"There are no more guests coming, these are left for you guys only, no need to save for anyone else," Old Master Lian said with a smile.

"Grandpa, then we’ll head back first," Lian Manman said as she got off the kang.

"Why aren’t you eating the fruit? Still reluctant to?" Old Master Lian noticed that several children were holding the fruit but not eating it, so he asked.

"We’re taking it back so dad and mom can try some too," Lian Manman replied.

Without needing to discuss, Lian Zhizhi, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi all agreed with Lian Manman’s idea and nodded in agreement.

Old Master Lian was very pleased.

"Good children, good children." Even after Lian Manman and the others had left, Old Master Lian kept murmuring his praise, "Watching them grow up since they were little, the children from Old Fourth’s family will surely turn out well in the future."

Perhaps he was too joyful to notice the furious, ashen faces of Lady Zhou and Lian Xiuxiu behind him.

Lian Manman and the others happily took the fruits back to the West Wing Room and called Lady Zhang and Lian Shouxin to eat together.

"This is some fine stuff, hard to come by around here," Lian Shouxin said, "You eat, I’m not fond of sweet things."

"I don’t care for these either," Lady Zhang said, "I thought you called me back for something important. You go ahead, I’ll return to the workshop to work."

Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang turned to leave.

Lian Manman quickly had Xiao Qi stop the two of them.

Suddenly claimed not to like sweets— who would believe that? Lian Manman secretly rolled her eyes.

"Dad, Mom, we have fruits that aren’t sweet," Lian Manman said cheerfully, as she and Lian Zhizhi brought out a large plate, peeling some fruits, and separating the tangerines into segments. She then took a small knife and cut the fruits into bite-sized pieces, "None of these are sweet, brother, you can eat them too."

Lian Manman invited everyone to come over to eat.

"If anyone doesn’t eat, then none of us will," Lian Manman added.

"Right, Dad, Mom, if you don’t eat, I won’t either," Xiao Qi looked up at Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang and said.

"Alright, then we’ll give it a try," Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang exchanged glances and both smiled.

Xiao Qi cheered and pulled Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang to sit down on the kang with the family. They sat around a plate of fruits, slowly eating because each kind of fruit was divided into small portions. That day, each member of the family got to taste every fruit. No one spoke, but smiles emerged from the corners of everyone’s eyes and brows.

Even later on, when they had a lot more money and had tasted many kinds of better fruits, none was as sweet as the memory of that day. What they remembered was not just the taste of those fruits.

...

On the third day after returning from town, Lian Manman was sitting on the kang with Lian Zhizhi learning to sew when she heard Chunzhu’s voice from the doorway.

"Fourth Master Lian, Fourth Lady Lian, guests have arrived," he announced.

Then they heard the sound of horses getting closer.

Lian Manman quickly put away her needlework and hurried out of the room. Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang also came out from the workshop.

"Fourth Brother, I saw Shopkeeper Wang from the pharmacy at the entrance of the village. He said he was looking for you and brought some people. I sent word ahead, and they should be arriving soon," Chunzhu told Lian Shouxin before leaving. At that moment, two horse carriages also reached the doorway.

The family hurriedly straightened their clothes to welcome the guests. Shopkeeper Wang got out of the first carriage followed by a carriage driver and a servant who brought down a stool to assist another person.

This person was of average build, slightly thin, wearing a ridged hat and dressed in a silk robe. He looked somewhat familiar.

By then, Shopkeeper Wang had already escorted him over and introduced him.

"This is Steward Zhong from the Shen Mansion," Shopkeeper Wang said.

Steward Zhong looked around and caught a glimpse of Lian Manman standing next to Lian Shouxin, his gaze flickering. At that moment, Lian Manman also remembered seeing this steward, the one who was with Shen Liu and Fatty Shen from the town.

Lian Shouxin stepped forward to greet Steward Zhong and Shopkeeper Wang.

Steward Zhong busily responded with a cupped fist salute, and Shopkeeper Wang’s eyes flashed with surprise, but soon his expression was again cordial. They invited Steward Zhong and Shopkeeper Wang into the West Wing Room, where Lady Zhang quickly brewed some hot tea and served several plates of dried fruits and pastries. Knowing that someone from the Shen Family would come, they didn’t want to neglect their guests and had specially bought fine tea leaves, pastries, and dried fruits from town to prepare.

Steward Zhong didn’t immediately bring up buying the grape wine, instead, he first chatted with Lian Shouxin about family matters. Steward Zhong didn’t say much, but he was polite and amiable. Lian Shouxin was pleased; as goes the saying, ’the attendants of the Prime Minister himself are of the third official rank’. The Shen Mansion held great power, yet Steward Zhong didn’t show the slightest arrogance and treated them with great courtesy. Because of this, Lian Shouxin felt a newfound appreciation for the Shen Family.

After a little while, they finally broached the subject of the grape wine. Lian Manman had already prepared a small jug of grape wine, which she poured into a cup and asked Steward Zhong to inspect.

Steward Zhong took the cup, looked at the color of the wine, swirled it in the glass, and then brought it to his nose to smell before taking a sip.

"Hmm," Steward Zhong set down the cup and asked Lian Shouxin, "How much of this wine does Fourth Master Lian’s family have?"

Lian Shouxin was uncomfortable with the title Fourth Master Lian, but since Steward Zhong insisted on using it, he had no choice.

"...They are in twenty-jin jars, a total of fifty jars," Lian Shouxin replied promptly but suddenly saw Lian Manman giving him a look, he froze and hurriedly stopped talking.

...*********......

Recommend Ruoyan’s completed book: "The Brocade Screen Chronicles," a light house fight farmland tale, with all the family and neighborly feuds and conflicts inside a large estate.

Book ID: 1771214

Below is the direct link, click to go straight there. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)