Rebirth in the 50s: The Couple with the Hidden Space

After arranging and settling everything needed at home, Zhou Jiao returned to school accompanied by Zhang Guoqing, and the couple once again parted ways to work for their future.

This time, traveling with Zhou Jiao were her twenty classmates and thirty others from different classes. The fifty students from the Electrical Engineering Department including Miao Zhenggen took the train to Jiangcheng City under the guidance of several professors and two assistant teachers. After a short stay there, they transferred trains to their final destination—Lingnan City.

With Zhang Guoqing absent due to being chosen for army training, naturally, Yi Jiefang took charge of their class. Yi Jiefang considered staying in Beijing might have been a better choice.

Returning to his hometown base wasn’t as splendid as imagined. This internship stationed him in the grassroots, with no opportunity to rise as a king of sorts. Without his close buddies, it felt tasteless.

In the carriage, Yi Jiefang seized the chance when others weren’t paying attention and complained softly, "Girl, you’re not being fair. Why didn’t you give Brother Dayi a heads-up beforehand?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Jiao felt amused and rolled her eyes at him, still referring to him as Brother Dayi?

"You silly girl! You think going to the grassroots is like going on a fall outing? It’ll tire you out! Forget it, let’s not talk about this sad topic. Nothing anyone says can change my mind, I’ll break ties with that guy when we get back."

Zhou Jiao stifled a laugh. Breaking ties, huh? When leaving school, who was the one shouting to bring Zhang Guoqing local fruits? He was practically offering himself up to be her best friend.

Yi Jiefang lounged lazily in his seat, tempting her, "After the internship, there are a few days of rest. I’ll take you back to my hometown, where the scenery is amazing and fruits are so abundant they can be a meal. You know what’s ’Princess’s smile’?"

Zhou Jiao certainly knew, nodding to him. "Amid the dust, the princess smiles, unaware that it’s the arrival of lychee." Even Little Ping’an at her home knows this verse.

"Right, it’s lychee. Every household in my hometown has fruit trees. If there aren’t fresh ones now, there will be dried lychees, sweet after boiling, better than any sweet drink. What do you think? Spend some time there before heading back to Beijing, leaving Xiao Wu worried sick before returning."

Next to him, Shen Yunshi chuckled, "You’re in trouble! Quick, bribe me!"

Yi Jiefang gave him a disdainful look, "Go ahead and report me, I’ll deny it no matter what. What good would you do?"

"Don’t be like that, take us with you. At worst, we can all cover for each other! What could Xiao Wu do then?"

Zhou Jiao rolled her eyes at them, "Have you forgotten Xiao Wu is my child’s father, we’re a team!"

Shen Yunshi exaggeratedly patted his chest, "Oh no, oh no, how do I always forget our classmate Zhou Jiao once threw a stool in anger for her dear guy?"

Ahead of them, their conversations had avoided outsiders, but Shen Yunshi’s action and words in the end escaped control, resulting in bursts of laughter from the surrounding classmates.

The impression Zhou Jiao gave others did not match this scene, making it all the more surprising.

Leaving campus in their youth, looking outside always stirs a youthful passion. With so many classmates accompanying her, Zhou Jiao felt far from lonely on the journey.

As they approached Jiangcheng City, they learned they had missed their schedule and could only catch the next day’s train. At this moment, smiles of understanding spread among them. Some classmates from Jiang City were prompted to share about local scenery and taboos.

Several teachers came over to remind them to pack their luggage, hearing this, they did not intervene, which only fueled the excitement. Everyone grabbed those few classmates and wouldn’t let them off.

A female student from another class, realizing time was limited, started off by asking everyone what "going down the river" meant, saying these two words were most commonly heard among Jiang City locals.

Her playful inquiry sparked various guesses within the carriage.

Eventually, a male student stepped forward and provided the right answer.

It turns out, in Jiang City, "going down the river" symbolizes many things, and outsiders often cause jokes by misunderstanding. It’s true, every place has its quirks.

For instance: Every morning before six-thirty, sanitation workers would pull large dung buckets with carts, collecting from residential areas in sections, ringing bells as they shouted, "Going down the river." Locals knew it meant the dung collection was there.

Another example being before communes were established, vendors from neighboring provinces and the province itself would arrive in Jiang City on wooden boats, unloading agricultural products like white radishes, cabbage, sweet potatoes, lotus roots, lotus pods, and water chestnuts at riverbanks, shouting upon docking: "Going down the river to get water chestnuts and lotus pods, fresh lotus roots."

If outsiders aren’t familiar, they might be startled.

The dung bucket’s "going down the river" is a different concept, Huaxia language indeed is profound and meaningful, bending everyone over with laughter.

Nevermind words with dual uses, some accents also caused numerous misunderstandings, like the famous anecdotes about sleeping and dumplings, caresses and bread, and six cents and a hooligan.

Listening to the peal of laughter inside the carriage, if Zhang Guoqing were present, he might have needed to assist in an emergency.

As for the food-loving Qiao Na, she wasn’t concerned about "going down the river" but was more interested in the mention that "water chestnuts and lotus pods are plentifully available each year from late summer to early autumn, where the place we lived resonated with such calls daily."

"Are there still any now? Can we buy some? If possible, I’d love to buy some to send home." This girl harbored a little secret, not daring to admit she wanted to eat it herself. Buying some to send home to family and for private indulgence was a serious matter. She could risk getting labeled one day.

The male student before laughed, "There are even older water chestnuts. The starchier water chestnut rice is even tastier, costing only a few cents per catty before, now it’s over a dime."

"Could we get permission from the teachers to wander with you later?"

"Quickly, everyone plan together. Buy more as food rations."

Zhou Jiao watched everyone discuss with amusement, pondering that it seemed she could sneak away unnoticed. It was a good topic.

After disembarking, the group of students, led by the professors, settled in a guesthouse near the station. Several large dormitory rooms emitted a pungent smell, with lingering foot odor, sweat, and mold. Only close inspection of the wooden planks would reveal fleas and lice.

No one expressed opinions, nor dared to speak out.

Considering they would stay for one night until they could leave on the early afternoon train the next day, a few local students gained permission from the teachers to return timely while the rest were eager for action.

Money wasn’t a concern as strolling didn’t cost anything, especially with this city holding many stories, young people naturally wanting to pay respects to martyrs, reminiscing history.

After an animated debate, the students won the privilege to go out with their counselors, while Zhou Jiao used her prepared excuse to visit elders.

However, Counselor Wu firmly shook his head, refusing her request. No way! Looking as radiant as she did, any accident in an unfamiliar place could not be his responsibility.

Don’t think marking her parents as both military personnel on records was simple. Judging by those Eight Great Colleges officials’ protective attitude towards Zhou Jiao, he wasn’t oblivious!