Chapter 184 Going Abroad
Without mentioning how Luo Yang adjusted in Dashilan, Song Yuanchao lived a leisurely life with Lin Yan in his own courtyard.
"Come, try this, sweet and sour pork." Holding a plate of sweet and sour pork just out of the pot, Song Yuanchao walked into the house with a smile. Lin Yan was already waiting in the house. Today, Song Yuanchao specially cooked a few dishes in the kitchen. Although they were all ordinary home-cooked dishes, they made Lin Yan very happy.
"How is it? Is it delicious?" Sitting aside, Song Yuanchao couldn't wait to ask as he watched Lin Yan take a bite with chopsticks and a smile on his face.
"It's sour and sweet, and tastes a bit like sweet and sour pork, but a little different. However, I like this taste very much." Lin Yan said with a smile while eating.
"As long as you like it, I'll change the taste for you every time in the future and make something new for you to try. The food in the cafeteria is good, but it's not as good as what you make at home." Song Yuanchao said with a smile, and picked up a chopstick of bean sprouts and put them in Lin Yan's bowl. These bean sprouts were grown by Song Yuanchao himself using beans in the past two days. They are pure natural green food. They are tender and fragrant when stir-fried over high heat.
"Thank you for your support, but you are a grown man, so I will do the cooking in the future." Lin Yan couldn't help but say after taking a bite, feeling sweet in her heart.
"Silly girl, you and I are separate. What's the difference if you do it and I do it? Besides, who says that men can't go into the kitchen?"
"But……"
"It's nothing. Think about it, have you ever seen a female good chef? Female chefs are extremely rare. That's why men are more talented than women in cooking." Song Yuanchao knew that Lin Yan meant well, and that this was indeed the custom in the north. Men don't cook and don't get their hands wet. It seems that it has long been a rule for men to have everything they want without having to stretch out their hands for clothes and open their mouths for food. As a girl from Yanjing, Lin Yan developed this habit since she was a child.
Song Yuanchao invited Lin Yan to eat and continued, "It is normal for the customs to be different between the north and the south, but don't forget that I am from Shanghai. In our Shanghai family, the male head of the family has a nickname. Do you know what it is?"
"Nickname?" Lin Yan looked at Song Yuanchao with puzzled eyes, full of curiosity.
"Mrs. Ma!" Song Yuanchao said happily.
"Ma Dasao? What kind of nickname is that? Why does it sound weird? How can a Shanghai man call her that? Are you kidding me?" Lin Yan didn't believe it. How could a man call her Ma Dasao? If you call a man that in Yanjing City, the other party will get angry and it is common to fight directly.
"Don't believe it? If you don't believe it, go ask Li Xiaoyun when you get a chance. She will definitely know."
"Is it true?" Lin Yan asked curiously, and for a moment she didn't even care about eating the food in the bowl.
"Of course it's true, but this Ma Dasao is not a person's name. The real pronunciation in Shanghai dialect is Mai Tai Shao, and it becomes Ma Dasao when pronounced in Mandarin..."
Song Yuanchao smiled and used his hands to write three words on the table, namely "Buy", "Waste", and "Scorch". After writing, he pointed at the three words and explained that the three words were easy to explain, which means buying vegetables, washing vegetables and rice, and cooking rice and vegetables. Together, they mean buying, consuming, and burning, which in Mandarin is Ma Dasao.
After listening to Song Yuanchao's explanation, Lin Yan was laughing so hard that her body was shaking. She had never been to Shanghai. When she met Song Yuanchao, she was working in the northwest. At that time, it was difficult to even have a full meal. How could she know these things? Today, she was so happy to hear what Song Yuanchao said. She never thought that there was such a name for Shanghai men.
"You're not teasing me on purpose, are you?"
"It's 100% true. You'll know when you go to Shanghai. Of course, not all Shanghai men are Ma Dasao, but the vast majority are. So just eat your meal in peace. I'll take care of all the little things like this from now on!"
Listening to Song Yuanchao's words and looking at the happy look in his eyes, Lin Yan's heart was filled with happiness. A grown man doing such a thing for his beloved woman, although it was a small thing, was something that many people simply could not do.
They were eating and chatting, and when they were almost done, Lin Yan suddenly asked Song Yuanchao: "Yuanchao, I have something I want to discuss with you."
Song Yuanchao put down his chopsticks and looked at Lin Yan.
"I will be a senior this summer. Time flies so fast and graduation is just around the corner. According to the school's arrangement, I will have to do an internship in the second half of my senior year, which is about this time next year."
Yes, time flies so fast, and nearly three years have passed in the blink of an eye.
The scene of Song Yuanchao helping Lin Yan review and accompanying her to take the college entrance examination in 1977 seems to be still in front of his eyes, but time flies and it is already 1980.
Next year is 1981, and the class of 1977 will graduate. Lin Yan and her classmates are the first to graduate after the resumption of the college entrance examination, and they are highly valued by the country, the school and the society.
Nowadays, universities guarantee job placement, and this group of students will generally be assigned to good places. Of course, if an employer they like accepts them, the school will not refuse, and they can make reservations in advance for internships at the employer they want.
Zhao Minglei and Lin Yan had mentioned this matter before. At that time, Zhao Minglei had already set his sights on the Planning Commission. This was also one of the reasons why Zhao Minglei pursued Lin Yan, because Lin Daoyuan was working in the Planning Commission. If Zhao Minglei had a relationship with Lin Daoyuan, it was very likely that he would be able to enter the Planning Commission.
At the beginning, when Zhao Minglei mentioned this matter, Lin Yan didn't take it seriously at all, because Lin Yan didn't have any feelings for Zhao Minglei at all. Zhao Minglei's intention to get close to Lin Yan was just one-sided, and Lin Yan's heart was all on Song Yuanchao.
But as she was approaching her senior year, Lin Yan had to consider this issue. She had not discussed this matter with her parents yet, but she had told Song Yuanchao about it, wanting to hear his thoughts.
"This is indeed a big deal. What do you think?" Song Yuanchao lit a cigarette and took a puff, then looked at Lin Yan.
Lin Yan thought for a while and said, "Actually, I haven't made up my mind yet. Logically, it would be most appropriate for me to intern at my dad's Planning Commission. After all, we are studying economics, and many jobs at the Planning Commission are related , so it is a good match for our majors. But after thinking about it, I decided not to go there. If I really go there, it would be embarrassing if someone misunderstands me."
Song Yuanchao nodded slightly. Lin Yan's consideration was correct. Lin Daoyuan held a high position in the Planning Commission. Once Lin Yan went there, it would easily attract gossip. Although Lin Yan was a serious college student with a suitable major, people's hearts were unpredictable. Who knew what others would think?
In addition, Lin Daoyuan has never liked to use backdoors to build relationships, and Lin Yan going there would also bring trouble to Lin Daoyuan . So from these aspects, although the State Planning Commission is a good place, it is not suitable for Lin Yan.
"If I go to the district, I'm afraid that the specific work and what I'm learning now will not be of any use. What is the purpose of going to college? Isn't it to learn something and put it to use?" Lin Yan frowned slightly and sighed: "Sometimes I think it's not bad to continue my studies. By the way, my classmate told me that she plans to study abroad after graduation and asked me to go with her."
"Study abroad?" Song Yuanchao's heart trembled slightly when he heard this term. In his previous life, Lin Yan went abroad. Song Yuanchao didn't know whether Lin Yan continued to study abroad or did she do something else. Did Lin Yan stay abroad to live? Or did she come back? Song Yuanchao didn't ask for any news. It was as if she left like a swallow flying south and never appeared again.
In her previous life, Lin Yan went abroad for various reasons, maybe because of Zhao Minglei, maybe because of the advice of her classmates mentioned earlier, or maybe there were circumstances that Song Yuanchao didn't know about. But no matter what, Song Yuanchao didn't want Lin Yan to study abroad. Although this era began with the arrival of 1980, the enthusiasm for studying abroad in China, especially in universities, gradually increased, and after 1981, the enthusiasm for studying abroad began to sweep across the country, affecting an entire generation or even two generations.
From the early 1980s to the 1990s, the craze for going abroad has never subsided in the nearly twenty years. Countless people have embarked on this journey with hopes and fantasies. Among them, there are successful ones, but more are failures.
Going abroad is extremely tempting for Chinese people who have been isolated for many years. Even Song Yuanchao had such a plan back then, let alone Lin Yan who is in college?
But Song Yuanchao knew that it was not a good choice for Lin Yan to study abroad now. The 1980s was a glorious era and the fastest-growing era in China. As a college student of the new era, staying in the country had far more opportunities and a brighter future than going abroad.
In addition to this reason, of course, there is Song Yuanchao's own idea. He has already made plans to marry Lin Yan after graduation. If Lin Yan goes abroad at this time, what will he do? Whether in public or private, Song Yuanchao does not agree with Lin Yan going abroad.
Of course, Song Yuanchao would not directly tell Lin Yan that he did not agree with her going abroad. He knew Lin Yan's character very well. Lin Yan was a girl who was gentle on the outside but strong on the inside. Once she made up her mind, it would be difficult for her to change. This could be seen from her relationship with Song Yuanchao.
Song Yuanchao was well aware that forcing her not to go abroad would likely backfire, so he did not directly oppose the topic of going abroad. He just talked with Lin Yan about the domestic and international situation, and emphasized the current situation of reform and opening up in the country.
"Going abroad is good. I have this idea, too." Song Yuanchao said with a smile, "It's good to go abroad, understand the differences between foreign countries and China, and experience the advanced Western world, so as to broaden your horizons. However, the country is in a state of disrepair right now, and it is the time when we need to contribute. The country has worked hard to train us college students, but we leave right after graduation. I think it seems a bit inappropriate."
Seeing Lin Yan thoughtful, Song Yuanchao continued, "I think if you want to go abroad, you don't have to be so anxious for now. The Western world has always been there. Going a day earlier or later won't make much difference. It would be better to work for a few years first and then go abroad when the time is right."
Listening to Song Yuanchao's words, Lin Yan tilted her head and thought for a while: "What you said makes sense, but Yuanchao, do you have any selfish motives in saying this?"
"Hahaha, you actually figured it out." Song Yuanchao smiled and pulled Lin Yan's hand: "You're right, I do have some selfish motives. Think about it, what will I do if you go abroad? You can't abandon me in the country, right? I'm still waiting for you to marry me. But then again, what I said just now was also the truth, which can be regarded as both public and private."
"You are honest." Lin Yan rolled her eyes at Song Yuanchao, but then she smiled. Song Yuanchao did not use vague words to prevaricate or deceive her, but spoke his true feelings, which made Lin Yan very happy.
