Chapter 110: Chapter 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 couldnât handle this stubborn, four-legged donkey.
Ancient Wen Heng tugged the rope again. "They say donkeys are stubborn, and they werenât wrong. If Iâd known youâd be this much trouble, I would have been better off buying an ox."
Jin Qianqian held out her hand. "Why donât you let me try?"
Ancient Wen Heng replied, "No need. I refuse to believe I canât out-stubborn it today. If it doesnât start listening, Iâll 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 Qianqianâs hand. She waved it in front of the donkey, and the animalâs muzzle immediately started nudging toward her.
Jin Qianqian took the opportunity to take a few steps forward, and the donkey, which hadnât budged an inch before, actually started walking.
"Thatâs bribery," Ancient Wen Heng grumbled, still unconvinced.
Jin Qianqian stroked the donkeyâs coat as the animal snatched the carrot into its mouth. "Itâs just hungry. The seller probably didnât want to give it any more feed, which is why itâs throwing a tantrum.
You know how stubborn it is; you canât just keep fighting it. Come on, itâs listening now. Letâs 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 youâd actually need status to buy a horse here; common people simply werenât qualified to own one.
"Wenheng, weâll 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 couldnât 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."
"Donât forget, we already ordered that other furniture from Chief Liâs family. Thereâs 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, "Letâs put this away for now. When we go back, we can load it onto the cart. Itâll 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.
"Thatâs not a bad idea. Why donât 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, youâve 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, Iâll treat everyone. We can go to the restaurant up front for a couple of drinks."
Li Yong didnât stand on ceremony. "That sounds great! Iâve been craving a drink for days. Now that I finally have some downtime, Iâll have to let you lighten your purse a bit."
"Itâs the least I can do," Ancient Wen Heng said, cupping his hands in a salute. "I owe so much to Brother Liâs care all this time. Itâs 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 canât hold your liquor, you shouldnât 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. "Iâm not drunk. Look, I found my way home.
Youâre my wife, and I found you, didnât I..."
Jin Qianqian carefully supported him. "You reek of alcohol and canât even stand straight, yet you say youâre not drunk.
Be careful, thereâs a threshold here. Come on, walk on your own! Youâre so heavy I can barely move."
Ancient Wen Heng slurred, "Who says I canât? My little girl isnât very tall to begin with. Donât 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, "Youâre crushing me. I didnât flatten you, but youâre about to flatten me."
Jin Qianqian didnât 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.
"Whatâs wrong? Who upset you? Iâll go settle the score with them." Seeing the unpleasant look on Jin Qianqianâs face, Ancient Wen Hengâs brows shot up.
Jin Qianqian shot him a glare. "Who else but you?"
Ancient Wen Heng pointed at himself. "How is that possible? I canât 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 hadnât 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 donât remember any of it? I thought I could hold my liquor better than that, right?"
Jin Qianqian just rolled her eyes at him. "Donât forget, youâre not the you you used to be. Do you really have no memory of this? You donât know that you canât hold your liquor?"
Ancient Wen Heng shook his head. "This bodyâs original owner was just an ordinary farmerâs 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 canât risk it again in the future."
âItâs all my fault,â Ancient Wen Heng silently chided himself. âIâve been too confident lately. Thinking about my old tolerance, I completely forgot about this bodyâs limits.â
"Wife, you had a tough time last night," Ancient Wen Heng immediately turned into an expert masseur, placing his hands on Jin Qianqianâs shoulders and gently kneading them. "Iâll be careful from now on. Iâll 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 didnât do anything too outrageous outside, did I?"
Under his expectant gaze, Jin Qianqian shook her head. "That, I wouldnât know."