Volume Three: The Fox Immortal’s Tomb Chapter Twenty-One: Three Wine Barrels

By the time Li Kun and I returned home, I took out my phone and called Gao Feng. When she answered, I asked, “Gao Feng, do you and Tian Tian have time tonight?”

Gao Feng asked Tian Tian something on the other end, then replied, “Yes, we’re free. What’s up? Do you have something planned for tonight?”

“At eight o’clock, meet us at Juxian House. A friend is treating us to a lavish dinner. Bring Tian Tian along—the more people, the livelier it’ll be.”

Gao Feng agreed, and then hung up.

Li Kun and I sat cross-legged on the kang, watching television. Li Kun held a cup of tea in his hands and kept drinking from it. After I ended the call, he asked, “Old Liu, what did she say? Are Tian Tian and the others coming tonight?”

I nodded to indicate that they would be joining us. Li Kun placed his teacup on the tray and said, “We absolutely have to eat our fill tonight. I’ve been looking forward to this meal for days. I’ve long heard that the hot pot at Juxian House is superb, so this is the perfect chance to try it.”

I laughed. “You want to eat your fill? Aren’t you afraid Tian Tian will see the way you eat and be put off?”

Li Kun waved his hand. “That’s impossible. Tian Tian used to be in the military too. She knows that in the army, everything is about speed when it comes to eating. As for table manners, female soldiers are no different from us men. Besides, Tian Tian is every bit as capable as we are. She came from an elite special-forces unit, after all. She’s certainly no weaker than us.”

I nodded. Li Kun was right. Tian Tian’s unit was famous, and very few people had ever managed to retire from it successfully. Clearly, Tian Tian was no ordinary woman.

Judging from the relationship between Gao Feng and Tian Tian, they had obviously known each other since childhood. Otherwise, given their personalities and professions, they would never have crossed paths.

Li Kun turned to me and asked, “Old Liu, when do you think we should set out for that so-called Fox Immortal Tomb?”

I picked up the teacup from the tray and took a small sip before slowly setting it back down. After lowering my head in thought for a moment, I looked up at Li Kun.

“Once we’ve taken care of everything on our hands, we’ll set out for the Fox Immortal Tomb. I’d like to see just how powerful the fox immortal inside it really is.”

Later, whenever I thought back to those words, I couldn’t help finding them amusing. At the time, I had been brimming with confidence. But when I actually encountered the fox immortal, all that remained was shock. Of course, that was a story for later.

Time passed quickly. Before long, it was half past seven. Juxian House was not far from Li Kun’s place, so we did not drive there. After walking for a while, we arrived downstairs.

After waiting for some time, we saw Xu Tian waiting below as well. Beside him stood a slightly plump woman who looked to be in her thirties. Her appearance was, to put it mildly, nothing remarkable. But beauty was in the eye of the beholder. Although Li Kun and I found her unattractive, in Xu Tian’s eyes she had become the most beautiful woman in the world.

The moment we saw her, Li Kun and I were stunned. We had never imagined that Xu Tian would have such a preference—that he would be interested in a woman so much older than himself. Was this what people called a fixation on older women?

The four of us had not been waiting long when a small white sedan approached. Once it stopped, the window slowly rolled down, revealing Gao Feng’s delicate face in the driver’s seat. Tian Tian was sitting beside her in the passenger seat.

Gao Feng smiled at me. “Liu Jie, wait here for a moment. I’ll go park the car.”

I nodded and told her to drive carefully. She pulled the car over and parked nearby.

After the six of us entered a private room, I introduced the two women beside me to Xu Tian. Once everyone had become acquainted, we began chatting.

The three women hit it off the moment they met and soon became especially animated. Xu Tian, Li Kun, and I could only stare in amazement. We had never realized that women could become so close after exchanging just a few words.

The three of us men shared a wry smile, then began drinking heavily on our own.

The gathering lasted until well past eleven that night. Tian Tian’s capacity for alcohol completely astonished me. That girl could drink just as much as Li Kun, who was practically a drinking barrel. To my surprise, the woman beside Xu Tian—whose name was Zhang Meimei—could drink even more than both Li Kun and Tian Tian.

The liquor consumed by those three alone would have filled the large table before us, a table big enough to seat twelve people. What was more, all three of them had been drinking bottled liquor with an alcohol content of fifty-two percent.

Gao Feng and Xu Tian stared at the empty bottles with their mouths hanging open. Gao Feng, in particular, looked at Tian Tian in utter disbelief. She had never imagined that Tian Tian could hold her liquor so well.

Anyone who didn’t know better might have thought the three of them possessed some secret martial art that allowed them to expel alcohol from their bodies. They drank the strong liquor as if it were water, one cup after another, without showing the slightest reaction.

Xu Tian and I drank a little as well. Xu Tian’s tolerance was nowhere near as impressive; after three cups, he could drink no more. Gao Feng, meanwhile, did not touch a drop. She knew perfectly well that the others intended to determine a winner that night, so she had taken on the role of designated driver. With so many drunk people, she would probably have to make two trips.

In the end, Li Kun emerged victorious. Zhang Meimei and Tian Tian had collapsed face-first onto the table, while Li Kun was also thoroughly drunk. His entire body was red, from his forehead all the way down to his heels. There was not a single patch of skin that had not turned crimson.

Seeing him like that, I broke into a cold sweat. I had known Li Kun could drink, but I had never imagined he could drink this much. It seemed that the last time he had drunk with my father, he had deliberately held back. Otherwise, with his current capacity, my father would certainly have been unable to outdrink him.

When the drinking session ended, I could not help smiling at the pained expression on Xu Tian’s face. The meal itself had not cost all that much, but they had certainly consumed an extraordinary amount of liquor.

After we took Xu Tian and Zhang Meimei home, only Li Kun, Tian Tian, Gao Feng, and I remained in the car.

The two human drinking barrels were placed in the back seats, their seat belts fastened tightly around them. Both were now snoring loudly in the rear.

Gao Feng turned her head toward me and asked, “Liu Jie, have you and Li Kun been up to something lately?”

When she asked that, my heart stirred. As expected, a woman’s intuition was frighteningly accurate.

“You know Xu Tian. Li Kun and I are planning to open a shop with him soon. You’ll have to come and support us when the time comes.”

Gao Feng glanced at me. “Open a shop? Doesn’t Xu Tian already run an antique store? What are you planning to do?”

“I’m going to invest in it and expand the business. Xu Tian will be our partner.”

Gao Feng nodded. “Whatever you decide to do, I’ll support you.”

A smile appeared on my face. I looked at Gao Feng beside me and was just about to say something when Li Kun coughed several times from the back seat. A series of retching sounds followed.

Gao Feng immediately pulled the car over, and I got out to help Li Kun from the vehicle.

After that little fiasco, Gao Feng seemed rather embarrassed and began driving a little faster. Before long, the car stopped at the entrance to the compound.

After saying goodbye to Gao Feng, I supported Li Kun as we slowly made our way inside.

Once I was lying in bed, I thought back to what had just happened and let out a sigh. If Li Kun had not interrupted us, I might truly have confessed my feelings to Gao Feng. I supposed I would have to wait for another opportunity.

Early the next morning, Li Kun and I were awakened by the ringing of a telephone. Still groggy, I picked up my phone and looked at it. Li Kun, his eyes only half open, asked, “Who’s calling this early?”

When I saw that it was Xu Tian, I pressed the answer button.

“Old Xu, why are you calling so early?”

“Good heavens, you two! Have you forgotten what I told you yesterday? Don’t tell me you’re still asleep. It’s already seven o’clock!”

Li Kun and I froze for a moment, then remembered. Xu Tian had said that we were going to have his grandfather cast a divination for us—to determine when we should take over the other antique shop and choose an auspicious date for its opening.

Xu Tian continued, “You two had better get ready. I’m driving over to pick you up now. Our old man has to leave by nine. If we miss him, we’ll have to wait until tonight for him to return.”

After hanging up, Li Kun and I hurriedly got up and began washing. My father had also risen unusually early that morning. When he saw us, he asked, “What are you two doing out so early?”

I smiled at him. “Dad, Li Kun and I are planning to open an antique shop. We’ve already found a partner, and now we’re going to ask a master to cast a divination and choose an auspicious date.”

My father was slightly taken aback. “That sudden? An antique shop? That’s not a bad idea. I’ve heard that such businesses may go three years without opening, then make enough in one opening to live on for three years. It sounds worthwhile. If you need anything, just ask your father.”

I nodded. “Don’t worry. We’ll make the preparations over the next few days, then start working on the renovations. Just stay home and wait for our good news.”

Li Kun also greeted my father. Then the two of us left the compound one after the other.