Chapter 48: Snake Whip Wine (Second Update)

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(Thank you all, brothers and sisters, for your support. At last, I’ve made it onto the newcomer’s ranking, and even onto the Urban Click Rankings as well, haha!)

Secretary Huang, accompanied by Secretary Chen and Sha Lery, got into the car together. It wasn’t exactly a fancy vehicle, just an aging Mitsubishi jeep. But in a rural township like this, a car like that was already considered decent.

Though Sha Lery had been born and raised in Shuangqiao Town, he wasn’t familiar with the town’s restaurants or hotels. In the past, he wouldn’t have dreamed of entering a hotel—he’d never even set foot in a noodle shop. Sitting in the front passenger seat, Lery left the back seats to the secretary and Secretary Chen. He had no interest in whatever they were doing behind him, but could hear Secretary Chen’s sultry laughter ringing out repeatedly.

After driving two or three miles out of town, they arrived at a scenic spot: a few acres of fish ponds, a grove of green bamboo, and a pretty building nestled among the bamboo. In front, a bamboo archway stood, with the words “Green Bamboo Fish Lodge” written across it. As soon as Secretary Huang arrived, the owner came out to greet them personally. He was a chubby man, his round face all smiles.

“Fatty Luo, where’s your wife, Madame Huaxiang?”

“She’s inside… Secretary Huang, please come in.”

“Damn, just looking at all your flab makes me sick. Get Madame Huaxiang to greet me herself.” Secretary Huang laughed, though he himself was just as hefty. He disliked others for the same faults he had, but their banter was clearly an old habit, full of familiarity. “Damn it, just the thought of you lying naked next to your wife makes my blood boil. A real beauty wasted on a pile of dung.”

“Secretary Huang, are you wishing my flower would take root on your dung heap instead?”

As she spoke, a woman in her early thirties, fresh and luscious as a ripe peach, came out smiling. She wasn’t exactly stunning, a bit plump but not unshapely, her skin so tender and fair that just a pinch would seem to bring forth dew. She made people want to take a bite, just like biting into a peach. This was Fatty Luo’s wife, Madame Huaxiang. Swaying her hips, she walked up to Secretary Huang, who didn’t care that Fatty Luo was right there—he reached out and gave her shapely rear a squeeze.

Madame Huaxiang giggled, twisting her hips.

“Damn, you’re such a tease. If you want to seduce me, wait until Fatty Luo isn’t around.” Secretary Huang grinned mischievously. “Wait till tonight—send him far away, then come tempt me. Fatty Luo, why don’t you get lost for a bit? Just looking at you annoys me.”

Fatty Luo just laughed.

They entered the restaurant as they chatted. True to his word, Fatty Luo wandered off somewhere, and Madame Huaxiang called over a young girl to lead them upstairs, into a private dining room. Secretary Huang eyed the girl with obvious interest.

“Little Cai, your curves are getting better and better—want me to have a feel?”

“Secretary Huang, mine are so small, what’s there to touch? If you want real flavor, look at Secretary Chen.”

The girl, Cai, tittered, glancing over at Secretary Chen. She was at most twenty-two or twenty-three, not as voluptuous as Secretary Chen, but her figure was still curvy and appealing. Her eyebrows were fine and long, her skin creamy, her lips rosy and inviting—a treat for the eyes.

“You little minx, are you looking for a spanking?”

Clearly, this kind of teasing was routine among them. Secretary Chen wasn’t offended; she laughed as well. When Secretary Huang’s pudgy hand reached for her, Little Cai nimbly dodged out of the way.

“Secretary Huang, who’s that brother over there? I haven’t seen him before.”

Cai stared boldly at Sha Lery. He flushed in embarrassment, unaccustomed to such situations and feeling quite out of place.

“Oh, he can blush! That’s rare,” Cai teased, stepping over to Lery and brushing her ample chest against his back. “Young man, do you want me to show you a good time?”

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Seeing Cai tease Sha Lery, and noting his embarrassed expression, Secretary Huang burst out laughing, casting a suggestive glance his way.

“Lery, what are you afraid of? Go play with her—I guarantee you’ll be satisfied.” Then he turned to Cai, “My brother here is still a virgin, so if he plays with you, how much will you pay him?”

“A virgin? That’s easy—our virgin roosters go for thirty a piece. For this one, I’ll double it…”

Laughing, she slipped out of the private room. Secretary Chen excused herself to the restroom as well, leaving only Secretary Huang and Lery alone. Secretary Huang lit a cigarette.

“Damn, too bad I don’t have the vigor I did in my younger days… Lery, old turtle stew is a real tonic. I hear you’re a master at catching turtles—can you catch an old one for me to boost my strength and put these women in their place?”

“I can catch turtles, but old ones are getting scarce these days,” Lery replied with a smile. “But I do know another way to improve your vitality.”

“Oh? You do?”

“Of course,” Lery chuckled sheepishly. “Snake whip wine is the best thing for that.”

“Snake whip wine? I’ve only heard of bull or horse penis wine—never heard of snake whips.”

“There are male and female snakes. Of course, male snakes have whips.” Lery was the undisputed expert on snakes in Shuangqiao Town. “Wine infused with snake whips is much more potent than turtle stew.”

“Do you have any snake whips?” Secretary Huang asked eagerly.

“Not at the moment, but if I kill a few snakes and take the whips, I can make some.”

“Hey, don’t you have a lot of snakes at your place?” Secretary Huang’s eyes lit up as he scrutinized Lery. “Go home and catch a couple—it's been ages since I’ve had snake meat. We’ll make a feast, and the whips can go in the wine. Haha, meeting you is my good fortune.”

“No problem, I’ll go catch them now.”

“I’ll have the car take you—go quickly, come quickly. I’ll introduce you to a friend when you return.”

Half an hour later, Lery returned with two banded snakes. Secretary Huang’s round face was wreathed in smiles as he and Secretary Chen came out to watch Lery harvest the snake whips.

“Lery, how do you tell if a snake is male or female? It doesn’t have—well, you know—like other animals. How do you tell?” In this circle, they were even more uncouth than the local farmers, speaking without restraint. It was Secretary Chen who asked, clearly aware that Secretary Huang wanted the snake whip wine to boost his virility and looking pleased about it. Lery was a bit embarrassed, but grabbed one snake by the neck and demonstrated.

“Look—squeeze here, see? The whip comes out. This one’s a male.”

“Haha, I never knew snakes had that—learn something new every day!” Secretary Huang laughed heartily.

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“Secretary Huang, what’s got you in such good spirits?” A man in his thirties, with a crew cut, walked in.

“Big Cannon Xie, you got here quick enough.”

“With snake meat on the menu, how could I not hurry? If I’m late to a meal you’re hosting, I’d be lucky to get the soup.” The crew cut man laughed. “Besides, it’s not every day you treat me to dinner.”

“It’s not me treating you today, it’s Brother Lery here.” Secretary Huang’s face was glowing. “Come, let me introduce you. This is Sha Lery. Lery, this is Xie Weijun, Chief of Shuangqiao’s police station—everyone calls him Big Cannon. If you ever need anything, look for him.”

Secretary Huang leaned in and whispered a few words to Big Cannon.

“Nice to meet you, Chief Xie.”

“Damn, don’t call me Chief—just Big Cannon will do. Or if you want to call me big brother, I’d be happy with that too.”

They joked around for a bit before turning to watch Lery work with the snakes. Lery pinned the snake’s head to a wooden pillar, deftly removing the gall bladder first and handing it to Fatty Luo to soak in wine, then cut the tail to let the blood drain out.

“Brother Lery’s technique is first-rate—a true expert,” Big Cannon praised sincerely.

Then Lery skinned the snakes, removed the whips, and soaked them in a small bottle of rice wine he’d brought.

“What’s this?” Big Cannon asked in surprise. He’d had snake gall and snake blood wine before, but never seen anything like this. Secretary Huang grinned, whispered a few words in his ear, and Big Cannon’s eyes widened.

“There’s really something this good? Fantastic! Brother Lery, you have to fix me up with some too.”

Big Cannon stared hungrily at the small bottle of snake whip wine, watching the little snake whip floating inside.

“No problem,” Lery promised confidently.

The meal was a joyous affair. After they’d eaten and drunk their fill, Big Cannon insisted on taking Lery out to a “good place” for some fun, but Lery excused himself, saying he had to get home before dark to tend to his snakes.

Secretary Huang, still in high spirits, ordered the driver to take him home.