Returning To 1980 To Enjoy Prosperity Chapter 162: A Decade's Promise - Novel Cool

Chapter 162: A Decade's Promise

Chapter 162: A Decade’s Promise

Songshan High School.

As the first light of dawn crept over the horizon, Deng Yunheng, who had spent the entire night chatting with his classmates on the grass, knew that the time for true farewell had arrived.

He stood up, cleared his throat, and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Everyone, it’s already morning. As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. It’s time for us to part ways. I’m sure everyone’s hungry after sitting here all night. Let me treat you all to a bowl of noodles. It will be our graduation feast."

A particularly considerate female classmate spoke up, "Deng Scholar, if you treat all of us to noodles, it will cost a lot of money. Why don’t we pool our money together? Those who can afford more can contribute more, and those who can’t can contribute less. That way, the burden will be much lighter."

Another female classmate chimed in, "That’s a good idea. Deng Scholar, strength lies in numbers. Let’s pool our money and go eat!"

Upon hearing these suggestions, some of the classmates looked uncomfortable. They had no money to spare at all.

Being young, no one wanted to lose face in front of their peers, but with no money, the situation was quite frustrating.

Fortunately, Deng Yunheng understood their predicament. He smiled and said, "It’s fine, no need to pool money. Many of you know that my family’s living conditions are decent. Before the college entrance exam, my father gave me a good amount of money to celebrate with my classmates after the exam. So, you don’t have to worry about this being a burden on me."

His words were met with nods of agreement from his male dorm mates.

When Deng Yunheng was in his first year of high school, his meal standards were on par with theirs. They mostly ate stir-fried pickled radish, with an occasional extra dish.

But by his second year, things had changed dramatically. Deng Yunheng’s meals became increasingly lavish, from eating meat once or twice a week to having meat with every meal, and eventually, he could eat whatever he wanted. This transformation left his classmates in awe.

Of course, his academic performance also improved significantly.

Seeing many of the male classmates nod in agreement, the female classmates realized that Deng Yunheng not only excelled academically but also came from a well-off family.

Thus, they stopped insisting and the group set off for the noodle stand on the street.

At a noodle stand on the street, the owner was busy slicing pig liver and lean meat, while his wife was separating the clumped noodles.

Seeing so many students approaching, the owner’s wife’s eyes lit up, and she greeted them warmly, "Hello, students! Are you here for noodles?"

Deng Yunheng asked, "Boss, we have 42 people. Do you have enough pig liver and lean meat?"

The owner, who was slicing the meat, laughed heartily and replied, "Don’t worry, student. I have plenty of pig liver and lean meat."

The owner’s wife also smiled broadly and said, "Yes, please rest assured. We have plenty of pig liver and lean meat. How much do you want to spend per bowl?"

Deng Yunheng nodded and said, "Alright, then give us 42 bowls of noodles. We’ll have the 50-cent bowls, and make sure to give us plenty of pig liver and lean meat."

"What?"

The owner’s wife’s eyes nearly popped out of her head as she asked in disbelief, "Student, can you repeat that? How much do you want to spend per bowl?"

The owner nearly cut his hand, his face a mask of shock as he stared at Deng Yunheng, unable to believe what he had just heard.

Deng Yunheng’s classmates were no better, all of them staring at him with wide-eyed amazement.

A 50-cent bowl of noodles was considered a luxury in this era. It was extremely rare to order such an expensive bowl of noodles just for the noodles. Usually, only customers who came to the noodle stand to drink alcohol would order such expensive bowls.

Ordering a bowl of noodles at this price was already rare, but now Ethan Young (formerly Deng Yunheng) was ordering 42 bowls. It was no wonder that the owner, his wife, and the classmates were shocked.

Ethan Young smiled and said, "We want the 50-cent bowls, boss. I hope this isn't a problem?"

The reason he was ordering such expensive noodles was to give his high school days a perfect ending. Over the past two years, he had come to know his classmates' family situations well. He couldn't help much before, but now that he was graduating, he could at least treat them to a more expensive bowl of noodles.

Moreover, Ethan Young was certain that this bowl of noodles would leave an indelible impression on all his classmates. Even decades later, when they recalled their high school days, this bowl of noodles would be a cherished memory.

The owner and his wife finally understood and eagerly assured him that there was no problem. Then, they got to work with renewed energy. The owner sped up his slicing of the pork liver and lean meat, while his wife started cooking the noodles, apologizing, "I'm sorry, everyone. I don't have enough tables and chairs to seat all of you at once."

Ethan Young smiled and said, "It's fine. We'll manage. Just focus on cooking the noodles, and make sure they taste good with plenty of pork liver and lean meat."

The owner's wife nodded repeatedly and focused on cooking the noodles.

Ethan Young then called out to his classmates, "There aren't enough tables and chairs, so please, girls, sit down. The boys can stand."

At this point, the classmates finally recovered from their shock, looking at Ethan Young without knowing what to say.

Earlier, when Ethan Young said he would treat them to noodles, everyone assumed it would be the 3- to 5-cent bowls. Even then, the thoughtful girls had suggested that everyone chip in to avoid putting too much pressure on Ethan Young.

But no one expected him to order the 50-cent bowls, which was truly beyond their expectations.

At 50 cents per bowl, 42 people would cost 21 yuan. Among the classmates, the number of parents who earned more than 21 yuan a month could be counted on one hand, if not fewer. This was a significant amount of money, especially for students of that era, whose understanding of money was far more grounded than their counterparts in later years.

Once they recovered, the classmates began to urge him:

"Ethan Young, there's no need to order such expensive noodles. The 18-cent ones are already a luxury."

"Yeah, 50 cents per bowl is really too much of a luxury!"

"..."

Ethan Young waved his hand and said, "It's just a bowl of noodles, everyone. There's no need to worry. We've been classmates for two years, and who knows when we'll meet again.

Here, I have a request for all of you.

Ten years from now, no matter where we are, I hope all of us from Class Thirty-Four can return to our alma mater for our first reunion. Can everyone do that?"

This statement immediately shifted everyone's attention.

No one knew what the future held after they left this place.

But at that moment, all the classmates agreed to the ten-year promise. Whether they could actually fulfill it was anyone's guess!

(End of Chapter)

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