Chapter Ninety-Nine: The Power of Medicinal Wine

"Liang, I really don’t know. Master never said he was taking the day off today." Ma Hua looked just as innocent. If the two of you live together and you don’t know, how on earth would I?

"Forget it. Dish up my meal, but go easy on the meat and give me more vegetables."

After paying for the meal and handing over the ticket, Chen Liang picked up the lunch box and headed back to Xiao Yu’s office.

After lunch, once Chen Liang had finished his usual fruit, Xiao Yu began eating ice cream, and then the two of them curled up together on the sofa for a midday nap.

The night before, he had been drained dry to the very last drop, and this time Chen Liang slept until Xiao Yu shook him awake. After a quick splash of water on his face at the washstand, he rode home with Xiao Yu.

When they got back, Chen Liang found that Chen’s mother had actually cooked quite a spread today.

"Mom, what’s the occasion? Why so many dishes?"

Chen’s mother turned her head. "You’re back, my boy. Just in time, help carry the dish on the table over to Zhuzi’s place. That child doesn’t know what’s wrong with him all of a sudden; he can’t even get out of bed with his wife."

Oh ho. So both of them got punished for drinking too much? How could he possibly miss a chance to laugh at Silly Zhu?

With a grin, Chen Liang picked up the dish from the table and headed over to Silly Zhu’s house. He didn’t even knock, just kicked the door open with one foot.

"Silly Zhu, I heard you’re sick? I came to see you."

Damn it, how could Chen Liang not know exactly what was going on with Silly Zhu? He was deliberately poking at the sore spot.

"Liang, just put the dish on the table. I’m in pretty bad shape, so it’s not convenient to see you. I’ll drink with you another time!"

What are you trying to hide? Did you forget that it was my wine in the first place?

"I’ve put the dish down. I’m coming in to see how bad you are!" Chen Liang said it with a wicked smile, but he didn’t budge an inch.

"No, no... brother, your sister-in-law is down in bed too. It really isn’t convenient for me to see you. Next time, let’s drink together next time!"

Their conversation only made Liu Siyuan, who was blushing as she lay in bed, even more annoyed. She had already suspected that the wine Chen Liang gave them had not been well-intentioned. He probably wanted to get Silly Zhu to give her a fierce beating, so she would give up on their agreement.

But she refused. The more she thought about it, the stronger the urge became to either swallow Chen Liang whole or be swallowed by him herself.

Damn it, Chen Liang truly had not expected that he would shoot himself in the foot and make Liu Siyuan’s condition even worse.

"Chen Liang, put the things down and get the hell out, or get in here right now!" Liu Siyuan could not hold back any longer and exploded, shouting at Chen Liang.

That little wretch. Fine, I’ll let you strut around for a while. I’ll remember this. Once you’ve finished having the baby, Lord Liang will make you call me daddy.

When he got home, Xiao Yu even mocked him for a while, telling him not to go running his mouth and flirting around if he did not want to get scolded. Serves him right.

You’d better pay attention, my sweet, naive little Xiao Yu. That woman Liu Siyuan is no good. Her desire to sleep with your man is only getting stronger. If one day she really steals the whole house from under you, you won’t even have time to cry.

After dinner, Chen Liang secretly slipped out again to Old Deaf Lady’s place to bottle the liquor. This time, he planned to fill everything at once.

He used a hefty fifty-pound plastic barrel to hold the wine, and it took him more than half an hour to finish the job before he sneaked home again.

At the supermarket, he divided the rest into five jars of ten pounds each, then went out for a stroll and came back carrying three of them.

"Dad, drink a little of this every morning, noon, and night. It’ll nourish your body."

At first, Chen’s father refused, because he was a level-eight craftsman and had to keep his hands absolutely steady.

Then Chen Liang leaned in and whispered a couple of sentences. Chen’s father immediately looked delighted.

"Really? You’re not lying to me, are you?"

Chen Liang rolled his eyes. What was there to fool him about? He was just an old man.

"Believe it or not, up to you."

He tossed out the words and left.

"You little brat, I’ll deal with you sooner or later!"

But was this wine really that miraculous? Chen’s father hesitated, then took out one of those small horn cups and poured himself a measure. After sniffing it, he suddenly felt that he was truly becoming muddled with age. This was something his youngest son had given him with filial respect. What was there to fear? Could he really mean him harm?

He knocked it back in one gulp. Chen’s father, who was not good at drinking, felt his face go red from the burn, but what was this fiery warmth spreading through his body?

His whole body felt cozy and warm. It was as though he had suddenly shrugged off a burden weighing dozens of pounds. Every cell in him seemed to cheer with ease and delight.

When he went back into the inner room and saw Chen’s mother mending clothes under the lamplight, Chen Dashan suddenly felt that every movement of hers was full of temptation.

Blushing bright red, Chen Dashan leaned up to her. "Flower, how come you’re so beautiful today?"

Chen’s mother did not take it seriously at all. Instead, she shooed Chen’s father away like he was a fly. "Go on, go on, stop bothering me. Every day there’s not a single person in this family who knows how to let me rest in peace!"

Driven off, Chen’s father hesitated only a little before bending down and suddenly scooping Chen’s mother up around the waist, then turning and marching straight into the bedroom.

"What are you doing? What kind of madness is this in the middle of the night? Put me down!" Chen’s mother slapped hard at Chen’s father’s back. They were an old married couple already; what sort of nonsense was this, and what if the children saw? How humiliating would that be!

"Quiet, let’s get inside first!" Chen’s father carried her into the bedroom with quick steps. At first, Chen’s mother kept scolding him, but before long she quieted down, and soon after, indistinct sounds began drifting out from inside.

It went on for a long, long while before the bedroom finally fell silent. Out of breath, Chen’s mother lay on Chen’s father’s chest, satisfied, and gave him a sidelong glance.

"How are you so fierce today?"

Chen’s father, who was usually under Chen’s mother’s thumb, was now unusually domineering. He slapped her rear and said, "Don’t worry about that. Tomorrow morning I want egg drop soup. Remember to make it for me."

And Chen’s mother, like a cat that had just been given dried fish, obediently replied, "Yes, sir."

The old couple lingered in each other’s warmth for a while, until Chen Hong came over clutching her little pillow, looking unhappy.

"Grandma, Mom and Dad said I should sleep with you tonight!"

"Oh my, come here, my precious heart!" In high spirits, Chen’s mother hurriedly waved little Chen Hong over to bed.

After giving the wine to his elder brother, Chen Liang reminded him not to drink more than two qian at a time, and definitely not to overdo it, or he would suffer for it.

Then he produced a small half-tael liquor cup, filled it to the brim for himself, inhaled the fragrance with intoxicated delight, and drank it down in one swallow.

For a gifted girl like Xiao Yu, a little of this amount was nowhere near enough to affect her. After Chen Liang finished drinking, the effect was immediate: he swelled up at once.

What was a mere Xiao Yu to him? Today the great Liang was going to take on ten men by himself.

Back in his room, Chen Liang saw Xiao Yu half-reclining against the headboard reading a book, so he took out the pair of patterned stockings that best showed off Xiao Yu’s beautiful long legs.

Simple things were sometimes the most beautiful.