After hearing Zhou Yuan's introduction, Wang Ye and the other boys planned to each buy a "dalieba"...
No, the correct pronunciation in standard Russian should be "hohlieb".
In addition, they planned to get a large box of milk, which would cover not only their late-night snack but also tomorrow's breakfast!
Things in Russia are known for being "thick and big".
The bread is as large as a brick, and I doubt a girl could eat even a third at once.
Even for boys, eating half of it would leave them full.
As for the milk, it is usually sold in one-litre packs.
Aside from bread and milk, the girls also bought additional snacks like potato chips.
Next, it was Zhou Yuan's turn. After calling over the sales lady, he pointed to the items on the shelf saying "Ada (this), Ada, Ada..."
In the end, he casually said, "skulliard?"
Which means "how much".
Wang Ye listened, wondering if this was the extent of Zhou Yuan's Russian after half a year?
But he didn't say anything, he just followed the others and bought some food and drinks.
Unlike everyone else buying white bread, he grabbed a loaf of dark bread wrapped in clear cling film. This was Wang Ye's favourite.
This bread was a type of black bread, filled with nuts and raisins, and topped with a layer of icing. It was quite delicious.
But of course, the price was much higher than ordinary bread.
A white loaf of bread only costs eight rubles, but this one costs twenty-one rubles.
For ordinary students, it was considered pricey.
For drinks, everyone bought large boxes of milk.
One litre of boxed milk only costs sixteen rubles, which is cheaper than back in China.
...…
After checking out, they found their lead teacher had already returned to the lobby.
"Alright, I've taken care of all the procedures, and the dorms have been assigned. You will all be staying on the second floor. Wang Ye, you're in 202, Liu Xiaojie, you're in 203, Wang Dan and Li Xiaoyun, you're in 217..."
As he spoke, the leading teacher distributed the keys to everyone.
The dorms here are triple rooms, each floor has a shared bathroom, toilet, and kitchen.
Dragging their suitcases, the group made their way to the second floor of the dorm and found their respective rooms.
By now it was quite late, most of the dorm room doors were closed, suggesting a lot of students were already asleep.
Wang Ye didn't directly use his key to open the door, instead, he knocked a few times.
There was a voice from inside saying, "Who's there?"
It wasn't in Russian, but in Chinese, indicating that the one speaking inside was a Chinese student studying abroad.
"I just arrived, I've been assigned to this dorm." Wang Ye answered at a leisurely pace.
The door opened quickly, revealing a tall and burly figure standing before Wang Ye.
Standing at 1.85 meters, Wang Ye was quite tall, but the person in front of him was half a head taller, probably over 1.9 meters.
"Ha ha, you must be Wang Ye? I received the information this afternoon that this group of you would be arriving tonight, and you would be assigned to my dorm. Come in quickly, oh, my name is Song Xiaogang." The burly man welcomed him with a grin.
Wang Ye looked at Song Xiaogang, his face breaking into a smile.
He had strong memories of this old classmate.
Song Xiaogang was sturdy and burly, with a square face, thick eyebrows, and large eyes, giving him a fierce appearance.
However, Wang Ye knew that this man actually had a very good character and was easy to get along with.
Each dorm room accommodated three people. In room 202, aside from Song Xiaogang and Wang Ye, there was also a young black man.
Seeing Wang Ye dragging his suitcase into the room, the black man, who had been lying on his bed reading a book, stood up and smiled as a show of welcome.
This black man wasn't as muscular and burly as most blacks, instead, he was thin and small, appearing to only be a little over 1.7 meters, and his short curly hair stuck close to his scalp.
But his dazzlingly white teeth proved his race...
Wang Ye nodded at the black guy, and Song Xiaogang, standing next to him, laughed and said, "This black brother is called Uruwa, from an African...I can't remember which country exactly."
The Friendship University hosts the largest number of international students in Russia because the initial purpose of the institution was to promote cultural exchange with other countries.
Originally named Lumumba People's Friendship University, it was created to train young party members from third world countries and is a symbol of the independence and liberation struggles of the oppressed peoples of the third world!
Don't underestimate this school, it's quite famous globally and was once ranked among the top 30 in global university rankings. It has also been referred to as the "Cradle of Politicians," with several of its graduates becoming national leaders and high-ranking officials.
Of course, all this had nothing to do with Wang Ye. All he knew was that the university had a lot of students from different continents and countries...
...
As he unpacked his suitcase and conversed with Song Xiaogang.
The large, enormously heavy suitcase was mostly filled with clothes and daily necessities, including pots, pans, spoons, several unopened spices, and a small bottle of spice oil...
All of this was prepared by his mother because the agency informed him that studies abroad required self-catering.
There was a kitchen on each floor of the dorm, and everyone was expected to cook for themselves.
Of course, if you wanted to eat out all the time, that was an option too, although it would be quite expensive!
Truthfully, those who chose to study here weren't from wealthy families who could afford to eat out for every meal...
So Wang Ye and his classmates had come prepared with utensils, pots, pans, and spoons.
Whether they knew how to cook or not was another matter, but it was necessary to be prepared. Even if they couldn't stir-fry, at least they should be able to cook noodles.
Wang Ye had never cooked before, but he had seen pigs running even if he hadn't eaten pork. He had watched his mother cook and stir-fry, so he figured he could manage simple dishes.
Once his belongings were sorted, he went to the restroom to freshen up and prepare for bed. After a day of flying, he was quite tired.
...…
Lying in bed, the room was pitch-black with the lights off.
Not far away, Song Xiaogang and the African student seemed to have fallen asleep, faint sounds of snoring could be heard.
But Wang Ye didn't fall asleep, his eyes wide open, his mind a mess.
Today...
No, it should be said that everything that's happened in the last two hours was too sudden.
He was almost forty years old, and suddenly he returned to twenty years ago?
He congratulated himself on managing to keep his calm until now. Now that it was quiet and late at night, he finally could think about what he should do next!
It was clear this was not a dream, Wang Ye had secretly tested it several ways.
Such as pinching his thigh hard...
There was still a blue mark on the inside of his thigh!
Since he indeed returned to twenty years ago, Wang Ye was a little excited.
During this period, China wasn't the only place undergoing rapid development, with opportunities everywhere.
Similarly, it was also the beginning of rapid development in Russia, and the opportunities were plentiful...