Neither of them got to eat the plate of stir-fried eight kinds of vegetables with vinegar. After that, Jiangshan wouldn't let them touch any of the dishes with a sweet and sour taste!
Want some? Have a bowl of vinegar first to adjust the taste!
No one at the table, whether guest or host, dared to utter a sound.
When the boss gets angry, it can be quite frightening. Even Mr. Xunmei wisely suggested that he would only use his chopsticks and not his mouth. Who would dare to utter a sound?
"Sanlang, eat more pickled fish. It's salty, fragrant, and refreshing, much better than the fish in the bamboo pond!"
"Mmm, teacher, you should eat more too, it's so soft and chewy!"
"Hong Da Meizi, this sweet and sour pork ribs is much more refreshing than the garlic-flavored one. If you like it, have more."
"Thank you, Brother Li. You should eat too."
Everyone was very kind to Jiang Shan, serving him several sweet and sour dishes. When there was only a mouthful of soup left, the plate was cleared away.
Well, they won't even let us taste the soup!
Feeling guilty for causing trouble, the two male protagonists said that the only way to salvage their friendship was to work on the drinks.
The two first addressed each other as brothers at the table, then took turns toasting each other, and finally went to other tables to mingle with the shop's staff.
Both were frail scholars with similar drinking capacities, and they were already staggering, their only struggle being their sheer courage.
Jiang Shan was surprised to find that the two of them were having a great time with the guys, playing drinking games and riddles without any airs. The guys were very supportive, and the atmosphere was electric!
When the atmosphere became right, An Jing started giving out red envelopes to the employees. Each employee received a tael of silver, which was quite generous! The seven brothers received even more, three taels each, while Manager Li and Aunt Hong received ten taels.
An Jing gained another wave of goodwill and temporarily took the upper hand.
Not to be outdone, Fu Qiyuan ordered Fu Shu to serve him calligraphy and paintings, presenting countless works of art on the spot.
This cannot be measured in silver; using silver is too vulgar!
The game is a draw.
"This won't do, if they keep going like this they'll ruin my place!" Jiang Shan squinted, his gaze shifting back and forth between the two.
Finally, he waved his hand decisively and said, "Second Brother An, carry Young Master An back! Fu Shu, take your young master with you too. That's all for today, we'll have to leave now!"
The host gave the order, and the situation was brought under control.
The men had all drunk quite a bit, and after they were full, they said their goodbyes.
The younger children were also flushed with excitement, looking like they wanted more.
Jiang Shan instructed them to send Mr. Xunmei back, then went to the kitchen to give some instructions before going upstairs to rest.
As soon as I got to the door, I realized something was wrong; the smell of alcohol was too strong!
She pushed open the door and went inside, then slowly opened her eyes wide.
Fu Qiyuan sat upright in the chair by the bed, his handsome face as if painted with the finest rouge, even more beautiful than flower petals.
Looking into his eyes again, they were clear and deep, showing no sign of drunkenness whatsoever!
"Are you faking it?" Jiang Shan asked incredulously.
She was 100% certain that An Jing was quite drunk. Their behavior just now had similarities, so how did it become one true and one false?
Fu Qiyuan rubbed his temples, exhaled a breath of stale air, and said with a wry smile, "It's not that. I was a bit too indulgent just now, but I must restrain myself in front of you now, lest I offend you."
Jiang Shan laughed in exasperation. She went outside and instructed Liang Chen to prepare a bowl of hangover soup for Fu Qiyuan. She then asked someone to call Fu Shu. Finally, she said to Fu Qiyuan, "After you finish the hangover soup, you can rest here. I'm leaving now."
"Shan'er!" Fu Qiyuan called out, his dark eyes fixed intently on Jiang Shan. "I'm not drunk."
Jiang Shan nodded. "I know, his real intention isn't what it seems!"
Fu Qiyuan took a deep breath, stood up with the handrail, and walked to stand in front of Jiang Shan.
"Shan'er, my mother and maternal grandmother have come to Yuzhou!"
Jiang Shan looked up at Fu Qiyuan, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.
"As you said, I have a tough battle to fight in Yuzhou. To avoid affecting you and Huai'er, I can't come here to see you often. You don't need to worry too much. I have arranged everything. Fu Wen and Fu Shu will keep in touch. I will have Fu Shu inform you if anything happens."
Jiang Shan lowered his eyes slightly and hummed in agreement.
"But they will find out you are in Yuzhou sooner or later. What I want to say is, Huai'er..."
Jiang Shan's brow twitched, and he suddenly looked up at Fu Qiyuan, his hands unconsciously clenching.
Fu Qiyuan frowned, raised his hand to rub his temples, and said in a deep voice, "I know Huai'er is your life. Listen to me, if they discover Huai'er's existence... don't worry, they won't harm Huai'er!"
Seeing Jiang Shan's pale face, Fu Qiyuan put his hands on Jiang Shan's shoulders and said softly, "Their ultimate goal is definitely Huai'er, but I will not let them have their way. I was afraid you would worry, so I had to tell you these things in advance."
Jiang Shan gently pushed Fu Qiyuan away, his dark eyes cold and indifferent. "Jiang Huai is my son. He has nothing to do with you, and he has absolutely no connection with the Fu family or the Pei family. Why should I be afraid of them?"
Fu Qiyuan felt as if his chest was blocked, and his breathing became heavier. "The branch of the Pei family who set fire to the house has been sent to the far north, three thousand miles away. They can never come back in this lifetime. Pei Wang is dead, and now no one in the Pei family knows of Huai'er's existence."
A wave of emotion surged within Jiang Shan. So, all of Fu Qiyuan's previous schemes were to prevent the Pei family from discovering Jiang Huai? Could it also be said that if she hadn't come to Yuzhou, she and Jiang Huai would have been safer?
"Although the Pei family is the richest family in Yuzhou, the power dynamics in Yuzhou are complex and intertwined. The Pei family wouldn't dare to act unilaterally. Even if they wanted to deal with you, they would only do so behind the scenes. Pei Wang's death is an opportunity. The dead cannot be brought back to life, and they won't let this opportunity pass by to confront me and the Ministry of Works in the capital. You are safe for now!"
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
Fu Qiyuan reached out and gently stroked Jiang Shan's face, saying affectionately, "Shan'er, I've said before, this isn't just your business. I will restrain the Pei family, and when the time is right, I will crush them completely! As for my maternal grandfather's Cheng family, I have my own plans! Only when the Pei and Cheng families fall can you and Huai'er be free from worries!"
Jiang Shan was utterly shocked. "For me and Jiang Huai, you're going to destroy the Pei family and the Cheng family? Are you kidding me? Those are your maternal and great-grandfather families!"
"They want to hurt you and Huai'er!" Fu Qiyuan's voice was laced with ruthlessness. "They didn't consider my feelings when they were making things difficult for you!"
Jiang Shan inexplicably felt that Fu Qiyuan was not someone to be trifled with. Thinking of his verdict against Pei Wang, she felt a little uneasy and reached out to pat Fu Qiyuan's chest lightly. She swallowed hard and said, "You, you don't get excited. Sit down, sit down first, and we can talk slowly."
When Fu Qiyuan sat down with Jiang Shan's help, his leg tripped on the chair, and he fell straight onto the bed.
Jiang Shan was also taken down and fell heavily onto the bed.
A muffled thud was heard.
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