Hua Tuo and Bian Que blushed immediately and stammered, "Then what does Brother An say?"
"I'll emphasize it again, trust science!" An Daoquan said confidently. "Haven't you heard the saying 'sour for a boy, spicy for a girl'? — Sister Xiang, do you crave sour or spicy food lately?"
Hua Tuo and Bian Que shouted in unison: "Get out!"
The three of them started arguing and bickering. Xiang Yu and Hua Mulan supported Yu Ji on either side, both smiling silently. Seeing that the three old men would lose their temper if they kept arguing, I said leisurely, "Our school hospital at Yucai has X-ray machines. If Brother Yu is willing, I can use one. Do you think this is more scientific than yours?"
The three old men looked at each other, then suddenly, as if on cue, they turned and walked away with their hands behind their backs. The old men muttered to themselves, "Let's continue discussing our cancer drug issue."...
I asked Xiang Yu with a smile, "Brother Yu, what do you think?"
Xiang Yu looked at Yu Ji tenderly and said, "I'll say it again, it's the same whether it's a boy or a girl."
I said, "Then let me remind you, you'd better think of a name early. If you point at us, who knows what kind of nasty names you might get!" Xiao Qinshousheng really struck me hard!
Fatty and Silly rubbed their hands together, grinning mischievously...
Xiang Yu chuckled and said, "I absolutely accept this suggestion!"
Chapter 214 An Unforgettable Night
As everyone entered the auditorium, which had been converted into a temporary dining venue, Cheng Fengshou, Duan Tianlang, and many other faculty and staff members from Yucai School were also present. Although a banner at the entrance read "Celebrating the First Yucai Cultural Festival," everyone knew the true nature of the gathering, and a chorus of congratulations followed. Anyway, this wasn't the first time such a gathering had taken place, so I remained unfazed.
Yan Jingsheng followed behind Hua Mulan, wanting to interject but too embarrassed to say anything. The young man, who had become quite capable through his recent training, now looked rather dazed. Li Shishi looked at him and smiled at me, saying, "Cousin, it seems your vice-principal isn't in the mood for anything else today. I'll go to the door and greet the guests for you."
By this time, the heroes were already drinking with their friends. A small tricycle chugged in, and Old Wu's load of foreign liquor arrived. Seeing that he was struggling to ride, I said, "Old Wu, stay for dinner."
Old Wu wiped his sweat and said shyly, "How could I possibly accept that?"
A person stepped out from behind Old Wu and said, "Don't be embarrassed, we all gave gifts—I'll pay yours for you."
When I looked at this man, he wasn't very old, but his hair was already gray. He was none other than Fan Jin, the one who had been asked by He Tiandou to rob my wine cart on the way. I don't know how many years this kid had been studying for the college entrance exam, but I heard his former deskmate is now their homeroom teacher…
I asked, "How did you do on the exam this year?"
Old Wu said, "My daughter went to a second-tier university."
Fan Jin said awkwardly, "...I want to take the exam again next year."
I comforted him, saying, "You should pass next year too."
Fan Jin said in a deep voice, "If I fail the exam again next year, I plan to get married first and then continue taking the exam. My family has introduced me to a butcher's daughter."
Old Wu, speaking from experience, said, "It's quite rare for that girl to be willing to marry you, so treat her well."
Fan Jin arrogantly said, "Isn't she just eyeing my potential?"
I spat and said, "Bullshit! All the overseas-educated PhDs are in a bear market right now. You're just kidding. In a few years, all those classmates you bullied will come back to school as teachers, and they'll all be coming for revenge."
As we were talking, Qin Shi Huang's chefs began serving the dishes. The first dish, which he personally and respectfully placed on the imperial table, was a plate of steamed abalone. The emperors lined up to wash their hands at the tap, then cautiously picked up a piece with their chopsticks to taste it. Their eyes lit up immediately, and they all gave a thumbs up. Seeing that he had made a name for himself before his master, the chef couldn't help but say proudly, "I knew it! Our skills are unparalleled anywhere."
Just then, a burly man in an expensive suit barged in, looking displeased. He spotted me immediately, grabbed my arm, and said angrily, "Brother Qiang, didn't you agree to stay at my place for lunch? Why did you change your mind?"
I recognized him immediately as Jiang Menshen, the manager of Happy Forest Restaurant. Knowing he was a straightforward and outspoken man, I guessed he thought I was looking down on his establishment. I pointed to the crowd in the hall and said helplessly, "Look at this lineup, is there even room for you to sit down?"
Jiang Menshen was taken aback, then chuckled and said, "More people than at your wedding?"
I shrugged and said, "My son has more influence than me—you shouldn't leave either, just eat here."
Without wasting words, Jiang Menshen sat down with the heroes nearby and said, "Can you supply enough vegetables? Or should I send some from my place?"
The emperor's imperial chef retorted, "What kind of talk is that? With me here, how could I let you go hungry?"
Jiang Menshen picked up a pair of chopsticks, took a bite of the dish, and praised, "It's really authentic! Where did you find the chef, Brother Qiang? If there's no place, come with me later."
Qin Shi Huang said, "That won't do. I have a guy who can cook."
The cook became even more smug and said, "Please sit down, everyone. There are more of my specialties to come."
Everyone asked in surprise, "What is that?"
The cook said mysteriously, "Let me keep you in suspense for now, everyone please wait and see."
Wu Song was drinking with Fang Zhenjiang when he glanced at the newcomer and immediately glared at him, saying angrily, "Jiang the Door God?"
Jiang Menshen asked in surprise, "You know me?"
"I'll beat you to death!" Wu Song raised a spoon, ready to throw it. The group of heroes laughed and pleaded, quickly stopping him. After hearing their explanation, Wu Song said angrily, "Luckily you're just the reincarnation of Jiang Menshen. If you were Ximen Qing, I'd beat you to death in this lifetime!"
Jiang Menshen wiped his sweat and said, "How come this guy has a bigger temper than me? There's a guy named Hu Hansan downstairs in my building, and I didn't get angry with him."
As soon as Jiang Menshen arrived, Wang Yin quickly picked up the elders from both my and Baozi's families. I used a curtain to separate two private rooms in the hall for the group of elderly men and women to sit in. Our old man looked at this unprecedented grand occasion and exclaimed, "You've got more and more cronies."
I quickly ushered the old man inside: "Keep your voice down, someone might hear you!"
Baozi said, "Now that everyone's here, let's officially begin the meal."
Erpang stood up and said, "Brother Guan and the others haven't arrived yet."
Immediately someone laughed and said, "I never thought that among so many people, the one who misses Guan Yu the most is actually Lü Bu."
Before the words were finished, Li Shishi's clear voice announced, "After Prince Jing of Zhongshan, Liu Bei, Liu Xuande, has arrived!"
Everyone present wanted to see this legendary figure from the Three Kingdoms period, so they all craned their necks to look. Liu Bei walked in with a broad smile and a confident air, greeting everyone he knew and didn't recognize with a bow. Behind him followed Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and Zhuge Liang.
Seeing that he had overshadowed the other emperors at the table, Li Shimin said with displeasure, "Tell him to be more low-key in the future. Being a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan isn't anything special." Empress Lü, who was also at the table, chimed in, "That's right, who is this guy? His demeanor is just like our old Liu—"