Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation-Chapter 678 - 418 Night Gathering_2

Before, when she lived in the urban area, she went out to buy mosquito coils at night and just by passing through an alley, she was followed by someone. Luckily, she calmly took out her mobile phone, pretended to make a call, and managed to scare the person away.

"I’m worried... wouldn’t nine o’clock be too late?" she expressed her concern.

Jiang Ning, fidgeting with his bead bracelet, sat firmly and said calmly, "It’s fine, I’m here."

Xue Chuchu was momentarily dazzled by his demeanor.

Next to her, Xue Yuantong looked at Jiang Ning and lifted her little chin; she loved his confidence more than anything!

Yet she never praised him; instead, she snorted, "Look at you showing off."

...

Night, nine o’clock.

A dragon-like river dam lit up with street lamps, one by one, guiding the path of the travelers.

A gentle cool breeze blew away the day’s heat, feeling comfortable against the skin.

Jiang Ning rode his mountain bike, accompanied by the wind, passing many people who were out for walks and night runs on the dam.

Ever since the river dam’s streetlights had their shutdown time extended, the nearby residents started heading home later.

They had first gone to ’Sister Ma’s Barbecue’; her barbecue, among the establishments near Fourth Middle School, was considered the best. Unfortunately, Sister Ma’s was closed tonight.

Xue Yuantong was flabbergasted, "Jiang Ning, what should we do now?"

Jiang Ning looked at her as if she were an idiot and said, "Just switch to another one. Can’t you even eat now?"

"Oh, oh," Xue Yuantong came to her senses. She’d made too big a deal out of it, but the way Jiang Ning spoke made her unhappy, "You wait and see if I can eat or not!"

Jiang Ning turned the bike around and rode south, with Xue Chuchu driving a black electric scooter, closely following behind.

Xue Yuantong occasionally looked back and waved at her, though there weren’t many people on the road; Xue Chuchu could easily ride alongside Jiang Ning, but she felt it was improper, fearing she might hinder other pedestrians.

While riding, she observed the surroundings. The majority of the shops on this street were places for entertainment—KTVs, internet cafés, billiard halls, and arcade centers.

Xue Chuchu noticed some half-open-air billiard tables, where a few youths with dyed hair and flamboyant attire were holding cues, posturing over the pool table; she quickly averted her gaze.

In her fixed impression, such places were mixed bags where fights and brawls were common.

Xue Chuchu had never been to one; they were foreign to her.

Continuing south, after about two kilometers by bike, they arrived at a large park. Looking out, there were easily a few hundred people in the square, swaying wildly to a bewitching tune.

Jiang Ning heard it and realized it was "The Most Dazzling Ethnic Style," and he smiled knowingly.

In half a month, an even more bewitching song, "Little Apple," would debut and quickly become the new favorite of public dancers.

Xue Yuantong, listening to the music, couldn’t help but hum a few notes lightly and melodiously.

Her voice was quite good, the kind you’re blessed with by nature, but she rarely sang.

Jiang Ning didn’t linger in the park for long and continued westward. The street was very wide, featuring entirely food establishments—pot chicken, grilled fish, crayfish, barbecue, and the like.

In front of each shop was a flat cement area with many tables set up where patrons sat outside, chatting away, drinking, and skewering meat.

Xue Yuantong was very satisfied.

Jiang Ning’s Divine Sense spread out, scanning all the shops in all directions, from the hygiene of the kitchens to the ingredients, and even the expressions of the dining patrons, making a comprehensive judgment about the food.

In the end, Jiang Ning chose a shop that combined crayfish and barbecue, a place that was large and clean.

The only downside was a table of loud guests boasting and making a din. But that was no matter; Jiang Ning could block out the noise.

Jiang Ning parked his bike and chose an outdoor table near the edge. Xue Chuchu looked over at the noisy guests, and just then, a short, burly man with a square face glanced their way.

Upon seeing Chuchu’s face, the man’s eyes nearly didn’t move away.

Xue Chuchu, as if nothing had happened, shifted her gaze.

Just as they sat down, a kind-looking auntie came over with the menu.

Jiang Ning expertly picked out some skewers.

While waiting for the barbecue, the diminished sounds from the surrounding area leaked through; the short, burly-faced man cursed, "That damn workshop director thinks he can mess with me? You guys know my temper; I have to give him a beating."

A tall, yellow-haired guy said, "Brother Cheng, after you finished the job, did you get your pay?"

The square-faced man grimly replied, "He tried to stiff me on my wages, so I just put on some brass knuckles and charged into the manager’s office. You think he dared to utter a word of refusal?"

Another man, handsome yet with a somewhat sullen expression, said, "Brother Cheng is mighty!" freёwebnoѵel.com

After receiving such praise, the square-faced man boasted over half a beer.

The sound had grown faint due to the Array’s weakening effect, so Xue Chuchu and Tongtong stopped staring blankly and started chatting about junior high.

"You didn’t go to junior high in town, right? Remember Li Botao from our village elementary school? He was addicted to playing games every day in junior high," Xue Chuchu spoke of a former classmate.

"He was a boarding student in junior high. As soon as he got his weekly allowance of 50 yuan, he blew it all on the first day on those fishing arcade games."

Xue Yuantong was aware of those fishing arcade machines, a type of gambling device where if you played well, you could earn money. But students who harbored thoughts of winning money always ended up losing miserably.

"He blew his living expenses, so how did he manage to eat for a week?" Xue Yuantong asked.

Xue Chuchu said, "I heard from classmates that once his money ran out, he would bike home to eat at noon, then he’d bring a big apple back to school, saving it to eat in the evening. The next morning he wouldn’t eat, then he’d go home for lunch again."

Jiang Ning commented, "Survival skills aren’t bad."

Xue Chuchu sighed, "It’s not good. Junior high is a period of growth. He ate so little every day, was extremely skinny, and didn’t grow much taller."

Jiang Ning glanced at Tongtong.

Feeling insulted, Xue Yuantong snapped, "I’ve been eating seriously now; I’m just a late bloomer!"

Jiang Ning nodded, "You make sense."

Xue Yuantong was still upset. What’s so great about being tall!

Xue Chuchu told many stories about the fishing and slot machines, and time slipped by unnoticed until the barbecue was served.

Xue Yuantong quickly grabbed a skewer and bit into it, not minding the heat. She had snacked in the afternoon and had been waiting until now for dinner. She was incredibly eager to eat.

During their meal, a group of four or five teenagers suddenly stopped in their tracks on the road. Among them, a slightly chubby boy who always had a smile on his face said:

"Jianhui, that settles it, let’s eat here."

Zhuang Jianhui asked, "Are you sure this place tastes good?"

They had planned to check out a few more places, after all, this time they had two friends visiting from Shen City; they couldn’t just pick any random restaurant to hoodwink them, could they?

Lin Zida made a decisive call, "Let’s settle for this one, my brothers trust me."

The real reason was that he saw someone he knew. Lin Zida sometimes chatted with Jiang Ning in the hallway, and being from a family like his, he was very good at reading people. Based on what he knew about Jiang Ning, he was selective about what he ate.

After Lin Zida made his decision, a handsome youth, covered in top brand clothes and with an extraordinary presence, teased:

"Lin Xiaopang, if the taste isn’t good, I’ll be questioning you."

Tall and slim Li Shi said, "Don’t worry about it. Our Yuzhou was the first city to eat crawfish; the flavor is guaranteed to be authentic."

There was also a girl with her hair done in dirty gray braids, wearing heavy makeup, big earrings, an off-the-shoulder top, and flared jeans.

Seeing a bunch of customers already occupying the open space, she found it displeasing and suggested:

"Let’s give the owner 20,000 yuan and reserve this place for ourselves."

Lin Zida replied, "Forget it, forget it. We’re just here for a meal. Why make such a big fuss?"

After that, the group chose a table and sat down. Lin Zida nodded and greeted Jiang Ning.

Li Shi caught sight of Xue Chuchu at Jiang Ning’s table and was surprised by her appearance, which was cold yet entrancing, hardly inferior to Shuyan’s. Regrettably, Ding Shuyan was attending a banquet with her aunt tonight and couldn’t join them.

The heavily made-up girl noticed Lin Zida’s gesture and pouted, "You know him?"

Lin Zida confirmed, "Yes, I do."

"What does his family do?" She was selective with her friends; pedigree was essential. Otherwise, why bother if they weren’t at the same level?

Lin Zida replied, "Just an ordinary family."

The girl immediately lost interest in making the acquaintance and said teasingly, "Has the standard for making friends dropped since you came to Yuzhou?"