Two girls, dressed very plainly, or perhaps shabbily, walked in, each holding a lunchbox.
Upon seeing the others, their faces showed more awkwardness and unease.
Chu Yue and the others had found their attire a bit strange when they first saw them earlier that day.
It was a style from a few years ago; hardly anyone in the city wore such clothes now.
In recent years, clothing styles had become much more diverse.
Such unfashionable red plaid shirts and blue pants were rarely seen.
However, Su Xiaotian didn't find it particularly strange when she first saw them.
She had returned to Nanling Village during this holiday break, where many people dressed like that.
"Xiaotian, these are our two roommates who arrived this afternoon," Dong Yan'an said with a smile, introducing them to Su Xiaotian.
The others had been in the dormitory this afternoon and had met these two.
"Hello, my name is Li Jianhong," one of the girls said, nervously rubbing her hands.
The other was even more direct, softly uttering just three words.
"Qian Xiaobei."
Su Xiaotian understood that this meant her name was Qian Xiaobei.
Indeed, this name was quite uncommon in rural areas.
Most rural names were like flowers and grasses.
"Hello, my name is Su Xiaotian. I arrived a day before you," Su Xiaotian said gracefully as she got off her bed and put on her slippers.
Su Xiaotian had already changed into her pajamas, a white silk nightgown.
The material was naturally provided by the silk factory. Since it was pure white, after making two long silk dresses, Su Xiaotian asked Su Taohua to help her make pajamas for her family.
For this reason, Grandma Su repeatedly said that Xiaotian was becoming more and more extravagant.
Just for sleeping, such expensive material was used for clothes.
But good material was comfortable to wear, and after a few days of Grandma Su's complaints, she stopped mentioning it.
Su Xiaotian had designed two nightgowns for herself.
She brought one with her to school this time.
Qian Xiaobei and Li Jianhong's eyes were momentarily dazzled by the soft sheen of the nightgown under the light.
In that instant, they thought the dress was truly beautiful.
This academically gifted young girl was like an elf fallen from the heavens, as described in books, exceptionally beautiful.
They wondered what material her clothes were made of to have such a lovely sheen.
Qian Xiaobei unconsciously glanced at the coarse fabric of her own clothes, feeling even more awkward.
They had already heard from other roommates today that there was a thirteen-year-old girl in the dormitory.
They had been extremely surprised at the time, wondering what kind of child could be admitted to university at thirteen.
In their hometowns, thirteen-year-olds were either in fifth grade or first year of junior high.
Some who weren't good students might still be playing in the mud with younger children in second or third grade.
The two of them were actually very curious about Su Xiaotian today.
With no one answering her, Su Xiaotian felt a moment of helplessness.
This conversation couldn't continue.
Although she had decided to focus on her studies, Su Xiaotian felt she should try to converse with her new roommates.
It was only the second day, and she had already fallen out with Yin Ruyun, and was practically a stranger to Qi Xiaofang. These two new roommates needed to be treated seriously.
Otherwise, if word got out, people would surely say she was bullying others with her influence.
After all, with Yin Ruyun, who was like a fragile white lotus, it was only a matter of time before such rumors spread.
But these two were really not good candidates for conversation; they seemed so timid, she was truly afraid of scaring them with too much enthusiasm.
"Xiaobei, Jianhong, you mentioned you're from the Northwest today? I've heard the Northwest is vast, with cattle and sheep everywhere, and that people usually ride camels?" Chu Yue, sensing the subtle atmosphere, quickly interjected with a smile, breaking the awkward silence.
When Su Xiaotian heard the words "Northwest," a spark of interest appeared in her eyes.
Could her last two roommates also be from the Northwest?
"Are you from the Northwest? Which city are you from?" Su Xiaotian asked proactively, her tone becoming much warmer.
Li Jianhong suddenly felt less timid in response to Su Xiaotian's sudden enthusiasm.
"I'm from Huaicheng, and Xiaobei is from Xinlan City," Li Jianhong said, her voice a little louder this time.
"We met on the train and found out we were going to the same school, so we decided to come report together. We didn't expect to be in the same dormitory."
After saying this, Li Jianhong became flustered again and quickly fell silent.
She was indeed pleasantly surprised to meet a roommate on the way, but would the pampered young ladies from the city be willing to listen to her rambling?
In her hometown, she had heard that people in the city had quite a temper, and she had been warned to be cautious and not to offend anyone without realizing it.
"Xiaobei, you're from Xinlan City? What a coincidence, so am I!" Su Xiaotian's smile widened.
When Su Xiaotian said this, everyone in the dormitory looked at her in surprise.
In their understanding, Su Xiaotian should be from Beijing; how could she suddenly be from Xinlan City?
"My hometown is in Sangyu County. Xiaobei, what about you?"
It was indeed a joy to meet a fellow townsman in a place like Beijing.
Qian Xiaobei's eyes also lit up with more spirit, and she stared intently at Su Xiaotian, asking, "I'm also from Sangyu County. My family is in Laoniugou. What about you?"
Although Qian Xiaobei still couldn't quite believe that Su Xiaotian was from Sangyu County, the same county as her, she still asked.
"Not far, I'm in Nanling Village."
These two villages were actually quite far apart; even by car, it would take about three hours. If she hadn't been reborn, Su Xiaotian wouldn't have known that such a village existed in Sangyu County.
Unlike Nanling Village, which was an hour's drive from the county town, it was extremely difficult for people from Laoniugou to go to the county town; even by car, it took three or four hours.
She had heard about this place in her previous life, back in the nineties, when some people in this village still hadn't been to the county town.
Qian Xiaobei didn't know where Nanling Village was. Hearing Su Xiaotian say it wasn't far, she felt a bit closer to Su Xiaotian.
However, looking at Su Xiaotian's attire, she didn't dare to say much.
Even people from the same county could be worlds apart.
"Xiaotian, when did you become from the Northwest?" Zhao Hongmei scrutinized Su Xiaotian from head to toe. She felt that this girl was from Beijing, or at least from a big city.
"I am from the Northwest. My family only arrived in Beijing a little over two years ago," Su Xiaotian explained with a smile, unaware that her vague statement would lead to others' assumptions.