Chapter 90: Drinking at the market, never get drunk

The two walked to the east end of the town, where someone was already setting up the venue.

This was a large open space, which Jiang Ning estimated was larger than a football field. A simple platform was built in the middle of the venue, with a few chairs and two big drums on it, and under the platform were circles of wine jars.

People gathered around one after another, and two old men with completely white hair were behind the two, eating peanuts and chatting.

"Hey, do you think Wang Mengzi will still be the top drinker this year?"

"Who else could it be except him? It's been five or six years in a row, and it's always been him. These people can't drink more than him."

"That's right. People in this town don't like to join in the fun anymore. They're all outsiders who don't know the ropes and are only interested in the little money..."

"Hahaha... they're only interested in the money and are just trying to amuse us..."

Liu Ming'an turned around and asked the two elders, "Old man, what if someone can't drink but forces himself to drink? Drinking too much can kill people, right?"

Jiang Ning was actually thinking about this question as well. Alcohol poisoning is no joke.

"Wow! What a handsome young man! Come, have some peanuts!"

The old man didn't rush to answer, but smiled and took out a handful of peanuts from his pocket and handed them to Liu Ming'an.

Liu Mingan thanked him quickly, took it with both hands, and gave Jiang Ning half.

The peanuts were grown at home, and after drying in the sun, they were fried with sand. They were fragrant and crispy. Jiang Ning ate them and heard the old man say, "Everyone has thought of this kind of thing a long time ago. You will know later that it is impossible to let a drunk person continue to drink."

More and more people came. By the time it was almost 9 o'clock, the place was already crowded with people.

Several people who looked like the old man walked up to the stage and sat down on simple chairs. Two strong men walked up to the stage and started to beat the drums.

"Dong! Dong! Dong!"

The drums were deafening and hit people's hearts directly. The atmosphere on the scene gradually became heated.

Some people came out of the crowd, moved dozens of tables together, and then took bowls, lined them up closely, opened the wine seals, and poured the strong liquor into the bowls. For a while, the place was filled with the aroma of wine.

"Old man, who is sitting up there?" Jiang Ning heard Liu Mingan ask again.

"Hey! They are the owners of several big wineries in our town. They pay for the wine under the table, and they also pay for the silver for the top three. They put in money and effort to hold this drinking contest, not for anything else, just to make their wineries famous!"

After an old man patiently explained, another one said "Hey": "It's started, it's started!"

The drums stopped, and a man shouted: "If you want to sign up, just pay ten copper coins here and get a red rope to tie around your wrist!"

Liu Ming'an was still chatting with the two old men, Jiang Ning patted him and said quickly: "I'm going to make money, wait for my good news!"

Before Liu Ming'an could say anything, Jiang Ning had already walked across the venue to the stage, threw ten copper coins into the wine pot, took a red rope and tied it around her wrist.

Liu Ming'an was anxious, but he saw Jiang Ning shaking her hand tied with a red rope at him.

"Hahaha... young man, don't worry, there are many young ladies and wives who want to join in the fun, don't worry, she will come down by herself in the first round at most." The old man behind him saw this scene, and he was not surprised, and smiled and comforted Liu Ming'an.

Liu Mingan looked over there and saw that there were indeed several girls and ladies who had signed up. They had red ropes tied around their wrists and looked eager to try.

"Anyone else wants to sign up? Hurry up, the drinking contest will officially begin at 3:30 pm!" The man on the stage shouted a few more times.

At 3:30 pm, another round of passionate drumbeats sounded, announcing the official start of the drinking contest!

The drumbeats stopped and the man shouted, "All drinkers must drink five bowls each, and then walk a straight line around the stage before they can enter the next round! You can untie the red rope and quit at any time!"

Liu Mingan only then discovered that under the stage in the middle of the venue, two straight lines were drawn with snow-white lime.

"This is a great idea! No need to worry about someone forcing themselves to drink and getting into trouble." Liu

Ming'an exclaimed. "Hahaha... there's something even better, wait and see! Come, eat peanuts!" the old man continued, and stuffed another handful of peanuts into Liu Ming'an's

mouth. There were nearly two hundred people who signed up. After reading the rules, Jiang Ning walked slowly to the table. After those who ran fast finished drinking and walked in a straight line, she picked up a bowl of wine and took a sip.

What a strong wine!

Jiang Ning frowned, feeling that her tongue was spicy. This wine was at least 40 degrees, which was higher than the vodka she had drunk in her previous life.

It seems that I have to cheat, Jiang Ning thought.

Jiang Ning passed the wine bowl to her lips, and when the wine touched her lips, she took the wine into her mouth using the space, and then pretended to swallow it. Without anyone noticing, she finished the first round of five bowls.

Many people who came to join in the fun did not even finish their five bowls before untying the red rope and leaving. When Jiang Ning went to line up and walk in a straight line, there were still about a hundred people left.

While Jiang Ning was drinking, she hadn't figured out why the waiter said that this drinking contest was interesting, until she saw the man in front of her, stepping his left foot on his right foot, and his right foot on his left foot, walking in a straight line like a yangge dance, which made several people in the stands and the people around him laugh, and some even bent over with laughter.

It was really interesting!

Jiang Ning walked steadily along the straight line for more than 100 meters. At the end, a servant looked at her in surprise and said with a smile: "Congratulations, young lady, you have passed the first round. It is already amazing!"

Jiang Ning replied lightly, "Thank you", and crossed her arms to admire other people walking in a straight line.

Then Jiang Ning saw that some people fell asleep as soon as they took a step forward, some people jumped on one foot and turned in circles on the straight line, and some people took two steps back and turned over, and then vomited on the ground with a "wow"... In short, there were thousands of different postures, and the field was full of laughter, and it was peaceful.

After the first round, the number of applicants decreased by two-thirds, and there were less than 60 people left. Including Jiang Ning, there were only three women in total.

Liu Mingan looked at Jiang Ning with some worry, but seeing that her face was not red and her breath was not out of breath, her expression was clear, just like a normal person, he remembered that she said she could drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, and persuaded himself to believe her.

Jiang Ning is so smart, she would not do a stupid thing knowing that it is impossible. Liu Mingan told himself in his heart.

The people who poured the wine before returned to the table again, removed the empty bowls, put new ones, and continued to fill them.

"In the second round, everyone drinks fifteen bowls. After drinking, come to the front to thread the needle. We count to ten, and those who have not threaded the needle after counting will be eliminated!"

The man on the stage read out the rules again. Jiang Ning walked to the table, picked up the wine bowl and started drinking.

The people who poured the wine did not leave. Fifteen bowls were too many. Someone had to count them to prevent someone from cheating and drinking less or pouring the wine on the ground when no one was paying attention. That would be unfair to others.

"One, two, three, four... fourteen, fifteen!"

Jiang Ning drank fifteen bowls in one breath without even changing her expression. The guy who counted for her was dumbfounded. It had been a long time since he saw a girl who could drink so much, and she was pretty. Where did this female wine lover come from?

Jiang Ning walked to the stage. More than half of the people had not finished drinking. Someone handed her a needle and a piece of thin thread and began to count: "One, two--"

"Okay." Jiang Ning didn't wait for him to count to "three" and raised the threaded needle and placed it in front of him.

"Hey? So fast? Congratulations! Wait a minute, girl. We are preparing for the third round." The young man said with a smile.

"You are the second woman I have ever seen who can drink so much."

Suddenly, a rough man's voice came from the side. Jiang Ning turned around and saw a tall man with a full beard. He had just put down his needlework. There was no drunkenness in his eyes, only his cheeks were a little red.

Seeing Jiang Ning looking over, the man continued, "The first one is my drunkard mother."

Faced with the sudden conversation, Jiang Ning didn't know how to respond for a moment. The man had no ill intentions. She thought about it and replied, "Oh."