"Yes, a thirteen-year-old female champion has caused a sensation in the national education circle. Zhang Hongmei is young, and some of you are already her parents' age, so please take good care of her."

Chen Shuang was quite surprised; she hadn't expected that this pretty young girl was actually the top scholar.

Zhang Hongmei didn't know Kong Mingde, but the middle-aged people below all knew him.

He is not only a professor in the Department of Economics at the Capital University, but also the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Finance.

It was unexpected that Professor Kong would directly ask everyone to take care of Zhang Hongmei; it was truly an exception.

"It's already 11:30." "Alright, I won't keep you from eating. We'll have class at 1:30 this afternoon, mainly to distribute books and collect book fees. Tomorrow's self-study period is when you all get your subsidy books and food rations. Okay, is there anything else the counselor wants to tell you?"

"Professor Kong, that's all."

"Alright, get out of class is over."

Zhang Hongmei waited until most people had left before getting up, putting on her coat, grabbing her lunchbox, and heading out.

As soon as I stepped out of the teaching building, I saw Liu Jingze standing to the side waiting for me.

"Come on, I'll take you to eat."

"I can find the cafeteria, so you don't need to wait for me next time. You can go and line up first. If I eat at the cafeteria, you can line up for food. If I don't eat at the cafeteria, you can eat early."

"Don't worry, someone has gone to line up."

Zhang Hongmei wondered if it was really appropriate to do this in front of so many people.

When the two arrived at the cafeteria, someone waved to Liu Jingze, and Zhang Hongmei followed.

"Hongmei, sit down and wait, I'll go get the food." Liu Jingze took the lunchbox Zhang Hongmei handed him and went to line up with the boy who had waved earlier to get their food.

Zhang Hongmei looked around the cafeteria and finally found the hot water dispenser. Now that Liu Jingze was back, she could go get a cup of water.

A moment later, a boy with a parted hairstyle came over and asked, "Excuse me, can I sit here?"

"Excuse me, my brother and his friends went to get food, this table is already full."

The boy who came over to chat her up glanced at Zhang Hongmei several more times before reluctantly leaving.

A few more people came over after a while. They turned out to be classmates from my class, the girl with the long, narrow face.

"I want to sit here."

"This table is taken, please go to another table and join us." Zhang Hongmei isn't the type to turn the other cheek after being slapped on the left. Since you're being so unfriendly, you won't say anything nice either.

"What's so great about it? You'll have no friends if you live and study in the same class like this."

"Hehe, it's not even certain that they're not in the same class. Besides, not everyone can become friends."

"Xu Tongtong, let's find a table to eat." A girl with thick eyebrows and big eyes pulled her away.

Liu Jingze also ran over, "What's wrong with Hongmei?"

"It's nothing, what are you doing here? You should hurry up and get in line."

Zhang Hongmei looked around and saw her classmates eating heartily, making steamed buns with a mixture of wheat flour and other grains, along with stewed cabbage and tofu. She thought it looked quite delicious.

A moment later, Liu Jingze brought over Zhang Hongmei's lunchbox, which contained a spoonful of vegetables, a steamed bun, and a small amount of pickled red vegetables on the lid.

"Hongmei, you eat first, I'll go get the food."

"OK."

When Liu Jingze and the other three arrived, Zhang Hongmei finally saw Liu Jingzhang.

"Zhang Hongmei, we're still classmates."

"Hello, Comrade Liu. Brother Jingze, I'm going to fetch some water. Do you need any?"

"I don't want it now," Liu Jingze said, reaching for the water glass in Zhang Hongmei's hand.

"No need, I can do it myself. You go ahead and eat."

Zhang Hongmei finally managed to squeeze through the crowd, wash her hands, and then return with a cup of hot water.

The four of them hadn't eaten either, and were all waiting for Zhang Hongmei, which made her quite embarrassed. She said that things had already come to this, and sat down, saying, "Brother Jingze, it's time to eat."

Zhang Hongmei picked up a steamed bun and took a bite. It was a bit hard; thankfully, it was made with leavened dough. She picked up her chopsticks and ate a bite of the vegetable dish. It lacked oil and, while not as good as pickled vegetables, was still extremely salty.

She picked up her water glass and slowly drank. Liu Jingze had been watching Zhang Hongmei closely, and seeing her take a bite and then put it down, choosing to drink water instead, he knew that the girl wasn't used to the food.

But we can't ask. With so many people around, it would be troublesome if word got out that Zhang Hongmei is spoiled.

"Hongmei, the pickled red vegetables at our school are especially delicious, you should try them."

"Okay, I'll drink some water first. I've been talking all day and haven't had a chance to drink any water."

Zhang Hongmei picked up a steamed bun, added a strip of pickled vegetable, and said, "Hmm, it's really quite delicious. It has a slightly sour taste, but it's not the taste of vinegar. It should be the taste left over from when the vegetables were pickled."

Zhang Hongmei pushed the food from the lunchbox in front of Liu Jingze.

"Brother Jingze, this dish is too salty, do you want some?"

"Give it to me." Liu Jingze picked up the lunchbox and poured the contents into his own. He then stood up, filled Zhang Hongmei's lunchbox with hot water, and returned.

Zhang Hongmei finally managed to eat the steamed bun and decided that she would eat lunch in the cafeteria from now on. Being too unconventional would attract attention, which was not the case in her small city.

"Brother Jingze, why didn't you come to see me? Wouldn't it be better if we ate together?"

"Wenhui, aren't you eating in the Chinese department's cafeteria? Hurry up and sit down." Liu Jingze stood up and offered his seat to Zheng Wenhui.

The remaining three male classmates looked at Liu Jingze with amusement, but did not jeer as they would in later generations.

"I'll be eating here from now on. Brother Jingze, could you save me a seat and let me wait in line?"

"Wenhui, I'm sorry, I don't always have time." It was really hard to refuse directly. The two of them had been learning chess together for five years, although they only spent two or three months a year together. They had really grown up together since they were little, so even if she refused, she couldn't be too obvious.

"Then I'll come early to save you a seat and get in line."

Zhang Hongmei chuckled to herself, her head bowed. This sister has potential; if the mountain won't come to me, I'll go to the mountain.

Liu Jingze stopped talking. He couldn't very well stop people from coming here; he didn't have that right either.

The two girls at their table, Liu Jingze who was also considered handsome, and the other three male classmates who were also good-looking, attracted a lot of attention.

Zhang Hongmei finished eating and put down her chopsticks. By then, Liu Jingze had already poured hot water into his lunchbox. Zhang Hongmei closed the lunchbox; there was no need to wash it, there was no oil.

"You guys take your time eating. I'll go wash the lunchboxes."

After returning, I put the dried chopsticks into the dried lunchbox, packed them into my lunchbox bag, and sat down to wait until everyone had finished eating before leaving. This was more polite of me, since everyone had been waiting for me to eat.

"Little sister, are you adjusting well after coming from your hometown?"

"Hehe, thank you for your concern, Zheng. It's alright, it's not as cold as my hometown here."