Chapter 11: Chrysanthemum liquor

It was already late when Li BaoGui and Li Huan returned to the Li residence, they found Su WuLi sitting in the middle of the courtyard.

BaiBai was sitting in front of him, chewing half of a cabbage and the other half of the cabbage was in Su WuLi's hands.

Li BaoGui approached quietly along with his son, and listened to a bit of the conversation.

"Then, when you see that brat, bite him." Su WuLi whispered the instructions to BaiBai. "Chew on his clothes. If you can, chew his hair too. This Master of yours will give you a reward."

"Who are you talking about?" questioned Li BaoGui.

Su WuLi jumped in place and stood with the cabbage in his hand. BaiBai approached Li Huan, bleating and leaving Su Jian aside.

"Nothing in particular." Su WuLi plucked a leaf from the cabbage and stuffed it into his own mouth. Taking advantage of his uncasual distraction, he fled toward the kitchen.

Li BaoGui didn't quite understand the situation, but he didn't think too much, he still had to go and prepare dinner.

If Li Yan had transmigrated into a poor man or woman, he would surely be determined to seek another kind of life. He was not someone who was used to hard work, even if it was just housework. The good thing about being Li BaoGui, was that he just needed to cook, embroider, be cute and take care of his son and he would be fine.

He cleaned up the kitchen after dinner, and had the whole night off ahead of him. He went to his room early, taking the jug of liquor and a couple of glasses with him. He would simply invite Su Jian to drink, but he spent it pacing back and forth as he fiddled with his hands; what if Su Jian didn't want to drink with him?

The door opened and then closed behind Su WuLi's back.

"Huan'er had fallen asleep. BaiBai was on the bed with him, I tried to put her down and she bit me." he commented as he examined his own hand.

"Did she hurt you?" Li Yan stood by the table, trying to look normal.

"Just the mark of her teeth. It's nothing." Once Su WuLi looked up he saw the jug of liquor, then looked at Li BaoGui. "Did you buy it yourself?"

"It was given to me by Mo Zhan... I thought we could try it."

In the past Su Jian used to drink with his friends on weekends, he was used to alcohol and could resist several drinks. He didn't hesitate to walk over and take a seat.

They both sat across from each other. Li BaoGui opened the decanter carefully, not a second passed before the sweet smell filled their noses. The liquor was poured into both cups, however, Su WuLi scratched his chin as he looked at the liquid.

"Is something wrong?" asked Li Yan.

"Is what... Have you drunk before?"

Li Yan went to parties and discos to eat and hold Che XuDan's drinks. He never used to drink, and he had no intention of telling the truth either.

Li BaoGui nodded without saying anything. He didn't listen to any more words and put the liquor in his mouth. The taste was delicious, but his throat burned a little and he couldn't help but furrow his brows.

Su WuLi chuckled a little, it was obvious he was teasing.

"The liquor we drank in our previous life must be different, that was what I was planning to tell you before you rushed. You can't compare something made naturally, to liquor that has been processed." Su WuLi leaned back resting his elbows on the table with a mocking smile, which made Li BaoGui's heart flutter. "Ardent? It must be because you are not used to it."

Li BaoGui nodded. His face colored with embarrassment.

In the end, Su Jian also drank his own cup, but his face did not express any discomfort. Li Yan wanted to imitate him and drank another cup again.

If Su Jian said that he was unaware of what was going on, he would be lying. He knew that Li Yan was not used to drinking, however, he thought Li BaoGui's body would resist more.

"Why did you decide to drink today?" it wasn't that Su Jian was suspicious of anything, he just wanted to form a conversation.

"Chrysanthemum liquor is a traditional drink during Hanlu."

"Hanlu hasn't started yet," Su WuLi pointed out.

"But it has started to get cold. The liquor warms the body."

"It is not a good way to warm up, much less if you have not yet recovered."

"Li BaoGui read the medicine prescription earlier, there's nothing that can't be mixed with a little liquor."

There was silence between the two again, but did not feel awkward. It had been a long time since they had last sat at the same table, and a hell of a lot longer since they had lived together in polite silence.

Thinking about it, Su Jian felt that he had taken a few steps towards his goal. They could now spend some quiet time alone together, and the words that came out of his mouth were no longer distorted into insults.

"Tell me." Su WuLi suddenly spoke up and poured himself another cup.

"Huh?

"I haven't heard a single regret. Are you so happy as to forget Shu?"

Li BaoGui shook his head, pouring liquor into his glass to keep pace with Su Jian.

"So?"

"What about you?" Li Yan asked, he nearly coughed from the soft burning in his throat. "Didn't you leave Qu Yuan behind? You died that way..."

From the way he said it, it sounded like he was reproaching Su Jian for dying.

"It wasn't the best of my ideas."

"You were stupid. Irresponsible."

Su WuLi hunched one of his eyebrows, but Li Yan went on with his bold words.

"Although Su-ge is ordinary and rustic, I've never had such a dumb idea before. Stupid." Suddenly Li BaoGui was pouting, he seemed to be in the middle of a tantrum. He took one more drink and a pink color stayed on his face. "You put so many people's lives at risk together with Wang Lu, with what face were you going to show up in the underworld? You're horrible, Su-ge, horrible."

"Are you scolding me?"

"So what if I am? You're dumb, stupid." Li BaoGui pointed his finger at him.

"You'd better not drink anymore."

"Then you can't drink anymore either."

"I am older than you, you must follow my orders." Su Jian reached out to grab Li BaoGui's finger and pinch it, forcing young Li to hide his hands.

In the midst of their argument, they ended up drinking one more glass of liquor. Even if the amount they drank was considerably small, they both forgot the factor Su Jian had originally assumed.

A pair of fools accustomed to modern, processed liquors were carelessly drinking chrysanthemum liquor, and they drank it as if it was something they were used to.

They spent a few more minutes arguing, until Li BaoGui's face was glowing with redness and he became more communicative.

"Su-ge..."

"Mnn?" Su WuLi wasn't too bad, but he wasn't too good either. He kept leaning his elbows on the table as he watched Li BaoGui.

"Why did you die?"

"Because I was too stupid to survive."

With a miserable and sad expression, Li BaoGui grabbed the jug of liquor with one hand, however, Su WuLi snatched it away from him and placed it out of his reach.

"Look at you, you're already drunk. You didn't need to pretend you were good at drinking." Su Jian scolded him.

In terms of drunkenness it was Su WuLi who was soberer and, because of his desire to keep up with him, Li BaoGui ended up being the drunker of the two.

"Su-ge..."

"Stop calling me."

Having been scolded, Li BaoGui finally let a couple of tears spill from his cheeks.

"Can't I call Su-ge, why can't I call Su-ge?"

"Don't be childish. You're already twenty-two years old and have a son."

"Gege despises me so much?" Li BaoGui complained.

If Su Jian was sober, he would have tried to be strong and settle things in a way that he could keep some face. However, Su Jian had been stunned by the heat of the liquor.

He rose from his chair bowed down in front of Li BaoGui, holding that beautiful face in his hands and wiping away his tears.

"Don't cry, don't cry. This gege does not despise you. "

"Gege, you really don't despise me? "

"There is no such thing as contempt between us."

Li BaoGui tried to take a deep breath, but kept sobbing with his breath coming in gasps. With shining, moist eyes he looked at Su WuLi and asked:

"Does Gege still love me?"

Su Jian felt that he had attended an important exam without studying.

How was he supposed to answer that question?

Why should Li Yan be so beautiful even when he cried?

[Why am I so weak in front of him! Did I inherit this shit from someone, what a bad time to not know most of my ancestors!]

At Su Jian's tardiness, Li BaoGui's tears began to fall again. Su WuLi wiped them away again.

"Don't cry. This gege... This gege..." Su Jian's thin face couldn't say it out loud, he wasn't ready for it yet. His next words were spoken between whispers. "... Loves you."

Being a child who saw the fruits of his tantrum, Li BaoGui was happy. Very happy. So happy that he grabbed Su WuLi's shoulders and pulled him to him. Su Jian didn't have time to react to it, and his lips pressed against those of his eternal nemesis.

Su Jian was sure he could hear his grandfather shouting, 'he finally made it, that little bastard', but it could have been hallucinations due to the liquor.

Li BaoGui's lips tasted just like chrysanthemum, that sweet and intoxicating aroma even emanated from him. It was a bland kiss, and, even so, Su Jian would have wished to stay there all his life.

Had he been sober, he would have passed out. And he wasn't drunk, so, once their lips parted, he released Li BaoGui's face and held him by the hands to stand up. Su WuLi squeezed his husband-enemy in his arms, wishing to lock him there forever.

"This gege really loves you. But you can't call me gege anymore."

"I can't call gege gege?" Li BaoGui threatened to cry once more.

Su WuLi's hands slowly moved down to the other's waist, groping him over the blue cotton robes. As if possessed by daring and stupidity, he lowered his hands a little further, placing them on Li BaoGui's hips as he repeated his mantra.

[Thick waist, wide hips. Thick waist, wide hips....]

Getting his hands on that place had always been one of his big dreams, it ranked very high on his list of priorities. Even higher than getting into college.

Li Yan's blush was etched on his face thanks to his drunkenness. He ducked his head to hide in Su WuLi's chest, which Su WuLi took the opportunity to approach Li BaoGui's ear and whisper:

"From now on you must call me husband."

"Husband?"

"We are married, aren't we?"

"We are married. We're never going to be separated." Li BaoGui nodded immediately, showing a goofy smile on his face.

"We will be husband and husband until the end of our lives."

Su WuLi lifted Li BaoGui in his arms and carried him to the bed, where he carefully laid him down. He took off his boots before climbing up to lie down next to him. He had no plan in mind, all he wanted was to have Li Yan right next to him.

Li BaoGui rolled over in the bed until he lay down on top of Su WuLi, sticking close to him to hug him.

"Husband."

"What's wrong? " Su WuLi brought his hands to Li Yan's hair, to remove the ribbon that kept it tied back.

"Husband, husband. It sounds good when I call you that."

"What should I call you? Wife?"

Li BaoGui nodded. Su WuLi threw the ribbon to a place he wasn't looking at, and didn't think much of it. He stroked Li BaoGui's hair carefully, intertwining his fingers with some ink-black strands.

From one moment to the next, Su Jian decided to hug Li Yan even closer to himself, and leaned in to kiss his lips once more.

Drunks could be really sincere, yes, but one never knew what they would do the next day. When they sobered up again.