Zhuang Rui was unaware that the few cigarettes he smoked under the tree caused the next day to be filled with students at Peking University, smoking cigarettes and trying to appear mature. Of course, these unlucky guys were eventually invited to the administration office.
Chapter 775 Junior Brother
"How embarrassing! How could I get lost?"
Zhuang Rui stood on the campus of Peking University, looking frustrated. He thought he was an old hand and could find Professor Meng's office at the Institute of Archaeology by following the signs, but after wandering around, he couldn't even tell which way was which.
Zhuang Rui asked a few students for directions, but as soon as they realized he wasn't a teacher, they weren't very helpful in giving him directions. Plus, many of the teaching buildings looked pretty much the same, which led Zhuang Rui to get lost on the Peking University campus on his first day of school.
Actually, there's nothing shameful about it. Peking University's campus covers nearly 6,000 acres, spanning three square kilometers, and has 234 research institutes, 126 research centers, and 5 national-level engineering research centers. It's practically a small city. Not to mention Zhuang Rui, who's new here, even many teachers don't know how to navigate the campus.
Left with no other option, Zhuang Rui called Professor Meng. After Professor Meng found out where he was, he sent one of his students to pick him up.
"Are you Zhuang Rui?"
A clear female voice rang out from behind Zhuang Rui. Turning around, Zhuang Rui's eyes lit up.
This is a woman in her mid-twenties. The reason I don't call her a girl is because, in terms of both her clothes and appearance, she doesn't resemble a student at all. Her curvaceous figure and delicate face indicate that she is a mature woman.
Especially her black stockings and short professional skirt that barely covered her knees were incredibly alluring. If this girl were a teacher, I guarantee that countless students would have small mirrors placed on their feet.
The woman wore black-rimmed glasses, which, while obscuring her beautiful face, added an intellectual charm. Zhuang Rui, who was used to seeing heavily made-up beauties, felt a sense of coolness.
"I am Zhuang Rui, and you are?"
If Professor Meng hadn't said on the phone that his student was coming to pick him up, Zhuang Rui would definitely have thought that the woman in front of him was a teacher from Peking University. What student would dare to wear such a short skirt?
"My name is Kan Yuhan. Professor Meng asked me to pick you up. Let's go..."
The girl didn't say much. After introducing herself, she turned and led the way. Her shapely buttocks, encased in her professional skirt, exuded endless sexiness and allure.
"Damn, isn't it said that there are no beautiful girls in the archaeology department?"
Zhuang Rui was stunned for a moment before following her. In terms of looks, this girl was far inferior to Qin Xuanbing, but the sexiness that emanated from her very bones was something that even the famous star Xu was slightly inferior to.
Zhuang Rui followed the beautiful woman for about 10 minutes until they arrived at a detached small building with a sign that read "Archaeological Research Institute". Several cars were parked in front of the institute.
The woman didn't speak to Zhuang Rui the whole way, and didn't seem to care about introducing the Peking University campus to her junior. Zhuang Rui didn't mind, and kept memorizing the route as he walked. He couldn't very well ask someone to pick him up next time, could he?
However, Zhuang Rui also plans to apply for a vehicle access pass for Peking University, since it takes nearly half an hour just to walk from the gate to here.
"Damn, is this a paleoanthropology institute or an archaeology institute?"
As soon as Zhuang Rui entered the research institute, he was startled because there were two half-skulls next to the gate. The white bones on them were slightly yellowed, and the two empty eye sockets were silently scrutinizing Zhuang Rui.
"Hehe, the teacher said that archaeology requires practical application. People without courage simply cannot conduct field excavations. These two things were placed here by the teacher on purpose..."
Seeing Zhuang Rui startled, Kan Yuhan, who was walking ahead and usually had a serious expression, said with a hint of schadenfreude, "When I first entered this place, I was also startled. Seeing Zhuang Rui's disheveled appearance, Kan Yuhan laughed rather unkindly."
"It's not like we're digging up graves or excavating tombs. Working in the middle of the night? We archaeological excavations are done in broad daylight. Is it really necessary to do this? We might as well go to a graveyard to test our courage..."
Zhuang Rui muttered to himself that he had heard Monkey mention before that he and Da Xiong had actually gone to the graveyard to keep watch in order to test their courage, but they were so frightened by the will-o'-the-wisps in the chaotic graveyard before midnight that they ran away in a panic.
The so-called will-o'-the-wisp is actually phosphorus fire, because human bones contain phosphorus. When phosphorus reacts with water or alkali, it produces phosphine, a gas that can spontaneously combust. It is lightweight and moves with the wind, and walking will cause it to move behind you.
Because people do not know the cause of will-o'-the-wisps, they only know that these flames often appear in places where there are dead people, and that they appear and disappear intermittently. Therefore, they call these mysterious flames "will-o'-the-wisps" and consider them an ominous sign, a phenomenon caused by ghosts.
"Just don't be afraid when you go to an excavation site in the future..."
Kan Yuhan glanced at Zhuang Rui, but said nothing more.
Zhuang Rui smiled and didn't say anything. His gaze shifted to the research institute's main hall. He had seen dead people before and handled so many antiques, all of which had been handled by dead people. When it came to mental fortitude, Zhuang Rui was confident that he was no less capable.
After shifting his attention to the research institute, Zhuang Rui discovered that many shelves were filled with bamboo slips, ancient books and silks, bronze and ceramic fragments, and every item, even those as small as a fingernail, was labeled with a number, indicating that they were all topics that Professor Meng was researching.
Following Kan Yuhan to an office with the door open, Kan Yuhan did not go in directly, but knocked on the door twice.
Zhuang Rui glanced into the office. Besides Professor Meng, there were three other men sitting there. Two of them were a little younger than him, about the same age as Kan Yuhan, while the third was a few years older than him.
The three of them sat respectfully on the office sofa, while Professor Meng seemed to be reading documents and only looked towards the door when he heard the knock.
Upon seeing Zhuang Rui enter, Professor Meng looked up from a pile of documents on his desk. To the surprise of the men and women in the office, their advisor actually left his desk and came to greet Zhuang Rui.
"Xiao Zhuang, why haven't you come to see me in so long? My girl still talks about you all the time..."
Professor Meng's next words left the group speechless with astonishment. After all, Professor Meng was the head of the Archaeological Institute of Peking University, and had compiled and excavated countless major archaeological discoveries. He was undoubtedly a leading figure in the domestic archaeological community.
Moreover, Professor Meng has a very eccentric temperament and rarely shows kindness to people. Although these students have learned a lot from him, compared with other mentors, Professor Meng gives them a somewhat cold and unapproachable feeling.
However, Professor Meng has a high reputation in the field. As long as his students go out to work in various provinces, they can at least become deputy directors of research institutes. After a few years of experience, they all become key members of the provincial archaeological research institutes.
So even though Professor Meng has a bit of a strange temper, they can tolerate it. You know, although the archaeological department is a low-level department, it still receives a lot of funding every year. It's easy to enrich one or two people.
Seeing their teacher, who always only talked about academics and not about feelings, actually stand up to greet a student, the students thought they were seeing things and rubbed their eyes in disbelief.
"Teacher Meng, I've been so busy lately that I haven't had time to listen to your teachings. But things are mostly settled now, so I can finally focus on learning from you. Oh, by the way, Uncle De asked me to give you his regards..."
Contrary to the feelings of the other people in the office, Zhuang Rui thought the old man was quite adorable. A while ago, he went to his Xuanrui Studio to ask for a seal and repeatedly told Zhao Hanxuan not to tell him.
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Kan Yuhan and the others all showed expressions of "I see" on their faces. They had thought Zhuang Rui was someone special, but it turned out he was introduced by their teacher's friend.
"It's nothing. I saw what you did a while ago. It was good, beneficial to the country and the people. I was just thinking of making time to visit you again..."
Professor Meng's words threw the other people in the room into a state of confusion. It didn't sound like he'd gotten in through connections. What was this young man doing? Getting a professor to come and visit him? Wasn't that a bit too impressive?
What the others didn't know was that, although Professor Meng was certainly qualified to be Zhuang Rui's teacher in terms of archaeology, everyone has their own area of expertise. When it came to appreciating antiques, Professor Meng would probably be Zhuang Rui's student.
After spending time with Zhuang Rui several times, Professor Meng greatly admired Zhuang Rui's expertise in antique appraisal and often sought his advice. Therefore, although the two are now teacher and student, Professor Meng secretly regards Zhuang Rui as a close friend despite their age difference.
As for Professor Meng's suggestion to visit Zhuang Rui, he actually meant to visit Zhuang Rui's museum, not to pay a visit as Kan Yuhan and the others had imagined.
"Hehe, doing my best in small ways is nothing to brag about, teacher. The scholarship you're pursuing is truly beneficial to the country and its people..."
Zhuang Rui modestly acknowledged that Professor Meng was referring to his exchange of Picasso works with foreign museums for their collections. In the eyes of the older generation, foreign artworks naturally lacked the cultural depth of our country's antiques.
"Ha ha……"
Professor Meng smiled happily upon hearing this, took Zhuang Rui's hand, and said to the people standing to the side, "His name is Zhuang Rui. He's my master's student this year, and also the last master's student I'll be supervising. You senior students should take good care of him..."
"Yes, teacher, we will take care of Junior Brother Zhuang..."
Zhuang Rui was quite shocked by what those people said in unison.
Apart from the person who looked to be around thirty years old and was older than him, the others in the room were obviously inexperienced in society, yet they had all become his senior brothers and sisters and had to take care of him.
Chapter 776 Inviting Guests
"Alright, lunch is on the teacher's treat, consider it a welcome-back dinner for Xiao Zhuang, you all come along..."
To be honest, Professor Meng really doesn't know how to behave. The moment he said those words, it became as if the other people were all benefiting from Zhuang Rui's success.
Although Zhuang Rui's senior brothers and sisters didn't say anything, their expressions were already quite unpleasant. Zhuang Rui knew that the old man was very direct, but he didn't expect him to be so lacking in social skills. He couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself.
Peking University has a canteen specifically for faculty and staff, which also has private rooms. The chef's skills are almost as good as those outside. However, there is no wine, so the atmosphere is not lively. After the meal, Zhuang Rui followed Professor Meng back to the research institute.
The forgetful teacher forgot to introduce Zhuang Rui to the names of his senior classmates, but given Zhuang Rui's worldliness, getting information out of a few people was no problem. By the end of the meal, he had found out all the details.
The older one is Ren Chunqiang, a doctoral student under Professor Meng. The other two are Jiang Yi and Wu Zhao, who, like Kan Yuhan, are all doctoral students under Professor Meng.
After learning about the degrees several people were pursuing, Zhuang Rui finally understood the meaning behind Professor Meng's statement that he did not recruit master's students.
As for the two undergraduates Zhuang Rui met last year, they have already graduated. Although they planned to pursue master's degrees, Professor Meng was unwilling to supervise master's students anymore, so the two had to leave Beijing to find work.
Back at the research institute, Professor Meng summoned several students to his office and said, "Xiao Zhuang, your foundation in classical Chinese studies is quite solid, but having spent so much time in the antique trade, you've been exposed to mostly unofficial histories... However, in archaeology, we must be rigorous and reconstruct the true history; we can't just speculate. So, you should take more foundational courses and perhaps audit some ancient Chinese history classes to solidify your foundation..."
"I understand, teacher..."
Zhuang Rui nodded in agreement. He chose this major because he wanted to learn more theoretical knowledge. In fact, who his supervisor was was not very important to him. He did not need his supervisor to use their influence to help students publish articles or recommend jobs.
"Well, I'll be leading a project with Xiao Ren, Jiang Yi, and the other two recently. If you have any questions, you can ask Xiao Kan, or you can call me..."
Professor Meng thought for a moment, then added, "You should learn more about ancient writing systems, like bronze inscriptions, which you absolutely must master. It will be very helpful in identifying unearthed artifacts. Xiao Kan is quite knowledgeable in this area; you should consult her more often..."
"Okay, teacher, I will. If there's nothing else, I'll go get my books and timetable..."
Zhuang Rui agreed. In graduate school and postdoctoral studies, students basically work on research projects with their professors. However, Zhuang Rui didn't want to get involved in excavation work so soon. He wanted to get familiar with campus life first and learn more theoretical knowledge.
"Okay, let Xiao Kan go with you. You're not familiar with this area, you don't want to get lost again..."
Professor Meng laughed upon hearing this. His favoritism towards Zhuang Rui made the other students quite jealous. They were doctoral students, with much brighter prospects than Zhuang Rui, a master's student. The teacher was really showing favoritism.
Zhuang Rui and Kan Yuhan both agreed, said goodbye to Professor Meng, and then led Zhuang Rui out of the office to pick up Zhuang Rui's course schedule and books from the academic affairs office.
"Yuhan, Xiaozhuang, wait a minute..."
Just as Zhuang Rui stepped out of the research institute, his nominal senior brother Jiang Yi rushed out from behind and said, "Little Zhuang, we're fellow students now. I'll treat you to dinner tonight. We can't drink with the teacher. Yuhan, you should come too..."
"Evening? Alright, let me treat you all..."
Zhuang Rui frowned slightly. He had eaten at many restaurants of all sizes in Beijing, but he always felt that none of them tasted as good as his mother's cooking. In addition, his wife was pregnant. If it weren't for Jiang Yi's sincere invitation, Zhuang Rui really wouldn't have wanted to go.
To be honest, apart from the more composed Ren Chunqiang, Zhuang Rui didn't have much affection for these senior brothers and sisters. He was a few years older than them, and Zhuang Rui really couldn't bring himself to call them senior brothers.
What disgusted Zhuang Rui even more was that Jiang Yi kept calling himself "senior brother" in front of him, and he didn't know where Jiang Yi got his sense of superiority from. Was it because he was a master's student and they were doctoral students?
"Of course it's my treat, Yuhan, you absolutely have to come too..."
When Jiang Yi saw that Zhuang Rui had agreed, he turned his gaze to Kan Yuhan. This made Zhuang Rui feel that it seemed that Jiang Yi really wanted to invite Kan Yuhan, and that he was just accompanying her.
It seems these senior students have been deeply influenced by their teacher and don't know how to behave. They just want to use this opportunity to invite the beautiful girl to dinner, but they shouldn't have made it so obvious.
"Okay, but I don't drink, and you guys shouldn't drink too much either..."
Kan Yuhan glanced at Zhuang Rui and agreed. She was also a little curious. Zhuang Rui was just a master's student, so why did the teacher value him so much? It seemed that the teacher was grooming him as a close disciple.
It's worth noting that Ren Chunqiang, as Professor Meng's most capable doctoral assistant, never received a lavish meal from his teacher; at most, he was given a boxed lunch at the excavation site.
However, Professor Meng is quite generous with the rewards for research results. He never deducts from the students' due share and often gives them a lot out of his own pocket.
To give an example, if a national-level scientific research project is completed and approved by the state, each student who serves as an assistant can eventually receive more than 100,000 yuan, while Professor Meng sometimes receives even less than the students.
This is so much better than those mentors who are all smiles and concern for their students in ordinary times, but only give them a 100 yuan subsidy every day when it comes to actual work, essentially treating them as laborers.
Professor Meng's actions earned him the genuine respect of his students, who no longer took his usual indifference to heart.
Professor Meng is strict in his teaching and rarely praises his students. Today, Zhuang Rui arrived and before he even finished a day of classes, he was already being looked at differently by his supervisor, which made some of the doctoral students feel unconvinced.
"Okay, okay, Xiao Zhuang, here's my phone number. Be sure to call me at 5:30, okay? See you at the school gate..."
Seeing that Kan Yuhan had agreed, Jiang Yi immediately beamed, handed Zhuang Rui a business card, and turned to go back to the research institute.