because he felt apologetic that the meal was so simple, the old teacher went out of his way to pour a couple of shots of white liquor as recompense.
It was a fine liquor; even Fang Mu, who knew virtually nothing about quality drinking, felt each sip go down soft and mellow. Upon seeing Fang Mu smack his lips in appreciation, Teacher Zhou laughed and said, "It's Wuliangye."
"Ah. I've seriously never drank liquor this good before."
"Well, let me pour you a bit more then!"
"Oh, no thank you," Fang Mu said, quickly declining with a wave of his hand. "I still have to drive in a bit. Plus, you should save such fine alcohol as this for when you're entertaining important guests. Letting a layman like myself drink it up is just a waste."
Teacher Zhou held his shot glass level with both hands and took a delicate sip, holding it in his mouth a while before swallowing.
"Ah," he said slowly, savoring. "Back in the day, I drank Wuliangye like it was water; I had absolutely no appreciation for its flavor." He turned the tiny cup in his hands. "Now there aren't as many opportunities to drink, so when I do have a quality liquor, I can taste its mellowness. It seems to me that the best thing about an aftertaste is the instant it disappears. "
A low chuckle came from Sister Zhao, a muffled sound around a mouthful of rice. "Old man, I'm guessing you didn't think so much of that stuff back when you had all that money, eh?"
"True," Teacher Zhou said with a laugh. He put his shot glass down and stared at the ceiling. "Now that I think of it, I really was wasteful back then."
"Grandpa Zhou?" A little boy picked a fat piece of meat from his soup bowl and crammed it into his mouth. "Did you used to be rich?"
"Yes, I did."
"How much money did you have?"
Teacher Zhou gave a small chuckle and smiled, spreading his hands wide. "A lot of money."
"So have you ever been on an airplane then?" a little girl asked.
"I sure have."
"Was it fun?"
"It was fun. But the first time Grandpa flew on an airplane, it about scared me to death. Such a huge object made of steel; and after a rock and a sway, it was suddenly in the air! I thought to myself, If this thing falls, I'm a goner ."
The children laughed.
"So, have you been overseas?" another little girl asked.
"Yes, I have."
"Have you been to America?"
"Yes."
"What's America like? Our teacher says America's nice."
"It's very nice. But I prefer our country."
"Why?"
"Because you little darlings of mine aren't in America! " Teacher Zhou reached out and mock-pinched one of the little girls on the nose. She scrunched her nose and giggled.
"Tell us about being overseas, Grandpa Zhou."
" What's there to tell? Overseas is just overseas."
"Tell us… Tell us..." The children began to chant in unison.
Faced with a dozen or so eager pairs of eyes, Teacher Zhou's mood perked up. "All right, okay. Well, then I'll tell you about the university at which I once studied. It was called Harvard University; one of the best universities in the world. Back in those days, every day I went to class in a huge white building; the tallest building around..."
The children listened with relish. Of them, Liao Yafan listened the most earnestly, to the point that she even forgot to feed the baby she was holding. Her face was slightly flushed, and in her eyes there was a dreamlike look that seemed a mixture of longing and envy.
She was already completely equipped with an adult's cognitive faculties, Fang Mu realized.
Liao Yafan could not possibly avoid comparing her current living situation with the apparent paradise described by Teacher Zhou, and she just happened to be at an age most susceptible to fantasizing. But that was the cruelty of reality. Fang Mu's gaze fell on Liao to the girl's shabby, cheap track pants and his heart ached.
The baby in her arms, now long neglected, began to wail. As if awakened from a dream, Liao Yafan hurriedly shoved a spoonful of soup into his mouth, accidentally causing him to
It was a fine liquor; even Fang Mu, who knew virtually nothing about quality drinking, felt each sip go down soft and mellow. Upon seeing Fang Mu smack his lips in appreciation, Teacher Zhou laughed and said, "It's Wuliangye."
"Ah. I've seriously never drank liquor this good before."
"Well, let me pour you a bit more then!"
"Oh, no thank you," Fang Mu said, quickly declining with a wave of his hand. "I still have to drive in a bit. Plus, you should save such fine alcohol as this for when you're entertaining important guests. Letting a layman like myself drink it up is just a waste."
Teacher Zhou held his shot glass level with both hands and took a delicate sip, holding it in his mouth a while before swallowing.
"Ah," he said slowly, savoring. "Back in the day, I drank Wuliangye like it was water; I had absolutely no appreciation for its flavor." He turned the tiny cup in his hands. "Now there aren't as many opportunities to drink, so when I do have a quality liquor, I can taste its mellowness. It seems to me that the best thing about an aftertaste is the instant it disappears. "
A low chuckle came from Sister Zhao, a muffled sound around a mouthful of rice. "Old man, I'm guessing you didn't think so much of that stuff back when you had all that money, eh?"
"True," Teacher Zhou said with a laugh. He put his shot glass down and stared at the ceiling. "Now that I think of it, I really was wasteful back then."
"Grandpa Zhou?" A little boy picked a fat piece of meat from his soup bowl and crammed it into his mouth. "Did you used to be rich?"
"Yes, I did."
"How much money did you have?"
Teacher Zhou gave a small chuckle and smiled, spreading his hands wide. "A lot of money."
"So have you ever been on an airplane then?" a little girl asked.
"I sure have."
"Was it fun?"
"It was fun. But the first time Grandpa flew on an airplane, it about scared me to death. Such a huge object made of steel; and after a rock and a sway, it was suddenly in the air! I thought to myself, If this thing falls, I'm a goner ."
The children laughed.
"So, have you been overseas?" another little girl asked.
"Yes, I have."
"Have you been to America?"
"Yes."
"What's America like? Our teacher says America's nice."
"It's very nice. But I prefer our country."
"Why?"
"Because you little darlings of mine aren't in America! " Teacher Zhou reached out and mock-pinched one of the little girls on the nose. She scrunched her nose and giggled.
"Tell us about being overseas, Grandpa Zhou."
" What's there to tell? Overseas is just overseas."
"Tell us… Tell us..." The children began to chant in unison.
Faced with a dozen or so eager pairs of eyes, Teacher Zhou's mood perked up. "All right, okay. Well, then I'll tell you about the university at which I once studied. It was called Harvard University; one of the best universities in the world. Back in those days, every day I went to class in a huge white building; the tallest building around..."
The children listened with relish. Of them, Liao Yafan listened the most earnestly, to the point that she even forgot to feed the baby she was holding. Her face was slightly flushed, and in her eyes there was a dreamlike look that seemed a mixture of longing and envy.
She was already completely equipped with an adult's cognitive faculties, Fang Mu realized.
Liao Yafan could not possibly avoid comparing her current living situation with the apparent paradise described by Teacher Zhou, and she just happened to be at an age most susceptible to fantasizing. But that was the cruelty of reality. Fang Mu's gaze fell on Liao to the girl's shabby, cheap track pants and his heart ached.
The baby in her arms, now long neglected, began to wail. As if awakened from a dream, Liao Yafan hurriedly shoved a spoonful of soup into his mouth, accidentally causing him to
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