NOVPUB
Chapter 595: Chapter 378 Sailing the Boat
Friday morning, during the large break.
Students were originally resting in the classroom, but as class was about to start, they were shocked by a message from the class monitor, Huang Zhongfei.
"The Dragon Boat Festival is coming up, and they’re going to cancel our two afternoon classes today," Huang Zhongfei announced standing on the podium.
"Damn, doesn’t that mean, after classes this morning, we can go straight home?" Guo Kunnan exclaimed excitedly, an early holiday, how cool!
Huang Zhongfei quickly explained, "No, no, this afternoon our school is organizing a dragon boat race."
Upon hearing this, everyone was astonished, and the entire classroom erupted with voices, full of enthusiastic fervor!
To celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival with a dragon boat race, they had of course heard of it, but such events only existed in their imaginations or they had watched them on TV.
As for witnessing a real dragon boat race, they had never seen one, and they certainly didn’t expect the school to organize one today?
At this moment, the students were touched by Fourth Middle School’s sincerity; they had cursed the school countless times for being unambitious, yet who would have thought, Fourth Middle School was enduring silently, ready for a rise.
Chen Siyu excitedly asked, "Class monitor, where are we going to row dragon boats?"
Jiang Yanan speculated, "I guess it’s the Hui River, the river is wide and close to the school, a natural place for dragon boat races."
The classmates discussed noisily, full of interest in the dragon boat race.
Xue Yuantong stayed in her seat, saying to Jiang Ning, "If we have the dragon boat race at the Hui River, does that mean we can go straight home after the race?"
Immediately, she worried, "But then, Jiang Ning, your bicycle would still be at the school, right?"
Chen Siyu interjected, "You can take your bike with you."
"Good idea." With that, everything was perfect.
Jiang Ning suggested, "How about we listen to the class monitor finish first?"
Huang Zhongfei looked as though he had more to say, but the students were too noisy, completely drowning out his voice.
After a while, everyone slightly cleared their heads and turned their attention towards the class monitor.
Huang Zhongfei struggled to say, "The dragon boat event will be held on the sports field."
Cui Yu chuckled, "Haha, the principal is quite considerate, knows to gather us first."
Huang Zhongfei replied, "No, I mean, the dragon boat race is actually being held on the sports field."
"What?"
Meng Gui jumped out with nonsense, "The school wants to fill the sports field with water for the dragon boat race? That’s a big project!"
Huang Zhongfei clarified, "This time, the dragon boat race is also known as ’Land Boat’."
After he made it clear, the students were disappointed, "Land Boat, I might as well be ’marking the boat to find the sword’!"
Wang Longlong dismissed, "Disperse, disperse, it’s boring."
"I’m out of here, too." Duan Shigang felt it was uninteresting as well.
Huang Zhongfei was embarrassed, blaming himself for not having explained clearly from the start, which led the students to have high expectations.
"Land Boat racing is actually quite fun; you’ll know once you get to the sports field this afternoon."
"Moreover, the principal announced that to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival, every student in the school will receive a zongzi coupon, which can be used in the cafeteria to claim sticky rice dumplings, including dates, red beans, salted duck egg yolk, and meat zongzi."
Hearing about the free zongzi, Xue Yuantong joyfully called out, "Jiang Ning, Jiang Ning, I want the red bean one!"
Chen Siyu said, "I’ve never tried the salted egg yolk one."
The other students also seemed rather pleased, not expecting Fourth Middle School to show such boldness, considering they had nearly two thousand students from freshman to senior year, including re-sit classes!
Huang Zhongfei continued to drop bombshells, "In addition, the ’Land Boat’ event will include competitions with prizes ranging from third place to grand champion."
"The prizes are exquisite zongzi: spare rib and egg yolk zongzi, fruit zongzi, eight-treasure zongzi, chestnut zongzi, and also a champion’s cup printed with zongzi."
Cui Yu asked in astonishment, "Is there such a thing?"
Jiang Yanan said, "I want the cup."
Shen Qing’e suddenly mentioned, "The eight-treasure zongzi sounds good."
Dong Qingfeng took note silently; this afternoon, he would show his skills on the sports field, letting all the students witness what a ’Land Immortal’ truly was.
Upon hearing about such prizes, the students’ initial disappointment vanished as they sharpened their knives, setting their sights on the championship.
"Brother Quan, how do you feel about the championship?" Guo Kunnan asked.
Shan Qingrong was dismissive, "Competition is the least of my worries."
He had always been ahead of many predecessors in his journey through studies and fitness, becoming a dragon among men.
"Jiang Ning, Jiang Ning, have you ever tried fruit zongzi?"
"No, I haven’t."
"Then, do you want to?" Xue Yuantong’s sparkling eyes blinked wildly, desperately hinting.
"I don’t want to," Jiang Ning said.
Xue Yuantong’s innocent little face replied, "But I want to."
Jiang Ning responded, "Then go ahead and want."
...
The afternoon.
As Jiang Ning’s mountain bike entered the school, he could already feel a festive atmosphere.
Despite the strong sunlight and high temperature, the students’ faces radiated with undeniable joy.
Jiang Ning was moved, understanding that the happiness of student life was so simple, not having class and participating in an event led to such contentment.
He arrived at school rather late, and the homeroom teacher, Shan Qingrong, was speaking on the podium.
Nothing major was being discussed, until the last student, Wu Xiaoqi, arrived with a ball; Shan Qingrong gestured:
"Let’s go!"
Xue Yuantong immediately followed Jiang Ning.
Outside it was hot, but Jiang Ning activated his Mana, creating a cooling Array around him, which made Xue Yuantong stick even closer to him.
The corridor was packed with students, forming a long line, as Gao Heshuai’s Class 9 closely followed Class 8.
Yan Tianpeng, equipped with sunglasses, strode with an aura of an underworld boss.
Shen Xu quickly caught up, "Tianpeng, you’re our ace card, it’s up to you this time."
Shi Qianjin pleaded, "Please, Tianpeng, we must get first place this time."
He genuinely hoped that Class 9 would get first place so Yan Tianpeng could win the zongzi cup; then he wouldn’t need to use Shi Qianjin’s cup for drinking water anymore.
Yan Tianpeng clenched his fists, "The championship is mine to win."
