Meal with Tan then drinks and footy with Li Kun and mates

A late wake again meant lunch was leftovers from the waimai Tan had ordered earlier. At tea-time we couldn't get the kids to be interested in coming out, so Tan and I decided to go out ourselves to Xiao Tang Zong where we'd taken the kids a couple of evenings ago. It wasn't stiflingly hot so she agreed to walk the 10 minutes there as the dian dong che was charging. You can't really beat 39.80 kuai for a nice sit down meal, and after we walked to A Xia's shop to pick up Xixi's new shoes.

"Life is be you tiful" - like it!

I still had the umbrella given to me last night, which I intended to return even though Tan had said it wasn't necessary. So I started walking in the direction of Jiang Bing Lu but after 100 yards I could feel something in my tummy and I didn't want to be stranded so headed homeward bound. Accompanied by Awl of the phone I only just managed to get there on time before having a real Pingguo ladu moment. I guess it was too soon to be the meal I'd just had with Tan so guessing it was the takeaway lunch. I'd only had a couple of beers before we went out so it couldn't have been them.

So, feeling re-invigorated, I set off back to Jiang Bing Lu, but after 5 minutes I passed by Li Kun's office and was shouted at to come in and have a glass of beer which I duly did. Li Kun and one of the mates were playing a fighting game online on their phones, and the other, little, bloke was pouring them tea and himself beer, so I joined him in the latter. I ended up spending two hours there, while all the time the two of them were on their phones, but at least the little man brought out some fried chicken and cooked some slices of black pudding.

It was well gone midnight and I'd said I'd be going to watch the football so I left and they said they'd be there in a bit. I passed by the local shop to pick up a couple of beers then dumped them in the kitchen before going to one of the places with a big screen opposite the house. For once there was no-one watching, but once my three mates arrived they cleared the table next to the big screen. I told Li Kun to order and that I would pay, and he said I should say “你点菜，我来买单” and that we could do this every day if I wanted. It was an ok watch but we left soon after the final whistle as Li Kun had to be up in under six hours. Although I was pretty knackered I managed to stay up to see the first half of Austria Türkiye, which was amazing and enabled me to somehow stay up for the second half, which was even better. If only England could play with the enthusiasm of either team in that match. Congrats on Türkiye going through.