How many years have passed.
This is the No. 95 Siheyuan in Nanluoguxiang Alley. For the first time, a car drove into the alley and parked outside.
Whoosh!
The grandmas, young women, and children in the alley all curiously looked over.
When they saw Lu Demin and Sha Zhu getting out of the car, their eyes widened in shock.
They were truly shocked.
They couldn't believe that Lu Demin was the one driving the car.
And Sha Zhu was actually in the car too.
This left them baffled.
They wouldn't have believed it if they hadn't seen it with their own eyes.
In the eyes of these neighbors, Lu Demin and Sha Zhu weren't close.
How did they end up together?
"Little Lu, you can drive?"
"Where did you get this car?"
"Sha Zhu, how did you come back in Demin's car?"
"Can I touch the car?"
"This car is so cool!"
...
The neighbors surrounded Lu Demin, Sha Zhu, and the car, buzzing with questions.
Some of the bolder ones couldn't resist touching the car. This was the first time they'd ever touched a car, and they felt immense satisfaction.
This was also the first time in Sha Zhu's life that he had been the center of attention, surrounded by so many people. He was excited and thrilled.
Lu Demin said frankly, "Yes, I learned to drive and got my license. This is my company's car!"
Hearing Lu Demin say this.
Another wave of gasps erupted from the crowd, filled with envy.
You see, in this era, car drivers had a completely different status compared to car drivers in later years.
In the 1950s, car drivers were highly sought-after professions, just like nurses, cultural troupe members, and procurement officers. They were respected, envied, and those who worked in these fields could easily find wives.
So, it's clear.
Car drivers in the 1950s were like pilots in later years, with a mysterious, high-class aura. They earned good salaries and were envied, thus enjoying preferential rights when it came to choosing a spouse.
...
The residents of the compound and the neighbors from nearby Siheyuan, upon hearing that a car had been parked in the alley, all rushed out to see the commotion.
They looked at Lu Demin with envy.
Lu Demin hadn't expected that simply driving a car back would cause such a stir.
If he had known, he would have parked it nearby and not driven it back.
Unlike most of the neighbors who were envious.
Jia Zhangshi, Jia Dongxu, Qin Huaiyu, Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and Xu Fu Gui, Xu Damao's father, all showed envy.
Among them, Yi Zhonghai, upon hearing that Sha Zhu had come back in Lu Demin's car, was dissatisfied with them being together.
...
"Sha Zhu, why are you with this kid?" Yi Zhonghai seized the opportunity to pull Sha Zhu aside and ask.
Sha Zhu explained that he had run into Lu Demin when he was going to Hongbinlou for dinner and coming back from work.
Yi Zhonghai said with a gloomy face, "He's not a good person. You should avoid associating with him. Be careful of being corrupted!"
"I don't think Brother Demin is a bad person. At least he doesn't call me Sha Zhu!" Sha Zhu said stubbornly.
"You're truly an incorrigible child!" Yi Zhonghai's face turned white with anger.
"I can't teach you, but someone else can!"
So, Yi Zhonghai dragged Sha Zhu to see the deaf old lady.
The deaf old lady scolded Sha Zhu, telling him to stay away from Lu Demin.
Sha Zhu didn't say a word.
"Huh!"
Seeing Sha Zhu's attitude, Yi Zhonghai and the deaf old lady looked at each other in dismay. What kind of magic potion did Lu Demin give Sha Zhu that he didn't listen to them anymore?
...
Almost at the same time.
"Ding!"
A prompt sound suddenly rang in Lu Demin's mind.