Wu Xiaoyu put on his newly bought clothes, withdrew two thousand yuan from the ATM, and then left the Canal Building, heading straight for the County First High School.
He had studied at County First High School for two years, and his sister Wu Xiaowen had also been there for nearly two years. He should say he had some feelings for this alma mater.
When he came here again, he couldn't help feeling a bit sad. He didn't know if it was because he didn't graduate or because of the lousy days he spent here.
"What are you doing?" As soon as he reached the gate, he was stopped by the security guard.
Wu Xiaoyu glanced at the security guard, thinking he looked somewhat familiar, but he couldn't recognize him. He replied, "I'm looking for someone!"
The security guard also found him a bit familiar and then recognized him after listening to his voice. He hesitantly asked, "Are you… Wu Xiaoyu?"
"And you are?" Wu Xiaoyu still couldn't recognize him. The guy didn't mind, hugged Wu Xiaoyu, and said, "I'm Shan Xin! Mao Shanxin!"
Hearing the name Mao Shanxin, he matched the person to the timid, often hanging his head, person in his memory, "Shan Xin, Mao Shanxin! Why are you working as a security guard now!"
After saying that, he realized his words were a bit harsh and quickly looked apologetic, saying, "Daxin, I didn't mean it that way! I meant..."
Mao Shanxin stopped him and said, "It's nothing! Didn't we always call the security office guys like this when we were in school!"
"To be honest, I never thought I would wear this uniform one day. My dad had to ask a lot of people and pull some strings to get me this job!"
Working as a security guard in high school is a tough job with low pay, but there was a lot of extra income. The deposits fined from students who violated school rules were given to them as bonuses.
During non-outing times, if students wanted to go out to buy something or handle some affairs, they also had to bribe them.
Although they endured students' secret curses, it was still an enviable job.
After chatting for a bit, Mao Shanxin suddenly slapped his forehead and said, "Oh my! I forgot, Zhou Dong is still studying in this high school! Let me call him over!"
Zhou Dong? Wu Xiaoyu's sworn brother from high school and his classmate. They lost contact after Wu Xiaoyu dropped out. How could he still be in high school?
While speaking, Mao Shanxin led Wu Xiaoyu to the duty room, had someone take over his shift, and quickly called Zhou Dong to come over. He asked Wu Xiaoyu, "By the way, I forgot to ask earlier, who are you looking for?"
"I'm looking for my sister Wu Xiaowen. She is in Grade 2, Class 1 of the liberal arts!" Wu Xiaoyu replied.
Mao Shanxin knew Wu Xiaoyu had a sister but didn't expect her to be studying at County First High School too, and in the top liberal arts class no less. He smiled and said, "Seems like your family is destined to produce a college student!"
He looked at the clock on the wall and said, "It's almost time for their dismissal. I'll call her class teacher and ask her to come over after school!"
Just as Mao Shanxin was making the call, Zhou Dong rushed over. He was very excited to see Wu Xiaoyu and directly hugged him, saying,
"My God! It's been so long. You still remember me and came to visit. I'm so touched!"
Wu Xiaoyu was also very happy to see his old buddy. He punched him and laughed, "Who the hell is here to see you? I'm here to find my sister!"
Mao Shanxin, who had just finished his call, also laughed and said, "How does it feel to get slapped in the face? Does it hurt?"
Zhou Dong kicked him, took out a cigarette, and lit it for Wu Xiaoyu, saying, "You should have told me earlier that your sister was in our school. After all, I'm the big brother here at the First High School. I could have looked after her!"
Seeing Zhou Dong taking out a cigarette to smoke, Mao Shanxin pretended to threaten, "Smoking on campus, a fine of three hundred yuan, pay up quickly!"
"Pay your ass! Last time during the dorm inspection, it was you who stole my cigarettes, right?" Zhou Dong cursed.
Watching the two of them bickering, Wu Xiaoyu couldn't help but recall his high school days, which were similarly tough but filled with endless laughter.
At that time, Zhou Dong was the richest in their class, and Wu Xiaoyu was the poorest, yet they were the best of friends. They had fought together, stolen roast chicken from the cafeteria, and even snuck into the girls' dormitory...
"Hey! Why are you still in school? I remember you getting a headache just by looking at textbooks," Wu Xiaoyu asked.
Zhou Dong smiled bitterly, "Do you think I want to be here! If my dad didn't force me to repeat the year, I'd rather die than come to this crappy school again!"
Speaking of repeating, Wu Xiaoyu remembered it's already the end of May, and the college entrance exam was just a few days away. He asked, "The exam is coming up soon. How's your revision going?"
Zhou Dong proudly patted his shoulder and said, "Revision my ass! I've spent this year fighting. I barely looked at my books! I'm just here to appease my dad!"
He looked Wu Xiaoyu up and down and said, "Looks like you've made some money! Maybe in a couple of months, I can join you in whatever you're doing?"
He had over a hundred thousand yuan in his pocket now. Even after paying off his debts, he would have seven or eight thousand left. This amount was enough to start a small business in the county.
But he had no concrete plan yet. Besides, he thought that for a rural person to get rich, farming or breeding was the best way, as it had lower risks than opening a shop in the city. He said,
"If you're willing to come home and raise pigs with me, I'd be very happy to have you!"
Raising pigs? Forget it! He would rather stay in high school for another year. His family was in the catering business, with restaurants in the county and several nearby towns.
Hearing Wu Xiaoyu mention raising pigs, he asked, "Xiaoyu, are you really into breeding?"
"Don't forget, my family runs a restaurant. If you really get into breeding, you don't have to worry about the market. As long as your pigs are healthy, my family will take them all!"
Wu Xiaoyu had mentioned raising pigs as a joke, but hearing Zhou Dong's words seriously made him interested.
The spring water from his Immortal Realm Farm could enhance the flavor and tenderness of livestock meat. Even when fed to ordinary livestock, it could improve the quality of the meat, making it much tastier than that from regular farms.
And with Zhou Dong's family running restaurants, there wouldn't be any trouble finding a market. This could really be a profitable venture. He said, "I do have some money on hand now. If I really get into breeding chickens, pigs, or something, can you make decisions for your family?"
Zhou Dong smiled and said, "I think I can. My dad said if I don't get into college this year, he'll let me help with the business."
"Our 'Delicious' restaurant chain is expanding, and we'll definitely need many livestock suppliers. If you get into breeding, I can really help you out!"