Chapter 114: Drinking Punishment
"Luo Zhaohan! Are you crazy? Let go of Miss Yueli!" An angry roar suddenly came from downstairs.
Two burly men dressed in the uniforms of Xie Mansion guards pushed through the crowd and rushed up the stairs with fierce looks on their faces. They were obviously the guards who came with Liu Yueli.
Seeing their master being humiliated in this way, they were shocked and angry, and drew their swords at their waists and were about to step forward.
Luo Zhaohan didn't even raise his eyelids.
She simply clenched the jade pendant tightly, and then, with the sole of her foot wearing a hard leather boot, stepped hard on Liu Yueli's deformed wrist!
"Ah--!!! My hand! My hand!" Liu Yueli's scream instantly rose eight octaves, and her body twitched in severe pain.
"Bang!"
A muffled sound.
The jade pendant didn't break, but it hit the hard floor hard, and the force was shocking enough as it hit Liu Yueli's wrist!
"Ugh!" Liu Yueli groaned, feeling as if the bones in her wrist were completely broken.
The excruciating pain nearly made her faint, and the crisp sound of the jade pendant hitting the ground was more like it was hitting her heart!
Luo Zhaohan finally loosened his feet and also released the hand that was holding Liu Yueli's other wrist.
Liu Yueli collapsed on the ground like a puddle of mud, tears streaming down her face. Her carefully combed hair was completely disheveled, her expensive dress was torn, and she looked extremely miserable.
She curled up her body, whimpering in pain.
Luo Zhaohan didn't even look at her. He bent down and picked up the intact mutton-fat white jade pendant.
She used her fingertips to slowly and methodically brush away the dust on the jade pendant, her movements gentle, as if she was wiping some treasure.
Then, she raised her eyes and glanced coldly at the two guards of the Xie Mansion who were frozen in place by the scene before them.
The two guards, who were usually quite fierce, felt a chill running from the soles of their feet to the top of their heads when they were swept by her gaze. Their hands holding the knives became weak and they dared not take another step forward.
Luo Zhaohan's gaze finally fell on Liu Yueli, who was trembling in pain, as if he was looking at a pile of unsightly garbage.
"Send her back to Xie Mansion for me."
She paused, sneered and added:
"Tell Madam Xie that her good daughter-in-law doesn't know the rules and has offended me. As the eldest daughter of the Luo family, I will discipline her."
…
Inside the Youkang Teahouse, it was utterly quiet. Dozens of people, men and women, all dressed in elegant attire, were craning their necks to gaze at the densely packed red lanterns hanging overhead.
There was a piece of paper hanging under the lantern with a riddle written on it.
Guessing lantern riddles is an elegant annual event held at Youkang Teahouse. Who wouldn’t want to show off their knowledge?
The air was filled with the aroma of tea, mixed with the sweet and greasy smell of spices from the incense burner.
The candlelight illuminated the carefully dressed faces. The young girls twisted their handkerchiefs with their brows slightly furrowed; the young men waved their fans and pretended to be deep in thought.
In this suffocating silence, there was a loud "bang" and the two doors of the teahouse, which looked very sturdy, were suddenly knocked open from the outside!
The force was so great that the door panel hit the wall and bounced back.
A goose yellow shadow, wrapped in a cool breeze from outside, rolled in like a whirlwind.
The person who came was the eldest daughter of General Fuyuan’s family, Luo Zhaohan.
My goodness, what a mess! Her carefully combed bun had been tilted to one side, and a few strands of her shiny black hair were stuck to her smooth and full forehead by sweat.
His little face was flushed from running, beads of sweat were oozing from the tip of his nose, his chest was still heaving violently, and he was breathing like a bellows.
One of her hands was still holding up the troublesome hem of her skirt, revealing the delicate pearl-embroidered toes of her shoes, with a few fresh spots of mud on the uppers.
She obviously couldn't stop her momentum, and like a pony that had broken free from its reins, she rushed straight towards the large table closest to the door.
"Oh my God!" someone exclaimed softly.
Too late!
Luo Zhaohan's knee hit the table leg firmly.
The legs of the table creaked under the weight, and the plates and dishes on top suffered. Juicy lychees, bright red cherries, thinly sliced pears, and a mountain of exquisite pastries...
As if they had discussed it beforehand, everything poured down from the table with a loud crash and a clang, rolling all over the floor.
The worst-off was a small celadon bowl filled with amber candied fruit. It rolled a long way on the ground and finally hit the tip of a young man's snow-white boot, breaking into pieces and splashing sticky candied fruit all over his boot.
The silence that could have suffocated a mosquito to death was instantly shattered.
Dozens of eyes moved down from the lanterns in the air and focused on the goose yellow figure that had caused such a disaster.
There was astonishment in his eyes, interest in watching a show, displeasure at being disturbed, and regret for the delicious food on the ground.
The host of this elegant gathering tonight is the owner of Youkang Teahouse, Manager Liu.
A chubby middle-aged man who smiles at everyone he sees and believes that harmony brings wealth.
But at this moment, his face, which was always smiling, also became tense.
He stood beside the main seat, watching the fruit plate and snacks he had carefully prepared being completely destroyed. The flesh on his face trembled, and he looked up at the culprit - the daughter of General Fuyuan.
Shopkeeper Liu's heart was in turmoil.
Why did this little ancestor barge in at this time? And make such a big noise!
But she was the jewel in the crown of the general's mansion. How could he, a mere teahouse owner, dare to point his finger at her and scold her? Even if he had ten times the courage, he wouldn't dare.
But polite words have to be said and the rules are there.
"Hey, isn't this Miss Luo? You're really late, and you're bringing all the fanfare!"
His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for everyone in the audience to hear clearly.
With a bit of helplessness and a bit of blame that had to be said.
He paused, his eyes sweeping over the mess on the floor and the disgruntled guests. He steeled himself and brought out the pre-arranged rules: "Miss Luo, our lantern riddle party at Youkang Teahouse has its own rules. Anyone who is late and disturbs the fun..."
"According to the old rules, you have to drink three glasses of wine as a punishment! To serve as a warning to others! And to apologize to everyone, what do you think?"
"Three glasses of wine as a penalty?"
"Yes, three cups!"
"Manager Liu is right!"
The voices of those around who were watching the fun immediately started buzzing, with a hint of booing.
Especially the young ladies from aristocratic families who usually disliked Luo Zhaohan's behavior, they pinched their throats and echoed in a neither loud nor soft voice: "That's right, rules are rules."
"You've disturbed everyone's fun, so you deserve to be punished."
Luo Zhaohan was still bent over, holding his knees and breathing heavily.
She slowly raised her head, beads of sweat sliding down her cheeks, and a few strands of wet hair stuck to her forehead in a mess.
Those big, bright eyes with pitch-black pupils first glanced at the mess on the ground.
Then, his gaze swept over the faces that were waiting for her to embarrass herself.
There was no panic or fear in his eyes, but instead there was a fierce look of offense flickering in them, like a little leopard that had been angered.
Shopkeeper Liu felt a little uneasy at the look in her eyes, but he still gritted his teeth and winked at the waiter next to him.
The waiter was smart. He quickly picked up a white porcelain wine pot and an exquisite white porcelain wine glass from a table next to him and trotted over to Luo Zhaohan.
The waiter smiled apologetically and handed the wine pot and wine glass to her: "Miss Luo, look... this is the best osmanthus wine, not too strong, just a token of your appreciation..."
Before he could finish his words, Luo Zhaohan moved.
She didn't even look at the shot glass.
The hand holding up the hem of her skirt suddenly loosened, and the light yellow skirt fell like petals. She reached out with lightning speed, not to take the wine glass, but to grab the slender neck of the white porcelain wine pot in the boy's hand!
"Ha!" She pulled up the corners of her mouth, and under the astonished gaze of everyone in the room, she flipped her wrist, raised her arm high, and pointed the spout of the pot at herself.
Then she raised her head.
The amber-colored wine poured down and directly into her slightly open mouth.
Not a moment's hesitation, not a moment's pause.
The clear aroma of wine instantly spread, accompanied by the sound of rapid swallowing in her throat.
“Gudong…Gudong…Gudong…”
The entire Youkang Teahouse fell into an eerie silence again.
The only sound left was the sound of wine rushing down his throat.
Everyone was stunned. The young men and women who had been making such a fuss just now were now staring with their mouths open and their eyes nearly popping out of their heads.
This... this isn't just some lady drinking! This is even more ferocious than the rough guys in the military camp!
The smile on Manager Liu's face froze completely, his mouth was slightly open, and his chin almost dropped to his feet.
He originally thought that the girl was thin-skinned, so he would give her three glasses of wine as a way to save her from the situation, and the matter would be over.
But this ancestor didn't play by the rules at all and directly hit him with a pot against his mouth!
"Bang!"
The last drop of wine disappeared, and Luo Zhaohan swung his arm downward suddenly. The empty white porcelain wine jug fell heavily on the sticky candied fruit and broken porcelain pieces at her feet, making a dull sound and rolling twice before stopping.
"Ha!" She exhaled heavily, raised the back of her hand, and wiped the corner of her mouth with great boldness.
Because of the stimulation of the strong liquor entering his throat, his eyes were instantly covered with a layer of mist, and the corners of his eyes were stained a little red, but his eyes were surprisingly bright, like two small flames burning, scanning the entire audience with burning eyes.
"Three cups?" she spoke. Her voice was a little hoarse from drinking, but it was high and had a choking effect.
"Is it enough? If not, I'll give you another pot."
The look was provocative, and it stopped in the directions where the noise was the loudest.
No one dared to respond.
The teahouse, which was buzzing just now, was now so quiet that you could hear the crackling of burning candles.
Luo Zhaohan looked at the group of intimidated quails with satisfaction, and felt that the anger in his chest caused by being late and being harassed finally subsided a little.
It's not enough to drink alcohol by brute force alone, Luo Zhaohan is not a real reckless man.
It's true that her father is a military general, but he also hired a teacher to teach her how to read and write, so she must have some knowledge!
Soon, she locked onto her target.
Not far from the main seat, there was a particularly delicate hexagonal palace lantern, covered with plain silk gauze, with a riddle written on it in elegant handwriting.
Luo Zhaohan raised his foot and walked towards the lantern.
She took big, fast steps, and the falling fruit and snack crumbs under her feet made a crunching sound that was particularly clear in the silence.
She walked under the lantern, looked up at the riddle, and read it aloud: "It is difficult to describe the feelings in my heart with pen, so I put down my pen and stop here. Those who are in love will become a couple in the future, but those who are heartless will find it difficult to meet in the future. Pomegranate flowers bloom slowly, and sugar slowly dissolves in cold water. As long as our hearts remain unchanged, we will meet one day!"
After she finished reading, she uttered a "tsk" sound, her little face full of impatience, her eyebrows twisted into knots: "What the hell is this? It's so convoluted and so sour! You can write such a crappy word and try to make it sound like love and affection, it's so jealous!"
Her loud voice and disgust were like pouring a bucket of cold water into a boiling pot of oil.
The atmosphere that had just been suppressed by the drinking penalty suddenly became subtle again.
Many people frowned, thinking that the young lady from the general's mansion was extremely vulgar and had no taste at all, and was simply tarnishing this elegant place.
Shopkeeper Liu's heart was in his throat again. He was about to speak to smooth things over when he saw Luo Zhaohan suddenly move.
Without waiting for anyone to react, she suddenly stood on tiptoe, stretched out her arms, and grabbed the tassel hanging from the exquisite palace lantern!
The movements were fast, accurate and ruthless, with a sense of recklessness and arrogance.
“Sizzle—”
A clear sound of tearing cloth was heard.
How could the lampshade, covered with plain silk, withstand such a violent tug? The thin silk gauze was instantly torn open!
Luo Zhaohan doesn't care about that.
Her little hand reached directly into the gap, rummaged around inside, and accurately grabbed the small piece of paper stuck on the inner wall of the lantern!
Then pull hard!
The note was pulled out. She pinched the crumpled little note between her fingertips, held it high, and faced the stunned guests with an almost provocative smile on her face:
"Why bother guessing? The answer is just the word 'pen'!"
She spoke as fast as popcorn, crackling, pouring out all her understanding.
Although the explanation is simple and crude, even a bit unorthodox, it seems that it can actually fit in with some connection?
The entire audience remained petrified. Even their breathing became shallow.
Is this even possible? Riddle guessing requires subtlety, elegance, and a lasting interest.
How could she be so blunt and rude as to tear out the answer directly?
It's simply trampling elegance underfoot!
Everyone's eyes were glued to the light yellow figure with an expression that said "I've seen through your tricks."
The fat on Manager Liu's face twitched and his temples throbbed.
It was over, all over! The carefully prepared elegant gathering was smashed to pieces by this ancestor with just three punches and two kicks.
He opened his mouth, but his throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton and he couldn't utter a single word. He could only sigh.
In this oppressive silence, a voice, with a lazy smile, slowly floated down from the second floor.
"Miss Luo, you have such nimble hands and feet."
Swish!
Dozens of eyes instantly shifted their gazes from Luo Zhaohan to the source of the sound.
The private room on the second floor is opposite the main seat in the lobby.
A young man was leaning against the carved wooden railing of the private room.
He was wearing a brocade robe the color of rain-soaked sky, made of the finest brocade. He rested one hand casually on the railing, his knuckles long and slender.
In his other hand, he held a white jade wine glass, with the rim touching his lips, and his posture was as relaxed as if he was admiring the moon in his own backyard.
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