Dragon Boat Feast

Fang Zuodong was Fang Jun's luckless older cousin.

Ever since his unlicensed internet cafe was shut down, Fang Zuodong had joined the village's security patrol. The job didn't come with an official state payroll position, but it was stable. He spent his days patrolling, drinking tea, and occasionally cooperating with the police. Life wasn't too bad.

At that moment, the plants on his phone screen were in strict formation, bracing for a massive wave of zombies about to breach the front door.

He was completely engrossed, his fingers tapping rapidly on the screen. Suddenly, his elbow was bumped, causing him to almost plant a sunflower right in the face of a zombie.

"Ouch, who is it?"

Looking up, he met Fang Jun's face, which wore an enigmatic smile. Glancing to the side, he noticed Lin Mo sitting there quietly.

Fang Zuodong's irritation evaporated instantly, replaced by a surge of embarrassment that shot up from the soles of his feet.

He hastily pocketed his phone and waved at Fang Jun, his voice losing some of its volume.

"Hey, bro. You're here."

"Sigh, you really..." Seeing his pathetic display, Fang Jun shot him a look of profound disappointment. He then cleared his throat and addressed the group.

"Let me tell you guys, I was almost kidnapped at Fang Zuodong's internet cafe a while back. It was Lin Mo who beat the guy down, which is the only reason I'm sitting here today."

Fang Zuodong's face instantly flushed the color of pig liver. He grabbed Fang Jun's arm. "Bro, bro! You're my own cousin! Stop talking, I beg you!"

Rumors about this incident had been floating around the village, but the adults were always vague about the details, and the kids only knew the general gist.

Now that the person involved was about to spill the beans, everyone naturally perked up their ears.

They hadn't expected Lin Mo to be so incredible, even feigning sleep to trick the culprit before launching a counterattack.

All eyes focused on Lin Mo, their gazes a mixture of shock, admiration, and a hint of disbelief.

Fang Zuodong had given up resisting. Looking utterly defeated by life, he covered his face, wishing the ground would swallow him whole.

An incident that happened on his turf had become someone else's bragging rights, while he, the guy in charge, was reduced to a cautionary tale.

Fang Jun then moved on to recount tales from their military training, sounding like a professional storyteller under a street overpass.

The way he was bragging...

...made it seem as though Fang Jun had been entirely molded into Lin Mo's shape.

(???)

He hadn't been bragging for long before the dishes started arriving.

Lin Mo promptly cut off the endlessly babbling Fang Jun. "Alright, time to eat."

It had to be said that the Fang family's dragon boat banquet was truly exquisite. Even though they had come in dead last in the race the previous year, this year's feast didn't cut any corners.

A large, steaming pot of winter melon and duck soup was served first. Its refreshing aroma wafted through the air, perfect for dispelling the summer heat.

Immediately after, a plate of Jun'an roasted pork, its skin golden and glistening with oil, was placed in the center of the lazy Susan as the appetizer.

Following that, soy sauce chicken, steamed sea bass, boiled Rosenberg shrimp, scallion-braised abalone... Classic Cantonese dishes were served one after another in a flowing stream, dazzling the eyes.

No one cared about listening to stories anymore; everyone eagerly picked up their chopsticks.

Since they were all of the younger generation, they rarely drank alcohol on such occasions.

In contrast, the two head tables occupied by the dragon boat rowers had already started drinking.

People in eastern Guangdong preferred foreign liquors, like Martell Cordon Bleu, XO cognacs, and the like.

However, since they still had to visit other villages for the dragon boat greeting rituals in the afternoon, they wouldn't overdo it.

Even Fang Mingcong walked over to Lin Mo's table, a glass of liquor in hand.

"How is it, Lin Mo? The drinks are modest and the food is simple, please forgive our poor hospitality."

Lin Mo repeatedly shook his head. "Not at all, not at all. The food is excellent, and very authentic."

"Of course it is! It's from a restaurant owned by our own village, so it's the local flavor we're used to. If you think it's good, then that's great." Fang Mingcong patted his chest proudly.

The adults wouldn't push the younger generation to drink. After all, some at the table were adults while others were still minors, so they simply stuck to beverages.

Suddenly, a large, burning-hot hand slapped Fang Jun's shoulder, carrying the radiating heat of someone who had just finished a strenuous workout.

"Little Jun, how was it? Did you watch us row?"

Fang Jun turned his head and was instantly delighted. "Brother Chen! I saw you ages ago. I thought you weren't coming back to race this year!"

The newcomer was Fang Jun's older cousin, Fang Chen.

Having just finished rowing, Fang Chen was currently shirtless, his muscular physique tanned to a deep bronze.

He smiled and patted Fang Jun's shoulder again, using considerable force.

"Of course I had to come back. Yixian University isn't far from here. It takes an hour at most by car."

Fang Jun immediately introduced him to Lin Mo. "This is my cousin, Fang Chen. He's a student at Yixian University."

After the introduction, he turned back to Fang Chen with a somewhat boastful tone. "Bro, this is Lin Mo, the guy I mentioned to you during the New Year. The one who beat an active-duty military instructor in an arm-wrestling match."

Fang Chen's gaze instantly locked onto Lin Mo, looking him up and down.

His eyes held a scrutinizing look, and his eyebrows arched slightly.

"Oh?" Fang Chen's tone carried obvious disbelief. "He doesn't look like it. I don't see any signs of physical training on him. Can he really beat an instructor?"

His eager expression fell just short of outright challenging Lin Mo to a match.

Seeing this, Lin Mo didn't want to be a wet blanket. Following the other's gaze, he cooperatively rolled up his short sleeve. With a slight flex of his arm, the solid and rugged muscle lines on his forearm immediately became clearly visible.

These weren't the massive, bulky muscles deliberately built in a gym. Instead, they radiated a sense of restrained power, every inch taut and solid.

After all, he was someone who practiced body cultivation. Did they really think he, Lin Mo, had eaten those Body Strengthening Pills for nothing?

Only then did Fang Chen's expression change, shifting from underestimation to a trace of genuine admiration.

As a fanatic of strength training himself, he could tell at a glance the true caliber of Lin Mo's muscles.

Fang Chen clearly looked like someone who worked out regularly, specifically focusing on strength training. His upper body was highly developed, though not quite at the level of a massive bodybuilder.

He wasn't a fan of the unnatural pinhead look, so naturally, he didn't use technology like steroids.

Natural muscles were much more pleasing to the eye.

"You've got some real muscle there. Want to give it a try?"

Without waiting for Lin Mo's answer, Fang Chen scanned the large round table everyone was sitting around and shook his head. "This table won't do. It's too big; it'll be hard to get good leverage.

I remember there's a small mahogany square table in the back room of the ancestral hall. It's heavy as hell, perfect for this. Wait right here."

With that, Fang Chen went off to find the table.

As soon as he left, the younger generation at the table huddled closer.

The cousin with the buzz cut from earlier leaned in close to Fang Jun with a worried look, lowering his voice:

"Brother Jun, you know how strong Brother Chen is. Even Uncle and the others can't beat him in arm wrestling. Can Brother Mo... actually pull this off?"

Reading between the lines, it was obvious he had more faith in his own muscular cousin.

Fang Jun, however, shook his head with absolute confidence. "Not necessarily. You guys haven't seen it, but I saw it with my own eyes. Anyway, in all my life, I've never seen anyone stronger than Lin Mo."

Hearing this, a cousin with a ponytail who looked like she was still in middle school immediately voiced her disagreement. She put her hands on her hips and glared at Fang Jun. "Brother Jun, what kind of talk is that? You're boosting an outsider's morale and diminishing our own! Brother Chen is the strongest!"

"Exactly! Brother Chen is the undisputed king of strength around here!"

"Yeah, why are you siding with an outsider!"

The other younger cousins chimed in one after another. In their eyes, the tall and sturdy Fang Chen was the very embodiment of strength.

After all, Fang Chen was the most jacked guy they knew.