To please others? It's better to please yourself.

"Jing'an—"

As soon as Xu Jing'an entered the post office, she heard Xiao Tang shouting.

"I've been waiting for you for several days. Here—I've prepared everything you wanted." With that, Xiao Tang handed over a brown paper bag.

Xu Jing'an opened it and, unsurprisingly, found the stamps she wanted. "Thank you so much, Xiao Tang!"

Several new stamps were issued in the first half of 1980:

The Second National Congress of the China Association for Science and Technology, the 70th Anniversary of International Women's Day, the 13th Winter Olympic Games, the touring exhibition of the portrait of Master Jianzhen, promoting health and smoking cessation, Peking Opera masks, and afforestation to green the motherland...

Of course, there is also the classic "Year of the Monkey Stamp" which has been widely circulated in later generations. Since coming to Peking University, Xu Jing'an has bought several sets of new stamps every time they are issued.

Sometimes when she arrives late, Xiao Tang will make sure to save some time for her.

Xiao Tang waved his hand: "What's the big deal? It's just a piece of cake for me."

"I don't know why, but the monkey stamps are so popular. So many people are scrambling to buy them."

"To be honest, I might find it strange if others wanted so many stamps. But Jing'an, I think it's only right that you ask for as many as you want!"

Xu Jing'an smiled and took out a bottle of pear syrup from her cloth bag. "I heard you had a cough a few days ago, so I asked someone to get you a bottle. Try it and see if it helps."

Xiao Tang said gratefully, "Thank you, Jing'an." As the weather grew hotter each day, she caught a cold and developed a cough. It hadn't gotten better for several days, and she hadn't expected her friend to remember her.

Xu Jing'an held the other person's hand: "It's too formal to talk about our relationship like this."

In dealing with people, you must pay attention to details; others can sense whether you've put in the effort.

"Jing'an—"

Xu Jing'an looked in the direction of the sound and saw Jiang Qiaoqiao and Dong Zhu, who were in the same dormitory.

The two of them entered without exchanging pleasantries with Xu Jing'an, and went straight to the post office newspaper counter to buy magazines.

"I'd like a copy of 'Stars'." "I'd like a copy of 'October'."

I must be a kapok tree beside you.

I stand beside you as a tree.

root, clinging to the ground;

Leaves, touching in the clouds.

The night gave me black eyes

But I use it to seek the light.

With the publication of Shu Ting's "To the Oak Tree" and Gu Cheng's "A Generation," the "Scar Literature" and "Misty Poetry" gradually gained popularity. Many people would rather tighten their belts to subscribe to a magazine.

The women in their dormitory were no exception. Of course, Xu Jing'an was not among them.

Xu Jing'an is already middle-aged, past the age of hazy, beautiful dreams and fantasies. Moreover, her life is already profound enough, scarred enough, that she doesn't need anyone else's warning.

If there were a sweet romance novel, even a lighthearted and naive one, Xu Jing'an would be willing to pay for it.

Those thought-provoking and relatable works are best avoided. She now prefers straightforwardness and superficiality.

Just like how Teresa Teng's songs are now banned in China, yet her love songs still resonate throughout the country. Ultimately, it's because her songs sound so sweet!

The three chatted casually all the way back to their dorm. Xu Jing'an put her things away, turned around, slung her bag over her shoulder, and headed to the library. Exams were coming up soon; she wondered if she could still find a seat!

……

Shen Yue is now the regimental commander, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, he will be directing the battle from the rear. Those leading the charge are all junior officers and soldiers.

Those regimental commanders seen charging into battle on television were either from before the founding of the People's Republic of China, or from wars where the entire army was in danger of being wiped out.

After all, as long as the regimental headquarters is there, the regiment can continue to recruit soldiers; if the regimental commander is gone, it means that the regiment should be disbanded.

Despite repeated instructions to his men, these men had already formed a preconceived notion about women and children, and it would be difficult to change it without paying a price.

Shen Yue thought about it for a long time but was still not at ease. It seemed that he still needed to do a practical drill.

When he went to the division commander's office to submit his application, Division Commander Song stared at him for a long time before letting out a sigh.

"Sigh—I thought it was all in the past. I didn't expect you still haven't let go!"

"However, you're right!"

After thinking about it, Song Weihua felt it was necessary to listen to the victim's statement.

Even compatriots usually show some consideration for each other. But if this happened in enemy territory, wouldn't every strike be fatal?

"Okay, I approve. Let's try it out in your group first! Let's see how it goes!"

The exercise resulted in the death of over 300 men in the entire regiment.

Shen Yue stared at the "sacrificed martyrs" before him with a dark expression.

"Tell us how he bravely sacrificed his life! Let everyone see for themselves!" Theory is no substitute for practice!

"I met a woman who was giving birth."

"I encountered an elderly woman with a broken leg."

"I saw the child almost fall into the river."

……

"Old Wu, it's understandable that those greenhorns went down. What's wrong with you? Are you some old hand?"

Old Wu also felt wronged: "Who would have thought that woman would come up and start taking off her clothes? I instinctively closed my eyes and that's when I was stabbed."

Shen Yue was startled: "So powerful?"

He had promised the foreign aid workers that whoever could defeat the soldiers would receive a bonus.

Is it really worth sacrificing so much for just 80 cents?

His colleagues were even more uncomfortable. Why was it that they were the ones who encountered the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled to gain their sympathy, while Lao Wu was the one being used in a honey trap? Did they look down on their appearance?

Old Wu felt the dozens of ambiguous gazes from inside the room, and he felt even more aggrieved! "That was just a teenager pretending!"

The key thing is that the kid looks really intimidating!

Shen Yue breathed a sigh of relief. It was good it wasn't true. Otherwise, this would have been a huge problem!

This is really getting out of hand!

Song Weihua was stunned when he heard the results Shen Yue reported. "Are all the kids these days so clueless?"

Shen Yue nodded: "I plan to practice again in a while."

Commander Song pondered for a moment, then ordered, "Give these lads a good beating!"

Shen Yue immediately saluted and said, "Yes!" Then he took out a list from his pocket and handed it over.

Song Weihua looked at it and exclaimed, "What is this?"

Shen Yue lowered his head and explained, "It's the list of the dead!"

The division commander looked at him with a puzzled expression: "Why are you giving me this?"

Shen Yue looked up at his division commander: "When you hired them, you promised them 'one dollar for every person they take down.' You definitely agreed to that back then!"

The division commander's face froze upon hearing this: "Shen Yue, you've spent several hundred this time. My savings for the rest of my life will be poured into that."

Shen Yue was also helpless: "What can we do? Old boss, at least you can still have some thin porridge. I have so little money to buy milk powder for my four kids!"

"If you don't fill it out, are you really willing to compete with a toothless baby for milk?"

"Get lost!" Song Weihua shouted angrily.

He took out his keys from his waist, opened the drawer, spat as he counted the money, and handed it to the "debt collector" in front of him.

"Let's get this straight, the rest of you have to be careful. Otherwise, I really won't have money to buy cigarettes for the rest of my life!"

Shen Yue replied decisively, "Don't worry! If they don't improve, I'll twist their ears off!"

Song Weihua, still not entirely at ease, repeated his instructions: "You absolutely cannot tell anyone about me giving you money!"

Shen Yue replied crisply, "You can rest assured about that!" Why did he say that? The old leader only had that little bit of private money; if he gave it to someone else, would their group even get a chance?

Song Weihua reluctantly let go of her hand.

Shen Yue dashed out in a flash, afraid that his old boss would regret it if he was too late!

When they were ready to head to the station, the whole team looked completely different. In Song Weihua's words, "They looked so energetic!"