ancient thing. There's no need for slitting open our fingers,” Sen said. “But I asked Da to write out a few rules that we all should live by faithfully.”
“What happens if one of us doesn't follow the rules?”
“Here.” Sen pounded his big fist on the table. “I'll take care of it.”
“What if it's you?”
“The second-in-command would take over and have me punished the same way. Okay, what's the rules, Da?” Sen asked.
I took out a piece of paper and read solemnly: “ ‘No betrayal. No better friends outside than us. We suffer together, enjoy together. No jealousy. And we are all equal.' ”
“Does everyone agree?” Sen glanced at each of us intently.
We nodded.
“You all meant it, didn't you?” Sen shouted like an older brother.
We nodded again.
“This is serious. Anyone who can't live up to these rules, leave this place now,” he shouted. “I don't want traitors in here.”
The drama seemed to work. Everyone was quiet and thoughtful. For the first time, we all realized that it wasn't just food, drinks, smoking, and having fun together. It was more than that now. We were bound by rules. The moment filled me with strength, courage, and emotion. I felt I had grown a few inches.
“Now, bottoms up,” Sen said, casting a long look at me in particular. “Da, you gotta do it.”
“But I've never had anything this strong before,” I protested. “Can I just have a few sips first?”
“This isn't strong—see?” Sen poured the whole thing down his throat. His face suddenly twisted into a fierce grimace. Then he turned red down to his neck. He opened his mouth as wide as he possibly could and waggled his tongue, fanning his mouth, wildly gasping for air.
After a long pause, when the liquor apparently had settled, Sen said, “See, I did it.” His voice was raspy like sandpaper. We covered our mouths, trying not to laugh.
Then everyone did the same thing, clockwise.
When my turn came, I pinched my nose, closed my eyes, and downed the contents of the tall glass. As I had expected, it burned all the way to wherever it went inside my body. I could picture the flow of liquor, a stream of hot liquid steel, burning every inch of me. The miracle of pure alcohol. I instantly felt dizzy.
“How does it feel? Here, have some soup,” Sen said, holding the spoon to my mouth. Yi and Mo Gong supported me, and Siang stuck a piece of duck inside my mouth to dispel the bad taste.
“Like fire.” I coughed a few times, swallowed the soup, and chewed on the duck. My head was throbbing, andthings began dancing around me. The whole house seemed to be moving in circles.
“Now, brothers,” Sen said, “it's time to eat.”
They dug into the duck. I went for a cigarette.
“Don't smoke now, it'll be like oil on fire, on top of liquor,” I heard the wise voice of Yi say. But I lit one nonetheless. It felt heavenly.
For the rest of the banquet, I sat there dazed, watching the others laugh, chat, joke, drink, and smoke. They saved some food for me before we all went to sleep for the rest of the day.
When I awoke in darkness, my head ached as if a brick had hit it, throbbing with waves of pain each time I turned it. I struck a match and lit a candle and saw my newly sworn brothers snoring like a litter of puppies, huddled in one another's warmth. Sen was drooling on Yi's face and Siang was holding an empty bottle, his legs over Mo Gong's shoulder. I felt hungry and bet my friends would feel the same way. So I warmed up each dish and cleaned up the place, while putting on a kettle of fresh green tea to brew. Then I woke them up; they blinked like it was murder to be woken at this hour.
“Let's eat. Aren't you hungry?” They nodded, scratching their heads and yawning.
“First, hot tea to wake you all up, brothers!” I smiled as I served the steaming tea.
“Ah! I feel a heck of a lot better now with the tea, Da,” Sen said. “Thanks. I'm sorry the liquor knocked you out like that. I didn't know
“What happens if one of us doesn't follow the rules?”
“Here.” Sen pounded his big fist on the table. “I'll take care of it.”
“What if it's you?”
“The second-in-command would take over and have me punished the same way. Okay, what's the rules, Da?” Sen asked.
I took out a piece of paper and read solemnly: “ ‘No betrayal. No better friends outside than us. We suffer together, enjoy together. No jealousy. And we are all equal.' ”
“Does everyone agree?” Sen glanced at each of us intently.
We nodded.
“You all meant it, didn't you?” Sen shouted like an older brother.
We nodded again.
“This is serious. Anyone who can't live up to these rules, leave this place now,” he shouted. “I don't want traitors in here.”
The drama seemed to work. Everyone was quiet and thoughtful. For the first time, we all realized that it wasn't just food, drinks, smoking, and having fun together. It was more than that now. We were bound by rules. The moment filled me with strength, courage, and emotion. I felt I had grown a few inches.
“Now, bottoms up,” Sen said, casting a long look at me in particular. “Da, you gotta do it.”
“But I've never had anything this strong before,” I protested. “Can I just have a few sips first?”
“This isn't strong—see?” Sen poured the whole thing down his throat. His face suddenly twisted into a fierce grimace. Then he turned red down to his neck. He opened his mouth as wide as he possibly could and waggled his tongue, fanning his mouth, wildly gasping for air.
After a long pause, when the liquor apparently had settled, Sen said, “See, I did it.” His voice was raspy like sandpaper. We covered our mouths, trying not to laugh.
Then everyone did the same thing, clockwise.
When my turn came, I pinched my nose, closed my eyes, and downed the contents of the tall glass. As I had expected, it burned all the way to wherever it went inside my body. I could picture the flow of liquor, a stream of hot liquid steel, burning every inch of me. The miracle of pure alcohol. I instantly felt dizzy.
“How does it feel? Here, have some soup,” Sen said, holding the spoon to my mouth. Yi and Mo Gong supported me, and Siang stuck a piece of duck inside my mouth to dispel the bad taste.
“Like fire.” I coughed a few times, swallowed the soup, and chewed on the duck. My head was throbbing, andthings began dancing around me. The whole house seemed to be moving in circles.
“Now, brothers,” Sen said, “it's time to eat.”
They dug into the duck. I went for a cigarette.
“Don't smoke now, it'll be like oil on fire, on top of liquor,” I heard the wise voice of Yi say. But I lit one nonetheless. It felt heavenly.
For the rest of the banquet, I sat there dazed, watching the others laugh, chat, joke, drink, and smoke. They saved some food for me before we all went to sleep for the rest of the day.
When I awoke in darkness, my head ached as if a brick had hit it, throbbing with waves of pain each time I turned it. I struck a match and lit a candle and saw my newly sworn brothers snoring like a litter of puppies, huddled in one another's warmth. Sen was drooling on Yi's face and Siang was holding an empty bottle, his legs over Mo Gong's shoulder. I felt hungry and bet my friends would feel the same way. So I warmed up each dish and cleaned up the place, while putting on a kettle of fresh green tea to brew. Then I woke them up; they blinked like it was murder to be woken at this hour.
“Let's eat. Aren't you hungry?” They nodded, scratching their heads and yawning.
“First, hot tea to wake you all up, brothers!” I smiled as I served the steaming tea.
“Ah! I feel a heck of a lot better now with the tea, Da,” Sen said. “Thanks. I'm sorry the liquor knocked you out like that. I didn't know
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