Chapter 124: Mouth-to-Mouth Instruction

“You’re being naughty with me again. In that case, I’m not mad anymore.” Ren Jiaxuan lifted her chin and chuckled.

Dong Yanyan looked up and blinked. His face was so close to hers that she could feel his breath. He smelled wonderful.

“You’re wearing powder,” she said with certainty.

Ren Jiaxuan’s handsome face immediately fell. He frowned at her for a long moment. “What’s wrong with you? I’m just being professional.”

Of course Dong Yanyan knew that makeup was mandatory whenever the broadcasting class held an event. It was also preparation for facing the camera in the future. Without makeup, a person’s face simply would not look presentable on-screen. She had only said it to tease him.

She turned her head and gazed at the snowflakes swirling outside the window. By the time she came back next year, it would be the season of lush grass and singing orioles.

“I’ll miss you,” she said with a soft smile.

“I’ll miss you too. I’ll think about you every day.” Ren Jiaxuan took her hand and smiled.

Gu Xiaohan coughed several times from the classroom doorway. Seeing that the two of them were completely ignoring her, she ran back inside and asked Xinran to call Dong Yanyan out.

“Yanyan, hurry back and help wrap the dumplings!” Xinran shouted from the doorway.

The two of them turned around. Ren Jiaxuan looked at Xinran impatiently and said in displeasure, “Little sister, do you have no sense of timing at all?”

Standing in the classroom doorway, Xinran swept him a disdainful glance before saying to Dong Yanyan, “Come back quickly. You’re the only one missing!”

“All right, all right. I’m coming!”

When Dong Yanyan returned to the classroom with Xinran, she saw that four desks had been pushed together in the middle of the room. A basin of dough and a bowl of dumpling filling sat on top. The dough had already been kneaded, and the filling had already been mixed. Leng Yue was kneading dough and rolling out wrappers, busy and thoroughly absorbed in her work. Liu Siying and Yu Xia were wrapping dumplings, while everyone else stood around watching.

“Fifth Sister, do you know how to roll out wrappers?” Liu Ying asked.

“Of course I do!” Dong Yanyan replied with a smile.

Leng Yue held on to the leg of the table and let out a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness. I was doing everything by myself just now. I’m exhausted!”

“Wonderful! With two people rolling out wrappers, you’ll be able to wrap dumplings faster, and we’ll get to eat sooner!” Liu Qiang said with a grin.

“If you don’t know how to wrap dumplings, you can learn. Anyone who doesn’t work tonight won’t get any dumplings. Second Sister, Siying, teach them how to wrap them. It doesn’t matter whether they look good. As long as the filling doesn’t leak out and they can be cooked, they’ll do.” Dong Yanyan smiled.

At her words, everyone crowded around. They grabbed wrappers, spooned in filling, and pinched the edges with great enthusiasm. Before long, Dong Yanyan realized something was wrong. There were more people wrapping dumplings, but she and Leng Yue were still the only ones rolling out the wrappers. Their arms were aching, yet they still could not keep up with demand.

It was true: whatever work you took on, you had to bear its share of exhaustion.

“You two, hurry up! We’re running out of wrappers!” Xiaohan stamped her feet as she urged them on. “I still want to make a little rabbit!”

“Are you trying to work me to death?” Dong Yanyan shook out her hands and complained weakly.

Then she turned and saw Xu Cheng holding a dumpling wrapper while Liu Siying taught him how to wrap it. Their heads were nearly touching, their hands brushing against each other. The teacher was serious, and the student was utterly absorbed.

Her temper flared at once. This man had been with her for so many years, yet he had always insisted that he did not know how to wrap dumplings! If he dared learn tonight, she would use the rolling pin to break his legs.

“Tiantian, go find a piece of stiff cardboard and make a cylinder about the same size as a dumpling wrapper.” She planted her hands on her hips and called Tiantian over.

Tiantian froze for a moment, then immediately understood and laughed. “Big Sister, you’re so clever! Wait here—I’ll go find one!”

“Fourth Sister, let’s knead our dough together and roll out one enormous sheet,” Dong Yanyan continued.

Before long, they had rolled out a thin sheet of dough. Dong Yanyan took the cardboard cylinder and pressed it down onto the dough. A perfectly round dumpling wrapper appeared.

“I’ll do it! Let me!” Leng Haoyang eagerly snatched the cardboard tube and began pressing it into the sheet, while everyone else hurried to peel away the wrappers.

“Peel them off slowly. Don’t tear them. When you roll out the dough again, sprinkle on more flour,” Dong Yanyan reminded them.

This was much better. They could get the work done while playing and fooling around.

The dumplings were soon finished. Dong Yanyan looked at the strange shapes covering the table. Some looked like rabbits, some like mice, and others like steamed buns. Her classmates’ imagination and creativity seemed truly endless.

Lin Feng and several boys carried the dumplings to the cafeteria to cook them. Meanwhile, Dong Yanyan and Leng Yue stayed in the classroom to prepare the dishes. Dong Yanyan sliced the tomatoes and beat the eggs, only to discover that they did not have a pot large enough for the soup.

“Then we’ll use a large basin directly. Leng Haoyang, go find a few more alcohol stoves,” Leng Yue said.

Leng Haoyang managed to find four alcohol stoves. Dong Yanyan placed three of them to the side and lit the one in the middle, then set the porcelain basin on top. Before long, the hot, steaming tomato and alfalfa soup was ready. The rim of the basin had been smoked black.

Leng Haoyang reached out and touched it. With a shriek, he cried, “It’s burning hot! Dong Yanyan, you never do anything properly!” He held up his finger, grimacing in pain.

Dong Yanyan burst out laughing. “You can’t touch red-hot metal! How do you not even know something that basic? Honestly, you’re hopeless!”

“It’s all black now! Look what it did to my clothes—they’re covered in soot!” Leng Haoyang protested. “No, that’s it. I’m changing clothes!”

Just then, the classroom door was kicked open.

“The dumplings are here!” Lin Feng and Zhang Lei each carried in a basin of dumplings and set them on two desks. Everyone immediately crowded around and began grabbing food.

Leng Yue took the students’ bowls and ladled soup into them one by one. The girls hurriedly carried all the dishes over to the tables.

“I’m not eating with you guys. The class sports representatives have to accompany Teacher Liu for drinks.” Leng Haoyang stuffed a dumpling into his mouth, picked up a plate of ham, and prepared to leave.

“Leng Haoyang, hurry up!” Qiu Huanyu, the sports representative from the broadcasting class, staggered in, popped a dumpling into his mouth, and casually snatched a plate of peanuts from the table.

“You’re taking all the dishes. What are we supposed to eat?” Yang Ruining scolded.

Qiu Huanyu laughed unconcernedly. “I eat at restaurants downtown without paying a cent. Why are you making such a fuss over me taking two plates of food?” He stuffed another dumpling into his mouth, but the moment he bit into it, he let out a cry and spat it onto the table.

“Hey! What kind of filling is in these dumplings? They’re awful!” he shouted, sticking out his tongue.

When Gu Xiaohan saw that he had bitten into one of her little rabbit dumplings, she laughed so hard she could barely stand upright. “That’s my special apple-and-tomato filling! Why did you wolf it down so quickly?”

“Brother Yu, perfect timing. Take a group photo for us.” Jiang Fan handed the camera to Qiu Huanyu and asked him to photograph everyone.

Yang Lili ran upstairs to bring Teacher Chen back. Everyone gathered noisily in a circle, while steam rose from the dishes on the table and warmed the students’ faces.

Lin Feng filled everyone’s glasses with soft drinks, then raised his own with a smile. “Happy New Year, everyone!”

“Happy New Year!”

Thirty-two glasses clinked together, reflecting thirty-two youthful, smiling faces.

Qiu Huanyu quickly pressed the shutter.

*

The next day was Friday. Saturday and Sunday would be days off, and the final examinations would begin on Monday. The teachers therefore simply gave the students the day off and told them to review on their own.

Room 103 was unusually quiet. Everyone was bent over their books on their own beds, studying diligently. Only Gu Xiaohan sat on her bed, seriously applying makeup with the help of a small mirror.

“Tonight is party night. Where should we go to have fun?” she asked, lifting her head.

Dong Yanyan, who had been buried in her studies on the upper bunk, put down her book and laughed. “Little sister, use your head. The exams are only three days away. You should memorize everything you need to memorize.”

Tiantian giggled. “Sixth Sister, don’t you have a date?”

Gu Xiaohan put down the little mirror in her hand and turned around, pretending to be angry. “Why are you saying that? He invited you too, didn’t he? You’re the one who refused to go!”

“Xiaohan, you’re really going out? Buy me a few apples while you’re at it. I’m staying here.” Dong Yanyan smiled.

As the girls laughed, someone knocked on the door. Tiantian opened it and, sure enough, found Xu Gang standing outside. He was dressed particularly smartly today and held a bouquet of flowers.

“Tiantian—”

“Oh? You’re doing well today. You even know to bring flowers.” Tiantian snatched the bouquet from his hand and held it up for Xiaohan to see. “Xiaohan, aren’t they pretty?”

Gu Xiaohan’s face instantly flushed scarlet. She lowered her head, took the flowers from Tiantian, hurriedly picked up her backpack, and left with Xu Gang.

“A young woman willing to risk failing her exams for love. I salute you.” Dong Yanyan shook her head helplessly with a smile.

The moment she finished speaking, the telephone beside the lower bunk rang. Xinran answered it impatiently, then handed the receiver to her. “It’s for you. Yang Lili.”

Dong Yanyan took the receiver and asked lazily, “Lili, what is it?”

“Yanyan, I’m calling to let you know that everyone performing in the New Year’s celebration should come to the small auditorium on the sixth floor at one this afternoon for rehearsal. Don’t be late,” Yang Lili said over the phone.

“Okay, I know.” Dong Yanyan hung up. When she glanced at her watch, she saw that it was already past eleven. She decided to find something to eat first.

*

At one o’clock that afternoon, Dong Yanyan arrived at the small auditorium on the sixth floor right on time. Students from the other classes had already arrived and were gathered around the beautiful Yang Xiaoxiao.

The radio and television class had three performances: Yang Lili and the others’ dance, Liu Siying and Lin Feng’s duet, and Dong Yanyan’s magic act.

The moment Liu Siying saw her, she happily came over, linked arms with her, and smiled. “Yanyan, you finally came! We’ve been waiting for you. Come sign in.”

“You make it sound as if I’m the last one here.” Dong Yanyan picked up a pen and signed her name in the attendance book.

Once everyone had arrived, Beautiful Yang stood up and clapped her hands. “Now that everyone is here, come over beside me. We’ll practice the chorus first, and I’ll arrange your positions. Jiaxuan, bring me the sheet music.”

Oh no—she really was the last one after all!

Ren Jiaxuan hurried over and handed each person a copy of the music. Dong Yanyan took hers and glanced at the song. She could not help rubbing her forehead. “This song is incredibly difficult to sing.”

“Everyone only has one line. The difficult parts won’t even be yours.” Ren Jiaxuan leaned close and whispered, “How about I teach you mouth-to-mouth?”

“Get lost!” Dong Yanyan laughed and shot him an angry, playful glare.

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