"Autumn of the third year..."
Shi Lan murmured, lifted her wine cup, and drained it in one go.
The sweet, clear wine slid down her throat, leaving her feeling refreshed.
Shi Lan reached out and took the wine jar Jiang Li handed her, then filled her cup again.
Jiang Li opened another jar. He stopped using his cup, lifted the jar, and took two swigs, while Shi Lan drank at her own pace.
"Wine is a curious thing. You can say it's good, and you can say it's not. But once you've had some, it always makes you feel a little better." After two mouthfuls, Jiang Li's expression grew melancholy.
Shi Lan smiled and shook her head. "As the old saying goes, 'Three cups open the Great Way; one drunken spell dispels a thousand sorrows.' But I don't agree."
Jiang Li paused, slightly taken aback. "You don't think a drunken spell can dispel a thousand sorrows?"
Looking at the wine rippling gently in her cup, Shi Lan shook her head.
"Get drunk and your sorrows may disappear for a while, but they'll still be there when you wake. Getting drunk can't solve anything. Once you're sober, nothing will have changed, and you'll still have to deal with it yourself. All it does is let you escape for a little while."
Shi Lan had once enjoyed savoring wine, but she didn't like getting drunk. Wine could stir a person's emotions, making it easy to lose some of their self-control.
Wine was fine to drink, but one shouldn't overindulge.
Jiang Li lifted the jar and took another swig, gazing up at the starry sky. "Being able to escape for a little while is good enough."
Then he shook his head and sighed. "Who knows how long I'll live? I'll take each carefree