Chapter 11: Is This the God of Wine?

"Lin Yi, don't mind them, let's continue eating." Watching his daughters squabble, Xia Hongjun decided not to intervene. It was hard to choose sides when both were dear to him. The best solution was to not take sides at all. "Alright, Uncle!" Lin Yi forced a smile and sat down. In the future... he would have to keep things low-key. Was it necessary to cause such a commotion over a simple dish? "Care for a drink?" Xia Hongjun lifted his glass in invitation. "This..." Lin Yi was about to agree with a smile but was promptly interrupted by Xia Qianqian, who was quarreling with Xia Xiaoxiao. "Dad, Lin Yi doesn't usually drink. Please don't make it difficult for him." Xia Qianqian was afraid that Lin Yi would slip up, especially after the startling revelation brought about by the chicken soup. What if he got drunk and spilled the truth? That would be a disaster. So she had to dissuade Lin Yi. "Humph! Constantly claiming to be his girlfriend, have you no shame? Don't you know daddy here wants a son-in-law who can drink with him?" Xia Xiaoxiao looked on disparagingly, "Let him drink with me! I'll allow him to join dad." "You..." Xia Qianqian felt like her sister was becoming increasingly unbearable. "Enough, can you two quiet down? We're arguing over a drink now, Lin Yi, how about a drink with me?" Xia Hongjun glared at his daughters before turning to Lin Yi. "Sure!" Lin Yi didn't object. "Lin Yi..." Xia Qianqian looked at him anxiously. "It's okay, just one drink." Lin Yi tried to reassure her. He had the superpower of holding his liquor; one drink wouldn't faze him. "Dad, I'll get the alcohol for you." Xia Xiaoxiao, with a mischievous smile, ran off towards the liquor cabinet. "That girl, only lively when up to mischief. Come on, ignore her, let's eat, the dishes are getting cold." Zhang Xiu said dismissively, then quickly urged Lin Yi and Xia Qianqian to eat. "Alright..." Lin Yi and Xia Qianqian responded in unison, each picking up their chopsticks to grab some food. "The alcohol's here!" With a cheer from Xia Xiaoxiao, everyone saw her approaching with a large bottle of Moutai and two big bowls, placing them on either side of the table. "What are you doing?" Xia Qianqian nearly shouted. Sending that girl for alcohol – she had brought back the strongest Moutai and even in two big bowls. What was she planning to do, get Lin Yi killed? "Have a drink, yeah? You know dad, he likes to drink a bit more on festive days. What? You don't want dad to drink, right? I knew it, you're not filial at all." Xia Xiaoxiao was saying this while pouring the alcohol into the bowls, filling both generously. "You..." Xia Qianqian could see that her sister was deliberately trying to trouble Lin Yi. After a bowl of that, Lin Yi would surely be drunk. Today, her sister really crossed the line, and now it had reached this extent. "Gulp..." As Xia Qianqian was anxiously lost for words and Xia Xiaoxiao revealed a sly grin, the sound of drinking water interrupted them. When they looked down, they saw Lin Yi lifting one of the large bowls, downing over two pounds of Moutai in one go. "Uncle! Here's a toast to you." After finishing, Lin Yi placed the bowl back on the table. "..." Xia Qianqian and Xia Xiaoxiao's jaws almost dropped. Two pounds of Moutai, over sixty percent alcohol, and Lin Yi finished it in one gulp? It was known that such an amount of Moutai would take her father, an army veteran, at least an hour to drink.

Having served in the army, who doesn't drink hard liquor? But even so, one still needs time, right? Yet... yet Lin Yi chugged down two jugs of Maotai? "Lin Yi, are you some kind of steel man?" Xia Xiao questioned blankly. In her perception, Lin Yi should be one of those 'softer beings', his handsome features certainly hinting at that. But with that bowl of liquor down, she found her assumption was wrong. This guy is a steel man, or even more rigid than that. "Lin Yi, are you alright?" Worried, Xia Qian Qian quickly rushed over to assist Lin Yi. Drinking like that could be lethal. If anything happened, it would be disastrous. "Don't worry, this little amount of alcohol won't knock me down." Wiping away the traces of liquor from his mouth, Lin Yi replied with a smile. To him, downing a bowl of liquor was just like drinking a bowl of water. Gradually, Xia Qian Qian found herself growing more intrigued by this man. He was handsome, cooked delicious food, and even held his liquor well. Could it be... are all 'shared boyfriends' so capable? "Haha! Good, good! You truly are a man, Lin! Uncle likes straightforward people like you. How about another round?" Xia Hongjun's mood was soaring. He believed that the two ways to bond with people were through shared adversity or shared interests. Especially for those who drank, once they found a shared rhythm, their relationships tended to solidify. "Then let me accompany you another round." Lin Yi didn't decline. "Lin Yi..." Xia Qian Qian grew more anxious. He had just finished a bowl, now he wanted to drink another. What if something happened? "It's okay. Uncle is happy today, so I'll accompany him for another drink." Lin Yi seemed unfazed. "But..." Xia Qian Qian remained apprehensive. "I'll get the wine..." Xia Xiao chuckled mischievously, standing up to retrieve the liquor. Once the alcohol arrived, another bowl was poured for Lin Yi. Just like last time, he finished it in one gulp. This sparked a cheer from the crowd. Xia Hongjun, however, could barely handle the drink. After all, Maotai is not Wuliangye—it has a higher alcohol concentration, and it burns the throat more excessively. It wasn't until Xia Hongjun was completely intoxicated that the meal finally concluded. "Lin Yi, come in here." Once Xia Hongjun was tucked into his room, Xia Qian Qian pulled Lin Yi.

What's up?" asked Lin Yi, curious.

"Do you have a death wish? Drinking so much with my dad, what would we do if you slipped up?" Xia Qianqian sounded genuinely angry. It's often said that truth slips out when one's drunk. If Lin Yi accidentally dropped a bombshell, it would be mortifying.

"You can rest assured, your dad can't outdrink me." declared Lin Yi, brimming with confidence.

"You..." Xia Qianqian glared furiously at Lin Yi, seemingly tempted to pinch him. However, she hesitated midway, "How do you drink so much? And why is your cooking also so good?"

"It's a job requirement," Lin Yi responded with a smile.

"Job requirement? Does everyone in your line of work have good looks, great culinary skills and amazing alcohol tolerance?" Xia Qianqian wondered.