Although it was late, the three spotlights outside the school cafeteria were exceptionally bright. Xiaojun and his son got out of the car, followed Li Mingli's prompts, and went straight to the bulletin board fifty meters away from the canteen to find the dormitory. The bulletin board is embedded in the west façade wall of a dormitory building, about five or six meters long, three meters high, the outer frame is framed by stainless steel iron sheets, separated into dozens of small columns by movable doors, the top of the column is a white fluorescent tube, and the bottom of the white spray board is close to the wall, and the list of new students of each department and each class of the college is posted, which is very clear under the illumination of the fluorescent lamp. Xiao Jun quickly found his name, the sixth class of the ninth and fourth grades of the Linchuan Medical Major of the Medical Department, and the room number was Room 311 in Apartment No. 5. Xiaojun had never heard of an apartment, so he asked Wu Pingshun, "Dad, what does the apartment mean here, where is room 311 in the No. 5 student apartment, do you know?" ”

"The apartment is actually the name of the dormitory, where everyone lives and sleeps together, and it sounds more elegant. I also saw your class and dormitory number just now, it's a coincidence, it turns out that I have the same class name and live in the same room as Xiaosen, so I don't need to ask, come with me, and directly find someone from the dormitory management office to register in the dormitory. ”

The two walked along the main road on campus, skirting the central garden to the north and crossing an arched bridge to the student living quarters. It is surrounded by an iron fence with pine trees trimmed like battlements, and there are more than a dozen seven-story buildings side by side in the east and west directions of the courtyard. Wu Pingshun took Xiaojun directly to a building in the southernmost row, and went to the dormitory management office on the third floor, and on duty was a short and fat woman in her forties, with a full moon face and a loud voice, "Comrade, may I ask Wu Xiaojun of the sixth class of the ninth and fourth level of clinical medicine to live on this floor, right?" ”

"Wait a minute, I'll check it out for you." The fat woman opened the roster of freshmen and found Xiaojun's name, "Pay fifty yuan for daily necessities, I'll give you a receipt, go to the next room to get the items and room keys, and walk down the corridor to the room on the left side of the innermost, a student just came, is packing up his things, go directly, sign behind here." ”

After completing the accommodation procedures, the two came to the room. This is a single room that can accommodate eight people, facing the door and by the window is a red double-bucket wooden table, which is very shabby, and there are four steel-framed double-layer wooden beds against the walls on both sides, and the outer end of the bed is two fixed cabinets, from top to bottom, divided into four compartments, and no other furnishings. Four of the eight beds in the room have placed bedding and luggage on the upper bunks, and everyone else has gone out, two people are making beds and closets, saying hello to each other, knowing that it is Zhao Xiaozhou and his son from Jiaozhou, Qinghe Beijiao, who arrived about half an hour earlier than Xiaojun and his son, and has basically finished packing. Xiaojun chose a lower bunk by the window on the left, cleaned up briefly, had dinner outside the school, and slept soundly until dawn.

At eight o'clock the next day, Xiaojun and his son came to the No. 1 student cafeteria. This is an old-fashioned building with the style of Northern Russia, with red tiles on the ridge, rust red on the vertical wall, sitting east and facing west, four glass gates, more than 1,500 conjoined green seats are placed inside, there are more than 30 dining windows on the east side from south to north, and the north end is a stage of more than 50 square meters, where the school has important activities or conferences, and is mostly carried out here. Walking into the cafeteria, above the stage is a big red horizontal sign, "Pingxi Medical College Ninety-fourth Freshman Enrollment Registration Office", a row of staff under the stage has all been in place, and signs are placed on the table in front of them. At this time, in addition to some of the senior students who were eating, there were already many parents and new students waiting in line to go through the formalities.

Xiaojun saw this scene for the first time, and he was very unfamiliar, a little uncomfortable, and didn't know what to do. Wu Pingshun is more familiar with this place, and the third son Xiaosen is also here, the general process is similar to before, there is not much difference, there is a bottom in his heart, looking at Xiaojun everywhere, at a loss, "Don't panic, don't walk around, follow me." Xiaojun is like a child, wherever Wu Pingshun goes, he follows closely, and he never leaves. At about half past nine, all kinds of formalities have been completed.

Afterwards, the two of them went to the library to receive their books, and there were too many people here, so they opened eight windows, each lined up in front of a hundred meters long, and there were people talking and laughing in the hot sun. Wu Pingshun went to the various windows to take a look, and He Xiaojun lined up in front of the clinical medicine window. Clinical medicine is the largest major in the college, and there are the largest number of people waiting in front of it, with 200 people. "There are so many people, when can they get to the front, I really didn't save trouble in high school, each class sent a few people to the classroom, shouted a name, and distributed a set of books, which was fast and not chaotic." Xiaojun said anxiously.

"This is the difference between a university and a middle school, where there is a class with a homeroom teacher, a fixed classroom, and students are concentrated. It's different in college, often there is only one counselor (class teacher) in three or four classes, and some don't see each other for ten days and a half months, and it all depends on the students' conscious learning. There are many departments in the university, and the division of labor is detailed, each in charge of its own affairs, each performing its own duties, and each taking its own responsibility. After that, you will naturally become familiar and adaptable. The loss is that we are not too late, we caught up with the centralized registration, if it is late, as soon as the stall is withdrawn, the more than 20 departments may not be able to run for two days. Everyone is waiting, let's wait for a long time, it seems that they won't get off work at noon, so let's have a snack. Wu Pingshun relied on his previous understanding and memory to explain to Xiaojun.

At noon in September, although there is no scorching summer sun, but there is no cool spring breeze, many people are tired under the sun, sweat beads continue to jump out of their foreheads like pearls, and some simply prop up their coats to block the sun. Waiting is the most anxious and unbearable thing, and it is also a very painful thing. After many days of fatigue, tiredness from the car, lack of water and rice, lack of sleep, the sun shining, and the fire attacked, when it was nearly twelve o'clock, Wu Pingshun really couldn't hold on, suddenly felt dizzy in his eyes, his heart beat faster, his whole body was weak, his eyes were dark, he fell to the ground, his face was suddenly pale, he was drenched in sweat, the corners of his mouth trembled, Xiaojun was frightened like a chicken, and he was at a loss for a while, "Young man, your father is in prostration, come over a few people, help carry him to the shade under the tree", someone next to him said.

A few male students came over and carried Wu Pingshun to the stone slab under the plane tree not far away, someone took out the water cup and fed some water to his mouth, and Wu Pingshun slowly opened his eyes. "Dad, you've fainted, drink some water and slow down. Later, I'll go buy a pack of instant noodles and eat a little first. Xiaojun's face was full of pain, his heart was burning, and his speech trembled.

"It's no big deal, I'll just rest here for a while, you hurry up and get the book, don't delay." Wu Pingshun said weakly. At this moment, what he is thinking about is to finish one thing quickly, and he does not want to delay for a moment, there are still many things to do at home, and he can't stay here for too long.

"Dad, we haven't eaten our morning meal yet, I'll buy some bread first, pad it, you cool down, drink some water, and then I'll go to the queue to get the book." After Xiaojun finished saying that he bought two pieces of bread and two bottles of mineral water in a nearby store, Wu Pingshun also felt much better, sitting on a stone slab with a sad face. With the prostration, with the sympathy and understanding of the students and parents, everyone invariably gave the green light to Xiaojun, Xiaojun didn't have to queue up anymore, and in less than ten minutes, he took the book back at the window. There are quite a lot of books, they are all the textbooks during the school period, there are fifty or sixty books, both big and thick, two bundles, heavy, brought to Wu Pingshun. The two rested for a while, Wu Pingshun tried to stand up, his head was no longer dizzy, and he was a little energetic, he tried to walk a few steps, felt that he could do it, and returned to the dormitory.

Six students have already arrived at the dormitory. Zhao Xiaozhou from Jiaozhou, Hu Lei from Yang'an County, Zhao Gang from Luanshan City, Wu Xiaojun from Yuanzhen County, Yan Gaofeng from Lianghe District in Pingxi, and Liu Youcai from Da'an City, Dongshang Province. Zhao Xiaozhou was the first to come, packed up everything, and went to the Green River Market with his father to visit the mall. Zhao Gang and Liu Youcai are packing up their things, the most active person in the room is Yan Gaofeng, he is not tall, pointed forehead, wide chin, a pair of mung bean eyes, a small flat head, wearing a black jacket, walking swaying, full of amusement, more familiar with Pingxi, is also a familiar person, more words, very excited, from time to time to insert some jokes and stories, funny indoor laughter, but it has become the pistachio of this new collective, everyone is rare relaxed and comfortable. Hu Lei's father occasionally whispered and said a lot, but Xiaojun didn't understand a word.

After lunch, Xiaojun and his son slept for a while, and it was already four o'clock in the afternoon. Since he had already completed the enrollment procedures and had nothing else to do, Wu Pingshun completed his mission and prepared to take the nine o'clock train home in the evening. The two went to the small shop on Beijing Road outside the dormitory area to eat something, because it was still early, they sat down in the roadside pavilion to rest, "Xiaojun, it's not easy for students, it's even more difficult to be alone outside, you are here, the hardest thing is the first month, you have to rely on yourself for everything, you are not familiar with life, you are very strange, but it is not as good as being at home, there is any mistake, it is difficult for the family to help you for a while, you must learn to be self-reliant, and slowly become familiar with and adapt to the new environment." The students here come from all over the world, with different personalities and great differences in all aspects, so they should gradually understand everyone's temperament, not too strong, do not compete with others, and learn to get along with others. We must walk by the wall, do things in a low-key manner, not ostentatious, let alone take dangerous steps, it is a blessing or a curse to suffer losses, talk about principles in front of big things, pretend to be confused in front of small things, and hold your bottom line. Don't worry about things at home, no one can turn over the waves with me. Although the family conditions are not good, the money that should be spent must be spent, the money that should not be spent should not be spent, and the food should not be too economical, your mother and I will do our best to support you to complete your studies. Xiaojun is Wu Pingshun's youngest son, full of elements of his youth, temperament and personality, always stay by his side, leave suddenly, his heart is really reluctant, worried about the future of clothing and food, cold and warm illness, looking forward to being able to be safe, academic success, before leaving, there are endless words of advice, endless nostalgia, Wu Pingshun smoked, lowered his head and explained word by word, lest he miss a place and forget a little. Xiaojun suddenly felt infinitely lonely, tears in his eyes, his heart was like knocking over a five-flavor bottle, there was no taste, he couldn't describe it in any language, to express, there were too many words, he couldn't say it for a while, so he had to lower his head, keep scratching on the ground with a branch, listen to it cleanly, silently remember every word and sentence of his father.

"It's not early, it's time for me to go to the station, you go back to the dormitory, have a good rest, go to the front yard of the school tomorrow, walk around, get familiar with the environment, and wait patiently for the school's class arrangement." After the formal class, write a letter to the family, if you are short of money, just say, don't hold on to yourself and carry it to death. After speaking, Wu Pingshun stood up and walked over the bus stop.

"Dad, don't you go back today, I was scared in the morning, for several days, there was no moment of relaxation, now that I have settled here, I will rest for another night, maybe it will be better on the way back, I am really worried that your body will not be able to bear it, something will happen on the road." Xiaojun's tears couldn't help but flow outward, and he said reluctantly as he walked.

"I know my body, okay, don't worry, it's okay, go back, go back. Now that the students have just arrived, it is more chaotic and more miscellaneous, so take care of your own things and don't lose them. Wu Pingshun's voice was a little hoarse, his nose was sour, and he forcibly beat his own feelings, lest the service army see his sourness, speed up his pace, and did not look back, waving his hand to stop the service army from sending it again. Seeing his father's tired figure drowning in the crowd, Xiaojun was full of melancholy and hesitation in his heart, unintentionally admiring the non-stop flashing neon lights on the street, unintentionally savoring the endless flow of knots, strolling alone on the road, dejected, listlessly returned to the new nest, and began a new starting point in his life's struggle, "dare to ask where the road is, the road is at the foot", Jiang Dawei's sonorous and powerful singing voice sounded in his ears.