Everyone's been reborn, so who would bother finding a wife on their own?

Chapter 160 Camping in the Wild

The whistle at 2 PM was still as shrill as ever.

Song Huan turned over and faced the wall.

The pillow smells of sunshine, warm and cozy.

There were people talking outside the window. Their voices weren't loud, but they were especially clear in the quiet afternoon.

He closed his eyes, then opened them again.

Zhao Qihang tumbled down from the top bunk, his bare feet touching the ground, and yawned.

"What time is it?"

Two points.

"So fast."

Zhao Qihang bent down to look for his shoes; one was under the bed, and the other was by the door.

He hopped over there, then hopped back.

People were already running in the corridor.

Song Huan sat up, folded the blanket, and went downstairs with Zhao Qihang.

There were more than a dozen long tables set up on the playground, with plastic boxes stacked on them. They were transparent, and you could see what was inside.

Meat, vegetables, seasonings, pots and pans, box after box, lined up like supermarket shelves.

The tour guide stood at the front, holding a megaphone, with a whiteboard next to him displaying a simple map.

People from each class gradually arrived. Some were still rubbing their eyes, some were squatting in the shade and didn't want to move, and some were already excited, circling around the plastic boxes.

The tour guide tapped the loudspeaker twice, announcing, "This afternoon's activity is a camping trip. Groups of five will spend the night outdoors. Dinner and breakfast for tomorrow are on your own."

The playground was silent for a second, then erupted.

"camping?"

"self catering?"

"In groups of five?"

The sound came from all directions. The tour guide waited a while and then banged the horn again.

"The ingredients and tools are all in the boxes, one set for each group, take them yourselves. Tents, charcoal, and wood, get them over there."

She pointed to the corner of the playground.

There were small mountains of supplies piled up there, tents were stacked in rolls, charcoal bags were piled up to half a person's height, and timber was tied with ropes and leaned against the wall.

Lu Xu stood under the shade of a tree, arms crossed, looking at the supplies, and raised an eyebrow.

He turned his head and glanced at the female teacher next to him, Ms. Lin, who taught English. She was talking to a few girls and smiled, revealing two tiger teeth.

Lu Xu took a step forward, then stopped.

The PE teacher next to him nudged him, "Old Lu, what are you thinking about?"

"It's nothing," Lu Xu said, turning his gaze away.

"The class monitor said that teachers don't need to form teams, and dinner will be provided at the camp." The PE teacher held up his phone screen in front of him; it showed a message from the class monitor.

Lu Xu's expression changed slightly.

He coughed and put his hands in his pockets.

"I knew that already."

The group assignments on the playground have already begun.

Some people formed cliques, some were left behind, and some ran around shouting, "We're one short!"

Zhao Qihang squeezed through the crowd and ran to Song Huan.

"We're in the same group. Chen Xu and I have already agreed. Let's also call Xiao Yunqing and Zhou Shan, that makes five of us."

Song Huan didn't say anything, but Zhao Qihang had already turned and run away.

He ran over to the girls and called out "Xiao Yunqing" and then "Zhou Shan." The two of them walked out of the crowd, with Xiao Yunqing holding a camera in her hand.

"Let's go camping together," Zhao Qihang said with a smile.

Xiao Yunqing glanced at Song Huan, who was standing in front of the supply box, looking down and rummaging through something.

She turned back and said, "Okay."

The five people were all gathered, and they started to collect their items.

Xiao Yunqing and Zhou Shan were in charge of the ingredients. The two of them squatted in front of the plastic box and put the ingredients into the bag one by one.

Meat, chicken wings, green vegetables, tomatoes, eggs, noodles.

Xiao Yunqing would glance at Zhou Shan every time she picked up an item. If Zhou Shan nodded, she would put it in; if she shook her head, she would replace it with another item.

Chen Xu stood in front of the pile of supplies, bent down, picked up a bag of charcoal, weighed it in his hand, and tucked it under his arm.

He picked up another bundle of timber and carried it on his shoulder.

Zhao Qihang stood to the side, looking at him empty-handed.

"Can't you get some for me?"

Chen Xu glanced at him, pulled the charcoal bag from under his arm, and placed it at his feet.

"Take this."

Zhao Qihang bent down to lift it, but couldn't. He tried again, his face turning red. The charcoal bag was five centimeters off the ground when he put it down again.

"You fucking..."

Chen Xu looked speechless. He had already tucked the charcoal bag back under his arm, hoisted the timber onto his shoulder, and left.

Zhao Qihang chased after him and called out twice, but Chen Xu didn't turn around.

Song Huan stood in front of the condiment table, took a bottle of oil, a packet of salt, a bottle of soy sauce, and a jar of cumin powder, and put them into a bag.

Then I took the pot, spatula, bowl, and chopsticks and arranged them one by one.

The bag was full, and he lifted it; it was a bit heavy.

Xiao Yunqing walked over, carrying two large bags filled to the brim with ingredients.

She put the bag on the ground, shook her hand, and asked, "Is this enough to eat?"

"That's enough." Song Huan picked up her two bags and put them together with her own bag. Three bags filled both of her hands.

Xiao Yunqing reached out to pick it up, but he pulled his hand back slightly. "You can just take the camera."

She glanced down at the camera hanging around her neck, said nothing, and followed behind him.

The group set off along the path towards the sea. The tour guide walked at the front, a megaphone hanging from his waist, swaying back and forth.

The road was narrow, with low shrubs growing on both sides, their leaves glistening in the sun.

The sea in the distance was a deep, almost white blue, and there was a straight line between the sky and the sea, as if drawn with a ruler.

After walking for about twenty minutes, the view suddenly opened up before us.

A gentle slope with short, yellow-green grass that felt soft underfoot.

Below the slope lies the sea, a winding shoreline with white sand and clear water, stretching layer upon layer into the distance, from light green to deep blue.

Someone shouted "Wow!" and several others followed suit.

The girls stood on the slope, looking at the sea, their mouths agape, forgetting to close them.

Some people held up their phones, some held up their cameras, and some were so busy looking that they didn't take anything with them.

Xiao Yunqing raised her camera and took a picture of the sea.

Several white seagulls flew across the viewfinder, their wings spread, gliding from left to right.

When she pressed the shutter, the seagull was right in the middle of the frame.

Zhou Shan leaned closer to look at the screen. "Wow, it's really beautiful."

Xiao Yunqing put down the camera and glanced furtively at Song Huan.

The tour guide stood on the slope, holding up a megaphone.

"Set up camp on the spot. Each group should find its own place, but don't go too far away. Don't go beyond the warning line set up by the teacher. Be careful."

The crowd dispersed.

Some people walked towards the woods, some towards the rocks, and some simply laid out moisture-proof mats on the beach.

Song Huan walked on the slope for a while and then stopped.

A flat piece of land with short grass, not too far from the sea.

He stomped on it twice; the ground was solid, neither too soft nor too hard.

"Here it is." He put the bag down and began to dismantle the tent.

The canvas is thick, and the frame is made of aluminum; it's light but sturdy.

He threaded the frame through, set up the tent, and secured it with ground pegs at the four corners.

Zhao Qihang squatted down and watched for a while, then stood up and tried to hammer in the ground nails like him, but after a couple of blows, he hammered them crookedly.

Chen Xu took the hammer from his hand and struck each of the four corners steadily.

Xiao Yunqing and Zhou Shan laid out a moisture-proof mat on the other side and arranged the ingredients one by one, neatly stacked.

Zhao Qihang and Chen Xu went to collect bricks to build a stove. The two squatted on the bank, picking out flat bricks to carry back.

These bricks were placed by the campsite so that students would run back and forth, exhausting them.

Zhao Qihang was out of breath after carrying three pieces, while Chen Xu carried about ten pieces without even breaking a sweat.

Once the stove was built, Zhao Qihang squatted down beside it and stuffed the firebox with dry grass and twigs he had picked up from the nearby grove.

The fire was lit, the grass burned quickly, the flames flickered briefly, and then went out.

He lit it again, and it went out again.

Song Huan walked over, squatted down, loosened the dry grass, leaving gaps in the middle, placed thin twigs on top, struck a match, and the flames leaped up, licking the twigs with a crackling sound.

Zhao Qihang squatted down beside him, his face red from the heat of the fire. "It still has to be you."

Song Huan didn't say anything, and put the charcoal pieces up one by one.

Zhou Shan was chopping vegetables beside her. With swift, precise cuts, she sliced ​​potatoes into uneven pieces, but they cooked through.

Cut the tomatoes into chunks and arrange them on a plate.

Xiao Yunqing stood next to Song Huan, her sleeves rolled up to her elbows, an apron tied around her waist. The apron was pink, with a cartoon rabbit printed on it, and was brought from the camp by Zhou Shan.

Xiao Yunqing prepared to show off her skills and put the pot on the stove.

Zhao Qihang squatted beside the stove, looking at the fire, and then looked at Xiao Yunqing.

"Xiao Yunqing, you can cook?"

Xiao Yunqing turned her head and glared at him, pouting to reveal two adorable teeth.

Zhao Qihang shrank his neck and took half a step back. "I was just asking."

Song Huan chuckled beside her and poured the oil into the pan. "She's my personal disciple."

Xiao Yunqing turned her head and glared at Song Huan again, this time even more fiercely, baring her teeth even wider.

Song Huan didn't dodge. She handed the shovel to her, stepped aside, crossed her arms, and looked at her.

Xiao Yunqing took the spatula and stood in front of the pot.

The oil was hot, so she poured in the sliced ​​meat. With a sizzle, oil splattered out. She shrank back a little, then stood back up and flipped the meat a couple of times with the spatula.

The meat slices changed color, the edges curled up, and they turned a golden brown.

She poured in the tomatoes, stir-fried them briefly, and the juices came out, turning red and coating the meat slices.

She pinched a pinch of salt, sprinkled it in, and then sprinkled another pinch.

Song Huan stood to the side, not saying a word, watching her stir-fry.

Her movements in flipping the pan were exactly the same as his: she would scrape the pan down from the side, flip it over, scrape it down again, and flip it over again.

The pace was neither too fast nor too slow, and every step was perfectly timed.

Zhou Shan was cooking rice next to another stove. The pot was covered, and steam was coming out from the gaps, making a white mist.

She watched the two people cooking.

One was cooking, the other was watching; they were in sync, even tilting their heads at the same angle.

She pushed up her glasses, looked down at her pot, then looked up again.

"You two are so alike," she said.

Xiao Yunqing paused, shovel in hand. "What does it look like?"

Zhou Shan didn't answer, but smiled and looked down at the fire.

[They acted like a married couple.]

The dish is ready.

Stir-fried pork slices with tomatoes, red and yellow, with just the right amount of sauce clinging to the pork slices.

The other dish was stir-fried potatoes, unevenly sliced, but with a nice color, slightly charred edges, and a delicious aroma.

Song Huan took the pot off the stove, replaced it with a soup pot, added water and a few slices of ginger, and waited for the water to boil.

Zhao Qihang squatted down beside him and sniffed.

"It smells so good."

He stood up, added two more pieces of firewood to the stove, and the fire blazed up, the water in the pot began to bubble.

Song Huan put the noodles in and stirred them with chopsticks.

Xiao Yunqing stood to the side, holding a bowl with seasonings in it.

Soy sauce, vinegar, a little sugar, and chopped green onions.

The water boiled, and the noodles were bubbling in the pot. She scooped a spoonful of soup into a bowl, stirred it, and the aroma wafted out.

Zhao Qihang swallowed hard.

Chen Xu walked back from a distance, carrying a plastic bag containing several crabs that were still moving.

"I caught them over there." He put the bag on the ground, squatted down, and poured the crabs out.

Crabs were crawling on the grass. Zhao Qihang frantically tried to catch one, but got pinched by its pincers and cried out as he shook his hand.

Song Huan scooped out the noodles, divided them into five bowls, and poured soup over them.

Xiao Yunqing placed the stir-fried dish on the moisture-proof mat and set out the chopsticks.

Zhao Qihang held the crabs down and handed them to Chen Xu. Chen Xu shook his head helplessly. What kind of meat could these small crabs eat? He then threw them back into the sea.

"I'll go call the tour guide." Zhao Qihang stood up, patted his bottom, and ran out.

Song Huan took the soup pot down. The fire was out, but the charcoal was still glowing red, its dark red light flickering in the wind.

Xiao Yunqing squatted down beside the moisture-proof mat, straightened the chopsticks, and adjusted the position of the bowl.

Song Huan walked over and sat down. She moved aside to make room for him.

Zhao Qihang ran back, with the tour guide following behind, holding a megaphone and laughing as they walked.

"Why are you in such a hurry? What are you doing?"

Zhao Qihang pointed to the vegetables on the moisture-proof mat, "You'll know once you try them."

The tour guide squatted down, picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of meat, and put it in his mouth.

He chewed twice, said nothing, then picked up another slice of potato and chewed it twice.

She stood up and held the megaphone to her mouth.

"Okay, now the first group to finish has appeared."

The sound blasted out from the loudspeaker and bounced a few times on the slope.

People from the other groups turned to look; some were envious, some were skeptical, and some quickened their pace.

The tour guide waved to the back, and a male teacher came over carrying a large tray filled with seafood.

Shrimp, crab, squid, and oysters were neatly arranged, chilled, and steaming cold.

As soon as the tray was placed in the middle of the moisture-proof mat, Zhao Qihang's eyes lit up. He reached out his hand, but Zhou Shan slapped it away.

"Wait until everyone is here."

The five people sat around the moisture-proof mat.

Zhao Qihang opened a bottle of beverage, and as bubbles appeared, he quickly took a sip.

Chen Xu sat on the far side, with a bowl and chopsticks in front of him, untouched, waiting.

Zhou Shan served the rice, one bowl for each person.

Xiao Yunqing handed the chopsticks to Song Huan, who took them and put a piece of meat she had cooked into her bowl.

She glanced down at him, said nothing, and put a piece of potato she had made into his bowl.

Zhao Qihang held up his drink bottle. "Come on, let's have a drink."

The five bottles collided together, making a crisp, clinking sound.

The sea breeze blew from afar, scattering the sound.

The sun had already sunk near the horizon; it was a large, orange-red color with slightly blurred edges.

The light spread across the sea, stretching from the shore to the horizon, like scattered gold, dazzling to the eye.

The distant ship became a silhouette, black and motionless.

Zhao Qihang peeled a shrimp, put it in his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and said, "Homemade food tastes the best."

Zhou Shan picked up a piece of squid, dipped it in soy sauce, and said, "That was made by Song Huan and Yun Qing. What did you make?"

"I built the stove," Zhao Qihang said matter-of-factly.

Zhao Qihang held the bottle up to the light and saw that it was still half full. "I need to find a girlfriend who can cook in the future."

Zhou Shan chuckled.

"Find a girlfriend first."

Zhao Qihang stopped talking and lowered his head to eat the crab.

Xiao Yunqing sat next to Song Huan, ate half a bowl of rice, and barely touched the vegetables.

She looked at the distant sea; the sun had already sunk halfway down, leaving only a reddish semicircle, like a red-hot iron.

The streak of gold on the sea grew narrower and darker.

"Is it pretty?" Song Huan asked.

"Um."

She raised her camera and pressed the shutter button on the sea.

The shutter sound was very soft, swallowed up by the sea breeze.

She put the camera down and looked down at the screen.

In the photo, only the edge of the sun is visible, and the light on the sea is orange-red, fragmented, and dim.

The sun has set.

A faint red hue remained on the horizon, like a watercolor painting with blurred edges.

The scattered gold on the sea surface disappeared, turning grayish-blue. In the distance, the ships lit up their lights, one by one, like stars falling into the sea.

Zhao Qihang finished off the last crab, leaned against the moisture-proof mat, and patted his belly.

I'm full.

Chen Xu collected the bowls and chopsticks, stacked them neatly, and took them to wash.

Zhou Shan stood up to help.

Xiao Yunqing sat on the moisture-proof mat, knees together, hands resting on it.

Song Huan sat next to her, the two of them about a fist's distance apart.

The sea breeze blew in from the front, blowing her short hair onto her face, but she didn't brush it away.

"What are we having for breakfast tomorrow?" she asked.

"Noodles, that should be enough for tomorrow." Song Huan glanced at Chen Xu's bag, where several crabs were moving around, making soft noises.

She nodded.

The wind blew again, and she hunched her shoulders.

Song Huan took off her coat and draped it over her shoulders.

The coat was very large, covering her completely, leaving only her face and two hands visible.

She pulled her sleeve down a little, tucking her fingers inside, leaving only the fingertips showing.

Aren't you cold?

"It's not cold."

She pulled her coat up a little, tucking her chin into the collar.

His scent lingered on the jacket, faint, with a hint of charcoal.

She buried her nose in it, took a sniff, and then pulled it back.

The last trace of red on the sea surface disappeared.

The sky changed from orange-red to gray-blue, from gray-blue to dark blue, and from dark blue to black.

The stars lit up, one, two, three, more and more, densely packed, like a handful of broken rice scattered on the ground.

Lights came on from the tents in the distance, yellow and white, shining through the canvas, one by one, like glowing mushrooms.

Someone was singing off-key, and the person next to them laughed.

Someone was laughing; the sound drifted on the wind, intermittent and broken.

Zhao Qihang was already lying flat, face up, staring at the stars.

"So many stars." Chen Xu, sitting next to him, also looked up.

Zhou Shan dried the bowls and chopsticks, put them in a bag, and sat down.

Five people sat on the moisture-proof mats, looking up.

The wind subsided a little, and the waves grew louder, one steady crash after another.

Xiao Yunqing leaned against Song Huan, her shoulder touching his arm.

She didn't speak, and neither did he.