“Master Shi, this is my master, Zhang Zhenren. He just arrived last night.” Biszhen, back in the guise of Master Qi with a pale face, solemnly introduced Zhang Shisan to the bearded host of Benjian.
Actually, Biszhen and the others hadn’t even started sharing their experiences of separation when suddenly they noticed the maid Xiaohong approaching from outside the courtyard. Startled, Biszhen hastily took out the ghost mask flower and transformed herself into the sallow-faced Master Qi in an instant.
When Xiaohong arrived and saw a courtyard full of people, she was first taken aback, then said that the young master was indeed much better, and that the mistress was so delighted that she had agreed to the master’s request to host a banquet to thank Master Qi.
Master Shi, obviously eager for a drink, didn’t waste a moment upon receiving the mistress’s order. Early in the morning, he ordered his servants to prepare the banquet and immediately sent people to invite Biszhen to join them.
As a result, Zhang Shisan, Mei Qing, and Hou Shen had to attend the banquet as the mentors and friends of “Master Qi.”
True to his reputation, Master Shi was extremely enthusiastic. Upon hearing Biszhen’s words, he immediately raised his enormous wine cup, nearly the size of a human head, and boomed toward Zhang Shisan, “So the master—oh, excuse me, Master Zhang has arrived! It’s a great honor! Let me drink first to show my respect!” With that, he lifted the giant cup to his lips and drank like a whale gulping seawater. Clear wine flowed continuously like a silk ribbon from the cup into his wide mouth until it was completely drained, not a single drop left.
Even Zhang Shisan, who had long been accustomed to drinking and had seen many battles, was stunned. He had seen people drink, but never anyone this impressive. This single cup must have held half a jar’s worth of wine! He couldn’t help but wonder why the host used such an enormous vessel—it truly lived up to the word “generous.”
“Please, please,” Zhang Shisan, ever the worldly man, quickly regained his composure. He picked up the small porcelain cup in front of him, gave a slight nod, and downed it in one go.
Seeing this, Biszhen quickly pointed at Hou Shen and introduced him, “This is Master Hou, a good friend of mine.”
Upon hearing this, Master Shi immediately barked at his servants, “What are you all standing around for? Don’t you see our guests’ cups are empty? Hurry up and refill them!”
At his words, Xiaohong quickly stepped forward with a silver wine pot and refilled Zhang Shisan’s small porcelain cup to the brim. Meanwhile, a burly man behind Master Shi grabbed a large wine jar, lifted it high, and turned it upside down. Wine poured out like a raging waterfall, like a thirsty horse galloping toward a spring. Truly, it was like “a waterfall three thousand feet high, as if the Milky Way had fallen to earth.” In no time at all, the host’s giant cup was full again.
“More, more!” the host shouted repeatedly, almost trying to pile the wine on top of the cup. When it was finally impossible to pour another drop in, he carefully and shakily lifted the cup and said, “So Master Hou has arrived! It’s a great honor! Let me drink first to show my respect!” With that, he plunged his head into the cup again, performing another “dragon-suction” act. He didn’t stop until the cup was completely upside down and not a single drop remained. He then let out a long sigh and shouted, “Now that’s satisfying!” Before Hou Shen could even lift his cup, the host bellowed again, “You lot with no sense at all! Don’t you see our cups are empty? What are you waiting for? Hurry up and refill them!”
The burly man ran over with the jar, and this time he poured in the remaining half jar of wine. Only when the jar was completely upside down did he manage to fill the giant cup to the brim.
Before Hou Shen could even finish his drink, Master Shi had already turned his gaze toward Mei Qing and asked, “And who is this gentleman?”
“Oh, this is my apprentice, Xiao Meizi,” Biszhen drawled.
Master Shi had already picked up his cup and said, “So your apprentice has arrived—ah, excuse me, you’re a young lady, right? It’s a great honor! Let me drink first to show my respect!”
Mei Qing, hearing Biszhen mock him, couldn’t very well get angry in front of everyone, so he merely gave Biszhen a threatening gesture behind his back. Biszhen pretended not to see it, looking up at the sky. As the two exchanged playful glances, Master Shi was too busy drinking to notice. He lifted the giant cup again and downed the entire thing in one go.
“Great, great! Meeting a few good friends indeed means more cups of wine!” Master Shi casually wiped the wine dripping from his beard with his sleeve and shouted, “Oh right, I haven’t even toasted Master Qi yet! Where’s the wine? Are you all dead? Bring out another jar!”
At his words, the man behind him hesitated, clearly reluctant to move. Xiaohong quickly stepped forward, tugged at the master’s sleeve, and whispered, “Although the mistress has allowed drinking today, the master must still follow the rule she set: no more than three cups.”
It was only then that Mei Qing and the others noticed the two small lines of text engraved on the side of the giant wine cup. Looking closely, they read:
“Drink in moderation,
No more than three cups.”
Seeing this, Mei Qing and the others nearly burst out laughing. Three cups? This cup was bigger than a large bowl. Three cups of this, and an entire jar would be gone.
Master Shi scratched his head and grumbled, “So frustrating! I’ve only just moistened my throat, and already three cups! The drinking bug has only just been stirred up! Next time, I’ll definitely make an even bigger cup. This one’s too small—it fills up with just a single tear! What’s the point?”
Seeing this, Biszhen suppressed a smile and said, “Since that’s the case, and since I myself cannot drink, perhaps Master Shi could drink my cup for me.”
“Oh?” Master Shi’s eyes widened as he said, “Master Qi is such a learned man—how could he not drink? Alright then, Liuzi, refill my cup. And remember, when the mistress asks later, you must say I only had three cups today. This one is for Master Qi.”
The man called Liuzi was still hesitating when a soft, delicate cough came from behind the screen. Everyone else paid it little mind, but to Master Shi, it was like thunder cracking in his ears. He froze instantly.
No one noticed that when Zhang Shisan heard the cough, his face darkened. He narrowed his eyes slightly, as if lost in thought for a moment, then opened them again, grunted softly, and returned to his usual expression.
Upon hearing the cough, Master Shi immediately stopped talking about drinking for others. With a smile on his face, he said to Biszhen, “Ah, actually, drinking for guests isn’t quite appropriate, is it? Well then, since we’ve already drunk, perhaps we should just bring out the food and eat quickly.”
Biszhen blinked and immediately realized that the cough had sounded familiar—it was the mistress reminding Master Shi from behind the screen. That’s why he had changed his attitude so suddenly. Finding it amusing, Biszhen deliberately said, “Ah, I see Master Shi is truly a generous man. Since you’ve found a drinking companion, why not bring out more wine and have a few more cups with my friends? If you’re worried about the mistress being angry, just blame it on me.”
Upon hearing this, Master Shi’s face turned slightly red as he shook his head repeatedly, “How could that be possible? If my friends haven’t had enough, Liuzi can bring more wine. The mistress wants me to drink less because she cares for me and worries about my health. How could I disobey her command and make her angry? Thank you for your kind offer, but I won’t be drinking anymore.”
As soon as Master Shi spoke, everyone at the table was taken aback. In the Ming dynasty, the social hierarchy between men and women was strictly observed, and women were expected to adhere to the “Three Submissions and Four Virtues.” How could a wife possibly control her husband? Witnessing a bold and forthright man like Master Shi openly declare in front of guests that he would never defy his wife’s commands was truly shocking. Even Liu Zi, standing behind him, looked somewhat embarrassed. However, since it was his master, he couldn’t openly display his discomfort. He could only roll his eyes and gaze out the window, pretending not to have heard anything.
Biszhen burst into laughter and said, “Indeed, Master Shi is a truly sincere and noble man, a real man! Far better than those hypocritical, two-faced men who only look at other women and mistreat their wives! Since Master Shi can’t drink anymore, I’ll just toast you with an empty cup!” With that, he raised his small wine cup, drank it in one go, and put it down. But as he did, he shot Mei Qing a sidelong glance.
Mei Qing, hearing Biszhen’s veiled remarks, pretended not to notice. Truthfully, he thought that although Master Shi was perhaps overly obedient to his wife, his openness and honesty were rare indeed. Still, looking at the giant wine cup in front of him, he couldn’t help but smile and say, “In that case, perhaps Master Shi should just give up drinking altogether, or at least use a smaller cup. Wouldn’t that be better?”
Master Shi didn’t take offense at Mei Qing’s comment. He grinned and said, “The mistress only said to drink moderately, to get slightly tipsy, not to stop altogether. As for the size of the cup, well, she said I should only drink three cups, and I only drank three. That’s not disobeying her, and she won’t be angry.”
Everyone couldn’t help but smile, even Xiaohong swayed slightly with amusement. Only Master Shi himself, feeling that this was a rare victory in his battle of wits with his wife, looked quite pleased with himself.
After the meal, when the servants had cleared the table and brought tea, Biszhen spoke up, “My master and friends have reunited, and we must now travel together. We’ve already disturbed Master Shi for several days, and we’re deeply grateful for your hospitality. It’s time we took our leave, and we hope to meet again in the future.”
Master Shi chuckled and was about to speak when a soft, delicate voice came from behind the screen, “Immortal Master, please wait a moment!”
Everyone was startled. Then the voice continued, “My lord, I have something I wish to say to Master Zhang alone.”
“Oh?” Master Shi was taken aback for a moment, then said carelessly, “Fine, I was planning to take those boys out for some exercise anyway. I’ll leave first.” With that, he said goodbye to everyone and hurried out with Liuzi.
Xiaohong was also instructed to leave and closed the door behind her. The mistress behind the screen did not speak again. Zhang Shisan coldly snorted and said, “I was going to let you off the hook, but you insisted on coming in yourself! What do you want to say? Hurry up and come out!”
A soft sigh came from behind the screen, and then slowly, the mistress of the house stepped forward.
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