Gao Mingcheng stood up with a smile: "It's been a long time."
Zhao Bin strode over and asked, "When did you get back?"
“I’ve been back for five or six days,” Gao Mingcheng said.
“It’s rare that you still remember me and came looking for me. Come on, it’s time to eat, let’s go to the state-run restaurant for a couple of drinks.” Zhao Bin said, pulling Gao Mingcheng out.
Gao Mingcheng did not refuse.
It was lunchtime, and the state-run restaurant was quite crowded. After waiting for a while, Zhao Bin and Gao Mingcheng finally got to sit down at an empty table.
Zhao Bin ordered two dishes, a plate of peanuts, and a bottle of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor), and filled Gao Mingcheng's cup.
"Are you alright up south?" Zhao Bin asked with concern.
"What could possibly be wrong with me?" Gao Mingcheng asked, puzzled.
“A year ago, when the army came, they all came to me asking about you. They heard that your wife was so scared that she went into premature labor. Fortunately, both mother and daughter are safe. I was busy at the time and didn’t have time to pay attention. Later, when I went to your village on business, I asked around and found out that you weren’t affected by your situation and were doing quite well. That put my mind at ease,” Zhao Bin said.
Gao Mingcheng's expression hardened slightly. He shook his head and said, "It's nothing, it was all a misunderstanding, and it's been resolved now."
"I don't think so either. Otherwise, how could you have come back safe and sound if this wasn't resolved?" Zhao Bin laughed and picked up his wine glass. "Come on, let's have a drink, brother."
Gao Mingcheng smiled and clinked his wine glass with his.
"Are you back for a vacation, or...?" Zhao Bin asked.
"The commander gave me two months' leave. After the leave ends, I will go to Beijing to take up my new post," Gao Mingcheng said.
Zhao Bin's eyes lit up: "You got promoted?"
Gao Mingcheng nodded.
Zhao Bin then raised his glass: "Come on, let's have another one."
Gao Mingcheng: "..." If he keeps drinking like this, I'm afraid he won't be able to get anything done. He came to see me, not to drink.
Gao Mingcheng stopped Zhao Bin from drinking the wine glass he was about to put in his mouth: "Don't drink yet, I have something to tell you."
Zhao Bin was taken aback for a moment, then looked at Gao Mingcheng and narrowed his eyes slightly: "So, you came to see me because you had something to discuss, and not just to see me on purpose?"
Gao Mingcheng smiled and said, "I came here specifically to see you, and I also have something I'd like to ask you for help with."
Zhao Bin didn't believe it, and scoffed, saying, "I think they have something to ask me, and they're just visiting me on the side."
“What’s the difference? Don’t they all have to come see you first before they can talk to you?” Gao Mingcheng said.
“That makes a big difference,” Zhao Bin said, arms crossed. “If you need to see me and happen to come by, I’ll have to keep things strictly business.”
Gao Mingcheng chuckled: "If I came here specifically to see you and talk to you about something, are you really going to show favoritism?"
"That depends on what you're talking about," Zhao Bin said, nodding slightly to Gao Mingcheng, signaling him to speak quickly.
Gao Mingcheng then told Zhao Bin about how he and Xing Zhaozhao discovered the tomb raider's tunnel in the mountains.
Zhao Bin frowned in embarrassment, stroked his chin, and said thoughtfully, "Tomb raiding, huh? This is really the first time we've ever done this kind of job."
Gao Mingcheng shook his head and said, "I'm afraid it's more than just tomb raiding."
Then he told Zhao Bin about finding those boxes in the tomb.
Zhao Bin's expression hardened, and he keenly sensed something was wrong: "Stolen goods?"
Gao Mingcheng nodded: "That's what I think too. I don't know who did it, so I didn't report it directly to your public security brigade. I just told you to avoid making a big fuss and alerting the thief."
Zhao Bin looked delighted and reached out to pat Gao Mingcheng on the shoulder, saying, "Well done, Mingcheng. No wonder your leader values you. You're quite perceptive."
After saying that, he stood up impatiently and said, "Let's go, let's go take a look right away."
Gao Mingcheng couldn't be happier.
The food on the table hadn't been touched much, and it would be a waste to throw it away, so we borrowed two porcelain jars from the restaurant to put it in, and also got some rice, which we ate on the way.
Upon arriving at Xiaogaozhuang, they stayed at home for a short while to prepare for their journey into the mountains.
This was Zhao Bin's first time here. When he first met four pairs of curious eyes—one big and three small—he scratched his head sheepishly and handed the half-empty bottle of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) to Xing Zhaozhao: "Sorry, sister-in-law, I came in a hurry and didn't prepare anything. Please take this."
Xing Zhaozhao, holding the wine bottle, remained silent, showing no sign of embarrassment.
Hongyu, who was very curious about everything, stared intently at the wine bottle in Xing Zhaozhao's hand. He licked his lips and asked, "Mom, what's in this bottle? Can I try some?"
Xing Zhaozhao gently patted his head: "What nonsense are you talking about? This is wine, children can't drink it."
Gao Mingcheng never drank alcohol at home, but Hongyu knew that Gao Mingcheng often bought alcohol to give to the uncles and elders in the village. The uncles and elders would smile from ear to ear every time they received it. He was really curious: "Can't you try some? Just a little bit."
Fearing that Xing Zhaozhao wouldn't agree, he even gestured with his hand to show that it was really just a tiny bit, about the size of a fingernail.
Xing Zhaozhao ignored him completely and directly gestured to Gao Mingcheng to quickly satisfy his son's curiosity.
Gao Mingcheng immediately went over and took his son away.
Zhao Bin couldn't help but want to cover his face. This time, he seemed to have really embarrassed himself.
Gao Mingcheng returned shortly afterward, carrying his son.
The little guy looked miserable and never mentioned wanting to taste the wine again.
Xing Zhaozhao asked curiously what method Gao Mingcheng had used.
The father and son remained silent, and even Hongfei's attempts to probe for information were unsuccessful.
Xing Zhaozhao had no choice but to give up.
Gao Mingcheng and Zhao Bin will most likely spend the night in the mountains this time. Xing Zhaozhao prepared all kinds of food, drinks, sleeping supplies, lighting, mosquito repellent, and insect repellent for them and stuffed them into Gao Mingcheng's backpack.
Zhao Bin was puzzled when he saw Gao Mingcheng's bulging bag: "It's just a trip into the mountains, do you need to prepare so much stuff?"
"You'll know when we get there," Gao Mingcheng said.
Zhao Bin followed Gao Mingcheng into the mountains, full of doubts. By the time he realized what had happened and wanted to regret it, it was too late.
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