Chapter 379: Autumn Outing Destination
Chapter 379: Chapter 379: Autumn Outing Destination
Su Qing gave Zhao Xiaohui a cool glance. "Is a person like you worthy of my goodwill?"
"Why won’t you treat everyone the same?" Zhao Xiaohui still felt she’d done nothing wrong. It was a fact that Su Qing was rich; she had only made a reasonable suggestion to the class monitor. ’Why is Su Qing targeting me like this?’ she thought. "Either you pay for everyone or you don’t spend a single cent! What gives you the right to sort our classmates into different tiers?"
Li Huan snorted. "Zhao Xiaohui, have you no shame? Is it your money? How my Qingqing wants to spend her money, and who she spends it on, is none of your business! You’re acting like she’s spending your family’s money. Who the hell do you think you are, trying to tell other people how to spend their own cash?"
"Li Huan, you—" Zhao Xiaohui was livid. Just as she was about to curse Li Huan out, she heard Su Qing say, "Zhao Xiaohui, you aren’t the kind of person I’d ever treat the same as others. In fact, let me make it clear: I’d rather spend my money on stray cats and dogs. At least I feel some kindness toward them, and they know how to be grateful. You, on the other hand, are the classic type who can’t stand seeing others succeed. You’re an ungrateful viper. Why on earth would I play the fool and extend my kindness to you, only to be bitten later?"
"You... you..." Zhao Xiaohui was so angered by Su Qing’s words that she burst into tears. She wanted to storm out of the classroom, but class was about to begin. This particular professor was notoriously strict; an unexcused absence would absolutely tank her grade. She had no choice but to slump over her desk, sobbing quietly.
However, the rest of the class had been put off by Zhao Xiaohui’s outburst. Naturally, no one went over to comfort her—not even Song Yufang.
Liu Juan glanced at Song Yufang, who stood silently to the side, and couldn’t help but look down on her. ’It’s obvious Zhao Xiaohui was trying to stick up for Song Yufang and take on Su Qing for her,’ Liu Juan thought. ’But she overplayed her hand and ended up getting burned.’
’Now that Zhao Xiaohui has been defeated, Song Yufang is acting like it has nothing to do with her, completely ignoring the situation. What a fool Zhao Xiaohui is for sticking her neck out for someone like that.’
But Liu Juan had no love for either Song Yufang or Zhao Xiaohui, so she naturally kept these thoughts to herself.
And so, the plans for the autumn outing were settled. To save face, both Zhao Xiaohui and Song Yufang opted out. Huo Tao didn’t press the issue. In the end, the total number of students attending the trip came to twenty-four.
The coming Monday marked the start of the National Day holiday, so the university had given them two extra days off. Combined with Sunday, it made for a three-day weekend. Students from nearby cities planned to use the long weekend to go home, which meant they didn’t have time for the class trip.
The number of participants was set, but a new disagreement arose over the destination.
Some wanted to go to the Yunshan Scenic Area, while others preferred the valley right next to it, called Wenyun Valley.
Wenyun Valley was known for its excellent scenery and beautiful natural landscapes. The valley contained a forest and was adjacent to a mountain stream with a waterfall, making it an ideal spot for a cookout.
"Class Monitor, let’s go to Wenyun Valley! It’s gorgeous there. I went for a cookout once, and there are even small animals. If we get lucky, we might catch a wild pheasant or rabbit. Then we could forage for mushrooms and make our own soup—how great would that be?" Xie Lei, the one who proposed the idea, said to Huo Tao. "I’m not exaggerating one bit. It’s the perfect place for a class trip."
When they heard Xie Lei mention pheasants and rabbits, many of the students were intrigued. Even those who had originally wanted to go to the Yunshan Scenic Area changed their tune, smiling as they said, "Well, in that case, Wenyun Valley sounds great. Setting up our own pot to cook sounds like way more fun than just wandering around a tourist spot."
"But if we have a cookout, we’ll need a pot and other supplies," Huo Tao said thoughtfully. "The pot itself is easy enough—we can borrow one from the cafeteria. But we’d have to carry it all the way there. Do you guys think that’s feasible? Besides the pot, we’d also have to bring rice, noodles, and some vegetables. That’s not a light load."
"Psh, what’s the big deal?" one of the boys laughed. "I’ll carry my share."
"Me too."
"I can help carry some of it."
Huo Tao considered it for a moment, then smiled. "Alright then, let’s take a vote by a show of hands. We’ll see how many want the scenic area and how many want Wenyun Valley. Majority rules."
Su Qing didn’t particularly care where they went, but Li Huan and Chen Meizhen were both dying to have a cookout in Wenyun Valley, so the rest of the girls in their dorm went along with their preference.
After a quick show of hands, it was clear the majority wanted to go to Wenyun Valley. Huo Tao grinned and made the call. "Alright then! This weekend, we’re going to Wenyun Valley."
Since there were twenty-four people going, Su Qing simply gave Huo Tao fifty yuan and told him to spend what he needed, adding that she would make up the difference if it wasn’t enough.
In the end, Huo Tao and a few of the other guys went to the cafeteria. They managed to borrow a large iron wok and also bought a five-jin bag of rice, some dried vegetables, glass noodles, and a small jar of lard. On top of that, Huo Tao and his friends wheedled the professor in charge of the cafeteria until he agreed to sell them half a strip of cured pork. This was their backup, ensuring the food would have some meaty flavor just in case they failed to catch any pheasants or rabbits.
As for seasonings, Su Qing simply brought a variety from home.
The weekend arrived in a flash. The night before, Su Qing and Li Huan stayed in the dorm instead of going back to their courtyard house. All seven girls woke up bright and early, got ready, slung on their backpacks, and headed for the school gate to meet up with the others.
Of the twenty-four students attending the trip, there were eight girls and sixteen boys. The seven girls from Su Qing’s dorm were all there, and the eighth girl was Cheng Fang.
The Economics Department’s Class One had ten female students in total. Cheng Fang and Zhao Xiaohui had been assigned to a mixed dorm with girls from Class Two. However, Cheng Fang didn’t like Zhao Xiaohui, and their relationship was distant. In contrast, she was very friendly toward Su Qing’s group. As Su Qing and her friends reached the gate, they saw Cheng Fang waving them over. "Here! Over here!"
"Cheng Fang, you’re here bright and early," Liu Juan said with a smile.
Cheng Fang beamed. "I have this weird habit. Whenever I have something fun planned for the next day, I get so excited I can’t help but wake up super early. My mom always says I was born with a restless heart that just wants to play."
Her words made all the girls laugh.
As the girls were chattering away, they saw Huo Tao approaching from the cafeteria with two other boys. Each of the three carried a large bamboo basket on his back, filled with all the supplies they had borrowed and bought.
Seeing the heavy-looking baskets, the other boys in the class chuckled. "We guys will take turns carrying those."
Then they turned to Su Qing and the other girls. "You ladies don’t have to worry about it. Just follow us."
"Deal. We’ll handle the cooking then," the girls replied, laughing.
Chatting and laughing, the group boarded a public bus and set off toward Wenyun Valley.