Chapter 5

Xiao Yuanhang stood there, staring for a couple of seconds. When he noticed Jiang Xuefang following his gaze to her chest, he was startled and quickly lowered his head to continue solving the problem. It was not long after the reform and opening up, and women in the mainland had not yet become as particular about their undergarments as they would be in the future, often fearing exposure. At that time, women had only been wearing bras for a few years, and some older people found them uncomfortable and did not care for them at all, feeling that they were too tight.

When the crew was on duty, men and women would rest in the sleeping car. After a six to seven-hour shift, especially in the hot weather, their uniforms would be soaked with sweat, and the wet bras would be even more uncomfortable. When they returned to the sleeping car to rest, the first thing they would do was to take off their bras to relax, then they would go to wash up. This was a common occurrence, and Xiao Yuanhang had seen it many times when he returned to the sleeping car to rest.

A crew was like a big family. They would be away from home for three days, and the sleeping car was their home on the train. They spent a lot of time together, and they were as close as family, so they did not pay much attention to such small details. Sometimes, after washing up and not being able to sleep, they would gather in an empty berth to chat. It was common to see exposed arms, legs, and even the tops of bras, and they would not bother to cover up even if there were male crew members present.

Xiao Yuanhang was stunned because he was so far removed from that kind of life. In the future, although women's undergarments became more delicate and smaller, women became more aware of how to protect themselves, and it was rare for such exposure to happen. His momentary shock was a normal reaction.

Jiang Xuefang reached out and patted Xiao Yuanhang's head, saying, "What are you looking at? Haven't you seen this on the train before? Quickly finish your problem!" Then she pulled her open blouse together.

At this moment, Xiao Yuanhang could say nothing but lower his head and continue working on the problem. After this little incident, his speed of solving the problem clearly slowed down.

After more than ten minutes, Xiao Yuanhang finally finished the problem and looked up, saying, "Sister Jiang, I'm done. Please check it."

Jiang Xuefang checked it and found that Xiao Yuanhang had done everything correctly. She stood up and said, "Xiao Jiang, calculating passenger miscellaneous fees is actually quite simple. As long as you remember the relevant regulations and can skillfully apply these calculation formulas, you'll be fine. You got all the problems right, so just practice a bit more. I'm going back to my room. Don't stay up too late, get some rest, and have a good mental state for tomorrow's competition."

"Thank you, Sister Jiang, I understand!" Xiao Yuanhang stood up and saw Jiang Xuefang out of the room, watching her return to her room before turning back to his own. He locked the door and sat down at the table to read and do practice problems. Although he had mastered the basic methods of calculating passenger miscellaneous fees, he knew he needed to be able to apply them skillfully, and he was aware of his shortcomings in this area.

Time passed quickly, and before he knew it, it was 12 o'clock. Xiao Yuanhang knew he had to go to bed; insufficient rest would affect the competition. He tidied up his scratch paper and hesitated for a moment before taking out the regulations and reviewing them from beginning to end. By the time he lay down, it was almost 2 a.m.

The technical performance competition of the division started at 8 a.m., with all participants required to report at 7:30 a.m. The guesthouse where Xiao Yuanhang and his team stayed opened for breakfast at 6:30 a.m. In the canteen, Jiang Xuefang looked around the crowd and did not see Xiao Yuanhang, so she asked Tang Jing, "Chief Tang, have you seen Xiao Yuanhang?"

Tang Jing replied, "No, maybe he hasn't woken up yet?"

Jiang Xuefang put down her chopsticks and said, "I'll go check." Just as she stood up, Tian Fen, who was sitting at the same table, said, "Xiao Jiang, eat your breakfast, don't worry about him. I already called him, he'll be here soon."

When Jiang Xuefang and the others came for breakfast, it was already a bit late, around 6:40 a.m. Due to the large number of people, they had to wait in line, and it was almost 7 o'clock by the time they got their food. If Xiao Yuanhang didn't come soon, they would be late. But since Tian Fen said she had already called him, Jiang Xuefang had to sit down and continue eating, though her pace quickened.

At 7 o'clock, seeing that Xiao Yuanhang still hadn't arrived, Jiang Xuefang quickly finished her meal and said, "I'm done, you take your time. I'll go upstairs to get ready."

At the sound of Jiang Xuefang's knocking, Xiao Yuanhang woke up from his sleep and hurriedly got out of bed to open the door.

"Xiao, why are you still sleeping? What time is it?" It was already past 7 o'clock, and Tian Fen had set the meeting time for 7:15 a.m., then they would line up and report to the division's passenger department. Jiang Xuefang was so anxious that she started scolding him!

Xiao Yuanhang looked at his watch and saw it was already 7:05 a.m., and he was also startled! Since they were all participating in the competition together, with a team leader and a tutor, they should have taken care of each other. Everyone else had a day off before the competition, but he had just finished a shift and was immediately asked to participate. Now, just before the competition, no one had even called him for breakfast, and his anger flared up. But he suppressed his anger and said, "Sister Jiang, I was doing problems until after 2 a.m. last night. I thought you would call me for breakfast this morning."

"What? Director Tian said she already called you!" Jiang Xuefang blurted out without thinking.

"Nobody came to call me!" Xiao Yuanhang was even more furious when he heard this. Damn that old witch! But he couldn't curse in front of Jiang Xuefang.

Hearing Xiao Yuanhang's firm words, Jiang Xuefang immediately regretted her outburst. She believed that Xiao Yuanhang was not lying. She had already noticed that Director Tian was targeting Xiao Yuanhang, and by saying this, she was essentially betraying Director Tian. If Xiao Yuanhang got angry and confronted Director Tian, she would lose her job in the education office. But it was too late to regret now.

Jiang Xuefang quickly changed the subject, saying, "Xiao, go have some breakfast quickly, or you'll be late."

Xiao Yuanhang replied, "Sister Jiang, I usually don't eat much for breakfast. I have two eggs in my bag, so I'll just eat them."

Seeing that Xiao Yuanhang was not dwelling on the issue, Jiang Xuefang felt relieved and said, "That's fine. Hurry up, and I need to go back to my room to get ready."

Xiao Yuanhang quickly ate the two eggs, ran to the washroom to wash his face and brush his teeth, and returned to the room to put on his uniform. It took him only 8 minutes, and he still had 2 minutes before the assembly time. The more obstacles Tian Fen set for him, the more determined he was to do well, and he wanted to win the technical champion to spite that devious old woman.

Xiao Yuanhang took his handbag and waited in the corridor. At this moment, Tang Jing and the others also came out and greeted him. When Jiang Xuefang came out of her room and saw Xiao Yuanhang standing neatly in the corridor, she felt relieved. She turned to invite Tian Fen out, and when Tian Fen saw everyone, she said, "Alright, everyone is here. Let's go to the division." She glanced at Xiao Yuanhang with a frown and walked ahead.

At the division, they went directly to the 5th meeting room to register, as the technical performance competition was to be held there. The 18 participants from the three train segments of Tongshui Division were all present, lined up in three rows by segment. Deputy Director Li Ticheng of the Passenger Department explained the rules and precautions of the technical performance competition.

At this moment, Xiao Yuanhang noticed that the uniforms of the other participants were all snow-white, while his was dirty and wrinkled. This was all due to Tian Fen, who had not notified him before the trip and immediately asked him to come to the division for the competition after the trip. A three-day trip in the hot weather, with work and sweat, made it impossible for his white short-sleeved uniform to remain clean!

The leaders of the division and the Passenger Department looked at him with strange expressions, and Xiao Yuanhang felt his face burning. He could only lower his head and not look up, hating Tian Fen with all his heart.

After the division leaders and the Passenger Department finished speaking, the participants found their seats according to the numbers on their cards. The staff opened the exam papers on the spot and distributed them to the participants. The first part was the theoretical exam, which lasted 1 hour and 30 minutes.

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PS: Brothers, you're too awesome, we're now 10th on the category list, keep voting!!!

{Piaotian Literature}