When Are You Going To Marry Me?
Translator: Choufleur
In the blink of an eye, he had brought up a pot of quality tea and two plates of pastries, and was inviting Tang Si to sit down at the little balcony where Mo Ruo often drank his wine. "Shimu, you've just journeyed into the capital and must be tired. Please have a drink of tea and some snacks. Feel free to let me know if you need anything else."
"I want a pot of wine!"
"Wine?" The little apprentice boggled for a moment.
Tang Si tilted her head to the side and looked at him, frowning, "Why, do you not have any?"
"Of course there is!" the apprentice stammered, "but Shimu, why do you like drinking as much as shifu does?"
"Who on earth doesn't drink wine?" She raised her chin, "In our Houliao, stranger are those people who don't drink wine! You people of the Central Plains just love to have these rules and customs; something about only men can drink and not women. That’s plain discrimination!"
The little apprentice scratched his head, thinking that what she said seemed rather reasonable. He swallowed and cocked an arm on his hip. "Alright, I'll go get some wine for Shimu right now. Please wait a moment."
"Good!"
The apprentice scampered downstairs and went to the backyard to retrieve a pot of aged wine that Mo Ruo had kept in his collection, then hid it behind his back to secretly bring it upstairs. As he passed it to her, he reminded, "Shimu, Shifu had kept this wine away for a long time and said that it was of an excellent vintage. If you drink it, you must not betray me and must say that you took it yourself instead."
That's nothing! Tang Si took the bottle and patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, Shimu never breaks her word."
"That's good then."
"Alright, run along now. I'll tell you if I need anything."
"But..."
"But what?"
The apprentice looked around worriedly. "These herbs..."