Gasp! She's a Time Traveler Using Modern Tech to Improve Ancient Life Chapter 144 - 143: Drinking Game

The famous courtesans are not solely reliant on their beauty; they must be versed in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, with a particularly keen understanding of poetry. Only with quick wit can they enter the gates of nobility and be capable of presiding over the wine gas during banquets.

Lin Wanwan felt a bit ashad; today, if not careful, she might beco a re plagiarist. Hopefully, it won’t be too difficult, sothing simpler, otherwise all the stored ancient poems in her mind would be of no use.

Once everyone was seated, Lin Wanwan saw County Magistrate Lu at the head of the table—a forty-sothing plump fellow with a belly resembling a pregnancy of several months, sporting a handlebar mustache, looking as amiable as a Maitreya Buddha, he cheerfully said, "Play the drum music, let our guests enjoy a few drinks to start the festivities."

As a courtesan adorned with pearls and jade started playing the pipa, the drum music joined in, and the eagerly waiting courtesans began to enter one by one. With bright eyes and smiles, their skirts fluttered, as fluid as clouds and water, gracefully dancing to the rhythm of the lody.

Lin Wanwan took a sip of the Three-Le Wine, joyfully appreciating the Great Tang courtesans’ songs and dances.

Among these perforrs, the pipa player was a renowned courtesan from Hangzhou West Lake, while the others were skilled musicians from the Music Bureau, all of higher caliber.

When the atmosphere was high, County Magistrate Lu pushed himself onto the food table and began flamboyantly swaying his corpulent body, singing ancient lody songs, gyrating and swinging his sleeves, without any semblance of official dignity.

Lin Wanwan was amazed by what she saw—has this banquet gone wild right from the beginning? At this rate, the elegant wine ga won’t need to make an appearance, right?

As the dance continued, County Magistrate Lu danced his way to Xiao Chong, who lifted his cup and drank, then pushed aside the food table, stood up tall, and swayed together with his uncle. After a while, County Magistrate Lu moved on to the next gentleman as Xiao Chong calmly resud his seat, returning to his serene deanor as if the dancing man earlier wasn’t him at all.

All the gentlen invited by County Magistrate Lu cooperated seamlessly, standing up, spinning, jumping, eyes closed—the duet included both of Lin Wanwan’s uncles; none were left out.

The ladies sitting in the back row watched the chaotic spectacle in the center, covering their mouths with light laughter, also filled with joy.

To be honest, although the banquet attendees were all nobles of the Great Tang, their ballroom dancing bore no difference from the fishern of Lin Family Manor!

Lin Wanwan might even say, they dance no better than Lin ngbo and others, if it were a dance-off, this bunch of short, fat, earthy n surely would lose, only Xiao Chong looked more presentable.

The host’s enthusiastic invitations to sing and dance to guests were evident; County Magistrate Lu was obviously in good spirits today. Well, during festive tis of eating, drinking, and having fun, whose mood would be low?

Back in the countryside, when Lin Wanwan hosted the feast for clansn, during high monts, people danced together, without gender separation. However, noble households clearly adhere to more etiquette—at this banquet, only the gentlen were dragged by County Magistrate Lu for a dance off, while the young ladies were rely watching the show.

Clearly, although the Great Tang was open in its customs, there was still a distinction between genders among nobility, not mixed dancing. Nevertheless, compared to later dynasties where won couldn’t even attend banquets with outside n, the Great Tang was considerably more female-friendly.

After the opening dance, the atmosphere was lively.

The famous courtesan Madam Song set aside the pipa, sat to the side, and assud the role of "banquet overseer," indicating the wine gas were to comnce.

"With so many guests today, we should play a simple poetry ga. I propose a spring-thed verse. Let start with, ’Spring breeze does not understand unfeeling water’."

With that, she drank a cup herself.

The next person drank and continued: "Spring woods adorned with charming flowers."

Taking turns, when it reached Xiao Jingkun, he was stuck; the poems he could think of had already been used earlier, leaving him unable to respond, so he cheerfully drank a big penalty cup, apparently enjoying being a jester.

The rules changed and the ga continued, by the ti it reached Lin Wanwan’s row, several people ahead had already drunk penalty cups, and the difficulty of the wine ga had increased each ti.

Initially, it was just matching rhys, now when it’s Lin Wanwan’s turn, they were required to include an idiom involving "dragon"—how was Lin Wanwan, who always skimd through poetry, supposed to respond? Her mind raced as she searched for an answer.

Seeing Lin Wanwan unable to respond, Madam Song was about to tap the small drum when Lin Wanwan suddenly brightened and said, "The world treasures and dragons shine upon the Bull and Constellation’s abode."

Madam Song smiled, "Although not a poem, I said earlier poetry, songs, and prose were all acceptable. What Lin Wanwan ntioned, Bull and Constellation, are nas of stars. According to the Book of Jin, Zhang Hua’s biography, there’s often a purple aura between the Bull and Constellation stars, representing the treasure sword’s essence reaching the heavens. This barely counts as correct, right?"

Lin Wanwan bowed towards Madam Song, admiring her erudition.

Considering that although back in high school, morizing the full "Tengwang Pavilion Preface" was required, after four years of college, Lin Wanwan had long forgotten the idioms within this renowned parallel prose, she rely guessed in hopes of luck.

But this Madam Song as a banquet overseer could articulate it effortlessly, compared to people who imrsed themselves in such skills since childhood, Lin Wanwan truly couldn’t compare.

Little Qingyu, munching fruits and pork belly, completely unaware of the adults’ wine gas, only understood her mother responded correctly, imdiately raised her two greasy hands clapping, looking at Lin Wanwan with admiration, "Mother, you’re amazing!"

Lin Wanwan felt embarrassed; what kind of amazing was this? Just as she breathed a sigh of relief, Lin Wanwan sensed a gaze upon her, and looking back, she saw Xiao Chong smilingly glancing at her.

Lin Wanwan slightly frowned, why did it feel like this guy was watching her joke? She recalled their first eting when she addressed him as "Master Xiao," he had the sa bemused look as if watching her make a fool of herself, withholding any guidance, prompting her to glare at Xiao Chong, causing him to surprisingly laugh aloud.

Beside him sat Lu Ying’er, quickly asking, "Why are you laughing, Cousin Zifang?"

Xiao Chong turned to speak with her, and Lin Wanwan withdrew her gaze.

Soon, the wine ga filled with literary fun concluded. Lin Wanwan secretly breathed a sigh of relief; her seat’s next turn was always exceedingly hard—another two tis surely embarrassing.

With the wine ga ended, the small food tables were cleared, and in the center was placed a long table (similar to modern long tables), where the maids quickly arranged platters of fruits, desserts, and various wines.

Afterward, it took a bit of a buffet style, as people gathered in small groups, each discussing their own topics.

Lin Wanwan was pulled by the Xiao family sisters to a spot near Lady Lu and her group of noblewon, sharing stories of the recent amusents to while away the ti.