Chapter 265 Midnight Visit
The cultural performance ended hastily at 8:30.

The energetic students seemed to be a little reluctant to leave. If they were to play outside, they would be very naughty. But the school leaders didn't think so. They were afraid of these little rascals. It would be too unstable if they stayed out too late in the wilderness. On the other hand, it was decided to place the students in the homes of the villagers.

The students did not have to wait long in the auditorium before the school leaders and the village committee drew up a list, determined the number of rooms, divided the students into six teams, and then had the teachers and village committee cadres send them to the villagers' homes for the night.

Zhang Yunqi did not follow the team. He was stopped by Teacher Qian, who was in charge of their class. Teacher Qian told him in the auditorium that Zhou Hailian, director of the school's General Affairs Office, wanted to discuss something with him, and that arrangements would be made later on which villager's home he would stay at.

Zhang Yunqi had no interest in talking because he knew what Zhou Hailian was going to talk about. Xu Guochun, a villager from Jinpingkuangwei who had led him, knew his name, so Xu Guoqiang, a high-ranking village official, would also know it, and it was impossible for Zhou Hailian not to know it.

Zhang Yunqi stood up the school leaders and said, "Whatever happens, I will do." He found Wang Xiaokai, Li Yufei, Xiao Xuemei, and Lin Xueqing, and led a group of people to Xu Guochun's house. Xu Guochun was very enthusiastic and immediately asked the old lady and daughter-in-law to get busy. Knowing that they didn't have a good dinner and it was already late at night, he enthusiastically killed an old hen and washed several baskets of green vegetables and mountain mushrooms to make hot pot for them.

Xiao Xuemei and Yu Xiaorui and several other girls didn't know why this seemingly ordinary and even shabby farmer was so kind to them. They all thought it was because of Zhang Yunqi's help. In fact, Zhang Yunqi didn't know either.

While enjoying the cool in the yard, he asked Xu Guochun, who was plucking chicken feathers, "Uncle, how much can you give us to live in two side rooms?"

Xu Guochun grinned and said, "Eight yuan for a wing room, a total of sixteen yuan. The whole village is asking for the same price. Kid, you don't know. We had a meeting at the village committee just now, and when we heard that there was money to be made, everyone in our village vacated their wing rooms to accommodate the students."

Zhang Yunqi smiled. He was thinking about something, but he didn't say anything. He plucked the chicken feathers with Xu Guochun, and several girls helped wash the vegetables. There were many people, so it didn't take too long for the hot pot to be served. A group of people sat around the table. The soup in the pot was bubbling. The rich aroma of the rural chicken was fragrant, making people swallow their saliva.

"Open the pot."

Zhang Yunqi lifted the lid of the pot and shouted with a smile.

So, everyone who had been patient for a long time immediately reached their chopsticks into the pot to grab the chicken.

By then, the night outside the door was already very dark.

I don't know when, but the spring rain started to fall from the sky again. Although the winter of 1993 had long gone, the cold still raged on this barren and backward land. But in the steaming bungalow on the valley, there was warm light, cheerful laughter, and happy people.

Xiao Xuemei held the soup bowl and gulped down a few mouthfuls of the steaming hot chicken and vegetable soup, panting and saying, "It's so delicious. I've never tasted such delicious chicken soup in my life."

Wang Xiaokai chewed on the chicken leg with oil dripping from his mouth: "In a word, if you follow Boss Zhang, you will have meat to eat."

The girls all laughed.

After eating the hot pot, everyone simply washed up and prepared to rest. After a whole day of turmoil, some people were tired.

Xu Guochun's family only had two empty rooms, but there were seven of them, and they didn't want to split up and sleep in other villagers' houses. Fortunately, the beds in the countryside were big enough, and if they slept sideways, four people could sleep. Besides, if it really didn't work, they could sleep on the floor. In any case, it was much happier than spending a night in the car.

Chu Jian and Yu Xiaorui slept in a side room, Li Yufei, Xiao Xuemei and Lin Yuqing slept in another side room. As for the girls, they slept according to their relationship. As for the brothers Zhang Yunqi and Wang Xiaokai, they slept on the floor.

In the middle of the night, Zhang Yunqi was woken up by Wang Xiaokai's snoring. He opened the window and saw that the wind and rain had stopped outside, and the night sky was silent. He quietly closed the door and went to the roof of the bungalow, looking at the low and sparse houses around him and the endless mountains not far away. The mountains were dark, with sparse shadows of trees, and occasionally birds and insects chirping, mostly crows crying sadly.

Tap tap tap——
There was the sound of footsteps behind me.

Zhang Yunqi was stunned. Who would come to the rooftop at this time of night? He stood there and waited quietly for a while, then he saw Chu Jian appear in the corridor. Her little face was also a little surprised: "Yunqi?"

Zhang Yunqi asked, "Why did you get up?"

Chu Jian pursed his lips and said, "I didn't sleep well, so I wanted to come up for some fresh air. Yunqi, why aren't you sleeping?"

Zhang Yunqi said: "I was woken up by Kaizi's snoring. That guy's sleep quality is really too good. When he snores, it's like setting off firecrackers on New Year's Day."

When we first met, she smiled, looking calm and warm.

Zhang Yunqi found a bench from the corridor entrance and moved it out, asking Chu Jian to sit outside with him: "How do you feel about participating in the Arbor Day this time?"

Chu Jian thought for a moment and said, "How should I put it? I just feel that my vision is a little narrow and I think too simply. The reality is really different from what I read in books. If I hadn't come out this time, I might never have known that there is such a barren and desolate place in Jiangchuan City. I am also confused about some things. I think they are right and reasonable, but the elders always tell you that this is wrong and you shouldn't do this."

Zhang Yunqi asked: "Are you still thinking about what happened tonight?"

Chu Jian said softly, "Yunqi, if it weren't for you, I would probably be punished, or even fired."

Zhang Yunqi smiled: "But tonight you really impressed me."

Chu Jian pursed his lips and said, "Actually, this is just a small matter. It's okay to sleep there. I just think that everyone thinks that the school's arrangement of this matter is wrong, so someone should speak up."

"That's what happened."

Zhang Yunqi smiled and turned his head to look at Chu Jian beside him. Under the faint night light, she curled her slender straight legs, hugged her knees, raised her clear little face, looked at the night sky with clean eyes, quietly, like a good girl, and suddenly smiled and said: "It's so dark tonight, Yunqi, I thought I could see the starry sky when I came to the countryside this time."

Zhang Yunqi looked up at the dark and silent night sky: "Not really, when the sky gets dark enough, the stars will shine brightly... When I first saw it, do you know what it looks like?"

"like what?"

"Like you, Yu, the Yu that glows in the dark."

******
(End of this chapter)