Chapter 573

A massive feeling of shame and indignation lingered in Cheng Army Supervisor's heart. In his mind, he kept replaying the scene of Wang Yan slapping his face just moments ago, then pressing his face and forcing him down from the stage, nearly causing him to trip. He also kept anticipating the scene where, after this "Internationale" was finished, he would have to open his mouth and call him "Grandpa" in front of everyone. He had lost face so thoroughly...

He wanted to run, but he didn't dare. Not to mention Wang Yan, just feeling the gazes of the others looking at him like a monkey was more than he could bear. If he really ran away, then Cheng Army Supervisor would be completely disgraced among these classmates, and he would never be able to hold his head high again for the rest of his life. Even if he achieved success in the future, people would still say, "What are you acting so arrogant for? Forgot about that year..."

Regardless of Cheng Army Supervisor's internal struggle, what was meant to come would always come.

This is the final struggle.

Unite, until tomorrow.

The Internationale must be realized...

As the final notes of the song faded, Wang Yan's fingers danced on the keys, playing a small coda.

There was no help for it; having lived a long time, one inevitably learned a few more things. He always maintained a passion for learning, and for things he didn't know, couldn't do, or didn't understand, he always had the heart to learn, explore, and try. Although he had a "three-minute heat" for everything and felt those things weren't of much use to him, he had too much idle time. Adding his learning ability bonus, even the things he learned with that "three-minute heat" reached a certain level. It had been how many years since he last played the piano, and he was still at LV2.

He might not have had any incredibly impressive techniques, just a standard, competent performance. But he could also be considered a music connoisseur; he understood music and had his own interpretation of it, so the level he played at was decent—at least eight blocks better than Cheng Army Supervisor.

After finishing the coda, amidst the applause of his classmates, Wang Yan stood up and walked slowly to the edge of the stage, smiling as he looked down at Cheng Army Supervisor, whose face was even uglier than Han Chunming's had been just moments before.

Without Wang Yan needing to say a word, the classmates behind started shouting: "Cheng Army Supervisor, call him Grandpa, call him Grandpa, call him Grandpa..."

Compared to Cheng Army Supervisor making Han Chunming lose face and ending it in triumph, this plot twist of victory followed by defeat was clearly more satisfying to people. Especially since Cheng Army Supervisor had really made Han Chunming call him "Grandpa" just now; that was indeed going a bit too far.

This group of people was shouting enthusiastically, but it was just them joining in the fun under the instigation of a few individual troublemakers who loved to watch the chaos. Deep down, most of them actually didn't have bad intentions.

Looking at Wang Yan, who was incomparably calm on the stage, Su Meng's eyes were filled with little hearts; she had been charmed by her own man...

Han Chunming, who had just lost face, didn't join in the heckling, but he was grinning from ear to ear, his face full of satisfaction. It was a case of "evil has its own evil to grind"; retribution came quickly. Just a moment ago he was the one playing the "grandson," and now it was Cheng Army Supervisor's turn. It was delightful.

There was no help for it; he couldn't play the piano himself, so he could only take advantage of Cheng Army Supervisor being dealt with by Wang Yan to vent this bit of frustration in his heart...

Yang Huajian shouted: "Cheng Army Supervisor, what did you say just now? Going back on your word now?"

Cheng Army Supervisor waved his hands with an awkward smile, took a deep breath, and looked at Wang Yan's smiling face on the stage—a face he hated to death. He opened his mouth for a long time, but still couldn't help but try to be clever.

As the heckling gradually died down, he shouted dejectedly: "Grandpa Wang! This little one had eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai. You are a great person who doesn't remember the faults of a petty one; please be magnanimous!"

As soon as the words fell, the classmates who had just quieted down started shouting in dissatisfaction.

Mao Ditu joined in the shouting: "Cheng Army Supervisor, is 'Grandpa Wang' the same as 'Grandpa'? Just now, how did Chunming call you? You call him the same way. Everyone, tell me if I'm right."

Wang Yan waved his hand, stopping the clamor in the room. He looked at Cheng Army Supervisor, who was opening his mouth to struggle, and shook his head with a smile: "Forget it, learn a lesson for next time."

After saying this, ignoring Cheng Army Supervisor's even uglier expression, he called out to the waiter watching the fun in the back: "Serve the food!"

In his position, if Cheng Army Supervisor had called it out the first time, that would be one thing. Since he didn't, it wasn't appropriate to force him a second time; that would make him look like he lacked magnanimity.

Cheng Army Supervisor's pettiness was known to everyone, which was why his popularity was so poor. But he was different; in anyone's eyes, he shouldn't be haggling with Cheng Army Supervisor; it would be beneath his status. After all, he was a wildly successful, broad-minded big-time hustler, a university student specially approved by the leadership, and a youth representative reported in the first edition of the People's Daily. If he opened his mouth to make Cheng Army Supervisor call him "Grandpa," that would truly be losing face.

In fact, doing it this way was what maximized the damage to Cheng Army Supervisor.

"Grandpa Wang is magnanimous. Cheng Army Supervisor, you should learn a thing or two."

"Boring. If you can't afford to play, don't play."

"Exactly. When you made Chunming call you 'Grandpa' just now, you weren't like this."

Listening to the classmates' teasing in his ears, and watching Wang Yan walk to the table and sit down as if he didn't exist, not taking Cheng Army Supervisor seriously at all. Especially with Su Meng leaning close to Wang Yan saying something, and Han Chunming, that defeated opponent, giving a thumbs up and actually smiling at him, as if Han Chunming were the winner.

Cheng Army Supervisor gritted his teeth, ashamed and furious. He tried his best to suppress his anger, maintaining what he considered to be a shred of dignity in front of his classmates.

He had already realized that since he hadn't called it out just now, his victory over Han Chunming had been for nothing. He lacked Wang Yan's magnanimity and couldn't afford to play like Han Chunming. He was already doing poorly among the group of classmates, and this time, he had completely lost their hearts.

He didn't respond to the classmates' mockery, turned around pretending not to care, and walked out amidst the classmates' chatter—"Look at you, Army Supervisor, is it really worth it for such a small thing?" "Being petty again, aren't you? Grandpa Wang isn't even haggling with you"—and under the disdainful, mocking gazes of the waiters serving food at the door...

"This guy is really no good. Petty and can't afford to play, doesn't have any magnanimity at all. Our Grandpa Wang is the one with magnanimity." Yang Huajian said, then turned his head to look at Han Chunming on the side: "Look at Han Chunming, he's a real man who keeps his word. He said he'd call him 'Grandpa,' so he called him 'Grandpa'."

Han Chunming threw a peanut shell at him: "Are you scolding me?"

"I'm really praising you. People are afraid of comparison. Among us old classmates, you can ask anyone and see who doesn't give you a thumbs up."

"That's easy to say. If it were you calling Cheng Army Supervisor 'Grandpa' today, if you asked me, I'd give you a thumbs up too, but that wouldn't stop me from laughing at you later." Han Chunming sighed: "Twenty years of reputation lost in a single day. I've lost so much face..."

The group of people laughed, trying their best to ease Han Chunming's embarrassment.

Actually, compared to the original drama, although he still called Cheng Army Supervisor "Grandpa," it was clear that the current Han Chunming was much better off; after all, Cheng Army Supervisor was the one who was more disgraced. Walking in the world, one has to have thick skin. With Cheng Army Supervisor at the bottom, he wouldn't be completely broken, and it was much easier to accept.

Su Meng slapped Wang Yan on the shoulder: "Grandpa Wang, you're something else, old man. Tell me, when did you learn to play the piano? How come I didn't know?"

"Yeah, Grandpa Wang, how come we never heard before that you could play the piano?"

As soon as Su Meng's words came out, Han Chunming followed up with the question, and Yang Huajian, Mao Ditu, and the others also looked at Wang Yan, waiting for the answer.

Wang Yan smiled: "Don't be so surprised. It was just when I was in school and participated in a few activities. I saw others playing the piano and thought it was quite interesting, so I went and learned a trick or two. It's also to receive a baptism of music and the influence of art. Although my level isn't great, it's still easy to handle Cheng Army Supervisor."

Su Meng feigned sarcasm: "Alright, Grandpa Wang, you're still keeping a low profile, huh? For so long, I really didn't know you had this trick."

"It's not a big deal, nothing to show off about. You didn't know I had this trick, but you also know I have plenty of others. Come, come, come, make some room, the food is being served..."

The group of classmates ate and drank lively, and when they were happy, they encouraged people to go up and perform programs to liven up the atmosphere; they had a great time. The main thing was that there were no mobile phones at this time. If it were forty years later, half of this group would definitely be staring at their phones. Classmate bonds come fast and go fast; except for some who loved to have fun and drank together, basically, there wasn't much excitement.

If one had to say there was something, perhaps it was only that some male classmate who used to be nothing special suddenly stood up, or some female classmate who used to be quite arrogant and pretty suddenly became flirtatious, and they hit it off immediately. However, such things were in the minority; one couldn't paint everyone with the same brush; after all, there were still many decent people.

Han Chunming couldn't possibly be as carefree as he appeared. Even if others didn't take it to heart, even if he felt much better himself, there was still a lot that felt bad. This thing, whoever calls "Grandpa" knows it.

So he appeared quite active. Not only was he drinking there himself, but when someone asked him to drink, he didn't refuse anyone, as if he wanted to completely forget the matter of calling him "Grandpa."

Wang Yan was quite relaxed. He didn't know many people. After having two drinks with the two people who toasted him, he didn't drink with others anymore. He politely said he couldn't hold his liquor, and after refusing two, the remaining people who had thoughts of coming over to talk to him didn't approach anymore. He just sat there eating and drinking with Su Meng.

Excitement always has a time to end. After seven o'clock, Yang Huajian went to pay the bill, and this classmate reunion came to an end.

At the entrance of the restaurant, Han Chunming swayed back and forth while holding his bicycle. Yang Huajian patted him hard: "Chunming, are you still okay?"

"Buddy is perfectly fine. You go back quickly, we'll gather again when we have time." Han Chunming's eyes were blurry, and he replied vaguely, putting his good friend at ease.

"This Cheng Army Supervisor is really no good." Yang Huajian helped hold the bicycle: "Grandpa Wang, Su Meng, Chunming definitely can't ride a bicycle like this. Can you two take him back? Or should I go with you to send him off?"

Before Wang Yan could speak, Han Chunming waved his hand himself: "Oh, I'm fine, you go quickly."

"It's fine, he'll definitely get home safely, you go back." Wang Yan handed the bicycle to Su Meng to push, and went to push Han Chunming's bike himself: "Walk back, stroll around to sober up. Let's go, Chunming."

As Yang Huajian shook his head and smiled bitterly, the three of them strolled away.

Su Meng was wearing square-heeled leather shoes, and her feet hurt from walking. She was also wearing a long skirt and couldn't ride a "Big 28" bicycle. Even if she could ride, she couldn't be allowed to pedal back by herself at this time. There were too many "educated youth" returning to the city without jobs and local thugs, and there wasn't the "Sky Eye" surveillance everywhere like forty years later; walking on the road at night wasn't safe.

So she stood sideways, with her right foot on the pedal and her left foot pushing the ground, and with this momentum, the bicycle slowly drifted far away. It seemed as if she had found a long-lost pleasure, circling back and forth on the road where there weren't many people, having quite a bit of fun playing by herself.

Han Chunming took three steps and swayed, five steps and stumbled. The sound of his footsteps hitting the ground was very heavy, truly like the sketch performed by Xiao Shenyang, "piapia." His Adam's apple bobbed up and down from time to time, hovering between vomiting and not vomiting.

On a night in late July, it was neither dry nor hot. Riding the summer evening breeze, breathing the air that wasn't very fresh but was far better than forty years later, looking up at the starry river that had shone through the ages, it was a special kind of fun.

Wang Yan comforted Han Chunming: "Cheng Army Supervisor is so petty, this matter definitely won't pass. I reckon he'll have to go drink his sorrows away too, and he'll drink even more than you."

"I'm just cheap." Han Chunming patted his own mouth: "Grandpa Wang, you're right. I'm just a fool without a brain, a big fool. You tell me, why did I make a bet with him for no reason? Now it's good, I've trapped myself. I've finally understood: a person shouldn't be too arrogant. Pride goes before a fall; retribution comes too quickly."

"Alright, you've already called him 'Grandpa.' Although someone will definitely tease you about this in the future, it's just like when you were standing on the stage talking about Mao Ditu; however you teased him, that's how people will tease you later. Now you know it doesn't feel good? There's nowhere to regret it. You're still better off; although you did call him 'Grandpa,' you also gained a good reputation for being able to afford to play. In the future, those classmates will definitely be three times better to you. Cheng Army Supervisor is the miserable one. He picked the fight himself, but he won't admit defeat, and he can only win and not lose. This time, he's completely stunk."

"He deserves it! Grandpa Wang, you hadn't played with him before, so you don't know. Although he was a bit petty before, he was actually okay, not as annoying as he is now. I don't know what's going on; ever since this kid returned to the city, he's become more and more cunning, playing tricks everywhere. It's really..."

"You can control the heavens and the earth, but can you control how people change?" Wang Yan shook his head. After walking for a while longer, seeing that Han Chunming was sober, he said: "I've always heard you mentioning that 'Broken-Stuff Hou,' why has there been no movement? It's been over a year, and I haven't had a drink with him."

"I don't know what's going on either. Anyway, he just refuses to come to our alley, and he doesn't say why when asked. He collects broken stuff, and his house is piled with all sorts of messy things; there's no place to step inside. You can't drink at his place either, so this topic hasn't been brought up again. Let's talk about it when there's a chance later."

Han Chunming's mood changed quickly. He was melancholy just a moment ago, but now he was spirited because talking about Broken-Stuff Hou led to those old items: "I saw three small enamel-colored bowls at his place. The bottoms of the bowls were marked, respectively written 'Tea Fragrance,' 'Wine Finished,' and 'Return to the Building.' There should be a set of four. Broken-Stuff Hou said the missing one is called 'Gathering Friends.' The craftsmanship is exquisite, and they are well-preserved. They are truly good things. I must find the last one and bring it everywhere for you to take a look."

Wang Yan smiled and didn't speak; he didn't have much interest in that stuff. However, he didn't give any spoilers either; let Han Chunming play with it himself.

Ever since he took down Su Meng, the plot had already become unrecognizable. Without Su Meng, there was a lot less mess.

And according to the principle of filling the vacancy, Su Meng followed Wang Yan, and Han Chunming married Cai Xiaoli. Then Taozi, who had been suffering for seven years, had no one to guard. He was at the age for marriage and couldn't remain single. So, just like when Han Chunming got married, Ma said to find an educated youth returning to the city, and Taozi really found one who came back from the Great Northern Wilderness. She was also quite pretty, and they got married in October last year. Now she is six months pregnant, also with a big belly. Now Taozi follows Han Chunming, and when there are odd jobs to earn extra money, the two of them go to earn money; when there's no work, he stays at home to serve his wife. He's a decent, good man.

Then Taozi had a wife many years early, and Guan Guan Xiao Guan, who is currently on the distant other side of the ocean and is only a fifteen-year-old child, naturally has another life path.

It's already very different...

Just like this, the three of them walked on the spacious Changan Street. Su Meng was in a white dress, swaying like a child. Behind them, Han Chunming, who was sober but still dazed, strolled along with Wang Yan, who was pushing the bicycle.

After walking for about an hour, they reached Tiananmen. Han Chunming finally sobered up, pedaled his bicycle, and got home in no time...

At the entrance of the courtyard, Cheng's mother was using a dustpan to sprinkle dirt on a pile of filth, and then using a broom to sweep the filth into the dustpan bit by bit, pouring it into a small iron bucket on the side.

As soon as Han Chunming saw it, he knew what was going on. He got off his bicycle and asked with a smile: "Auntie, did my uncle drink too much, or did Army Supervisor drink too much?"

Cheng's mother glared at Han Chunming, then looked at Su Meng, who had gotten off the bicycle behind him and was adjusting her long skirt, and then looked at Wang Yan, who was stepping off the car with his long legs. She snorted coldly and didn't reply.

This must be because Cheng Army Supervisor said something that made Cheng's mother roughly know some things, and she had opinions about Wang Yan and Han Chunming. Thinking about it, it was normal. Cheng Army Supervisor's pettiness was in his bones. Even if he was drunk, the things he said were beneficial to him, and he was saying how Wang Yan and Han Chunming were squeezing and bullying him, because that was what he believed, and he was telling his "truth."

"Auntie, you go ahead with your work, we're going back." Han Chunming was a polite child; even if this elder wasn't very good, he was still polite.

Wang Yan was more straightforward and didn't say anything at all. Su Meng, who was last, greeted her, and then they entered the courtyard.

"Grandpa Wang, looking at that ground, it seems like Cheng Army Supervisor fell there." As soon as they entered the courtyard, Han Chunming opened his mouth and giggled.

"It looks like it to me too. Although I didn't see it very clearly, there are still marks on the ground." Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "Alright, go back quickly, you'll know tomorrow."

Seeing Han Chunming park his bicycle and return to his room, Su Meng said: "You go into the room first, I'll go to the backyard to see the child."

Wang Yan gave a hum, opened the door and entered the room, took off his clothes and changed into big shorts, and went to the courtyard with a basin to wash up shirtless. Cheng's mother cleaned up the mess her precious son had made, closed the gate, and passed by on her way back, glaring at Wang Yan again...

To this, Wang Yan just smiled. This was only the beginning; Cheng Army Supervisor's good days were still to come.

After washing up and returning to the room, he got some hot water to brew chrysanthemum tea and flipped through a book he had grabbed. After a while, Su Meng returned to the room and asked Wang Yan to pull the curtains. While changing clothes, she chatted with Wang Yan: "Our son is quite good, he didn't cry or make a fuss at all. Our son, this is the good thing about him; he's easy to take care of. My colleagues' children, oh my, my head hurts just hearing about it; they cry every day."

"Children don't understand, so you have to cultivate them. Didn't our son cry and make a fuss before? This one is easy to take care of and saves worry; there are some innate reasons, but actually, there aren't that many. You just have to let him play by himself; now he's just used to playing. If you always offer him up like an ancestor, he'll cry when he should cry and make a fuss when he should make a fuss."

"Yes, yes, yes, how amazing you are, Grandpa Wang." Su Meng rolled her eyes, changed her clothes, leaned close to Wang Yan, and whispered: "Just now I heard my mother say that not long before we came back, Cheng Army Supervisor was throwing a drunken tantrum in the courtyard. They said he was cursing, but he didn't name names while cursing us. Look at how much deterrent power you have; that Cheng Army Supervisor didn't dare to curse you, old man, even when he was drunk. Hey, what did you say to him before playing the piano? What scared him so much?"

"I said this is the only time, not to be repeated. If he keeps looking for trouble with me like this, I'll break his legs." Not giving Su Meng a chance to interrupt, Wang Yan shook his head: "It was just to scare him, to save him from being like a fly—not biting people but being disgusting. Besides, even if I really wanted to break his legs, I wouldn't do it myself. In the dark, find a sack to cover his head; he wouldn't know who did it, and it wouldn't lead to me at all. Police investigations would be useless."

"You've thought it through so clearly, and you still say you were just scaring him?" Su Meng stared with wide eyes and punched Wang Yan hard with her little fist: "I'm warning you, live your life honestly and don't cause trouble. Our son is about to turn one year old, and if you go in, what will you do with the child? What will you do with me?"

"Look at what you're saying, it really was just to scare him, to let him learn a lesson." Wang Yan turned Su Meng around, moved her to the door, and patted her butt: "Go, hurry up and wash up, come back and serve your Grandpa."

"You're something else." Su Meng gave a flirtatious look, twisted her butt, picked up the basin and towel from the outer room, and went to the water pool outside to wash up.

Wang Yan had his own ideas and would never change them. Having slept together for two years, Su Meng was very clear about this. So she said what she had to say, and she couldn't do anything about the rest.

If you can't change the person you love, then change for the person you love. Su Meng was obsessed with Wang Yan's charm; even after sleeping together for two years and having a son who was about to turn one, it hadn't diminished at all.

Cheng Army Supervisor, who was ashamed, furious, and drunk, did indeed fall, and not just once. He scraped half of his face. Although it wasn't serious and wouldn't leave any big scars, there were several abrasions, temporarily affecting his appearance.

For this reason, Cheng Army Supervisor left early and returned late every day for more than two months, until the scabs fell off and only a few fine scars remained. It was also waiting for the matter of his disgrace to settle in this large courtyard before he appeared in public again with an indifferent look.

What made him sad was that it seemed like he hadn't been seen for more than two months, and the people in the courtyard hadn't paid much attention. They just asked casually, "Haven't seen you for a while, what have you been busy with..."