"Elder Brother Li, you're here."
Gu Jinchen had already returned from the nearby construction site. Upon seeing Li Shopkeeper and the others, he greeted them, and Luo Ge also wiped her hands and came out from the kitchen.
"Who is this?"
Hearing the puzzled questions from the young couple, Li Shopkeeper turned to look at his own landlord.
"My name is Jiang Feng, a good friend of Li Shopkeeper. I'm intruding today, just a small token of my appreciation."
Without waiting for Li Shopkeeper to speak, Jiang Feng smiled amiably at Luo Ge and the others, presenting the gift in his hands.
His eyes hid a sense of astonishment at the beauty before him. He had only heard Li Shopkeeper mention Luo Ge, but he had never seen her in person.
He truly did not expect her to be such a petite and charming young lady, who still displayed an air of elegance even in her coarse cotton clothes.
When his gaze fell upon Gu Jinchen beside Luo Ge, the light in his eyes gradually faded, returning to normal.
Alas, he met her too late. A gentleman does not take what belongs to another. Admiring from afar will suffice.
Noticing the change in his expression, the hostility Gu Jinchen had briefly felt also subsided.
Upon hearing this, the young couple raised their eyebrows slightly. Elder Brother Li's friend?
Well, they shall entertain him then.
"You're not intruding. We're delighted to have you at our humble abode. Please come in and have a seat. Let's have some tea first."
"Alright, good."
As soon as Li Shopkeeper saw that the meal was cooked by Luo Ge herself, he could no longer sit still. Hearing this, he immediately found a spot to sit down, acting very friendly and without any formality.
Jiang Feng was unaware, but he had tried Luo Ge's cooking several times before, and it was simply unforgettable.
And those tea leaf eggs she had given them the other day – when he brought them back, his wife tried making them, and he truly loved them.
Today, he was really looking forward to trying Luo Ge's home cooking.
Seeing Li Shopkeeper and Jiang Feng: "......"
Where did his usually steady and composed demeanor go? How could he behave like he hadn't eaten in ages?
"Mr. Jiang, please take a seat."
Noticing that Jiang Feng was standing still, Gu Jinchen reminded him.
Luo Ge had already turned around to prepare the dishes. Looking at Li Shopkeeper and the others, she cooked two extra dishes and placed them on their table, along with a plate of cold marinated tea leaf eggs.
The table had to be set with eight dishes, not seven. Just enough for eight.
Their table was meant for eight people – Li Shopkeeper, Jiang Feng, Gu Jinchen, plus the village chief, the clan chief, Gu Yun, Wang Big Brother, and Li Qiao, perfectly filling the table.
Luo Ge and the two children sat at another table with Wang Sister-In-Law, Luo Auntie, and Ma Feng Auntie.
The workers and other villagers were also seated separately.
However, men and women were seated at separate tables, with children sitting with the women.
In total, there were seven tables, with men occupying five tables, and dishes were served along with alcohol.
"Luo Ge, what's the story with this Mr. Jiang? He seems rather aristocratic."
Sitting beside her, Wang Sister-In-Law could no longer contain her curiosity after holding it in for so long.
Judging by the way Li Shopkeeper treated Mr. Jiang, he seemed to highly respect him.
Upon hearing this, Luo Auntie, Ma Feng Auntie, and the others also turned to look, their eyes filled with the same curiosity.
"He's Elder Brother Li's friend. I heard he came to celebrate the start of our construction work today."
Seeing their expressions, Luo Ge laughed and explained as Jiang Feng had said.
"Oh... he doesn't seem like it. He looks more like Li Shopkeeper's superior."
Hearing this, Wang Sister-In-Law nodded and muttered, glancing at Gu Jinchen's table.
Luo Ge paused while serving the two children, unable to hide her smile.
Indeed, that's exactly it.
On the other side,
This was the first time the villagers were sitting at the same table with a noble from the city, and the village chief, Wang Big Brother, and the others all felt quite uncomfortable.
Especially with the aristocratic air that Jiang Feng exuded, making them even more ill at ease.
Rumor had it that the Fuxin Shop originated from the capital, so this Mr. Jiang might be a noble from the capital?
"There's no need to be so formal. Let's just eat."
Noticing everyone's unease, Gu Jinchen spoke up and poured a round of drinks for everyone.
"No need to feel constrained. We're all Jinchen's friends, all our own people."
Engrossed in their meal, Li Shopkeeper and the other quickly chimed in with a laugh.
After trying Luo Ge's cooking, Jiang Feng could truly understand why Li Shopkeeper had looked like he hadn't eaten in ages earlier.
Before starting his meal, Gu Jinchen had already helped himself to the dishes Luo Ge had made separately.
"For my wife," he turned and called out to his young wife at the adjacent table, passing her the bowl.
Luo Ge turned around in bewilderment, her face flushing slightly as she accepted the bowl amid the gazes of those around her.
"Your second young master really dotes on you," Wang Sister-In-Law teased.
Jiang Feng, who had been observing Luo Ge's table, caught this remark and glanced at Gu Jinchen, only to have a cup of wine immediately shoved into his hand.
"We can't just eat, can we, Mr. Jiang? Let's have a drink."
Drink up, and stop staring at my wife.
"Good."
Realizing he had been staring too much, Jiang Feng smiled apologetically and accepted the cup, toasting Gu Jinchen.
The village chief quietly lifted his head and quickly raised his cup as well.
"Come, come, let's all drink."
"Yes, let's all drink." Li Shopkeeper also hurriedly raised his cup, glancing towards his landlord's direction.
[One]
