Chapter 267: A Sweltering Autumn Escape

It was an autumn outing, but Shanghai’s weather remained swelteringly hot.

Early in the morning, Huo Dashan had arranged a bus waiting at the South Gate.

No one was late; in fact, everyone arrived more than ten minutes early.

They checked off various supplies like food and drinks, stowing them in the luggage compartment, including the items from Xu Chen’s office fridge.

Xu Chen boarded and headed straight to the back row, lowering his seat to catch a quick nap.

He’d been up late the night before brainstorming ideas for the ad competition.

Once a brainstorming session kicks in, it’s easy to get wired and lose sleep.

Luckily, it wasn’t a dull task; letting his imagination run wild brought its own fun.

From the front, waves of chatter rose as the girls excitedly talked away.

Hong Xiaoqiang, from the same dorm, climbed aboard and spotted Xu Chen in the back, so he grinned and sat next to him.

Xu Chen teased, “Why not join those two girls sitting alone up front?”

Hong Xiaoqiang replied, “I’m shy.”

Xu Chen said, “Doesn’t show.”

…

Class Monitor Min Siyang and Deputy Monitor Huo Dashan boarded last, did a final headcount, and then they were off.

Homeroom Teacher Shi Dinghai was joining the activity, but he drove separately, so they didn’t wait.

The bus rumbled along, heading north toward Shanghai.

Huo Dashan played tour guide, grabbing the microphone to liven things up with some awkward jokes before giving a rundown of their destination.

The event was set on Chongming Island at a forest park perfect for outdoor camping and barbecuing.

Even though half the students were from Shanghai, most hadn’t been there, so excitement buzzed through the group.

…

Back in 2006, the Yangtze River Tunnel wasn’t built yet, so to visit Chongming Island, they had to go to the Yangtze estuary dock and take a ferry.

The bus quickly hit the elevated highway but took over an hour to reach the Shidongkou Passenger Terminal.

Xu Chen had dozed off and woke up amid the noise as they neared the stop.

He glanced out the window and saw they’d entered the suburbs, with rice fields and industrial factories mixed around.

The sound of ship horns blared, signaling they were close to the dock.

They lined up and filed off the bus, catching a whiff of cool, moist air.

This was near the river mouth, where freshwater and seawater blended.

Looking ahead, he spotted the dock and the Yangtze flowing out to sea.

He overheard some local Shanghai students chatting about how Shidongkou was pretty remote, mostly handling industrial and transport ships before.

They mentioned that usually, people went to Baoyang Wharf or Wusongkou Wharf instead.

In their talk, they griped about the poor trip planning, calling the terminal isolated and the route a mess.

Xu Chen just shook his head; some people were so picky, complaining about everything.

In his past life, Xu Chen had visited Chongming Island too.

But that was years later, after the Yangtze Tunnel was built, so he’d driven there with friends instead of taking a ferry.

Right now, Xu Chen had no clue about these docks and couldn’t say if what those local girls were discussing was accurate.

Meanwhile, Huo Dashan, who organized the trip, was catching flak behind his back for the arrangements.

The bus luggage compartment opened, and a few guys jumped in to grab the food and supplies—it was a heavy load.

Under Huo Dashan’s lead, they hustled and finally boarded the ferry.

The Yangtze estuary offered quite a view.

Xu Chen stood where river and sea winds met, feeling refreshed and utterly at ease.

…

Once on the island, two smaller buses squeezed everyone in.

After more shuffling, half an hour later, they arrived at the forest park.

Xu Chen joined the other guys to haul the stuff, and Huo Dashan pitched in to help.

Xu Chen couldn’t help patting Huo Dashan’s shoulder and saying:

“You’ve really put in the effort—getting to this island is such a hassle, especially sorting out the transport.”

Huo Dashan paused, looking touched, and murmured:

“Some people are complaining about my arrangements! Sigh…”

“Xu Chen, you’re the good friend who gets it.”

Xu Chen gave a wry smile and patted his shoulder again.

He genuinely felt for Huo Dashan; planning this travel itinerary was no easy feat for anyone.

Plus, Huo Dashan wasn’t even local, so he was navigating unfamiliar territory.

…

The original plan was to start with team-building activities in the morning, then do camping and barbecuing at noon.

But by the time they got to the forest park, it was already nearly midday.

The class reps quickly discussed and decided to switch it up—barbecue first so everyone could eat before the fun.

The students were all for it, cheering as they headed to the barbecue area.

They bought grills, charcoal, and firewood right in the park since nothing could be brought from outside.

It was a bit pricey, but the park had safety rules in place.

Each group had two guys, so lighting the fires fell to the boys.

Chen Wenyi held the lighter and firewood, looking lost on how to start.

Su Rong, He Sisi, and the other girls were just as clueless.

Spotting Xu Chen carrying a pack of drinks, Chen Wenyi lit up like he’d found a savior and asked:

“Xu Chen… can you handle this?”

Xu Chen set down his load and grinned, “I’ll take care of it…”

“I’ll take care of it…”

Truth be told, Xu Chen hadn’t been an expert before.

As a kid in the countryside, he was too young to handle fire-starting.

Later, when they moved to town and got a gas stove, that was that.

It wasn’t until last month at the Xie family old house in South River Village that Xu Chen finally picked up the skill.

He wanted to boil some well water to taste, but couldn’t get the stove going.

Xie Bingran made it look easy, using a match to light the dry wood, then adding just the right amount of charcoal once it caught.

Once the charcoal glowed red, she layered more on top.

Xu Chen watched every move and committed it to memory.

Mainly because it was Xie Bingran doing it.

It seemed simple, but there was technique involved.

Actually, toward the end of last month, Xu Chen missed Xie Bingran and sneaked onto her roof to sleep one night.

That day, craving that sweet well water, he boiled a pot himself, practicing and solidifying the skill.

…

Right now.

Facing the barbecue grill, charcoal, and dry wood, Xu Chen felt no pressure at all.

He lit the fire effortlessly and smoothly.

In just a few minutes, his grill was the first with glowing coals.

He set up the rack and turned with a smile, “Let’s grill! These coals will last about an hour!”

“Let’s grill! These coals will last about an hour!”

Other groups were struggling, and seeing his success, they came over for tips:

“How’d you get this going? It’s driving us crazy…”

“Go ask Xu Chen—he’s the pro!”

Xu Chen chuckled and didn’t mind helping light the nearby grills too.

…

The ingredients were fine, but everyone’s grilling skills were lacking.

Some dishes were too salty, others too bland; some undercooked, others burned…

Still, since they made it themselves, everyone dug in with gusto, full of joy.

Laughter filled the air.

As they wrapped up, Homeroom Teacher Shi Dinghai finally arrived.

The groups pulled him in, and he laughed along until Huo Dashan dragged him over.

…

This was a designated camping and barbecue zone in the forest park.

It was all managed for safety across the park.

Staff and fire equipment were everywhere, ready for any issues.

Besides their class, other tourists were barbecuing too, smoke swirling as they enjoyed themselves.

Midway, a middle-aged man approached Xu Chen with a smile, “Mind if I borrow some salt? I forgot mine.”

“Mind if I borrow some salt? I forgot mine.”

Xu Chen smiled and pulled out an unopened container from their bag:

“We bought extra and won’t use it all.”

“Thanks a lot, kid!”

The man, with a kind face, fished a cigarette from his pocket and offered it.

Xu Chen waved it off, “I don’t smoke.”

The man chuckled, lit his own, thanked him again, and walked away.

…

…

The barbecue session wrapped up after over an hour of fun.

They grabbed drinks, snacks, balloons, and kites, chatting and laughing as they headed to the big lawn.

They found a spacious spot and settled in a circle.

A large cloud blocked the intense sun, and cool breezes swept by, making it comfortably pleasant.

The team-building activity was hosted by the arts rep, Su Rong.

She stood in the center, previewing the upcoming group performances.

Down below, guys like Chen Wenyi and Pei Qian gazed at her with total admiration.

Xu Chen slipped away during a break to use the restroom nearby.

Luckily, no roll call, so his roommates could cover for him.

…

He quickly finished and splashed cold water on his face, feeling refreshed.

He walked a few steps to a big tree, pausing to enjoy the shade.

Nearby, conversation drifted over.

It was the same middle-aged man who’d borrowed the salt, chatting with another guy.

He had a cigarette in his mouth, as did his companion.

Both looked around forty or fifty, maybe colleagues or buddies.

From the side, their faces were flushed, likely from drinks during their barbecue.

Their casual chat after booze floated to Xu Chen’s ears.

“Just saw that group of college kids—so carefree and happy…”

“Us middle-aged guys have probably forgotten what fun feels like…”

“Sometimes I wonder, what’s the point of it all?”

“Every day, it’s problem after problem, all misery, and you can’t even talk to anyone about it…”

“It’s not just eighty-one trials in a lifetime—it’s eighty-one every damn day!”

…

Xu Chen stayed quiet, lost in thought.

Recalling his past life around thirty-seven or thirty-eight, he could relate a bit…

He glanced over as the man took a drag and said gravely:

“Life’s only a few decades, and we’ve already slogged through most of it.”

“Just grit your teeth, and it’ll pass…”

Xu Chen pondered for a moment, then murmured to himself:

“Interesting.”

…”