October 3, 8:00 a.m., first floor of the Second Dining Hall.
A few students sat in the dining hall lobby, with ran, white porridge, buns, and tea eggs placed before them. The food was steaming hot, giving off an appetizing aroma.
However, these students seed to have no appetite. After barely having a few bites, they pushed the food aside.
One student placed his hands on the table edge, rested his chin on the back of his hands, and murmured absentmindedly:
"Just two days and a bit, there’s still four days and two als to go. There are three als a day, fourteen als in total. Fourteen als without stuffed buns and spit chicken, so hard to endure!"
"Whyyy, why close for seven days? Other stalls wish to stay open 24/7, but Senior Brother Jiang actually closes. So unfair..."
Another student, who initially was fake crying, made "woo woo" sounds; sohow he was genuinely touched, and tears fell like broken pearls from the corners of his eyes.
In fact, this student cos from a financially difficult background, with a ager monthly living stipend. Every now and then, he could taste food from the "Jiang Family Stuffed Buns" shop thanks to his roommate treating him.
Even he didn’t understand why he suddenly felt so lancholic, without any reason, just wanted to cry loudly.
The student beside him was startled:
"Wow, Ah Gui, your acting’s good! You started crying on cue, even shed tears. It’s a pity you’re not acting!"
"Hey, hey, hey! Ah Gui, stop crying!"
The husky boy sitting across reached out to pat his head, quietly said,
"I have good news for you, Senior Brother Jiang’s Seventh Dining Hall is hiring work-study students. You should give it a try!
Once you’re in, all your daily als will be covered by the dining hall. Isn’t that fantastic?!"
Before Ah Gui could say anything, the student next to him suddenly widened his eyes, exclaiming:
"Whoa! Really? When does registration start? I definitely have to go. Forget the stuffed buns, all-you-can-eat spit chicken!"
"It’s told by a hotown friend in the student council work-study departnt, it wouldn’t be fake, right?"
The husky boy glanced at him and continued,
"Starts at 1:30 p.m., registration on-site at the Seventh Dining Hall, Senior Brother Jiang personally interviews!
Though, Ah Gui can try, but for the rest of us, it might not be possible, can’t even register."
"Whoa! Why not? I’m a student too, aren’t I?"
"Senior Brother Jiang said he’s only hiring underprivileged students to help them complete their studies smoothly, got it?"
"..."
Apart from the Second Dining Hall, the news that "Senior Brother Jiang’s Seventh Dining Hall is hiring part-ti students" spread quickly but discretely through other places in the school.
For a while, even though the campus beca sowhat quiet due to the National Day holiday, it seed an undercurrent was surging...
...
"Lao Jiang, what are we eating for lunch?"
In the Seventh Dining Hall, Jiang Yu’s purchased kitchenware and utensils had arrived; Hu Zhihai rushed over early in the morning to help move things into the kitchen, and sorted them out.
After a whole morning’s work, they finally finished. He raised his hand to wipe the sweat off his forehead, grinning,
"How about we switch up flavors? I’ll fetch a catfish instead?"
"Cut it out, there’s part-ti student interviews this afternoon, where’s the ti for your fish?"
Jiang Yu was exhausted too, he pulled a chair, sat down to catch his breath, and thought for a mont,
"Let’s head back to the Second Dining Hall, you buy so rice from the next window, I’ll cook fried rice for you."
"Fried rice? What’s the deal with fried rice? Dry and hard!"
"You won’t eat? Fine, I’ll have fried rice, you buy sothing else yourself."
"No... fine, fine, fine, fried rice it is, happy now?"
"..."
Half an hour later.
"Whoa! Lao Jiang, your fried rice is unexpectedly delicious?!"
Hu Zhihai’s eyes shone as he held the plate in one hand and a spoon in the other, eagerly shoveling the fried rice, glistening with eggs and oil, into his mouth. He mumbled,
"A man without words of culture, expresses shock with a ’whoa’!"
Jiang Yu sat beside, leisurely eating fried rice, too lazy to respond to Hu Zhihai’s nonsense.
A simple spicy version of Guangling fried rice, to a chef nearing high-level skills like him, even without a system recipe, it tasted nowhere near bad.
Moreover, he did use the recipe!
After finishing their al, the two sat in the shop to rest for a bit. Noticing the ti had passed 1 p.m., they got up, headed towards the Seventh Dining Hall.
Passing by a print shop, Jiang Yu went in for a while, soon ca out carrying a large package, chuckling,
"Got so registration forms, once we recruit, we can keep a record."
"Yeah, it’s good to keep a record, school might check anyti."
Hu Zhihai nodded, reached out to grab the other side, walked forward together.
After arriving at the Seventh Dining Hall, Hu Zhihai stayed in the lobby with the registration forms to greet students coming for interviews, while Jiang Yu entered a storage room nearby.
This storage room, usually for grains and oils, was empty now, perfect for using as an interview room.
After Jiang Yu went inside, the students ca in groups for the part-ti job interviews; soon, five or six dozen people arrived, seated in the dining area, curiously looking around and whispering, appearing a bit excited.
As the ti was appropriate, Hu Zhihai distributed registration forms, asking them to fill them out first.
While everyone was busy filling out the forms, another three or four boys poked their heads in from outside.
"Are you guys here for the part-ti job too?"
"Oh, yes, yes!"
"Our dining hall already ntioned, only hiring underprivileged students..."
"We are underprivileged students. We’re very poor, can’t even afford als!"
"Can’t afford als yet wearing branded shoes?"
Hu Zhihai almost snapped; these boys’ clothes weren’t noteworthy, but each wore Adidas or Puma shoes...
This is the underprivileged? You want to deceive, at least be a bit professional!
One boy’s eyes darted, quickly explained:
"These are knockoffs, fake brands!"
"Fake, huh?"
Hu Zhihai glanced at them, turned to grab so forms, handed them over with a forced smile,
"Since you insist you’re underprivileged students, go ahead and register now.
Once we’re done recruiting, we will confirm this with the school. If you’re found faking it, taking the underprivileged student’s work-study opportunity, well, your moral credit..."
The boy who spoke first turned pale upon hearing this, forced a smile, said:
"Senior, um, I just rembered I have sothing else to do, can’t take the job anymore. Sorry, I’m leaving now."
"Senior, I have sothing too, I’m leaving!"
"Senior..."
"..."
Hu Zhihai was dumbfounded.
The words he spoke were ant to scare those fake underprivileged boys away, but he didn’t expect, not only were those boys scared off, but so people who ca earlier also sneaked out too.
Now, even working part-ti in a dining hall is in such high demand?!
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