Chapter 16
"Senior Song's little sister is super good-looking with fair and delicate healthy skin, clearly well taken care of."
"She looks very elegant. Senior Song has not shown up at school for a long time. I didn't expect the first thing he did when he appeared was to bring his sister to enroll."
"The two of them look quite alike and both so good-looking."
"If Senior Song was not here, those people would have already rushed up to ask for her WeChat."
......
Song Luokui soon arrived at her dormitory. It was a four-person room with beds upstairs and desks downstairs. Her roommates had not arrived yet.
Song Luosheng helped her wipe all the beds clean and put on new bedsheets. He then swept the floor of the dormitory and even wiped the sink and bathroom before leaving with her.
"Are you hungry? I'll take you to the cafeteria to eat. I feel the food at Cafeteria 5 and Cafeteria 8 is not bad. If you can't get used to the food, you can go home to eat or eat out. Get Aunt Gui to bring food for you if needed."
Song Luokui said with some speechlessness: "I'm not that delicate to need Aunt Gui to bring me food..."
Song Luosheng said: "It's not about being delicate. If there are better options available, don't choose the worse ones."
Song Luokui found this perspective quite refreshing. "Let's not trouble Aunt Gui. I'll try out the good food you mentioned first." After all, home was not very far. She could just go home to eat if the food was no good.
Song Luosheng brought Song Luokui to Cafeteria 5. The cafeteria had two levels. He directly brought her to Level 2 where he ordered a small stir-fry dish. Song Luokui noticed there were also small private rooms on Level 2.
The food came very quickly. Song Luokui thought it was not bad.
Song Luosheng also topped up 1,000 yuan into her meal card. "Tell brother when you run out of money."
"Okay."
Song Luosheng also brought Song Luokui around the living area, Faculty of Liberal Arts, and the library before sending her back. Peking University was too huge to finish touring in one go.
The next afternoon after her meal, Song Luokui went to school alone. She did not get Song Luosheng to send her but took the public bus by herself. She would likely often commute between home and school by public bus in the future.
When she arrived at her dormitory, her roommates were already there. After introductions, they quickly became familiar.
Other than Song Luokui who was from Jing City, the rest were from other provinces. Wang Sisi was from City Q, Su Ziyuan from City T, Zhang Jingfeng from Province H.
Wang Sisi and Su Ziyuan were from the Business School while Zhang Jingfeng was from the Faculty of Foreign Languages.
Military training started early the next morning. Everyone got up reluctantly at dawn to put on their uniforms, had breakfast at the cafeteria filled with students in military training uniforms, before assembling at the parade ground.
The school opening ceremony began quickly...
Military training officially started in the afternoon. Commands like "Attention!", "Turn Left", "Turn Right" continuously sounded across the parade ground.
During the 10-minute break, Song Luokui wiped her sweat and went under a tree to drink water from her bottle. The weather was hot and sunny. She was truly tired.
Many girls next to her took out sunblock from their bags and generously applied it on their faces, also taking out small mirrors to check themselves. Song Luokui lamented how feminine they were.
What she didn't know was that she was also considered a scenic view in others' eyes under the tree - an elegant young lady in military uniform with slightly damp bangs on her forehead. Her small face was rosy as she had rolled up her sleeves to her elbows, revealing fair and tender little arms. She was using her cap to fan herself, making for a pleasing sight.
Not far away, people were softly discussing her. "She's so pretty!"
"Her skin is so fair and her face so small."
"I talked to her just now. She speaks super gently."
"I overheard too. She smells nice all over even when sweating. She's called Song Luokui. Even her name sounds nice."
"I was standing next to her during military training. She does smell nice."
......Time passed quickly and military training was to resume.
Military training continuously lasted two weeks. Although there were occasional night programs like singing performances or talent shows for entertainment, Song Luokui still felt tired.
She was always the first to sleep after training ended and she showered and blow dried her hair back in her dormitory.
As two weeks ended and the military training rally finished, while others tearfully bid the instructors goodbye, Song Luokui boarded the bus home.
That day, Aunt Gui cooked many delicious dishes for her. "My young miss has become thinner. Is the school food not to your taste? Or should Aunt Gui make food daily to send over?"
Song Moqian and Sheng Rong had no objections to Aunt Gui's suggestion. Back then when Song Luosheng jokingly made this request, he was beaten badly by Song Moqian and scolded for having "rotten thoughts".
When it came to Song Luokui, Song Moqian even suggested: "Why not rent a place near school for Aunt Gui to take care of Luokui while we eat at the school canteen?"
Song Luosheng asked: "Can't we hire another maid?"
Song Luokui quickly waved her hands. "No need, no need. The school cafeteria food is fine. I'll just eat there or come home to eat if it's no good. I can also meet Mum, Dad, and Aunt Gui that way."
Song Moqian said: "It's quite troublesome to commute."
Song Luokui righteously declared: "It's not troublesome at all. As Dad and Mum's daughter, such hardship is nothing. As a socialist successor, I can't be defeated by such tiny hardship. How else can I serve the country in future!"
Actually it was truly no hardship at all. Her parents just doted on her.
Song Moqian looked extremely happy and proud. "Good! Worthy of being my daughter."
Song Moqian also posted Song Luokui's words in the family group chat. Before long, grandpa, grandma, granduncle, and grandaunt started praising her again.
Song Luokui lamented... With such a family, she had grown up properly into an obedient, polite, law-abiding good child without any deviance. She was awesome!
That day, she told her dorm mates she would not be returning to the dormitory and spent the night at home instead, only taking the bus back to school early next morning.
Song Moqian had wanted Uncle Kang to send her but she declined.
When she returned to her dormitory at noon, Song Luokui sat at her desk looking through newly delivered books. Wang Sisi beside her suddenly asked: "Luokui, there's a freshman ball tonight. Are you going?"
Song Luokui: "Ball? What ball?"
Seeing that she did not know, Wang Sisi immediately showed her the notice in their year's group chat. There was a freshman ball every year for new students to get to know seniors too.
Wang Sisi: "We don't have gowns yet and are going out to buy them later. Do you want to join?"
Song Luokui's family had gowns. "I won't go. My family has gowns I can ask them to send over."
"Alright, we'll go to the ball together tonight then."
"Okay."
Song Luokui directly asked Aunt Gui to send her white diagonal-strap evening gown to the school entrance. The simple and elegant design just needed some light makeup and an updo hairstyle to complete the look.
The ball was organised proper grandly. There was even a red carpet to walk as well as a stand for autographs and photos. Song Luokui did not stop for any of that but stood below watching Wang Sisi and the rest go up. After they were done, the group entered the ball together.
There was a constant flow of people in the main hall. The men were dressed in suits, handsome fellows all competing to shine the brightest. The ladies were in evening gowns, each meticulously dressed up like flowers striving to be the fairest.
As they had not eaten dinner, the few girls first collected some food before standing at a side chatting. When Wang Sisi and the rest saw classmates from their class, they went over.
Song Luokui sat alone at a corner eating. She had originally wanted to participate in this school event to integrate into campus life. However, being here now felt rather boring.
The ball quickly started. Someone came over to invite Song Luokui for a dance but she rejected it. After that, she slipped outside for some fresh air. There were too many people inside and it felt rather stuffy.