Chapter 206: Settling The Score
“Wangshu said he had a great time drinking yesterday and met a few fellow examinees where they hit it off instantly. He said they’d have to drink a few more cups sometime. I wonder which scholars specially took care of our Wangshu yesterday?”
After everyone was seated, Su Yaoguang smiled and exchanged pleasantries with the group.
One of the scholars said proudly, “No problem, no problem. Brother Wangshu is a straightforward guy, but his drinking capacity is really a bit lacking. No worries, from now on I’ll take him along to practice more. Sooner or later, I’ll train him into a real man at the drinking table.”
“Sister-in-law is one of us too?” another scholar said. “Then we’ll have to drink a few more cups later.”
Zhong Chushan and Chen Buyu exchanged a glance.
Zhang Fengyi worried that Zhang Linglong would say something rude again and kept gripping her wrist under the table.
Su Yaoguang looked at Zhang Linglong. “Miss Zhang’s drinking capacity shouldn’t be bad either, right?”
At this moment, jealousy had clouded Zhang Linglong’s mind, and she said without hesitation, “Of course. I’ll drink to your heart’s content later.”
“That sounds perfect. They’re all men, and I can’t keep up with them. You and I are both women, so we can keep each other company. It won’t be lonely.”
Zhong Chushan lowered his voice and said, “I think there’s a good show coming up.”
Chen Buyu leaned close to Zhou Wangshu’s ear again and asked, “How’s Sister Yaoguang’s drinking capacity?”
Zhou Wangshu looked helpless. “Better than mine.”
But not by much.
This girl even dared to issue a challenge. Who gave her the courage?
When the wine and dishes were served, Su Yaoguang called on everyone to start drinking. As cup after cup went down, she acted as if nothing had happened. Zhou Wangshu’s original worry faded, and he grew curious about how she seemed divinely assisted today, drinking so much without a change in expression.
Zhou Wangshu wanted to drink a few cups in her place, but she refused.
“You drank too much yesterday. Today, don’t even think about touching a single drop.” Su Yaoguang said, “We’re about to take the imperial examination soon. Do you not care about your health anymore?”
“Having a wife who cares for you is just different.” A nearby scholar slurred with a thick tongue. “I’m five years older than Wangshu, but up to now, I’m still someone no one cares for. My parents urge me to study every day. If I don’t get an official position, it feels like I’d be letting down all their years of effort.”
“This time, I must pass as a juren scholar. Even if I just get juren, I can at least find an errand as a clerk at the local county office. That’s still drawing pay from the Imperial Court. If luck is good and I become a presented scholar, I can enter officialdom.”
“Scholar Wang, some people study their whole lives without even passing xiucai, but you’re already a xiucai at such a young age and about to become a juren. You’re already amazing. Let’s treat today’s wine as an advance celebration. Trust me, this wine is called Zhuangyuan Red Wine. It’s the best seller here.”
“So this is Zhuangyuan Red Wine? Sister-in-law, we’re riding your coattails. Not only can we eat at Bright Moon Tower, but we can also drink this Zhuangyuan Red Wine that you have to order two or three months in advance. We definitely can place high. Come on, sister-in-law, drink this cup.”
Su Yaoguang turned back to look at Zhang Linglong and saw her hugging Zhang Fengyi, crying heartbrokenly, blurting out whatever came to mind without a filter.
“Why did he become someone else’s child groom? The first person I liked, how could he marry someone else? The first time we met, he even smiled at me. Clearly, he was interested in me. He must have become someone else’s child groom because his family was poor and he was forced to.”
Su Yaoguang looked at Zhou Wangshu and leaned in closer. “She doesn’t seem wrong.”
Zhou Wangshu: “…”
Seeing the two so close, Zhang Linglong thought they were being intimate again and lunged over to push Su Yaoguang away. “Get away. Don’t touch him.”
Su Yaoguang hadn’t expected her to push suddenly, and her body and chair toppled backward.
Zhou Wangshu caught her and lifted her entirely into his arms. Only the chair crashed to the ground with a bang.
He set Su Yaoguang down and looked coldly at Zhang Linglong. “Apologize.”
Zhang Linglong was startled and sobered up a bit.
Zhang Fengyi quickly apologized. “Sorry, my younger sister drank too much and wasn’t thinking straight. I apologize to everyone on her behalf.”
“I didn’t drink too much. I just…” Seeing so many people watching her, Zhang Linglong couldn’t save face and stubbornly said, “She’s just got a bit of stinking money. Without money, how could Brother Zhou possibly fancy such a crude woman?”
“Miss Zhang, I need to clarify: I never smiled at you.” Zhou Wangshu said flatly. “If you thought I was smiling at you, that was your illusion. In fact, I keep my distance with women. I’m Yaoguang’s child groom, and everything I have today is thanks to Yaoguang’s merit. Besides, Yaoguang really does have money, and she earned it through her own abilities to get where she is today. She’s not crude. Even if she were illiterate, she’d still be an elegant and poised young lady. What’s more, our Yaoguang paints excellent traditional Chinese paintings and writes beautiful calligraphy. Her talent rivals any man’s. As a fellow woman, even if you’re jealous of her, you can’t tell bald-faced lies. I finally married such an outstanding wife. If you drive her away, I’ll have no end of trouble with you.”
“Brother Zhou, that’s a bit much…” Zhang Fengyi felt heartbroken for his sister enduring such stimulation, and his expression darkened.
“Brother Zhang, we originally shared ideals and became friends who appreciated each other. But your sister is really a bit immature. From now on, we can only be nodding acquaintances.”
“Brother Zhou, sorry. I’ll properly discipline my sister. Everyone, I’ll take my little sister back first. You all enjoy your drinks.” Zhang Fengyi took Zhang Linglong away.
Su Yaoguang was a bit worried. “You’re not usually dumb. Why were you so blunt today?”
“If I wasn’t blunt, they wouldn’t get it.” Zhou Wangshu said. “If they talk about me, fine, but not about you.”
The other scholars looked at each other.
It seemed this young couple’s feelings were really very good.
Still, if they had such a capable and beautiful young wife, they wouldn’t want her to suffer grievances either.
“Let’s keep drinking. Don’t let this little thing ruin the mood.” Zhong Chushan livened things up.
Before long, one scholar after another was dead drunk. Zhong Chushan and Chen Buyu hadn’t been forced to drink and were still in good spirits with clear heads.
“Good thing we didn’t mess with Wangshu, or we’d be the embarrassed ones today. But Sister Yaoguang, how do you have such a great drinking capacity?”
Su Yaoguang took out a bottle from her bosom, opened it, and poured out the pills inside.
“I got this from the shopkeeper.” Su Yaoguang said. “Bright Moon Tower is most famous for its Zhuangyuan Wine. With all the drinkers coming and going, of course they have their tricks. Take these pills, and you won’t get drunk after a thousand cups. If I didn’t know Cui Rong, they wouldn’t have sold me something this good.”
“Sister Yaoguang, no wonder your business does so well. Nothing stumps you. You did this on purpose to get revenge for Wangshu, right?”
“Did someone go back and complain to you, and you found out he was deliberately plied with drink by these scholars, so you held a grudge to retaliate?”
“Some things don’t need to be spelled out, or it wouldn’t be polite. Alright, these guys are in your hands to settle. Wangshu and I are heading back first.”
