Two postgraduate students

When Xia Ye and Song Xiaoxiao returned and sat down, Lin Yuan calmly said, "There are a lot of people queuing for the restroom."

Xia Ye looked embarrassed, while Song Xiaoxiao couldn't stop laughing.

Then it was time for dinner and chatting, and Xia Ye naturally started talking about the hardships she faced after graduation.

"Every time I went for an interview, when I said I graduated from a 211 art department, people would look at me strangely."

Lin Yuan really wanted to laugh, "Which art student would emphasize that they are from a 211? Even Beijing Film Academy isn't a 211."

"Exactly. That's why I didn't even get the chance to teach those intensive small classes at training institutions. The people there said: 'Parents won't accept it.'"

"Nonsense," Song Xiaoxiao interjected, "Which parent is crazy enough to care about 211 when studying art?"

Xia Ye complained, "Why did our school open an art department? Isn't it just harming people?"

"You can't blame the school. The industrialization of education is a common phenomenon. So many universities and majors, just like the vast number of papers, there's too much redundancy."

Xia Ye was stunned for a moment, clearly feeling a sense of discord when Lin Yuan mentioned papers and such.

Instead, Song Xiaoxiao explained, "You don't need to be surprised. He was just talking to me about macroeconomic, tertiary industry, and wealth disparity. This is a major form of entertainment for many men, just like how we girls like to follow entertainment gossip."

Lin Yuan quickly understood Song Xiaoxiao's meaning. She clearly listened to her customers discuss international politics and changing situations during her service breaks, and could be considered well-versed in this area.

Lin Yuan chuckled, "Keyboard warriors are everywhere. But truly understanding some major international trends can still be helpful to an individual."

Song Xiaoxiao deliberately provoked him, "What kind of help?" If Xia Ye hadn't still been there, she would have said, "Does it make it easier for you to deliver food?"

Lin Yuan naturally had an answer for her, because it was precisely a shallow understanding of the social pulse that led Lin Yuan not to choose civil engineering when filling out his college application in high school, against his family's wishes.

Many of the older generation in Lin Yuan's hometown went out to work on construction sites. They seemed to have an immense obsession with "earning a living with their own hands," often saying, "It's stable to earn a living with your own hands and skills."

If Lin Yuan had really chosen civil engineering in 2020, he would have been completely doomed. No matter how poorly he did at Tangcheng Institute of Technology, he at least studied computer science. If he had studied civil engineering and was completely ignorant of basic computer knowledge, even if Zijin Aviation School's computer department accepted civil engineering graduates, Lin Yuan would have faced even greater difficulties.

But Lin Yuan didn't want to reveal that he was a graduate student at Zijin Aviation School. He was very curious what Xia Ye would do if he really was just a food delivery driver. Because from Song Xiaoxiao's attempts to dissuade him, it was clear that Xia Ye was somewhat interested in him. Otherwise, why would she hint and say, 'Brother, I'll introduce you to a sister.'

"Alright. I'm also a bachelor's degree holder. Do you believe me when I say I'm humble but haven't forgotten my country?" Lin Yuan said this out of nowhere.

Song Xiaoxiao immediately replied, "You should just eat your food."

On the contrary, Xia Ye was very happy to hear it, "You have a bachelor's degree? Which school?" Because a bachelor's degree clearly made it easier to find a job, and more beneficial for Lin Yuan to leave the food delivery industry.

"I'm from the Computer Science Department at Tangcheng Institute of Technology."

"Institute of Technology, computer science, bachelor's degree..." Xia Ye murmured, "Then, have you tried working in your major?"

"I worked at an outsourcing company for a while last year. I worked overtime every day, and even after becoming a full-time employee, it was only seven or eight thousand, pre-tax. I was doing things that didn't lead to any progress, and I couldn't see any hope. So I came out to deliver food." Lin Yuan didn't lie about this. He was almost sick of being a CRUD engineer at the outsourcing company.

"Are you planning to give up your major in the future?"

"Not really. I'm just using food delivery as a temporary stop, and like you, I plan to take the postgraduate entrance exam."

"Then where do you want to apply?"

"Your alma mater."

If one didn't consider the timeline, Lin Yuan's words weren't a lie. He indeed took the path of postgraduate studies out of necessity, and he did want to apply to Zijin Aviation School. However, he had already been accepted.

Xia Ye said earnestly, "Then you really need to work hard. It's very difficult to get into our school for postgraduate studies."

Looking at Xia Ye as if she had seen hope, Song Xiaoxiao's face was full of dark lines, 'Originally, one fool wanted to take the postgraduate exam, now two fools want to take the postgraduate exam.'

"Let's work hard together." Lin Yuan raised his teacup to Xia Ye, and even deliberately glanced at Song Xiaoxiao in defiance.

Xia Ye brought her cup closer, so excited that she spilled some tea. "Let's work hard together, come on!"

After the meal, Lin Yuan gentlemanly picked up the bill, intending to pay.

"I already paid by scanning the code," Song Xiaoxiao said calmly.

"Alright, then I'll treat you two to milk tea."

"No, I have something else to do. I won't disturb you two who are going to take the postgraduate exam." Song Xiaoxiao picked up her bag and walked out of the restaurant without looking back, looking like she was busy with business.

Xia Ye was left alone and immediately felt a little shy. And Lin Yuan had little experience interacting with girls.

"Then, then... can I treat you to milk tea?" Lin Yuan could only continue his previous offer of milk tea.

"Let's go to the Nine Minutes Sweet Milk Tea Shop where I work. There's an employee discount." Xia Ye was also slowly adapting to a frugal life.

---

The summer sunset was a bit late. Song Xiaoxiao called a private car and rushed to her battlefield, bathed in the setting sun.

Lin Yuan and Xia Ye walked with their long shadows on the way to Nine Minutes Sweet Milk Tea Shop.

The wind at the end of August was very hot, even in the evening. The heat wave caused sweat, and the sweat carried a body scent. The body scent drifted into Lin Yuan's nostrils with the wind, making him feel a refreshing coolness.

This was their first proper walk, and Lin Yuan, in order to find a topic, naturally brought up the postgraduate entrance exam.

"When do you plan to prepare for the postgraduate exam?" At this time, this year's postgraduate exam had just ended, which is why Lin Yuan asked Xia Ye when she planned to prepare.

"I've always been preparing. But without a tutoring class, there's no hope of getting into Purple Arts, so I'm working three jobs."

"Is it to save up tuition fees? How much more money do you need, roughly?"

Xia Ye opened her Alipay and WeChat, and sighed casually, "I asked about the tutoring class before. The 58,888 package is most suitable for me. There are three months of evening classes before the exam, and the last month is a fully enclosed intensive training. During those three months of evening classes, I can continue to work part-time during the day. So I need to save enough for the course fees, and also living expenses during this period, especially the living expenses for the last month of fully enclosed training in a hotel."

Lin Yuan thought for her, "During those three months of evening classes, you probably can't work part-time like you are now during the day, right? If you dance in the evening and then teach dancing during the day, dancing all day long, even an iron man couldn't handle it."

Xia Ye immediately looked dejected, "Oh, right. But if I don't do dancing part-time and do other part-time jobs, like at a milk tea shop, it's also very tiring standing all the time. If I don't do part-time jobs, then it's four months of being out of work. If monthly living expenses are 2,000, and 5,000 for the last month, then I need to prepare about 70,000 yuan."

Lin Yuan added, "And you also have to look at Purple Arts' postgraduate exam schedule. If the time is early, you might only have five or six months of a window period left. That means after deducting food and drink each month, you need to have a surplus of over 12,000. And this is still based on you being very frugal in the next few months."

Some things can be fantasized about until they are weighed; once weighed, they cannot withstand scrutiny.

After listening to Lin Yuan's analysis, Xia Ye looked down at the road, "Actually, actually, I know it myself. I get 220 a day for teaching dance, and 75 yuan for selling milk tea for three hours in the evening."

"What?" Lin Yuan exclaimed, "They only give you 220 for teaching a whole day?" Damn, Lin Yuan's hourly wage in his first week of tutoring was 200, and when he quit, those parents directly offered him 400 an hour. But Xia Ye only got 220 for a whole day, which Lin Yuan couldn't tolerate.

"I teach one class in the morning and one in the afternoon, 100 yuan per class, so two classes are 200. Plus 20 yuan for miscellaneous duties. Oh, right," Xia Ye added, "They also provide lunch."

Lin Yuan looked at Xia Ye, who was blinking her big eyes and looking at him seriously, "How's the food there for lunch?" Lin Yuan was deliberately teasing her.

But Xia Ye was still very serious, "The food is very good. They have their own small kitchen, and there's milk tea every day."

Lin Yuan saw Xia Ye's eyes light up when she mentioned milk tea, so he said exasperatedly, "Then it seems you're quite enjoying it. Why are you complaining?"