Chapter 92: Post-Exam Celebration II

“Uncle Liu, what are you doing?” 

Liu Zhanqian’s actions left me stunned. Although I gave him a portion of the Blood Ginseng King last time, I’d regretted it somewhat afterward. I definitely wasn’t worthy of being called a “benefactor.”

Liu Zhanqian didn’t respond but instead waved his hand and shouted, “Xiao Lan, come out! Our benefactor is here!”  

Soon, a middle-aged woman rushed out and stood beside Liu Zhanqian.  

He pulled the woman, who was apparently named Xiao Lan, and said, “Xiao Lan, this is our great benefactor. Come, kneel, and let’s bow to him!”  

At that moment, I understood. Xiao Lan was probably Liu Zhanqian’s wife. Upon hearing his words, she was about to kneel without hesitation, but I quickly stopped her and said helplessly, “Aunt Lan, please get up. If you kneel to me, I’ll lose years off my life!”  

Then, I turned to Liu Zhanqian, who was still on the ground, and said, “Uncle Liu, you should get up too. It’s really hard just to come here and have a meal!”  

“But…” Liu Zhanqian hesitated.  

“Fine then, I guess we won’t eat here!” I pretended to get up and leave, which finally made Liu Zhanqian rise to his feet.  

Although he was known as a former champion fighter, seeing him kneel to an 18-year-old like me proved he was someone who knew how to repay kindness. But honestly, I couldn’t handle such a grand gesture. The Liu couple’s actions attracted curious glances from Sister Qian and Zhang Yu, who were looking at me intently.

“Uncle Liu, bring out your best dishes! And some draft beer!” I said with a grin. Maybe because of that piece of Blood Ginseng King I gave him earlier, the waiter Xiao Qiang didn’t serve us—instead, Liu Zhanqian personally took over.  

Midway through, I remembered there were three ladies among us, so I turned to them with a smile. “Two beauties plus one goddess—what would you like to drink?”  

“I’ll have beer too. Let’s have some fun,” Sister Qian said with a smile.  

“I’ll have the same as Sister Qian!” Sun Jing quickly chimed in. It was surprising how fast Sister Qian transitioned from being a teacher to an “older sister,” and she seemed quite happy with it. Girls’ friendships were always a mystery to me.  

“I’ll go with the same,” Xu Xin also said, smiling gently.  

“Uncle Liu, six glasses of draft beer!” Seeing them smile so happily made me feel cheerful too. Liu Zhanqian laughed heartily and said, “This meal is on me! If it’s not enough, we’ll order more!”  

“Uncle Liu, I’m not here for a free meal!” I knew he wanted to express his gratitude, but I felt guilty. I had to pay for the meal.  

“Don’t worry, just enjoy your food!” Liu Zhanqian chuckled and walked away without looking back. Since insisting wouldn’t work, I let it go.  

The moment Liu Zhanqian left, Sister Qian asked curiously, “Xia Tian, why was the owner so excited to see you? And what’s with the ‘benefactor’ thing he mentioned?” 

Zhang Yu and the others also stared at me, waiting for an answer.  

“Oh, it’s nothing special. I just happened to save his wife’s life by chance.” I kept the explanation brief. Sister Qian wanted to ask more, but just then, Liu Zhanqian returned with a platter of grilled meat, cutting her off naturally.  

“Here’s our signature grilled meat! Enjoy!” Liu Zhanqian said before leaving again. Xiao Qiang brought over the beer shortly after. Even though it was still early in the evening, the barbecue stall was already packed, with Liu Zhanqian’s stall being especially crowded.  

“Let’s toast!” I raised my glass with a big smile, not wanting to give Sister Qian another chance to question me.  

“Cheers!” The six glasses clinked together, producing a crisp sound that filled us with joy.  

I downed half of my beer in one go, letting out a satisfied burp. “Ah, that’s refreshing!”  

“Seriously, you’re so uncouth!” Sister Qian sighed helplessly but smiled at my antics.  

I grinned and said, “This is called being bold and carefree! You know, a lot of girls like that these days.” To make my case, I turned to Sun Jing. “Right, desk-mate?”  

“Yes…” Sun Jing drawled, but just when I felt triumphant, she added, “Just kidding!”  

The beer I had just sipped sprayed out of my mouth, making everyone burst into laughter.  

“Hey, Tigress, let me toast you!” Zhang Yu was already a bit drunk by the middle of the meal. He raised his glass toward Sister Qian, directly calling her “Tigress.” His boldness knew no bounds.  

Despite drinking little, Sister Qian was still clear-headed. Instead of getting angry, she smiled and said, “Let’s do it!”  

“Sister Qian, he’s drunk. Don’t mind him!” I hurried to calm her down. Though she didn’t seem upset, I feared she might blow up later.  

But her response surprised me. “Oh, I’ve known for a long time that you all call me ‘Tigress’ behind my back. I’m not going to hold it against you tonight—we’re here to have fun!”  

So, she knew all along. It seemed that some secrets weren’t as hidden as we thought.  

Zhang Yu finished his beer and gave her a cheeky grin. “Heh… I never realized… that the Tigress is actually a real beauty when she’s not angry.” With that, he collapsed onto the table.  

Fatty next to him laughed loudly. “What an idiot! He’s drunk already! Smart people like me know to eat more meat.” He grabbed another skewer of lamb and started eating.  

“I can’t drink anymore…” Sun Jing, with just a few sips of beer, was already blushing.  

I took her glass and began drinking it. Good beer shouldn’t go to waste! But as I drank, I suddenly realized—wasn’t this an indirect kiss? No wonder Sun Jing’s face was so red.  

Xu Xin saw my reaction and teased, “Xia Tian, did you do that on purpose? You drank from the same spot she did!”  

Sun Jing’s face turned even redder. Lowering her head, she muttered, “We’re young and modern—why make a fuss over something like that?” But her voice lacked conviction.  

Sister Qian checked her phone and said, “It’s getting late. I should head back.”  

“Sister Qian, are you okay after drinking so much?” She had drunk the most among us, and although she seemed fine, I wanted to make sure.  

She tapped my head lightly. “Your sister has a high tolerance! Don’t worry.” She turned to Sun Jing and Xu Xin. “Do you two want a ride home?”  

“I’ll stay with them a bit longer,” Xu Xin replied with a smile.  

Sun Jing glanced at me and smiled. “See you, desk-mate!” She took Sister Qian’s hand, and the two waved goodbye before leaving.  

“Next stop, KTV. You in?” I asked Xu Xin. Her staying behind surprised me, but I didn’t question it. Knowing Zhang Yu and Fatty, I was confident nothing would go wrong.  

Before Xu Xin could answer, Fatty grumbled, “What? Look at that idiot—he’s already passed out!” He pointed at Zhang Yu.  

“Guess KTV’s off the table. Let’s call it a night,” I said with a helpless smile. He wasn’t wrong—Zhang Yu was in no condition for more partying.  

“What do we do with Zhang Yu?” Fatty asked, still munching on grilled meat.  

I paused, then grinned. “I’ll walk Xu Xin home. You live near Zhang Yu, so take him with you.”  

“That’s not fair!” he protested loudly.  

Ignoring his complaints, I left 300 yuan on the table. Though Liu Zhanqian didn’t intend to charge us, I felt it was only right to pay him. He might have been a big shot in his youth, but now he was just a small business owner trying to make ends meet.  

I turned to Xu Xin. “Let’s go. I’ll walk you home.”  

“Sure!” Xu Xin smiled as she followed me out of the barbecue stall.  

“Wait for me!” Fatty got up but, seeing Zhang Yu sprawled on the table, sighed and went back to carry him on his back.  

“Where do you live?” I asked Xu Xin as I walked ahead. 

When she didn’t reply, I turned around to check on her—only to feel her arms wrap around me from behind. I froze on the spot… 

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Things are Not Looking Good:

Yes, things are not looking good. As you know, translation requires a lot of time and energy. I translate, edit and proofread the chapters on my own. I will be honest here, I started translating as a hobby, then it evolved to a hope of earning a living by doing something I enjoy. 

However, I suffered a chain of misfortunes during and after the pandemic, and earnings from FSM and RTV helped me a lot. It became a significant part of my life. As long as my monthly income bordered around $200, I could make the time to translate in the middle of other works. Then RTV ended, and the earning decreased. Now, it has decreased to around $90-$100. And with PETTV nearing completion, that would decrease even more. A*dsence gets me about $ 0.50 per day, and you can’t get the payment until it reaches $100, so I can’t depend on that either. 

It wouldn’t be an issue in normal circumstances, but it matters a lot to me since I am still dealing with a lot of financial troubles. I am currently looking for a job, and will have to invest my time and energy in it once I get it.

Long story short, if you enjoy reading this novel, support the translation if you can, either by becoming a Patron in Patreon, or sponsoring chapters at BuymeaCoffee. You can also take some time to watch a*ds to increase the revenue on A*dsence. Grains of sand together can form a desert.

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