Chapter 146

Under Ji Wanmei's sincere persuasion, Zhou Min moved down from the upper bunk again.

Ji Wanmei helped her make the bed.

Throughout the process, Zhou Min discovered that this beautiful female classmate, who seemed to come from a completely different family background and social class than her, was not as arrogant as she had imagined, and would not look down on poor students from remote rural areas like them.

On the contrary, she was kind and polite, never acted superior, and was even quite interested in the folk customs of the countryside.

Zhou Min couldn't help but feel a greater sense of goodwill towards Ji Wanmei.

Because the two were the first to arrive at the dormitory, Ji Wanmei and Zhou Min have been going in and out together almost every day for the past two days.

There are still three days until the official start of school, and the school cafeteria is not open yet. These days, they have been going to noodle shops and snack shops outside the school to find food.

Zhou Min's family doesn't give her much living expenses each month, so her budget for each meal is limited.

Moreover, even if you only eat a simple bowl of noodles at a restaurant outside the school, it costs more than using meal tickets at the school cafeteria.

I had already asked about the prices at the school cafeteria when I bought the meal tickets.

The cheapest breakfast was porridge, which cost two cents a bowl; steamed buns were five cents each; and sauerkraut and pork buns were ten cents each.

At lunchtime, rice cost one cent per 50 grams, and a normal girl's appetite would be about two 50 grams. Vegetable dishes cost one cent per serving, stir-fried meat dishes cost two or three cents, and stewed meat dishes, such as spare ribs and beef, cost five cents per serving.

It's called a "serving," but it's really just a spoonful scooped up by the cafeteria cook.

However, because the price takes into account the needs of various students, those who are frugal can spend only a few cents per meal, and less than one yuan a day on food expenses.

Two steamed buns and a bowl of porridge for breakfast cost only 12 cents.

Two ounces of rice and a vegetable dish for lunch cost only three cents.

Not to mention, most students bring their own pickled vegetables and chili sauce from home, and some even skip the side dishes and just eat two ounces of rice with the chili sauce.

Zhou Min brought several jars of pickled vegetable sauce from home.

She arrived at the school a week early to complete the formalities, hoping to use these few days to review her textbooks.

These past few days have been sweltering in the summer heat, and her family in the countryside doesn't need her to help with any farm work anymore.

During the two days that Ji Wanmei was not here, Zhou Min would go to the breakfast shop at the school gate in the morning to buy a few steamed buns, and then eat them with pickled vegetables and sauce for lunch and dinner.

Spending less than 50 cents a day is acceptable to Zhou Min.

But now that Ji Wanmei has arrived, she can't possibly eat steamed buns every meal.

So, Ji Wanmei invited Zhou Min out for lunch that noon.

Zhou Min hesitated: "...I won't go, you go by yourself, I still need to study."

Even from such a small incident, the differences between students from different backgrounds can be revealed.

At home, Ji Wanmei ate three dishes and a soup every day, two meat dishes and two vegetable dishes. Her father cooked different delicious meals for her every day.

However, at home, Zhou Min ate cornbread and coarse grain cakes while his whole family scrimped and saved to support his studies.

Now the two are classmates in the same dormitory.

Ji Wanmei wouldn't deliberately eat steamed buns with Zhou Min every day just to befriend her.

It's impossible that Zhou Min would overspend and use her meager allowance to eat things she couldn't afford just to befriend Ji Wanmei.

Ji Wanmei knew why Zhou Min rejected her, guessing that she probably thought the cost of eating out was too high and she couldn't afford it.

So Ji Wanmei said, "Let's go, it's my treat. Consider it a thank you for helping me yesterday."

Despite Zhou Min's repeated refusals, she couldn't resist Ji Wanmei's enthusiasm and finally had to put down her book and go out with Ji Wanmei.

Ji Wanmei took Zhou Min to a three-delicacy casserole restaurant near the school gate.

She knew that if she treated Zhou Min to something too expensive, Zhou Min would feel uneasy. She felt more comfortable with this kind of affordable food.

The Three Delicacies Casserole is cooked in an earthenware clay pot, with broth and rice noodles added, along with fresh vegetables such as bean sprouts, cucumbers, mushrooms, and wood ear fungus to enhance the flavor.

The rice noodles absorb the broth from the aunt's soup, making them chewy and smooth. Combined with the fragrance of soybean sprouts and a touch of chili sauce, they are exceptionally appetizing.

Ji Wanmei ordered the one with meatballs, which cost two cents more than the vegetarian three delicacies.

Two servings of meatball and seafood hot pot rice noodles cost only about 1.5 yuan, which is a bit more expensive than in the school cafeteria, but still an affordable price for students.

Two girls sat in the small shop, each eating a steaming hot pot, their faces flushed.

Ji Wanmei ate with refined manners, wiping her mouth with a handkerchief as she ate.

But this was actually Zhou Min's first time eating a three-delicacy hot pot, and she felt that she had never eaten such a delicious food before.

Although it was just ordinary rice noodles, the delicious taste was so good that she didn't want to chew it too quickly.

Zhou Min looked up at Ji Wanmei and saw that Ji Wanmei ate gracefully, chewing slowly and carefully. So she silently imitated Ji Wanmei's eating style and began to eat slowly and carefully.

Ji Wanmei was almost full after eating about two-thirds of the food. When she left the school, she took out a silk folding fan and was fanning herself with it.

On the cloud-white silk folding fan, the beautiful scenery of West Lake is embroidered with blue silk thread.

These were the same ones that Ji Wanmei brought back when she bought goods in Zhejiang last time.

She brought one with her when she came to East China University, thinking about the hot weather.

Zhou Min's gaze fell on the folding fan in Ji Wanmei's hand, and she said, "Your folding fan is really beautiful."

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