dkrc Chapter 50 Let me treat you to dinner.
Chapter 50 Let me treat you to dinner.
Chen Zhiyuan opened his own wardrobe and found that the thick winter quilt had been folded and placed on the top shelf.
He pushed the suitcase into the wardrobe and put it away.
While chatting with Duan Bin and his parents, I took the opportunity to look around the dormitory environment, which was indeed very nice.
It has a spacious balcony with good natural light, where you can dry clothes; it also has a separate bathroom, which, although not large, is clean and convenient.
Oh right, I need to call home first to let them know I'm safe.
On the wall in the entrance hall of the dormitory, there is an orange landline telephone.
Chen Zhiyuan took out his newly purchased 201 phone card, entered the long card number and password as prompted, and then dialed his home number.
These days, mobile phone calls are expensive, but making long-distance calls with this kind of IP phone card is much cheaper.
The call was answered almost instantly, presumably Zhang Hui, the mother, had been waiting by the phone, estimating that her son should have arrived at school by now.
"Mom, I've arrived at school. All the formalities are done. I'm in my dorm now. This is our dorm's phone number..." Chen Zhiyuan recited a string of numbers.
"Okay, okay, it's good that we've arrived. Mom can rest assured now." Hearing her son's steady and clear voice, Zhang Hui finally felt much more at ease.
The mother and son talked on the phone for several minutes.
Zhang Hui repeatedly told him to take good care of himself, remember to eat on time, and call home often.
Chen Zhiyuan shared his first impressions of the campus: the brand-new dormitory building, four-person rooms with balconies and private bathrooms, and enthusiastic senior students... His words conveyed a sense of ease and novelty.
After hanging up the phone, Chen Zhiyuan felt a warm glow in his heart and a deeper understanding of the profound concern a mother feels when her son travels far away.
"Chen Zhiyuan, we're going to the cafeteria for dinner. Would you like to come along?" Duan Bin politely invited, and his parents smiled and nodded in agreement.
Although the other party was very enthusiastic, Chen Zhiyuan knew that this was a time for the family of three to reunite, and since it was their first time meeting, he did not want to disturb them.
"Thank you, but I'm not hungry right now. I want to tidy up a bit more. You guys go ahead and eat." He politely declined, expressing his gratitude.
"Okay, we'll go first." Duan Bin nodded, and then left the dormitory with his parents.
The dormitory fell silent, leaving only Chen Zhiyuan.
He glanced at the names on the other two empty beds and wondered: Will the other two brothers arrive today, or tomorrow or the day after?
Just then, my phone rang in my pocket.
He took it out and saw that it was an unfamiliar landline number. The area code showed that it was a local campus network. Chen Zhiyuan pressed the answer button.
He Fei's familiar voice came from the other end of the phone, sounding relaxed and cheerful, with a hint of relief after completing her registration:
"Chen Zhiyuan, how's it going on your end? I've finished all the paperwork and settled into my dorm. I'm in room 406 of building 11. How about you?"
Of the newly built dormitory buildings, buildings 11 and 12 are for girls, and buildings 13 to 16 are for boys. They are not far apart.
Chen Zhiyuan replied happily, "I've got everything sorted out too. My dorm is room 217 in building 13, not far from yours."
"Did you call home to let them know you're safe?" He Fei thoughtfully reminded her.
"I called, and chatted with my mom for quite a while."
The two chatted casually on the phone for a few minutes, sharing their novel feelings about starting university.
Two or three minutes later, He Fei took the initiative to suggest, her voice filled with sincere gratitude: "Chen Zhiyuan, thank you so much for bringing me here today. Tonight... let me treat you to dinner, okay?"
"Sure!" Chen Zhiyuan readily agreed. "How about we meet at the entrance of the first canteen? I know it's pretty close to our dorm."
"Okay, I'm heading out now. See you at the cafeteria entrance!"
Jiangnan University covers a vast area, has tens of thousands of students, and several canteens.
The first canteen is large and offers a relatively wide variety of dishes. Chen Zhiyuan noticed it when he drove by earlier; it's only a seven or eight-minute walk from dormitory building 13.
After hanging up the phone, Chen Zhiyuan left in a cheerful mood, making sure to lock the dormitory door behind him.
Duan Bin also has a key, so locking the door would be safer. Chen Zhiyuan's expensive laptop is still on the desk.
When I arrived at the entrance of the first canteen, He Fei was already waiting there.
She was standing on tiptoe, peering through the crowds entering and leaving the cafeteria, searching for Chen Zhiyuan.
It was dinnertime, and the entrance to the cafeteria was bustling with people.
Seeing her slightly anxious look, Chen Zhiyuan couldn't help but smile and quickened his pace to walk over.
"He Fei!" he called out loudly.
Upon hearing the voice and seeing Chen Zhiyuan, He Fei's face immediately lit up with a smile, clearly delighted: "Yeah, I just arrived a little while ago. There are so many people here, and the cafeteria is huge."
"Of course, the university cafeteria is incomparable to our high school cafeteria. Come on, let's go in and take a look." Chen Zhiyuan waved his hand, and the two walked into the cafeteria side by side.
The cafeteria was bustling with activity, with long queues of people waiting to get their food in the spacious hall, and almost every seat was taken.
Besides a large number of students, you can also see quite a few parents, who are obviously accompanying the new students to register.
The food stalls are filled with a dazzling array of dishes, and the prices of all kinds of dishes are clearly marked, offering good quality at reasonable prices.
Looking at it, Chen Zhiyuan couldn't help but sigh: "The university cafeteria is the best; it's really affordable."
Seeing the long line for food, He Fei offered, "Chen Zhiyuan, why don't you go find a seat first? I'll get the food. What would you like to eat?"
"I'm easygoing, I'm not picky about food, just pick what you want to eat."
As Chen Zhiyuan spoke, his eyes searched the noisy hall. He finally found two empty seats by the window and went over to sit down.
While waiting, his gaze involuntarily drifted to the crowd getting food, and he soon spotted He Fei's slender figure among them.
Although she was quiet, she was very efficient. Before long, she carefully walked through the crowd carrying two full plates.
"I didn't know what you liked to eat, so I just ordered a few dishes."
He Fei placed a plate in front of Chen Zhiyuan and said somewhat shyly.
Chen Zhiyuan's gaze fell on his plate, and he paused slightly, slightly taken aback. This meal was far too lavish.
The white rice was piled up like a small mountain, and judging by the amount, it probably cost 50 cents—the cafeteria served rice according to price, with options of 20 cents, 30 cents, or 50 cents.
In addition to this "huge amount" of rice, there are three dishes: two meat dishes and one vegetable dish: braised pork belly with a glossy red color, fish pieces fried to a golden brown and fragrant color, plus a serving of stir-fried seasonal vegetables.
A meal like this would cost at least three or even four yuan, since meat dishes generally cost more than one yuan each, while vegetable dishes are cheaper, costing only three or five mao.
Looking at He Fei's own plate: there was only a shallow dish of rice, worth at most two cents, and only one dish of stir-fried shredded potatoes with vinegar.
This portion only costs about seven or eight cents at most.
She ate very simply herself, but gave Chen Zhiyuan a very lavish meal; three or four yuan was enough for him to eat for two or three days.