Chapter 446: A Carefree Walk (Subscribe for Monthly Tickets)
August of the lunar calendar in 1995.

Zhang Yunqi entered Lijin City at dusk.

Lijin City is located in the central part of China's central China region, in the northeastern part of southern Hunan Province, in the lower reaches of the Xiangjiang River. It belonged to the southern border of ancient Chu and was deeply influenced by Chu culture. It is known as "Xiaoxiang Zhusi" and is also known as the "Star City".

Since the economic reform engine was launched in 1992, Lijin, as the provincial capital, has not been as radical as Jiangchuan, the province's pioneer in reform and opening up in recent years, in carrying out drastic reforms on state-owned enterprises in the city, overthrowing the old system with the courage of a hero and quickly establishing a modern enterprise system.

However, in 1993, the southern Hunan region first proposed the reform idea of ​​"adapting to the new requirements of the socialist market economic system and emancipating the mind to promote development", and successively formulated a series of policy documents such as "Decision on Accelerating the Development of Individual Private Economy", pointing out that while emancipating the mind and daring to explore, the tertiary industry should be developed.

Lijin City has fully implemented this policy and is leading the trend of the times in cultivating individual private business operators in the tertiary industry!

In 1994, the tertiary industry in Lijin City achieved an annual output value of 21 billion yuan, with an annual growth rate of more than 2.5 million yuan, and the total scale exceeded that of the secondary industry for the first time. In a sense, this laid a solid foundation for the Star City Lijin to become a popular online city with a booming cultural and tourism industry 15 years later.

At present, the individual private economy has become a new growth point for the economic development of Lijin. The nationally famous Huangxing Commercial Street is crowded with people every night, the red-light street on Jiefang West Road has a strong consumer driving force, and the Friendship Mall was a landmark building in Lijin in the 90s. Food, general merchandise, medicine, electrical appliances, audio-visual books, haircuts, clocks and watches, knives and scissors, radio accessories and other private economies are booming.

During this era, foreign cars began to appear in large numbers on the streets of Lijin City, Isuzu cars were running rampant, and sales of Forever bicycles were declining. From white goods to lighters, imported products were the most popular. Jeans, suits, cashmere sweaters, T-shirts, foreign-brand ties and leather shoes were shining in all the major department stores in Star City.

There is always singing coming from the street corners. It is the song "Walk Away with Style" which was popular all over the country in the 90s: "The world is vast and the passers-by are in a hurry. The tide rises and falls. Love and hate, life and death, how many people can see through it? The world is rolling and the love is deep. There will always be a time for reunion and separation. I stay half sober and half drunk. At least you follow me in my dreams..."

On September 1995, 9, at dusk, Zhang Yunqi came here again while listening to Sally Yeh's "Walk Away with Style".

Coming to this city where he had lived since junior college in his previous life, for twenty-six years, he had experienced the disillusionment of love, the gains and losses in his career, the ups and downs in life. Here he had experienced all the bitterness and pain of life!
After sending Ji Ling home, Zhang Yunqi had a meal prepared by his aunt Zhang Jing, and then drove his Mercedes-Benz from Baizhupo in Hedong to his new home at the foot of Yuelu Mountain in Hexi.

It was already past 9 o'clock in the evening when they passed the Orange Island Bridge. Looking at the endless stream of cars and the sparkling water of the Xiangjiang River, Zhang Yunqi suddenly recalled the scene when he first came to this city in his previous life.

He was only 16 years old at that time. He carried a roll of tattered bedding on his back and wore patched Liberation shoes. With the rustic taste of a poor child of that era, he ventured into this flourishing world alone.

On the way to school, a senior sister who was in charge of welcoming new students picked him up, and the car also passed the Orange Island Bridge.

To be honest, when he was looking at the endless stream of cars, the sparkling water of the Xiangjiang River, and the beautiful senior schoolmate in front of him, he really swore in his heart that he must make a name for himself in this big city!
Thinking about it now, it’s really stupid.

But what can I say?

At this time, Sally Yeh's singing rang out in the car again: "The world is vast and passers-by are in a hurry, the tide rises and falls, gratitude and resentment, life and death, old age, how many people can see through it? The world is rolling and the love is deep, leaving half sober and half drunk."

The next day, Zhang Yunqi reported to Hunan University.

His new residence is only a ten-minute walk from the east gate of Shonan University.

Driving is a bit serious.

Zhang Yunqi walked to school alone to report.

As we walked into the school, the avenue leading to the registration office was crowded with people. The freshmen, carrying their luggage, had already taken off their ugly school uniforms from high school. After all, it was a provincial capital, and there were many boys and girls wearing fashionable and beautiful clothes of that era. There was curiosity and yearning in their eyes as they looked around.

The reporting location is at the intersection of Bachelor Street No. 2.

On both sides of the intersection are the reception desks of various colleges and departments, including the Law Department, the Economics and Management Department, the Chinese Department... At first glance, there are more of them than pig pens in the countryside. Under each red flag, there are senior students helping to carry luggage and register, a scene of busyness.

Zhang Yunqi found the registration office of the Department of Economics and Management. The counselor was there, Xu Yun, a young woman who looked to be about 27 or 28 years old, wearing a white shirt, with a straight chest and a slightly plump figure. She moved swiftly, and on her oval face there was always a smile that was between tolerance and charm.

Xu Yun was very easy to talk to: "Zhang Yunqi, from Jiangchuan, you came so early, did you catch a train all night last night?"

Zhang Yunqi smiled and said, "No, I arrived yesterday afternoon."

Xu Yun nodded and said, "That's good. You are in Class 1 of the Department of Economics and Management. You can go to the office building to pay your fees now. Remember to have a class meeting in Wenda Building at : pm."

Zhang Yunqi said thank you and turned to leave.

After wandering around, Zhang Yunqi passed through a tree-lined path leading to an office building when he unexpectedly saw a person he was half-familiar with. Or it could be said that he saw a girl who he had only met a few times but who left a deep impression on him.

The girl had no makeup on. She was wearing a plain white batik orchid camisole and pink shorts. She was wearing a pair of pure white Nike shoes. Her facial features were clear and her legs were long and white. She was carrying a pink schoolbag and holding a small fruit basket with strawberries in her hands. Facing the early autumn sunshine, the girl ate as she walked, with brisk steps. She looked lovely and carefree.

He still remembered the girl's name, Zhao Yihan.

Zhao Yihan obviously also saw Zhang Yunqi. She had a dazed expression on her face, with a half-bitten strawberry still between her lips and red sauce already overflowing from the corners of her mouth.

After a moment, Zhao Yihan reacted, wiped the red corners of her mouth, and was about to speak, but at this moment, a male voice suddenly came from behind her: "Hey, classmate, wait a minute."

Zhang Yunqi looked up and saw a boy wearing flowery shorts, a flowery short shirt, and big black-framed glasses. The boy was quite good-looking, but he smelled a bit sexier. He probably had half a bottle of hair oil poured on his head, and his hair stood up like a hedgehog in heat.

Zhao Yihan looked at the boy, his expression seemed a little confused: "What's the matter?"

The boy walked up to Zhao Yihan, lowered his black-framed glasses, and smiled as he raised the ten yuan in his hand: "Did you drop your money? I found ten yuan behind you."

Such a low-brow pick-up technique seemed to be not outdated in 95. Zhao Yihan was quite serious. Or maybe it was because this girl was innocent by nature. She immediately opened her Nike schoolbag, took out her wallet, counted it, and then shook her head and said, "It's not mine."

The boy said "Oh" and stuffed ten yuan into his pocket. He reacted quickly and fixed his eyes on the strawberries in Zhao Yihan's hand. He asked, "Where did you buy this fruit?"

Zhao Yihan pointed back and said, "There is a fruit shop over at Dongdaemun."

The boy said "Oh" again, then he reached out and grabbed a strawberry from Zhao Yihan's small fruit basket and stuffed it directly into his mouth: "Let me try it first."

Zhao Yihan was stunned: "You are quite rude!"

The boy in flowered shorts had a good-looking face and a strong skin. He nodded and said, "It's quite sweet. I was mainly worried that you wouldn't be able to finish it."

Zhao Yihan stamped his feet: "Who told you I can't finish it!"

"My intuition tells me that good-looking girls have small appetites." The boy said as he took another strawberry and put it in his mouth.

Noticing Zhang Yunqi watching with interest not far away, he smiled in response, then said to Zhao Yihan: "By the way, which department are you a freshman in? My name is Ma Rulong, and I'm from Class 1 of the Department of Economics and Management."

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(End of this chapter)