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Chapter 582: Chapter 372: The Person who Pays_2
Jiang Junlong stood up to grab a knife, "Mom, let me do it, I’ll cut the melon."
He still remembered the taste of that melon.
Upon hearing this, Uncle Jiang Qitian turned to Brother Yao and said, "You’re in luck today to try the melon my nephew brought. I guarantee after you eat it, you’ll never forget it."
Uncle Yao didn’t care much—how good can a melon be?
His daughter, Yao Yiyao, shared the same sentiment. She didn’t want to come today because she had made plans with classmates to visit a newly opened hot pot restaurant in the city. However, her father insisted on bringing her along, saying that it was good for the children of both families to get to know each other for the sake of closer ties in the future.
This made Yao Yiyao resist internally—what did his business dealings have to do with her?
Besides, she never thought that the Evergreen Liquid project her father got through connections was anything special. The quality of their family’s construction work was praised throughout Yuzhou. She was confident they would have won the bid on merit alone.
Consequently, she was reluctant throughout.
Jiang Junlong wasn’t good with a knife and was cutting the melon very slowly.
Uncle casually said, "My nephew is quite something. He’s grown tall and handsome, understands things well, and is currently studying at Fourth Middle School."
Yao Yiyao added a comment, indicating Fourth Middle School’s level, "Fourth Middle is pretty good. It ranks within the top ten high schools in our city."
Shen Qing’e asked, "Which high school are you from?"
Yao Yiyao replied, "Yu Zhou Second Middle School."
If Second Middle School represented the elite of Yuzhou, then Fourth Middle School seemed third-rate by comparison.
Looking down on other schools was common for Second Middle School, and the sense of pride in Yao Yiyao’s expression grew stronger.
Shen Qing’e complimented her after tasting a dish, "It’s quite impressive to get into Second Middle School."
With that praise, Yao Yiyao felt a little elated, "I think it’s okay. As long as you study seriously for the middle school exams, getting into Second Middle School is easy. That’s what my classmates all say."
Uncle, being a shrewd man, didn’t quite appreciate the comment, but he didn’t bother arguing with a little girl.
Uncle Yao then sent his daughter a meaningful look.
Yao Yiyao, used to being arrogant since childhood, was already in a foul mood. How could she pay any attention to her father’s gesture?
Jiang Junlong came over with the melon, first handing two slices to the guests, then distributing it to the family.
Shen Qing’e suddenly asked, "Junlong, is Yao Yao in your experimental class?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Junlong took a closer look at Yao Yiyao.
"Probably not?" There were only a few experimental classes in Second Middle School, and he had never seen Yao Yiyao there.
Yao Yiyao asked, "You’re in an experimental class?"
Jiang Junlong replied, "Ah, yes."
That response seemed to dampen Yao Yiyao’s spirits. Holding the status of a Second Middle School student had always been her pride.
Jiang Junlong noticed her change in demeanor and tried to console her with a thought, "The experimental class at Second Middle School isn’t all that amazing. Last week when we went to Jiangnan for a study trip, our experimental class didn’t even qualify. Only the students in the Qingbei Class were eligible."
"Qingbei Class is impressive, right? But my cousin in Fourth Middle School scored even higher than the Qingbei Class in the citywide exams, and his neighbor, also from Fourth Middle, topped the entire city. So I’m telling you, regular classes aren’t that bad either. They could possibly score better than our experimental class."
Jiang Junlong, on behalf of his father’s business partner’s daughter, made a comforting statement.
After finishing, he found his mouth a bit dry and called out, "Eat the melon, eat the melon, the taste is unbeatable!"
Shen Qing’e noticed Yao Yiyao’s darkening mood and laughed inwardly. A student from an ordinary class of Second Middle School carrying such pride?
Can’t you be cured?
Uncle Jiang Qitian tasted the melon and felt the same as before. It was crisp and sweet, filling him with a comfort akin to the joy of his childhood, when he and his brothers would sneak into a neighboring village to steal melons, getting chased for two miles by the owner, only to finally enjoy the spoils of victory, exhausted but elated.
Before Uncle Jiang Qitian could speak, Uncle Yao exclaimed, "Great melon, this is a great melon!"
After finishing, he devoured it in a few bites.
His sister-in-law, feeling a pang of pain, gave him another slice.
Yao Yiyao, initially not interested in eating the melon, watched everyone else enjoying it and couldn’t resist taking a bite.
That bite made her forget her earlier displeasure, surpassing all the fruits she had ever eaten from childhood to adulthood.
The watermelon wasn’t big, especially since there were eight people at the table. It didn’t take long for the melon to be finished.
Uncle Jiang Qitian, still wanting more, said, "Next time we have to get Ningning to bring some more. How did he manage to find it again after tricking me last time saying he bought it by the roadside?"
Auntie replied, "He said this morning he bought it from a classmate’s house."
Shen Qing’e suddenly chimed in, "Next time, who knows, he might even say he grew it himself."
Yao Yiyao, having eaten later than the others and only getting one piece, missed the sweetness, "Dad, let’s buy some."
Uncle Yao also had the same thought and thus made an inquiry to Uncle Jiang Qitian.
Uncle Jiang Qitian didn’t have any more melons himself. He glanced at the other’s balding head, "Brother Yao, I have to say, now that you’ve taken the Evergreen Liquid project, you can’t afford to lose any more hair on your head." 𝓷ℴ𝓿𝓹𝓾𝒷.𝓬𝓸𝓂
Uncle Yao rubbed his head and gave a bitter smile, "Alright, I’ll buy two bottles tomorrow."
Uncle Jiang Qitian said to Auntie, "When the ’Little Green Dragon’ I ordered arrives, save some. Get Ningning to come over to our house to eat. It’s really good stuff."
Auntie replied, "He might not want to stay for dinner."
Uncle Jiang Qitian said, "He won’t cook it for himself anyway."
Cousin Jiang Junlong commented, "You never know, his neighbor cooks really well."
Shen Qing’e agreed entirely. Although she wasn’t fond of Xue Yuantong, the girl’s cooking was superb.
...
River dam.
Dinner lasted from 11:30 am until 1 pm, a full hour and a half. Xue Yuantong and Xue Chuchu, letting go of their airs, worked together to devour five-and-a-half crabs and most of a large watermelon.
Xue Yuantong sprawled out on a chair, leaning against the door, temporarily bereft of the ability to move.
Xue Chuchu was in better shape, still able to clean up the table, but Jiang Ning stopped her, "Let me do it."
"Jiang Ning, I want to go on a study trip too," Xue Yuantong daydreamed.
At the dinner table, she had heard Chuchu talk about her experiences studying in Jiangnan—seeing the stone slab streets, ancient alleys, galleries, taking a boat ride, visiting Lake Heart Island, and learning about the culture, history, and landscapes of Hui Province.
