1990s: Spring Water Family

Chapter 185 I may forget some people, but I will never forget you.
"What's wrong with being cute and innocent now?"

Wang Fan chuckled jokingly, waved to the proprietress, and ordered dozens more skewers of lamb.

He was a regular customer, so she had to give him that much face. The proprietress ignored the woman's nonsense and went to the kitchen.

"The well in her house is so powerful that its fame has spread far and wide, even attracting the God of Wealth."

Li Liang chuckled and recounted the important events that had occurred in the courtyard at No. 1 Xigengdao Street.

"We're giving you money, and you still don't want it?"

Wang Fan raised an eyebrow, his eyes showing surprise: "A thousand yuan a month in rent is quite a lot. Even the storefronts along the street in the old East Gate aren't that expensive."

"This is truly a godsend that has come knocking on our door."

Qu Peng also said with a smile, "Those people who haven't had their houses demolished yet should be laughing now, because everyone can make a lot of money renting out their houses."

Is that what you all think?

Wu Meng's face fell; the more she listened, the more depressed she became.

"Uh-huh."

Wang Fan and Qu Peng nodded at the same time.

"Mengmeng's mother is a tailor, but business is not good after she moved."

Lin Xiyu explained on behalf of her friend: "And her father, who works as a chef at a nearby hotel, has also moved away. It's inconvenient for him to go to work now, and he has to ride his bicycle back and forth on rainy or snowy days, which is tiring."

"Tourist areas will be developed and utilized; this is an inevitable trend in economic development that cannot be stopped."

Wang Fan spoke in the manner of a big boss: "Xigengdao Street is adjacent to Wangfu Pond and Qifeng Bridge. It is the best-located area in the old city, with the most beautiful scenery and the most tourists. Even if you disagree now, it will be difficult to insist in the future. Perhaps in order to generate revenue, the street authorities will step in and make you move."

"Don't they think about the spring water?"

Wu Meng retorted angrily, "With so much oil and grease from restaurants, how could it not pollute the spring water? To protect the spring water, swimming is no longer allowed in the Prince's Pool, so why are restaurants allowed to open there?"

"That's a good reason."

Li Liang's eyes lit up, and he smiled and agreed, "You can have your mom argue with them."

"If we don't run a restaurant, we have other ways to make a living."

Wang Fan smiled dismissively: "If there's profit to be made, no one can stop them. As long as they offer a higher price, I guarantee your mother won't last a month before she's tempted."

"Oh no, does that mean I'll be homeless too?"

Wu Meng wailed with a mournful face: "I thought I could stay here and live my whole life in the old courtyard house, guarding that spring. Those evil capitalists have taken my home away too."

"Stop howling, eat some meat."

Wang Fan grabbed a handful of lamb skewers and gave them to her: "Instead of complaining, you should think about how to negotiate with them and maximize your benefits."

"Their family lives in a public housing unit."

Gu Bin had been silent until he finally got to the point: "Whether we are eligible to rent it out or not ultimately depends on the office's decision."

"That would be really terrible."

Li Liang looked at Wu Meng with pity: "Giving up the house brings no benefit whatsoever; it's no different from being evicted."

"We should at least provide some subsidies."

Lin Xiyu put herself in Wu Meng's shoes and felt sorry for her: "They give a monthly housing subsidy of 100 yuan for demolition compensation. It's just not fair to kick people out for the sake of generating revenue and not give them any compensation at all."

"Every family has its own problems."

Qu Peng sighed deeply, "No one has it easy. Life is never smooth sailing."

What are you complaining about now?

Not wanting to spoil the atmosphere, Wang Fan quickly changed the subject: "Let's not talk about her, tell us about yourself. How's it going in Beijing? When are you going to pick up a girl from Beijing and bring her back for us to see?"

"Don't even think about it, girls from Beijing."

Qu Peng chuckled self-deprecatingly: "I'm interested in them, but they're not interested in me."

"What happened?"

Wang Fan raised an eyebrow and asked again, "Gu Bin's cousin hasn't given up yet?"

"She has already been convinced by her mother."

Qu Peng smiled bitterly and helplessly: "What did you tell me? You can't establish a career without getting married. You're telling me to work my butt off and climb the ladder. If I don't get into the Ministry of Public Security, I'm not qualified to marry her."

"Cut~~"

Wang Fan scoffed and gave him a pitying look: "I knew this would be the result. That family is all so arrogant. Why are you getting involved with them? Give up now and focus your energy on building your career. A man with power and money can get any woman he wants. There's no need to hang yourself on a crooked tree."

Qu Peng glanced at him sideways: "You said the Gu family are crooked trees, aren't you afraid Gu Bin will beat you up?"

"He's in Jinan, and he doesn't associate with those people in Beijing."

Wang Fan didn't take it seriously: "If you don't believe me, ask him if he thinks the same way I do, that he doesn't want you to have anything to do with his cousin anymore?"

"Ah."

Gu Bin nodded in agreement.

"His cousin doesn't look like the kind of woman who'd settle down and live a domestic life."

Li Liang had his own opinion: "A woman with high intelligence, high education, and a good family background would never be content with a mediocre life. Even if you joined the Ministry of Public Security and became the minister, she might not think you were good enough for her."

"That hurts, bro."

Qu Peng clutched his chest, making an exaggerated gesture as if he had been stabbed: "I can accept it if others say such things about me, but you actually hurt me like this. It really breaks my heart."

"I'm doing this for your own good."

Li Liang patted him on the shoulder, offering comfort in a friendly manner: "I don't want you to get stuck in a rut and waste your life on someone who isn't worth entrusting your life to."

"That's not the case."

Qu Peng smiled with relief: "I'm a very easygoing person and not that attached to relationships. Actually, at first, I felt sorry for her because she was always alone and seemed lonely, so I thought of comforting her."

"Later I realized I was stupid. She wasn't lonely, but she looked down on other people and thought that associating with them would lower her IQ, so she preferred to stay alone and didn't want to interact with anyone."

-

"Some highly intelligent people are like this: arrogant and haughty."

Li Liang smiled and chimed in, "It's rare to see someone like Gu Bin who has both high IQ and high EQ."

"I also want to become very smart."

Wu Meng was in a bad mood, so she drank some alcohol and got a little tipsy.

"Come on, little cutie, eat more meat and you'll become smarter."

Wang Fan teased her with a smile, then grabbed a handful of lamb skewers and put them on her plate.

"really?"

Wu Meng squinted at him, looking at him suspiciously.

"real."

Wang Fan suppressed a laugh and nodded seriously.

"Are you lying to me?"

Wu Meng didn't believe it, picked up a skewer of lamb and muttered under her breath, "How come I didn't know that eating lamb skewers had this effect?"

"Pfft."

Wang Fan couldn't help but laugh out loud.

She's lying to you.

Lin Xiyu couldn't stand it anymore. She frowned slightly and gave Wang Fan a warning look.

"Cough cough."

Wang Fan coughed twice, feigning embarrassment, and looked away.

"I just knew he was lying to me."

Wu Meng took another bite of the lamb skewer, chewing it angrily as if the meat had been chopped off someone's body.

"hiss."

Wang Fan met her resentful little eyes and inhaled sharply through his teeth.

"Let's drink, let's drink!"

Li Liang came to his fiancée's rescue, raising his glass and deliberately trying to liven things up: "After the New Year, we'll all be going our separate ways again. Who knows when we'll see each other again? Let's all raise our glasses and down this in one gulp. Tonight we have to drink to our hearts' content, and nobody's allowed to back out."

"We can meet during summer vacation, right?"

Qu Peng stood still, arguing with him: "Don't make it sound so sentimental, like we'll never see each other again."

"I might not be able to come back during summer vacation."

Li Liang chuckled and dropped a bombshell: "I've passed the selection for the Guard of Honor of the Three Services, and I'll be going to Beijing for training after the New Year."

"Damn it, you little brat."

Wang Fan punched him hard: "You kept it a secret for so long, and you're only telling us now."

Welcome to Beijing!

Qu Peng was pleasantly surprised and gave him a warm hug. "We brothers can finally be together again! I've been waiting for this day for so long!"

"The training for the Guard of Honor must be very rigorous, right?" Wang Fan teased him with a smile, "Even if Li Liang goes to Beijing, he won't have time to deal with you."

"You don't need to be jealous. Why don't you come too, and the three of us can play together."

Qu Peng and his brother put their arms around Li Liang's shoulders and gave him a provocative look.

"I'm not going anywhere, I'll stay in Jinan."

Wang Fan leaned back comfortably in his chair, exuding an air of dominance: "Jinan is the foundation of my prosperity. Only here can I truly make big money. In the future, I will not only run a building materials business, but also venture into real estate and open an investment company. With my vision and courage, becoming a billionaire is just around the corner."

"Brilliant!"

Qu Peng gave a thumbs up in utmost admiration.

"Don't forget us when you become rich!"

Li Liang raised his glass and waved it at him.

"I may forget anyone else, but I can't forget you all."

Wang Fan said with great satisfaction, "I'll be waiting for you here. You're welcome to come back anytime."

"Come on, guys, let's have a drink!"

Qu Peng also raised his glass and clinked it with Li Liang's.

"Dry!"

Gu Bin and Wang Fan moved in unison, clinking glasses with each other.

"Click."

With a sudden, sharp crack, the moment the two beer glasses touched, Gu Bin's glass inexplicably split open from bottom to top, spilling beer all over the floor along his fingers.

"Broken cups are considered unlucky during the Lunar New Year."

With her eyes still blurry and drunk, Wu Meng blurted out the answer without thinking.

Lin Xiyu's heart skipped a beat. Looking at the shattered wine glass, a nameless panic welled up inside her.

"May you have peace even if you break apart."

Li Liang's mind raced, and he tried to smooth things over for his fiancée.

"Yes, yes, may everything be peaceful and safe."

Qu Peng quickly chimed in, "In my hometown, we have this saying: no matter who it is, if they break a bowl or plate, others will say 'May everything be alright' on their behalf, for good luck."

"Madam, the quality of your cups is subpar."

Wang Fan, skeptical, beckoned the proprietress over and complained, "The wine spilled and splashed all over me."

"It's too cold in winter, and the glass is easy to break."

The proprietress gave an awkward laugh and replaced their cups with new ones.

"Is your hand okay?"

Lin Xiyu held Gu Bin's hand with a worried expression.

"It's just a broken cup, it's nothing."

Gu Bin smiled nonchalantly and instead comforted her.

"It's quite cold outside, and the meat skewers are all cold."

Wang Fan then called the proprietress over: "Get us a small stove and some charcoal, we'll grill it ourselves."

"okay."

The proprietress smiled and agreed. Not long after, she brought over a small barbecue grill, the charcoal inside crackling and burning brightly.

With the small stove, Xu Yi perked up and neatly arranged the lamb skewers on it, grilling them with impressive skill.

The lamb skewers sizzled and bubbled on the grill, releasing a wonderful aroma.

"Meat skewers taste best when they're hot."

Qu Peng sprinkled some more salt and pepper on the meat skewers.

Since the ladies don't eat spicy food, he deliberately set aside half of the non-spicy portion without adding chili peppers.

"Give me a hot skewer."

Gu Bin picked up a non-spicy skewer and handed it to Lin Xiyu.

"Ah."

Lin Xiyu forced a smile, suppressing her inner panic.

"Beer is too cold in winter, let's have a bottle of baijiu instead."

Looking at the broken glass, Wang Fan felt it was a bit unlucky, so he simply replaced it with baijiu (Chinese liquor).

Qu Peng kindly reminded him, "Aren't you afraid of getting drunk mixing baijiu and beer?"

Wang Fan scoffed: "Do you believe me if I dare to mix red wine, white wine, and beer?"

"Another bottle of red wine, please."

Seeing that he didn't appreciate it, Qu Peng's cunning side began to stir: "Let him drink. We won't stop until we get him drunk today."

"drink."

Li Liang laughed and chimed in, "This kid's become a big boss, he's all cocky and dares to act arrogantly in front of us brothers. We have to teach him a lesson."

"I'll join in the fun, too."

Gu Bin added fuel to the fire: "Let's all get him drunk together."

"I'm not afraid of the three of you at all."

Wang Fan scoffed: "As long as you don't cheat, just get the women to help you out of the drinking game."

"Who are you looking down on?"

"Take him down!"

Qu Peng and Li Liang were greatly spurred on and rolled up their sleeves, ready to make a big splash.

Pour the three types of wine into one glass for him.

Gu Bin smiled slyly and continued to add fuel to the fire.

"You can do it!"

Wang Fan laughed in exasperation: "When it comes to who's the most cunning among us brothers, it's definitely you."

"Shut up."

Qu Peng unscrewed the bottle of baijiu and poured him a full glass.

"Depend on!"

Wang Fan punched him in annoyance: "Drinking baijiu from a beer mug? You want me to get drunk and die here?"

"Who told you to brag like that?"

Qu Peng smiled slyly and replaced the wine cups for himself and Li Liang with smaller ones.

"What about mine?"

Gu Bin raised an eyebrow, looking surprised, when he saw that the man hadn't changed his wine cup.

"With a beautiful woman by your side, how could you possibly get drunk?"

Qu Peng glanced at Lin Xiyu and gave Gu Bin a knowing look: "If you don't drink, the beauty will drink for you, so I'll just save you the trouble and give you both one cup."

"Using a cup is like kissing in disguise."

Emboldened by the alcohol, Wu Meng chuckled and responded to the conversation with remarkable fluency.

Lin Xiyu's ears turned red.

Gu Bin coughed twice, a rare moment of awkwardness.

She was drunk.

Li Liang smiled awkwardly.

"I'm not drunk."

Wu Meng pouted her cheeks in protest.

"Okay, okay, you're not drunk."

Li Liang knew perfectly well that when someone is drunk, the more they talk about being drunk, the more energetic they become, and they'll argue with you until they get to the bottom of it.

"Fill his bowl too."

Wang Fan agreed and gestured to Qu Peng to stop dawdling and quickly pour some for Gu Bin.

Qu Peng was eager to have some fun and acted swiftly.

"Okay, I'll drink it."

Gu Bin then turned cunning again, putting his arm around Li Liang's shoulder like a buddy and deliberately provoking them: "Anyway, we have backup, someone will take care of us if we get drunk."

Qu Peng paused in pouring the wine, then glared at him with deep resentment.