There weren't many people at the table who could drink. Meng Zhao first poured a whole glass for Meng Dashan and Xu Yunrong, and then poured a small half glass for himself and Gu Shi.
Fang Muyun said he couldn't drink, but Meng Dashan disagreed, "You're a butcher, how can you not drink? People will laugh at you! Besides, you're almost an adult, you'll have to learn to drink sooner or later, pour yourself a drink!"
Seeing that Fang Muyun was tall and older, Meng Zhao poured him half a glass and said, "Brother Fang, please have a taste first. If you feel you can't drink it, that's fine too. We're all family, no need to be polite."
Fang Muyun looked at the half-full glass of wine in his cup, nodded slightly in thanks, and his face showed a hint of naivety.
Wei Jingyun had just recovered, so she didn't pour any for her. The rest of the children couldn't drink either, but Meng Zhao had prepared juice in advance, so their glasses wouldn't be empty.
Inside, the warm yellow candlelight flickered and shone, illuminating the entire room with a cozy and peaceful atmosphere. The occasional bursts of laughter added to the warmth and happiness.
"Today is the eve of the Lunar New Year, a day for family reunion. I sincerely wish everyone peace, happiness, and good fortune every year. Let's all drink to this!" Meng Zhao, holding his wine glass, was the first to stand up.
Seeing this, everyone responded enthusiastically, standing up with smiles on their faces, clinking glasses with each other, and Shen Qinghe also said a few auspicious words in a fitting manner.
"May all the elders present enjoy good health and abundant blessings, and may we, the younger generation, also grow up smoothly and live up to your expectations."
Even after the New Year, Meng Zhao was only seventeen years old, so he didn't dare to drink too much and could only take a small sip.
The most distinctive feature of this wine compared to other wines Meng Zhao had seen in ancient times was its greater purity and lack of impurities. When it entered the mouth, it felt extremely smooth, and the aroma was relatively strong. Only after the wine had been in the stomach for a while did a slight spiciness begin to emerge.
Meng Zhao silently compared it to modern wine. She felt that although the taste of this wine was already quite good, it was still slightly bitter compared to modern wines that had undergone exquisite brewing processes. Moreover, in terms of alcohol content, this wine was obviously not strong enough and did not have that feeling that could instantly make people's blood boil.
It must be that the current distillation tools and techniques are not perfect enough, which is why the quality of the finished product is not up to standard. After realizing this, Meng Zhao relaxed a little and took a few more sips with the food.
Meng Dashan picked up his wine glass, gently inhaled the rich aroma of the wine, and then took a small sip. As the wine slid down his throat, a look of intoxication instantly appeared on his face, clearly indicating that he was extremely satisfied with the wine.
He kept his glass in his hand, and before he could even take a bite of food, he had already finished a glass of wine.
"Dad, don't drink so fast. This wine is good, but you have to drink it slowly. Otherwise you'll get drunk quickly and feel unwell."
Upon hearing his daughter's words, Meng Dashan immediately nodded in agreement, put down his wine glass, and turned his gaze to the delicious dishes on the table. The dishes today were very plentiful, with more than a dozen neatly arranged plates, so many that he didn't know what to eat.
Xu Yunrong took a small sip and didn't ask for another. Meng Zhao, curious, asked softly:
"Mother, don't you also like to drink? Why don't you drink a little more?"
Xu Yunrong shook her head and said softly, "Although I love to drink, I only like to have a couple of drinks. Drinking too much will make me dizzy and lightheaded. This liquor is strong, so I'll just have one drink."
Both of them, who are frequent drinkers, said this wine was very strong. It seems that the wine they usually drink is probably not as good as this. No wonder the plum wine I brewed before tasted so-so to me, but the two of them liked it very much.
It's not that the wine she bought back then was bad, but rather that wine these days is generally of mediocre quality.
Everyone sat around the table, eating and drinking to their hearts' content. After the three children finished eating, they went to play. Fang Muyun, after being given a glass of wine by Meng Dashan, collapsed onto the table. Although Meng Dashan wasn't completely drunk yet, his face was flushed. He grabbed Shen Qinghe and mumbled incoherently:
"Qinghe, how are your studies going lately? When will you be able to participate in the imperial examinations?"
Shen Qinghe bowed slightly, his face bearing his usual gentle smile. "According to the regulations, I will be able to participate in the county examination in February of the year after next. My grades in the academy are decent, so I am quite confident about the upcoming exam."
Shen Qinghe's words were indeed modest. If it weren't for the accident that happened to Gu's father, he would probably be a scholar by now. He had been studying hard day and night for the past year, and the teachers in the county school all praised him highly and had high hopes for him. When he took the imperial examination in the future, his results would definitely be good.
Meng Dashan laughed heartily, patted Shen Qinghe on the shoulder, and his breath reeked of alcohol. "Good, good, good. It's good that you have confidence. It's not easy for someone so young to be so accomplished. You even got into the county school."
Shen Qinghe didn't mind at all and still said respectfully, "I was able to enter the county school thanks to my sister-in-law's help; otherwise, I'm afraid I wouldn't have had this opportunity."
Meng Dashan was unaware of this matter. "When you become successful in the future, you must not forget your sister-in-law. You must take good care of her."
"Of course, my sister-in-law has given us a second life. If I become successful in the future, I will definitely not let her down," Shen Qinghe said with a firm look and a sincere tone.
Seeing that the two of them were having a great conversation, Meng Zhao was afraid that Meng Dashan might say something he shouldn't while drunk, so she and Xu Yunrong helped Meng Dashan to bed to rest.
It was late and the road was cool, so Meng Zhao didn't let Meng Dashan and the others go back. She arranged for Shen Qingze and Xiao Chuan to sleep with Shen Qinghe, and let Meng Dashan and Fang Muyun sleep in the two children's room. Xu Yunrong came over to sleep with her.
After packing up, as everyone was preparing to go back to sleep, Madam Gu quietly tugged at Shen Qinghe's clothes, inviting him to her room to talk.
"Qinghe, what's wrong with you tonight?"
Others might not realize it, but she was Shen Qinghe's biological mother. Tonight, she clearly noticed that Shen Qinghe's expression was a bit off, especially when facing Fang Muyun, as if she disliked him quite a bit.
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