"Honored guest, please drain this cup."
At the banquet.
The City God of the prefecture, named Yan Yishu, smiled from the corners of his eyes as he raised his cup in a toast. "Honored guest, you came from beyond the heavens. Not only are you different from the evil spirits of the past, you even slew them. You truly live up to the name of Youthful Hero."
"The City God is too kind."
Jiang Qiao raised his cup and drained it in one gulp.
The wine was smooth and fragrant, with an excellent taste. After he swallowed it, a trace of coolness returned, leaving him not the slightest bit drunk. Instead, he felt refreshed and invigorated.
"Excellent wine!" Jiang Qiao praised.
"Star Prefecture is a remote place with few specialties. But our water is good, and our rice is fragrant."
"Our people are simple and honest."
"Our faith is steadfast."
"So the wine we brew is fairly agreeable. I'm glad you approve, honored guest. Please have another cup."
And so.
The cups passed back and forth throughout the banquet.
First came the City God.
Then several officials from the City God Temple who were accompanying them each offered a toast. Before long, seven or eight cups had gone down, and everyone gradually became less distant and formal, slowly warming up to one another.
This reminded Jiang Qiao of the drinking culture from before he crossed over.
He had never been fond of drinking.
He liked attending drinking parties even less.
Back then, he had heard about some classmates who, after graduation, attended banquets with their company leaders and sat at the lowest place, behaving with extreme caution.
Come to think of it.
Being able to attend a banquet with the boss meant they had at least learned some of the