Night falls.
The night view beside the orchard is as gentle as a poem.
A sky full of stars came into view, breathtakingly beautiful.
The main room of Mu Chen's house.
Whether it was the senior management of Tangtang Capital or Mr. and Mrs. Yan, it was the first time they had personally experienced the Miao people's long table banquet.
At a long table banquet, one side is the host's seat, and the other side is the guests' seat.
Although the more than one hundred dishes were not as elaborate as a business banquet in Lincheng, they represented the heartfelt wishes of the Miao aunties.
It was full of ritual.
Take your seats.
Halfway through the meal, the guests were on the side, behind Su Qian and the others.
A dozen or so of the most beautiful Miao girls, wearing silver crowns on their heads, held specially made pottery wine pots and sang songs that Su Qian and Yao Ye couldn't understand. They lined up in order of height from tallest to shortest and poured the wine into the guests' bowls from top to bottom.
The wine jugs complement each other and connect with one another, forming a magnificent scene of continuous mountain streams.
This is a unique way of offering drinks among the Miao people – "High Mountain Flowing Water".
The first person to be urged to drink was Su Qian; and the one standing in the first position was A Duo.
Su Qian secretly groaned; this was the boss's own sister.
With a smile on his face, Mu Chen gently reminded, "This ceremony symbolizes 'a meeting of kindred spirits amidst mountains and flowing water,' signifying our Miao people's welcome to guests and our wish for lasting friendship."
"You must remember that during this ceremony, guests are not allowed to touch the wine vessels with their hands, because the flow of the wine is entirely controlled by the girls' hands."
"If you touch the wine bowls, you have to drink all the wine in the girls' hands."
This time, Yan Hao and the others understood!
Su Qian, who had already started being forced to drink, understood.
Two minutes later, the girls stopped pouring the drinks.
Just as Su Qian felt a sense of relief, another girl, about seventeen or eighteen years old, picked up a piece of meat and fed it to her.
Slightly dazed, Su Qian opened her mouth to bite into the meat, but her sister pulled back her chopsticks, and Su Qian missed.
*Pfft...*
Yao Ye and the others laughed when they saw this.
Su Qian was extremely embarrassed, but before she could even blush, the "High Mountain Flowing Water" music, which had just stopped, started again.
Su Qian's head was throbbing from drinking so much.
Su Qian tried to bite the meat again, but missed once more.
Seeing this, Mu Chen smiled and said, "Take a bite of the meat, then move on to the next one. If you can't bite it, keep drinking."
The cycle repeats itself.
Su Qian was teased by a piece of meat five or six times before she finally managed to bite into it.
At this moment, Su Qian looked at Mu Chen with an expression of utter helplessness, and even felt like crying. Her boss had actually let her sister flirt with her in front of so many people.
…
After this meal, the guests were all exhausted!
If Mu Chen hadn't spoken up to help, they would probably all have collapsed.
Afterwards, everyone moved to the rooftop pavilion.
Although this night view cannot compare to the tourist hotspots of a decade or more later, the night view from the mountaintop has a beauty that makes you feel like you can reach out and touch the starry sky.
"This place is so beautiful!"
Su Qian couldn't help but sigh.
Mr. and Mrs. Yan also fell in love with this kind of place in a daze. Perhaps it's because they are middle-aged and their ideas are different from those of young people.
Before long, Ado and Arui came over with a hangover remedy.
The group drank several large mouthfuls and felt much better.
Under the lamplight, Su Qian looked up at the dimples on A Duo's charming face and said softly, "Little sister, you were the one who led the way in getting me drunk tonight. When you go to the provincial capital, I'll definitely get you drunk with all sorts of snacks until you're all plump and healthy."
"Ah...it's not my fault, sister. I'm the youngest, so of course I'm shorter than the other older sisters. That's why I have to stand in the front. If I stand in the back, I won't be able to reach them!"
*Pfft...*
Everyone was amused by A Duo's adorable appearance.
Su Qian held Duo Duo's hand and said gently, "So cute! She's very pretty and sensible. She'll definitely be the most beautiful, charming, and radiant Miao girl in the future."
"Thank you, sister! But the most beautiful and kindest person in our Miao family is the Holy Maiden."
"Saintess?"
Duoduo nodded gently, then leaned closer to Su Qian, who looked puzzled, and whispered, "The Holy Maiden is my future sister-in-law."
"Oh? Miss Tang, it really is true?"
Duoduo ran away after saying that, leaving Su Qian looking bewildered.
Just then, Mu Chen's phone rang.
The landline number in Yanjing.
Mu Chen got up and walked to the side of the pavilion to answer the call.
"Quick, take a picture of this back view," Yao Ye hurriedly reminded Su Qian's assistant.
They brought cameras with them this time.
The cameras of this era were too outdated. Not only did the film and batteries have to be replaced when they ran out, but the photos couldn't be viewed immediately.
As for the pixel count, it's obviously very poor.
However, not many people could afford a camera in 1995.
On Mu Chen's side, after he finished telling Tang Mo what had happened in the past few days, Tang Mo's heavenly and melodious voice rang out again.
“I called your home phone just now, and Duoduo answered. She said you were talking to a friend, so she asked my grandpa to answer the phone.”
"Ah Chen, if my grandfather doesn't tell you, are you not going to tell him either?"
"I didn't hide anything from you."
"Really? Then you told me everything just now. Why didn't you tell me what you said in the orchard today?"
Mu Chen was stunned.
Tang Mo's clear voice came again: "It really is A-Chen. Although I wasn't there, I was really shocked by what my grandfather and uncle told me."
"Whether it's the Seven-Colored Sacred Fruit or the Star-like Sugar, I understand the meaning behind them."
"Thank you, Achen, thank you for everything you've done for the village."
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