Drunk people are the most shameless; even if they sleep like a dead pig, there’s no need to worry about not being able to get home.
Zhuo Feng and Xiao Xian managed to get Feng Xing back home, and the usually short four-story staircase felt as difficult as scaling mountains and rivers tonight. Dumping Feng Xing into bed, Zhuo Feng collapsed onto the sofa.
Xiao Xian arranged the Daffodil, then went to the kitchen to make a cup of tea. Seeing the water, Zhuo Feng reached out eagerly, only to have Xiao Xian slap her hand away, "Auntie, this is hangover medicine, not for you to drink." What Xiao Xian had brewed in the cup was hangover medicine she had incidentally brought from Zeng Xuerou’s place a few days ago, initially planning to research how to improve its taste, but now it came in handy. Feng Xing had to work tomorrow, and drinking a cup would guarantee he’d be full of energy.
Zhuo Feng felt a wave of embarrassment, owning cold and gastrointestinal medicines at home but missing hangover medicine. Generally, public service departments had to endure a few annoying dining and drinking events, but Feng Xing worked in a Clean Water government office as a minor clerk, and was spared those troubles. Today’s drunken episode was a first in the three years that Zhuo Feng and Feng Xing had been married.
"What hangover medicine? It actually smells quite nice, more like a floral tea," Zhuo Feng muttered. Something felt off about her today, too. Reflecting on the events of the day, it seemed like a dramatic turnaround. When she visited the funeral home and saw Bai Juyi’s face, cosmetically altered, and the urn of ashes that came out in the end, Zhuo Feng really had mixed feelings.
Then there was the matter of the will, she and Xiao Xian had become Bai Juyi’s disciples by some strange twist of fate, even inheriting over a dozen acres of land.
Speaking of that dozen or so acres, Zhuo Feng’s spirit rose, "Xiao Xian, come over here. Your uncle-in-law is drunk, and I don’t have anyone to discuss this with. Do you think we should take that land?"
The whole matter sounded so unusual. In the late 1990s, rural land wasn’t valuable, but city folk coveted it for sure. Over twenty acres weren’t something to be casually given away.
"Auntie, what do you think? If we don’t take that land, would Mr. Bai rest in peace knowing that? He might be unhappy," Xiao Xian said, glancing at the pot of Daffodil. The plum tree that Mei Xiang planted in the farm had also been lonely for over thirty years.
"Well, you make a good point, let me think about it some more. Right, what were you whispering about with Mao Yi today? You aren’t dating him, are you? I’m telling you, at your age you shouldn’t be dating, you need to focus on your studies. Once you’re in college, no, after you graduate, whoever you want to date is fine. Actually, after you graduate, as long as you find a nice guy, however you date is okay." Zhuo Feng said earnestly. Mao Yi looked okay enough but seemed too old, and he didn’t appear to be very considerate, which was very important in a man.
Xiao Xian rolled her eyes, her aunt really had a wild imagination. She briefly described the street basketball matter, and Zhuo Feng let it drop.
While they were talking, the phone at home rang as if urging life itself, and Zhuo Feng picked it up after a few questions, "Xiao Xian, it’s someone named Zeng Xuerou."
Taking the call, Xiao Xian learned it was indeed Zeng Xuerou on the line, who had already called several times today. Unfortunately, Xiao Xian was out and missed the calls.
After hearing about the day’s events from Xiao Xian, Zeng Xuerou also expressed her sentiments before getting to the point, "I’m calling to let you know that tomorrow afternoon, we shall go to a few research institutes in the city to see if we can find a way to convert the hangover medicine into a formula for Western medicine." Zeng Xuerou was deeply committed to the pharmaceutical factory endeavor, and in these days she had consulted several experts in traditional Chinese medicine, confirming that Xiao Xian’s hangover medicine had no serious side effects before proceeding to reformulate it.
Generally speaking, traditional Chinese medicine needed to be decocted, but for those who often drink alcohol, carrying decocted medicine is impractical. The only way is to preserve the ingredients of traditional medicine and then convert them into a convenient form of Western capsules or powders for carrying. As for refining the ingredients, Zeng Xuerou could only seek help from specialists in that area.
"Okay, tomorrow afternoon, let’s meet at the Balala Milk Tea Workshop outside the school gate," traffic control in Beijing was much stricter now due to the approaching New Year’s, and Zeng Xuerou learned her lesson, not daring to drive carelessly. Balala was located at the entrance to Sacred Heart Middle School.