Chapter 26: The Main Gate Opens Wide to Welcome Guests

  The restaurant is located about 100 meters north of the old Tianqiao Bridge. Before the founding of the People's Republic, the old Tianqiao was a famous gathering place for various people in Beijing. Whenever people mention Beijing, they have to mention Tianqiao, as the saying goes: "Wine flags, drums, and Tianqiao market, how many travelers forget their homes." Before the founding of the People's Republic, many artists performed here, and over time, it became a gathering place for all kinds of people. Many small vendors also set up shop here, and various snacks and cooked foods were born. The most famous one was the secret braised meat of the "Oil Little Belly" family in the late Qing Dynasty, which was a unique dish in Beijing. "Oil Little Belly" relied on his ancestral skills to gradually expand his business, "Little Belly Restaurant", but it eventually became a joint venture after three generations. Xue Xiang is now going to the "Little Belly Restaurant" that has been passed down from "Oil Little Belly" and renamed as "Xiang Hong Cooked Food Store". Three days ago, Xue Xiang ordered 100 kilograms of pig ears and 200 kilograms of peanuts here, and he is now coming to pick up his goods.

  The small cart was filled with braised dishes, and Lei Xiaotian and Chen Fosheng sat on the spare tire of the cart, while Xue Xiang sat in the back seat. Xue Xiang drove at a steady speed, rushing towards Bao Fang Bridge. Lei Xiaotian, who was sitting on the spare tire, kept shouting "Slow down! Slow down!" as if he was about to fall off. Even Ma Leizi, who was normally bold and fearless, couldn't help but curl up into a ball, trembling with fear.

  …………

  It was nearly five o'clock, and the dining hall, which could accommodate over 500 people, had ten rows of large eight-immortal tables arranged in a horizontal and vertical pattern. Each table was equipped with four long benches, each bench being both wide and long, capable of comfortably seating three robust men. At this time, many of the local rascals had already arrived, sitting in twos and threes at the edge of the tables, smoking and cracking melon seeds. Xue Xiang thought it through thoroughly, to avoid having people wait, each table was placed with three packages of playing cards and a large plate of melon seeds to await the guests.

  Xue Xiang was standing outside the dining hall greeting guests, while Chen Fosheng held a cigarette in his hand, ready to offer it to the arriving person.

  "Third brother, it's been a while since we last met. Today you're hosting a banquet, so I, Old Zhang, have come with a thick face, haha..."

  "Old Zhang, you're being unreasonable. I'm setting up the banquet and can't personally post the invitation, is it my fault or not? You can't keep harping on this, stop wasting words and come in quickly, you're blocking the door."

  "Third Brother, it's me. Do you still remember? I'm Wei Dàyǒng from Xīchéng. Last time I went to your house and gave you some stamps. I didn't send them randomly like others did. The one I sent was a 'big red one', which I cut out from my dad's envelope..."

  "Remember, how can you not remember? Didn't a brother come with you that day? Why didn't he come with you today? Buddha's birth, let's have some tea."

  "I asked him to come together, but that kid said he didn't send the stamp and was embarrassed to come. I said you're being petty, Third Brother isn't that kind of person, but he just wouldn't listen."

  "Go and call him over quickly, there's still time. I'll wait for you both. How can we let our brothers make a trip in vain? It's enough that you're willing to send it to me. Alright, I'll have someone take you there on a motorcycle."

  "I told you, Third Brother, you're really a man of your word!"

  "Third Brother, I didn't arrive too late, did I? You asked me to inform people, and I've informed all the big shots in Sijiu City. I brought ten brothers with me, got myself all sweaty and worn out my shoes. You owe me compensation."

  "Stop messing around with me, Wu Lao Da from Xi City has arrived, you go in and entertain him for me."

  "Alright, take care!"

  "What? Isn't this Hao Yunlai? What are you doing standing outside the factory gate? Why don't you come in?"

  "Third Brother, hehe, Third Brother, I heard you're hosting a banquet and thought I'd come take a look to see if there's anything I can help with. But looking around, everything seems to be in order here, so I don't know how I can just barge in? Last time I said I'd invite you out for dinner, but my finances have been tight, couldn't find Mr. Money, and didn't dare meet up with you. Earlier I heard you were looking for some stamps, I searched high and low, but couldn't even find one of the ones you wanted, so embarrassing!"

  "You little rascal, still being so distant with me? Go ahead in. If you're like this again in the future, let's just pretend we don't know each other."

  "Thank you, Third Brother, thank you, Third Brother."

  "Swallows, White Blue, Hao Sheng, why are there only three of you? Where are the good brothers under your command? Why didn't they come over?"

  "Third Brother, Swallow and Bailan said that it would be too much trouble for you if we all came, so just the three of us will go as representatives."

  "What I hate most is being represented. Why don't you guys let others represent you? Less nonsense, just go!"

  "Alright, I said it earlier. Third brother would not be so thoughtless, no need for us to worry about it. This despicable affair was your two's idea, you two go take care of it."

  ………….

  Outside the hall, Xue Xiang was busy welcoming guests, while inside, Kang Tong, Lei Xiaotian, Kang Xiao Ba and several others were busy attending to the guests. At this time, the hall was filled with a cacophony of voices, greetings, laughter, and shouts, all mixed together like a big pot of porridge. Those who had conflicts would shout at each other for a few sentences, but they didn't dare not give Xue Xiang face, so they wouldn't start fighting on the spot. Fortunately, the hall was spacious and had many windows, and it was located in a shaded area, which reduced the heat. Otherwise, with so many people crowded together, they would have been overwhelmed by the heat and lost their energy to quarrel.

  "Cai Guoqing, how did you get here? Didn't you fail to find the stamp that Third Brother wanted?" a young man wearing a white short-sleeved "Dacron" shirt said.

  "Shi Guang, can't you keep your voice down? Do you have to shout and let everyone know, making me lose face? I couldn't find it, luckily I dismantled my old man's stamp collection, but still couldn't find any. You say it's unlucky or not? No choice, I found the most valuable one in the old man's stamp collection and sent it to Third Brother as a gift. Third Brother thanked me for my trouble and invited me to dinner today. Now that Third Brother has spoken, do I dare not come?" Cai Guoqing combed his traitor's hair, speaking in a very low voice at first, afraid of being overheard, but later his voice grew louder and louder, as if fearing people wouldn't hear him.

  Ishikawa Tao: "You're just thick-skinned, you didn't even find the stamp that Third Brother wanted and still had the nerve to send it home, how could Third Brother not thank you and invite you over?"

  After being ridiculed by Ishikawa, Cai Guoqing's face turned red with shame and anger, and he argued stubbornly: "I have the heart but not the power, unlike you who are lucky enough to find a 'black topic' in the school mailroom. Besides, I'm not the only one in this situation, look at Zhang Weimin, Yuan Fei, and Jiang Guotong over there, aren't they all like this? Why do you always pick on me?! Let me tell you, don't shout it out, or I'll lose face in front of the gangsters in 49 City, and I won't let you off!"

  Ishikawa Tao: "Is that dog shit luck? That's called cleverness, brilliance. Obviously, the school mailroom is where you'll find the most letters and stamps. Why would I go anywhere else to look for stamps? It's like you, going home to tear up your own father's stamp collection? If I had to say it, it all comes down to a problem with intelligence. Alright, don't worry, just between us old friends, I can cover for you. However, the hush money is still required, one pack of cigarettes, no negotiating, and I'll pretend I didn't know anything about your business."

  Cai Guoqing said: "Shi Guang, Shi Guang, you're really a white-eyed wolf. Last time I even treated you to ice cream, and you spat it out at me."

  Ishikawa Michiru: "If you can't spit it out, go to the toilet in my house and look for it. I've pulled it out. No, I've urinated."

  Cai Guoqing said: "You're ruthless, remember this, don't fall into my hands again. By the way, isn't there jade on the table? You can just take a package for yourself."

  Ishikawa's face changed greatly, and he said: "Cai Guoqing, you're really sinister, trying to frame me. Look up and see which table doesn't have three jade cigarette boxes. Who dares to put it in their pocket? If someone did this, they'd probably die of shame. You're not just thinking about your cigarette pack, but you actually played a deadly trick on me. Today, I'm cutting ties with you, no, I'll cut off our friendship and take your clothes to tear them up."

  Cai Guoqing said: "Cutting off the righteousness is cutting one's own clothes, how can you cut someone else's? Besides, do you have any righteousness to speak of? What a load of nonsense! Alright, I won't bother with you anymore. Tell me, if Third Brother sets up 40 tables, how much will it cost? I remember that even the biggest spread in the old days at Sijiu City only had 18 tables."

  Shi Jian didn't fight back, and thought about Cai Guoqing's question for a moment before saying: "The dishes haven't arrived yet, so it's hard to say. Just the cigarettes on the 40 tables are almost 120 yuan, not counting the one cigarette each person was charged at the door. Based on these 40 tables, there must be at least 450 people, which means at least 23-30 packs of cigarettes were given out as gifts. Just this one item is worth around 150 yuan. And look, that big wine jar by the middle window is gone - it's 1.5 meters high and takes eight people to hug. It's a special edition of Xuan Nan Chun from Yu Hua Wine Factory, with a label saying it's been aged for 20 years. This one jar of wine weighs at least 888 kilograms and costs at least 600 yuan."

  Cai Guoqing listened, somewhat tongue-tied, and it took him a long time to come back to his senses: "Third Brother's handwriting is too big, isn't it? Each person just gave a few cents' worth of stamps, but he treated everyone so lavishly. It's really 'what you sow, what you reap', Third Brother's reputation as 'East City Timely Rain, North Sea Protector of the People' wasn't blown out of proportion. Last month, Zhong Xiaoyi, the old master of South City, set up a banquet with only five tables, and invited some big shots. Guess what was served? You're guaranteed to guess wrong - one dish with meat and three without, the meat dish was Northeastern stir-fry, each person got a piece of fatty pork that disappeared after one bite, the wine was two mao three fen's loose white wine, and cigarettes were self-provided."

  Ishikawa doubted: "You didn't go, how did you know?"

  Cai Guoqing said, "I didn't go, but our big brother Ma Erge went, and he said the oil was quite heavy, and it was comfortable to eat. Hmm, look at that table on our left, doesn't seem like they're from our usual circle, how come I've never seen them before?"

  Ishikawa Tao said, "Those are the remnants of the old soldiers. Now in the whole city of 49, they still call themselves old soldiers. It's just that Third Brother tolerates them, otherwise we would have eliminated them long ago. Look at them, one by one, wearing their uniforms neatly even on such a hot day, and not feeling hot at all."

  Cai Guoqing got an explanation and didn't bother with this anymore, saying: "I reckon later on it'll definitely be two dishes of meat and two of vegetables, you gotta let me have a bit, don't snatch all the meat away, I haven't had any meat for almost two months now, my mom said to save the meat coupons at home for New Year's, not allowed to use them."

  Ishikawa glared at him: "What are you thinking, I haven't eaten meat for a long time either. When was the last time I ate meat? I've forgotten. Why should I let you have it? Besides, even if I did let you, these brothers here wouldn't be polite about it. It's still every man for himself."

  "You..."

  …………..

  The hall was gradually filled, Xue Xiang looked at his watch, it was almost six fifty, and those who were supposed to come had arrived. Just as Xue Xiang was about to enter, Zhang Paozi shook his massive body and arrived with Ma Liang, the slightly inferior factory director, both of them carrying things in their hands.

  Xue hastened to welcome him, smiling and saying: "I thought Director Zhang would be put off by the remote location and wouldn't come, but I didn't expect you to bring Uncle Ma along. It's a pleasant surprise that Uncle Ma could make it, I don't know how to thank you enough, let me treat you to a few cups of wine later as a small token of appreciation."

  Zhang Pangzi and Ma Liang were both deputy department-level cadres, with the same rank, and neither had a superior-subordinate relationship. In terms of actual power, they were evenly matched, but Zhang was an outsider, so he spoke first. Zhang smiled and said: "Third Brother, you're blaming me for being late? You can't blame me for this. I met Director Ma on the road, and he forgot to bring a gift, so he dragged me along with him to go shopping." Zhang Pangzi and Ma Liang had met at the entrance of Hufang Bridge, but they didn't know each other. Zhang only knew that the wood factory was in this area, but didn't know which direction the door faced, so he asked someone, and ended up asking Ma Liang.

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