Section 26: A Person's Character is Revealed in Their Drink

On the afternoon of the Little New Year, Sima and Lu Yuan had arranged to go shopping. They stopped at Liuyang Wonton Shop and ordered six bowls of dried-shrimp wontons. Lu Yuan ate ten, while Sima polished off fifty. The waiter cast them a sidelong glance, though it was not enough to cause a scene. The shop had once hosted a tour group from the Northeast; as bowl after bowl was served, the group exhausted the kitchen's entire daily supply. Only then did the staff realize that while Southerners are delicate eaters, people from the Northeast are hearty—thirty dumplings for a meal is standard, and fifty is not unheard of. Since wontons are smaller than dumplings, with thin wrappers and little filling, thirty to fifty are easily managed.

Lu Yuan’s father, Lu Ping'an, was the section chief of the Planning Division at the Changzhou Transportation Bureau. He had been proud of his daughter for getting into Haidian University and was delighted to have her home from Beizhi City for the New Year, but her sudden announcement that she had a boyfriend came as quite a shock. However, having served as a section chief for over a decade, Lu Ping'an had mastered the art of keeping his emotions hidden. He gathered his composure, called his daughter into the study for a "heart-to-heart," and interrogated her about Sima.

According to his daughter, Sima came from an ordinary family and was her classmate. He had switched to the liberal arts track in their second year of high school and became the top liberal arts student in their cohort, gaining admission to the English Department of Beizhi Foreign Studies University. A second-tier athlete and a star of the school track team, he had won both the 100-meter and 200-meter gold medals in the high-level athlete category at the Capital University Autumn Track and Field Games in October. After the new semester began, he would be competing in the National Track and Field Championships. Sima typically trained at Beizhi Sports University, where the workload was heavy, so he only attended half a day of classes. Despite missing many sessions, his academic performance remained at the top of his class; he had never fallen out of the top five in any exam.

Lu Ping'an was skeptical. A top-scoring student, a handsome young man, an elite athlete, and morally upright? How could such a perfect person exist? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and he wondered if his daughter was exaggerating. She showed him a photo of Sima standing at the gate of Haidian University. He was indeed tall and handsome, and as for the rest—avoiding his daughter, Lu Ping'an called Lu Youyou to confirm the details. Only after he was certain there was no falsehood did he feel slightly relieved, deciding to wait until he met the young man before deciding whether to forgive his daughter for acting without his prior approval.

True feelings are revealed through drink, and one’s character is reflected in their drinking habits. For his future son-in-law’s visit, Lu Ping'an had to prepare a meal. He didn't need to worry about the arrangements, as Lu Yuan’s mother, Feng Jingxian, handled everything. She had even asked her daughter about Sima’s dietary preferences. Knowing he was an athlete and that pork might contain "lean meat powder" residues that could affect drug tests, the table was set with only chicken, beef, fish, and shrimp—not a single shred of pork in sight.

When Sima arrived for his first visit, he brought a bag of tea and two bottles of liquor. The tea was premium stir-fried green tea, and the liquor was Fenjiu—decent yet affordable. Lu Ping'an knew at a glance that this was his daughter’s doing and sighed inwardly; girls were always looking outward, already worrying about saving money for their boyfriends before they were even married. He told his daughter to make tea and invited Sima to sit, telling him not to be formal. As they chatted, Lu Ping'an felt a sense of unease. Sima was mature, steady, and poised; his social skills were not those of a college freshman, but rather those of his own peer. There was a faint sense of "downward compatibility" in his demeanor, as if he didn't take his "father-in-law" particularly seriously.

Lu Ping'an changed his plan. He dug out two bottles of grain liquor from a cabinet—a gift from a comrade years ago, homemade with no labels. He estimated them to be over 60% alcohol. They went down smoothly but packed a powerful punch; they would be perfect for "testing" Sima. During the meal, he frequently urged Sima to drink. Sima seemed to see right through his intentions, draining his glass without refusal, which made Lu Yuan heart-wrenchingly nervous. She knew her father was trying to get him drunk to reveal his true colors. She understood him; after raising his daughter for nearly twenty years, he felt a sense of reluctance and needed to see the boy’s true nature. Lu Yuan didn't agree with her father’s methods and, fearing for Sima’s health, gave him a secret kick under the table and piled his bowl with food, signaling him to eat more and drink less to avoid losing his composure. Sima just smiled at her and whispered, "It’s okay." Seeing his clear eyes, Lu Yuan felt a bit more at ease.

Lu Ping'an was a seasoned drinker and skilled at compelling others to drink, which was Sima’s weak point. Though Sima had lived two lifetimes, he still held onto a bit of unyielding pride. Lu Ping'an finished half a bottle, while Sima consumed the rest, yet aside from a slight flush in his cheeks, he was completely unaffected. After the alcohol, Sima finished a large bowl of scallion oil noodles, one of Feng Jingxian’s specialties, and couldn't stop praising it.

Around 9:00 PM, Lu Yuan saw Sima off. Lu Ping'an sat alone on the sofa, feeling that the dinner had been a failure. Sima’s alcohol tolerance was unexpectedly high—he drank like he was drinking water. It was a waste of good liquor, and he felt a pang of regret for those two bottles. Feng Jingxian finished the dishes and tidied the kitchen, but Lu Yuan had not yet returned. Lu Ping'an told his wife to go rest, as he wanted to speak with his daughter alone. Feng Jingxian hesitated but retreated to their room to watch television.

Lu Ping'an waited a long time, until nearly 11:30, before Lu Yuan finally returned. As she opened the door and changed her shoes, she saw her father sitting on the sofa, staring straight at her. Startled, she patted her chest and teased, "Dad, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell from the drink?" Lu Ping'an patted the sofa, inviting her to sit beside him. Seeing his solemn expression, Lu Yuan felt anxious. She locked the door, walked slowly to his side, and sat on the edge of the sofa, her body tense like a drawn bow.

Lu Ping'an had thought about much, but he still didn't know where to begin. He didn't like Sima and felt he wasn't a good match for his daughter, but this was merely a subtle intuition. His daughter was grown and had her own ideas; he couldn't convince her without sufficient reasons. The words died on his lips, and he could only solemnly instruct her: dating was fine, but he set three rules—do not let it affect her studies, do not accept money or gifts, and do not cross the line. In short, be careful and leave some space; it would be better for both of them. Lu Ping'an didn't know that his "three rules" were already far too late. Lu Yuan, blushing deeply, agreed, feeling as if she were sitting on needles, and quickly fled to her room under the pretense of being tired.

In her small room, Lu Yuan finally relaxed, clutching her pillow in deep thought. Her father seemed to dislike Sima, harboring a subtle hostility. Was it because Sima had taken his precious daughter away, or because he hadn't treated him with enough deference? Lu Yuan felt troubled. Sima was just that kind of person—amiable on the surface, but deeply proud at his core. Even her father might not be looked upon with special regard by him. She bit her lip, thinking that men were truly childish creatures who never let anyone rest easy—they were like this in their twenties, and still like this in their forties!