Chapter 28: Drunkenness Unleashes True Nature

The words after “but” paused.

Li Beichen’s already unsettled heart grew even more tense at this moment, his fingers resting on his knees unconsciously curling.

Ensuring his voice wouldn’t tremble, he looked directly into Shen Guozhong’s eyes, “Uncle, please say whatever you need to say.”

“I will do everything within my power to accomplish what I can.”

“And for what I cannot, I will find a way to make it happen.”

Hearing this, Shen Guozhong casually waved his hand, “It’s not as serious as you think.”

“What I mean is, my An’an isn’t thinking about getting married so soon.”

Seeing the person beside him listening attentively without interrupting, he nodded with satisfaction and continued.

“In recent years, this girl has been studying abroad, spending very little time at home.”

“During summer vacations, she said she wanted to tutor and had no time to come back.”

“When she finally returned for winter break, she was either taken away by her eldest sister or her second sister, leaving even less time to spend with your aunt and me.”

“Now that she’s finally graduated and come home, naturally we hope she can spend more time with your aunt and me.”

After expressing all his thoughts, he quickly added, “If you’re in a hurry to get married, you might consider someone else.”

After all, he had no plans to marry off his daughter in the next couple of years.

Understanding the meaning behind the words, Li Beichen didn’t hesitate with his answer, “Uncle, there’s no need to consider that.”

“As the youngest daughter in the family, I understand you and Auntie’s wish to have her by your side.”

“As long as you and Auntie agree to let us be together, that’s enough.”

Having been single for so many years, there was no reason he couldn’t wait a few more.

Just as Old Master in his family said, a man’s best betrothal gift is sincerity.

But sincerity alone isn’t enough—it must be felt by the future father-in-law and mother-in-law.

Hearing this response, the satisfaction in Shen Guozhong’s eyes was unmistakable.

“With those words from you, that’s enough.”

“Come, let’s have a couple of drinks!”

“Consider it a welcome to our home!”

Seeing the raised glass before him, Li Beichen remained composed and lifted his own glass, “Thank you, Uncle, and thank Auntie for your warm hospitality.”

The clink of their glasses signaled that both sides were satisfied with the outcome of this meeting.

Watching the two finish their first drink, Shen Junyue gave Shen Junkai a meaningful look.

The latter immediately understood, picking up the wine bottle on the table to refill Li Beichen’s glass.

“You’re not being fair!”

“Logically, I’m the one in our family who knows you the earliest besides my little sister.”

“It wouldn’t be right not to have a drink with me.”

Hearing this, Li Beichen raised his glass again, “That’s my fault. This drink is my apology to Fourth Brother.”

“I hope Fourth Brother is magnanimous and won’t hold it against me.”

Watching him finish the drink, Shen Junkai nodded with satisfaction and refilled the glass again.

“That last one was an apology. This one is a toast.”

“Since my dad has agreed to let you date my little sister, shouldn’t you, as her future brother-in-law, toast your future brother-in-law?”

Understanding immediately, Li Beichen downed the drink once more.

After his glass was refilled again, before Shen Junkai could come up with another reason, Li Beichen, having already drunk three glasses in a row, took the initiative to propose a toast, “Fourth Brother, this one is from me to you.”

“Thank you for taking care of An’an all these years. I’m truly grateful.”

“Some things are better left unsaid!”

Having his line stolen, Shen Junkai watched as the other man downed his fourth glass and couldn’t help but feel a surge of admiration. Without another word, he drained his own cup.

Noticing this, Shen Junyue, who had thought victory was assured, frowned slightly.

Was he really won over so easily?

It seemed his fourth brother still needed more practice.

But no matter what, they couldn’t lose face today.

With that thought, Shen Junyue, who hadn’t spoken since sitting down at the dining table, raised his glass.

Observing the commotion among the men, He Xiaoman, who was playing with little Shen Hong, whispered:

“Little sister, can Comrade Li hold his liquor?”

“You know how your fourth brother is—he’s like a stubborn mule.”

“What if he causes a scene when drunk?”

Hearing this, Shen Yi’an glanced at Li Beichen, whose face was already slightly flushed, and shook her head uncertainly. “I’ve never seen him drink before, so I don’t know how well he handles alcohol.”

“I suppose… he should be fine… right?”

That uncertain tone made He Xiaoman chuckle.

“What kind of relationship is this!”

“You don’t even know his drinking capacity—what if he’s the type who acts out after drinking?”

“Don’t you think so, Third Sister-in-law?”

Shen Shasha, who was busy feeding the three little ones Shen Yi, Shen You, and Shen Hao, didn’t look up, but her response showed she’d been listening.

“That’s entirely possible!”

“Some men may seem serious and proper normally, but eight times out of ten, they’ll reveal their true nature when drunk.”

“Though it’s hard to tell with Comrade Li, I believe he can control himself—after all, he’s a military man.”

He Xiaoman nodded in agreement.

“You’re right, I almost forgot Comrade Li is in the military.”

“He should be able to control his behavior.”

Hearing the sisters-in-law discuss this topic, Deng Yaxin began forming her own plans.

“Baobei, go tell your father and the others to stop drinking and just chat instead.”

“Xiao Li is a military man—who knows if too much alcohol might affect his mind?”

“If anything were to happen, our whole family wouldn’t be able to make up for it.”

Shen Yi’an quickly grasped her mother’s meaning.

True enough!

Though baijiu is a grain-based liquor, it still contains some alcohol.

Alcohol, when you think about it, has both good and bad aspects.

As a natural byproduct of grain fermentation, its benefits are undeniable.

For example, when lacquered furniture loses its shine over years of use, wiping it with alcohol can restore its original luster.

Or spraying alcohol on a cutting board can both disinfect it and eliminate fishy odors.

But when it comes to alcohol’s drawbacks, they’re equally evident.

Excessive alcohol levels in the body might cause insomnia in mild cases, or could even be fatal in severe instances.

As a military man and pilot, excessive alcohol consumption could potentially affect Li Beichen’s flying career.

Considering this, Shen Yi’an nodded to her mother. “Alright, I’ll go tell them.”

Within three minutes, the four men began clearing the liquor bottles and glasses from the table.

Their expressions made it clear that though their fun had been interrupted, they weren’t angry.

They probably didn’t dare be.

For one thing, the person who could rein them in was sitting right across from them.

Secondly, their own alcohol tolerance wasn’t particularly great either.

Most importantly, the evaporating alcohol was quite pungent, and his daughter (little sister/fiancée) couldn’t handle the smell.

Since the drawbacks outweighed the benefits, she simply decided not to drink anymore.

After that, everyone gathered around the dining table began chatting about all sorts of topics.

The meaning of life became tangible in that very moment.

They talked until past ten in the evening, when the little ones started nodding off sleepily, and the group at the table finally began cleaning up and dispersing.

Food was precious, so dinner that night followed the “clean plate campaign.”

Because of this, there were no leftovers to deal with, and the bowls, chopsticks, and plates were all neatly taken to the kitchen.

Deng Yaxin and Shen Shasha, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, were responsible for washing up.

Shen Junkai and He Xiaoman, the couple, carried their drowsy twin sons Shen You and Shen Hao back to their own home in the Woolen Mill Family Compound.

Shen Junyue and his father Shen Guozhong stayed in the living room chatting with Li Beichen.

As for Shen Yi’an, she went to her third brother and Third Sister-in-law’s room to coax Shen Yi and Shen Hong, the sister and brother, to sleep.

The four bedrooms in the house had been reassigned in function ever since the sisters Shen Yijie and Shen Yiqian got married.

The old couple’s room remained unchanged, as did Shen Yi’an’s room. The only rooms that could be adjusted were the two bedrooms opposite theirs.

One was converted into a guest room, available for whoever came to stay.

As for the other, it had completely become the room for Shen Junyue, his wife, and their children.

When Shen Shasha returned to the room after tidying up the kitchen, she saw Shen Yi’an propping her head up with her arm, nodding off drowsily.

Amused, she went out to call Deng Yaxin in.

“Mom, look!”

“You were right—our little sister really is tired.”