In fact, many university students wouldn't even return home during their years of study. The reason was simple: transportation was underdeveloped, and, more importantly, they were poor.
Those who managed to get into university in this day and age were all exceptionally talented. They understood clearly that university was their only path to changing their destiny, so every one of them studied with all their might. However, the financial hardship that accompanied this pursuit forced them to compromise with reality. Some students, while desperately juggling their heavy coursework, took on odd jobs or produced models and wrote papers for wealthier classmates just to make ends meet. As for those whose families were heavily in debt, they had to find work off-campus—not only to earn their own tuition and living expenses for the coming year, but also to send money home so their families wouldn't have to suffer quite so much.
Hou Yong’s Crown was parked right at the university gate. The spectacle it caused was equivalent to parking a Lamborghini at a university gate in later generations. Any student passing by would freeze, glance at it, and then quickly look away, only daring to take a second look once they were far enough away, as if staring for too long were some grave sin.
Chapter 148