Re-embroidering life

Chapter 161 Drunk

Tan Meixue's eyes drifted towards Shui Qinghua vaguely, but Shui Qinghua pretended not to know and drank tea quietly.

"Oh, it's my fault. I was too sick to get up a few days ago, and my third brother and his wife didn't come out to greet me when they came back. I hope my third brother and his wife don't blame my sister-in-law?" Tan Meixue said it nicely without a trace of apology on her face.

"That's not true, sister-in-law. You should take good care of yourself when you are sick. I think it's not a good idea to let you worry about the Dragon Boat Festival banquet. My second sister-in-law and I can take care of it." Shui Qinghua said indifferently.

Tan Meixue was stunned, her eyes suddenly became alert, and her smile looked forced: "That's not necessary, I'm fine now. Third brother and sister-in-law are tired from the journey, so it's better for them to rest."

Shui Qinghua smiled slightly.

On the Dragon Boat Festival, Ji’s residence held a flower-viewing banquet.

In the courtyard, various flowers such as peony, hibiscus and hollyhock were in full bloom, and the fragrance of flowers filled the air. The guests were dressed in their best clothes, talking and laughing, and walking among the flowers.

Ji Zimo was chatting with the male guests in the front yard, reciting poems and painting, full of energy and vigor, while Shui Qinghua was chatting softly with the women of the Shui family in the back yard, gossiping about family matters.

Today, Aunt Li, her younger sister-in-law Xu, Xiuhua and Yuhua all came. Aunt Li hadn't seen her second daughter for several years, so she punched her and shed a few tears. Looking at Shui Qinghua, she couldn't help but think of her other daughter: "Qinghua, why hasn't Minghua come back yet? Is she okay outside?"

Shui Qinghua hurriedly comforted her mother: "Everything is fine with my elder sister. She is doing well in the capital. Don't worry."

Aunt Li sighed: "What's good about it? I'm alone. What will I do when I get old?"

The daughters were silent. Seeing Aunt Li looking at her belly, Shui Qinghua was startled and quickly winked at her sisters. Sister-in-law Xu was the most obedient and quickly took her mother-in-law's arm and said, "Mother, you haven't seen Rui'er and Wei'er yet, let's go find them."

Shui Qinghua heaved a sigh of relief and chatted with her sisters without worries. Yuhua also gave her an extremely delicate Dragon Boat Festival sachet, and Shui Qinghua put it on with a smile.

The sun was setting and the banquet was drawing to a close. A maid came to the backyard in a panic and said loudly to Shui Qinghua, "Third Madam, Third Master, he is drunk."

Hearing this, the female guests all turned their eyes over here.

Shui Qinghua frowned slightly and asked calmly: "Where is he? Is it serious?"

The maid hesitated for a long while before saying, "The Third Master is in Yunshui Pavilion."

Shui Qinghua's heart was filled with doubts. Yunshui Pavilion was near the Chuihua Gate and quite far away from the reception hall. Why would Ji Zimo go there alone?

When Tan Meixue heard the maid's report, she hurried over and said, "Is the third brother feeling unwell? Let's go see him!" She grabbed Shui Qinghua and said anxiously, "Don't be afraid, your sister-in-law will go with you!"

Shui Qinghua glanced at her, coldly brushed her hand away, and said lightly: "He is just drunk, it's no big deal, just let him rest for a while."

Tan Meixue was stunned for a moment, then she loudly accused: "Third brother's wife, you are wrong. Everyone says that you two are in love, so why are you so indifferent to my third brother?"

Shui Qinghua didn't even look at her, and went to accompany the women of the Shui family, leaving Tan Meixue standing there, at a loss. If Shui Qinghua didn't go, what reason did she have as a sister-in-law to go and see her drunken brother-in-law?

In Yunshui Pavilion, Ji Zimo has fallen into a nightmare.

In the front hall, after drinking a glass of wine, he felt dizzy and his vision became blurry. In a trance, a servant came to support him, walked a long way, and then placed him on a soft bed.

His body felt heavy as if bound by invisible chains, but his consciousness still retained a trace of clarity. It was quiet all around, with only the rustling of leaves in the breeze. Ji Zimo's nostrils twitched slightly, and suddenly, a faint fragrance drifted into his nose.

"Qinghua, don't be angry with me. I accidentally drank too much. I'll be fine in a while." Ji Zimo muttered, with an apologetic and dependent tone in his voice. As the fragrance got closer and closer, he felt an inexplicable sense of alertness in his heart. This fragrance was fresh and elegant, but it was definitely not the smell of his wife.

Ji Zimo felt a chill in his heart. He vaguely thought of the Qionglin Garden in the capital and realized that he might have fallen into a trap. He wanted to move, but his body was out of control and he couldn't even open his eyes.

At this moment, footsteps and a woman's voice were heard outside, getting closer and closer. Ji Zimo's heart was in his throat. He tried hard to concentrate, but he felt dizzy. He knew that he had to wake up as soon as possible, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous.

Outside the Yunshui Pavilion, spring was in the air, and Tan Meixue was approaching with a group of female relatives, smiling and talking.

"Although this place is a bit remote, there is a peony garden nearby. It is the flowering season now and is worth a visit. Ladies, please move over." Tan Meixue's voice was gentle and kind.

Passing by Yunshui Pavilion, Tan Meixue said again: "We are a little tired after walking for so long. Why don't you go in and take a rest? I'll ask the maid to bring some tea." The women said yes. They looked at Yunshui Pavilion curiously. As the name suggests, it is a pavilion surrounded by water on three sides. It is built in a small and exquisite way. There are gauze curtains hanging in front of the windows. When the wind blows from the lake, the gauze curtains also dance.

The ladies were about to go in when they saw a tall and handsome man coming out from behind the courtyard gate and blocking their way. His eyes were cold and his tone was firm: "Someone is resting inside. It's not convenient to enter. Ladies, please go in."

"Mr. Tang, why are you here?" Tan Meixue was surprised and confused. She looked at the man who suddenly appeared in front of her, and felt uneasy in her heart.

Tang Hao stared at Tan Meixue, his tone unquestionable: "Brother Zimo has drunk too much, I am watching over him, Madam, please step aside."

Tan Meixue left with the female relatives in embarrassment. Everyone had a puzzled look on their faces, and several of the female relatives began to whisper to each other.

On the other side, Shui Qinghua sent her parents away, leaving only Yuhua by her side. Just as he was feeling uneasy, Tang Hao carried Ji Zimo into the house.

"Husband!" Shui Qinghua rushed over. Ji Zimo did not look well. His face was flushed and beads of sweat were oozing from his forehead and nose.

"Call the doctor!" Shui Qinghua ordered the maid. After thinking about it, she felt uneasy about the doctor in the mansion, so she specially arranged for someone to go outside to invite one.

"Tang Hao, what's going on?" Shui Qinghua asked anxiously.

Tang Hao stammered a few times, as if he was having trouble speaking. "When I went there, Brother Zimo was already like this, so I carried him back."

Shui Qinghua looked at him suspiciously: "Did anything unusual happen, or did any unusual people appear?"

Tang Hao lowered his head and didn't look at Shui Qinghua: "No."

Shui Qinghua glanced at him and didn't ask any more questions. "Tang Hao, thank you very much for today. I'm here, you all can go back."

Tang Hao still kept his head down, pulled Yuhua over, and the two said goodbye and left together.

After a while, the doctor came. He felt Shui Qinghua's pulse for a long time and asked, "How much alcohol can Master Ji San usually drink?"

"He hardly drinks." Shui Qinghua replied.

"That's right. He drank too much liquor, and his body couldn't bear it, so he fainted for a while." As he said this, he lifted up Ji Zimo's sleeves. His arms were already red from the alcohol, and there were small red pimples all over them.

"This situation is very dangerous, and in serious cases it can even be life-threatening. Remember not to let him drink alcohol in the future." Doctor Cai gave numerous instructions and prescribed a strong alcohol-detoxifying medicine before leaving.

Shui Qinghua gave Ji Zimo the medicine and then heaved a sigh of relief. She knew her husband well. He was very cautious and rarely drank alcohol. How could he be so careless today and drink too much liquor?