Chapter 247

The weather in May is perfect for an outing, with flowers blooming everywhere and the scenery delightful. It was the ideal time for an excursion.

The oil painting class had their first outdoor sketching session.

There were two oil painting classes in total, and this session was a joint outing for both Class 1 and Class 2.

The teachers leading the group were Shi Tingyu and the sketching instructor, Huo Qiang.

Each class had thirty students, making a total of sixty students.

As they were still freshmen, their focus was on the basics, so the sketching trip was local, taking place in Jinling.

Shi Tingyu suggested the outskirts near the military camp. It was a gently sloping area, lush with greenery, and dotted with wildflowers. A single flower might not be impressive, but a field of them was breathtaking.

The best part was its proximity to the military camp, ensuring safety with soldiers frequently training in the area.

The plan was set.

On the day of the outing, Shi Tingyu brought her dog, Lijian, along to give it some exercise, as she had been busy with work and her child.

The cost of the outing was covered by the school, which hired three tractors to transport the students and their painting supplies.

Huo Qiang hitched a ride in Shi Tingyu’s car.

Lijian sat in the front passenger seat, with Huo Qiang and Shen Shen in the back.

Normally, Shen Shen sat alone in the back, so he was curious about the man sitting next to him.

It was Huo Qiang’s first time being so close to such a young child, and he seemed awkward.

Shen Shen, now nearly a year old, could express himself simply.

Seeing Huo Qiang silent, Shen Shen rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a cookie his mom had baked.

He usually used it for teething.

“Eat, eat!” he offered.

Huo Qiang was taken aback. “Is this for me?”

Shen Shen’s tiny, soft hand held out the cookie, making it hard to refuse.

Huo Qiang quickly took the cookie.

“Thank you.”

Realizing the child was still young, he added, “Thank you, Shen Shen.”

Shen Shen’s eyes crinkled into a smile, pleased with Huo Qiang’s response.

Shi Tingyu drove in front, followed by the three chugging tractors.

During the few months since the start of school, the oil painting students had often heard about Shi Tingyu driving herself to and from work, but this was the first time they saw her in action.

The way she handled the steering wheel was incredibly cool, making everyone feel excited.

The male students looked enviously at the imposing jeep, while the female students admired Shi Tingyu’s ability to drive.

For female students who had received higher education, this was highly inspiring.

As they watched the jeep from their tractor, a dog’s head popped out of the passenger window.

Instantly, Lijian attracted everyone’s attention.

Lijian lifted its head into the warm May breeze and barked at the three chugging tractors behind.

Then, the dog squinted its eyes and grinned.

The students: …

Were they being mocked by a dog?

A student near the driver urged, “Driver, let’s go faster and overtake that dog.”

The tractor driver laughed and shouted, “We can’t. This is a tractor. We can’t catch up with a military vehicle.”

Lijian’s ears, very sharp, picked up their conversation instantly.

It barked twice at the back and then retracted its head inside.

Just when everyone thought it had given up, it stuck its head out again, still wearing that cheeky expression.

So annoying!

Lijian seemed to be having a blast, repeatedly poking its head out and then pulling it back in.

Shi Tingyu could hardly bear to watch.

Shen Shen was laughing all the way at Lijian’s antics.

Finally, Shen Shen called out a sound, “jiàn!”

It was unclear whether he was calling Lijian’s name or summing up the dog’s cheeky behavior.

After Shen Shen made that sound, Lijian fell completely silent.

Shi Tingyu’s mouth twitched.

After half an hour of driving, the three tractors and the jeep arrived at their destination.

The morning sunlight was just right, and everyone got off the vehicles to find spots and set up their easels.

Some easels had been jolted almost apart by the bumpy tractor ride, so they quickly fixed them up.

The three tractor drivers headed back, planning to return at five in the afternoon to pick them up.

Lijian jumped out of the car and ran around joyfully, chasing butterflies.

Many students who had watched “Loyal Dog” couldn’t help but follow Lijian with their eyes.

Lijian was now their dream dog.

After playing for a while, Lijian stayed close to the small bamboo cart holding Shen Shen, as if guarding him from any insects that might sting him.

Shi Tingyu took Shen Shen around to enjoy the scenery before the students started painting.

The beautiful landscape also captivated Shen Shen, who behaved exceptionally well in Shi Tingyu’s arms.

Lijian followed Shi Tingyu closely, like a bodyguard.

Huo Qiang was busy sketching with his notebook.

Meanwhile, someone carrying a basket approached from the direction of the military camp. Seeing so many people, they paused in surprise.

Recognizing Shi Tingyu, they realized these must be her students.

It was a military spouse from the residential area, who greeted Shi Tingyu from afar.

“Teacher Shi, are you here with your students for painting?”

Shi Tingyu smiled and replied, “Yes, the scenery here is great, so I brought the students for some outdoor sketching.”

The spouses explained, “The weather is nice, so we came to gather some wild vegetables.”

They added, a bit embarrassed, “We won’t disturb you, will we?”

“No, it’s fine,” Shi Tingyu assured them.

Relieved, the spouses respected the university students highly.

After gathering the wild vegetables, they even brought some hot water for the students.

Shi Tingyu quickly found a few students to help.

The students had brought dry food and water, but the water had cooled down considerably.

The hot water made their meal much more comfortable.

After the spouses left, the students continued their painting, and Shi Tingyu noticed many had included Lijian in their artwork.

Suddenly, there was a commotion in the grass. Lijian sprang up, eyes fixed on the source, and before anyone could react, it dashed off.

Moments later, Lijian returned with something gray in its mouth.

Shi Tingyu, with her sharp eyes, saw it was a rabbit, a wild one.

When Lijian got closer and everyone saw what it was holding, they burst into cheers.

Meanwhile, in the woods not far from the slope, a group of soldiers in green uniforms was on a cross-country run with heavy loads. The sudden noise startled them.

Lu Weiguo, with a serious expression, ordered, “Focus! Accelerate!”

The soldiers quickly snapped back to attention and picked up their pace.

Others might not know where the noise came from, but Lu Weiguo did. His wife had mentioned the previous night that she was bringing her students here for sketching.

It had to be those students making the noise.