Water Margin: Did we kill Zheng Tu today?

That day, Ximen Qing was drinking and making merry with Zheng Tu and Ying Bojue at the Lion Tower. He got completely drunk and was helped back to his room by a servant. He slept until noon the next day.

He leaned against the soft couch in the room, his hand on his forehead, feeling a throbbing pain in his head and a dry mouth.

The maid Chunmei, holding a small celadon bowl, sat by the couch. Seeing that Ximen Qing had sobered up, she helped him up and fed him a spoonful of sobering soup.

This soup is made by simmering kudzu root, dried tangerine peel, and honey. It tastes good and can also help with hangovers.

Ximen Qing took a few sips and felt his throat feel better, his headache lessen, and his mind gradually cleared. His hand then became restless and naturally reached out to gently caress him.

"I was so drunk yesterday, and when I woke up this morning..."

With his eyes closed, Ximen Qing asked casually, "Has anything happened at home?"

He had only asked casually, thinking that business had been going well lately and everything was peaceful inside and out, so what could have happened? If anything did, it would just be some trivial matter.

"Big Daddy..."

Chunmei's body went limp, her face flushed, and her voice trembled slightly: "Replying to... Uncle, there really is something. Your herbal medicine shop on South Street was vandalized yesterday by that Zhang Laizi and his men."

"What?!"

Upon hearing this, Ximen Qing suddenly opened his eyes and unconsciously tightened his grip!

Instantly, he sobered up and sat bolt upright: "Zhang Laizi? That scoundrel has the guts to mess with my shop?!"

Chunmei let out a soft cry, but dared not break free.

Ximen Qing's mind raced with thoughts:

Although the herbal medicine shop on South Street wasn't the largest, it still made a fortune every day. More importantly, who in Qinghe County didn't know that it was owned by the wealthy and powerful Ximen Qing?

That Zhang the Rascal wasn't some hothead acting on impulse; he was a notorious street thug who did shady business for people. For him to dare vandalize my shop, someone must be behind it!

Thinking back, I was drunk yesterday, and Wu Yueniang was the one in charge of things at home.

In Ximen Qing's view, while his wife was capable of managing household affairs and disciplining the servants, she was ill-equipped to handle such unexpected calamities. He reasoned that women were short-sighted and prone to panic; how could they possibly manage things properly?

The loss from the sale is a small matter; the damage to the reputation of the Ximen family is a big one! If outsiders find out that Ximen Qing's shop was smashed and he didn't dare to say a word, how will he ever be able to stand up in Qinghe County again?

"Moon Maiden! Why didn't Moon Maiden wake me up...?"

Ximen Qing suddenly realized what he was saying halfway through his sentence.

Since Chunmei only spoke now, and seemed so calm, the matter must have been resolved. Otherwise, with the house in such chaos, how could she be so composed as to feed herself hangover soup?

Ximen Qing looked up at Chunmei and saw that although the little maid's face was flushed, there was a sly smile in her eyes. She was not flustered at all.

He couldn't help but chuckle, his body relaxed, and he slowly leaned back against the soft pillow.

"Huh? I didn't expect Yue Niang to have such abilities now? She couldn't have handled such rascals causing trouble in the past."

He reached out and tapped Chunmei's nose: "You little smooth talker, you've managed to trick your uncle? Tell me quickly, how did your aunt deal with it?"

Chunmei blinked and said playfully, "Grandpa, guess how Grandma handled it?"

Seeing that she was keeping him in suspense, Ximen Qing was not annoyed. He laughed and scolded her as a "little hussy," which piqued his interest, and he began to think about it seriously.

"Could it be that someone was sent to the county government to request a constable?"

But then he shook his head. "No, no. Those constables in the county government take a lot of bribes from me. If they were just ordinary hooligans, they would naturally be willing to help. But since Zhang Laizi dared to come, someone must have bribed the government behind him. The constables are just putting on a show."

"So they sent their own guards to suppress it?"

Ximen Qing frowned. "That doesn't seem right either. Zhang Laizi's gang are all ruthless and fearless. If the two sides were to fight, there would definitely be bloodshed and it would be a terrible sight. If you were to actually witness such a scene, you wouldn't have the time to make me guess a riddle right now."

He frowned and pondered for a moment, then suddenly relaxed his brow and smiled, "I guess it is..."

"My lord, please stop guessing. How could I possibly have such abilities? Yesterday's events were entirely thanks to your newly sworn brother, Uncle Zheng, who intervened and saved us from disaster."

The curtain was lifted, and Wu Yueniang walked in gracefully.

Today she was wearing a light purple blouse with a white silk skirt, and her delicate hands were holding a string of sandalwood prayer beads.

Her dignified and elegant face was adorned with a gentle smile, and the slight weariness at the corners of her eyes and brows added to her charm, truly befitting the elegant demeanor of a matriarch.

Upon seeing her, Ximen Qing abruptly sat up, a smug look on his face: "So that's what I was thinking! According to you, none of my brothers have any decent business; they're just drinking buddies. But look at you now! Tell me quickly, how did my brother Zheng manage to handle this situation?"

Wu Yueniang then sat down on the embroidered stool beside the couch and began to recount the events of the previous day in detail.

"..."

When talking about Zheng Tu's overwhelming victory over all the heroes, Wu Yueniang's voice unconsciously became a little lighter, and her eyes became more spirited.

Ximen Qing listened intently, his face lighting up with excitement, as if he, the great official Ximen, were present at the scene.

He was so pleased with his brother's bravery that he didn't notice the occasional unnatural look in Wu Yueniang's eyes and the slight blush that rose on her cheeks whenever she mentioned "Uncle Zheng".

After Wu Yueniang finished speaking, Ximen Qing burst into laughter:

"That's great! That's great! My brother Zheng is truly a man of honor! Not only honorable, but also a valiant general! Yue Niang, you always said that I only associate with fair-weather friends, but now you see? Where can you find such a loyal and devoted brother?"

Wu Yueniang lowered her head and smiled faintly: "I was biased in the past. Uncle Zheng... is indeed a responsible and virtuous man."

At this moment, Ximen Qing's sense of pride was about to overflow.

He had often been complained about by Wu Yueniang because of these brothers, who said they only knew how to drink and gamble and didn't do any serious work. Today, Zheng Tu's actions had certainly earned him some face!

Seeing that Wu Yueniang had given in, Ximen Qing's little scheme started to stir again.

This lady of mine, she seems gentle and mild-mannered, with no temper at all, but who would have thought she inherited the temperament of her father, the commander of a thousand households, who is gentle on the outside but strong on the inside.

Although she gave her husband face in public and was completely obedient to him, she actually had her own opinions. Ironically, her opinions were often correct, which made Ximen Qing impatient but unable to go against her wishes.

Now, however, was a perfect opportunity! He revealed his long-held plan to her, leaving her no choice but to accept!

Thinking this, Ximen Qing cleared his throat and looked up at Wu Yueniang.