Girl, There's Something Wrong With You - Chapter 11

In the “Jin Code. Miscellaneous Laws,” there are three prohibitions regarding alcohol, namely “brewing prohibition,” “selling prohibition,” and “drinking prohibition.”

Brewing prohibition means private brewing is forbidden; selling prohibition means private selling of alcohol is forbidden; and drinking prohibition means binge drinking is forbidden among the populace.

Of course, our Jin dynasty has its own unique circumstances, hence the saying, “Legislation is strict, but enforcement is lenient.” This way, the authorities have good records for their performance, while the common people are not excessively constrained by rigid rules. In judicial practice, these three prohibitions are interpreted in new ways:

Private brewing is illegal, so just don’t get caught.

Civilians are not allowed to sell alcohol, but they can buy a license from the Sima family, the imperial merchants. This transforms them into “authorized sellers,” legally selling alcohol on behalf of the imperial enterprises.

It’s unrealistic to prohibit everyone from drinking, so adults are allowed to drink moderately, which is not considered binge drinking. As for what “moderately” means, that’s left to the discretion of local judicial departments.

However, minors are indeed forbidden to drink, which ties into the principle of “respecting the elderly and loving the young.”

Those over seventy and under sixteen are protected groups. If a minor drinks and suffers health problems, their parents or guardians will be held accountable according to the law.

Additionally, without the backing of power, noble families often stand above most laws, which leads to the third issue.

Upon being asked by Cheng Jinyang, Cui Xiaoniang felt both amused and exasperated, and she didn’t shed any more tears.

She found it amusing because, as a member of the prestigious Qinghe Cui family, was she supposed to fear some prohibition on alcohol? She could drink openly in the streets, at the palace gates, even in front of Yu Yuangui. Who could arrest her on these grounds?

This thought lingered briefly before being replaced by a surge of anger.

‘I came of age three months ago! You don’t even remember my birthday!’ she thought, gritting her teeth.

Seeing Cui Jinqi grinding her teeth furiously, Cheng Jinyang sighed and poured himself another drink:

“Besides, you should drink less. Your mental state is unstable…”

“Who are you calling crazy?!” Cui Jinqi angrily slammed the table.

“I didn’t mean crazy!” Cheng Jinyang was exasperated too. “And if we get drunk here, it won’t be good!”

Cui Jinqi suddenly calmed down upon hearing this and then smiled again:

“What are you afraid of? There are no bridges to this island, and Qingwan is guarding outside. Whatever happens on the island, no one outside will know.”

With a hint of intoxication (even though she seemed to have only had one drink), she lazily rested her chin on her left hand and played with the wine glass with her right. Her smiling face revealed a delicate dimple, emitting an unprecedented, subtle allure that momentarily left Cheng Jinyang entranced.

Suddenly, a strange sensation came from his leg. Cui Xiaoniang had, at some point, removed her shoes, and her stocking-clad foot was sneaking up his leg under the cover of the table like a playful, slippery snake.

A voice seemed to echo in his ear again, like a devil’s seductive whisper:

Whatever happens on the island, no one outside will know…

However, if he broke free from the current enchanting thoughts for a moment, he would realize that Cui Xiaoniang’s scheme couldn’t possibly end there. If he succumbed to the moment’s passion and took her, he would definitely end up being forced into marriage, thoroughly controlled by her and unable to regain his footing for years.

In today’s society, although the separation of men and women wasn’t as strictly enforced as in the later Ming and Qing dynasties, chastity was still highly valued. Taking Cui Xiaoniang would inevitably lead to becoming her live-in son-in-law, a scenario Cheng Jinyang desperately wanted to avoid.

Moreover, her family would never accept it…

So Cheng Jinyang steeled himself, grabbed Cui Xiaoniang’s mischievous foot that had reached his knee with his right hand, and formed a sword gesture with the index and middle fingers of his left hand, using a technique known as the “Whirlwind Venomous Dragon Drill” to tickle her foot.

“Aha! Hahaha! Let go! Stop tickling!” As the sensitive spot on her sole was seized, Cui Jinqi immediately let out a series of unbearable cries and instinctively struggled.

But Cheng Jinyang held her foot firmly, ignoring the vigorous kicks from her other leg, and methodically applied the seventy-two different tickling techniques to her sole. Soon, Cui Jinqi collapsed by the wine stove, limp like a freshly neutered cat.

After catching her breath, she propped herself up tearfully, glaring at Cheng Jinyang with both anger and shame:

“Are you even human?!”

“What’s the matter?” Cheng Jinyang asked, feigning confusion, “I just gave you a foot massage. How does it feel?”

“Ouch.” Cui Jinqi tried to put on her shoes, but the sensitive skin on her soles, rubbed raw, sent a strange tingling sensation through her as the shoe’s heel scraped against it. She could only lift her leg and gently massage her arch, while glaring at Cheng Jinyang with eyes full of frustrated tears.

Stare!

Ignoring her murderous gaze, Cheng Jinyang poured himself a drink and sipped it calmly.

Not bad, it should be yellow wine. The warm sensation sliding down his throat was pleasant, not too harsh—perfect for a winter’s day.

“Cheng Jinyang.” Cui Jinqi bit her lower lip and said earnestly, “I like you.”

“Don’t joke about such things.” Cheng Jinyang poured himself another glass and said leisurely, “You’re just a child. Do you even know what it means to like someone? Are you saying this just because you had a fight with Yuanzhi?”

“What child? I turned 18 last September.” Cui Jinqi gritted her teeth.

“Keep making up stories.” Cheng Jinyang sighed, “There’s no one here, so you can say whatever you want, but I won’t fall for it.”

“Then I’ll shout it for everyone outside to hear.” Cui Jinqi stubbornly stood up.

“Hey! Don’t escalate things!” Cheng Jinyang quickly stood up and grabbed her arm, “If your family believes you and wants me to marry in, I absolutely won’t agree!”

“Hmph!” Even though she was mentally prepared, hearing his firm refusal to marry into her family left a sudden emptiness in Cui Xiaoniang’s heart, a deep, painful disappointment. She forced herself to sound tough, “Why not? Do you know how many people would accept even more outrageous conditions just to marry a girl from the Five Great Families? Besides, it’s not like you’d have to be a live-in son-in-law forever…”

She rambled on, clearly indignant that he didn’t appreciate her offer. Cheng Jinyang smiled, poured her a drink as well, and said soothingly:

“Jinqi, I appreciate your feelings. But the disparity between our families is too great. Even if you want me to marry in, would your family agree?”

Of course they wouldn’t!

During the visit earlier, the weight of the Cheng family in her father’s eyes was clear to Cheng Jinyang.

“That’s none of your concern.” Cui Xiaoniang huffed, “I’ll handle my family. Just agree to me today!”

“Discussing this now would spoil the mood.” Unable to argue, Cheng Jinyang tried to change the topic, “Jinqi, look at this vast landscape, the snow-covered beauty, isn’t it wonderful?”

“Don’t change the subject!” Cui Jinqi wouldn’t fall for it, downing her drink in one gulp. Suddenly, she smiled and said, “Jinyang, this island in the middle of the lake is surrounded by water and there are no boats. If you don’t agree to me today, you won’t be able to leave!”

“Oh, really?” Cheng Jinyang, unfazed, finished his drink and stood up.

Then he gracefully left, leaving only an echoing remark:

“Did you forget I can fly…”

Cui Jinqi sat there heartbroken, stunned for a moment, and then started pouring drink after drink, drowning her sorrows.

“Hey.” She didn’t know how many drinks she had when she finally heard his voice behind her, “Did you really think I would just leave like that?”

In response, she threw herself into his arms.