1990s: Spring Water Family

Chapter 153: A drinking contest leads to defeating the entire Gu family.

"Sixth Grandfather, please don't be angry."

Gu Bin glanced at the brother and sister seemingly unconcerned, and smiled as he smoothed things over: "Gu Lan and Gu Hui are siblings. They've been playing around since they were little. They meant no harm. Hearing them mention pork and cabbage reminded me of a common dish in old Jinan: pork and cabbage stew with vermicelli."

"Braised pork and cabbage with glass noodles is delicious, I like it too."

Lin Xiyu and he worked well together and gave him a very enthusiastic endorsement: "My grandma is from Shanxi. She likes to add some vinegar and chili to make the soup base sour and spicy. When it's done, she adds radish balls. The taste is indescribably delicious."

You mean hot and sour soup, right?

Grandpa Liu was well-traveled and had tasted similar delicacies before.

"Yes."

Lin Xiyu nodded with a smile: "My grandma said that this soup is called hot and sour soup."

"Is hot and sour soup a flavor from the Sichuan and Chongqing area?"

Grandpa Gu chuckled happily, deliberately showing his support for his granddaughter-in-law.

"Not just Sichuan and Chongqing."

Grandpa Liu echoed him, saying, "I've also had it in the Henan area."

"I'd like to have hot and sour soup too."

Grandpa Gu smiled and said, "When Xiyu comes to our house another day, she should make us an authentic hot and sour soup to try."

"to make."

Lin Xiyu readily agreed: "Grandpa can drink it anytime he wants."

"Aren't you going to Shanghai tomorrow?"

Grandpa Gu's mouth watered at her words, and he was eager to try it: "There's no time like the present, let's do it tonight."

"it is good"

Lin Xiyu had just said "okay" when she was interrupted by a discordant voice.

"Don't rush to agree, we haven't even had a drink yet."

Gu Lan's eyes flashed with provocation: "Whether you can still go back and make hot and sour soup after drinking is another matter."

"Judging from your tone, you seem a bit unconvinced and want to provoke me?"

Dissatisfied with his attitude, Gu Bin stood up for his wife and deliberately provoked him: "How about we make a bet? You'll definitely be the one who gets drunk at this lunch today."

"Fine, let's gamble then."

Gu Lan was indeed fooled, and scoffed, "I don't believe it. The three of us brothers can't outdrink her alone."

"Don't be so unconvinced."

Gu Bin continued slyly, "I think you look unlucky today. You're in bad luck. I don't even need to calculate it to predict that you'll lose badly."

"Gu Lan, I think we should forget about it."

Gu Feng's biggest fear was Gu Bin, and seeing that Gu Bin was deliberately setting a trap for Gu Lan, he felt a little scared.

"We have to gamble."

Gu Lan refused to believe it and slammed her hand on the table, exuding an air of domineering power.

"Brother Peng, try to persuade him."

Gu Feng was secretly anxious and kept giving Gu Peng meaningful glances: "He's asking for trouble, don't drag us down with him."

Do you think he's the type of person who will listen to advice?

Gu Peng remained indifferent throughout, as if it had nothing to do with him.

"Ugh."

Gu Feng complained helplessly, "Coming to Jinan with this guy is really unlucky."

"What are you gambling?"

Gu Bin pretended not to see the brothers' private actions, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"Let's bet on this watch."

Gu Lan took her diamond-encrusted Rolex watch off her wrist and tossed it onto the table with a flourish.

How much is this watch?

Wang Fan's eyes lit up, and he happily came over and picked up the watch.

"Not expensive."

Gu Lan deliberately showed off: "It's only about 20,000 yuan."

"hiss"

Wang Fan pretended to be ignorant and gasped, "It's so expensive, and people actually bet on it. That's incredibly extravagant."

"Humph."

Gu Lan scoffed: "What's 20,000? Only country bumpkins like you who have never seen the world would make such a fuss."

"The class representative looks down on us."

Instead of getting angry, Wang Fan laughed and deliberately provoked, "If you beat him, this watch is mine."

Li Liang couldn't bear to look: "They made a bet, why should the watch be yours?"

"You don't understand this."

Wang Fan chuckled and deliberately provoked Gu Lan: "Gu Bin is such a proud person, how could he wear a watch that someone else has worn? The class monitor is a girl, it's such a waste to throw it away if she doesn't wear a men's watch. I might as well give it away and I can gain a favor."

Gu Lan was furious: "Are you all so sure she'll win?"

"You're doomed to lose."

Wang Fan unceremoniously stuffed the watch into his pocket, then stabbed him in the heart again: "Luckily you're not completely stupid and didn't bet your clothes, otherwise you would have lost everything, not even your underwear."

"puff."

Gu Hui couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of tea.

-

Lin Xiyu's alcohol tolerance is beyond doubt. While she may not be able to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, she can certainly handle a bottle or two of 52-proof baijiu.

The four siblings of the Gu family joined forces to challenge her to a drinking contest, but they were all stunned by her domineering ability to down a few cups in one gulp.

"Xi Yu truly lives up to her reputation as a Shandong woman, a heroine among women. I'm giving up; I admit defeat."

Gu Hui was the first to concede defeat and withdraw from the betting game.

"I can't go on either, my stomach hurts, I need to go to the toilet."

Gu Peng didn't want to participate in the boring game, and when he drank the fifth cup, he used the excuse of needing to urinate to leave the table.

"You've really killed me this time. I've done my best. I can't drink anymore, or I'll throw up."

Gu Feng was the most tactful. Out of brotherly affection, he drank with Gu Lan until the eighth cup, then pretended to vomit and slipped into the restroom, never to return.

"Do you want to continue?"

Seeing that Gu Lan's fair face had turned bright red, Lin Xiyu didn't want to upset him any further, so she put down her wine glass.

"I'm not drunk, keep drinking."

Gu Lan was too proud to admit defeat and stubbornly refused to back down.

Lin Xiyu raised her eleventh glass of wine and downed it in one gulp.

"it is good!"

The bet between the two sides attracted a lot of attention, and the onlookers cheered and applauded loudly.

"Hehe, my granddaughter-in-law is quite good."

Grandpa Fu was thoroughly enjoying the spectacle. He pushed his wheelchair to his in-laws' table to cheer on his granddaughter-in-law, saying, "Her drinking capacity and boldness are reminiscent of my younger days."

"What are you meddling in? This is a family matter for the Gu family."

Grandpa Gu snorted as soon as he saw it was him, his displeasure evident.

"Xiao Lin, Grandpa supports you."

Grandpa Fu ignored him, rolled up his sleeves and exuded an air of dominance: "Grandpa will cover all the drinks today. Let's drink the entire Gu family under the table."

Grandpa Gu's lips twitched; not wanting to be laughed at by outsiders, he forced himself not to chase them away.

"Grandpa supports me, I must win." Lin Xiyu gave Grandpa Fu a sweet smile, then picked up a glass of wine and downed it in one gulp.

"it is good."

A thunderous cheer erupted in the banquet hall, and more and more people, drawn by the gambling, gathered from all directions.

Gu Lan was caught in a dilemma, and forced herself to drink a few more cups before collapsing onto the table.

-

The little incident of gambling with alcohol made the wedding banquet even more lively.

The guests who came to offer their congratulations watched with great interest, and even after the banquet ended, they were still reluctant to leave, chatting and laughing with the relatives of both sides.

The wonderful reunion was always too short. After the engagement banquet, relatives from all over the country had to part ways again.

Gu Bin and Lin Xiyu stood at the door to see them off, waving goodbye.

Qu Peng was unable to leave and was forcibly dragged to a secluded corner by his two childhood friends.

"Brother, let me give you some advice: you and Gu Hui are not a good match."

Wang Fan was unusually serious, his brows furrowed: "I've already inquired about her. Putting aside her family's circumstances, just look at her. She's the national champion in the Biology Olympiad, was specially admitted to Tsinghua University's Junior Class at the age of 13, graduated with a bachelor's degree at 15, and started her master's and doctoral studies at 16. With such a brilliant background, and being a genius girl carefully nurtured by the Gu family, do you think you can catch up with her?"

"Besides, judging from her attitude, she treats you as if you're nothing to her. Her brother made such sarcastic remarks about you; if it were anyone else, the siblings would have turned against each other long ago. She just said something like, 'Who got taken advantage of by a pig?' She didn't even try to stand up for you. Such a cold attitude can only mean one thing: she doesn't care about you, or in her heart, she thinks she's very good, and you're just a brainless pig."

"Wang Fan's words, though a bit rough, are still reasonable."

Li Liang also earnestly advised, "I also think Gu Hui is not a good match for you. You shouldn't put too much energy into her. It's better not to hang yourself on one tree."

"Damn, you two are really something else."

Qu Peng nearly vomited blood: "I told you I had nothing to do with her, but you forced me to admit it, and then you forced me to let go. Is this how you care about your brother?"

"That's not the case for us."

Li Liang was a little embarrassed: "I didn't know Gu Hui was so smart beforehand. She's not even in the same league as you. Even if you two really got together, she would crush you and you'd never be able to turn things around."

"Actually, she's just good at studying."

Qu Peng had a lot of contact with Gu Hui and had his own insights: "She is quite simple-minded, which is fundamentally different from Gu Bin, who has a terrifyingly high IQ and can control people's hearts."

They both have the surname Gu.

Wang Fan kindly reminded them: "Don't underestimate blood relations. Their intelligence is inherited from the Gu family. Look at the older generation of the Gu family, they are all very capable. Their descendants are not much different."

"That's the truth."

Li Liang wholeheartedly agreed: "Like begets like. Some people's behavior is instinctive. They are cousins, so they must have similarities."

"I think you two are overthinking it."

Qu Peng sighed and said, “Genius girls are human too. From my observation, she is not only not arrogant, but also a bit aloof. She always likes to stay quietly by herself and doesn’t like to interact with outsiders. That’s why Sixth Grandfather cares about her so much and often invites her to his residence to play chess and talk with him. It was because of this that I had the opportunity to get in touch with her, which led to Gu Lan’s misunderstanding.”

"It's not just a misunderstanding, is it?"

Wang Fan asked pointedly, "Her parents know about it and have spread the word that a combined master's and doctoral program isn't allowed, so isn't that targeting you?"

"Let them target us then."

Qu Peng didn't care: "It's not like I can't live without her daughter. Once I'm in college, there are plenty of female classmates with good family backgrounds, good temperaments, and gentle and virtuous qualities. With my charm, how could I not find a girlfriend?"

"cut"

Wang Fan couldn't stand his boasting and teased him with a smile: "Keep bragging. How many gentle and virtuous women are there in the Public Security University? They're all hot-tempered bullies."

"That's possible."

Li Liang wholeheartedly agreed.

"I go."

Qu Peng laughed angrily: "You two just can't stand to see me doing well, can you?"

"We are just trying to give you a friendly reminder."

Wang Fan smiled wickedly and delivered another blow: "Don't be so cocky when you get to Beijing. Don't forget your roots. Don't you know your own worth? You talk as if you can pick and choose any girl you want at the Police University. Do you think everyone is as stupid as Wu Meng? To let you boss them around and play with them?"

"Cough cough."

Upon hearing Wu Meng's name, both Qu Peng and Li Liang's expressions changed.

"It's been so long, I'd completely forgotten about it. Why are you bringing it up again?"

Fearing that Li Liang might harbor resentment, Qu Peng hurriedly distanced himself from her, saying, "Besides, I only see her as a younger sister; I have no other intentions."

"Hey, you're pretty good at patting yourself on the back?"

Wang Fan wasn't about to let him off so easily, and continued slyly, "If you treat Wu Meng like a younger sister, then Li Liang has to call you brother-in-law, right? Did you ask anyone else if you wanted to establish a family connection?"

"disagree."

Before Li Liang could speak, a clear female voice came from behind, interrupting the three's conversation.

"Yo"

Wang Fan turned around and chuckled, "What a coincidence! Speak of the devil and he appears! The main character has arrived."

"Cough cough."

Seeing Wu Meng glaring at him with displeasure, Qu Peng coughed awkwardly twice.

"You and Li Liang are childhood friends."

Wu Meng rolled her eyes at Wang Fan, who had stirred up trouble, and said something surprising: "He's older than you, you should call me sister-in-law."

"puff."

Wang Fan couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Li Liang's lips curled up slightly, revealing a contented smile.

"Cough cough."

Qu Peng's handsome face turned bright red, and his cough worsened.

"What are you laughing at? You seem so happy."

Gu Bin and Lin Xiyu returned after seeing off the guests, just in time to witness the commotion.

Wu Meng made Qu Peng call her sister-in-law.

Wang Fan, always eager for a good show, egged everyone on.

Gu Bin didn't see anything wrong with it: "Li Liang's birthday is three months earlier than Qu Peng's, so he should call her sister-in-law."

"Younger sister becomes sister-in-law"

Wang Fan chuckled to himself: "Qu Peng really got the short end of the stick."

Who is his sister?

Wu Meng glared at Wang Fan unhappily.

"Why are you glaring at me?"

Wang Fan, addicted to insults, continued to annoy Qu Peng: "It's not like I want to recognize you as my sister. Romantic relationships are the easiest to get into trouble. I don't have the guts to get entangled with someone else's fiancée."

"You can shut up."

Qu Peng couldn't stand it anymore and, taking advantage of a moment when the man wasn't looking, grabbed him by the neck.

Wang Fan's face turned red and his neck bulged from being strangled, rendering him unable to move.

"Qu Peng, this is no fun."

Gu Bin, unusually siding with Wang Fan, spoke up for him: "We're all brothers, why would you take a joke seriously?"

"This kid is too good at stirring up trouble."

Qu Peng, mindful of Gu Bin's presence, didn't want to really argue with Wang Fan, so he awkwardly let go of his hand.

"Cough, cough, cough."

Wang Fan's breathing was erratic, and he complained irritably, "You little bastard, you're playing dirty tricks, are you trying to strangle me?"

"Who told you to be so mean?"

Qu Peng's handsome face was as black as the bottom of a pot.

"No, we can't just let this go like this."

Wang Fan persisted: "Unless you treat us all to a big meal tonight, this isn't over."