Chapter 202: So You’re “Family”

The Zheng family courtyard was just as lively at the moment!

Madam Yu and her son, along with the family of three from the Zheng household, sat on one side.

On the other side sat Liao Cui, who had been engaged to Yu Fu that day. Beside her was a burly, rough-looking middle-aged man.

The man had a face full of harsh features, with a slight resemblance to Liao Cui in his brow—clearly, he was her father.

Madam Yu pulled out a red pouch from her bosom, stuffed it into her son’s hand, and nudged him. “Go, give this to your father-in-law.”

Yu Fu’s face showed no sign of joy or sorrow as he took the pouch and handed it to Liao Cui’s father.

Liao Cui’s father took the pouch and, without hesitation, opened it to check the silver inside. Only after confirming the amount did he tuck it into his own robes.

This slightly awkward scene made Yu Fu’s expression shift ever so slightly. However, he said nothing and merely returned to his seat in silence.

“Dear in-law!” Madam Yu said with a smile. “Now that we’ve given the betrothal gift, shouldn’t we pick a good date to settle the wedding soon?”

Liao Cui’s father waved his hand. “No rush, no rush. I still have some questions for my future son-in-law.”

“Of course, of course!” Madam Yu nudged her son again, smiling. “Answer properly!”

Unsure of how to respond, Yu Fu simply nodded.

Across from him, Liao Cui’s father didn’t beat around the bush and asked directly.

“Little Yu, how old are you?”

“Thirty by traditional count.”

“Not young anymore! But still older than my Cui Cui.”

“Mm…”

“How long were you with your previous wife?”

“Over six years…”

“Oh… And just because she couldn’t bear children, you kicked her out?”

Hearing this, Yu Fu’s brows furrowed tightly, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes. “No, I still plan to bring her back.”

“Oh?” Liao Cui’s father was about to press further.

Sensing the conversation taking a turn for the worse, Madam Yu quickly interrupted, “Ah, ah, ah! Dear in-law, let’s not bring up the past.”

“If we’re going to ask questions, let’s ask about something else—like his livelihood or something.”

Liao Cui’s father considered for a moment and nodded. “Alright, let’s talk about his livelihood then.”

“Little Yu, I heard you’re in the wine business in Xiangzhou?”

“You deal in that expensive Eternal Vintage, don’t you?”

Yu Fu nodded. “Mm.”

“Can you explain exactly what you do?” Liao Cui’s father asked with a grin.

Yu Fu hesitated for a moment before replying, “I’m in a business partnership with the manager of Eternal Vintage Tavern…”

Liao’s father clicked his tongue. “I heard that wine costs ten taels of silver per catty! So how much do you earn in a month?”

“Not much, just enough to support the household.” Changing the subject, Yu Fu added, “I’ll bring you a jar when the time comes.”

Liao Cui’s father burst into laughter. “Now that’s great! It’s a deal—I’ll be waiting for your good wine!”

“Alright.” Yu Fu nodded.

Meanwhile, Gu Ning’an stepped into the Zheng family courtyard, carrying a jar of Eternal Vintage in one hand, followed closely by Wei Hai.

Since the courtyard gate was wide open, Gu Ning’an figured he was familiar enough with the Zheng family that he didn’t need to knock or announce himself—he just walked straight in.

Only upon entering did he realize how lively the Zheng household was.

“Yo!”

“Mr. Gu, what brings you here?”

Zheng De, who had been sitting idly, stood up to greet him. Noticing Wei Hai, he grinned and asked, “And this brother here is…?”

“The name’s Wei Hai. Just like you, I’m a friend of Mr. Gu.” Wei Hai responded in a naturally friendly manner.

Zheng De chuckled and cupped his hands in greeting. “Brother Wei, happy New Year!”

“Happy New Year, happy New Year!” Wei Hai returned the gesture.

“Should I leave you two to bow to each other now?” Gu Ning’an teased, interrupting their small talk with a smile.

The two of them exchanged awkward smiles and promptly fell silent.

Lifting the wine in his hand, Gu Ning’an said, “These two jars of aged wine are for you—consider it Little Grape’s celebration wine.”

“Great! I was planning to buy some after the New Year anyway!” Zheng De laughed as he took the two jars. “Mr. Gu, I won’t stand on ceremony then!”

Gu Ning’an smiled. “No need to be polite. I’m just passing on a gift. Brother Wei went through great lengths to bring this wine to me, and I figured Little Grape could use a couple of jars for the celebration, so I brought them straight over.”

“Wow! With how much you dote on Little Grape, I bet the first word they say won’t be ‘Dad’ but ‘Uncle Gu’ instead!”

Zheng De tilted his head and said, “You guys sit, I’ll go put the wine away.”

“No need. You all seem busy—I’ll just drop off the wine and be on my way.” As he spoke, Gu Ning’an turned to leave.

“Hey, don’t be like that!” Zheng De quickly called out. “Dear, dear! Say something—convince Mr. Gu to stay for a meal!”

At this moment, Tan Bing, who had been quiet all this time, finally spoke up. “That’s right, Mr. Gu, Brother Wei, why don’t you both stay for dinner?”

Tap, tap, tap!

Madam Yu impatiently knocked on the table and said, “Zheng De! You and your wife sure are clueless, aren’t you?”

“We’re discussing serious matters here, and I let it slide when you interrupted… but now that the man wants to leave, you’re insisting he stays for dinner?”

“It’s just wine, isn’t it? If Little Grape needs celebratory wine, my son can just get two jars of Eternal Vintage!”

The moment she said this, Yu Fu, who had his back turned, visibly tensed.

“Eternal Vintage?”

“This wine is Eternal Vintage.”

Wei Hai cupped his hands with a smile.

Madam Yu’s face showed disbelief. “You’re not trying to fool me, are you? These two jars look like they hold at least five catty each!”

“One catty costs ten taels of silver! Ten catty would be a hundred taels!”

“And you… you’re just giving away a hundred taels’ worth of wine?”

Hearing the sharp edge in her words, Wei Hai immediately understood she was likely one of Zheng De’s elders. Since Zheng De was Gu Ning’an’s friend, Wei Hai naturally didn’t respond as bluntly as he would in the yamen. Instead, he simply smiled and replied, “It’s true this wine isn’t cheap, but since I brewed it myself, I can certainly afford to give some away.”

“Huh?”

“You brewed Eternal Vintage?”

“You mean to say the Eternal Vintage Tavern in Xiangzhou is yours?”

Seeing how confident he was, Madam Yu still had some doubts but asked again just to be sure.

Wei Hai nodded. “Of course.”

“Hey! Son!” Madam Yu suddenly stood up and tugged at Yu Fu. “Why are you just standing there like an idiot? See if this man is the Shopkeeper Wei you went into business with!”

“Business partners?” Wei Hai’s brows furrowed as he turned to look at Gu Ning’an beside him.

The latter only gave a helpless smile without saying a word.

Wei Hai seemed to understand something. Stepping forward, he carefully examined Yu Fu’s face. “Oh! It’s you!”

“…Shopkeeper Wei… Happy New Year…” Yu Fu averted his gaze, giving an awkward smile.

Hearing her son personally confirm it, Madam Yu’s attitude changed in an instant.

“Oh my! Turns out you’re family!”

“Quick, quick, quick! Zheng De! Put the wine down and serve some tea!”

Zheng De: ???