The smell of wine spread in Song Shi’an’s mouth, and Jiang Chun kissed a mouthful of wine taste.
The wine Han Xiao brought out was naturally good wine, but the level of goodness was limited—roughly equivalent to top-quality baijiu mixed with white vinegar, still couldn’t escape the strange taste of being both sour and spicy.
Usually at home, if in a good mood, she would drink a few cups with Jiang He and be done, but outside, she had no need to force herself.
So Jiang Chun pretended to have a poor alcohol tolerance, and after drinking one cup each that Han Xiao and Qiu Niangzi toasted her, she decisively switched to drinking tea.
But the wine taste in Song Shi’an’s mouth wasn’t unpleasant, even had a bit of strawberry flavor.
Uncertain, she sucked a few more times on his tongue. No mistake, it really was strawberry flavor.
Jiang Chun suspected whether she had been craving strawberries so badly she went delusional, otherwise how could she taste strawberry flavor from the mouth of a drunk person?
Her brain was running wild, but her mouth was greedily sucking, licking, biting his tongue, entangled together with his lips and teeth.
Kissing and kissing, Jiang Chun suddenly jolted fiercely, suddenly remembered a matter.
She hurriedly released his lips and tongue, pulled some distance from him, and urgently asked: “Husband, aren’t you as a lay disciple not allowed to drink alcohol? Why did you drink today?”
Isn’t this breaking precepts?
Song Shi’an drank too much, his cheeks were already flushed. After being kissed so passionately by her, his complexion was as red as sunset, and his pair of phoenix eyes were also full of moist color.
His reaction was half a beat slow. After a moment, he finally understood Jiang Chun’s question, and replied: “Master Liaochen said, after I get married and consummate, I no longer need to follow Buddhist precepts and disciplines. Now not only can I drink, I can even eat meat.”
“Actually, some days ago at home, I already picked up a chopstick of meat dish, but maybe because I’ve been vegetarian for many years, I couldn’t adjust my taste all of a sudden. As soon as the meat entered my mouth, I felt nauseated, ran out to vomit, then rinsed my mouth, only then did I feel better.”
After a pause, he rolled his eyes at Jiang Chun and snorted: “As for the alcohol, on my birthday you got drunk, leaned over and kissed me. I couldn’t push you away at all, I already broke precepts back then.”
Although he already broke precepts, he wasn’t particularly interested in alcohol. Usually when Jiang Chun and her father drank, he didn’t join.
Today, meeting an old acquaintance in a foreign place, facing his own downfall, Han Xiao was as warmly enthusiastic as ever. Upon knowing he was going to ransom his cousin, he even offered help on his own.
Feeling happy inside, he drank a few more cups with Han Xiao.
Jiang Chun heard his words and shrank her neck guiltily.
That day she drank too much, her head only wanted to stick close to him, how could she still remember he abstained from alcohol?
Then she immediately straightened her back with righteous confidence, laughed and scolded: “Totally couldn’t push me away? Don’t pretend weak, still think it’s like the past? Back then your health was mostly recovered, and you practiced sword every morning and evening. Pushing away a drunk like me was simply easy as lifting a hand.”
Song Shi’an was drunk in body but not in heart, refused to admit to death: “You were too strong, I pushed, but didn’t push away.”
Jiang Chun got so angry she laughed.
She simply gave up arguing, slumped openly, snorted and laughed: “Fine, fine, I’m the one who caused you to break precepts. I’m just that female demoness who specializes in tempting Buddhist disciples to break precepts!”
Song Shi’an reached out to pull her into his arms, brought his mouth close to her ear, and said in a hoarse voice: “That’s right, niangzi is that female demoness who feeds on human essence and blood.”
Jiang Chun immediately thought in the wrong direction, spat “pei!” and laughed scolding: “Who wants to eat your essence and blood!”
Song Shi’an was stunned from the scolding, then his eyes suddenly turned deeper, and the hand holding her waist involuntarily tightened.
He pursed his lips, held it in for quite a while, then finally hardened his heart, leaned close to her ear, and whispered a few sentences.
After pulling back, his cheeks, ear tips, and neck were all thoroughly red, eyes lowered, completely too embarrassed to look at Jiang Chun’s expression.
Jiang Chun’s expression was a little strange.
This fellow Song Shi’an really had turned bad, actually daring to shamelessly bring up such a request—this was something that was absolutely impossible in the past.
As for who he learned to be bad from?
Hmph, definitely not her. She was the most innocent, pure little person, with no impure thoughts in her head.
This pot, she would not carry!
Song Shi’an saw that she didn’t make a sound, thought she was unwilling, hurriedly reached out and grabbed her hand to pull it down.
At the same time, he rested his chin on her shoulder, humming and whining in a pitiful tone: “Haven’t done the marital act with niangzi for several days, holding it in feels uncomfortable, niangzi, just help me out, okay?”
Through the clothes, Jiang Chun’s fingers felt his readiness to act.
She originally wanted to withdraw her hand, but thinking of how he just started eating meat and had to temporarily cut off rations, he was also quite pitiful. In the end, she couldn’t bear it.
Jiang Chun rolled her eyes at him, said unhappily: “Now you’re thinking of asking me for help, and no longer saying I’m the demoness who seduced you to break precepts?”
“The demoness seduced me into breaking precepts, so of course must be responsible for me.” Song Shi’an rested his head on the stacked quilt, shifted himself into her hand, clearly urging.
Jiang Chun pulled open his waistband, reached in and grasped him, like playing with mud, pinching, rubbing, kneading.
Song Shi’an closed his eyes, his face flushed red, teeth tightly biting down on his lips, but still let out a few muffled humming sounds: “Mmm…”
Jiang Chun’s hand busied itself, but her eyes fell on his face and couldn’t move away.
The sight of a beauty aroused, really was too captivating.
Saying who’s the demoness, in the end, who really was the demoness?
If not for being on the boat, the cabin’s soundproofing too poor, and not being able to bathe, she would have already pounced on him for the marital act.
Song Shi’an had never experienced this before, felt so good his scalp went numb. In less than a quarter of an hour, he reached the crucial point, both hands gripping the mattress tightly, mouth panting urgently: “Niangzi…”
Then, countless streams of water splashed out in unison.
Jiang Chun watched the fountain for a while, then drew a basin of water, added some of the hot water she had just boiled, helped him clean up, and also washed her own hands in the process.
She shook out her sore, numb fingers, sat down next to him, and lightly snorted: “Now you feel comfortable?”
Song Shi’an propped himself up, wrapped her in his arms, laid down, buried his head at her chest, and with a tone full of satisfaction said: “Thank you for your hard work, niangzi.”
Sure enough, she loved him dearly. Even the excessive requests he shamelessly brought up, she was willing to agree to.
So, in that case, wouldn’t he be able to ask her for even more excessive requests in the future, for example…
He lifted his head, glanced at her rosy lips.
Humans truly were greedy, always wanting more once they got a taste. Even he, Song Shi’an, was no exception.
••
Since that day they unexpectedly ran into each other on the deck, Han Xiao would invite Song Shi’an and Jiang Chun to their cabin for lunch every day at noon.
Jiang Chun had no psychological burden about freeloading meals, even wished to freeload a few more times. But Song Shi’an cared about face, so usually, Han Xiao invited three times, and he only accepted once.
The day after they finished the fourth lunch, the boat docked at the wharf of Shaoxing City, where the Shaoxing Prefecture yamen was located.
Song Shi’an and Jiang Chun’s luggage was only two rattan boxes—each carried one, just right. It could be said they traveled light with simple luggage.
In contrast, on Han Xiao’s side, since he had to stay at the Shaoxing Prefecture Assistant Magistrate’s post for at least three years, he brought quite a few attendants and a large amount of luggage—an entire big crowd, black-pressing and bustling.
With too many people and too many eyes, it was too conspicuous, so Song Shi’an and Jiang Chun didn’t go together with them.
They got off the boat on their own, hired a carriage, and found an inn that was only two streets away from the Prefectural Yamen to settle down.
After resting for a night, the next morning, they directly headed toward the brothel named Hongxiu Tianxiang. [“Red Sleeves Add Fragrance”]
Previously, Song Shi’an had already discussed with Han Xiao: they would first go redeem the person on their own. If the madam was straightforward, took the money and released the person, then fine. If she deliberately made things difficult, they would then seek Han Xiao’s help.
This was also considering Han Xiao’s situation; they didn’t want him, having just arrived in Shaoxing Prefecture, right at the time of a new official taking up post and setting the tone, to end up in rumors about frequenting brothels.
Even though Han Xiao didn’t care about this at all, since Song Shi’an insisted, he could only agree.
Hongxiu Tianxiang didn’t do business during the day. Though the door was open, in the main hall, there were only two burly, rough-looking men sitting on chairs at the table, dozing off.
“Ahem.” Song Shi’an coughed.
The slightly older of the two bouncers opened his eyes at once, and seeing a poorly dressed scholar standing in front of him, immediately waved his hand: “Our girls don’t entertain customers during the day. Come back after the lamps are lit at night.”
Song Shi’an, good-tempered, said: “This elder brother, I didn’t come to seek out the girls. May I trouble you to call out your madam? I have some matters to discuss with her.”
The bouncer yawned, impatiently said: “Selling poems? Our Hongxiu Tianxiang has a teacher specifically for making poems for the girls; we don’t accept poems from outsiders. Please leave.”
This was truly the case of a scholar encountering a soldier, unable to reason clearly. Jiang Chun didn’t have Song Shi’an’s patience.
She directly stepped forward a few steps, with a bad attitude, said: “Already said, we’re looking for the madam for a matter—what’re you chattering for? Hurry up and call the madam out. If you keep dawdling, watch out I’ll smash up your place!”
The bouncer instantly burst out laughing, patting his snoring partner’s arm, laughing loudly: “You, a delicate little lady, even dare to talk about smashing up our place? Truly laughable enough to kill someone.”
Jiang Chun handed the bundle she was carrying over to Song Shi’an, rolled up her sleeves, grabbed that bouncer’s arm in one go, and directly performed an over-the-shoulder throw.
The person heavily crashed onto the floor covered with red Persian carpet, making a loud “bang” sound.
She clapped her hands, turned to the other bouncer who had just woken up and was still a bit dazed, and said: “Can you call the madam out or not? If not…”
The skinny bouncer was a wise man who wouldn’t take a loss in front of his eyes. He immediately stood up, nodded and bowed, saying: “Can, can, can! Niangzi please wait a moment, I’ll go call Wang Mama.”
Jiang Chun pulled over a chair, let Song Shi’an sit, then dragged over another chair and sat down herself.
In an unfamiliar place, she wasn’t stupid—how could she possibly do such a reckless thing as beating people up the moment she arrived?
It was Song Shi’an who told her to do this.
The purpose was to give the madam a show of force, so she would know they weren’t people to be trifled with.
They opened their doors for business to make money with harmony; if a shrew like her came running to beat people up and make trouble every day, they’d have to think twice about it in their hearts.
Of course, which brothel or courtesan house didn’t have a backer behind it?
Of course they could seek their backer for help to deal with them. But for this kind of trivial matter, if they still had to call on their backer to come handle it, was their backer their dog? Didn’t they care about their face?
But if they really did go seek their backer’s help, and the backer was willing to step out to settle this kind of trivial matter, that would be fine too.