1970s: Hot wife accompanies the army, cold-faced rough man is not easy to tease

Chapter 275 San Francisco (Updated)
The meals in first class are definitely different, but Lu Youyou really doesn't know about the others.

She had heard that, as one of the windows to the outside world during the reform and opening up period, the catering standards on international routes in that era were quite high.

Chinese dishes include braised sea cucumber with scallions, braised fish maw, braised shrimp, Peking duck...

Western dishes include pan-fried steak, creamy shrimp balls, roasted turkey, and foie gras; Japanese dishes include teriyaki chicken and tempura...

First class also offers Moutai, and there's no shortage of red wine and beer.

These things have nothing to do with economy class, but there should be hot meals, which might even taste better than the swill-filled airline meals of later generations.

The rare and concentrated are the essence; this statement is always true. As one of the few international routes, we will certainly implement high standards and strict requirements.

The aroma of food woke up most of the sleeping passengers, who had been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the flight attendants pushing the carts over.

At this point, nobody cared about losing face. Most people were watching, with at least three or four heads sticking out from each row of seats, their eyes following the car and unwilling to look away.

Yu Qingtian became tense and excited again, switching into chatterbox mode in a second.

"I think I can smell chicken!"

"Can I have more if it's not enough?"

“Lu classmate…”

When the flight attendant came over to ask her, she hesitated for several seconds before finally saying, "Rice, rice...cooked rice."

Lu Youyou's hand was trembling as she took the lunchbox; she was afraid the food would spill on her.

Yu Qingtian has a keen sense of smell; the lunchbox contained rice and vegetables, and the meat was indeed chicken. Everyone was also given an apple.

Lu Youyou took a bite and found it to be quite good, mainly because it was fresh.

Due to limitations in logistics and equipment, airplane meals are made fresh before takeoff. While they may lack convenience, the taste is significantly better than in the future.

"Delicious! It tastes great!"

"It smells so good! It smells much better than the school cafeteria!"

Lu Youyou was surrounded by her own people. Some of the students came from very ordinary families and usually ate only steamed buns and pickled vegetables. The airplane meals included meat, vegetables, and fruit, which could even be described as a luxury.

Moreover, these days people eat a lot, and many look longing after finishing their meal, but no one dares to ask for more.

Those who brought their own food took it out and continued eating, managing to fill their stomachs with the free hot tea. Those who brought nothing could only look forward to what the next meal would bring.

Lu Youyou finished eating and was about to go back to sleep when Yu Qingtian finally seized the opportunity and generously pulled out a lunchbox, revealing a stack of white flour pancakes.

"Lu must not be full yet. Do you want some? I still have pickled cowpeas and pickled mustard greens."

Her enthusiasm almost overwhelmed Lu Youyou, who could only politely decline with a smile: "No need, thank you, I'm already full."

"Really? Don't be shy, I brought a lot!" Yu Qingtian handed the lunchbox forward again.

Lu Youyou waved her hand again, and she could only regretfully take it back.

On the other side of the corridor, Li Mingyue secretly swallowed as she watched this scene.

She was one of the students from a poor family. Knowing that food would be served on the plane, she saved money by skipping dinner last night.

She had been hungry for more than ten hours, and the airplane meal was only enough to fill her halfway up. However, apart from her daily necessities, she had not brought any food with her, mainly because she had no money to bring.

Yu Qingtian's generosity made her very envious, but Yu Qingtian's open and subtle rejection had already made it very clear, so she couldn't bring herself to ask for food. Perhaps because the gaze was too intense, Yu Qingtian caught the person peeking out of the corner of her eye. She snorted disdainfully and turned her body to the side, blocking the view from the other side of the corridor.

Li Mingyue gulped down the entire cup of tea, pretending her stomach was already full.

Studying abroad is the most important thing she has ever done in her life. She just wants to avoid any accidents. Is that wrong?
*
The flight from Shanghai to San Francisco takes about 12 hours. Lu Youyou didn't eat anything during the second half of the flight and just fell asleep.

The plane landed in the middle of the night in San Francisco. The moment Lu Youyou stepped out of the cabin, she could clearly feel everyone tense up, including the teacher in charge.

"Everyone look here. Embassy staff will meet us outside the airport. Follow me, don't fall behind, don't make noise, and don't talk to foreigners casually. Remember the organizational discipline..."

The teacher in charge repeated what he had said a thousand times before, afraid that he might have missed something and the students might cause some trouble.

Everyone was quiet, though their eyes were wide open.

Is this what America is like?

Stylish pedestrians, a spacious airport, and the air filled with the cacophony of birdsong—even the smell of the air felt different from what I had back home.

San Francisco International Airport in the 80s was not much different from what it is today. As Lu Youyou walked into the brightly lit airport terminal, she felt as if she had returned to her previous life.

That's true. In the coming decades, only China has undergone tremendous changes, while the United States seems to have stagnated since a certain point.

When going through customs, the immigration officers asked very detailed questions, and almost everyone was questioned for a long time.

After clearing customs, many people broke out in a cold sweat in the dead of winter, feeling both nervous and excited.

It was late at night, and everything outside the airport was hidden in the darkness, not enough for everyone to see the true face of this "world's most developed country". But this bustling international airport had already broadened the horizons of the teachers and students.

The teacher leading the group held up a small flag, turning back every three steps, afraid that someone would get lost. Only when he saw someone holding a banner at the exit that read "Welcome Chinese Students Studying in the United States" did he finally show his first smile after landing.

"Hello, comrade!"

"Hello, comrade!"

"Did the journey go smoothly?"

"Everything went smoothly, thank you for your help!"

The teacher in charge shook hands and greeted the embassy staff for a long time, and after counting the number of people, led everyone onto the long-awaited bus.

"Hello students, I am Zhao Xiang, who is in charge of government-sponsored study abroad affairs at the Consulate General in San Francisco. It's a pleasure to meet you all..."

After introducing himself, Zhao Xiang emphasized discipline first. Lu Youyou only put one ear in the car, while the other half of her attention was directed out the window.

Yu Qingtian was still sitting next to her. This girl had been following her the whole time, taking the seat next to her as soon as she got on the bus.

Although the skyscrapers loomed in the night, they still struck Yu Qingtian's heart like a heavy hammer.

She had imagined countless times what America would be like, but what she saw before her eyes exceeded the limits of her imagination. She had never seen a city so bright at night, or buildings so tall...

The sight that came into view made Yu Qingtian forget about how well she knew Lu Youyou, and she grabbed her arm and shook it vigorously.

"Lu, look over there! Wow, it's spectacular!!!"

The Golden Gate Bridge attracted everyone's attention, and everyone pressed their faces against the windows to look out.

Zhao Xiang was already used to it, so he gave everyone two minutes to marvel, clapped his hands, and continued with the next arrangements.

"We'll arrange accommodations for everyone tonight, and starting tomorrow, we'll gradually send you all to your respective schools for registration..."