Tea-flavored Romance

"Okay, here they are. These two dishes use the same ingredients, but the final products are quite different. Which one do you think Jiang Manyue made?"

Master Ning took the chopsticks, hesitating slightly. The two dishes of stir-fried shredded pork with green peppers in front of him—the one on the left looked delicious and smelled wonderful, with an excellent presentation—while the other looked rather lackluster. If what Xuebao had said earlier was true, and Manyue rarely cooked, then the uglier-looking dish must be Manyue's…

But... if we really pick them out like that, they might suffer an even worse fate, right?

Thinking about this, Master Ning hesitated for a moment, but finally took a bite with his chopsticks. He struggled with the decision for a long time, seemingly considering which girlfriend would have more serious consequences if he angered her...

Full Moon was already angry, and this only made her angrier... It looks like she's on the verge of death any minute now...

As for Olaf... she's quite well-behaved, but considering his recent experience of witnessing Olaf's conscience, his lecherous nature was burning fiercely, leading him to finally make a painful decision:

"This one! The one on the left that looks better was made by Full Moon!"

I'm sorry, Xuebao! I need to comfort Manyue first!

Jiang Xihua's expression was neither sad nor happy. Although her eyes still pretended to be calm, there was a hint of satisfaction in them. Strangely, Xuebao didn't seem too upset either. She snapped her fingers and chuckled, "Correct answer... but in a sense, your answer was actually 100% correct."

Master Ning was slightly taken aback, then looked up in surprise and asked, "Both of these were made by Full Moon?"

“Yes, that dish that looked ugly was her first dish, and the finished product was her second dish.” Gu Guanxue exclaimed, “She has improved so much in such a short time. It seems I have lost.”

"So what are your stakes?" Master Ning asked quickly.

"Of course it's you."

"..."

Seeing Master Ning looking at Xuebao with a horrified expression, the girl quickly patted his shoulder and comforted him, "Don't worry, she didn't lose you to her..."

"But...they seem to be about the same level of importance, don't they?"

"???"

As night fell and the dishes for the New Year's Eve dinner were served one by one, Ning Yuan remained unaware of the consensus reached between Gu Guanxue and Jiang Manyue in the kitchen. The Gu and Jiang families gathered together, with the heads of the table presided over by Grandpa Gu and Grandpa Jiang. Since one table couldn't accommodate everyone, the younger generation was seated separately to enjoy drinks with them.

Jiang Mufeng and Jiang Chaoyun were very unhappy that they were assigned to a table with the children, but there were too many people here who could control them, so even if they had a lot of courage, they wouldn't dare to cause trouble at this time. They had no choice but to obediently sit down and start eating.

As the key contributor and head chef to this joint New Year's Eve dinner, Master Ning was treated like a VIP as soon as he sat down. Bowls, chopsticks, and wine were all prepared for him, just waiting for him to sit down and start eating...

But... why is my seat sandwiched right between Full Moon and Olaf?

No one noticed the inner turmoil of the guilty scumbag. In this lively and harmonious atmosphere, everyone quickly raised their hands and clinked glasses for the first time.

"May both patriarchs live long and prosper, and may the Jiang and Gu families remain harmonious neighbors and friends, sharing the same breath and branches!"

"How many years has it been since our two families met? I remember the last time we ate together was on New Year's Eve when Manyue and Xiaoxue were born, right?" Grandpa Jiang's eyes revealed a hint of reminiscence: "I remember before Manyue and Xiaoxue were born, our two families wanted to arrange a marriage between our children, right? It's a pity they are both girls, but it's still not bad."

"Yes, engagement, engagement... more than twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye." Old Master Gu said with emotion, "I never thought that the two of us old folks would have the chance to drink together again."

When he said this, Old Master Gu deliberately glanced at Master Ning a couple of times, especially when he said the words "engagement," which startled the scumbag so much that he almost dropped his chopsticks.

Grandpa...we don't have any grudge against each other, do we...you're not going to bring up my engagement with Xuebao at this time, are you?

Chapter 342: Operation Moon Slaying on New Year's Eve!

Seeing that something was subtly amiss, Master Ning poured himself a full glass of wine and, taking advantage of the pleasant atmosphere, began to toast everyone in turn:

"I am honored to have this New Year's Eve dinner with all of you uncles, aunts and uncles today. I am truly humbled and grateful. It would be an understatement to say that I am extremely fortunate... Come, let me toast you one by one... Uncle Jiang, you are closer to me, so let me toast you first."

Father Jiang raised his glass and clinked it with Ning Yuan's. Then he let Master Ning drink the wine in the small glass. Because it was a rare happy occasion, Father Jiang took out his treasured old cellar wine. One sip and a mellow flame went straight to his head. But this was exactly the effect Master Ning wanted. As long as he drank a couple of glasses now, he could pretend to be drunk and confused if anything went wrong.

However, Xuebao seemed to be worried that he would drink it all in one go, or she had other ideas. As soon as Ningyuan put down his glass, she refilled it with beer and said with a smile, "Ningyuan, you should drink less. Grandpa Jiang's wine can't withstand you drinking like this. You may have drunk several years' worth of Grandpa Jiang's wine in that sip."

Grandpa Jiang laughed heartily and waved his hand to indicate that although he felt bad about the wine, no amount of good wine could compare to the joy in his heart.

"Come on, Lao Gu, let's have a drink."

"Come!"

Now that he has recovered, Old Master Gu has a more spirited look on his face. Before, his health had been declining day by day, so he naturally dared not indulge in alcohol. Now that he has shed his burdens, it is the perfect time for him to enjoy a few drinks.

The Gu family members watched as their patriarch began to drink, their expressions showing a hint of worry. They wanted to advise him to take care of his health, but given the pleasant atmosphere, they didn't want to say anything that might spoil the two patriarchs' enjoyment.

It was obvious to everyone that after experiencing a near-death experience, Old Master Gu's temperament had changed slightly; in other words, he had become more open-minded. Finally, Jiang Manyue spoke up on their behalf, offering some advice:

"Grandpa, you don't have much wine left, so you should drink it sparingly."

"Impossible, I still have an unopened bottle."

“That bottle has already been opened,” Jiang Manyue replied calmly, picking up her chopsticks with an impassive air. “Gu Guanxue used it to cook.”

Grandpa Jiang: ? ? ?

Master Ning: ? ? ?

Olaf: ? ? ?

So, when I asked Jiang Manyue if she still had any cooking wine at her place, you told me to go find it myself... that was actually how you tricked me?

"Oh? So that was Grandpa Jiang's wine? I thought the full moon had given me a bottle of ordinary wine."

Gu Guanxue, not to be outdone, began to fight back. Of course, she wouldn't take the blame for nothing. She casually shifted the main responsibility to Jiang Manyue—I did take the wrong thing, but you knew it was your grandfather's precious treasure and didn't stop me. You even put it in a conspicuous place. So you're also at fault!

“I was washing rice at the time and didn’t have time to keep an eye on you,” Jiang Manyue said calmly. “Who knew you would open it as soon as you got it?”

"Don't say anymore... How much did you use to cook it..." Grandpa Jiang asked with great regret, "Who cooked it?"

Master Ning: "..."

Why does this little squabble between the Tea Saint and the Tea Emperor have to affect me? I'm just a background character...

"Cough cough... There's... there's still half left..."

"What dish did you make that required half of my wine?!"

"Well... West Lake Drunken Fish..." Master Ning coughed lightly, "Grandpa, don't worry, I'll find a chance to get you a few bottles to celebrate your birthday... Consider this half bottle as what I owe you..."

He didn't have the guts to shift the blame to each other like Olaf did. As a weak, pitiful, and helpless scumbag, once he took the blame, he couldn't get rid of it—and the key was that he had no one to shift the blame to.

Giving it to Full Moon is death, giving it to Snowball is worse than death, so it's better to just memorize it honestly.

Jiang Mufeng, Jiang Chaoyun, and Jiang Muyu, the three younger generation, gasped in surprise. They thought to themselves, "Brother-in-law, you're really brave. Such good wine, are you trying to become the number one West Lake Drunken Fish in the national server?"

"You...you're going to be the death of me!"

"Hey, hey, Old Jiang, that's enough. There's still half a bottle left. You're so stingy, only taking out a couple of drops to drink during holidays. This half bottle should last you for over ten years." Old Master Gu stepped in and said, "Consider this your treat for everyone today. Come on, everyone, pick up your chopsticks and try this unusual West Lake Drunken Fish. See if this wine makes the fish taste even better."

“Yes, Dad, Xiao Ning made such a big meal. You should be magnanimous and let him make it up to you later.” Mother Jiang advised, “It’s the New Year, don’t be angry.”

Master Ning: Nodding frantically

To be honest, Ning Yuan might have laughed out loud when he heard a classic reason like "it's the New Year" in the past, but now that it's his turn to take the blame, he realizes that this sentence is simply a wise saying.

Well said! The mother-in-law really cares about her son-in-law… Mom, could you add, “He’s still just a child?”

This little incident quickly passed amidst everyone's persuasion. Old Master Jiang gave Master Ning a rather resentful look, as if to say, "If you don't get me two good bottles later, this isn't over." Feeling guilty, Master Ning didn't dare to look the old man in the eye and could only keep his head down, focusing on eating.

After a couple of drinks, feeling quite tipsy, Old Master Jiang quickly forgot about the incident and focused on chatting with Old Master Gu:

"Hey Lao Gu, you've finally recovered, why don't you just retire and come fishing and playing chess with me? Don't you want to make way for the younger generation?"

"I was thinking, but Xiaoxue hasn't graduated yet, has she?" Old Master Gu glanced at Master Ning as if it were nothing, and said, "But you don't need to worry, I'll be semi-retired in a while."

"What do you mean by semi-retirement? You can retire or not, why are you stuck in this limbo?"

Grandpa Gu smiled without saying a word, and simply said, "You wouldn't understand even if I told you... Come on, Xiao Ning, have a drink with me."

"Alright..." Master Ning quickly got up, downed his beer, and poured himself another glass: "I'll drink this, old man, you can drink as you like."

The liquor, like a fiery ray, flowed down his throat, its aroma mellow yet leaving a lingering, potent aftertaste. After finishing the glass, Old Master Gu put it down and chuckled softly, "Xiao Ning, I want to thank you."

"You're too kind, sir. This meal is what I should do."

"It's not just about this meal, but also about Xiaoxue's matter," Grandpa Gu said calmly. "I hope you can keep your word and fulfill your promise."

“Of course.” Master Ning nodded and said, “I will keep my promise, and I also hope that you will keep your promise in the end, sir.”

As he spoke, Master Ning couldn't help but glance at Jiang Manyue out of the corner of his eye, sighing inwardly. The Jiang family and the Gu family exchanged glances, seemingly very curious about what agreement Old Master Gu had made with this young man that made him take it so seriously.

The only two girls who seemed calm throughout the room were Jiang Manyue and Gu Guanxue. However, the difference was that Xuebao gently covered his thigh with her little hand under the table to comfort him, while Manyue quietly stepped on the scumbag's foot...

Holding his breath, straining, his face remained impassive. On one side was gentle reassurance, on the other, a chilling warning of impending doom…

It's like experiencing both ice and fire.

……

Even though fireworks and firecrackers are banned in Beijing, the festive atmosphere of the Lunar New Year wasn't significantly affected. Halfway through the New Year's Eve dinner, the younger generation started leaving the table, and the tradition of giving out lucky money began. The Spring Festival Gala started on TV as scheduled, and hearing the familiar opening remarks, the cycle of the year finally came to an end.

The snow outside the window was falling heavier and heavier. The snowflakes falling all over the sky seemed to be saying a final goodbye to the end of the year. The snow that had been trampled, walked on, and rolled over by vehicles during the day was covered again with a thick layer of silver.

Inside the kitchen, Gu's mother, Jiang's mother, and some other women were washing dishes and cleaning up. Jiang's father, Gu's father, and others were eating tea, snacks, and fruit while chatting. Old Master Jiang and Old Master Gu got quite drunk and fell asleep, being helped back to their rooms to rest. Some of the younger generation, like well-behaved children such as Gu Huaige, were quietly watching the Spring Festival Gala, chatting casually with their cousin Guanxue about the skits. Others, like Jiang Mufeng and Jiang Muyu, were already gathering in groups of three or five to play cards and have fun.

Inside, it was warm and cozy, while outside, snowflakes danced in the air. The two contrasting scenes created a heartwarming atmosphere. Ning Yuan put on his coat and went outside, reaching out to catch a snowflake or two, and smiled faintly.

Calling Ning's parents was an essential part of the process, and greetings from Jiu Bao also had to be included. When Ning Yuan heard the sweet breathing of the little silly Lu Jiu Jiu on the phone, and heard her soft "Happy New Year," he suddenly felt an urge to share the snowy scene with her.

"Jiujiu?"

"Ok?"

"Happy New Year," Ning Yuan said with a light laugh. "I'll go back and watch a movie with you."

"Good~"

After chatting on the phone for a while, Master Ning seemed to realize that making a phone call while standing outside the radiator was a very foolish thing to do, so he reluctantly hung up the phone. When he turned around, he found that Jiang Muyu, that little girl, was staring at him from the doorway...

Jiang Muyu: Staring...

Ning Yuan: "..."

"Ahem... Xiaoyu, what brings you out? Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong... but Brother Xiao Ning... who were you talking to on the phone just now?"

"Isn't this just me on the phone with my sister?" Master Ning replied, trying to sound calm, while secretly thinking to himself, "Are the Jiang family's skills at catching adulterers just maxed out from the start? How come even Jiang Muyu can't seem to get it right..."

"Oh……"

"Why did you stop playing cards?"

"I lost it all." The little girl, Jiang Muyu, said aggrievedly, "My brother and his friends are inhuman, they even won my New Year's money... Brother Xiaoning... can you help me win it back?"

"I……"

Ning Yuan was just about to say that he was too old for his age to bully minors, when a sudden inspiration struck him, and a bold idea popped into his head...