Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation

After a while, she asked, "So if I go home, what will you have for lunch?"

Jiang Ning said, "I'll just whip something up."

Xue Yuantong was conflicted inside. Jiang Ning's meals, three times a day, were all taken care of by her. What if she left home, and Jiang Ning had nothing to eat?

She believed she was shouldering a responsibility.

As they were almost done with their meal, Xue Yuantong tentatively asked, "Will you come back with me to the village tomorrow?"

Jiang Ning didn't hesitate, "Sure."

Xue Yuantong was stunned, "You agree?"

Jiang Ning: "Otherwise?"

...

The last class on Friday afternoon.

Gao Heshuai not only didn't drag on the lesson but disappeared five minutes early.

As soon as the class bell rang, Dan Kaiquan stood up and shouted towards the back row:

"Kun Nan, let's go to the playground!"

He didn't lower his voice. Despite the chaos of class ending, many classmates heard him.

Out of the corner of his eye, Dan Kaiquan glanced unintentionally at Bai Yuxia and sure enough, Bai Yuxia looked over.

Guo Kunnan responded, "Coming, coming!"

Dan Kaiquan shouted, "I'm not going home today, going to run a hundred meters on the track, you time me!"

Recently, Dan Kaiquan had been using all his energy to prepare for the sports meet. He was following online tutorials to regulate his running posture and would head out to train whenever he could spare the time.

Not only running, but he was also practicing squats and push-ups.

Moreover, he drank two cartons of pure milk and ate three eggs every day, and his meals were even from a restaurant near the school gate.

All for a medal from the sports meet.

Guo Kunnan said, "Okay!"

Dan Kaiquan: "Let's train the hell out of it!"

Dong Qingfeng, upon hearing this, thought Dan Kaiquan was really good at showing off, akin to those students who liked to pretend to study diligently - making a show of studying hard, arriving earlier than the chickens, leaving later than the dogs, only to reveal their true form during exams.

Dong Qingfeng praised, "You're working so hard, you'll definitely win a prize, right?"

This tactic of lavish yet empty praise was something Dong Qingfeng learned from Chen Qian. Unfortunately, lately, Chen Qian spent all his time reading and studying, not really chatting with him and Wang Yong anymore.

Dan Kaiquan didn't pick up the sarcasm in Dong Qingfeng's words and took it as genuine praise, especially since Bai Yuxia still hadn't left and many classmates were watching. Which young person didn't want to show off?

Dan Kaiquan boasted, "My goal is simple, just get into the top three."

Seeing him take the bait, Dong Qingfeng praised him in front of the whole class,

"You can do it, you must win a prize. Show me the medal when you get it!"

After dropping this line, Dong Qingfeng was satisfied. The classmates heard it, and if Dan Kaiquan ended up not winning any prize, he could always bring up these words again.

It was a self-inflicted humiliation for Dan Kaiquan who always opposed him.

With this thought in mind, Dong Qingfeng left with pleasure.

Dan Kaiquan was also pleased, having just put on quite the show in front of the whole class.

...

Saturday.

Xue Yuantong got up unusually early. Rubbing her eyes, not yet washed, she ran next door to knock.

"Jiang Ning, get up quickly, or we'll miss the bus."

It was only five-thirty, and dawn was just breaking.

Jiang Ning didn't want to get up, but Xue Yuantong urged incessantly.

After having breakfast, the time was six-thirty.

Xue Yuantong, carrying her small backpack, carefully checked all the power switches at home and locked the door.

Jiang Ning rode a bike, taking Xue Yuantong to the bus station.

Xue Yuantong's hometown was located in Xinhong County, 50 kilometers away from Yuzhou City. People usually chose to take the intercity bus, which cost ten yuan.

If one was willing to spend more money, they would take a taxi. The shared ride cost between twenty to forty yuan, and chartering a car would be expensive at eighty yuan.

Although it was only six-thirty, there were already quite a few people at the river dam, mostly older people running for exercise.

Under Xue Yuantong's direction, Jiang Ning cycled, overtaking one runner after another.

A little kid exercising with his father seemed not content and sprinted to race Jiang Ning's mountain bike.

Jiang Ning deliberately maintained just the right speed, teasing the kid, while Xue Yuantong sneered from behind, watching the little one run himself ragged.

Jiang Ning slightly quickened his pedaling and pulled ahead completely.

The bus station was 5 kilometers from the river dam, and with fewer people and vehicles in the urban area in the morning, it took Jiang Ning just over 10 minutes to bike to their destination.

He found a spot to park the bike, locked it, and placed a "Spiritual Sense Imprint" on it.

After buying the tickets, Jiang Ning and Xue Yuantong entered the waiting hall.

They made their way to the window marked 'Xinhong County'.

Xue Yuantong found two empty seats, wiped them clean with a tissue considerately, and then sat down with Jiang Ning.

The waiting room was spacious, and the large floor tiles bore stains.

Xue Yuantong appeared a bit restrained, her legs pressed together as she surveyed the surroundings.

Suddenly, she asked, "Jiang Ning, are you cold?"

"No, I'm not."

"Oh, I'm not cold either," Xue Yuantong said, dressed simply today in an avocado-colored sweatshirt, slightly loose jeans, and white sneakers.

As the time to depart drew near, the number of passengers at the Xinhong County window grew, forming a long queue.

Xue Yuantong and Jiang Ning had arrived early and were at the front of the line.

Not until the window's partition opened did people enter in a single file and board the intercity bus.

Xue Yuantong chose the second-to-last row of seats, sitting by the window, while Jiang Ning took the seat beside her, protectively.

Xue Yuantong's lips curved slightly—riding alone in the past, she had always worried about the strangers sitting next to her.

Sometimes, when seated next to particularly large aunties or uncles, Xue Yuantong would silently scoot toward the window, careful not to bump into anyone or be touched.

Now things were much better; with Jiang Ning by her side, she didn't have to be so cautious.

'This is nice,' Xue Yuantong thought to herself, feeling very safe.

The experience of riding the bus was completely different from before!

She looked out the bus window at the parking lot, where a bus was departing for Guyang County; she remembered Jiang Ning's hometown was in Guyang County.

The number of passengers inside the bus increased, including many middle school students about their age, some with suitcases in tow.

In the end, the seats in the bus were all filled.

Some passengers stood holding onto the handrails, and the noise inside the bus grew louder.

A group of middle-aged men and women at the rear appeared to be together, chatting and laughing loudly.

Before the bus started moving, Xue Yuantong pulled out earphones and handed one to Jiang Ning:

"Here."

Jiang Ning subtly snapped his fingers, and the surrounding noise gradually lessened, though this didn't catch Xue Yuantong's attention.

The intercity bus started and slowly left the station.

Xue Yuantong sat up straight, excitedly glancing around, not even sure what was so novel to her.

She noticed across the way a young couple sitting very close together, each with their own earphones, just like them.

Unconsciously, Xue Yuantong shifted closer to Jiang Ning's side, sticking to him.

The 50-kilometer journey by intercity bus took a full hour and twenty minutes to reach the Xinhong County bus station.

Xue Yuantong's hometown was in Hu Miao Town, under the jurisdiction of Xinhong County, and after getting off the intercity bus, they needed to transfer to another bus.

This leg of the journey was a full thirty kilometers.

Jiang Ning looked at the sun, determining the current time. Although they had gotten up very early, it was already 8:30 a.m.

Xue Yuantong tugged at him, "Follow me; I know where to wait for the bus!"

She led Jiang Ning to a platform in the town, which had been newly constructed not long ago as part of the major demolition and renovation efforts in Xinhong County over the past two years. The platform was spanking new and broad.

Old men with snakeskin bags, women carrying red plastic bags, middle-aged men smoking, and students with backpacks all stood waiting for the bus.

Occasionally, unauthorized cabs would drive by, hawking rides for passengers.

Jiang Ning also encountered a driver who asked if they needed a ride, but Xue Yuantong turned them all down.

Xue Yuantong might be young and not terribly experienced, but she knew to avoid danger. Whenever she traveled far from home alone, she only took public transport.

Aunt Gu had told her about the drivers of unauthorized cabs in the towns; they could be anyone, and some just bought a secondhand car and began taking private fares right away.

When you're away from home, you can't be without a guard.

Even now, with Jiang Ning by her side, Xue Yuantong wasn't willing to take risks.

Xue Yuantong quietly held onto Jiang Ning's wrist, standing still.

She looked across to the other side of the platform, where a red advertising wall was surrounded, and beyond that, a construction site was in progress.

In the sky, the huge tower cranes were in operation.

Xue Yuantong knew that they were building another skyscraper.

Each time she visited her hometown, she could sense the massive changes and realized that the times were advancing.

Xue Yuantong felt a vague bewilderment towards such changes.

Sometimes, she wondered about the distant future—what would her future be like?

Would she grow up slowly alongside Jiang Ning?

Since when had she considered her future to include Jiang Ning?

Xue Yuantong revisited fragments of their past memories.

Unaware, the bus from Xinhong County to Hu Miao Town arrived.

The ticket-seller at the door, loudly hollering, "Hu Miao, anyone for Hu Miao."

Xue Yuantong's thoughts snapped back.

People around her picked up their luggage and moved closer to the bus door.

She took Jiang Ning by the wrist, looking ahead at the others jostling to get on, smiling:

"The bus is here, let's go."