Wine Does Not Intoxicate; People Intoxicate Themselves

"You don't need to lift a finger, just wait to eat."

Gu Wanning found herself a job picking vegetables, and while sitting on a small stool, she asked, "Isn't big sister coming back today?"

Gu Wanqing went back to her parents' home in January and hasn't returned for almost two months.

"She's a princess, she can't always go back to her parents' home. So many eyes are on her, don't give those petty people a chance to slander her. She's really had a tough time..." He Shi felt sorry for her sensible sister-in-law.

There are some things that can't be said in front of Gu Wanning.

Gu Wanqing's biggest flaw is that she is soft-hearted, wants to be thorough in everything, and doesn't want anyone to say "no."

So right now, she's also facing the burden of her family of origin.

Although Gu Wanqing's biological mother, who was the one who started the child swap, has been punished, there is still her father and many other awful relatives to deal with.

And even if her birth mother was punished, she is still alive.

That's fine, after all, Gu Wanqing didn't have a deep relationship with them, so giving them some money was just to appease the beggars.

What bothered Gu Wanqing the most was probably the oppressive atmosphere in the Prince's Residence.

Outsiders all thought she and the Prince of Qin were deeply in love, and that Xu Weibei and Gu Wanning were irreconcilable enemies.

But if women in the world had a choice, no one would want that kind of "affection"; they would choose "incompatible as fire and water."

"I was supposed to come back, but something came up and I don't know what happened."

Gu Wanning remained silent.

Her relationship with Gu Wanqing was somewhat delicate; it was best left unsaid and not asked too deeply, lest it lead to wild speculation.

"Sister-in-law, is the soup ready?" Gu Xiaoxiao asked timidly, feigning innocence.

That was a soup that He Shi specially made with quail today.

"It'll take a while, let it simmer slowly." He Shi's attitude was polite and distant, but when she turned to speak to Gu Wanning, she was very warm. "When I went to buy groceries this morning, these quails were especially cheap, so I bought a few extra."

How cheap?

"Before, they were fifteen coins each, and the larger ones were twenty coins. Today, these large ones are only ten coins," He Shi happily. "But guess what? These quails don't have tongues."

"Ah?"

"The person selling the quails said he didn't know which family was selling them, but they only used the quails' tongues to make quail soup, so they were selling the rest cheaply. In my opinion, it was probably just a servant in the household who put them up to sell for money; the master probably never even thought about making any money from them."

Gu Wanning's assessment of this can be summed up in just four words: extravagant and wasteful.

Eating quail tongue will make you fly to heaven!

This bowl of soup must have been made with at least a hundred quails, right?

Behind the red gates, meat and wine go to waste; on the roads, the bones of those frozen to death lie.

I wonder who's so arrogant; they'll get struck by lightning sooner or later.

But He Shi was only happy because she had bought cheap quail; only when she took charge of the household did she realize how expensive firewood and rice were.

"Does the Marquis like quail? Make him a little extra soup later."

He eats everything, even rice porridge tastes better to him than pork.

He Shi laughed and pinched Gu Wanning, "That'll teach you to talk nonsense."

When it was time to eat, Gu Xiaoxiao personally brought a bowl of quail soup to Xu Weibei.

"Brother-in-law, no, Your Marquis, please try this quail soup... Second Sister watched it simmer for an hour."

Gu Wanning: "?"

She didn't do that.

What, has Gu Xiaoxiao changed her mind and wants to matchmake her and Xu Weibei?

The sun really did rise in the west.

No, unsolicited kindness is either a lie or a theft.

As for Xu Weibei, he was originally going to refuse, but after hearing that Gu Wanning had made a fuss, he didn't say anything.

Gu Wanning sat at the next table, quietly eating her fried shrimp.

The shrimp shells are crispy, the shrimp meat is sweet and fresh, fried to a fragrant perfection, leaving a lingering aroma on the lips and teeth—truly delicious.

Chapter 190 Wine Doesn't Intoxicate, People Intoxicate Themselves

Seeing the quail soup on the table, Gu Yuanshi casually asked, "Has the price of quail dropped recently? I remember it being quite expensive."

Gu Wanning lowered her head and silently rolled her eyes.

What, are you so poor you can't afford to eat?

It's not like we eat it every day.

If you don't eat, there are still growing children at home.

For example, her.

These quail wings taste really good when you eat them.

He Shi quickly replied, "It's cheap..."

She recounted the whole story.

Gu Yuanshi put down his chopsticks, frowned, and said, "His Majesty has always abhorred extravagance. Who dares to defy this and indulge in such lavish and dissolute behavior? Eldest brother, go back and have someone investigate which family it is. I will submit a memorial to the throne later."

Gu Wanning: Okay, you won't be able to buy cheap quail next time.

However, this was a joke; she also felt it was outrageous and should be investigated.

If they are corrupt officials who live off the people's hard-earned money, then their tongues should be cut out first, and then they should be boiled alive. Let's see who dares to be corrupt and break the law in the future.

At the same time, she couldn't help but think that being someone's daughter-in-law was really not easy.

Even if you buy two extra quails, you'll get questioned...

So it's better for her to be the only one who's fed, so the rest of the family won't go hungry.

Gu Anfang and Xu Weibei had developed a lot in common because of the horse, and now Gu Anfang was enthusiastically urging them to drink.

This wasn't a holiday, Gu Yuanshi usually Xu family to drink excessively. However, Xu Weibei was a guest, and it would indeed be impolite not to serve him wine.

So Gu Yuanshi had someone fetch a jar of his prized wine.

Gu Wanning couldn't help but look at the wine jar.

She noticed that the wine jar was different from the one she had seen when she visited her parents' home during the last Chinese New Year...

Is this the beginning of a setup?

My First Concubine said in a dream that one of Gu Yuanshi's most important crimes was forming cliques for personal gain and accepting bribes.

The problem lies with the wine jar he received.

Before the divorce, Gu Wanning secretly checked on the matter several times after returning home, but found no problems.

But today, she noticed that the wine jar was clearly different from before, and she couldn't help but feel a chill, staring intently at the jar of wine.