bookpub Chapter 14 Many hands make light work
Chapter 14 Many hands make light work
"Beep beep beep!"
The operator's voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Hello, this is the provincial capital's exchange center. Which number would you like to connect to?"
"Excuse me, please contact the Crane Style Boxing Gym at No. 13 Liuxiang, Xicheng District."
"Hold on."
A hissing noise came through the receiver, mixed with the sounds of other people talking in the distance.
Telephone lines were very primitive in those days, and crosstalk was a common occurrence.
Gu Shenyan waited patiently.
After about half a minute, a familiar voice came from the other end of the phone.
"Feed? Who?"
It was the voice of Uncle Liu, the manager.
"Uncle Liu, it's me. Be careful what you say."
"Young Master!" Uncle Liu's voice immediately became respectful:
"Why are you calling back? Is something urgent?"
"Uncle Liu, could you please ask Brother Quan to come and answer the phone for me?"
"Okay, please wait a moment!"
Another burst of noise followed.
A short while later, Shi Quan's muffled voice came:
"Young Master?"
"Brother Quan, I have some things to take care of this afternoon, so please come a little later than usual."
"Okay, I've got it." Shi Quan replied honestly.
Gu Shenyan thought for a moment and then said:
"Oh, right, there's one more thing I need your help with..."
He whispered a few words into the receiver.
Only he and Shi Quan knew exactly what was said.
After listening, Shi Quan remained silent for a moment:
"Young Master, this matter... seems rather inappropriate, doesn't it?"
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
Gu Shenyan's voice was very calm:
"Do as I say."
"...Yes, young master."
Shi Quan finally agreed.
After exchanging a few more words, Gu Shenyan hung up the phone.
He stared at the black telephone, his mind a jumble of thoughts.
The matter he just entrusted to Shi Quan... if it succeeds, it will provide an extra layer of insurance for the upcoming meeting.
With that thought in mind, he turned and walked toward the classroom on the first floor.
The sound of students reading aloud could already be heard in the corridor.
That was the pronunciation of a foreign language, with the students' slight local accent, which sounded somewhat comical.
Gu Shenyan pushed open the classroom door, which was already full of students.
On the platform, a middle-aged man in a black suit was writing something on the blackboard.
That was Mr. Li, who taught Western languages. It is said that he studied in England for three years in his early years and spoke with a very standard London accent.
"Gu, you're late."
Mr. Li pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses:
"Pay attention to the time next time."
"Yes, the student knows he was wrong."
Gu Shenyan bowed and quickly walked to his seat.
Zhou Mingxuan was already in his seat. Seeing him return, he quickly asked in a low voice:
"Brother Shenyan, what did Father Moore say to you?"
Gu Shenyan sat down and said in a low voice:
"We'll talk about it at lunch later."
Zhou Mingxuan nodded and didn't ask any more questions.
After writing the last word on the blackboard, Mr. Li turned around:
"Today we continue learning grammar, the present continuous tense..."
He began to explain at length.
Gu Shenyan was getting drowsy listening to this.
These things were far too simple for him.
Having graduated with a master's degree in my previous life, and having long passed the CET-6 (College English Test Band 6), this most basic grammar is child's play for me.
His thoughts drifted away.
Xuanji Society, Xuanzheng Division, Bai Cailing... countless thoughts intertwined and collided in my mind.
The sycamore leaves outside the window rustled in the wind.
Time flows quietly by.
A class period passed just like that.
The noon bell rang, long and deep.
The school's canteen was located in the west wing, with blue bricks and gray tiles, and was quite spacious and bright.
However, beneath this spacious and bright exterior lies a strict set of rules—class.
The cafeteria is divided into three areas.
The innermost section is the "First Class Seating".
There were rosewood tables and chairs there, each seating only four people. The tables were covered with snow-white tablecloths and set with exquisite blue and white porcelain tableware.
The windows were bright and clean, and even the chopsticks were made of ivory inlaid with silver.
Those who can sit in the first-class seats are all true nobles without exception—the sons of warlords, the daughters of mayors, or geniuses who have awakened their bloodlines.
This area is mostly just for show; even if there were truly important people, they would rarely come to eat in this canteen.
The middle area is the "Class B Seating".
A simple cedar wood long table, eight people per table, with large, coarse porcelain bowls.
It was clean and tidy, but lacked a bit of grandeur.
Most of the people sitting here are sons of wealthy merchants, descendants of middle and upper-level officials, or scions of martial arts families.
The outermost seats are for "Class C".
Even the tables were pieced together, uneven and pitted, with more than a dozen people crammed together.
The bowls and chopsticks were in complete disarray, with chipped teacups and rough bowls with cracked rims...
Those sitting here are usually students from poor families who are able to attend school thanks to financial assistance from relatives.
Gu Shenyan carried the tray and walked towards the Class B seating area.
His seat was at a table in the middle of the second-class section, near the window.
On the plate were four dishes:
A plate of steamed sea bass, with tender flesh, drizzled with shredded ginger and chopped green onions;
A bowl of stewed pork with winter bamboo shoots has a milky white broth and crisp, tender bamboo shoot slices.
A plate of garlic-flavored bok choy, vibrant green and glistening with moisture;
There was also a small bowl of white fungus and lotus seed soup, sweet but not greasy.
Although it lacks spiritual energy, it is exquisite.
This meal will cost him half a dollar.
"Brother Shenyan! Over here!"
Zhou Mingxuan was already sitting by the window and waving at him.
Li Wenyuan and Sun Wan'er were also there; they were classmates who had taken the meditation class together that morning.
Gu Shenyan walked over, placed the plate on the table, and was about to sit down...
"Oh, isn't this Young Master Gu?"
A high-pitched voice came from the side.
Gu Shenyan frowned slightly and turned to look.
Qian Baolin's fat face was coming closer, with a greasy fake smile on his face.
He carried a tray and deliberately sat down in the empty seat next to Gu Shenyan.
On the tray were five dishes.
The lion's head meatballs and lingzhi mushrooms in the dish are actually genuine spiritual foods!
Although it wasn't of high quality, it was already a rare treasure for these students.
Qian Baolin deliberately placed the tray in front of Gu Shenyan and fiddled with the dishes.
He picked up a piece of lion's head meatball, put it in his mouth, and squinted his eyes.
"Tsk tsk, my dad specially asked the cook to make this this morning."
"This meat is made from the pork belly of a spirit pig, with alternating layers of fat and lean meat, and it melts in your mouth."
He scooped up another spoonful of chicken soup:
"This chicken soup is made with a three-year-old hen and a century-old wild ginseng, and it has been simmered for a full four hours."
Zhou Mingxuan's face darkened.
Li Wenyuan couldn't help but ask, "Qian Baolin, what do you mean?"
"What do I mean?"
Qian Baolin feigned surprise:
"I'm just eating, Brother Li, what are you saying?"
He picked up another piece of Ganoderma lucidum, put it in his mouth, and chewed it slowly.
"Sigh, it's all because my dad spoils me too much."
"He clearly said there was no need to prepare so much, but he insisted on having the cook make so much spiritual food."
"How could I possibly finish all that food by myself? What a waste..."
He spoke with a face full of regret, but the smugness in his tone was almost overflowing.
Sun Wan'er bit her lip, somewhat annoyed.
Although she was a woman, she had practiced martial arts since childhood and had a very strong and fierce personality.
Seeing Qian Baolin's behavior at this moment, I wish I could smash that plate of lion's head meatballs in his face.
But she ultimately held back.
After all, the Qian family is quite prominent in the provincial capital, and she, the daughter of a martial arts family, shouldn't cause a scene over something like this.
Gu Shenyan simply smiled faintly.
He picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of sea bass, put it in his mouth, and savored it.
The fish was tender, the spiciness of the ginger perfectly removed the fishy smell, and the fragrance of the scallions was the finishing touch.
Although it lacks spiritual energy, its culinary skills are truly remarkable.
He ate slowly and deliberately, seemingly not having heard Qian Baolin's words at all.
This composure, however, made Qian Baolin somewhat displeased.
He originally thought Gu Shenyan would show an expression of envy, jealousy, or anger.
But the other party didn't even lift an eyelid.
This rendered his carefully prepared "show-off" as if he had punched cotton, unable to exert his strength.
Just then... Zhou Mingxuan suddenly stood up.
He picked up his plate, took a large piece of chicken leg, and put it into Gu Shenyan's bowl:
"Brother Shenyan, you can have this chicken leg."
"My father asked someone to buy a black-boned chicken from Nanxiong yesterday, and stewed it overnight. It's good for his health."
Immediately afterwards, Li Wenyuan also stood up.
He took two pieces of braised pork from his own plate and placed them into Gu Shenyan's bowl as well.
"Brother Shenyan, please try some of this meat."
"My family's chef is one of the best in the provincial capital."
Sun Wan'er was not to be outdone.
She picked out a few of the largest pieces from her plate of sweet and sour pork ribs and put them into Gu Shenyan's bowl:
"Brother Shenyan, you should eat these ribs too."
"My grandmother specially asked the kitchen to make it, saying it can strengthen muscles and bones."
The three of us shared a chopstick each.
Soon, the bowls in front of Gu Shenyan were piled up into a small mountain.
Although the dishes varied in quality, each one contained a faint spiritual energy.
These are all spiritual foods!
Moreover, the total amount was even more than Qian Baolin's entire tray!
Qian Baolin stared wide-eyed at the mountain of spiritual food piled up in front of Gu Shenyan, completely stunned.
What...what's going on here?!
Zhou Mingxuan looked at Qian Baolin with a smile:
"Brother Qian, what did you just say?"
"Oh right, I was saying your dad spoils you and prepared so much spiritual food for you."
He pointed to the small hill in front of Gu Shenyan:
"What a pity, Brother Shenyan has many more friends."
"Everyone, one for you and one for me, and we've got it all together!"
Li Wenyuan also laughed and said:
"Yes, Brother Qian, how can eating alone compare to sharing with everyone?"
Sun Wan'er went even further: "Brother Shenyan is well-liked; this is what everyone expects!"
Qian Baolin's face turned bright red.
He opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but couldn't utter a single word.
Because... the facts speak for themselves.
His tray of spiritual food looked abundant.
But the bowl in front of Gu Shenyan was a true example of "many hands make light work"!