Chapter 122: A Few Jars of Good Wine
In the main hall, a simple space held a large round table. The gang leader had found it in a villager's house and had ordered the second-in-command and a few of his brothers to bring it in for good measure. Everyone stood and waited. When Jiang Lin entered, Qin Yi stepped forward and said, "Sir, please take a seat." Jiang Lin's status was high, and they, now criminals, dared not neglect him and break the rules.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Lin glanced around the room, then walked up to Old Madam Qin and said respectfully, "How dare a junior sit in the seat of honor when the old lady is here? It's better for you to sit in the main seat, and I'll sit to the side." Old Madam Qin wanted to refuse, but seeing the sincerity in Jiang Lin's eyes, which didn't seem like a casual refusal, she agreed and sat down. The General's Mansion, along with Xu Jian and the others, the secret guards, and the gang leader, had three full tables.
"We cooked all the dishes today ourselves, so I'm afraid the taste might be a little off, so please bear with me."
Zou and Liu stood up, speaking softly. They hadn't been in the kitchen for a long time, so even cutting vegetables was a bit of a slouch, let alone cooking. It was already a struggle for them to barely prepare the meals for the tables. The old lady started first, followed by Jiang Lin. He put two pieces of meat into his mouth, feeling the expectant gazes around him. After chewing twice, he began to praise, "You two ladies' cooking skills are amazing. It's delicious."
"In that case, please eat more, my lord!"
Liu and Zou finally felt relieved. They looked at each other and smiled.
What a sycophant and hypocrite.
Qin Xiangnuan held the bowl and chopsticks, thinking silently to herself, "Liu's taste is not good. Some of these dishes are bland, while others are overly spicy." He was able to praise them without blushing or breathing heavily, which showed that he was a frequent liar. She must be more careful when talking to him next time.
Jiang Lin noticed Qin Xiangnuan's gaze and turned to look over. Their eyes met, and Qin Xiangnuan's lips curved up in a forced smile. "Master, perhaps the Third Young Lady will surprise you today." Anliu noticed the exchange of glances, unable to hide his thoughts, and with a hint of a desire to take credit, he sidled up to Jiang Lin, winking and muttering with a raised eyebrow.
"Surprise?" Jiang Lin frowned and looked at Anliu. No matter how much he asked, he refused to say anything.
Jiang Lin's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly guessed something. He couldn't deny that he felt a little bit of anticipation, but he didn't forget to glare at Anliu and said, "You're nosy."
"Yes, as long as the master is happy, it doesn't matter if you scold me."
Anliu said with a smile, and the master and servants all stared at Qin Xiangnuan's actions, silently counting down in their hearts.
"I almost forgot! Wait a minute, everyone!" Qin Xiangnuan suddenly remembered something, her eyes lit up, and she stood up, turning around and running outside. Everyone put down their bowls and chopsticks and looked into the distance in confusion. Liu said to Jiang Lin apologetically, "Nuannuan is just like that. Please forgive me, Your Highness." Jiang Lin shook his head, his heart in his throat, wondering what kind of birthday surprise she would prepare for him. He unconsciously clenched his fingers.
Not long after, Qin Xiangnuan walked in quickly with two jars of wine in her arms.
With a bright smile on her face, she placed the wine jar on the round table and said, "How can such a good day be without wine?" She opened the jar and the aroma of wine wafted throughout the room. Qin Yi took a deep breath and immediately exclaimed in admiration, "Good wine!"
Of course it is good wine. This is the aged wine she took out from the space. It is ten-year-old Moutai!
I emptied the warehouse and poured out five or six bottles before I could fill these two jars of wine.
Qin Xiangnuan walked over to Old Madam Qin and poured half a glass for her grandmother. Then, turning and seeing Jiang Lin's slightly disappointed look, she pursed her red lips, chuckling inwardly, and then filled the glass in front of him. "Thank you, Your Highness, for preparing such a sumptuous meal for us. You have been so kind to the Qin family during this journey. I have no way of repaying you, so this glass of wine is my toast to you."
“May you get what you want in the new year.”
Only Qin Xiangnuan and Jiang Lin knew how much weight these four words carried.
Qin Xiangnuan was the first to pick up the small wine glass beside her and gulp it down. Jiang Lin narrowed his eyes slightly, and seeing her like this, he naturally didn't pause. He covered his mouth with his sleeve and drank the full glass of wine into his stomach. The spicy wine slowly flowed down his throat and esophagus, making his whole body warm. Jiang Lin looked at Qin Xiangnuan with less vigilance and a hint of sincerity.
"Prince! I'll toast you too."
Qin Feng noticed the tension between the two and immediately stood up to disrupt it. He squeezed in between Qin Xiangnuan and Jiang Lin, pushing Qin Xiangnuan back with his hand. Like a little lion guarding its food, he couldn't help but look at Jiang Lin with disdain. Even if he was the crown prince, he wasn't worthy of his little sister. This stinky man who wanted to steal my little sister away must be taught a lesson!
Qin Feng, who has a sister complex, toasted Jiang Lin with three glasses of wine in a row.
He, who didn't drink often, had gotten himself drunk first. Seeing this, Qin Yi could only drag his somewhat embarrassed son away and nodded apologetically to Jiang Lin. "Your Highness has a good alcohol tolerance." Qin Yi looked back at him before leaving.
Back in the capital, he'd often heard Qin Guang mention that, among the young men in the court, only the prince of Xiaoyao Marquis's mansion possessed any real talent. He knew how to bide his time, hiding his brilliance. Now, it seemed, the popular perception of him as frail and unsuccessful was all a fabrication he'd intended for outsiders. Now, he was the true prince. While more worthy of Nuannuan than Gu Mingqi, such a figure was also more dangerous.
Not a good match.
Jiang Lin would never have thought that he was rejected and despised by the Qin family just because he drank four glasses of wine.
"You toasted the Third Miss a glass of wine, what are you doing sitting here like an idiot?"
The old woman watched them toasting each other, feeling anxious. She still had the urge to keep Qin Xiangnuan, so she nudged the gang leader, asking him to find a chance to talk to Qin Xiangnuan. The gang leader, having already had two drinks, noticed the flirtatious atmosphere between Qin Xiangnuan and Jiang Lin, and felt uncomfortable. He irritably brushed the old woman's hand away, "Mom, don't dwell on that. It's useless..."
"Why is it useless?" The old woman glared at the black boss fiercely, as if she was disappointed in him.
Holding the wine bowl, she stood up and said directly to Old Madam Qin, "Old Madam, I offer a toast to you!" She stood up and saw that her body had recovered well. Her energy had sunk into her dantian and she was exceptionally strong.
Qin Xiangnuan didn't stop her, but just glanced at the black boss. He frowned and lowered his head, wanting to ask the old woman to sit down, but no one could persuade her. He could only sigh and wait for the embarrassment to happen in this room.
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