Chapter 196: Life Is Like Louis XVI—You Can't See the End

The classroom was brightly lit.

Halfway through the first evening self-study period, Jiang Nian collapsed face-first onto his desk.

He was starving.

Felt like he could eat three whole pigs in one go.

In the afternoon he'd been too busy showing off with his newly acquired skill, got so worked up he forgot to eat.

Xu Qianqian hadn't eaten either, but a girl's stomach can stretch or shrink as needed. On the way she said she wasn't hungry, found some fruit in the fridge, and was full.

Jiang Nian politely declined—fruit just doesn't cut it as a real meal.

He'd tried it once before when he was home alone and his parents had gone back to the countryside. He ate a huge pile of fruit in the afternoon, and by the middle of the night he was so hungry his eyes were glowing green.

There was still half an hour until self-study ended, and he couldn't hold on any longer.

Oh right, does Baby Zhizhi have anything to eat?

The answer was no.

"Snacks make you fat, I haven't dared eat them lately," Zhang Ningzhi explained carefully. "So what do we do, it's still early before self-study ends, are you really hungry?"

"I'm okay, I'll ask someone else," he said.

Jiang Nian looked at Li Hua, reached straight over and dug into his desk cubby.

"Not a single thing to eat—what are you even studying for!"

Li Hua's face went blank, then he used saliva to vigorously rub a bit of black grime off his arm.

"Want a strength pill?"

Jiang Nian opened his mouth, hesitated, then thought better of it.

"Hua, feels like you could find a rich woman and live off her in the future."

Hearing that, a flash of delight crossed Li Hua's face.

"Really? You noticed I'm handsome too?"

Ma Guojun, from across the aisle, had been keeping an eye on the commotion over there early on. He didn't laugh when he saw Li Hua rubbing mud pills bare-handed, but hearing that line he couldn't hold it in.

"Hahaha, you handsome? Hahaha, holy shit."

"What? You can live off a rich woman too?" Li Hua's mouth curved into a hook. "Lao Ma, why are you getting jealous now?"

"Jealous? Holy shit, hahaha." Ma Guojun said it before the discipline monitor called his name. "Jiang Nian means your skin's so damn thick you're not afraid of steel wool."

Li Hua was a little hurt.

He'd played basketball that afternoon, and there were too many people playing at that hour. As expected, he ran into guys who could actually play and loved to show off—truly miserable.

Played for forty minutes, barely touched the ball, but sure worked up a sweat.

Li Hua watched Jiang Nian take cookies from Ma Guojun's hand, and wasn't content to just sit there watching Jiang Nian eat.

He prepared to roll a few more mud pills and stack them by the desk edge, to disgust Jiang-dog.

Jiang Nian saw through Li Hua's plan, pulled out a book to block the view. Out of sight, out of mind—Li Hua's scheme collapsed on the spot and ended in a hasty retreat.

He'd just opened the cookie wrapper and hadn't eaten yet when his back was suddenly tapped.

He turned around and found it was Li Qingrong.

"Class monitor?"

Li Qingrong had at some point extended her hand, making a fist with the palm facing up. She didn't say anything; her fair palm opened to reveal two candies, which landed there lightly.

Then she held it out a bit further, as if asking.

Want some?

Of course he did—the more the better, he was starving.

"Thanks."

Jiang Nian only hesitated a moment before reaching out and taking the candy from Li Qingrong's palm. His fingers inevitably touched her palm—not warm, a little cool.

It reminded him of an ice cream bar, and he kind of wanted

Damn, the hunger was giving him hallucinations.

He took the candy and stole another glance at Li Qingrong. The class monitor still looked the same as ever, not a single change visible on her face—but she really was a good person.

Jiang Nian turned back around and started secretly eating.

Zhang Ningzhi glanced at Jiang Nian, then used the motion of pulling a book from the book basket under her seat. As she turned and bent over, she took the chance to glance at the class monitor in the back row.

The class monitor is cold on the outside but warm on the inside—pretty cute.

As soon as evening self-study ended, Jiang Nian was the first to bolt out of the classroom.

In the classroom, Sun Zhicheng was puffed up with pride.

Ever since he learned that Yang Qiming had been cheated on by his girlfriend, he'd felt an instant sense of relief. Thinking about the few hits he'd taken yesterday, they even felt sweet.

You hitting me did hurt, but your girlfriend probably hurt you more.

They were both moaning out loud.

Hahaha.

Thinking about all this, Sun Zhicheng suddenly stood up like a victorious rooster. He cast a contemptuous glance at Yang Qiming, then walked out of the classroom with a cold laugh.

From a rival's perspective, Yang Qiming was already done for.

He held in his hands a weapon of mass destruction no less powerful than a nuclear bomb, ready to take Yang Qiming out at any moment.

No one props up my blue sky ambition, so I tread through snow to the peak on my own.

He wasn't sure if it was an illusion?

Huang Cailang felt like he'd... gotten fatter lately?

As soon as class ended he looked at Yang Qiming, just about to flash an honest smile. But seeing Yang Qiming just lying face-down on the desk sleeping, he swallowed his words back.

Sigh, Brother Yang's been hurt too deeply.

*Burp*—drank too much water.

Huang Cailang swayed to his feet, ready to go to the bathroom to take a leak.

He had just reached the back door of the classroom when he suddenly heard Dong Wensong bragging over there, and happened to be talking about the Crystal Shrimp Dumplings. He couldn't help but stop in his tracks, thinking to himself, this one I know well.

After all, he had just eaten them last night; the taste was still fresh in his memory.

"The taste is alright, I guess. Once you have more than two, it gets a bit cloying."

Hearing that, Dong Wensong froze.

He couldn't help but look toward the source of the voice, and saw only Huang Cailang's goofy, simple face.

"You've eaten them too?"

The stuff wasn't actually that expensive, but the price wasn't exactly friendly for a student. Especially coming out of Huang Cailang's mouth, it sounded all the more absurd.

"I've had them. The taste was pretty average." Huang Cailang grinned foolishly.

Some people bring joy to others wherever they go—social butterflies like Li Hua and Yao Beibei, for instance. And then there are people who only bring joy to others once they're gone.

Dong Wensong, for example.

"Cailang, you're doing pretty well for yourself, huh? Even eating Crystal Shrimp Dumplings?" Dong Wensong scratched his head, sizing Huang Cailang up with a pair of bull-like eyes. "The real Crystal Shrimp Dumplings?"

"The frozen kind, probably. They sell them all the time at the supermarket. A few bucks a pack. Honestly, the taste—not even a dog would eat it."

"No, the handmade Crystal Shrimp Dumplings, twenty or thirty yuan a serving." Huang Cailang knew what Dong Wensong was getting at, but still said with a grin, "The taste is average."

"Not bad, you really did eat them. Skipped a meal today, huh?" Dong Wensong laughed loudly. "That stuff's seriously expensive. I don't think it's worth it either—no point eating it."

Huang Cailang nodded in agreement.

"Ate till I was stuffed, almost threw up."

Dong Wensong's face reddened a bit; he scratched his ears and cheeks in embarrassment.

"Ah, well, that's quite a lot then. But honestly, it's no use. Thirty yuan for just a few pieces—once you eat them, they barely fill your stomach."

"Yeah, yeah." Huang Cailang grinned foolishly. "Over a hundred yuan, all wasted. I'm never eating that stuff again in my life—I'm practically traumatized."

Dong Wensong had nothing to say. He rubbed his palms together, stubbornly staying silent.

Seeing that, Huang Cailang left the classroom.

The night breeze blew past, and his heart suddenly felt refreshed.

He thought to himself, Bro Yang is really something—spending over a hundred yuan on Crystal Shrimp Dumplings in one go. With that kind of money, he's still so low-key in class, and so devoted on top of it.

He hadn't failed the mission—he'd helped Bro Yang show off a little.

Thinking of this, Huang Cailang puffed out his chest slightly.

He didn't expect to lock eyes with Sun Zhicheng, who was casually enjoying the breeze in the hallway. Both sides awkwardly froze, then silently looked away.

Sun Zhicheng glanced at Huang Cailang, thinking, Isn't this Yang Qiming's lapdog?

Huang Cailang withdrew his gaze, thinking to himself that he couldn't get along too harmoniously with anyone who didn't get along with Bro Yang. So he stared straight ahead and marched stiffly toward the bathroom.

Zhou Yuting had just come back from the bathroom and ran into Yu Tongjie on the way.

She didn't dare greet him at all, so she could only lower her head and hurry past. Only after reaching the classroom door did she quietly let out a sigh of relief.

After moving up a class, things hadn't gotten better the way she'd expected.

Instead, life felt like Louis XVI—neither having a head nor seeing an end.

She sat back down at her seat, glanced at Yang Qiming sprawled out, and couldn't help but roll her eyes.

Bro Gloom has switched up his act again. What's it this time—a breakup?

Or is he the one getting hurt by some heartless girl?

Are these scam routines really this outdated? Still pulling the ten-year-old "play the breakup card for sympathy," opening and closing every sentence with "ex-girlfriend"—what era is this?

So annoying. Surrounded by a bunch of weirdos, never a single peaceful day.

The class bell rang.

Jiang Nian was five minutes late to the classroom, still carrying a bottle of Sprite in his hand. Seeing no teacher, he went straight in, returned to his seat, and was just about to say something.

The homeroom teacher, Old Liu, suddenly arrived and announced the list of students receiving the poverty subsidy.

Wrong title.