Chapter 714: Plump from Hunger
"Besides, why should I be the one to transfer? I just think she’s a hassle, not that I’m actually scared of her."
Tan You just found Tan Ying to be a pain, but she wasn’t actually afraid of confronting her. Using the academic competition as a way to avoid Tan Ying was her way of hoping Tan Ying would get the hint and stop coming around.
They weren’t on the same wavelength to begin with. Their values and personalities didn’t match, so why force it?
Li Fugui was suddenly delighted. "Tell me, after having a student like you, will I ever meet another one who’s as gifted in both the arts and sciences?"
Tan You: "Probably not."
Li Fugui laughed at her. "You’re pretty confident."
"I just have a clear understanding of myself," Tan You said with a smile. "I used to really like the humanities, and I do love literature. But now I find the sciences are more my style. They make my mind feel especially clear, without all the interpretation that the humanities require."
Li Fugui said proudly, "Exactly. With science, you either know it or you don’t. It’s very straightforward."
The two of them arrived at the dorm just as the bell rang, signaling the end of class. Tan You walked out of her dorm room holding a large rice cooker and happened to run into Teacher Lin, who was returning with her food.
Seeing Tan You, she smiled. "Not eating in the dorm today? Why don’t you join us for a bite?"
"Thank you, Teacher Lin," Tan You said politely. Just as she was about to say more, Li Fugui’s voice cut in, "We’re just having cafeteria food. Tan You was invited to dinner."
Seeing the confused look in Teacher Lin’s eyes, Tan You explained with a smile, "Cao Haiyan’s mother came to visit and invited a few of us girls who are close to eat together. I happened to have braised some pork bones, so I can give you some to go with your meal, Teacher Lin."
As she spoke, she took the container from Li Fugui’s hands. After ladling out several large bones and some pork ribs, Tan You smiled. "I won’t disturb your meal any longer. I’ll be on my way."
Teacher Lin was a little embarrassed. "This is way too much..."
Tan You just waved her hand. Li Fugui watched her retreating back. "Don’t worry, a little bit like this won’t bankrupt her. Our Guoguo is in for a treat today."
Guoguo, sucking on his little fingers, exclaimed, "Meaty meat!"
Tan You headed toward Cao Haiyan’s dorm, carrying the rice cooker. Inside her own dorm, Teacher Lin looked at the heaping pile of pork bones in front of her, still feeling a bit sheepish. "Is this really not too much?"
"Don’t you worry. Tan You isn’t the type to pretend she has more than she does," Li Fugui said, placing a pork rib in Guoguo’s bowl. "She’s loaded. Makes more than the two of us combined. To be honest, I was a little jealous today."
"No matter how much she earns, how much can you make writing short essays?" Teacher Lin also knew about Tan You’s side hustle, so she commented casually.
Li Fugui picked up a large marrow bone. "You’re a big fan of Qingyou, right? Haven’t you noticed something... subtle?"
Teacher Lin was so shocked she nearly dropped her rice bowl. "She’s... Qingyou?"
"M-hm, that’s her," Li Fugui said, taking a huge bite of meat. "She really can do anything, can’t she? But then I remember she’s my student, and I suddenly feel incredibly proud."
Teacher Lin muttered to herself, "No wonder... This can’t get out. How old is she? If other people find out, someone’s bound to get ideas."
"You think I don’t know that?" Li Fugui had a smug look on his face. "That’s why I’m only telling you. We won’t bring it up again."
Teacher Lin: "You’re right, we should. It’s just Guoguo..."
Guoguo looked up. "Mommy, I was just eating meaty meat. I didn’t hear anything."
Li Fugui pinched his son’s little cheek with his greasy hand. "That’s my boy! Takes after me. Smart!"
While Li Fugui’s family of three was enjoying the delicious braised pork bones, over in Cao Haiyan’s dorm room, Cao Haiyan, Yin Xiu, and Gu Qiuxia were each holding a pork rib in one hand, their faces shiny with grease, all of them scarfing down the food.
As for the dishes Cao Haiyan’s mother had brought, no one was paying them any mind now. Everyone was gathered around the basin of braised pork bones, digging in with gusto. Tan You placed a pork rib in Cao Haiyan’s mother’s bowl. "You should have some too, Auntie. Otherwise, I’ll feel too embarrassed to eat with you just watching."
Cao Haiyan’s mother looked down at the pork rib in her bowl, which was a good eight centimeters long. She saw the cartilage at the end, all of it coated in a thick, rich sauce, and couldn’t help but swallow.
"Well then, don’t mind if I do. It smells absolutely divine."
"Mmm, it really is delicious!"
"These braised bones, how did you make them?"
Tan You only ate two pieces herself. "The main thing is to skim the scum diligently when you parboil them. The moment any foamy blood appears, skim it off. Don’t wait for a lot of it to build up before you do it."
"Other than that, you can adjust the sweetness or saltiness according to your personal taste."
Gu Qiuxia squeezed in next to Tan You. "Tan You, these big ribs are so much more satisfying. When I’m at home, my mom either makes soup with the ribs or cuts them into tiny pieces. It’s not satisfying to eat at all."
Yin Xiu shot back, "If she bought enough for you to eat your fill, how many kilos of ribs would your mom have to buy at once?"
𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂
Gu Qiuxia looked sheepish. "I just have a big appetite! My dad does too. I take after my dad."
Seeing that Tan You had stopped eating ribs, Cao Haiyan’s mother quickly urged her, "You should eat more! Why are you having so little?"
Tan You: "I’m on a diet, so I’m eating more vegetables. If only I could trade bodies with Qiuxia. I get chubby just from breathing, while Qiuxia eats until she’s bursting and stays thin as a rake."
Cao Haiyan and Yin Xiu couldn’t hold it in and burst out coughing, but even then, neither was willing to put down the rib in her hand.
But when they thought about it, Tan You wasn’t wrong. She was always careful about her diet and would even go for runs on the track when she had time, yet she was still fair-skinned and chubby.
And what about Gu Qiuxia? She ate several times Tan You’s portion at every meal, but she was still stick-thin.
Even Tan You herself found it strangely ironic.
Gu Qiuxia also looked troubled. "Forget it. How much money am I going to have to earn in the future just to feed myself? Anyway, Tan You is definitely going to be successful. Maybe after graduation, I’ll just go work for her."
"My standards aren’t high. Just cover my room and board."
Tan You played along with a smile. "Who knows, maybe I’ll be the one who needs you to look after me in the future."
Gu Qiuxia shook her head. "No way. You’re definitely going to be more successful than me."
The girl had a lot of emotional intelligence; when she said things like this, she never included Yin Xiu and Cao Haiyan, only talking about herself. Tan You pushed the rice cooker closer to her. "Eat some more."
"I heard you yesterday saying you were craving something greasy, so I made a little extra today."
Gu Qiuxia was a bit embarrassed. "You knew about that?"
Tan You just nodded slightly. "M-hm. The day before yesterday, your stomach was growling. The student behind you bought a meat bun for breakfast, and your eyes were practically glowing green."
Gu Qiuxia sighed dramatically toward the heavens. "Tan You is the one who really cares about me, to have even noticed that. Tan You, I could just die, I love you so much."
Tan You pushed away her puckered, greasy lips. "Hurry up and eat. You’re going to be late for evening self-study."