Xiao Youzhi couldn't help but chuckle, cupping his hands and saying, "Uncle's teachings are etched in my mind." He caught a glimpse of Meng Zhao's sullen face out of the corner of his eye, and his smile deepened.

Once at the dinner table, seeing the large spread of food and wine, everyone forgot about what had just happened and enjoyed a pleasant atmosphere. Meng Dashan enthusiastically picked up a wine jar and poured Xiao Youzhi a full cup: "Come, come, Youzhi, try this! You won't find anything like it anywhere else!"

Xiao Youzhi quickly stood up and respectfully accepted the wine cup with both hands: "Thank you, Uncle." He then tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp. However, as soon as the wine entered his throat, he felt a hot, burning sensation rush to his throat, as if a fire was burning in his chest. He forced himself not to cough, but his brows furrowed involuntarily.

Seeing this, Meng Dashan laughed heartily, "My bad, my bad, I forgot to remind you, this wine was brewed by Zhaozhao herself, it's very strong, you can't drink it so fast." After saying that, remembering that drinkers are very concerned about saving face, he added, "I choked quite a bit the first time I drank it, this wine, you have to savor it slowly."

At this moment, the burning sensation gradually faded, replaced by a lingering sweetness. Xiao Youzhi savored it carefully, and finally, a hint of refreshing fruity fragrance lingered on his tongue, which made his eyes light up.

Seeing that Xiao Youzhi choked, Xu Yunrong quickly used serving chopsticks to put food on his plate. "Try this sweet and sour fish. It's perfect with wine and it also helps with hangovers."

Meng Dashan refilled everyone's cups. This time, Xiao Youzhi learned his lesson and only took a small sip. Sure enough, upon careful tasting, he could better appreciate the exquisite nature of the wine.

Although the wine is spicy, it is extremely smooth on the palate, without any stickiness. After drinking it, one only feels a refreshing coolness, and the aftertaste is rich, with the aroma of wine lingering on the lips and teeth, leaving a lingering aftertaste that is unforgettable. Even an expert like him, who has tasted many famous wines, couldn't help but praise it, saying, "Good wine!"

Seeing that he liked it, Meng Dashan was even happier. "Since it's good wine, then we must drink until we drop today! Come on, fill it up!"

Xiao Youzhi was indeed a businessman, very eloquent. He first praised the wine and food, then praised Xu and Meng for their kindness and friendliness, making them smile from ear to ear. During the meal, he talked about many scenic spots in Jiangnan. Meng Zhao listened with his chin in his hand, and his eyes unconsciously showed a look of longing.

"Hahaha, Youzhi, Youzhi, I thought you could drink so much, but I still managed to drink you under the table!" Meng Dashan looked smugly at Xiao Youzhi, who was propping her head up with her hand, and then raised his wine glass, "Daughter, fill your dad's glass again!"

Xu Yunrong snatched the wine glass away quickly. "You've already drunk so much. If you keep drinking, don't complain to me about your headache tomorrow morning."

Seeing this, Meng Zhao stood up and said, "Mother, please help Father back to his room to rest. I'll see Xiao Youzhi out." Xu Yunrong nodded and helped Meng Dashan out.

After her parents left, Meng Zhao turned to Xiao Youzhi, who was leaning against the table, and waved her hand in front of his eyes. "How are you? Can you still walk? Do you want me to go out and send someone to pick you up?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Youzhi first shook his head, then straightened up, his previously hazy eyes instantly clearing. "Is it alright? I can go out by myself."

Then Meng Zhao walked ahead, leading him out of the hospital. She kept turning back, only to see Xiao Youzhi walking steadily, showing no signs of drunkenness whatsoever. So she stopped and asked curiously, "Are you drunk or not?"

Xiao Youzhi's lips curled slightly, his voice deep and clear: "Perhaps I'm just naturally gifted at drinking; the wine in this world that can get me drunk probably hasn't been brewed yet."

"Then just now..." Meng Zhao suddenly realized, "you were faking it?"

Xiao Youzhi took a step forward, their two shadows gradually overlapping. "If I don't pretend to be drunk, how will Uncle Meng let it go? What if I hurt myself?" Then he leaned forward slightly, a mischievous glint in his eyes, "wouldn't you kick me out?"

Upon hearing this, Meng Zhao raised her chin slightly and said, "Alright, at least you have some sense." She turned to leave, but heard no footsteps following behind her. She turned back in confusion and saw Xiao Youzhi still standing there, his shadow stretched long by the moonlight.

"Why aren't you leaving?"

Xiao Youzhi gazed at the woman under the moonlight and suddenly asked, "You want to open a restaurant?"

Meng Zhao's heart skipped a beat. He looked up and met Xiao Youzhi's insightful gaze. Xiao Youzhi continued, "During the meal, Uncle Meng said that you brewed many different kinds of wine and invited me to drink with you in the future. If you were just drinking it yourself, why would you need to brew so much? Based on my understanding of you, you would not be satisfied with just opening a small tavern. You must want to open a restaurant."

Meng Zhao raised an eyebrow. "What, afraid I'll steal Chunfenglou's business?"

Xiao Youzhi chuckled softly, his laughter ringing out clearly in the quiet courtyard: "How could that be? The capital is so big, what harm would one more restaurant do?" He suddenly became serious, his gaze fixed intently on her, "I just wanted to say, if you need any help, just ask. Don't always wait until the last minute to come begging for help."

Meng Zhao paused slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. She looked at the person before her with a touch of suspicion. Xiao Youzhi noticed her gaze and raised an eyebrow, asking, "What's wrong?"

"Your attitude is really unlike your old self," Meng Zhao said, pursing her lips slightly, half-jokingly. "I thought that when you heard I was going to open a restaurant, you would first laugh at me for overestimating myself, and then secretly try to trip me up."

Xiao Youzhi frowned slightly, his expression appearing particularly serious in the moonlight: "Am I really that worthless in your eyes?"

Meng Zhaoyuan wanted to blurt out "more or less," but then changed her mind: "Hehe, I was just kidding." She looked up at the bright moon in the sky, her tone softening, "But you have indeed changed a lot. Could it be that the soil and water of Jiangnan are really so nourishing? Even a shrewd businesswoman like you has become so easy to talk to."

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!