My era, 1979!

Chapter 12 Turmoil
The long-distance bus carriage was like a steamer.

Xu Chengjun took off his straw hat and used it as a fan, but the air he fanned was hot.

The old man next to me was slurping down his chilled tea from an enamel mug. The rim of the mug was covered with a ring of white alkali, clearly an old object that had been used for many years.

I remember in my past life, there was a period when something strange happened at my workplace, and suddenly everyone started using enamel mugs.

It reads things like "Serve the people" and "Roll up your sleeves and work hard."
-
The old man was a very outgoing person, and perhaps he was bored on the way, so he struck up a conversation with Xu Chengjun.

"Young man, what are you going to Hefei for?"

"work."

Xu Chengjun smiled and tapped a rhythm on the canvas bag with his fingertips.

"Look at your bag, it's bulging. Are you going to visit relatives?"

The old man put down his teacup, wiped his mouth, and his beard was still covered with tea leaves.

“I’m going to deliver some freshly harvested mung beans to my son. He works at a machine tool factory and said the mung bean soup in the factory canteen is very bland.”

Just as Xu Chengjun was about to reply, a commotion suddenly broke out in the back row.

"My bag! Who touched my bag?!"

A young man in blue overalls suddenly stood up, clutching a military green satchel with the bottom cut in half.

"The twenty yuan I just withdrew is gone!"

The carriage fell silent instantly; even the children's crying stopped.

Xu Chengjun frowned.

He had just caught a glimpse of a man in a gray jacket brushing against the young man twice out of the corner of his eye.

The man was now moving towards the car door, his hands in his pockets, his knuckles white.

"Comrade, don't worry, let's look again?"

The ticket seller was a round-faced girl. "Did it fall under the seat?"

"What are you looking for! It's definitely been stolen!"

The young man's face turned red with anxiety, his eyes wide. "That's half a year's salary I saved up to buy my girlfriend a Shanghai brand watch!"

The man in the gray jacket had already reached the train door, muttering, "I've arrived at my stop, please move aside."

"Don't rush off," Xu Chengjun suddenly said, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears.

"I noticed you were standing next to this comrade for quite a while. Did you drop something?"

He spoke with a slight smile, but his eyes were fixed on the man like nails.

The man stopped in his tracks and turned around abruptly: "What do you mean? I don't know you!"

"It's boring." Xu Chengjun slowly stood up, a head taller than the man.

"I just feel like your pockets are bulging. Are you carrying someone else's money? Take it out and show it to them, wouldn't that make you look more innocent?"

The surrounding passengers joined in the jeering: "Take it out and let's see!"

"Don't tell me you're feeling guilty!"

The man's face turned a deep purplish-red, his hands gripping his pockets tightly: "I'm carrying my own money! What right do you have to look?"

"Why should I? Because you were acting suspiciously just now!"

An old soldier wearing a military cap in the back row suddenly stood up, his back ramrod straight. "I caught thieves in the army for three years. The way you look, something's definitely not right!"

Seeing that he couldn't escape, the man suddenly rushed towards the car door, trying to jump out and run away.

Xu Chengjun was prepared and gently hooked his ankle with his leg.

The man fell down in the aisle with a cry of "Ouch!" The money in his pocket tumbled out with a "clatter," exactly twenty yuan, tied with a rubber band, and still smelling of ink.

"Is this your money?!"

The veteran picked up the money and handed it to the man in blue overalls, saying, "Count it, see if anything is missing."

The young man's hands were trembling. He counted three times before nodding: "That's quite a lot, exactly twenty! Thank you, brother! Thank you, comrade!"

The man in the gray jacket was lying on the ground, cursing under his breath, when the veteran grabbed him by the back of his collar and lifted him up: "When we get to Hefei, come with me to the police station and learn the rules!"

A round of applause erupted in the carriage, and even the driver shouted from the front, "Young man, what skill!"

Xu Chengjun waved his hand and sat back down, only to find the old man giving him a thumbs-up: "You kid, you look so refined, I didn't expect you to be so efficient!" "Just lucky."

He scratched his head. In his past life, besides writing books, his biggest hobbies were fitness and boxing, which made him react faster than the average person.

"With your reaction, it's a shame you're not a police officer."

The old man clicked his tongue in amazement, "I didn't even realize it just now, how did you tell at a glance that there was something wrong with him?"

"Look at his eyes."

Xu Chengjun picked up his straw hat and continued fanning himself, saying casually, "He looks shifty and doesn't seem like a good person."

If a theft happens on the bus, and you're the only one who wants to get off, what kind of person do you think you are?

In this era,

No monitoring.

One should act entirely according to one's conscience.

His words made everyone around him laugh.

A young man in blue overalls came over and insisted on giving him the apples he had just bought: "Comrade, you must accept this small token of my appreciation, otherwise I will feel bad about it."

The apple was still warm, and Xu Chengjun couldn't refuse it, so he took it, wiped it, and took a big bite.

Sweet juice dripped down his chin, and he quickly wiped it with his sleeve, which made everyone laugh again.

What's so funny!
Xu Chengjun laughed along with him.

"Look at the way you're eating, just like my son. Are you starving?"

The old man took out a vegetable bun from his cloth bag. "Try it? My wife made it, with a little sesame salt."

Xu Chengjun didn't stand on ceremony, took it and took a bite, the salty and savory flavor spreading in his mouth.

This train ride was worth it!
Not only did we catch a thief, but we also got an apple and a steamed bun – much better than eating cornbread at the guesthouse!
As the car passed Gangji, factory chimneys began to appear along the roadside, one after another, like a line of guards.

Workers on bicycles passed by the vehicle, their lunch boxes strapped to the back seats, making a jingling sound.

"We're almost in Hefei." The old man pointed to a tall building in the distance. "That's the Jianghuai Hotel. It's newly built, and I heard it can accommodate foreigners."

Jianghuai Hotel, huh? These days it's basically just a six-story building.
Xu Chengjun looked in the direction he was pointing.

In my past life, I went to Hefei for a seminar and stayed in a fairly large hotel, with a subway station right downstairs.

But now, looking at that six-story Jianghuai Hotel, it's even more exciting than the glass curtain wall building I saw back then.

"Young man, what important business are you going to Hefei for?" the old man asked again, his eyes full of curiosity.

"Go to the Education Bureau."

Xu Chengjun touched the canvas bag. "I want to try and see if I can study at Fudan University."

"Fudan University? The one in Shanghai?" The old man's eyes widened. "That's the best university! You've got potential!"

People around them also gathered around to ask questions, and their chatter made the atmosphere in the carriage even more lively.

The young man in blue overalls said, "My sister works in the typing room at the Education Bureau. She might know some leaders in the Higher Education Department. I'll ask her when we get there."

Xu Chengjun felt a warmth in his heart and was about to thank them when the car suddenly braked sharply and stopped in front of the Hefei bus station.

"We're here!" the ticket seller called out as she opened the door. "Make sure you have all your things, don't forget anything!"

When he got off the bus, Xu Chengjun put the unfinished steamed buns into his pocket.

I wanted to throw the apple core away in a trash can, but I couldn't find one for a long time.

The old man patted him on the shoulder: "Go three blocks ahead and you'll find the Education Bureau. It has red brick walls and two stone lions at the entrance. It's very easy to find."

"Thank you, sir." Xu Chengjun waved and walked towards the intersection with his canvas bag on his back.
-
Sunlight filtered through the leaves and dappled the ground, so bright it was hard to open one's eyes.

The bus station entrance was bustling with people: vendors carrying watermelons on shoulder poles, peddlers on tricycles, and people carrying luggage. It was noisy, yet full of energy.

Looking at all this, Xu Chengjun suddenly felt that the tension he felt when catching the thief had dissipated.

The red-brick education hall is right in front of us.

He took a deep breath, smiled, and walked inside.

In the summer of 1979, there was no time for dawdling.

(End of this chapter)