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

Chapter 276 Why did the leader seek out Lu Youyou alone?

The continuous visual distractions captivated everyone, and it wasn't until the accommodation arrangements were mentioned that some people reluctantly turned their gaze away from the window.

Are we going to stay at an American guesthouse tonight?

"How silly! There are no guesthouses in America, they call them hotels."

"I don't care where I stay, as long as I can take a shower. I wonder if there will still be hot water this late."

"There probably are..."

Yu Qingtian was filled with excitement and wanted to discuss it with someone, but Lu Youyou remained mostly silent, seemingly calm no matter what she saw.

But she still didn't want to give up.

There were four people going to Stanford in total. Besides the two of them, there was a boy and the other one was the unlikable Li Mingyue. Sticking together with Lu Youyou seemed like the best choice.

"Lu, do you know what hotels in America are like? I wonder if there will be any food left later..."

Lu Youyou admired her persistence a little and said with a slight smile, "There will definitely be hot water, but I don't know how the staff will arrange the food."

"By the way, does America have food stamps? Do we have to pay for food?"

"You don't need food coupons to eat."

As for the rest, Lu Youyou didn't know. She only realized how poor the country was and how scarce its foreign exchange was after she personally participated in it.

The team leader only had $60 in pocket money, which was a little over a dollar per person, so every penny had to be carefully managed.

Even if the government solves the food and accommodation problem and each person receives a subsidy of $300 per month from the embassy, ​​this amount is still far from enough to live a stable life in the United States.

Lu Youyou has countless ways to make money, but she can't help everyone; everyone can only grit their teeth and persevere.

Shortly afterward, the bus stopped in front of a small hotel near the embassy. Zhao Xiang repeated the organizational discipline for the nth time, emphasizing the issue of safety.

Hearing vivid examples of armed robberies and street shootouts, the students suddenly became much more alert.

Zhao Xiang was fairly satisfied with everyone's reaction. Several batches had had incidents, and despite repeated warnings, the students still showed no vigilance. So this time, he used examples to "scare" them.

Zhao Xiang told everyone to get off the car. Space in the hall was limited, so a group of people stood outside the door.

Once you leave the semi-vacuum environment of the airport and find yourself on the streets, you truly feel like you're standing on American soil.

The unfamiliar language, mixed with the cold night wind, finally dissipated the enthusiasm that had been building up.

The embassy provided standard rooms for everyone, but each room had to accommodate four people.

As luck would have it, Lu Youyou was grouped with Li Mingyue and Yu Qingtian, and there was also a girl from the south.

Instead of the hot meals everyone had imagined, each person was given a sandwich and a bottle of water.

Apart from Lu Youyou, no one else had ever eaten cheese before. A few people took their first bite and their eyes widened. They looked around and whispered to the people next to them.

"This steamed bun tastes a bit sour and has a slightly fishy smell. How's yours?"

"It has a milky smell."

"Are you sure it's not broken?"

"No, I think it tastes alright. The boss wouldn't give us spoiled food, would he? Is medical treatment free?"

"Too……"

Those who weren't used to the food quietly finished what they were holding, filling their stomachs first. As Lu Youyou ate her sandwich, her memories drifted back to her years studying abroad.

Dry bread with tomatoes, onions, ham, and cheese—a very ordinary simple meal, which I ate almost three times a day when I was rushing to finish my thesis.

Yu Qingtian was clearly not used to the food; she had difficulty swallowing each bite and couldn't help but mutter under her breath.

"It's not as good as a flatbread with pickled vegetables... Dear Lu, Americans don't eat this every day, do they?"

Seeing Lu Youyou nod, she was shocked: "Then we have to eat this from now on?"

Lu Youyou continued to nod.

Unlike in later years, finding Chinese food in the university cafeteria was extremely difficult back then. Students either had to cook for themselves or eat out in Chinatown, both of which were hard to achieve for students.

Yu Qingtian instinctively clutched her backpack tighter. There were still a few white flour pancakes left in her lunchbox, which she had originally planned to use to fill her stomach, but suddenly she couldn't bear to eat them.

Li Mingyue stood a meter away, silently listening to Yu Qingtian's whispers, finishing the last bite of her sandwich, and even silently sweeping the scattered breadcrumbs into her mouth.

Does it matter if it tastes good or not? At least there's meat in it. She's been eating pickled vegetables for over twenty years and is already tired of them.

After Zhao Xiang finished the check-in procedures, he came out and handed out keys to everyone.

"There is a bathroom in the room and hot water is available 24 hours a day. Please check in first. I want to emphasize again that you must not go out at night without permission. If anything happens, please report it to the teacher in charge immediately."

Lu Youyou walked to the second to last room at the end of the room, following the room number. It was a very ordinary standard room with two 1.2-meter beds and a toilet and shower in the bathroom.

Yu Qingtian entered the room after her and exclaimed in surprise when she saw the "luxurious" bathroom.

Li Mingyue and the other girl remained silent, but their faces showed the same surprise and confusion.

Many people have never seen a flush toilet, and shower heads are not common in every household. Just as Lu Youyou was about to explain how to use these things, the teacher leading the group came in.

"Come, come, let me tell you how to use the room facilities..." After explaining, the female teacher added, "Be careful when using them. Don't force it if there's a problem, or you'll have to pay for it."

The words "loss money" were probably too damaging, because no one dared to touch it after the teacher said it.

The teacher had other rooms to visit and was about to leave after teaching. Before leaving, she called out to Lu Youyou, "Lu, come with me for a moment."

After Lu Youyou left, the three of them looked at each other for a few seconds before Li Mingyue suddenly spoke up: "I'm going to check on my classmate."

Li Mingyue looked around after coming out, and immediately followed Lu Youyou after seeing her disappearing figure around the corner.

She didn't see anyone in the corridor, and she didn't see anyone all the way to the lobby. She waited for a few seconds and was almost about to go back when she turned around and caught a glimpse of Zhao Xiang outside the door.

Zhao Xiang's body was half blocked by the doorpost, but if he turned a little more, he could see Lu Youyou opposite him.

Li Mingyue couldn't explain why she had followed, but the scene before her made her feet feel as if they were glued to the spot.

Why did the embassy leaders want to speak with Lu Youyou separately?

Lu Youyou herself was also puzzled. Only after Zhao Xiang explained did she realize that she "held multiple positions" and was a key person under the organization's attention.

Lu Youyou has been fully involved in three projects to date, and each one has reached or even surpassed the world's leading level in the same field.

Without her realizing it, she had already been put on the radar, receiving special attention and protection, including access to resources far exceeding those available to ordinary people.

Zhao Xiang wasn't looking for Lu Youyou to discuss any confidential information; they just wanted to get to know each other better first. The embassy would discuss the specifics with her privately at another time.

"Student Lu, this is the embassy's office phone number. This is the emergency contact number. This number is staffed 24 hours a day. Please contact us anytime if you have any problems."