Chapter 70 : Drunk

After the interview ended, the commune didn’t return to its usual tranquility. The sun was still high in the sky, and everyone was nervously waiting for the final results.

Fortunately, it wasn’t long before the list was posted on the notice board at the entrance. As soon as the staff who put up the list left, people crowded around, craning their necks and standing on tiptoe to see inside.

When they didn’t find their names on the list, they would go over it again from top to bottom, and only after finally accepting that they hadn’t been selected would they dejectedly retreat from the crowd.

Among those who were successfully admitted, some were calm and unperturbed, while others were overwhelmed with joy. Each person’s reaction was different.

Liang’s family sent Liang Junqiang, who was tall and strong, to check the news. With his strength, he quickly pushed through the crowd and reached the front. He squinted at the information on the list, reading each line carefully three times. After confirming, his heart raced with excitement. He took a deep breath and pushed through the crowd again, running towards his family.

“How did it go?” Ma Xiuzhi was the first to approach him, anxiously asking. Behind her were many pairs of hopeful eyes.

Liang Junqiang, feeling the pressure, had to say after some hesitation, “I didn’t see Big Brother’s name. It’s all young intellectuals who were selected. Only the village secretary’s daughter, Zhou Lilan, was chosen.”

Upon hearing this, the mood grew heavy. Everyone’s expressions were not too pleasant. Instead, it was Liang Shuqiang, the person involved, who comforted everyone with a faint smile, “The young intellectuals are experienced and well-educated. Losing to them, I accept it. If there’s another opportunity, I’ll try again. If not, we’ll continue working hard. As long as our family is together, we can make a good life.”

Seeing that Liang Shuqiang was not bothered, others felt it was a pity but agreed with his perspective. They nodded in agreement. After all, this trip was not without gain our Qingqing was selected to join the provincial broadcasting bureau!

This kind of success is unmatched by anyone.

“Let’s go home and make something delicious,” Ma Xiuzhi said, waving her hand, hiding her complex emotions. She led everyone back to the village.

As soon as they arrived home, people from the uncle’s family came to congratulate them. The aunt brought a piece of cured meat and praised Liang Qingqing for a long time, her face full of joy, genuinely happy for her.

Not only that, relatives, nearby neighbors, and friendly villagers, hearing the news, all came with gifts to join in the celebration, wanting to share in the joy and show their faces. If Liang Qingqing became successful in the future, they would benefit from it too. After all, having a connection with someone successful only has benefits, not drawbacks.

For a while, Liang’s home was packed with people inside and out. Liang Qingqing followed Ma Xiuzhi and smiled so much her face almost froze.

Fortunately, everyone had good manners. As night fell, they left one after another, not staying too long. The Liang home gradually returned to calm with the night, but the kitchen became lively again. Ma Xiuzhi was cooking, Liang Junqiang was tending the fire, and Wang Xiaomei was preparing vegetables…

Even after hosting guests for so long, everyone didn’t feel tired at all. They all wore smiles and worked energetically, feeling that the future held unprecedented hopes.

Liang Xueyong was chopping firewood in the backyard. He and Fan Yanxing, who was helping, along with Liang Shuqiang, praised Liang Qingqing endlessly. They would have continued for days and nights if they could, and the other two listened intently.

Especially Fan Yanxing, he would echo Liang Xueyong’s praise with enthusiasm.

Liang Qingqing leaned against the door frame, watching this scene with a twitching smile, and then reached up to rub her face. Maintaining one expression for too long was quite exhausting. She stopped listening to their praise and instead went back to the kitchen to help.

The dinner was exceptionally lavish. Ma Xiuzhi cooked three meat dishes: stir-fried bacon with asparagus, tomato scrambled eggs, and sauerkraut fish. It was as sumptuous as a New Year’s feast. Additionally, there were two vegetable dishes, and a bright red watermelon was cut on the chopping board.

It was indeed a feast comparable to the New Year’s celebration.

Liang Xueyong was in an exceptionally good mood. He glanced at Ma Xiuzhi, cleared his throat, and boldly asked Liang Junqiang to bring out the wine he had been hiding. Liang Junqiang, upon hearing this, instinctively looked at his mother’s reaction. Seeing that she seemed not to have heard, he got up to fetch the wine.

In the countryside, most alcohol is homemade from grains. The smell of such cheap, homemade wine piqued Liang Xueyong’s curiosity and appetite. However, knowing she didn’t handle alcohol well, she only suggested trying a small sip.

Liang Qingqing had drunk before, and since today was a special occasion, Liang Xueyong and Ma Xiuzhi didn’t restrain her. They smiled as they poured a little wine into her bowl, just a thin layer.

“Drink slowly, this wine is quite strong,” Fan Yanxing, sitting beside her, gently reminded her.

Liang Xueyong, who was filling glasses for his two sons, nodded and said, “Fan is right. Qingqing, you don’t have much of a tolerance for alcohol, so drinking too quickly might irritate your throat.”

Hearing this, Liang Qingqing was a bit hesitant but since the wine was already poured, she didn’t want to waste it. After a brief moment of hesitation, she lifted the bowl to her lips. As soon as she brought it close, she smelled the strong aroma of the liquor.

Liang Qingqing carefully took a small sip. Even though she had mentally prepared herself, she still coughed a few times from the strong taste. Her face scrunched up in distaste, and she set the bowl down, resolutely refusing to drink any more.

“Have some water,” Fan Yanxing quickly offered her his cup, frowning with concern. He instinctively rubbed her back, hoping to soothe her discomfort and help her recover more quickly.

Liang Qingqing drank most of the water, and only then did the burning sensation in her throat begin to subside. She gratefully looked at Fan Yanxing and said, “Thank you.”

“No need to be polite,” Fan Yanxing replied.

As Liang Qingqing returned the cup, she looked up and met the gazes of six pairs of eyes, both big and small. It dawned on her that her and Fan Yanxing’s interactions had been too natural and somewhat ambiguous. Even the cup of water she had used was one Fan Yanxing had drunk from!

“ I’m fine, don’t worry,” Liang Qingqing said, her heart racing. Trying to appear calm, she picked up her chopsticks and put a piece of fish into her mouth. The more formal and open she appeared, the less suspicious it would seem.

Liang Qingqing also had her own concerns. It was better to let a few hints slip now than to face a surprise revelation later when their relationship was made public.

“It’s fine if you’re okay. Just don’t learn to drink like your father and the others,” Ma Xiuzhi, perceptive as ever, noticed something amiss. As she spoke, she cast a suspicious glance at the two of them. A wild thought began to form in her mind.

Could it be that these two…

The thought made Ma Xiuzhi shiver. Her first reaction was that it was impossible since Liang Qingqing had initially disliked Fan Yanxing. Although she couldn’t say she hated him, it was clear she wasn’t fond of him either.

However, considering they were young, good-looking, and had spent a lot of time together recently due to various coincidences, it was not impossible for feelings to develop.

The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became. But without evidence and since Qingqing hadn’t mentioned anything to her, Ma Xiuzhi decided to keep it to herself, maybe it was just her overthinking.

“Okay,” Liang Qingqing nodded and focused on enjoying the delicious food on the table.

The men continued drinking and chatting. Ma Xiuzhi and Wang Xiaomei had better alcohol tolerances than Liang Qingqing. Seeing that the men were enjoying themselves, they couldn’t resist having a drink too. By the end, when the wine ran out, it was Fan Yanxing who fetched another bottle so everyone could continue drinking.

From the packaging alone, it was clear it wasn’t cheap, the bottle was covered in dense English text, indicating it was foreign liquor.

As they drank, Liang Shuqiang was the first to collapse. He lay on the table, mumbling incoherently. Wang Xiaomei helped him back to his room, got water to clean him up, and then returned to continue eating.

As the night grew darker, more people began to collapse. Seeing that most had had enough to drink and eat, Ma Xiuzhi decided to end the drinking session, helping Liang Xueyong to wash up first.

Perhaps because of the chance to vent his long-suppressed frustrations, Liang Junqiang drank the most, and by the end, was so inebriated that he lost all sense of himself, sobbing and crying on Fan Yanxing’s shoulder.

Liang Qingqing looked at her brother and felt a pang of discomfort. Her second brother had always been loyal and affectionate. It was impossible that he didn’t have feelings for Huang Shumin, and the divorce must have hurt him deeply. He had hidden all his emotions to avoid worrying the family.

She sighed and glanced at Fan Yanxing, “Are you okay? Have you had too much to drink?”

“Just a little, but I’m fine,” he said, though he looked perfectly composed, showing no signs of being drunk.

Liang Qingqing took it and helped support Liang Junqiang’s arm, “Do you need help? My second brother is quite heavy.”

Fan Yanxing raised an eyebrow, seemingly accusing her of doubting his abilities. Liang Qingqing rolled her eyes and, feeling exasperated, let go of him. “I know you’re strong, so you help him back.”

Men always liked to show off their strength. If he dropped her second brother, she’d make sure to give him a piece of her mind!

But in reality, Fan Yanxing, supporting the drowsy Liang Junqiang, walked steadily and swiftly, making Liang Qingqing’s concern seem unwarranted.

“……”

Liang Qingqing cleared her throat, watching as the two men left the kitchen. She then began to clean up the mess from the table. With everyone else either drunk or busy caring for the inebriated, she had no one to help her except Fan Yanxing, who came over to assist after settling Liang Junqiang.

During the cleanup, Ma Xiuzhi came to check in. Seeing that they were nearly done, she advised them to get some rest and then returned to her room.

The aftereffects of the alcohol were hitting her hard, she felt dizzy and was eager to lie down, lacking the energy to handle anything else.

Liang Qingqing and Fan Yanxing cleaned the table and stove, then put away the washed dishes in the cupboard. By the time they finished, it was past ten o’clock, and the Liang household was quiet, with the faint sound of Liang Xueyong snoring in the background.

“I’ll go take a shower first.”

The flickering candlelight cast a soft, warm glow on them, creating a somewhat romantic atmosphere.

As Liang Qingqing looked at Fan Yanxing’s well-defined profile, her long eyelashes fluttered. A faint aroma of wine lingered at the tip of her nose, but it seemed to be lingering on the tip of her heart, causing her to involuntarily speed up her breathing.