"I originally thought of trying to aim for a medal at next year’s Olympics. Now it seems like even just achieving the Olympic A standard is going to be a problem."
"Sister Chen, do you think there’s a possibility that Xiaohui might be experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder?"
Having sat quietly for a while, Wang Dongkai suddenly chimed in. He glanced at Lin Yahu and then turned back to speak to Chen Lei,
"I’ve visited Xiaohui’s training a few times, and he runs just fine. It’s just that, at the moment of jumping over the bar, I always feel like he holds back a bit, as if he’s afraid to take the leap."
Hearing this, Chen Lei immediately looked at Lin Yahu and asked, "Is that so?"
"Well, it seems like it, a bit."
Lin Yahu raised his hand to scratch his head and said with a frown,
"But that’s not really the most important thing. The most important thing is that I suddenly seem to have lost interest in high jump. I no longer feel the excitement I used to have before getting injured whenever I was at the competition ground."
Chen Lei opened her mouth as if she wanted to say more, but just then, someone knocked on the door of the private room.
She turned her head to look and saw the waiter ready to serve the food. Chen Lei let out a deep breath, turned back to look at Lin Yahu, and said with a smile:
"Let’s talk more about your situation later. Everyone must be hungry. Let’s first see what Junior Brother Xiaojiang’s cooking tastes like."
"Sister Chen is right, eating is the most important thing right now!"
Wang Dongkai winked at Lin Yahu and said with a smile,
"There’s nothing a meal can’t solve. If there is, then it’s two meals!"
Everyone, not just Chen Lei and Lin Yahu, laughed at Wang Dongkai’s words, and they all began to chime in:
"Xiaokai’s got a point. Brother Hui should be more optimistic. There’s a whole world out there with all four seasons, good food, and dreams!"
"That’s right! We’ve been looking forward to this for so long, just to taste Junior Brother Xiaojiang’s culinary skills!"
"Haha! I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday morning in anticipation of this meal. I’m going to eat a lot, and nobody better try to steal from me!"
"..."
Around the table, everyone was chatting and laughing, watching as the waiter placed one exquisite dish after another on the table.
The rich aroma of the dishes quickly filled the private room, captivating everyone’s attention. The sound of swallowing and the growling of stomachs followed, making the atmosphere a bit awkward.
"Although I work at the school, I rarely get the chance to eat food prepared by Xiaojiang. I’m lucky today to share this feast with all of you. Look at me, I’m practically drooling, haha!"
This was the moment for Xiong Bingsheng to shine. He picked up the homemade juice the waiter brought over, pouring it for everyone, and said with a cheerful smile,
"These are all homemade juices from Xiaojiang’s restaurant. They’re definitely organic. Xiaojiang personally instructed the waiter to let everyone have a taste. Come on, don’t be shy, wet your whistle and whet your appetite!"
With that, he raised his glass and clinked it with Chen Lei and the others, taking a big sip.
Seeing this, the others also took large sips of the juice.
"From a professional standpoint, all who visit the alma mater for meetings and exchange are guests, but on a personal note, we’re all siblings from the same university, so there’s really no need to stand on ceremony."
Once everyone settled back down, Xiong Bingsheng continued with a smile,
"The formalities have already been said plenty by the leaders this afternoon, so I won’t repeat them. Everyone’s been busy all day and must be hungry. Let’s dig in! Come on, eat!"
"Teacher Xiong, I just love how straightforward you are!"
Wang Dongkai shouted, picking up his chopsticks and reaching for the stir-fried rice shoots with smoked meat in front of him and stuffing a bite into his mouth.
As soon as the food hit his palate, his eyes seemed to light up, he could no longer hold back and exclaimed in delight,
"Wow! Junior Brother Xiaojiang’s cooking is amazing! This stir-fried rice shoots with smoked meat is so delicious, even better than the dishes prepared by top chefs at last year’s athletics championship!"
Though not many people here were locals of Jiangzhou, they had all studied in Jiangzhou for four years and had long fallen in love with this local specialty of stir-fried rice shoots with smoked meat.
After leaving Jiangzhou, they rarely had the chance to savor this delicacy. Upon hearing Wang Dongkai’s praises, the unique taste of aromatic rice shoots and savory smoked meat that had been hidden in their memories instantly came alive, flooding their mouths with saliva.
So, without even thinking, they all redirected their chopsticks toward the stir-fried rice shoots with smoked meat, each taking a big bite and enjoying it slowly.
"Mm, it’s that familiar taste. So fragrant!"
"Ah! This bite of stir-fried rice shoots with smoked meat reminds me of that girl from our class back then, but alas, I didn’t have the courage..."
"Brother Tao, I know the girl you’re talking about. Isn’t she the one who practiced shot put?"
"... Get lost!"
"..."
As everyone’s taste buds were awakened by the dish, they were filled with nostalgia, and the atmosphere became lively as they reminisced.