Chapter 123

Chapter 123: Journey to Jiangcheng

After four hours of travel, the group finally arrived in Jiangcheng.

To Lin You Xi, this bustling city was both unfamiliar and intriguing. Along the way, she kept her eyes glued to the window, watching the city’s scenery pass by.

Seeing this, Xia Yuan gently patted Lin You Xi’s shoulder. “Is this your first time in Jiangcheng, You Xi?”

Lin You Xi nodded. “It is.”

After all, because her father was busy with work, she had only been taken to Xunyang City in the neighboring province a few times.

Her words conveyed a deep sense of longing and unease.

Xia Yuan leaned closer to Lin You Xi and whispered something to her. Although it was unclear what they discussed, it ended with Lin You Xi nodding in agreement.

Xia Xun reserved three adjacent double rooms at a budget hotel near Jiangcheng No. 1 High School.

Mei Lijun parked his car and went to the room he shared with Mei Fang, then began complaining after putting down his luggage. “I should have just gone with Old Xia. His SUV has seven seats; it could have easily fit everyone. Why didn’t we use the back seats?”

“Then you’d have a chance to drive it too, right Dad?”

“Yeah… It wouldn’t be so tiring if we took turns driving!”

“If you like that car so much, maybe Mom will buy one for you next time.”

“Cough, cough… What are you thinking? We just got our Dai Zhong car recently. We don’t have the money for luxury cars.”

“Dad, not being able to afford one is the best!”

Mei Lijun had been working in his unit for years and was quite skilled at handling people emotionally. He knew exactly what Mei Fang meant and laughed as he ruffled his hair.

“You little rascal… always hinting at your dad.”

Compared to their first meeting after his rebirth, Mei Lijun, who had worked hard in Baidu City for several years, had become much more mature and composed.

Though he still occasionally faced criticism from his family, he was now an associate bureau chief, and everyone was willing to give him face.

After unpacking, Mei Lijun flopped onto the bed, looking drowsy.

“Took me days to finish my work so I could come here with you for the exam. Your dad has been swamped with overtime.”

“Even the second-in-command works so hard!”

“It’s because I’m the second-in-command that I need to work harder. When you grow up and become a small leader or middle manager, you’ll understand this responsibility and effort.”

“Mmm… I don’t want to. I want to be the top boss directly.”

“Well, study hard now, get into Jiangcheng No. 1 High School, and I’ll have more face at work.”

“Do you really need me to earn face for you? Besides the director, who doesn’t respect you—”

Before Mei Lijun could finish, he started snoring deeply.

He had indeed been working very hard lately…

But being exhausted from working until nine every night would make his son, who used to work until two in the morning in his previous life, even more concerned.

Mei Fang’s door was knocked on. When he opened it, he saw Lin You Xi and Xia Yuan, who were already packed.

“Tell Uncle Mei that we’re going downstairs for roast duck later.”

“My dad is too tired and needs to rest first.”

“In that case, can we wait for Uncle Mei to rest?”

“No need, we’ll eat first and bring some back for him.”

Xia Xun, acting as the host, invited everyone for roast duck and reserved a private room ahead of time.

Although roast duck wasn’t anything special nowadays, it was rare in ChuBei Province back then. The reputation of Quanjude in the capital was well-known, making it highly desirable.

Even in Bai Mei County, there wasn’t a single roast duck restaurant in the entire Bai Zhou City. Only in Jiangcheng could one experience this unique northern delicacy. This was why Xia Xun decided to have roast duck as their first meal in Jiangcheng.

Although he was worried about the concept of super energy, Xia Xun didn’t want to interfere with his daughter’s preparation for the exam, so he would ask her about it later.

“The uncle ordered some dishes earlier. Do you kids want to add anything?”

“I want! I want!”

Xia Yuan took the menu and confidently ordered her favorite golden and silver steamed buns and some snacks. Then she passed the menu to Lin You Xi.

“Have Xi Xi take a look and see if we need anything else?”

“I’m fine… whatever is good,” Lin You Xi waved her hand. “We can order more if we’re still hungry.”

“What about Fang?”

“I don’t need anything. Let Aunt Liang take a look.”

Liang Meijuan shook her head frantically. “Such a fancy place, I don’t know what to order. Just pick something for me.”

“Don’t worry, it’s not that fancy. It’s just nearby.”

“Then let Xi Xi choose. As long as the kids enjoy their meal.”

Lin You Xi seemed a bit uneasy while waiting for the roast duck to arrive. Xia Xun, who had high emotional intelligence, noticed that someone hadn’t eaten roast duck before and explained how to eat it after it was served.

“First, hold the lotus leaf pancake with your left hand, pick up a few slices of roast duck, dip them in sweet bean sauce, add some scallion and cucumber strips, then roll it up. You can start by folding the sides, then the bottom. Don’t worry about using your hands; just roll it up and eat it.”

After hearing Xia Xun’s explanation, Lin You Xi tried to follow along but struggled with rolling the pancake. She often rolled it incorrectly.

Mei Fang stepped in and showed her how to do it properly, and Lin You Xi eventually managed to eat comfortably.

However, Liang Meijuan looked awkward and clumsy. After several failed attempts, she simply picked up the roast duck and dipped it in the sauce.

“Auntie, let me show you.”

Lin You Xi walked Liang Meijuan through the process, and once Liang Meijuan rolled a piece, she handed it to Lin You Xi.

“No, no, Auntie, you eat it yourself.”

“Auntie, you’ve already had one. Try this one. You eat it…”

In the end, Liang Meijuan couldn’t resist Lin You Xi’s insistence. Lin You Xi continued to make roast duck rolls for Liang Meijuan, and Xia Xun chimed in:

“Don’t be shy, if you need more, I can order more.”

Xia Yuan leaned over to Mei Fang’s ear, “Did you notice how much better the relationship between Xi Xi and Aunt Liang has gotten?”

“Mm-hm, they are family now…”

Lin You Xi was a stubborn child. Despite Liang Meijuan’s care over the past year, “mom” remained a title reserved for the gravestone in the third row on the right side of the third column in the Heavenly Cemetery.

There was no need to force her to change. Let things be natural.

After finishing the roast duck, they packed some sweet and sour pork for Mei Lijun, who was just waking up. After Mei Lijun ate, they rested for a while in the room before heading out to tour the campus.

With the school’s permission, they wandered around the campus of Jiangcheng No. 1 High School. The facilities, the vast campus, and the beautiful environment were beyond what Xia Yuan, Lin You Xi, and even Mei Fang could imagine.

Besides regular teaching buildings, Jiangcheng No. 1 High School also had a science and technology building specifically for experiments. The sports facilities were described as a “complex,” including outdoor courts, a track field, indoor ball courts, swimming pools, tennis courts, and badminton courts.

The library at Jiangcheng No. 1 High School had a collection rivaling that of smaller universities. Additionally, they had an arts center featuring exhibitions, galleries, a grand hall capable of seating 1,500 people, and four lecture halls. Art students had special areas and exhibition spaces for their talents.

“This… Is this really a high school? It feels like a university! There’s even a swimming pool! It’s amazing!” Xia Yuan exclaimed with envy. “This seems like such a great place to study! What do you think, You Xi?”

Lin You Xi’s determination grew stronger. “We must get into this school.”

“Then let’s cheer each other on!”

Xia Yuan and Lin You Xi stretched out their hands, waiting for Mei Fang to join them.

“Alright, alright, I’ll join in.”

Just as Mei Fang reached out, Xia Yuan grabbed his hand.

“Hold on, Fang, put your hand in the middle.”

“There are rules for this…?”

“Cheer! Cheer! Cheer! We must get in!”

The specialized recruitment exams for cultural subjects started tomorrow, and Xia Yuan would take the art specialty test the day after.

Although the journey in Jiangcheng was tight, they had prepared extensively and would not let their efforts go to waste.

Damn, it’s already past the deadline! This chapter counts as yesterday’s update. Regular updates will resume at 12:00 PM and 6:30 PM today.

(End of Chapter)