When Li Long got up the next morning, he felt none of the dizziness or headache of a hangover. Instead, he felt quite comfortable.
Yesterday, the father and his two sons had drunk two bottles of Laojiao. Their dad, Li Qingxia, had drunk a little less; the brothers had drunk most of it.
By the time they finished, none of them was drunk. Instead, they were all happy and clearheaded.
Li Long had needed no help getting back to bed. Before sleeping, he had drunk a cup of honey water Gu Xiaoxia had made for him. He had not woken during the night, and now he was well rested and recovered.
The room was quiet and warm. A cup of honey water sat on the writing desk by the window, and it seemed to still be warm.
Li Long smiled. Feeling thirsty, he got up, dressed, and climbed out of bed. He picked up the honey water and felt that the cup was warm. The water probably was not too hot. He took a sip, found the temperature just right, and drained it.
After drinking the honey water, Li Long felt that the taste in his mouth was not quite right. Remembering that he had not brushed his teeth last night, he set the cup down and went to wash up.
When he came out carrying his cup, he saw Li Junfeng squatting in the yard, repairing a shovel used for chopping snow. Li Junfeng looked up, saw Li Long, and asked with a smile:
"Up already, Uncle Xiao Long? I heard you had a drink last night?"
"Yes. We caught some sparrows yesterday and had a few drinks with them. When is your wife due?"
"Soon. We went to the Township Health Center a few days ago, and they