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Chapter 513: Chapter 342 Pleasure Boat_2
Jiang Ning had placed a Spiritual Sense Imprint on the mountain bike.
People bustled about in the park: the elderly, parents with children, groups of teenagers, all weaving their way through the park.
Recently, the park had added some new constructions, adding to the hustle and bustle.
Xue Yuantong did not head straight for the lakeside; instead, she wandered around the park until they reached a small river. Pointing to the bridge, she told Chuchu about the time Cui Yu from their class fell into the river, causing a huge commotion, with many students jumping into the water to save him, everyone frantically worried.
At last, Xue Yuantong, with her wisdom, stepped in and pointed out the depth of the river, rescuing her panicked classmates.
Xue Chuchu listened somewhat dumbfounded, feeling that the story was a bit far-fetched.
Beside her, Jiang Ning watched quietly.
Without any embarrassment, Xue Yuantong knew Jiang Ning’s character well; he didn’t like to boast, so she happily took it upon herself to sing his praises!
After finishing the tale, Xue Yuantong still hadn’t had enough, regretting that there weren’t more heroic deeds of Jiang Ning to recount.
The three of them strolled around the park, admiring the large stone formations piled into artificial mountains. Xue Yuantong climbed to the top, but her legs shook so badly on the last huge stone that she could hardly stand.
They also visited the newly built suspension bridge. The bridge swayed dramatically, and the river below was clear, with just the tips of tiny lotus blossoms peeking out, as tender and youthful as Xue Yuantong herself.
Trembling, she managed to walk a third of the way across before Chuchu escorted her back.
After this incident, Xue Yuantong made up several excuses, trying to salvage her dented pride.
Xue Chuchu simply smiled without a word.
Finally, they arrived at the lakeside, where Xue Yuantong’s mood recovered as she stood and looked out from the shore.
The sun hid behind clouds, casting a light that was not too dazzling. A gentle breeze blew, causing the clouds to slowly drift across the sky.
On the placid surface of the lake, two small boats floated as if they were traversing above the clouds. In the vast expanse of water, the two solitary boats seemed lonely, but upon closer inspection, people were visible onboard, couples, and families enjoying a rare peaceful moment together.
The style of the boats had changed since Xue Yuantong’s last visit to the park. The current boats had an ancient flair to them, with a wooden canopy at the back half providing shade.
"The boats are quite pretty," Xue Chuchu complimented. There were three more boats at the ferry landing.
"Do they cost a lot?" she then asked.
Jiang Ning showed the Supreme Card in his hand: "I have a Supreme VIP card—enjoy a 90% discount."
Saying this, he walked into a building by the lakeside, a shop that operated the boat rentals.
The shop covered about forty square meters, with white flooring and was equipped with a refrigerator, freezer, and fruit shelves—quite well-stocked.
A woman in her thirties was cutting fruit.
There was also a middle-aged man with a robust build and slightly dark skin. His name was Li, recommended for the job here, with excellent wages and commissions.
His primary role was operating the boat rental service, on top of selling fruit, braised foods, and drinks.
Upon seeing the customers, Boss Li immediately asked, "Do you have a reservation?"
Jiang Ning placed the Supreme Card on the counter.
Upon seeing it, Boss Li’s attitude changed instantly. He had been instructed in advance to always keep one boat available for customers with the Supreme Card.
Boss Li smiled widely and said to the woman in the shop: "Xiao Die, prepare a fruit platter, a braised food platter, and a selection of drinks—one supreme set of each."
He explained, "The regular rental price for a boat is 200 for four hours, but it’s a bit more expensive today on Labor Day, 300 for four hours. With your Supreme discount card, that’ll be 30 yuan."
Jiang Ning pulled out a 50-yuan note: "And also prepare a set of cooking utensils for me."
Boss Li immediately agreed. Cooking on the boat wasn’t allowed, but since it was a Supreme Card customer, he couldn’t enforce that rule.
As for the cooking utensils, he was well-prepared.
"Do you need fishing gear?" Boss Li had fishing rods available.
"I brought my own," Jiang Ning said.
After some small talk, Boss Li picked up the keys and took Jiang Ning to choose a boat.
Before boarding, the woman named Xiao Die approached with a foam box in hand: "Hello, here are the complimentary fruit slices."
Jiang Ning’s Divine Sense penetrated the foam box to check the fruit slices—grapes, cantaloupe, watermelon, banana, and more—estimating the quantity, the fruit alone would probably cost over a hundred yuan.
Now ready to board, Xue Yuantong clasped her hands tightly, her face pale with nervousness—she was afraid of boats.
She quietly asked, "Chuchu, are you scared?"
"Ah, scared of what?" Xue Chuchu looked puzzled.
"Of boarding the boat, isn’t it terrifying?"
"Oh~"
Xue Yuantong felt a tightness in her chest; Chuchu wasn’t afraid at all. Without Chuchu’s anxiety to compare to, her own courage dwindled even more.
Xue Chuchu whispered encouragingly: "Tongtong, Jiang Ning is watching. And there are other people around. You’ve got to be strong."
"Be bold."
Xue Yuantong’s expression changed.
As they began to board, Jiang Ning stepped onto the bow of the boat first. Gritting her teeth, Xue Yuantong leapt forward with a jump, nearly falling into the lake, but luckily, Jiang Ning caught her.
Xue Chuchu followed, stepping onto the boat with a fishing net in hand.
Jiang Ning rowed the oars, and the little boat lightly drifted away from the shore.
...
The river dam.
A black luxury car stopped by the roadside, and Lin Zida stepped out.
Several people followed him out of the car: Zhuang Jianhui, Li Shi, and Wang Yong from class 8.
"We’ve been here before," Li Shi remarked, taking in the surrounding scenery. She wore a short-sleeved shirt with denim shorts, and her height of 175 cm coupled with her long, snow-white legs drew considerable attention.
Wang Yong, with a backpack on his back, laughed, "Last time we came for a spring outing, the boat service wasn’t open yet. Now there’s a new operator, and the boats are different from the usual sightseeing ones. With this weather, having some fruit, enjoying some braised snacks, and admiring the lake view would be quite interesting."
He was a Yuzhou local, young in age but well-versed in local delicacies. Last time he had taken Lin Zida and others to a hidden rural tourism spot in the suburbs for a whole roasted lamb, which was met with enthusiastic praise.
Today, on Labor Day, knowing that Lin Zida hadn’t returned to An City and had no travel plans, he specially invited him to come forth for fun.
