I am not Ximen Qing.

The second aunt called Zhang Sheng, saying that Li Feng and her husband Li Meng were on their honeymoon in Beijing. It seemed like they hadn't seen each other since Li Feng was admitted to teachers' college. So many years had passed; Li Feng was now married, and both she and her husband were university professors researching mathematics—pure intellectuals.

I took the bus from Zhongguancun to Dingfuzhuang stop and finally arrived at Baoyu's new home near the Communication University of China. Baoyu is so lucky and blessed! My second aunt and uncle pick him up from school every day. Thinking back to the first time I had dinner and drinks with my sister-in-law and brother Zhao Chunlei, time flies! Luckily, there's a large supermarket nearby, and the renowned Jin Bai Wan Restaurant. I bought some high-end snacks that Baoyu's son likes, and also bought two bottles of Wuliangye liquor for my second aunt's husband. My sister-in-law said she shouldn't be so polite.

Everyone in the family circle envies Baoyu now. At such a young age, he owns two houses, is a landlord, and even bought a Xiali King (a type of car). He gave the old Xiali to his older brother, Zhao Yonghui. Zhao Yonghui had major surgery at Baoyu's hospital because he was too obese and experienced intermittent breathing difficulties and interruptions while sleeping. After two months in the hospital in Beijing, he drove his younger brother's secondhand car back to the Linhai Forestry Bureau. Zhao Yonghui is especially good to his nephew Baoyu's son. Now that he's a respected elder, how could the Zhao family's future hope not be loved?

The new house in the neighborhood near the Communication University of China is a two-story building, chosen to accommodate the second aunt's poor health and aversion to climbing stairs. It has three bedrooms, a living room, two bathrooms, and a large kitchen with a traditional eight-immortal table. The spatial layout is excellent, and more importantly, it's far from the main road, so the Baoyu family is no longer bothered by car noise.

When I saw Li Feng, she was completely different from when she was a child. Quiet and composed, she and her husband were both university professors, both majoring in mathematics. My aunt was overjoyed; she must be the happiest mother now. Since her husband, Li Jingshan, passed away from lung cancer, she had single-handedly supported two university students through her clothing business—quite an achievement. However, my aunt was quite rational about her two boyfriends; to avoid burdening her children, she broke up with them and returned to single life.

Li Xian's son is quite intelligent, winning numerous awards in math competitions and competing academically with Zhao Yonghui's daughter. However, Changchun's educational resources are definitely superior to those of the Linhai Forestry Bureau; the educational strength of big cities has always been strong. Li Feng seemed overly silent about Zhang Sheng's arrival, almost looking down on him. Zhang Sheng recalled how good he had been to Li Feng, taking her and Sister Ping to his Venus Mountain to eat jujubes, schisandra berries, and wild grapes. Li Feng had this habit of looking down on people, and Zhang Sheng almost said to her, "Although I'm not a university professor like you two, I'm not bad either. I visit Tsinghua and Peking University every day, and even just passing by them every day has enriched my mind with their literary and intellectual influences. This is my simple and direct way of improving myself. I'm so glad I came to Beijing! Long live Beijing! Long live Peking and Tsinghua Universities! Long live Tsinghua and Peking Universities! I also have to thank Haidian and Zhongguancun for the nurturing and education I received!"

Because of the summer heat, Li Feng was dressed somewhat revealingly. Seeing Zhang Sheng's gaze, she quickly adjusted her skirt, a little presumptuous, afraid of showing too much skin. Zhang Sheng told his second aunt that he talked about love every day, and actually quite liked the Anhui female college student his sister-in-law had introduced him to—a girl with a somewhat Lin Daiyu-like charm. Lately, he'd been troubled by his love affair with Lin Xiaoqing.

Second Aunt and Second Aunt were busy in the kitchen, an open kitchen. Baoyu seemed to enjoy Zhang Sheng's visits, and it appeared he had rediscovered the mischievousness of sneaking wine with Zhang Sheng when they were children. Life is too hectic these days. Back then, kids loved sweet drinks, and Tonghua red wine was the best sweet wine. I miss the wines of the past; I often hear my father, Zhang Honglin, reminiscing about the wonders of Zhuyeqing wine.

My second aunt and uncle were particularly frugal, even using a drip system for water, afraid of the water meter running too fast and causing errors in water usage. Regardless, my second uncle cooked a large table of home-style dishes for Li Feng and Li Meng. He always cooked everything to the point of being perfectly tender, because he had almost lost all his teeth and wore dentures. The dishes included braised pork knuckle, pig liver, stir-fried lung slices with celery, and pig's trotters, even the tendons were steamed until very soft in a pressure cooker. The vinegar-braised carp was particularly delicious, because carp has a strong earthy taste. As soon as this dish was served, even Bao Yu praised his father's cooking, saying it was better than Jin Bai Wan's. My second uncle replied, "What's the point of Jin Bai Wan's nice name? Home-cooked fish is the best!" He continued, "Bao Yu, don't praise your father. I know you love fish. But since Li Feng and Li Meng are visiting our house for the first time, you should also cook a few dishes for your sisters and brothers-in-law."

"Second Uncle, don't be so polite. Li Meng and I aren't picky."

"Li Feng, don't call me Li Meng."

"Li Meng, please don't stand on ceremony. This is my second aunt's house."

Because Li Feng and Li Meng were quite arrogant in front of Zhang Sheng, they didn't interact much. Zhang Sheng only offered suggestions to the couple: they could visit Haidian District, Tsinghua University, and Peking University's Weiming Lake. The Old Summer Palace and the Summer Palace were a must, and if time allowed, visiting Shichahai, Beihai Park, and Jingshan Park would be even better. Li Meng didn't drink alcohol, while Bao Yu, her second uncle, and Zhang Sheng toasted each other, and her second aunt, Li Feng, and Li Meng drank soft drinks. Whenever her second uncle drank, he immediately reverted to his former glory from the Linhai Forestry Bureau, forever reciting Mao Zedong Thought, discussing domestic and international affairs, and commenting on the world according to his generation's red ideology of Mao Zedong Thought and Marxism-Leninism.

My second aunt's husband is quite modern. Like Zhang Honglin, he likes to drink. Guo Jinshui would say, "Brother-in-law, stop drinking. Pick up your oil painting career again. You stopped when you were young, but now you have time. What if your oil paintings become famous? Look at me, I write calligraphy every day when I have nothing to do."

"The key is your eldest sister, Guo Jinyu. She's afraid that if I become famous as a painter, she won't want me anymore."

"Big sister, this is not right of you."

"Jinshui, stop fooling around. Do you think I don't know him? He paints oil paintings, but when he's drinking, he's like he doesn't care about his life."

Zhang Sheng thought of his great-uncle Li Jingshan's passion for oil painting. His two beloved daughters were already married. If Li Jingshan hadn't died so young, it would have been a pity that such a talented person was born so young. Zhang Sheng and Bao Yu were both addicted to drinking. Bao Yu had been under a lot of work pressure lately. He had failed his postgraduate entrance exam and hadn't been promoted. Bao Yu and his second aunt's husband couldn't get along. His second aunt's husband was used to being a factory manager and had a big ego. He was always yelling and shouting, both at home and at the factory, which made his son afraid to talk to him. If he didn't like something, he would start yelling again.

Zhang Sheng talked to Bao Yu about the business situation in Zhongguancun, focusing on various commercial activities and the valuable insights he gained from his time there. His second aunt loved listening to Zhang Sheng discuss Zhongguancun's development and changes. As for alcohol, it's quite interesting. It's different from drinking in a bar. In a bar, if you're feeling good, you go to the dance floor and dance. The exercise and jumping help you sober up, and then you find the beautiful women at the bar to drink and play games. If you're still feeling good, you go back to the pool and jump around. Actually, this is the healthiest nightlife – good wine, beautiful women, and dancing. This way of drinking is quite beneficial to health, but the downside is that it's expensive. Although the bar girls don't ask for tips, their income comes entirely from drink commissions. So don't underestimate dancing, drinking, and chatting; it's quite an expensive activity.

Zhang Sheng revealed too many stories about love and romance. As soon as Bao Yu met Zhang Sheng, he mentioned his neighbor across the hall who sold computers at the Nancheng Bai Nao Hui and made a lot of money. This put a lot of pressure on Zhang Sheng.

Uncle Zhang Hongli and Aunt Li Xiao'e also came from Shucun. It seemed like they were back to the lively scene of celebrating the New Year together at the Linhai Forestry Bureau, having a meal together at a restaurant. The long-lost relatives rekindled their family bonds. Now, Aunt Li's parents, Grandpa Li, and Grandma Li are living in the new house their youngest son bought in Huilongguan. Recently, their eldest son, Li Jun, hasn't been doing well and is undergoing examinations at the hospital. The situation isn't optimistic; there's a 99% chance it's cancer, and he's already become emaciated. Aunt Li says this illness is caused by excessive drinking, and there's nothing her parents can do about it; once someone is sick, it's beyond their control. Despite his poor health, Uncle Zhang started smoking and drinking again at his second sister's place, completely disregarding his health, which made Aunt Li cry. "Zhang Hongli, this is a welcome-back party for our niece's honeymoon, and you're still smoking and drinking so much?"

"Third Aunt, it's alright. I'm happy that Third Uncle drank it. Let him smoke. Besides, this is a wedding banquet, he won't get drunk."

"My niece knows how to talk."

"Actually, I'm quite understanding. The point is, Baoyu can just have a drink in his new house, why would he need to smoke?"

"Auntie, let Uncle San draw the ticket."

"For the sake of your son-in-law, so many people, including Zhang Hongli, are speaking up for you."

This is what makes Uncle Three so fortunate, unlike Uncle Two, Zhang Hongqi, who made a mess of his family life, divorced Tang Wan, and apparently, Tang Wan married an old man in Dalian. Uncle Two was also lured by Tang Li to work as a free welder in another city for a year, which confirmed Grandpa's judgment of him: very intelligent, but always lacking in some way in handling things. Of all his siblings, he was the most capable, one of the first to buy a motorcycle and become a millionaire. He moved his home from the mountains to a bungalow by the river. He was naturally different, and he renovated the house in all directions, transforming it into a traditional courtyard house. Moving the family down from the mountains opposite the plywood factory, away from the troubles, to the riverside at the foot of the mountain—what a pleasant home it would have been!

His second aunt never had high hopes for him. "Tiger, tiger, always been a tiger since he was little," was always her assessment of his second uncle, Zhang Hongqi. The once happy and fulfilling family life was now a chaotic nightmare for him; his parents' predictions about Zhang Hongqi had unfortunately come true. Zhang Hongqi sold everything in the house, leaving with nothing, because he was too heartbroken and didn't want to leave any trace in the Linhai Forestry Bureau. His second aunt's husband remained as warm-hearted as ever, caring about almost everyone and everything. However, he held absolute authority in one area, and his second aunt treated him with considerable politeness. She would always say, "Mengji, don't go to the park alone, take me with you!"

"What? Can't you go by yourself? Do you have to pester me?"

“Mengji, you know I can’t remember directions.”

My second aunt has diabetes and needs insulin injections every day. She eats in fixed quantities at fixed times and places, strictly controlling her cravings. She and Baoyu drank many bottles of Yanjing beer. Since there were so many people, someone had to make a sacrifice. Zhang Sheng had to pretend to be going to talk to Lin Xiaoqing, say goodbye to Li Feng and the Li Meng couple, and secretly think to himself, "What a haughty couple, how do you get around?"

"Why take a car? Let's take a taxi."

I received a call from Jinghua saying he wanted to have a meal together at a restaurant near Wudaokou.

"Jinghua, it's been a long time. Are you still at Jiang Tao's company?"

"I'm going to work at Samsung's headquarters in Seoul, South Korea."

"Then we won't see each other again."

"About two or three years."

"This is my wife's sister."

The dishes were served. The girl was tall and wearing a dress. She had a rather full bust. She looked around and when their eyes met, her face turned red with embarrassment.

"I told you, don't just drink."

"Do you know her? She just graduated from Beihang University."

"Hello, Jinghua's sister."

"Hello."

The girl blushed, looking rather embarrassed. After speaking, she sat down and glanced around, her eyes filled with affection. She made it clear she didn't dislike him, stealing glances at him in return. She played along, her eyes sparkling with amorous intent. Where did this charm come from? The radiant passion emanating from him, fueled by the previous night's lovemaking, had a chemical reaction with the young woman, a sensation only a woman in heat could perceive.

Her older sister, also tall, observed their mutual feelings. Jinghua, with his bookish air, still saw him as a boss, a great boss, and was sure he was praising her to his wife and sister-in-law. Everyone in their social circle knew him as a bachelor, a golden bachelor, talking about the future with nonsensical boasts, which filled his sister-in-law with affectionate, tender eyes. She, a recent graduate, had never heard of such novel things. The allure of language was truly powerful, completely captivating her.

"My buddy here is a really good person, he's got a great career, and he's still single because of it. Does he not even have a girlfriend yet?"

"Yes, I'm single."

The sister-in-law was no longer shy and looked at him directly. He, in turn, flirted with her, igniting sparks of love and romance. Both wore white shirts and black suits, exuding business acumen. They drank to their hearts' content, knowing just the right amount not to appear shy. True to their old ways, they wouldn't stop until they were thoroughly drunk.

"I have to go to the client's place tonight."

I told a white lie, "Are you that busy?"

She struck up a conversation directly, "Yes, let's have dinner together next time, it'll be on me. I hope you can come."

"Of course, I will definitely come."

As they were leaving, they were still exchanging affectionate words. I never expected that she held such a high place in Jinghua's heart, that he would even introduce his sister-in-law to him. Thinking about it, Jinghua is truly a loyal friend; his friends are all capable and skilled people.