Song Tan's Notes

The atmosphere at the scene was completely frozen.

In all his years in the industry, Master Zhou has never experienced such a predicament where he was caught between a rock and a hard place.

At this moment, he was still holding up a large ladle in vain, looking at the earnest young people beside him who were starving for food—they had even bowed to everyone before begging!

But when he turned around again, trying to ask for help and get a word from the host, he saw that the large group of people sitting there had turned back immediately.

How can I refuse?
How could I possibly refuse?

But if you agree...

Qin Yun took out his phone and typed rapidly:

"Chuan'er, after they've tasted it, let's quickly pack up and head back."

I was originally planning to wander around here for a while to digest my food, but it seems I really can't do that now.

Lu Chuan replied: "If it weren't for giving you a good experience, why would Tan Tan bother coming all the way to the city in the middle of the night?"

No one in the group disagreed with this statement.

Indeed, the things they find rare and special—like seeing a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, picking water chestnuts, or collecting duck eggs—are just everyday routines. They wouldn't do this if they weren't trying their best to provide a pleasant experience.

And to be honest, the strange sense of superiority I felt tonight, envying others, was indeed quite satisfying.

When there are any gatherings with brothers and girlfriends in the future, they will still talk about this for three to five years.

Qin Yun had nothing to say, but couldn't help but grin again, and then patted Lu Chuan's arm heavily:

[Good brother!]

Meanwhile, facing this group of young people, the isolated and helpless Master Zhou finally relented:

"There are spoons over there, let's each scoop one spoonful."

Because the rice was freshly cooked, it wasn't perfectly separated when fried; in fact, it was still a bit sticky.

But it is precisely this slight viscosity that makes the rice, wrapped around the green garlic sprouts, chili rings, and water chestnut stems, even more oily and rich in flavor.

But nowadays, it has become convenient for these begging monsters.

They quickly lined up, and with a familiar press, scoop, and scoop of plastic spoons, a large, trembling clump of rice was scooped out.

That's a familiar technique!

Master Zhou's heart skipped a beat. He thought to himself, "No wonder he's that young man's companion! They look so alike!"
He started packing his things, and his small team of several people moved around one by one.

As he moved along, suddenly a hand came over holding a spoon. Little Zhou noticed it unintentionally, his brow furrowed, and he instantly looked up:

"Hey!"

He exclaimed instinctively, "Why do you look so familiar?"

It's not that the face is familiar, it's that the hand is familiar.

There was a small white scar on the tiger's mouth that hadn't fully healed yet. He had glanced at it and remembered it when the young man who had come alone earlier was begging for food.

It's hard not to remember; such a large spoonful was truly memorable.

The other person's hand trembled, and when they looked up again, they saw that they were not only wearing a baseball cap, but also a mask that covered half of their face.

Everyone:...

Master Zhou frowned.

The surroundings suddenly fell silent, leaving only the young people in front, who were slowly chewing their rice with their mouths tightly shut.

Then he realized what he meant and said, "Young man, why are you like this?"

So this is the young man who came alone to beg for food just now! How did he change his clothes and somehow end up back in the group?

No wonder he had to promote it to his friends. If he didn't promote it, how could he take advantage of the situation and get a second bite?
Chef Zhou immediately became alert: "After you finish eating, you're not going to have any friends coming along, are you?"

Good guy!
This turn of events left everyone stunned.

Everyone's gazes darted around, finally settling on Song Tan's face:

I have to say, you people from Yuncheng are pretty good.

Song Tan: ...

At this moment, Song Tan was also secretly observing the other party.

It was definitely the same person; they both looked sweaty after exercising.

She knew that Lu Chuan was a bit of a germaphobe and didn't like to be around people with that kind of aura, so she deliberately led him to sit a little further away.

But now...

She was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

The young man's ears were also red, but his eyes were wet: "Master, I really want to eat it so much..."

"Forget it."

Song Tan rubbed his forehead, looking troubled. "It's our lack of sportsmanship—Master Zhou, do you still have those paper bowls? Give each of them one, and then scoop some more into them. Let's hurry up and pack our things and go back."

If we stay any longer, and there are still people around, we really won't be able to stand it.

She just wanted to tempt people a little, she didn't really intend to cause a ruckus here, or for everyone to eat and make noise, which could easily lead to disputes.

okay!

Upon hearing this, Chef Zhou breathed a sigh of relief and immediately grabbed a stack of paper bowls: "Here, take these, I'll serve you some large spoonfuls."

He deftly and steadily spooned the fried rice, freshly scooped from the bucket, into the other person's bowl.

The young people didn't even have time for pleasantries; they grabbed their spoons and wolfed down their food, glancing at the bowls, buckets, and skewers beside them, mumbling as they chewed:
"Master, what kind of work will you need us to help you with later..."

"no, I'm fine."

Chef Zhou tapped his large iron ladle, then added a ladle of water to the pot: "We've hired someone..."

The plumbing boss also had a good time tonight, eating, watching, and enjoying the festivities.

He'll be bragging about what happened tonight to his wife for two days, and then to all his relatives and friends for months!

Now, he eagerly raised his hand and said, "Yes, that's right. I'll clean up later, you guys eat quickly... Don't litter!"

Even without his instructions, everyone couldn't help but gulp down that spoonful of rice, even if they wanted to savor it properly!
Although beggars are shameless, they did indeed arrive here after playing basketball and some of them went for a night run, and each of them had an astonishing appetite.

Not just this bowl, I'd like two more.

After they finished their ravenous meal, the barbecue tables were started to be cleared away.

Everyone was just too full. Although no one was deliberately slacking off, there wasn't much vigorous movement going on around the table.

It looks a bit slow.

These young people, who had enjoyed a good meal, were different.

They glanced at the plumber collecting plates and bowls, then picked up the hoses and started cleaning. With all their strength going to waste, they joined in, lifting, carrying, wiping, and washing.

If the charcoal fire on the barbecue grill hadn't just gone out and was still burning my hands, I could have scrubbed the grill clean with a steel wool pad.

Got it!

Judging by how efficient he was, even if he was a little clumsy, no one could say anything about it.

The young man who arrived first had already set his sights on Song Tan, and now he walked over hesitantly:
"Sister, are you the one organizing this barbecue? Could you tell us the cost? We'll chip in and pay for it later, could we invite you too?"

Song Tan shook her head with a smile: "No, this is our family's chef. He brought his friends to the city for a barbecue today, so we don't take orders."

I came to the city because I don't have all the barbecue grills and such at home.

If I had known this would happen, I would have eaten in my own yard even if they had come to pick up the equipment tonight. Sure enough, bad intentions will be punished.

I won't do it again next time.

"Oh." The young man nodded, then waved to his friends:

"Come!"

Everyone was very obedient, and now a row of young men stood in front of her, the young man at the head of the group speaking earnestly:
"So, sister, do you want to date a guy who's older than you?"

"Talk to one, and we'll give you the rest for free!"

"If there's any chores around the house, whether it's moving, playing games, climbing Mount Tai, or anything else, we'll be there to help."

"She can accompany you shopping and carry your bags all day without getting tired; she has amazing stamina!"

Upon hearing this, Qin Yun couldn't help but burst out laughing.

His wife, meanwhile, murmured to herself, her eyes shining:
"Oh my god, why doesn't this kind of good thing happen to me?"

To be fair, these young men are not as good-looking as Lu Chuan; some of them could even be described as ordinary-looking.

But they are so young!

That tall figure, that energetic way of working, and that obedient yet shy demeanor...

Whether Song Tan was tempted or not, she exchanged glances with He Kuang's wife and Yun Feng's wife, their fists clenched tightly, secretly working hard in their hearts!

The smile on Qin Yun's face disappeared.

He was a handsome young man back then! It's the years that are wrong! It's the years!
Lu Chuan:......

He never imagined that the fire of the "Youthful Men's College" would actually reach him.

“I’m sorry,” he said in a low voice, “she has a boyfriend.”

"Oh……"

With his face and physique, the college students were speechless when he stood in front of Song Tan.

The young men sighed with regret, then added, "Actually, we don't care about titles or status..."

Lu Chuan cut to the chase: "You don't care about titles, but you care about your livelihood, right?"

"If you keep doing this, I'll take your phones and send this video to your girlfriends later."

They're all grown up; if one of them is single, it's impossible for a whole group of them to be single.

Upon hearing this, three people immediately chuckled:
"Brother, you're so handsome, and my sister is so beautiful. My girlfriend will just think I'm in the way."

"Yeah, yeah, these days girls really like monogamy. She wants a husband, but she also wants a wife... Waaah, I'm just superfluous..."

Seeing their expressions, everyone chuckled quietly, except for the plumber who hesitated for a moment:
"So you all have girlfriends, why didn't you leave her half a bowl of food when you were begging?"

Wow, that was a killer line!

The young men exchanged glances, their faces filled with deep bitterness.
Overwhelmed by the aroma, and with their friends' encouragement, all they could think about was begging for food; they couldn't think of anything else!
Everyone scattered and went back to washing pots and pans.

The first beggar bowed to everyone and said, "Brother, sister, we were just joking, please don't tell anyone..."

He really does have a girlfriend!
Fine.

Despite this incident, everyone felt it was an unforgettable experience, rather than a feeling of being disturbed.

The biggest winner, the plumber, was now completely overwhelmed with work, and stood there blankly holding a water pipe, finally saying with a heavy heart:
"Brother Zhao, I took the money but didn't do anything, and I even got a free meal from you guys, I'm so sorry... I'll return the money to you!"

"No, please," Old Zhao said earnestly, "It's not about the money. It's a greeting gift between brothers. You treat me next time. It's not nice for two grown men to be arguing like this..."

"brother!"

"Brother!"

The two middle-aged men held hands and looked at each other, and a feeling of mutual appreciation arose between them.

……

Meanwhile, the young man, having finished his work, handed the net he was carrying to Chen Chi:
"Dude, you're the type to play basketball? You must be able to jump really high—here, take this, come find us at the stadium up ahead and we can play together!"

Hehe! Let's get acquainted first, then we can communicate more next time, and that way we'll have a chance to freeload a meal, right?

Another young man chimed in, "Yeah, look at your build, you're really strong. Do you have a girlfriend? If not, I can introduce you to one!"

Although he's single, he can be a strategist.

You don't play basketball, but you're probably just looking to meet beautiful women, right?
Chen Chi hesitated for a moment, then reached out and took the net, held it up to his face, and looked at it. Then, his clear eyes looked over at him:

"My brother said I'm not grown up yet and can't have a girlfriend. It's illegal."

The male students who realized the problem: ...

孽 孽!
I've lost all my face at this one barbecue stall!

Song Tan, however, saw Chen Chi flicking the basketball spinning in the net with his finger, while Qiao Qiao watched intently from the side, and her heart stirred at that moment.

"Hey guys, how about we add each other on WeChat?"

what?
The bewildered young people jolted awake and rushed to her, their phones trembling as they turned them on.

"Me, me, me! Add me! Add me!"

Song Tan smiled and scanned one of the QR codes, casually asking, "You guys know a lot of sports, right?"

It's alright.

Although everyone was a bit overly lively, they didn't brag: "We can play all the regular sports, such as billiards, badminton, tennis, bowling, basketball, football, and table tennis."

After thinking for a moment, he added, "I don't know how to play golf."

Forget about whether they can or not, it's another matter entirely whether there are even golf courses in this small place like Yuncheng.

But enough is enough.

Qin Yun was still nudging Lu Chuan's arm, but he brushed it away without hesitation: "Stop fooling around, Tan Tan has important business to attend to."

Song Tan indeed said, "As you can see, my two younger brothers live in the countryside, and no one teaches them how to play these games."

"Whenever you're free, come visit our village. I'll cover your travel expenses, meals, and even simple accommodation if needed. Please come and teach them more sports."

"If you need any equipment, you can send it to me in advance."

Seeing that the person opposite her was so overjoyed that their hair was practically standing on end, she quickly added, "The food isn't what it is tonight, it's just ordinary. What your school cafeteria is like, ours is pretty much the same."

Oh.

A long, disappointed echoed, but then someone countered:

"At our school, we don't peel potatoes when we boil them. Do you peel them?"

Those who also experienced university life: ...

Song Tan didn't mince words: "I'll just say one thing: meat is plentiful. Chicken, duck, pork, beef, lamb, fish, shrimp, crab, whatever you want, just let me know in advance. There's a chef over there."

Great!
Modern college students have nothing but the most energy and time.

Especially those guys who exercise, they have endless energy every day, but their stomachs are never full.

Some people offer to cover food, lodging, and even travel expenses—although the travel expenses might only be ten or twenty yuan, they are poor guys who have to split the bill even for a trip to the park!
Everyone happily agreed.

If it weren't for the fact that I would have had to help with all the moving later, I could have said a whole bunch of things to say to build a closer relationship!
In short, they are my own sister, brother, and younger brother!

They're coming to make a big splash! (End of Chapter)