This is... a proper score?

He opened his homemade liquor, poured a glass, and handed it to him.

Cai Quanwu stared at him for two seconds before reaching out to take it and downing it in one gulp.

"Hiss..." He swallowed the liquor, his eyelids twitching. "This liquor is really strong!"

Liu Dong glanced at the top of his head without making a sound.

I expected a little heart or exclamation mark, but it was completely blank.

What does this mean?

This person had neither goodwill nor hostility towards him; his emotions were completely neutral.

"Want some more?" he asked.

"No, no," Cai Quanwu waved his hand, "This wine is too strong, it's addictive, and if I don't have money to buy it later, life will be tough!"

"Okay, then you can rest." Liu Dong didn't insist.

Night gradually fell.

The tavern is getting more and more lively.

Uncle Niu, Uncle Pian, Qiangzi, and Xu Hesheng were all there, sitting around the table, playing drinking games.

Upon seeing Liu Dong, Uncle Niu immediately exclaimed, "Hey, Liu Dong's here! Great! My liquor's almost gone, give me two jin, I'll pay on credit!"

Liu Dong smiled and said, "If Huizhen says it's okay, then it's okay!"

"Everyone! Look who's here!"

Suddenly, a familiar voice came from the doorway.

Chen Xueru pushed open the door, stepped aside, and gestured for them to enter.

Two people walked in from outside.

High nose bridge, blue eyes, and blond hair.

A man and a woman, both foreigners.

"Hahaha! Vladimir's here!"

"Elena! Old friend! What brings you here!"

The two foreigners walked in, acting as if they knew the place well, shaking hands, patting each other on the shoulder, and hugging each other, creating a very warm atmosphere.

Chen Xueru sidled up to Liu Dong, nudged him lightly with her shoulder, and winked, "My foreign friend, you're not jealous, are you?"

Liu Dong grinned crookedly: "It's so sour, the vinegar jar has been overturned!"

Of course he knew those two people.

They are Chen Xueru's friends now, but they will be very important in the future. Once the reform and opening up begins, they will be key figures in opening up trade with Russia.

The key to making big money lies entirely with the two of them.

Chen Xueru immediately put on a sweet smile: "Honey, don't misunderstand, we're just ordinary friends!"

Liu Dong chuckled, lightly flicked the tip of her nose with his fingertip, and said with a smile, "Do I look like the kind of person who's petty and calculating?"

"Don't worry, you're in business, it's perfectly normal for you to have dealings with people, I won't get jealous for no reason."

"Hey, hey, hey—" She first breathed a sigh of relief, then pouted, pretending to be angry, "You're not allowed to flick my nose with your finger anymore! It's so childish!"

"Then..." Liu Dong asked with a mischievous grin, "Where should I play it?"

As soon as he finished speaking, his eyes deliberately drifted downwards.

"Get lost!" Chen Xueru's cheeks flushed red, and she lightly slapped him.

Suddenly, she stood up and clapped her hands twice: "Dear friends and family, please be quiet! I have some important news to announce, so please look at me—"

Swish!

The entire restaurant fell silent instantly, everyone staring in that direction, even their wine glasses hovering in mid-air.

She gripped Liu Dong's hand tightly, her smile bright and radiant: "From today onwards, Liu Dong belongs to me! Nobody can even think about taking him, understand?"

After saying that, he even raised his head and glanced sideways at Xu Huizhen.

"Huh? Really?" A commotion erupted around them.

"Are Brother Liu and Xue Ru dating?"

"Wow! This is great news!"

Congratulations! Wishing you a sweet and happy life together!

With Uncle Niu leading the way and Uncle Pian following closely behind, everyone raised their glasses in celebration, creating a lively and festive atmosphere.

But Fan Jinyou's little axe, a symbol of hatred, kept making a snapping sound, and its number suddenly jumped from six to ten, tying with Jia Dongxu at the top.

Holy crap?

Liu Dong glanced at the ten angry little axes out of the corner of his eye, and his hand instinctively reached for the cursed wine bottle on the table.

Hmph, you just wait, I'll curse you three times a day as soon as I leave the house, without stopping.

The others remained largely unmoved, with their feelings of goodwill and hatred barely changing.

Just then, Vladimir walked over with a large, full mug of beer, his voice booming, "Friends! Congratulations to you two! Cheers to love!"

Elena joined in, all smiles.

The four clinked glasses and downed them in one gulp.

"Today is so special!" Elena's eyes sparkled. "One is handsome, the other is beautiful, just like the old song from our hometown, 'The Hawthorn Tree of the Ural Mountains,' goes."

She couldn't help but hum a line...

Vladimir immediately took over.

Although Liu Dong didn't understand a single word, he was captivated by the melodious and graceful tune.

A truly heartfelt piece of music.

"Dear Chen Xueru, you can do it too! Let's sing together!" Elena pulled her to join the chorus.

At this moment, Xu Huizhen pulled out a violin from somewhere.

Vladimir's eyes lit up: "I'll accompany you!"

So he played his violin, and the two women sang softly, their voices like the wind blowing across the wilderness, so gentle they made one's heart tremble.

The song ended—

"Whoosh—"

The room erupted in thunderous applause.

"Drink! Drink! Drink to your heart's content!"

Niu Ye raised his glass high and shouted, "Let's drink to the newlyweds Xue Ru and Liu Dong today! Hahaha!"

The air was thick with the smell of alcohol, and everyone was delighted.

But Fan Jinyou sneered and stepped forward: "Hey Liu Dong, Xue Ru has already sung, shouldn't you show off your skills too?"

"The saying 'a perfect match' isn't just for show. If you want to be worthy of our Xue Ru, you'd better have some skills!"

"What good is being good-looking? Having education is what truly matters!"

Seeing that he had no chance, he decided to trip him up on the spot, specifically targeting Liu Dong's weaknesses.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xueru became furious, stomped her foot, and shouted, "Cadre Fan, did you come here specifically to sabotage me?"

Even more outrageous, Elena, who had absolutely no understanding of the local culture, clapped along, saying, "Welcome Comrade Liu Dong to perform for us! We eagerly await your performance!"

Chen Xueru sighed and rubbed her forehead: "Elena, are you joining in the nonsense too?"

Elena blinked: "I really want to hear it!"

To everyone's surprise, Liu Dong actually stood up.

Everyone was stunned.

He walked up to Xu Huizhen's counter, grabbed the ledger, and started writing furiously with a pen.

Xu Huizhen's eyes widened: "What are you writing in this? A workbook?"

"Symphony notation!" Vladimir exclaimed suddenly. "My God! I've actually encountered a musical prodigy?!"

Liu Dong handed him the paper, grinned, and said, "Could you please provide accompaniment? I'll sing."

"Okay! No problem!" Vladimir immediately raised his bow and played the first note.

As soon as the melody begins, it is poignant and melodious, as if carrying the sands of a thousand years to come.

"Huh?" Xu Huizhen was completely stunned. "This is... a proper sheet music?"

Fan Jinyou opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

Grandpa Niu gave a thumbs up: "Absolutely amazing!"

Grandpa Pian shook his head and said, "Even more amazing than I was back in the day! Haha!"

Then, Liu Dong spoke.

As soon as the sound came out, it was as if the whole room had been muted.

hiss--

Goosebumps instantly covered everyone's arms.

It’s too shocking!