Chapter 72: Fatty Jiang

"Sure, wait for me, I’ll come over to pick you." Jiang Fei replied with a laughter emoji.

Lou Cheng was puzzled. "Pick me?"

"Haha, you’ll know later. Ask Old Cheng as well, see if he can join?" Fatty Jiang added, mentioning another friend, Cheng Qili.

Lou Cheng replied with a despised emoji, "I will call him out to beat him into a pulp, even if you didn’t say!"

He messaged Cheng Qili, whose QQ nickname was "I Love Advanced Mathematics." [Are you there, Old Cheng? I am back!] He waited a few minutes for a response, but there was none. Lou Cheng then dialed Cheng Qili’s mobile number, which had an out-of-province area code. He wasn't sure if the number was still active.

A familiar yet husky voice answered after a moment. "Cheng?"

"What’s up, Old Cheng? Are you ill?" Lou Cheng asked, concerned.

Cheng Qili chuckled. "No worries. Some relatives came over today and insisted I should drink since I'm in college now. I got drunk and slept all afternoon. I'm not even sure when I would've woken up if not for your call. Eh, your voice doesn’t sound right either, Cheng. It’s kind of nasal. Catching a cold?"

"Yeah, but I'm almost recovered. I'm back in Xiushan, so I'm asking Fatty Jiang out for barbecue. You joining?" Around Cheng Qili, Lou Cheng didn't need to be formal.

Cheng Qili sighed. "Can't get out, there's a family gathering at home. New Year is damn busy. I'll find you either tomorrow or the day after?"

"Sure, we'll discuss it then." Lou Cheng hung up, replied to Yan Zheke's message, and tidied up his luggage. He sorted his clothes, putting the unwashed ones into two baskets, and placed his laptop on the desk.

The sky had already darkened, and although it wasn't six yet, night had fallen. The house lights created a bright, cozy environment, but Lou Cheng felt a slight sense of unfamiliarity in the place he had slept for almost ten years. On his left was a bed with a brand-new four-piece bedsheet set, which he guessed was his mother's work. On his right was a bookcase and a wardrobe. The bookcase held his old martial arts magazines, novels, comics, and secret books like "Shushan Twelve Chapter Brocade," which he had naively bought, hoping to become an expert. The books had real content, but without guidance, they had no effect on him.

The desk was between the bed and bookcase. It held a desk lamp, a calendar, a pen holder, and a coin bank. The drawers were locked, containing his yearbooks and old photos. He had once lamented not having a group photo with Yan Zheke, but it didn't matter now. A man should always seek a higher goal.

Just as he finished, Jiang Fei sent a message. [Come down, Cheng. I am at the entrance of your district.]

[Okay,] Lou Cheng replied. He grabbed his wallet and, after a moment's thought, pulled out seven or eight hundred-yuan notes from the ten-thousand-dollar stack hidden in his drawer. He rushed out the door excitedly and went to the district entrance. He looked left and right, but saw no familiar face on the chilly road.

Honk! Honk! A car horn sounded. Lou Cheng looked over and saw a white Ford park at the entrance, its window rolling down.

"Cheng!" A deep, pleased voice came from inside. It was Jiang Fei.

Lou Cheng laughed as he walked over and opened the passenger-side door. "Not bad, you can even drive now!" he said. He recognized the car as belonging to Jiang Fei's father—neither expensive nor cheap, just like his family's situation.

Jiang Fei, wearing a dark blue down jacket over a black turtleneck, stretched his chest. His round face was bigger than when Lou Cheng had last seen him in August, with three layers of fat under his chin. His bulging belly made him look pregnant. He grinned. "Though I didn’t manage to get a girlfriend this semester, I got my driving license. Our school lets us use it for credits to skip an elective."

"Tsk, you can't judge a book by its cover. I thought you would shut yourself in your room all semester playing games." Lou Cheng sat down, closed the door, and fastened his seat belt. The car was a welcome relief from the cold.

Jiang Fei released the handbrake and shifted gears. "Knowing how to drive is a basic skill now. It'll take too much time to get the license after graduation. You should take the exam now if you have time."

"If I had the time..." Lou Cheng thought of his daily training. He took out his phone and sent Yan Zheke a snickering emoji. [Off I go, together with my classmate Fatty Jiang to Old Liu Barbecue!]

Yan Zheke replied with an "I will murder you with my eyes" emoji. [Seems like someone is getting more and more fearless that he even dares to provoke me now. Though you mentioned that you will never forget to repay me with your gratitude?]

[My mistake, Coach Yan! I beg for your forgiveness!] Lou Cheng replied, a smile on his face.

Jiang Fei glanced at him, then at the road. "Who are you chatting with, Cheng? Look at that filthy smile on your face, is that your girlfriend? You never mentioned before!"

"Not yet, still working hard on it." Lou Cheng didn't hide it.

Jiang Fei gasped. "Not bad! I never thought you would take the initiative to pursue someone. Indeed, still waters run deep. Perhaps you'll be the first among us to get attached. Is that girl your schoolmate at Songcheng University?"

"Yup." Lou Cheng nodded. Not only that, she was also my high school schoolmate...

"Sigh, Songcheng University has a good balance of men and women, unlike ours. Oh yes, do you know that Yan Zheke is also at Songcheng University, Cheng?" Jiang Fei suddenly added.

Lou Cheng was startled. "Yes, I know, we’ve met." And we also meet each other every day...

"I despise you. How could you not mention it to me at all?" Jiang Fei said, his eyes focused on the road. Without waiting for a reply, he continued, "Remember that time after freshman year military training? Many guys were saying there was a great beauty, prettier than a celebrity, in Class 3. We even made a detour to the toilet near Class 3 just to take a peek. After that, we often talked about her. Every time there was mass martial arts training, we'd find ways to get closer to Class 3 students, pretending to walk by their entrance..."

"At that time, we didn't think of pursuing anything, just felt delighted looking at her. That's probably my best memory about girls in junior high school, my youth!"

Lou Cheng listened, remembering those times with emotion. That young, pure, unrequited love. "There were many people pretending to walk by, and we’d often see familiar faces, while the boys in Class 3 would just blatantly make fun of us," Lou Cheng recalled.

At the same time, he was busy typing on his phone. [Recalling high school memories with Fatty Jiang now. You still remember people often walked past to get a glimpse of you during our freshman year?]

Jiang Fei sighed, shook his head, and laughed. "Looking back, we were pretty silly. We don’t even know if Yan Zheke noticed, and what she thought of us?"

Beep. Yan Zheke replied with a "Messy in the wind" emoji. [Yeah, I do... I felt like I was a panda in the zoo, with people constantly visiting, so I had to bend over the desk and pretend to sleep. Haha, were you one of those 'visitors'?]

"Well, I doubt she’ll remember passers-by like us," Lou Cheng said, shattering Fatty Jiang's fantasy with a factual description. Then he grinned and replied to Yan Zheke. [Yeah, pretended to walk by several times! Unfortunately, I was just one of the passers-by at that time, you most probably won’t remember.] Another ambiguous flirtatious line.

Yan Zheke sent an evil grin emoji without any words.

By this time, they had arrived at Old Liu Barbecue. Jiang Fei, unfamiliar with parking, took a while to get the car settled. As he turned off the engine and locked the car, he said to Lou Cheng, "You're right, how would she remember passers-by like us? Not only was she prettier than a celebrity, her grades were great, and it was also said that she had a great personality. I bet if all her pursuers were to spit at us, we would probably drown in their saliva. But I guess a person like her will definitely have high standards. Since there are still no rumors about her relationships, I suppose she's the kind that focuses on her studies. Eh, why do you think she went to Songcheng University? Isn’t Capital or Huahai a better choice?"

Lou Cheng thought seriously. "Might be due to family reasons."

"Haha, stop guessing. It's probably not accurate. I'll find out from Du Liyu, since Song Li and Yan Zheke are good friends." Jiang Fei mocked his reply.

Nowadays, no one believes you even if you're telling the truth... Lou Cheng looked at the sky, a sense of unknown satisfaction filling his heart.

They entered the restaurant. The shop had just opened for the evening.

"Twenty pork belly skewers, twenty steak skewers, twenty pork ribs skewers, twenty chicken feet soft bone skewers, twenty mutton skewers, twenty chicken butt skewers, ten chicken wings skewers, ten kidney skewers, ten potato skewers, ten green beans skewers, a portion of leek, a grilled fish and four roasted eggplants." Lou Cheng was so familiar with the menu that he ordered without looking. Since Xiushan was inland, barbecue shops generally didn't serve seafood.

Jiang Fei was shocked. "So much? You better finish it all!" In the past, they would have ordered only a third of this for two people, even though the skewers in Xiushan were smaller than in the North.

"Maybe we'll order more later. I'm practicing martial arts now, so I have a bigger appetite." Lou Cheng chuckled.

Under the restaurant lights, Jiang Fei looked at him skeptically. "Martial arts? You know, Cheng, you do look a bit more mature now."

"It's called temperament." Lou Cheng said playfully. "What do you want to drink?"

"Beer, of course! Let’s have a few glasses. I'll get someone to drive us later," Jiang Fei replied, still considering how many bottles to order.

Lou Cheng waved his hand, smiling. "I've already quit drinking for martial arts. Besides, I have a cold now, so a bottle of mineral water will do." He knew he would have to repeat this many times, but he was determined.

Jiang Fei stared at him. "Seriously?"

Lou Cheng nodded. "Why would I lie?" His tone was serious.

"Well then... since no one's drinking with me and I still have to drive, forget it. Give me herbal tea." Jiang Fei rubbed his hands and didn't push it. "Oh yes, Cheng, since you're practicing martial arts, do you know of any local martial arts clubs or gyms?"

"Nope, why?" Lou Cheng asked, puzzled.

A forced smile crossed Jiang Fei’s face. "I've gained weight again. I thought of losing weight through exercise, or I'll get even fatter after the New Year. At least I thought I should maintain my weight, but New Year is around the corner, and both clubs and gyms are closed for the break. I can’t even find one."

Lou Cheng smiled. "This kind of thing depends on your self-control and determination. But if you really want to lose weight, you could join me for my daily morning practice. I am determined to practice martial arts every day."

Jiang Fei gasped. "It’s unbelievable that you’re so hardworking, Cheng! Isn't there a quote that says 'the old having the same ambition and passion as a youth'?"

The waitress returned with herbal tea and a bottle of mineral water, pouring them into two cups.

"Are you sure you know how to use poetry quotes..." Lou Cheng glanced at him. "So, are you joining?"

Jiang Fei pondered for a moment. "Okay, I'll try. What time in the morning?" He raised his cup and gulped his herbal tea.

"I’ll meet you later. I'll run to your house and wake you up at 6:10 a.m." Lou Cheng replied after thinking for a while.

Pfft! Jiang Fei sprayed herbal tea from his mouth. Lou Cheng, sharp and agile, raised his arm just in time to block it.

"6:10 a.m.? 6:10 a.m. on a winter day?" Jiang Fei said, wiping his mouth.

Lou Cheng shot him a despised look. "This is the time to test your will to lose weight. If you promise and don't get up, I might break your house windows. I’ve been waiting for that moment for a long time, and so has my slingshot!"

"Let’s try it for two days first," Jiang Fei promised, with hesitation.