Chapter 83: Rogue

In the late 1990s, it seemed that overnight, many karaoke rooms of all sizes suddenly appeared in the streets and alleys of Hengyue City. The Chinese people, who had been repressed for half a century, would call friends and companions after a busy day of work, buy a few dozen beers, and sing to their hearts' content, releasing their voices to the fullest. Some took advantage of the alcohol to express their feelings, while others took advantage of the alcohol to accomplish good things, and so on.

It was just like mobile phones. Originally, the big brick-like 9-series analog phones were worn on the waist and held in the hand, looking very impressive. If you were sitting on a bus and the phone rang, it would definitely attract countless envious gazes. So, you would pretend not to care, take off the phone, and shout loudly during the call. Everyone on the bus would hold their breath until the call ended, and no one would whisper anymore. If someone asked, "Big brother, this 'big brother' phone is good, how much is it?" that person would definitely act helpless and reply, "It's expensive, over ten thousand."

The analog phones that cost over ten thousand disappeared overnight, followed by the small digital phones that were like treasures in the palm of your hand. They were no longer held in the hand, but hung in a leather case on the belt at the waist. With a snap, you would open the lid, take it out, and put it back in, looking elegant and generous. The more money you made, the smaller the phones became. People ate less at home and spent more time in karaoke rooms.

Whether it was government receptions or private gatherings, going to KTV for entertainment after dinner had become the most fashionable consumption.

Fu Zhen booked a private room at the "Money Cabinet" KTV. We sat in the car of the drunken Fu Zhen, and surprisingly, we weren't afraid at all.

When we arrived at the door, the waiter recognized Fu Zhen, led us through several narrow corridors, and into a very spacious private room. Just as we sat down, the KTV manager ran in happily, nodding and bowing to greet us.

Fu Zhen leaned on the sofa, panting, and waved his hand, saying, "The old rules, three bottles of red wine, two cases of beer, and a dozen Sprites. You handle the fruit platter."

The manager instructed the waiter to handle it quickly, and seeing the room full of beauties, he hesitated to speak.

Fu Zhen looked at the manager's appearance and said very seriously, "No, no. Don't you have eyes? There's a room full of beauties here."

The manager retreated, turned his head at the door, and said, "Section Chief Fu, if you have any instructions, just look for me."

Fu Zhen said angrily, "So wordy! If I have something, I'll look for you."

The waiter sent in the wine and fruit platter like flowing water, turned on the song selection machine, adjusted the microphone, and bowed humbly as he went out. I looked at the table full of wine, and a thick smell of alcohol rose in my stomach, making me want to vomit.

People who can vomit when drunk won't hurt their bodies even if they are drunk. If the alcohol goes down into the stomach and can't be vomited out, that's cold wine hurting the liver and hot wine hurting the stomach. There are many people who drink until they have stomach bleeding, and they are all people who can't vomit.

I belong to the type who can vomit after drinking, so I'm not afraid of drinking.

I scanned the room and saw a small restroom, so I pushed the door open, leaned over the washbasin, and stuck my finger straight into the root of my throat. A wave of nausea hit, and the alcohol and food in my stomach were immediately vomited out. A strange smell instantly filled the small room. I quickly turned on the faucet to flush, stuck my finger in a few more times, and only after my stomach was empty did I comfortably cup water to rinse my mouth.

After tidying myself up, I opened the door. Fu Zhen had already poured the red wine into a large-bellied glass and was pouring Sprite into it. Chinese people like to mix Sprite with red wine. This is a very unique way of drinking. Although the taste is good, it reveals a thick sense of earthiness. It's just like us eating Western food with chopsticks instead of knives and forks, or liking to stew steak instead of grilling it.

My aunt and Wu Qian were sitting together choosing songs, Huang Weiwei was sitting alone in the corner of the long sofa, her eyes fixed on the TV screen. I knew she wasn't actually watching; her exposed calves were covered in tiny goosebumps because of the air conditioning. Meizhu was helping Fu Zhen open the Sprite cans. After pouring the wine, she threw the empty cans into the trash can, picked up a microphone, and called everyone to drink.

This time no one refused. Everyone picked up the cups in front of them, and Fu Zhen took the lead and shouted, "Happy and joyful."

After a commotion, the song my aunt ordered came out. She cleared her throat, tapped the microphone a few times with her finger, and the speakers on the wall made a dull thumping sound. She ordered "I Really Miss You." After singing it with sorrow, everyone applauded and praised her. Wu Qian hugged my aunt, who was still immersed in the music, and said, "Miss your husband, right?"

My aunt shook her head, and a trace of faint sadness flashed in her eyes.

"If you ask me, just let your Zhang Xiaoming demobilize and go home. Life is so good now, whether he demobilizes to work in the government or does business himself, whatever he does is better than being in the army." Wu Qian continued to chatter, but was interrupted by Fu Zhen.

"What the hell do you know! Battalion Commander Zhang is doing much better in the army than in the local area. The army is pure, and the thoughts are upright, without so many crooked ways in the local area. In my opinion, Sister Xiaoyue should just follow the army."

My aunt shook her head and said, "I won't follow the army. Although the army is good to family members, it's a different matter from the local area after all. What can I do if I go? If I don't have a job, I can only stay at home and watch TV every day. That would be better than killing me." She picked up the small glass and said to me, "Come, Chen Feng, let's have one."

After drinking a cup with my aunt, Wu Qian also wanted to drink with me, followed by Meizhu, and then Huang Weiwei, under their unanimous request, also had a cup with me. After drinking with me, they pointed their spears at Fu Zhen again. Fu Zhen didn't refuse anyone, and after drinking several cups heroically, it was Wu Qian's turn to sing.

Wu Qian sang "A Game, A Dream." After singing, she pestered her husband Fu Zhen to drink. The couple rolled on the sofa and played, scratching each other, laughing and giggling, as if no one else was there.

Meizhu sang "Should I Quietly Walk Away?" When she sang, her eyes kept glancing at me. I pretended not to see it and leaned against my aunt, messing around and drinking.

As long as women start drinking, it's hard to brake. Once the alcohol addiction hidden in the bottom of their hearts is hooked, they can drink down a large group of self-righteous men.

After Meizhu finished singing, she sat over quietly. We were very close, and I seemed to smell the faint fragrance of her hair. Two of the three bottles of red wine had already been drunk, so Fu Zhen brought out the beer, spilling it all over the tea table.

My aunt invited Huang Weiwei to order a song. She declined for a while, but still got up and went, ordered "Wish You Peace," sang it plainly, and said she wanted to go back first, afraid her mother would be worried at home.

Fu Zhen firmly disagreed, saying that they had just started singing and couldn't spoil everyone's fun. If Huang Weiwei left first, what the hell would they sing? She was a guest and a municipal leader. He said a lot of reasons, which made Huang Weiwei stunned and unable to speak, so she had to put down her bag and continue singing and drinking.

After drinking two bottles of beer, Fu Zhen finally couldn't hold on. He staggered to a small room inside, threw himself on the sofa, and fell asleep, snoring like thunder in a moment. Wu Qian put the microphone in front of his mouth, and the sound of noisy snoring immediately filled the room. Everyone laughed, but Fu Zhen didn't know anything.

The remaining four beauties and I sang a few songs, but felt it was boring. Wu Qian suggested guessing dice to drink, whoever lost would drink, fair and reasonable.

First, Wu Qian guessed with me. After several times, I was the one who lost. After drinking several large cups in a row, my stomach was uncomfortably bloated. After going to the restroom and coming back, I said I couldn't drink anymore, or I would die.

My aunt joined in the fun on the side, saying that since I guessed with Wu Qian, I had to guess with everyone. There were two choices: whoever lost had to either drink or dance. Wu Qian applauded and agreed. Meizhu and Huang Weiwei hesitated for a while, but seeing that I lost every time, their luck surfaced, and they actually agreed to my aunt's suggestion.

I felt I was drunk. Although the previous liquor had been vomited out cleanly, the persistence of alcohol wasn't something that would be fine just because you vomited. Plus the beer I just poured in, mixing three kinds of alcohol, made me drunk quickly and even more severely.

I held the dice and said, "Let's agree first, you don't have to drink if you dance, and there's another way if you don't dance. No cheating, whoever cheats is a puppy." I made a puppy crawling gesture, which made them all stare at me blankly.

Huang Weiwei asked in a low voice, "What other way?"

I smiled wickedly and said, "If you don't drink and don't dance, just take off your clothes."

Before my words fell, four pink fists immediately greeted me. Wu Qian scolded, "Dead Chen Feng, you think beautifully, two flower-like girls, and your aunt, you even dare to tell your aunt to take them off?"

My aunt laughed and said, "I'm not afraid, I'm his aunt, his elder. What am I afraid of? If you dare to take them off, I dare to take them off."

"Do you two dare?" Wu Qian asked Meizhu and Huang Weiwei, and said to me provocatively, "Chen Feng, you've learned to be bad in the countryside! Everyone says people in the countryside are simple and honest, look at Chen Feng, what a good young man, he's only been in the countryside for three years, and he's become so daring to think and say anything."

I said with a grin, "I'm just making a suggestion. Is it worth attacking me in a group?" I deliberately rubbed my arm and said, "Look, it's broken."

"If it's broken, ask your aunt to treat it, I can't manage it." Wu Qian rolled her eyes at me and said, "Aren't you starting yet?"

Meizhu and Huang Weiwei both pushed and refused to go up, so my aunt rolled up her sleeves and heroically wanted to guess with me. This time it was my turn to not dare to go up. If my aunt lost, should I let her drink or dance? Could I even dare to tell my aunt to take off her clothes?

My aunt didn't care and shouted, "Chen Feng, you come. I'm not afraid."

After a round of guessing, I lost, and my aunt looked at me triumphantly as I drank. In the second round, she lost, and she picked up the wine glass and said, "You nephew, today your aunt gives you a chance, drink it."

There was no other way, I had to drink another cup.

Wu Qian joined in the fun and said this was unfair. Why could I drink for my aunt but not for others? This nephew of mine was fake, a nephew without blood relationship, just a moral thing.

When my aunt heard this, she was very unhappy and scolded, "Wu Qian, accumulate some virtue for me, if you talk nonsense again, I'll tear your stinking mouth." The two women rolled together and played, not caring that their clothes were lifted, revealing infinite spring scenery.

After laughing for a while, Wu Qian said, "Chen Feng, I'll give you a song."

Then she twisted her waist and sang "Don't Pick the Wild Flowers by the Roadside." As she sang, she twisted, her curves were exquisite, and the waves rose and fell.

She was the first woman in my life. Listening to her sad singing, a sourness surged in my heart. If there was no Fu Zhen, if I hadn't returned from Guangzhou out of anger back then, maybe tonight I would be the one she called husband instead of Fu Zhen.

Fu Zhen's father was a cadre in the Hengyue Municipal Government, and his mother had been doing business and made a lot of money. His mother met Wu Qian while doing business and wanted to take her as her daughter-in-law, putting in a lot of effort. Thus, Wu Qian took me to Beijing to sell antiques. That antique was actually bought by Fu Zhen's mother for dozens of yuan from a rural relative's house.

The relative's family dug an ancient tomb while digging a mountain and found several utensils. They didn't dare to make it public, so they called Fu Zhen's mother to see it. Fu Zhen's mother didn't know antiques either, thinking that things buried underground for so many years should be worth some money, but she was afraid of losing money, so she had to call Wu Qian to see it. Wu Qian knew at a glance that this was a valuable thing, but deliberately said it was broken copper and iron, not worth anything. At most, she was willing to spend dozens of yuan to buy it back as a souvenir. The relative thought, anyway, it was something from underground, accompanying the dead, unlucky and inauspicious. At that time, they said it was fine to give a little, and as a result, Fu Zhen's mother spent less than a hundred yuan to get it back.

Seeing that it was almost twelve o'clock, Huang Weiwei had to go back no matter what. Wu Qian went to call Fu Zhen, but after calling for a long time, there was no reaction, so she had to apologize and say that we should go first, and she would wait here for Fu Zhen to sober up before going back.

After leaving the KTV gate, I hailed a taxi to send Huang Weiwei home. She sat in the car and said to me, "Chen Feng, come to my house when you have time, the old lady misses you."

I said yes repeatedly, and just as I was about to turn around, Huang Weiwei called me again, signaling me to bring my ear close to her.

I hesitated for a moment, and just as I brought my ear close to her, I heard her softly scold, "Rogue!"

I looked at her in astonishment, she pursed her lips and smiled, and told the driver to drive.

I smiled bitterly, and hailed another car to send Meizhu and my aunt. My aunt said that the three of them should just take one car, send Meizhu back to the shop first, and then send her home.

After sending them all away, I thought of Xue Bing at home, my heart jumped wildly, and I urged the driver to drive home quickly. ===== CHAPTER 84 =====