Chapter 211: One Bite of Braised Pork Turns Your Guts, Eat It and You Won

Three minutes before afternoon dismissal, Old Liu let them go back from the office.

"You two best watch yourselves!"

"Next time I catch you, it won't just be standing in the office."

Jiang Nian responded respectfully, "Alright, Teacher, goodbye."

Li Hua was frantic, utterly defeated.

Fuck, do you even have shame?!

You dog-asshole sat on your chair the whole time, watching me stand and get chewed out. You didn't suffer a single bit—everything fell on me, born like this, born like this!

As soon as they stepped out of the office, Li Hua grabbed Jiang Nian.

He yanked Jiang Nian's collar, his face flushed red.

"You piece of shit, is your dad the principal? Fuck, Old Liu's so low he'd die for you—he just chewed me out from head to toe!"

"Tsk, you're getting worked up," Jiang Nian smiled, brushing his hand away.

Li Hua really was flustered.

Several girls were circling Jiang Nian—he didn't care. He'd been alive long enough to be utterly disillusioned with this stupid, looks-obsessed world.

The truth was, boys with average looks but charisma could only attract fake Nantong girls.

All day long they'd be rehearsing the Heimlich pregnancy technique in class, shoving their thick tits around.

The big-chested beauties dragged over? All sucked up by good-looking bastards.

But!

Old Liu was still hovering around Jiang Nian, and Li Hua couldn't understand why.

Had Jiang Nian witnessed a murder?

The moment the two stepped into the classroom, dismissal began.

Jiang Nian wasn't in a rush to grab food—he planned to eat at the dorm cafeteria in the afternoon.

First, he liked to spread his luck around—did the cafeteria staff even like Brother's meal card? Come on, speak up, do you like Brother's big meal card?!

Second, the dorm cafeteria was less crowded in the afternoon, and the food was solid.

The only downside? It was too far.

Jiang Nian wasn't short on time; occasionally, he could stroll slowly over for a meal and return.

As for wasting study time? Nonsense. Once his grades neared Li Hua's level, chasing quantitative change into qualitative leap meant nothing unless he had forty-eight hours a day—more grinding wouldn't help.

Besides, Qing Bao had already mapped out his learning path—he'd already burned out the "academic prodigy" version.

Now it was the technique phase: light strokes, slow twists, gentle presses, delicate plucks.

As for results? Let the city-wide joint exam at month's end judge them.

Students streamed out of the classroom; Jiang Nian walked against the flow, heading in.

He wanted a drink before eating—he'd been dragged out during afternoon self-study. Two sips of hot tea in the office only made him thirstier.

Before he reached his seat, someone grabbed him.

He turned to find Chen Yunyun; she smiled, then asked calmly.

"Where are you eating this afternoon?"

"Dorm cafeteria. Why?"

"Perfect, let's go together—it's on the way," Chen Yunyun's eyes curved, "Wang Yuhe and I are heading back to the dorm to get water, just like before, okay?"

Jiang Nian thought it fine—eating with Chen Yunyun and Wang Yuhe was more fun than eating alone, and maybe he could win a few pieces of meat from the little kids before the meal.

Three benefits in one—he'd won big.

"Sure, let me grab a drink first."

"Okay," Chen Yunyun chirped, "We'll go out and wait for you in the hallway."

"Mm."

Jiang Nian returned to his seat and found Zhang Nengzhi hadn't left—he gulped water loudly, then sighed contentedly.

"Aren't you going to eat after dismissal?"

Zhang Nengzhi glanced at him, softly.

"You're in such a hurry to eat? How thoughtful of you."

Jiang Nian froze. "What?"

"Nothing. Go eat," Zhang Nengzhi muttered, leaning on her desk to do homework, "I'll write a bit longer, eat a little later."

She wasn't actually upset—just a little envious. She'd been in this class for a month and a half, and she'd made fewer friends than Jiang Nian had in a single day.

Everyone knew.

In high school classes, relationships clustered into small groups—each clique stuck with its own. A few popular ones could wander around, snacking on sunflower seeds.

The Olympiad class was no different.

There wasn't outright hostility between cliques, but they never truly mingled. At most, they exchanged a few words or occasional small talk.

Since Jiang Nian arrived, everything changed.

No matter which clique, everyone got along with him. His inclusiveness was extreme—he'd even become a bridge between cliques.

She'd asked Yao Beibei.

Jiang Nian was the only one who'd pulled this off—without even trying.

It was deeply unreasonable.

Usually, the more friends someone had, the fewer close friends they kept. But Jiang Nian didn't just gain friends—he seemed to effortlessly assimilate everyone.

In truth, Jiang Nian never deliberately made friends or invested much effort in them. He simply stayed real—helped when needed, didn't obsess over short-term gains or losses.

Because he had too many friends—he was the ultimate socialite, beyond even the socialites.

Zhang Ningzhi watched Jiang Nian and Chen Yunyun chatting and making plans to eat together, and felt a tiny pang of jealousy, like watching a cat sneaking a bite.

Seeing this, Jiang Nian laughed.

He leaned down to see if Zhang Ningzhi was actually doing homework. Just as he was about to sneak a peek, Zhang Ningzhi turned her head toward the wall, refusing to "sell her sword."

Jiang Nian let out a "ha," and felt a little regret.

"Oh right, want me to bring you a piece of liqueur-filled chocolate later?"

Zhang Ningzhi stayed slumped over the desk, hesitating for a moment. Her voice came out muffled, with a slightly sulky tone.

"No."

"Then forget it, if you won't eat it I'll give it to Li Hua." Jiang Nian made as if to get up.

Suddenly, Zhang Ningzhi sprang up from the desk, turning her head with bright, eager eyes.

"Then I'll take it. Giving it to the group leader would be a waste."

"Hahaha, Li Hua's going to shriek again when he hears this." Jiang Nian laughed heartily, "Fine, I won't give it to Li Hua. Letting him eat it would be a crime against nature."

"Okay." Zhang Ningzhi's purple-grape-like eyes curved into a smile.

The smile hadn't yet faded from Jiang Nian's face when he was about to say something.

Suddenly, a ding rang in his mind.

A translucent quest panel popped up, showing the quest was complete.

He froze.

He just turned to look at Zhang Ningzhi—her emotions had been so cautious. Without even realizing it, she'd already gone through a roller-coaster of ups and downs.

"What's wrong?" Zhang Ningzhi asked curiously.

"Oh, nothing." Jiang Nian said cheerfully, "I was thinking I'd ask around later to see if there's any durian-filled liqueur chocolate—you like durian, right?"

"Does something like that even exist?" Zhang Ningzhi asked curiously.

"Let's look around, if there isn't then forget it."

"Okay."

Dormitory area, outside the washroom.

Jiang Nian watched Chen Yunyun and Wang Yuhe head off with their thermos flasks to get water, then leisurely pulled out his phone and glanced at a text—five thousand yuan had been deposited.

The good thing about money is, aside from everything that can't be bought, it can buy anything.

For example, giving Mom a two-thousand-yuan bag doesn't mean she can only afford a two-thousand-yuan bag. It's that two thousand yuan has better value for money—tomorrow she might go straight for LV. What can a two-thousand-yuan bag bring?

Everything except two thousand yuan less in your pocket. Honestly, it's a light-luxury item, at least enough to earn her a little face in her small work circle.

The bag isn't outrageously expensive, nor is it showing off wealth.

Jiang Nian still remembered when he was little and got sick, Mom would cup his face and kiss him over and over. Then she'd take him to buy something tasty, and somehow the illness would just vanish.

Back then, he'd said that when he grew up he'd treat Mom to an entire street of good food.

Thinking about it now, it still feels a little childish.

People grow up after all—you can't pull off the same affectionate gestures from childhood. There's no need to stage some cringey performance to break the current "despised by all" dynamic.

He casually browsed a shopping app and bought a few small storage organizers his room needed.

As for why he doesn't buy things for his parents—it's enough to just keep it in your heart. If he kept doing cringey stuff, buying bags and bracelets, going all out sucking up—

He'd just get reasonably suspected by Mom of having knocked up some schoolgirl.

If things couldn't be covered up, he'd play the filial card out of guilt to rack up goodwill.

Anyway, no need.

After a while, Chen Yunyun and Wang Yuhe came out. They set their thermos flasks against the wall, the two girls' flasks leaning together.

"Let's go."

"Alright, upstairs VIP booth—" Jiang Nian cut himself off mid-sentence, coughed, his smile a bit awkward, "Not a great phrase, just slipped out."

Chen Yunyun was already used to it and didn't react.

"Maybe there won't be many people, wonder what they're cooking today."

"As long as it's not a radish convention, I'm not too picky." Jiang Nian said nonchalantly, spreading his hands, "I'm going with the chicken leg rice, what about you guys?"

"Celery, or maybe tofu, not sure if they have it." Chen Yunyun hesitated.

"I want braised pork." Wang Yuhe said.

Jiang Nian paused, looking at her.

"Who asked you?"

"You!!" Wang Yuhe instantly bristled, her vocabulary running low, unable to win the argument, tears welling in her eyes, "Can't I ask myself?!"

"Yuhe, ignore him." Chen Yunyun comforted her, then cast a rather resentful glance at Jiang Nian, "You too, stop bullying her all the time."

Jiang Nian laughed out loud, not taking it to heart.

Bullying an elementary schooler on my own merits—so what? Any problem? No problem.

The three went up to the second floor; only three or four people were in line at the serving window. While waiting in line, Jiang Nian glanced over—all three dishes they mentioned were available.

The dorm cafeteria was performing consistently—its reputation was genuinely solid.

Jiang Nian got the chicken leg rice, but was craving the braised pork. He turned and looked—a heaping spoonful lay on the elementary schooler's stainless steel tray. The lunch lady probably liked the dumb ones.

Or maybe it was because there weren't many people in the afternoon, but either way she'd given Wang Yuhe a huge scoop of braised pork.

The sauce-drenched braised pork immediately drew Jiang Nian's gaze. If you mixed that with rice and took a bite, your insides would flip—eat it all and you'd drop dead on the spot.

Damn, gotta find a way to get a bite.

"What's wrong?" Chen Yunyun noticed him spacing out and asked curiously.

"N-nothing." Jiang Nian wanted a bite but kept his composure, glancing at Chen Yunyun's tray, "Why are you eating so plain?"

"Short on cash? Swipe my card."

"No, no, it's not that." Chen Yunyun looked a bit embarrassed, pressed her lips together and looked elsewhere. "I feel like I've gained a little weight recently and want to lose some."

"You're not fat, where's the fat? Let me see." Jiang Nian wouldn't leave the window where he got his chopsticks, circling around Chen Yunyun, looking her up and down, left and right.

Chen Yunyun covered her face, feeling utterly mortified.

"Stop looking, I'm fat anyway, let's go, let's go, time to eat."

At this, Jiang Nian expressed slight regret.

Perfunctory — in the end, the feelings have faded.

I'm a seller of electronic scales — where's the fat? Just reach out and feel, and you'll know.

After taking their seats.

Jiang Nian sat facing the two girls. Wang Yuhe stared at the braised pork and swallowed her saliva. Chen Yunyun stared at Jiang Nian. Jiang Nian slanted his gaze at Wang Yuhe's braised pork.

"Ahem, Wang Yuhe, want to make a bet?"

"Hmm?" She was just about to eat, and hearing this she couldn't help looking up. "What bet?"

Jiang Nian picked up a fallen disposable chopstick from the table behind him.

He pointed at the black trash can half the cafeteria away and spoke.

"Do you believe I can throw this chopstick into that trash can?"

Wang Yuhe glanced at the chopstick in Jiang Nian's hand, then at the trash can ten meters away. After doing some mental calculations, she shook her head.

"I don't believe it."

"Alright then, if I throw this chopstick into the trash can while sitting here." Jiang Nian smiled, his true intentions finally revealed. "Then your whole plate of braised pork is mine. How about it?"

Wang Yuhe frowned, reluctant to part with the braised pork, but also not believing Jiang Nian could make the throw.

"And if you lose?"

Jiang Nian smiled faintly, coaxing.

"Nothing to say — the drumstick is yours."

Chen Yunyun instinctively sensed something was off and tried to dissuade them.

"Stop messing around, you two."

Wang Yuhe stared at the drumstick on Jiang Nian's plate, hesitated a moment, then nodded.

"It's a deal!"

The moment she finished speaking, Jiang Nian flicked his wrist.

The disposable bamboo chopstick spun in the air, tracing a parabola, and landed neatly in the black trash can.

At that moment, the whole table fell silent.

Wang Yuhe's little face first froze in a daze, then quickly fell.

Because she realized that this shameless Jiang Nian — before the chopstick he'd thrown had even landed, he had already grabbed chopsticks and started picking up her braised pork with his hands.

"You!!! You cheated!"

"Hey, can't afford to lose?" Jiang Nian had already picked up a piece of braised pork.

"Wuu wuu wuu, I beg you, stop eating." Wang Yuhe immediately burst into tears.

Jiang Nian ate even more happily — this was the correct way to use a trivial skill.

The smaller the ability, the smaller the responsibility.

Chen Yunyun covered her face, unable to face the gazes of passersby, and volunteered.

"Stop bullying her, I'll share some of my dishes with you."

Jiang Nian looked up and let out an "ah."

"I don't eat vegetables."

In reality, Jiang Nian was only teasing Wang Yuhe. After eating two or three pieces of braised pork, he stopped — didn't take the whole plate from her, left her half.

He also shared a bit of drumstick with her, which finally coaxed the little girl from tears to laughter.

Chen Yunyun spent the entire meal thoroughly embarrassed. She could only silently comfort herself: this was my own choice, my own choice, can't blame anyone.

Evening.

Back in the classroom, Zhang Ningzhi was not there.

Jiang Nian took out the three liqueur chocolates he'd bought from his pocket, lined them up on her desk in order. Then he sat down, took a sip of water, and opened the quest panel.

Inside lay quietly a memory fragment like a rhombus-shaped crystal (virtual item).

(End of chapter)