Second Uncle Sheng restrained himself slightly.

Though these dishes looked good and smelled fragrant, he couldn’t appear too eager, could he?

At his age, and being a grown man, he could still control his appetite for food.

“Brother-in-law, let me toast you first.” Second Uncle Sheng raised his wine cup.

He saw Grand Marshal Luo and Sheng Sanlang move with lightning speed, their chopsticks reaching together toward that braised pork knuckle.

The knuckle slices were cut large and thin, with wrinkled skin and thick sauce—they looked delicious just by sight.

Grand Marshal Luo swallowed a slice of knuckle, then raised his cup to clink, saying indistinctly: “Brother-in-law has worked hard on this journey.”

In his heart, however, he felt slightly dissatisfied: Brother-in-law comes from a scholarly family—supposedly he should observe silence while eating and sleeping.

Couldn’t he speak after eating his fill?

Second Uncle Sheng’s gaze swept over Grand Marshal Luo’s oil-glistening lips, then looked toward that plate of knuckle meat, only to discover the plate was already half empty.

Sheng Sanlang was wolfing down the food with his head lowered.

His nephew, whom he knew as refined and gentle, was also wolfing down food—and with a cold expression at that.

The chopsticks in Second Uncle Sheng’s hand moved beyond his control to pick up a slice of knuckle.

The moment the knuckle meat entered his mouth, Second Uncle Sheng’s eyes widened.

“Father, try the braised duck tongues—they’re also especially delicious.”

His mouth chewing the knuckle meat, Second Uncle Sheng looked at his son with doubtful eyes.

He had never eaten such delicious knuckle meat—savory and fresh, smooth and tender, rich but not greasy. How could braised duck tongues possibly taste better than the knuckle?

The little brat must be trying to get him to eat fewer slices of knuckle, right?

Sheng Sanlang understood all too well the meaning in his father’s eyes and quickly explained: “Cousin’s wine shop’s braised duck tongues are different from those elsewhere. They’re pickled with preserved plums and black garlic—the flavor is quite unique—”

Second Uncle Sheng ate a braised duck tongue.

“Father, you should also try the braised beef. Braised beef is the most common drinking snack, which makes it the best test of a chef’s true skill.”

What else could Second Uncle Sheng say? Of course he’d eat!

One dish after another, every dish made Second Uncle Sheng’s eyes shine.

He was also an educated, refined man, but these dishes were simply too delicious.

“Food is paramount to the people”—the ancients truly did not deceive me.

At this moment, the new dish Luo Sheng had mentioned—shredded mandarin fish with pickled ginger—was finally brought to the table.

On a jade-green lotus leaf plate lay fish shreds of uniform thickness with snow-white flesh. Only the fish meat was visible, not the skin. The pickled cucumber and ginger shreds were as fine as silver threads, adding mouth-watering colors to the pristine whiteness.

The emerald green were the pickled cucumber shreds, the tender yellow were the ginger shreds.

Luo Sheng introduced: “This dish requires very particular knife skills—achieving skin without meat, meat without skin, not crumbled, not torn, not scattered, only then is it acceptable. Uncle and Father should try it.”

Luo Chen gripped his chopsticks, forcefully chewing a piece of braised beef.

A helping of snow-white fish shreds was placed in his bowl.

Luo Chen raised his eyes.

“Little brother, you should try it too.”

Luo Chen acknowledged with a sound and lowered his eyes to eat the fish shreds.

“Is it good?”

“Delicious!” Sheng Sanlang displayed a huge smile, nodding vigorously.

Luo Chen glanced at him with disdain and primly uttered two words: “Passable.”

It wasn’t delicious enough to make him act coy and pleasing.

Who was as pathetic as Third Cousin?

While maintaining his prim composure, the plate of mandarin fish shreds had already been emptied.

The young man’s face completely darkened as he swiftly snatched the last chopstick-full.

Mm, truly fragrant.

But he wouldn’t say it out loud to make Luo Sheng proud.

After finishing the meal and seeing Second Uncle Sheng in a pleasant mood, Sheng Sanlang seized the opportunity: “Father, your son has recently gained quite some insight assisting Cousin in managing the wine shop. I’m thinking of opening a branch in our Jinsha in the future. So… could you let your son stay in the capital for a while?”

Hong Dou, standing to the side serving them, quietly rolled her eyes.

Assisting their young lady in managing the wine shop?

The young master’s face was truly thicker than knuckle skin.

Second Uncle Sheng touched his round belly and sat slumped, suddenly understanding why his son refused to leave the capital no matter what.

Being able to eat such meals every day—even he wouldn’t leave!

Seeing Second Uncle Sheng remain silent, Sheng Sanlang pressed on: “Besides, Elder Brother and Second Brother will need to come to the capital before long too. If worst comes to worst, your son can just wait and return together with my two brothers. What do you say?”

Second Uncle Sheng wanted to nod but felt somewhat unwilling.

The brat could leave later, but he couldn’t stay.

If the son came and didn’t leave, and the father came and also didn’t leave, what would Old Madam and the others far away in Jinsha think?

He was already at an age where his son could take a wife—he couldn’t be kept here by good food.

But it really was delicious!

Second Uncle Sheng felt it was very difficult to convince himself to go home using reason.

Forget it, he’d better endure the pain and return first. When the time came, he’d discuss with Old Madam and the others—if Dalang and Erlang achieved high rankings and stayed in the capital, they’d always need to establish some enterprises in the capital. He could stay in the capital to manage them.

Though it was hard to leave one’s homeland, wasn’t this for the children?

Second Uncle Sheng looked at his son’s earnest, expectant gaze and reluctantly nodded.

“Does cousin eat these things every day?” Luo Chen asked coolly.

“Yes, I’m part of the wine shop’s staff, so of course meals are provided.”

Luo Chen stared fixedly at Luo Sheng and made his request: “Elder sister, I also want to work as a shop assistant at the wine shop.”

“Chen’er, your father has already found you a tutor. At your age, you should be studying more.” Grand Marshal Luo quickly said.

His daughter eating here, his son eating here, even his nephew eating here—had they considered his feelings?

Luo Chen smiled faintly: “It won’t interfere with studying. Didn’t they say elder sister’s wine shop only opens in the evenings? I can study properly during the day and come help in the evenings.”

What else could Grand Marshal Luo say? Like Second Uncle Sheng, he could only reluctantly agree.

But alas, he was a First Rank Grand Marshal and Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, as well as Sheng’er’s father—it really wasn’t appropriate for him to work as a shop assistant.

Life’s disappointments numbered eight or nine out of ten.

Grand Marshal Luo sighed and picked up a braised duck tongue to toss into his mouth.

Downstairs in the main hall, scattered groups of people had already filled the seats.

That crimson figure at the window table was all too familiar to the wine shop’s regular customers—who else but Prince Kaiyang?

“Master, are you looking for Miss Luo?” Shi Yan stood at his side. Observing Wei Han occasionally glancing toward the counter area, he asked quietly.

Wei Han coldly swept a glance at Shi Yan.

Shi Yan had assumed he’d hear nothing but a curt dismissal, but unexpectedly Wei Han said coolly: “Otherwise, would I be looking at the manager?”

This counter-question was so matter-of-fact, so righteous and confident, that it left the young guard momentarily speechless.

Having already spoken, Wei Han simply asked directly: “Where is Miss Luo?”

She had never been away from the main hall for such a long time before.

That one time she’d been gone slightly longer was to go kill someone.

This time, what was it for?

Wei Han couldn’t say whether it was curiosity or unease, but since he wanted to know, he asked outright.

“Miss Luo is having dinner in a private room. Young Master Luo returned today, so the family came to the wine shop to dine together.” Saying these words, Shi Yan’s feelings were quite complex.

Sometimes he felt his master had become enlightened, but actually hadn’t.

Sometimes he felt his master was too slow-witted, yet his master spoke quite boldly.

“So her younger brother has returned.” Wei Han raised his cup and drained the wine.