Xiao Yunying slept straight through until dark. When she opened her eyes, she saw a faint light still on in the room. She rubbed her eyes and sat up.

"woke up?"

Luo Sheng's voice rang out from the other side, and Xiao Yunying turned her head: "Why are you sitting here instead of sleeping?"

"I was afraid you'd be thirsty when you woke up, so I stayed here for a while."

Xiao Yunying glanced out the window and realized it was completely dark: "I'll get myself some water if I'm thirsty. I'm not a child, you don't need to watch over me."

"I'm just worried that you might not be sober yet, and what if you bump or hurt yourself?"

Luo Yong got off the bed and lit another candle to make the room brighter: "How are you feeling? Are you feeling unwell? Miss Zheng made you some hangover soup and left some food for you to keep warm in the pot. Would you like some?"

Xiao Yunying checked her body: "It's not too uncomfortable, just a bit heavy-headed. I won't eat anything, I ate a lot at noon, so I'm not hungry now."

"Do you want some water? You get thirsty easily after drinking too much."

"I want to drink, but wait a bit. I'm going out for a bit and I'll be right back."

After she finished taking care of her business and washed her hands, Luo Sheng had already prepared a large cup of perfectly warm tea for her.

"Drink it, the temperature is just right."

Xiao Yunying touched the cup to check its temperature: "That's so thoughtful, thank you."

She drank most of the tea in one gulp to quench her thirst, and said to Luo Sheng, "I'm sober now, you should go to sleep, you don't need to stay with me."

After saying that, she climbed back into bed first, not forgetting to remind him, "Don't forget to put out the candles."

Perhaps it was the lingering alcohol in her system, but after lying quietly for a while, she fell into a deep sleep again.

Luo Sheng, who had originally wanted to talk to her, could only extinguish the candles and prepare to go to sleep as well.

——————

In early April, Donglin City had already entered the early spring season.

The weather was nice that day, so Xiao Yunying organized everyone to take out their bedding to air it out, and then washed all the dirty clothes that had been accumulated over the winter.

After all, it was the clothes that so many people had changed out of all winter, plus the sheets and blankets, and it took them a whole day to wash them all.

As evening approached, Xiao Yunying hung out the last sheet to dry. She then got up and stretched her backside, which had become a little numb from sitting. "Yunwan, let's clean up this. You go to the kitchen and soak some wood ear mushrooms. Let's have a simple bowl of noodles with gravy for dinner. I'm exhausted after a long day and I'm too lazy to cook."

Granny Chang said, "I'll cook. You've been busy all day, so you deserve a good meal tonight. Young Madam, please rest. I'll have Mengchun call you when the food is ready."

Xiao Yunying thought she could manage, but she didn't know if Madam Luo could manage, so she didn't stand on ceremony: "Then I'll take a break and leave it to Granny Chang."

“What are you saying, young mistress? Everyone gets tired after washing clothes all day. How can taking a break be called being lazy? This is what this old servant should do.”

Granny Chang genuinely liked this young mistress and never put on airs in front of them. She would do things herself whenever possible and never just order them around.

Just like today, despite their repeated attempts to persuade her, the young mistress insisted on washing clothes with them, saying that with one more person, the work would be done faster.

At times like these, they would experience an indescribable emotion, and it was this feeling that made them like the young mistress more and more.

Xiao Yunying poured out the water in the basin, heard a knock at the door, replied "Coming," and stood the wooden basin in the corner of the wall to open the door.

"Wei Xun, are you here to see Luo Sheng?"

Wei Xun stood outside the door holding a jar and replied, "I'm not looking for the master, the old lady is looking for me."

Xiao Yunying looked at the jar in his hand with a puzzled expression: "Mother is in the living room helping Xin'er practice calligraphy. You can go now."

She was curious about what was in the jar, but since it was someone else's private matter, she didn't ask.

Wei Xun bowed to her and went into the reception room. Xiao Yunying continued tidying up the courtyard. Not long after, she saw Wei Xun come out of the reception room empty-handed, bow to her again, and then leave.

This means the jar was left behind; it's something Madam Luo wanted.

She muttered to herself, but she wasn't fixated on getting to the bottom of other people's business. After muttering that, she went back to doing her own thing.

Originally, this matter only passed through Xiao Yunying's mind. After she and everyone finished tidying up the yard, they went back to the house to rest for a while before going to the kitchen to help with cooking.

When she saw the jar still on the table when it was time for dinner, she began to have some doubts.

This isn't just a wine jar, is it?

Does Mrs. Luo want a drink?

After everyone was seated, Xiao Yunying saw Granny Chang bring over two white porcelain wine pots, open the jars, and pour wine into them.

She was close enough to vaguely smell the aroma and confirmed that it was indeed alcohol.

She found it strange that her family clearly had alcohol at home, including baijiu, rice wine, huangjiu, and wine. Granny Chang, who was often in the kitchen, knew this, so why did Madam Luo still ask Wei Xun to go out and buy alcohol?

She didn't ask, guessing that perhaps the wine in her house didn't suit Madam Luo's taste. Some things didn't need to be asked so clearly, as it would make her seem like she was meddling too much and too controlling.

Just as she placed a piece of food on Luo Xin's plate, she heard Madam Luo say, "Yun Ying, come and have a drink with your mother."

"ah?"

Xiao Yunying was stunned for a moment, and then she saw Granny Chang hand the wine jar to Meng Xia and carry it into the kitchen. Granny Chang then took a pot of wine and two small wine cups and placed them between herself and Luo Sheng. Before she could refuse, she poured the wine into the cup.

She said with difficulty, "Mother, I can't hold my liquor well, so let Luo Sheng drink with you instead."

Judging from the color of the wine, it should be rice wine, and the alcohol content should be at least ten or twenty degrees.

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