Chapter 90: Becoming Brothers
Mengxi and Shangguan drank happily and sang "Swordsman" from their previous life. This heroic song made Shangguan feel heroic and he actually played the guqin in coordination with Mengxi.
After the song was over, Shangguan was still not satisfied, so he turned around and told his servant to bring the incense table. The servant was stunned:
"Tai, Master..."
"Go quickly"
Shangguan saw the servant coming forward to dissuade him and waved his hand to stop him. The servant had no choice but to turn around and go out and tell the waiter to bring the incense table and set it up in the private room. Shangguan pulled Mengxi over and said:
"Brother Tan, we hit it off today. I am willing to burn incense and swear an oath with you to become sworn brothers. What do you think?"
"good!"
Mengxi agreed right away while drunk, which frightened Zhiqiu. How could a woman like the Second Wife become a sworn brother to someone else? He hurried forward to dissuade her:
"Second Young Master..."
"Zhi'er, don't say too much, Brother Shangguan is my best friend in this life."
Mengxi understood what Zhiqiu meant and interrupted her. She was a person from the 21st century and would not stick to such formalities at all, especially since she was drunk.
The two of them came to the incense table together, knelt on the ground, lit three incense sticks, inserted them into the incense burner, bowed three times, and swore:
"Li Mengtan, Shangguan Hong, although we have different surnames, we have become brothers today. We will share happiness and difficulties in the future. We do not want to be born on the same day of the same month of the same year, but we hope to die on the same day of the same month of the same year. The heavens and the earth will bear witness to our hearts. If we betray our loyalty and forget our gratitude, the gods and men will kill us together."
Mengxi added another sentence in his mind: "When there is trouble, Li Mengtan will be in charge, it has nothing to do with Mengxi!"
After they finished their oath, they introduced their ages. Shangguan was the eldest brother and Mengxi was the second younger brother. From then on, they became sworn brothers.
After the ceremony, the incense table was cleared and the two sat down again. They had almost finished drinking. Mengxi thought of her wandering life and felt sad. She was already about 70% drunk. She raised her glass to Shangguan Hong and said:
"If I cannot find a place to stay in this world one day, would you be willing to join me in the joyous life of lakes and rivers, and indulge in the mountains and rivers?"
"Shangguan Hong was confused after hearing this. How could my second brother, who is so talented, say that there is no place for him in this world? Who is he?"
Mengxi raised her eyes and caught a glimpse of the hesitation in Shangguan Hong's eyes. She was startled and sobered up a little. She thought to herself, "Drinking really does mess things up. In my last life, my drinking habit was despised by several bad friends. It seems I haven't made any progress in this life ."
Thinking of this, he laughed at Shangguan:
"Ha, ha, ha... Don't mind me, big brother. I was a little reckless just now. Flowers are half-opened, and wine is the best. I will drink with you. I have had a great time today. Now I will say goodbye. I am not often in Pingyang City. If you have anything to say in the future, you can go to Yichun Hall and ask someone to pass on the message."
After saying that, he turned around and called Zhiqiu: "Zhi'er, Zhi'er..."
After shouting twice, no one came over. I turned around and saw Zhiqiu standing there motionless, staring at the roof with an expression that said, "I don't know you." I found it funny, so I stood up and walked over. I tapped Zhiqiu twice with my fan and said,
"Gone, gone, ha, ha, ha..."
Mengxi supported Zhiqiu and pushed the door open with laughter.
"Second brother..." Shangguan Hong stood up and shouted, but before he could say anything, Mengxi had already walked out the door.
Shangguan Hong was a man after all, and he was really just slightly drunk. Looking at the thin, lonely and cold back, listening to the indulgent laughter going away, he didn't know why, but he always felt that there was a trace of sadness that he couldn't see lingering in those indulgent and arrogant eyes, which made him want to gently stroke it away.
…
Mengxi opened his eyes and felt a splitting headache. He called Zhiqiu:
"Knowing the autumn, knowing the autumn, pour a glass of water"
When I spoke, I found my voice was hoarse, like a broken gong, and I secretly regretted being too indulgent yesterday.
"I never knew that Second Madam could go to Laughing Proudly in the World of Jianghu. Look at what Second Madam did yesterday. Is she really a woman? If Second Master knew about it, I would be skinned alive. If Second Madam does this again in the future, don't let me follow you, and don't say you know me."
Zhiqiu held a bowl of hangover soup and sat by the bed, complaining as she waited for Second Madam to drink it. Listening to Second Madam's broken voice, he felt distressed again and gave her a resentful look:
"Second Madam is too careless. He is just a passerby. How can he casually mention the name of our pharmacy? Who knows what kind of background Master Shangguan has? From what I have observed of Master Shangguan's speech and behavior, he does not seem to be an ordinary person. What if he really gets interested and finds out our background?
The Xiao family is powerful, and squeezing out a small businessman is as easy as stepping on an ant. What's more, for a pharmacy like ours that has no foundation or background at all, if Shangguan knows the Second Master, and the Second Master knows about our pharmacy, he will definitely not tolerate it. Second Madam has spent so much effort, working day and night in the backyard to prepare medicine, and our pharmacy has become what it is today. Don't let it be like the pharmacy in my family, which was ruined by a local thug. If that happens, there will really be no place for Second Madam in Da Qi anymore."
Hearing Zhiqiu talking about the pharmacy, Mengxi slapped her forehead. How could she have forgotten what time it was? Would Young Master Shangguan go to the pharmacy to find her and check her background?
"Zhiqiu, quickly send someone to the pharmacy to make arrangements."
…
As Mengxi expected, Master Shangguan arrived at Yichun Hall early this morning. As the waiter opened the door and prepared to hang the sign, he saw a young man in a white shirt standing outside the door, looking at the couplet on the door. Two servants stood behind him. When they saw the waiter come out, one of the servants came forward, bowed and said:
"Little brother, my son is here today to pay a visit to the young manager of Yichun Hall. Please let him know."
"Please wait a moment, sir. I will reply right away."
After a while, Li Du hurriedly followed the waiter out. He didn't recognize him and was puzzled. He stepped forward, bowed, and said:
"I am Li Du, the young manager here. May I ask if this gentleman is looking for me?"
"I am Shangguan Hong, and I have come to see my second brother, Li Mengtan. Please let me know."
At this time, the servant behind Shangguan Hong was already showing impatience.
Hearing this, Li Du was stunned. When did the master have a sworn brother? Why had he never heard his sister mention him? He was puzzled, but he did not dare to neglect him. He stepped forward and said:
"This young master doesn't know that Li Mengtan is my master, but he has been traveling all year round and is not in the hall at the moment. If you have anything to say, please come in and talk first."
Shangguan Hong frowned slightly after hearing this and looked at Li Du. He had just had a drink with his second brother yesterday, so why wasn't he here today? But seeing that Li Du looked sincere, he did not seem like a liar or a sophistry man. He changed his mind and thought that maybe his second brother lived in the mansion and had a drink yesterday, so he might not wake up yet. Since he was here, he might as well go to the pharmacy and wait for him first. So he nodded to Li Du, motioned him to come in, and then walked into Yichun Hall.
Li Du led the three people in, offered them a seat, and asked the waiter to serve tea. Then he sat aside with them. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Shangguan Hong say:
"Please send someone to your house to inform my second brother that Shangguan Hong is here to visit and is waiting for me at Yichun Hall."
Li Du was stunned. It was not easy for the master to leave Xiao Mansion. He waited here! It would be better to wait until next year. He said hurriedly:
"You may not know that my master has been traveling around since he was young and rarely returns to Pingyang. If you want to see him, please come back another day."
We went boating together yesterday, why are you not in Pingyang today? It must be that the young shopkeeper didn't want to pass on the message and deliberately delayed it. Thinking of this, Master Shangguan's face darkened. Just as he was about to speak, he heard a commotion outside. Li Du was about to order someone to go out and take a look when a young man walked in quickly.
"What's going on outside?" Li Du asked.
"Replying to the young shopkeeper, just now the waiter of Yuelai Inn came to tell me that my young master stayed at Yuelai Inn last night and left Pingyang early this morning. The young master left a message saying that he had to leave in a hurry because of an urgent matter and had no time to come to the pharmacy. He specially asked the waiter to pass on a message to tell the young shopkeeper that the master made a sworn brother with a different surname at Luding Mountain yesterday. His surname is Shangguan and his single name is Yihong. If Master Shangguan comes to visit, the young shopkeeper must treat him as a host and must not neglect him."
"Did your master tell you where he went?"
When Shangguan Hong heard this, he asked the waiter without waiting for Li Du to speak.
"My Lord, my master didn't say where he went."
Shangguan Hong turned his head to look at Li Du, and Li Du quickly said, "My master has loved traveling since he was young, and his whereabouts are always uncertain. Whenever he has something to do, he always sends someone to send a message back. I really don't know where he has gone."
