"It's possible to grow them, but it will take some effort," Meng Zhao explained, listing the costs one by one. "We need to build greenhouses, light charcoal fires, and then there's the cost of transporting them by fast horse from Quyang. The cost is indeed not low."
Xu Yunrong said, "Quyang is still a bit far. How about we build two greenhouses in the suburbs of Beijing next year? The wealthy families in Beijing are very particular about fresh seasonal produce, so price isn't an issue for them."
Meng Zhao nodded in agreement, "Mother is right. We'll start making preparations next autumn."
"That's wonderful!" Meng Dashan exclaimed, slapping the table in approval. He raised his glass, "Come on, let's drink to our new business next year!"
Everyone raised their glasses in celebration, and laughter filled the room.
Gu Shi was probably preoccupied with something and unknowingly drank a few more cups of wine, becoming quite drunk early on. Seeing this, Meng Zhao called over Granny Sun to help her back to her room to rest. As the banquet drew to a close, Shen Qingze and Shen Qingyu, the two younger children, were also yawning from sleepiness, so Meng Zhao asked Shen Qinghe to take them home.
After settling the drunken Meng Dashan and Xu Yunrong and feeding them the sobering soup that was warming on the stove, Meng Zhao tiptoed out of the room. The night breeze was slightly cool, and she pulled her clothes tighter. Suddenly, she saw a tall figure standing under the eaves, which startled her.
"Didn't you go back? Why are you back again?" Meng Zhao frowned and asked as the person approached.
Shen Qinghe took a few steps forward, the moonlight outlining his handsome features: "What happened today?" His voice was low, tinged with confusion.
During the meal, he tried to speak to Meng Zhao several times, but she deliberately avoided him. Also, earlier, he only wanted to check the injury on her forehead, but she pushed him away so resistantly. After thinking it over, he really couldn't remember offending her recently, so he decided to come and ask her directly.
The food they had eaten at hadn't been cleaned up yet, and people were still busy in the courtyard. Meng Zhao didn't want to talk to him in the courtyard, so she grabbed his sleeve and pulled him into the study. The moment the door closed, Meng Zhao took a deep breath, about to question him, when suddenly she caught a whiff of alcohol. She couldn't help but lean closer to Shen Qinghe and sniff his lapel twice: "You've been drinking?"
"No." Shen Qinghe looked down at her, his voice clear and melodious.
"Why does it smell like alcohol?" Meng Zhao frowned, then leaned closer to his neck to sniff. In the candlelight, her cheeks were flushed. Shen Qinghe's eyes darkened slightly, but he didn't point out that she had drunk a bit too much that day.
Unable to find the source of the alcohol smell, Meng Zhao had no choice but to give up. He moved a chair to the side of the desk, gestured for Shen Qinghe to sit down, and then sat on a grand chair next to him.
"Shen Qinghe," Meng Zhao addressed him by name, cutting straight to the point, "Why are you unwilling to get married?"
Shen Qinghe's gaze was intense as she countered, "And what about you? Why are you unwilling to get married?"
Meng Zhao frowned. "This is your business, why are you dragging me into it!"
"Why don't I want to get married?" Shen Qinghe suddenly leaned forward, the candlelight casting shadows between his deep-set eyes. "You should know best."
Meng Zhao was already suffering from a headache due to the alcohol, and hearing his words made her head ache even more. In fact, ever since she came to the capital, she had always deliberately avoided this matter in her interactions with him, and had deceived herself into believing that the years of estrangement had dissipated that feeling. But now, the peaceful coexistence she had worked so hard to create had been exposed again.
Meng Zhao really didn't know what to say, so she could only utter that classic line, "Shen Qinghe, what exactly do you like about me? I'll change, okay?"
Before she could finish speaking, she saw a flash of pain in Shen Qinghe's eyes, and then she asked in the same stubborn tone, "And what about you? What do you dislike about me? I'll change, okay?"
"Smack!" Meng Zhao slammed his hand on the desk. "We're talking about your business right now, why do you keep asking me questions!"
Shen Qinghe looked at Meng Zhao seriously and said slowly, "I like your intelligence. You always have many novel ideas in your mind and can bring them to fruition. I like your courage. Even though you know that going out to do business is dangerous, you can always forge ahead. I also like your kindness. You always have compassion for the weak. I also like your beauty. You are the most beautiful person I have ever seen in my life."
As Shen Qinghe expressed his liking for Meng Zhao, he slowly approached her. Before they knew it, the distance between them grew closer and closer. Meng Zhao, however, thought it was because the charcoal fire was burning too brightly, which was causing her cheeks to feel hot. Damn it, being smart, kind, brave, and beautiful is really hard to change!
Meng Zhao sighed softly: "In this world, there are countless women who possess these qualities!"
Shen Qinghe's gaze was intense. "But I didn't run into them."
"Is it that you haven't met them, or that you're unwilling to look? Young Master Hua Zhang's reputation is widespread in the capital, and you are invited to all the flower banquets and gatherings in various mansions. If you were willing to go and take a look, you would find that there are many intelligent, brave, kind and benevolent young ladies everywhere, and you would surely meet one you like, instead of closing your eyes and ears and turning a blind eye like you are now."
"No matter how good they are, what does it have to do with me?" Shen Qinghe's voice carried a hint of stubbornness.
Meng Zhao rubbed her temples, her thoughts drifting slightly from the alcohol: "Qinghe, sometimes I feel like you've misunderstood something. Because I helped you before, you're grateful, but at the same time, you've mistaken that gratitude for love."
"I'm not a child!" No one could remain calm after being misunderstood like this during an ambiguous confession. He tried his best to restrain himself, avoiding frightening Meng Zhao, but when he opened his mouth again, the trace of grievance in his heart still showed. "Meng Zhao, can you look at me carefully? I'm no longer the boy who needed your protection. I can clearly distinguish between gratitude and love."
"Really?" Meng Zhao persisted, pointing out each point to him. "You said you like me because I'm smart and brave, but is it possible that it's not liking, but just admiration? You said you like my kindness, but perhaps it's just respect for kind people."
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com