Super System in the Early Tang Dynasty

Chapter 221 Tea and Wine

The gray ugly horse gulped down the wine like a whale swallowing its prey, and in no time, a large jar of wine was empty.

"Hiccup~"

Ugly Horse seemed to disregard the feelings of those around it, and without any politeness let out a burp, raised its head and neighed, like a sumptuous man who had eaten and drunk his fill shouting "Good!"

Li Shun touched the empty wine jar, and still couldn't believe it, he stuck his head to the mouth of the jar and sniffed it, his face full of regret.

The burly men around looked at the ugly horse, which was well-fed and neighing, and couldn't help but feel envious of this 'beast.' They cried out in their hearts: Why am I a human and not a horse?! They wished they could take its place!

Li Shun tossed aside the large wine jar and waved to the servant beside him. The servant walked over to the ugly horse.

Ugly Horse seemed to know that it was too hateful, or perhaps it was because it was indebted to those who had eaten its food or taken its money. In any case, it obediently followed the servant behind it and headed for the side door.

Regardless of how well the horse lived in the Li residence, Li Shun and his entourage, led by the servants of the Li residence, were already heading towards the Li residence.

Upon entering, a massive stone wall blocked their path. This time, the wall was no longer rough and uneven; instead, it was carved with a scene of 'Golden Carp Playing Among Lotus Flowers.' The unsuspecting visitors, at first glance, felt as if they were amidst a thousand acres of lush lotus blossoms in summer, the joy of the carp swimming perfectly captured in the image! Although Li Shun was a rough and uncouth man, he wasn't like Old Man Luo, who lacked literary taste; he occasionally indulged in a bit of refined pursuits. Seeing this picture, he was utterly astonished!

I wonder who carved this picture of carp and lotus here, and how it is so lifelike. The carp on it seems to be about to leap out, and the lotus leaves stand gracefully in the wind. It is so vivid!

As Li Shun was thinking this, he suddenly noticed that there were several lines of several hundred words on one side of the carp and lotus painting.

Although he couldn't be called a writer, he did recognize a few characters, and upon seeing the text beside him, he immediately looked at it with curiosity—

"Among the flowers of land and water, there are many lovely ones. Tao Yuanming of the Jin Dynasty alone loved chrysanthemums. Since the Tang Dynasty, people have greatly loved peonies, but I alone love the lotus, which rises from the mud unsullied, is washed by clear ripples without being seductive, does not spread or branch, its fragrance grows more pure as it spreads, and stands tall and clean, to be admired from afar but not to be profaned..."

Although Li Shun was not very literate, he read it aloud and began to recite it silently. He didn't know what was so good about it, but he found it extremely smooth and rhythmic. Towards the end, he even read it aloud.

This essay, "On the Love of Lotus," is a masterpiece by Zhou Dunyi of the Song Dynasty. Earlier, he found the stone wall crude and unsightly, and on a whim, he carved it on the wall. The picture of carp and lotus playing next to it was merely an add-on.

The Li residence was rarely visited; few people ever passed through its gates. Those who did see it were mostly servants of the Li family. These servants, even if they knew how excellent the work was, would only circulate it secretly within the Li household, never revealing it to outsiders. Therefore, even such a masterpiece, worthy of being passed down through the ages, remained unappreciated and did not spread beyond its borders for a long time!

Unexpectedly, Li Shunpu was immediately stunned by the picture and text upon entering! Following the servants of the Li household, the further they went inside, the more extraordinary it seemed. The burly men behind him, seeing the magnificent mansion and its imposing grandeur, also showed signs of restraint. How could these rough men, who spent their lives roaming the martial world, have ever witnessed such a magnificent residence?

These burly men, who had initially regarded Li Xingzhi as a reasonably good "spoiled brat" or "rich second generation," must have had mixed feelings upon learning that Li Xingzhi had single-handedly built all these houses.

After decades of struggling in the martial world and enduring hardships in business, he only hoped to live a better life in his old age and lay a foundation for his children and grandchildren. Little did he expect that a mere young man would have such a grand vision!

Not to mention them, even Li Shun couldn't help but feel 'envy, jealousy and hatred' when he held the delicate, smooth white porcelain, as smooth as a beautiful woman's skin, and smelled the faint and distant aroma of tea.

Just as Li Shun sat upright in the living room, holding a delicate white teacup, this rough man pretending to be 'elegant' and enjoying what later generations would call 'petit-bourgeois sentiment', Li Xingzhi had already entered the Li residence.

He entered the reception room and saw Li Shun with a hint of melancholy, holding a teacup and sniffing it, his expression both bright and sorrowful. Li Shun's originally somewhat dark and yellowish face appeared somewhat fair under the bright light and the reflection of the white porcelain, and he suddenly exuded a scholarly air.

Hearing footsteps, Li Shun turned around and saw Li Xingzhi entering.

"Li Dalang, come back! Your Li family is truly remarkable!"

When Li Shun spoke, all his former elegance vanished, and only his rough, unrestrained voice echoed throughout the room. This intense sense of contradiction left Li Xingzhi extremely frustrated!

"Hey! A house is just for people to live in. As long as Uncle can live in it, Uncle will be fine with it!"

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear!"

As Li Shun spoke, he picked up the teapot and then a teacup, filling it to the brim with clear liquid! A boorish man like him wouldn't know anything about filling a bowl seven or eight-tenths full; he believed that the more of something good, the better!

"This tea tastes good, come, come, have a bowl!" He acted like the host.

Li Xingzhi looked at the full bowl of tea, but didn't seem to care. After all, he only drank tea for the atmosphere; apart from knowing more about it, he was essentially no different from Li Shun.

He picked up the teacup, steady and full, the clear water seemingly not leaking, turning into a small stream that flowed into his mouth.

"It's really good tea!"

The tea was still the same tea, but after a long journey, I was quite thirsty. I took a sip and found it tasted even better than usual. It was just a pity that the teacup was too small; it was only enough to sip slowly. I swallowed it whole and it still didn't feel like enough.

Seeing that he was drinking so heartily, Li Shun was pleased and poured him another full bowl.

Li Xingzhi swallowed it in one gulp!

These two, who were originally host and guest, suddenly found themselves in a different position. The uncle and nephew didn't mind; they simply felt more comfortable and at ease.

Seeing how readily Li Xingzhi drank his tea, Li Shun's mouth also felt a little dry. He filled his own bowl and gulped it down. He smacked his lips a few times, savoring the taste, but felt something was missing.

The tea has a light flavor, perfect for sipping, but when eaten heartily, it naturally leaves one feeling empty.

As Li Shun sipped his tea, he inexplicably caught a whiff of wine. Of course, there was no wine in the hall; the smell reminded him of the jar of fine wine that Ma Jing had swallowed earlier.

He smacked his lips a few times, savoring the taste, but his mind was elsewhere, longing for the wine, and he felt a pang of regret. Suddenly, he looked at the young man before him, his eyes lighting up, and asked, "Do you have any good wine here?"

Li Xingzhi was taken aback by Li Shun's words. They were enjoying their tea, so why did the conversation turn to wine? Although surprised, he still replied, "Putting everything else aside, there's plenty of fine wine, enough to fill you up! Uncle, would you prefer something strong, mild, or mellow, or something that burns like fire in your throat?"

Hearing Li Xingzhi's many words, Li Shun was overjoyed and couldn't wait any longer. He said, "It's been quite a while since I've had a good drink on this journey. Go and call my brothers over so we can have a proper meal!" He wasn't unfamiliar with wine; he was simply craving Li Xingzhi's fine wine!

Li Xingzhi glanced at the sun, which was still low in the sky, and rubbed his stomach, feeling rather hungry. He decided to have his servants set out the finest dishes and wine, and summoned Li Shun's fellow travelers for a grand feast. The burly man, who had initially seemed somewhat reserved in this magnificent mansion, relaxed and began to shout and cheer after a few sips of hot wine…

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