72: Chapter 72 Island Life in the 1980s (7)

After starting university, Jiang Wan had a clear goal: to legitimize her medical skills.

In just two years, Jiang Wan earned the recognition of her professors, who often took her to the hospital for early internships during their spare time.

Very quickly, Jiang Wan mastered tasks like giving injections, suturing, and bandaging.

The children grew especially fond of Jiang Wan, saying that when this big sister gave them shots, it didn't hurt at all.

Jiang Wan could be called the star of the medical department; not only was she beautiful, but she was also incredibly hardworking. If she wasn't in class, she was interning at the hospital, or otherwise, she was in the library.

Seeing how hard she worked, the boys who wanted to pursue Jiang Wan felt too embarrassed to disturb her.

Look at her—she's already in university, yet she doesn't relax her studies at all. Then look at themselves—after getting into university, they spent all day thinking about finding a girlfriend. How could someone like them be worthy of such a hardworking, such an outstanding goddess?

Although they thought that way, whenever Jiang Wan was around, those boys still couldn't help but steal glances at her.

Everyone has an appreciation for beauty. With such a beauty present, who could still focus on these boring books?

Jiang Wan was aware of this, but as long as no one confessed to her face or caused her trouble, she pretended not to know.

Her appearance was given by her parents; she couldn't change it, nor did she want to.

The whole school knew that the medical school had a campus belle who was even prettier than the stars on television.

Fortunately, it wasn't yet a time when everyone had a mobile phone in their hands, and the internet wasn't very developed either; otherwise, Jiang Wan would be even more famous!

This Saturday, Jiang Wan gave herself the afternoon off. Instead of going to the library, she planned to go visit her third cousin.

Jiang Wan's third cousin, Jiang Zhenlin, was studying computer science. Now that the Reform and Opening-up policy was in effect, his dream was to earn more money in the future and have endless funds in his bankbook.

Therefore, Jiang Wan gave him an idea: to open a small shop next to the school, specializing in selling things for young girls.

This kind of shop was just like the boutique shops of the future; the prices weren't very expensive, and inside were all sorts of little trinkets for girls.

Hairpins, hairbands, cosmetics, makeup tools, jewelry, accessories, silk scarves, bags, and so on.

There's a saying: it's easiest to earn money from women, especially next to a university.

Which of those female college students didn't have some pocket money? Especially since these girls were at an age where they loved beauty; whenever they saw beautiful things, they were very generous.

Over time, Jiang Zhenlin's little shop became the place girls loved to visit the most.

Every weekend, the shop was especially crowded. When Jiang Wan arrived, she saw Jiang Zhenlin collecting money!

As soon as Jiang Zhenlin saw Jiang Wan, he immediately beamed.

"Wanwan, you're here! Come help me collect the money; I need to go move some things."

Before Jiang Wan could react, she was forced onto the job. Fortunately, this wasn't her first time, and since all the items had prices on them, Jiang Wan quickly got the hang of it.

As she collected the money, Jiang Wan looked at the items and nodded to herself. Her third cousin's taste was actually quite good; these things were all very pretty, and there wasn't anything that looked like an eyesore.

Jiang Zhenlin carried a few small boxes out from the small room in the back. After setting them down, he quickly came to Jiang Wan's side.

"Wanwan, you came at the perfect time. Someone is treating us to dinner tonight, and I was just about to go find you later."

"Who is it? Do I know them?"

Jiang Zhenlin nodded: "Know them? Of course you know them. If you didn't, why would I ask you to come along? It's Brother Shen Zhao. He came back to visit his family, and Mom and Dad asked him to bring us some things. Look, they're right there; you can choose what you want later. I told the family I opened a shop, and he came looking for me at noon, which gave me quite a start. He went out to run some errands and will come back later."

Shen Zhao! Jiang Wan nodded.

"Alright, then I'll stay here and help you, and I'll head back after dinner tonight."

Nowadays, they didn't have any means of communication, so if they wanted to find someone, they just went directly to their school.

Jiang Zhenlin's shop was actually very easy to find; it had a good location and a unique name, making it much easier to find than going to the school.

As soon as Shen Zhao arrived, the first thing he saw was the girl sitting at the entrance.

This girl was like a glowing entity; her skin was so fair it seemed to shine, immediately catching everyone's eye.

Shen Zhao had only been standing at the entrance for two minutes when he noticed many boys passing by who, after walking past, would turn back, pretending to just be passing by, all just to get a look at this girl.

Watching those lecherous-looking boys, Shen Zhao felt inexplicably uncomfortable. He pressed his tongue against his cheek, curled the corner of his mouth, and walked forward.

"Wanwan."

Jiang Wan had just finished checking out the items for a customer. Hearing someone call her name in a magnetic male voice, she looked up instantly.

Looking at the tall, handsome man in front of her, Jiang Wan recognized him immediately.

"Brother Shen Zhao."

Shen Zhao raised the corners of his mouth.

"You still remember me. I thought that after two years of not seeing each other, you would have forgotten me!"

Ever since Jiang Wan started university, Shen Zhao hadn't seen her again. During winter and summer breaks, Jiang Wan sometimes followed her teachers to the hospital for early internships.

She did go back this summer, but unfortunately, he had gone on a mission, and by the time he returned, Jiang Wan had already gone back to school.

This time, because an elder in his family was celebrating a birthday, he specially requested leave to return and came to find them; otherwise, who knew how much longer it would be before they could meet again!

The girls in the shop had long since noticed the handsome man standing at the entrance.

Now, seeing that man greeting the campus belle Jiang and noting that the two looked quite familiar with each other, they were all very curious about what their relationship was.

The two standing together were truly a feast for the eyes; they looked just like a couple.

Some girls wondered, could this be the campus belle Jiang's boyfriend?

Was this the reason why the campus belle Jiang hadn't accepted any suitors at school?

As for the boys outside who had been stealing glances at Jiang Wan, once they saw a man standing next to the beauty, they assumed he was her partner and walked away in regret.

Jiang Wan smiled: "Brother Shen Zhao, look at what you're saying. Your appearance hasn't changed; how could I not recognize you?"

Shen Zhao chuckled: "I thought wrong, I thought you wouldn't recognize me, Wanwan. Where is your brother? Didn't we agree that I would treat you two to dinner tonight? Where has he gone?"

Jiang Wan tilted her chin toward the back: "Him? He went to the restroom; he'll be back in a moment. Brother Shen Zhao, how many days have you been back? When are you going back? Is my brother doing well?"

Jiang Wan hadn't seen Shen Zhao in two years, and she hadn't seen her eldest cousin in two years either.

There was no help for it; after all, her eldest cousin was on the same team as Shen Zhao. When Shen Zhao went on a mission, her eldest cousin was naturally on a mission too.

Shen Zhao answered one by one: "I came back yesterday. I requested half a month of leave. The time for returning isn't certain; if there's a notice, I'll go back early, otherwise, I can stay until the holiday ends. As for your brother, he's doing quite well, though he misses you a lot. Knowing I was coming back, he even had me bring you some local specialties from the island."

Thinking of the list Jiang Zhenyi had given him, Shen Zhao wanted to laugh.

This guy—he had originally wanted to travel light, but unexpectedly, he ended up buying a pile of things for his brother to give to his sister.

And he had paid for all these things himself. He didn't know if that guy would reimburse him after he returned.

For brothers to reach this level of commitment, there really was no one else like them.

After Jiang Zhenlin returned from the restroom, he gave some instructions to the shop assistant and then left the shop with Jiang Wan and Shen Zhao.

Shen Zhao had said he was going to treat them to dinner.

As for the restaurant? He had already booked it; it was a famous roast duck restaurant in Jing City.

They had been to this restaurant once before, on the day school started, when Jiang Weiguo and Su Yun brought them to school.

The food here was very delicious, but it was also expensive.

Jiang Wan was currently posing as a poor person to the outside world; she didn't have that much money to eat this meal.

And as for Jiang Zhenlin? He also felt it was too expensive; coming here once cost more than a day's income from his shop!

They couldn't afford to eat here now; he would bring his sister here again after he earned more money in the future.

Jiang Zhenlin knew that Shen Zhao wasn't short on money, so he took Jiang Wan and followed behind Shen Zhao.

This wasn't Shen Zhao's first time here. Once they entered and sat down, he ordered the dishes directly and then told Jiang Wan to order some small snacks she wanted to eat.

As for Jiang Zhenlin, he ignored him; a grown man should just eat whatever there was.

Fortunately, Jiang Zhenlin didn't mind this either; he wasn't a picky eater, and besides, there was so much food—even if he didn't order, there was still plenty to eat.

Jiang Wan only ordered two snacks; any more would be like fleecing him.

Looking at the table full of dishes and roast duck, Jiang Wan exchanged a glance with Jiang Zhenlin.

"Brother Shen Zhao, this is way too much!"

Jiang Wan doubted whether the three of them could finish it.

Shen Zhao waved his hand: "It's fine, if we can't finish it, we can pack it up!"

In Shen Zhao's view, those dishes, apart from the generous portion of roast duck, were things that would be gone in two bites.

They just looked good; the portion size wasn't actually much.

With two grown men like them there, both big eaters, how could there possibly be any leftovers?

Sure enough, by the end of the meal, most of the things on the table had been polished off by Shen Zhao and Jiang Zhenlin.

Jiang Wan had eaten a little of everything and was full.

Most of the time she just watched them eat, and occasionally she even wrapped roast duck for them.

As for her sister's feeding, Jiang Zhenlin didn't act like a stranger at all; he didn't even reach out his hand, just took a bite directly.

As for Shen Zhao, when he saw the roast duck Jiang Wan handed to him, he was stunned for a moment before reaching out to take it.

This was the first time a girl had wrapped roast duck for him, other than his mother and grandmother.

This feeling was very novel.

Hmm? After eating it, why did it taste better than the ones he wrapped himself?

Watching the girl smiling radiantly at Jiang Zhenlin, Shen Zhao couldn't help but smile along with her.

When he realized what he had done, he quickly retracted his smile.

What was going on? She was smiling, why were you smiling along with her?

After dinner, Shen Zhao took Jiang Zhenlin and Jiang Wan back to school. On the way, Shen Zhao invited the two of them to attend a birthday banquet at his house tomorrow.

Jiang Wan and Jiang Zhenlin looked at each other. Jiang Zhenlin swallowed his saliva: "Brother Shen Zhao, this kind of joyous occasion is a time for your family to reunite; we shouldn't go!"

Their family was harmonious and happy; what would two strangers like them go there for?

Jiang Wan also chimed in: "That's right, Brother Shen Zhao, let's wait for another opportunity to visit."

They were familiar with Shen Zhao, not the Shen family; wouldn't it be awkward if they went?

Shen Zhao naturally knew what Jiang Wan and the other were thinking. He smiled and explained.

"It doesn't matter. Tomorrow is my grandfather's 70th birthday, and we are holding a banquet. Many people are coming, including some who aren't relatives. You don't need to have any burden; just go and eat and drink. You don't need to worry about anything else."

"And there's no need to bring gifts. It's settled; I'll come to pick you two up at nine tomorrow morning."

Since Shen Zhao had said so, Jiang Zhenlin and Jiang Wan couldn't refuse any longer.

"Alright, then we'll trouble you, Brother Shen Zhao."

After they entered the campus, Shen Zhao didn't follow them inside.

Jiang Wan and Jiang Zhenlin felt that since they were going to attend a birthday banquet, they couldn't go empty-handed; they had to bring some gifts.

But Jiang Zhenlin didn't know what would be good to give; this was his first time attending a birthday banquet, and he really had no experience.

It was Jiang Wan who said she would take care of the gift matter.

"A while ago, I went to the antique street with my teacher and saw a painting. I thought it looked quite nice, so I bought it. Let's give that painting."

Jiang Wan complained internally: What antique city? It was clearly from her space.

Jiang Zhenlin didn't have any better ideas, so when he heard Jiang Wan say this, he agreed directly.

"Alright, then we'll listen to you."

Before the two parted ways, Jiang Wan reminded Jiang Zhenlin to dress appropriately tomorrow and not be as casual as usual.

Hearing Jiang Zhenlin say he remembered, Jiang Wan felt reassured and went back to her dormitory.

The next day, Jiang Wan wore a warm yellow dress with a matching knit cardigan over it, and styled her hair in a princess style; she looked extremely gentle and graceful.

As for Jiang Zhenlin, fortunately, when he went to restock, he saw that suits there were cheap and thought they might be useful in the future, so he bought two sets. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had anything to wear!

Shen Zhao drove here today. Seeing the two at the school gate, he raised his eyebrows.

He came so early just thinking that if the two didn't have suitable clothes, he could take them to buy some.

He didn't expect that they had actually prepared already.

To be honest, this was the first time Shen Zhao had seen Jiang Wan wearing a dress. Usually, when they were on the island, Jiang Wan always wore trousers, and he had never seen her wear a dress before.

As for Jiang Zhenlin, although he looked different from usual today and appeared much more formal, he was still greatly overshadowed in front of Jiang Wan.

After the two sat in the back seat, Shen Zhao sincerely complimented Jiang Wan.

"This dress is very beautiful, and you look very good in it. A young girl like you should wear dresses more often."

Jiang Zhenlin also nodded with a smile: "That's true, my mom says the same thing and even made her quite a few dresses. But Wanwan thinks wearing dresses is inconvenient for moving around, so she doesn't wear them during the day; she just uses them as pajamas."

Jiang Wan explained: "Of course it's inconvenient. Have you ever seen a girl wearing a dress while gathering seafood at the beach? That's so inconvenient!"

Jiang Zhenlin scoffed: "Stop making excuses. Even when you weren't gathering seafood, you didn't wear them, did you? There are many girls wearing dresses in school now; you can wear them more often now, so those dresses don't get moldy. Next time I go to restock, I'll pick up a few more dresses for you as well."

Jiang Wan felt Jiang Zhenlin was being too long-winded and quickly stopped him.

"Alright, alright, I know, I'll handle it. You don't need to buy them for me; if I want to buy them, I can buy them myself. You're a grown man buying clothes for me; I'm worried about your taste."

At this, Jiang Zhenlin had to argue his case.

"What's wrong with my taste? Is my taste not good? Look at those things in my shop; weren't they selected by me? Don't the girls like them?"

Shen Zhao was driving in the front, listening to the siblings bickering in the back, and he couldn't keep the smile off his face.

When they arrived at the Shen family's house, Jiang Wan heard the prompt from Xiao Lingdang and raised her eyebrows.

Whoa! The male and female leads are actually here too? This is great, does this mean I can watch the drama unfold live?