Chapter 7

"Ah, it's Fatso."

The middle-aged man, referred to as Director Xiao, finally noticed Ning Mo and the others. He stood up, walked over to Ning Mo's table, and smiled at Miao Lei and Yu Haitao, which served as a greeting. His eyes lingered on Qin Hai's face for a moment, perhaps trying to recall if he had seen him before. After confirming that he did not know this person, he shifted his gaze back to Ning Mo.

"Fatso, what's your dad doing at home?"

Ning Mo pouted, "What else? Tending to his flowers, playing chess. Oh, if I'm at home, he scolds me."

"Old man!" Director Xiao cursed Ning Mo's father affectionately, then said, "So, Fatso, did you steal materials from the factory to make some money again?"

"Director Xiao, how can you say that about us?" Ning Mo said, sounding aggrieved.

"If you didn't steal materials, how could you have money to eat out like this?" Director Xiao asked.

Ning Mo replied, "We earn our own living. I, Haitao, and Leizi picked up some scrap steel from the workshop, made some hoes and shovels, and sold them to the villagers. That's how we earned some money to treat our friend to a meal."

At this point, he pointed at Qin Hai, "This is Qin Hai. He graduated from the Agricultural Machinery Technical School and has just reported to our factory."

Qin Hai quickly stood up and said to Director Xiao, "Director Xiao, right? Sorry, I didn't recognize you earlier. I just reported to the factory today. The canteen was out of food, so Ning Mo and the others invited me out to eat."

Director Xiao nodded at Qin Hai and extended his hand. Qin Hai hurriedly shook it. After they shook hands, Director Xiao said, "I'm Xiao Dongping, the deputy director of the factory's supply and marketing department. I'm familiar with their fathers."

"Oh, Director Xiao, please take care of me in the future," Qin Hai said politely.

"Director Xiao, why don't you join us?" Ning Mo invited again.

Xiao Dongping waved his hand, "You young people are eating, why would I join in? I just got back from Hongze. I'm just having a quick meal and resting here."

Hongze was the provincial capital of Anhe Province, about 60 kilometers from Pingyuan. As the deputy director of the supply and marketing department, Xiao Dongping frequently traveled to Hongze on business. Judging by the time, he must have just gotten off the long-distance bus from Hongze and come to the restaurant for a meal and rest.

"Director Xiao, sit down," Ning Mo, who seemed to have a good relationship with Xiao Dongping, grabbed his hand and pulled him to sit down.

Xiao Dongping struggled a bit but couldn't break free from Ning Mo's grip and had to give in, "Alright, alright, I'll go get my things."

"I'll help you," Ning Mo stood up, picked up Xiao Dongping's plastic bag, and threw it at his feet, "What's in here? It's so heavy?"

"Rotary tiller blades," Xiao Dongping said with a sigh.

"Do you still want your stir-fried tofu and peanuts?" the waitress named Xiaofang asked, following behind Xiao Dongping.

"No, tell my dad to add half a liter of loose liquor to our table," Ning Mo instructed, implying that Xiaofang was the boss's daughter.

"Hey... how can I let you pay for my meal? This one's on me," Xiao Dongping said insincerely.

Ning Mo chuckled, "Director Xiao, don't be so stubborn. We may be poor, but the pocket money we earn is our own. Your monthly salary is tightly controlled by Mrs. Xiao. How could you have money to treat us to a meal? Every time you drink, you just have a piece of stir-fried tofu and can't even afford a meat dish. If you treat us to a meal, you'll have to kneel on the washboard when you get home."

Xiao Dongping's face turned red, clearly hit by Ning Mo's words. He loved drinking, but as Ning Mo said, his salary was tightly controlled by his wife, leaving him no extra money. On this trip to the provincial capital, he saved a few cents on transportation, which allowed him to come to the restaurant and buy some loose liquor to satisfy his craving. Each time he drank secretly, he risked being scolded by his wife when he got home.

"Fatso, why are you saying these things in front of Xiao Qin?" Xiao Dongping whispered, then smiled at Qin Hai and explained, "Xiao Qin, don't listen to Xiao Mo. My wife just cares about my health. She doesn't want me to drink too much..."

"Uh-huh, I understand," Qin Hai smiled inwardly, "Mrs. Xiao is really considerate. At Director Xiao's age, it's important to take care of your health. However, after a tiring business trip, having a little drink to relax and get a good night's sleep is necessary."

"Exactly, exactly," Xiao Dongping nodded quickly, eager to dispel the awkwardness.

At this moment, the boss, Kong, had already started bringing out the dishes. There were six dishes in total: stir-fried meat with peppers, stir-fried pig liver, braised fish segments, stir-fried tofu, stir-fried hollow hearted vegetables, and stir-fried tofu, filling the table.

"Why are there so many dishes?" Xiao Dongping asked, wide-eyed.

"To welcome Qin Hai, how could we have fewer dishes?" Ning Mo said proudly. Being able to spend ten yuan to treat guests gave him a sense of accomplishment; he always valued face more than money.

Xiao Dongping looked at Qin Hai, guessing his identity. He thought that someone who received such a high level of hospitality must be extraordinary.

Qin Hai noticed Xiao Dongping's doubt and smiled faintly, "Ning Mo is too polite. I just helped them a little, and they insisted on being so formal. But I feel honored to have Director Xiao join us."

Xiao Dongping laughed, "Xiao Qin, you're too kind. So, I'm the one benefiting from your presence today."

At this point, Boss Kong came over with a plastic jug. As soon as the lid was opened, a strong aroma of alcohol filled the air, intoxicating. Qin Hai knew that the jug contained locally made loose liquor, about 45-50 degrees, made from pure grains, with a taste and aftertaste that rivaled the famous brands advertised on CCTV.

Smelling the alcohol, Xiao Dongping's interest shifted entirely from Qin Hai. He almost snatched the jug from Boss Kong and started pouring drinks for everyone.

"I'll use this first cup of wine to welcome Xiao Qin to our Qingfeng Factory."

After pouring the drinks, Xiao Dongping, without waiting for Ning Mo to speak, raised his glass and gave a toast.

"Thank you, Director Xiao, thank you, Ning Mo, and thank you, Haitao and Leizi," Qin Hai also raised his glass and toasted everyone.

Xiao Dongping drank his glass in one gulp, closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the taste, then picked up a piece of pig's foot with his chopsticks, chewed it thoroughly, and smiled contentedly.

Sigh, you're a grown man, at least try to eat more gracefully.

Qin Hai sighed inwardly, but he soon extended his disdain to the entire table, as he noticed that Ning Mo and the other three young men were also devouring the dishes like a storm.

"Qin Hai, why aren't you eating?" Ning Mo asked, his mouth full, speaking indistinctly.

"I am eating," Qin Hai smiled and joined in the feast. After working all afternoon, he was indeed hungry. Although the dishes weren't luxurious, they were all fresh and natural, and Qin Hai enjoyed them thoroughly, his mood brightening.

After a while, the group had eaten most of the dishes and slowed down. Xiao Dongping frequently raised his glass to toast the young people, often finishing his drink before they even raised their glasses. The amount of alcohol Ning Mo and the others drank combined was less than what Xiao Dongping drank alone.

"Xiao Qin, I welcome you to Qingfeng Factory. But to be honest, you've come to the wrong place."

Xiao Dongping, feeling good from the alcohol, started to ramble. He patted Qin Hai's shoulder, who was sitting next to him, and spoke in a heartfelt tone.

Qin Hai, who had not drunk much and was still clear-headed, smiled and asked, "What do you mean, Director Xiao? I don't understand."

Xiao Dongping said, "I know you don't understand. If you did, you wouldn't have come to Qingfeng Factory. Let me tell you, a few years ago, Qingfeng Factory was the best unit in all of Pingyuan County... no, in all of Beixi Region. Great benefits, great conditions, great status!"

As he spoke, his eyes sparkled, as if he had returned to those glorious days.

"Uh-huh, I believe you," Qin Hai nodded. A county-level agricultural machinery factory with nearly 200 employees and a thousand acres of land was indeed a top-notch enterprise. Just from the fact that each single dormitory had a writing desk, one could imagine how prosperous the factory had been.

"Back then, his old man was the factory director," Xiao Dongping pointed at Ning Mo, "Old Ning had a bad temper and scolded people like they were his grandchildren..."

"Director Xiao... the generation is off," Qin Hai kindly reminded him, as Ning Mo's son was sitting right there, and Xiao Dongping's comment about being scolded like a grandchild was awkward.

"Qin Hai, what Director Xiao said is true. My old man scolds me like I'm his great-grandson," Ning Mo explained, somewhat dejectedly, clarifying the generation.

"Uh... okay," Qin Hai laughed helplessly, "Director Xiao, please continue..."

"Where was I?" Qin Hai's interruption gave Xiao Dongping time to drink two more glasses, and he momentarily forgot what he was saying.