Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation

The taxi weaved through the crowds, and Xue Yuantong looked out at the scenery from the window while Jiang Ning closed his eyes. Despite that, he kept a trace of Divine Sense alert to prevent any unexpected events.

...

Beer Barbecue City. The streets were wide and tidy.

"Class monitor, where shall we eat?" Dan Kaiquan looked around at the dazzling array of shops.

Huang Zhongfei said, "It’s just ahead, follow me."

Nearly every barbecue restaurant in front had people standing by the roadside to attract customers, a rare sight in Yuzhou.

Huang Zhongfei declined offers from various places and stopped in front of a particularly large barbecue restaurant.

At a glance, the hall was like a school cafeteria, with dozens of tables that were already mostly filled with customers.

Guided by a server, the group made their way to a spot near the south side where two long tables were joined together, enough to seat ten people.

A huge screen showed a football match, and patrons watched while eating.

When it came time to order, Dan Kaiquan was surprised to find that Tai City’s lamb skewers were sold by weight, not by skewer, which he found quite remarkable.

Huang Zhongfei started by ordering two jin of lamb, and the rest followed suit with their orders.

Jiang Yanan looked at the guests at a nearby table and said to Yu Wen, "Those two brothers are so beefy!"

Yu Wen turned her head and indeed saw a bald uncle and a flat-headed uncle, both burly and larger than the average person, blowing into beer bottles.

Usually, Yu Wen would steer clear of such people.

Beside her, Dong Qingfeng observed and offered reassurance, "Eat without worry, with Jiang Ning here, what’s there to fear!"

Nothing else said, having Jiang Ning around was like having an extra bodyguard during their travels, eliminating accidents.

Even Yu Wen, who was solely focused on the class monitor, felt much more at ease upon hearing this.

"Do you want canned hawthorn juice? It’s a local specialty here, pretty good," Huang Zhongfei recommended.

"Give us a can!" Dan Kaiquan and the others chorused eagerly.

"Let’s get some beer," Yang Sheng slapped the table. "Draft beer, it’s more refreshing to drink."

Watching Yang Sheng’s domineering and hearty demeanor, Dan Kaiquan was reminded of his miserable past as a classroom subordinate, and with a slam of the table:

"Class monitor, get the drinks, today I’m going to outdrink all of you!"

Guo Kunnan supported his good brother, "Yes, get the drinks, skewers without beer, what kind of skewer-eating is that?"

Out and about, in the company of fellow townsmen though strangers back in class, the situation naturally brought them closer, and the conversation flowed more freely than before.

Dong Qingfeng added, "Not just draft beer, let’s get two bottles of white liquor too."

Huang Zhongfei hesitated, "I’m not sure that’s a great idea, I’m worried everyone will drink too much and cause trouble."

Jiang Ning chimed in, "Drink without worries, I’m here."

He was curious to see what kind of foolish things this group would do when drunk.

With a word from Dan Kaiquan, he exclaimed, "Alright, with that word from Jiang Ning, I’m at ease, class monitor, bring on the drinks!"

Huang Zhongfei entrusted Jiang Ning with confidence—respect built over time—and with that, he genuinely ordered the draft beer and white liquor.

The barbecue was served swiftly, and Jiang Ning and Xue Yuantong sat on the edge, facing each other.

Dan Kaiquan devoured skewers enthusiastically, not forgetting to praise, "Wow, this is delicious! These barbecues are substantial, much bigger than the ones we usually have at Sister Ma’s place."

Tang Fu remarked, "Such a good deal!"

Yang Sheng downed the chilled hawthorn juice, "Anyway, since it’s by weight, there’s no difference in price for different sizes."

Xue Yuantong reached for two skewers, eating them with her lips greased with oil.

Dong Qingfeng raised his glass, "Class monitor, I toast to you, thanks for arranging the rooms and bringing us here to eat, otherwise we might have wandered a lot more!"

"Cheers!"

"Bang!" Everyone exchanged smiles and drained their glasses.

Xue Yuantong closed her eyes tightly, it was her first time drinking draft beer, and it was so hard to swallow!

Jiang Ning chuckled, "If you can’t drink, take it easy."

Since there were many people outside, Xue Yuantong refrained from arguing with him; she was only bossy at home.

Various types of grilled skewers came one after the other—pork belly, lamb tendon, lamb rib strips, palm treasures, lamb liver, grilled fish, chicken wings... Despite being just poor students, no one skimped on spending this time out.

It wasn’t just skewers; they also had a range of side dishes—boiled edamame, peanuts, smashed cucumbers.

Xue Yuantong enjoyed the grilled flatbread, a huge one grilled until golden brown and sprinkled with sugar, which was delightful.

When the draft beer was finished, Huang Zhongfei ordered another case of beer and got juice and cola for those who didn’t drink alcohol, making sure everyone was included.

Meanwhile, Dan Kaiquan took photos to share with the class group, causing quite a stir. Cui Yu commented that if he had known, he would have come too, just when Jiang Yanan was present.

Chen Siyu asked if it smelled good, and Xue Yuantong sent her a photo to ’sniff.’

After three rounds of drinks, they had downed quite a bit of beer, but the young lads felt nothing and decided to move on to the white liquor.

The two big guys at the next table started a fist game, getting tipsy as they argued over who used to run faster at school, with one boasting about running 50 li in one breath during his youth.

The other claimed he could run from the county to the village and proved it by gobbling down two skewers of kidney and guzzling half a bottle of beer.

Both refused to yield and argued fiercely, almost coming to blows.

Eventually, the two decided to have an on-the-spot race—saying it and doing it, they tightened their belts, ready to compete.

Yang Sheng stood on a beer case, raised his arm with a wave, displaying a referee’s authority:

"Ready, set, go!"

Two big men charged forward like wild donkeys, sprinting out of the hall in a blink of an eye, leaving all the diners around them dumbstruck.

The waiter rushed over to check, slapped his forehead, and shouted, "They haven’t paid the bill yet!"

The boss was also alarmed and hurried over, "Damn it, are they seriously trying to skip out on the bill?"

...

The atmosphere suddenly turned merry.

Jiang Ning’s table escalated from beer to baijiu. Dan Kaiquan bragged, "Yang Sheng, half a glass, dare to try?"

"Don’t be a chicken," Yang Sheng, eyebrows raised, accepted the challenge.

Dan Kaiquan lifted his glass again, "Qingfeng, have a glass."

Dong Qingfeng hesitated to take the challenge.

Dan Kaiquan chuckled mockingly, "Weren’t you so bold in the group chat? Brother Nan, cheers!"

Guo Kunnan immediately lifted his glass of baijiu, taunting, "Drink if you’re a man!"

Dong Qingfeng couldn’t sit still any longer; when the challenge came directly at him, retreating was pointless!

Next to him, Yu Wen slapped the table, "I’ll drink with you, Yanan, pour for me!"

The room was astonished.

Yu Wen gazed at the monitor with eyes brimming with affection, not hiding her love. "I’m drinking for the monitor!"

She was never the delicate weakling; she intended to protect the monitor’s dignity!

Yu Wen had seen on TV wives blocking drinks for their husbands, and now, she was fulfilling the role of the monitor’s wife.

Jiang Ning silently lifted his glass.

"Cheers!"

Dan Kaiquan, feigning toughness, downed half a glass of baijiu in one gulp. For an ordinary plastic cup, it could hold two or three taels, so half a cup was just over one tael.

After a swig, it was truly soul-stirring.

Dan Kaiquan grimaced, "Refreshing, so refreshing!"

He devoured two skewers of lamb and exclaimed,

"Another round!"

With that said, he poured another half a glass.

Guo Kunnan was committed to accompanying gentlemen to the end, and Dong Qingfeng cursed the two for being crazy in his heart. But not drinking would make him less of a man, so he continued reluctantly.

Yang Sheng was also caught up in the drinking game.

As the rounds continued, the effects of the alcohol slowly set in.

Yu Wen, dizzy and woozy, was supported by Jiang Yanan.

Guo Kunnan’s dark face turned red, and Dan Kaiquan wasn’t feeling any better either, as if his head belonged to someone else.

Yang Sheng, seemingly unaffected, ate his barbecue calmly.

"Drink, let’s have another!" Dan Kaiquan was determined not to stop until he outdrank Yang Sheng.

Dong Qingfeng, barely catching his breath, was once again drawn into the fray.

Liquored up, Yu Wen, during a break in the drinking, slumped over the table, light-headed. She looked at the monitor with affection, seeing him haloed with gold, dazzling.

Her courage grew, and using everything she learned, she sniffed, "Monitor~ do you smell something burning?"

Huang Zhongfei glanced at the barbecue, "No, the barbecue isn’t burnt."

Yu Wen revealed a drunken silly grin, "It’s my heart, burning."

Tang Fu almost spat out her sip of water.

Jiang Yanan was extremely embarrassed.

Huang Zhongfei maintained politeness, "I’ll ask the boss for something to sober up."

Yu Wen kept gazing with deep affection.

Tang Fu, finding it hilarious and not minding stirring the pot, "Why are you looking at Huang Zhongfei?"

Yu Wen, with a foolish smile, dreamily replied, "Because there’s something on his face."

"What is it?"

Yu Wen, "My gaze."

Tang Fu, "Cough cough cough."

Yu Wen, completely drunk and unabashed, "Monitor, I had a dream last night."

Just as she was about to continue her drunken speech, Guo Kunnan, who was toughing it out, suddenly remembered something sad and covered his face in sorrow,

"She never cares about my feelings!"

The pain suppressed in his heart burst forth, and unable to control himself, Guo Kunnan wept.

Seeing his good brother distressed, Dan Kaiquan felt a sudden surge of discomfort. Remembering his year-long pursuit come to naught brought on a sentimental wave, and he began to cry, holding his head.

The scene was bizarre to the extreme.

Yang Sheng was flabbergasted; weren’t they just drinking? How did it end with two grown men in tears?