Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 642 Victory Celebration Banquet

Around 7:40 PM, Xia Maosheng, Geng Hui, and Xiao Hong arrived at the store together, while Chen Hui stayed home to hold his son and didn't come.

In Northeast China, this time of day is already past dinnertime. Dinner is usually between 5:30 and 6:30 pm. People start coming in around 5 pm, and after 7 pm, very few people come in. Of course, this time period is not absolute.

Around eight o'clock, Officer Lu led a large group of police officers in. At that time, very few police officers changed into civilian clothes after get off work, and some officers didn't even buy civilian clothes, just wearing the issued uniforms. Later, it was emphasized that police officers were not allowed to wear their uniforms to public places, and the habit of changing clothes gradually developed.

The diners at several tables involuntarily stopped what they were doing and turned to look. The police still wielded considerable influence in this era, especially in the Northeast, where enforcement was still in full swing. The greeter, already informed, smiled and went over: "Are you the brother from Jixian Police Station?"

Lu said, "Yes, has Xiaowei arrived yet?"

The greeter raised his hand in a gesture of invitation and said, "The boss is waiting for you. Please follow me."

The guests at one table whispered among themselves, "Are these policemen here to eat? Are policemen so rich these days? They're bringing so many of them."

Another person said, "Public funds, of course. Police stations are so rich. They can easily find something to fine someone and make a fortune. That's the society these days." He shook his head and took a sip of beer.

The waiter next to them wasn't too happy to hear this. Since the table was full of regular customers, he didn't seem to care much and whispered, "It's our boss treating us."

"Your boss hired them? What does he need these policemen for? Did you commit a crime? Even if you did, hiring these lowly officers won't help."

The waiter glared at the man who had spoken and said, "You're the one who's in trouble."

Several men laughed. One said, "This young lady is quite protective of her boss. Which one is your boss? Wasn't he supposed to have some connections? He doesn't seem like it. Anyone with real power wouldn't bother with these lowly cops."

The waiter said, "Our boss isn't that snobbish. The one who stood up is our boss."

The man turned his head and looked at him, asking, "Is your boss a policeman?" Xiao Wei hadn't changed his clothes.

The waiter said, "The citizen representatives only work for a year. They solved a big case a few days ago, and our boss went to the commendation meeting today."

A man next to him nodded and said, "So this is the celebration banquet. Your boss is really generous; this meal must have cost tens of thousands of yuan."

The waiter proudly raised his head: "Our boss drives a car worth several million."

……

Xiao Wei stood up and waved: "Chief Lu, Instructor, Chief Huang, this way."

Lu waved and followed the waiter over. The three tables were arranged in the north corner, a little far from the performance stage, but also far from the other diners. These guys would probably drink a lot if they got too boisterous, so Xiao Wei thought it was better to stay away from others.

After introducing Xia Maosheng, Geng Hui, and Xiao Hong, everyone shook hands and took their seats. The three tables weren't full, and Xiao Wei looked around and said, "That's not right, there are a few missing."

Lu said, "Closed? Shouldn't someone be on duty?"

Xiao Wei said, "When you leave later, I'll pack some food for you to take back. Does anyone have any dietary restrictions? If so, please let us know quickly, or the food will be served too late."

Lu said, "Sit down, don't worry about anything, don't worry about dietary restrictions, it's good enough that there's food to eat."

One of the policemen said, "Xiao Wei, does my aversion to green vegetables count?" Everyone burst into laughter; he really was a troublemaker.

Serve the food and pour the wine.

Lu picked up his glass, stood up, and said, "The honor belongs to the whole institute, but I propose that our first toast be to Xiaowei."

Three tables of police officers stood up, raising their glasses in unison. Xiao Wei, flustered, nearly knocked over his glass: "What's going on? This is scary!" No one laughed; everyone waited quietly for Xiao Wei to stand up, raise his glass, and then down it in one gulp. It was simply a matter of whether you did it or not; everyone knew the answer.

Xiao Wei finished his drink, refilled his glass, raised it, and said, "This is a toast to you all. I've been in the institute for a few months and learned a lot from you all, which has been a great help to me. I still have more than half a year left in the institute, and I believe that will be a period I will never forget. Thank you all." He then downed his drink.

They all drank another cup together. Huang said, "Sit down and eat, drink slowly. Let's try Xiaowei's food first. We can't usually afford to come to this place. Wouldn't it be a waste if we drank too much and ate too little?"

Everyone laughed and picked up their chopsticks to eat.

Xiao Wei waved to the waiter next to him: "Let's open two bottles of champagne for each table, so everyone can have a taste."

The waiter deftly fetched and opened the champagne, while a group of burly men stared at him.

Huang said to the waiter, "Let's open one bottle per table first, and talk about it after we finish it."

The waiter looked at Xiaowei, who said, "Let's open two bottles; it's hard to divide one."

The waiter opened two bottles and came over to pour wine for everyone, performing the standard champagne etiquette with a touch of elegance that was quite a sight to behold. The new employees standing nearby watched with envy, wondering when they would be able to do the same. Opening wine is lucrative; only waiters with impeccable technique and refined manners are qualified to open and pour wine at the table to earn this money—money beyond their regular salary.

The folk music performance was supposed to end around this time, but Xiaowei made sure they waited a little longer. Then the music started, and the performance began, adding a lot of charm to the whole event.

Lu said, "No wonder it's expensive. The food is delicious, the cigarettes are nice, the environment is beautiful, the music is pleasant, and even opening the bottles is like a performance. Xiao Wei, you've really taken this line of work to the extreme."

Xiao Wei shook his head and said, "It's far from good. This trip to Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu has broadened my horizons quite a bit. Our Northeast is still lagging behind and too closed off."

The music suddenly changed, playing a song about youthful ambition and carefree spirit—a currently very popular song that had become synonymous with police work. As the song ended, Chief Lu slammed his hand on the table and said, "Let's have a go!"

Everyone raised their beers, toasted, and drank together. Lu said, "Being a policeman isn't easy, and it doesn't pay well, but being a policeman makes you a man, a real man." He said that, so they drank another one.

The meal lasted until nearly ten o'clock. Quite a few drinks were consumed, but no one got drunk. Everyone talked a lot and listened to others talk a lot, and it felt like we suddenly felt closer to each other. The relationships between people are truly inexplicable; many things happen perhaps because of a glance or a single word.

Lu and his group arrived in two jeeps, while the rest of the people took taxis. Xiao Wei asked Xiao Liu to drive the restaurant's bread truck back with everyone.

As one celebration ends, another new chapter begins. Life is a constant cycle of endings and beginnings, until one day we close our eyes.

(End of this chapter)