Then he handed the pen to the other local gentry. Seeing that the village head had already written down his title, the others thought, "What am I supposed to write? Forget it, I'll just write down my address."

I never expected that a registration would turn into a contact list.

This time, the group did not arrive at the main hall of the Zhao family's house.

It was actually the newly built reception hall of the Zhao family, specifically for receiving guests.

The left side is the reception area, and the chairs are sofas specially covered with cloth and cotton.

There are single, double, and triple seats. The main seat is a triple sofa, with a single sofa on each side.

On the left and right sides, in a straight line, there is one person alone and one person in groups of three.

To the right of the living room is the dining area, large enough to fit at least two large rotating dining tables, with the kitchen directly adjacent to it.

This kitchen is a place specifically for preparing dishes for distinguished guests.

Of course, the family usually eats their meals in the living room of the main house, where the whole family gathers together.

The reception area and the dining area are separated by a bamboo screen.

Although there is no exquisite embroidery, it has a rustic charm.

After everyone took their seats, Huang naturally gave the head seat to Han Xuri, and then sat on the single sofa on the right.

Magistrate Qiu naturally sat to Han Xuri's left.

The pavilion chief, Zheng Xiyang, was a little confused by this seating arrangement.

Wasn't Magistrate Qiu and himself considered to be of the highest status? How come this pale-faced young man is sitting in the main seat?

So if his status is higher than Magistrate Qiu's, then why is he completely unconcerned about Old Lady Zhao's rudeness?

The village head's expression changed like a palette, but who cared?

The servants served tea and then withdrew.

"Gentlemen, this old woman doesn't have any good tea at home. Thinking that the weather is getting hotter and hotter, I had someone brew this chrysanthemum tea to cool down and reduce internal heat."

Everyone, please have a taste. These were picked at the end of last summer; I selected the best ones and preserved them.

The taste is quite good, everyone should try it.

Everyone picked up their teacups, each containing only a single chrysanthemum.

The golden petals seem to dance in the water, and when you take a sip, in addition to the taste of chrysanthemum, there is also a hint of sweetness.

"Madam Zhao, is there sugar in this?"

The speaker was the owner of the largest general store in Wufang Town. His business spanned the entire Qingyang County, and his name was Zou Feng.

Mrs. Huang nodded, "There is indeed sugar in it."

Zou Feng immediately grasped the key point.

"This sugar is not the usual brown sugar. Please enlighten me, Madam."

Mrs. Huang smiled and said,

"I used rock sugar here, which is much more refined than brown sugar. Because it's complicated to make, I only made a small amount, enough for my own family."

Like a stone thrown into a still pond, Huang was unaware that her casual remark had stirred up a storm among those present.

Even Han Xuri looked at the Huang family.

Mr. Huang was very puzzled.

"No, why are you all looking at this old woman like that? Is there something on my face?"

Zou Feng, who spoke first,

"Madam, could you please bring out that rock candy so that we can all have a look at it?"

My elderly mother loves sweets, but she doesn't like the taste of brown sugar. So, she usually relies on wild honey she finds in the mountains to sweeten her mouth.

But as you know, honey is hard to find and rare. If you're not careful, it can sting you all over, and in severe cases, it can even be fatal.

Whose life isn't a life?

Zou felt reluctant to let his mother risk her life for the sake of her appetite, but he also couldn't bear to see his mother suffer a loss.

It's hard to be a filial son. May I ask the old lady to take out the rock candy for me to see?

"If the old lady is willing, I can offer a high price to buy it."

Everyone: When it comes to shamelessness, you, Crazy Zou, are the best. What do you mean, "your mother loves sweets"? It's just your own preference.

Mrs. Huang smiled. There was always plenty of food at home, but she had completely forgotten to tell them not to add sugar today.

They called someone to bring out the jar of rock sugar from the kitchen.

On the coffee table in front of each person, there was a small plate with a pair of chopsticks on it.

The little maid carried a jar of rock sugar, and put a spoonful of rock sugar, about two or three pieces, in each person's small dish.

As for the chopsticks, they were naturally used to pick up rock candy.

These are all people of status; you can't expect them to grab you with their bare hands.

Fortunately, the rock candy the little girl took out was yellow, not the transparent kind; otherwise, everyone in the room might have gone crazy.

Everyone carefully picked up a piece of sugar and put it in their mouths. It tasted completely different from brown sugar, much sweeter.

"Madam, would you be so kind as to part with some of yours and give it to me?"

Zou Feng's eyes were shining brightly, like a big dog wanting meat.

Huang almost burst out laughing when she saw how greedy he looked.

"There isn't much left in this household for now. I'll check how much we have in reserve later. If there is more, I'll give each of you two taels."

As for more, that would really be too much for this old woman.

Although Zou Feng was somewhat disappointed, he perked up immediately when he heard that he could at least get two ounces.

Just then, a servant came to report that the banquet over there was ready.

The group moved to the dining area.

Although there were many people today, the Zhao family's living room was large, and the table was even larger, so they were able to accommodate everyone at the large table.

However, there were two empty seats next to Huang, which puzzled everyone.

Just then, an old man and a young man entered from outside the door. The newcomers were none other than Yunyou and Xu Dongsheng.

Xu Dongsheng sat down to Huang's right, and then Yunyou followed.

Everyone was puzzled. Who were these two people? Huang introduced them.

"These two are my family members."

The younger one is my third granddaughter's fiancé, and this is my grandson-in-law's mentor, whom you can call Mr. Yun.

Xu Dongsheng clasped his hands in greeting and sat down. Just as he was about to take a sip of tea, he felt a gaze fixed intently on him. He looked in the direction of the gaze.

Han Xuri was looking at Xu Dongsheng with an incredulous expression.

"Young master, is there something wrong with me?" Xu Dongsheng asked.

Han Xuri almost burst into tears.

The boy in front of me looks at least 70% like my own mother, except that his skin is a bit darker.

"What's your name? How old are you? Do you have any birthmarks?"

After a barrage of questions from Han Xuri, Xu Dongsheng was completely bewildered.

Huang could tell that Han Xuri had something to say.

He then tactfully invited everyone to eat, and then led Han Xuri and Xu Dongsheng to a small room next to the reception area.

"Young Master Han, my grandson-in-law is from a hunter's family. Why are you asking this?"

Huang's Way.

Han Xuri tried hard to control his emotions.

"May I see your back? Do you have a firebird tattoo on it?"

Xu Dongsheng's eyes widened.

No one knew about his tattoos except his parents. Over the years, no matter when, even when he was sweating profusely in the heat, he had never taken off his outer shirt.