Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 29 The Dorm Leader Who Doesn't Live in the Dorm

(@-@, I'm just watching you guys, go ahead and mess things up)

Everyone carried their luggage upstairs, passed through the classroom, and entered the dormitory.

Mr. Zhao entered the room, glanced into the hallway, and then turned to Xiao Wei and the others, saying, "The toilets are over there, inside. Be careful about hygiene when you use the toilet; don't make a mess everywhere. This building is too old, the ventilation isn't good, and you'll suffer if the whole hallway smells bad."

Everyone laughed.

Once inside the dormitory, Li's father and Yang's father found a place to make their beds. Xia Maosheng took out a pack of cigarettes and offered them to Xiao Wei and General Manager Zhao. Principal Li didn't smoke, so the three of them lit cigarettes and stood there watching.

Xiao Wei said, "Mr. Zhao, we need to put a few spittoons, brooms, and trash cans in this room. There are dozens of people living here. Without these, the room will be so dirty."

Mr. Zhao looked at the floor. From the classroom to the dormitory, the entire floor was covered with floor tiles. He stepped on them and said, "These are easy to clean, just sweep them up. Are the cigarette butts okay?" He asked Principal Li.

Principal Li looked down and said, "It's alright, what's the big deal about a burn mark? Just don't water it. This thing is afraid of water; it'll deform if it gets wet."

Mr. Zhao turned to Xiao Wei and said, "Did you hear that? We can't get water in here. If we damage the floor, we'll have to pay for it. This is the property of the Cultural Palace. We're just using it for a bit." Xiao Wei nodded.

Mr. Zhao then turned to Principal Li and said, "Should we block up the window? We didn't think about this when we made the bed; the window is right there on the bed."

Principal Li looked around and said, "Why block it? It'll allow some air to get in. There's a 'GG' sign outside, so they can't see in. It's fine."

Mr. Zhao then said to Xiao Wei, "Opening the window is fine, but keep an eye on things and don't let anyone go out. Nobody is allowed to jump out. That area is full of neon lights and electrical wires; if they're broken, it'll cost a lot of money to pay."

Xiao Wei nodded again.

Mr. Zhao nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Xia Maosheng and asked, "Can you sleep in this bed? You look like you're in trouble."

Xia Maosheng looked at the bed, threw the cigarette butt on the ground and stomped it out. He walked to the bed, took off his shoes, and lay down. Sure enough, it wasn't long enough. Even with his feet braced against the wall, half of his head was still outside the edge of the bed.

General Manager Zhao laughed and said, "I guess you're the only one this tall in this class. You can sleep on the side. If no one is assigned to sit next to you, you can sleep diagonally for a few months. Haha, who told you to be so tall?"

Xia Maosheng got up, turned around, got out of bed, scratched his head, and nodded.

Principal Li said, "It's alright, there aren't those people. This room can easily accommodate forty people, there's only a few here, not even thirty yet."

Mr. Zhao nodded, threw his cigarette butt on the ground and stomped on it, then said to Xiao Wei, "You're in charge of this dormitory. Keep it in mind, and pay attention. These days, most of these young men are troublesome; don't let them cause any more problems if you put them all together."

Xiao Wei was stunned and said, "Mr. Zhao, I don't live here."

Mr. Zhao said, "It doesn't matter whether you live there or not. Just take charge and worry about it. You seem more reliable. This big guy looks like he has a bad temper and is prone to fighting. Besides, there are only young girls downstairs, and they can't control them either."

Looking at his watch, General Manager Zhao said to Principal Li, "It's noon, shall we go? Drink plenty of water today, my head still hurts, I can't afford to get drunk again. Drink as much as you like, if you can't, come up here and sleep. I'll have someone bring up a few blankets for you later."

Principal Li shook his head with a wry smile and said, "I can't drink much either. These guys can really hold their liquor. Oh well, let's go downstairs."

The two of them went downstairs together.

Xia Maosheng found a spot against the wall and started making the bed, while Xiao Wei stood below and talked to him.

"How's Chaoyang?"

"I'm not Chaoyang, I'm Beipiao, and I'm under Chaoyang's jurisdiction."

"Why did you come alone? Are you worried about your family?"

"My family doesn't really take care of me; only my sister does. She can't leave. I've been to Fengtian a few times before."

"Are you going to open a restaurant after you finish your studies?"

"My house is open right now. I'm planning to turn it into a canteen for the mine and take over the business."

What kind of mines do you have there?

"A coal mine. It's a really big coal mine. After we finish our studies, come to my house and I'll take you to see it. That coal washing pool looks like a public bathhouse, sir."

What's going on at your house?

"My aunt lives in the city, my dad works in the mine, my sister runs a shop, and I'm just drifting along. Xiao Wei, do you have a girlfriend?"

"Yes, why?"

"Hehe, I have one too, just asking. Let me tell you, my boyfriend is incredibly good-looking."

"What are you two talking about?" Yang Tiebin walked over and asked.

Xiao Wei said, "It's nothing, just chatting. Are you all packed up?"

Yang Tiebin said, "What's there to make a fuss about? My dad treats me like a kid. Let's go eat together. My dad's treating."

Xia Maosheng jumped down, clapped his hands, put on his shoes, and asked, "What do you want to eat?"

Yang Tiebin said, "We're not familiar with this place. Let's go out and look for something. What do you guys want to eat?"

Xia Maosheng said, "Anything is fine, as long as we're full. We need to go further afield, the restaurants in this area are a bit expensive."

Commercial development in Fengtian was already quite booming in the 90s, with private businesses everywhere. The Cultural Palace area was adjacent to Taiyuan Street, bordered Zhongshan Park, and was also in the South Railway Station area, with restaurants, guesthouses, and hotels of all sizes lined up one after another. In those days, visiting parks was still the mainstream way to travel.

In the same era, compared to Fengtian, commerce in Beixi was just beginning to emerge, and it hadn't even started in the county seat yet. It felt like stepping back into the 1980s. This is the difference between regions. In those days when information was scarce, the regional differences were so huge that you couldn't believe it.

A group of people came out of the Cultural Palace and walked south along Second Road, looking around and chatting. Li's father and Yang's father walked in front, and a few young people walked behind.

This area still looks rather old for this era, with low-rise buildings. The Shenyang Railway Building is the tallest and newest building in the area, standing out among the old houses and courtyards.

The old houses on both sides of the road have all been converted into storefronts, without any uniform height or planning. They are of varying heights and have different entrances and exits. The signboards also vary in style, from small ones with a few words written with a brush to large ones with spray-painted images, which are ten or twenty square meters in size and look down on the flow of people.

What would become commonplace in later generations is still considered high-end in this era, costing 1,600 yuan per square meter.

At that time, Fengtian had not yet made any plans for the area's economy. However, the power of the masses is great. Naturally, a commercial circle mainly based on food additives and raw materials and tools was formed on Er Ma Road. Along the way, apart from restaurants, hotels and a few hardware stores, all the shops were selling food additives and food-related supplies and tools. A gust of wind blew by, and the smell of various additives filled the air.

Walk to the end of the road, cross the street and you'll find the entrance to Zhongshan Park. In the distance, you can see a tall Ferris wheel standing amidst a grove of green trees.