Chapter Two, Beginning of Spring (02)

Hey! Fang Ju reached out to stop her, but Xu Tang brushed his hand away and continued to gulp down the drink. In just a moment, the entire bottle of wine was emptied.

Soon, only Zhou Xian and Xu Tang remained at the stall. Xu Tang held the IOU in hand, looking at Zhou Xian, "When will you fulfill the terms stated in the IOU?"

Fang Juzheng was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this sentence. He raised an eyebrow and smiled, put down the beer bottle, fished out a bottle from the box on the ground, opened it on the edge of the table, and handed it to Xu Tang, saying, "Drink this bottle first before we continue."

Xu Tang shook his head

She slammed the empty wine bottle heavily onto the wooden table, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and said, "Pay me back"

Xu Tang's heart tightened, and she instinctively took a step back. In the next moment, Zhou Xian's hand circled to the back of her head, grabbing her ponytail and pushing her head forward slightly, he whispered, "Bai Tiao, do you understand?"

"Xu Tang, have you lost your mind!" Zhang Xue exclaimed.

Xu Tang did not drink alcohol; she merely lowered her head to eat skewers. She ate quickly and did not speak, only listening as Zhang Xue softened her voice to converse with Zhou Xian. Zhou Xian rarely responded, occasionally replying with a monosyllabic sound or two.

Zhou Xian stared directly into her eyes, maintaining this stalemate for several seconds, then raised his hand to loosen her hair before walking towards the motorcycle, disappearing into the depths of the night amidst a cloud of dust

The motorcycle was moving very fast, and the wind rushed in, making Xu Tang feel breathless. She did not wrap her arms around "Red Hair's" waist, instead, she firmly pressed her hands against the seat behind her.

Xu Tang lowered her gaze, "Xu Tang, the Tang of the begonia."

Xu Tang walked down slowly, unaware that the motorcycle gang outside the school had not yet dispersed. She tugged at the strap of her backpack, cautiously glanced around, and quickened her pace while focusing on the ground beneath her feet. Just as she took two steps, a frivolous and clear voice suddenly came from behind her: "light beauty girl"

Oh, Zhou Xian tightened his grip on her wrist, not knowing whether it was intentional or unintentional, "Xu Haitang."

Xu Tang quietly clenched her fingers, opened her mouth slightly, and asked in a low voice, "What does it mean?"

The pulled ponytail caused a slight pain in the scalp, and Zhou Xian's breath, carrying the scent of tobacco, brushed against her face. Xu Tang bit her lip and remained silent.

Xu Tang lowered her head even further, just as she was about to take a step forward, a figure swiftly appeared in front of her, "Light beauty, would you like to join us for barbecue?"

Zhang Xue was taken aback and immediately asked, "What about Xu Tang?"

Xu Tang immediately raised her eyes, "Can I pay back the money now?"

The relationships among girls of this age are particularly sensitive, with terms like "flirt," "vixen," and "vain" being akin to the various phrases scrawled in chalk on the wall behind the playground, accompanying their entire three years of academic life.

"Red-haired" asked her while riding, "Beautiful lady, my name is Fang Ju, what is your name?"

If you go with me to eat barbecue, I will return it to you

For example, Zhang Xue has changed her boyfriend again

"Just give me a favor, let's have a barbecue, and after we finish, I'll take you home," he said, raising his thumb to indicate the direction where Zhou Xian was located. "I have a car, we'll be back quickly."

The gazes around intersected several times, ultimately landing on Xu Tang, whose steps had unconsciously come to a halt, followed by a flurry of discussions.

Zhou Xiansong released her wrist, took the backpack from the chair beside her, pulled out a pencil case and a notebook, tore off a sheet of paper, wrote a few lines in a flamboyant style, and then with a "bang" slapped it down in front of Xu Tang

Zhou Xian let out a light scoff and took a step forward

The four of them casually found a barbecue stall to sit down at. Zhang Xue sat next to Zhou Xian, continuously observing Xu Tang. Xu Tang pretended not to notice and lowered her head to tidy her disheveled hair

On the bridge, amidst the smoke and fire, amidst the loud laughter, some began to raise their voices and sing, while no one noticed the suddenly tense atmosphere at this stall.

Zhou Xian glanced at her and said, "You have won"

Xu Tang was silent for several seconds, took the bottle of wine from Zhou Xian's hand, gazed at the bottle's opening, and remained motionless for a long while

Xu Tang picked it up and was shocked by the ugly handwriting; upon reading the content, she was even more astonished. Just as she was about to speak, Zhou Xian had already stood up, and Fang Ju followed suit, asking, "Xian Ge, shall we disperse?"

Xu Tang did not dare to look any longer and immediately withdrew her gaze

Indeed, who enjoys barbecue without drinking beer?" Fang Ju innocently shrugged his shoulders

Xu Tang is regarded as a good student in the eyes of her teachers, and naturally, she is not involved in the kind of "best friend" relationships that are entangled with various gossip. Nevertheless, she is still able to capture a few useful pieces of information from the discussions around her

Fang Ju nodded repeatedly, while handing over the bottle of wine and looking for a cup for Xu Tang. To his surprise, Xu Tang took the beer bottle, wiped the mouth of the bottle with his finger, and then tilted his head back to gulp it down.

For instance, the name of Zhang Xuexin's boyfriend happens to sound very familiar

Fang Ju no longer asked, as a turn approached ahead. He suddenly let out a loud whistle: "Hold on tight!" Saying this, he twisted the throttle and quickly turned the vehicle's head.

There are two motorcycles parked there, and Zhou Xian is wearing a black leather jacket, sitting astride one of the bikes; behind him, there is a girl sitting.

I will give it to you once I finish drinking it

Xu Tang immediately turned her head and coincidentally met Zhou Xian's gaze. It remained indifferent yet carried a hint of probing; beyond that, no other emotions could be discerned.

Fang Ju and Zhang Xue remained silent, not daring to speak, only watching Xu Tang and Zhou Xian remove the beer and bring up a bottle of "Poet Immortal Li Bai" liquor, filling two plastic cups to the brim and starting a drinking game. This liquor is a specialty of Duhe Town, with an alcohol content of approximately 40 degrees.

Every evening after the self-study session, the neatly parked motorcycles outside Duhe Middle School can be considered a sight to behold in the town. Fashionably dressed girls rush out of the teaching building, each mounting their respective motorcycles, and speed towards the barbecue stall on Duhe Bridge

Xu Tang ignored him and stared at Zhou Xian.

When Xu Tang heard that name, her hand paused for a moment. She lowered her gaze, slowly putting the pen and transparent tape into her stationery box and stuffing it into her backpack. Looking at the time again, only three minutes had passed.

As soon as the class bell rang, the girl Zhang Xue, who was sitting diagonally behind Xu Tang, dashed out like an arrow released from its bow. Xu Tang closed her math test paper and packed her bag, catching snippets of discussion among several girls about Zhang Xue amidst the noisy crowd.

Xu Tang followed "Red Hair" towards the motorcycle. As she passed by Zhou Xian, she couldn't help but lower her head. Zhou Xian, who had been quietly smoking while looking ahead, suddenly turned his head, and his gaze lingered on her for a brief moment.

First go and then return

I am not called Xu Haitang, I am called Xu Tang

Xu Tang still shook her head

Xu Tang looked at him: "Will you give it to me after you finish drinking?"

After the turn, there is the river crossing bridge. Fang Ju parked the car by the bridge, turned his head, and smiled at Xu Tang, revealing a set of white and even teeth. "You are indeed a bit stubborn."

Xu Tang remained silent

Fang Ju stared blankly at the wine bottle for a long time, unsure of how to respond. At this moment, Xu Tang had already eaten the barbecue and drunk the wine, truly unable to find any reason not to pay.

Fang Ju secretly observed the expressions of Zhou Xian and Xu Tang. The former's gaze had become somewhat erratic, while the latter's eyes remained clear, and the hand holding the cup was exceptionally steady. Fang Ju couldn't help but click his tongue in surprise and felt amused, not expecting that Zhou Xian would also have a moment of misfortune.

Zhou Xian nodded and then turned his gaze towards Xu Tang, who said: "You will escort Miss Zhang back."

Xu Tang gently bit her lip, raised her head to look directly at Zhou Xuan, and said, "I don't believe you. I will drink with you, and if I win, you will pay me back."

Xu Tang was the first to finish eating. After placing the bamboo skewer down, he tore off a piece of low-quality tissue paper to wipe his mouth, then looked up at Fang Ju and asked, "Can you return the money to me now?"

"Red Hair" was taken aback, clearly not expecting Xu Tang to agree so readily. He immediately said, "With Brother Xian watching, it certainly counts!"

Xu Tang raised her eyes to look at him, suddenly raising her voice, "Do you keep your word?"

After a long silence, Zhou Xian said: "Alright"

Boss, bring me forty skewers and a beer first

Xu Tang pressed her lips together and said, "Then you can exchange the money for me."

Fang Ju let out a laugh, "Weren't you quite brave just now? Are you afraid?"

Xu Tang remained silent

The red-haired man’s expression darkened for a moment, and after a brief pause, he said: "Are you still unhappy about what happened last time? We can’t get to know each other without some conflict, so how about I apologize to you?"

Xu Tang raised her eyes and caught sight of a head of red hair illuminated even more brilliantly by the orange-yellow light, prompting her to tug at the strap of her backpack. She paused for a moment and glanced out of the corner of her eye towards the direction from which the "red-haired" person had just run over.

Xu Tang's eyelids twitched, and her heart skipped a beat. She raised her eyes to look at Zhou Xian, who appeared somewhat dazed and confused. A barely perceptible smile curved at the corners of Zhou Xian's mouth as he softly asked her, "What is your name?" His voice carried a hint of drunkenness, sounding somewhat hoarse

Fang raised his hand and glanced at the four people in front of him

Xu Tang shook her head, "You are not yet drunk"

"Give it to me." Zhou Xian suddenly spoke.

Xu Tang's heart suddenly raced, her lips pressed tightly together like a sharp line. Her frail body seemed as if it would be blown away by the wind, yet she still clung tightly to the chair. The oversized school uniform was filled with wind, resembling a balloon that had been inflated.

Fang Ju immediately placed the four skewers of lamb he was holding into the Zhou Xian plate

Zhou Xian remained noncommittal, pushed away the cup in front of him, took out a cigarette and lit it, saying, "I won't drink anymore"

You return it to me first

He was hesitating and in a dilemma when he suddenly saw Zhou Xian bend down and take out a bottle of wine, handing it to Xu Tang

Long after he had left, Xu Tang seemed to still hear the "putt putt putt" sound of the motorcycle starting up. Until the surrounding noisy laughter gradually pulled her thoughts back, she slowly raised her eyes and saw the river water beneath the bridge, the sound of the water flowing gently under the moonlight, as the current struck the stones.

"Red Hair" leaned in closer when he saw that she did not respond, "So, are you going or not?"

After finishing, Fang Ju opened four more bottles of beer

As the snow melts over the river, the first peach blossom blooms on the riverbank. Following the conclusion of the hundred-day pledge ceremony for the college entrance examination, the evening self-study session at Duhhe Middle School has been postponed by another half hour.

The twenty skewers were quickly consumed, and half of the bottle of white liquor was also finished

Fang Ju quickly pulled her, "Miss Zhang, let's go"

Alright! The owner who was grilling the skewers couldn't help but speed up his movements. Before long, two large plates were brought up, with the plates neatly arranged with golden-brown grilled lamb.

After the two finished half a cup again, Xu Tang planned to pour more, when Zhou Xian suddenly reached out and grasped her wrist

Xu Tang bit her lip and said, "You said you would pay me back after finishing the barbecue"

Fang Ju distributed the lamb skewers from the plate in front of the four people. When it came to Xu Tang, Xu Tang whispered, "I can't finish so much."

After a while, Fang Ju asked again: "Which class are you in?"