1994: From a young man from a small town to a second-generation resident of Shanghai

Bai Susu returned home after finishing her meal.

Her husband, Wang Zhijian, was already waiting at home, along with her lovely daughter, Wang Tingting. She was quite cute, still in junior high school, with fair and tender skin and a bit of baby fat.

"Mom, where did you go last night? You didn't come home for dinner."

"She went to see one of Mom's friends. Have you finished your summer homework? School starts soon!"

Wang Tingting stuck out her tongue. "Almost there, almost there. I'll finish writing soon."

After his daughter returned to her room, Wang Zhijian took the initiative to help Bai Susu with her clothes, asking, "How was it? Did you have a good chat with him?"

Bai Susu felt much more at ease knowing her husband's thoughtfulness and that she had a warm home.

"Chen Yong is a very good kid. His adoptive parents have not mistreated him over the years and have even raised him to be a top student at Fudan University."

"Fudan University?" Wang Zhijian was somewhat shocked. He hadn't even gotten into Fudan University back then, but he's doing quite well now.

People in this era have a very high level of idealism towards highly educated individuals.

Many college students from rural areas, after being admitted to key universities, use their status to marry wealthy and beautiful women, thus avoiding twenty years of hard work in their lives.

"Did you tell him the truth?"

Bai Susu shook her head. "Not yet. I already have you and the child. If he knew, he would definitely resent me."

"I don't think so. Chen Yong was raised well by his adoptive parents from a young age, so he should be a kind-hearted and understanding person." Wang Zhijian was looking at Chen Yong through a lens of his academic background.

"Could someone who gets into Fudan University be a bad kid? They must be quite ambitious."

"You can try to restore your relationship with him. I quite like a kid like Chen Yong."

Bai Susu was greatly surprised. "You really think so?"

"Why do you doubt me? A young man like Chen Yong might not even look at our family."

"If he stays in school, tons of outstanding girls will be interested in him. His father-in-law will definitely be incredibly impressive too."

"How can you say that!" Bai Susu retorted. "Chen Yong might not be that aware of the implications."

"Then you can try to influence him more, spend more time with him. Don't let him waste his precious time in college."

Bai Susu also agreed.

Although Chen Yong came from a small county, his parents both had social standing.

They certainly hope that Chen Yong can also find someone of equal social standing.

…………

Chen Yong has one more week before school starts.

I've been in Shanghai for half a month and haven't written a single letter to my friends back home yet.

At that time, communication was a very troublesome problem, as there was no quick and convenient mobile phone text messaging.

Not everyone can afford a mobile phone.

I think the Little Smart phone is coming out soon; I remember it was released in 96.

Small and portable, it can make phone calls and send text messages.

The next step is the smartphone.

They can access the internet and chat on QQ.

The opportunity of the times is right in front of us; you won't be able to do without money then.

Chen Yongxian wrote a letter back to Chen Qingqiao.

Now that they've kissed, Chen Yong has to take responsibility for her.

In the letter, he explained his recent situation and told her about the situation in Shanghai. Chen Yong slightly downplayed the prosperity of the city and his material conditions.

Otherwise, it would be easy for Chen Qingqiao to feel frustrated. Good girls still need to be protected.

Chen Qingqiao's feelings for him were quite pure; she simply liked him as a person.

Chen Yong also liked Chen Qingqiao.

After finishing the letter, Chen Yong considered whether he should also write a letter to Ye Huiling.

Ye Huiling was raising him like a fish in a pond. With Chen Yong's current material conditions, he could definitely have Ye Huiling completely under his control.

When Ye Huiling comes to Shanghai and realizes the gap between them, will she take the initiative to pursue him?

After thinking it over, I wrote a simple and unadorned letter, speaking to her in the tone of a friend.

They didn't express any feelings that went beyond friendship.

In the letter he sent back to Chen Qingqiao, he also included a small gift.

He bought a Shanghai watch for 1000 yuan; it was a women's model.

Shanghai watches used to be a very prestigious brand!

In some smaller places, many junior leaders want a Shanghai watch.

Wearing it on your wrist when you go out will definitely get you a lot of compliments.

A thousand yuan is not much to Chen Yong.

He completed three transactions and earned 75 yuan.

Chen Yong sent both letters back at the same time.

He didn't need to worry about letting the two girls know about the letter.

Chen Qingqiao and Ye Huiling did not have a good relationship; they were the kind of people who would never speak to each other again.

Ye Huiling might tell He Li, but school is about to start, and in such a short time, even if Ye Huiling tells He Li, the news won't spread.

Chen Yong also chose a good time to send the letter back, just a few days before the start of the semester for the two of them.

After reading the letter, they should go to school.

Three days later, Chen Yong's letter arrived in Chen Qingqiao's hands, along with a beautiful watch.

She was already happy to receive Chen Yong's letter, and there was even a small gift.

The girl's heart started pounding wildly.

After Chen Qingqiao met Chen Yong last time and was kissed by him, she regretted it as soon as she returned.

She wanted Chen Yong to kiss her again, but they were more than 2,000 kilometers apart.

University is in a different city. What if Chen Yong meets a prettier and more outstanding girl at university there?

The letter Chen Yong sent her put her at ease.

The letter also contained Chen Yong's phone number.

Chen Qingqiao realized that Chen Yong must be very rich now, since he even has his own cell phone and bought her a Shanghai watch.

Chen Qingqiao put on the watch Chen Yong had bought for her; it looked really good on her wrist.

Then he picked up the pen on his desk and began to reply to Chen Yong.

Chen Qingqiao believes that writing letters is a very meaningful ritual in a relationship, and she feels she must write them.

You can write a letter or make a phone call.

The letter conveyed Chen Qingqiao's deep care and love for Chen Yong, and mentioned that she wanted to go to Shanghai to see the Oriental Pearl Tower during the National Day holiday.

Actually, I just wanted to see Chen Yong, hoping he wouldn't be ungrateful.

After finishing writing the letter, Chen Qingqiao prepared to go out and mail it immediately.

"Qiao'er, have you packed your things? You're going to university to register tomorrow," said Chen Qingqiao's father.

Suddenly, she noticed a watch on her daughter's wrist and immediately recognized it as a Shanghai brand watch.

"Why are you wearing a Shanghai watch? Where did you get it?"

He had seen his boss wear this watch and had always liked it, but it was too expensive, costing over a thousand yuan, so he couldn't bring himself to buy it.

He was surprised that his daughter put it on first, and then he realized that it must have been given to him by one of the boys.

"Was it given by Guo Hao from your class, or by Wang Chong?" Chen Zhiyong asked seriously.

Among Chen Qingqiao's classmates, only two could afford to give such an expensive gift.

They are all ignorant and incompetent, only managing to get into a junior college. Even if their families are rich, they are not good enough for his well-behaved daughter who got into Wuhan University.

"Neither!" Chen Qingqiao's statement was a tacit admission that the watch was a gift from the boy.

"If it wasn't them, could it have been given to you by some other guy you know?"

"Could it be that kid Chen Yong?" Chen Zhiyong knew that Chen Yong had already gone to Shanghai, and many people knew about his background, so he asked tentatively.

"Dad, just leave it alone!!" Chen Qingqiao refused to reveal any private information and went out, swinging her high ponytail.

Meanwhile, Ye Huiling also received Chen Yong's letter and replied to it.

Learning from the letter that Chen Yong was driving a Mercedes over there, her goodwill towards Chen Yong increased rapidly.

In her reply to Chen Yong, she subtly expressed her long-standing affection for him, implicitly revealing that she also liked him.

When he went out to mail the letter, he ran into Chen Qingqiao.

"Chen Qingqiao, what a coincidence! What are you doing here?"

I sent a letter to a friend in Wuhan.

"And you?" Chen Qingqiao lied, not wanting to reveal her relationship with Chen Yong.

"I'm submitting my work to a literary society in Shanghai," Ye Huiling said, also not telling the truth.

The two met, but neither said much, each lost in their own thoughts.