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

In the golden autumn of September, the maple leaves gradually turn red. A gentle breeze rustles them. From afar, they look like a ball of fire!

Golden ginkgo leaves are nestled among emerald green ginkgo leaves—lovely and vibrant.

This is the last semester for the Class of '77.

The crisp sound of bicycle bells rang out across the campus. The freshmen were full of youthful energy and vitality. Their faces were filled with joy and pride.

This guy looks like a young man who hasn't experienced the harsh realities of life and is full of passion.

Anyone with social experience understands that graduating from university is equivalent to nothing. Getting into Peking University only proves one thing: that this person is a good student. University is not the end; rather, it is the beginning of another chapter in life.

At this moment, many of Xu Jing'an's students were restless. They were uncertain about their future and had no idea where they would end up.

The school also began to talk to students one after another to understand their personal intentions in order to arrange jobs.

Others, like Xu Jing'an, who were confident in their abilities, remained relatively calm.

As soon as December arrived, the winter snow had already covered the earth. In the white-covered campus, many people were building snowmen and having snowball fights.

The ice rink at Weiming Lake has already opened.

The girls in the dormitory got up early and started chattering non-stop.

Wu Lanzhi: "Hurry, hurry! The ice rink will get crowded if we're late!"

Wang Meihua: "Sister Jing'an, you're really not going?"

Yue Xiaomai: "We can ride on an ice sled."

Zhang Xuehong: "Sister Jing'an, go ahead, go ahead! It'll be so much fun with so many people!"

Xu Jing'an smiled and shook her head: "No, I'm too old to do this."

Despite repeated attempts by several people to persuade her, she refused. Finally, they gathered people from other dormitories, forming a large group, and headed towards Weiming Lake.

Perhaps the memory of being cold in her youth was too vivid. Even after so many years, Xu Jing'an still feels cold whenever she sees snow.

Even though I'm wearing thick cotton clothes, it's very warm!

Two weeks later, everyone put on their best clothes and took a graduation photo in front of the teaching building.

"Move a little to the left~"

"Don't blink!"

"Okay! Look at the camera—"

"one two three--"

"Snap!"

The day before New Year's Day, our class monitor, Lao Yang, suggested, "We've been classmates for four years. How about we make dumplings together tomorrow?"

"This is good, this is good!"

"Old Yang, your idea is brilliant!"

"Who wouldn't envy us for being able to eat dumplings to welcome the New Year?"

……

Everyone was enthusiastic, and the atmosphere in the class wasn't so tense.

Everyone chipped in some money and coupons to buy meat, vegetables, and flour. Then Old Yang went to the canteen and borrowed a few enamel basins, a cutting board, a rolling pin, and a kitchen knife.

The next morning, several female comrades in the class kneaded the dough and prepared the filling, while the male comrades rolled out the wrappers and made dumplings, celebrating the New Year together in a lively atmosphere.

Two weeks later, Xu Jing'an calculated the time and felt it was about time to leave. She planned to take a stroll around Xidan Shopping Mall on her day off.

After lunch, I changed into new clothes, slung my large shoulder bag over my shoulder, and went out.

Buy some local specialty snacks and uncommon candies, dried fruits, toys, and other small gifts to take home as souvenirs.

After shopping all afternoon, my hands were full of bags. Once I had everything I wanted, I didn't linger and went straight to the post office to mail it.

After all, the people around here are too diverse, it's not safe!

Xu Jing'an left the post office and went to the bus stop to wait for the bus. There were a few men and elderly women standing there.

Not long after they arrived, a woman in her forties came along with a girl who looked about five or six years old.

She walked along, sobbing, saying, "My money was stolen, I don't have a penny on me. I haven't eaten for two days. Kind people, please give me some food!"

Xu Jing'an glanced up once, then looked away and turned to leave. The child rushed over and grabbed her leg.

The older woman, her face filled with sorrow, went straight to Xu Jing'an. "Young lady," she said, "my daughter and I haven't eaten for days! Please have pity on us and give us something to eat!"

With that, he raised his hand and pushed the little girl to her knees with a thud. People around immediately turned to look, and more and more people gathered to watch the spectacle.

People sympathize with the weak. As long as they aren't forced to bleed themselves, there are plenty of morally upright people out there!

Xu Jing'an looked at the girl kneeling before her and the pitifully crying rural woman. In these people's eyes, single young women were always the first choice.

"The child is so pitiful!"

"Please give me something!"

Judging from your clothes and appearance, you probably aren't having a hard time!

"It's just a matter of lifting a finger!"

"Hey little sister, I have 2 mao here, don't think it's too little."

……

A chorus of agreement rippled through the crowd.

"Thank you—thank you—" the woman and child kept expressing their gratitude.

More and more people gathered. Xu Jing'an couldn't even slip away; she was completely surrounded! At this point, refusing to give it to her was not an option.

Xu Jing'an's eyes were filled with sympathy. She grabbed her older sister's hand: "Haven't you eaten for days? Putting everything else aside, I can certainly afford to feed you."

The woman's eyes lit up, but before she could even smile, Xu Jing'an pulled two steamed buns from her pocket and gave them to her.

"Quick! Eat up, it's fresh out of the pot today!"

The woman opposite her hesitated for a moment, then reached out and took it. "Thank you, young lady!"

Xu Jing'an said enthusiastically, "No need to thank me, eat up!"

After the woman finished one, Xu Jing'an handed her another. As she did so, she said, "Eating just this isn't enough; it's a bit dry. Anyone want some water?"

"I'll come—I'll come—" Soon, a kind person brought over a full teacup of hot water.

Xu Jing'an handed the water to the other person: "Sister, eating only cornbread won't do, it's too dry! Here, have some more water!"

"Putting everything else aside, the hearts of the people in our capital are burning with warmth!"

The woman hesitated before taking it: "Little sister, how about giving me just one or two cents? Grain is so expensive!"

Xu Jing'an refused righteously: "Big sister, you can't be so polite. What can you do with just a few cents? You'll still go hungry without food coupons!"

"They say if you're going to help someone, you should help them to heaven. But when you're helping someone, you can't just give them half the help."

"Don't refuse, eat up!"

Xu Jing'an handed her five more, but the woman ate slower and slower. "Little sister, I'm full."

Xu Jing'an looked at the other person in surprise: "Full? How is that possible? You haven't eaten for days, and five cornbread buns are enough?"

"Don't be shy, big sister, I have plenty of cornbread!"

After saying that, she opened her handbag and saw a bag full of cornbread, which made her teeth ache and her stomach hurt.

Can anyone tell her: Why would someone who spends so much money on things have so many steamed buns?

The woman shook her head, "No need, little sister. You're a good person, I'll be going now." With that, she grabbed the little girl and tried to leave.

Xu Jing'an turned around and blocked the mother and child's path. "Sister, it's not easy for you to raise a child alone. How can I let you leave so easily? Everyone's watching!"

He stared at the other person: "I've been to the countryside. I know how much rural women eat. Putting everything else aside, if you can't eat ten cornbread buns, you're looking down on me!"

At this point, the onlookers also joined in the commotion.

"That's right, young lady, don't be shy, just eat!"

"Food is so hard to come by!"

……

Caught in a bind, the mother and daughter could only grit their teeth and eat five more. The older woman from the countryside was almost in tears: "Sister, I don't eat much, I'm really full now!"

He spoke these words intermittently, his voice weak, accompanied by hiccups.

Xu Jing'an, estimating that it was about time, stepped aside, saying, "Alright, eldest sister, take the child and go back quickly!"

As the beggar duo left, the crowd gradually dispersed. Xu Jing'an immediately took a bus back to school.

She couldn't be slow! She was afraid the two beggars would send someone to beat her up.

Xu Jing'an had already eaten the food in her spatial dimension, and returned the money and coupons to her home. Only about ten steamed buns remained, which she had given away earlier that day. Her cheat-like abilities had completely vanished.

At the end of the month, everyone completed all the necessary procedures for registration, including establishing grain household relationships and handling dispatch fees.

She carried the hammer with her in her waistband, checked her luggage, slung her schoolbag over her shoulder, and boarded the train home again.

She had lived in Beijing for four years and moved around quite a bit. She had enough savings to buy a house. However, the Beijing Housing Administration Bureau only resumed the sale of private housing at the end of March 1983.

Xu Jing'an neither works in Beijing nor is a local. Therefore, the purchase of the house is a private transaction.

What if the other party tries to deceive her, denies the deal, or regrets it later?

Let's wait a few years to be on the safe side!

(end)