Starting from a Fake University-Chapter 112 School is a Warm Home_1

In the blink of an eye, it was already two weeks past the start of winter vacation on January 25th.

February 11th.

This day was New Year’s Eve in Xia Country in 2021.

All across the country, people were immersed in the festive spirit of the New Lunar Year. Even though nowadays, the celebrations might not be as grand as several years ago, the school still decorated with lanterns and streamers, adding more color to the festive season.

A few days prior.

Ding Jianjun had especially taken the logistics staff who stayed at the school to hang red lanterns on the trees by the road within the campus.

Mom Zhang Yuping also bought a lot of New Year’s goods.

Sausages were a must.

Since some students would stay at school for the entire winter vacation without going home for New Year’s.

So Ding Yue decided to gather the stay-at-school students and staff on New Year’s Eve. Everyone would celebrate the new year at school, have a New Year’s Eve dinner together, and watch the Spring Festival Gala together.

To make everything lively.

Doing so would give the students staying at school a home-like feeling.

At the same time, when other students who went home for the New Year see the warmth of the school, they will also increase their sense of belonging and identification with the school.

"Are all our school’s winter vacation stay-at-school students in this Whatsapp chat group?"

Ding Yue found the person in charge of Dormitory Management.

To facilitate the needs of stay-school students, the Dormitory Management department specially made a chat group for students staying at school during this winter vacation.

"Yes, Principal Ding, a total of 137 students chose to stay." answered the dormitory administrator.

"Okay, let me join in."

Ding Yue had to inform the staying students about the New Year’s Eve celebration and dinner tonight. It’s not practical to go to every dorm room to notify them, right?

Joining the group and mentioning everyone would be fine.

"Okay."

Soon, the dormitory administrator added Principal Ding to the [Winter Vacation Staying Students Management Group].

Hao Ziyu: Is this the Principal Ding who just joined the group?

Cao Zhiyong: Principal Ding?

Kong Xia: Wow, is this really Principal Ding? The actual person?

Luo Shaoqi: Hello, Principal Ding.

The students couldn’t help but feel excited once Ding Yue joined the group.

"Hello, everyone."

First, Ding Yue greeted everyone, then mentioned everyone in the group, and started to edit the notification for the New Year’s Eve dinner.

"@everyone, Hello everyone, I am Ding Yue, the school director. On the occasion of this Lunar New Year, I’m here to wish everyone a Happy New Year, and all the best. The school has specifically prepared a New Year’s Eve dinner for all of you who stayed at school, in the cafeteria on the third floor. The dinner will be at 7:40 pm. Everyone can come to have dinner together, watch the Spring Festival Gala, and spend a warm and loving New Year at school together."

After creating this message, Ding Yue posted it into the group chat.

When the staying students saw Principal Ding’s notification, the group chat instantly became lively.

Li Taihe: Wow, the school is so caring. They even prepared a New Year’s Eve dinner for us?

Xu Jiaer: Principal Ding, you are too nice. Love you, love you, love you❤!

Fu Deming: This definitely deserves praise!

Duan Liang: Is this for real? Is anyone going to the cafeteria for dinner at 7:40 tonight to check it out?

Liao Yangze: I thought staying at school this year meant a lonely Spring Festival. Didn’t expect the school to be so caring!

Qiao Gaojun: Alright, hehe, I will be on time.

Yang Chen: Thanks, school, thanks, Principal Ding!

Ding Yue: @everyone, it’s absolutely true. The cafeteria has already started preparing for the New Year’s Eve dinner now. I hope everyone can treat the school as your home, and we can spend a warm and cozy New Year together. By then, we will have a New Year red envelope lucky draw at the venue. How about a grand prize of RMB 9999?

For the New Year, as long as we are happy, that’s all that matters.

Apparently, when Ding Yue announced that the school had prepared a New Year’s Eve dinner and there would be on-the-spot lucky draws for New Year’s red envelopes, it instantly roused the students’ enthusiasm. They all expressed that the school was overwhelmingly warm.

Aside from the students...

Ding Yue also extended an invitation to the staff members who stayed behind at school maintaining its operation, to have the New Year’s Eve dinner together tonight.

Over at the first canteen...

Zhang Yuping, his mother, along with several chefs from the canteen, was hustling to prepare a lavish New Year’s Eve dinner.

In no time, the deserted state of the school during the holiday gave way to the lively atmosphere infused with the essence of the New Year, due to the approaching New Year’s Eve dinner tonight.

A little after seven in the evening...

Students began to gather at the first canteen from dormitory buildings in different directions.

"Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year."

Even if the students who happened to meet each other didn’t know one another, they still energetically greeted each other and extended New Year’s wishes.

On the third floor of the first canteen, about twenty tables had been set up, each accommodating eight people.

The tables were already filled with sumptuous New Year’s Eve dinner dishes, beverages, beer. As students began to arrive, the venue became increasingly lively.

"Let me scan your Fu."

"Do you have a Dedication Fu? I have 100 Patriotism Fu to exchange!"

"Li Huamao, you didn’t go home this year either?"

"Well, going home also means being alone. So, I stayed at school. I didn’t expect it made me feel like home here after such a long time."

"Yeah, the school is great. It feels like home here. Everyone speaks so nicely. I really like it here."

Looking at students who stayed on campus during winter break spend a joyous New Year...

Ding Yue felt pretty pleased.

"Principal Ding, happy New Year."

At the staircase entrance to the third floor of the canteen, several staff members from the school’s maintenance team greeted Ding Yue proactively and wished him a happy new year after seeing him.

These staff members had stayed in the school with his father during the winter break and Spring Festival.

They were responsible for the maintenance and usage of various school facilities and equipment.

As staff of Mist City Arts and Science University, of course, they were all invited to celebrate New Year’s Eve together.

In addition to the maintenance staff, three security personnel from the security department also came.

As did the staff who stayed during the winter break to take care of the students staying on campus from the dormitory administration department. Although they didn’t engage in teaching work, they had all contributed their strength to Mist City Arts and Science University in the last semester.

Even though they all held ordinary jobs, in Mist City Arts and Science University, they were all indispensable.

"Hello to all of you, happy New Year, go ahead and find a seat."

By around eight o’clock, essentially everyone had arrived. Ding Yue, his sister Ding Xiaoyou and his parents were all sitting at the same table.

Over a hundred people gathered on the third floor of the first canteen and cheerfully began to watch the "Spring Festival Gala" while enjoying their New Year’s Eve dinner.

Amid the laughter and merriment, Ding Yue felt this Spring Festival was unlike any in past years.

For both the students and staff present, this Spring Festival was warm and held a distinctive significance.

Ding Yue also specially asked his sister Ding Xiaoyou to take a good number of pictures of the New Year’s Eve dinner at school.

Afterwards, these photos were shared via the official Twitter and TikTok accounts of the Mist City Arts and Science University.

Shortly after...

These images began circulating among the various professional class groups at Mist City Arts and Science University.

Those students who had gone home for the New Year, seeing the grand New Year’s Eve dinner organized by school, all expressed their envy.

However, Principal Ding lovingly reminded them that during the New Year’s holiday, being able to go home and reunite with family was naturally the best thing.

For those students who stayed behind for various reasons, the school was their home...