Chapter 4

Xiao Yuanhang returned to the guesthouse and happened to meet Tang Jing and the others coming down the stairs, about to go to the canteen for dinner. Tang Jing looked at Xiao Yuanhang and said, "Xiao, did you go out? We couldn't find you anywhere just now. Let's go to dinner quickly."

"Sure, Sister Tang," Xiao Yuanhang replied with a smile and followed them.

Tian Fen, who came down behind Tang Jing, saw that Xiao Yuanhang had just returned from outside. She snorted coldly, her face dark as she looked at Xiao Yuanhang's back. "You little brat, it's better if you don't study. I hope you don't get a good ranking; then I'll show you what I can do!"

Xiao Yuanhang saw Tian Fen coming down behind him but pretended not to notice. He walked and talked with Tang Jing, smiling. When they reached the canteen, Jiang Xuefang bought the food with her meal ticket. Xiao Yuanhang busily helped everyone carry their dishes and meals. Finally, he carried his own food and joined Jiang Xuefang.

The railway guesthouse was not open to the public; it only accommodated railway employees with work permits. The canteen was crowded with people from various stations and sections who were attending meetings or handling affairs. Four people sat at each table. Since they came down late, it was hard to find three empty seats, so everyone found their own groups, sitting with others in twos and threes. Tian Fen clearly met some acquaintances and sat with two middle-aged women from other units, chatting while eating.

Seeing Xiao Yuanhang busy helping everyone, Jiang Xuefang saved a seat for him. This suited Xiao Yuanhang's intentions. He sat next to her and said, "Sister Jiang, can you explain how to calculate the miscellaneous passenger fees after dinner?"

Jiang Xuefang looked at Xiao Yuanhang in surprise and said, "Didn't Director Tian say he would explain it to you at noon?"

Xiao Yuanhang replied, "Director Tian was going to explain it, but he was called away before he could. It's too hot to sleep early anyway, so could you explain it to me tonight?"

Xiao Yuanhang couldn't tell Jiang Xuefang that Tian Fen hadn't explained it and had even scolded him. After all, Jiang Xuefang was under Tian Fen's command. Although he had been reborn, he wasn't arrogant enough to think a small train attendant could stand up to the head of the education department. Even if Jiang Xuefang had a good impression of him, she wouldn't go against Tian Fen. If he told the truth, she might think he was trying to create a rift between her and Tian Fen, which could lead to a bad impression of him. He had to avoid such a situation.

Jiang Xuefang thought for a moment and said, "I still need to tutor Tang Jing and the others for a while. You can look at other questions first. I'll come to your room around 9 o'clock to explain it."

"Sure, thank you, Sister Jiang!" Xiao Yuanhang said excitedly. However, he didn't immediately take out the wolf oil cream to give to Jiang Xuefang. First, the canteen was crowded, and even if he was discreet, he couldn't guarantee no one would see. Second, if he immediately gave her a gift after she agreed to tutor him, it would seem like a bribe, which would be hard for her to accept. After all, most people in this era were still very upright.

The summer night was stiflingly hot. The room had the windows open and a fan running, but Xiao Yuanhang was still drenched in sweat, feeling sticky. He wore large shorts, no shirt, and a wet towel around his neck. He would read for a while, then use cold water to wash the towel and wipe the sweat. Fortunately, the guesthouse windows had screens; otherwise, the room would be full of flying mosquitoes.

Xiao Yuanhang reviewed the regulations again, feeling confident. He checked his watch: 8:15 PM. Jiang Xuefang would still be a while. He put down his book and picked up the washbasin to go to the water room. The water in the basin had already lost its coolness from being used multiple times. He rinsed his body with cold water, filled the basin with fresh cold water, and carried it back. As he lifted his head, he saw Jiang Xuefang in the corridor.

"Sister Jiang, are you done?" Xiao Yuanhang walked quickly to meet her and asked.

Jiang Xuefang said, "Yes, I came to your room and knocked for a long time, but there was no response. I thought you had gone out to play, but it turns out you were washing your face."

"Yes, Sister Jiang, it's really hot today!" Xiao Yuanhang said.

"Indeed, this weather is the worst for us women!" Jiang Xuefang said as she followed Xiao Yuanhang to the room. She wore a tight short-sleeved shirt and a sheer blouse over it, and a knee-length sheer skirt. It was just after the early stages of reform and opening up, and people's ideas were still quite conservative. Women wearing skirts was normal, but on the streets, you wouldn't find anyone, men or women, wearing shorts.

Jiang Xuefang's outfit could be considered quite open, given her years of experience as a train conductor, traveling extensively and being exposed to new things. When she was tutoring Tang Jing and the others in the room, she was only wearing a small tank top and underwear, sitting on the bed. She only dressed up before coming to Xiao Yuanhang's room, but she still only wore a skirt and shirt.

When Jiang Xuefang entered Xiao Yuanhang's room, she didn't act formally. She was used to being around men and women on the train. She didn't say anything when Xiao Yuanhang closed the door, sat down on the chair at the table, and put her book on the table. "Xiao, what don't you understand about calculating the miscellaneous passenger fees? I'll explain it to you."

Xiao Yuanhang put the washbasin on the stand and said with a smile, "Sister Jiang, wait a moment, I'll put on my tank top."

Jiang Xuefang said, "Xiao, why are you so conservative? When we're on duty, the police and inspectors in the sleeping car are all bare-chested. What's the big deal? Come over quickly, I'll explain it to you, and then I can go back to my room to rest. I'm so sweaty, it's really uncomfortable!"

Seeing that Jiang Xuefang didn't mind, Xiao Yuanhang didn't care either. He took out paper, pen, and the wolf oil cream from his backpack, sat down by the table, and handed the cream to her. "Sister Jiang, this is for you."

Jiang Xuefang took it and saw it was wolf oil cream. Her eyes lit up, and she looked at Xiao Yuanhang. "Xiao, why did you buy such an expensive thing?"

Xiao Yuanhang smiled and said, "Sister Jiang, I didn't buy it. On the way back from Huanghai, the train was severely overcrowded, and the carriages were packed like sardine cans. Several passengers fainted from heatstroke. A wealthy lady couldn't stand it and asked me to help her get a berth ticket. But there were only a few berths left, and they were all reserved for the conductor's connections. I couldn't get one for her. Later, someone got off the dining car, so I helped her get a seat there. She gave me this box, and I didn't want it, but she insisted. I don't need it, so you can have it!"

Xiao Yuanhang's explanation was reasonable. Jiang Xuefang, with her years of experience as a conductor, had seen many such situations and didn't think anything else of it. She put it on the table and said, "Okay, I'll take it. Thank you, Xiao."

Xiao Yuanhang smiled and said, "Sister Jiang, it's just a box of cream. Why are you so formal with me?"

Jiang Xuefang smiled and didn't mention the wolf oil cream again. Instead, she said, "Xiao, calculating the miscellaneous passenger fees is actually quite simple. It's just a few regulations and some simple formulas. I'll tell you the relevant regulations first; you can write them down." She opened her book and started reading the relevant regulations. Xiao Yuanhang wrote them down on his paper. After he finished, Jiang Xuefang began explaining the meaning of the regulations. It was all very simple, and Xiao Yuanhang understood after one explanation. Jiang Xuefang said, "Just remember these regulations. Now I'll explain the formulas and calculation methods to you."

The formulas and calculation methods were also simple. It was a matter of practice. Seeing that Xiao Yuanhang understood, Jiang Xuefang gave him a few different types of practice problems to solve.

Xiao Yuanhang bent over the table to solve the problems, and Jiang Xuefang watched him. She saw that he was on the right track and quickly solved a problem with perfect accuracy, and a smile appeared on her face. Occasionally, as Xiao Yuanhang solved the problems, he would look up, and his gaze would meet her prominent chest, seeing the two prominent points on her tight shirt!

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PS: I didn't intend to push for the rankings, but we're just one step away from the category list. So, I kindly request everyone to vote for this book. Thank you very much!

{Piaotian Literature}