klisemfg Chapter 478 A storm is brewing in Qiandong City; a pot of warm wine suddenly appears at the Marquis&
Chapter 478 A storm is brewing in Qiandong City; a pot of warm wine suddenly appears at the Marquis&
The same moonlight also shone on the Qian Dongcheng Marquis's residence.
Qiandong City, Zhenxi Marquis Mansion.
The main hall was brightly lit with candles, and seven or eight exquisite dishes were laid out on the octagonal table—steamed Luan River perch, steamed assorted preserved meats, Zu'an shark fin soup, shredded tofu skin, Dong'an chicken… all local delicacies of Qiandong.
A pot of perfectly warmed Shaoxing wine sits on the corner of the table, its aroma mingling with the fragrance of the food, wafting gently through the warm air.
Wen Luoyu wore a light purple double-breasted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) today, and her hair was only adorned with a plain silver hairpin.
She unusually placed a piece of fish belly on Baili Chengfeng's plate in front of Wen Yanzhao, and before she could speak, her eyes reddened slightly.
"Bai Li Chengfeng, you heartless bastard! You've been gone for almost half a year without sending a single letter!"
Dongjun is something else. He's become some kind of city lord and forgotten all about his mother. How far is Snow Moon City from Qian Dong? Five months have passed, and there hasn't been a single person in sight…”
Wen Luoyu's voice revealed a hint of dissatisfaction, but she choked up when she spoke of Baili Dongjun. She put her chopsticks down on the edge of the bowl and lowered her head to wipe the corner of her eyes with her sleeve.
Upon seeing this, Baili Chengfeng quickly put down his wine glass—he had only taken a sip of the wine—and reached out to hold his wife's hand.
The swift-killing swordsman Baili Chengfeng, who struck fear into the hearts of enemies on the battlefield, now spoke with a voice so soft it could melt water:
"Madam...Madam! It's my fault, it's all my fault! The war in Yunzhou was intense recently, and I really couldn't spare the time."
Once this war is over and the world is at peace, I won't go anywhere; I'll stay in the manor with you every day.
If you want to go to Jiangnan to see the lotus flowers, we'll go to Jiangnan; if you want to go back to Lingnan for a while, I'll go back to Lingnan with you..."
As he spoke, he picked up his glass and downed three glasses in a row.
The liquor was pungent, causing him to cough twice, but he still smiled apologetically: "I will punish myself with three cups, please forgive me, madam."
Wen Yanzhao, sitting opposite him, suppressed a laugh and quickly tried to smooth things over.
He ladled a spoonful of chicken soup into Wen Luoyu's bowl, his tone light and cheerful:
“Aunt, you’re blaming Uncle. Look, he’s already punished himself with three cups of wine. Others may not know, but Zhao’er knows.”
When my uncle was with me, he would often complain about how worried he was about leaving my aunt alone in Qiandong...
"As for Dongjun, he's also tied up with city affairs. If Auntie misses him, I can accompany you to Snowmoon City!"
Seeing that Wen Luoyu's expression had softened, he continued, "Our Wen family is doing well too. Grandpa is in good health. Last month, he even caught a seven or eight-pound grass carp, insisting that it was a gift from the Dragon King of the Luan River."
Speaking of my uncle, he's completely changed... He's now completely under my aunt's thumb, and he doesn't even dare to drink alcohol anymore!
Wen Luoyu raised her head, her eyes still wet, but already carrying a smile:
"Zhao'er's words are more pleasing to the ear. Now that Zhenzhen is pregnant, she should keep an eye on your uncle."
With his personality, even though he's the young master of the Wen family, he's still always running around and acting unruly.
“It’s not just that she’s pregnant,” Wen Yanzhao laughed. “She’s already four months along, and Uncle is really doting on Auntie now. He personally brews medicine to help her stay healthy every day, and he’s locked all the dozen or so jars of good wine in the yard in the cellar!”
Grandpa said he was afraid the alcohol would harm the baby's spirit, and that if the child was a boy, he would name him according to the Wen family's "Yan" generation name; if it was a girl, the younger uncle could choose the name himself!
He lowered his voice again, feigning mystery: "There's something else—that little kid, he improved the formula for 'Seven-Step Intestinal-Severing Powder' a few days ago."
It used to take seven steps to take effect, but now it only takes three. Grandpa personally tested the drug's effects, slammed his fist on the table, and exclaimed, "This kid will definitely be the most outstanding poison master in the fourth generation of the Wen family after me!"
He winked as he said this, with a hint of jest, yet also a subtle sense of pride.
Wen Luoyu finally stopped crying and smiled, gently patting Wen Yanzhao's hand:
"You silly child, how can you compare yourself to the younger generation? Xiaoxiao is only nine years old, you should take better care of him."
She sighed again, her gaze drifting south. "Speaking of which, I really miss my father. And my brother... He loves my cured meats the most. In previous years, he would have come to Qiandong to beg for them by now!"
Baili Chengfeng quickly replied, "Once the war is over, I'll accompany you back to Lingnan for a whole year."
My father-in-law likes fishing, so I go fishing with him; my brother-in-law likes drinking, so I dug up all the wine that Dongjun buried—enough for everyone!
As they were talking, Wen Luoyu put another piece of chicken on Wen Yanzhao's plate and said softly, "Zhao'er, you've lost weight in the past six months in Qiandong."
"Making those medicine figures is important, but I also have to take care of my own health..."
Before the words were finished, a clear, long laugh suddenly came from outside the main hall:
"My dear sister—I'm so glad you still remember your brother! Hehe... It's lunchtime, so I won't be polite!"
The sound came suddenly, piercing through the night wind and drilling straight into the hall.
All three of them were taken aback!
Wen Luoyu was the first to react, and she stood up abruptly, not caring that the soup bowl in front of her was overturned by her sleeve.
She opened her eyes wide and looked towards the door, her lips trembling: "This...this is..."
The curtain was suddenly flung open.
A figure in a bluish-gray hue swayed in. The newcomer was in his early forties, with a handsome face and an unkempt appearance.
His eyes were slightly upturned, naturally carrying a hint of a smile. His gray robe was damp with night dew, and a few blades of grass clung to his cuffs, clearly indicating that he had traveled in haste.
It is none other than the young master of the Wen family—Poison Bodhisattva Wenhu Wine!
……
"Brother!" Wen Luoyu's eyes reddened again, this time from tears of joy.
She strode forward and grabbed Wen Hujiu's arm, looking him up and down. "Why...why did you come so suddenly? You didn't even send a message beforehand!"
He let his younger sister hold the wine pot, grinned, revealing a set of white teeth: "Send a message? Is sending a message considered a surprise?"
He sniffed, his eyes darting across the table. "Steamed assorted preserved meats! Dong'an chicken! And Luan River perch—girl, you knew I was coming!"
Baili Chengfeng had already stood up and respectfully bowed, saying, "Uncle, you have come from afar. Please take a seat."
He then pulled out a chair himself and called out, "Rui'er! Go to the wine cellar and fetch the jar of 'Yuanzheng' that Dongjun buried last year!"
The maid Rui'er responded and left. Without any ceremony, he sat down casually, grabbed a piece of cured meat, and popped it into his mouth, chewing it with a loud smacking sound.
"Hmm! My sister's cooking is still the most authentic! Chefs from Lingnan always seem to lack that bit of spiciness and smoky flavor when making preserved meats..."
Wen Yanzhao frowned and asked in confusion:
“Uncle, why aren’t you staying in Lingnan with your aunt? What are you doing running off to Qiandong? Your aunt is getting sick and needs someone to take care of her.”
Upon hearing this, Wen Hujiu's playful expression faded somewhat.
He picked up the wine cup that Baili Chengfeng had just filled for him, tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp, then smacked his lips and said:
"You think I wanted to come? It's all your grandfather's fault!"
The old man came to my yard three times a day, nagging about how Zhao'er was tinkering with medicine figures in Qiandong. That was the evil magic of the Confucian immortals of Xichu. If something went wrong, the backlash would be no joke!
Luo Yu's whole family is in Qian Dong. As her brother-in-law, how come you're not worried at all?
He paused, glanced at Wen Luoyu, and lowered his voice: "Besides, it's true that your grandfather is worried about Zhao'er, but my own sister and brother-in-law are both in Qiandong. How could I not be worried?!"
With the Northern Li army pressing in, and that scoundrel Ye Xiaoying defeated at Chaisang City, now retreating to Fuzhou, only eighty li from Qiandong, how can I possibly relax and drink tea in Lingnan?
Wen Luoyu tightened her grip on his hand, her eyes welling up with tears again.
Just then, Rui'er returned carrying a wine jar. The jar was still covered in damp mud from the cellar. As soon as the seal was broken, the rich aroma of the wine immediately filled the air.
Wenhu Jiu's eyes lit up. Without even using a wine cup, he tilted his head back and took a big gulp directly from the mouth of the jar.
"Ahem—good wine!"
He wiped his mouth, his face flushed, "I've drunk a lot of good wine in the world, but in the end, the wine brewed by my own nephew is still the most to my liking!"
"That young man Dongjun, putting everything else aside, his skill in brewing is unparalleled!"
Everyone laughed upon hearing this. Wen Luoyu served her brother more food, Baili Chengfeng kept urging him to drink, and Wen Yanzhao also relaxed and began to tell the interesting stories about training medicine people in Tieji Ridge—of course, omitting the bloody and horrifying parts.
The candlelight crackled, and the aroma of wine filled the air.
At this moment, the battles, the magic tricks, and the court intrigues outside seemed to be kept out of this warm hall.
The family dinner was drawing to a close, but the atmosphere in the main hall remained warm.
……