Chapter 30: Drunken Daming Snatches the Bill

Under the influence of alcohol.

Facing Xu Damiao's bluntness.

Yan Fugui did not choose to avoid.

He looked at the baijiu cup in his hand, then glanced at his little daughter Yan Jie Di, who was struggling hard with the dumplings beside him; a hint of conflicted loss and pride flashed in his eyes.

"San Daye, I'm not afraid of your jokes; I say what I have to say. I know the people behind the scenes in the siheyuan all call me Yan Lao Kou." Yan Fugui sighed, then shifted his tone: "Can't be stingy? Your Third Aunt has no work, the eldest is about at marrying age, the second, third, and fourth are all chasing debts like they're after something behind them—I alone earn money for six mouths to feed, so I have to be calculating."

"This is also why I admire you, San Daye. Although you don't earn much, you support many people and have raised all the kids. I, He Yuzhu, am convinced by you."

Shazhu, emboldened by the alcohol, poured out the truth to Yan Fugui.

"In recent years, the three-blend flour mixed with wood and stone bits didn't even fill us up; many families abandoned their children because of this food. San Daye kept the whole family fed; that's his ability. If they tried, they'd see—I'm not looking down on them, they're all cowardly weaklings."

Yan Fugui felt a little moved.

He never expected that the person who understood him best in the siheyuan would be He Yuzhu, the one called Shazhu.

If it weren't for Yan Fugui's stingy calculations,

How many years ago did little Yan Jie Di die prematurely?

Raised to this age.

It's all thanks to the calculations.

"San Daye, I want to learn from you; I also need to properly support Yushui, striving to make her a college student of our old He family. Tomorrow, when I return from the steel mill, I'll ask where to buy practice books, buy her a few, and make her winter break fully fulfilling."

He Yushui, who was battling the dumplings.

Immediately felt that the dumplings in his bowl were not fragrant.

Earlier, remedial lessons.

Now also buying practice problems.

You really are my older brother.

Her little mouth pouted so much it could hang a soy sauce bottle.

A hundred displeased.

Even Yan Jie Di beside Yushui felt that Shazhu was a bit terrifying; someone who could think of making elementary students buy practice problems—at least in Yan Jie Di's eyes—was not a good person, and his body unconsciously leaned toward Yan Fugui.

"Shazhu, you can treat San Daye to a meal of dumplings today; San Daye feels warm inside, borrowing flowers to offer Buddha, San Daye toasts you with a cup."

Yan Fugui lifted the wine cup.

This treat.

This gave Yan Fugui both inner and outer dignity.

"San Daye, don't thank me; if you want to thank me, just assign Yushui more homework later—math, language, moral education, etc."

He Yushui, with dumplings in his mouth.

They all turned to stone.

Stupidly staring at Shazhu.

Why should I, He Yushui, have to bear the consequences of your troublemaking?

Assign more homework.

You're amazing!

He Yushui, feeling deeply wronged, hesitated about running to Baocheng to find his father; he'd rather endure his father's anger from this stepmother than play with his older brother Shazhu, who keeps giving remedial lessons, practice problems, and extra homework.

"Shazhu, you don't need to say it; San Daye would do the same. Teaching and nurturing requires a clear conscience—just leave Yushui's homework to San Daye, and let's drink."

Yan Fugui downed the alcohol in his hand in one gulp.

Shazhu also didn't recognize the bear.

Still a dry gulp.

Turning the wine cup upside down to indicate that Shazhu had finished his drink, he shouted at Xu Damiao: "Xu Damiao, what are you doing? Drink!"

"What should I, Xu Damiao, drink of the wine you and San Daye are having?"

"Just keep me company!"

"Even drinking is fussy; if you're going to keep me company, keep me company for three cups."

"Six cups are fine!"

"I'm not as good at cooking as you, and I don't believe I can't outdrink you in alcohol."

The two of them inexplicably treated this wine table as a battlefield.

Both didn't recognize the bear.

Both considered themselves the elder.

"One cup for you."

"One cup for me."

In the blink of an eye, two bottles of erguotou were emptied.

Yan Fugui saw that the two had drunk quite a bit, hurriedly smoothed things over, refusing to let them drink any more; his head heated, he even pulled out money from his pocket, ready to pay the bill.

Their stomachs had no grease, so they could eat a lot.

He Yushui ate forty-two dumplings.

Yan Jie Di ate one more dumpling than He Yushui.

Xu Damiao ate sixty dumplings.

Shazhu ate fifty-three dumplings.

Yan Fugui ate the most, seventy-three dumplings, and then had another sixty packed to go.

Plus an extra bottle of erguotou.

Not more, not less, a total of eighteen thousand eight hundred ninety.

Yan Fugui was about to give the money to the waiter.

The somewhat drunk Xu Damao and Shazhu.

They all got angry.

"San Daye, what do you mean? Tell me what you intend to do by pulling out money?"

"San Daye, you're not looking down on me, this meal is clearly me treating, why are you pulling out money? I'm treating and you're paying, what do you think I am, He Yuzhu?" Shazhu, his tongue swollen, took out a stack of money from his pocket, counting each bill, "This is a ten-thousand-dollar bill, these are two five-thousand-dollar bills, you need to give me two hundred dollars change."

The plot is repeating.

Shazhu, like Yan Fugui, was about to hand money to the waiter, but was stopped by the person at the same table.

Different matter.

Yan Fugui was stopped by Shazhu.

But Shazhu was instead stopped by Xu Damao.

"Shazhu, show what you're capable of? Last night you treated, tonight this meal should be mine, Xu Damao; I'm telling you, if you pay the bill, you're looking down on me, Xu Damao."

"I just look down on you, Xu Damao; I'll pay this money, what can you do about it?"

"Shazhu, that's not how to say it; I, Xu Damao, will go to the steel mill in a few days to learn to operate a projector, I'll be an apprentice worker, you Shazhu are still an apprentice, you still have a sister to support, why are you competing with me? This money must be paid by me." The swaying Xu Damao, who could barely stand, shoved twenty thousand into the waiter's hand, "I gave you twenty thousand, give me two hundred change."

"Let's go."

"Can I leave without getting change? Two hundred bucks could still buy a fruit candy."

Yan Fugui, He Yushui, and they all felt a bit amused.

Xu Damao suffered a loss again.

Obviously feeling sorry for himself being tricked by Shazhu, he constantly thinks about getting compensation.

In the end, he was still destined to be tricked.

Shazhu paid the bill.

He absolutely would not allow it.

It had to be Xu Damao himself.

Saying he had drunk too much.

And he reminded the waiter to give him two hundred change.

Saying he hadn't drunk that much.

Swaying, they mutually supported each other, and he also voluntarily paid for the meal.

It's likely that Xu Damao, when he wakes up tomorrow, will continue to regret.

"Yushui, Jiedi, you two support Shazhu, I'll support Xu Damao."

"San Daye, what do you mean? You're saying we're drunk, right? I tell you, we're not drunk." Shazhu, who didn't think he had drunk too much, said to Xu Damao: "Xu Damao, it's fine, take two steps for San Daye."

"Taking two steps is just taking two steps."

Xu Damao swayed out of the dumpling restaurant.

Behind him followed Shazhu, equally unsteady.