With four or five plates of side dishes and two bowls of hot soup, Mr. Liu He was drooling when he followed Xia Zhaoyi into the hall.
He looked around and felt something was missing, so he asked Xia Zhaoyi to wait.
Mr. Liu He turned around and left. He bumped into Shen Lie in the kitchen carrying two plates of stir-fried vegetables. He stopped and asked, "What kind of wine does Young Master Shen like to drink?"
"Junior can't drink tonight," Shen Lie said, "I will leave early tomorrow morning and it will not be easy to drink."
"Not even one cup?"
"... This junior is so drunk that he will fall asleep after just one drink."
"Okay," Mr. Liu He raised his eyebrows, "I almost forgot your identities, but it would be a pity not to have a few drinks with this table of delicious food."
"If you don't mind, sir, can I have tea instead of wine?" Shen Lie said.
"I have kept it in my old cellar for several years, but I have never been able to find a chance to drink it. It's rare to have a good time tonight, the courtyard is lively, and there are old friends there, alas." Mr. Liu He sighed.
"..."
"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. I'll drink it myself. You go quickly. The girl may be tired in there alone. You go and keep her company."
"Okay." Shen Lie responded.
Xia Zhaoyi is not tired. Although she has been hungry all day, she is very interested in reading the calligraphy and paintings hung in the hall by Mr. Liu He.
Hearing the sound of Shen Lie coming in, Xia Zhaoyi turned around, with a smile on his lips, and said, "Uncle Liu went to get the wine."
"Well," Shen Lie smiled, "He seems to be in a good mood."
Xia Zhaoyi walked over, looked at the hot and exquisite dishes on the table, and said, "It's a pity that I have to leave tomorrow. If there is a chance in the future, I really want to come and stay with Uncle Liu for a few more days."
Shen Lie looked at her and said softly: "There will be some." After a pause, he added, "Does your friend need to send some food over?"
"He is not my friend," Xia Zhaoyi smiled, "I picked it up by chance."
"……you do not know?"
"Today I saw him grieving for the death of his brother. I felt a lot of emotions in my heart. Besides, I couldn't help but die."
Shen Lie nodded: "Yes."
"I'll deliver the medicine later," Xia Zhaoyi said, "He's good at boxing and kicking, but I don't know his temperament or origins. I'll keep a few more hands here to prevent him from doing anything unexpected to Uncle Liu."
"Well," Shen Lie said, "If you want to have a backup plan, it's best to directly utilize the soldiers and horses in the camp."
"How did you know I had this plan?" Xia Zhaoyi smiled again.
"What are your plans?" Mr. Liu He came in with two jars of wine, "Ali, what are you talking about?"
Xia Zhaoyi went over to take one of the jars, put it on the table and said with a smile: "I am telling Mr. Shen that Uncle Liu is an old fox. He used to sell people and they would count the money for you!"
"Hahaha..." Mr. Liu He waved his hand, "We're all going, we're all going."
The table is not big, and although there are many dishes, the portions are medium.
After sitting down at the table, Mr. Liu He poured wine, insisting on pouring a small cup for both Shen Lie and Xia Zhaoyi.
Both of them are extremely self-disciplined people. It's already late at night and they have to travel tomorrow, so they don't drink even a drop of the small glass of wine.
Mr. Liu He ate slowly, talked a lot, and drank more wine. Because he got together with his old friend's children, when the wine got the better of him, all he talked about was with his old friend.
Starting from Xia Wenshan, we talked about the glory of the Dingguo Palace in the past, and then we talked about Xia Zhaoyi.
Xia Zhaoyi was eating and chatting with him next to her. When she heard him praising herself continuously, she didn't feel ashamed or uncomfortable at all.
When Mr. Liu He was exaggerating and blowing his words to the sky, she laughed several times, and she did not forget to raise her hand to pat Mr. Liu He on the back to prevent him from belching and distracting her.
Shen Lie was also quite cooperative. Mr. Liu He was extremely talkative, his words were vivid and lifelike, and when he was drunk, his brows would be full of joy, and his words would turn into vivid pictures.
During this period, Shen Lie often couldn't help but look at Xia Zhaoyi. The person involved in the story was sitting next to her gracefully. Shen Lie really wanted to ask her if those interesting stories were true.
After finishing the banquet, it was almost time to get ugly.
Mr. Liu He was drowsy, Shen Lie stood up and helped him back to the room.
When he came back, Xia Zhaoyi was clearing away the dishes and chopsticks on the table.
Shen Lie came over and tidied up with her, saying, "As soon as Mr. Liu touched the pillow, he fell asleep directly."
"On a night like this, you should take advantage of the wind in the courtyard and put the food and wine in the courtyard," Xia Zhaoyi said with a smile. "If you are drunk and sleepy, you can just sleep on the deck chair in the courtyard and pick up a thick quilt. Covered, and then woken up by the next day's sunshine. Unfortunately, the current situation is not suitable for publicity, and a lot of fun has been lost."
Shen Lie smiled: "You're not afraid of getting sick?"
"Afraid," Xia Zhaoyi picked up the dishes in his hands and said with a smile, "But it's fun. In life, you can only be happy if you occasionally break the rules a few times."
She turned and walked outside, put the dishes in the small basket next to the well, and picked up a bucket of water.
Shen Lie also walked out and put the bowls and chopsticks in.
The two of them continued chatting and washing dishes together. As they chatted, Xia Zhaoyi gradually became distracted when she saw Shen Lie's relatively proficient way of washing dishes and chopsticks.
She still has very beautiful hands, slender and white, with distinct finger bones and rounded fingertips, but the calluses on her hands have become a bit more numerous.
"Shen Lie," Xia Zhaoyi raised her clear eyes and looked at the clear and handsome young man in the night, "Although you don't like it, I still want to ask, what happened to you in these years..."
