Chapter 74: Chapter 72 Lord Dumpling Can’t Read
"Zhou Li, what are you daydreaming about?"
"I’m considering whether to switch to the girls’ company from the Foreign Languages Institute tomorrow," Zhou Li said, looking off into the distance.
"The girls from the Foreign Languages Institute are really popular. During breaks, several boys’ companies compete to hang out with them." Brother Nan followed his gaze towards the other end of the soccer field. "We’re the worst off; now no boys’ company dares to play with us."
"My fault."
"Not blaming you." Brother Nan waved her hand dismissively. "By the way, why didn’t you teach singing today?"
"My throat’s hoarse."
"Fake!"
"Seems a bit overused."
"I’ve realized that your greatest skill is telling blatant lies with your eyes wide open!" Brother Nan said while eating an ice cream. She and Zhou Li had used the excuse of going to the bathroom to sneak off to the convenience store for ice creams. From a distance, the intermittent sound of choral singing drifted over.
"Your roommate’s singing is on par with mine, but you sang better yesterday," Brother Nan remarked.
"Flatter him a bit later," Zhou Li suggested.
"Why, though?"
"He lacks confidence."
"Alright then." Brother Nan nodded. After all, Zhou Li had gone out on a limb for her yesterday, and as ’Big Brother,’ she couldn’t refuse to help with something so small.
"I’m finished." Zhou Li tossed away the ice cream stick.
"Why did you eat so fast!" Brother Nan fished out five yuan from her pocket. "Go buy another one."
"Oh."
Zhou Li looked up.
Huai Xu was squatting in the tree, eyes wide and eager.
What a fine Demon, reduced to acting like a dog by his cravings.
Zhou Li bought another yogurt pudding and also brought back a bottle of water for Little Cousin. After eating, he and Brother Nan walked back to the formation, one after the other.
The singing lesson had just ended, and the instructor announced a break, so Zhou Li went to sit in the shade to cool off.
Chang Xiaoxiang approached and asked, "How did I sing?"
"Very well."
"Brother Nan, what do you think?"
"Better than me."
"Hehe."
"I’ll teach ’Green Flowers in the Army’ tomorrow," Zhou Li said. "And there’s ’Returning from Shooting Practice’ the day after. How about I give you the chance to lead those instead, okay?"
"Deal! I owe you big time!"
"I should be the one thanking you."
"PFFT!"
A laugh echoed from the side. Zhou Li turned his head and glanced fleetingly at Brother Nan, who immediately adopted a serious demeanor. Once Chang Xiaoxiang was gone, she sidled closer to Zhou Li and said, "So that was your plan!"
"What plan?"
"Damn it! And to think I ended up being your accomplice!"
"What are you talking about..."
"Zhou Li, at first, I thought you were really innocent and that everyone bullied you," Brother Nan said, completely ignoring him. "But now I’ve realized you’re sly as hell! Starting today, I have to watch out for you!"
"Don’t talk nonsense."
Zhou Li turned his head away.
The break was brief, basically just enough for a bathroom run. Their sweat hadn’t even dried before the whistle blew, calling them back to formation.
Huai Xu mumbled beside Zhou Li, "I want ice cream too, classic ice pops, and yogurt pudding..."
Zhou Li paid him no attention.
The instructor stood before the formation and explained, "Today we’re going to learn the goose step. This movement requires larger steps, so it will be much more tiring than marching in step. I know you’re lazy, but I’m even lazier, so make sure you pay attention while learning so we can all suffer less! Got it?"
"Got it!"
"Let me demonstrate the movements..."
A thundering sound of marching feet filled the soccer field.
Huai Xu wasn’t idle either. He either sat in the trees watching everyone train, came down to mimic the company commander’s movements, or joined in the laughter when someone marched with their arm and leg on the same side moving together, or mixed up their left and right.
Sometimes he also glanced over at the company at the edge of the field.
Li Daimao was running laps again—
This was because she always asked to go to the bathroom, doing so ten or so times a day. The female company commander liked her but couldn’t indulge her incessantly. But denying her request was also pointless; ice cream couldn’t be forsaken. One could, however, punish her when she returned from eating. Li Daimao never shirked her punishment, nor would she ever hit the company commander—you could make her run laps. No matter how many, she would run them, just slowly, slacking off, and occasionally disappearing for a while. This not only delayed her own training but also affected other companies. Or you could punish her by making her stand at attention or do duck waddles; she’d have to find a shady spot for that. Or you could even punish her with hundreds of squats, all of which she’d accept cheerfully.
You didn’t need to worry about exhausting her, as she’d rest on her own when tired. Afterward, she’d still greet you with a smile and a laugh.
Five days in, the female company commander had become numb to it all.
Huai Xu thought it was hilarious.
The morning passed quickly.
Brother Nan hadn’t completed her twenty laps yet. Laughing, she greeted the company commander, "Sister Xiangxiang, I still have eight laps to go. I’ll continue this afternoon, okay?"
The female company commander just rolled her eyes at her.
Brother Nan scanned the crowd and quickly spotted Zhou Li. She hurried over with Baozi in tow. "Zhou Li, we’re thinking of trying something different at Yuwai Hall today. Are you coming?"
"I am."
So the three of them went to Yuwai Hall.
Zhou Li ordered a serving of potato braised pork, a dish of sautéed phoenix tail, and sixty fen worth of rice.
Brother Nan got a bowl of stewed meat rice noodles and a duck leg. She told Zhou Li, "Our school’s rice noodles have been featured in the news. They’re 2.2 yuan, and I’ve heard the price hasn’t gone up in years. I tried Zhiwei Hall’s yesterday, and it was quite good. You should try it sometime too."
Zhou Li nodded in agreement.
Baozi also came over with her tray and sat down. She had only two vegetarian dishes and said to Zhou Li, "My aunt called us yesterday. My dad wants to know if you’re coming over for a meal after military training is over?"
"I’ll think about it," Zhou Li replied.
"He’s very thin-skinned," Brother Nan said, then looked at Baozi’s plate. "Military training is so exhausting; is this all you’re eating?"
"I think it’s quite tasty," Baozi replied.
"I thought you’d love meat."
"Why?"
"Look at your face, it’s so chubby."
"...It’s natural."
"HMPH!"
After lunch, Brother Nan took them for a stroll behind the basketball courts to a large rose garden. It wasn’t until Little Cousin started to feel drowsy from the meal that the three of them headed back.
POOF! Huai Xu suddenly appeared next to Zhou Li and exclaimed, "The meals at your school are so cheap!"
"Does it make a difference to you?" Zhou Li glanced at the oil at the corner of his mouth. "You haven’t even wiped your mouth clean."
"Of course it does!!"
"What?"
"The cheaper it is, the less guilty I feel!"
"You feel guilt?" Zhou Li was surprised.
"I do!" Huai Xu said earnestly, then he sniffed. "I smell Tuanzi. Strange, hasn’t she been living on the other side recently?"
"Has she come back?"
"Most likely."
Zhou Li then followed Huai Xu and came up behind a few girls. Ahead, on a flower bed, sat a beautiful little cat. Next to the cat were two individually wrapped, loose mooncakes, stacked together.
"So cute!"
"It’s gorgeous!"
"Who gave it these mooncakes? That’s so sweet!"
"Snatch the mooncakes to teach it the cruelty of the human heart!"
All they could hear were the upperclasswomen’s voices. One of them, wearing a short skirt, was crouching beside the little cat, gently stroking its head.
The little cat twisted away but didn’t run off.
When the upperclasswoman stopped petting, the little cat extended a small paw, gently placed it on her hand, and looked up at her, meowing softly. It effortlessly made all the onlooking upperclasswomen’s eyes sparkle.
Someone suggested they should take the cat home and raise it.
At that moment, the little cat noticed Zhou Li and Huai Xu.
"MEOW~~"
The upperclasswomen also turned their heads, following the cat’s gaze to Zhou Li, who was still in his military training uniform. They paused, surprised.
"They’re smitten," Huai Xu commented.
Zhou Li walked straight up to Tuanzi, crouched down, and asked, "How did you end up here?"
"Lord Dumpling was, of course, waiting for you two here."
"I live in that building over there."
"I see. No wonder Lord Dumpling waited all morning and didn’t see you."
"Only female students come and go around here. You should be able to tell the difference, right?" Zhou Li inspected Tuanzi closely and noticed she looked a bit different from when she left; her fur had grown longer and whiter, and her features were even more delicate.
"Besides, we were at military training all morning," Huai Xu added.
"You, a Demon, also have to do military training?"
"I do."
"Deceiving Lord Dumpling is a grave sin."
"Where did these come from?" Zhou Li pointed to the two mooncakes, timely interrupting their brewing argument.
"Lord Dumpling knows the festival is approaching and specially brought these for you two, one for each of you." Tuanzi nudged the mooncakes toward Zhou Li with a paw. "It was such a long journey; I’m exhausted."
"Thank you for your trouble," Zhou Li said.
"Did you steal them?" Huai Xu asked curiously.
"They were offerings from mortals to Lord Dumpling!" Tuanzi declared solemnly.
"People wouldn’t give a cat this, would they?"
"Shut up!"
"Sure thing!"
"Take these. Also, Lord Dumpling doesn’t want to walk anymore. Carry me upstairs for my afternoon nap."
"..."
Zhou Li pocketed the mooncakes and picked her up.
The girls behind them, full of curiosity, hurriedly said, "Hey, junior, is this cat yours?"
"Yes."
"It can even talk to you!" one upperclasswoman exclaimed. "But isn’t it troublesome to keep a cat during military training? I love this cat so much! How about we make a deal? We can exchange contact information, and when it’s inconvenient for you, you can let me take care of it. Don’t worry, I promise our entire dorm will pitch in to raise her until she’s plump and healthy!"
"Zhou Li, Li Daimao is cuter than her," Huai Xu chimed in.
"No need," Zhou Li said, filtering out Huai Xu’s words and tactfully refusing. "I let her roam free."
"Aren’t you afraid she’ll get lost? How do you manage her?"
She’s about to ask you to share your experience, Huai Xu guessed.
"I’m not worried."
Zhou Li quickened his pace and left.
Huai Xu laughed behind him. "HAHAHA! It seems good-looking guys really are more attractive to them!"
Zhou Li still ignored him and looked down at Tuanzi. "Don’t get lost again."
"It’s all your fault for making all the buildings look the same."
"I live in Building 4, Room 502."
"Don’t try to fathom the noble Lord Dumpling with your mortal mind!" Tuanzi squirmed in his arms, tickling him.
"I see."
"Also, for the Mid-Autumn Festival, Lord Dumpling wants to eat shad, preferably wild-caught. You two figure something out."
"Wild shad have been extinct for a long time."
"That’s why I’m telling you to figure something out."
"..."