As I drove, I said, "You idiot, have your mom make this to help boost your brainpower."
Our car sped along the railway.
Baozi's family lived right next to the railway, in a single-story house. At night, when they were sleeping, every passing train felt like an earthquake. When Baozi's mother was young and thin, sometimes the trains would bounce her so violently on the kang (heated brick bed) that she would have seizures. This situation only improved after Baozi was born.
The only advantage of living here is having a large courtyard; every household has one, which adds to the rural atmosphere. So, as soon as our car entered the residential area, it attracted the attention of a large group of local neighbors. As soon as Baozi and I got out of the car, we were surrounded by enthusiastic neighbors. Baozi told me to carry the gift box and go knock on the door herself. I stuffed the bouquet of carnations into her arms and said, "These are for your mom."
As Baozi's mother opened the door, she asked, "Is this Qiangzi?"
I said, "Auntie, it's me."
Baozi was stunned for a moment after receiving the flower, then casually tossed it back into the car and pretended nothing had happened, waiting for her mother to open the door.
It's always the same. Baozi goes to knock on the door, but without exception, her mother calls out my name. This tactic is meant to attract the attention of the neighbors: Look, my daughter has brought her boyfriend home.
The year Baozi was born, the neighbors all said that this child would have a hard time finding a partner in the future, which deeply affected her mother.
As soon as her mother called out, the neighbors from both sides came out, propped their arms on the low wall, and greeted me with smiles: "Xiao Qiang is here." Their tone revealed a hint of watching a show.
I couldn't scold them, so I could only nod repeatedly and say, "Coming, coming."
Baozi's mother took the gift box from my hand, twisted her neck and shouted, "You're here, why did you buy all this?"
Just then, Ersha burst in carrying a bunch of mangoes and dumped them all on the steps. I explained to her mother, "They're all my friends."
Immediately after, Liu Bang carried the box into the courtyard. Then, Baozi's father made his grand entrance, leisurely lifting the embroidered curtain to emerge. He glanced at the mangoes and gift box, walked to the cardboard box, and calmly asked, "What's this?" He then produced two packs of bright red Zhonghua cigarettes. The neighbors all gasped in surprise. Baozi's father nonchalantly set the cigarettes aside and then produced two boxes of exquisite Moutai liquor. The neighbors were astonished. In our area, giving so many things at once is considered a very generous gift. Baozi was also surprised, and after a long while, she whispered in my ear, "You're not trying to cripple my dad with fake cigarettes and liquor, are you?"
Just then, someone shouted, "Hey, Xiao Qiang, you've struck it rich, haven't you? You came here in two cars." Only then did Baozi realize that Xiang Yu had followed them in a Hyundai.
Baozi's mother was handing out fruit to the neighbors, one to each family, while her father opened a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes and offered them to everyone. The neighbors took a puff and found it was a genuine cigarette, and they were even more impressed, saying enviously, "Old Xiang, your son-in-law is so filial!"
Her father chuckled as he smoked. It seemed these gifts were indeed quite thoughtful; normally, if someone said the same thing, the old man would reply, "What son-in-law? Just a friend of Baozi, a friend."
The elderly couple, feeling quite proud, finally let us all in. Old Xiang glanced at Li Shishi, and I quickly said, "This is my cousin." Baozi's mother took Li Shishi's hand and sighed, "Oh my, what a beautiful girl she is! Does she have a boyfriend?"
Li Shishi blushed, and Baozi quickly pulled her mother away. Just then, Xiang Yu entered with his head bowed. Baozi's mother's expression changed, and she whispered to Baozi's father, "Has Qiangzi come to propose marriage or to abduct the bride?"
Old Xiang sent Baozi's mother out to cook, and made me sit at the kang table while everyone else sat below, somewhat like a gathering of outlaws from Liangshan. I didn't talk much to her father; to be honest, I was a little intimidated by Old Xiang. I wondered if all accountants were like this when they got old, acting as if they knew everything. He stood next to Liu Laoliu, and even a blind man could tell that Liu Laoliu was one of his henchmen. I'm not saying he looked more like a god, but rather that he looked exactly like a fortune teller.
Baozi chatted with her dad for a few minutes before helping her mom cook, leaving the rest of us men to slurp our tea.
Liu Bang was the first to stand up, his face beaming with a smile, and said, "Elder Xiang, Xiao Qiang has been telling us a lot about you."
Old Xiang: "Oh?"
"Xiaoqiang admires you the most..."
Old Xiang sneered: "Just because he got 26 points on his math test, right?"
"Cough cough cough..." I choked on a mouthful of water and coughed violently.
"Hehehe, look at what you're saying." It seems that old Xiang is indeed much more difficult to deal with than old Lü back then, and Liu Bang was cut down from his horse with a single blow.
Qin Shi Huang patted his cup and said, "Brother Xiang, our Qiangzi is a good boy." Hmm, that's a good move, coming out as an elder to cheer me on.
Old Xiang: "Hmm, our steamed buns are pretty good, aren't they?"
What's wrong with you? Why are you giving me such a cold look? When I came before, although I wouldn't say I was particularly enthusiastic, we would at least chat and laugh.
Seeing that it would be unreasonable for Xiang Yu not to take action, he stood up abruptly and said imposingly, "Uncle Xiang, you also have the surname Xiang? Hehe."
All I could hear was the continuous spitting sound of tea being sprayed out of the room. My bad luck today is all because of this guy surnamed Xiang.
Now only the obedient Li Shishi remained. Before she could even make a move, Old Xiang shouted into the yard, "Her mother, do you need any help?" The meaning was clear: girls should go out and help with cooking.
Li Shishi stood up and said resentfully, "I'd better go lend a hand."
And so we fell into another awkward silence. Everyone was staring intently at me, their meaning clear: Weren't you so confident you were going to win over your father-in-law?
I coldly picked up the teacup, then said with a grin, "Drink tea, drink tea."
Everyone immediately cast disdainful glances their way.
The room suddenly fell silent, then Ersha's transistor radio abruptly announced, "Next up is traditional storytelling time. Today we present 'Lü Siniang Assassinating Emperor Yongzheng,' performed by..."
Old Xiang's eyes lit up, and he asked Jing Ke, "You also like listening to storytelling?"
Jing Ke: "Yes, you like it too?"
Old Xiang waved to him: "Come on, come sit down. Tell me about yesterday's episode, I didn't listen to it."
Then Jing Ke sat in my seat and began telling stories to Xiang Yu. I sat in his seat with Liu Bang and Xiang Yu, listening to him tell stories to Xiang Yu.
...
Ersha truly lives up to his reputation as an assassin, often achieving victory through unexpected means at the most crucial moments, while also being able to endure loneliness and conceal himself very, very deeply...
When it was time to eat, because there wasn't enough room inside, Qin Shi Huang and his entourage were arranged to eat in the courtyard. Everyone tacitly left Lao Xiang and me inside, because we had some matters to discuss that were not for outsiders to know.
Old Xiang and Ersha were chatting happily, but their faces hardened as soon as they saw me. After we'd had a few drinks, I mustered my courage and said, "Uncle, how about we talk about the dowry for Baozi?"
Old Xiang put down his wine glass and asked, "Do you own a house?"
"I've got it..."
"Furniture and such..."
"They're all mine, you don't need to worry about them."