When she arrived at the institute, just as there was a delivery person carrying three big bags of takeout, brushing past her to squeeze through the main door of the research institute.
Chen Yifan, perhaps having received a call from the delivery person, was waiting inside the main entrance of the institute.
Receiving the takeout from the delivery person, he turned to Ning Youguang: "Perfect timing, junior sister, you can join us for lunch."
Ning Youguang stepped forward to help him with two of the packages, "I didn’t notify in advance, is there a portion for me?"
Chen Yifan smiled while holding the other two takeout packages, "Yes, the professor is treating us to ’Little Four Happiness’ today because the project results came out."
’Little Four Happiness’ is an old private cuisine restaurant behind the University of Science and Technology.
The owner has been here for more than twenty years, relying solely on excellent culinary skills to make his little restaurant a highly praised spot among the flashy, heavily advertised franchise stores.
Ning Youguang’s eyes gleamed with mischief: "I am so fortunate!"
...
The two of them carried the takeout into the office of the research institute. As soon as Professor Yu saw them, a broad smile appeared on his face: "Little Ning, you’re so clever, arriving at just the right time."
"How did you two manage to be so coincidental and come together?" The other senior brothers and sisters also laughed.
"It just so happened," Ning Youguang replied.
In the office of the research institute, besides Professor Yu, there were other senior brothers and sisters present. Including Ning Youguang, there were seven or eight people in total.
No wonder they ordered three big bags of takeout.
Ning Youguang and Chen Yifan put the takeout on the table, and the other senior brothers and sisters came over to help set it up, everyone joyfully laughing together.
"How come you’re here at this time, Little Ning?" one of the senior sisters asked.
"I came to deliver the summary report to the teacher."
"Oh." The senior sister didn’t ask further, instead smilingly inviting everyone to the table for a meal.
Professor Yu walked over cheerfully and sat down at the dining table, "The report Little Ning is giving me is the summary report I asked her to prepare after we returned from attending the international conference in Boston. After I review it, Little Ning will print a copy for everyone to review."
"Okay." Ning Youguang handed over a set of disposable chopsticks she had unwrapped.
The senior brothers and sisters next to her showed smiles of surprise on their faces and started to chatter:
"That’s great."
"Thank you, teacher, thank you, Little Ning."
"Little Ning, speed it up. I can’t wait to see your summary report."
Ning Youguang nodded with a smile and sat down beside Professor Yu.
She casually picked up a box lunch from the table, opened the lid, and divided it in half into the lid, handing the rest to Professor Yu. Then she started eating from the half left on the lid.
The senior brothers, having a larger appetite, each took an entire box meal.
The senior sisters, having a smaller appetite, could not finish a whole box meal, so they, like Ning Youguang and Professor Yu, split one box meal to share with another senior sister.
Soon, the dining atmosphere became even more lively and joyful.
"These small river fish are so good with rice, have some, teacher."
"The eggplant is really tasty."
"Give me a piece of the spare ribs, they are so delicious."
"..."
A gathering of top scholars in the field of psychology in China, sitting in a simple office and eating a simple box meal, managed to create an atmosphere akin to a food broadcast.
At the Health and Psychology Genetic Research Institute, from Professor Yu to the research assistants, everyone held a spirit of pursuing excellence in academics but preferred simplicity and were not particular about food and clothing in life.
Usually, everyone ate at the cafeteria.
Occasionally, like now, when there is a breakthrough in a project and they receive a "Little Four Happiness" takeout reward from the professor, everyone could be happy for quite a while.
In them, Ning Youguang saw a side that she never saw in people around her in her past life:
"Life is simple and unadorned, yet life bursts forth with brilliant light."