Chapter 74: Shut up, I can hold my liquor well

Gu Xixi saw that Shitou had something to say, "You little brat, what is it that you can't say in front of me?"

Shitou then made up his mind, raised his head and looked earnestly at Gu Xixi.

"Sister Xixi, when you come to sell things in the future, could you let me work for you?"

"Moving things, guiding, bargaining—I can do all of that!"

Gu Xixi blinked, "You want to work for me? Are you short on money?"

Shitou first shook his head, hesitated, then nodded, "The medical expenses you helped me get before are enough to last me a while, but the trees at home..."

"I need to save some money to take good care of them."

Gu Xixi understood, farming also requires capital.

Such a large nursery, aside from daily labor costs, water, fertilizer, pest control, etc., all cost money.

She couldn't help but frown; if this continues with only income and no outflow, it's not a long-term plan.

Shitou thought Gu Xixi was worried about him, so he comforted her, "Sister Xixi, I can do it. Although my strength is a little less, if I do a little each day, it's enough to tend these fruit trees."

"When the trees bear fruit next summer, I'll take the fruit to the market to sell, and then I can support myself."

Gu Xixi sighed inwardly, raised her hand and pressed down the tuft of hair that had stood up on his head.

"Let's not talk about that now; it's noon, let's first eat something,"

"I'd also like to sit at your place for a while, then we can discuss your work arrangement, how about that?"

Shitou became even happier, "That's even better! Welcome!!"

The best restaurants and eateries in Qing Tian County are all around East Main Street.

Gu Xixi chose a restaurant called "Hundred Mile Fragrance", "I heard from Meng Dangni zi that they have a chef from Jiangnan, let's try it."

Since she came into this world via transmigration, she had only eaten at street stalls when entering the city; this was her first time dining at a restaurant in ancient times, and she was quite looking forward to it.

Shitou had never entered such a grand restaurant either; even before stepping inside, his eyes felt insufficient.

The only one among them who was experienced was Mu Nan Zhao.

He gave the shop entrance a cold glance, exuding an air that dismissed ordinary small eateries as unimportant.

Two attendants responsible for greeting guests immediately ran over, smiling, "How many in your party, sir?"

Mu Nan Zhao tossed the reins in his hand to the attendant without even looking, as if he were not leading a little black donkey but a precious blood-sweating steed.

"Three of us, we'd like a quiet spot."

The attendant immediately called out loudly inside, "Three honored guests, we have a quiet, inner-seat available!"

One attendant led the donkey cart away to park, while two more attendants came out from inside, enthusiastically ushering the three inside.

Shitou stared dumbfounded, tugged at Gu Xixi's sleeve, and whispered, "Is Brother Chen from a wealthy family?"

Gu Xixi broke into a cold sweat; indeed, even if a phoenix wears poultry feathers, it still doesn't resemble poultry.

She could only cover her mouth with one hand and similarly whisper, "He just comes from a scholarly family; he might look more refined."

Shitou nodded in understanding, then gazed at Mu Nan Zhao, pondering, "So that's what refinement is called."

The two whispered, but they couldn't escape Mu Nan Zhao's keen hearing.

A faint arc curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Refinement? That assessment is fairly middling."

The restaurant hall had about ten tables; only three tables were specially set by the window on the inner side, each separated by floral screens.

This ensured relatively private space, and turning one's head still allowed a view of the distant mountain scenery from the window.

These seats were second only to the private rooms on the second floor.

Gu Xixi picked up the menu, "What would you like to eat?"

Mu Nan Zhao: "Whatever."

Shitou glanced at Mu Nan Zhao, shifted in his seat, sat upright, "Sister Xixi, I'll have whatever too."

Since they weren't ordering, Gu Xixi didn't haggle and ordered the dishes in a smooth stream.

Rosy braised quail, clear-steamed meatballs in superior broth, fragrant tea shrimp, pine nut tossed vegetable sprouts, each a bowl of lamb and wolfberry soup…

As Gu Xixi ordered, Shitou kept glancing at the prices on the menu, his expression shifting from surprise to shock.

He finally couldn't hold back and advised, "Sister Xixi, we're just three people; if we order more we won't be able to finish it."

Gu Xixi smiled, returned the menu to the attendant, "Then let's go with these; the staple should be fragrant rice."

After thinking, she added, "And also a pot of your house-brewed osmanthus wine."

Shitou craned his neck, watched the attendant walk away, then said, "Those dishes are also too expensive, aren't they?"

"Just that one stir-fried shrimp dish costs enough for my monthly food expenses."

Gu Xixi said, "Whether the stir-fried shrimp is fresh or not is obvious at first bite; it's not easy to fool diners."

"The river shrimp have to be transported from elsewhere; the shrimp that die en route must be discarded, and after shelling and deveining, there's a loss of about half, so naturally the price is the highest among these dishes."

Shitou sucked in a breath, "It feels like eating money directly; I really don't know how delicious it could be."

When the food and wine were served, Shitou took a bite of the stir-fried shrimp and fell silent.

Tender, smooth, and bouncy to the bite, richly fragrant; while eating, he feared he might accidentally swallow his own tongue.

The attendant set down a pot of osmanthus wine, but Gu Xixi told him to leave just one wine cup.

She filled her own cup, first looked at Shitou, "Children can't drink alcohol; eat more vegetables."

Then she gave Mu Nan Zhao a smiling glance, "You're driving, so you shouldn't drink alcohol either."

In fact, Old Doctor Lao had repeatedly warned him; Mu Nan Zhao must absolutely not drink alcohol now.

The osmanthus wine is made from fresh seasonal osmanthus and rock sugar, fermented.

Its color is golden yellow, full of sweet osmanthus fragrance.

Gu Xixi happily poured and drank for herself, while Mu Nan Zhao gazed at her, a faint warmth flickering in the depths of his eyes.

He scooped a meatball into her bowl, "Eat something, don't just keep drinking."

"Although osmanthus wine tastes sweet and smooth, it actually uses a lot of distilled liquor at the base, so its kick is not small."

Gu Xixi waved her hand nonchalantly, "It's fine, I have a high alcohol tolerance."

Her past drinking record can be checked.

In her freshman year, while eating barbecue with her roommates, she drank alcohol for the first time, easily handling twenty bottles of beer without changing her expression.

Later, she downed baijiu, overwhelming a table of senior brothers, then went to a bar with the senior sisters; a few glasses of straight foreign liquor scared off the ill-intentioned flirts.

When she went with her supervisor to Xi Bei for a project, the local men she drank with begged for mercy and admitted defeat…

Confident in her own alcohol tolerance, Gu Xixi ordered another pot.

She hadn't enjoyed good liquor in a long time, and she was really craving some. Plus, she had made money today and was in a good mood, so why not have a few more drinks?

At that moment, someone suddenly burst into their screened area.

The man reeked of alcohol, swaying as he walked; after just two steps he staggered and lunged onto the table.

Fortunately, Shitou acted in time, lifting a plate of quail, preventing it from being knocked over.

"What are you doing!" Shitou shouted angrily.

The man's head was buried in his arms, unseen; as he braced himself on the table and slowly rose, his gaze lingered on Mu Nan Zhao's face for a moment.

"Sorry, sorry." The man apologized with a grin, looking like an ordinary drunkard.

Mu Nan Zhao lifted his gaze, his eyes sharp.

But the man had already turned and walked out, muttering, "Strange, how did I end up in the wrong place? They should be nearby…"