Giving Away the Bedding

Mo Hen continued, "Tang San, Xiao Wu, you're first-year work-study students, so from now on, you'll be responsible for cleaning the garden south of the playground. You'll get ten Copper Soul Coins a day. Remember..."

Mo Hen rattled on about a whole heap of things they needed to remember, but Tang San barely took any of it in.

"Did you get all that?" Mo Hen asked at last.

Tang San and Xiao Wu nodded at the same time to show they understood.

Mo Hen nodded, turned around, and left.

After Mo Hen left, Dorm Seven fell quiet again.

Xiao Wu's gaze fell on the bedding in Tang San's hands, then shifted to her own bare bed boards. A flicker of embarrassment crossed her eyes.

"Bedding? Doesn't the school provide it?" Xiao Wu asked quietly.

Tang San looked at the bedding in his hands, then at Xiao Wu's slightly embarrassed little face. A scene from the original story suddenly flashed through his mind. According to the plot, Xiao Wu would be sharing a bed with him tonight.

Tang San had no desire to share a bed with this hooligan rabbit. What if he couldn't hold himself back one day...

A picture of a litter of little rabbits chattering away uncontrollably surfaced in Tang San's mind, making him shudder.

He cursed himself as a beast and shook his head hard, driving the terrifying image out of his mind.

Although Xiao Wu was already at least a hundred thousand and six years old, her body was only six years old now, just like his!

Without another word, Tang San held out the bedding to Xiao Wu and said sincerely, "Xiao Wu, you're the dorm boss. How could we let you go without? You can have my bedding."

Xiao Wu froze for a moment and instinctively waved her hands in refusal, an embarrassed blush rising on her face. "How could I? Then you wouldn't have any either."

"Just take it." Tang San held the bedding out a little farther, his manner sincere and his expression open. "My grandpa gave me a little money. I can just go outside the academy and buy another set in a bit."

Xiao Wu hesitated and pursed her lips. Finally, she reached out and took the bedding, hugging it to her chest. Smiling, she said, "All right, thank you. Sister Xiao Wu will look after you from now on."

Tang San smiled but didn't reply.

What he thought was, You don't need to look after me. Just don't share a bed with me.

It was lunchtime by then.

Wang Sheng got up from his bed and called out, "It's time for lunch. Sister Xiao Wu, Tang San, come with us."

The moment Xiao Wu heard it was time to eat, she jumped off the bed and asked, her eyes shining, "Sure! What delicious food are we having?"

Her voice was brimming with anticipation.

Wang Sheng and the other work-study students exchanged glances, their faces awkward. Wang Sheng gave a wry smile and said, "What good food can work-study students like us eat? We just buy some cheap food in the cafeteria and make do. It only costs one or two Copper Soul Coins."

The excitement on Xiao Wu's face suddenly froze. She tilted her head and asked innocently, "You have to pay for food? What's a Copper Soul Coin?"

At that, several work-study students froze and exchanged glances. What deep mountain forest did this girl spring out of?

Tang San shook his head and said briskly, "Come on, let's go. I'll treat everyone to a good meal today."

In this life, Tang San wasn't as dirt-poor as he had been in the original story. With forty Gold Soul Coins tucked away on him, he had plenty of confidence. What was the cost of a meal? He could afford it.

The students in this dorm were all work-study students, every last one a child from a poor family. Awakening Innate Soul Power was already enough to make green smoke rise from their ancestors' graves. How could their families have any money to spare for them to eat and drink well at the academy? They were all sallow and skinny, a disheartening sight.

When Xiao Wu heard Tang San being so generous, her face lit up. She bounced over and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "All right! Tang San, you really know what's what!"

With Da Ming and Er Ming backing her in the Star Dou Great Forest, Xiao Wu was used to acting like a king. There was always a comically old-fashioned air to her speech. Tang San's mouth twitched when he heard her, but he said nothing.

Soon, a group of more than ten people, including Tang San and Xiao Wu, left Dorm Seven and headed for the cafeteria with Wang Sheng leading the way.

The other work-study students whispered among themselves, their faces shining with excitement as though it were the New Year.

Someone was treating them to a good meal. Where else would they find such a windfall?

The cafeteria wasn't far from the dormitory building, and they reached it in a few steps.

It was mealtime, and long lines had already formed in front of the cafeteria's serving windows.

"Isn't that Wang Sheng and his bunch of paupers?"

As soon as they stepped through the cafeteria doors, a discordant voice reached them.

Tang San looked toward the voice and saw a group of senior students standing on the stairs leading from the first floor to the second, looking down at them.

The speaker was a male student of about eleven or twelve, with regular features and fine clothes. An arrogant smile hung on his lips as he wagged his index finger at Wang Sheng. "Paupers will always be paupers. I doubt you'll ever be able to eat on the second floor."

As his words fell, several of the male student's companions laughed along, their laughter striking straight at the work-study students' pride.

On the way to the cafeteria, Wang Sheng had already told Xiao Wu about the rule that the boss of Dorm Seven had to stand up for the work-study students. With a fight to be had, Xiao Wu had readily agreed.

Now, seeing someone provoke them, Xiao Wu's anger flared. She planted her hands on her hips, raised her head, and shouted up the stairs, "Who do you think you are? What's so great about the second floor?"

The students around them getting food turned to look, some curious, others eager to watch the show.

Wang Sheng's face reddened with embarrassment. He hurried over to Xiao Wu and explained in a low voice, "The second floor is where you order dishes separately. It's very expensive. We really can't afford it."

The students on the stairs saw what Xiao Wu looked like, and the male student who had spoken immediately brightened. "What a pretty little loli. Too bad she's a work-study student. Wang Sheng, I'm going to eat now, so I'll let you off this time."

With that, the group went up the stairs to the second floor.

How could Xiao Wu stand for that? She immediately set off after them.

Although the Douluo Continent was a world where the weak were prey to the strong, Tang San didn't consider himself weak now. So, instead of stopping Xiao Wu as he had in the original story, Tang San followed her upstairs with Wang Sheng and the others.

When they reached the second floor, Xiao Wu quickly spotted the male student. She pointed at him and snapped, "You, yes, you! Who were you calling paupers just now?"

The male student looked her up and down and said with great arrogance, "I wasn't talking about just one person. I meant all of you. If you've got what it takes, eat a meal on the second floor today."

Clearly, the male student was betting that this bunch of work-study students couldn't scrape together the money.

Hearing this, Xiao Wu glanced questioningly at Wang Sheng beside her. Wang Sheng and the other work-study students all had their heads hanging and their eyes averted. None of them dared respond.

The atmosphere grew a little tense.

Standing among the crowd, Tang San glanced at the menu board hanging on the wall. Even the most expensive meal cost only one Silver Soul Coin per person.

Tang San stepped forward and called out, "If we eat on the second floor today, will you apologize to us?"

Hearing that and seeing Tang San's composed expression, the male student felt a little uneasy. But he had already spoken, and with so many people watching, he couldn't back down.

The male student steeled himself, his voice half a notch lower than before. "So what if I will?"