Volume 1: Gathering Storms Chapter 4: Wine and Heroism (2)

  Ma Benchi saw that everyone had eaten a round, so he separately offered them cigarettes. Tianlu and Tianjiao didn't smoke, but he, Tianran, and Tianbiao were all old smokers. Ma Benchi lit up a cigarette and said to the young girl, "Miss, open the wine and pour some for our guests."

  The little girl hastily poured wine for everyone, and the small glass in front of each person was filled to the brim. Seeing her pouring method, Ma Benqi said: "Wine should be seven parts full and tea eight parts full, it can't be filled up. Remember this, learn from it." The little girl's face turned red again.

  Ma Benqi raised his wine cup and stood up, saying: "This first cup of wine is to congratulate our Tian Biao brother on his triumphant return, let's welcome him back with a drink! Come on, everyone, cheers!" The crowd got up one after another, clinking their cups together and downing the wine. Ma Benqi continued, "This second cup of wine is to wish Wu family siblings all the best for their future, may each of you achieve success in your careers and have a bright future! Come on, cheers!"

  Wu Tianbiao said, "Director Ma, you're wrong. How can we brothers be divided into 'you' and 'we'? You, Director Ma, should have a great future ahead of you, and we'll still be following in your footsteps."

  "Right, right, Magistrate Ma was wrong, penalty drink, penalty drink!" Tian Jiao fanned the flames from the side.

  "I was wrong, I should be punished." Ma Benqi poured the wine in his hand into his throat with a flourish. Then he raised the empty cup, mouth down and shook it on the dinner table, saying: "Look, how's my drinking? Tianjiao, what do you think of Brother Ma? One drop is three cups punishment."

  Tian Jiao clapped her hands and laughed: "What a temperament, what a temperament."

  "Alright, this second cup of wine is to toast the unity and solidarity of all brothers and sisters present. The more powerful the better, the heavier the responsibility the better, the more money the better." Everyone then downed their second cup of wine. Tian Jiao still didn't show much reaction, but Tian Lu's face had already turned red, his breathing also becoming coarser.

  "This third cup of wine is to toast our only female friend, may she forever be young and beautiful! And also to toast our few male friends, may they forever be youthful and live to be a hundred years old! Cheers!"

  Tian Jiao was somewhat excited, and was the first to drink the wine. Ma Benqi, Tian Ran, and Tian Biao also drank, but only Tian Lu held his cup, looking worried, with a face that seemed to be having trouble swallowing.

  "What's wrong? Great professor, Tian Biao is back and you're not happy, do you have an opinion?" Ma Benzheng came over with an empty wine cup to pour for Tian Lu.

  "Never mind, never mind, brother can't drink, just a little less, it's all right." Tian Jiao got up to help Tian Lu out of the embarrassing situation.

  "It won't work if you don't drink it yourself, finding someone else to drink for you is not acceptable." Ma Benzheng refused to give in.

  "Alright, I'll substitute for you!" Tian Jiao took over the wine cup and drank it all in one gulp.

  "Good, good! Truly a heroic woman!" Ma Benzheng loudly praised.

  Tianran sat aside and thought, Tianjiao this child seems to have a set of social skills in art school, not just professional practice.

  "Now the wine has gone three rounds, and the dishes have gone five courses. I'll come to toast my brothers." Ma Benzhong stood up just as he was about to toast, and coincidentally, the steamed carp was brought up. The fish head naturally faced the main guest's position. He hurriedly said: "Miss, according to our Shanyang City customs, pour wine on the fish head."

  The little girl took the wine bottle to Wu Tianbiao's side, poured a cup of wine and held it up in front of him. She said with her mouth: "A pair of fish heads, great wealth and nobility, please drink this cup."

  Tian Biao said: "We are all brothers of our own family, where did so many rules come from, let's just forget about the fish head wine."

  "That's not okay, the rules can't be broken. This is a good tradition of our Shanyang City for many years, it's wine culture, ah, it's culture! You Wu Tianbiao can break this tradition, these rules?" Ma Benzheng was relentless. "Besides, Miss's face is thin, if you don't give her face, she'll cry soon, who will coax her?"

  Tian Biao had no choice but to drink the first cup. The little girl picked up another cup and said, "Good things come in pairs, please drink this second cup." Tian Biao continued drinking. The little girl said again, "This third cup of wine wishes you good luck, Brother, and a triple promotion."

  "It's fine if good things come in pairs, big brother. I'm not in the officialdom anyway, so I won't need to be promoted three ranks in a row. Let's just forget about this cup, thanks little sister." Tian Biao pushed it away.

  "How can that be, if you don't drink this cup of wine, no one will dare to move their chopsticks below. Miss, if he won't drink it, then hold him and feed it to him." Ma Benchi shouted loudly.

  "Alright, I'll drink. You're really good at making others suffer while you don't feel a thing! Just this one cup, and there can't be any more 'four seasons' or 'six six smooths' afterwards." Tian Biao downed the liquor in one gulp.

  "Alright, now let Tian Biao cut the ribbon." Ma Ben proposed.

  Tian Biao first symbolically picked up a bit of fish and said: "Come on, everyone eat, it's very fresh."

  After everyone had eaten some fish, Ma Benzheng said: "Miss, bring the tall cups, I'll give my brothers a toast." He set up three tall cups in front of him, one full of wine and another about seven-tenths full. Ma Benzheng started by saying: "According to Shanyang City's drinking etiquette, we drink more than we pour." He picked up the full cup and downed it in one gulp without taking a breath. Drinking three liang of white wine in one breath without blinking an eye really requires some skill.

  "Awesome, awesome, super!"

  That horse rushed to pour wine into the empty cup, just in time to catch up with the other cup of wine. "This cup is a ruler, everyone drinks this cup. Let's go counterclockwise, Tianbiao you first drink. Brother wishes you to be reborn from the ashes and soar to great heights! You and I brothers will fight again in the rivers and lakes!"

  "This wine is too much for me, Director Ma."

  "Where is wine? It's clearly a mood! Cheers, bro."

  Tian Biao's capacity for liquor was also quite good, so he downed the wine in one gulp.

  Arriving in front of Tian Jiao, Ma Ben Chi said: "Please, fairy sister, grant me a smile."

  "How can I compete with you old masters, I'll just use a small cup." She picked up her own door cup and took a small sip from the cherry blossom-shaped mouth.

  "Not necessarily, not necessarily. Brother Liu's words are too biased, who says women are inferior to men? Many heroines have made great achievements, and with a big cup in hand, they can finish it all at once. If you don't believe me, please take a look this way, our Tianjiao sister is extraordinary. Aiya aiya aiyo——" Ma Benzheng sang in the tone of Henan Opera, causing everyone to burst into laughter, even the waiter standing in the corner couldn't help but cover his mouth and laugh."

  "Ma Ju, I really can't drink anymore. Why don't you have a little for me?" Tian Jiao pouted.

  "No problem, it's our duty as public security police officers to serve beautiful ladies. You can drink at ease, everything is on me."

  Tian Jiao took a small sip and handed the cup to Ma Benche. Ma Benche said, "Like this, you take another small sip, and I'll clink cups with you, let me, Ma Ge, also get some of that divine energy, spiritual energy." He poured a little wine from the large cup into the small one and said, "Come on, sister, clink cups!" As they clinked cups, both of them insisted on lowering their own cups, so much so that the cups fell under the dinner table. Their heads bumped together, and as Ma Benche bent down, he saw two mounds of white flesh from Tian Jiao's low-cut top, round and plump, trembling like rabbits. This old horse suddenly felt drunk, his vision blurring and his ears ringing. He straightened up and hastily said, "We're all family here, where did all these formalities come from? I've had enough." In his heart, he thought, damn it, what a great time to get this little vixen in my grasp, screw her silly. This babe is really clever and capable, worth whatever price to pay to get on top of her.