Life in siheyuan era

Shen Lanbo leaned against the wall, gasping for breath, his eyes closed.

Seeing his state, Zhou Zhiyuan turned his head and saw a bicycle speeding towards them.

A sharp screech of brakes sounded, and a young woman jumped off the bike and rushed over.

Behind her, there was a crash as the bicycle fell heavily to the ground.

But the young woman ignored it, rushing over to grab Shen Lanbo's arm and asking urgently, "Why did you come out?"

Shen Lanbo didn't answer, panting heavily, looking extremely weak.

Zhou Zhiyuan walked over, picked up the bicycle, straightened the crooked handlebars, propped it up, and then walked back to look at the young woman.

Short, ear-length hair, an oval face, and a pair of bright almond eyes full of concern; a slender figure, about 1.65 meters tall.

He knew who the young woman was: Fang Nan, Shen Lanbo's fiancée; they had originally planned to get married in July of this year.

But on the way back, Shen Lanbo said he didn't want to get married, feeling unwell and unwilling to delay Fang Nan.

Zhou Zhiyuan had tried to persuade him, but at this moment, he remained silent, standing aside without saying a word.

But he wasn't invisible.

Seeing that Shen Lanbo wasn't speaking, the anxious Fang Nan turned to him and asked, "What's wrong with Lanbo?"

Zhou Zhiyuan replied solemnly, "Lanbo didn't listen to advice and insisted on exercising.

The result of being weak after the injury and then overexerting himself is this.

He'll be fine after a week of rest."

He completely betrayed Shen Lanbo.

Shen Lanbo's injuries were indeed very serious.

After more than three months of recuperation, his physique had recovered somewhat.

But on the way back after his transfer, without the strict supervision of medical personnel, and with Zhou Zhiyuan unable to restrain him, Shen Lanbo, eager to recover overnight, desperately exercised, severely overdrawing his strength.

Combined with his injuries, his body became even weaker.

Zhou Zhiyuan explained clearly, and Fang Nan turned to look at Shen Lanbo, saying in a deep voice, "Go home and lie down immediately."

Shen Lanbo remained silent, still leaning against the wall with his eyes closed after catching his breath.

Zhou Zhiyuan replied, "We've been rushing for nineteen days, and we're both stinky.

Look, Lanbo is too embarrassed to see you.

How can he face his sweetheart looking so scruffy?

He definitely needs to take a bath and be clean before meeting his sweetheart."

As soon as he said this, Shen Lanbo's breathing became rapid again; he was angered by him.

Fang Nan glanced at him, then turned to look at Shen Lanbo, and then listened to Zhou Zhiyuan saying, "You must be Sister Fang Nan.

I often hear Lanbo mention you."

Zhou Zhiyuan threw out a stone but didn't find the way.

Seeing that Fang Nan didn't speak, he could only continue, "Lanbo tells me everything, but when he mentions Sister Fang Nan, he gets all shy and secretive.

He even hides from everyone when writing you letters, afraid of letting us see the deep affection in his words."

He said everything he should and shouldn't have, and silently felt he had completed his mission, but then he heard Fang Nan say faintly, "If he's so deeply in love with me, why is he so cold?"

At this time, Shen Lanbo still wasn't speaking, so Zhou Zhiyuan had to speak up, "It's precisely because of his deep affection that he has so many concerns..."

Hearing him finally speak, Fang Nan replied softly, "After you take a bath, hurry home and rest.

This morning I went to the suburbs to buy an old hen and asked Aunt Zhao to stew it.

I'll bring it to you at noon."

Fang Nan expressed her concern for him, and Shen Lanbo sighed softly.

But Fang Nan turned to Zhou Zhiyuan and said, "I know you two are like brothers, so I won't say thank you.

After you take a bath, send him home and let him rest well."

Zhou Zhiyuan nodded lightly, and listened to her say again, "Take my bike."

Zhou Zhiyuan looked at the bicycle.

The low seat made it impossible for him to straighten his legs.

At this time, there were no women's bicycles yet.

Both men and women rode the same old-fashioned bicycles.

This type of bicycle was very practical; it could carry hundreds of pounds of stuff, as long as you could pedal it, it would definitely be fine.

But there was one drawback: tall men riding women's bicycles had to raise the seat, otherwise it would be very tiring to ride.

And to raise the seat, you needed two wrenches, which he didn't have, so he had to refuse, "Lanbo is tall.

It's uncomfortable for him to sit on the rear rack.

It's better to carry him on my back."

He didn't use himself as an excuse; Fang Nan wouldn't care about his well-being.

Shen Lanbo immediately said, "You ride the bike back.

Don't worry about me."

Fang Nan looked at Zhou Zhiyuan, then turned her gaze to Shen Lanbo, saying softly, "I told you last night that you were just tired.

Rest well for a few days to recover, and ask Grandpa Xie to tailor a set of exercises for you.

I'll exercise with you."

Just now Zhou Zhiyuan said that Shen Lanbo was tired, and Fang Nan used these words to remind Shen Lanbo, "I told you yesterday."

After saying this, she immediately looked at Zhou Zhiyuan.

Her almond eyes immediately became serious, and she said in a deep voice, "I'm entrusting Lanbo to you."

Zhou Zhiyuan nodded lightly again.

Fang Nan glanced at Shen Lanbo again, then turned and walked to the bicycle, riding it away.

"Quite formidable," Zhou Zhiyuan said sincerely.

Shen Lanbo sighed softly and replied, "That's just her personality."

"I feel like she's hostile towards me," Zhou Zhiyuan's voice was quite cold.

Shen Lanbo protected Fang Nan, "No matter what happens to us in the future, you must not treat her as an enemy."

Zhou Zhiyuan laughed and replied, "Deep affection."

Shen Lanbo didn't speak, and Zhou Zhiyuan continued, "You two have been dating for three years.

Isn't it delaying her to break up with her at this time?"

Shen Lanbo sighed softly and replied, "With her qualifications, she can find someone better than me after breaking up."

"I don't think so..." Zhou Zhiyuan denied.

"Besides me being more outstanding than you, is there any other young man more outstanding than you?"

He never spoke modestly, and Shen Lanbo said angrily, "Do you have any shame?"

Zhou Zhiyuan chuckled, and Shen Lanbo sighed again, saying, "Fang Nan is not young anymore."

He didn't want to hold Fang Nan back, but he couldn't let go of this relationship, and he walked forward slowly with a conflicted heart.

The two of them passed through Yong'an Street and entered another street.

Zhou Zhiyuan carried Shen Lanbo into a large bathhouse for a haircut and bath.

After taking a bath, they wrapped towels around their waists and walked to the long chairs in the outer room to sit down.

Shen Lanbo lay down on his side to rest.

Zhou Zhiyuan sat on the long chair opposite him, raised his right hand, and said, "The military doctor determined that these four fingers of mine are completely useless, but I firmly believe that they can recover as before with good recuperation.

Do you believe it?"

Hearing him ask, Shen Lanbo looked at the four fingers and replied weakly, "I believe it."

Putting down his right hand, Zhou Zhiyuan continued, "If there's a war in a year, and the army calls me back, I can hold a gun and rush to the battlefield.

Can you?"

"I can," Shen Lanbo's tone became firm.

"If there's a war, I will return," is the oath of every retired soldier.

But Zhou Zhiyuan denied it, "You can't.

If you don't recuperate well this year, even if you answer the call, the chief will not let you go to the battlefield."

Shen Lanbo understood Zhou Zhiyuan's meaning and remained silent.

Zhou Zhiyuan leaned forward and said softly, "You are a first-class military merit recipient on the battlefield.

The military doctor wants you to rest for at least a year, and only after a re-examination and recovery can you engage in work.

With this advantage, you can choose a career..."

At this point, Zhou Zhiyuan paused, waiting for Shen Lanbo's reaction, and heard him ask, "What career?"

"An elementary school substitute teacher.

You can decide how many classes to substitute based on your physical condition.

Arithmetic, Chinese, history, nature, any class is easy for you.

How great is the value of nurturing children?

Think about it carefully."

Zhou Zhiyuan expressed his thoughts, and Shen Lanbo pondered for a while, then slowly replied, "My parents want me to rest.

They shouldn't object if I become a substitute teacher."

Zhou Zhiyuan nodded, and Shen Lanbo pondered for a while again, then slowly said, "Go to the district civil affairs bureau to report tomorrow at eight o'clock."

Hearing him talk about himself, Zhou Zhiyuan was puzzled.

Shen Lanbo explained, "You seize the time to be assigned a job, and I can also arrange it at my discretion."

Zhou Zhiyuan asked, "Isn't there a school in the compound?"

"You're an outsider..." Shen Lanbo replied lightly, "Schools are only set up in the suburban military compounds.

The children in our compound all study at Sunshine Elementary School."

After explaining, Shen Lanbo got up and put on his clothes.

The two of them changed into clean clothes from the inside out, leaving the cotton coats and dirty clothes and backpacks for the bathhouse to wash.

Zhou Zhiyuan carried Shen Lanbo out of the bathhouse.

On the way back, Zhou Zhiyuan carried him for a while, and Shen Lanbo walked for a while.

When they were almost at the entrance of the military compound, Shen Lanbo got down and stood firm, took a deep breath, and strode forward.

The two of them walked to the entrance of the compound with military strides.

Fang Nan was standing in front of the gate to meet Shen Lanbo, and the two of them walked into the compound together.

Zhou Zhiyuan turned and left, walking out of this road and taking out his pocket watch to look at it.

Eleven ten.

At this time, he could do something.

Having made up his mind, he walked in that direction, came to the front of the library, stopped, and looked up at the two-story building.

Red walls, green tiles, flying eaves and upturned corners, this small building was antique, and you could smell the fragrance of ink just standing outside.

He liked this small building, walked in through the gate, went straight to the service desk, and showed a female administrator wearing glasses his officer transfer certificate.

The female administrator looked at the certificate carefully and then looked at him carefully.

The grass-green retired military uniform fit him very well, and the sunny smile on his face made her feel kind.

The female administrator had a very good impression of him, not only registering him for a borrowing card, but also allowing him to go upstairs to read.

Having obtained the female administrator's permission, Zhou Zhiyuan turned to look at the children's reading room next to him, hesitated for a moment, then turned and walked up the stairs, going to the adult reading room on the second floor.

This reading room was more than four hundred square meters, with rows of bookshelves filled with books.

On the side near the door, five long tables that could seat people on both sides were placed side by side, accommodating more than fifty people at the same time.

At this time, only five people were sitting at the tables reading.

Scanning the interior environment, Zhou Zhiyuan stepped into the book corridor.

Searching all the way, he walked into this book corridor, glanced at the tall figure in front of him.

The shoulder straps of the grass-green military uniform were inlaid with a silver bean.

The female second lieutenant could still be a second lieutenant for two more years.

Military ranks were only abolished in 1965.

Zhou Zhiyuan knew this time, glanced at the female second lieutenant's shoulder straps with nostalgia, retracted his gaze, and looked at the books placed on both sides.

Seeing a book called 《Five Viscera and Six Bowels Health Preservation Method》, he stopped, reached out his left hand to take the book, and just as he pulled it out halfway, a slender hand reached over and grabbed the spine of the book.