After this round of drinks, the atmosphere became lively. People went from sitting to standing to walking while eating. The sound of the waves in the distance couldn’t match the excitement of this lively hustle and bustle scene either.
Yan Sui had drunk at least two bottles of red wine, yet he remained as steady as a mountain and his expression remained unchanged. His drinking capacity was just like a bottomless pit. On the other hand, those who had been clamoring the loudest at the beginning were now starting to sway and stagger.
The ones who were truly eating barbecue from start to finish were Meng Ting and Zhen Han, as well as Yan Sui, whom Meng Ting did not forget to feed. Two of them were foodies, and one of them had a little wife to take care of him. The last one is particularly enviable.
There was laughter, noise, drinking, and playing until about ten o’clock in the evening. Even Meng Ting, the king of big stomachs, didn’t eat anymore; he was simply too full.
Moreover, barbecuing is mainly for the fun of the process. Eating too much isn’t good for the body. Towards the end, Yan Sui had the chef cook a bowl of noodles for Meng Ting, adding a little bit of spiciness according to his previous request.
Meng Ting’s mood index soared again after eating. Not only did he smile at Yan Sui, but he also smiled at those who occasionally came to tease him.
They are Yan Sui’s friends. Although they are not his friends yet, they are different from strangers. This is what Meng Ting realized tonight.
***
However, the gathering didn’t end here; they hadn’t even started their usual routine yet.
“Come again?” Gu Lang’s voice rose straight up, looking at Yan Sui in utter disbelief. Come on, this is a gathering where you bring your wife to meet everyone, not a gathering to settle old scores. Why do we have to endure another beating before you let everyone go?
“Don’t ask me to name you, just step forward yourself.”
As soon as Yan Sui said these words, all the commotion ceased. One by one, they stood in a row, looking at Yan Sui pitifully, and then quietly signaled Meng Ting with their eyes; Dear Sister-in-law, please save us.
It’s a pity that the frequency band of Meng Ting’s brain waves is too strange. He didn’t receive their plea for help.
Three seconds passed. No one could stand Yan Sui’s increasingly cold expression. One by one, they all stood up obediently, including several people who were usually absent and run abroad. This is an unexpected disaster. They can just watch the fun in their Moments, why bother coming back?
However, Yan Sui’s seriousness was genuine. With the lifelong friendship they had since childhood, it was impossible for him to watch them go astray. The activities that were often part of these gatherings could serve as a form of supervision and encouragement to some extent.
Yan Sui’s standard for not resorting to violence was not actually very high. Absolutely no involvement in illegal activities like pornography, gambling, drugs, or fighting and causing harm to people. Their life was too good, their family members were overly indulgent. Sometimes it gives them the illusion that they are omnipotent and they want to seek excitement.
Yan Sui was responsible for making them understand one of the consequences that comes after seeking excitement.
“I raced with someone abroad last month. But we were on a mountain road, there was no one around, and we weren’t arrested.”
Even if the circumstances were not serious, it was still inevitable that they had to fight with Yan Sui. The site was soon cleared.
Feng Qing also figured it out. A trip back home would not be complete without feeling Yan Sui’s fists. Come on, come on. He has practiced a lot abroad in the past two years, and it is not certain who will beat whom.
However, Yan Sui is really powerful. With his skills, even the elites of the special forces may not be able to beat him. In particular, he has a very good sense of proportion, and will only make people feel the pain, and will not really hurt him.
The sound of ‘Ouch, ouch’ kept coming, making those who heard it shed tears and those who listened grieve1聞者落淚，聽着傷心 (wén zhě luò lèi, tīng zhe shāng xīn): T/N: According to the netizens, this line is adapted from the line; 我聞琵琶已嘆息，又聞此語重, When I listened to her music, I sighed for her. Now hearing her sad story, My sighs doubled. From 《Pipa Xing》 [琵琶行 (Pí pa Xíng)], a Tang dynasty poem composed in 816 by the Chinese poet Bai Juyi. More information: Link 1; Link 2.. Those standing in line behind them had their livers and hearts trembling.
“What are they doing?” Meng Ting stood on the side and stared for a long time before asking Zhen Han, who was beside him.
“Yan Sui teaching people a lesson. The usual routine of our gathering. You have to get used to it, we’ve all been through this since we were young.”
Zhen Han, with his hands in his pockets and an accustomed look on his face, said, “See, this is Yan Sui.” He didn’t speak ill of Yan Sui; everything he said was the truth based on solid evidence.
However, when he turned his head, Meng Ting was nowhere to be seen; he had already walked over to Yan Sui’s side.
“I’ll help you fight.”
“Pfft!”
It was quite quiet around them. No matter how quietly Meng Ting spoke, some people still heard him, and then they laughed.
“Hahaha……”
Oh my god, why is this Little Sister-in-law so cute? Did he think he was helping Yan Sui clip the food? Could he help by just saying he’ll help?
However, what surprised them even more was that Yan Sui actually nodded. What was he thinking?
The next one was Shi He, who was completely at a loss2摸不着頭腦 (mō bù zháo tóu nǎo): lit. cannot touch one’s head; to be unable make head or tail of something; be totally at a loss; be bewildered; be unable to make any sense of the matter; a common saying that means one can’t figure out what is going on., “What is going on?”
Meng Ting took off his suit jacket and looked at Shi He, “I’ll help Yan Sui. I’ll fight with you.”
“This… how does this make sense?”
Shi He didn’t think it was a good idea for Meng Ting to take over. Having spent a long time with Yan Sui, he knew how protective3護短 (hù duǎn): (idiomatic) to stick up for oneself or one’s ally despite their shortcoming or wrongdoing; to avoid exposing one’s own or someone’s inadequacy; to defend sb (a relative, friend or oneself) despite knowing that that person is in the wrong; to protect one’s own shortcomings, or the shortcomings of one’s family, relatives and friends, and not allow others to accuse or criticize this. Yan Sui was. Between himself and Meng Ting, it was obvious who Yan Sui would protect more. If he really hurt the person, Yan Sui would definitely come looking for trouble.
“No worries,” Yan Sui lightly patted Meng Ting’s shoulder and then stepped back gracefully.
After contemplating for a while, Shi He finally understood what Yan Sui meant by ‘no worries’. He bared his teeth at Meng Ting and said, “I let you…”
Before he could finish his sentence, Meng Ting took action. He kicked cleanly and decisively. Just from this kick, it was evident that he was not someone who didn’t know any tricks.
Shi He dodged to the side, and Meng Ting came up with another fist. The wind from the punch brushed past his face, and Shi He became completely alert. Meng Ting really didn’t need him to give in. As soon as he let his guard down, Meng Ting’s foot almost landed on his back.
But Meng Ting’s kick still missed. It wasn’t that Shi He dodged, but Meng Ting who gave in, “I’m your sister-in-law. I’ll spare you.”
“But only for three moves.”
“Woohooo…”
Meng Ting’s words were met with a unanimous roar of approval from those present. Although it sounded like madness.
After Meng Ting finished speaking, he showed no mercy. He twisted Shi He’s hand and turned his back again. The tall man was directly lifted up by him and fell to the sand. Another kick came out, and Shi He rolled to avoid it. Meng Ting waited for him to stand up, and then went forward to greet him.
But it was obvious that Shi He was no match for Meng Ting. After three or five moves, Shi He was thrown to the ground again, but this time, he had no strength to get up.
Meng Ting looked at him carefully for a couple of moments, clapped his hands, and turned back to look for Yan Sui. A clear and moving smile appeared on his expressionless face. He waved and said, “Yan Sui, I won the fight.”
A slight smile appeared on Yan Sui’s face and he nodded.
“Holy shit.”
Gu Lang exclaimed again. If Meng Ting didn’t make a move, he wouldn’t be able to believe that someone could have such excellent skills. But judging from Yan Sui’s calm demeanor, he should have known about it long ago. He hid it really well.
However, Yan Sui just knew that Meng Ting was good at fighting, but he didn’t know he was this good. Facing Shi He, Meng Ting handled it with ease throughout.
Zhen Han was also stimulated by this. He felt that the ‘weak’ in his previous evaluation of Meng Ting could be removed. It was no less ‘ferocious’ than Yan Sui.
Are the future gatherings going to turn into a tag team match between his brother and sister-in-law?
But what they have to admit is that after discovering this, they have a better impression of Meng Ting. At least in terms of combat prowess, he was a match for Yan Sui.
Meng Ting helped Yan Sui fight two more times before he was called back by Yan Sui.
There are real experts in this group of people, and Meng Ting is better at close combat. It is not a good feeling to see his wife sticking to other men. Based on the above reasons, Yan Sui took matters into his own hands again.
Meng Ting came back obediently. He thought Yan Sui had itchy hands and wanted to hit someone.
When he came back, Gu Lang moved a chair for him with a slight dogleg4狗腿 (gǒu tuǐ): a curse word used by Hunan people when they express dissatisfaction with others; in some dialects such as Shaanxi dialect , there is also the use of ” dogleg ” to refer to a traitor; also refers to a person who works as an accomplice for his master.. Meng Ting looked at it for a moment, then sat down too, and then watched Yan Sui’s fight carefully.
It didn’t take long for his face to turn red with excitement. His Yan Sui is so powerful.
Every time Yan Sui knocked down someone, Meng Ting took the lead in applauding enthusiastically. This extremely serious ‘settling old scores’ program was instantly filled with joy.
“How did you get to know Senior Brother?” Rong Nan sat down beside Meng Ting at some point and then asked casually.
Meng Ting turned his head and glanced at Rong Nan, thought for a moment, and then remembered who he was——the only person who refused to call him ‘Sister-in-law’, Yan Sui’s junior brother in the university.
“I just got to know him,” Meng Ting replied, then turned back and continued to look at Yan Sui. However, this time, he didn’t look at him with pride, but with a little vigilance. Someone really wanted to snatch his ‘big white mantou’ Yan Sui.
“Senior brother seems to like you very much,” Rong Nan said again, not minding Meng Ting’s somewhat perfunctory answer.
“Yan Sui likes me, and I like him too.” It wasn’t just ‘seemed’.
Meng Ting tilted his head and said seriously to Rong Nan. After thinking for a while, he continued, “Yan Sui and I are already married. You’d better not like him. That what… where, within the corners of the world, cannot fragrant herbs be found5天涯何處無芳草 (tiān yá hé chù wú fāng cǎo): lit. where in the world is there a lack of fragrant grass; there is no need to be overly attached to one person or location, everything has something about it that is endearing; (of lost love) there are plenty of fish in the sea; a line from a Ci [詞 (cí), a kind of ancient Chinese poem which is also the lyrics for singing to the special tune popular mainly in Song dynasty.], 《Butterflies in Love with Flowers》 by Su Shi. 枝上柳绵吹又少，天涯何处无芳草！, Most willow catkins have been blown away, alas! But there is no place where grows no sweet grass. More information: Link.? You should like someone else. That is the right thing to do, really.”
This was the longest sentence Meng Ting said to outsiders tonight. Every word was full of sincerity, but Rong Nan had a kind of embarrassment of suddenly being exposed. Unsurprisingly, Meng Ting was not wrong. He had or still has some obsession, or extravagant hopes, for Yan Sui in his heart.
It’s just that he once thought it was impossible for Yan Sui to accept anyone, including him. He didn’t dare to face the possible consequences after revealing his feelings. But now that he saw Yan Sui being kind to another person, all the things he thought he could let go are all sprouting up again.
Yan Sui can like people, so why can’t it be him?
Zhen Han suddenly tapped Rong Nan on the shoulder, “Gu Lang called you.”
Rong Nan stood up and left in a slightly embarrassed manner. Where did Gu Lang look for him? It’s just that even though Zhen Han didn’t like Rong Nan, he didn’t want him to be an eyesore to Meng Ting, so he he deliberately said this and let him go.
He lowered his eyes and looked at the seat, and did not want to sit down, but just stood there.
“Cousin, did I say something wrong?” Meng Ting glanced at Zhen Han and asked. He thought about his words and still didn’t find anything wrong. “Yan Sui is already married. It’s not good for him to like Yan Sui again.”
“You didn’t say anything wrong,” Zhen Han said, smiling at Meng Ting. Um, that label of being simple and easy to deceive should also be removed. He could see things better than anyone else. That Rong Nan couldn’t even finish a single move in front of Meng Ting and was completely defeated.
His Little Sister-in-law’s fighting ability is unexpectedly amazing!
“There are always some people who overestimate their abilities.” In the past, for such a long time, he could never make Yan Sui pay attention to him. Now that Yan Sui has someone he likes, some people are unwilling to accept it. What else if not overestimating themselves?
Yan Sui walked back gracefully, and Zhen Han, who had been standing there for a while, consciously stepped aside.
Yan Sui picked up the suit jacket from Meng Ting’s lap and draped it over Meng Ting before straightening up and said, “Let’s go back to sleep.”
“Okay,”
Meng Ting nodded and put his hand on Yan Sui’s outstretched palm. He was pulled up by Yan Sui, and then led back to their room.
“Yan Sui, you are so powerful.”
At the corner where no one could see, Meng Ting leaned forward and placed a kiss on Yan Sui’s cheek that was so fast that people couldn’t catch it.
Yan Sui lowered his eyes and glanced at Meng Ting, then continued to lead him back to the room. Once the door of the room was closed, Meng Ting reached out to turn on the light. Before he could reach it, his chin was lifted up, and then he was kissed.
Whoa, what? This chapter is a bit difficult to translate for some reason…
List of Idiom in Chapter 032.3
面不改色 (miàn bù gǎi sè): one’s facial expression remains unchanged; without batting an eyelid; not change colour—remain calm; not turn a hair; keep one’s composure.搖搖晃晃 (yáo yáo huàng huǎng): staggering; vacillating; lopping; stagger; swaying from side to side, unstable.
無妄之災 (wú wàng zhī zāi): unexpected calamity; undeserved ill turn; an accident; an undeserved catastrophe; an idiom derived from literary works. It means an unexpected disaster or unprovoked damage or involvement. From I Ching, Hexagram 25 (《易经·无妄》): 六三：无妄之災，或繫之牛，行人之得，邑人之災。, The third SIX, divided, shows calamity happening to one who is free from insincerity – as in the case of an ox that has been tied up. A passer by finds it (and carries it off), while the people in the neighbourhood have the calamity (of being accused and apprehended).
游刃有餘 (yóu rèn yǒu yú): to handle a blade skillfully; to do a task with skills and ease; to achieve something effortlessly; have plenty of room for the play of a cleaver; handle a cleaver with skill—perform a job with high skill and great ease; be more than equal to a task; handle a butcher’s cleaver skillfully—do a job with skill and ease; accomplish a task with ease; be more than equal to a task; describes one’s skill and ability to do things easily and neatly.
不自量力 (bù zì liàng lì): to overestimate one’s capabilities; go beyond one’s depth/strength; overrate one’s own abilities; overreach oneself; a metaphor for overestimating one’s own strength; alternative form of 自不量力 (zì bù liàng lì), to not know one’s own limitations; to be overconfident. The forms 自不量力 (zì bù liàng lì) and 不自量力 (bù zì liàng lì) are both common in Mandarin while the latter is more common in Cantonese.
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