Qi Shuai pushed the glass in front of him and said, "Qi Yao, just drink your wine."
Qi Yao was bewildered.
A silence fell over the table of men.
Qi Lian had seen them long before Qi Yao spoke. He squinted his eyes. Yu Mo was wearing a dusty rose silk blouse and skirt; she looked so tender she seemed as if she’d bruise at a touch. She stood submissively in Zhang Qingfeng’s arms, letting him half-embrace her as they walked toward the group.
Qi Lian felt the glass of beer he’d just downed rush straight to his head.
When they reached the table, Zhang Qingfeng introduced them with a smile and pulled Yu Mo down to sit next to Qi Yao.
Qi Lian’s eyes were fixed in a death stare on Yu Mo, but her head remained bowed. Her expression was flat, and she didn't give him a single extra glance.
Zhang Qingfeng leaned his head toward Yu Mo, and the two of them spoke in what was practically a whisper. Sitting across from them, Qi Lian couldn't hear a word they were saying.
Zhang Qingfeng called out to the waiter, "Bring two more beer mugs."
Qi Lian countered, "Bring a glass of plain water."
When the waiter returned with a glass of water in one hand and two large beer mugs in the other, Qi Lian pointed at Yu Mo. "Give it to her."
Zhang Qingfeng’s hand paused as he reached for a mug.
Yu Mo said to the waiter, "I don't drink plain water. Take it back."
The waiter looked at Qi Lian. Qi Lian simply pointed at the spot across from him without saying a word. The waiter reflexively set the water down in front of Yu Mo.
Yu Mo looked up at Qi Lian, her gaze listless and weary.
Qi Lian felt the alcohol not only flush his face but churn through his very core.
Zhang Qingfeng placed a glass of beer in front of Yu Mo and leaned over, whispering, "If you don't want to drink it, just leave it there. Don't bruise his ego; he can be a bit unpredictable sometimes."
Jiang Yuan curled his lip at Qi Lian and muttered a single word under his breath that only the two of them could hear: "Pathetic."
He then turned to Yu Mo with a cheerful smile. "Miss Yu, I didn't realize you were Old Five's girlfriend the last time we ate together. I thought you were Qi Lian's friend."
Yu Mo looked up at him, then at Qi Lian. She didn't say anything, but she picked up the glass and took a large gulp of beer.
The beer was freezing cold. Unprepared, she felt it hit her windpipe; she nearly gagged but forced herself to swallow it down.
Qi Lian’s brow furrowed.
Zhang Qingfeng gave Jiang Yuan a kick under the table. "What are you doing? Why are you trying to scare her?"
Qi Yao clapped Zhang Qingfeng on the shoulder. "You’re something else, kid. You were a good student back in school, and who knew you’d have such luck with women? Where did you find her, sister-in-law? I’ve never seen her around these parts before."
The owner of the Xinjiang BBQ stall, a stout man, bellowed at them with his booming voice, "The skewers are ready! Someone come and help grab them!"
Qi Shuai grabbed Qi Yao. "Let’s go, let’s go. Help get the food."
The group helped arrange basin after basin of meat skewers on the table.
That day, Yu Mo was wearing a very French-style rose-purple silk blouse. The sleeves were as wide as an opera costume's, gathered only at the cuffs with rows of covered buttons.
This kind of shirt was meant for sipping tea in a refined, airy cafe, not for navigating a greasy, cramped BBQ stall.
Zhang Qingfeng said to her, "Don't move. I don't want you getting oil on your sleeves. Tell me what you want to eat."
He pulled over an empty plate and began placing skewers of lamb and enoki mushrooms—standard BBQ fare—in front of her.
Yu Mo watched from the side, occasionally saying, "No chives," or "That’s enough, that’s enough."
Qi Yao, holding a large grilled kidney, mumbled through a mouthful of food, "Zhang Qingfeng, can you not be so clingy in front of the brothers? If you want to be lovey-dovey, do it in private."
He then turned toward Yu Mo. "Sister-in-law, let me tell you, don't let Zhang Qingfeng's act fool you. He’s been a quiet rebel since he was a kid, always had a mind of his own. Once, his dad hit him, so he packed a bag and ran away. He walked ten or twenty miles along the Lianhua River. When it got dark, he fell asleep by the riverbank. Someone from the neighboring village picked him up and didn't bring him back until the next morning. He turned our whole village upside down; every family sent men out to look for him. His dad never dared to hit him again after that."
He burst into laughter, and Zhang Qingfeng chuckled along with him.
Jiang Yuan chimed in with a smile, "It’s a good thing he threw that tantrum. From then on, whenever we did something bad, we’d just pin it on Zhang Qingfeng. His dad wouldn't beat him anyway."
Zhang Qingfeng replied, "You guys have some nerve. You think my dad was that easy to fool? That time you were caught smoking and insisted it was me? My dad doesn't even smoke—where would I have gotten cigarettes? When I got home, my dad just said, 'I know it wasn't you, just tell me who it was.' The adults saw right through our little tricks."
Qi Yao said, "The only one missing from our group is Jiang Lai. Come to think of it, I haven't seen him in a year. He’s different from us now; he can't even make it back for New Year's."
"Hey, Qi Lian, are you picking a fight with the beer today? Why are you only drinking and not eating?" Qi Yao shouted across the table.
Qi Lian picked up a freshly poured glass of beer and tapped it against the table. "Come on, everyone, let's have a drink!"
Everyone raised their glasses. Yu Mo followed suit and clinked hers against the others.
Qi Lian said, "Drink as much as you like. If you can drink, drink; if you can't, just have a little."
Jiang Yuan sighed.
After finishing his glass, Jiang Yuan turned and asked, "The work at Lange is almost finished. What’s your final word on that thing Big Wang mentioned?"
The two of them began discussing work matters.
On the other side, Zhang Qingfeng refilled Yu Mo’s beer glass. In a voice meant only for her, he asked, "Are you feeling any better?"
Yu Mo nodded and gave him a small smile.
Zhang Qingfeng added, "Did you see the news? PGR, the one you liked so much, has passed away."
Yu Mo looked at him in shock. "When did that happen? I didn't see it."
"I saw the news this morning. It seems they passed away yesterday."
Yu Mo said, "Between what happened this afternoon and this news, it’s truly ironic. Today’s events made me feel even more that these women are extraordinarily brave. They are the true light of womanhood."
Seeing the sadness on her face, Zhang Qingfeng gave her shoulder a comforting pat.
Jiang Yuan was still talking to Qi Lian about work, but seeing him distracted and unresponsive, he asked, "Qi Lian, are you even listening to me?"
Qi Lian turned to him and snapped irritably, "We'll talk about it later! Does it have to be right fucking now?"
He squinted, watching Zhang Qingfeng pour Yu Mo a second glass of beer. The two of them were leaning in so close while talking that their heads were almost touching. Even though they were all eating together, it felt as if the two of them were in a world of their own.
Yu Mo had been acting soft and submissive from start to finish. The thought of it made the beer he’d drunk turn into a bitter heat that made it impossible for him to sit still.
Jiang Yuan, sitting next to him, grabbed him and whispered, "What are you doing? Sit down."
Qi Shuai, who had been watching Qi Lian the whole time, suddenly called out to Zhang Qingfeng, "Zhang Qingfeng, what are you doing? Didn't you invite the brothers out for a meal? Just focusing on your own romance—what kind of behavior is that?"
Zhang Qingfeng replied, "What’s wrong with you guys today? Do you really need me to wait on you? Eat up, eat up."
He raised his glass toward Qi Lian. "But I should say one thing: this meal is mainly to thank Qi Lian for all his help. Come on, Qi Lian, let’s have a drink."
He then said to Yu Mo, "Yu Mo, you join in too. Let's thank Qi Lian for his help."
Qi Lian sat motionless, his cold eyes staring straight at Yu Mo.
Just then, three men walked by and shouted, "Brother Lian!"
Qi Lian didn't even turn his head; he just waved them away.
He kept his eyes on Yu Mo and asked, "You're going to drink with him?"
At the next table, someone burst into a roar of laughter for some unknown reason.
Yu Mo slowly stood up and said to Zhang Qingfeng, "I need to use the restroom."
Zhang Qingfeng immediately set down his glass. "I'll take you. It's about twenty meters ahead."
Qi Lian tilted his head back and drained a glass of beer, watching as Zhang Qingfeng protectively escorted Yu Mo away.
Yu Mo swayed slightly in her high heels, and the men along the roadside turned their heads to stare at her.
A surge of irrational fury rose in his gut; he wanted nothing more than to hurl the glass in his hand.
Qi Yao let out a burp. "I haven't eaten with you guys in a while, but I feel like I'm missing something today."
Qi Shuai’s almond-shaped eyes looked coldly at Qi Yao. "Qi Yao, whose side are you on? Qi Lian’s or Zhang Qingfeng’s?"
Qi Yao looked as if he’d been struck by lightning. "What the fuck are you talking about?"
Jiang Yuan said, "Don't listen to his bullshit. Just keep your mouth shut."
Qi Lian pointed at Yu Mo’s beer glass and said to Qi Yao, "Take her glass away."
Qi Yao was stunned, having no idea what kind of drama was unfolding. He looked at Qi Lian’s freezing expression and, without a word, handed Yu Mo’s glass to the waiter.
Jiang Yuan couldn't stand it and cursed, "Meddling in things that are none of your business."
Qi Yao was quick-witted enough to catch on. He thought for a moment and said, "Qi Lian, that woman is fine, but we’re brothers. It shouldn't come down to you trying to snatch her, right?"
Before he could finish, Qi Lian picked up a bamboo skewer from the table and flicked it at him. Qi Yao caught it deftly.
Qi Lian asked coldly, "Who did you say is snatching from whom?"
Jiang Yuan tried to advise Qi Yao, "His mind is clouded right now. He won't turn back until he hits a dead end. Everyone thinks he’s the smartest one in our group, but I think one moment of stupidity is going to be the death of him."
A sudden southeast wind blew a cloud of smoke from the BBQ grill toward them, smothering the men in the corner. Someone started coughing, and another cursed, "Damn it, Fatty Yu, do you want to stay in business or not?"
Yu Mo and Zhang Qingfeng returned just then. Zhang Qingfeng waved his hands to clear the smoke for her.
As soon as Yu Mo sat down, she noticed her beer glass was gone. Only the untouched glass of plain water stood there lonely. She scanned the table; she didn't know the others well, and the only one she did know, she didn't want to ask.
It was Zhang Qingfeng who asked, "Where’s your glass?"
Qi Yao joked with him, "Why are you letting the girl drink so much? Are you worried that if she drinks less, you won't get your money's worth for the treat?"
Zhang Qingfeng laughed and cursed, "Piss off."
Yu Mo said softly to him, "I won't drink anymore. I can't handle any more."
Qi Yao said loudly, "What about Jiang Lai? Give him a call. He’s the only one missing. It’s been ages since we all saw each other."
Qi Lian stopped him. "I already asked. He’s on duty."
Qi Yao, his face flushed red from drinking, smacked his lips. "Sigh, I actually miss him a bit right now. We used to hang out every day, and now we don't even see him once a year. Jiang Lai is a good guy. Think of how much candy we ate at his house when we were kids, how many stickers we took. What was his brother’s name again?"
Qi Shuai answered from the side, "Jiang Ming."
"Right, right. His brother was a bit slow. When we were kids, the neighbors were always egging him on to fight Jiang Lai. Jiang Lai always let him win so people wouldn't laugh at them. One time, Jiang Lai got fed up, dragged him into the house, shut the door, and gave him a real thrashing. He never dared to do it again. Like the old saying goes, you can see the man in the three-year-old child."
Jiang Yuan joined in, reminiscing about more childhood stories.
By the time they were ready to disperse, the moon had climbed nearly to the center of the sky.
They had ordered too much food, and plenty of leftovers remained on the table.
Zhang Qingfeng organized everyone to pack up the food to take home.
Jiang Yuan said to Zhang Qingfeng, "That’s enough. You take the lady home first. We’ll handle things here."
Qi Yao chimed in, "Yeah, you guys head out. I still have some things to talk to Qi Lian about."
Qi Lian looked at them coldly, like a volcano simmering on the verge of an eruption.
Once Zhang Qingfeng had led Yu Mo across the street and out of sight, Jiang Yuan cursed at him, "Is this fun for you?"
Qi Lian stood up and walked away without looking back, leaving behind a single sentence: "Is it fun for you, you bastard?"
***
Zhang Qingfeng dropped Yu Mo off at the entrance of her building, and she told him to head back.
She’d had two beers over the course of the evening; her head felt a bit light, and her face was flushed.
It had been a long, exhausting day. Her high heels made the soles of her feet burn with pain. She began to climb the stairs with a slightly unsteady gait.
Suddenly, a dark shadow lunged out from the opposite corridor, heading straight for her.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 新疆烧烤 | Xinjiang BBQ | A popular style of Chinese street food featuring grilled skewers. |
| 大腰子 | Grilled kidneys | A common, hearty item at BBQ stalls. |
| 包扣 | Covered buttons | Buttons covered in the same fabric as the garment, often seen in elegant or vintage styles. |
| 莲花河 | Lianhua River | A local geographical name (Lotus River). |
| 弟妹 | Sister-in-law | A casual term used by men to refer to the wife or girlfriend of a younger male friend or brother. |
| 老五 | Old Five | A nickname based on birth order or rank within a group of friends. |
| 猪油蒙了心 | Mind clouded (lit. heart smothered by lard) | An idiom meaning to be blinded by obsession or greed. |
| 咸吃萝卜淡操心 | Meddling in things that are none of one's business | A colloquialism for someone who worries about things that don't concern them. |
