Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation-Chapter 1672 - 910: Worlds Apart

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, five days have passed.

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Lantern Festival.

In a row of bungalows south of the Huishui River Dam, wisps of smoke rise, swaying in the morning breeze.

In the kitchen, the firewood burns in the stove, Jiang Ning holds a fire hook to control the fire. Xue Yuantong stays close to him, her small cheeks turned fiery red by the firelight, her eyes exceptionally bright.

"Jiang Ning, I’ve heard that in the north they like to eat dumplings during the Lantern Festival, and in the south, they prefer sweet rice balls. So here’s the question, what do we eat in the Central Region?" Xue Yuantong fiddling with her fingers.

Aunt Gu, who was cooking by the clay pot, glanced at her silly daughter and said, "Of course, we eat both."

After speaking, Aunt Gu looked at the pot of sweet rice balls and also threw the dumplings in.

Yes, it’s the custom in the Yuzhou area to cook sweet rice balls and dumplings in the same pot and eat both, no need to fuss.

When the dumplings were almost ready, Aunt Gu said, "Tongtong, go get Chuchu to come and eat."

Tongtong gave him a look and said, "Jiang Ning, you go call her."

Last night the three of them were gaming, playing in the Diamond rank. The two of them were wreaking havoc, but Chuchu was only getting beaten, having a terrible gaming experience.

Chuchu ended with a 0-7 score, pursed her lips, said nothing, claimed she was going to study, and went home alone.

Xue Yuantong nudged Jiang Ning, indicating he should apologize quickly. Surely, Chuchu was disheartened last night and might never play games again.

Jiang Ning thought to himself, Tongtong was overthinking it. She wouldn’t know that after she got home last night, Chuchu secretly checked LOL strategies in bed.

He straightened up and walked to Chuchu’s house, the front door half open.

This was a sign that Hua Fengmei had left. She worked in the company’s purchasing department, was inadequate at her job, and her family was in debt for buying a house. She was a plain person, and the debt weighed heavily on her, so Hua Fengmei worked very hard every day.

Thus, Xue Chuchu was almost always home alone.

Jiang Ning stood at the courtyard gate and called out, "Chuchu."

"I’m here."

Jiang Ning lifted his foot and stepped into the small courtyard. Snow had fallen a few days ago, and today was the day the snow was melting; the courtyard was very cold.

Xue Chuchu, in an oatmeal-colored down jacket, stood there prettily, holding a textbook and reciting English.

Jiang Ning asked, "Why don’t you stay inside where it’s warm?"

"I’m more alert outside," Xue Chuchu replied.

Jiang Ning asked, "Then do you still want to wash your face with cold water?"

Xue Chuchu pursed her lips, glanced at him, and then turned her face away: "I’m not that silly."

Jiang Ning glanced over her outfit today, a mid-length down jacket in a milk tea color.

Jiang Ning exclaimed, "Wow, pretty girl!"

If Xue Chuchu didn’t know his character, she’d think a rogue had entered the village.

’Smooth talker...’ Xue Chuchu thought to herself.

Jiang Ning wondered, "Why haven’t I seen you wear this before?"

Xue Chuchu didn’t have many clothes, and the quantity was about the same as Jiang Ning’s current collection. She rotated only the same few outfits through spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

"A relative bought it," Xue Chuchu said, with a hint of joy at the thought.

Jiang Ning praised, "It looks pretty good."

"But..."

Upon hearing this, Xue Chuchu couldn’t help but be curious.

Jiang Ning smiled broadly, his voice clear: "I always believe that a girl in a black cotton jacket, black skinny jeans, with a pair of white sneakers, and a neat ponytail is the most beautiful, and it’s best without makeup."

’You’re even giving fashion advice...’ Xue Chuchu inwardly mocked.

Moreover, how could a guy understand girls’ fashion?

Thinking this, Xue Chuchu responded coolly, "Where did you learn about fashion, online?"

Jiang Ning silently looked at her, seeing a hint of stubbornness in her eyes, as if she were distancing herself from the world, unable to be rid of it.

Jiang Ning replied, "I saw it the first time I met you."

After saying this, he curled his lips into a smile and walked away.

Behind him, Xue Chuchu was stunned, her eyes filled with flickering light.

’He still remembers?’ She had long forgotten.

...

In the urban area, at a bun shop.

Guo Kunnan, Cui Yu, and Wang Longlong sat inside waiting. The power leveling plan organized by Ma Shicheng greatly deepened their friendship.

Cui Yu yawned occasionally, looking exhausted as if he hadn’t slept well.

A figure ran in from outside.

"Whoa, Brother Quan is here!" Cui Yu called out weakly.

Since Dan Kaiquan started working out, he had made it a habit, running five kilometers every morning without fail.

He had just finished running, with heat rising from his head and effort-induced sweat all over his forehead, making him look quite handsome.

Attracting frequent glances from the bun-selling lady.

Guo Kunnan walked to the steaming bun machine outside the store and shouted, "Boss, let’s have four big meat buns first!"

The bun seller replied, "Alright!"

She lifted the steamer lid and grabbed four steaming hot buns with her bare hands, placing them in a basket.

Dan Kaiquan frowned, finding it very unsanitary!

He immediately stopped her: "Auntie, why don’t you use tongs?"

The lady chuckled, "Oh, the handsome young man cares for me. It’s fine, I don’t mind the heat."

Dan Kaiquan wore a pained expression.

Cui Yu and the others burst into laughter.

After buying buns, they ate in the shop. Wang Longlong asked curiously, "Brother Nan, why are you eating so fast?"

Cui Yu explained, "Brother Long, you don’t get it. Brother Nan has a girlfriend now, and he needs to take her to work later!"

Wang Longlong was dumbfounded: "No way, I haven’t hung out with you guys for a few days, and it feels like years have passed!"

Only Guo Kunnan smiled blissfully.

Dan Kaiquan patted his shoulder, afraid he’d go astray: "Brother Nan, cherish her and don’t mess around."

Upon hearing this, Guo Kunnan gathered his thoughts and solemnly declared, "I’ve deleted all the female friends from my contact list."

Dan Kaiquan took a deep breath, realizing he was already in too deep: "Actually, you don’t have to be so extreme..."

Switching topics from Guo Kunnan, Wang Longlong adopted a gossip-ready stance: "Have you noticed Yu Wen acting strange lately?"

Cui Yu immediately nodded, "Mosquito has been flaunting her gold bracelet, bag, designer clothes, and iPhone 6P every day. Damn!"

Dan Kaiquan added, "And a pair of Bose headphones."

Guo Kunnan was puzzled: "Where are you seeing this?"

Wang Longlong was incredulous: "You didn’t know?"

Dan Kaiquan held back a laugh: "He deleted all his female friends."

There was a moment of silence at the table.

Suddenly, there was a commotion outside, and Wang Longlong glanced over to see the very person they’d been talking about—Yu Wen!

Yu Wen wore exquisite makeup, her lashes perfectly curled, dressed in a luxurious wool coat, carrying an LV bag, exuding an air of affluence.

Yu Wen spotted Wang Longlong and his group, her voice mockingly dismissive, "Oh, you guys are here too."

Dan Kaiquan and the others stared dumbfounded, ’You gotta be kidding me; this is Yu Wen?’

Yu Wen waved her phone without a case and grandiosely told the waiter, "I’ll cover their table’s bill."

The waiter, seeing her grandeur, wouldn’t have thought it was just for a few buns.

Yu Wen sat at a table next to her classmates, and the once prideful Lu Qiqi beside her was like a lowly servant.

Yu Wen spread her fingers, and Wang Longlong noticed she had manicures like long black claws.

Most eye-catching were her large gold bracelet and five gold rings on her fingers, making her seem like a flower of wealth.

Yu Wen glanced sideways, "Qiqi, didn’t your boyfriend say he’d buy you a gold bracelet?"

Lu Qiqi was uneasy, barely managing a response, "He said he’s waiting for gold prices to drop."

Yu Wen, with an elegant expression and a light tone, quipped, "Oh, waiting for what to drop? He’s actually waiting for your value to drop!"

Lu Qiqi could only manage an awkward smile.

Wang Longlong and his friends were bewildered, feeling as if they were in a surreal topsy-turvy world.