Chapter 8 of 10

Chapter 8

17 min read4,293 words

Chapter 3: [Strong New Concept] (3)

The night market on Er Bu Street in Chunyang County was very famous. In the early 1990s, the nightlife here was limited to eating at the night market and watching movies, which was quite monotonous.

Gao Wei chose to sit at Lao Li's hot pot stall, which was the most popular in the night market. They were a group of eight, and the boss had the waiters combine two small tables. Because Zuo Xiaoqing was present, Gao Wei was quite generous, ordering four meat and four vegetable hot pots, as well as two cold dishes of peanuts and fried small fish, filling the small table completely.

Most of the interns were quite considerate and did not sit on the bench to Gao Wei's right, which was clearly reserved for Zuo Xiaoqing. Zuo Xiaoqing looked at the two empty seats but did not sit down immediately. Zhang Yang, the intern from the nursing school, sat next to Gao Wei without any sense of propriety, saying, "This is really a feast!"

Zuo Xiaoqing sat down next to Zhang Yang, and all the interns were puzzled. Why was Zuo Xiaoqing so favoring this intern tonight? In Gao Wei's view, Zuo Xiaoqing was deliberately using Zhang Yang as a shield, and the infuriating part was that this nursing student was so numb that he couldn't see that the teacher was unhappy.

Gao Wei was very annoyed and waved his hand to order two bottles of Red Star Erguotou.

The interns, including Chen Guowei, hurriedly waved their hands and feigned sincerity, saying, "Teacher Gao, we don't drink!" In fact, these guys had already been tested by alcohol in college.

Gao Wei laughed, "Actually, I'm not much older than you. In the hospital, you can call me Teacher Gao, but outside the hospital, you can call me Brother Gao or just Gao Wei. We might be colleagues next year!"

The boss brought eight glass cups, and Gao Wei ordered two cans of cola for the two girls. He then started pouring the alcohol into the glass cups. "Thanks to all of you today. This batch of interns is the best I've ever taught, of course, I'm referring to the majority!"

Zhang Yang, knowing that Gao Wei had categorized him as the minority, showed no reaction. He picked up his chopsticks and put a piece of intestine in his mouth, saying, "Really delicious!" This guy was indeed impolite, and his arrogant attitude was clearly a counterattack against Teacher Gao.

Gao Wei inwardly cursed this kid for his lack of respect, but sitting in the teacher's position, he had to pretend to be magnanimous. He raised his glass, "Come, everyone has worked hard. Let's toast to our friendship!"

Zhang Yang, whether in his past life or this one, never shied away from drinking. In one gulp, he finished more than half a glass of Erguotou, which was about two ounces. Everyone's eyes immediately focused on him. Zhang Yang, oblivious, calmly picked up a peanut and chewed it sweetly. No one else had finished their drink, and Zhang Yang looked around in surprise, "Didn't we say cheers? I've already drunk mine first, Gao Wei, it was your suggestion!"

Gao Wei, holding the half-full glass, was stunned. He had suggested a toast, but he didn't mean to finish it in one gulp. Damn, this was 56-degree Erguotou, and this kid had a huge capacity. As a teacher, he couldn't be called by his first name, but then he remembered he had told them to call him that. Gao Wei's intention was to show Zuo Xiaoqing that he was her peer, but instead, he had been outmaneuvered by Zhang Yang.

Hearing Zhang Yang's words, the interns all turned their attention to Gao Wei. In their hearts, Gao Wei was a strong figure, and someone daring to challenge him openly, regardless of right or wrong, was admirable.

What Gao Wei truly cared about was how Zuo Xiaoqing viewed him. As he said, he was young, only 25, and he had a fiery and impulsive side. Moreover, he valued his reputation. His alcohol tolerance was not bad, and he could handle six to seven ounces of Erguotou. In front of a group of students, he couldn't show weakness. He drank it all in one gulp, smiled at Zhang Yang, and although his expression was gentle, the coldness in his eyes was unmistakable.

Chen Guowei also drank it all in one gulp. The other interns, though not heavy drinkers, were young and had the courage to drink. They all forced themselves to finish their drinks. Alcohol was indeed a good thing; after drinking, the atmosphere became much livelier, and the interns spoke louder. As others got rowdy, Zhang Yang became quiet. Part of the reason was that he didn't fit in with these people, but the main reason was that he noticed a 17-inch color TV in the night market, which was broadcasting the evening news. The beautiful female anchor, Hai Lan, was reporting the night news from Jiangcheng.

Zhang Yang didn't speak, and the others ignored him. Gao Wei took the opportunity to chat with Zuo Xiaoqing, but it was difficult to get closer with Zhang Yang in between.

Hong Ling was a clever person and subtly tried to bring Zuo Xiaoqing and Gao Wei together. She had already steered the conversation to the topic of going to the movies together the day after tomorrow. Zuo Xiaoqing didn't want to delve into this topic and subtly changed the subject, raising her cola to toast with Zhang Yang. Zhang Yang, who was focused on the TV, didn't think twice and grabbed the glass, finishing it in one gulp. This time, it was a full glass of Erguotou, and Hong Ling had specially filled it for him. Zhang Yang, though silent, became the center of attention again.

Gao Wei's smile was somewhat forced. A full glass was about three ounces of Erguotou, and he wasn't worried about the alcohol, but this kid's capacity was truly terrifying.

Zhang Yang put down the empty glass, and Zuo Xiaoqing, surprised by the result, said with concern, "Zhang Yang, eat some food. You shouldn't drink like that."

The male interns, including Chen Guowei, could only marvel.

Zhang Yang smiled, "A little alcohol is no problem!" His speech was clear, and he showed no signs of being drunk.

Hong Ling, who had already seen Zhang Yang as an adversary, stood up to pour him more alcohol. Zuo Xiaoqing, seeing her intention, gently advised, "Hong Ling, don't pour anymore. We have work tomorrow."

Hong Ling, who was genuinely afraid of Zuo Xiaoqing, immediately gave up the idea of pouring more alcohol for Zhang Yang.

Unexpectedly, Gao Wei spoke up, "I think Zhang Yang's alcohol capacity is good. If he likes to drink, let him drink freely. Now that we're off work, we should all relax and enjoy life."

"Teacher Gao's words are full of wisdom!" Hong Ling flattered, and with Gao Wei's encouragement, she immediately refilled Zhang Yang's glass.

Zuo Xiaoqing quietly nudged Zhang Yang's knee with her left leg, reminding him to control himself.

Zhang Yang, who never backed down, and with his large alcohol capacity, saw that Gao Wei and Hong Ling were trying to get him drunk. His anger had already risen, but he maintained a faint smile and raised his glass, "Teacher Gao, I'll toast to you!"

Gao Wei, surprised by the quick counterattack, had no choice but to raise his glass, "Drinking too much is bad for your health. Let's drink casually..." Before he could finish, Zhang Yang finished another three ounces in one gulp, smiling at Gao Wei, clearly saying, "I, the student, have already drunk. Now it's your turn, the teacher."

Gao Wei knew he couldn't finish three ounces of Erguotou in one gulp and laughed awkwardly, "I'll drink casually!" He sipped it gently, not wanting to compete with Zhang Yang. "I'm your teacher, I'm the one in charge, and I can bully you. What can you do?"

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