How could someone be unhappy living in a matriarchal society?

Chapter 79 Increased Strength

Chu Ci walked to the pear and plum tree in the middle of the courtyard, gently dug up the soil, and carefully took out the two jars of peach blossom wine buried inside.

She gently wiped the dust off the surface of the jar with her hand, then slowly lifted the lid. A rich aroma of wine immediately wafted out and filled the air.

Zhao Yi, with her keen sense of smell, quickly left the room and went to Chu Ci's side after smelling the fragrance.

Her gaze was fixed on the two jars of wine, and she couldn't look away.

Chu Ci handed her one of the wine jars, let her smell it, and then asked softly, "How is it?"

Zhao Yi didn't speak, but nodded.

Chu Ci took another jar of wine in his hand and led Zhao Yi toward the restaurant.

Shi An had already prepared several exquisite cold dishes and placed them on the table.

Chu Ci wasn't particularly interested in drinking. After settling everyone in, he turned and headed to the kitchen, intending to help Shi An prepare the meal.

Ever since Chu Ci arrived, Shi An has been secretly observing her.

He was delighted to see Chu Ci volunteer to help in the kitchen.

"Shi An, let me help you."

A hint of tenderness flashed in Shi An's eyes as she replied, "Yes, my wife."

As he spoke, he handed two potatoes to Chu Ci and instructed, "Could you please peel them and then cut them into strips?"

Chu Ci took the potato and skillfully picked up a knife to start peeling it.

She devoted herself to her work with such focus that she exuded a unique charm.

Shi An stood aside, quietly watching Chu Ci's busy figure, her heart filled with happiness.

Chu Ci's knife skills were superb; she completed the task Shi An had assigned her in no time.

She neatly arranged the sliced ​​potatoes into a plate and showed it to Shi An: "How is it?"

Shi An smiled and praised, "My lady's cutting is naturally excellent."

Upon hearing this, Chu Ci's lips curled up slightly, and he tossed the kitchen knife in his hand high into the air.

The sharp kitchen knife spun a few times in the air before landing steadily in her hand.

Chu Ci raised an eyebrow at Shi An and asked, "Is there anything else that needs to be cut?"

Shi An turned pale with fright at Chu Ci's actions and hurriedly stepped forward to stop her, "My lady! What are you doing!"

Chu Ci looked puzzled and asked, "Hmm? What's wrong?"

Shi An held Chu Ci's hands tightly, examined them carefully, and asked with concern, "Are you hurt?"

Chu Ci almost laughed. "Do I look that fragile? How could such a small thing hurt me?"

Shi An's eyes widened, and she said with a hint of anger, "I don't care, but playing with knives is forbidden in the kitchen, and I'll be worried."

Seeing that Shi An was really angry, Chu Ci quickly raised his hands in surrender, indicating that he knew he was wrong and promising not to play with knives in the kitchen again.

Shi An sighed helplessly, thinking to himself: Sometimes his wife really is as childish as a child.

He turned around and went back to the kitchen to start cooking.

Chu Ci then left the kitchen and went to the dining room to see what Zhao Yi was doing.

When she entered the restaurant, she was surprised to find that Zhao Yi had already finished an entire jar of wine with the cold dishes.

Chu Ci quickly walked to her side and gently waved his hand in front of her eyes. "Are you alright? Are you dizzy?"

Zhao Yi slowly shook his head, indicating that he felt no discomfort.

However, a jar of wine has a considerable capacity. In her previous life, Chu Ci witnessed a man faint on the spot after drinking the entire jar of wine.

Therefore, she was quite surprised that Zhao Yi had no reaction at all, and couldn't help but ask in doubt, "Are you really sure you're alright?"

Zhao Yi nodded firmly again, thinking that this trip had not been in vain.

This peach blossom wine is even better than the one in Kyoto; it truly makes me happy.

Chu Ci picked up the wine cup with some curiosity, took a sniff, and found that there was no particularly strong smell of wine.

Could it be that this wine has a low alcohol content?

She decided to give it a try.

Chu Ci carefully took out a small teacup, filled it, and took a small sip.

However, that sip of wine made her brow furrow tightly, and she couldn't help coughing: "Cough cough cough... No..."

Seeing this, Zhao Yi was afraid that she might accidentally spill the wine, so he quickly reached out and took the glass, drinking it all in one gulp without hesitation.

Just then, Shi An walked in carrying dishes and happened to witness this scene.

His face instantly turned cold, and a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes.

That wine glass was the one Chu Ci had just used, and the wine inside was the one she had drunk from.

How could this woman be so inconsiderate?

He used his wife's cup to drink the wine that his wife had drunk!

Shi An muttered to himself, slammed the dishes on the table, and glared at Zhao Yi.

Unfortunately, Zhao Yi was focused on communicating with Chu Ci at the moment and did not notice his gaze at all.

Because Chu Ci stretched out his hand and suggested an arm wrestling match with her, "Come on, I've been wanting to have a match for a long time."

Zhao Yi raised an eyebrow and took Chu Ci's hand.

Shi An stared intently at their clasped hands, her gaze almost piercing through them.

But Chu Ci was in such high spirits that he didn't notice anything amiss.

She wanted to know if her strength was considered great in this world.

After all, she had never competed with other martial artists before, so today was a good opportunity.

"Come on, one, two, three, start!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Yi placed the back of his hand on the table.

Chu Ci frowned and asked in confusion, "Didn't you use any force?"

Zhao Yi's expression was slightly helpless. "I used force."

"Huh?" Chu Ci was somewhat surprised and asked, "Really?"

Zhao Yi silently withdrew her hand and said casually, "Let's eat."

Then he started eating with his head down.

Chu Ci persisted, "Are you sure you used force? Or is it because your hands are shaking from drinking too much?"

Zhao Yi: "..."

Chu Ci continued, "Let's do it again."

After saying that, she grabbed Zhao Yi's hand and said, "You didn't use any force at all."

Zhao Yi: "..."

She's already done her best!

But Chu Ci didn't believe her, so she had to try again, but the result was the same as before.

The battle ended in a second.

Seeing Chu Ci's bewildered expression, Zhao Yi took a deep breath and then explained, "You are really strong. Don't doubt yourself. I am considered one of the stronger people in the army, but someone like you has superhuman strength."

"Oh, is that so?" Chu Ci looked down at her hands after hearing this, a look of surprise and curiosity on her face.

In her previous life, she was far weaker than a man, so she always suffered a disadvantage when fighting against the protectors of the demonic sect.

However, she now possesses such great power, and it feels really good.

Before long, all the dishes were ready.

Shi An deliberately sat down next to Chu Ci and kept serving her food.

Zhao Yi drank more alcohol, and in the blink of an eye, he had almost finished half a jar.

Chu Ci ate two bowls of rice before remembering to strike up a conversation with Zhao Yi.

"How was it? My husband's cooking is pretty good, isn't it?"

Zhao Yi nodded, took another sip of peach blossom wine, and praised, "Perfect with wine."

Seeing that the guest was pleased, Chu Ci was relieved.

She turned her head and saw Shi An constantly putting food on her plate, while she herself hadn't eaten much. She couldn't help but worry, "Don't you have an appetite?"

Shi An lowered her eyelashes and nodded gently: "Not very hungry."

Chu Ci wanted to persuade him to eat more, but then she remembered that there were still many snacks she had bought earlier at home, so she didn't say anything more.

Looking at the remaining less than half a jar of wine, Zhao Yi thought for a moment and said to Shi An, "Bring some water, preferably cold, and some sugar too."

Chu Ci was taken aback and asked in confusion, "What are you going to do?"

Zhao Yi pointed to the wine jar and explained, "I'll try to find a way for you to drink this wine too, otherwise it'll be a waste."

Chu Ci was somewhat surprised: "You're not drinking?"

Zhao Yi nodded. She knew her alcohol tolerance very well. If she continued drinking, her mind would become unclear, and she absolutely could not allow that to happen.

After all, drinking can lead to trouble.

However, since the wine has already been opened and there's not much left, let's finish it.

She still had a bit of obsessive-compulsive disorder in her heart, and always felt that such good wine should not be wasted.

Shi An glanced at Chu Ci, and seeing her nod in agreement, he stood up to find the ingredients Zhao Yi needed.

In the cold winter, ice water is not hard to find, and we also have sugar at home, so it didn't take too much time.

After handing these over to Zhao Yi, Shi An watched as she first diluted the peach blossom wine and then added some sugar.

Then he poured a cup out and tasted it. Not quite satisfied, he added some sugar. After some adjustments, he was finally satisfied and poured a cup for Chu Ci.

Chu Ci carefully picked up the wine glass, took a small sip, and her eyes lit up immediately: "Hey, it tastes better now, and it's not pungent at all."

Without hesitation, she downed the rest of the wine in her glass in one gulp and quickly poured herself another.

Seeing how much Chu Ci liked it, Shi An couldn't help but become curious about the wine, and he leaned closer to try it himself.

Chu Ci gently fed him the wine.

Shi An carefully drank it down. Even though he still harbored resentment towards Zhao Yi, he had to admit that the wine was indeed not unpleasant to drink.

Seeing that the two were very satisfied with the wine, Zhao got up to say goodbye.

Chu Ci warmly escorted her to the door, and after Zhao Yi left, he turned and went back to the kitchen.

As soon as Chu Ci entered the kitchen, he saw Shi An sitting alone at the table, drinking the glass of wine he had just finished.

She sat down next to Shi An, gently put her arm around his shoulder, affectionately kissed his cheek, and asked, "Is it good?"

Shi An smiled shyly and nodded, "It's delicious."

Chu Ci smiled and patted his head, while Shi An took the initiative to pick up the wine bottle and pour a full glass for his wife.

"My lady, here..."

Chu Ci took the wine cup and slowly savored it.

And so, she ate and drank, and before she knew it, she had finished all the rest of the wine.

Seeing that Chu Ci's face was becoming increasingly rosy, Shi An asked with some concern, "My lady, are you alright?"

"Huh? What did you say?" Chu Ci looked at Shi An, blinked, and her eyes seemed to be filled with tears.

Shi An moved closer and took Chu Ci's hand. "My lady, can you hear me?"

Chu Ci took a moment to understand what he meant, nodded, and then suddenly began to take off his clothes.

"It's so hot, so incredibly hot."

Seeing this, Shi An quickly stopped him: "No! It's too cold, we can't take it off, my dear wife, we won't take it off."

However, Shi An could not possibly withstand the power of the Chu Ci.

Before long, she had taken off her outer cotton coat.

Seeing that he couldn't stop her, Shi An hurriedly pulled Chu Ci into the bedroom.

After all, it would be warmer with charcoal burning in the bedroom.

Chu Ci felt much more comfortable after taking off her clothes, and followed Shi An to the bedroom in a daze.

When she lay down, she also brought Shi An to the bed with her.

Chu Ci's vision blurred, and she called out weakly, "Shi An..."

"My lady, would you like some water?" Shi An asked Chu Ci with concern as he gently stroked her forehead.

Chu Ci tightly grasped Shi An's hand that was stroking her, gently kissed it, and murmured to himself, his eyes filled with deep affection, "Shi An... I like Shi An..."

Shi An's heart suddenly raced, and her cheeks gradually flushed red. She replied shyly, "Shi An also loves my wife..."

Chu Ci didn't hear what Shi An said. She just stared at the cherry-like lips in front of her, her throat bobbed, and then she couldn't help but lean forward to kiss them.

The kiss carried a faint scent of peach blossoms, fresh and beautiful.

The moment Shi An was kissed, her body suddenly became soft and weak, as if she had lost all her strength.

The kisses in the Chu Ci (Songs of Chu) grew more passionate and affectionate.

Finally, he pressed Shi An tightly beneath him, their bodies pressed together, their temperature gradually rising, and their heartbeats becoming more intense.

Not long after, Shi An sensed a change, and her eyelashes trembled.

Chu Ci stopped halfway through the kiss, tugging at her clothes haphazardly, "It hurts so much, Shi An, I feel so bad."

Shi An trembled as he helped Chu Ci take off her clothes, tentatively asking, "Wife... Mistress, do you want to feel less uncomfortable?"

Chu Ci is now devoid of rationality, acting solely on instinct.

The hairpin in her hair had fallen off at some point, and her hair cascaded down her white back like a waterfall, exuding a faint fragrance.

Sunlight streamed through the window, bathing her in a golden glow.

"Shi An, help me, I feel so bad..."

Shi An was so tense that he calmed down.

He took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice calm: "My lady, do you need Shi An's help?"

Chu Ci's wisps of hair stuck to her forehead with sweat, a sight that made her look exceptionally charming and alluring.

Her eyes were glazed over, her lips parted slightly, she exhaled a breath of warm air, and whispered, "Yes."

Upon hearing this, Shi An trembled slightly, but he quickly closed his eyes, seemingly struggling with some kind of decision.

Finally, he made up his mind, suddenly opened his eyes, and a resolute look flashed in them.

He reached out and hugged Chu Ci tightly, as if he had used all his strength.

"Shi An... help... help my wife... feel comfortable."

The sky gradually darkened, and a light rain began to fall, the raindrops making a crisp sound as they hit the wooden floor.

The sound was like the dance of elves, pattering and continuous, sometimes high-pitched and passionate, sometimes low and melodious.

In the courtyard, several plum trees were bathed in the rain, their petals adorned with glistening water droplets, making them appear even more vibrant and eye-catching.

The fish swam happily in the water, as if chasing something, their figures moving in and out of sight on the clear surface.

Everything seemed so harmonious and natural...