There were no cheers.
There were no complaints.
They didn’t even have the strength to talk.
Silently, they all wound up the multimeter leads, returned them to their places, and stacked the discarded, heavily marked motherboards on the lectern.
Lin Yi stretched her arms and casually swept the items from her desk into her canvas bag.
A few of them lined up at the sink in the corner of the lab to wash their hands.
They turned on the rusty faucet.
The stream of water washed the dust and black oxide from their fingers.
Walking last, Zhou Kai locked the heavy wooden door of the lab behind them.
The six of them.
They made their way down the dimly lit staircase.
The atmosphere was quiet.
They descended the steps, and no one spoke.
Lin Yi led the way, her canvas shoes scuffing faintly against the steps. Her pace was much slower than usual.
They reached the ground floor lobby.
Just as they were about to leave the academic building.
GROWWWWL~
An extremely loud, almost tragic-sounding stomach growl echoed through the empty lobby.
The group stopped in their tracks.
Wang Huashao clutched his stomach and leaned against one of the lobby’s pillars, looking faint.
"I can’t go on..."
His voice was feeble, as if he might slump to the floor at any moment.
"Those vegetables from the cafeteria aren’t enough to save me. I feel like I could devour a whole cow right now. I need to eat meat."
Zhou Kai glanced at him and shook his head with a sigh, but his own stomach felt frighteningly empty, as if a fire was burning inside.
Miao Shian adjusted the gold-rimmed glasses on his nose.
His white shirt was still spotless, though he had rolled up the cuffs.
"Then let’s go to the Jinling Roasted Duck stall by the school gate."
Miao Shian’s tone was exceptionally mild, as natural as if he were simply stating a plan.
"Everyone’s had a rough afternoon. This one’s on me, to help us recharge."
No one cheered, and no one declined the offer.
’At a moment of such extreme hunger, for someone to suggest eating meat—and offer to pay for it—was like an angel descending from heaven or Jesus himself appearing on Earth!’
Miao Shian turned to look at Lin Yi, who was standing at the head of the group.
"Lin Yi, want to join?"
The evening sun lit up Lin Yi’s hair. She lacked the coyness or false modesty of a typical girl.
She gave a single, crisp nod.
Miao Shian smiled.
The six of them.
They formed a peculiar procession as they walked out the gates of Shida Affiliated Middle School.
「Outside the school gate.」
The air in front of the Jinling Roasted Duck stall was thick with the sizzle and smoke of cooking.
Rows of roasted ducks hung in the glass display case, their skins a tempting date-red, still dripping with grease.
The vendor’s cleaver thudded rhythmically on the chopping block, splattering juices everywhere.
The area was crowded with middle schoolers, all chattering away after class.
The six of them, dressed in street clothes, stood at the edge of the crowd and looked somewhat out of place.
Wang Huashao stared at the roasted ducks in the display case and swallowed hard, his eyes fixated.
’He quickly did the math in his head.’
"There are six of us..."
Wang Huashao lowered his voice, conferring with Zhou Kai beside him.
"These ducks look pretty big."
"A generous half should be about right, shouldn’t it? Then we can each grab a twenty-cent bowl of rice from the cafeteria."
"Just half might not be enough meat for all of us..."
This was 2002.
For the average middle schooler, pocket money had to be budgeted down to the last dime.
Even when someone else was paying, they’d instinctively worry about whether there would be enough food, or if it would be too expensive.
Zhou Kai said nothing, his eyes fixed on the chopping block.
Standing beside them, Miao Shian overheard Wang Huashao’s muttering.
He didn’t join their discussion about portions. Instead, he simply took a step forward, right up to the counter.
"Sir."
Miao Shian’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was clear.
"Two whole ducks. Chop them both up."
The vendor, cleaver in hand, froze for a second.
"Two? Kid, two is a lot. How many of you are there?"
"Put them in two large bags."
Miao Shian didn’t answer the vendor’s question.
His tone was calm.
"Give us two extra spoonfuls of the sweet sauce. And please be quick."
Then, he casually pulled a crisp, folded one-hundred-yuan bill from his breast pocket.
Back in 2002.
One hundred yuan was an absolute fortune for a middle schooler.
Miao Shian made no showy gestures.
He didn’t hold the bill up high.
Nor did he look back at his friends after producing such a large sum, seeking their approval or gratitude.
It was as if he were just handing over a one-yuan coin.
Unceremoniously, he placed the red hundred-yuan bill on the greasy edge of the counter.
Then he stood quietly to the side, waiting.
Throughout the entire exchange, he didn’t even blink.
He didn’t ask the price. He didn’t wait for change. Even Wang Huashao’s earlier debate over whether there would be enough was rendered moot by the sheer quantity ordered.
Standing behind him, Zhou Kai and Wang Huashao exchanged a look and fell silent.
From the corner, He Gui looked at the hundred-yuan bill, his gaze slightly averted.
Chen Zhuo simply adjusted his glasses and stood there calmly.
’His mind had already drifted to his plans for the evening.’
Before long, Wang Huashao and Zhou Kai were each carrying a plastic bag filled with chopped roasted duck.
The group walked into the Shida Affiliated Middle School cafeteria.
「In a corner of the ground floor.」
Two red plastic dining tables were pushed together.
The two plastic bags were opened, and the rich aroma of roasted duck instantly filled the air.
Beside the bags were six stainless steel trays, each piled high with the cafeteria’s cheapest white rice.
There was no lofty conversation.
Nor did anyone politely offer pieces to one another.
This was, purely and simply, a meal for survival.

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