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Chapter 409: Chapter 288 Give Way_2
He had wanted to make friends with Jiang Ning but after two attempts, he gave up since they just couldn’t find common ground in conversation.
Now that Wang Yong was invited, he couldn’t wait to find Lin Zida and certainly didn’t want to waste time.
On the second floor of Building 3, Class 1 occupied the entire corridor, which was a great spot for scenic views.
Standing in the corridor, he gazed out at the rainy playground.
Compared to the usually bustling playground, it was now empty and lonely, washed over by the heavy rain.
A few boys and girls stood in the corridor.
Just as Wang Yong arrived, he immediately greeted:
"Brother Lin, Sister Lee!"
Ding Shuyan and Zhuang Jianhui were also there, and Wang Yong grinned, looking every bit the good-natured guy.
Li Shi glanced at Wang Yong. She still recognized him.
"I’ve reserved a private room for tonight to celebrate my birthday. Come with me!" Li Shi invited. She had specifically arranged a fancy banquet for her birthday.
Lin Zida replied, "Sure, let’s go together."
"Shuyan, join us too." Li Shi looked hopeful.
Ding Shuyan wasn’t fond of such gatherings, but Li Shi was one of her few friends in Yuzhou, and Li Shi had specially invited her to this event.
If she went, the style of the birthday banquet would surely elevate.
Eventually, Ding Shuyan nodded slightly: "Let’s go together."
Zhuang Jianhui also agreed.
Finally, Li Shi invited Wang Yong. Even so, Wang Yong happily accepted.
Previously, he only had a nodding acquaintance with Li Shi, but now, thanks to Lin Zida, he was finally stepping into a new circle, and he couldn’t help but feel elated.
Li Shi turned and looked down the corridor at Jiang Ning, who was observing the scenery; she remained silent.
Given the standard of the birthday banquet she was hosting today, perhaps this so-called mysterious Jiang Ning would never qualify to attend in his lifetime?
...
Evening self-study ended.
"I’m so hungry, Jiang Ning!" Xue Yuantong complained, clutching her stomach.
Since it kept raining today, Xue Yuantong and Jiang Ning hadn’t gone home for dinner after school.
Xue Yuantong had told her mother to prepare a feast for the evening, hoping to indulge herself to make up for the missed dinner.
As they prepared for the night snack, she had only asked Jiang Ning to buy a small fried bun in the afternoon to hold her over.
Now, she was regretting it as hunger made her weak and barely able to walk.
Jiang Ning, holding an umbrella in one hand and pushing the bike with the other, walked steadily:
"Aunt Gu said dinner will be ready soon; hurry up."
Xue Yuantong moaned, "I have no energy~"
"Just hang in there a bit longer; we’re almost off-campus."
"Jiang Ning, do you know what delicious food my mom made?" She kept swallowing her saliva.
"I didn’t ask for the details, but it’s definitely going to be substantial," replied Jiang Ning.
Not just them, but many day-school high school students would go home after evening self-study to enjoy a good meal.
Night snacks were suitable for high school students, unlike later in adulthood when joining the workforce, where one would worry about getting fat from eating late-night snacks.
With a high school student’s metabolism, there was no need to worry; there were complaints about not having enough rather than too much.
Regrettably, Jiang Ning rarely had such experiences. In junior high, he was a day scholar, and with no parents at home, no one was there to prepare a meal for him.
Instead, it was after renting a room from Xue Yuantong’s house that he often got to enjoy late-night meals.
Unknowingly, they reached the crossroads outside the school.
Xue Yuantong said, "Give me the umbrella; I’ll hold it for you."
Jiang Ning looked at Xue Yuantong’s petite figure:
"Never mind, I’ve got it."
Xue Yuantong didn’t insist and silently climbed onto the back seat.
She knew it was very dangerous for Jiang Ning to ride the bike with one hand on the handle and the other holding the umbrella; a slight mishap could cause a fall.
But she was out of options.
Xue Yuantong sat obediently on the back seat. As she watched Jiang Ning handling the umbrella, she suddenly thought—if she could grow a bit taller, become a bit stronger, could she perhaps shield Jiang Ning from the elements?
Sadly, growing taller wasn’t up to her will.
She could only stick close to Jiang Ning so that, in case of a fall, she could use her agile skills to quickly steer them both to safety.
...
In the evening.
In the cozy kitchen, Jiang Ning and Xue Yuantong were dining around the table.
Aunt Gu was also there, with a bowl of soup in front of her.
The dinner was especially bountiful, featuring two dishes: sautéed clams and pork ribs stewed with beans.
The main course was tomato and egg noodles, hand-rolled by Aunt Gu, with a particularly nice texture.
During dinner, Aunt Gu said,
"Tongtong, next month when I’m not busy, I plan to get a driver’s license."
Aunt Gu always liked to discuss household matters with her daughter.
Two heads are better than one when it comes to decision-making.
Over time, Xue Yuantong was able to offer some advice as well.
Xue Yuantong, surprised, slurped up some noodles,
"Mom, are we buying a car?"
Aunt Gu chuckled, "That’s still undecided. I’m getting older and don’t know if I can pass the driving test."
"The main thing is that the driving test is free; it’s a company benefit."
Otherwise, shelling out thousands just for a driving test would definitely hurt Aunt Gu.
Xue Yuantong expressed her strong support, "Then you should go for it, Mom! You’ll definitely pass!"
Aunt Gu added, "Once I get my license, maybe in a year or two when we have some money saved up, we’ll buy a car."
Xue Yuantong said, "Right now, going back to our hometown is so inconvenient, it always takes such a long time."
Her grandparents were still in the village; during the farming season, her mother would go home to help. The back and forth, always hauling loads of stuff and transferring vehicles, was particularly troublesome, leaving her mother completely exhausted each time.
If their family had a car, they could simply load things into the trunk and drive straight to the village, no more rushing and changing vehicles.
Just thinking about it made Xue Yuantong feel delighted.
Unfortunately, these were merely luxuries in the past.
Back then, Xue Yuantong fantasized that once she grew up, she’d buy her mom a car to drive.
"Having a car will make things much better," Aunt Gu said, her decision to buy one came after careful thought, like tonight, when her daughter and Jiang Ning had to come back in the rain.
If they had a car, she could pick up her daughter right at the school gates.
Xue Yuantong envisioned a beautiful future life, and the conversation grew more animated. Holding her chopsticks, she pointed around grandly,
"Mom, aside from a car, once I start making good money, I want to buy a yacht!"
In the summer, she often saw white yachts speeding past on the Hui River across from the river dam, which greatly appealed to Xue Yuantong.
She once had a bold wish to drive a yacht on the river.
Sadly, she had never even been on the park’s tour boats.
"Jiang Ning, do you know how to drive a boat?" Xue Yuantong asked, curious.
Jiang Ning replied, "A little."
Xue Yuantong, wide-eyed and somewhat incredulous, "Really?"
She had never seen Jiang Ning on a boat.
"Of course," Jiang Ning said confidently. "I don’t use my hands to steer."
Xue Yuantong pressed, "Then what do you use? Tell me quickly!"
Jiang Ning, "It’s a secret."
...
Xue Yuantong had dinner too late and couldn’t sleep.
After her bath, she sneakily went to Jiang Ning’s room to play games, staying up until after 11 p.m.
It was still raining outside, making the room feel very cozy.
Tired from gaming, Xue Yuantong decided to rest a bit before heading back to her own room to sleep.
She moved from the chair to the bed.
Jiang Ning was reading in bed. Xue Yuantong stretched out her legs, climbing over him.
She settled into a spot close to the wall.
Jiang Ning read for a while, then suddenly noticed Xue Yuantong’s legs stretching over.
The room was warm, and Xue Yuantong’s pajamas were thin; Jiang Ning felt it all distinctly.
"Jiang Ning, you’re in my way," Xue Yuantong complained.
Jiang Ning didn’t argue; he scooted over.
A few seconds later, her legs nudged him again, "Move over a bit more."
Jiang Ning moved again.
Soon after, Xue Yuantong urged him to shift once more.
Now, she occupied a good half of the bed, and Jiang Ning was nearly falling off.
He asked curiously, "What are you doing?"
Xue Yuantong kicked her legs and turned around with a serious face,
"You go sit on the sofa. I’m practicing doing the splits."
