Chapter 699: Being Drunk As Promised On a weekend evening, Lu Qingyang rummaged through boxes and found a dark blue Zhongshan suit. He carefully adjusted the collar, trying to smooth out every wrinkle, with a solemn expression as if he was going to attend some important ceremony.
When he was leaving the house, Chen Mo, who was teasing Xiao Shitou with her, couldn't help but cast a curious look at him, looking at his overly formal outfit:
"What are you doing out like this? You're dressed so smartly and acting so mysterious."
Lu Qingyang fastened the last button, turned around and smiled: "Let's go out for dinner."
Chen Mo was even more puzzled. She gently patted her babbling son in her arms and said, "We own a restaurant. What delicious food do we have? And why are you going out to eat? Who are you eating with?"
She walked forward and habitually reached out to straighten his collar, which was already very straight, with concern in her eyes.
"I helped an old professor here a little bit before, Professor Wu, and he insisted on treating me to a meal to express his gratitude. They are both highly respected seniors with great knowledge, so I have to go for both moral and logical reasons. Don't worry, just a simple meal, and I'll be back soon."
Shen Mo heard him say this, although she was still a little curious about which professor it was, but she knew that her husband was sensible in his actions, so she nodded:
"Okay, drink less and come back early. It's cold at night, so wear your scarf." As she said that, she handed him the gray wool scarf draped over the back of the chair.
"Got it." Lu Qingyang took the scarf, wrapped it around himself, looked at himself in the mirror and saw that he had regained his spirit. Then he took a deep breath and went out.
In January 1979, in Beijing, it got dark early and the wind was biting cold.
Lu Qingyang rode his bicycle to the well-known state-owned restaurant "Juxiantang" near the school.
The wooden door was painted red, and the windows were covered with a layer of steam.
He had just parked his bicycle when a young man in a dark Mao suit and glasses came out to greet him. It was obvious that he had been waiting at the door for a long time.
"You are Lu Qingyang, right? Mr. Wu and the others have arrived. Please follow me."
The young man was very polite and led him through the slightly noisy lobby filled with the aroma of food to a relatively quiet private room at the back.
In a room of more than ten square meters, seven or eight elderly people were already sitting around a round table.
= Lu Qingyang glanced around and his heart beat faster involuntarily. Although he could call out the names of all the people present, he recognized at a glance the old men with outstanding temperament sitting near the main seat. They were the leading figures in several key fields in China's science and technology community.
In addition to Professor Wu Zhenhua, there were several other faces I had seen at the airport before.
"Oh, our little hero is here!" Professor Wu was the first to see him. He immediately put down his teacup and stood up with a smile.
Several other old professors also stopped talking.
Lu Qingyang hurried forward, bowed slightly, and said respectfully: "Hello, Professor Wu, hello, teachers. I am sorry that I am late."
"It's late. We old guys have nothing to do, so we came a little early. Come and sit down. We've been waiting for you. Are you cold?"
Professor Wu personally pulled him to sit in the empty seat between himself and another gaunt old man, then looked around and proudly introduced himself to everyone:
"Everyone, I've mentioned this little Lu Zhi to you repeatedly before, Lu Qingyang, our talented Physics Department of Peking University, and also our savior."
The old professors all smiled and nodded in greeting, some even stood up and shook hands with him, which made Lu Qingyang
The waiter started to bring the dishes, all of which were substantial and hearty: a large pot of steaming pork and cabbage stewed with vermicelli, a steamed sea bass drizzled with sauce, a plate of greasy braised pork, and a few side dishes such as scrambled eggs and pickled cabbage.
The liquor was served in white ceramic bottles, including Erguotou and a bottle of slightly more precious Maotai.
As the initiator, Professor Wu said a few words briefly, thanking Lu Qingyang for stepping forward at the critical moment to avoid immeasurable losses, and wishing that the country's science and education undertakings would usher in spring as soon as possible.
Then, the "theme" of the banquet began.
"Xiao Lu Zhi, this is the first glass. On behalf of all of us who have managed to save our lives, I want to toast you and thank you for saving my life." Professor Wu took the lead in picking up the small white wine cup, which contained colorless and transparent Erguotou with a strong aroma.
"Professor Wu, you're too kind. This... I really take this seriously..." Lu Qingyang quickly stood up, holding the teacup and trying to refuse.
"Hey, you have to drink this glass of wine!" Liang 꺲 next to him also stood up and shouted loudly.
"Without you, all of us old bones would be dead now. This is not only to thank you, but also to celebrate that our country's precious wealth has not been lost. Come, I'll drink first as a toast!"
As he spoke, he tilted his head back, drank a small cup of wine, and his face changed color.
"Old Liang is right. Xiao Luzhi, you must drink this celebratory drink." Another professor wearing glasses also echoed.
Looking at the sincere and burning eyes of the old people, Lu Qingyang knew that the excuse was over.
He gritted his teeth, picked up the cup of Erguotou in front of him, and said sincerely:
"Teachers, I'm sorry to bother you. I just happened to be here at the right time, and I did what anyone would do. I offer this glass of wine to all of you, and I wish you good health and prosperity for our country."
After saying that, he closed his eyes and swallowed it in one gulp, imitating the man's example.
A stream of burning warmth instantly rushed up his throat, choking him so much that his eyes turned red and he coughed several times.
"Good, young man, you are honest and straightforward." The old professors cheered and the atmosphere instantly became lively.
However, this is just the beginning.
Soon, a tacit understanding seemed to form among the guests, and the old gentlemen began to toast Lu Qingyang in turn.
Some were grateful to him for preserving important experimental manuscripts, some were grateful to him for allowing an endangered project to continue, and some simply admired the courage and talent of this young man and wanted to have a drink with him.
"Xiao Lu, I toast to you! If you have any ideas about materials physics in the future, feel free to come to the institute and talk to me!"
"Young man, how are your basic mechanics skills? If you're interested, come and listen to my lectures in the future..."
"Little Lu Zhi, I can drink a lot. I'll finish this glass. You... you can just take a sip... Hey, hey, you can't just take a sip. You have to drink at least half a glass!"
Lu Qingyang wanted to use tea to resist every time, but in front of these old seniors who had experienced many ups and downs, his excuses were useless.
Several of the old gentleman's assistants or students wanted to help block the way, but they were stopped by their teacher with a look. This wine must be toasted and drunk.
One cup, two cups, three cups... Although each time it was just a small cup, it was enough to accommodate so many people.
Lu Qingyang felt as if his face was on fire, his head was buzzing, and the lights and smiling faces in front of him began to spin.
He was weak and had no alcohol tolerance, so how could he withstand the "round-the-clock battle" of these old scientists who had survived the disaster and were in high spirits?
"Dear...dear teachers...I'm really...really tired...I feel...dizzy..." Lu Qingyang held the edge of the table, feeling dizzy and his tongue was out of control. An embarrassed and helpless smile was on his face, and he could hardly sit still.
Professor Wu saw that he had indeed received his dose, his face flushed like a cooked shrimp, his eyes wide open, and then he laughed and waved his hands:
"Alright, alright, you old fellas, you're always trying to get a good guy drunk. Look how you're tossing our little hero around. Stop it, stop it!"
The gaunt old man also smiled gently and said, "Young man, you are honest and have good character. Come, drink some hot soup to calm down."
As he said this, he personally served him half a bowl of cabbage soup.
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