Chapter 70: The Wine of Grapes and the Night-Glowing Cup

  Ya Niang also got up and went over, using a wine ladle to pour some wine. She tasted it in the same way as Xiao Jia Ding, and was also shocked, shaking her head and saying she didn't know what it was.

  Tang Lin burst out laughing and said, "This is a fine wine from the palace, called 'Grape Wine', made from something called grapes that were introduced from the Western Regions. This thing, not many people have! It was during the current Emperor's ascension to the throne..."

  Just as Tang Lin was about to continue, his voice stopped abruptly, and his expression turned somewhat gloomy. He waved his hand and said, "Forget it, let's not talk about it anymore. Let's drink! Today, if we can't finish this jar of grape wine, no one is allowed to leave!"

  Yan Niang and Chi Mei had only heard of such a wine, but had never tasted it before. They couldn't believe their luck today and were both visibly excited on their faces.

  This wine is a treasure for the Tang people, but for Xiao Jiading, who has never drunk modern wine, it's nothing special and even thinks that high-end red wine in modern society is better. The main thing is that Xiao Jiading only likes to drink white wine and doesn't like to drink red wine or beer. So he actually isn't very interested, but he knows this is a treasure in the Tang Dynasty and must be of great importance to Tang Lin, so he has to pretend to be very interested to fit in.

  Then Xiao Jiading took another sip and loudly applauded, exclaiming: "Ah! This wine should only exist in heaven, how many times can it be savored on earth!"

  This poem is adapted from Du Fu's "Giving to Huaying", only changing the tune to wine. This is also a famous phrase that has been passed down for thousands of years, and immediately caused Tang Lin and two women to shout in unison.

  "Indeed, you are a talented poet who can compose verses in seven steps and speak poetry of the highest quality. If your name doesn't become famous throughout the Tang Dynasty, it would be unjust!"

  Chi Mei listened to him praising Xiao Jia Ding, and it was as if he were praising her own husband, with a proud and joyful expression on her face. She pulled Xiao Jia Ding back to sit down, and with her slender white hand, she picked up a small piece of crystal dragon phoenix cake and sent it to his mouth: "Don't drink so much wine on an empty stomach, eat something first!"

  Everything was brought to the mouth, Xiao Jiading had no choice but to bite down, and stole a glance at Ya Niang, seeing her turning her head to gaze out the window at the moonlight, her expression somewhat dull. He hastily said to Chi Mei: "I'll eat myself, you also eat... Old Big Brother, shall we start drinking?"

  At this shout of " Ganbei ", Tang Lin's heroic spirit was suddenly summoned up, and he shouted loudly: "Pour the wine!"

  Several flower girls who were waiting on the side quickly came up to pour wine. Xiao Jia Ding took a look at the wine cup, which was a silver cup with carved floral patterns, and asked the lead flower girl: "Do you have crystal cups on your painting boat?"

  The Tang Dynasty did not yet have transparent glass, but there was already a semi-transparent glass cup, which compared to silver cups, the preciousness is naturally slightly inferior.

  The flower girl nodded and said: "There is!"

  There is a poem in Tang poetry that says "葡萄美酒夜光杯", but the night light cup only exists in legend and does not exist in reality. In modern society, when drinking red wine, people generally use high-footed glass cups with an open mouth, mainly to appreciate the color of the red wine. If ceramic cups are used, it loses some of the romance. During the Tang Dynasty, there were no transparent glass cups, so they could only be replaced with crystal cups.

  Xiao Jiading turned his head to look at Tang Lin and said, "Boss, I think this grape wine is as beautiful as a rose. If we pour it into this thick silver cup, the beauty of its color will be invisible. Why not use a crystal glass instead? Can't we drink the wine while appreciating its charming color?"

  Tang Lin applauded and praised: "Your proposal is excellent! Let's exchange it for a crystal glass!"

  Soon, the crystal cup was brought over, filled with a cup and presented to Tang Lin's face. He picked it up and looked at it, through the light green crystal, the original bright red color deepened, becoming a dark red color, as if it were about to solidify into fresh blood. This color suddenly stirred up the heroic spirit within him, and he raised his cup and drank it all in one gulp.

  He then looked at the remaining deep red wine in the crystal cup and couldn't help but laugh loudly, saying: "Refreshing! It's really refreshing! This method of yours is great, brother! I'll have to tell His Majesty about it too, and use a crystal cup to drink this...

  He had just said that, and his words stopped again. He was disheartened in his heart. This time he was unexpectedly demoted to Yizhou, and he didn't know if he would have the chance to see the emperor again or have the opportunity to tell the emperor.

  Ya Niang saw his gloomy expression and immediately changed the subject, saying: "Is it good to drink this grape wine with a crystal glass? I want to drink too! Let's change everyone's glasses to crystal!"

  The wine in the crystal cup had become a deeply red, blooming rose in Ya Niang and Chi Mei's eyes! Ya Niang was extremely delighted, gazing at Tang Lin: "Husband, with such fine wine, if there were no poetry, wouldn't it be wasted? Why not recite some poems to add to the excitement?"

  "This proposal is great! Come on! Let's drink three big cups first, that's the way to do it!" After saying this, he drank three cups in a row. The others followed suit and also drank.

  Tang Lin said: "Dà Láng, how about you sing a song for everyone?"

  Tang Lin looked at Xiao Jia Ding. Xiao Jia Ding knew that reciting poetry was a matter of etiquette, just like who gives the toast first when drinking at a banquet. With such high-level leaders present, if he were to take the lead himself, it would be very impolite. He smiled and said: "Boss, you go first. We'll listen with reverence."

  Tang Lin smiled and said, "I'm a person who likes poetry, but I'm not good at it. I don't have your talent for composing poems in seven steps, little brother. Your casual praise of fine wine is already a great poem - 'This wine should only exist in heaven, rarely heard of in the mortal world!' Well said! Indeed, if we drink this, we'll be carefree immortals! Come on, you poetic genius, compose another poem about this heavenly fine wine... or rather, you come up with one!"

  Xiao Jiading heard the title of "Poetry Immortal" and thought it was a name that only Li Taibai, the great poet from ancient times, could bear. Even if he had a thick face, he wouldn't dare to take on this title. He hastily said: "I'm not worthy of being called Poetry Immortal, I'd rather be known as Wine Bug, being a Wine Bug is more practical than being a Poetry Immortal."

  Everyone burst out laughing.

  Yan Niang also laughed so hard that her flowers shook, covering her mouth and looking at Xiao Jia Ding, her eyes rolling with amusement, saying: "I just proposed to recite poetry, it was aimed at you, husband... Ah, you two are both husbands, easy to confuse, I'd better call you Xiao Lang instead?"

  The term "Lang" was just a general term for males in the Tang Dynasty, and did not have the ambiguous meaning it had in later generations. So when they said it, there was nothing unusual about it. However, when heard by Xiao Jia Ding's ears, it carried a peach-colored tone, making him think of Ya Niang's delicate lips and slender figure. But now that Tang Lin is here, he seems to have an extraordinary relationship with Ya Niang, so he can't reveal his intentions towards her. He hastily nodded and said: "Alright."

  Ya Niang smiled and said: "Xiao Lang, don't be modest, let me appreciate your poetic talent of composing a poem in seven steps again."

  Xiao Jiading listened to her sincere words, and didn't seem like he was being polite, so he stopped declining. He stood up with a cup of beautiful grape wine, walked into the arena, looked at the wine in his cup, and said: "The boss asked me to use this grape wine as the topic. I've been admiring this beautiful wine just now, looking at it, and suddenly thought of the border warriors who dyed the battlefield with their blood. How about I recite a poem for the border generals?"

  Xiao Jia Ding's words hit Tang Lin's sweet spot, and he had just experienced the same feeling, so he applauded and cheered.

  Xiao Jiading slowly paced back and forth, reciting the seven-character poem of Tang Dynasty border poet Wang Han's "Grape Wine":

  Grape wine night light cup

  Wishing to drink, hurry on horseback with pipa music.

  Drunk and sleeping on the battlefield, don't laugh at me

  How many people have returned from battles since ancient times?

  Xiao Jiading finished reciting the poem, and Tang Lin's eyes lit up. "What a great poem! I didn't expect you to be able to compose such a good border town poem, even those poets who have truly fought on the battlefield can't compose a poem as good as yours!"

  Xiao Jiading's face was very thick, although it was a plagiarized poem, he didn't have the slightest feeling of embarrassment, and only humbly said two sentences before downing a cup of wine.

  Ya Niang said: "Such a good poem, if we don't drink wine, how can we get through it? Everyone drinks a cup together!"

  The three of them also followed and drank up the wine.

  After the flower girl poured the wine, Ya Niang held it and said: "Good wine, you say it's blood, drinking it is a bit scary! No, you have to recite another poem!"

  Xiao Jiading and Tang Lin burst out laughing.

  Chi Mei also showed affection and said to Xiao Jia Ding: "Yes, I don't dare drink what you said either. You have to compose a poem for us as punishment!"

  Xiao Jiading's eyes rolled, and he thought of a long poem by Li Shangyin, which had a few sentences that were quite suitable for plagiarism. He said, "Well! Then I'll make another offering."

  He stood up and walked a few steps, turned his head to look at Chi Mei, and slowly recited:

  Above is the bright moon shining, below is the spring breeze blowing.

  There is a beauty, with skin as rosy as a rose.

  The song enters the blue clouds, and what is painful has no good medium.

  The young suffer for a short time, but it is hard to pity Gu Mu Liang.

  A pearl is cast into a jade cup, and a gemstone is inserted into a coral cheek.

  Rest now for a little while and listen to my sad poem.

  Who wrote this ancient poem, it's just a waste of sorrow for Lao Da.

  Yan smiled and looked at Chi Mei, saying: "Did you hear that? Xiao Lang is confessing to you. He wants to marry you through a matchmaker!"

  Crazy Plum blushed and smiled, glanced at him and said: "I don't have that good fortune. As long as I can be by Xiao Lang's side from time to time, listening to him recite poetry and compose essays, even if I'm just a maid, I'll be content."

  Xiao Jia Ding's poem sparked their interest, and under the influence of wine, they followed suit, reciting poetry and commenting on the works of past poets, chatting and laughing together, enjoying themselves immensely.

  Unconsciously, it was already late at night. Several of them had already gotten drunk. Tang Lin said to Xiao Jia Ding: "Drinking too much wine makes my head dizzy, let's go to the bow to get some fresh air. —— Ya Niang, it's cold and late at night, you and Chi Mei don't have to go out, lest you catch a chill!"

  Ya Niang and Chi Mei knew they had something to discuss, so they cleverly agreed.

  Xiao Jiading followed Tang Lin out to the bow of the boat, where they were alone. The breeze was gentle and carried a hint of coolness, but under the influence of wine, it didn't feel that way.

  Tang Lin said: "Big brother, how's it going being a clerk in the county government?"

  "Everything is fine!" Xiao Jiading hurriedly clasped his fists and said, "Right, I haven't thanked you yet for your promotion, Boss."

  "Everyone has their own strengths, you have this ability, so I recommend it."

  "I will definitely work hard and not let down the elder's cultivation."

  "Uh-huh."