The crowing of roosters called forth the morning light, and only then came dawn.
By the time the morning sun had climbed high, Yi A Bao gradually woke. Rubbing his eyes, he looked around and found himself lying in bed at home, apparently in his own bedroom, though his wife must already have risen.
Now A Bao was a little uncertain. Had he really attended a banquet in the mountains with his great-granduncle yesterday, or had it merely been a dream in the night?
He had to admit that everything last night had been rather too outlandish. It really did seem like a dream.
At roughly the same time, Wu Yuantao was in the guest room telling his son about the previous night, only in much greater detail, making no attempt to hide his excitement. Listening, Wu Ziqun was torn between doubt and belief, and filled with bitter regret.
As A Bao got up, the door opened with a creak. His wife, Lu, came in carrying a basin of clean water, and smiled when she saw him out of bed.
"You're awake? I haven't seen you drink so much in all these years. You only got drunk once, when Han'er passed the imperial examinations. Don't drink that much again. Even good wine harms your health if you have too much."
"All right."
"Oh, yes. You came back very late last night, and you were utterly drunk. I couldn't very well ask you, much less Grand Great-Grandfather. Now that it's broad daylight, whose residence did you actually visit in the mountains?"
At his wife's words, A Bao immediately perked up. Last night really hadn't been a dream!
Yi A Bao grew excited too. He put on his shoes, walked over to the washstand, and took the face cloth his wife had