Stanford University, whose full name is Leland Stanford University, referred to as "Stanford", is located in Palo Alto, southern California, in the San Francisco Bay Area, about 22 miles from San Francisco Airport.
Hu Dawei took Wang Gang to the parking lot and got into a Chevrolet SUV.
The United States is a big car country, with an average of one or two cars per family. Chevrolet is a national brand in the United States and is famous for its cost-effectiveness.
After Wang Gang chatted with Hu Dawei, he learned that he was also an international student. He stayed in the United States after graduation and was engaged in the study abroad agency industry for almost five years.
"What's going on in China now? I haven't been back for more than ten years. I'm originally from Shanghai." Hu Dawei is an enthusiastic person, probably because of his work in the industry. As soon as he got in the car, he chatted with Wang Gang without stopping.
"The country is developing very fast now, especially the four cities of Beijing, Magic City, Pengcheng and Yangcheng, which are no worse than foreign countries." Wang Gang chatted one after another.
"Really? I really want to go back and see if I have the chance," Hu Dawei said.
"Don't you have any relatives in China? Why don't you go back and have a look?" Wang Gang asked.
"Hi! My father is in China and my mother has passed away. Originally, I wanted to take my father over to live with me, but he didn't want to come to the United States." Hu Dawei sighed:
"Life in the United States is very stressful. The monthly mortgage and car payments are so stressful that I dare not ask for leave, let alone return to China."
Wang Gang said indifferently: "The momentum in China is good now, especially for international students. The environment is not worse than in the United States. You should go back and take a look if you have the opportunity."
Hu Dawei asked doubtfully: "It's really like what you said. Why do you want to come to the United States?"
Wang Gang paused and said, "I came here to study, and after getting my diploma, I returned to China. As you know, diplomas from prestigious American universities are still very popular in China."
Hu Dawei nodded and said: "Yes! Stanford is a good university, ranked third in the United States, second only to Massachusetts and Harvard. You will definitely be able to find a good job when you return to China after graduation."
Wang Gang looked at the scenery outside the car window and said, "I heard before that America is a paradise for the rich and a hell for the poor. Is it true?"
Hu Dawei laughed and said, "It's not that exaggerated. In the United States, if you have a diploma from a prestigious university, it's not a problem to find a job. If you work hard for a few years, you can become a middle class person and buy a house or a car easily."
While the two chatted, the car drove for more than an hour and slowly entered Palo Alto. Wang Gang could already see the Stanford campus in the distance.
Hu Dawei drove the car to the driveway next to a garden villa next to the school.
The villa is a distinctly American-style building with two floors. There is also a large garden in front of the house with some flowers and plants, which looks very beautiful.
"The host family has arrived. I have informed Ms. Susan in advance that she should pack your room and you can just pack your bags and move in."
Hu Dawei got out of the car, helped Wang Gang pick up his luggage, led him to the door, and knocked gently on the door.
The door opened, and a lady in her forties with blond hair and blue eyes came out.
"David, you came very quickly. I thought the plane would be delayed."
The woman hugged Hu Dawei enthusiastically.
"Ms. Susan, let me introduce to you. This is Su Mingzhe. He will be entrusted to you for the next three years." Hu Dawei pointed at Wang Gang and said.
"Su, nice to meet you." Ms. Susan also wanted to give Wang Gang a warm hug, but Wang Gang avoided her.
Wang Gang stretched out his right hand and motioned for Susan to shake hands.
Susan might not be used to it, but she still extended her hand in a friendly manner.
"Hello, my name is Susan Terwell, you can just call me Susan from now on."
"My name is Su Mingzhe, you can call me Jack in English." Wang Gang said as he went to the countryside.
"Jack Sue?" Susan smiled.
"For us Chinese people, the surname comes first and the given name comes last. You can call me Jack Su, or just Jack." Wang Gang said.
"Let's not chat at the door and put our luggage inside first." Hu Dawei said with a smile.
Susan enthusiastically invited Wang Gang into the room, and then walked to the second floor.
"Your room is on the far left side of the second floor. Let's put down our luggage first, and then I will show you around the house and tell you what to pay attention to when living here."
On the way, Hu Dawei explained to Wang Gang that Wang Gang was not the only international student in the homestay family. Wang Gang's $800 per month was equivalent to renting only one room, and the bathroom and kitchen were shared.
It is difficult to get along well with each other, so the landlord Susan has set some rules that Wang Gang must know.
Wang Gang's room is on the far left side of the second floor. It is a south-facing room with a window. The furniture in the room is very simple, just a bed, a desk, a wardrobe, and not even a bookshelf. It is considered very simple.
A room like this is not worth even 800 Chinese dollars in China, let alone 800 US dollars.
Unfortunately, this is America, and $800 is already a very fair price.
As soon as Wang put down his luggage, Susan took him to visit the house.
This is a typical American-style villa with two floors, a basement and an attic.
The basement is currently used as a utility room, and the attic has been rented out to Susan. The rent is relatively cheap. The tenant is also an international student, but he is Korean and his surname is Park.
I don't know if this guy named Pu lived in the attic too much. He has a somewhat withdrawn personality and doesn't say hello to Wang Gang.
There are three rooms on the second floor of the house. Susan lives in the largest room and has her own private bathroom.
There is another tenant opposite Wang Gang's room, who came a year earlier than him. I heard that she is also Chinese and a woman. However, she has classes today and has not come back yet.
The first floor is the living room and kitchen, as well as a small room, but it has not been rented out yet.
All the electrical appliances in the house are shared, the water and electricity bills are shared equally with everyone, and the names of all the food packages in the refrigerator are written on them to prevent others from accidentally eating them.
Susan also introduced some precautions to Wang Gang. For example, the house uses a storage-type electric water heater, and the hot water is easily used up, so bathing should be done as soon as possible. The last person may have to take a cold shower.
The utensils and cutlery in the kitchen can be used freely, but everyone must clean them up after using them.
Susan would make a schedule every week, and everyone would take turns doing the housework, so no one could run away.
After chatting, Wang just learned that Susan had only been running a homestay for a few years. Her husband died early, and she had to raise the children all by herself.
Later, when the children got married and moved out, Susan had nothing to do, so she took early retirement, rented out all the rooms at home, and concentrated on running a homestay. The annual rent was $40,000, which was enough for her alone.
Susan is very enthusiastic, and her chatter will never stop, but Wang Gang is not annoying either.
She looks like she is only in her forties, but in fact Susan is fifty-three years old, and is considered very old among Caucasians.
After introducing the house, Susan asked Wang Gang to go back to the room to clean up. Hu Dawei also drove away, saying that he would pick him up early tomorrow morning and go to the school to apply for his student status.
Wang had just packed his luggage and it was already around eight o'clock in the evening. Calculating the time difference, his parents should have gone to work, so he didn't call home to report that he was safe. He just sent a message and left a message.
Then he took the toiletries and walked to the bathroom on the second floor.
As soon as Wang opened the bathroom door, a burst of smoke blew into his face. He vaguely saw a graceful figure standing under the shower head.
"Ah!" A sharp cry quickly spread throughout the second floor.
