I was nearly tempted to eat another lunch with A Wu when he called at 12.15, but held off as I wanted to catch up on other things in the house, plus he had invited me to eat an evening meal at 5.30 and said it was very important! Then for no obvious reason (as the weather was fine but overcast) the electricity went again. It’s not so bad during the day as it’s not so hot we need air conditioning, but the main problem is that the water pressure goes so you can’t take a shower. Tan had taken the precaution of filling up two large buckets with water, and if necessary using that to wash, but try as I might I don’t cope too well with cold water.
So I was unwashed when I went to pick up the kids, and endured A Wu calling me a multitude of times telling me to hurry up. I dropped off the kids and proceeded to follow him as he sped through the streets at 25mph only to turn up at the wrong restaurant. I wonder if there’s an equivalent of “more haste less speed” here. One to look up.
When we got to the correct restaurant there were about a hundred people waiting outside, and lots of spent bangers smouldering. We entered an adjacent tea shop where we spent the next half an hour or so drinking pu er cha, and chatting with various bosses, who entered and left every few minutes. Apparently it was a wedding outside, but that was not where we were going. In fact our bosses' meal was in a large room next to the wedding hall. I estimate there were four score ten people there, a dozen of whom were the fairer sex.
Most people were already sitting down (I was guessing we were arriving fashionably late) and the tables were resplendent with food and alcohol, with red wine and “bai jiu” (spirits) among the ubiquitous Li Quan. As most meals do, it started with a lot of eating until the wolves were chased from their doors, then they got into the drinking. I still don’t know what exactly the occasion was, but the best I could find was that it was Yang Haiwei’s new factory opening celebration. I suppose that was cause to get drunk, as women and children apart, just about every bloke proceeded to gan bei everyone else, whether it be with bai jia, red wine or beer. The thoughtful young lady sat by me, (who I knew from having a meal with two years ago at the mango field in Tian Yang) went and got me a shot glass for her and my beers, meaning we didn’t have to down so much. This was a very good plan indeed, as we had to go around all the tables and gan bei till my tummy could take no more. I made the excuse of going to the toilet, and instead went for a little walk on the roof. It is very pleasant here as it is tiled a bit like a non-grassy garden, with plants and benches. It was funny to see two or three drunk men sat down together on one of the swing benches, arms around each other like lovers. I ended up talking to a mother and her three month old son, and remembered what it was like to have such a light individual in my arms again (but not tempted!).
Back in the room I sat down with a couple of the old folks from the table tennis place. I ended up playing cai ma in the hope of slowing down the drinking but I didn’t have a good day at the office and ended up downing even quicker than before. I had to call it a day so after my second toilet visit I explained that I needed to look after the kids. I get away with this excuse. If I’d said the wife needed me they’d have grabbed my arms and made sure I stayed another few rounds….
Outside I saw A Wu in a state I hadn’t seen him before. He was like an archetypical drunk, swaying and laughing like a child. He was by his car, so I didn’t think twice before telling him I’d take him home. Thankfully, he was in full agreement and as I drove him back he was saying how much he loved me, his big brother, then putting down the window and screaming at the ladies. It dawned on me I didn’t know exactly where he lived, and I guessed he had probably forgotten too. So I rang A Ni and she said to come round to the bbq place by the guang chang, which I did, and found her waiting for me. She drove him home while I sat with Tan and we enjoyed some duck tongues together as I realised I hadn’t actually managed much to eat during the previous meal.
Tan explained that from early tomorrow morning till midnight we would once again be without electricity. I suppose on the bright side our bill will be smaller. Actually, the reason gave me some hope; the “mains” supply to our building was to be changed so that we would get “cheng shi dian wa” (city electricity) rather than “nong cun dian wa” (countryside electricity). Although I still don’t really understand exactly what this means, the difference should be that we don’t get cut off so much.
A Hua and A Xia arrived later to share some more bbq, so I was outnumbered and decided to go back to do some geeking while I could, and for a change again, did not wander out later for more bbq.
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