Qian Ran looked a bit embarrassed. “I gave some of my earnings to my parents. After not passing the university entrance exam, I stayed at home, not fulfilling my filial duties. They were really happy when I gave them money.”

Jiang Zhida understood Qian Ran’s actions. If he hadn’t been short on funds, he would have given money to his parents too.

He patted Qian Ran’s shoulder and asked carefully, “How much did you give them?”

“One hundred.” Qian Ran held up one finger, not daring to give too much for fear that his parents might think he was involved in something illegal.

Jiang Zhida patted his chest and said, “That’s fine, it’s not too much. I didn’t come to talk about this. Since my brother and sister-in-law have helped me so much, I want to consider their money as investment shares. When we make a big profit, we’ll share the dividends. What do you think?”

Qian Ran, who had been working with Jiang Zhida and whose business wouldn’t have started without Jiang Zhida’s connections and borrowed money, immediately agreed. “That’s a great idea.”

Jiang Zhida wasn’t sure how to handle the specifics of the dividends, so he decided to ask his older brother for advice and also consider buying a book to study.

After listening to his questions, Jiang Zhida’s older brother explained a few things and handed him a book on basic business theories and The Art of War. “Study these carefully and understand them.”

Jiang Zhida took the books and read them eagerly on the train. Many terms were unfamiliar to him, and he circled them to ask his brother later.

These books provided him with a lot of inspiration. He realized that one shouldn’t rely solely on enthusiasm in business; wisdom was also crucial.

Qian Ran also liked The Art of War, and Jiang Zhida noticed that some strategies used by Hong Kong businessmen in Yangcheng and special economic zones came from that book.

---

At the end of August, Chu Xia went to Beijing Traditional Chinese Medicine University for registration, and Cen Zhengnian took a day off to accompany her.

With so many things like bedding and covers, Chu Xia was alone and vulnerable to handle all of it. Cen Zhengnian was worried about her carrying everything to the dormitory.

Chu Xia wasn’t keen on living in the dormitory, as it meant she wouldn’t see An An every day and there would be no one to supervise Cen Zhengnian’s eating habits. Though Cen Zhengnian’s stomach had improved, it still needed care.

Chu Xia planned to inquire about the possibility of commuting.

The university wasn’t far from Nanjiao; it was about ten minutes by bus or a short bike ride.

At the registration entrance, enthusiastic senior students greeted them. Seeing the family, a senior rushed up and offered to help with registration.

“Does the junior have no parents to see her off?”

“No,” Chu Xia said, her smile fading as she looked at Cen Zhengnian.

She held An An with one hand and grasped Cen Zhengnian’s hand with the other. “My husband and son are accompanying me.”

The surprised senior stammered, “Junior… you’re married? And you have a child this big?”

“Yes.” Chu Xia nodded, saw the registration desk for her major, thanked the stunned senior, and led Cen Zhengnian and Cen Huai’an to the desk for their major’s registration.

After submitting her admission letter and filling out her personal information, Chuxia found the registration process relatively simple.

She received the key to her dormitory and the location of her room.

The building had a vintage feel to it, including the dormitory itself. Chuxia’s dormitory was on the first floor of the female dormitory.

It was a decent location, but the dorm room was not very spacious. There were bunk beds, with eight students sharing one room.

Modern conveniences like private bathrooms were a distant dream at this time.

Instead, there was a shared bathroom on each floor, and hot water had to be fetched from elsewhere.

Looking at the dormitory, Chuxia felt like she was back in high school.

Her high school facilities were better than those of this university. Since she was in college now, she had to accept these conditions.

She had anticipated her dorm to be less comfortable, but it was actually better than she had expected. The bed was quite sturdy.

The beds had already been assigned, and Chuxia was given the upper bunk near the window.

Today was the first day of registration, and since she arrived early, only one bed had personal belongings on it; the other students hadn’t arrived yet.

Cen Zhengnian helped her carry the bedding upstairs. Since it was registration day, the dormitory staff were lenient, allowing men to come up.

“Mom, is this what college is like? The bed isn’t as good as at home.”

“But it has its own history. Maybe someone very impressive, like a doctor who saved many lives, once slept on this bed,” Chuxia said.

Cen Huai’an immediately thought the bed was special. He went over and tried to reach the railing of the upper bunk but couldn’t quite reach it.

He looked back at his dad for help, but Cen Zhengnian was busy cleaning and didn’t notice his plea.

“An An, can you help me wash the cleaning cloth?” Chuxia asked. The basin was on the floor, and it was inconvenient for her to wash it while on the bed. Cen Huai’an was her little helper.

Cen Huai’an quickly took the cloth to wash it, reminding himself that once his parents were done, he would definitely touch the historic bed.

Chuxia finished tidying the bed and started making it up. Zhengnian was about to help, but Chuxia thought it was too troublesome to switch. Since she was on the upper bunk, it was easier to do it all at once. It wasn’t too strenuous.

After making the bed, Chuxia climbed down from the upper bunk.

Cen Zhengnian stood below, protecting her as she descended, afraid she might lose her balance and fall.

When she was just a few steps from the ground, he held her to make sure she wouldn’t fall.

Chuxia wanted to tell him he was overreacting, as she had lived in upper bunks before.

But when she turned around, she saw a girl at the door, looking at her and Cen Zhengnian with surprise.

The girl carried a large piece of luggage strapped like a backpack. She was small and looked almost overwhelmed by the weight of her baggage.

Chuxia smiled politely at her. “Hello.”

The girl seemed flustered by Chuxia’s smile, quickly nodded, and lowered her head as she came in to unpack.

Chuxia didn’t say much more.

After tidying up, she turned to Cen Zhengnian and Cen Huai’an and said, “Let’s go outside.”

Having a man in the dormitory wasn’t convenient for the other girls.

Chuxia held Cen Huai’an’s hand and was about to leave when Cen Huai’an stopped her. “Mom, I want to touch your bed.”

As soon as Cen Huai’an said this, Chuxia noticed the girl cleaning the bed’s reaction of shock.

Looking at the girl’s startled expression, Chuxia wondered if she might look frightening.

But since they were unfamiliar roommates, Chuxia didn’t take her reaction personally.

Instead, she let Cen Huai’an touch the railing of the historic bed. “Is it high enough? If not, I can give you five more minutes to touch it as much as you want.”

Cen Huai’an nodded. “It’s enough, Mom. Let’s go explore the university.”

The campus was lively, not only with new students but also with many upperclassmen studying or helping new students. The whole campus was full of vitality.

It was a bit hot, though. Even though it was nearly September, the autumn heat was still strong.

Chuxia held an umbrella for Cen Huai’an, drawing some curious glances. But since no one knew her, she didn’t mind.

The sun was harsher.

The Capital Traditional Chinese Medicine College lived up to its name.

Some statues on the campus were of historical figures like Hua Tuo, Zhang Zhongjing, and Li Shizhen.

There were also various prescriptions, medicinal materials, and ancient medical guidelines on the walls.

Chuxia even saw a locked garden with various medicinal herbs growing inside.

Walking through the campus, Chuxia felt herself relaxing and liking the university’s atmosphere, which reminded her of her grandfather’s home.

The walls there were also filled with prescriptions, and she could always smell traditional medicine, a scent her grandfather always carried.

Standing in front of the Hua Tuo statue, Chuxia felt like she could see her grandfather through it.

She smiled, thinking, Grandpa, do you see? I’m in the university you always wanted me to attend, studying traditional medicine.

A leaf landed on the statue’s collar, swaying with the wind as if her grandfather was indeed responding to her words.

Chuxia’s smile widened.

Cen Zhengnian noticed that Chuxia seemed to be reminiscing about someone and chose not to interrupt. He held Cen Huai’an back, saying, “Let’s wait here for Mom.”

Chu Xia watched the leaves spinning and falling to the ground.

She picked them up and placed them back on Hua Tuo’s collar before turning to Cen Zhengnian and Cen Huai’an and saying, “Let’s go to the cafeteria for a meal.”

Since Chu Xia’s food and oil subsidies hadn’t yet been transferred to the cafeteria, she had to use her own ration tickets and money to buy food.

The meals at Beijing Traditional Chinese Medicine University were quite decent.

You could spend more money for better food or opt for cheaper options if you couldn’t afford the better ones.

Although tuition and accommodation were free at the university, that only ensured basic living standards. To live comfortably, money was still necessary.

Whether for new clothes, books, study supplies, or daily necessities, everything required money.

After eating, Chu Xia and Cen Zhengnian took Cen Huai’an to the library.

The library was very quiet, filled with students studying, with some even sitting on the floor.

There were many books on traditional Chinese medicine on the shelves.

Chu Xia was reluctant to leave, wanting to stay and study like the other students.

However, seeing Cen Zhengnian and Cen Huai’an behind her, she suppressed her desire and walked around the library with them.

They didn’t wander far.

With so many people studying in the library, just hanging around felt like a waste of time.

Cen Huai’an’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he asked Cen Zhengnian to carry him so he could see the books, even though he couldn’t read them yet.

After leaving the library, Cen Huai’an told Chu Xia, “Mom, I really like it here. Do all universities have libraries?”

“Not necessarily, but many older institutions do.”

Chu Xia mentioned several universities, including a few with particularly famous libraries, like Jinghua and Jingyan.

Cen Huai’an clenched his fists and thought, “I must get into these two universities in the future. But which one should I choose? I’ll decide later.”

In the afternoon, Chu Xia met with the teacher responsible for their major to discuss her desire to commute.

“Commuting? The atmosphere on campus is better for studying, and commuting takes up time.”

“Chu Xia, why don’t you stay in the dormitory? I can take care of myself and An An,” Cen Zhengnian said, worried about Chu Xia’s study time.

“It’s okay, I can study at home too.”

Chu Xia explained her special situation to the teacher.

She was married and had a different situation from other students.

Moreover, with Cen Huai’an being so young, she couldn’t leave him alone at home for a week.

“Alright, I’ll process your commuting permit. Do you still need the dormitory bed?”

“Yes,” Chu Xia replied.

If she had a late class and couldn’t make it home, she might have to stay in the dormitory.

Also, keeping the bed would be useful for afternoon naps.

“Good.” The teacher understood Chu Xia’s special circumstances.

The school had students with various situations, including those with financial difficulties or students who had just had a baby and needed to bring their child to the dormitory.

“By the way, there’s a class meeting the night after tomorrow, and attendance is required. You must attend.”

“I understand, teacher.”

With the commuting permit in hand, Chu Xia felt relieved that she could live off-campus.

Since there were no classes for the next few days due to student registration, Chu Xia decided not to stay at the university and went home with Cen Zhengnian and Cen Huai’an.

On the way, Cen Zhengnian frowned, concerned that Chu Xia would find commuting to classes too tiring. “Your classes might be quite demanding.”

Chu Xia reached out and rubbed his forehead gently. “Don’t worry. If it becomes too difficult to get home, I’ll stay in the dormitory.”