Chapter 1842: Chapter 1012: Containment (Part 2)

Nowadays, Xue Yuantong isn’t just a little nobody. As Jiang Ning dishes out the food to the hall at the door, she takes out her phone, snaps a photo of today’s lunch, and posts it to the class chat group.

Jiang Yanan replies: "What’s the red dish? Looks delicious."

Xiao Shaoxiong guesses maliciously: "Probably dyed. I heard many fish farming practices are quite shady."

Once part of the ’AAA Aquaculture,’ Shen Qing’e holds her phone, intending to type a science lesson, but she ultimately chooses not to say anything.

She gazes at the familiar little dinner table, remembering last year when she went to the river dam with Jiang Junlong, tasting tomato fish.

But ever since, she hasn’t been able to go there anymore.

"Perhaps, I shouldn’t continue like this..." Shen Qing’e is deep in thought.

Facing Xiao Shaoxiong’s guess, Liu Chuandao jumps in to debug him: "You bumpkin, that’s East Star Spot, a dish costing hundreds, have you ever had it?"

Xiao Shaoxiong feels humiliated, his pride wounded.

Back at Town High School, he was the bragging champion, but now, in the city, why can’t he keep up?

"It’s just East Star Spot, who said I haven’t eaten it? Hundreds for a dish, big deal. Our free-range old roosters in the countryside also cost hundreds each!" Xiao Shaoxiong stubbornly retorts.

Zhang Chi @ Xiao Shaoxiong: "Brother, you’re too extravagant. My phone’s about to run out of credit, mind lending me 50 on WeChat?"

Xiao Shaoxiong, to save face, bites the bullet, sends him 50 yuan.

Zhang Chi screenshots and thanks in the class group: "From now on, Xiao Shaoxiong is my brother, anything comes, face me!"

Xiao Shaoxiong, uplifted by this camaraderie, grows bolder: "Alright, I’m quite generous."

Cui Yu deliberately @ him: "I know your hometown, there’s a river there, probably lots of East Star Spot to be caught."

Xiao Shaoxiong, feeling a fondness for Cui Yu, responds nonchalantly: "It’s alright, East Star Spot, my family often buys freshly caught ones by the river during festivals, guaranteed fresh."

Xiao Shaoxiong just feels he’s thriving in Class 8, being away, it’s the brotherhood that counts!

Liu Chuandao: "Idiot, East Star Spots are seawater fish!"

Staring at his phone, Xiao Shaoxiong’s face darkens, ’damn it,’ are the classmates in this class so malicious?

Liu Chuandao continues to rub it in, posting a picture, showing a barely touched East Star Spot dish: "I’ve been helping out at the Yu Zhou Hotel lately, often see this dish."

"I dare say, more than half the class hasn’t tried it?" Liu Chuandao flaunts his superiority.

Zhang Chi, a bit jealous and annoyed, tries to stand for his brother: "You’re just a waiter, what’s with the act?"

Liu Chuandao: "You can’t afford our restaurant’s meals."

Zhang Chi retorts: "You can afford them?"

Liu Chuandao: "I can eat what’s left, see just that East Star Spot, barely touched."

Zhang Chi immediately changes tune, flattering: "Brother Liu, can I go eat there too?"

Xiao Shaoxiong: ’Damn it...’

Same as a transfer student, yet always low-key, the girl Jianxi, examines the chat log, secretly notes: ’Zhang Chi, humble origins, adaptable.’

...

Outside, endless fields stretch out, a black business car drives by, not kicking up any dust.

Xue Yuantong lifts a piece of fish with chopsticks, bites into it: "Hmm, delicious~"

"Jiang Ning, Chuchu, you guys should eat too."

Xue Chuchu tastes a bite, comments: "Very tender, even more so than bass."

Xue Yuantong: "I heard this is quite expensive!"

Xue Chuchu: "How expensive?"

"This fish, two catty, should be worth several hundred."

Xue Chuchu stares blankly at the plate of fish, silently calculating how much the bite she just had was worth.

"But it’s okay, I earned twenty thousand today." Xue Yuantong beams, silly grin.

Xue Chuchu: "Joy Beans?"

Jiang Ning: "Nope."

Xue Yuantong proudly says: "Not at all, it’s real money. Jiang Ning and I sold Xiao Ben."

Xue Chuchu glances at Xiao Ben cooling off nearby: "Then it..."

"It just managed to come back by itself." Xue Yuantong happily tosses a piece of shrimp.

Before the shrimp hits the ground, Xiao Ben catches it, crunches it up, Doggy really likes shrimp.

"At 15, earning twenty thousand a day, tell me, how?"

"Thanks to Jiang Ning." Xue Chuchu replies.

Jiang Ning glances at Chuchu, realizing she’s more clear-headed than Tongtong, knowing who the real master of the house is.

Xue Yuantong munches the fish, reminisces: "Who would’ve thought, I, Miss Tong, would experience happy days like these? Ah Ning, how does it feel hanging with me?"

Jiang Ning can’t be bothered with her.

"Ah Chu, what about you?"

Xue Chuchu sets her chopsticks down: "Thanks."

If it weren’t for Aunt Gu introducing a job for her mom, she might still be renting in an old city apartment, her mom still working rotating shifts.

Xue Yuantong takes a sip of coconut water, praises: "This drink is nice."

And right now, An Chan, after a big argument with her parents, wanders out of the rural tourism as if a lost soul.

She keeps walking under the sun, just walking.

If Chen Siyu was around, she would surely say she looks like she’s been ruined.

An Chan is very confused, from childhood to adulthood, her material conditions were never neglected by her family, for example, once she graduated college, they bought her a BMW, and she casually picked one. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Her father appears kind, but never allowed her to resist in key matters.

During college, she intended to apply to another school but was forced into teacher training.

For all major past events, she’s almost never successfully resisted, so this time, can she truly freely be herself?