After tasting the food prepared by the fifth uncle, the third and seventh uncles' smiles deepened considerably.

"Fifth Brother, your cooking skills are getting better and better." Seventh Uncle squinted his eyes with delight as he ate.

Uncle Qi has a good appetite, but he is old and his teeth and digestion are not good. The food his family cooks is just average. He can only hope that there will be a wedding banquet in the village so that he can have a good meal.

The fifth brother's cooking skills were his favorite.

This kid doesn't usually cook, which made him really hungry.

"That's right." The fifth brother grinned, raising his chin smugly.

"You think you can do whatever you want just because I gave you a little taste?" Uncle San joked, while also enjoying his meal.

"It's just a meal together today, don't be nervous," Qin Yu whispered in Xia Lan's ear, afraid she would feel embarrassed.

Apart from Aunt Liu and Aunt Qian, there were no other women present.

"I'll take you back to your room once you've eaten."

"Um."

Xia Lan nodded obediently.

Xia Lan sat next to Qin Yu, and Qin Yu kept putting food on her plate, afraid that she would be too shy to pick up food for herself.

"I never expected that our Stone would be such a doting husband!" someone joked after seeing Qin Yu's actions.

"It wasn't easy for me to get a wife, so of course I have to pamper her." Qin Yu didn't care about their teasing, nor did he feel embarrassed.

Of course, you have to pamper your own wife.

Whenever Xia Lan tasted something delicious, her eyes would light up, and he would immediately put a few more bites on her plate.

Xia Lan blushed as Qin Yu fed her until she couldn't eat anymore. Then she secretly tugged at Qin Yu's clothes and looked at him with big, teary eyes.

Qin Yu understood, and naturally took Xia Lan's bowl and placed it in front of him, eating all the rest of what was left in her bowl.

Aunt Liu and Aunt Qian smiled knowingly when they saw this.

"I'll take her back to her room first. Second brother, bring out the wine and fill up the cups for all the uncles," Qin Yu said with a smile to his second brother.

"It's been prepared for a long time." The second son took out a bottle of liquor from under the table, and the elders at the table immediately lit up.

"Quick, quick, fill it up!" Uncle San's lips curled into a smile as he looked at the wine.

Qin Yu helped Xia Lan back to her room, squeezed her hand, and chuckled. "Go to sleep if you're tired. Don't wait for me; I reckon I'll have drunk quite a bit."

“Okay.” Xia Lan nodded, but couldn’t help worrying, and advised, “You… drink less, and eat something to fill your stomach before you drink.”

"Yes, ma'am." Hearing Xia Lan's concern for him, a hint of joy flashed in Qin Yu's eyes.

He slowly moved closer to Xia Lan's cheek, his hot breath hitting her ear and causing her to tremble slightly. He called out to Xia Lan in a hoarse, low voice.

"daughter in law."

“…Hmm.” Xia Lan’s heart pounded when she heard this word for the second time.

His voice trailed off with a hint of amusement, like a feather gently tickling her heart, leaving Xia Lan somewhat defenseless.

Looking at Xia Lan's blushing face, Qin Yu swallowed hard, his eyes unable to leave her alluring red lips, and tentatively moved closer.

Xia Lan looked up at Qin Yu, and their eyes met. Xia Lan saw a fervent light flashing in Qin Yu's eyes, with a seductive quality.

At such close range, Xia Lan's ears and neck quickly became hot.

Qin Yu suddenly moved, reaching out to kiss Xia Lan hard on the back of her head.

This time, unlike before, the kisses were lingering and slow, as if he wanted to savor all her sweetness, slow and long, yet fierce as if he wanted to devour her whole.

Xia Lan reached out and clung to his shoulder, feeling breathless from his kisses, her eyes slightly red.

Just as she was about to run out of breath, Qin Yu finally released her. Both of them were breathing heavily, their breaths rising and falling.

Qin Yu rested his chin on her shoulder, his hoarse murmur carrying a hint of resentment.

"Don't keep me waiting too long." After calming his inner turmoil, Qin Yu turned and left the room.

Xia Lan's legs felt weak, and she sat on the bed with a flushed face. Recalling their recent intimacy, she covered her face and buried herself in the blankets.

After Qin Yu left the room, Aunt Hu and Aunt Qian had already left, and the remaining men were all waiting for Qin Yu's arrival.

"You finally came out, kid? If you hadn't come out, I was going to go in and catch you," an uncle teased.

"It's my fault, I apologize to all you uncles!" Qin Yu said with a smile, taking the wine glass handed to him by the second brother and downing it in one gulp.

"Hahahaha..." The uncles laughed with satisfaction.

"Come on, come on! Let's drink until we drop! Drink!" The fifth brother picked up a glass and filled everyone's glasses.

Xia Lan could hear the lively atmosphere outside. Lao Wu was like the atmosphere-maker at the dinner table, constantly urging people to drink and raising the glass, making it very lively.

Xia Lan lay in bed, the blankets filled with Qin Yu's scent. With a slight smile, she slowly drifted off to sleep.

In the courtyard, several uncles and elders were already flushed from drinking and thoroughly enjoying themselves.

"The goods were delivered today. Are our goods ready?" Qin Yu asked, seeing that the wine glass was empty, it was time to get down to business.

As soon as the words were spoken, the crowd, who had been dazed and with hazy eyes, looked up and their vision cleared.

"Everything is ready. This time we've prepared mountain produce and cured meat," Xu Fulin said slowly.

"Stone, now that we've sold all these mountain produce and cured meat, what should we prepare next?" an uncle asked.

"I remember the reservoir on the back mountain, it seems it needs renovation, right?" the second brother asked Xu Fulin.

“Yes, we discovered a crack last time and it needs to be repaired.” Xu Fulin nodded.

"I remember we released a truckload of fish fry into that reservoir last year." Qin Yu recalled the reservoir when he heard his second brother's words. They had released fish fry there back then, and they should all have grown up by now.

"Tomorrow we'll open the sluice gates and release the water, then gather everyone in the village to catch all the fish, marinate them, and dry them in the sun," an uncle suggested, his eyes lighting up.

"Okay." Qin Yu nodded.

"Then it's decided!" Xu Fulin nodded.

"Stone, now that you're married, and Xiao Qin has separated you from the family, what are you planning to do?" Third Uncle asked Qin Yu.

Speaking of Qin Yu's father, the third uncle looked disgusted. "Those two shallow-minded fools, I really don't know how they could have given birth to such a good boy as Qin Yu."

"Xia Lan went to the city today and got a job as a sales clerk," Qin Yu said proudly, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Hiss..." Everyone gasped as they listened to Qin Yu recount what had happened.

"How is this possible?"

"A sales clerk at a department store in the county town?"

"Even I couldn't get this spot, how did she manage it?"

"How did your sister-in-law manage that?"

That sales clerk was a public servant, and even Xu Fulin couldn't get her. How did Xia Lan manage to get her like that?

"Don't doubt it, I was standing right next to her, watching her get it!" Qin Yu said smugly, proud and self-satisfied.

"Then what will you do? You're in the village, and she's in the county town? Can you really relax?" Xu Fulin raised an eyebrow, thinking that someone like Xia Lan would be better off in the county town.

Isn't that like releasing ducks into a rapid stream—they never come back?