I'm back in 1990

Chapter 6: Life Without Air Conditioning Is Hard to Bear

After attending the midday thank-you banquet and farewell dinner, Huang Xiaochuan said goodbye to several teachers and some familiar classmates at the restaurant entrance. He found his bicycle and was about to go home when Qin Yu and Ren Yangyang called him back.

"Huang Xiaochuan, are you in such a hurry to go home?" Ren Yangyang spread her arms and blocked Huang Xiaochuan's bicycle.

Qin Yu smiled silently beside her, but she was very grateful for Ren Yangyang's actions.

Which young girl doesn't dream of love? In fact, she had secretly liked Huang Xiaochuan for a long time, but due to her girlish modesty, she never had the courage to express her true feelings. With graduation approaching and everyone going their separate ways, Qin Yu couldn't help but feel a little anxious.

Fortunately, her best friend Ren Yangyang knew what she was thinking and of course, she was duty-bound to help her, which led to today's incident.

Huang Xiaochuan had long sensed the feelings of these young girls, but unfortunately, the body of Huang Xiaochuan now contained the soul of two lifetimes combined, which was several decades old. He knew exactly what he needed, so he could only pretend not to hear the vague affections expressed by these girls.

Huang Xiaochuan frowned, pointed to the scorching sun overhead, and said, "With such a blazing sun, do you want to turn into roasted jerky instead of going home?"

Qin Yu then spoke up, "My aunt owns a coffee shop with air conditioning. Why don't we go there and sit for a while and enjoy the air conditioning?"

Before Huang Xiaochuan could refuse, Ren Yangyang happily agreed, "Okay, okay!"

This damn summer, the air is unusually hot and humid, making it so hot that Huang Xiaochuan can't sleep all night. Even the electric fan is useless, as it only blows out waves of heat.

Huang Xiaochuan, who is still not quite used to it these past two days, has to get up several times in the middle of the night to take a shower before he can barely get any sleep.

Air conditioner? Back then, that was a high-end appliance, and few families could afford to buy or use it. Moreover, the voltage load of existing households couldn't power an air conditioner. Even if you gritted your teeth and bought one, guess what? The moment you turned it on, your fuse would blow.

Therefore, people still mainly rely on electric fans, cold drinks, watermelon and mung bean soup to beat the summer heat, and if all else fails, they take a shower.

Huang Xiaochuan suggested buying an air conditioner yesterday, but his mother, Zeng Lijuan, who is always very frugal, almost nagged him to death.

To be honest, the air conditioning was more tempting to Huang Xiaochuan than the two young girls in front of him. After thinking about it for a moment, Huang Xiaochuan agreed: "Okay, then let's go with the class monitor to cool off in the air conditioning."

Both girls dressed up especially beautifully today. As someone who's been through it all, Huang Xiaochuan understands these girls' thoughts all too well.

During high school, the main atmosphere of this key provincial high school was studying. No one would dress up in fancy clothes all day long, and teachers and parents would not allow it.

Now that you've graduated and are about to go to university, and you're about to part ways with your classmates of several years, why not show off your best side!

The female classmates who came to the party today all dressed up stunningly, which made the male classmates comment on these girls who usually look unremarkable.

Of course, there were also a few show-offs among the male students, dressed in brand new outfits, with mousse in their hair, and wearing shiny leather shoes in the sweltering heat—flies would probably slip and fall on them.

Bian Wo was even wearing men's cologne, but he probably didn't control the amount well and sprayed too much. It was extremely pungent when you got a little close to him, so Huang Xiaochuan found a spot as far away from him as possible.

Moreover, this guy was extremely excited today, holding a beer glass and toasting everyone. The smell hit his nose before he even arrived. Fortunately, no one wanted to talk to Huang Xiaochuan, so Huang Xiaochuan's nose escaped a disaster.

The three of them rode their bikes together, led by Qin Yu, toward Qin Yu's aunt's coffee shop. The town was small, with an overall shape that was long from north to south and short from east to west.

Aunt Qin Yu's coffee shop, called "The Past Returns," is located on the bustling Qingjiang Commercial Street, "Xiheng Street."

After entering, Huang Xiaochuan politely greeted Aunt Qin Yu.

After Qin Yu's aunt clearly saw Huang Xiaochuan's appearance, she was surprised for a while. Her gaze lingered on Huang Xiaochuan for a few moments before she walked up to the group and asked, "Xiaoyu, is this your classmate? Would you like something to drink?"

Qin Yu turned to Huang Xiaochuan and asked, "Huang Xiaochuan, what would you like to drink? My aunt has a lot of drinks here, why don't you take a look at the menu first?"

Huang Xiaochuan waved his hand politely and said, "No need for that, a glass of water will do."

Ren Yangyang eagerly said, "Let me see, I want to choose a good one."

Unexpectedly, Qin Yu handed the drink menu directly to her aunt and said, "Auntie, three iced coffees will do, with extra sugar!"

Ren Yangyang pouted angrily and said, "Hmph!"

Upon hearing this, Huang Xiaochuan covered his face in exasperation. Why not just have an ice-cold Coke? Why coffee, and with so much sugar? This is really...

Fine, since they're just here to freeload off the air conditioning, they shouldn't be ungrateful. They should just accept whatever they're given!

"Xiaoyu, come to the bar and help me." Aunt Qin Yu made an excuse to take Qin Yu away.

"Auntie, is there anything I can help you with?" Qin Yu arrived at the bar but found there was nothing she could do to help, as there were dedicated staff at the bar.

Aunt Qin Yu pulled her aside, out of Huang Xiaochuan's sight, and interrogated her: "Tell me the truth, are you interested in this male classmate?"

Qin Yu, feeling her thoughts had been read, became somewhat awkward: "Auntie, don't talk nonsense."

"I'm talking nonsense? This is the first time you've brought a male classmate here. Are you trying to act all high and mighty with me? You're still too green."

"By the way, isn't this the boy that Jiang Tian and you saw at the swimming pool a few days ago?" Aunt Qin Yu kept asking Qin Yu.

"My cousin has such a big mouth, she's so annoying!" Qin Yu said, somewhat exasperated.

Aunt Qin Yu peeked out and glanced at Huang Xiaochuan sitting in the distance before clicking her tongue and saying, "Tsk tsk, why do you say a boy is so devastatingly handsome? He has both good looks and a great physique."

Then, staring at Qin Yu, she asked, "Are you confident you can win him over? Do you want me to give you some advice? If your mother sees this guy, she'll definitely try to get you to force the issue."

Her aunt's suggestive words made Qin Yu's face instantly turn bright red. She stamped her foot, both ashamed and angry, and said, "Auntie, how could you say that?"

The aunt pressed on, "Has this boy ever said or indicated that he likes you too?"

Qin Yu shook her head dejectedly.

"So this guy already has someone he likes or a girlfriend?"

"No, not really. I just heard that Huang Xiaochuan's mother is very strict about these things. But even so, some girls still send Huang Xiaochuan love letters, but he never pays any attention to them. This morning, someone even gave him a love letter and secretly put it in his desk."

Aunt Qin Yu clicked her tongue and analyzed, "It seems your future mother-in-law is going to be tough! Lots of competition!"

Qin Yu stomped her feet in embarrassment again: "Auntie, what are you talking about?"

"What are you shy about? I'm telling you seriously, if you really like this boy, you should take the initiative and try to win him over as soon as possible. Otherwise, once you get to college, someone like him will be taken by someone else in less than a month."

Qin Yu felt a sense of crisis and was at a loss for what to do.

Just after Qin Yu and her aunt left, Ren Yangyang asked Huang Xiaochuan, "Huang Xiaochuan, a lot of boys drank alcohol at noon, why didn't you drink?"

"I can't hold my liquor, and I'm afraid I'll get scolded when I get home if I drink too much," Huang Xiaochuan casually made up an excuse.

Sitting in the cool indoors, Huang Xiaochuan's hot mood gradually cooled down. It's good to have air conditioning; it can save your life.

Afraid of an awkward silence, Ren Yangyang initiated a conversation: "Huang Xiaochuan, if we go to school in the same city in the future, will you come visit me?"

"Of course I will. I've heard that there are many beautiful women at your East China Normal University. I'm waiting for you to introduce me to someone." Huang Xiaochuan deliberately provoked the voluptuous girl sitting opposite him with his words.

Ren Yangyang's figure is simply unbeatable, voluptuous and delicate, and it's the pear-shaped figure that Huang Xiaochuan likes. Judging by the size of her breasts, she's at least a D cup, and she also has a youthful face.

Unfortunately, they weren't Huang Xiaochuan's type. These days, Huang Xiaochuan has no interest in these young girls. They're just invincible beauties.

As expected, Ren Yangyang was angered by Huang Xiaochuan's suggestion that she introduce him to a female classmate, and she felt sorry for her best friend. Qin Yu had always secretly liked the boy sitting opposite her, but she didn't expect him to have so many ulterior motives. Ren Yangyang pouted angrily and ignored Huang Xiaochuan.

Huang Xiaochuan, on the contrary, felt that this was exactly what he wanted, as it would allow him to quietly watch the street scene outside the window.

The coffee shop is very close to Huang Xiaochuan's high school, both located on the same street, just across an intersection to the west. Because this street is the westernmost of the city's most important crossroads, it is called "West Cross Street," and together with East Cross Street to the east, it forms the city's commercial district.

Although it's called a commercial street, most of the buildings are actually old houses from the Republican era, with blue bricks, black tiles, and latticed doors and windows. A small number were built after the founding of the People's Republic of China. These buildings are generally public buildings such as shopping malls, post offices, and cinemas, and they are quite simple compared to the modern buildings of later generations.

However, these two streets were completely transformed in the early 2000s, and a new commercial district was opened up in another location, a disgrace to the city planners. The transformed East-West Heng Street lost its former prosperity and bustle, becoming a cold, concrete jungle, losing its former vibrancy.

The storefront facing the street opposite the coffee shop still uses old-fashioned door panels, which are taken down in the morning and put back up at night.

The "Return to the Past" café is an imported establishment on this street, completely different from the traditional snack shops, general stores, watch repair shops, coopers, and teahouses, making it a truly eye-catching sight on the street.

Huang Xiaochuan remembered that the house belonged to the post office, so it seemed that Aunt Qin Yu had quite a few connections.

In the 1990s, the streets were lined with plane trees. These trees were as old as the street itself, and their thick branches supported their canopies that blocked the summer sun.

The entire street is sheltered under thick shade from the trees, making it a popular spot for nearby residents to escape the summer heat in the evenings.

At midday, there were hardly any people on the streets. In this temperature, no one would want to stay outdoors for a long time unless absolutely necessary.

Huang Xiaochuan's deep and taciturn demeanor at this moment attracted the girls' attention even more. It's a pity that Huang Xiaochuan himself didn't know it. If he had known it would be like this, he would definitely have changed!

Qin Yu, who had just received an expedited training session from her aunt, blushed as she placed several cups of coffee in front of Huang Xiaochuan and Ren Yangyang. Then, she adjusted her skirt and sat down next to Ren Yangyang.

She stirred the ice in her glass, and after a while asked, "Huang Xiaochuan, what are your plans for the future?"

When he heard this question, Huang Xiaochuan had already drunk half a cup of coffee. Although it was a bit sweet, he didn't need to deliberately control his sugar intake. His young body was healthy and energetic, unlike Huang Xiaochuan in middle age when his body was constantly giving warning signs.

Planning? Of course I have plans, but how do I explain them to the girl in front of me? Should I say that my future ideal is to just lie down and relax?

That's just my own pursuit in life; there's no need to tell others, as that would lead children astray and disrupt their life's direction.

In order to instill in them the right outlook on life, Huang Xiaochuan decided to put on a show.

Huang Xiaochuan's face showed a look of longing: "Me? I plan to graduate with a doctorate before I'm 25, become a university professor before I'm 30, and become a world-renowned economist before I'm 35."

"Of course, during this time I will also complete my own major life events, get married, start a family, have children, and live my ordinary life."

Both girls were stunned by Huang Xiaochuan's words. Was this the life goal of an ordinary person? An ordinary life? Which stage was ordinary? Getting married and having children?

Ren Yangyang kindly reminded him, "Huang Xiaochuan, you don't need to set such high goals for yourself. Otherwise, your life will be very tiring and boring."

Huang Xiaochuan feigned confusion and asked, "Are my life goals really that high?"

The two girls nodded simultaneously and exclaimed in unison, "Brilliant!"

Next, Huang Xiaochuan spent an hour giving the two girls a lot of inspirational advice.

For example:

Every day, you should appreciate yourself, believe in yourself, affirm yourself, and encourage yourself. In this way, you will find that each day will be full of new vitality, allowing you to be a brand new you, a you who dares to challenge yourself, and a you whose life is full of vitality.

A dream, if not pursued, will remain just a dream. If you are truly willing to strive for your dream, the worst outcome is simply late success. In our lives, without dreams, it's like a bird with broken wings flying in the sky—it can never move forward.

Using inspirational stories from thirty years in the future to feed innocent young girls in the 1990s is incredibly damaging!

While the two girls were still savoring the moment, Huang Xiaochuan promptly took his leave.

This is exactly what it means to accomplish something and then leave without a trace, concealing one's identity and reputation.