"Can't you wait any longer? It's broad daylight, and luckily it's me. If anyone else saw us, I'd be so embarrassed. I told you to come out and toast, but you ended up toasting the bed. Who's getting married, you or me? I've run myself crazy, and you're still laughing and joking here like nothing happened."
Seeing that the two of them were seated, Wu Ju started to talk to him like setting off firecrackers, chattering non-stop. Zhang Jizong told her to stop more than once, but she just wouldn't listen. They were helpless and had to listen obediently.
Tang Boyi, who had been eavesdropping under the windowsill, heard that the atmosphere inside was not right, so he pretended to be panicked and ran into the house to rescue them.
"Aunt Wu, they're all urging the bride and groom to come out and toast."
Tang Boyi winked at Zhang Jizong as he spoke. Zhang Jizong immediately understood what he meant and pulled Shumei up and squeezed out of the house, "Let's go now."
Wu Ju led the two of them to toast at each table and introduce these relatives and friends to Shumei.
There were several square tables in the yard, with more than a dozen dishes placed messily on the tables. The guests ate with gusto, talking and laughing. Some people who loved drinking were playing finger-guessing games loudly and tapping their chopsticks.
"Bang Bang Bang Chicken!"
"Bang Bang Bang Tiger!"
The person who called out "Tiger" quickly shouted, "You lose again, drink!"
The people around him shouted to cheer for the loser. Amid the cheers and applause of the crowd, the loser drank a bowl of wine on the table in one breath.
At this time, Shumei and the others came to this table, which made them even more excited.
"Ji Zong, since you married such a beautiful bride, you must drink three cups with me, don't you think, sister-in-law?" The man who had just lost the finger-guessing game stood up staggeringly, his cheeks flushed, perhaps a little drunk. He held a glass of wine and walked up to Zhang Ji Zong, staring at Shu Mei without blinking.
Shumei didn't know what to call him. She turned to Zhang Jizong and asked, "Who is this?"
"This is Brother Fu from the neighbor's house."
"Brother Fu, thank you so much for coming to celebrate with us. Look, there are still several tables waiting for Ji Zong! Why don't you enjoy yourself and Ji Zong feel free to do as he pleases? There's still a long way to go, and there will be plenty of time for drinking!"
"Hey, sister-in-law, are you feeling sorry for Ji Zong? Why don't you just drink it for Ji Zong?"
The man snatched the full glass from Ji Zong's hand and handed it to Shu Mei. He must have been quite drunk. He was only trying to persuade the groom to drink, not to embarrass a woman.
"Okay, three cups is three cups."
Seeing that he was making things difficult for Shumei, Ji Zong quickly snatched the glass, drank it all in one gulp, then used the half-bottle of wine in his hand to fill the empty glass, drank another gulp, and finished all three glasses in one breath.
Ji Zong had been persuaded to drink quite a bit of wine, and now he was probably trying to show off his power by drinking.
"I've finished my three cups. Fu Jun, please do as you please. As long as you enjoy yourself."
Zhang Jizong pulled Shumei along, preparing to toast the others, but Fu Jun refused to give in and forcibly blocked their path.
"You have drunk your three cups, but your sister-in-law hasn't had her three yet! Sister-in-law, come and toast to Brother Fu."
"Brother Fu, I don't drink."
"Everyone has a first time. The first time is strange, the second time is familiar! Don't you agree?"
Everyone, under the influence of alcohol, began to echo Fu Jun, shouting, "Three cups, three cups..."
Ji Zong was forced to do so and was about to block the three cups for Shu Mei when Tang Boyi came over, put his arm around Fu Jun's shoulder and pulled him aside.
"Fu Jun, I was careless last time. This time I'm going to make you drink until you're down."
"Come on! Who's afraid of who?"
"You said it! Everyone has to bear witness for me!"
The two of them started banging the chopsticks on the table.
"Bang bang bang bang!"
"Bang Bang Bang Bug!"
"You lost, you lost, drink quickly." Fu Jun jumped up, squatted on the stool, and urged the loser Tang Boyi to drink.
Fu Jun's attention was diverted by Tang Boyi, so Shumei and the others could continue to toast others normally.
As Tang Boyi drank bowl after bowl of wine, he kept glancing at the goddess in his heart. Shumei was really beautiful today, and of course she was happier than ever before.
Tang Boyi was sadder than ever today. His heart was bleeding. He drank bowl after bowl of wine, but he was still sober and not drunk at all. It was true that drinking to drown his sorrows only made him more sad. He wished he was the one standing by Shumei's side, shielding her from the alcohol and rain.
"Come on, continue."
"Hey! I haven't seen you for three days. You've really improved your drinking capacity! You've lost ten hands in a row, and you're still standing?"
"Why are you fussing? Go on."
Tang Boyi drank another bowl, poured himself some wine, and shouted to Fu Jun.
At this time, a deafening sound of a tractor was heard outside the door. A brand-new tractor stopped at the door of Zhang's house. Ma Yaoxiang and five men in strange costumes jumped off the tractor and walked into the yard. Each of them held a tap water pipe more than one meter long in his hand.
Ma Yaoxiang had originally thought that with such a large crowd, the Zhang family would at least come out to greet them, no matter what they said. However, no one came to pay attention to them. The guests glanced at them with disdain and continued to eat and chat.
"Brother-in-law, they treat you like air, don't they?" Ma Yaoxiang's brother-in-law timidly leaned close to his ear and whispered. He looked like a coward, his face was simply a representation of a fool, a natural idiot.
"Go, get me the big speaker from the car."
"Okay!"
His brother-in-law trotted out of the yard, and the other five people stood behind him, standing straight, holding the tap water pipes tightly with both hands, looking a bit like gangsters.
An old woman with white hair walked back and forth around them several times, then walked up to Ma Yaoxiang and asked, "Are you opera singers?"
"Performing an opera? Haha... Yes, today we are going to perform a good opera."
After hearing what the old woman said, Ma Yaoxiang was stunned at first, and then burst into laughter.
After hearing what Ma Yaoxiang said, the old woman muttered to herself as she walked, "Zhang Binglin's background is quite deep. He even invited a troupe of opera singers. This time, I, an old woman, can really open my eyes."
"Come, brother-in-law, I've got the loudspeaker."
Ma Yaoxiang's brother-in-law handed him a worn-out loudspeaker. Ma Yaoxiang took it, coughed twice, and cleared his throat.
"Kang Shumei, you shameless woman, you really married a wild man! Why didn't you inform your ex-husband to come and have a drink at the wedding? After all, we know each other! If we can't be husband and wife for a hundred days, being a couple for a short time is fine! If you miss me one day, come to the town to find me. As the saying goes, it's better to be prepared! If Zhang Jizong can't satisfy you, I can still help you out once or twice..."
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