The thunder and lightning in the Minister’s wife’s heart came even more fiercely, striking her heart one bolt after another.

One strike—twenty taels; another strike—thirty taels…

At this moment, the Minister’s wife viewed her husband with new respect.

Such expensive food and wine, and someone treated him two days in a row?

She hadn’t expected the old master to have such good connections.

Seeing the Minister’s wife fall silent for a moment, Kou’er said very considerately: “Our orange wine is cheaper than distilled liquor—only twenty taels of silver per pot.”

The Minister’s wife suddenly snapped back to attention.

When treating others, if she didn’t respond to hearing the prices, she couldn’t afford to lose that much face.

“Then bring one serving of each appetizer, plus a pot of orange wine. The Spanish mackerel dumplings can be served last.” The Minister’s wife’s heart bled, but her face remained calm and serene.

“Right away!”

Kou’er went to relay the order while the female proprietress stayed to serve them.

Before long, a plainly dressed young lady lifted the curtain and entered, holding a tray in her hands.

The smile at the corners of the Chancellor’s wife’s mouth stiffened.

Wasn’t this Miss Luo? She had such a deep impression of her!

Luo Sheng walked up close and set down the small dishes one by one, saying with a smile: “These are complimentary small dishes for the guests to try.”

As she spoke, she nodded at Xu Fang, which counted as a greeting.

With so many elders present, Xu Fang couldn’t say much, and slightly bowed in return.

“Then we thank Miss Luo.” The Minister’s wife said indifferently.

With such expensive food and wine, having complimentary small dishes was perfectly normal.

Seeing Luo Sheng remain standing still after setting down the small dishes, the Minister’s wife cleared her throat lightly: “Having the proprietress attend to us is sufficient. We won’t delay Miss Luo from her work.”

“Then please enjoy your meal, guests.” Toward people outside her target range, Luo Sheng had no interest. The reason she personally brought over the small dishes was still because of Xu Fang.

When her nephew came there were complimentary dishes, so naturally when her niece came there should also be complimentary dishes—she couldn’t show favoritism.

Moreover, compared to the Lin family, the Marquis of Changchun’s household situation was more complex. The pair of children her elder sister left behind needed her care even more.

Now that Xu Fang had eaten this meal today, who knows—perhaps someday she would bring Xu Xi to eat here too.

Luo Sheng gave Xu Fang a slight nod and turned to leave.

The Minister’s wife and the others raised their chopsticks toward the small dishes.

The red-oil bamboo shoots were refreshing, the fennel beans crispy and fragrant, the purple sweet potato jelly was sweet without being cloying, and the crystal shrimp were even more delicious.

The ladies restrainedly swept the small dishes clean, and couldn’t help but become more tolerant of the food and wine prices.

If the complimentary small dishes were this delicious, surely the braised beef at twenty taels per plate would be worth its price.

The Minister’s wife savored the wonderful taste of the crystal shrimp and asked the female proprietress: “Can the complimentary small dishes be purchased separately?”

The female proprietress smiled apologetically: “I’m sorry, the small dishes are only complimentary, not for sale.”

Just then, Kou’er and Hong Dou came in carrying dishes.

Hong Dou said quickly: “The small dishes aren’t given complimentary to every table either.”

“Not to every table?” The ladies became curious.

“That’s right. Even Prince Kaiyang has come to eat for two days now, and nothing was given to him.” Hong Dou spoke in a tone suggesting they’d gotten a great bargain.

The Minister’s wife and the others inexplicably felt they’d gotten a bargain.

After all, even when Prince Kaiyang came to eat he didn’t receive complimentary small dishes—didn’t that mean their prestige was greater than Prince Kaiyang’s?

Ahem, how refreshing and invigorating.

For a moment, even the Chancellor’s wife developed a trace of goodwill toward Luo Sheng, who had just brought in the small dishes.

As long as Miss Luo didn’t covet her grandson, she was quite decent.

“Oil-drizzled young chicken, thousand-layer tripe, braised beef, sauce-braised duck tongue. Please enjoy, guests.”

The Minister’s wife and the others first looked at the dish with the most substantial portion—the oil-drizzled young chicken.

On the white porcelain plate was a whole chicken with golden skin, fragrance wafting everywhere.

Kou’er introduced: “This dish looks like a whole chicken, but actually it’s already been cut into strips, making it extremely convenient to eat. This young chicken uses the finest spring chicken, and the sauce drizzled on it is our wine establishment’s secret recipe. It’s crispy outside and tender inside—absolutely delicious…”

The Minister’s wife and the others couldn’t listen anymore. Their chopsticks all reached toward the plate, and indeed they easily picked up a piece of golden, fragrant chicken.

After eating one mouthful of smooth, tender, crispy, fragrant chicken, no one bothered to speak and continued reaching with their chopsticks.

Kou’er’s mouth didn’t stop: “Guests, try the thousand-layer tripe! Our thousand-layer tripe tastes different from ordinary tripe.”

In another round plate were neatly arranged eight small portions, layered so densely you could barely see any trace of tripe. If not told, you’d think they were frozen tofu cubes that had been deep-fried.

The Minister’s wife, holding her chopsticks, hesitated for a moment between the chicken and the tripe, then picked up a tofu cube.

As soon as the tofu cube entered her mouth, the Minister’s wife froze.

Was this really tripe?

It had the taste of tripe, but it was far too fragrant—like eating steamed pork belly, yet without the slightest greasy feeling.

Without another word, she picked up another piece to eat.

Five people at one table, eight pieces of thousand-layer tripe in total—the Duke of Ningguo’s wife and Xu Fang silently ate one less piece.

The braised beef and sauce-braised duck tongue they tasted afterward were delicious beyond words.

The plates were nearly empty when the table of people finally remembered to drink the wine.

The glass pot held amber-colored wine. When poured out, it was clear and transparent without a trace of impurity.

Due to brewing issues, even the best orange wine on the market was turbid and murky—they’d never seen any this clean and clear.

The Minister’s wife took a sip and sighed repeatedly: “Compared to this wine, all the orange wine I’ve drunk before has become swill too foul to swallow.”

The Chancellor’s wife nodded in agreement.

Such delicious food, such good wine—naturally one serving of each wasn’t enough.

Order more!

More wine!

Finally, Kou’er’s sweet voice announced the bill: “Four plates of oil-drizzled young chicken, ten plates of thousand-layer tripe, one serving each of braised beef and sauce-braised duck tongue, five pots of orange wine, five servings of Spanish mackerel dumplings. The total comes to five hundred and eighty taels of silver.”

The Chancellor’s wife fell silent.

She suddenly felt that the old thing’s bill of over four hundred taels wasn’t unacceptable after all—several women eating one meal had consumed nearly six hundred taels!

The Minister’s wife also fell silent.

When she returned, she had to ask the old master who it was that had treated him to drinks yesterday and the day before.

This—this must be a life-and-death friendship, right?

“Ahem, our proprietor says that she and Miss Xu share an affinity, so today’s food and wine will be calculated at half price. The guest only needs to pay two hundred and ninety taels.” Kou’er smiled at the Minister’s wife. “Would the guest like to pay now or put it on account?”

The Minister’s wife endured her heartache and returned the smile: “Put it on account.”

Was two hundred and ninety taels a small amount?

She’d heard the old master say this wine establishment was expensive, so she’d specifically brought a hundred-tael banknote.

How could that be enough…

“Right away.” Kou’er handed over the bill with an impeccable attitude.

At this moment in the main hall downstairs, there were actually four tables of wine guests.

Wei Han sat alone at one table, Minister Zhao with his capable subordinate Lin Teng at one table, Chancellor Lin with his second grandson Lin Shu at one table.

There was also a burly man focused on eating Spanish mackerel dumplings, looking somewhat out of place compared to the other guests.

Minister Zhao and Chancellor Lin’s eyes met, flashing with daggers and swords.

Minister Zhao thought indignantly: If I’d known Chancellor Lin would come again today, I shouldn’t have treated Lin Teng to a meal. I’m just his superior, not his grandfather.

Chancellor Lin had firmly decided: He would only treat his second grandson to a meal. His eldest grandson was already a man with a position—absolutely couldn’t treat him!

Did they think it was easy for him? After finishing this meal, he still had to worry about how to explain yesterday’s bill to his wife.

Just then, the Minister’s wife and the others, led by the female proprietress, came down the stairs.