Chapter 110 - 111: Drunk
Jin Qianqian covered her mouth, trying her best not to laugh out loud.
Who would have thought that her ever-so-intelligent husband couldn’t handle this stubborn, four-legged donkey.
Ancient Wen Heng tugged the rope again. "They say donkeys are stubborn, and they weren’t wrong. If I’d known you’d be this much trouble, I would have been better off buying an ox."
Jin Qianqian held out her hand. "Why don’t you let me try?"
Ancient Wen Heng replied, "No need. I refuse to believe I can’t out-stubborn it today. If it doesn’t start listening, I’ll turn right around and sell it."
Just listen to him, already resorting to threats. In response, the donkey actually snorted a breath of air at Ancient Wen Heng, infuriating him so much he almost got physical.
A carrot suddenly appeared in Jin Qianqian’s hand. She waved it in front of the donkey, and the animal’s muzzle immediately started nudging toward her.
Jin Qianqian took the opportunity to take a few steps forward, and the donkey, which hadn’t budged an inch before, actually started walking.
"That’s bribery," Ancient Wen Heng grumbled, still unconvinced.
Jin Qianqian stroked the donkey’s coat as the animal snatched the carrot into its mouth. "It’s just hungry. The seller probably didn’t want to give it any more feed, which is why it’s throwing a tantrum.
You know how stubborn it is; you can’t just keep fighting it. Come on, it’s listening now. Let’s hurry up and load the cart."
Ancient Wen Heng glanced back at the gray horse he had his eye on earlier, his expression resentful as he led the donkey away.
Jin Qianqian knew what her husband was sulking about. Neither of them had expected that you’d actually need status to buy a horse here; common people simply weren’t qualified to own one.
"Wenheng, we’ll have one someday."
Ancient Wen Heng reached out from under his robe and took her hand. "I already have the whole world."
Jin Qianqian was left speechless.
***
Back at the small courtyard they had bought in the county town, Jin Qianqian and Ancient Wen Heng were somewhat surprised to see the furniture still in its original place.
According to their prior agreement, this furniture was not included in the price of the house.
Ancient Wen Heng picked up a letter from the tabletop and then understood.
The original owner had been in a hurry to catch an escort agency heading to the Prefecture City and couldn’t be bothered to deal with the furniture, so he had simply left it for them.
Looking at the semi-new belongings, Jin Qianqian smiled. "Well, this saves us some trouble. We just need to replace the kang cabinets in the rooms, and this home will be more or less complete."
"Don’t forget, we already ordered that other furniture from Chief Li’s family. There’s no room to store all of this here," Ancient Wen Heng reminded her, pursing his lips. This extra furniture was now a bit of a hot potato.
Jin Qianqian said, "Let’s put this away for now. When we go back, we can load it onto the cart. It’ll be perfect for Mom and Dad."
Even though they had built a new house, the old lady was too frugal to spend money, so everyone was still eating with their bowls in their hands, wandering around.
"That’s not a bad idea. Why don’t you put the things away while I clean the rooms again." Although it looked very tidy, Ancient Wen Heng felt like something was missing.
Li Yong personally delivered the furniture. "Old Brother Gu, you’ve really cleaned this courtyard up nicely.
Where do you want all this stuff? These brothers of mine are free right now, so they can help you get things organized."
Ancient Wen Heng looked at the familiar Government Officials, his face wreathed in smiles. "Thank you all for your hard work. Later, I’ll treat everyone. We can go to the restaurant up front for a couple of drinks."
Li Yong didn’t stand on ceremony. "That sounds great! I’ve been craving a drink for days. Now that I finally have some downtime, I’ll have to let you lighten your purse a bit."
"It’s the least I can do," Ancient Wen Heng said, cupping his hands in a salute. "I owe so much to Brother Li’s care all this time. It’s only right that I treat you to a drink."
...
***
Seeing a drunk and staggering Ancient Wen Heng walk in, Jin Qianqian quickly shut the courtyard gate. "If you can’t hold your liquor, you shouldn’t force yourself. Why get yourself into such a mess? What will you do if you trip and fall?"
Ancient Wen Heng spun around and draped himself heavily onto Jin Qianqian. "I’m not drunk. Look, I found my way home.
You’re my wife, and I found you, didn’t I..."
Jin Qianqian carefully supported him. "You reek of alcohol and can’t even stand straight, yet you say you’re not drunk.
Be careful, there’s a threshold here. Come on, walk on your own! You’re so heavy I can barely move."
Ancient Wen Heng slurred, "Who says I can’t? My little girl isn’t very tall to begin with. Don’t let me crush you and make you shorter. Quick, you crush me."
As he spoke, he pulled her toward him, causing Jin Qianqian to stumble. He brought her down with him, and they both fell onto the kang bed.
Ancient Wen Heng wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, muttering nonstop, "You’re crushing me. I didn’t flatten you, but you’re about to flatten me."
Jin Qianqian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Ancient Wen Heng rolled over, swapping their positions. "I have to crush you back..."
Jin Qianqian was utterly exasperated.
***
"Qianqian, morning!" Early the next day, Ancient Wen Heng stretched lazily. Seeing Jin Qianqian busy in the kitchen, he walked over to help, only to be blocked by her.
"What’s wrong? Who upset you? I’ll go settle the score with them." Seeing the unpleasant look on Jin Qianqian’s face, Ancient Wen Heng’s brows shot up.
Jin Qianqian shot him a glare. "Who else but you?"
Ancient Wen Heng pointed at himself. "How is that possible? I can’t even make you happy fast enough, how could I possibly upset you?"
Jin Qianqian put down what she was doing, placed her hands on her hips, and ground her teeth. "Have you forgotten what happened last night?"
Ancient Wen Heng slapped his forehead. "Last night? What happened last night?"
"You got drunk. Do you really not remember anything?"
Ancient Wen Heng asked cautiously, a hint of secret delight in his voice, "After drinking...?"
Jin Qianqian kicked him squarely in the calf. "What are you thinking? You were on a drunken rampage for half the night. You nearly drove me crazy.
I never knew you were such a bad drunk. If I hadn’t stopped you last night, the neighbors on both sides probably would have come knocking."
"...," Ancient Wen Heng tried to recall for a long moment. "How come I don’t remember any of it? I thought I could hold my liquor better than that, right?"
Jin Qianqian just rolled her eyes at him. "Don’t forget, you’re not the you you used to be. Do you really have no memory of this? You don’t know that you can’t hold your liquor?"
Ancient Wen Heng shook his head. "This body’s original owner was just an ordinary farmer’s son. Aside from studying with the old scholar for a few years, where would he have had a chance to drink?
It seems drinking really does lead to trouble. I can’t risk it again in the future."
’It’s all my fault,’ Ancient Wen Heng silently chided himself. ’I’ve been too confident lately. Thinking about my old tolerance, I completely forgot about this body’s limits.’
"Wife, you had a tough time last night," Ancient Wen Heng immediately turned into an expert masseur, placing his hands on Jin Qianqian’s shoulders and gently kneading them. "I’ll be careful from now on. I’ll try to just sip a little, or not drink at all."
He had really made a fool of himself this time. "So who brought me home last night? I didn’t do anything too outrageous outside, did I?"
Under his expectant gaze, Jin Qianqian shook her head. "That, I wouldn’t know."