Chapter 58 Drunk

Jiang Mu stared at the two characters "Dream House" written in a flamboyant style on the plaque, his jaw almost dropping to the ground.

This, this, this...

He thought of the Second Madam's carriage, which drove into the house under the guidance of the Mengguan servants, and subconsciously turned to look at Zhao Yi.

Jiang Mu stammered, "Second Master, Second Madam..."

Zhao Yi had a headache. What he feared really came true.

Mengguan is different from Qinlou and Chuguan. It is a theater for various operas.

But it is different from a proper theater, as the performances are all plays that are banned.

Although the Fourth Lady was a lady from a prominent family, she was spoiled by her family, which made her have a somewhat unusual personality.

But I didn't expect that she would actually bring Shen Qingtan to such a place.

Jiang Mu didn't get a response, and when he saw his master get off the carriage, he was shocked: Is the Second Master going to go in and arrest someone?

"Second Master, please don't be angry. If you get sick from anger, no one can help you." Jiang Mu racked his brains to make amends for Shen Qingtan: "The Fourth Madam is the elder. Second Madam dared not disobey the elder's order, so she came to the Dream House just now."

Zhao Yi said "hmm" indifferently and stepped into the Dream House.

Jiang Mu hurriedly followed, feeling conflicted.

He was thinking about how to deal with the situation when his master arrested someone so as not to embarrass the Second Mistress.

Then, how should he persuade the Second Madam to return home without offending the Fourth Madam, so that she would not refuse to cooperate and make the master sick?

In the short time from the door to the stage, Jiang Mu had already come up with several plans in his mind. He felt that they were all safe and was just waiting to be implemented.

He saw that his master had chosen a secluded private room and had no intention of arresting anyone.

“???”

Jiang Mu was about to speak when the window of the private room across the street opened. He saw the second wife sitting inside.

Oh, it turns out to be stalking.

He couldn't control his eyes and glanced diagonally across the street several times.

Shen Qingtan keenly sensed that someone was staring at her. She raised her eyes and looked across. All the windows of the private rooms opposite were closed.

"Tan'er, you have to close the window, otherwise you will be discovered." The fourth lady reminded her and asked, "What do you want to eat?"

Shen Qingtan didn't understand what was going on. He was just watching a show. If he was discovered, he would be discovered. It wasn't like he was here to do anything shameful.

Although he thought so in his heart, Shen Qingtan still closed the window and replied, "What you ordered is enough."

The fourth lady hummed, added some more fruits and vegetables, and asked for a pot of Xiangxue wine.

The attendant retreated and quickly brought everything to the table.

Shen Qingtan looked around. There was a stage directly opposite the lobby on the first floor, with rows of tables and chairs placed under the stage. There were more than a dozen private rooms on the second floor.

Yesterday, the Fourth Lady spoke in a very mysterious way. She thought she was going to see some excitement at some house, but who knew she was really going to the theater to watch a play.

Shen Qingtan turned to look at the Fourth Madam, and saw her leaning lazily in the large hexagonal armchair, her arms resting on the armrests, her slender fingers seeming to tap the rhythm, looking very interested.

She asked, "Aunt Si likes to listen to opera?"

"It's okay." The fourth lady's eyes moved, staring at Shen Qingtan's charming face, and she said with her red lips: "I think the play performed in the Dream House today is quite good. You should take a good look at it later."

"What play?"

"You'll know in a moment."

The fourth lady's tone was somewhat meaningful.

Shen Qingtan had a bad feeling in her heart, but before she could think about it, the sound of blowing and playing instruments rang out.

She couldn't help but cast her eyes towards the stage, where she saw a young female role coming onto the stage with her robe and sleeves lifted and starting to sing.

This play is about "Selling Rouge". A failed scholar falls in love with a beautiful woman in a rouge shop, so he meets the woman every day under the pretext of buying rouge.

Shen Qingtan hadn't watched a play for a long time and was somewhat absorbed in it until the scholar teased the woman under the pretext of buying rouge and said a lot of obscene words, then she realized something was wrong.

She turned her head and saw that the Fourth Madam was watching with great interest. Only then did she realize why the Fourth Madam asked her to close the window.

"Fourth Aunt..."

The Fourth Madam propped up her chin and looked at her with a smile: "How was the opera? Was it better than the opera troupe we invited to the mansion?"

Shen Qingtan: “…”

Seeing her blushing face, even more charming and beautiful than the red peonies in the garden about to bloom, the Fourth Lady smiled sweetly and said, "You're so dignified on a daily basis. It's so tiring. If you indulge yourself and enjoy pleasure once in a while, your life won't be lived in vain."

She picked up the wine jug, poured two glasses of wine, and pushed one of them in front of Shen Qingtan.

"Every woman is bound by the rules and regulations of the female code. If she doesn't follow them, she's considered a rebellious and unruly woman."

The Fourth Lady took a sip of wine, feeling refreshed. "We just need to be dignified and virtuous to the outside world. In private, we can put aside the various dogmas that restrict us."

Shen Qingtan listened silently and felt that the Fourth Madam was indeed a rebellious and unruly woman, otherwise he would not have brought her to watch this kind of play.

But everyone has their own way of living.

Some people are free and unrestrained, not bound by worldly affairs, and just seek pleasure.

Some people follow the rules, with layers of shackles on their shoulders. For the sake of their family and children, they compromise and endure their lives.

The fourth lady is the former.

Shen Qingtan lowered his eyes to look at the wine glass in front of him, and saw the Fourth Madam's unrestrained drinking.

She said, "I can't drink much. I can only drink one glass at most. If I drink another, I will get drunk."

"This is fruit wine, it won't make you drunk." The Fourth Lady coaxed her, "Try it and see if it's as I said."

Shen Qingtan smelled the sweet aroma of wine, so he picked up the wine glass and took a sip.

The wine tastes sweet and good.

Although fruit wine is not intoxicating, Shen Qingtan still restrained himself from drinking too much. He put down the glass after just one sip.

At this time, cheers came from the audience.

Shen Qingtan turned his gaze towards the stage and saw the female role enter a large tent on the stage. The scene was just about to reach the part where the couple entered the tent to consummate the marriage.

She saw the curtain swaying and heard the thin and charming voice. Her cheeks felt hot as if they were on fire and her heart was beating rapidly.

Shen Qingtan turned her eyes away in panic and met the Fourth Madam's fixed gaze, as if she was teasing her: You can't even handle this little situation?

Her face suddenly turned red and she became a little restless. She subconsciously picked up the wine glass and took a few sips of wine to suppress the embarrassment in her heart.

"Fourth Aunt, shall we go back home?" Shen Qingtan clenched the cup in her hand: "Second Master... Second Master asked me to go back home early."

"What are you doing back home so early?" The Fourth Lady raised an eyebrow and asked, "He's reading, are you copying Buddhist scriptures?"

Shen Qingtan: “…”

The fourth lady raised her chin towards the hall and said, "The show hasn't ended yet. If we leave, everyone in the Dream House will know we're here to watch a show."

Shen Qingtan: “…”

She never expected that after being reborn in this life, she no longer had to worry about her life, but had to worry about her reputation.

Seeing that Shen Qingtan believed it, the Fourth Lady laughed heartily and stopped teasing her.

"Let's go. We can't let our nephew stay alone in the empty room."

The fourth lady took out two veil hats from the side and gave one to Shen Qingtan. Then the two of them left the Dream House under the guidance of the attendants.

In the private room across the street, Zhao Yi's indifferent expression finally cracked when he saw the same scene.

He frequently looked at the private room where Shen Qingtan was, and wanted to get up and ask her to leave several times.

But the play was still going on on the stage. If he went over there at this moment, it would be too awkward for the two of them to meet.

He took two sips of water from the cup, but finally couldn't help but stand up.

Shen Qingtan and the fourth lady came out of the private room.

His tense expression relaxed and he left with Shen Qingtan.

——

Shen Qingtan got on the carriage and breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself that he would never come to Mengguan again next time.

"Even if someone saw us, they wouldn't dare spread the news that we went to the Dream House. Wouldn't that reveal that they had also been there?"

The Fourth Madam smiled and said, "Besides, there are special people to lead us away, so we won't meet anyone else."

Shen Qingtan smiled with the corners of his lips, his head felt a little dizzy, and he leaned against the car wall uncomfortably.

After drinking a glass of wedding wine, she will be fine.

I didn't expect that this fruit wine, which has no alcohol content, would make me drunk after just one glass.

The Fourth Lady looked at Shen Qingtan's snow-white face, which was flushed, and her misty eyes showed a hint of drunkenness.

No way?

Is this drunk?

Then how should she explain to her second nephew?