kidneys, please."
"Wow, there're even cold noodles! Two more bowls of cold noodles. For here, please."
The three boys got busy right away.
Qin Guan was in charge of roasting, frying and stirring, Zhou Jing made the cold noodles, and Li Jian cleaned up the stand and served the food and drinks.
As it got darker, business got even better. The three boys were kept busy. They saw customers come and go, and when they finally paused for breath, they realized that it was already late night.
There were fewer and fewer people on the street. Other vendors around them started to pack up to call it a day.
After they cleaned up the last table, the three boys sank down on the stools.
Qin Guan shook the metal bucket that held the beer and filled three glasses. He took one glass and drank it up.
The other two boys emptied their glasses in one gulp as well and belched contentedly. Then they all turned their attention to the moneybag around Qin Guan's waist.
Qin Guan looked around, took out a big pile of change from the bag, and counted it out with them.
There were over 600 yuan in total. If they deducted the cost, they had earned 300 yuan in one night.
Looking at the big pile of money in front of them, they all gasped in excitement. Their fatigue was suddenly gone.
In 1998, the average salary was around 800 yuan. Now each of them could earn that much in little more than a week.
Qin Guan shook his head. He looked at the two excited boys who were cleaning up the stand and wondered whether he could make sufficient money before the new school term started to get the things he wanted. One of them was a cell phone. The newly released Nokia 5110 looked pretty good. Although it was a bit big, it would look nice in a colored case. The second thing he wanted was a computer. He had to buy one because he would be going to college. The cheapest laptop cost more than 8,000 yuan. It seemed that he could only afford a desktop.
As he rode the tricycle home under the myriads of stars in the sky, Qin Guan thought about his future business and let out a sigh. He had to work hard. He still had a long way to go.
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Chapter 6: A Prince Charming With A Choppy Hairstyle
Translator: May Wiggins Editor: Efydatia
Qin Guan had been running his business at the night market for eight days. More and more customers visited his stand, and the three boys had their hands full.
They were too busy to notice how weird their customers behaved.
The stand attracted an increasing number girls. It was a common occurrence for a group of female students to hang out by their stand and drool all over Qin Guan while they had some food. The reason was simple. The day that Qin Guan had started his business, a female student had visited the night market to buy some draft beer for her father, and she had seen this cute boy selling barbecue. She had taken a closer look and recognized him right away.
"Gee, isn't that the hunk from my high school?"
She had been staring at him for years from a distance, and now she was only half a meter away from him. It was like a dream come true for her.
The girl held onto the plastic bag with the draft beer while she stood by the barbecue stand, staring at Qin Guan to her heart's content. Her father had hot beer for the first time that night.
When she arrived at home, the girl was still exhilarated. Wanting to share her happiness, she called dozens of her girlfriends to brag about her story of seeing the Prince Charming, which was not going to remain a secret for much longer.
That was how the news had spread. Now every student in the neighborhood knew that the graduate Prince Charming was running a stand in the night market.
Those who lived near the market came to buy barbecue and take a look. They believed that if they didn't go, they would never get to see the Prince Charming again considering he had already graduated.
The small stand was swarming with girls every day. The Prince Charming still looked cute despite his choppy hairstyle.
When the girls saw that his new hairstyle could do nothing to undermine Qin Guan's good looks, they all agreed that he definitely had to be the cutest school boy in all high school history.
Many years later, when junior girls would look at some boy on their cell phone screens and say that he was really cute, older girls would eye the boy critically and say, "I bet he wouldn't still look that cute with a choppy hairstyle. Our high school Prince Charming was way cuter. You must have heard of Qin Guan, blah blah…"
Qin Guan's moneymaking business ended in very a peculiar way.
A few days before the new school term, Qin Guan lended his barbecue cart to his cousin to help him earn some extra money on the weekends.
Zhou Jing and Li Jian came over to Qin Guan's house very early to split their profits. They put all their profits of the past month together and carefully counted the money. They were surprised to find out that each of them would get more than 2,000 yuan.
Two thousand yuan was a fortune for any student in 1998.
Zhou Jing and Li Jian were jumping up and down in excitement, but Qin Guan let out a sign.
That money was not enough to buy him a good computer. But considering the fact that computers still ran on Windows 95, Qin Guan felt relieved. He was going to ask his parents to help him buy a cell phone.
On August 29, 1998 was the Chinese Valentine's Day.
It was a sunny Saturday, and Qin Guan's parents stuffed the last piece of clothing into their bulging baggage before they went shopping for Qin Guan's first cell phone.
They arrived at the Zhenhua Commercial Building, the largest shopping mall in the whole city. At that time, the cell phone counter on the first floor was considered an absolute luxury.
Qin Guan knew his way around very well, so he led his parents to the counter. There were few famous cell phone brands in China back in 1998. Nokia, Motorola, Siemens, Ericsson and Mitsubishi. These were all the brands that were available, and they cost quite a lot. Qin Guan and his parents observed every model carefully, but in the end, Qin Guan still decided to buy the Nokia 5110. It had a long standby time, a bright color, and was so shockproof it could even serve as a weapon when necessary.
Taking out the red envelope with the money his parents had given him plus the money he had earned working at the night market, Qin Guan paid over 5000 yuan for a blue Nokia 5110.
Customers in the mall were surprised that the couple would be willing to buy their son such an expensive cell phone when Qin Guan's mother began to brag, "Well, my son was admitted into the Capital University of Finance and Economics, blah blah... He earned this cell phone through his own hard work during the summer, blah blah."
Under the admiring gaze of everyone, she was shoved out of the mall by Qin Guan's father.
On August 29, Qin Guan and his parents dragged their luggage to the train station and got on the train heading to the capital.
After one night's journey, they arrived safely at the Beijing Station on the next day around noon.
Qin Guan arrived at his university on Sunday, which was peak time for freshmen registration. Qin Guan's parents went to the Dean's Office to pay the tuition fees while Qin Guan forced his way to the Student Reception Center to inquire about his dormitory.
When Qin Guan and his parents met up again, they were all sweaty and out of breath.
Together, they headed to Qin Guan's dorm. Qin Guan put his luggage on his bed while his mother automatically started unpacking. She made the bed, hang up a mosquito net, dusted the closet and set the table. In less than an hour, she had cleaned up the whole room and put everything away.
Looking at the compact dorm room, Qin Guan realized that this was where his battle would begin.
There were six beds in total, three upper and three lower, a wall-mounted TV, a long table, three stools and six metal lockers stacked together, all in pristine 1990s style.
Qin Guan's bed was the lower one nearest to the door. Mounted on the wall beside it was a telephone. It seemed that he could not open the door and answer the phone at the same time.
Except for the upper bunk above his bed, all the other beds were filled with stuff. Clearly his roommates had checked in earlier.
Qin Guan's parents looked at the dorm furniture, feeling rather satisfied with the place their son would live from now on.
When he had finished unpacking, Qin Guan decided to visit the restaurant. He would then find a hotel for his parents, and buy a washbasin, a thermos and other essential items.
After Qin Guan had made a hotel reservation for his parents, he returned to his dorm, which was now packed with people. Before Qin Guan could greet anyone, the door was opened again.
Amid clanking and jingling, eight people streamed inside the room. A little boy standing in the middle of the group was shoved inside.
A fashionably dressed woman was the first to approach the empty bed. She touched the bed beam and frowned slightly. Then she took a look at the closet.
The dorm was fully packed. Qin Guan was pushed to the side, but he didn't feel annoyed. He dragged out a stool from behind a table and sat down to watch along with everybody else.
The woman was giving out instructions. Some people started unpacking the baggage while others began making the bed. She turned to the little boy behind her and said, "Is there nothing good here? Six people have to share one room, and look at how narrow the bed is! You've never left home, never even helped with any chores. You're still a kid. Our home is around here, so how about I go and apply for commuting for you?
The little boy, who was undoubtedly a tsundere, was thinking to himself: "I'm old enough now! How could you say this in front of everyone? I want to die of embarrassment." He yelled at his mother, "I'm already 16! I'm a college student! You're driving me nuts! I can handle it by myself!"
"How can you not understand? I'm doing this for your own good. Now I feel terrible," the little boy's mother was thinking to herself. Out loud she said, "Okay, calm down. As long as you like it, I'll be fine." Then she turned to a woman who looked like a nanny and said, "Hurry up! Put away the clothes and clean the bedstead."
While he looked on, Qin Guan started to introduce himself to his other roommates.
The boy who slept on the upper bunk near the window was Mu Lejiang from Northwest China, and right under his bed was Ye Dong from Northeast China. Both boys were majoring in International Trade.
Qin Guan liked Mu Lejiang and Ye Dong from the moment he met them. They both had a robust physique and sparse stubble, and appeared to be hearty laughers. Qin Guan knew that they were his kind of people. Only sloppy guys with a lot of body hair were real men.
The two boys whose beds were opposite Qin Guan's appeared quite gentle. The lower bunk belonged to Wang Lei from the Water Towns of Southern Yangtze River, who wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses and had a soft voice. He and Qin Guan were in the same Accounting class.
The upper bunk belonged to Li Jie, a Cantonese boy from the Department of Economics and Management. Short though he was, he seemed capable and smart.
The three boys were talking animatedly when they saw that all the little boy's stuff had been cleaned up.
The boy's mother came over and told Qin Guan, "Oh, so you're another one of Xiaoyang's schoolmates. You must have been admitted to the Beijing Film Academy."
The little boy's mother held Qin Guan's hands and observed him for quite a while. Qin Guan felt puzzled. Behind him, Wang Lei could not help laughing out loud.
Perhaps feeling that she had gone a bit too far, the boy's mother hastily let go of Qin Guan's hands. She dragged the little boy to the front and said, "Xiaoyang is younger than you. Since you will all be living in the same dorm, would you please help take care of him and forgive him any mistakes he makes?"
Even the most careless of parents loved and planned for their kids.
Xiaoyang's roommates all promised her politely. Then Xiaoyang insisted that his family leave. When they did, Xiaoyang sank onto a stool and wiped his sweat, saying, "I'm Liu Xiaoyang from Beijing. I turned sixteen this year."
Liu Xiaoyang was truly younger than his roommates. He was fairly smug because he had been skipping grades since primary school, and he was currently majoring in Finance at the Capital University of Finance and Economics. Apparently his goal was to become a part of the social elite.
Their dorm consisted of two sloppy guys, an aspiring socialite, two gentlemen, and a sloppy handsome boy. They were all easy-going and quickly felt right at home with each other after spending some time talking and laughing. Noticing that it was almost dark, the six boys decided to have their first dinner party.
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Chapter 7: Buying A House in Beijing
Translator: May Wiggins Editor: Efydatia
Qin Guan went out of his dorm. He was planning on buying an EasyOwn phone number at the convenience store downstairs. Only when he got to the store did he realize what year it was. At that date in time, phone numbers were sold on consignment, not at such small stores.
To buy a phone number, he had to register at a China Mobile business hall. Qin Guan let out a sigh.
Having been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Liu Xiaoyang felt frustrated. How could he forget to buy a cellphone? It would make his life much more convenient.
Qin Guan called his parents from a public telephone and told them that everything was settled and there was nothing to worry about. He said he would sleep in his dorm that night and visit the hotel the next morning.
Qin Guan's roommates had already decided where to have dinner before Qin Guan had finished his call. Diagonally across their university, there was a street where many roadside snack booths were located. It was a good place to have barbecue. They went to the street and found that the booths had just been set up. There were various kinds of food, including kebab, cold noodles, boiled pork giblets with baked wheaten paste, and beef noodles. The boys went up to a kebab booth and ordered 100 kebabs and five draft beers. Liu Xiaoyang was not allowed to have draft beer because he was still underage, so he did not have to bring his ID card.
Liu Xiaoyang wanted to have some beer, but his protests were suppressed by his roommates. While they were waiting for their kebabs to be served, Ye Dong and Mu Lejiang took out two packs of cigars from their pockets and passed them to their other three roommates, ignoring Liu Xiaoyang. Feeling left out again, Liu Xiaoyang started to get pissed off. He yelled, "What about me? Why can't I have one?" Ye Dong glanced at him scornfully and said, "Grow some pubes first."
Qin Guan spat out his beer with a puff. "This one's certainly got a personality! I like that!" Qin Guan and Wang Lei declined the cigars, but Li Jie took one.
Ye Dong took a deep drag on his cigar. He was suddenly touched out of nowhere and said, "You won't believe it, but I was actually a poor student. I was very naughty in junior high school. I never studied hard and I was always getting into fights with others. All bad boys would smoke at the time. Later on, I was disqualified from high school. My dad took two bottles of wine to beg the help of one of his primary school classmates, who happened to be my high school principal. He hoped that I would get to go to high school, even if we had to pay extra money. When he got back home, I cried. F*ck! He had never begged anyone for help before, but he'd done that for me. At the time, I was thinking that I had to make something out of my life so my dad would never have to beg anyone's help again." Ye Dong took another drag and puffed out a smoking ring.
"When I was admitted into this university, my dad had tears in his eyes. Seeing him so happy, I felt that all my hard work in high school had finally paid off."
The boys did not speak. Their hearts felt heavy. The owner served them their kebabs. Ye Dong pounded his hand on the table and said, "Let's drop it and have dinner."
Leaving courtesy aside, each of the boys grabbed a handful of kebabs.
Qin Guan had a bite and found that they were truly yummy. Kebabs and roasted lamb's kidneys were one of Beijing's local specialties.
A whole lamb's kidney was cross cut down the middle and both sides were roasted till they turned brown. Wrapped in thick mutton fat, the kidneys tasted delicious.
The boys were too busy eating to talk. More than 100 kebabs were eaten in a flash.
Qin Guan wondered why Li Jie, a thin little boy from South China, was such a heavy smoker. He asked Li Jie about it.
Li Jie did not mind his asking and he replied, "My family runs a small store and I used to be the keeper. Smoking is a must in business, you know."
Li Jie's Mandarin was a big headache for all his roommates. They knew that southerners were bad at learning languages though, so they tried their best to understand his Cantonese Mandarin.
It finally hit Qin Guan that he was actually the most mysterious of his roommates. He was being too deceptive. He just sat down and kept silent, looking like the son of an aristocratic family. His silliness would no longer remain a secret if he behaved or talked normally. It would make for a very funny contrast.
This was the third time Qin Guan had to explain to his roommates that he was really the biological son of his parents, and that there was no chance that he had been abandoned at birth by an aristocratic family. He was at a loss because of his roommates' imagination.
Bonding over food was the best way to build a friendship. After the meal, they began to pal around with each other. In order to get to know each other easier, they lined up by age.
The oldest one was Ye Dong, the wild boy from Northeast China, who was very much like a bandit leader.
The second oldest turned out to be Qin Guan. Although he did not like being the second oldest boy in his dorm, he could do nothing about it. He could not change his age.
The third oldest was Mu Lejiang, a rough boy from Northwest China. He had denied the rumor that kids went to school by camel in his hometown the moment he had met his roommates.
The fourth oldest was Wang Lei, a man of letters from the South of the Yangtze River. Qin Guan found that Wang Lei talked the least, but he looked very smart. Devious was the best word to describe him.
The fifth oldest was Li Jie, a small shrewd businessman from Guangdong Province, whose ultimate goal was to achieve academic excellence and turn his family-run store into a listed company.
The youngest one was Liu Xiaoyang, a rich tsundere local who was difficult to deal with, indicating that his status in the dorm would be as low as his age rank among his roommates.
After wining and dining, the boys returned to their dorm. They took a quick shower, turned off the lights and went to bed.
Qin Guan lay in his bed in the dark. His thoughts drifted to his past life. By this time, he had been admitted to a technical college. His rough looks had made people think he had retaken his courses many times. Usually, most of the students in a technical college were taciturn boys who were immersed in their own world. Qin Guan had lived in the same dorm for four years, but he had talked very little with his roommates.
Now, he'd been admitted to one of the best universities of finance and economics. Students majoring in finance eventually became articulate, whether they had that inclination or acquired the ability by hard work. Qin Guan had a lot to talk about with his roommates and he believed that was a good start.
The next morning, he got up early according to his timetable. He picked up a towel and went to the washroom.
Yes, it was a washroom. At the time, dorms were not equipped with a private bathroom, so there was a public washroom on every floor.
The row of taps above the long washing sink looked quite spectacular.
Facing the sink, Qin Guan squeezed some toothpaste out and started brushing his teeth. While he brushed, he thought about his plan for the day. His courses would officially begin tomorrow. His parents were staying in Beijing for a very short period of time and would go back home that night.
Qin Guan's plan was quite tight. Thinking of this, he spat the foam out of his mouth. He had to be quick and go meet his parents early.
Qin Guan walked out of the washroom and went back to his dorm. It was quiet there as all his roommates were still asleep. He walked on tiptoe and put away his toiletries. Then he closed the door carefully, went downstairs and headed for the canteen.
Inexpensiveness was the best characteristic of university canteens in 1998. Qin Guan arrived there very early. The senior cooks had hardly opened the sales window when Qin Guan passed his meal ticket to them.
The second canteen was very big. There were two metal buckets in the hall. The workers opened the lid and a blast of hot air floated up. This was the free soup served by the canteen. When finishing the meal, students could take the ladle and scoop some up for themselves. Qin Guan bought three standard breakfasts: soya-bean milk, deep fried dough sticks and tea-boiled eggs. It only cost him 3.6 yuan in total with a free takeout plastic bag. Qin Guan put his breakfast into the bag and strolled toward the hotel where his parents were staying.
No four-star hotel had yet been built near the Capital University of Finance and Economics. There were only some small bungalows in the area and the hotel where Qin Guan's parents were staying, which was the nearest one to the University. It was humble, but clean enough.
After breakfast, Qin Guan took his parents to Xizhimen, just like they had planned earlier. Seated at the second ring of Beijing, it was only three kilometers away from his University and the first stop of the day.
There were not many cars on the street. Yellow minibuses came and went. You always needed to pay the driver 10 yuan, regardless of the mileage.
They saw no high-rises on both sides of the street. Residential quarters here were all six-storey high. Qin Guan knew his way around well and led his parents to the sales office.
At the time, Beijing was going through an era of a large-scale development. The city's population was not soaring and migrant workers had not swarmed in yet.
People could be allocated a house by their employers and commodity houses were still an unfamiliar concept for them. Beijingers did not want to buy more houses because they already had a free house to live in.
Qin Guan's parents though did not hesitate in buying one. Perhaps it was because they were not locals and owned no house there, but they did not reject Qin Guan's proposal to buy a house near his University.
They took a look at all the houses for sale and excluded high-end flats and prism high-rise buildings out of their purchase plan.
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Chapter 8: Military Training
Translator: May Wiggins Editor: Efydatia
In the end, they ruled out all the houses except the ones in the earlier stages of construction, where the workers were still building the foundation, and the first floor had not been built yet. All the sales manager could provide was a drawing of the structure of the houses.
Qin Guan was still thrilled. He knew this residential block would be the best block in the neighborhood. First, it was at a good location, right between the Capital University of Finance and Economics (CUFE) and Xizhimen, and the same distance from the subway and the University. Secondly, the houses there were affordable. Houses under construction were usually less popular than existing ones, and since it was off season, the sales manager promised that they could get a five percent discount off the original price if they paid the deposit on site. Third, with a stroke of luck, Qin Guan knew that this residential block would prove to be the most cost-effective one in the neighborhood, and would be assigned as school district housing.
Houses there cost 1,800 yuan per square meter. Qin Guan picked a two-bedroom apartment facing south, which would allow more sunlight and fresh air in. The building was in the center of the block, away from the street, providing a quiet environment. The seventy-square-meter apartment cost little more than a hundred thousand yuan. Qin Guan felt powerless as his mom spent all their savings on it.
"It's incredibly cheap! We should buy more! This is really worth it, even if I have to make monthly loan payments." Whatever he said though, his parents would not agree to him taking out a loan.
"This boy is too naughty! What is he going to do with so many apartments? It's not like apartments can multiply." Having hardly ever been in debt, Qin Guan's parents would never agree to getting a bank loan to buy more apartments.
They felt quite uncomfortable just at the thought of Qin Guan having to borrow money from the government.
With a big smile, the sales manager prepared the house-purchasing contract for them and informed them that they would not get the property deed until the construction was completed.
Undoubtedly, Qin Guan's name would be on the deed as the owner of the apartment. After all, he was the one who was going to live in Beijing. His parents did not want to come all that way just to help keep the apartment clean for him.
Qin Guan felt a little relieved after signing the contract. Perhaps he would not be the world's richest man, but he had to at least buy an apartment, otherwise he would be too embarrassed to say that he had been reborn.
Qin Guan's next plan was to help his parents realize their dream in visiting to Beijing: to visit Tiananmen Square and to go to the busiest shopping street. Qin Guan had inherited his foodie attitude from his parents. After paying tribute to Chairman Mao with them, he took a cab to Hepingmen where Quanjude, the most famous roast duck restaurant, had its headquarters. At the time, Quanjude was such a household name that even little boys from small towns like Qin Guan's yearned to eat there.
Qin Guan and his parents went to Quanjude and had a duck feast.
The duck there was carefully selected and smoked using special fruitwood. The senior chef skillfully handled the duck and put it in order.
There were pancakes, cucumbers, white onions and roast duck sauce. Qin Guan dipped the duck with the skin into the sauce and held it with a pancake. Adding some sliced onions and cucumbers, he wrapped the pancake up and ate it. He tasted the crisp duck skin, the tender meat and the sweet sauce. What a delicacy it was...
After having a full meal, Qin Guan and his parents moved on to their next stop, Wangfujing.
Wangfujing was home to several old, famous shops, but the goods there were not cost-effective. The shops aimed mainly at tourists.
Qin Guan tried to persuade his mom not to shop there, but he failed, so all he could do was join her in bargaining. Sales assistants in shopping malls were too difficult to deal with, unless one was a self-employed businessman, but Qin Guan decided to give it a shot anyway.
Wangfujing was like a zoo and Qin Guan's bargaining made the owners gnash their teeth. In the end, his mom bought a lot of quality goods at low prices.
She could not stop buying things, and she did even more shopping later in the company of her husband and son.
When Qin Guan saw off his parents at the train station, he realized that they had bought a whole suitcase of souvenirs. Qin Guan's parents felt both worried and relieved. They left Beijing by train as Qin Guan waved them goodbye.
The military training began on September 1st. After a running exercise in the sports stadium, Qin Guan woke up his five roommates, and together they went down to the dining hall to have breakfast.
His roommates were puzzled. They did not know why Qin Guan had woken them up so early to eat. Qin Guan pretended to be wise as he said, "You'll thank me later."
His roommates all gave him the finger and shrugged off his uprightness. After breakfast, they all went to their respective classrooms.
Together, Wang Lei and Qin Guan arrived at the classroom for Class 1 of the Accounting Major. As they walked, Wang Lei suddenly told Qin Guan, "Does that mean that we can't eat during military training?" Qin Guan was impressed by Wang Lei's IQ. He should not have underestimated the boy with the golden glasses.
Qin Wang nodded and replied, "No. But I guess it depends on whether we still have the strength or mood to satisfy our appetite by then." Upon hearing that, Wang Lei pushed his glasses up and said, "I've got a lot of high-calorie food in my luggage."
Once again, Qin Guan was impressed by Wang Lei. Feeling deep admiration, Qin Guan walked into the classroom with him.
Their classmates were already there. There were twenty three girls and seven boys in the class.
When the two boys sat down, Qin Guan found himself feeling like a giant among dwarfs. It made sense that the girls would outnumber the boys in an accounting class, but why did all the other boys look so thin and short?
Since the new school term had begun, Qin Guan had grown two centimeters and was now 183 centimeters tall. After exercising for half a term, his muscles had also started to get toned. He was no longer as skinny as he had used to be.
Now he had the proper body fat percentage and sufficient muscles that didn't make him look too strong or too weak. Combined with his broad shoulders and slim waist, his figure formed a perfect inverted triangle, his narrow hips and long legs making him look like a star.
As he sat in the middle of the classroom, he was like a big lightbulb attracting everyone's attention. It was not just the girls. The boys also had their eyes focused on him.
They were all gnashing their teeth. They had heard that many girls majored in Accounting, and that was why they had chosen the major themselves. Now that Qin Guan had showed up though, they felt like wolves approaching a flock of sheep, only to find a dragon among them. How could they get along with it? They'd have to set up a trap for it.
Qin Guan was feeling quite uncomfortable with everyone staring at him. Finally, their counselor walked into the classroom and did a roll call. Seeing that everyone in his class was present, he led them to the bus stop near the sports stadium.
The bus moved slowly out of the main entrance, heading for the military training area in the suburbs.
After arriving at the garrison military camp near the border, the counselor handed the troops over to the instructors in charge of the military training. The students were divided into girls and boys and taken away separately.
There were less than ten boys in the Department of Accounting, so the boys from two classes had to be grouped into one team.
The boys and girls were led to their dormitories by their instructors. The moment they put down their luggage, they were forced to go to the sports stadium. Before they could even take a break, their first-day training had begun. They had to remain standing.
Although it was September, there was still a spell of hot weather in Beijing at the beginning of autumn. As they were exposed to the scorching sun, everyone felt dizzy and sleepy.
When lunchtime came around, Wang Lei understood why Qin Guan had asked them to eat as much as possible in the morning. Being dizzy had made them thirsty and caused them to lose all appetite for food.
Qin Guan bought some food and stuffed it into his mouth desperately. He knew that if he ate nothing, he would be starving in the afternoon.
After a whole day's training, the boys threw themselves onto their beds and started snoring loudly. The first day of their military training was over.
On the second day, their task was to learn how to make their beds. They had to make them as square as tofu. Anyone who failed to do so would be punished. They would get penalty points, but most importantly, they would have to do the cleaning while everyone else was taking a break. No one wanted to have to do that.
The third day's task was official standing training. As the saying goes, the body is the capital of revolution. This was especially true for Qin Guan. While all the boys stood there awkwardly, he was standing straight like a tree. The instructor praised him and nominated him as the acting leader of the team.
By now, Qin Guan's classmates had been convinced that there was more to him than just his good looks. He was standing there firmly under the scorching sun, a true role model for everyone.
Yet meanwhile, Qin Guan was thinking, "Will the lunch in the canteen still taste as bad? I haven't washed my underwear in two days." His mind was wandering aimlessly.
Almost all the instructors got used to inviting this muscular, handsome boy to demonstrate the standard military standing posture for their teams. Qin Guan was like a giant panda on an international show. He was asked by all the instructors to demonstrate the whole day.
Their next training was fierce military boxing. Once again, the instructor was surprised to find that Qin Guan had learned it quickly and could do it perfectly, given only a few instructions.
By a stroke of luck, Qin Guan's extraordinary memory had helped him do military boxing as perfectly as he had remembered the exam answers. He found that with his amazing memory, he could replay his instructor's boxing moves in his mind over and over again, so he was able to adjust his body and muscles accordingly. In the end, he could perfectly imitate the instructor's every move. That was why Qin Guan had done so well in boxing without any difficulty.
The firearms training was the last task for the freshmen, suggesting that the military training was about to end. The army instructor went up to Qin Guan and had a friendly, in-depth conversation with him.
The instructor fully believed that Qin Guan could not achieve his full potential if he studied accounting, and he told him that he was welcome to join the army.
Hearing the man's unreasonable suggestion, Qin Guan's counselor replied calmly, "Only in the entertainment industry could Qin Guan achieve his real potential."
The instructor was suddenly at a loss for words. He had been thoroughly discredited and felt deeply sorry for Qin Guan.
At the end of September, the students returned to the CUFE campus like a group of African refugees.
Qin Guan's skin had not changed too much, except for a slight redness. All the girls were jealous of his fair skin, but they had finally accepted that there were some people that were just born beautiful.
Qin Guan had believed bronze to be the right skin color for a rough man, but the tanning results had proved him wrong. Where was his masculine appearance? His fair skin only made him look like a toy boy.
Qin Guan and his roommates went back to their dorm room. Their new textbooks and meal cards had been handed out, and they were now waiting for the National Day Holiday, knowing that their college life had officially begun.
Everyone got seven days off during the National Day Holiday. Being a Beijinger, Liu Xiaoyang was dragged back home by his mom after he failed to protest.
The hometowns of the other five boys were all too far away from Beijing. Seven days off was not enough time for them to enjoy a good holiday at home since they would have to spend half the holiday travelling.
Qin Guan had bought a used variable speed bicycle before the holiday. He rode the long way to Tsinghua University, hoping to surprise Cong Nianwei, only to find that she was still in the middle of her military training. Disappointed, he rode back to his own campus and got laughed at by his roommates.
Smart as Qin Guan was, when it came to his relationship, he acted like just as big of an idiot as everyone else.
However, depression seldom brought down Qin Guan, who was very careless and insensitive. The National Day Holiday was coming and he had a lot to do. He was not one to remain idle, so he began to put into action his moneymaking plan.
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Chapter 9: The Troublesome Student
Translator: May Wiggins Editor: Efydatia
Qin Guan had thought that he could pool the wisdom and help of his roommates for the holiday discussion, but it turned out that they all had their own plans.
Ye Dong, the oldest boy, would be busy with his work at the Students' Union. Recently, he had gotten to know the Secretary of the Liaison Department. As an ambitious young man, Ye Dong was determined to dedicate himself to servicing his university.
Mu Lejiang, the third oldest boy, had already purchased a complete set of field equipment and joined the Camping Society. He was ready to follow the path of his forerunners and travel around China.
Li Jie, the fifth oldest, had made four dinner appointments with his fellow townsmen, planning to set up his own fellow countrymen association.
Wang Lei, the fourth oldest, smiled and told Qin Guan, "I'll join you. I have no plans."
"How can you have no plans, Wang Lei? I'd hoped for your wisdom and help!"
Qin Guan knew he had to make the plan himself. He thought over what he could do and figured out a plan. To carry it out, he had to be easy to reach, so he took the time to buy an EasyOwn SIM card at Xizhimen. He did not care about the cell phone number, so it only cost him 80 yuan.
Qin Guan memorized the phone number and asked Wang Lei to write an ad. The ad said: "Fierce Grade 3 of High School is approaching. Wanna help your kid win from the starting line? Wanna provide them with a first-hand examination experience? Hire a top student from the Capital University of Finance and Economics with 688 in the College Entrance Examination. Excel at the exam and bring your triumphant kid home!" Qin Guan had actually gotten 689 in the College Entrance Examination, but he deducted one point because 6 and 8 were both considered lucky numbers in China.
Under the curious gaze of the staff at the printing agency, Wang Lei made dozens of fliers and went to the entrance of the High School Affiliated to the Capital University of Finance and Economics.
Yes. That was Qin Guan's plan. He had decided to do some tutoring, so he began to publicize his business before the holiday.
When Wang Lei arrived at the entrance of the university, he saw Qin Guan surrounded by parents and talking about his tutoring classes excitedly.
By the time he passed the fliers to Qin Guan, the latter had already convinced two parents to register their kids for his classes.
The two boys handed out all the fliers in just one morning, and shared the registration fees. The two of them would tutor three students.
It occurred to Wang Lei that Qin Guan was crystal clear about the tutoring business. At the time, tutoring had not become a corporate chain business yet. Usually, college students either found a tutor on their own during their spare time, or sought help from small part-time agencies. Tutoring fees ranged from 15 to 20 yuan per hour, yet Qin Guan had charged the parents 25 yuan per hour. That was a real surprise.
At first, Wang Lei had just decided to give it a shot because he had nothing to do during the holiday. He had not expected to get such a high fee for tutoring.
The two boys shared the tutoring tasks. They were busy for six days during the holiday. They had done a great job. Every day they had four hours of tutoring. They went to two different houses, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. The students all lived nearby. This way, they were able to earn nearly 100 yuan a day. Tutoring was easy for them. Plus, they still had time for themselves.
Wang Lei was thrilled to discover that six days of tutoring could earn him a month and a half's living expenses. It seemed that he had underestimated Qin Guan.
While the two boys were making their schedule for the class, their other roommates heard the news. They were all awfully regretful. Who'd have known that it would be so easy for students to earn money? If they had, they wouldn't have made other plans.
Qin Guan and Wang Lei started tutoring as scheduled. The parents had initially just wanted to give them a shot, but they were quite satisfied with the two tutors. They had not spend their money in vain after all.
As top students of CUFE, Qin Guan and Wang Lei had a good knowledge of high school subjects and were both patient enough with their students.
The holiday was just coming to an end, when Qin Guan got a phone call from a mother living in the neighborhood. She had seen Qin Guan's flier on the school bulletin board. However, she told Qin Guan that her kid was not attending the High School Affiliated to CUFE, but the Tiesan High School of Xicheng, one of the most notorious high schools in Beijing.
The mother asked Qin Guan to tutor her kid at her house in the evenings. Her house was close to CUFE and her kid just needed two-hours of tutoring for a certain period. She was not willing to talk too much about her kid on the phone. Instead, she invited Qin Guan to her house. "Come over and you won't be sorry," were the last words Qin Guan heard on the phone, which was enough by itself to convince him to pay a visit.
After finishing his tutoring classes for the day, Qin Guan received deep gratitude from his students. He was feeling delighted as he rode his second-hand bicycle to the residential block nearby.
A graceful woman opened the door. She seemed surprised to discover that the tutor was so young. She took a look at the boy's appearance. She seemed to have believed that all top students were ugly.
As soon as Qin Guan sat down, he heard a cracking noise from another room. "Mom, let me out! I've promised my classmate to go shopping with her!"
The mother sighed and told Qin Guan, "I know I'm being rude, but I was only wondering if you could tutor my daughter. I have no other requests. I just want you to make her focus back on her studies." Tears shined in her eyes as she added, "She used to be such a good girl, but since she started going to Santie High School, she has been hanging out with rascals and staying out late. Her teachers don't care about that sort of things, and she doesn't listen to me. I have to try every way I can."
Qin Guan felt scared. He realized this girl would be hard to deal with, so he decided to turn the woman down.
The mother seemed to guess his answer, and said, "If you'd give it a try, I'll pay you 50 yuan an hour, no matter the outcome. Just getting her to stay at home instead of fooling around will be good enough for me. I don't expect her to be able to go to college someday. As long as you can come and tutor her every weekend, you'll get an extra bonus of 500 yuan for half the term. What do you say?"
"Yes, absolutely!" Qin Guan was thrilled. "Please don't worry. I'll take care of it," he answered heroically. Qin Guan would never refuse such a good deal, but he could not guarantee that the girl would make any progress.
The mother looked moved as she took Qin Guan to a room that was locked from the outside. Banging noises were coming from the inside.
When the woman opened the door, Qin Guan saw a girl that looked like an angry bird. He could tell that she was pissed off. She was about to start yelling at her mom when she noticed Qin Guan standing behind her. All of a sudden, the girl's expression became dumbfounded. She stood by the door stupefied as her mom and Qin Guan entered the room.
The mother asked Qin Guan to take a seat and said to her numb daughter, "Jiajia, what are you doing? Come and say hello to Mr. Qin. He is your new tutor."
Hearing her mom, the girl turned her head and stared at Qin Guan. Without blinking, she shuffled to her bed and fixed her eyes on the young man in front of her.
The mother went on, "Mr. Qin is a top student at CUFE. I've asked him to help you with your studies, so you need to be good student…"
Fed up with her mom's chattering, the girl waved her hand and said, "Got it! I'll be good!"
The mother felt gratified. Turning to Qin Guan, she said, "It's still early. How would you feel about starting today?"
Qin Guan got up and replied politely, "No problem. I'll try and see how well she studies right now."
The mother was quite pleased. She got up and left the room to avoid disturbing Qin Guan's lesson.
With mixed feelings, Qin Guan turned back to the girl, who was looking him up and down from the bed. No wonder she looked like an angry bird. She was undoubtedly difficult to deal with.
Qin Guan noticed that the girl had red hair. Her peers seldom had their hair died at the time. Smart Cantonese hairstyles had not gained popularity in Beijing yet, so her hair looked truly shocking to him. Her ripped jeans, white sneakers, nose ring and tattoos reflected her trendy personality, which did not match her age at all. Qin Guan sighed to himself. He was already regretting accepting the job.
The girl was unaware of Qin Guan's thoughts as she poked his arm and said, "Hey, I'm Huang Jiajia. What's your name?"
Qin Guan picked up the textbook from the desk. It was so brand new, its sharp edge could give him a paper cut.
"I'm Qin Guan. From now on, I will come and tutor you every weekend in the evening for two hours. Are you okay with that?"
Huang Jiajia was thrilled. She had become obsessed with her cute young tutor. "He's so cute and his voice is so charming. I love him so much!"
Hearing what Qin Guan had said, Huang Jiajia bounced up from the bed. She grabbed a chair and sat down close to Qin Guan.
"Mr. Qin, what's so interesting about that book? Come and chat with me. Is it true that you're a student at CUFE? Where are you from?" As she talked, she moved closer to Qin Guan.
Qin Guan was not attracted by the pretty young girl in front of him. He was still thinking of how he could help her get back on track.
"Let's see how well you're doing at school." Ignoring the girl's pretty face, Qin Guan opened the book and turned to page one.
"Phew!" Huang Jiajia looked bored as she went back to her bed. Looking at Qin Guan, she sneered, "Who likes studying? I hate books! They're nonsense!"
Qin Guan was thinking of how he could persuade this troublesome young girl to study, while Huang Jiajia was thinking to herself: "My tutor is so handsome and romantic. He is gentle and well-cultivated. If I give up studying and lose all ambition, he'll be heartbroken! His melancholy eyes betray his sadness about my future. He must be really upset to see such a beautiful young girl go astray. Fine, I'll study for his sake."
That was a sudden change of heart, if there ever was one.
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Chapter 10: Cong Nianwei's Suitor at Tsinghua University
Translator: May Wiggins Editor: Efydatia
Qin Guan was still thinking about what strategies he could use when Huang Jiajia grinned and went back to her seat, saying, "Okay. You poor thing, I'll be a good student, alright? But to be frank, I'm really bad at studying. You can use any method you like."
"Ah…" Qin Guan opened his mouth like an idiot. "I haven't tried any of my strategies. This girl changed attitude too fast. Anyway, it's good that she's willing to learn something."
Qin Guan took down all the high school textbooks from her bookcase and prepared a quiz for her. When he calculated the results, he fell into a strange silence again.
The girl had scored 3 out of 100 in Math by getting one multiple choice question right. She had probably just guessed it instead of calculating it herself. In Chinese, she had scored 70 marks, which was good enough for her to pass. In English, she had gotten a 50, which had been way out of Qin Guan's expectations. He had thought that she would not even get one exercise right. Last but not least, she had scored 12 in both Physics and Chemistry.
Qin Guan let out a sigh. He knew he had a long way to go.
He stood up and smiled at Huang Jiajia. "Today was just about getting to know you. I think I have some basic knowledge of you now. I'll come after dinner next Saturday, alright? I'll make a plan for you, and we'll study together according to that plan."
Huang Jiajia was still obsessed with the smile Qin Guan had just given her. She nodded numbly as she showed him out.
Jiajia's mother was sitting restlessly in the living room. When she saw Qin Guan and her daughter come out, she ran up to them right away.
Qin Guan smiled at the mother and said, "Let's call it a day. I've got some knowledge about Huang Jiajia now. I'll come for class next Saturday."
Seeing that her daughter was not protesting, the mother replied delightedly, "Okay! See you then!" She picked up 100 yuan from the table and gave it to Qin Guan. "This is for you. Thank you, Mr. Qin. Please take good care of Jiajia."
Qin Guan accepted the money. He believed he deserved as much considering what a handful this student was.
Under the loving gaze of the mother, Qin Guan rode his bicycle away, heading back to his dorm. The next day, he would take the day off to do some shopping. By then, the new term would officially begin.
What was the best choice for an undergraduate? Some would say that it was single life, while others would insist that it was fervent love. They were both wrong. Single life and fervent love were both just illusions. The best choice was studying hard!
Freshmen had lots of basic common courses as well as a few specialized ones. Thanks to Qin Guan's amazing memory, these courses were a piece of cake for him. He was reviewing his lessons while the lecturer was teaching so that he did not have to review them again after the class. Qin Guan did not allow himself to waste any time. He had to pass the College English Test-Band 4 (CET 4) in advance, or he would feel sorry for himself. He had been reborn after all.
Qin Guan planned to pass the CET 4 during that term. The biggest difference between high school English and college English lay in the vocabulary, but memorizing English words was very easy for him.
Qin Guan had made a plan to get his life back on track. He had sat down and thought about his life. "It seems that I forgot something. Oh, yes. It's been more than half a month since the new school term began. I forgot to meet Cong Nianwei. Is there a chance that she has become some other guy's girlfriend by now?"
Qin Guan hastened to check his timetable. He realized that he had no class in the afternoon. Why wait then? "Let's go! Tsinghua University, I'm coming!"
It was October. During that time of the year, Beijing always enjoyed a clear sky and crisp wind. A speeding bicycle was seen on Tsinghua Road. The breeze blew up the rider's white jacket, revealing his black vest. The rider's bright smile brought out vigor and liveliness in everyone walking down the road.
Qin Guan arrived at Tsinghua University and parked his bicycle. He asked about Cong Nianwei and was told that she was having class at the lecture hall.
Qin Guan did not mind waiting as long as he could see her. He locked his bicycle and lay on the stone bench in front of the lecture building. He felt a gentle breeze blowing on his face. It was such a nice afternoon that he slowly fell asleep.
Qin Guan had no idea how long he had been sleeping, when he was suddenly woken up by someone. Through the daze of sleep, he sat up and tried to recognize the vague image in front of him. It seemed familiar. He blinked and fixed his eyes on the image again, realizing that it was Cong Nianwei.
Qin Guan stood up in a hurry. He wiped the corners of his mouth to make sure that he had not been drooling. That was good. "Is your class over?" he stammered.
Cong Nianwei stared at him with her big eyes. She looked surprised as she said, "Why did you sleep on the bench?"
Qin Guan was about to reply when his instinct warned him. He looked around and saw a boy and a girl standing behind Cong Nianwei.
He pretended that nothing was on his mind as he replied, "I came here to see you. I heard that you were having a class, so I waited here and ended up falling asleep."
Hearing that, the girl behind Cong Nianwei burst into laughter. Cong Nianwei looked a little angry and embarrassed. She took a glance at Qin Guan and then turned her to the girl, "This is Qin Guan. He's my high school classmate."
The girl looked as if she knew everything and needed no further explanation. She said, "Right. High school... classmate."
Despite feeling ridiculed, Qin Guan gave out a silly laugh. They were having a good time when suddenly a mistimed voice rang out behind Cong Nianwei, "Cong Nianwei is always so kind to everyone, even to her high school classmates."
Cong Nianwei frowned, but said nothing. The girl behind her unpleasantly took a step forward. She tucked her arm into Cong Nianwei's, trying to avoid the boy.
Qin Guan looked at him. His first impression of the boy was very bad. As he stood behind Cong Nianwei, his arrogance made Qin Guan feel quite uncomfortable.
The two boys looked straight at each other, as if there were sparks in their eyes.
The boy, who was named Chi Hailin, thought that this was not the most auspicious day for him. Having been an unusually lucky boy since a very young age, he had lived up to everyone's expectations by being admitted into Tsinghua University, one of the best universities in China. He had been an honor roll student and had been often praised by his teachers, but he had never showed any interest in any girls wearing glasses during his high school days. He had believed that those girls were complete nerds and that he would meet his ideal girl in the near future. From the first time he had seen Cong Nianwei after going to college, Chi Hailin had been confident that he had finally found his girl. The guy currently standing between him and his girl was detestable.
Chi Hailin thought this boy was very tall. "He must be over 180 cm." He looked at himself and realized he was at least 20 cm shorter than him. What's more, the boy's good figure, broad shoulders and long legs were much more pleasant looking than his own short legs. Chi Hailin turned his eyes to Qin Guan's face. "Gee! What a handsome face! This guy has perfect eyebrows, deep eyes and a Roman nose. He's just like a movie star! Sh*t!" Instantly, Chi Hailin felt much smaller than the guy standing in front of him.
Noticing Chi Hailin's facial expression, the girl beside Cong Nianwei could not help laughing out loud. "Chi Hailin, are you having a facial paralysis? It seems like you're having an early age stroke. You're truly weak."
Qin Guan glanced at the girl with gratitude and secretly gave her a thumbs up.
Hearing the girl's insult, Chi Hailin felt outraged. "Liu Chang, can't you be a little nicer?" He pointed at Qin Guan's face and said, "We're both college students, so we should not judge a book by its cover." Then he added maliciously, "Instead of idling away in other universities, why don't you read some more and study harder?"
Chi Hailin believed his words were forceful enough to destroy this potential rival. Cong Nianwei had been feeling awkward, but hearing what Chi Hailin had said, she smiled and told the two boys, "Let me introduce you guys. Qin Guan is my high school classmate studying at CUFE. By the way, don't you have class in the afternoon, Qin Guan?"
Seeing that Cong Nianwei was asking about him, Qin Guan immediately went closer to her and said in a friendly manner, "No, I don't. I haven't seen you for months, so I couldn't concentrate enough to study."
Cong Nianwei looked a little annoyed as she replied, "Come off it! I haven't agreed to being your girlfriend."
Qin Guan did not get mad. He walked forward with the two girls, the three of them talking and laughing.
Chi Hailin had gone numb upon hearing about CUFE. He was aware that Qin Guan was superior to him in looks and stature, but he had thought that he at least had a better educational background. However, it turned out that they were both top students. He felt discouraged. As he watched Qin Guan walk away, he thought to himself, "I have a bright future ahead of me. When I succeed in my career, I'll be able to compete with you again." Upset as he was, he walked back to his dorm.
As they were walking, Liu Chang said that she had some matter to attend to and left. Before she did, she winked at Qin Guan and whispered, "Do it!"
After Chi Hailin and Liu Chang had left, Qin Guan unlocked his bicycle and took a walk with Cong Nianwei along the road on the Tsinghua University campus. They watched the gentle breeze blow the willow twigs by the roadside. Neither of them talked. They were too busy enjoying the nice, peaceful afternoon.
In the evening, Qin Guan unabashedly free loaded at the canteen of Tsinghua University with Cong Nianwei. Everybody could tell he was living off the girl. Qin Guan saw the contempt in other people's eyes, but he still acted like he was unaware of it ad had a big meal.
Despite having been criticized and scorned by Cong Nianwei the whole afternoon, Qin Guan felt delighted because she had agreed to him coming to see her once a week. If she was in a good mood, she could probably do some shopping or have a cup of tea with him.
Qin Guan grinned happily in excitement. He felt that his life was almost as perfect as he had thought it would be.
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Chapter 11: Landai Club
Translator: May Wiggins Editor: Efydatia
Soon, the weekend came again. It was time for Qin Guan's tutoring session. Taking the materials he had prepared, Qin Guan headed to Huang Jiajia's home. When the door opened, Qin Guan was so scared, he nearly plopped down on the ground.
There was an angry bird with dark eye-circles standing in front of him. In order to welcome her Prince Charming, Huang Jiajia had meticulously put on smokey-eye makeup, the most popular makeup trend at the time. She was wearing low-rise jeans and a batwing-sleeved blouse that let her bellybutton show. With her silver-colored lips and dark eyes, Huang Jiajia believed that she was Miss Beauty herself.
Qin Guan calmed himself down. It was certainly hard to please the good customers. Lightening his mood, he began his tutoring for the day.
Huang Jiajia was getting impatient, but for the sake of Qin Guan's good looks, she held her temper in check and tried to be a good student.
Finally, after half an hour's class, she gave up. She put her jaw on Qin Guan's arm and pouted like a spoiled child. "Mr. Qin, how about we study tomorrow? It's Saturday! It's girls' night at the Landai Club. Let's go and have some fun!"
Qin Guan lifted her jaw up and gently moved it away from his arm. Huang Jiajia felt like her jaw had been broken. Seeing that Qin Guan had gone on tutoring as if nothing had happened, Huang Jiajia rubbed her aching jaw. Her eyes had started to water. Irritated, she plumped out her cheeks as she thought to herself, "So you don't like shy girls. Just wait and see how naughty I can be then!"
Huang Jiajia smirked and told Qin Guan. "Look at me, Mr. Qin." Qin Guan was puzzled. He turned to her and saw Huang Jiajia put her hands on the lower hem of her blouse and lift it up, the pink bra she was wearing underneath showing.
Huang Jiajia was a minor still going through puberty. Her breasts were partly visible through her pink bra, giving off a smell of youth and vigor.
Qin Guan almost choked on his own drool. "Jesus! What are you doing? Pull your shirt down!" He hastened to cover his eyes with his hand, but there was still a gap left between his fingers.
Hearing Qin Guan's scolding, Huang Jiajia felt satisfied. She moved closer to him and said, "I can pull it down, but you have to promise me one thing."
Qin Guan shook his head as he said righteously, "I have my principles. Don't you think I'll promise you anything without careful consideration!"
Huang Jiajia smirked again. She moved forward, and Qin Guan was forced to back up until he reached the door. He'd been planning on leaving the room, but he was too afraid of being mistaken for a rascal by the girl's mother and being turned over to the police. He was caught in a dilemma.
Huang Jiajia went on, trying to persuade Qin Guan, "I promise you that I'll be a good student, just not today. I have somewhere to be, so you have to listen to me and help me get out."
Qin Guan was getting furious. He scolded her in a low voice, "I can't find any excuse to convince your mom that you should go out! It's too late!"
Huang Jiajia blinked at Qin Guan and pulled her blouse down. Clapping her hands, she said, "No need to worry about that. It's a deal!" Then she ran to the living room merrily and pouted to her mother, "Mom, I've finished my class for today, and Mr. Qin said I was really a quick learner. It's Saturday. I promised Li Lin that I would sleep over at her house tonight so we could review the class together. Can I go out, mom? Please!"
The mother hesitated before turning to Qin Guan. Noticing that Huang Jiajia was still holding the lower hem of her blouse, Qin Guan was quite clear that he was being threatened by the young girl. He gave a forced smile and nodded, suggesting that he agreed with Huang Jiajia.
The mother was quite shrewd, though. She made a phone call to Li Lin's before agreeing. "Oh, okay. No worries." When she hung up the phone, she expressed her approval with a nod.
"Yay!" Huang Jiajia jumped up from the couch and picked up her handbag from the table, ready to go. Suddenly she went back and told her mother, "It's getting late. Can I ask Mr. Qin to walk me there?'
Her mother thought it was a good point, so she asked Qin Guan to take her daughter to Li Lin's.
Qin Guan and Huang Jiajia left the house. Qin Guan walked quietly ahead, feeling very annoyed. He could not believe that he was being threatened by this little girl, who was so much younger than him.
Huang Jiajia stared at Qin Guan as she walked behind him. She was drooling as she watched him walk fast with his long legs. Wiping her mouth, she said, "What's the hurry? Let's take a cab."
Confused, Qin Guan turned back to her and asked, "Doesn't your classmate live nearby? Why take a cab?"
Haung Jiajia looked proud of herself as she replied, "Oh, Li Lin's parents are traveling abroad. Her cousin answered the phone. I've promised to go to Landai Club tonight with the girls. Come on, don't be stupid. Let's go!"
Qin Guan did not come to his senses until he was inside the cab. Why am I taking her to Landai Club? I could have gone back to my dorm!
Huang Jiajia took no notice of his facial expressions. She took out her compact mirror from her handbag and made her eye circles even darker.
The little yellow cab drove for over 20 minutes before they arrived at Landai Club.
Landai Club was one of the most famous clubs in Beijing between 1997 and 2003. It was close to the Beijing Film Academy, so it was always packed with people at night.
Every Saturday, women would come to the club and have fun for free. That night, a small dance band had been invited to perform an opening show, giving even more life to the small club.
As they got off the cab, Qin Guan and Huang Jiajia saw two girls in the distance wearing even heavier makeup than Huang Jiajia. The three girls got together and hugged, chatting and laughing excitedly. The girl named Li Lin even came over and said hello to him.
Qin Guan felt great pressure being surrounded by these fashionably dressed-up girls. In his past life, he had always dressed simply. It was cool in October, and he was wearing blue jeans and a pair of brown leather shoes made of sheep skin. He felt like a square peg in a round hole around those girls.
Qin Guan decided to seize the opportunity and get away. He was about to turn around when Huang Jiajia dragged him closer and said, "Come have fun with us!"
Qin Guan frowned. He took on a serious tone as he told Huang Jiajia, "I only promised you one thing, and I kept that promise. Take care of yourself. I gotta go."
Huang Jiajia wanted to add something, when she realized that her friends were being harassed by some strange guys.
Since ancient times, there had been a lot of terms referring to guys flirting with girls. In some areas, it was called chasing girls, while in other places they called it picking up hot chicks. In Beijing, people would call it courting.
Clubs were usually filled with both good and bad people, and they were the perfect place for people with excessive hormones, who did not know what to do with them. People went there to have fun, court girls, or get into a fight, which was pretty common for people in clubs.
Qin Guan knew that he could not just pretend he hadn't seen anything and leave. He walked up to those guys and stood in front of Li Lin, facing them as he said, "Lin Lin, your dad has asked you to get back home."
The guys left the girls alone. After all, the girls were too young for them, and they seemed like good students, despite the fact that they were dressed attractively.
The guys laughed and walked away. The girls were too young to protect themselves, and Qin Guan was worried about them. Fine. I'll stay with them, just in case.
Fun time started at 8 p.m. The moment the doors opened, the ladies in the two queues all swarmed in for a warm-up dance. Huang Jiajia and the other two girls did not move. They were still waiting for Qin Guan by the counter.
By the time Qin Guan had forced his way through the crowd, almost all the ladies had already gone into the club. Tickets to Landai Club were not expensive. The price from Monday to Friday was 10 yuan per person, and on the weekends it was 15 yuan.
Qin Guan escorted the girls into the club. The atmosphere inside was really different from outside. The club was like a big melting pot full of hormones. In the dim, flickering lights, men and women jostled against each other, the hot dancing on the stage making everyone restless.
Before Qin Guan could stop them, Huang Jiajia and the other two girls had pushed their way to the center of the club joyfully.
The club was playing Captain Jack-Sir Yes Sir, a popular song in 1996, and everyone was shaking their heads and butts crazily on the dancing floor.
Qin Guan got out of the crowd and took a seat by the bar. He turned to a waiter and said, " A Corona, please."
The waiter served him his beer. Qin Guan took a sip, and leaned against the counter as he watched the people dancing in front of him.
He was about to take a second sip when two girls sat down next to him. They both had red lips and were wearing leather skirts. They were not wearing any silk stockings, and their high heels swayed slightly with their legs.
The girls tugged at Qin Guan's shirt and drew circles on his chest with their fingers. One of the girls pouted at him. "You here alone, hottie?"
Qin Guan gently pushed them away as he looked towards the dance floor. Then he smiled and told them, "No, I have a girlfriend."
Upon hearing that, the two girls immediately stopped flirting with him. They just gave him a charming smile and walked away.
Yes, local girls were indeed straightforward.
There were two more stages by the side of the club, which had been prepared for the big show at midnight. The dancers on the stage had been invited from dance clubs, or were students of the Beijing Dance Academy who were working part-time jobs at the club.
A couple was currently standing on the stage, dancing to the music. Their every move showed their bare desire. It was like all their cells were urging people, Follow us! Let's dance!
Qin Guan stared at the stage. His amazing memory helped him memorize every move of the leading dancer. He took a glance around the whole club and kept everyone's moves in mind.
With so many people dancing, the club was getting even warmer than usual. Qin Guan felt a wave of heat, and undid a button on his shirt. Suddenly, he saw Huang Jiajia quarreling with the others.
Qin Guan let out a sigh. Fretted, he scratched his head and forced his way through to her.
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Chapter 12: The Dance Competition and The Fight
Translator: May Wiggins Editor: Efydatia
Huang Jiajia and her two friends looked like angry crickets as they quarreled with a little girl. The little girl, who was glaring at them, seemed much weaker than Huang Jiajia without a man by her side.
The girl was pointing at Huang Jiajia and shouting, "I did step on you! So what?"
Huang Jiajia's face was red. She looked completely pissed off, and she refused to back down. "You should apologize! You stepped on me three times, b*tch!"
A man behind the girl stepped forward. He moved away the girl's finger and winked at Huang Jiajia, acting as a peacemaker. "Let it go. It's no big deal, right? Why bother fighting about it?"
The girl got even more furious when she saw her boyfriend wink at Huang Jiajia. "I picked a fight for you, you bastard! Your eyes have been all over this b*tch ever since you saw her! You even moved closer to her while you were dancing. How do you expect me to let it go?"
As he watched the girl glare at Hunag Jiajia, Qin Guan realized it was jealousy that had led to the fight. He dragged Huang Jiajia behind his back to get her away from the girl.
The girl rolled up her sleeves. She had been about to pull Huang Jiajia's hair when she saw Qin Guan step in between them. Confused, she raised her head. All of a sudden, her arm paused in mid-air. She looked dumbfounded. The surrounding spectators had also gone silent.
At the time, fighting was not a rare occurrence at clubs. Everyone loved to watch people fight. Whenever there was a fight, everyone would stop dancing just to watch.
All the boys were thinking to themselves, "Who sold this guy a ticket and let him in? Have you seen his looks and figure? How can I compete against him? Sh*t!"
The girls, on the other hand, were thinking, "Hey, hottie! Look at me! I'm much hotter than that little girl behind you. I have plump breasts and a slim waist. I can give you everything that you want."
The security at the club stayed out of the fight. As long as there was no real fighting inside the club, they did not give a damn.
Noticing that Qin Guan had attracted so much attention, the peacemaking man got jealous. He could not wait to vent his pent-up frustration. The man, whose nickname was Little Charmer, was quite well-known at the Landai Club. His good looks and bad-boy attitude made him really popular among the girls. This time though, Qin Guan had stolen his thunder.
Little Charmer could not tolerate that. He looked at Qin Guan, who was obviously feeling out of place at the club, and said in an irritated tone, "We're all here to dance. Just forget about it, it's no big deal." It seemed that Little Charmer had totally forgotten about his initial intention to flirt with Huang Jiajia.
Qin Guan was about to answer when Huang Jiajia could not help yelling, "What if I stepped on you? Would you be fine with that?" Realizing that Huang Jiajia was not as weak as he had thought, Little Charmer got excited.
Fighting between Beijingers was a lot of fun. People usually made an appointment with their opponents and spoke out their names respectively before the fight started. During a small-scale fight, if one party tried to make peace and the other party agreed, they would compromise and the fight would end. If the other party refused to do that though, then fighting would be inevitable.
Little Charmer told Qin Guan enthusiastically, "Damn, she's not backing down! Fine, I won't take advantage of you. Since we can't fight here, let's have a dance competition."
As a frequent dancer at the club, Little Charmer knew that Qin Guan was not a regular there. He was pretty confident that he could win. He was actually planning on humiliating Qin Guan with his dancing abilities.
Some spectators were jeering at Little Charmer while others looked jealous of him. They were all urging him on, "Go! Be a man! Don't be afraid!"
As she saw the eager crowd, Huang Jiajia felt a little worried. She tagged at Qin Guan's sleeve and whispered, "Let it go, Qin Guan. You can't win."
Qin Guan did not answer. He undid another button on his shirt, rolled up his sleeves, and asked Little Charmer, "Who goes first?"
Little Charmer was stupefied. After a while, he pouted at Qin Guan and then looked at the two stages. "Together," he replied. "Are you okay with that?"
Having watched the scene, the club manager played a faster song and the leading dancer walked down from the stage.
Qin Guan and Little Charmer walked to each of the two stages. The spectators shouted, "Let's dance!" and started dancing to the song.
Little Charmer joined the crowd, starting to dance right away. To be frank, he was a very good dancer. The crowd shouted "Bravo" at him repeatedly.
Qin Guan was taking his time. He took out a fluorescent spray from Huang Jiajia's handbag and sprayed some to his front and back. Suddenly, his perfect figure shined under the dim lights, making up for his simple outfit.
Qin Guan put down the spray. He had not even started dancing yet, but all the girls had already surrounded his stage and were screaming over his attractive body.
The first part of the song was finished, and the second part began. Qin Guan started to dance. He raised his hands up and snapped his fingers. His hips moved, and his shoulders, legs and feet followed. One move after the other, Qin Guan danced faster and faster to the song.
The crowd went crazy in an instant. Everyone started screaming. In the dim yellow light, all everyone could see Qin Quan's fluorescent body dancing to the rhythm.
Qin Guan was just as good as Little Charmer. His various moves coordinated perfectly with the music.
Anyone could tell who was the better dancer. Qin Guan danced as gracefully as a knight while Little Charmer danced like a mad idiot.
As he saw Qin Guan's beautiful moves, Little Charmer stopped dancing. Gnashing his teeth, he walked down from the stage and dragged his girlfriend behind him as he exited the club.
Qin Guan went on dancing until the song ended. His forehead was wet with sweat. "Bravo!" he heard the crowd shouting. Satisfied, he walked down from the stage and went up to the bar to have a mouthful of cold beer.
Qin Guan sat down by the counter to take a break. He had experienced the preciousness of youth during that hot dance and he knew that this lifestyle was not for him, although he did enjoy it occasionally.
As he rested, the manager played a slow song. The people who had not been satisfied by the former hot dance started to dance cheek-to-cheek with their partners.
After dancing to their heart's content, Huang Jiajia and the other two girls walked up to Qin Guan and asked for three cans of cola. Qin Guan took a look at his watch and realized that it was already 10 p.m. "It's too late," he told Huang Jiajia. "Let's call it a day, alright?" Before Huang Jiajia could protest, Qin Guan went on to say, "May I dance with you? We need to talk."
Realizing that Qin Guan was serious, Huang Jiajia nodded and walked to the dance floor with him.
Qin Guan put his hands on Huang Jiajia's waist and asked her to follow his lead. While they danced, he said, "Is there something you want to say to me?"
Huang Jiajia looked at Qin Guan innocently. "Oh, you mean about tonight? Wow, you were just amazing!"
Qin Guan slowly said to her, "You're still a high school student. I really hope that you won't come here anymore."
Huang Jiajia did not answer. She wanted to move closer to Qin Guan, but he pulled a dance move to avoid her.
"If you keep fooling around, then I think my job as a tutor is done. Now you have to go back home," Qin Guan said. Huang Jiajia had not had enough time to figure out what was going on when Qin Guan dragged her off the dance floor and told the other two girls, "It's getting late, I have to go. Let's call it a day. You have to take Huang Jiajia home."
The three girls were terrified of Qin Guan. They just nodded and walked out of the club with him. Qin Guan walked them to the street, intending to get a cab to take them home.
As they were waiting for the cab, a group of people suddenly came over. Qin Guan saw Little Charmer walking in front. He had been waiting for Qin Guan outside for a long time. After being humiliated that night, he had called in all his friends in the area to teach Qin Guan a lesson.
Qin Guan and the girls were led into a small alley near the club, where a man was squatting down on the ground smoking.
When they entered the alley, Little Charmer's friends gathered behind him. The girls were too frightened to say anything. They dragged at Qin Guan's sleeves as they looked at the guys in front of them.
Qin Guan did not panic. If these people had been from Northwest China, he would have already fled with the girls, but since they were just Beijingers, he thought he could give it a shot.
Little Charmer stared at Qin Guan and yelled at him arrogantly, "You bastard! You kept me waiting for a long time!"
Qin Guan sighed deeply with a straight face before he said, "In accordance with Act 160 of the Criminal Law of 1979, anyone who gathers a crowd with the intention of fighting, picks up a fight, insults women, or carries out any other immoral activities that disrupt public order, shall be convicted to fixed-term imprisonment of no more than seven years, be arrested, or be put under surveillance." He panted for breath as he added, "Chasing, intercepting, abusing or threatening other people is considered equal to picking a fight."
Little Charmer looked at Qin Guan as if he was dumb. "You idiot! You…" Before he could finish his words, the man smoking in the alley started choking from laughter.
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Chapter 13: A Fight Between Rough Men
Translator: May Wiggins Editor: Efydatia
The man stood up and blew a smoke ring before he came over and asked Little Charmer, "Who is this guy? This is getting interesting. He's talking about laws with you guys!"
Qin Guan did not take the man's sneering seriously. He just went on, "I don't know what's on your mind. You think this petty thing humiliated you, so you wanna punish me? You dare not kill me. You're all locals, so you must know that the police knows you quite well. If I end up in the hospital because of you, you'll be sent to jail. If don't though, you won't be satisfied. So why don't we fight?
The smoking man was stupefied. Qin Guan went on to say, "A man must bear the consequences of his own actions. I'm alone, yet you ask others for help. Is that because you're too weak, or because you want others to commit your own crimes for you?"
Hearing that, Little Charmer got a little worried. He turned to the smoking man and said, "Boss, back me up. This guy is talking nonsense."
The smoking man threw his cigarette butt to the ground and snuffed it out with his shoe. Then he turned to Little Charmer and said, "Since it's no big deal, we'll stay here and cheer for you. You need to settle this on your own, though."
This was how Beijingers acted. They were well-educated and stood by their own principles.
The man's words instantly eased Qin Guan's nervousness. He had guessed right. In his past life, he had known a labor contractor from Beijing, who had been a well-known local boss. He had told Qin Guan over dinner once that Beijingers had their own principles. After a fight, you could even chat with your opponent and become friends with him, as long as your differences were not irreconcilable.
Qin Guan waved at Huang Jiajia, suggesting that the girls back off. Little Charmer took off his jacket and revealed his muscles.
The two young men started fighting in the middle of the alley. Qin Guan had never fought with anyone in his past life. Although he was stronger now thanks to his frequent exercising, he was still at a disadvantage because he had no fighting experience.
Little Charmer launched three punches, and the third one hit the corner of Qin Guan's mouth. His lips started bleeding, the blood dropping to the ground along the corner. The girls covered their mouths with their hands. They dared not scream, in case Qin Guan got distracted. They had already come to know the consequences of their behavior.
Qin Guan was in a daze for a bit. He dodged another punch heading for him and puckered his lips, feeling a bloody smell rushed into his mouth.
Irritated by the smell, Qin Guan went back to his sloppy style. "Results are everything. Graceful fighting is nonsense!" Suddenly, Qin Guan became violent. He rushed up to Little Charmer and clutched him by the shoulders, inertia causing both of them to tumble to the ground.
The smoking man was about to light a cigar when he saw Qin Guan's move and unconsciously pressed the lighter into his hands. The flame jumped up and almost burned his hair. He hastened to move the lighter away and press it again. After lighting his cigar, he turned his head and saw the two young men clutching at each other hard and rolling about in the small alley.
The alley was still an alley though, so they kept bumping against the walls on each side all the time.
Watching the two young men rolling about on the ground like flipping pancakes, Huang Jiajia could not help laughing out loud, despite the fact that there were still tears in her eyes.
Qin Guan became desperate. His eyes flashed red as he decided to maintain his good image. He gave Little Charmer a kick, and Little Charmer kicked him back.
By the time Qin Guan had narrowly gained control over Little Charmer, both their clothes were wet with sweat and mud. They made for a very funny scene.
The smoking man laughed out loud and patted Qin Guan on the back. "Hey, buddy. For my sake, let Little Charmer go. From now on, I promise you that Little Charmer will not cause you any trouble. If you're in the area and you get into trouble, call me and I'll help you."
Qin Guan agreed. He loosened his hands and rose to his feet. As he dusted himself off, he said, "Alright. You're a Boss, right? Actually, it was no big deal. We can just let it go."
The Boss, whose name was Bu Qinglu, was delighted by the respect Qin Guan had showed him. He patted Qin Guan's shoulder once again and said, "Okay. Next time you come here, it's my treat." Then he asked his friends to take away Little Charmer, who had been pretending to be dead on the ground.
Qin Guan led the girls out of the alley without saying a word.
Huang Jiajia pursed her lips. Qin Guan's fair skin had turned black and blue, and there were still bloodstains on the corner of his mouth. Seeing her handsome, gentle tutor get so rough, she suddenly felt that what she had longed for had been worthless. She felt a little lost. She was somehow afraid that Qin Guan would not want to tutor her or see her anymore.
As she thought of that, Huang Jiajia anxiously tugged at Qin Guan's shirt and whispered, "To be honest, clubbing is boring. I'll be a good student from now on. Will you still tutor me?"
Qin Guan felt relieved. Huang Jiajia's smokey-eye makeup had been ruined by her tears, but he tried to keep a straight face as he said, "Alright, but it will depend on your performance. It's too late today. You girls go back home and we'll talk about it next time."
The girls looked at Qin Guan and nodded like chickens. Then they took a cab and headed back home.
When the girls had left, Qin Guan could no longer put up a brave front. He grimaced in pain and flipped the dust off his body. "Jesus, it hurts so much. And they say a punch won't make you feel anything. Liars!"
The next morning, Qin Guan got up from his bed in a daze. He was hurting all over his body and for the first time, he had slept in.
His roommates had already used the washroom. When they saw Qin Guan, they were all shocked. Rubbing his eyes, Qin Guan asked, "What's wrong? Why are you all looking at me like that?"
Wang Lei could not help asking, "What did you do last night? Didn't you look in the mirror when you got up?"
Qin Guan did not figure out what was happening until Liu Xiaoyang passed him a mirror from the upper bunk. Qin Guan took the mirror and had a look. Gee! He was pretty sure even his own mom would not recognize him if she'd been there.
Actually, Qin Guan had not been severely injured, but as a rookie, he had not known how to protect his face during a fight.
Little Charmer' punches had been really cunning and accurate.
The first punch had hit Qin Guan's eye, the second punch the corner of his mouth, and the third one his cheekbone. When Qin Guan had gone back to his dorm, he had already had three nasty bumps on his face. Instead of bringing down the swelling with cold compresses, Qin Guan had tumbled into bed and gone straight to sleep. As a result, the right side of his face now looked like yeast bread, and his left eye was just like a panda's.
Ye Dong, the oldest boy in the dorm, could not bear to look at Qin Guan. He got out a bottle of tincture of capsicum from the box under the bed and skillfully applied it on Qin Guan's face.
Qin Guan briefly told his roommates about the previous night.
Ye Dong and Mu Lejiang did not say anything, but Liu Xiaoyang, the youngest boy, seemed quite interested in fighting. "Gee, why didn't you ask me for help? I'm a top warrior…"
Hearing that, Ye Dong started mocking Liu Xiaoyang, "We have no such rules in my hometown. We don't ask questions, we get straight to the fighting. Asking for help! It's fighting, guys! A real fight doesn't wait."
Liu Xiaoyang replied disdainfully, "You don't get it. Rules are a must in the world of Beijing gangsters."
Ye Dong put the lid back on the bottle and yanked Liu Xiaoyang, saying, "You seem pretty excited about fighting. How many times have you fought?"
Suddenly, Liu Xiaoyang looked like a deflated rubber ball. He seemed very upset as he said, "None! They complained that I was too young. I've never gotten a chance. Plus, my mom is basically my shadow. I haven't even watched a fight!"
Mu Lejiang said nothing. He ruffled Liu Xiaoyang's hair before he walked out of the dorm.
Before everyone left, Ye Dong said, "Freshman Party is on tonight. Keep it in mind. It's in the university auditorium."
They all promised to meet there and then headed to class.
Qin Guan also went to class, despite his swelling face, which had become the talk of the town. Wang Lei, the fourth eldest boy in Qin Guan's dorm, was laughing all the way through the class. Indeed, Qin Guan's face looked nothing like his previous good looks.
The students on the right of Qin Guan could only see the malformed side of his face. The girls were feeling worried and sorry for their Prince Charming, while the boys seemed to gloating.
The students on the left of Qin Guan could see the pretty side of his face. With the dark circle around his left eye and his fair skin, he looked exactly like a giant panda, the most protected animal in China. Seeing that image, the boys and the girls on his left could not help laughing.
When the class was finally over, Qin Guan decided not to leave his dorm for the rest of the day. His roommate Wang Lei brought his food to the dorm.
When it got dark, the boys headed to the university auditorium together. No one in Qin Guan's dorm put on a performance that night. None of them had been born to be artists, but they were a good audience.
When all the seats were occupied, the curtain parted. The host and hostess showed up on the stage and gave an opening speech. Qin Guan enjoyed it very much.
There was group dancing, solo dancing, a choir, an instrumental performance, etc. Most acts had a solemn atmosphere about them. To the boys, the party seemed too boring. They could not figure out why Qin Guan had enjoyed it so much. Qin Guan, though, knew that such a solemn performance would be quite rare in the near future. The Freshman Party was sure to be full of garish acts and crazy dancers.
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Chapter 14: Eggs Laid by the Red Flag
Translator: May Wiggins Editor: Efydatia
Qin Guan's roommates did not want to keep watching the show. They were bored and wanted to leave, but suddenly they backed up when they saw several people carrying a drum kit, a keyboard and two speakers to the stage.
The performers were all well-dressed, and the lead singer was in olive green, looking like a soldier about to sing a military song.
After they tuned up, the performers played the electric guitar as an opening prelude, and the auditorium instantly became vibrant. The lead singer said, "Hello everyone! This is Eggs Laid by the Red Flag."
"The sudden opening is actually not abrupt
Now is the time and we know what to do
The red flag is still fluttering without direction
The revolution is still alive, and the old chaps are getting more active…"
The lead singer had a hoarse voice as if he'd been smoking too much. It actually made him sound like the perfect rock and roll singer.
The boys in the audience were cheering. Hands held high, they followed the rhythm and started to rock together.
Qin Guan and his roommates stood up as well. Liu Xiaoyang even jumped onto his chair. When the song was finished, the audience was fully pumped up.
Rock and roll was a code those days. Everyone had a soldier in their heart. People would fight hard for their dreams and future with indomitable will.
It had grown colder at the end of October. Qin Guan put on his jacket and set off for his first official tutoring class with Huang Jiajia. At 6:30 p.m., he showed up at the door of Huang Jiajia's home. When he walked into the house and saw Huang Jiajia sitting by her desk, he was shocked.
Her hair was not red anymore. Instead, it was black and shiny, dangling down her shoulders in two braids. She was not wearing any makeup either. This was the first time Qin Guan had seen Huang Jiajia with no makeup on. He recalled the first time he had seen her. She'd had thick eyebrows and big eyes, and her dark, dense eyelashes had looked like two tiny brushes. Her lips had been painted thick and red, making her look totally flamboyant. Yet now she was wearing a long pink T-shirt with a round collar and a pair of brown overalls. She looked like a good girl and a studious student.
Qin Guan did not say anything. Giving her an encouraging smile, he opened the textbook and started the class at an appropriate speed, "Here it means… Yes, call by value from here."
During the whole class, Huang Jiajia listened to Qin Guan carefully without any complaints.
When Qin Guan finished the class for the day, Huang Jiajia grimaced and said, "Mr. Qin, what did you think of my performance today? I'll work even harder."
Qin Guan was glad. This would help him make money much more easily. He had 4 hours of class a week and he would get paid 50 yuan per hour, so every month he would make 800 yuan just by tutoring Huang Jiajia.
Qin Guan did not show his joy. As he walked out of the house, he told Huang Jiajia, "You need to keep it up. One good performance doesn't mean anything. Perseverance is what's important." Then he closed the door and left. He was quite busy. He had a kebab appointment with Wang Lei, and the next morning they would go to the China World Mall.
Beijing had been expanding gradually with economic growth. Business areas were various systems formed amid that expansion, and Wangfujin and Xidan were among the earliest ones in Beijing. The China World Mall was an emerging, vibrant business area that had become the home of many new industries and fashionable brands, such as Motorola and IBM.
Qin Guan and Wang Lei were currently at the foot of the China World Towers, the very center of the China World Mall. The two boys had seen the ad of a company on the CUFE billboard, and that was why they had come here. The ad had been different than the rest, which was why it had aroused their interest.
Qin Guan and Wang Lei took the elevator to the consulting company on the 10th floor. The receptionist led them to a meeting room, where they saw a lot of people their age. Qin Guan believed they were also students applying for the part-time job.
When everyone was seated, a supervisor came into the room and handed out material to each of the young students.
The business of the consulting company was quite interesting. It helped retailers and traders of fast moving consumer goods find part-timers and sales promotion staff. It also did market research for some companies. This kind of business met the demands of foreign companies entering the Chinese market, thus consulting companies had become quite popular at the time. The company Qin Guan had visited was one of the oldest and the best in Beijing.
Qin Guan and Wang Lei read the material carefully. The positions included supermarket promotion specialists for sodas and snacks, and staff for a wine shop. Qin Guan noticed that these jobs were all on weekends, from 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. in the morning and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the afternoon. Wages would be paid daily in accordance with the standard rules, and the payment for the sales promotion staff was 50 yuan per day. The wine shop staff would get a daily payment of 100 yuan. Of course, those employees were required to have a good image and figure. There would also be an interview for the job.
Qin Guan pursed his lips. The wine shop staff was the highest paying position among the three, although the payment was only as much as his tutoring fees. Half a loaf of bread was better than none though after all, so he decided to go to that interview. Wang Lei asked the supervisor, and he unexpectedly got a part-time job as a telephone researcher. From that day on and every weekend, he would work in the company as a telephone salesperson.
When the two boys walked out of the meeting room, Qin Guan told Wang Lei curiously, "You have a sharp mind for business. Why are you studying accounting?"
Pushing his glasses up, Wang Lei asked back, "You are so handsome, why do you study at CUFE?"
They both laughed. They parted at the corridor when Wang Lei was taken by the supervisor to the office of the telephone sales personnel. Qin Guan and several girls were taken to another office, where the interview would take place. Qin Guan was the only boy in the group. Curious about why a boy would apply for that position, the girls chatted and laughed among themselves. Qin Guan felt helpless. "Fine, I know this is something new, but you shouldn't stare at me like I'm a monkey. Yes, I mean you. Don't point your fingers at me!"
Qin Guan was feeling quite awkward when the door suddenly opened. Three elegant interviewers took a seat at the table. Qin Guan applied for the promotion position of Grand Bateau, a kind of middle-end wine imported from France.
The promotion staff would serve the wine at exhibitions around Beijing. It was not cost-effective for exhibitors to hire professional models for the promotion, so the wine agent had come up with the idea of picking several college students for the job.
The last interviewees had not impressed the interviewers. They thought college students had no working experience and their age did not match the maturity of the wine.
The Chinese name of the wine was Longchuan. A general had made that particular wine for Napoleon, his leader during the Napoleonic Era. The wine was not expensive, but it had a dignity and elegance to it, so it was usually hard for college students with no experience to convey its connotation.
The interviewers seemed a little bored. In low spirits, they said, "Next."
It was Qin Guan's turn. When he stepped forward, the interviewers sat up instantly. Although they did not know about Qin Guan's temperament, they were all captivated by his face.
They asked him some basic questions, including his college and age, and Qin Guan took his time in answering every single one, not showing any nervousness.
The interviewers exchanged a look and told Qin Guan to move two steps forward. They noticed that he was neither overbearing nor servile. They nodded and told him, "Good. Take this blank resume, go to the third room on the left and give it to the director of the exhibition."
Qin Guan took the blank resume and bid the interviewers goodbye with a nod before pushing the door open and leaving the interview room. When he opened the door of the third room on the left, he saw a big glass wine table in the center with several goblets and two bottles of open Bateau on it.
There were already several tall fair ladies standing orderly by the desk next to the glass table. At the other end of the room, an old frowning tailor with a tape around his neck was measuring the size of a woman.
An assistant with freckles standing by the door saw Qin Guan walk into the room with a blank resume. She had a bundle of pens in her hand, and she handed one to Qin Guan. Pointing at a small round table at the corner of the room, she told him, "Yes, second round of interviews. Fill in the resume over there and then give it to me. I'll give you a number tag. Then you can go to the desk and wait for the final interview with the sales director."
Qin Guan moved the pen around in his hand. He was surprised to find that there was a third round of interviews after this one. "The final round? Why is this so complicated? It's a part-time job after all," he told the assistant.
The assistant's face turned quite serious. It seemed as if this was an important task to her as she explained to Qin Guan, "We're recruiting short-term part-timers because we don't have much time to prepare. We have no choice. Vinexpo China is next week, followed by the China International Wine and Spirits Exhibition. They're both well-known exhibitions in China. We have to take this seriously."
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Chapter 15: The Bateau Interview
Translator: May Wiggins Editor: Efydatia
Qin Guan was amused by the serious look on the assistant's face. He nodded at her and walked to the round table.
The assistant covered her flushed cheeks as she thought to herself, "This boy is so cute when he smiles. He will probably pass the interview."
Qin Guan filled in the resume carefully on the table. Although he knew that he might not match the taste of wine, he had to take the second round seriously. The assistant had told him so.
After filling in the resume, Qin Guan handed it to the assistant and got the number eight plate from her. Then he went to the desk and joined the queue.
He stood at the end of the queue, waiting quietly for his turn.
Some girls passed the interview and others failed, but those who failed did not look sad. It was probably because this was only a part-time job.
Soon, it was Qin Guan's turn. The sales director was a woman in her forties. Qin Guan smiled at her and put his plate on the table.
The sales director was surprised. She pushed up her glasses, thrilled to see a boy applying for the job. As a matter of fact, she had been a bit angry, because most interviewees had not lived up to her expectations.
Most wine customers were Chinese men, thus female shopping guides were good for wine promotion. However, recruiters should not ignore female customers or male customers with a different taste. If customers could not feel the connotation of the wine, no seductive woman could convince them to buy it.
The interview had just gotten interesting. The sales director pulled her chair forward. Taking Qin Guan's resume she said, "Qin Guan, right? Capital University of Finance and Economics. Good. I've got several questions for you. First, what do you know about wine?"
Qin Guan was a bit dumbfounded. He knew a lot about beer and spirits, because he'd drunk a lot of them when he'd been an equipment salesperson in his past life. However, he knew very little about wine. According to traditional Chinese table culture, businessmen or politicians usually ordered spirits. Wine was considered a finishing drink for a meal. Therefore, Qin Guan had never studied wine brands before. He only knew about spirits such as Maotai and Wuliangye. He had never even ordered expensive spirits at a karaoke bar, because he'd rather spend the money on gifts for his business partners instead. As for western-style restaurants and wineries, he sure knew nothing about them.
Qin Guan could only bite the bullet. He told the sales director, "I literally know nothing about wine."
The sales director looked a little disappointed. She went on to ask, "Have you ever drunk any wine before? What brand was it?"
Qin Guan felt encouraged as he thought to himself, "I can do this! I don't know much about wine, but I have drunk a lot of it." He nodded at the sales director and said, "I've drunk a lot of wine, such as Changyu, Greatwall, Bordeaux, San Pietro… I must be forgetting some."
The sales director was shocked. She reckoned Qin Guan had to be an alcoholic if he'd drunk so much wine at such a young age. She pushed up her glasses again and asked, "Since you've drunk so much wine, can you go over there and have a sip?"
Qin Guan nodded and said, "Okay." He thought this would be quite easy for him. He walked up to the big glass table, picked up a bottle of wine and pulled the cork out. Then he took a goblet and poured some.
At first, the sales director had been excited, but as she saw how Qin Guan had filled the goblet, she immediately covered her face. She could hardly bear the sight, but she had to watch Qin Guan's next step.
With a satisfied look, Qin Guan raised the goblet to his mouth. The sales director was feeling bored until she saw Qin Guan drink up the wine. Then a voice reverberated in her brain, "He drank it up in one go! Even an alcoholic would not have drunk wine like that!"
Qin Guan took a deep breath and turned to the sales director with the empty goblet in his hand.
The sales director was massaging her temples, wondering why that day's interview was not going well. When she raised her head, she saw Qin Guan standing in front of the glass table with the empty goblet. He was standing against the sunlight, and the rays of light reflected on the glass table were shining on him. The rosy wine, the crystal goblet and the amber wine bottle made the scene before her look like an elegant painting.
The sales director was dumbfounded. Qin Guan realized there was still some wine on his mouth, and he wiped it with his hand, ruining the harmonious scene.
As if waking up from a dream, the sales director coughed awkwardly. Two voices were arguing inside her brain.
One voice said, "Look at his coarse manners. He totally ruined the lingering effect of the wine," while the second one said, "You can teach him how to sip wine. The scene you just saw proves his charm. Let him pass."
The sales director thought it over for over a minute before she told Qin Guan, "You have passed the interview." Pointing at the tailor, she added, "Have your measurements taken over there. When you're done, go to the small meeting room. You'll receive a basic training there."
Qin Guan nodded and went up to the tailor. The sales director put his resume into the box tagged "Accepted" and moved on to the next interview.
The old tailor did not talk much. When he finished measuring a female model, he waved at Qin Guan, gesturing for him to come over.
Qin Guan walked up to the man and took off his jacket, leaving his weskit on.
The tailor turned a page on his little notebook and began to measure him with a tape.
Shoulder Width: 53 cm; Bust Size: 105 cm; Waist Circumference: 68 cm
Abdomen Circumference: 85 cm; Hips: 100 cm; Thighs: 49 cm
The tailor raised his eyebrows. The middle-aged man was not particularly eye-catching, but he was recognized as one of the best tailors in Beijing. He could not both design and tailor like a fashion designer, but he had made many clothes over the years for both starlets and fashion show models.
"Gee, this young man is like a hanger!"
Having not said a word for so long, the tailor finally asked, "Young man, how tall are you?"
Qin Guan was putting on his jacket when he heard the man's question. He smiled and replied, "183 cm. At least that was my height when I graduated from high school."
The tailor looked him up and down before he said, "You must be taller than that. Go measure your height over there."
Qin Guan looked at the direction the man was pointing at. There was a ruler for height measurement there. He nodded at the tailor, "Okay."
Qin Guan stood straight against the wall as the tailor moved close to the ruler, standing up on a stool. He pressed down Qin Guan's hair and read the ruler carefully, "As I said, you're taller than that." He patted Qin Guan on the shoulder as he said, "Good. You're 185 cm, not 183. You've grown taller."
Qin Guan did not know why the tailor had asked him to measure his height. He nodded at the man and wrote down his name and cellphone number on the small notebook just like he was told.
Looking at Qin Guan's back, the tailor picked up his notebook, thinking to himself, "Even male models hardly ever have such a perfect figure."
Qin Guan, of course, was unaware of the tailor's thoughts. He just believed growing taller was a good thing. In his past life, he'd also been strong and brave, but he had not been tall enough. His muscles had made him look short.
Qin Guan opened the door and walked into the meeting room. There were already three girls waiting inside. The girls went dumb when they saw that it was a boy coming in. When they recovered, they started chatting and laughing merrily.
A member of the training department was pouring wine into glasses at the table and giving each interviewee one glass. Qin Guan and the girls waited for a while, but nobody else come in. The woman from the training department clapped her hands and said, "Today you will be trained here. I'll give you a fast training course. Each of you will get material about this brand after the training. You can read it at home to get the general idea." She picked up a glass of wine and moved it under the light as she said, "During the exhibition, you can't wear perfume or cosmetics with a strong smell. You aren't allowed to smoke either. Now let's move on to the wine-tasting. Step one, observe the color and luster. If turbidity, sediment or suspended solids are found, the wine is disqualified. Of course, no such thing will be found on the wine at the exhibition."
"Step two, smell the fragrance. Pick up your glass and move it three centimeters away from your nose. Breathe in its smell through your nostrils. Remember, don't exhale. Just inhale the wine. Don't do it for too long, though. If you can't distinguish the smell, shake the glass and smell it again." The trainer shook her glass lightly.
Qin Guan used his amazing memory again, keeping every instruction of the trainer in his mind.
"Step three, taste the wine. Wine has five different tastes: sour, sweet, bitter, spicy and puckery. When you taste it, take a sip of about five milliliters. As staff, you need to experience the whole tasting process for your customers. You can also guide the customers on how to have a taste themselves."
The trainer poured wine into a glass and held the base of her glass with her thumb, index finger and middle finger. Tilting the glass away from her at a 45-degree angle, she shook the glass in her hand and moved it in a circle parallel to the table.
Then she added, "You can move it clockwise or anticlockwise as you like." Qin Guan saw the wine leave several traces on the inner wall of the glass after being shaken.
The trainer moved the glass to her nose and smelled it near the rim before taking a sip. She kept the wine in her mouth, tasting it repeatedly as if she was chewing on it so the fragrance could diffuse in her mouth. After going through all the steps, she finally swallowed the wine.
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Chapter 16: Big Plate Chicken at the China World Mall
Translator: May Wiggins Editor: Efydatia
Qin Guan had just realized how he had behaved at the interview. He still preferred his old ways and believed such a process was too complex, but luckily, he had already memorized the three steps, so there was no need for him to worry.
The trainer finished the demonstration by saying, "Tasting wine is just like tasting a cup of tea. Some things can be ignored, but the right mood has to be maintained. You're not cattle drinking water from a ditch after all."
The trainer's words had struck Qin Guan. Taking the material, he walked out of the meeting room in dismay.
When Qin Guan and the girls walked out, the assistant gave each of them a small note. The assembly location and meeting time were both written on it.
Qin Guan folded the note and went to see Wang Lei. When he reached Wang Lei's office, he saw a pile of questionnaires on the table in front of his roommate. Qin Guan picked one up from the table and asked in an exaggerating tone, "You did all these this morning?"
Wang Lei hang up and answered inadvertently, "Yep! I'll get paid depending on how many I complete. This job suits me well!"
Wang Lei wanted to make hay while the sun shined, so Qin Guan had to go back on his own. Taking a look at his watch, Qin Guan dragged Wang Lei off to have lunch with him.
At the time, the China World Mall was one big construction site. Foundations were being dug and new buildings were being constructed, dust swirling in the air all around the Mall.
The two boys believed that western-style food required complex table manners, and a buffet at a hotel was too expensive. There were very few dining choices for them.
Qin Guan knew from his past life that there was a snack street in the area. He led Wang Lei to a small alley which had not been torn down yet, and pointed at the restaurants there. Like a rich man, he said, "What do you wanna eat? Pick anything you like. It's my treat!"
Wang Lei did not pretend to be courteous. Seeing so many restaurants there, Chongqing delicacies, Shaxian delicacies and Lanzhou hand-pulled noodles included, he pursed his lips. He knew the food there would be very cheap.
Finally, the two boys decided to eat at a Xinjiang restaurant. After they got their seats, they asked for a Big Plate Chicken, two baked Xinjiang pancakes and a bowl of Shanxi Torn Noodles.
When the Big Plate Chicken was served, the two boys found that it was worth its money. It was a huge round plate with a thick layer of snow-white Shanxi Torn Noodles covered in sauce-dipped chicken, potatoes, onions and green peppers, served with red chili and numbing Sichuan peppers. The dish really aroused their appetite.
Holding the baked Xinjiang pancakes in their hands, they started gorging themselves on the Big Plate Chicken.
When the check came, it was only 32 yuan. Qin Guan wiped his mouth and bid Wang Lei farewell before he headed back to school.
In the evening, he went to Huang Jiajia's house for their lesson. Lest the exhibition made him late for his tutoring, he asked for a day off and told her next week's class would be postponed.
Huang Jiajia was curious, and she asked Qin Guan why he was putting off their lesson. Qin Guan did not intend to keep his part-time job a secret, so he told her all about it.
Huang Jiajia said she fully supported her teacher in his part-time job. She said postponing the class was totally fine with her, and Qin Guan did not need to worry about her studying. Qin Guan expressed his deep gratitude for Huang Jiajia's support.
The class ended in a friendly atmosphere, but Qin Guan did not know that as soon as he left, Huang Jiajia started giggling like a little fox who'd just stolen a chicken.
Back at his dorm, Qin Guan called Cong Nianwei and told her about his part-time job next week. He sincerely asked for a day off and apologized for not being able to see her at Tsinghua University.
Cong Nianwei did not complain on the phone, which upset Qin Guan a lot.
The next day, while Qin Guan was in class, his phone vibrated. He took a look at the number and decided to reject the call. When the class was over, he called the number back. The receptionist on the phone gave Qin Guan an address in her sweet voice and told him to try on the clothes on site.
Qin Guan wrote down the address and checked what classes he had in the afternoon. He had enough time, so he decided to go there after his classes were over.
During his afternoon class, Qin Guan kept wondering how the clothes had been made so fast. He had just had his measurements taken a day ago after all.
As soon as the class was over, Qin Guan hurried to the address he'd been given.
At 5 p.m., Qin Guan pushed open the glass door of a clothes customizing shop at Xidan. The receptionist took him to the tailoring room. He had come so late that he was the only one there.
The tailor was busy with his molds when he saw Qin Guan come in. He nodded at him, suggesting that Qin Guan to go to the fitting room and put on the suit provided by the wine trader for the exhibition.
Qin Guan took the standard, dark grey, three-piece suit and a white shirt with the label still on. He walked into the fitting room and took all his clothes off except his underpants before he put the suit on.
The suit looked good. There was no brand mark on it or on the white shirt provided by the exhibitor. The shirt looked brand new, as of it had been bought for an emergency.
Qin Guan buttoned it up and put on the suit jacket casually before he walked out of the fitting room.
The tailor was busy with his work. He pointed at a mirror without even taking a look at Qin Guan, and said, "Go to the dressing mirror and have a look. Tell me if you have any questions."
Qin Guan went to the dressing mirror as he was told. Looking into the mirror, he was a little bemused. He had seen himself in a mirror many times, but he still felt like a star every single time. It seemed that he had just been born handsome.
This was not his own narcissism speaking. The tailor, who had been staring at him, also seemed speechless. He wanted to see how Qin Guan looked so he could do tailor some clothes for him.
The exhibitor had borrowed the suit from a renting store. It was an ordinary Givenchy, neither independently designed nor made by specially-assigned manufacturers. Still, this suit cost about 25,000 yuan.
Bateau was a middle-end brand of wine, but it enjoyed a high recognition worldwide.
The two brands were both from France, so the Givenchy dealer had agreed to lend the suit to the exhibitor for free.
The tailor thought the suit fit Qin Guan really well. He wanted to make the pant legs a little narrower so Qin Guan would look even more sexy, but considering that simplicity, freshness, decency, and toughness combined with softness were the philosophy of Givenchy, he gave up on the idea.
The tailor did not talk much about the suit. He just asked the assistant at the reception desk to cover the suit and wrapped up the fitting process.
When everyone had left the store, the tailor opened his notebook to the place where Qin Guan's measurements were written and read it carefully. Then he picked up the phone from the table and made a call.
The call got through, and the tailor calmly said, "Hello, is that Xue Wanyi? I'm Old Liu. I'd like to recommend a model to you. No, not from a model agency. He's a student doing a part-time job here… Let me tell you more about him…"
They spoke on the phone for over five minutes before hanging up. Old Liu tapped the notebook in his hand and smiled. "Now it's up to you, young man."
On the day of the exhibition, Qin Guan got up very early and for the first time in his life, he showed off shamelessly in front of the mirror.
His roommates also washed and got ready to go to the exhibition to support Qin Guan on his new job. Wang Lei would only go for a while at noon though, because he had a part-time job as well.
Qin Guan could not stop them from coming along, but he knew exactly what was on their minds. They were not going to the exhibition to support him, but to see the female staff working with him.
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Chapter 17: Vinexpo China
Translator: May Wiggins Editor: Efydatia
The International Convention Center (ICC) enjoyed a very good location. People could access it very easily. The moment Qin Guan and his roommates got off the train, they saw the center bustling with people.
The exhibition had not begun, so most people were staff of wine manufacturers. With the small note in hand, Qin Guan found the assembling place. His roommates followed him, and suddenly stopped blinking.
Besides the three girls that had been there on training day, the wine dealer had hired two more female models from a model agency. Seeing their long beautiful legs, Qin Guan's roommates could not help but drool.
The director of the part-timers handed out an exhibition program to all the female models and gave everyone a few additional tickets.
After giving the tickets to his roommates and telling them not to cause any trouble, Qin Guan followed the director to the exhibition hall.
It was still early, so the exhibition was only open to staff. They all fetched their clothes from the director and went to the staff room to change. Qin Guan was the only boy there. By the time he got changed, all the girls had taken their places.
The director saw Qin Guan wearing the suit and walking out of the fitting room towards the exhibition stand. He looked like a royal boy from Europe, vividly conveying elegance.
He waved to Qin Guan and asked him to come over to the wine cabinet at the hall center, where a swivel chair, a wooden wine rack and several goblets could be seen, creating an appropriate wine-tasting atmosphere.
Each member of the wine-tasting staff held a wine plate, on which several refined glasses had been put, waiting to pour wine into. They held the glasses close to their chests, arms or thighs and walked around the hall. If they saw anyone who seemed interested, they would get them a drink and lead them to the booth.
Both wine and spirits were exhibited at Vinexpo China. The major goal of the exhibitors was to attract distributors and agents across China.
The exhibition opened at 9 a.m. and all exhibitors were ready to promote their brands.
If one passed the rotating ticket office at the entrance and walked through the square, they could see the central hall of ICC in the very middle. As distributors and agents from all over China entered the hall, a silent war started.
Everyone was dazzled by the bright lights, colorful backgrounds, crystal wine glasses, the staff walking back and forth, and the graceful or bold music playing.
The Bateau marketing man was embattled. He had a stack of leaflets in hand, and gave one to each potential customer. Five members of the wine-tasting staff had suffered yawl scratches to their thighs. Holding their wine plates in hand, they walked to different aisles in stilettos.
Qin Guan's roommates approached his stand as soon as they entered the hall. They pretended to care and suggested that they have lunch together right before disappearing into the crowd.
Qin Guan straightened his collar in an effort to get more comfortable. The exhibition lights shined down on the wine cabinet, creating a beautiful image. It was too warm for him, though.
Looking at the three-piece suit he was wearing and the cheongsam of the girls, Qin Guan could only sigh.
Lots of visitors had entered the hall by 9.30 a.m, and many agents were standing in front of the booths, staring at the brands that interested them. If they wanted to know more, they would take a seat and talk about the details with the marketing personnel.
The Bateau booth enjoyed a good location that attracted a lot of wine distributors to have a look.
When the distributors and agents came close, they saw a young man in a dark grey suit leaning against the wine-tasting table at the central booth. The brown wooden rack held dozens of bottles of wine, and the light reflected by the crystal glasses formed a number of halos on the young man, creating a mysterious atmosphere.
Seeing quite a few visitors approach his booth, Qin Guan immediately put on an elegant expression. Checking that Qin Guan was ready, the marketing man gestured for the visitors to look at him.
The visitors turned to the wine-tasting table where Qin Guan was leaning, thinking to themselves, "Where does this young man come from? He looks like he has very good taste. Maybe he's an old customer of Bateau invited here for the promotion?"
If Qin Guan had known what they were thinking, he would have yelled at them, "Absolutely not! It's just a part-time job, okay? A hundred yuan for the whole day!"
The marketing man was thrilled, and he started to introduce the wine to the visitors in excitement. The agents were quite satisfied. They were convinced that the wine was high quality.
After the initial communication, many distributors came to the wine rack where Qin Guan stood and tasted the wine with him before they left. Qin Guan used his amazing memory and put into practice what he had learned from his training teacher.
When the agents saw Qin Guan's smooth, graceful wine-tasting procedure, they were even more convinced that this brand was top quality.
In just one morning, five agents from different cities had signed an initial agreement with Bateau. The marketing men were all thrilled and every single one of them would come and pat Qin Guan on the shoulders as they passed by.
Qin Guan was not as excited as they were. It was too warm for him to be wearing a three-piece suit, so he decided to ask the director to allow him to at least take off the jacket.
The director thought it over. Patting Qin Guan on the shoulder, he said encouragingly, "Okay. Can you keep it on just this morning? You know, the majority of the visitors are agents from different cities, and the Givency suit can fully convey our product's philosophy. Could you please hold on for a little while?"
Qin Guan was fully aware of the director's feelings. Fortunately, it was almost noon time, so he just needed to put up with it for a short time.
The Bateau booth was quite popular that morning, but at 11:40 a.m. all the working staff could finally take turns and take a rest. Qin Guan declined the takeaway ordered by the working assistant; instead, he went out with his roommates for lunch.
Wang Lei had finished his morning work early and was waiting for them outside. The boys met, planning to glut themselves at Origus.
Why did I use the word glut, you ask? Maybe the reader needs an explanation. Origus was a quite cost-effective pizza buffet restaurant.
Students had a certain strategy when it came to glutting at ORIGUS. Before they went there, they would starve themselves until they were too weak to walk, so they'd have to walk in by supporting themselves with their hands against the wall. When they finished their meal, they would be so full that they'd also have to walk out by leaning against the wall.
Qin Guan took off his suit jacket and hang it on a hanger in the lounge. He just wore his shirt and waistcoat to lunch, because he didn't want to stand out too much.
In order to celebrate his success at his part-time job, Qin Guan announced that he would get the check. The boys discarded all courtesy and went in first. The meal cost Qin Guan 168 yuan altogether. "Gee, this is cheap!" he thought. When he gave the receipt to the waiter, he saw that all his roommates had already started helping themselves. He took a seat, watching each of the boys holding a plate and stacking food on it. When they came back to the table, Qin Guan saw New Orleans roast chicken wings, roast drumsticks, barbecued pork and pork ribs seasoned with minced garlic on their plates.
He told the boys calmly, "Can you please have some veggies?" They all answered, "How can we satisfy our appetite with veggies?"
Qin Guan pursed his lips. It occurred to him that at the time, people did not know how to eat healthily. He could only fetch a plate for food and get himself a cup of juice.
When he went back to the table, the chicken wings that had been piled up like mountains had all become chicken bones. As Qin Guan picked up a slice of pizza, he saw his roommates bring a second plate to the table.
Qin Guan looked around and noticed that the waiter's face had turned quite stern. He could do nothing but give them an awkward smile. In the blink of an eye, the boys had already brought a case of beer over and started their third round of eating.
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Chapter 18: Huang Jiajia Vs. Cong Nianwei
Translator: May Wiggins Editor: Efydatia
Qin Guan and Liu Xiaoyang held a chicken wing in one hand and a cup of juice in the other as they watched their roommates wine and dine. The two boys were thinking to themselves, "Drink as much as you like. You'll finally make yourselves suffer."
It had only been half an hour since the boys had started eating, but the waitress had already cleaned the table twice. Feeling his stomach, Qin Guan stopped eating.
Mu Lejiang was surprised to find that Qin Guan had not eaten that much. With a toothpick in his mouth, he said, "Come on, man!"
Qin Guan answered helplessly, "I'd love to, but look at me! I can't eat too much."
The boys took a glance at Qin Guan's tight suit and waistcoat. They imagined how he would look if he got full. They all shook their heads and said, "You're right, you can't."
Qin Guan looked at his watch and decided to go back to the exhibition hall. He could not just sit there and watch the boys eat, so he bid them goodbye and went back. When he got to the hall, he did not put the suit jacket on again. The lights inside were so many that the temperature was up by 2-3 degrees Celsius because of the heat they generated.
Qin Guan undid two buttons at the top of his shirt and rolled up his sleeves. When the director passed by and took a look at him, he nodded at the boy in satisfaction.
Qin Guan did not know why the director had nodded at him until the afternoon session began. There weren't just distributors and agents from all over the country. Wine and spirit collectors, bar owners and wine shoppers had also come to the exhibition. Even some citizens and media representatives had come to experience the foreign wine culture.
Qin Guan relaxed. The director had gotten him a fashion magazine to read so he could recreate a casual style.
Qin Guan took a seat on the high chair in a relaxed mood. From time to time, he would fill a glass and sip a little wine, enjoying his leisure time. All the other staff were glaring at him.
Before Qin Guan could enjoy it to his heart's content though, he heard a voice from behind him, "Mr. Qin! You're here! I found you!"
Qin Guan turned his head. "Gosh! What is she doing here?" It was Huang Jiajia.
Qin Guan was surprised. "How did you know I'd be here?" he asked.
Huang Jiajia looked at Qin Guan proudly and replied, "You told me you had a part-time job last time and would have to put off our class. I checked online and noticed that the only exhibition today was in ICC. That's why I came here. I made it!" Huang Jiajia fanned herself with her hands. "Gee! It's too warm in here. I'll wait for you so we can go back together, Mr. Qin."
Qin Guan immediately put his hands together, raised them up and bowed. "Oh, my God! I'm begging you to go back home. Please don't cause any trouble here."
Haung Jiajia looked upset as she said, "Why would I cause trouble? I'll be a good girl, I promise. I just wanna wait for you here."
As Qin Guan and Huang Jiajia were talking beside the booth, another voice rang out from behind them, "Qin Guan, what are you doing here?"
Qin Guan turned around. "Oh, my God! It's Cong Nianwei!"
Right away, he put his hands down and pretended to clean his shirt. He patted himself off and smirked. "Cong Nianwei! What are you doing here?"
Cong Nianwei took a look at Qin Guan and the girl behind him, who was glaring at her.
"I came to greet my high school classmate who works here. Is it a bad time?"
"No, of course not. I was just surprised is all."
Cong Nianwei did not answer right away. She gave him a gentle smile before she said, "So why are you talking instead of working? Is this your new friend? Why don't you introduce us?"
Qin Guan was charmed by Cong Nianwei's gentle smile. He stared at Cong Nianwei as he shook his head. "Oh, no. She's my student. I asked her to go back home."
Suddenly, Huang Jiajia popped out from behind him. "I'm Mr. Qin's student. Who are you?" She was upset by Cong Nianwei's appearance, which had interrupted her conversation with Qin Guan. She felt that Qin Guan's silliness was offending, so she decided to have a talk with this girl.
Noticing that it was a little girl, Cong Nianwei was relieved. "You're Qin Guan's student, right?" she said in a soft tone. "He's told me all about you. Nice to meet you."
Huang Jiajia got even more upset. The girl before her was truly pretty. She was nothing like her. She was really intelligent, gentle, and polite, while Huang Jiajia just looked like a cute girl with poor taste.
Huang Jiajia was unhappy. "Yes. I'm Mr. Qin's student. Aren't you his high school classmate?" she said impolitely. "I'm waiting for Mr. Qin so we can go back together."
Cong Nianwei said nothing. She looked at Qin Guan as if she wanted to say something to him. Qin Guan suddenly realized what was happening between the two girls. Immediately, he explained, "Huang Jiajia, this is my high school classmate and potential girlfriend. If she accepts my request, she will become your teacher's girlfriend."
Hearing this, Huang Jiajia somehow felt wronged. Tears filled her eyes, but she forced herself not to cry before Qin Guan and Cong Nianwei. Instead, she mumbled, "She hasn't answered your request, but you've been such a coward. What's so good about that?" Then she glanced at Cong Nianwei, bowed her head down, and stopped talking.
Qin Guan did not yield to the strong, but he did to the weak. The fact that Huang Jiajia was in such low spirits made him feel sorry for her.
Cong Nianwei take a look at Qin Guan and told Huang Jiajia, "Since you're here, why don't you look around until Mr. Qin can go back with you? He won't miss your class."
Haung Jiajia raised her head. She felt that Cong Nianwei's words were really offensive. As if she couldn't stay with Mr. Qin unless Cong Nianwei approved it! Huang Jiajia held her handbag so tight she almost tore it apart. "I don't need your pity!" she sobbed. "I'm going back now!" Then she walked out without even looking back.
Qin Guan gestured at Cong Nian and followed Huang Jiajia, saying, "It's better that you go back. I have work to do here. The afternoon session won't be long though, so I'll stick to my plan and won't miss the class. I promise!"
Haung Jiajia looked at Qin Guan as she laughed angrily. "Go back to your girl, you fool!" she said before she left.
Qin Guan was confused. He had not expected Haung Jiajia to scold him under the circumstances. He could not figure out why she had.
When Qin Guan returned to the booth, he found Cong Nianwei sitting on the resting chair, reading a magazine quietly.
Delighted, he sat on the chair opposite Cong Nianwei and said, "Wait a minute, I'll talk to the director and ask him to allow me to work around the hall." Then he ran to the director to negotiate with him.
It took Qin Guan quite a few minutes to persuade the director to grant his request. The director asked Qin Guan to take a pile of advertising posters and stick some brand logos on his face and chest.
After checking that the logos were easy to stick and remove, Qin Guan asked the director for a few more as souvenirs.
When he was ready, he took the posters and told Cong Nianwei, "Okay, let's take a walk around the hall." Cong Nianwei put down the magazine and walked with Qin Guan.
They walked along the aisles of the hall. Qin Guan really stood out among the rest of the staff. Even though he was holding the posters in a causal way, he attracted people like a light bulb. Anyone interested would come up to him and ask for a poster, and Qin Guan would tell them where his booth was.
After a while, Cong Nianwei told Qin Guan in an amused way, "Have you noticed it's usually mature women who ask you for a poster?"
Qin Guan looked at Cong Nianwei's shiny black hair. He felt that something was off about what she'd said. In a short time, he had already handed out all his posters. Even the sticky notes in his hands were gone. Female customers had taken them to stick them to their faces and legs.
As they walked back to the booth, the director came and patted Qin Guan's shoulder in excitement. Qin Guan was puzzled. The director said, "Qin, you did a very good job! I'll ask the cashier to give you 200 yuan."
Qin Guan looked at the director in bewilderment. The director pointed at the reception area, and Qin Guan saw some female customers who had asked for posters and sticky notes sitting there. Among the women, some were wine collectors and others were hotel managers. No matter how much the actual sale volume was, it had to be quite profitable for the exhibitor to win the approval of several luxurious hotels.
Qin Guan deserved the prize without a shadow of a doubt. The director decided to invite him more often to future exhibitions.
Qin Guan did not pretend to refuse the money. As the visitors started to leave, the exhibitors began to pack up for closing.
Taking the money from the cashier, Qin Guan held Cong Nianwei's hand and left the hall, ignoring the complaining staff.
Cong Nianwei made fun of Qin Guan, "Not bad, Qin Guan. You made a month's salary in a day." Qin Guan nodded and answered in a serious tone, "This is just the beginning. I wanna be a rich man someday."
Cong Nianwei burst into laughter. Qin Guan did not understand why she was laughing. He had not made a joke. Becoming rich was really his dream.
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Chapter 19: CET 4 and the Computer
Translator: May Wiggins Editor: Efydatia
Qin Guan and Cong Nianwei went out and got on a bus. Qin Guan felt much more relaxed in his own clothes. He decided to get off at Xizhimen and have some hand-pulled noodles with Cong Nianwei.
Soon, they arrived at a noodle restaurant. When their noodles were served, Cong Nianwei laughed at Qin Guan, "You made quite a fortune today. Noodles! Is this your treat?"
Qin Guan was really hungry, because he had not eaten much at lunch. As he was swallowing his noodles, he told Cong Nianwei, "Give it a shot. They're yummy. They taste like the noodles at the restaurant near our high school."
Qin Guan had obviously not gotten her meaning. At the time, even the author had started to worry about his EQ. No wonder he had not officially become Cong Nianwei's boyfriend.
Cong Nianwei thought Qin Guan was both cute and silly. She picked up some noodles and found that they were truly yummy.
The humble noodle restaurant located between used cell phone stores was inconspicuous. Despite its messy surroundings though, there were still no empty seats inside. The owner had set a table outside, but if that was also occupied, customers had to squat down and eat on the sidewalk. Some customers rode a bicycle there while others drove a car. Old customers would even get off their BMWs for a bowl of hand-pulled noodles, and squat down and eat by the roadside.
The noodles there were simple and coarse, but their taste was unforgettable. Qin Guan and Cong Nianwei stopped talking and emptied their bowls quickly. Putting down the bowls, they looked at each other and laughed out loud.
Qin Guan paid 10 yuan for the two bowls. It was cheap, but he and Cong Nianwei were fully satisfied. He saw off Cong Nianwei at the Xizhimen station, regretting that he had not gotten the chance to hold her hand.
Qin Guan was upset. He had been courting Cong Nianwei for almost a year now, but he had not won over her heart yet. Cong Nianwei would blow him off without a second thought. What was so wrong with him?
If Cong Nianwei had known what Qin Guan was thinking, she would have despised him. Ever since he had come to college, he had hardly ever called her. He even had a part-time job on the weekends. What irritated her more, was that Qin Guan had forgotten to officially confess his love for her. A girl would have to be a fool to say yes to him.
The life of a sloppy guy was always a hard one.
After his date, Qin Guan went to Huang Jiajia's home. It occurred to him that he might have pissed off the little girl earlier in the afternoon.
He went into the house nervously, but to his surprise, he found that Huang Jiajia was quite well-behaved. She studied harder than ever and voluntarily asked Qin Guan to give her more assignments so she could exercise every day.
Qin Guan was still puzzled when he went back to campus. Huang Jiajia had behaved so well that he found it hard to adapt to the change. She had neither made fun of Qin Guan, nor moved purposely closer to him. It seemed like she had totally changed.
Of course, a rough guy like Qin Guan had soon forgotten all about it, but Huang Jiajia had gone through quite an interesting transformation.
She was actually at home right that moment, throwing away her clothes. She wrapped all her fashionable clothes in a coverlet and gave them to her mother, telling her that she could either donate them or give them to others as gifts. Either way, she would never wear those clothes again.
From that day on, Huang Jiajia decided to be a good girl. She had seen Cong Nianwei and how charmed Qin Guan had been by her.
Huang Jiajia was both upset and sad. She did not know why, but she knew Mr. Qin loved Cong Nianwei. He would never love a girl like her.
She was determined to change, though. She was still in her second year of high school, so it was not too late for her. She would study really hard and get accepted into CUFE, where Qin Guan was studying. She would never wear makeup or dress up again. She wanted to be a comely girl like Cong Nianwei.
"When I get accepted into CUFE, I'll be closer to Mr. Qin than she is. I'm younger than her, so I can to wait for him to come back to me."
That poor little thing, with her full lips and enchanting eyes... Her style was the total opposite of Cong Nianwei.
Huang Jiajia was desperate. She only wanted to get closer to Mr. Qin.
Huang Jiajia's mother noticed that her little girl had given up those hideous clothes. She had also stopped dying her hair and wearing makeup. Instead, she was studying hard every day. Her mother felt both glad and relieved.
"Should I give a bonus to Mr. Qin? He did teach her well after all. Jiajia has stopped idling about. Even more surprisingly, she has started studying hard."
Time flied. Qin Guan was leading a busy life, so a month passed by quickly. Before he knew it, it was already mid-November.
His life had gotten more regular now. He had finished his two part-time jobs at the exhibition and done some odd jobs as a promoter. His tutoring schedule was as regular as it had been, but Qin Guan did not allow himself to waste any time. During the day, he had classes and recited English words. He could recite the full vocabulary of College English Test Band 4 (CET 4) from A to Z, and had already started to recite the vocabulary for CET 6.
Qin Guan's roommates wanted to sit CET 4 as early as possible. According to Qin Guan's experience, this was the best time for them to take the test. Therefore, all the boys in his dorm followed him in reciting English words.
CET 4 was in mid-December, so Qin Guan and his roommates submitted their applications in advance.
As a matter of fact, universities did not encourage students to sit the test in advance, because their passing grade was never satisfying. Qin Guan and his roommates were all top students in their classes, though.
No one studied as hard as top students in their first year of college. Ye Dong, the oldest boy in the dorm, had been studying hard in order to get elected as a member of the Students' Union, so he had never missed a class.
Qin Guan was both a top student and an enthusiastic reader. He went to every lecture and read a lot after class. Liu Xiaoyang had a high IQ, and Wang Lei studied harder than everyone.
As for Mu Lejiang and Li Jie, they maintained a good balance between studying and fun. They had never missed any of their classes in favor of having some leisure time.
Qin Guan thought that if he hadn't been reborn, he'd never have been able to catch up with the boys in his dorm.
When the boys had successfully completed their registration for CET 4, even their teachers had showed their approval.
On November 15, 1998, it was raining lightly. The breaking news in Qin Guan's dorm was that the six boys had carried in a computer. They all had chipped in and bought a computer from Zhongguancun.
Qin Guan had tried to stop the boys, but he had failed. Liu Xiaoyang had heard that Internet would soon be available in their dorm. For a gamer like Liu Xiaoyang, going to an Internet cafe on campus was too much trouble, so he had pestered everyone to buy a computer. He had paid the most because he was rich, but his roommates had also chipped in some money so they could use the computer to do research online.
When it came to computers, Qin Guan could not stop Liu Xiaoyang's craze. The young boy did not want to buy a popular brand either. Instead, he bought the most expensive one with the best gaming keyboard. There was even an extra memory bank in it.
Qin Guan really wanted to tell Liu Xiaoyang, "This computer will be outdated in a year. A memory bank's capacity is only 64 MB now. Do you know how fast computers are developing? By that time, you'll hate yourself."
Liu Xiaoyang did not care about that, though. After several rounds of selecting, he finally picked a computer that cost more than 9,000 yuan. Liu Xiaoyang paid the 9,000 and the other boys shared the rest of the cost. Liu Xiaoyang was still quite satisfied.
"Look at the mouse pad! It's limited edition!"
"Please, man. The shop owner gave it to you as a gift and told you it was limited edition. How could you even buy that?"
"Look at the laptop bag. It's free!"
"Gee, you bought a desktop! The shop owner just gave you a laptop bag so you would buy a laptop in the future!"
Ignoring Qin Guan's facial expressions, the boys excitedly carried the computer to their dorm and installed it together.
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Chapter 20: Abacus Level 5 and the First Pot of Old City
Translator: May Wiggins Editor: Efydatia
The first thing they did after the computer was on was install the games they'd gotten for free from the shopkeeper. The discs were most likely pirated ones that only cost 10 yuan each.
The games included Red Alert, Diablo, Legend of Sword and Fairy, and others. Qin Guan was very familiar with them. Even Wang Lei, the calmest boy in the dorm, was itching to play.
Qin Guan was not interested in these old games. He would rather read more in his leisure time instead. The boys were all playing the game though, and even boys from other dorms had come to take a look.
They were all watching Liu Xiaoyang play. Just watching him was exciting enough for them. They could tell how fascinating the games were.
Ever since they had bought the computer, more and more boys from other dorms would drop by and have fun in Qin Guan's dorm. Unintentionally, Qin Guan and his roommates had made more friends.
With their popularity, Ye Dong was able to apply successfully for a membership at the Students' Union and officially become a union member. He even became the leader of the freshmen.
Qin Guan had always been too handsome to have any male friends, and he had seldom talked to other boys, because they had known nothing about him. When they came to his dorm though, they found that Qin Guan was quite generous. Qin Guan made many new friends that way.
Now that he had been recognized by his male classmates, he had successfully become the Prince Charming of the freshmen. The boys had realized that they could not point fingers at anyone until they really knew them, and recognized Qin Guan for the friendly, generous boy that he was.
Playing games was not the only function of the computer, though. Qin Guan had installed an office software and urged every boy in his dorm to use it to do their bookkeeping.
Qin Guan's income from October to November was as follows.
Tutoring: ¥800 ¥500 (bonus) = ¥1,300
Part-Time Job: ¥400 (Bateau Exhibition) ¥200 (bonus) = ¥600; Pringles Promotion: ¥240; Total: ¥600 ¥240 = ¥840
Total Income: ¥1,300 ¥ 840 = ¥2140
Qin Guan had also saved 100 yuan from the living expenses provided by his parents, so he had a total of ¥2,240 in savings from October to November.
Considering the money he had spent on treating his friends and buying the computer, Qin Guan was surprised to find that he had so much in savings.
He did not plan on doing any more part-time jobs in November though, because he would be taking two important tests in December, CET 4 and Abacus Level 5.
Qin Guan checked his schedule once again. Although the lectures were still ongoing, he had finished the Computerized Accounting Test in October, so he could now prepare for the Abacus Level 5 in December. In order to obtain an Accounting Certificate, he had to pass three subjects, i.e. Basic Accounting, Regulations and Professional Ethics, and Junior Computerized Accounting.
Abacus Level 5 was essential, so Qin Guan decided to give it a shot. His first plan was to obtain an Accounting Certificate during his sophomore year.
He had lots of plans, and realizing each of them was a small progress for him. He believed that as long as he followed his plan, he would make big progress in the end.
Cong Nianwei was quite inconsiderate. Qin Guan would meet her every day, but she would send him away, because she was also busy with her studies. As a student at the Department of Architecture, she knew that she had to study hard to learn the abstract and obscure principles of architecture.
She was too busy improving her sketching ability to spend time with Qin Guan. What was love worth anyway? Love did not make money. Qin Guan hang up the phone with tears in his eyes. Courting a straight-A student was really giving him a hard time.
Huang Jiajia was also in a bad mood. She was upset with her straight-A teacher.
She had been working really hard lately to catch up, and she could at least understand the class now. She was delighted by her progress, but as she watched her teacher recite English vocabulary, she felt like her small progress was being overshadowed.
Before they knew it, it was already December. The six boys in Qin Guan's dorm were well-prepared. Taking their admission tickets, erasers and pens, they walked into the lecture theater to take CET 4 with the sophomores of CUFE.
The six boys made everybody else jealous. Before the bell rang, they had already finished their papers and handed them in.
As they walked out of the examination room, the boys relaxed. The exercises had been easy for them, and their reviewing work would help them get high marks, which would look great on their resumes.
Qin Guan's next test was Abacus Level 5. Wang Lei had also applied to take the test. The registration fee was 40 yuan per person, and the test would only take them 20 minutes. The test results would be published within three days, and then they would get their certificate.
Qin Guan and Wang Lei kept practicing calculating on an abacus, and every day they would say "Goodbye" and "Welcome back" in their dorm, as if they were real accountants. When the day of the test came around, they headed to the examination room.
Qin Guan was quite familiar with abacuses. He was actually so skillful that the proctor thought he was a professional accountant. If Qin Guan had known what the proctor was thinking, he would tell him that it was because of his amazing memory.
When the two boys went out of the room with their abacuses, they were not able to compare their answers, because the test papers had consisted of two different types, i.e. A and B, to prevent the students from cheating.
Qin Guan took a deep breath. He could finally relax until winter vacation. He would do fewer part-time jobs during that time and would rest more.
As soon as they walked out of the room, the two boys went to the First Pot of Old City. Qin Guan's roommates had decided to celebrate their success in CET 4 there. Frankly, the boys were just looking for an excuse to eat out instead of going to the school canteen, as they usually did.
The nearest First Pot of Old City was located at North Taipingzhuang. Qin Guan and his roommates all rode their bicycles to the restaurant along Sanhuan Road.
For foodies like them, riding for several kilometers was as easy as pie. They rode fast along the road, heading straight for the lamb spines at the First Pot of Old City.
It was lunch time when they got there, so there were hardly any empty seats in the restaurant. The waiter put a white towel on his shoulder as he saw the boys drooling over. He felt sorry for them, so he carried several stools from the kitchen so they could take a seat by the door. That was why that restaurant was so popular. No other restaurant in Beijing would let the customers have dinner there if they could not find a seat.
The boys did not care, though. They all took a seat by the door. It was really crowded inside, so Qin Guan knew it would take them quite a while to find a seat. He murmured to Ye Dong and Liu Xiaoyang, and the three boys went in.
The other three boys were still by the door, looking confused. They looked at each other before they turned to the three boys inside.
Qin Guan looked around and saw that a table would be available in a few minutes. He immediately stood by the table with Ye Dong and Liu Xiaoyang. The boys did not talk, but Liu Xiaoyang expressed his yearning for food through his eyes, which were fixed on the leftovers on the table.
Ye Dong, who was the oldest boy in the dorm, hit Liu Xiaoyang on the head and shouted, "Have you never seen food before? Did you starve to death in a past life?"
Liu Xiaoyang whined. Shielding his head with his hands, he answered, "I'm really hungry, okay?"
Then it was Qin Guan's turn. Dragging Ye Dong away, he said, "Xiaoyang is too young. He just wants some food. There's no need to beat him."
The customers eating at the table were all mid-aged and seemed very kind. Among them was an elderly woman. As the woman looked at poor Liu Xiaoyang, her maternal instinct took over. When she saw Ye Dong force Liu Xiaoyang to control his yearning, she felt sad for the little boy.
The people at the table had almost finished their meal and had been planning on having some small talk before leaving. When they saw that boy though, they all felt pity for him.
One of them said, "Hey, boys. Don't look so serious. Ask the waiter to clean up the table. We're done."
Qin Guan looked at them and expressed his deep gratitude through his eyes. He glanced at the table and found a plate of garland chrysanthemum that had not been eaten. Embarrassed, he said, "That's alright. We can still wait for a while."
The elder woman looked unhappy at the thought. "No, we're full. Look at this little boy! He's crying of hunger!"
Qin Guan thanked them right away, "Thank you so much, brothers and sisters." The woman seemed amused by Qin Guan. Smiling, she said, "What a cute a boy. Sister? I must be as old as your mom. Never mind, help yourselves. We gotta go."
When the customers left and the table was cleaned up, Qin Guan waved to the other three boys by the door, gesturing for them to come over for lunch.
The six boys took a seat and piously ordered a big lamb spine hot pot and eight plates of instant-boiled meat and vegetables. Food always tasted best when people were hungry.
When the pot was served, everyone held their chopsticks and waited anxiously for the broth to boil. The sauce-dipped lamb spine with the secret gravy was boiled in a charcoal pot, and the special fragrance of the lamb and the spices filled the air.
As soon as the broth in the pot boiled, the boys rushed to eat the lamb spines.
The lamb spines were not just tasty, they had also been cooked properly. As Qin Guan picked up one and shook it in his plate, the meat dropped right away. Qin Guan was feeling quite proud of himself when he saw Mu Ledjiang pick up some more spines and put them on his plate.
The other boys had seen it too. Suddenly, they could not wait anymore. They all started picking up spines and putting them on their own plates. Seeing the boys' table manners, the old lady next to them moved her chair a little further away.
When the boys had eaten up all the lamb spines, they asked the waiter to put some extra soup into the pot. The milky soup and the secret gravy were mixed together, exuding a tempting smell.
The boys did not eat the lamb bones. Instead, they poured the instant-cooked meat into the pot and stared at each other. When the color of the meat changed into dark brown and the meat floated in the soup, the boys started their second round of grabbing.
It was getting dark, and the boys were all full, their bellies looking big and round. When they paid the bill, they found that they had not spent more than 30 yuan each.
They got on their bicycles, ready to ride back to CUFE, but they were too full to do it anymore. What a heroic feat they had performed!
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Chapter 21: Holding Her Soft Hand
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
There was a lot of chatter as Christmas drew near. Qin Guan was quite nervous during that season, something his roommates were unable to understand.
It was Friday, December 25th. A cloudy Christmas.
It's just a foreign custom, whose only social reflection is Christmas tree decorations in the mall. What the hell are you so excited for?
Qin Guan was brushing his teeth in front of the mirror, thinking to himself helplessly.
For future reference, if you don't invite your girlfriend for dinner at Christmas, you might as well get ready to get dumped.
Qin Guan finished rinsing his mouth and looked around. No one had taken notice of him. He cupped his hands over his face and blew on them. Well done! His breath was clear and smelled of mint. Everything was ready except Cong Nianwei.
They had arranged a meeting time on the phone a long time ago. The plan was to visit a diner on Christmas night in the Modern Plaza on the North Third Ring Road.
It was cloudy and dark outside at six o'clock in the evening. However, nothing could influence Qin Guan's good mood. There was a shining, tall Christmas tree on the square in front of the plaza, creating a festive atmosphere.
As the night fell, the square was lit up by colorful lights. People walked under the Christmas tree, stopping now and then to admire it.
At the time, Christmas Day, was a fashionable festivity. The lower middle class would have dates or enjoy teatime, while working people kept going about their business.
This Christmas was incomparably comfortable, lacking any wide advertisements and seasonal businesses.
This is the scene that greeted Cong Nianwei when she arrived at the entrance of the Modern Plaza.
A tall young boy, wearing a slim woolen coat, black straight pants and shining black leather shoes was looking around. He seemed lost in thought as he held a bouquet of beautiful roses in his hands. He attracted many a passerby's attention.
Looking at Qin Guan dressed so handsomely, Cong Nianwei burst into laughter. He was reminding her of something.
Qin Guan was looking around the entrance when he saw Cong Nianwei walking towards him from a distance. He was so excited that he forgot the roses in his hands and raised his arms to wave at her.
Petals fell down miserably. Qin Guan was taken aback. He put down the bouquet to check on them.
By then, Cong Nianwei had reached him. Smiling and pointing to the roses in Qin Guan's hands, she asked, "Are those for me?"
"Ye…Yes." Absorbed in her smile, Qin Guan handed the roses to Cong Nianwei with a blank expression as he said in a low voice, "Merry Christmas."
Cong Nianwei took a deep sniff of the flowers and said, "Thank you, I appreciate it. So Comrade Qin, what shall we do next?"
Qin Guan beamed with joy and said, "Dinner, definitely. Delicious dinner."
Cong Nianwei followed Qin Guan, crossing the road diagonally and heading near the Beijing Institute of Technology.
There was a T.G.I.Friday's located there, a renowned western style restaurant suitable for young people. The atmosphere inside was festive. They pushed the door loudly and gave their reservation number. Then Qin Guan led Cong Nianwei leisurely to their reserved table. When they were seated, the waiter appeared with two menus. He stood there waiting to take their order.
Cong Nianwei read the menu but could not make a decision. She looked up and asked Qin Guan, "Are you familiar with the restaurant? What are their specialties?"
Qin Guan raised his head from the menu and said, "They have some famous dishes. Would you like to try one?"
Cong Nianwei agreed with a nod. Qin Guan snapped his fingers towards the waiter, who ran over. He was wearing more than 20 accessories from head to toe, and they all jangled as he squatted next to their table.
Yes, you didn't misread. The squatting service was one of the restaurant's features. The servants played a leading role using their body language. They would actually squat by the customers or lean on the table to help them decide on their order. All this served to indicate that you didn't have to straighten your clothes or sit properly there.
Qin guan was really straightforward. He gave the waiter a long list.
Buffalo Wings, Baby Back Ribs, Fajitas [1, and a Chicken Caesar Salad.
"What would you prefer, soup or a soft drink, Cong Nianwei? Would you like that?" Holding his menu, Qin Guan grinned at her enticingly. He pointed to the bar beside their table, where a bartender was performing fancy mixtures of drinks.
Cong Nianwei glanced at the menu and said, "Long Island Iced Tea, please."
Qin Guan saw that there was alcohol in Iced Tea, and that made him smile to himself. He ordered two cups of Iced Tea and an extra serving of Baked Sweet Potato Skins.
Slow American country music was playing as the bartender performed on the customers' request.
Cong Nianwei pulled her chair closer to the table. She supported her jaw with both hands, enjoying the gentle music and having a good time.
Qin Guan was extremely satisfied with his effort that day.
She accepted my roses! She's having a meal with me!
It was a good beginning for what would follow.
Their meal was served quickly. They ate lazily. There wasn't as much courtesy there as in formal western restaurants. Customers could do anything they wished. You could even grab your ribs with your bare hands without feeling embarrassed.
They dined and wined to satisfaction and enjoyed another song before they stood up to go.
Cong Nianwei waited for Qing Guan to take care of the check with the cashier by the door. Then she asked, "What next?"
Qin Guan stammered, "Eh, I'm full. Shall we go for a walk?"
As soon as he finished his sentence, he felt the impulse to slap himself in the face. Full? You dull homeboy!
Cong Nianwei tittered. It's really great to be with Qin Guan. She nodded and waved the roses around. "Let's go for a walk. I'm full, too."
Following Cong Nianwei, Qin Guan boxed himself in the ear gently. His original plan had been to take Cong Nianwei to the plaza and buy a fluffy sheep for her. Once she was happy, it would be easy for him to make a confession.
But then he'd said that silly thing.
Qin Guan was walking in low spirits when he heard Cong Nianwei cry out in surprise. She had just pushed the door open. "It's snowing!"
Qin Guan hurried outside and saw the thick snow.
It must have been snowing for quite a while. Large snowflakes covered the ground, creating a thick layer of snow. Qing Guan stepped forward and found his shoes stuck in the snow. It reached as high as his vamps.
They lost the mood to take a leisurely walk. The snowfall seemed to get heavier.
Qin Guan offered his hand to Cong Nianwei as he said, "The snow is thick. Follow my steps and hold my hand. Be careful not to slip."
Cong Nianwei was taken aback. She pursed her lips and smiled, "Okay. Take my hand."
Qin Guan helped Cong Nianwei cross the road carefully. When they reached the bus stop, he realized something. I have held her hand.
At the thought of this, his hand suddenly became sweaty. Thank God! Thank the God of Snow. I'll burn three incense sticks in your honor tomorrow!
Qin Guan didn't care about anything else as he held her hand by the bus stop. He pretended to watch the buses. Cong Nianwei tried to pull her hand away gently, but failed. She glanced at Qin Guan and decided to let it be.
[1] a kind of Mexican staple food. It is the mixture of guacamole, cheese, soft cheese, Mexican tomato and chili sauce and special Mexico corn-flour pancake.
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Chapter 22: The 1998 Snowfall
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
They waited at the bus stop for more than half an hour. The snow was getting heavier and heavier while more and more people gathered there. Finally, a bus stopped. Qin Guan signaled to Cong Nianwei decisively. We have to squeeze inside!
The bus was overcrowded. The driver shouted to the people outside, "Wait for the next one. Don't try to squeeze in!"
Ignoring his words, Qin Guan took advantage of the passengers exiting from the back door and helped Cong Nianwei up. Then he took a large step forward himself to get in before the doors closed.
When the bus took off, Qin Guan suddenly swayed. He was squeezed up against the door, his face stuck to the glass. He probably looked like a flattened toad from the outside.
Qin Guan couldn't care less though. He pulled closer Cong Nianwei, who was squeezed up against the stairs beside the door, and protected her with his arms.
The fact that he had an ulterior motive besides courage prevented him from hugging her tight. All he could do was lean his arms against the door, creating a limited space for the two of them to stand.
The door opened and shut. The snow was getting heavier and heavier while the bus moved at walking speed. Perhaps you're wondering why they hadn't taken a taxi.
It was because there were no taxis on the roads. The taxi drivers in the capital were shrewd. Cars couldn't run fast under such heavy snowfall, so it would have taken them a whole night to complete a single ride. Who would be foolish enough to drive out in that weather?
Better stay home and watch TV while they enjoyed some Erguotou [1]. Take a sip of liquor. Now, that's nice.
Back to our story now, the shabby bus clanked as it reached the south entrance of Tsinghua University. Qin Guan was the first to jump off when the bus came to a stop. His legs were suddenly buried in the snow. It was snowing so heavily that the snow on the ground reached his calves.
Qin Guan offered his hand. Cong Nianwei took it and stepped off the bus carefully. They both looked dishevelled after leaving the crowded bus.
The roses in Cong Nianwei's hands had been flattened. One of them trembled before it finally shed its last petal.
They looked at each other and burst into happy laughter amid the falling snowflakes.
When their laughter died down, they began to worry. It was windy and still snowing heavily. Cong Nianwei almost slipped in her high heels as she took a few steps.
Qin Guan pulled her close. Then he squatted in front of her and patted his back, inviting her to jump on.
Cong Nianwei didn't blush. She just climbed confidently on Qin Guan's back like the clear-cut straight-A student that she was. She had already calculated the speed she could reach under the circumstances.
Qin Guan moved forward with unsteady steps while Cong Nianwei sprawled on his back, doing nothing at all. Now and then she smoothed his hair with her fingers and pushed the snow off his back.
Everything was quiet in the snowy night except for Qin Guan's heavy breathing. Cong Nianwei gently pressed her face to his back.
She didn't know when the boy's back had become so broad and thick. He seemed to have grown up when she wasn't looking.
Though tired, Qin Guan felt so hot he could see pink bubbles appear in front of him. Cong Nianwei's body felt soft against his back. At this thought, a real bubble came out of his nose.
Qin Guan had worn a thin woolen coat to show off. It was a windy, snowy night and the biting northwest wind blew through his clothes relentlessly.
Qin Guan's body reacted naturally, tears and snot making an appearance as a result of the wind and the cold.
In the quiet night, the only sounds were those of his heavy breathing and his runny nose.
When they arrived outside Cong Nianwei's dormitory building, Qin Guan's face was covered in an icy shell made of tears, snot and cold air.
If there had been another reborn person standing by, they might have found that scene familiar. He looked like Iron Man, except his mask was made of crystal and ice instead of iron.
Despite the frozen muscles on his face, Qin Guan managed to squeeze some words out, "It's snowing heavily. Go back to your room quickly and warm up. You don't want to catch a cold."
Before Cong Nianwei could answer, he added in a rush, "I'm going home. I'll call you tomorrow." Then he just went off without looking back.
Cong Nianwei was taken aback. She felt confused. She looked at the shabby flowers in her hands, arranged the wrapping paper, and turned around to enter the dormitory building. There was a faint smile on the corner of her mouth.
Qin Guan left the Tsinghua University campus and headed directly towards a shining "Hotel" sign without hesitation.
The chances of coming across a bus or a car were extremely low. Qin Guan could hardly see the road clearly through the blizzard. He encountered no cars or people on the way.
He dusted the snow off his body before he entered the hotel.
There were two affordable rooms available. Qin Guan asked the receptionist for the key right away. He went into the room, took off his clothes and socks, which had already been soaked, and had an unsatisfying hot shower.
When he came out of the bathroom, he realized that he didn't have any spare underwear.
He covered his body with a bath towel and placed the wet clothes side by side on the radiator. (Luckily, the radiator was so hot it could warm up a jug of water.)
After doing all this, Qin Guan wiped his hair dry, threw the towel away and got into bed naked.
The room was warm. Qin Guan, who had carried a person on his back the whole way, felt terribly tired. He fell asleep in a daze and had a dream.
He dreamed that it hadn't snowed that day and that Cong Nianwei had accepted his proposal to become his girlfriend.
His nice dream was interrupted by the alarm clock on his cell phone, which reminded him that it was morning and he had to get up.
Qin Guan threw back the covers, went to the radiator in his slippers and touched his underwear and socks. They were all dry.
He felt refreshed after putting on his clothes. The day before he had had a runny nose, but his young body had already recovered. Last night's sleep had cheered him up.
Qin Guan took out his phone, looked at the screen and smiled like silly. Seeing Cong Nianwei's call from her dormitory, Qin Guan felt full of energy.
He walked in the thick show under the bright sun, considering his plans for the future. There's the exams at the end of term in January, and then winter vacation. Only one month to go. Would that be enough time to get a driver's license?
What had happened the day before had taught Qin Guan a painful lesson. Although he already knew how to drive, he realized that he had to take the exam again. Since the process is relatively simple, I should be able to get my license as soon as possible.
Qin Guan decided it on the spot. He turned right in front of the hotel and saw an advertisement board at the gate of a small grocery store. It read "Driving Courses For You. Enroll Now."
Qin Guan knocked on the window of the grocery store, and a simple, honest-looking middle-aged woman emerged. Realizing what Qin Guan wanted, she brought out the driving course material right away.
There were three training schools on the list. Qin Guan wasn't picky about choosing. He just pointed at the Haidian Driving School and said, "That one."
The owner of the grocery store was pretty straightforward too. She filled out a form in no time and told Qin Guan what the fees were. The courses would begin the following week.
The whole matter was settled, and Qin Guan staggered back to his dormitory, where all his roommates had been waiting for him to report back.
Crying silent tears in his mind, Qin Guan thought to himself, How can I tell you guys that all I did the whole night was just hold her hand for a while? How can I tell you I slept in a shabby hotel alone?
Qin Guan avoided answering their questions. After being beaten by the others, he ended the conversation in a mopish mood.
[1] Erguotou is a Chinese alcoholic beverage with high alcohol content (about 60% in volume).
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Chapter 23: The First Photo Shoot
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
Nobody dared be lazy during their spare time as the first term exams drew near. Although they were all straight-A students, they were much more nervous than they used to be.
They were aiming for a scholarship in their own department, which constituted the majority of straight-A students' income.
Qin Guan had just hung up from checking on Cong Nianwei when his cell phone rang again.
He picked up the phone and saw an unfamiliar number shining on the screen. He was confused as he rarely received any calls from anyone other than his parents and friends.
A melodic voice came out of the receiver when Qin Guan answered it, "Is this Qin Guan?"
Pressing the phone to his ear, Qin Guan answered, "Yes, that's me. Who is this?"
"Hello. Do you know Master Zhao?" the woman on the other end of the line asked.
"Master Zhao?"
"Didn't you model for red wine once? Master Zhao was the tailor adjusting the suits for you."
What she was saying was ringing a bell. "Yes, I remember," he said, "What about him?"
"Master Zhao referred you to me. I'm calling you to ask whether you have some spare time tomorrow. We're making an advertising booklet and we're in search of a college student who wants to work as a model."
Qin Guan checked his schedule. He had turned down a part-time job just this week. With all the snow outside, there was nothing he could have done about it. But since this job had fallen into his lap, he could at least give it a try.
Qin Guan set a time and place for the interview with the woman, and waved the phone in front of his roommates smugly.
His roommates ground their teeth in resentment. They pulled his cheek and legs, demanding a treat if Qin Guan succeeded in the interview.
One of them was still sitting in his bed calmly. He pushed his glasses up and looked at Qin Guan. "You could make a living on your looks. I'll take the national scholarship in your stead."
While he struggled against the others, Qin Guan said forcefully, "It's not the time to make a decision yet. Plus, I can be both handsome and intelligent."
Angry with his arrogance, his roommates punched him, beating him into the ground while they yelled, "You lucky dog. You can't be a savage anymore!"
The next morning, Qin Guan arrived at Chao Yang Park, where a small studio made shooting advertisements for booklets.
The small cabin was already crowded when Qin Guan walked in.
A busy-looking man pointed at a random place for Qin Guan to go and try on some shirts.
The advertisement today was for a phone-order clothing company. Despite the large audience, the advertisement's taste was quite poor. The brand was in the telemarketing business. Customers watched the advertisement and placed orders through the telephone. The factory sent the goods and got paid on delivery.
The trademark of the brand was its fine quality and reasonable price. It mimicked styles from other brands and produced a good sales volume.
However, the new line, which was marketed towards young people, didn't go well with the former model of the company, who looked like Iron Man.
The CEO had banged on his desk. We should look for a new model and make a new advertisement!
He looked confident while the marketing department looked quite depressed. That line of shirts did not play a big part in the company's turnover. A short advertisement would be more than enough. A specialized model company would be just a waste of money.
The marketing manager had an idea. He remembered the intermediary model agents and Sister Xue, who did business on her own.
In her earlier days, Xue Wanyi had been a model herself. However, she had retreated from the spotlight after a couple of years because she felt like it was a limitation on her image. Using her unparalleled socializing skills, she had acquainted herself with a group of people like her, as well as some less famous models. Some of them had appeared on runway shows, while others had been featured in print ads.
Her friends were active on the bottom of the fashion industry. They came from all corners of the country. It was people nobody would even imagine.
After adjusting suits for several shows, Master Zhao had gotten to know Xue Wanyi and had become very good friends with her. If he came across any independent young men, he would refer them to her.
That was why Qin Guan had gotten that call.
At the time, Sister Xue's models had all failed the interview, so she had called Qin Guan as a last resort.
As Qin Guan was standing in line to be interviewed, his phone rang. Before he could even answer it though, he was stopped by Sister Xue, who had followed the sound of his ringtone. "Are you Qin Guan? I'm Sister Xue."
"Hello, Sister Xue. I'm here for the interview. Is there anything I should know?" Qin Guan asked as he shook hands with her.
Sister Xue was very straightforward. She informed Qin Guan about the guidelines while she expressed her enthusiasm about his appearance.
There were still several candidates waiting in front of Qin Guan, so Xue Wanyi talked with him at length about intermediate agents, handling fees and so on.
Qin Guan told her quite honestly, "Sister Xue, I'm a freshman at college. This is only a part-time job for me. I can only do it in my free time. I can't work on weekdays."
Sister Xue was already running her hands up and down Qin Guan's body. She pinched here and there. He had great potential. I can't let him go.
Sister Xue finished her evaluation. She was sure of Qin Guan's performance.
Suddenly, it was Qin Guan's turn. The marketing manager held a pink shirt up to his body and waved to him, "Okay. You might pass."
Sister Xue and Qin Guan's mouths dropped open at the man's playful tone.
They went to the makeup department, both of them looking confused. Sister Xue mumbled non-stop beside Qin Guan, "They bullied me! They were so strict with my models, yet they let you go so easily."
In fact, the marketing manager was also feeling gloomy. Where's the energy of the youth? A group of heavily-powdered female models and mollycoddles. Are you kidding me?
Qin Guan's clean face made him the shining star of the group.
The hairdresser was a freelancer who often worked on print ad shooting sites. As his fingers touched Qin Guan's face, he couldn't bear to apply makeup on it. It would be a tragedy to put makeup on such good skin.
In the end, he only applied some light makeup with a thin powder to emphasize the angles of Qin Guan's his face. Then he swiped his eyebrows carefully and asked him to change his clothes right away.
At the time, the photo studio was empty. The interviews had ended and most idlers had left. Qin Guan put a different shirt on. It was exactly his size, as if it had been made especially for him.
Most people did not look good in pink. Ordinary people wearing pink tended to look like hillbillies. Qin Guan though was among those few who could pull off the color.
The shirt was junior style with a round low hemline and a high collar. Qin Guan buttoned up carefully, leaving the hem outside his jeans and strolling to the center of the studio with his hands in pockets.
When the photographer saw Qin Guan, he asked the lighting engineer and his assistant to get ready. Then he picked up the camera and made a few adjustments.
Two photos would be enough for the advertisement. One of them would be the whole front image and the other the bust. It was pretty simple.
The bust image was taken first. Following the photographer's directions, Qin Guan stood at the appointed position, moving his sleeve up with ease.
He had to roll his sleeve first to one side and then to the other on request.
The photographer kept shouting directions, "Right... Well done. Pay more attention. Hold your arm up. Right... Keep it there. Curve your arm inside. Right, hold it. That's right…"
The first series of photos was finished in less than ten minutes. The photographer made the playback as the people backstage checked the photos.
A bright, handsome boy was smiling warmly against the light. The pink shirt he wore fit his body well. The collar had been fixed with care, giving the impression of comfort and safety.
The boy in the picture was about to do something. He exposed his left arm gently. His slender beautiful fingers were unfastening the cuff on his shirt. The small buttons between his fingers looked delicate.
Dramatically, Qin Guan's movements had boosted a 100-Yuan shirt to a second-rate brand. Customers interested in petty bourgeoisie leisure shirts were bound to place an order.
The marketing manager felt satisfied at the sight of the photos. Is this perhaps the transformation of our company from a local country business to a fashionable mainstream brand?
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Chapter 24: Barbeque on Principal Filter
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
The second series would be more difficult. Qin Guan's whole body had to be in the shots. On one side, the photos had to show the perfect matching effect of the shirts, while on the other, the customers had to be able to see how comfortable the shirts were.
After listening to the marketing manager's requests, Qin Guan and the photographer had a short discussion. They decided that Qin Guan would take some jumping shots.
Most shirt advertisements for direct sales were quite stiff. Just a standing posture, and that was it.
The photographer asked Qin Guan to jump. Since these were shirts for young men, the advertisement didn't have to be conservative.
Qin Guan unbuttoned his shirt down to the second button on his chest and rolled up his sleeves.
Both the spotlight and photographer were ready. Qin Guan followed the photographer's directions. "Good. Look this way. Well done. Ready? One, two, three, jump!"
At his signal, Qin Guan leapt up on the spot. He opened his arms and jumped high in the air in an effortless manner.
While he was up, he didn't think about the shooting at all.
Maybe he was distracted by his hunger. It had been a long day. It had to be around lunchtime. On that thought, Qin Guan's eyes went blank. He was eager to eat.
The photographer was over the moon. He had snapped some excellent photos. The model on stage jumped high with slim, straight legs. His eyes looked blank and confused as he looked into the distance. He seemed to be longing for freedom, holding his arms out like he was trying to embrace the sky.
Click, click. By the time Qin Guan landed back on the floor, the photographer had taken lots of photos. Checking the effect of them, he was beside himself with excitement.
As an unknown photographer who made a living by taking part-time jobs, he had always dreamed of being an artist.
He had finished his job for the day. I don't care what people say. Dignity is nothing compared to art.
The photographer went up to Qin Guan, "Hey man, can I have a word with you?"
Qing Guan was thinking of food as he took his shirt off. Since the photographer had started the conversation, he could do nothing but reply politely, "What is it? Tell me."
The photographer put his hands together in a begging gesture. "Could I take another series of photos? Not too many. Just a couple of shots would be enough."
Qin Guan looked at the marketing manager nearby. The manager shrugged to show his confusion before he turned to stare at the photographer doubtfully.
The photographer made a deep bow as he went on, "I want to take several photos for myself. I don't have much money. I could pay you 50 Yuan per picture. I swear I won't use the photos for business."
Qin Guan stopped taking off his clothes as he answered, "But I don't have any formal clothes with me. How would you shoot me?"
His words seemed to give hope to the photographer, who answered happily, "You don't need to change clothes. This shirt is okay." Stealing a glance at the marketing manager, he continued, "You could just wear it this way. Go to the wooden pillar and pose randomly. Just a couple of shots will be fine."
Qin Guan took pity on him. It wasn't hard work for him anyway. He left the buttons of his shirt unfastened as he walked up to the pillar, He leaned his elbow on the pillar and supported his left hip against it.
That pose saved him a lot of energy. He was too hungry to stand straight. In the camera, he was leaning slightly on the traditional wooden pillar in a lazy, wanton manner. The expression in his eyes was gloomy and helpless. The open shirt covered his naked chest lazily, looking sexy and wild.
Click, click.
The photographer was too excited to stop. After snapping pictures for a long time, he finally shouted, "Okay! Cut!"
At his words, Qin Guan let go of the pillar. The photographer and the marketing manager joined him.
They gathered to talk money.
According to common policy, such a small gig could cost somewhere between RMB 800 yuan and 1500 yuan. Thanks to his excellent performance, Qin Guan naturally ranked at the highest price. The marketing manager gave RMB 1500 yuan to Xue Wanyi.
As his agent, Xue Wanyi shared half of Qin Guan's salary.
Qin Guan watched helplessly the pile of bills going around, getting only half of it himself.
The photographer paid him next. He had selected six photos, each costing 50 yuan. He gave Qin Guan 300 yuan and a simple photo use agreement.
The agreement stated that the photos could only be used in the Capital Figure Photography Competition and were not allowed to be used for any other business.
When everything was settled, Qin Guan could hardly wait to get out of there with his 1050 yuan. He was starving.
Relying solely on his body, he walked out of the studio and headed directly for the Chaoyang Park west entrance. He was craving some barbeque. He'd kill anybody who got between him and the barbecue restaurant.
Before reaching it, he bumped into the marketing manager, who was just driving off. He shouted to Qin Guan, who stared at him with hungry eyes.
His sunken heart shouted loudly. What's the matter, bro? The marketing manager dragged a huge black plastic bag out of his trunk and handed it to Qin Guan.
"Take it. It's extra benefit," he said before he waved at him and drove away.
Qin Guan entered the barbeque restaurant holding the black bag. He called for the waiter and ordered a long list of dishes.
Salty lamb with cumin. Beef fat. Marbled pork. Sweet potato slices. Onion slices.
Under the surprised gaze of the waiter, Qin Guan recited his order in one breath.
The young waiter couldn't help it. He reminded Qin Guan in a low voice, "Don't you think that's a little too much?"
Qin Guan waved him off, "Not nearly. Serve me quickly. Quick, quick, quick. Run!"
Shocked by his energy, the waiter ran to the kitchen to place the order. Qin Guan drank the free barley tea that was on the table in hopes that several sips of tea would help soothe his stomach.
He opened the black bag the manager had given him only to find that it was full of brand new shirts.
Thinking back, Qin Guan realized they were the try-on shirts for interviewees that day.
He had been selected for the job too soon to give the others a chance to try on the shirts.
Naturally the shirts had been left there, and it was not worth driving back to factory just to return them, so the manager had given them to Qin Guan as a gift.
Looking around, Qin Guan tied the bag again. This was typical eating in and taking home the leftovers behavior. He felt shy to both make money and receive a gift.
While Qin Guan looked unhappy with his wretched appearance, his food was served plate by plate.
Scared by Qin Guan's eagerness, the waiter ran up to him with the plates. He also served the coal stove dishes first.
Rubbing his hands, Qin Guan held the barbecue agrafe and took all the meat and placed it on the plate with a ripping sound.
Everyone would understand that Qin Guan was enjoying barbeque on principal filter.
The old capital barbeque on principal filter was dating back to 1686, the 25th year of the Kangxi reign. Its history was longer than 320 years.
People in the capital made a plate with iron bars called a principal filter. Using fruit wood charcoal or pine wood charcoal to heat up the filter, people placed pickled beef or lamb slices on it and turned them over using long chopsticks. The meat on the filter released its grease when it was done.
Soon the room was filled with the smell of barbeque, which only increased Qin Guan's appetite even more.
He placed the cooked meat on a plate using the iron agrafe while he placed the marble pork on the filter piece by piece. As he waited for the pork to be cooked, he stuffed the meat on the plate into his mouth.
The secret recipe sauce poured into the Mongolian Lamb as the taste of caraway seasoning filled Qin Guan's mouth.
Qin Guan was too busy cooking and eating. The waiter was sympathetic and helped him cook the meat so he could have enough time to eat in peace.
Qin Guan buried his head in food for nearly half an hour until his stomach was half-full. Then he breathed out and looked up, thinking to himself, "I nearly died of hunger, but I survived once again."
Smiling at the waiter, who was helping with the cooking, Qin Guan asked him to assist the other customers. Now that he wasn't starving anymore, he could enjoy cooking.
Staring at Qin Guan's face, the young waiter pursed his lips in embarrassment. He passed the agrafe over to Qin Guan and ran away in a rush.
When the stomach was full, the heart was satisfied. Qin Guan finished the meat leisurely. He had to try to squeeze the big plastic bag onto the bus on his way back to campus.
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Chapter 25: The Driving License Exam
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
Qin Guan entered the dormitory and called for the others to gather around as he took out the shirts. When he had them try them on, they looked kind of weird. The shirts were not their size.
The shirt had looked good on Qin Guan, but the eldest two of his roommates were both tall and muscular.
The length of the shirts was good, but instead of being baggy like they were supposed to, the shirts were a really tight fit on their bodies.
Their bulging chest muscles looked like they were about to tear the shirts open, making them look like tyrannosaurs.
Qin Guan turned to see his other two roommates. Great, with those dragging sleeves they could be playing a role in Peking Opera. The lower hem was so loose that the shirts looked like skirts. Their every movement showcased the literary excellence of scholars. Plus, the wind under the hem meant that they had to move carefully.
As for his last roommate, Qin Guan couldn't even bear to see him. He looked like he was wearing a dress. They all took off the shirts resentfully and returned them to Qin Guan. They were all irritated. His perfect standard figure was too provoking.
While they were fighting in good fun, Qin Guan informed them that he would start driving lessons the following week. He was beaten once again. All of them decided to take driving lessons as well.
Qin Guan was inspired. That's it. We can make a group purchase. His roommates were all confused. Qin Guan remembered that there was no such concept at the time. He readily promised the others that he would help them arrange things.
On that weekend, the countryside grocery store owner got a big deal. Qin Guan, who was already a customer, arrived with four more students. One of Qin Guan's roommates had not brought an ID and could not register.
The owner sent the other five on the bus to the driving school with a big smile. Then he turned to calculate the fees for this deal.
They arrived at the Haidian Driving School on the swaying bus. They felt something strange while they were getting off the vehicle.
The area was a big bare space between the urban area and the countryside. There were several abandoned cars parked there and an endless wasteland beyond the entrance. There were only some vendor pancake stands and a couple of sheds made of broken wood to remind visitors that they were near civilization.
They followed the person in charge of the driving school to a small table. There was a queue in front of it for paying. Qin Guan pulled the person aside and talked to them in whispers. After a heated discussion, the meeting ended.
The five of them got a discount for their tuition. The original price had been 2200 yuan each. They payed 1980 yuan each, saving more than 200 yuan.
The person in charge had also promised Qin Guan that if he brought more students, he would pay him a 3% commission.
Qin Guan shared the exciting news with the others right away, making them hiss in resentment.
After paying the tuition fees, they asked Qin Guan for a treat.
Qin Guan walked directly to the pancake stand by the entrance and ordered one pancake with two eggs for each of them.
The old woman behind the stand gaped at the deal. Taking up the wooden oil can, she wiped the iron plate again and again until it was so oily it was shining. Then the woman took a spoon, scooped up a spoonful of batter, poured it onto the plate and spread it out with a small spatula.
The batter got thinner and thinner until it had finally covered the whole plate. The old woman scattered sesame and brushed sauce onto the pancake before flipping it over. Then she turned to them, "Do you want anything else? A fried breadstick or a crisp fritter?"
A fried breadstick? You didn't misread, my friend. In the earlier days, pancakes were often served with a fried breadstick. That might not happen anymore, but this was a traditional style pancake.
They all shouted together, "A fried breadstick!" A cold fried breadstick was quite different from a freshly fried one. It was soft and elastic, and if you bit on it too hard, it could paste onto your face.
The old woman smiled again as she rolled chopped green onion, a fried breadstick and caraway into the pancake. As soon as she finished one, she handed it to them. Soon they were all engorging on hot pancakes.
Eating a 3-yuan double-egg pancake made them feel warm. In such a wild place with such biting wind, even a small pancake could be a source of warmth.
They finished their pancakes and took the bus back to campus.
In the following days, everyone in Qin Guan's dormitory was quite busy. They had to take both the college exams and the driving school exam, plus bear the hatred of the roommate who had been rejected from driving school.
Cong Nianwei was quiet. They just called each other. Being a straight-A student, she was busier than Qin Guan because she was taking numerous courses. Qin Guan's application for appointment had been postponed. He could do nothing about it except shed sad silent tears in a corner.
After getting his driver's license, Qin Guan received the advertising booklet by the shirt factory.
It was a thin booklet. On the cover, there was a photo of many shirts piled together. The brand and telephone number for ordering were printed on the edge. Inside there were the prices and sizes of each shirt.
Qin Guan found his own pictures in the featured products section of that season. There were traditional models wearing conservative clothes on the first two pages, followed by the new clothing line.
The printing quality was quite good. The colors were bright and beautiful. The series of photos in which Qin Guan was jumping took up a whole page.
The happy tall boy in the advertisement jumped in the sky with vigour. The size of the photos showed every little detail clearly for the customers to see.
Qin Guan thought the result was great. Tapping on the page, he turned to the next one. His bust photo was placed at the lower right corner, which matched well with the larger picture of the same shirt.
In fact, Qin Guan was gloomy those days. Xue Wanyi had made several calls to him, informing him of some advertisement shootings, but Qin Guan had exams to take. He refused all the redundant part-time jobs to focus on getting the scholarship. He didn't have any time for independent jobs.
Huang Jiajia seemed understanding. She never kept him after the end of their lessons. Instead, she asked Qin Guan to work hard. How can a prince like me show off without a scholarship? I can't bear to lose face.
In the beginning of 1999, everyone seemed to be in a solemn mood as they took their pens and paper and entered the examination room.
During college exams, some supervisors were relaxed, especially during open book exams. Some supervisors, however, were strict. The roll call during regular courses served for presentations and homework and anything else that was calculated into a student's score.
Amid the general caterwauling, Qin Guan and his roommates finished their exams calmly. As if they hadn't irritated everybody else enough already, they guessed which scholarship they were going to get aloud in class, arousing everyone's hatred.
When they returned to their dormitory, they decided to have a dinner together before the holidays.
Qin Guan remembered that Sister Xue had called him several days ago, mentioning a bonus or something like that.
He dialed her number and heard her voice on the other end of line. "Where have you been, Qin Guan? Nice of you to remember to call me back. Why was your phone always switched off?"
Qin Guan moved the receiver a little farther from his ear. The woman on the other side of the line was shouting.
Qin Guan answered with a guilty smile, "I had exams, Sister Xue. It was a really bad time for us undergraduates. As soon as I was done with my exams, I called you."
Sister Xue sounded a little comforted by his words, "The Chinese Near Year is drawing near. What are your plans for the winter holidays?"
Without hesitation, Qin Guan answered, "I'll go home. I can't take any part-time jobs."
Sister Xue answered, "Just as I expected. There will be no more jobs until the Spring Festival. Would you like to do an advertisement for the shirt company again? They will shoot another one after the Spring Festival. Are you interested?"
"It depends," Qin Guan said, "As long as it doesn't clash with my courses."
Sister Xue smiled, "Fine, I'll say yes for you. They are looking for a long-time collaboration with a model. They want you to appear in all their advertisements. It's four times a year. I raised the price for you. It's 3000 yuan each time. We can sign a one-year contract."
Qin Guan's mouth widened at the price. He was enraptured as he said, "No problem, Sister Xue. Thank you for your help. That's settled."
Thinking of something, Sister Xue said, "Give me your account number. I'll send you a sum of money."
Hearing that made Qin Guan even happier. "For what?" he asked.
His strange tone Qin Guan made Sister Xue angry. She shouted into the phone, "You can be proud! Your advertisement before the New Year was quite popular. Sales were amazing! The factory felt bad about your payment and gave you an extra 500-yuan as a gift. Give me your account and I'll send you the money. This amount is not worth meeting for, my child!"
Then she hang up, leaving Qin Guan smiling in contentment.
Soon she got a short message from him. She held the phone tightly as she read it. You love money? It will be easier for me.
Sister Xue had been secretly counting on Qin Guan, although he knew nothing about it. He couldn't help but laugh. The whole semester he had asked nothing of his parents. He had paid for his driving licence and made his own money.
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Chapter 26: Niu Street and the Zhang Yiyuan Tea Shop
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
Winter vacation was drawing near. My train tickets should be booked in advance, as well as Cong Nianwei's.
I also have to get some local specialities for my family. I've been away from home for more than half a year. I can't return with bare hands.
Plus, the dinner before winter vacation would also cost him money. After calculating, Qin Guan realized that the large amount of money he had earned would all be spent soon. He held his thin wallet between his fingers. I've got a long way to go yet.
Several days later, the exam results were announced. As expected, all his roommates had passed the college exams as well as the College English Test Band 4 [1] with an 100% grade.
The moment they heard, they went around other dormitories one by one, showing off like little cockerels.
They got beaten so hard that they returned to their own dormitory with bloody noses and swollen faces.
The college scholarships were announced just before winter vacation. Four of them got a full scholarship while the other two got a partial scholarship.
Those two were quite depressed. One of them had been busy working for the student union while the other had worked on a dancing party. Everybody else had been busy with ordinary activities. How could those two have gotten a full scholarship?
Qin Guan was also depressed. Both his and Wang Lei's scores qualified for the national scholarship. Only of them would get it while the other would get the partial national scholarship.
Soon the national scholarship list was announced, confirming Qin Guan's worries. Both Wang Lei and Liu Xiaoyang, his two nemeses, got the full national scholarship for each department.
Qin Guan read through the whole list pathetically.
Not bad. He'd gotten a partial scholarship. There was a 3000-yuan difference between the two scholarships.
It was a wide gap between the 8000-yuan full scholarship and the 5000-yuan partial scholarship.
Qin Guan was working on the steward software on computer. The 5000-yuan partial national scholarship plus the 1800-yuan college scholarship equalled 6800 yuan.
It's a large amount. I could indulge and buy something with the money I earned. They were all excited and decided to enjoy a big dinner out. Where would they go? To The Leopard, of course.
The Leopard's Buffer was quite expensive for undergraduates in early 1999. Its 168-yuan per person price scared most people away.
The six foodies took the bus to the Wangfujing Leopard, which was located at 55 Dong'anmen Street, Dongcheng District.
A seafood buffet was a novelty for people in the capital at the time.
Entering the restaurant, they were surrounded by the smell of dazzling dishes.
There was Japanese sashimi, seafood, Hong Kong roast pork, Guangdong Province cured meat, Chinese hot dishes, French desserts and Häagen-Dazs ice cream.
Getting their money's worth was a piece of cake.
They had such a good dinner that the luxurious dining room looked empty and simple to them.
They had seafood the same way they'd eat chicken wings at Origus [2].
The amount of food each of them consumed was beyond the average person's imagination.
Of course, they didn't forget to shake their bodies as they supported themselves on the wall, making sure there was no spare space in their stomachs before they called it a night.
They had enjoyed an excellent dinner, but there was hell to pay the next morning. They had to wait in line outside the toilet the whole day. They all had diarrhoea.
It was so stupid. Who the hell would have combined raw and cold seafood, vegetables, fruit, greasy barbecue, and countless other kinds of staple food and desserts?
They had even had a bucket of ice cream. How could they not get diarrhoea?
After some deep introspection following the dinner, they reached the conclusion that they had built a good foundation for the belly-worshipping trend of the future.
Let's end that story here though, because Qin Guan had another date.
He went on a date with Cong Nianwei.
Her exams had finished early, so they'd arranged to return home together for winter vacation.
They both had to buy some gifts for home, so Qin Guan arranged a shopping date. He decided to impress Cong Nianwei with his profound shopping expertise.
That was the only thing he could do since he had been beaten in the exams and hadn't qualified for a full national scholarship.
Qin Guan had already bought the return train tickets and was going to bring her her student identity card and ticket.
He'd gotten Cong Nianwei's student identity card under the pretense of booking the tickets, and had placed it carefully under his pillow. He slept on it in the hopes of seeing his dream girl in his dreams every night.
His abnormal action had attracted the attention of his roommates, who had discovered his secret and had all looked at the card.
Seeing Cong Nianwei's photo, they sighed and patted Qin Guan on the shoulder with sympathy. Dude, it makes sense for you to have her. You have such a handsome face, and she's not just a straight-A student, but a beauty to boot.
You have a long way to go, Qin Guan.
Qin Guan paid no attention his roommates. They were just jealous.
The train was leaving the day next, so they had to go shopping that day. The task was hard and they had to finish it quickly.
They met at the Modern Plaza and decided that Niu Street would be their first stop.
Niu Street was the largest Muslim gathering place in the capital. The famous Niu Street mosque, which dated back to the Song Dynasty, was located there and was also the origin of the street's name.
When they got off the bus, Qin Guan and Cong Nianwei were shocked by the sight. Muslim buildings of different sizes, featuring the foreign architectural style, could be seen everywhere. With their steeple tops, green foundation and yellow walls, those buildings were quite different from buildings in other streets.
You could distinguish clearly the native people from the business men of Niu Street. Niu Street men wore white skullcaps on their heads, while the women wore saris to cover their hair.
The shops on Niu Street were unique. There were century old renowned shops, but the majority of the shops on the street were selling take-away desserts and special snacks.
Qin Guan and Cong Nianwei were not in a hurry. They strolled along the street and observed the shops one by one. If they saw something interesting, they would just buy it.
New Year Bai Cake couldn't be reserved for long. Customers had to eat it as soon as possible after buying it.
It would take them more than ten hours to return home by train. The cake would surely go bad by then. Qin Guan asked for two small pieces. The salespersons scooped up two pieces of cake, wrapped them in oil paper and passed them over to them.
They lifted up one corner of the paper and took a bite. It was soft millet cake, with sweet and soft bean paste in the middle and haw stripes on top. New Year Bai Cake was soft, sour and sweet at the same time.
They put the sticky cake into their mouths and swallowed cosily. It was like a feast.
They noticed a long queue emerge from a small alley by the street, and Qin Guan craned his neck to have a look. Someone was selling cooked Nian meat. He couldn't help but shake his head.
I could have bought some as a gift if this was after 2000. There was no vacuum packing yet in early 1999 though. The meat would go bad easily.
Donglaishun hot pot, Laobaodu sheep or pork, Douzhi Bao ground bean drink, Snack of Hong. All these didn't match Qin Guan's idea of a gift. Qin Guan pulled Cong Nianwei and they walked down the street before finally reaching their destination, the Dashunzhai Super Market.
The Dashunzhai Super Market was a renowned Niu Street Muslim Market. With a history of more than 300 years, the market engaged in the sale of Muslim pastries and cakes, including its most famous product, the sweetened baked wheaten cake.
"I've heard from my roommates that when Muslims went on a pilgrimage journey to Jerusalem in the early times, they would take with them wheaten cakes from the Dashunzhai in Tong Town."
They just bought a cake each and ate them on the spot. They had to get other things from the supermarket.
They wanted to buy Niu Street fried mixed powder, Muslim preserved fruit and eight kinds of Beijing pastries. They were all in simple packages with expiration dates and capital features.
They bought a few of each kind and shared them. When they went out of the supermarket, Qin Guan was holding two large bags of local specialities.
It was middle of the day, and they couldn't miss the Niu Street Hong Snack Restaurant. They served all kinds of Muslim snacks there, both sweet and sour.
After getting seated and putting down their bags, Qin Guan automatically switched to ordering mode. He ordered a long list of things, including vegetarian balls, chopped entrails soup, steamed dumplings with minced beef and gravy, fermented Mung Bean Juice and much more. After ordering all those dishes, Qin Guan realized that Cong Nianwei was sitting right across from him.
He added at once, "How do you like this, Cong Nianwei? Do you want anything else?" Dude, it's a little late for that now.
Cong Nianwei found everything on Qin Guan interesting. Why was the guy like that when it came to food? She waved Qin Guan's question off, "I don't mind. You pick."
Qin Guan was quite pleased. What did I do with to deserve such an easy-going girl?
They decided on the order and Qin Guan went to the counter to give their long list of dishes. There were two natives there, who seemed quite garrulous at the first sight. They made fun of Qin Guan, "Hey dude, did you get confused there? You made such a big order."
Qin Guan smiled shyly. It was indeed a little much.
He held a long machine-printed receipt in hand and, pointing to Cong Nianwei, he answered, "My partner in confusion is over there. I should feed her first, shouldn't I?"
They all burst into laughter. He took all the dishes one by one from different windows and returned to his seat, sweat dripping down his face. It was physical work to run along the line of different windows so many times.
The cooked stripes were crisp and the chopped entrails were delicious.
They ate everything, leaving only a mess of empty plates on the table. They both had a full stomach.
Qin Guan picked up the shopping bags for Cong Nianwei and gestured for her to go ahead. The two of them headed to their next destination.
Zhang Yiyuan was a tea shop with a history of about a century. Its most famous kind of tea was jasmine tea, which was what Qin Guan wanted.
Zhang Yiyuan's flagship store was located at Dashila in Qianmen. They bought quite a lot of tea and twenty mini cans for tea reserved by the shop assistant. Qin Guan shared half of the cans with Cong Nianwei.
Cong Nianwei held one of them while she observed it. It was very pretty. A traditional scene of the old capital was printed on the can in elegant ink wash style. It was the perfect Spring Festival gift.
At the time, 100-yuan jasmine tea was quite good quality. It was a fragrant tea that could endure brewing while its green leaves created a beautiful contrast against its tiny white flowers. It was a first-rate gift at a reasonable price.
Walking out of the tea shop, they each bought two pairs of handmade cloth shoes for their parents from Neiliansheng, a famous traditional shoe shop in Beijing.
As two tycoons on scholarships, they were sure to spend money on luxury goods.
They went around the old famous shops in Dashila, including Qianxiangyi, Ruifuxiang and Tongrentang. Soon, Qin Guan had two more bags in his hands.
By that time, he was tired and breathing hard while Cong Nianwei still looked quite energetic.
It was late, and they were nearly done with their shopping. Qin Guan made a careful suggestion to Cong Nianwei, "We've been walking around the whole day. Shall I take you back to campus? We have to pack before we go home." Cong Nianwei turned her head and glanced at him in a flirting manner. Qin Guan's knees turned to jelly at her expression. Tired as he was, he couldn't help but look back at Cong Nianwei helplessly.
Cong Nianwei smiled at his silly expression, ran several steps towards Qin Guan and took hold of the bags in his hands.
Qin Guan felt her fingers sweep over his palm. Her touch felt like an electric shock over his whole body, making him limp and numb.
--
College English Test Band 4 is a national English test organized by the Ministry of Education. The participants are mainly undergraduate and postgraduate students who are still in college. It is quite an important test for all Chinese college students. (by translator)
Origus is a famous brand of cafeteria in China with common food at reasonable prices.
(by translator)
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Chapter 27: A Kind of Successful Confession
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
Qin Guan mastered up the courage to hold Cong Nianwei's hand. Squinting at her soft, sweet-smelling little hand, he said tensely, "Cong Nianwei, I love you."
Cong Nianwei looked down their intertwined hands and answered calmly, "Yes, I know."
Qin Guan continued in a nervous, shaking voice, "So, will you be my girlfriend?"
Cong Nianwei smiled gently. A wicked small voice inside her heart said, "How could I become his girlfriend when we've never even had a fight? Things can't be this smooth."
She opened her mouth and asked, "Why?" At her answer, Qin Guan looked up at her blankly. "Why?" he repeated dumbly. "We were childhood sweethearts and friends."
"We were just classmates in senior high. We didn't even exchange a word during the first two and a half years," Cong Nianwei answered calmly.
"But we were well-acquainted with each other and had mutual friends." Qin Guan's eyebrows fell.
"I've known you for half a year, and all I know about you is that you're a silly foodie. You don't know all that much about me either," Cong Nianwei said neutrally.
"I... I am handsome, and studious… and I make a lot of money," Qin Guan said incoherently.
Cong Nianwei couldn't help but laugh contentedly, "I'm also attractive, and more studious than you. And when it comes to money, who can make predict what the future holds?"
Qin Guan wanted to die. What the hell am I even saying? This is so embarrassing! Before he could get disheartened, he heard words of hope come out of Cong Nianwei's mouth.
"I think we need to get to know each other more. We could get along eventually." Cong Nianwei gripped his hand, which had been holding hers for a while.
Qin Guan pinched himself dumbly before he asked carefully, "Get along eventually?"
Cong Nianwei nodded, "That's what I said. We could get along gradually."
Hearing this, Qing Guan threw the plastic bags down to the ground and let her hand go. He ran a few steps forward with his long legs and then turned around.
He squatted in front of her and gestured to his back while he said, "Are you tired? Get on my back."
Cong Nianwei was amused by his silly actions and covered her mouth with her hand as she laughed. She patted Qin Guan, "Okay. No more window-shopping. Let's take everything and go back."
Qin Guan saluted in the manner of the Qing Dynasty, "Yes, Miss Cong. At your service." Then he picked up the bags and guided Cong Nianwei to a taxi happily. On the way back, Qin Guan's mouth was wide open. He took Cong Nianwei back to campus with a silly smile on his face, holding her hands reluctantly as they reached her dormitory building.
Seeing that there were people around, Cong Nianwei stepped hard on Qin Guan's foot, making him drop his wandering hands. "I'll pick you up the day we return home," Qin Guan said. Her mouth twitched at his words. She took her bags and ran upstairs.
Qin Guan did not feel tired anymore. He saw Cong Nianwei off and then swung the plastic bags in his hands and started humming a terrible song, "Our ordinary people today are happy and okay." He bounced on the Tsinghua University campus until at last he left.
Chi Hailin happened to be riding by at the time. Qin Guan was really hard to miss.
Chi Hailin saw him from a distance, bouncing around like an idiot. He felt sick at the sight.
One sentence kept repeating into his mind, "Cong Nianwei prefers this idiot to me. Cong Nianwei prefers this idiot to me."
He rode beside Qin Guan in hatred. He was angry with Qin Guan's actions, which were getting more and more silly by the minute. He couldn't bear to turn his head and watch him act like an idiot.
He was too focused on Qin Guan and forgot to watch where he was going when he reached a T-junction. He could only go left or right, straight ahead was a dead end.
One second Chi Hailin was watching Qin Guan's silly actions, and the next he was crashing into the boscage.
His bike clanked. One of the wheels flew high into the sky and landed on top of a bush while the other was caught into the earth below.
His books and papers scattered all around. Chi Hailing himself was wedged between two trees. He had several bloody scratches on his face, and he seemed to be in a difficult position.
Realizing what had just happened, he suddenly lost his heart. I laughed at him for being an idiot. What am I then? A super idiot?
Qin Guan had no idea what had just happened because of him. He just took a taxi back to his dormitory and began to pack his luggage. He was quite pleased with himself.
Their room was a mess. They had all got return tickets from the college office and were packing their luggage. All except just one, who was just sitting aside looking downhearted.
Liu Xiaoyang looked hurt. All his roommates would go back home for the Spring Festival. Of course, he also would return home, but he somehow always felt abandoned and alone there.
Liu Xiaoyang was the kind of person who had never had any childhood friends. Nobody wanted to play with a boy like him. Child wonders always made others feel inferior in comparison.
What's more, Liu Xiaoyang's arrogance and spoiled attitude scared others away. He had been arrogant since a very young age.
In some sense, his five roommates were his first real friends.
Qin Guan packed the last tea can into his suitcase, clapped his hands, and stood up. Then he walked to Liu Xiaoyan, messed his hair with his hands and said, "This time things will be different. The boys in your neighborhood will be different."
Confused, Liu Xiaoyang fixed his hair again and asked, "How is that possible? I know these boys very well."
Qin Guan explained nothing. Actions speak louder than words. Liu Xiaoyang would feel the changes once he returned home.
Everyone put away their luggage and messed up Liu's hair. The next day, they would return home separately to visit their families.
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Chapter 28: The Long Train Ride Home
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
Qin Guan picked up Cong Nianwei at noon the next day. They squeezed into the train with their luggage, huffing and puffing. It was Spring Festival peak travelling season, and the train was extremely crowded.
When they finally reached their seats, the train was already full to the brim. Qin Guan didn't give a damn though as he pushed their luggage wherever there was room and held onto their tickets.
Their seats were not bad. They were double seats by the window. Treating the student in charge of ticket-booking had paid off.
Qin Guan talked to the people sitting in their seats and they left. It was a common occurrence when there were too many people in a carriage for people to take any spare seat until the passenger whose seat this was turned up. Mutual understanding was appreciated when travelling. You might be wondering why Qin Guan hadn't booked sleeping tickets.
Colleges could only book seats for students. Tickets for beds were only available at the station.
Who dare say that he could have booked tickets for sleepers by waiting in line at the station? Come out and I promise not to beat you.
Qin Guan hung their coats and asked Cong Nianwei to hold their bags in her arms. He took out a thermos bottle from under the table, but saw that it was empty.
He turned his eyes to the crowded carriage aisle and asked Cong Nianwei, "Are you thirsty?"
Cong Nianwei shook her head. She had never seen such a thing. Adults were crying and children were making noise. There were people everywhere in the carriage, including the aisle and the restroom.
She was still shocked when the train slowly pulled out of the station. Qin Guan said something to her, and then began to tread through the ocean of people with the thermos bottle, heading towards the water heater.
When he came back carrying a full bottle, his sweater was wrinkled and sweaty. He took it off right away.
If he had been on the street during the day, he would have surely attracted everyone's attention. On the crowded train though, nobody paid him any mind. There were so many people who looked even stranger than him. Some had even taken off their shoes and socks, while others were scratching their feet with their fingers or snoring loudly.
Qin Guan folded up his sweater and pushed it into the corner of Cong Nianwei's seat. He told her to use it as a cushion if she felt tired.
By the time they passed the first station, the people in the carriage had finally found their own seats and quieted down.
Qin Guan took a vacuum cup out of the plastic bag that contained their food, put some tea powder in it and poured hot water from the thermos bottle. When he passed the cup to Cong Nianwei, the water in it had already turned into aromatic hot jasmine tea.
They were casting intimate amorous glances at each other, the passengers sitting across from them shouting to them in annoyance and destroying the atmosphere.
"Hey, young man, may I have some hot water?" the old man across from him shouted in a typical loud Shandong Province accent.
Qin Guan nodded and answered, "No problem. At your service."
The old man gave him a large smile, filled half his jug with hot water and took a sip. "Are you college students? Are you dating?" he asked.
Cong Nianwei flushed suddenly as she met the old man's eyes. Qin Guan had to restrain himself from laughing at her.
This strong-willed girl was flushing because of something a stranger had said. Watching Cong Nianwei's expression, Qin Guan's eyes shined. He really wanted to kiss her.
Cong Nianwei turned her head to find a silly expression on Qin Guan's face. The guy had something naughty in his mind. She stretched two fingers and pinched his waist.
She had been practicing that movement since she was a kid. She poked the side of his waist, where a mass of useless fat tended to accumulate.
Cong Nianwei grabbed his skin and muscle and twisted, but Qin Guan didn't make the sad, shrill cry she had expected. She had failed to twist it right.
Qin Guan's recent physical training had been really effective. He now had V-line abs and tight, flat abdominal muscles. That's why Cong Nianwei had failed to pinch him.
Not aware that he had just been pinched, Qin Guan kept smiling like an idiot. The old man across from them took out a deck of cards and asked, "Do you want to play?"
The three of them turned their eyes to the only young man there.
The young man, who sitting across from Qin Guan, looked like a college student. He was reading a thick textbook, and he turned to them with a disdainful expression when he heard the old man's question.
Qin Guan took a glance at the book in his hands. He saw nothing but engineering terminology. Hey, that was my major in my past life. This is a colleague.
When he didn't get a response from the people sitting beside him, the old man turned to the people standing in the aisle. They all had too much spare time. It was a twelve-hour train ride. Most people were longing for some entertainment, so they joined them.
The table was too small to fit many, so they only accepted one person in the game. The rest just surrounded the table and watched. The reading young man looked at them disdainfully and buried himself in his book again.
Early on in the game, Qin Guan realized they were playing against a superior opponent. His and Cong Nianwei's total IQ might be ten times their opponents', but they were no good at playing cards.
Their opponents reached K while Qin Guan and Cong Nianwei gloomily reached six. The young man across from them couldn't bear it any more. He put down his book and said, "Hey, why are you playing this card? You should play this one..." Cong Nianwei found his suggestion clear and logical. She turned to their opponents, "I'm not very good at this game. Shall we switch a player and start over?"
The old man and his partner nodded, "All right." The young man rolled up his sleeves and became Qin Guan's partner.
They started from 2 again. After one round, the old man had reached K. Qin Guan's hand was tragic. He only reached 4.
The young man smiled in embarrassment as he threw his cards on the table."Actually, my hand was not bad."
It definitely wasn't. You knew the cards of both parties. After two rounds, the old man realized how late it was. He took a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and asked them, "Smoke?"
Qin Guan shook his head while the young man nodded happily. Why did his attitude change so much after that game?
The two of them finished smoking and filled the thermos bottle again. All four of them prepared to do the most important thing on the train- eat instant noodles, that is.
By that time, they all had gotten to know each other. Qin Guan, Cong Nianwei and the old man were from the same city while the young man came from the City of WF. He would get off the train at midnight.
Qin Guan asked about his profession and realized they had been schoolmates in his past life. He was only two years older than Qin Guan. It seemed like fate.
Qin Guan immediately felt a sense of intimacy. In less than two minutes, the two of them were talking like old friends.
Qin Guan suddenly realized that the young man was exactly like he had been before his rebirth- an indoors man who didn't get along well with others. That was one of the advantages of being good looking.
The old man was even more pitiful. He had had affairs in the capital and had only gotten off at rush hour. He could do nothing, but take this crowded train home.
While they ate instant noodles, the old man gave each of them a boiled egg. Qin Guan took out the thick ham he had bought and cut a piece for everyone. This was a typical train meal- ham, eggs and instant noodles.
When they finished their noodles, they cleared the table, and closed their eyes to get some rest.
It was already deep into the night. Everything was silent except for the clanking train. Several snores were heard occasionally, making the night seem even quieter.
Cong Nianwei was tired and had fallen asleep. Her eyebrows were screwed up in a small lump, as if she was having a bad dream.
Qin Guan gently placed her head on his shoulder, trying his best to make her more comfortable.
Feeling his warmth, Cong Nianwei twisted, trying get into a more comfortable position on his shoulder before she fell asleep once again
Qin Guan was both suffering and enjoying this. Cong Nianwei's soft, warm face was leaning against his shoulder. His lips were near her. His mind was full of naughty thoughts that he wasn't brave enough to realize. Qin Guan felt conflicted.
Before the conflict inside him could be resolved, the train slowed down again. It had arrived at a small station in the deep, dark night.
By the time Qin Guan had come back to his senses, the train had already stopped. The train workers placed the board down and opened the door.
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Chapter 29: A Martial Artist Among Ordinary People
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
Suddenly, a pained cry came out of a nearby carriage, "Help! Robber!"
The old man across from them woke up immediately upon hearing it. He seemed to be hyper-vigilant.
Cong Nianwei was still leaning on Qin Guan's shoulder in a daze, and the young man seated opposite her was snoring.
A young man ran fast from the nearby carriage holding a small black bag. He jumped and leapt fast through the open door into the carriage, where the passengers were all sleeping in a state of great disorder.
A middle-aged woman was running after him. Her hair was messy and she looked upset. The expression in her eyes was one of fear and helplessness. She was pursuing the young man like crazy, but the distance between them was getting bigger.
The young robber was two steps away from reaching the open door. In such a small station, this late at night, he would be able to get away as long as he rushed out of the exit of the platform.
The middle-aged woman seemed to realize this. The expression in her eyes was getting more and more disappointed. She slowed down unconsciously.
The young man seemed proud of himself. Suddenly, someone grabbed him by the back of his neck and dragged him back. He struggled to get free, but he was not in control of his body, and he ended up falling head first to the floor.
Qin Guan was already wide awake. He gently woke Cong Nianwei up, pushing her off his shoulder. He explained to her what was going on and stood up to help.
The robber had been pulled back by someone who kept tugging at him sharply. It was the old man opposite Qin Guan who had stopped him.
He was standing right in the face of the robber with his arms crossed. He looked like he was watching a poor slug.
The young robber, who had found himself suffering defeat just on the verge of victory, stood up. He looked both angry and ashamed.
The majority of the passengers in the carriage had woken up. Watching the scene, they hastened to reminded the owner, who looked stupefied, "Call the railway police at once!"
"That's it! Don't let him go!"
The middle-aged woman mumbled something as she nodded to the crowd appreciatively and squeezed to the other side of the carriage to call the railway police.
People created a small circle around the young man to prevent him from escaping before the policemen arrived. By then, all the young man cared about was giving the old man a lesson.
Wrapping the stolen bag around his waist, he charged at him. The old man remained calm. Before the robber could rush at him, he stretched out a hand and hit the young man's left cheek. The young man fell to the floor.
He looked badly beaten. His eyes were red and he shouted loudly as he got up again. He seemed to have a death wish. There was another clapping sound as the old man slapped his right cheek this time.
The young man covered both cheeks with his hands and breathed heavily, flushing with humiliation.
He climbed up from the floor with a roll, and then took a flick knife out of his pocket and flipped it open.
The sharp blade reflected a cold light under the light of the carriage. People in the carriage held their breath and took a small step back.
The robber was about to risk his life by using that lethal weapon. Several kind-hearted people stood aside and warned the old man, "He has a knife. Be careful."
"Right. Don't fight with him, no matter what. Wait for the policemen."
Leaving little time for the old man to react, the young man stabbed him directly with the knife.
The old man, on the other side, seemed to be in no hurry. He took a starting pose, blocked the knife with his left hand and clapped his right hand over it.
He didn't spare his strength this time. The young man flew over and landed on the floor with a loud sound. The knife in his hand was thrown away. A kind passenger kicked it away with his foot.
The young man stood up again, shaking. He looked confused and stupefied as he stared at the old man before him, who was still in a fighting stance.
Several rounds of fighting went by in a flash. Qin Guan stared at them, offering no help. Cong Nianwei kept her eyes wide open while she remained in her seat.
The most shocked person in the carriage had to be the young man sitting beside the old man. His jaw had opened wide right from the start, so much so that it looked like it had been dislocated. A drop of unknown liquid, which looked suspiciously like saliva, dripped from the corner of his mouth down to the table.
The old man finished his moves just as the railway policemen arrived to take away the battered young man. The old man also had to give a statement about the whole incident.
When they all left, the carriage was left boiling. The passengers talked heatedly about what just had happened. This had to be a real martial artist. He'd beaten a strong young man in just three rounds!
The young man sitting beside the old man was particularly excited. He kept murmuring to himself like he had a mental disorder, "A martial arts master indeed. He definitely was a master. Did you see his stance? His legs were steady as a rock."
Not long after, the old man returned. The railway police understood what had transpired and had let him go for the time being. The train had already started to pull off the small station.
With an obsessed, worshipping expression his eyes, the young man observed the old man again. Looking at the firm willpower in his gaze, he thought the man must have a profound inner power. That and his low-profile attitude made him sure he was a martial arts master.
Qin Guan was also curious about the old man. He opened a can of beer, filled a jug and handed it over to him. Have some beer to relieve the shock.
The old man was not one for decorum. He took the jug and finished half of it in one go. The young man beside him accepted the jug to please him. He put it on the table and told him cautiously, "Eldest brother, you are indeed a martial arts master!"
The old man laughed casually, "That was nothing. I'm a long away from being a master."
The young man swallowed his spittle. How was that far from being a master? He went on, "How do you call your movements? Could you please teach me?"
The old man sized the young man up from head to toe and shook his head, "They are quite simple Plum Blossom and Mantis Fists movements, but you don't seem to be into physical exercise. Your body is not made for martial arts. It would be a snow job for you."
Then pointing at Qin Guan, he said, "This young brother does not look too bad, though. But it'd be no use for him to start at this age. He could only learn how to avoid getting hurt during a fight."
The old man shook his head again, "My martial arts can only work against average people. I'm far from being a real master."
The young man looked extremely dejected. He'd thought he'd come across a lonely martial arts master. A master with an aging strong body, who would recognize his excellent quality and transfer his own century-old power over to him.
The reality was that every time somebody else was fighting, the young man hid in the sidelines in fear and watched. The master had laughed at his weakness and hadn't passed his power on to him.
Before he could regain his vigour, a package of roast chicken was presented to him. The young man recovered in an instant.
The chicken was brought by the woman who had been robbed. She wanted to show her gratitude for the old man's help. She had made the chicken herself.
Inside the black bag had been her annual income for selling roast chicken.
The old man accepted her gratitude and took the chicken. He generously invited the three of them to join him in eating it.
Looking at her watch, Cong Nianwei decided not to sleep anymore after all that ruckus. There was delicious food to be had, so she'd much rather have a night snack.
As they unwrapped the oil-paper package, a delicious fragrance came out. There was a whole roast chicken inside, lying on its stomach. It was golden yellow and red. The old man held its legs and wings, and pulled. Its flesh separated easily from the bones.
They shared the chicken and filled their mouths with its meat. The skin was elastic and its flesh was fat and tender. The mixed scent of spices, herbs and meat filled their teeth and cheeks.
Drinking his beer, the old man sighed, "A cup of liquor is all I need." He smiled at the others shyly.
The young man could not spare a minute to talk to him anymore. He had already forgotten about his idol, the martial artist sitting by his side. The only thing on his mind was finishing his chicken leg before he got off at the next station.
When the train stopped again, the young man reluctantly waved farewell to the others. As he departed, he turned his head around to get a final look at the chicken in the oil paper package.
Qin Guan and the old man shared the leftover bones. Then they took a nap before the train reached the terminal station and the end of its journey.
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Chapter 30: Business in the Morning Market
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
Qin Guan and Cong Nianwei could see their parents waiting on the platform. Qin Guan carried their luggage on his shoulders. As soon as the door opened, he went out.
Qin Guan's father moved forward to take the luggage as Cong Nianwei's parents hurried over.
Before Qin Guan could say a word to his father, both families began to exchange pleasantries. "How are you? I'm Qin Guan's father."
"How are you? I'm Cong Nianwei's father." Then they looked at each other silently. This was their first meeting. They didn't know each other at all, so they had nothing to say to keep the conversation going.
Cong Nianwei pulled at Qin Guan's coat. He hastened to introduce her parents to his father. "How do you do, sir? Ma'am? Cong Nianwei and I were classmates in senior high school. This is my father."
Tactfully, Cong Nianwei stood behind her parents. Qin Guan's father handled the situation while he thought, "Well done, dude! You come home with a girl?"
He looked quite pleased with himself.
At Qin Guan's words, Cong Nianwei's parents immediately became nervous. They regarded him carefully.
Qing Guan hurried to add, "I'm also studying in the capital. Our colleges are not far from each other. It's not safe for a girl to travel alone by train, so I kept Cong Nianwei company."
Her parents looked relieved at his explanation. That's not too bad. The young man hadn't jumped into calling them his parents-in-law. Their heart rates slowed down gradually.
After Qin Guan had set their minds at rest, they found that he was very handsome and tall. Cong Nianwei's mother looked quite satisfied with him as she asked, "So, you also study in the capital like our Weiwei? Which university are you attending?"
Qin Guan replied with particular politeness, "The Capital University of Finance and Economics." At his words, his father stood up straight.
Realizing that Qin Guan was also studying at a famous university, Cong Nianwei's mother's impression of him got even better. He's a hard-working college student, too.
Cong Nianwei felt like this was some kind of blind date. She pulled on the corner of her mother's clothes. They said goodbye to each other, and each of them dragged their child's luggage and left the platform.
When they got home, Qin Guan and his father found Qin Guan's mother waiting by the door to welcome them. Breakfast was already on the table. Qin Guan washed his hands quickly and sat down.
There were salted duck eggs, smoked sausages, steamed buns and rice porridge on the table. A complete homemade meal was right in front of Qin Guan.
He was starving. He finished two bowls of porridge in a hurry, washed his face and got in bed. Not long after, he fell asleep. No one could have stayed up any longer after sitting in a train the whole night.
The landline phone rang and woke him up. Qin Guan checked his watch and realized that it was afternoon. His parents had to be at work.
He massaged his head and answered the phone, "Hello? Who is it?"
A particularly excited voice came through the receiver, "Are you back, Qin Guan? This is Zhou Jing." Qin Guan looked at the receiver before he hung the phone up with a slam. He dropped down on the bed and tried to go back to sleep.
The phone just wouldn't let him. It rang ceaselessly. Qing Guan was beyond annoyed. He picked the receiver again and shouted, "You brat! Stop harassing me! I'll call you after I've gotten enough sleep. Don't you have any common sense?"
A cold voice came through the receiver, "Qin Guan? This is Cong Nianwei."
"What? Dear me! Cong Nianwei, I thought you were Zhou Jing. I didn't mean to shout at you. How are you doing? Did you have a good rest?" Qin Guan's attitude changed instantly.
Cong Nianwei burst into laughter and said, "I'll go to my grandma's for the Spring Festival. I'm telling you in advance that I won't be able to accompany you, in case you were planning to ask me."
Qin Guan felt disappointed. Lying on the pillow, he answered slowly, "Okay. I'll call you. Have a good time."
As he hung up the phone, Qin Guan felt listless. The holidays had finally arrived. He had planned to take advantage of the vacation to make their relationship more intimate. He hadn't expected that they'd end up spending the holidays separately in different locations.
Suddenly, the phone rang again. Qin Guan answered gloomily, "Hello?" It was Zhou Jing again. "Hey, it's me. What about our vacation?"
Qin Guan was confused. "It's your vacation. How would I know about it?"
Zhou Jing sounded nervous as he said, "Will you help us or not?"
"Help you do what?"
"Make money!"
He had tasted the sweetness of money and was now totally dependent on Qin Guan. Qin Guan sat up straight and answered, "Wait a moment. Let me get this clear. You and Li Jian want to make money, is that right?"
"Definitely."
"Why are you depending on me, then? Find a solution yourself." Qin Guan was helpless. Zhou Jing, on the other hand, was quite frank and shameless. "You major in Economics, Li Jian and I study Law and Computers. We're no good at making money!"
Qin Guan gritted his teeth. Okay. You want to make money, eh? Wait and see. I'll exhaust you two! He gritted his teeth as he told Zhou Jing, "Come to my house tomorrow with your capital."
On the other end of the line, Zhou Jing and Li Jian looked at each other. We did it! They answered immediately, "Okay, we'll be there."
Early on the next morning, the two shameless guys bummed breakfast off at Qin Guan's house. Noticing the expression on Qin Guan's face, they took out of their pockets 200 yuan in cash.
They showed Qin Guan the two notes casually, setting them on the tea table beside the sofa. Pointing to them, Qin Guan looked up and told them, "Are you kidding me? This is your capital?"
The two of them looked ashamed as they replied, "We haven't been able to save much money lately. That's all we have."
Originally, Qin Guan had planned to take advantage of them, but now he just pocketed the money and said, "That's fine. We'll go prepare our stock. We're starting early tomorrow morning. Let's go."
Zhou Jing and Li Jian followed Qin Guan obediently. They rode Qin Guan's little tricycle to the largest wholesale market in the City of Y. Qin Guan focused on nothing but the stands selling scrolls and pictures, as well as pictures of Chinese Zodiac signs in the Spring Festival merchandise section. He spent nearly all their capital on common goods at wholesale prices.
When Qin Guan carried all the goods to the tricycle, Zhou Jing seemed confused. "Aren't we selling kebab?" he asked.
Qin Guan regretted that his friend's offspring hadn't lived up to his expectations. He stared at Zhou Jing. "Who will come out for outdoor kebab and cold beer in the freezing night before the Spring Festival?"
They both looked resentful as they promised to follow Qin Guan's instructions. Qin Guan sighed and said, "We'll meet at six o'clock at the morning market on Haibin Road. Lets call it a day now. Go back to where you came from."
Hearing that concrete plan, they both went home happily. Qin Guan sighed again. A person shouldn't look back at his bad friends, or some silly friend will get them killed by accident. I'll get exhausted when I should be having a fun vacation.
Early on the next morning, the three of them met up at the Haibin Morning Market. It was one of the largest morning markets in Y City, located by the harbor. The pedlars began their business before dawn. There were all kinds of goods sold there, including fresh fish and shrimp, fruit, vegetables, various household supplies, scarves, underwear and so on.
After walking through the whole market, they discovered that there was a certain discipline and organization to it. The stands were fixed, and special market management was applied.
The three of them were stunned. Shamelessly, Qin Guan played his best card. He used his looks to flatter the old women who were selling underwear and cheap bedsheets.
The two women noticed a handsome young man who looked like he was freezing. His ears were red on such a cold morning. He must have a hard time doing business at that age. Poor thing!
The two women immediately showed their maternal instincts by making room between their stands for Qin Guan to display his Spring Festival scroll.
The three boys lay down their scrolls and yelled down the street, "Ladies and gentlemen, Spring Festival season is approaching! Buy a pair of scrolls for good luck!"
Believe me, their business was quite good. The scrolls they had bought by bulk were sold out with profit. Generally speaking, a cheap pair could earn them 0.5 yuan while the more expensive Spring Festival and colourful bunny pictures could exceed the prime cost by 1 yuan.
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Chapter 31: The Urban Management Officer
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
Soon, half their stock had been sold. When they were free, Li Jian touched the fat on his stomach, turned suddenly toward Qin Guan and asked, "Just now I was thinking about something. The three of us, " he pointed at Zhou Jian and Qin Guan, "can be considered top students, right?"
Zhou Jing nodded in agreement. Li Jian went on, "Then why are we doing jobs that are for junior high students?"
Qin Guan looked at Li Jian speechlessly, "As a poor man with only 200 yuan to invest and an undergraduate without a diploma, what job can you do except sell something on the market? Do you hope that some big boss suffering from a mental disorder will come begging you to save his business with tears in his eyes? Or are you perhaps waiting for an investment predator to present you with a share of stocks as a gift for your outstanding scores?"
The flesh on Li Jian's cheek was shaking while the old woman selling underwear pulled Qin Guan with effort and said, "Hey, stop talking. There comes the urban management officer. "
With a particularly scared expression on their faces, the three of them looked at the other end of the long street. A young man, not much older than them, was checking the stands idly. He was wearing an urban management officer uniform, which looked appalling.
They stopped chatting and swept up the unsold scrolls and pictures, piling them in the tricycle as they prepared to run away.
However, the noise had attracted the officer's attention.
Zhao Fengzhu was feeling quite gloomy that day. He was a formidable graduate with a criminal investigation specialty in the Detective Training School who hadn't been assigned to the police force. Instead, he had unfairly been stuck into the urban management squad, because his father had been too worried about his safety.
As an aspiring young man, he was too impatient to socialize with the old women who run the stands there.
Zhao Fengzhu was feeling quite depressed when he discovered the three thieves. "Stop! You dare run an illegal stand in a formal market? You were acting in utter disregard of the law!"
It was Zhao Fengzhu's first day at work, so he decided to catch the three scoundrels himself.
They saw the officer rolling his sleeves up and rushing over. Qin Guan shouted loudly, "Run! Quick! Run!"
They ran quickly towards the exit of the market. Qin Guan was riding on the tricycle, pedaling non-stop like a deer.
Zhou Jing ran and hid among the stands like a clever monkey up a tree.
Li Jian felt like he'd never run this fast before. Wind blew under his feet while the thrilling northern wind roared in his ears.
The flesh on his face had flattened to both sides and shook slightly while he ran.
He was satisfied with his burst of energy, and felt like time had stood still as he sprinted. Oh, fine. He had been caught.
Qin Guan had already gotten far away when he heard Li Jian cry from somewhere behind him, "Help! Qin Guan! Zhou Jin! Help me! I've been caught!"
Qin Guan stopped pedaling, let out a sigh and turned around.
He found the proud young officer twisting Li Jian and Zhou Jing jumping up and down beside them without knowing how to help.
Qin Guan could do nothing but take advantage of the push power momentum of the tricycle to leap high from his seat. He kicked the young officer down to the ground, pulled Li Jian onto the seat of the tricycle and shouted loudly, "Pedal like your life depends on it!"
Without any word, Li Jian burst into infinite power in an instant. His short legs pedaled up and down as they rode far away.
Qin Guan made a gesture to Zhou Jian, "You go first. I'll meet you at your place." With an anxious glance at Qin Guan, Zhou Jing followed Li Jian swiftly.
Zhao Fengzhu whisked the dirt off his clothes and said, "Well done. You must be really loyal to your friends."
Qin Guan was straightforward, "Cut the crap. Let's have a one-on-one contest. If you catch me, I'll follow you wherever you want. I'll be at your disposition."
Hearing Qin Guan's words, Zhao Fengzhu felt admiration for him. Besides, he had graduated from a detective training school. His fighting skills were surely better than Qin Guan's, who looked like a college student.
Thus, Zhao Fengzhu told Qin Gun generously, "Fine, one-on-one, then."
Pointing at the square off Binjiang Road, Qin Guan said, "There's an open space over there. Let's not fight here, or we'll destroy the stands."
Zhao Fengzhu fixed his hat. "Okay," he said and walked directly to the square.
When he turned his head away, Qin Guan grinned. He sneaked around to a small nearby alley and ran away.
Zhao Fengzhu was still thinking about which tricks he could use to beat Qin Guan when he stood on the square and turned around. He found nothing behind him except garbage flying around in the chilly winter wind.
That's when he realized he had been tricked by Qin Guan. Grinding his teeth, he thought, "You wait and see, boy."
The three of them escaped successfully and met up at Zhou Jin's house. They calculated their income that day and went to buy supplies again.
Why they didn't give up when they'd just been chased by an urban management officer? They had made money! They had sold hundreds of pictures and scrolls in only one morning! The cost-income ratio had been so high, it had exceeded their expectations.
They muttered and reached the conclusion that, according to the checking rules, the officers were not expected to go around the morning market very early in the morning. They decided to rush into danger and ran a stand again the next morning.
The following two days went basically like this.
"Hey, sir! Look at this Spring Festival picture! Look at the bright colors!"
"How many pieces do you want, ma'am?"
Until a cry came from Zhou Jing, "Ah! Here comes the young officer again!"
Then the three of them ran away wildly.
This time, Li Jian pedaled on the tricycle while the other two ran on foot. Zhou Jian tripped over a bamboo pole and let out a dramatic cry, "Help me!"
Li Jian pedaled ahead hard. He wouldn't be brought down by the others. Qin Guan took hold of the other end of the pole, and eyed Zhou Jing, asking him to run at the chance. Zhou Jing rolled to climb up. He turned his head to run away.
Qin Guan held the end of the pole tightly, swept away in some direction. Zhao Fengzhu was pulled over by inertia.
The middle of the pole hit a lamp pole with a loud sound. Qin Guan let go of the pole in time and turned to run. Zhao Fengzhu was taken by surprise. The bamboo pole shook desperately because of Qin Guan. Zhao Fenzhu couldn't seem to get loose. He just shook together with the pole like going through an electricity shock.
The pole gradually stopped moving, just when Zhao Fengzhu thought his bones were about to break into pieces.
The young officer was extremely irritated. "You wait for me. I'll fight to my last breath."
Qin Guan and others met up and calculated their income once more. It was good. The young officer hadn't arrived too early. They could still make some money. They looked at each other and asked, "One more day?"
"One more day!" It was settled.
The same scene took place the next morning. They escaped successfully once again. Zhao Fengzhu's wide-edge cap hung on his crotch, swaying in wind as he sniffled and climbed off the tree he had ended up on.
Looking at the dusty cap, Zhao Fengzhu whisked the dust off and murmured to himself, "This is bullying! I'm not coming here tomorrow, okay? I'll go to the Sanzhan Morning Market." He returned to his squad like nothing had happened.
Meanwhile, the three boys were discussing together. "Our business is not bad these days, but the sales in the morning market will reach their limit soon. All potential customers will have made a purchase. We'll have to change our venue. "
Zhou Jing and Li Jian replied, "What about the Sanzhan Morning Market? It's far away from here." The decision was made.
The next morning, the three of them run into Zhao Fengzhu again in the Sanzhan Morning Market. The two parties looked each other speechlessly. The young officer stared at them bitterly and turned his face away, pretending he hadn't seen them.
They breathed a big sigh of relief. The alarm was over. They cleared their stock smoothly. After counting all the change and deducting the invested capital, they found that they had earned 530 yuan each.
They patted Qin Guan on the shoulder encouragingly, "See you on the next vacation, comrade." They left fully satisfied as they counted the bills in their hands.
Looking at the change piled on the table, Qin Guan sighed slightly. The two of them were sure depending on him.
Qin Guan returned home in the evening. He gave his mother 600 yuan, including the amount he had earned during the vacation. At the touched expression in her eyes, Qin Guan said shyly, "Mom, I know it hasn't been easy raising me. This is for your hard work. You can spend it on anything you like."
Qin Guan's mother didn't look so touched anymore. Grabbing him by the ear, she shouted, "I raised you to such a tall young man! Is that all it's worth? You little bastard!"
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Chapter 32: The Big Deal
Translator: Lan Editor: Efydatia
For Chinese people, the Spring Festival was the beginning of the new year. They did their shopping, had New Year's Eve dinner and paid New Year greeting visits or calls in the morning. Those were all the traditional activities.
When Qin Guan was done with those, he stayed at home for the rest of the day, eating and sleeping without any motivation.
Early in the morning, his phone rang non-stop. He stretched his arm from under the cover and shut it off decisively.
Only Huang Jiajia could be calling him at this time. She was currently in a cram school for winter vacation.
Before he could fall asleep again, short messages starting beeping on his phone one by one.
Qin Guan poked his messy head out of his quilt and picked up the phone angrily.
Several short messages from the same person were jamming his mailbox. The name of the sender was Xue Wanyi.
"Qin Guan, this is Sister Xue. I have something to tell you. Please call me back."
"You bastard! You dare reject my call! You're getting bolder!"
"Actually, what you are doing?"
"There's a gig on the 10th day of the first lunar month. Do you want to audition for it?"
"Your sister really needs your help. I know that you are relaxing at home. How about I give you one third of the poundage? 500 yuan in cash and 3,000 yuan in a Carrefour shopping card. Just answer, yes or no?"
Qin Guan climbed up in a roll when he heard that last message. He texted her back, "Deal! Wait for my call after I return to Beijing."
Receiving the short message, Xue Wanyi took a puff on the Moore cigarette in her hand, blew a smoke circle and got off the phone bitterly. Brat! All you want is money!
That evening there were eight of them sitting at the dining table at his grandma's. His uncle, aunt, younger female cousin, father, mother and Qin Guan himself, plus the two gods above, all had a happy family feast together.
Qin Guan informed everyone of his plan to return to college earlier.
His female cousin heard about his plans for a part-time job with heated admiration. My cousin is tall, handsome and a good student. Now he can even make a living by himself without any financial support from his family!
Liu Yi daydreamed happily, covering her round face, which looked like a small red apple. If this was ancient times and my parents were to pick a husband for me from my relatives, would I have accepted my older cousin?
Qin Guan had no idea that he was the Prince Charming in his cousin's daydream. He was just listening to his parents and his uncle chat. They were talking about rectifying and reformations, as well as the stock rights of their respective plants. The topic triggered Qin Guan's memory.
There had been quite the breaking news those days. Both the plants his mother and uncle were working at were carrying out some reformations, aiming to build up a group system.
They were planning to get rid of the unprofitable firm, which was ineffectual for the recalcitrant subordinates, and bring in new programmes to promote competitiveness in the corporation.
As a result, some plants would be merged together while some would be rebuilt. After the merging, new projects would be carried out. On what resources and capital, you ask? An internal pre-sale plan for the enterprise staff had been etched out exactly for that purpose.
They all had to buy internal stocks. The exact amount of stocks rested on their personal willingness, but of course a minimum amount had been set.
At the time, workers were always the ones who got money from their plants, and they were reluctant to take money out of their own pockets.
On that year's Spring Festival, his mother and uncle had made the decision to buy internal pre-sale stocks, but stick to the minimum level. It was not easy for most people to make a living.
Things had gone bad. One of their plants had been renamed Oriental Electricity Group, while the other had been renamed Blue-White Group.
In less than three years, the former one had entered the stock market. The internal pre-sale stocks had gone from 2 yuan to 80 yuan. The Blue-White Group was counted as one of the biggest food enterprises of the province. Its staff got a large annual profit commission, according to the stocks they had bought.
Everyone attending the meeting that day was terribly regretful about the outcome.
Years down the road, when they recalled that day, they would still murmur to themselves. If only I'd done things differently at the time, we'd be a rich family now.
Thinking of this, Qin Guan stopped eating. He reached for his purse and took out his debit card.
In his account was his scholarship and all the money he had left from his part-time job. He turned to his uncle and said, "I'll buy 5,000 stocks."
His mother hit him on his back with her fist, "You bastard! You just got some money, you don't know how to spend it. If you want to waste it, at least buy the stocks of your mother's plant."
Massaging his back, Qin Guan said with his teeth bared, "Your poor food plant can't enter the stock market. Do you even know what an emerging industry is?"
Then he pushed his card to his uncle. Afraid that his uncle would decline, he pressed on, "My dearest uncle, you and I are really close. Don't listen to my mother. Do remember to buy the stocks for me!"
Qin Guan's father was curious about this. He put down his chopsticks and said, "Tell us what you're thinking. Why invest so much money in this?"
Qin Guan couldn't avoid the question, so he cleared his throat and began to bluff, "Just think, this new government policy- whatever the results may be- brings both those plants directly into the game. We have to respond positively to the national call. The system is changing and we have to spend money. Of course this doesn't mean that we need to spend our entire family fortune. We could just buy a little more within our financial limitations. Worst case scenario, we lose the capital, but we still make a good impression on our leaders. At least they'll consider that we're positively cooperating with the organization. Shall we do it then?"
His parents and uncle chewed his words for a while and found them reasonable. They discussed it together again.
Qin Guan was quite gloomy. If I tell them the profits will be 40 times higher, will they think I'm idiot? Reborn people felt so lonely in this world.
They made their final decision. Originally, his uncle had decided to buy 1,000 shares, which was the bare minimum. He raised the standard up a little and decided to spend 10,000 Yuan. Adding Qin Guan's investment of 10,000 Yuan, he would buy 10,000 shares in total.
His mother would also buy 5,000 shares, so it was 15,000 Yuan from both families. As to the stocks of his mother's plant, his mother raised the original 3,000 shares to 5,000 shares, and his uncle also decided to buy 5,000 shares. That was 10,000 shares in total.
Qin Guan made the calculations and found that it was much more than they had spend in his past life. Everyone will be satisfied.
It turned out that Qin Guan was wrong. When the results came out, the two families regretted it. They thumped their chests and stamped their feet in deep self-accusation. They couldn't believe that they'd bet all their fortune on those stocks.
At the time, Qin Guan was totally speechless. History had still not changed.
On the 8th day of the first lunar month, Qin Guan said goodbye to all his family members and took the train to the capital alone.
He arrived at his college to find the dormitory building deserted. After unpacking his luggage, he called Sister Xue.
She sounded so happy on the other end of the line, she couldn't seem to be able to stop talking. It's not every day that Qin Guan has some spare time. I have to take advantage of it.
It snowed lightly on the 10th day of the first lunar month. Sister Xue brought Qin Guan to Carrefour's headquarters in the capital. The advertisement department staff led them into the prepared photo studio.
People were placing goods and arranging the background. The person in charge of the Marketing Promoting Department was in a heated discussion about the shooting arrangement with several distribution businessmen.
Most of the goods the suppliers provided were shoes, clothes and suitcases, which were both cheap and good quality.
The monthly sales in hypermarkets could equal the annual sales of the small manufacturers.
That's why they made careful preparations and showed seriousness during Carrefour's seasonal sales promotion every year.
It was essential for their sales volume to have a prominent place in the poster.
The theme of this promoting season was the leisurely beginning of the new term. The main products were suitcases and spring clothing for the new season.
As required by the staff, Qin Guan changed into the clothes and shoes provided by the distribution businessmen and pulled a black draw-bar suitcase. He stood in front of a background plate of goods, displaying them with pride.
The lights and reflectors made the studio quite bright. Qin Guan massaged his eyes, trying his best to adjust to the brightness.
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