Chapter 38

The next night at the homeroom teacher’s house, Teacher Brooke prepared a very sumptuous dinner. I sat on one side of the table to eat, while Teacher Brooke sat with my mother. After all, they were of the same age and were both single mothers, so they had a lot in common. My mother thanked Teacher Brooke for “taking care” of my studies, and Teacher Brooke thanked my mother for her health advice, etc. At Teacher Brooke ‘s suggestion, my mother, perhaps because she had found someone to talk to, actually clinked glasses with Teacher Brooke and drank red wine. I had never seen my mother drink before, and I had never drunk alcohol either. How old am I? When I saw it was red wine, I did not dissuade my mother. After all, it was adults’ affairs, and children should not interfere. And I also secretly drank red wine, which was sweet, similar to beverages, and had a very low alcohol content. But what I didn’t know at the time was that the red wine I drank was wine, not authentic at all, and authentic red wine has a strong aftereffect.