No one understands rebirth better than me

Chapter 27: Lunch with my deskmate

Time is like an arrow, the sun and the moon are like a shuttle.

In the last few days before National Day, school was over again in the morning.

“Oil tea, oil tea…”

At noon, Guan Ren arrived at the front gate of the school and immediately rushed to the [Old Soldier Oil Tea] restaurant where he had not yet had enough of his meal last time.

Unfortunately, it was closed.

I had a stomachache at noon, so I went to Franciscan to get medicine. They are open in the afternoon.

"..."

Looking at the A4 paper stuck on the rolling door, which contained such specific and detailed leave request information, Guan Ren didn't know for a moment whether to say that the boss was honest or stupid.

As for this "Francis", he is actually an old Chinese doctor.

He came from other places and has been treating patients in Jiangzhou County for decades. His medical skills are so solid that people throughout Jiangzhou County are very familiar with him.

Guan Ren is also quite familiar.

Because when he and Zhang Chi were young, Fang Ji once saved Zhang Chi's life.

But this is a long story and not what Guan Ren should be thinking about right now.

……

"I can't count on oil tea anymore. What are we going to eat now?"

This is what Guan Ren is worried about.

I feel like I'm not interested in the front school gate for now.

Guan Ren simply went to the back door to take a look.

As a result, when he reached the back door, Guan Ren quickly smelled a fragrance.

From a distance, I saw that it was a newly opened rice noodle restaurant.

Rice noodles, like oil tea, are actually available all over the country, but Jiangzhou County also has its own unique characteristics.

"Golden Powder Family, the name is quite eye-catching..."

Guan Ren's mind automatically played Sha Baoliang's "Hidden Fragrance" and he walked straight towards the powder shop.

Then he stopped when passing a row of convenience stores.

Because in one of the convenience stores, Guan Ren saw a familiar figure.

She wore a clean school uniform, had a graceful and well-proportioned figure, and wore a slightly high ponytail that hung softly and smoothly. Her delicate, porcelain-like profile was graceful and comfortable, and cast a faint halo under the sunlight...

My deskmate Gu Youli just stood in front of the shelf. Instead of going home to eat, she was buying something.

Guan Ren quietly came up behind her and took a look, only to see that she was holding a meat floss bread in her hand.

"Sister Gu, where are your expenses?"

"!?"

The sudden sound behind her startled Gu Youli on the spot. Her whole body trembled. When she turned around, she subconsciously hugged the bread tightly in her arms, like a hamster protecting its food.

"Sister Gu, hey, it's me."

"..."

Gu Youli's breath was slightly rapid and her cheeks were pink. She didn't know if she was scared or angry. Anyway, she glared at Guan Ren unhappily, then turned away fiercely.

Yo?
It was the first time that Guan Ren saw his deskmate making a face.

Taking another peek from the side and back, I could see that her cheeks were still puffing up, making her look even more like a hamster.

Ok…

I really want to raise a...

Of course, Guan Ren didn't mean to scare his deskmate. He took a side step and walked towards her, then stared at the bread in her arms.

A hint of panic suddenly flashed in Gu Youli's eyes.

Although she didn't know what she was panicking about.

In short, she subconsciously hid the thing in her hand, which was the same meat floss bread that Guan Ren had fed her before, behind her back.

"No ..."

Guan Ren was a little curious:

"Sister Gu, this isn't what you're going to eat for lunch, is it?"

“Is it not possible…?”

Gu Youli glanced at Guan Ren sideways, feeling a little dissatisfied.

This was clearly the most delicious bread she had ever eaten since she started high school.

"I mean, aren't you going home to eat?"

"Sister...Teacher Gu had something to do today, so she asked me to come out for dinner."

"That's it..."

Guan Ren thought about it and reached out to take the bread from Gu Youli's hand, but was immediately protected by Gu Youli who was guarding the food vigilantly.

"I'm not stealing yours..."

Guan Ren was at a loss whether to laugh or cry:

"I've been home alone lately, eating out all the time. I just found a good restaurant. Let's go."

"Eh…"

Have dinner with Guan Ren...?
Gu Youli didn't have time to think clearly about what this meant, or whether it even had any meaning.

Anyway, he put the bread in his hand back, and then followed him to [Golden Powder Family]

--------

"Hey, handsome guy and beautiful girl, take a seat! What would you like to eat?"

The reception at a new store is always very warm. Gu Youli found a seat and was about to sit down when Guan Ren asked her to wait. He then tore off a piece of toilet paper, wiped the seat for a while, and then let her sit.

"All right."

"..."

Unexpectedly... although my deskmate is a boy, he is quite considerate...

Gu Youli sat down and was thinking about this when she heard him laugh loudly:
"It's always good to wipe it off. Even though it's a new shop, it's just in case. After all, your butt is quite white. I..."

"..."

"No! I mean..."

Seeing the confusion on his deskmate's face quickly turn into astonishment, Guan Ren also hurriedly explained:

"I meant the white fabric on the back of your school uniform pants is especially clean, so I don't want..."

"..."

"Ahem... forget what I said..."

Forget it, no more explanation.

I feel like I can't get around that description.

It's like Guan Renduo is a pervert, always peeking at his deskmate's butt or something...

Although sometimes when her deskmate slowly sat down in her seat and her school pants were more snug, Guan Ren did notice that her butt was not flat at all, but round and perky, with a beautiful curve rarely seen among adolescent girls...

But that was only occasionally! Just accidentally!

Just like he would occasionally accidentally notice the two chubby rabbit sisters in Teacher Gu's arms, it was all just a matter of convenience... No! It was just a matter of pleasing to the eye!
Anyway, Guan Ren definitely doesn't watch it all the time, and he's definitely not a pervert.

"Sister Gu, do you want a big bowl or a small bowl?"

"A small one will do..."

"Boss, a small bowl of beef rice noodles and a large bowl of pork rib rice noodles."

"Good good!"

Guan Ren had smelled the aroma from such a distance just now, and now sitting here, he could clearly smell the aroma of meat. Looking up, he saw a large pot of boiling bone soup.

"Guan Ren..."

"Ok?"

Gu Youli blinked her eyes with curiosity:
"What is Bagurou...?"

Guan Ren was shocked:

"You've never eaten pork bone meat?"

"No."

She paused:

"I don't remember it when I was little. I lived in the No. 1 Middle School dormitory during junior high school. After I came to No. 2 Middle School and started attending high school as a day student, my sister never made this at home."

"I see... Well, bony meat is actually bone-in meat, boneless meat, which is the meat stuck to the big bone stick. It's very fragrant. You'll know when you try mine later."

In Jiangzhou County, if a noodle shop has "Ba Gu Rou Noodle" on its menu, the soup base must be made from genuine pork bones.

Because they are connected by flesh and blood, it is just a piece of cake, there is no need to use concentrated soup base separately. This one is a typical example.

"Boss, are you ready?"

“It’s cooking!”

The boss said that the noodles were “cooked”, but actually they were blanched.

Put the soaked rice noodles into a bamboo colander. In order to avoid muddying the soup base, blanch them in another small pot until they are cooked and soft, then scoop them out.

Put the shredded boneless meat in a large bowl and season with a little salt, no MSG is needed.

Then pour in the steaming hot bone soup and sprinkle with chopped green onions, and Guan Ren’s bowl of [Bone and Meat Noodles] is ready.

"Yeah! Delicious!"

The rice noodles are wrapped in the aroma of meat, and are smooth and soft when you put them in your mouth. They break when you take a sip, and they melt without falling apart.

Taking another sip of the soup, it's not overly strong, but fresh and fragrant.

Gu Youli's bowl of beef was also delicious.

The process of making hot noodles is the same, except that the boneless meat is replaced with diced beef. Finally, a thin layer of bright red and crystal red oil is poured on the bowl, which looks spicy and satisfying.

"Sister Gu, how is it?"

"Uh-huh…"

Gu Youli nodded repeatedly, lowered her head and ate in small bites very attentively.

Although Guan Ren smiled, he was also a little confused.

It’s just a bowl of noodles, but he tastes better than me…

Why does it feel like my deskmate never eats anything good at home?

----------------

At the end of the meal, since it was the opening of a new store, the boss also gave us two fried dried dumplings, which are the soul of Jiangzhou rice noodles.

This is a fried round cake, which comes from the distillation of "yougaoer". It tastes similar to the crispy ones in Jianbingguozi, but has a thicker texture and tastes more fragrant.

People in Jiangzhou often like to eat rice noodles with some fried dough sticks. Whether eaten dry or soaked in the noodle soup, each has its own flavor.

Guan Ren likes to eat half dry first and then soak the other half, killing two birds with one stone, and he also taught Gu Youli to do the same.

Gu Youli did as she was told and was very impressed with Guan Ren:

“You really know how to eat…”

"That is."

Guan Ren is proud:

"'I want it all' is my style! After all, I like both ways of eating... Well, come to think of it, one of my biggest dreams in my previous life was to open a noodle shop..."

"In my previous life...?"

"Uh...exaggeration. Actually, it's only in this lifetime."

As Guan Ren spoke, he put the few pieces of boneless meat that he had reserved into Gu Youli's bowl:

"My only hope in this life is to one day open a noodle shop with the person I love, keeping it simple and unpretentious, and experiencing the ups and downs of life with her... After all, in this world, the only things that shouldn't be wasted are food and love!"

"..."

Listening to Guan Ren's words, Gu Youli, who was concentrating on eating noodles, suddenly slowed down her chopsticks.

……

Open a fan club with the people you like...

Food and Love…

Guan Ren, what is he implying...?
So this is why he brought himself to eat noodles?
That is to say...

Guan Ren has always had problems with premature love...

……

She thought about a lot of things and found that her heartbeat seemed to be getting faster and faster.

Like a snare drum.

Like a fawn.

Although Gu Youli didn't quite believe Guan Ren when he explained the note incident to her, at least she was calm at that time.

However, now, after listening to Guan Ren's hint, although Gu Youli no longer believed his original explanation, her heart was not calm, but was beating violently.

Why is this happening…

When did the change in mentality occur and why did it happen?
Gu Youli thought about it in confusion, and then the scene she experienced at a corridor entrance one day flashed through her mind.

It seems...that was indeed a turning point.

Because of my own impulse, because of something he said, the relationship between him and me...the united and friendly...classmate relationship...does seem to have deepened.

No wonder then...

I fell in love with my new deskmate at the beginning of the school year.

Having a premature love affair with a good classmate.

It's normal to feel differently...

Gu Youli found a reasonable explanation for her change and felt a little relieved.

……

But then again, does this situation count as Guan Ren's second confession to himself since the note?

No no no…

Since he was just hinting...it shouldn't count, right?

If it's not a confession, then there's no need for me to respond again.

Anyway, Gu Youli didn’t know how to respond.

After all... after all, she definitely wouldn't fall in love too early. She could continue to be Guan Ren's deskmate, and the relationship would get better and better, so there would be no problem...

So now, no matter how his deskmate hints, just let him let his imagination run wild.

------------

"Boss pays!"

"I'll give it to you."

"Ah? Sister Gu, this... isn't good, right?"

"It's okay. I'll treat you this time... you can just come back next time..."

"There's a next time? Sister Gu, are you addicted to eating this?"

Gu Youli did not answer, but walked ahead of Guan Ren. Her steps were a little hurried, but gradually became lighter.

(End of this chapter)