"Come, try some Nv'erhong," Gu Changlin reached out and poured a cup of the hot Nv'erhong and handed it to Mei Ya. "It has ginger and plums in it, it's not intoxicating, it's sweet and delicious."
"Hmm." Mei Ya, who never drank alcohol, broke her vow today. She took a sip from the wine glass. Her eyes widened immediately, and she looked at Gu Changlin in disbelief, "It's really sweet! So delicious!"
"Then drink more." Gu Changlin said with a smile, and poured himself a glass.
Mei Ya took another sip and asked Gu Changlin curiously, "Mr. Gu, the name of this wine is really strange. Why is it called Daughter's Red?"
"This is southern wine. No wonder you didn't know about it," Gu Changlin said with a smile, while filling Mei Ya's glass again. He continued slowly, "The first time I drank Nv'erhong was in Shaoxing. That year I went to travel in the south. I happened to meet Ming Wei's master. The two guys in their early twenties hit it off right away. We traveled together in Shaoxing, and it happened that a family there was marrying off their daughter, and they invited us to the banquet. It was then that I drank Nv'erhong for the first time. I had only heard of it before."
Mei Ya held her chin with her hand. She had been very well behaved all along, but now she seemed a little embarrassed. She looked at the orange-red wine in the glass and said a little embarrassedly, "Is this the wine that only daughters in Shaoxing drink when they get married?"
"Yes, the girl is really smart," Gu Changlin smiled, serving a bowl of eight-treasure sweet cheese to Mei Ya, and continued, "Shaoxing is not a big place, but it is very particular. A hundred years ago, there was a tradition of preparing Huadiao wine for marrying a daughter. That place is not like other places that only value boys. When a girl is born in the family, the father must use the glutinous rice from three acres of land to brew three jars of daughter red wine, carefully seal the jars and bury them deep under the osmanthus tree in the backyard, just like the father's love hidden deeply." Gu Changlin's voice was very light and soft. He had never been a father in his life, but at this moment, facing the little girl with red eyes in front of him, his heart was extremely gentle. "When I have nothing to do, Daddy will step under the osmanthus tree a few times. Stepping a few times seems to make me feel more at ease. Looking back at the little girl, the girl has a red headband on her head, and her eyebrows and eyes are like willow leaves in the Qingming Festival, brighter day by day. Daddy is very happy, but also very bitter, because the girl has grown up and will get married."
Mei Ya looked at Gu Changlin with tears in her eyes. She wiped her tears without saying a word. She just looked at him. Her lips trembled and her nose felt extremely sore, but her heart was warm to the extreme.
She had no father, no one to make wine for her dowry, and no one to watch her grow up, put on a phoenix coronet and sit in a bridal sedan. She had always felt deeply regretful, but at this moment, facing Gu Changlin and facing this cup of steaming hot daughter's red wine, she suddenly felt no longer wronged and no longer regretful.
"When the girl gets married, her parents will use wine as a dowry gift and send it to her husband's family. According to the old customs of Shaoxing, the first three bowls of wine scooped out of the jar should be presented to the girl's father-in-law, her biological father and her husband respectively, which means praying for longevity and prosperity. Girl, you are about to get married, so I have long wanted to bring you here to drink Nv'erhong," Gu Changlin continued, taking out a handkerchief and handing it to Mei Ya, and said with a smile, "Girl, drink a few more Nv'erhong, it will warm your body and heart."
"Yes," Meiya nodded continuously. She took the handkerchief and buried her whole face in it. After a while, the girl's crying voice was heard. "Thank you, sir! Thank you so much!"
Gu Changlin didn't say anything. His throat was extremely sore. He reached out and gently rubbed Mei Ya's head. Then he picked up the wine glass in front of him and drank the warm wine.
…
Gu Changlin and Mei Ya took a long time to finish their meal, and it was a full hour before they finished. Then a maid came in to bring water. Mei Ya simply washed her face, and then she and Gu Changlin left the private room one after another.
"Sir, how much did this meal cost?" Mei Ya enjoyed the meal, but after the meal she was still worried about the expenses, "How about I make it up to you?"
"That won't do. We agreed that it was my treat," Gu Changlin smiled and shook his head. He turned around and said to Mei Ya, "Do you like the eight-treasure sweet cheese here?"
Just now, Mei Ya ate three bowls of eight-treasure sweet yogurt, but didn't eat much of the other exquisite dishes.
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