Chapter 600: Song to the Wine

In the evening we went to eat; because there were too many people, we looked at several State-run Hotels before finding one that was less crowded.

We pushed the long tables together, everyone sat on the two sides, and a large draft beer cup was placed in front of each person.

Yang Yin and Zhuang Yu sat together; in front of them was soda, also served in draft beer cups.

Zheng Guoping kept saying Lu Cheng was a rustic rich man; looking at the table piled with dishes, meat and vegetables mixed, the total cost was at least thirty yuan, almost a month's salary for others.

The reason everyone could follow Lu Cheng so devotedly is partly because Lu Cheng possesses a personal charisma that many lack.

Lu Cheng lifted his draft beer cup and stood up: "Come, let us all raise our glasses together. First, I must say, everyone has worked hard."

"It is thanks to everyone's effort and perseverance that we can achieve a great victory today."

"After tonight, our country's Railway Industry will move in a new direction, and all industrial transport will develop rapidly because of it, and all this cannot be done without everyone's dedication; you… will also be recorded in the annals of history."

Listening to Lu Cheng's impassioned words, everyone's emotions could not hide their excitement; their hearts surged, and even the wrists holding the draft beer cups trembled slightly.

"Comrades, let us drink this cup of wine and welcome a bright tomorrow…"

"Alright!"

Everyone stood up, the cups clanged together, then tilted their heads back and gulped down the drink with a gurgling sound.

Because it was early summer and the weather wasn't yet sweltering, a large draft beer poured into the stomach felt icy all over, yet it could not extinguish everyone's fiery hearts and boiling blood.

A large draft beer, at least a bottle and a half, Lu Cheng was the first to finish it, watching everyone continue to pour the drink from their cups.

The dim yellow light spilled onto the table; perhaps because they drank too hastily, or perhaps because it felt unreal, Lu Cheng looked at everyone's youthful faces and felt a vague daze.

This is the feeling of youth.

Perhaps Zheng Guoping and the others, still young, cannot comprehend it, but Lu Cheng, reborn, can experience the feeling of youth while still in his prime.

Sitting beside him was Yang Yin, who, like everyone else, lifted a draft beer cup filled with soda and gulped it down in big mouthfuls.

Lu Cheng frowned, tugged at her: "Alright, alright, this isn't beer, no need to finish it."

Yang Yin disagreed: "No, I must finish it. Everyone else has finished; I can't be the laggard."

The talk about drinking turned into a matter of falling behind, leaving Lu Cheng both amused and helpless.

Next to Yang Yin sat Zhuang Yu, who only took two sips of soda before putting the cup down.

"Look at Comrade Zhuang Yu, that's enough, keep the stomach for the meal."

Yang Yin had only drunk half a cup; indeed she could not continue, so she set the cup down.

But Zhuang Yu wasn't unwilling to join the enthusiastic atmosphere; she just felt soda was tasteless.

"Director Lu, may I also have some beer?"

Lu Cheng was momentarily stunned, then quickly recovered: "Sorry, Comrade Zhuang Yu, that was my mistake, and of course Zheng Guoping looked down on people with a dog's eye…"

Zheng Guoping instantly objected: "Hey, who's the dog?"

Lu Cheng set his face sternly: "Enough chatter, quickly pour wine for Comrade Zhuang Yu. As they say, women can hold up half the sky; that's true heroine‑hood…"

Noticing Yang Yin pursing her lips with a plaintive look, Lu Cheng hurriedly added: "You are also a heroine."

Yang Yin then smiled contentedly.

Listening to the banter, Zhuang Yu smiled, feeling a bit embarrassed that a female comrade voluntarily asked for wine.

"Don't make fun of me; I just feel the atmosphere is so harmonious, and being with you gives me special strength.

I, I don't know what's wrong with me, but I really enjoy being with you, so I think I should also drink like you all do."

Everyone listened quietly; Lu Cheng glanced around: "What are you all staring at? Clap your hands, welcome Comrade Zhuang Yu aboard our pirate ship."

Everyone laughed and clapped.

Then they ate dishes, drank, talked about literature and dreams, cups clanged, foam splashed, and laughter rang.

They kept drinking until the State-run Hotel staff drove them away; on the late‑night street, those with low tolerance were drunk and staggered, being supported by others.

No one knew who started it, but soon everyone began singing together, swaying as they walked down the street.

Lu Cheng also leaned his whole body against Yang Yin.

"You're so heavy, you're crushing me…"

"I'm drunk; everyone else has someone to take them home, you have to take me back too, otherwise I'll end up sleeping on the street."

Yang Yin giggled: "Don't worry, I won't let you sleep on the street; I'll make sure to get you home safely."

Lu Cheng squinted: "Don't send me home; it's too late, the courtyard should be closed, we shouldn't disturb anyone's sleep. Just take me back to the dormitory building."

Yang Yin nodded, and helped Lu Cheng toward the family courtyard direction.

Gradually, everyone dispersed; those who needed to go home went home, those who needed to return to the dormitory went back, but Zheng Guoping was nowhere to be seen, and Zhuang Yu had also disappeared.

Yang Yin grew a bit worried: "Where did Sister Zhuang Yu go? I saw she drank a lot today; she might not be able to get home, and could encounter bad people on the way. Should we look for her?"

Lu Cheng wasn't worried; with Zhuang Yu's fiery temperament, she only has the role of bullying others.

Leaning close to Yang Yin's ear, he whispered: "It must be Zheng Guoping who took her back. If the two of them wanted to be alone and got a bit… you know, we'd be disturbing them."

Yang Yin rolled her eyes: "You're such a bunch of thugs."

"Wrong, terribly wrong. This is called normal revolutionary exchange…"

Back at the dormitory building, it was so late that almost no lights were on.

After a hard time finally getting Lu Cheng into the room and onto the bed, Yang Yin was nearly exhausted.

"I'll go fetch a glass of water and leave it here, then I have to go back to school, um…"

Just as Yang Yin turned to leave, Lu Cheng pulled her over, his broad body throwing her onto the bed.

"I'm pouring you water—no—there's someone next door, turns out you were faking drunkenness, you big scoundrel…"

Yang Yin quickly found herself speechless.

After a long while, Lu Cheng finally released her, and Yang Yin lay on the bed, breathing heavily, her clothes already torn messily.

The exposed fair skin, bathed in moonlight streaming through the window, glowed with a halo.

The once‑tied ponytail now fell loose, a few strands of jet‑black hair draped over her cheek, adding a hint of charm.

Having tidied her clothes, she then lay on Lu Cheng's chest, and Yang Yin's heart was still thump-thumping wildly.

"Big bad guy, all you know is to bully me."

Lu Cheng embraced the girl's body: "Don't go back tonight."

Yang Yin cupped that face: "What, still want to bully me?"

Lu Cheng laughed: "If I wanted to bully you, with just that little strength of yours you couldn't stop me; mainly it's too late, you go back on your own, I wouldn't be at ease, so just sleep here tonight, and I'll send you back to school early tomorrow."

Yang Yin hesitated a bit: "But..."

Lu Cheng rolled over, once again pressing Yang Yin beneath him: "Rest assured, I really won't bully you; if worse comes to worst, you sleep on the bed, I'll make do on a chair for the night."

Yang Yin pouted: "Bad guy, you're deliberately saying that to make me feel sorry for you, even though you know I can't bear to."

Lu Cheng's smile faded slightly, and he kissed her again.

The moonlight was bright and clear, Jing Jing sprinkling onto the girl's shoulders.