Chapter 47 Step-by-Step Tutorial
The selection exam for the physics competition was not as terrifying as Peng Chengyi had anticipated, but it was by no means easy either.
Although there are not many questions, each one is full of hidden traps, requiring strong logical reasoning and on-the-spot adaptability.
After the exam, she nervously compared answers to a few questions with Chen Yubai and found that she had gotten at least two or three wrong. Her heart sank, as if she had already seen the notice of rejection.
She thought she had no chance this time, but two days later, she unexpectedly received an admission notice—she had just barely passed.
A brief surge of joy came like a tide, but quickly receded, leaving behind a more realistic sense of unease.
She only managed to get a ticket by chance. If she really goes down the path of competition and competes with the top students in the country for a guaranteed admission spot, what are her chances of winning?
Could this actually interfere with my regular studies and end up with nothing to show for it?
On the way home during the National Day holiday, the train carriage swayed. Peng Chengyi, holding her schoolbag, couldn't help but ask Chen Yubai, who had also qualified, "You'll probably continue participating in the competition, right?"
"It depends," Chen Yubai replied somewhat vaguely.
Peng Chengyi, puzzled, turned her head and asked, "What do you mean? Weren't you first in the selection exam?"
Chen Yubai paused for two seconds, then said calmly, "If you pursue competitive sports, your future major might be limited."
"What major do you want to study in the future?" she asked curiously.
He shrugged: "I don't know, we'll see."
Peng Chengyi: "..."
Asking this dog is like asking a pointless question.
She still needed to go back and discuss it with Peng Weiguo. Although he was just a junior high school physics teacher, he knew more about physics-related professional fields and competitions than she did.
When he got home, Peng Weiguo was somewhat surprised to hear that she had passed the selection for the competition class. He asked, "Why did you suddenly decide to pursue the competition path?"
"It wasn't exactly sudden. My teacher recommended that I give it a try, so I signed up," Peng Chengyi replied while peeling an orange.
"Isn't your school starting to organize competitions a bit late?" Peng Weiguo frowned. "Many people who really want to pursue a career in competitions start in their first year of high school, or even in junior high school, so I don't really recommend you go."
"Huh? Is it rolled like this?" Peng Chengyi paused, her eyes widening in disbelief.
"Yes, the competition is getting fiercer now, and there are too many people who invested early and have deep expertise."
“But I’ve never been involved in competitions before, and I’ve already passed the selection process. Does that mean I’m actually not that smart, and maybe I can give it a shot?” Peng Chengyi said, biting into an orange and blinking.
Peng Weiguo chuckled and said, "Didn't you just barely make the cut? Where's your cleverness? If you were like Xiaoyu..."
"Cough cough!" Zhou Lifen, who was carrying dishes out of the kitchen, coughed twice and secretly glared at him.
Peng Weiguo then realized that he had let something slip again. He paused awkwardly for two seconds, then stiffly changed the subject: "In short, you should just stick to the college entrance examination."
“Oh…” Peng Chengyi pouted, then added defiantly, “Although I’m a hard-working type, there are very few people who can do what I do. I’m no worse than Chen Yubai.”
“Yes, yes, yes.” Zhou Lifang put down the plate of food in her hand, walked over quickly and encouraged her, “Our Chengcheng is the best, she doesn’t need to compare herself with anyone else.”
"However, I also think that taking the college entrance examination is a safer option for you. As long as you maintain your current grades, you can at least get into a 211 university, and if you perform well, a 985 university is no problem either. Maybe you can even get into Peking University!"
Upon hearing this, Peng Chengyi's drooping lips curled up again, and she nodded with obvious satisfaction: "Well, then I'll give up the competition and take the college entrance exam normally!"
After dinner, Peng Chengyi went downstairs to throw out the trash and bumped into Chen Yubai, who was also carrying a trash bag.
"I've decided not to go to the competition class anymore. I just wanted to let you know." She said in a relaxed tone.
Seeing her relieved expression, Chen Yubai smiled casually: "You've figured it out?"
"I've figured it out. The college entrance exam is more suitable for me. Why should people force themselves to pursue what they don't have? It's better to make the most of your strengths."
Chen Yubai: "Not bad, your brain has grown back."
Peng Chengyi's lips twitched: "...Don't you feel uncomfortable if you don't roast me for a day?"
He raised an eyebrow slightly: "Aren't you pretty much the same?"
She gave him a slight glare: "I still compliment you occasionally, okay!"
He chuckled: "Most of your compliments are also driven by ulterior motives; they're not much different in essence."
Peng Chengyi was speechless for a moment after being exposed, then threw the trash bag into the bin after a few seconds: "I'm too lazy to argue with you!"
Chen Yubai's smile deepened, and he put his hands in his pockets, slowly following behind her.
"What are you doing following me?" Peng Chengyi turned her head speechlessly.
"What? You're allowed to go home, but I'm not?" Chen Yubai glanced at her with amusement.
"..."
Oh right, she was used to not living in the same dormitory at school, and she almost forgot that they lived across the hall from each other.
Peng Chengyi pursed her lips awkwardly, trying to save face, and said, "What I mean is, you can go for a walk after dinner. As the saying goes, 'A hundred steps after a meal, live to ninety-nine.'"
"You really want me to live to be a hundred? Are you afraid you'll be lonely if I die first?" he said, drawing out his words with a lazy laugh.
"Who would be lonely? I'll just have some peace and quiet!" Peng Chengyi snorted lightly, but in her mind, she couldn't help but imagine what it would be like if he were no longer by her side in the future.
However, ninety-nine years old is too far away for her to imagine; she can only think about university life not far off.
It seems, it looks like, it might actually be a bit boring.
-
On the last two days of the National Day holiday, Peng Chengyi and Chen Yubai returned to school early and boarded the bus to the countryside because the school was organizing a trip to learn about agriculture in the nearby countryside.
It was a completely new activity for Peng Chengyi, and she was incredibly excited when she arrived. However, when she saw the pile of hoes and shovels covered in mud waiting to be picked up at the dormitory entrance, she belatedly realized that this was probably not going to be a relaxing rural outing.
After receiving their small hoes and shovels, the teacher in charge called everyone together: "Alright, quiet down. Put on your gloves, we're going to dig sweet potatoes in the back field in a bit."
"Have you ever dug sweet potatoes before?" Peng Chengyi asked Zheng Xinyue in a low voice.
"I dug it when I was in junior high school, during the agricultural training program." Zheng Xinyue nodded.
"Is it easy to dig? Are you tired?"
"It's not difficult once you get the hang of it, but it is a bit tiring. However, it's still better than carrying manure."
"What??? We actually have to shovel manure?!" Peng Chengyi was so shocked she almost cried out.
"Yes, but I heard that the high school section no longer has this program," Zheng Xinyue said with a smile, trying to comfort her.
"That's good..." Peng Chengyi breathed a slight sigh of relief.
After the teacher in charge gave a brief explanation of the techniques for digging sweet potatoes, he announced that the group was dismissed and everyone could practice freely.
Peng Chengyi squatted by the edge of the field, straining against the hard soil. After struggling for a while, he finally pulled out a sweet potato seedling the size of an egg, along with a leg full of mud.
She was panting heavily from exhaustion. She stood up with her hands on her hips, hoping to find some comfort by looking at other people's miserable state. But when she turned her head, she saw several round and plump sweet potatoes lying peacefully in the basket next to Chen Yubai's feet.
"..."
Guessing that his sweet potatoes might be growing exceptionally well, Peng Chengyi decisively picked up her basket and went to his side.
Hearing the voice, Chen Yubai straightened up, glanced at the underdeveloped sweet potatoes in her basket, and teased with a lazy smile: "Oh, your sweet potatoes are quite unique."
"The feng shui on my side is bad." Peng Chengyi pouted unhappily and put down the basket in her hand.
Chen Yubai raised an eyebrow slightly: "Is it possible that your technique is lacking?"
"Impossible." Peng Chengyi stubbornly insisted, already squatting down and starting to feel around with a small shovel.
"Is that so? Aren't you just blindly searching right now?" Chen Yubai said with a leisurely smile.
"Who said I was searching blindly? I was digging along the vines!"
"The sweet potato vines can spread very far, and you might not be able to harvest many even by dinnertime."
"..." Peng Chengyi paused with her shovel, then raised her face defiantly, "Then what special identification techniques do you have?"
"Didn't the teacher in charge say that if the ground is slightly raised or has cracks, there's a good chance there are big sweet potatoes underneath?"
"When did he say that?" Peng Chengyi was taken aback.
"While you were chatting with Zheng Xinyue," he said casually.
"..."
Peng Chengyi choked, pursed his lips and didn't reply, but silently lowered his head and began to search carefully on the ground according to his method.
Soon, she spotted a crack at his feet and immediately exclaimed, "Make way! There must be a big one here!"
Chen Yubai obediently moved aside, watching her rush over with a small shovel, as if afraid he would beat her to it. He couldn't help but remind her, "Be careful when you dig. If you start directly below the crack, you might split the sweet potato in half."
Peng Chengyi paused, then nervously looked up: "Where should we dig from?"
"You didn't hear a single word the teacher was saying," he teased casually with a smirk.
"..."
That dog, he'll keep mocking her over the slightest thing, won't he!
Peng Chengyi clenched the shovel in her hand, then lowered her head sullenly: "If you don't want to teach me, fine, I can figure it out myself."
As she spoke, she carefully used the tip of her shovel to tentatively poke into a crack in the soil.
Before she could decide which direction to apply force next, a large hand wearing a muddy white work glove covered her from behind, firmly enveloping her hesitant hand.
The boy's warm body temperature was clearly transmitted through the rough fabric, carrying an undeniable yet reassuring strength.
A lazy voice then fell on her ear, its breath brushing against her earlobe, tickling her slightly: "Who said I didn't want to teach you anymore? Don't always rush to label me."
Peng Chengyi subconsciously gripped the shovel handle and turned around.
His sharply defined profile was so close, no more than ten centimeters away. His breath almost brushed against the stray strands of hair near her ear, bringing a subtle yet distinct tickle, like a feather gently brushing against her.
For some reason, her heartbeat skipped a beat, as if she had been gently bumped by something soft.
Peng Chengyi immediately turned her face to the side, staring at the crack in the soil in front of her, and muttered under her breath, "That's because of your usual behavior; it's hard for people not to label you..."
"Find your conscience." Chen Yubai let out a soft snort, paused, and said in a drawn-out tone with a hint of mockery, "I've been protecting you quite a bit, haven't I?"
"..."
Thinking about it carefully, although he was a bit sharp-tongued, he did protect her in the ways he was supposed to.
Peng Chengyi was speechless for a moment, her cheeks flushed slightly. After a couple of seconds, she found her voice and forced a strong tone: "Since you stole my boss's title, it's only right that you protect me."
"When you were my boss, why didn't you protect me?" Chen Yubai asked with amusement.
"Why didn't I?" Peng Chengyi suddenly raised her head, as if she had grasped strong evidence, her eyes widening slightly. "Whose homework did you copy back then?"
"It's not like you let me copy your homework for free," Chen Yubai raised an eyebrow, his narrow eyes slightly narrowed, and slowly brought up old grievances with her, "Didn't I give you a whole cabinet of comics as a tribute?"
"...Well, you didn't protect me for free!" Peng Chengyi, whose weakness had been hit, unconsciously raised her voice and retorted with a bluff.
Chen Yubai turned his head away and scoffed, then his gaze returned to her slightly evasive eyes: "May I ask, what did I take from you?"
“Receive…” Peng Chengyi opened her mouth, then suddenly realized that whether he took on the job of an arts and literature clerk for her or helped her play bass and sing, he had never asked her for any substantial compensation.
Even the study notes that he promised to continue giving her "depending on her performance" were still organized and put in her pencil case every day, even though she didn't perform much.
If you had to pinpoint what he wanted, it would probably just be a few reluctant compliments from her.
She pursed her lips, her feelings a mix of emotions, and hastily and awkwardly changed the subject: "Hurry up and teach me how to dig sweet potatoes, my hands are sweating from all the heat you've been doing."
Chen Yubai chuckled softly, his warm breath brushing against her ear once more, bringing a subtle tingling sensation.
"Alright, watch carefully." He stopped teasing her and guided her hand, cutting the shovel diagonally into the soil. "Keep it away from the main stem, about fifteen to twenty centimeters away. Then dig from the outside in, layer by layer, don't use brute force."
Peng Chengyi dug in the soil as instructed, but his head unconsciously lowered a little further, creating some distance between his breathing and the soil.
Not long after, Peng Chengyi felt a solid touch from the tip of the shovel, and his eyes lit up immediately. "Ah, I think I touched it!"
"Slow down," Chen Yubai said with a smile, his large hand still firmly resting on hers. "Don't shovel straight down. Do you want to crack it open? Loosen the soil to the side."
Peng Chengyi held her breath and carefully scraped away the surrounding soil with the edge of the shovel as instructed.
Soon, the reddish-brown potato skin gradually became visible, and it looked quite large.
"Look! I knew there was a big one hidden here!" She turned her head excitedly, her nose almost brushing against his chin.
Looking at her bright eyes and thick, fluttering eyelashes, Chen Yubai's Adam's apple bobbed slightly. He released her hand and stood up lazily: "Well, you've barely graduated."
"Tch, my level is at least that of an excellent student, okay?" Peng Chengyi curled her lip and turned back to continue digging.
“Excellent student, you can try loosening the soil from a different angle now, otherwise how can you pry it all off?” Chen Yubai teased her leisurely from behind.
"..." Peng Chengyi paused, then pretended to be nonchalant and moved to the other side. "I know, I just feel that this side isn't loose enough."
Chen Yubai smiled noncommittally, and only after watching her finally dig out most of the sweet potato did he turn around and continue with his own work.
After an afternoon of work, Peng Chengyi harvested more than half a basket of round sweet potatoes and handed them in with a great sense of accomplishment.
I thought we could have dinner when we got back to the farm, but little did I know that our hard days were not over yet. We had to cook dinner ourselves, and it was the kind of cooking where we had to chop wood and start a fire.
"No way? How are we supposed to do this?" someone immediately cried out in despair.
"I've barely even touched an induction cooker at home!"
"Help! My hands are shaking after digging up sweet potatoes, and I still have to cook?"
"Let's just steam the sweet potatoes we dug up this afternoon and eat them!"
"Agreed! As long as it's edible, I'm not picky!"
Amidst a cacophony of complaints, Ling Baizhou frowned and pondered for a moment before stepping forward to take charge, saying, "Everyone, don't panic! Anyone who can cook, raise your hand!"
"I... I only know how to make scrambled eggs with tomatoes, does that count?" Zheng Xinyue asked uncertainly in a low voice, her hand raised hesitantly.
"Yes!" Ling Baizhou nodded firmly. "If you can make even one dish, then you've mastered it!"
So, at his call, several more girls and a few boys raised their hands.
“Okay,” Ling Baizhou quickly arranged, “Then you few will be in charge of deciding on the recipe, finding the ingredients, and cooking. The rest of you will all assist, washing vegetables, chopping vegetables, and preparing things.”
"Then how do we start a fire?" someone else asked, raising the crucial question.
"Give me a few strong boys," Ling Baizhou waved his hand, "to come with me to chop wood."
After the division of labor was roughly determined, the chaos and complaints on site gradually subsided.
Peng Chengyi, who had never cooked before, wanted to take the job of washing vegetables, but the position was so popular that it was snapped up before she could even squeeze into the crowd.
Looking at the round eggplant on the cutting board, she was a little confused and had to ask Chen Wei, who was dealing with a loofah next to her, for help: "How should I cut this eggplant?"
“Usually, it’s cut into rolling cuts,” Chen Wei, who was slightly more experienced than her, demonstrated, “like this.”
Peng Chengyi observed it for a moment, then asked with a headache, "But it's too round, it's hard to cut. How can we divide it more scientifically?"
"How about... we cut it in half first, then divide it into four pieces?" Chen Wei wasn't quite sure either.
“I’ll give it a try…” Peng Chengyi hesitated as he raised his knife. Just as he cut it in two, he heard a low gasp from behind him.
"Wow……"
"That's so cool!"
"Luckily, they're from our class; I never get tired of seeing them every day!"
She couldn't help but stop what she was doing and look back.
Chen Yubai stood beside the woodpile in the courtyard, holding an axe in one hand, and deftly raised it.
The setting sun gilded his tall figure with a golden edge, and the axe blade drew a silver arc, landing precisely on the firewood.
With a "crack," the firewood split in two.
It was just ordinary chopping wood, but he managed to make it look dashing and unrestrained, as if the axe in his hand was not a sword, but a sharp blade for roaming the martial world.
...
This dog, even while chopping wood, doesn't forget to show off.
Peng Chengyi twitched the corner of her mouth, turned her head away speechlessly, and continued her struggle with the unruly eggplant on the cutting board.
Amidst the clatter of pots and pans and the frantic activity, dishes that might not look particularly appealing, but were made with sincerity, were finally served one after another on the round tables in the courtyard.
The air was filled with the aromas of various dishes, burnt smells, and the scent of firewood, creating a lively and vibrant atmosphere.
Peng Chengyi's stomach was already growling with hunger. Just as she picked up her chopsticks and aimed at the plate of braised eggplant that she had personally "processed," she heard Ling Baizhou next to her chuckle and say, "Who cut this eggplant? The shape is so creative!"
"..." Peng Chengyi froze, then awkwardly raised her face. "It's my fault... I meant to cut it into rolling cuts, but it kept rolling..."
Upon seeing her, Ling Baizhou immediately stopped laughing and quickly changed the subject: "Well, actually, if you look closely, it's quite unique! It has a lot more depth than a plain long strip, and you can tell it's very creative!"
"..."
There's no need to exaggerate like that.
Peng Chengyi gave an awkward laugh, picked up a piece of eggplant, and put it in her mouth.
Damn, it's so salty it's cloying!
Her brows furrowed instantly, and she quickly grabbed the water glass beside her and gulped down several mouthfuls to barely suppress the salty taste that shot straight to the top of her head.
"Is it not good?" Zheng Xinyue asked nervously, noticing her expression, because she was the one who cooked the braised eggplant.
“It’s not that it’s bad…” Peng Chengyi carefully chose her words, afraid of discouraging her, “It’s just… maybe a little bit too salty.”
"Huh? I thought it was a bit bland when I tasted it, so I added another spoonful of salt... Did I add too much?" Zheng Xinyue said, picking up a piece to taste as well, and the next second she grabbed her water glass and gulped it down.
"It's so salty..." She put down the cup with a bitter face, her expression falling.
"It's alright, it's alright!" Peng Chengyi quickly patted her shoulder to comfort her, "There's still so much food left, we can just drink more water and finish it all!"
That being said, she herself didn't touch this signature dish, which she had helped create, much afterward.
Chen Yubai, on the other hand, silently rinsed the salty and oddly shaped eggplant with tea and slowly ate most of it.
"When did you start liking eggplant so much?" Peng Chengyi couldn't help but ask curiously, noticing his action.
“The main problem is that the other dishes aren’t to my liking,” Chen Yubai shrugged casually. “There’s not much to choose from, so we just have to make do.”
Peng Chengyi glanced at the dishes on the table and, seeing that none of his usual favorites were available, nodded without giving it any further thought.
However, after the meal, Zheng Xinyue quietly pulled her aside and whispered gossip: "You think... Chen Yubai only ate the whole dish because you cut it?"
"What are you thinking?" Peng Chengyi chuckled and nudged her. "He's just a picky eater. There's nothing he likes on the table."
Zheng Xinyue pouted: "That doesn't mean we have to fight this plate of overly salty eggplant to the death..."
Peng Chengyi thought about it carefully and felt that what she said didn't seem to be entirely unreasonable.
But why would Chen Yubai eat this eggplant dish for her? What would he be after?
Should she shower him with compliments again?
Thinking of this, she simply took out her phone, her fingertips rapidly tapping the screen, and tentatively sent a wave of exaggerated praise:
"Brother!! You have such great taste!!!"
"He actually ate all the eggplant I cut by himself!"
"I was so moved that I burst into tears TAT"
Not long after, his phone vibrated, and Chen Yubai replied coldly: "Stop acting crazy. If you can't control yourself, go to the hospital and make an appointment."
-----------------------
Author's Note: Another double update today! [doge emoji with rose in hand]
Thank you uoow, Jersey and 48695427 for the nutrient solution!
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