Volume One - The Hundred Coffin Tomb Chapter Fourteen - The God of Wine

After sitting in the house for a while, the old man came back carrying a basket of groceries and a jar of wine. At that very moment, Li Kun happened to get up as well. After greeting the old man, Li Kun went to the back and began preparing dinner.

Li Kun and I returned to the room, each holding a handful of sunflower seeds. Li Kun asked, "Old Liu, what have you been up to lately?"

I sighed lightly and replied, "Lately, I've been unemployed. I was working at an antique shop a few days ago, but the place closed down, the owner gave up, and now I'm struggling to find something else."

Li Kun spit out a shell and said, "So, what are you planning to do next?"

I grabbed a handful of seeds and answered, "I haven't figured it out yet. I'll see how things go in a few days. By the way, Old Li, haven't you found anything?"

Li Kun shook his head, leaned back in his chair, exhaling deeply, and said slowly, "I've been looking for work too, but you know, my education isn't high. It's not easy to find a job these days."

He paused, suddenly straightening up, his face filled with anger as he exclaimed, "Especially a few days ago—damn it—I went to apply at a company. The moment I walked in, a bunch of stupid security guards surrounded me, wouldn't let me in, said I didn't look like a good person!"

As he spoke, Li Kun forcefully spit out another shell, as if trying to vent his frustration.

Hearing this, I laughed and said, "Actually, they're not wrong. You really don't look like a good person, haha." Li Kun glared hard at me when I said that.

Li Kun stood at least six foot one, and his build was solid. Thanks to years of training, his upper body was broad, though his calves were thin. Even so, the explosive power in his legs was unmatched, and his strength was renowned. He always kept his hair cropped short, and with so much time spent outdoors, his skin was dark, making him look like a burly bandit.

We chatted a while longer, and then the old man brought out the dinner. At the table, he asked the questions all parents do: "Are you married? No? Are you seeing anyone?"

The old man's string of questions left Li Kun awkward and embarrassed, but he seemed oblivious and kept pressing on.

Seeing the old man launch into his chatterbox mode, Li Kun kept looking at me for help. I stepped in to smooth things over: "Dad, Li Kun can really hold his liquor. Didn't you always say you've never been drunk? Why don't you two have a little contest?"

Upon hearing my suggestion, Li Kun's silly bravado immediately surfaced. Without thinking, he blurted out, "What? Old Liu, you want me to drink with Uncle? Come on, don't get Uncle drunk. You know my drinking capacity."

The old man took up the challenge, grabbing a large bowl and downing a bowlful of wine in one gulp.

He then said, "Young man, I've never been drunk in my life. Why don't we try today and see who falls under the table first?"

At that, I covered my face with my hand in exasperation. Li Kun was a real fool, saying anything that came to mind. Now, this jar of wine wouldn't be nearly enough.

Seeing the old man's determination and that he'd already drunk a large bowl of baijiu, Li Kun's competitive spirit was ignited. He grabbed his own bowl and drank it all in one go.

What followed left me dumbfounded. I'd seen people drink, but never like this.

The old man and Li Kun would eat a single peanut, then drink a whole bowl of wine. Another peanut, another bowl. Watching them, I was stunned—this wasn't drinking, even water isn't drunk like this.

Shaking my head helplessly, I stood up and went out, hopping on my bicycle and riding back and forth to the neighborhood store.

After several rounds, Li Kun and the old man were a sight to behold. The two of them suddenly became sworn brothers. I shook my head and thought, after drinking, anything can happen; for no reason at all I ended up a generation lower.

I laughed wryly. After another half hour, Li Kun lay slumped under the table, mumbling about continuing to drink, while the old man was still sipping from his bowl. Seeing Li Kun collapse, the old man burped and said, "I knew you'd never keep up, haha." Then he plopped down on the kang and began snoring loudly.

Seeing this, I smiled bitterly, helped Li Kun back to the room, covered the old man with a quilt, and then crawled into bed myself.

Listening to the familiar snoring beside me, I smiled quietly, then closed my eyes, drifting off to the tick-tock of the wall clock.

The first rays of morning sunlight streamed in, and the crowing of roosters outside woke me from sleep. I raised my hand to rub my eyes. Li Kun was still under his blanket, head covered, but his feet were sticking out. Seeing him sleeping as usual, I smiled, got up, and began washing up.

Li Kun slept until noon before finally waking. After getting ready, the two of us spent the evening wandering about, and during the day we visited all the famous and interesting spots in the county. Just like that, after a few days of playing around town with Li Kun, a phone call brought us back to reality.

That afternoon, as usual, we were eating hotpot. After finishing our meal, we walked back home. Today, however, Li Kun had forgotten his phone. When we got home and he turned it on, he immediately panicked.

There were more than forty missed calls, all from his mother and second uncle.

Li Kun hurriedly dialed back, and I watched the whole thing unfold. If it weren’t something serious, his mother would never have called so many times.

When the call connected, a woman's voice came through. Li Kun's phone was loud, so even without speakerphone, I could hear clearly. The voice said, "Kun, why are you only now returning the call?"

Li Kun asked anxiously, "Mom, what's happened? Is something wrong?"

The woman’s voice trembled, close to tears: "Your father, your father..."

Li Kun grew frantic. "What about Dad? Tell me quickly!"

"Your second uncle went up the mountain today to set traps for pheasants, but he didn't take his phone. I sent your father up to call him back, but on their way home, your father slipped and tumbled down the mountain. When he came back, his face and body were covered in blood."

At those words, Li Kun felt as if lightning had struck him.