Youthful Joys

Next, Tian Nina began showing off her family's secret Hungarian BBQ.

Her hands and feet were clumsy, and she couldn't remember the steps clearly, so she could only take out her phone and make an international call.

After a round of Hungarian, she wrote the details down on paper, and only then did she start working.

She marinated the chunks of lamb with salt and a special sweet paprika.

She lit the stove, heated oil, then poured in chopped green peppers and onions to stir-fry until fragrant.

Then she added the marinated lamb chunks and seared them until both sides were golden.

After that, she poured them onto a plate and sprinkled minced garlic on top.

Lin Qiye thought that was it and picked up his chopsticks to try some, only for Tian Nina to slap them away.

"It's not ready yet. I said it's roast meat. It hasn't even been roasted, so what are you eating?"

Then she and Wang Meijia carried the plate piled with lamb chunks into the RV.

Right, there was a small oven in the RV.

After roasting at two hundred degrees for twenty minutes, it was finally done.

On the other side, Jiang Dabao's grilled pork belly and grilled chicken wings were done too.

Everyone, unable to wait any longer, began to taste them.

Lin Qiye tried the foreign dish first, wrapping a piece of roast lamb in lettuce.

Mm. Crispy on the outside, yet still tender inside.

Four words popped into his mind: sweet, spicy, salty, savory.

The first three were supporting flavors, all there to bring out the lamb's fresh aroma.

Lin Qiye gave his evaluation. "The lamb was a good buy. It's grassland lamb, no gamey smell."

"What about my cooking?" Tian Nina said, unconvinced.

"Make it again for my parents in a few days. They like lamb too. We'll see what they say."

That made Tian Nina fall silent.

After finishing the lamb, Lin Qiye turned to Jiang Dabao's specialty BBQ.

Jiang Dabao's attainments in cooking far surpassed his learning ability. His roast meat and grilled chicken wings were made to a very high standard, and with the flavors better suited to everyone's tastes, they were the first to be wiped out.

The Hungarian roast meat didn't lag behind either. Only after everything had been eaten did everyone realize they still weren't full.

Luckily, there were people nearby providing ingredients, so they simply had the local boss make them teppanyaki.

A meter-long iron griddle was laid flat over a charcoal stove. The local, having taken their money, put all kinds of ingredients onto the griddle and kept stir-frying them. Once a charred fragrance filled the air, it was considered done.

By now, the sky had gradually darkened, and the lights along the riverbank had come on, creating a unique scene.

Eating teppanyaki, drinking beer, and enjoying the cool river breeze, everyone began chatting.

It was nothing more than various things at school, along with their hopes for the future.

After all, once senior year was over, everyone would be going their separate ways.

Fang Xinghua, who usually spoke very little, was a bit more talkative this time.

"My dad drives long-distance coaches, and my mom drives sightseeing buses, so I understood vehicles and knew how to drive from a young age. But I hated that kind of life. I just wanted to go to university and live a different way."

This kind of topic was a little heavy, and the college students, not good at this sort of conversation, didn't know how to continue.

Lin Qiye patted Fang Xinghua on the shoulder and handed him a can of beer.

"We're all the same. So where are you planning to go after graduation?"

Fang Xinghua replied, "I want to take the postgraduate entrance exam. It'd be best if I could go abroad too."

His dream had come true in the future. Sure enough, perseverance was the shortcut to success.

Lin Qiye said meaningfully, "Brother, I believe in you. You'll definitely make it. Just don't forget us classmates in the future. Keep in touch when things come up."

Fang Xinghua looked stunned, as if Lin Qiye had hit on something he was thinking.

He replied hesitantly, "How could I? We're classmates, after all. Of course we should keep in touch after graduation."

"Exactly." Lin Qiye clinked beer cans with Fang Xinghua, then turned to look at Bai Qifan and Lou Xingyu.

Lou Xingyu could really drink, but he rarely spoke. His eyes kept looking all around, and when his gaze met Lin Qiye's, he gave a simple, honest grin.

This guy was deep as hell, and he was good at observing too. No wonder he was cut out for politics.

But the fatty Bai Qifan, who kept his head down eating and drinking, made Lin Qiye sigh inwardly.

To be honest, in the future, this man's fate would be the most tragic.

He would be in the prime of life, with a wife and child, yet he would develop diabetic nephropathy and have to undergo dialysis twice a week just to stay alive.

But precisely because of that, Lin Qiye didn't know what to say.

Was he supposed to tell Bai Qifan that he would suffer a serious illness in the future and had to start losing weight now?

It wouldn't make sense. Bai Qifan would definitely think he was joking.

So, everyone's life was shaped by chance and circumstance. Even if you transmigrated, you shouldn't think about changing the fate of every person around you.

Living in the moment was best.

He raised his beer can. "Brothers and sisters, let's have a drink—to our gathering tonight, and to everyone getting what they wish for in the future."

Everyone raised their beer cans and drank together that night.

After a night of revelry, the RV was parked on the riverbank, with nine university students sound asleep inside.

Toward dawn, someone pounded hard on the vehicle door, and Lin Qiye got up in a daze.

He pulled open the curtain and looked outside. It was a local owner from the riverbank.

The owner shouted, "Drive away! The weather forecast says there's heavy rain upstream. If you don't leave now, the vehicle's going to end up soaked!"

Good grief. Lin Qiye quickly shook Fang Xinghua awake. After telling him what had happened, Fang Xinghua hurriedly started the RV.

In the time it took for the RV engine to warm up, the river level visibly rose.

In the distance, cars started up one after another and drove away. The stony bank was gradually swallowed by water, while the owner ran to higher ground, waving nonstop as he directed people.

The other students who had woken up were frightened by the scene.

Jiang Dabao and Jiang Wanxin hugged each other and pretended to cry.

"Bao'er, we were born together, and we'll die together."

"Mm. When we're in the water later, you can't float up by yourself."

"How about we tie a rock to ourselves?"

Even at a time like this, those two were still in the mood to joke.

Lin Qiye held Tian Nina's hand and murmured softly, "Don't worry. Even if the RV gets submerged, nothing will happen to us. I'll carry you to shore."

Tian Nina was a little touched, but before she could say anything, the vehicle lurched violently and sped toward the slope.

Before long, they reached higher ground. The RV stopped for the time being, and everyone looked down below.

The water was rising extremely fast. By now, the stony bank from earlier was already underwater.

"That was close. Good thing we made it up." Li Nanguang asked, "Where are you planning to park the RV?"

Lin Qiye replied, "That's exactly what I'm worried about. The school won't let me park there for now, and there's no empty space by the internet café either."

"Leave it at my dad's company. His warehouse has parking spaces."

Li Nanguang said his dad's workplace was right beside University Town. From Fallen Street, it only took five minutes to walk there through an alley.

Immediately afterward, under his direction, the RV drove into a mineral export trading company. It had a huge warehouse area, and there were several heavy trucks parked in the open space. The vacant area was just right for the RV to park.

After parking the vehicle, Li Nanguang walked to the duty room and specifically instructed the person in charge.

"This is my classmate Lin Qiye. His vehicle will be parked here. Keep an eye on it when it comes in and out over the next few days."

"No problem." The person in charge of the duty room promised with a smile all over his face that the RV could come and go at any time.

After settling all that, the nine university students left the trading company, passed through an alley few people knew about, and after walking for a few minutes, they actually arrived at Fallen Street.

"Big Lin, we're heading back. Want us to answer roll call for you?" Jiang Dabao asked.

"Mm, thanks."

After Jiang Dabao and the others left, Tian Nina also said goodbye. "I can't keep you company these next few days. The school is holding a creative competition, and I haven't submitted my work yet."

"I've got things to take care of too. See you on National Day."

Watching Tian Nina's figure recede into the distance, Lin Qiye walked toward the internet café.

At the entrance to the internet café, Li Xiongye had already been waiting.