“Ladies, please watch your step.” It was rare to have female guests, so the female proprietress’s attitude was extremely attentive.

However, the Minister’s wife and the others didn’t hear the proprietress’s words at all. They all quietly stared at the main hall.

Minister Zhao had just dipped a Spanish mackerel dumpling in vinegar and taken a bite when he felt the atmosphere wasn’t quite right. He instinctively looked up.

With this one look, his chopsticks trembled and half the dumpling fell back into the vinegar dish.

The vinegar sauce, which was exceptionally delicious due to some unknown addition, splattered directly onto Minister Zhao’s beard, which he’d washed and groomed so cleanly and neatly.

Done for—when he returned, his wife would smell it again. This damned beard always held him back!

Minister Zhao reflexively felt annoyed, then suddenly realized: What was he annoyed about? His wife had already seen him!

“Ahem, why is my wife here?” Minister Zhao spoke first, breaking the suffocating silence.

The Minister’s wife walked over, her face wearing a gentle, amiable smile: “Yes, what a coincidence. Why is my lord here too?”

Their one meal had cost nearly six hundred taels, yet the old thing still dared to come!

Could it be someone was treating again?

The Minister’s wife’s gaze fell on Lin Teng.

She had seen this young man before—he was a subordinate the old master quite valued, Chancellor Lin’s eldest grandson.

Lin Teng greeted her under pressure.

The Minister’s wife nodded in return and quickly scanned the other tables.

The next table over was Chancellor Lin, and the table beyond that was actually Prince Kaiyang.

The burly man eating dumplings with his head down in the corner could be disregarded. The Minister’s wife turned her attention back to the neighboring table.

Something was odd—her lord had brought Chancellor Lin’s eldest grandson, Chancellor Lin had brought his own second grandson, yet they were eating at separate tables?

After a moment of surprise, the Minister’s wife understood: the food and wine were too expensive, and no one wanted to treat.

Thinking of this, the Minister’s wife’s heart bled again for her bill of over three hundred taels.

Treating was genuinely treating, but the heartache was genuine too…

Chancellor Lin felt even more guilty seeing his wife: “So my wife is also here eating?”

It seemed his wife had seen the bill for over four hundred taels.

However, it had originally been over nine hundred taels—in a way, he’d actually profited.

Thinking this, Chancellor Lin straightened his back.

No need to panic.

The Chancellor’s wife wasn’t thinking about the bill at all right now.

What did the bill matter? What puzzled her now was why both grandsons were here!

The eldest grandson was one thing—as Minister Zhao’s subordinate, he could say he had no choice. But why had the old thing brought Shu’er when he came to eat?

Her peripheral vision swept over Luo Sheng, and the Chancellor’s wife wanted nothing more than to scratch Chancellor Lin’s face.

Wasn’t this like a sheep entering a tiger’s den!

Chancellor Lin saw his wife looking at their grandson and suddenly realized: Done for—Shu’er had been exposed!

Seeing his grandfather frantically signaling with his eyes, Lin Shu forced a smile: “Yesterday elder brother brought me to this wine establishment to eat. Grandson found it too delicious, so today I couldn’t help but beg grandfather to bring me again.”

Lin Teng silently sought help from his superior.

Minister Zhao picked up the half dumpling from the vinegar dish and ate it with squinted eyes.

Spanish mackerel dumplings really were fragrant.

Help them out of this? Impossible to help—did they want him to say he’d ordered Lin Teng to bring his younger brother?

Then the Chancellor’s wife would tear him apart.

“Teng’er brought your younger brother?” The Chancellor’s wife looked at her eldest grandson with loving eyes.

Lin Teng keenly saw through the killing intent hidden beneath his grandmother’s loving gaze and said solemnly: “It’s really that this wine establishment’s food and wine are too delicious. Grandson wanted to share the good fortune with second brother.”

The Chancellor’s wife gave a cold laugh: “You eat first. We’ll talk when we get home.”

Chancellor Lin laughed dryly: “We’re about done eating. Waiter, the bill.”

As he spoke, he quickly stuffed the last Spanish mackerel dumpling into his mouth.

Waste was not to be wasted—Spanish mackerel dumplings at ten taels per plate only had six pieces, so this one was worth nearly two taels of silver.

Hong Dou said crisply: “Three oil-drizzled young chickens, six plates of thousand-layer tripe, one serving each of braised beef and sauce-braised duck tongue, three pots of distilled liquor. The total comes to three hundred and eighty taels of silver—”

“Put it on account!” Not giving Hong Dou a chance to mention half price, Chancellor Lin declared heroically.

Hong Dou didn’t understand the old Chancellor’s self-rescue mentality and glanced at him strangely: “What’s the guest’s hurry? I haven’t finished speaking yet. Our proprietor said that with Young Master Lin Er present, it can be calculated at half price, so you only need to pay one hundred and ninety taels.”

“With Shu’er present it’s half price?” The Chancellor’s wife narrowed her eyes.

On the other side, the Minister’s wife smiled and urged: “My lord, since you’ve finished eating, let’s settle our account too.”

“Uh, settle the account.” Minister Zhao took out his handkerchief to wipe the corners of his mouth.

Sheng Sanlang said cheerfully: “Six oil-drizzled young chickens, eight plates of thousand-layer tripe, one serving each of braised beef and sauce-braised duck tongue, six pots of distilled liquor. The total comes to five hundred and ninety taels of silver.”

The Minister’s wife’s expression darkened slightly.

How excellent—the neighboring table also had two people, yet they’d managed to eat over two hundred taels more than them!

Fortunately, they could get half price.

Minister Zhao laughed awkwardly at Sheng Sanlang: “Put it on account.”

“Right away.”

The Minister’s wife waited, but never heard that handsome and extraordinary waiter mention half price, and couldn’t help but clear her throat lightly.

Sheng Sanlang’s smile grew even more radiant: “Please take your time leaving, guest.”

Minister Zhao of course knew there was no half price, and didn’t dare say more. He stood up preparing to leave with his wife.

But the Minister’s wife wasn’t having it.

Half price could save over three hundred taels—was that a small amount?

This saved money was exactly what she’d spent treating today. In other words, she could take this saved silver and come eat another meal.

Come again? Of course she would come again.

She’d worked hard managing the Minister’s residence for many years. At her age, wasn’t it all about living comfortably? What was wrong with eating good food?

“Didn’t you say it could be half price?” The Minister’s wife asked calmly.

Although it was somewhat embarrassing, a thin face couldn’t be eaten as a meal, and the Minister’s residence’s silver didn’t blow in on the wind.

Sheng Sanlang was startled: “Half price? That’s not possible. If you don’t believe me, ask Prince Kaiyang—it’s never been half price.”

Wei Han, who was raising his chopsticks to pick up a piece of sauce-braised duck tongue: “…”

“Then how come—” The Minister’s wife glanced toward Chancellor Lin’s table, not wanting to speak too directly.

Sheng Sanlang suddenly understood: “It’s like this—only with Young Master Lin Er present can it be calculated at half price.”

Seeing the Minister’s wife’s gaze sweep toward Lin Teng again, Sheng Sanlang hastily said: “Young Master Lin the Elder doesn’t count.”

Lin Teng: “…”

At this moment, Lin Teng and Wei Han instinctively exchanged glances, the same thought rising in their hearts: Just tell us, what exactly does Miss Luo see in Lin Shu!

The Minister’s wife finally understood. On the way home, she gave her old man a sideways glance: “Since you knew Lin Teng couldn’t get half price, why didn’t you switch grandsons with Chancellor Lin?”

Minister Zhao looked completely helpless: “That’s his grandson… How about tomorrow I bring our grandson to try?”

The Minister’s wife struggled for a moment, then said firmly: “Absolutely not!”

Sacrificing their grandson for a meal—how bad would it look if their daughter-in-law found out?

Chancellor Lin’s side wasn’t doing well either.

“Bringing Shu’er gets half price, so yesterday and today you brought Shu’er both times?” The Chancellor’s wife asked through gritted teeth.

Chancellor Lin laughed awkwardly: “Yesterday I was the host.”

Most of the Chancellor’s wife’s anger dissipated at once.

If that was the case, it was understandable…