Chapter 391 — Let's Just Drink the Baijiu Instead
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
"Starting off with beer right away — I can't say I'm all that interested," Wei Zhao said, sounding thoroughly unenthusiastic. "Drinking is something a few people ought to do together. It's not mineral water — what's all this about quenching thirst?"
"Then we'll drink together!" An Liwen thought, a few men drinking together, what could be easier? Our whole gang against you alone! Aloud he raised his glass: "To you! I'll down mine — whether you finish yours is up to you!"
With that, An Liwen tipped back his head and sent a whole can of beer down his throat. The alcohol content of this beer was hardly low, but to a seasoned drinker like An Liwen, it truly amounted to nothing.
An Liwen could hold a great deal of liquor — knocking back several bottles of Moutai at a stretch was no problem for him. Back when they were the Four Young Masters of Songshan, which of them had not been a walking wine cask? And what set An Liwen's mind at ease was that today he still had one final trump card: Su Tai-wei.
"All right." Wei Zhao nodded, then copied An Liwen's manner, tipped back his head, and set the empty can down on the table.
"Brother Lin, you can certainly hold your liquor!" An Liwen praised as he quietly picked up the empty can in front of Wei Zhao and set it on the floor, replacing it with a freshly opened beer.
An Liwen had wanted to check whether Wei Zhao had really drunk the beer in front of him. Finding the can empty, he relaxed — though he also privately mocked himself for being far too suspicious. This "tactical nuclear penguin" beer was a rare thing; he had gone out of his way to have a friend bring these few cases in from abroad. Wei Zhao, that country bumpkin, would surely assume it was just ordinary foreign liquor, and since foreign liquor generally had a low proof, that was why he had drained it so readily.
Still, no harm in it. Let the bumpkin drink his fill — everyone would down a can with him, and then they would bring out the baijiu. It probably would not be long before Wei Zhao landed himself in the hospital.
"This beer's got a nice taste. Never seen it before?" Wei Zhao studied the lettering printed on the outside of the can, putting on an air of great novelty.
"Ha, yes — foreign liquor, and not cheap!" Su Tai-zao gave a hollow laugh. Fearing Wei Zhao might spot the alcohol content printed on the can, he hastily cut him off: "Let's have another round, you and I..."
"Sure!" Wei Zhao nodded readily.
Su Tai-zao cheerfully drained a can of beer with Wei Zhao, one each, and An Liwen, watching, nodded to himself in secret approval. He felt he had seen clean through Wei Zhao by now: the fellow was really nothing but a bumpkin with a bit of low cunning, and plainly fond of snatching up a bargain — otherwise why would he come out every single time they invited him to a meal?
From the way Wei Zhao drank, An Liwen understood: the boy had most likely hardly ever tasted foreign liquor in his life, and now that the chance was here, how could he let it pass? He had originally been puzzling over how to cajole Wei Zhao, how to have everyone at the table take turns toasting him — but now no cajoling was needed at all! And then something happened that delighted An Liwen even more!
After matching Su Tai-zao can for can, Wei Zhao seemed still to be savoring it. He held the empty can up and tipped it toward his mouth, trying to coax out one last drop, then set it down with visible reluctance.
Faint as Wei Zhao's display was, and little as he said, An Liwen caught it all, and his heart swelled with ever greater delight.
"Actually, the taste is only so-so. Nothing remarkable," Wei Zhao remarked mildly.
An Liwen nearly burst out laughing at his words. Only so-so? If it were only so-so, why drink it so fast? You've tasted foreign liquor now, and you don't want to be in my debt, is that it? But An Liwen said nothing of the sort. In his eyes none of it mattered — so long as Wei Zhao ended up in the hospital, that was enough.