Chapter 34: Prepare to be Intoxicated

"I've never been here before, but my dad told me they have a 'welcome drink' tradition that's quite intimidating. My dad has a high tolerance for alcohol, but even he was dead drunk that day!"

Liang Jiyong quickly asked Jiang Lan, "Are you trying to get us plastered?"

"Haha, this is a treatment reserved only for distinguished guests. Don't worry, it's just rice wine!"

"Rice wine has a real kick to it," Liang Jiyong said helplessly.

"The guests who can get drunk are the most welcome ones. We call this the 'Three-Round Toast' here."

"What does that mean?" Liang Jiyong asked.

"See those eight young women? In a moment, each of you will have a bowl. Each of those eight beauties holds a jar of rice wine, and they will pour their wine for the guests they take a liking to. If a girl pours three bowls for you in a row, well, you know what that means!"

"I don't know!" Liang Jiyong shook his head.

"It doesn't matter, you'll understand once you drink it..."

Then, while Liang Jiyong and the others were left confused, Jiang Lan smiled and led the other girls away, leaving the four men standing there unentertained. Aside from the eight young women in ethnic attire at the entrance, everyone else was in the courtyard. It seemed the host would only emerge to greet them once this trial was passed.

"What is this all about?" Liang Jiyong asked, bewildered.

The young women only smiled, remaining silent.

"Just wait patiently. Either way, get ready to be carried out drunk!" Chen Puer shook his head, unconcerned.

"Holy cow!" Zhao Guodong suddenly exclaimed.

Four more young women appeared, carrying wine jars, but they looked familiar.

"Jiang Lan looks so beautiful in that outfit!"

"Yutong is mixed-race, so it suits her perfectly too!"

"I think our Xiaomin is the prettiest!"

"Oh, give it a rest. Can you even say something honest for once?"

As Zhao Guodong and Fang Zai chatted, Fang Zhan suddenly shouted, "Xiaoyue, Zhao Guodong said you should lose some weight because that outfit is a bit too tight!"

"I did not! You're trying to frame me—I like being a bit curvy..."

Liang Jiyong laughed out loud.

The twelve young women lined up at the entrance. Then, a shout went out, and this time, Liang Jiyong understood it.

"Drinks are served..."

Jiang Lan walked to the front, poured a bowl for Liang Jiyong, who was standing on the edge, and said, "The poured wine must be finished, not a drop spilled. Otherwise, you cannot enter until you are drunk, or until we stop pouring!"

Liang Jiyong’s eyes widened. With twelve ceramic jars, there was surely enough alcohol to kill someone!

"Please, honored guest!"

Liang Jiyong thanked her and took a sip. It was sweet and sour, with a very low alcohol content. The bowl looked large but was actually quite shallow and not filled to the brim, so he likely wouldn't get drunk too quickly. He downed it in one gulp.

Jiang Lan poured a bowl for Chen Puer, and behind her, Di Yutong walked up to Liang Jiyong with a smile. She blinked but said nothing.

Jiang Lan’s voice drifted over: "Only the lead girl can speak. That means before you enter the house, the others aren't allowed to talk!"

Liang Jiyong understood and smiled at Di Yutong, "This outfit looks beautiful on you!"

After finishing his drink, Di Yutong went to pour for Chen Puer. In the first round, everyone received a bowl—though it was only a large mouthful. Still, twelve bowls would be quite a lot; those with a weaker tolerance would definitely be dizzy. Liang Jiyong held his liquor well, so he felt fine.

After the first round, two girls stepped aside, seemingly finished with their task. It was, after all, a ritual, not a genuine attempt to incapacitate everyone. The second round brought another ten bowls. After drinking them, Zhao Guodong and Fang Zhan were already swaying. Four more girls withdrew, leaving only Jiang Lan, her group, and two other beautiful young women.

"This wine has a real punch!" Liang Jiyong said with a grin.

"It's fine for now, but I estimate that within an hour, we'll definitely be passed out," Chen Puer said. He knew this kind of rice wine; the initial alcohol content wasn't high, but the aftereffect was vicious.

"It won't take an hour. I bet we'll be drunk by the next round!"

This time, Jiang Lan poured a bowl for everyone, and then Di Yutong poured three bowls for Liang Jiyong in succession. After that, she stood by his side. Wei Min poured three for Fang Zhan, who nearly fell and had to be steadied by her. Then, Sun Xiaoyue poured three for Zhao Guodong, who also became drunk.

Jiang Lan whispered something to a girl, and then the two beauties walked over and poured three bowls each for Chen Puer. Six bowls later, Chen Puer couldn't stand steadily and was helped toward the door by the two girls.

"It's just you left. I wonder if three bowls will do it?"

Liang Jiyong smiled bitterly, "Probably. Please, go easy on me. I’m not a graceful drinker when I'm hammered!"

"Hehe, that just makes me more curious!"

Jiang Lan said, pouring a bowl for him—this one seemed a bit larger. Was this girl trying to get him drunk because she felt she had lost out in the morning and wanted revenge?

Jiang Lan seemed oblivious. Liang Jiyong drank the first bowl, and she poured two more immediately. Liang Jiyong felt as if the Jiang Lan in front of him had split into three, but those blue eyes were truly beautiful...

When he woke up, everything was dim, illuminated only by moonlight. He felt incredibly thirsty and desperately needed to use the restroom. He struggled to sit up, unsure where the light switch was. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could vaguely make out the furniture. He climbed out of bed and groped his way toward the door.

Just then, the door opened. A wall lamp clicked on, illuminating the room. Jiang Lan was wearing white silk pajamas—the style looked like something from the Republic of China era.

Seeing Liang Jiyong’s state, Jiang Lan knew what he needed.

"Hey, over there!" She pointed to a small side door.

Liang Jiyong thanked her and hurried over.

...

After coming out of the bathroom, Liang Jiyong took a closer look at the room. It was antique, filled with bookshelves, celadon teapots, and calligraphy, resembling the bedroom of an old scholarly family.

Jiang Lan returned, carrying a rosewood tea tray with a clay pot and a small porcelain bowl.

"Drink some mushroom soup, or you'll have a headache tomorrow."

"Thanks. This is the first time I've ever blacked out from drinking. I didn't make a fool of myself, did I?"

"Hehe, other than the shouting and screaming..."

"Impossible. I never act crazy when I'm drunk!"

"Actually, you were quite well-behaved!"

Jiang Lan served him a bowl. "Aren't you going to have some?"

Jiang Lan shook her head, her face flushing slightly. Liang Jiyong was truly thirsty; the soup wasn't hot, and it tasted excellent.

"This is really good soup!" he said.

He finished it in a few gulps. "Are you really not having any?"

Jiang Lan shook her head. Liang Jiyong poured another bowl, but it was so small that he prepared to pour a third. Jiang Lan seemed to want to say something but held back, keeping her head down.

The soup was finished, and he felt much better. "Thanks. Go get some rest. I'll read for a bit. That sleep was incredibly refreshing—truly, one drunk-out wipes away a thousand sorrows!"

Reading... Jiang Lan looked surprised, but Liang Jiyong actually pulled out a book. Jiang Lan collected the tray and left. When she returned, Liang Jiyong was still reading, frowning as if he had encountered a difficult problem.

Seeing her, he asked, "You studied international trade, so your English must be pretty good, right?"

"It's alright."

"Could you help me? How do I interpret this passage? This foreign grammar is such a pain!"

"Chinese has grammar too; we're just so used to it that we don't have to force it."

"That's true. My speaking is fine, but this grammar is killing me!"

Jiang Lan sat down and explained it to him. Her English foundation was solid, and she was a better teacher than Di Yutong. Liang Jiyong continued reading while Jiang Lan leaned nearby. Breathing in the fresh, clean scent radiating from her, he found his mind wandering.

"You should go get some rest," Liang Jiyong said again.

"No need. You keep reading; I can't sleep right now anyway." She rested her head on the table, chin cushioned by her hands.

After a few more pages, he hit another snag and asked for help. Jiang Lan leaned in close, and the scent of her made his heart race. He exhaled a few breaths to suppress the wayward thoughts, but as she finished explaining, his breathing grew ragged. His self-control was slipping.

"Hey, are you okay?" Jiang Lan looked at him.

Liang Jiyong looked back, feeling as if her eyes held a strange, bewitching power.

"You really are a temptress," he said involuntarily.

Jiang Lan immediately grew angry and stood up. Liang Jiyong reached out and grabbed her hand. "You really are a siren—you’ll be the death of me!"

He stood up and faced her, looking into her eyes. "Your eyes are so beautiful!"

Jiang Lan smiled slightly, her eyes seeming to bloom with a magical blue light.

"Did you drug me? How is my self-control so poor?"

His breathing grew even more labored. Although his reason remained, his body felt out of control, as if Jiang Lan held infinite secrets waiting to be explored.

"When men make mistakes, they always say they were seduced by a woman," Jiang Lan said, her tone indifferent.

Liang Jiyong laughed. The Jiang Lan before him seemed to turn ethereal, her clothes slipping away piece by piece. His consciousness wasn't clouded, but he couldn't control his actions. Although he felt a faint sense of being played, he couldn't resist his instincts.

...

A sharp pain made Jiang Lan bite her lip, tears spilling over. She had once fantasized about how her most precious first time would be. In the end, she had given it to a man she had known for only two days. The only consolation was that she didn't dislike him.

She wanted to cry out, *Hey, take it easy!* But she knew he was lost in a frenzy—it was his own fault for drinking that pot of turtle and mushroom soup! Although it was painful, every powerful thrust made her want to cry out. She didn't want to suppress herself; while it wasn't perfect, it was her first night, and she wanted to experience it. Tomorrow the sun would rise, and regardless of whether the floods came, this night was destined for restlessness.

...

Liang Jiyong's reason slowly returned. He saw the mix of pain and pleasure on Jiang Lan’s face. Feeling him stop, the madness fading from his eyes, she trembled. She didn't know what kind of storm she was about to face. They stared at each other in silence.

Liang Jiyong sighed, slumped over her, and stroked her hair. "I'm sorry, I hurt you."

Jiang Lan covered her mouth, unable to hold back her tears. Liang Jiyong wanted to pull away, to end what shouldn't have started, but she held him tight.

"Can you kiss me? I feel so embarrassed that my first kiss was like this."

Liang Jiyong didn't speak; he brushed her hair aside and kissed the corner of her mouth, deepening it slowly. The wooden bed began to creak again, not with a storm, but like a gentle bath of wind and rain.

When all sounds stopped, Jiang Lan rested on his arm, hugging him. "If you have anything you want to ask, ask now."

Liang Jiyong’s hand rested on her chest, the resilience of her skin making it hard to let go. "Does it still hurt?"

"You really are a fool. You clearly guessed you were being played, so why did you go along with it?"

"Because you are my woman now, and I can't find a reason why you would want to harm me. Or perhaps, your honey trap wasn't originally meant for me."

"Sometimes you’re incredibly stupid, and sometimes—why do you have to be so smart?"

"Sometimes it's better to play the fool, but one must know what’s going on. Is there anything I can help you with? As long as it doesn't cross my bottom line."

"I don't want to say it now. For tonight, can you treat me like your girlfriend?"

"You're already dead set on this."

Jiang Lan said nothing, holding him tightly and kissing his body. Soon after, the wooden bed began to creak again, sometimes slow, sometimes rapid.

...

"My father's garment factory was a township enterprise restructuring. Over half the people in town have shares. For the last ten years, business was great because all our clothes were handmade ethnic styles, which are very popular in Southeast Asia. This year, due to intense competition, several orders were canceled. But that wasn't fatal. The most important thing is that our contract for the Kapok Mountain, where we get our raw materials, expired this year.

"According to the contract, we have the right of first refusal for renewal. However, 'Skinflint Wen' took a liking to our factory and wanted to buy our shares at a low price. Naturally, we refused. After being rejected, he used his connections to block our renewal, and the canceled orders were also his doing.

"The kapok here is a special raw material for our factory. We use an ancient extraction technique that makes the fabric colorfast and durable. Without the mountain, or if Wen controls it, he will hike the price so high we won't be able to operate. The factory employs over 400 workers—that's three or four hundred families relying on it for their livelihood. Ten years ago, we were very backward; we didn't even have telephone lines. It was this factory that brought us prosperity. A few years ago, we invested a sum into tourism, but it didn't work well, and now the town's coffers are empty. If the factory fails, we’ll be set back ten years. My father built this factory with his own hands; it’s his life’s work, and I don't want to see it destroyed."

Jiang Lan kept her head down, afraid to look at him.

"So, this honey trap was meant for Chen Puer, right?"

Jiang Lan blushed and nodded.

"Who came up with this plan?" Liang Jiyong asked.

"Me." She still didn't look up.

"Your father wasn't involved? You can mobilize so many people to help you?"

"My father doesn't know; he wouldn't have let me do this. He has a lot of prestige in Red Cloud Ancient Town, so people listen to me."

"As long as your father wasn't involved, that's fine. Otherwise, I’d have to confront him. You don't set your own daughter up like that!"

"You..." Jiang Lan looked up, her expression complex.

"Why pick me? Chen Puer certainly has more power than I do. If his father came to Yunzhou to invest, officials from the province would probably be escorting him!"

"Chen Puer is too calculating. If he knew I played him, even if he helped, he’d be resentful. Besides, I don't like his personality. If you hadn't appeared, I don't know if I would have gone through with it. I'm not..."

"No need to say it. I understand. You mean Chen Puer is smart and I'm the fool—the one who would help you even after knowing I was being played, right?"

"Yes. I like stupid men! I think you're quite stupid."

"Was your arrival in my room last night part of the plan?"

"How could it be? I didn't know you’d go back there. There really were no rooms left, so I asked for your key. Anyway, you've already taken all the advantages you can. If you have the ability, help; if it's too difficult, forget it. Even without the factory, our family can survive."

Liang Jiyong didn't speak, contemplating how to handle the situation.

"How many shares does your family hold, and what's the annual profit?"

"My father holds fifteen percent, the town holds thirty percent—though they only take dividends—and the rest is held by town residents. Last year, we made 300,000."

"What’s the background of this 'Skinflint Wen'? Is it worth offending an entire town for 300,000 a year? Isn't he afraid of being beaten to death with a brick?"

"He's the local tyrant of Longshan County. His name is Wen Ming. He's only thirty this year. His father is the County Magistrate, Wen Chongtai, and his uncle is the Chairman of the Municipal People's Congress, Wen Chongshan. Although our factory only shows 300,000 in profit, that’s after paying workers salaries higher than state-owned enterprises and deducting extra expenses for the town. Otherwise, it would be over 500,000."

500,000 a year wasn't a small sum, considering the average annual wage was less than 2,000.

"This Wen Ming doesn't sound very 'civilized' based on his actions. His reputation must be terrible, right?"

"Terrible is an understatement. He bullies men and oppresses women, steals and extorts—he's a total scoundrel."

"Has he been bothering you?"