After finishing the two courses, Chapter 8: Mathematical Methods in Physics and Physics Experiments, the whole morning was over.
As everyone packed up their books, they walked toward the cafeteria with little anticipation. The food at Guangling University's cafeteria did not disgrace the name "cafeteria," and the aunties serving the food seemed to have received nationwide standardized training, possessing a professional skill of trembling hands.
Students generally don't like the cafeteria, but Ji Zhixing is the most enthusiastic about eating there.
Not to mention that during his freshman year of college, he spent at least two-thirds of the year eating free soup and plain steamed buns to save money. Even when he was still in his hometown, he never enjoyed any real delicacies.
His parents died early, and he has lived with his grandfather since he can remember.
Having experienced hardship since childhood, my grandfather always believed that being able to eat his fill was a blessing. He was not particular about the taste of food, so he cooked very casually, as long as it was cooked through.
The only seasonings are oil and salt, and the ingredients are potatoes, green vegetables, and meat, the same three ingredients used in rotation.
Potato shreds are always about the thickness of a thumb, so they're never cooked through when stir-fried. Instead, they're simmered in water, resulting in what's basically potato soup. When stir-frying vegetables, to avoid using too much oil and the risk of burning, a ladle of water is added, leaving half a bowl of gravy in a bowl of vegetables. Fearing undercooked meat might contain parasites, meat is always boiled, resulting in pale chunks of meat soaking in oily gravy.
It's not that Grandpa doesn't love him; Grandpa genuinely thinks this is just fine. What's wrong with having meat and vegetables? Isn't less oil and less salt healthy? Experts have always advocated for a light diet.
But later, seeing other people's children growing tall and strong like they'd been doused in manure, while his own grandson was as thin as a raisin, the grandfather became anxious and began to try to make changes.
Ji Zhixing still clearly remembers that day when he came home from school and saw a bowl of charcoal on the dining table. His grandfather said that it wasn't charcoal, but braised pork.
Although every bite was full of black bits, although his jaw was sore from chewing, and although he could still clearly feel the irritation in his stomach after swallowing, the taste of this "braised" pork was so fresh compared to boiled potatoes, boiled vegetables, and boiled meat chunks. Ji Zhixing ate an extra bowl of rice that day.
The grandfather was greatly encouraged. The next day, he served a fish that looked like it had died with its eyes open and some tarry sweet and sour pork ribs. The grandfather and grandson struggled to finish them, and that same day they both ended up in the hospital and stayed there for five days.
After leaving the hospital, the grandfather and grandson each lost 5 pounds when they stepped on the scale.
After this ordeal, Grandpa stopped trying. So what if he's thin? So what if he doesn't grow taller? The most important thing is—to stay alive!
Later, when he went to middle school, the school had a cafeteria. Because it was far from home, Ji Zhixing ate lunch in the cafeteria.
While everyone was complaining that the cafeteria food was too oily, salty, and saucey, Ji Zhixing experienced the impact of modern industry on his taste buds for the first time, and from then on, he had an unparalleled and wonderful impression of the three words "cafeteria food".
Of course, he still ate dinner at home back then, and with the contrast of "home-cooked meals," Ji Zhixing's enthusiasm for the cafeteria food has remained to this day. It was also thanks to the cafeteria food that he managed to reach a height of exactly 180 cm by his senior year of high school.
During their freshman year, the three people in dormitory 310 didn't eat together. Xu Dongyang's family was well-off, so he usually ordered takeout or ate stir-fries at restaurants outside the school. Lin Lang ate in the cafeteria, while Ji Zhixing was busy with his part-time job and would almost always grab a steamed bun and rush off as soon as class was over.
So, it wasn't until today that the three members of Dorm 310 gathered together in the cafeteria for the first time. While Xu Dongyang and Lin Lang were eating with gusto, every taste bud on Ji Zhixing's tongue was leaping with joy.
After lunch, Xu Dongyang and Lin Lang returned to their dorm and simultaneously turned on their computers. Xu Dongyang seemed to be researching something lately, while Lin Lang was just playing games.
He called out to Ji Zhixing, "Come on! I'll help you rank up!" Since Ji Zhixing no longer had to work hard, Lin Lang felt obligated to help him enjoy university life.
"I'm not playing." Ji Zhixing said as he opened his backpack and took out the books for his two morning classes. "I'm going to the library."
Lin Lang glared at him with a sullen look: "Do you still consider me a brother?" He still needs an assistant.
Ji Zhixing smiled dismissively and waved his notebook.
Lin Lang quickly changed his tone from annoyed to delighted: "We're brothers for life! Big brother, take care on the road!" He'd gotten up so early that morning, it was a miracle he'd kept his eyes open the whole time; he hadn't taken a single note. Last semester, he barely passed everything except computer science, and he figured he'd have to rely on Ji Zhixing for the final exams.
Ji Zhixing put a new notebook into his backpack and went out under the scorching sun.
With classes every day after school started, he didn't have much free time, so he adjusted his daily schedule.
For over an hour before class, from 6 AM to 8 AM, he would hide in bed and mentally complete the attention and memory training provided by the system. During class, when the teacher explained a part he already understood, he would take the time to work on creative thinking exercises. When he didn't have classes, he would go to the library to read, and he would schedule all his physical exercise for the evenings to avoid having to shower twice a day. He truly made the most of his time.
Ji Zhixing spent the entire afternoon in the library, plus two hours in the evening, before finally finishing reading "Computational Physics." It was already past eight o'clock when he left the library, so he went straight to the sports field.
As I passed the basketball court, I saw Lin Lang and Xu Dongyang.
Xu Dongyang signed up for the basketball shooting event at the sports meet, while Lin Lang, who was on the school basketball team, was practicing on the court.
A group of boys were playing basketball, their shouts and the sound of their shoes scraping the ground echoing in the summer night air. Although their skills weren't top-notch, their decent moves and energetic performance still attracted some girls who were chatting and strolling on the playground to come and watch.
So the boys dribbled, played offense and defense, and shot even harder. When the basketball went in, the girls cheered enthusiastically. When the ball spun around the rim and then fell out, the girls burst into laughter.
How wonderful! A summer night.
When he was a child, his summer nights were soda, his grandfather's palm-leaf fan, Journey to the West and Ultraman; later, summer nights were disinfectant, hospital bills, and his grandfather's intermittent breathing.
And now...
His summer nights could be a quiet library, a bustling sports field, or anything that embodies youthful exuberance and leisure...
Ji Zhixing suddenly realized that he didn't need to push himself so hard, not necessarily to get ten points a day. Eight or nine would be fine, or taking a break for a day or two wouldn't be a bad thing. After figuring this out, he felt even his breathing slow down.
He stood there quietly, immersed in a carefree freedom.
Soon, the girls started reminding each other to look in his direction.
Who is that?
"He seemed to be a sophomore. I saw him heading to a sophomore classroom in the Physics Department when I went to Mingde Building this morning." She even took a few photos at the time.
"Weren't the only decent-looking guys in sophomore year the student council vice president and that guy from the humanities department? When did this handsome guy suddenly appear?"
"I prefer his type to the previous school heartthrob."
Everyone loves beauty, and Guangling University holds an unofficial beauty pageant every year. There's no formal application or selection process; a thread is created on the forum, and those who want to join in the fun nominate the people they think are beautiful. Everyone votes using points, and ten men and ten women are selected.
Ji Zhixing's graduating class was widely considered to have a lack of "talent." While the girls were still a sight to behold, the boys were a disappointment. The gentle and refined literary genius made it into the top five, while Fan Yongjie, the vice president of the student union, was just at the bottom, ranking tenth. The rest were all from other grades.
Although Ji Zhixing used to be handsome and not short, he suffered from malnutrition due to a lack of proper nutrition and the arduous work of his job. While not exactly skin and bones, he looked pale and thin. The heavy financial burden further weighed on him, making him appear gloomy and unappealing, almost unbearable to look at.
The club manager who stopped him on the dark road was a seasoned veteran who had the "keen eye" to see that he was a diamond in the rough.
With the system, Ji Zhixing was completely freed from the shackles of economic pressure, and his spirits were fully relaxed.
He was young after all, and with a regular schedule, early to bed and early to rise, and a balanced diet, his complexion quickly improved. In addition, his daily exercise meant that his arms and calves, which were exposed outside his clothes, were covered with a thin layer of muscle, giving him a sense of strength without being so bulky as to appear threatening.
In addition, clothes make the man, and the clothing consultant contacted by the system has great taste. The clothes purchased for Ji Zhixing are simple yet high-quality, making him look clean and refreshing.
At that moment, he stood there quietly, the night breeze gently brushing his hair, the dim light of the streetlights casting just the right amount of light and shadow on him, gradually attracting the girls' attention.
Before long, Lin Lang came to shoo them away: "Get out of here! All the girls are staring at you if you stand here!"
Why was he sweating so much on the court? It was all to attract the girls' attention. He just swished in a three-pointer, a clean swish, and thought he looked incredibly cool, but then he didn't hear any cheers and realized the girls' attention was no longer on him.
Ji Zhixing took off his backpack and threw it at him, scolding, "You've forgotten your friends for the sake of a pretty face!"
Lin Lang pushed him away while pleading, "Give your brother a break!" He was already a sophomore and had never even held a girl's hand. If he didn't sell himself this year, there would be no hope in his junior year. The one thing universities have in abundance is a constant stream of fresh-faced young men.
Ji Zhixing gave him a disdainful look, then left the basketball court to go for a run, since he didn't plan to date during his college years anyway.
Ji Zhixing slowly ran the 3000 meters and then slowly walked a few laps. Lin Lang and Xu Dongyang had just finished training, and the three of them walked back to the dormitory together.
On a summer night, the mosquitoes were all diligently working overtime. *Smack!* Lin Lang had to swat a mosquito every few steps.
"Damn it! In a threesome, I'm always the one who gets bitten! Why is that?!"
"Being popular isn't a good thing?" Ji Zhixing laughed heartily, looking up at the starry sky. This was his summer night as a college student.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com