"It's just a ring,"
Li Haochen pinched his chin, turning around Li Haochen with interest. He looked at Chen He and Liu Dehui and said, "Lao San says it's a ringtone, do you believe him?"
"Believe... you wish!"
"Hey... hey, what do you guys want?"
Li Haochen was forcefully escorted out the door by the three of them. Liang Minfeng grinned slyly, "Let's play Dou Dizhu, hahaha!"
"Hahaha, that's right, we're going to play Dou Dizhu."
And so, the four big boys, with their arms around each other, rambled through the pedestrian street. If this were Hong Kong in the nineties, perhaps Ciyun Mountain would have a place here.
The place they chose was just an ordinary roadside stall. It wasn't because they were cheap, but because these places had a strong sense of human touch and a good atmosphere.
"Boss, one bean sprout intestines, tiger skin chili peppers, steamed clams with black bean sauce... and a dozen Harbin beer, frozen ones."
Before his butt was even warm, Liang Minfeng had already ordered the food. A few minutes later, the food hadn't arrived yet, but the beer had.
The four looked at each other and laughed, each taking a bottle.
"Brothers, it's all in here, bottoms up." Li Haochen took the lead. It was a rare gathering of brothers, so they couldn't drink stingily, but they also had to see the situation.
"Oh ho, it's rare for Lao San to be so generous."
"That's a must."
"Hahaha, bottoms up, don't be a goldfish, whoever is a goldfish has to drink another bottle."
The four brothers opened their throats and drank without showing weakness. In less than a minute, not a drop of beer was left in the bottles.
Liang Minfeng wanted to continue, but he was stopped by the others. Liu Dehui said, "Alright, alright, we all know how much you can drink, don't pretend to be a big shot. If you have another bottle, we'll have to carry you back."
"That's right, you're so heavy. I'm worried that Gui Fang will be flattened if you roll over, hahaha!" Chen He echoed with a laugh.
The weather was also hot, and as they got more animated, all four of them took off their shirts. In fact, the tables around them were mostly the same. It wasn't just the men; women were also not to be outdone.
As they were talking, the conversation turned to Liang Minfeng's plan to buy a house.
"Lao San, you don't know, this pig has been dragging us to look at properties every day, and we've all lost a lot of weight."
"That's right, not only do we have to accompany him, but we also have to pay for the meals," Liu Dehui and Chen He complained jokingly.
"Lao San, you're buying a house?" Li Haochen was surprised when he heard this. He knew Liang Minfeng very well; his family wasn't well-off, and the housing prices in Binhai weren't cheap. Even the lowest priced North District was between 7,000 and 9,000 per square meter.
Liang Minfeng blushed, but a happy smile appeared on his face. "There's nothing I can do. I have to give the child a home."
"Pfft... chi-child?"
The half-drunk tea in Li Haochen's mouth spurted out without reservation. Fortunately, it went onto the ground, or he might have gotten into a fight with the people next to him.
"Accident, accident, hehe!"
Li Haochen punched him, "Good job, brother. I didn't expect life's peak to arrive so quickly. Have you met Gui Fang's parents?"
"Not yet, how would I dare? I'll sort out the house first, at least then I'll have more confidence."
"That's right. How much money are you still short? I can lend you some..."
"No, I want to handle the house by myself. Don't worry, the bonus will be enough for the down payment." Liang Minfeng knew Li Haochen had money, but he didn't intend to borrow from him, so he interrupted him.
"Uh... the bonus is enough for the down payment?" Li Haochen was confused and bewildered.
"How long has it been since you've been here? Lao Si and his wife made the coconut meat into coconut milk sago and mango coconut jelly. The effect is great. For every coconut meat, they sell it at three times the price. The store is now truly making a fortune every day, hahaha!" Liu Dehui couldn't stop laughing when he thought of the booming business.
"Holy cow, really? Does that mean we can all slack off now, hehe!" Although he knew Li Haochen was joking, his appearance was really asking for a beating. Chen He and the others really wanted to go up and give him a good meal of slack-off.
What to do after eating and drinking your fill and still wanting more? Of course, get a room... for karaoke.
Chen He paid the bill for this meal. In fact, everyone else had the same intention, but he was a step ahead. They were all sincere brothers, and it didn't matter who paid.
After leaving the roadside stall, the four of them still walked with their arms around each other. Perhaps they had drunk a little, talking nonsense and frequently making crude jokes, giving them a somewhat carefree and unrestrained air. If they had a cigarette in their mouths, it would be even more iconic.
There was karaoke on the pedestrian street, so there was no need to go far. They weren't going to pick up girls; they just wanted to belt out a few songs to their heart's content.
As they passed by their coconut shop, all three changed their expressions and happily ran in to report to their respective wives. They collectively pushed Li Haochen out, but Zhang Gui Fang and the others knew very well that sometimes they had to loosen up. If it was too tight, it might break.
After leaving the store, they all smiled knowingly, then reverted to their unrestrained expressions and headed towards "Good Voice." Upon arriving, they booked a small room. It was quite cheap on a weekday afternoon, and for 88 yuan, you could come out with a golden voice.
In a place like this, with this atmosphere, you would feel like you were letting yourself down if you didn't drink a little. Fortunately, none of them smoked, otherwise, beer and cigarettes would turn the room into a fairyland in hell.
Brothers gathering for a song, they must sing a duet. The first choice, of course, would be Alan Tam's songs, "Stars flowing, and I walked with you. We met from strangers, and our hearts grew close. We always treated people with sincerity..."
Although their Cantonese singing wasn't standard, the meaning was conveyed, which was quite moving. The four of them didn't drink too much; most of it was just a light sip. They chatted about their recent lives, all sorts of trivial matters. It was the ordinary conversations that were the most meaningful.
"...Let's forget the right and wrong, and reminisce about the past. The days we went through hardship together were always fun. I don't believe in despair, nor do I feel hesitant..." Accompanied by the song "Friendship Years," the four returned home happily.
After drinking, they didn't ride their electric scooters but took a Didi home. Perhaps it was the alcohol, or perhaps it was the wind they felt while riding, but Li Haochen's head started to ache. He took a hot shower, but it didn't improve, so he took a packet of Qinghuo San and went to bed.
When he woke up, it was only two in the morning. His head was still a bit heavy, and he felt a bit cold. He sneezed a few times and touched his forehead. "I'm a bit hot."
He put on a jacket and quietly went to the kitchen. After drinking a cup of warm water, he found two boxes of Ganhe Tea. He sliced a few pieces of ginger, added some scallion heads and perilla leaves, and boiled them over high heat before simmering them over low heat until it was a bowl of water.
He had to drink it while it was still very hot; it wouldn't be good if it cooled down, but the taste was really hard to bear, so he had to pinch his nose to drink it.
Just as Li Haochen finished drinking, Murong Yanran came over, yawning. She sniffed and asked with some concern, "What's wrong? I smell Ganhe Tea. Are you catching a cold?"
Li Haochen held his breath and walked out of the kitchen, putting on a mask. "Don't come too close, I have a bit of a cold. I just drank Ganhe Tea. I'll sweat it out and be fine. Go back to sleep."
"Okay, call me if you need anything."
After Li Haochen returned to his room, Murong Yanran hugged her quilt and lay down on the sofa to doze off.