Chapter 100

Just as the old and new years of 1995 and 1996 were about to meet, a heavy snow fell across the northern region.

As a result, on the first day of 1996, the sun rose early in Jinan, and it turned out to be a clear day.

Around seven in the morning, the security personnel in Shengshi Garden Community had already started to clear the main roads and small squares. By eight, most of the residents had finished their breakfast and didn't need to go to work, so they all went down voluntarily to the security office to get tools and joined in the effort to clear the snow from the ground.

Since Li Qian came to this timeline, he found that different development directions and historical progress, once familiar, gradually became unnoticeable. What truly moved him was the harmonious coexistence and the tendency to work together in solving problems, which were better preserved and continued in this traditional and Confucian culture. Every time he experienced it, he couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia.

In the timeline where Li Qian used to live, it was very common for neighbors to live in the same building for years without knowing each other, and even for those living next door to not even greet each other.

But in this timeline, it was different.

He had just moved to a new place and wasn't fully integrated yet, but in Shengshi Garden, not only were the neighbors on the same floor close, but even those in the same building or the same community felt a sense of closeness. While it wasn't as close as a family, there was at least some friendly interaction, and it felt like the traditional sense of a close-knit clan.

Li Qian's father also went down after breakfast. He first cleared the snow from the top of his car, then went to the security office to get tools and joined the others in clearing the snow.

As long as someone was at home, they would come down early or late, but almost no one would shirk the work. Even if the men were not at home, the women would come down after finishing the kitchen work to lend a hand. No one thought it was a chore.

While working, everyone chatted and laughed, finding it a pleasant way to interact.

By around ten in the morning, at least dozens of people had gathered in the open space between two buildings, some sweeping and some shoveling. When the snow plow from the security office arrived, everyone was busy loading the snow onto the truck, and laughter could be heard from time to time.

In this community, Li Qian's parents' income was not particularly high, but because he was a teacher, he was more respected. At this moment, he was chatting with a few people of similar age from the same building. Suddenly, a little girl from upstairs shouted excitedly, "Dad, it's really being rebroadcast! I saw it, the song is called 'Sisters Stand Up'! They are called Wu Xing Wu Su, and one of them really looks like Sister Jingxue from Unit 2!"

This "Dad" made many people look up, but they quickly realized it wasn't their own daughter and went back to their work. A middle-aged man who was clearing snow with Li Qian's father looked up at his own window, said "Oh" indifferently, and continued talking to Li Qian's father.

His daughter was in the third year of junior high and would be entering high school after the summer. She was asking Li Qian's father about the nearby high schools, but before they could say much, the little girl who had opened the window to shout earlier came down in a bright red down jacket, running up to her father and stretching out her hand. "Give me money, give me money, I want to buy their album!"

Her father looked at her, "What album? Ask your mother!"

The girl, who looked about 15 or 16, was very quick and clever. While chewing gum, she said, "It's Wu Xing Wu Su. Oh, you don't understand, I'm too lazy to explain! Anyway, you promised me last night, and Mom didn't! I want to buy the album, quickly, give me money, give me money!"

This girl was smart and knew that with so many people around, her father wouldn't refuse. Sure enough, when she raised her voice, many people stopped their work and smiled at her.

Her father helplessly took out his wallet and asked, "How much?"

"Twenty, more or less! Hurry up!"

Her father frowned but didn't say anything, and handed her twenty yuan.

After receiving the money, the girl shouted up to the building, "Jiang Ziyi, are you coming?"

Three seconds later, a window on the fourth floor of Unit 1 opened, and a girl in a nightgown poked her head out, not afraid of the cold, and said crisply, "Wait a moment, I'm in the middle of a battle, the money will be here soon!"

This made everyone working downstairs laugh.

The girl's father was also working downstairs. Some people who knew him teased him a bit, and he looked embarrassed, sighed, and complained with a bitter smile.

At this moment, another window upstairs opened, and this time it was a boy who shouted down, "Zhao Ruyi, can you help me bring a tape? I also want 'Sisters Stand Up,' and I'll give you the money later!"

Zhao Ruyi looked up, her eyes squinting, and with her hands on her hips, said, "Liu Daqiang, that's not how you flirt! Shouldn't you be the one running errands for us?"

This made many of the adults working downstairs chuckle.

Zhao Ruyi's father felt embarrassed and thought he had failed in educating his daughter. He couldn't help but frown and said, "What are you talking about, flirting or not? Where did you learn this?"

Zhao Ruyi glanced at her father indifferently and continued to chew her gum.

Sure enough, when everyone downstairs laughed, the window upstairs closed, and it was clear that the boy named Liu Daqiang was a bit embarrassed.

Someone then joked, "Ruyi, do you have a boyfriend yet?"

Zhao Ruyi, still chewing gum, completely ignoring her father's red face, shook her head, "No, they're all too silly, they don't know how to flirt, I don't like them!"

This made her father's face a bit better.

The people around her also laughed, and someone asked, "What are you going to buy? The 'Sisters Stand Up' song from last night's party?"

Zhao Ruyi nodded, looking cool and proud, and ignored the adults.

At this moment, the adults started discussing.

"Was there such a song at last night's party? I don't remember."

"Hey, it's the part where five pretty girls were jumping around. I remember they sang two or three songs!"

"Oh... I can't remember. I still think Liu Mingliang and Zhao Xinfu's songs were the best! Among the female singers, I think He Runqing's songs were also good. What was the song she sang last night? It was something about a 'silk' or something, it was a good song! Oh, and Liao Liao. She seems to be very popular lately, and she sings well too!"

Zhao Ruyi, who was familiar with the topic, glanced at the uncles chatting beside her, looking disdainful, and couldn't help but say, "It's called 'Half a Pot of Silk,' He Runqing's latest single. Liao Liao sang 'Persistence,' 'Wildflowers,' and 'Cheers, Friends' at the party last night. They are all on the Golden Melody Chart and are her representative works!"

"Right, right, right! It's called 'Persistence'! Those songs are really good, I think they are much better than the jumping and dancing songs!" The man nodded and said, "I didn't pay attention recently, and when I wanted to listen, I found out my son had already bought her tape, and he wouldn't lend it to me!"

The man next to him laughed and said, "I bought it too. If you want to listen, just come to me, and you can return it when you're done!"

Hearing this, Li Qian's father, who had been listening with a smile, couldn't help but speak up. He thought for a moment and said, "If you like it, you should buy an original copy. It's not easy for them to write and produce songs. We should support the original, right?"

The two men laughed, and one said, "Mr. Li is a writer, so he values copyright! Alright, I'll buy a copy to listen to, supporting the original!"

Li Qian's father smiled and said, "Hey, my books... don't sell much! It's not comparable to this, not comparable, hehe!"

Someone then asked Li Qian's father if he watched the party last night. Li Qian's father had drunk a lot and slept through the night, so he hadn't really watched the party. But at this moment, he smiled and said, "I watched a bit. I also like Liao Liao and He Runqing's songs, but the songs by Wu Xing Wu Su... well, they're not bad, not bad, hehe!"

Oh, a middle-aged uncle has the same taste!

Zhao Ruyi turned her head and looked at Li Qian's father curiously.

Li Qian's father noticed her and asked, "Ruyi, do you like Liao Liao?"

Zhao Ruyi, still chewing gum, nodded coolly and said, "Yes! I also bought her tape!"

Li Qian's father then asked, "Do you like Liao Liao more or Wu Xing Wu Su more?"

Zhao Ruyi tilted her head and thought for a moment, saying, "Liao Liao's songs are really good, but they are a bit old-fashioned. I think Wu Xing Wu Su is great! Oh, by the way, Uncle Li, is the person in the group really Sister Jingxue?"

Li Qian's father nodded thoughtfully and then smiled, saying, "Yes, it's Xiao Xue!"

Just then, Wang Jingxue's mother, Tao Huijun, finished cleaning the house and came down to help. Before she could go to the security office to get tools, Zhao Ruyi ran over and asked, "Aunt Tao, Aunt Tao, the person in Wu Xing Wu Su at last night's party really looks like Sister Jingxue. Is it really her?"

Tao Huijun smiled and nodded, looking a bit surprised but quickly turning it into a proud smile. She nodded and said, "Yes, it's your Sister Jingxue. How do you like her songs?"

Zhao Ruyi was so excited she wanted to jump. Just then, Jiang Ziyi had come down, standing there and calling her, probably having gotten the money. Zhao Ruyi waved her over and then stopped Tao Huijun, asking, "Aunt Tao, Aunt Tao, can you help me get a signature from Sister Jingxue?"

Tao Huijun smiled and said, "If it's something else, I might not know, but this, I can promise you. I'll make sure Sister Jingxue gives you ten signatures, okay?"

"Ah..." Zhao Ruyi jumped up and down in excitement. When Jiang Ziyi came over, she quickly told her, and Jiang Ziyi also jumped up, saying, "Aunt Tao, Aunt Tao, I want one too, I want one too!"

Tao Huijun smiled and agreed.

Then, amidst the laughter of the crowd, Liu Daqiang also ran down with money, and the three young kids quickly ran off to buy the album together.

Everyone was now looking at Tao Huijun curiously, and someone asked, "Sister Tao, is it really your Xiao Xue?"

After Tao Huijun confirmed it, everyone couldn't help but exclaim, "Your Xiao Xue is amazing, she's already on the party, she's definitely going to be famous!"

Tao Huijun smiled and politely thanked everyone. She saw Li Qian's father and greeted him before going to the security office to get tools.

After she left, someone sneaked over and poked Li Qian's father, asking, "Is it true about your son and the Wang family's second daughter?"

Li Qian's father smiled and said, "It's a kid's matter, how would I know if it's true or not? Hey, I don't care about it now, let them figure it out themselves!"

Someone nearby heard this and quickly said, "Don't say that! Brother Li, tell your son to work harder and get married soon! Haven't you seen, her sister is going to be famous! I heard that once a singer becomes famous, they can earn a million or two a year! Think about it, with such a capable sister-in-law, your son will save a lot of effort in the future!"

Li Qian's father smiled, feeling a bit proud and a bit不服气 (unconvinced). Although he was usually calm, seeing his son's path becoming more and more promising, he gradually felt that there was no need to hide it. The constant secrecy made him feel like he couldn't share his pride, which was quite frustrating.

In this situation, even a straightforward person like Li Qian's father felt a bit uncomfortable not showing off. (To be continued.)