Chapter 205: A Visit One by One

As the sky began to brighten, an ornate yet elegantly simple carriage slowly entered Lexiang County.

Villagers along the roadside turned their heads in curiosity at the sudden arrival of the carriage.

After all, they had seen many carriages before, but one that exuded such an air of wealth and prestige was a rare sight in these parts.

The driver, a handsome young man dressed in embroidered robes, guided the carriage to a stop at a crossroads. Seeing a group of women gathered nearby, observing them, he cupped his hands politely and asked, “Ladies, do you know how to get to Ansi Courtyard?”

Upon hearing that the young man was heading to Ansi Courtyard, the women exchanged knowing looks, as if their suspicions had been confirmed.

One of them responded, “Turn left, go to the end of the alley, then turn right and walk to the very end. You’ll see a courtyard with a large tree growing inside—that’s Ansi Courtyard.”

“Thank you!” The young man smiled and, without wasting a moment, urged the carriage forward in the direction the woman had pointed.

As the carriage moved away, the women immediately launched into gossip.

“See? What did I say? A carriage this fine, showing up in our humble town—it must be here for Mr. Gu!”

“Well, he is a divine immortal, after all. It’s only natural for important figures to seek him out.”

“Speaking of which, that young man was quite handsome. I wonder if he’s already married… I’m worried sick about my daughter’s marriage!”

“Forget about it! Families like his have way too many rules. It’s better to find someone of equal standing, or else she’ll only suffer after marrying into a wealthy household!”

Achoo! Achoo!

Inside the carriage, a charming young woman lifted the curtain and peeked outside. Handing over a handkerchief, she smiled and asked, “Xunshan, what’s wrong? Did you catch a cold?”

Li Xunshan took the handkerchief and rubbed his nose. “I don’t know… I don’t even feel cold…”

“Tsk tsk tsk… You definitely caught a cold!”

“I told you to dress warmer, but you refused. Insisted on wearing just a single layer—what, do you think you’re as resilient as Mr. Gu?” Ren Jing teased with a playful smile.

Li Xunshan chuckled awkwardly. “Ah, well… I just haven’t seen Mr. Gu in so long, I wanted to dress properly for the occasion…”

“Pfft~” Ren Jing rolled her eyes. “And yet, I’ve never heard you say that when you’re meeting me.”

“That’s different! We’re an old married couple…” Li Xunshan waved dismissively.

Swish!

Ren Jing yanked down the carriage curtain and huffed. “Oh, I see how it is! We haven’t even been married that long, and you already think I’m old?”

“I wouldn’t dare!” Li Xunshan quickly changed the subject. “Ah! We’re here!”

Even from a distance, they could see the courtyard with the large tree rising above the walls. As they approached the entrance, the signboard above the gate clearly read “Ansi Courtyard” in bold characters.

Li Xunshan stopped the carriage in front of the gate and was just about to help Ren Jing down—only for her to leap off on her own.

Hoo~ shoo~ hoo~ shoo~!

A deep, rhythmic snoring sound drifted from inside the courtyard.

Ren Jing sniffed the air. “The smell of alcohol is so strong… Did Mr. Gu drink too much and pass out?”

Li Xunshan paused. “That snoring doesn’t sound like Mr. Gu… And this scent… doesn’t it smell just like Eternal Vintage?”

“Could it be that Brother Wei is already here?” Ren Jing speculated.

Li Xunshan scratched his head. “That shouldn’t be possible. We left early in the morning on the first day of the new year. If Brother Wei is already here, that would mean he left immediately after New Year’s Eve dinner…”

“No way, he wouldn’t go that far just for a bet…”

“No… knowing him, he absolutely would.”

After answering his own question, Li Xunshan knocked lightly on the courtyard gate.

Soon, the door was pulled open from the inside, revealing Gu Ning’an, dressed in flowing white robes.

“Happy New Year to both of you. I wasn’t expecting you to arrive so soon.”

Hearing this, Li Xunshan and his wife first exchanged greetings and well wishes for the New Year.

Then, as Li Xunshan glanced into the courtyard, he immediately spotted Wei Hai sprawled out under a large tree, sleeping in an unceremonious position.

“Looks like Brother Wei really didn’t want to lose to my father,” Li Xunshan chuckled.

Ren Jing covered her mouth and giggled. “Well, it is twenty jars of fine wine. How could Brother Wei not take it seriously?”

“Don’t just stand at the entrance. Leave the carriage outside and come in.”

As the couple stepped into the courtyard, Gu Ning’an made his way toward the kitchen. “You two must not have eaten yet, coming so early in the morning. I just happen to have porridge cooking—join me for some.”

Li Xunshan immediately responded, “Ah, let me help, sir!”

“No need, it’ll be ready in a moment. Just sit and rest for now—and wake up Brother Wei while you’re at it.” Gu Ning’an waved a hand dismissively before disappearing into the kitchen.

“Xunshan, didn’t we bring something for him? Did you forget to take it down?” Ren Jing reminded.

Realizing it, Li Xunshan smacked his forehead. “Ah, look at me! I actually forgot to bring in the New Year gifts!”

Muttering to himself, he stepped outside to retrieve the items from the carriage—specialty goods brought all the way from Xiangzhou.

By the time he returned, Gu Ning’an had already brought out four steaming bowls of vegetable porridge.

Seeing Li Xunshan carrying bags upon bags into the courtyard, Gu Ning’an shook his head with an exasperated smile. “It’s enough that you came—you didn’t have to bring all these things.”

Li Xunshan grinned and stepped forward. “Oh, these are all homemade—sausages, cured meat, and such. My father prepared them specially for you.”

“Things in Xiangzhou have been a complete mess lately. He had to stay behind to sort out business matters with Lord Wenfu, so he couldn’t come himself. But he asked us to bring you his regards.”

“Patriarch Ren is too kind,” Gu Ning’an said, taking the cured goods and heading back to the kitchen. “Hurry up and wake Brother Wei—this porridge won’t taste as good once it gets cold.”

“Got it!” Li Xunshan responded before walking over to Wei Hai and giving him a firm shake.

“Brother Wei! Brother Wei!”

“Wake up! Sleeping out here like this—you’re not afraid of catching a cold?”

“Come on, get up, it’s time to eat!”

“Mmm…”

Still half-asleep, Wei Hai lazily turned over and waved a hand. “Leave me alone… I made a pact with Brother Tree to drink till we drop…”

“Uh…” Li Xunshan glanced at the nearby kumquat tree, then straightened up and laughed. “Oh dear, Brother Wei, you really are slow this time. Patriarch Ren arrived before you did!”

“That means those twenty jars of—”

Before Li Xunshan could even finish his sentence, Wei Hai bolted upright. “Bullshit! I was the first one here!”

Seeing this, Li Xunshan couldn’t help but laugh. He reached out to pull Wei Hai up. “Brother Wei, you really went all out just for those two jars of wine!”

Rubbing his eyes and stifling a yawn, Wei Hai muttered, “So, you two are here… Where’s that stingy old landlord?”

Hearing the strange nickname, Li Xunshan let out a helpless sigh. “Brother Wei, my father isn’t here. He asked me to tell you that he couldn’t make it this time, so you win.”

“When you return to Xiangzhou, feel free to pick any two storefronts you like.”

“What do you mean ‘so I win’?” Wei Hai narrowed his eyes.

Li Xunshan quickly corrected himself. “No, no, I meant—you definitely won…”