Chapter 372 Drinking Buddies

Old friends reunite and are greeted with wine.

Song Chunxue went home and told Lao Si and the others what to do, then took the Taoist priest and Lord Xie to a restaurant and ordered a table full of dishes.

It was only then that she realized that bringing someone like Lord Xie to her home for dinner was inappropriate.

She was a farmer and didn't understand these things before.

But now she understands that from Lord Xie's perspective, such behavior would be an inexplicable temptation for someone who wanders around.

Dandelion seeds drift in the wind, yearning for the wind to rise and never stop, but their ultimate mission is to fall to the ground, mix into the soil, and wait to sprout and take root the following year.

If it's unintentional, don't provoke them.

The moment Song Chunxue saw Xie Zheng again, she told herself to be decisive and not to act rashly.

As they approached the restaurant entrance, the Taoist priest suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

"I said I was going to find Lei Yun, but I don't know if he's cursing right now. I'll go check on him first."

The Taoist priest raised his hand and said, "You go up first, I'll be right behind you."

Song Chunxue turned her head. If it were before, she would have believed it, but after spending so much time with her senior brother, how could she not see that he was doing it on purpose?

"Alright, what would you like to eat, senior brother? I'll order it first."

The Taoist priest casually said, "I'll order when I get here, otherwise it'll get cold."

As he spoke, he had already walked towards the fork in the road.

Well, it's good that some things are out in the open; it's bound to be awkward with a third person present.

"Please come upstairs, Lord Xie."

Xie Zheng raised his hand. "Please."

The two of them went to a private room on the second floor. Song Chunxue ordered four dishes, and the two of them poured themselves a full glass of wine and ate quietly.

The long silence made Song Chunxue feel somewhat uncomfortable.

"Has the lord already taken up his post in Jincheng? How many days will you stay in Zhuanglang County?"

Xie Zheng put down his chopsticks, a warm smile spreading across his face. "Yes, I arrived in Jincheng half a month ago, and recently I've been running around dealing with the unrest in various places."

Song Chunxue nodded, then gently advised, "The Northwest is a turbulent place, and you look more haggard than last time. If you return to the capital, it will surely be more stable, and you'll be closer to your family."

After much deliberation, she could only express her attitude in such a tactful way.

Xie Zheng smiled. "I understand what you mean. You don't need to overthink it."

Song Chunxue breathed a sigh of relief. "That bracelet from last time was too valuable; I can't accept it."

As she spoke, she took out a brocade box from her bosom.

I specifically ran back to my room to get it when I got home; my senior brother said it's extremely valuable.

Moreover, it carries a special meaning for a man to give a woman a bracelet.

“You even went out of your way to give it to me,” Xie Zheng pushed the box in front of her. “Just consider it a souvenir. I can only pawn it if I take it back. I’ve already spent all the gold you gave me last time, so I can’t return it all.”

Song Chunxue looked slightly embarrassed, "That's not what I meant..."

Xie Zheng nodded. "I understand."

He raised his glass and said, "We're not young anymore, not young men and women just experiencing first love. There's no need to hide some things."

Song Chunxue picked up her wine glass, her face calm, but her heart was in turmoil.

"I do indeed have feelings for you, and you are not entirely unaware of it. We each have our own entanglements and our own unavoidable circumstances." He raised his wine glass with a gentle smile in his amber eyes. "It is already a blessing to have met you. Why should we seek an outcome?"

After saying that, he tilted his head back and drank the strong sorghum liquor.

Looking at his pristine white collar, the three-clawed python robe bestowed upon him by the Emperor, Song Chunxue felt a warmth in her heart. She understood that this was the feeling of being appreciated.

In her previous life, she had never felt this way.

Why bother seeking a result? It turns out she was just attached to appearances.

All her previous anxieties vanished, and she drank the sorghum liquor, which burned her throat terribly.

"Before I came here, I was racking my brains about what to call you. But when we met just now, I called you 'Sister Song'." Xie Zheng shook his head to himself. "It sounds a bit too formal. Actually, we've had a special connection since we met."

He looked straight at Song Chunxue and said, “Perhaps I have misunderstood. Since meeting you, my initial disdain for this wild land has turned into an appreciation for its ruggedness and resilience.”

"Just because you are a woman, I mistakenly thought this was romantic love between a man and a woman. I was just being foolish," he raised his wine glass again, the smile in his eyes growing even brighter with the aroma of alcohol. "Song Chunxue, let's drink together, put aside our past grievances, and become drinking buddies. What do you say?"

Song Chunxue thought to herself, "A proper scholar really does speak differently."

He meant that all his previous thoughts were just an illusion, and that it would be better to be friends than to keep dodging each other like this.

She should have said so earlier! Now she felt much better. Those vague, indescribable emotions suddenly dissipated, as if the clouds had parted and the moon was shining brightly.

That's more appropriate. At her age, it's really not safe for her to get all worked up over someone.

She stood up, raised her cup with both hands, and said, "Lord Xie is right. He has read so many books, and his words are so insightful. So, wherever we meet in the future, let us drink a cup together."

As she spoke, a surge of warmth rose within her.

Damn it, having lived two lives, she can now make drinking buddies like a man; that's really something.

Xie Zheng was taken aback, then smiled and stood up. "Alright, it's a deal then. A bosom friend afar brings a distant land near. Having such a friend, I feel a sense of belonging in this desolate place."

Although Song Chunxue couldn't understand, Xie Zheng's voice was pleasant to hear and made her feel good.

"Done."

This wine is truly excellent. Coupled with Lord Xie's words, all my previous hesitation and indecisiveness vanished.

"Tsk..." This wine is so strong it hurts the throat. She stopped pretending to be reserved, frowned, and smacked her lips. "This wine is really strong, it will make you drunk quickly. Why don't we eat some food instead?"

"If you're not in a hurry to leave, I'll treat you to apricot blossom wine tomorrow. Two jars will leave you half-drunk and half-awake."

"By the way, the fish you made was quite good. I'll braise a big pork knuckle for you later. The pig's stomach and intestines are also great with alcohol. You haven't tried them yet, have you?"

Xie Zheng's words were like a panacea, removing her unconscious self-restraint in front of him. She spoke more casually and her voice unconsciously rose.

"Oh right, you said you spent quite a bit of the money I gave you last time. Do you have enough? If not, I can lend you two more dollars."

"..." Xie Zheng sighed, judging from her tone, she still had quite a bit of gold.

“I see that other people’s drinking buddies are very close, even more so than biological parents and sons. I have never made friends with such an important person in my life. When I get old, I can brag to my grandchildren and great-grandchildren about how I was back then.”

"Also, where is Chunshu? Did he learn how to make noodles with minced meat sauce last time? If you want some, I'll make it for you tomorrow, and we'll have a couple of drinks too."

"..." So, of all that he said, she grasped the meaning of "drinking buddy" the most thoroughly.

"Come on, have another drink." Song Chunxue patted her chest. "Today is the first time I've killed someone. I don't know if I'll forget it after I get drunk. Otherwise, I won't dare to use a sickle to cut grass anymore."

Xie Zheng shook his head with a smile, "I didn't expect that you were faking it all along."

"That's not true. It's not that I'm pretending; it's that I'm just not relaxed." As she spoke, Song Chunxue picked up the wine jar. "The wine cup is too small. If you call me by my full name, then I'll call you Xie Zheng?"

"Thank you, fellow drinker! Let's drink until we're drunk tonight! Cheers!"