Daily Life in the 70s-Chapter 276 Coming

Zhu Qing’s words were already quite ruthless.

Liu Yilan’s face flushed with anger as she exclaimed, "Who are you calling a freeloader? We’re all in the same dormitory. If you don’t want to lend, then don’t, but is there any need to be so offensive?"

Zhu Qing finally set down her book and looked at her directly, a mocking curve formed at her lips, "Do you think the hot water falls from the sky? You know full well your kettle is empty, yet you don’t go and fill it up yourself, preferring to use someone else’s. Isn’t that a bit thick-skinned?"

Hearing this, Liu Yilan’s face turned even redder, but she wasn’t one to back down easily. She retorted, "We’re all classmates; what’s wrong with asking for a sip of water? It’s not a big deal—I can just let you have some back later, can’t I? Acting all high and mighty all the time, I never would have guessed you to be such a petty person. Can you guarantee that there’ll never come a time when you need help from others?"

"Only those with no prospects rely on others for help, waiting for pies to fall from the sky," Zhu Qing picked up her book again, averting her eyes, filled with disdain towards Liu Yilan.

Liu Yilan was also a proud individual and was nearly driven mad by the mockery. Everyone was a university student from the same department; what gave her the right to look down on others? And to say that Liu Yilan was pathetic for accepting favors, wasn’t she herself arrogant and devoid of empathy?

She placed her hands on her hips, looking ready to continue the argument when the others quickly interceded, "We’re all classmates, let it go. Yilan, I have half a cup of water here, make do with it. Stop arguing, or the girls from the next dormitory will complain."

Liu Yilan took the water from Feng Erxi, poured most of it into her cup, and drank it all in one gulp, shooting Zhu Qing a look still filled with unresolved feelings. She said, "Fellow students, you’ve all seen what kind of person Zhu Qing is. If she ever needs something in the future, I want you all as my witnesses—I won’t be offering a hand. We won’t need her little trinkets in the future."

Having said that, she then turned to Yang PeiMin, "I’d like to see just what kind of true friends these selfish people can earn, and how far they can really go."

Zhu Qing gave her a nonchalant look, "That would be for the best."

Yang PeiMin glanced at Liu Yilan as well; she was curious to see if Liu Yilan could really stop taking advantage.

The dorm lights soon went out, and all was silent.

The next day, Yang PeiMin was in a relatively good mood because she had finished Gao Lingfeng’s report, and she was quite satisfied with the details and content.

When she handed it to Gao Lingfeng, judging by his expression, she felt that she had passed muster.

This meant that her hopes had been half-realized.

But her good mood lasted only until lunchtime because she received the second round of letters from the Shen family, still sent to the school.

She picked them up from the gatekeeper and felt their weighty heft.

Even without opening them, she already guessed their content, yet she couldn’t resist the urge to check, on the off chance they weren’t what she expected.

Yang PeiMin climbed onto her bed to open the letter, and sure enough, it began by asking about her health and whether she had received the previous letter, which had been sent to the military base. They were worried she hadn’t gone back to the base, so they sent another letter, this one with added contents—full ten pages...

Then there was another piece of heavy news: in a few days’ time, the Shen family intended to send Shen Yixiang over to check on her. Chen Guizhi mentioned she had been feeling unwell lately; originally, she had thought of visiting herself, but since it was not possible, she was worried for Yang PeiMin alone in her first pregnancy, on top of attending school, without elders around. So, the plan was for Shen Yixiang to come visit and bring some nourishing items.

The news of Shen Yixiang’s impending visit frightened her—once she arrived, wouldn’t Yang PeiMin’s charade be exposed?

She quickly checked the date of the letter—it had been sent six days ago, and she didn’t know if Shen Yixiang was already on her way.

Thinking of this, she frantically got dressed. She needed to make a phone call home, hoping Shen Yixiang had not yet set out, so she might still have time to stop her.

The phone was available in the principal’s office, but now that school was out, no one was there. Yang PeiMin had no choice but to seek help from Gao Lingfeng, who she knew had her dormitory address. He had previously told everyone that if students had any issues, they could come to him, and he had shared his office desk location and his dormitory door number with everyone.

Seeing him emerge, looking like he had just woken up, Yang PeiMin felt a bit embarrassed, but she still had to ask for his assistance, "Mr. Gao, I have an emergency and need to make a phone call back home. It’s really urgent; could you please help me?"

Gao Lingfeng, noting her anxious appearance, nodded, "Wait for me a moment."

Yang PeiMin observed his disheveled clothes, understanding he needed to tidy up, and stepped back to wait outside the door.

When other teachers passed by, she gave them a friendly nod and explained why she was waiting there. She had learned from past experience that one must be careful with appearances. Despite the fact that she estimated Gao Lingfeng was of similar age and single, and that few people would speculate unnecessarily, she still thought it was important to maintain a basic level of propriety.

Gao Lingfeng soon reappeared, now wearing a long trench coat and scarf, and his wet hair tidily combed. His dashing appearance, with his typically gentle face, looked exceptionally cool. He motioned with his chin, "Let’s go."

As the teacher, he naturally led the way. Yang PeiMin followed behind him, arriving at what looked like the principal’s residence, but no one was there. They went back to the office only to find it still empty.

Gao Lingfeng turned to her, "Both the office keys and the phone keys are with the principal. Since we can’t find him, you’ll have to think of another solution. Maybe take the bus to the city center?"

That seemed to be the only option.

Yang PeiMin nodded her agreement, "Alright, I’m heading out now. I’m sorry for disturbing your sleep. You should go back to bed."

Gao Lingfeng stood still, "Can you get there on your own? Look at the snow piled up to your ankles."

She nodded again, "I often go shopping in that area. I need to hurry. I might not make it back in time for classes. Mr. Gao, could you please cover for me if I’m late?"

Gao Lingfeng squinted at the sky, glanced at his watch, and shook his head. "Wait a moment."

Yang PeiMin was puzzled.

A few minutes later, he rolled a bicycle over, "The bus has already gone by at this time, and you’d have to wait an hour for the next one. You don’t have the time now. I can bike you over. It won’t take half an hour to reach."

Yang PeiMin shook her head, "I know how to ride, you might as well lend it to me. No need for you to go out in the cold especially since the timing is uncertain. You have the first class after this, and it’s okay if a student is late, but if you aren’t there, everyone will be worried."

This content is taken from fr(e)ewebn(o)vel.𝓬𝓸𝓶