Jun Ning smiled and came up with an excuse to explain where the items had come from.
“Didn’t my family just send a package a few days ago? Knowing my birthday was this month, I kept these things aside so we could all have a nice meal together.”
In reality, the high-quality rice, beef jerky, and canned braised pork had all been taken from her dimensional space. The eggs, however, were part of the reward the Old Branch Secretary had given her.
Xiao Yanru carefully set the bags down and gave Jun Ning a tight hug. Overcome with emotion, she said, “Ning, you’re truly too kind. The luckiest thing in my life is having met a friend like you.”
Jun Ning hugged her back, patted her on the shoulder, and replied with a smile, “I’m also very lucky to have met good friends like all of you.”
The two looked at each other and laughed. Fu Jingwei and Luo Dali watched them embrace and couldn’t help but smile along.
At this “Educated Youth” settlement, Fu Jingwei and Xiao Yanru came from slightly better family backgrounds, while Luo Dali and the group leader, Gu Xiangwen, were a bit worse off. Whenever their families sent things or whenever they bought supplies, they would share them with Jun Ning. They weren’t like certain people who only thought about taking advantage of her—people who took but never gave, and who borrowed money without ever paying it back.
Fu Jingwei, Luo Dali, Xiao Yanru, and Jun Ning began preparing dinner together. Soon, a rich, savory aroma of meat and vegetables wafted from the kitchen.
The other youth in the settlement were drawn by the scent and came to the kitchen one by one to ask, “Dali, Ru, what delicious things are you making today?”
When they stepped inside and saw the spread, they cried out in shock, “Wow! How is there so much good food today?”
“We haven’t smelled meat in months. Finally, we get to see some today. I’m practically dying for a taste!”
“Yanru, is today a special occasion?”
Xiao Yanru smiled at them and said, “Today, our Jun Ning has survived a great ordeal, and it just so happens to be her birthday. She took out all the supplies her family sent her to give us a treat and celebrate her birthday together.”
Upon hearing this, most of the youth had the sense to say, “So it’s Jun Ning’s birthday! I’ll go find a gift for her.”
“I’ll prepare a small red envelope for Ning as well.”
Once the dinner was ready, the crowd of youth immediately surrounded the table with their bowls. When they saw the large pot of fragrant white rice and the generous portions of stir-fried beef with celery, braised pork with potatoes, fried eggs with green onions, ginger-onion chicken, and garlic sautéed greens, they couldn’t stop their mouths from watering.
Such a lavish meal was something they might not even see during the Lunar New Year. Since coming to the countryside, their lives had been even more pitiable. Food was scarce, and everyone had to tighten their belts; usually, they only had wild vegetable porridge so thin you could see your own reflection in it. Many of them were often so hungry they couldn’t sleep at night.
They couldn’t remember the last time they had eaten such a feast. Two of the youth from particularly difficult family backgrounds had never seen a dinner this grand in their entire lives. They suddenly felt that the gifts they had prepared were far too light. When they handed them to Jun Ning, they explained themselves with quite a bit of embarrassment.
However, Jun Ning just smiled and said nonchalantly, “It’s the thought that counts. I appreciate the sentiment, and I’m happy to accept your kindness.”
Once everyone sat down, they noticed that Lin Qingqing hadn’t come out. No one spoke up about it, fearing her presence would ruin the wonderful atmosphere.
Li Xiangdang, a hardworking female youth who was the last to return that day, didn’t know about the friction between Lin Qingqing and the others. She asked, “Where is Lin Qingqing? Why hasn’t she come out? Did she go somewhere?”
Xiao Yanru curled her lip. “She’s in her room throwing a tantrum.”
Li Xiangdang glanced around. “Shouldn’t we call her?”
Xiao Yanru snorted coldly. “Call her for what? If she wants to eat, she can come out on her own. If not, she can stay in there. She’s not some high-born young lady; do we really have to beg her three or four times before she’ll show her face?”
With that, Xiao Yanru raised her tea cup and said to everyone, “Come, come, let’s use tea instead of wine to toast! Happy birthday to our Jun Ning! May you be safe and healthy, may all your wishes come true, and may your happiness last forever!”
Everyone stood up and raised their cups toward Jun Ning. “Happy birthday, Jun Ning!”
Jun Ning clinked cups with them, smiling as she said, “Thank you, everyone. Thank you.”
Once they sat back down, without needing any further prompting, everyone began to eat voraciously. No one had the time or inclination to wonder if Lin Qingqing was eating or not.
Inside the room, Lin Qingqing saw that no one was actually coming to invite her out. Listening to the sounds of their happy drinking and laughing—and hearing them praise Jun Ning while they ate—she was so furious she dug her nails into her palms, nearly coughing up blood from sheer rage.
Unfortunately for her, she could be angry unto death and still no one would care.
After dinner, Jun Ning informed everyone that she had rented a house and intended to move out. The youth present were reluctant to see her go and asked why.
Jun Ning didn’t speak ill of Lin Qingqing; she simply gave a faint smile and said, “I just want a bit of peace and quiet for myself.”
Knowing she had already signed an agreement with the village, they realized the matter was settled. They offered to help her move the next day.
Jun Ning politely declined again. “There’s no need. You all have to work. Besides, I don’t have much—just my bedding, a luggage bag, and some miscellaneous items. I can handle it on my own.”
Seeing that she wasn’t just being modest, the others didn’t insist. They sat for a while longer before the group, exhausted from a day’s labor, headed back to their respective rooms to rest.
When Jun Ning returned to her room, she found that Lin Qingqing had actually bolted the door from the inside.
Speechless, Jun Ning knocked and shouted, “Lin Qingqing, why did you lock the door? Open up right now.”
Hearing Jun Ning outside, Lin Qingqing felt a sense of petty satisfaction knowing she was locked out.
Jun Ning called out twice more. Seeing that Lin Qingqing still wouldn’t open up, her voice turned cold. “Lin Qingqing, if you don’t open this door, don’t blame me for kicking it down.”
The noise drew the others back out of their rooms, and their dissatisfaction with Lin Qingqing grew.
The group leader, Gu Xiangwen, joined in. “Lin Qingqing, open the door immediately! If you don’t, I’m going to report this to the Old Branch Secretary and have your work points deducted!”
Hearing Gu Xiangwen’s threat, Lin Qingqing rolled her eyes and finally walked over to open the door with great reluctance.
Jun Ning retracted the foot she had been prepared to launch. She felt a slight pang of regret; it would have been better if Lin Qingqing hadn’t opened it—then she would have had a valid excuse to kick the door down and scare the life out of that “black lotus.”
When Lin Qingqing saw the pile of gifts in Jun Ning’s arms, she was consumed by jealousy, nearly turning into a “lemon spirit” from the sourness. But remembering that Jun Ning was no longer easy to bully—and fearing another fierce verbal lashing—she didn’t dare provoke her further.
Jun Ning was satisfied to see that Lin Qingqing didn’t dare make a sound even while seething. After all, if Lin Qingqing dared to act out, Jun Ning was more than ready to put her in her place.