Aunt He had helped He Qiuhua more than once or twice. This time, Yan Xiaoyu specially invited their entire family over for a meal. While it was mainly to thank them, he also genuinely intended to build a relationship for the future.

To live in the village, one needed a few friends—people to lend a hand when trouble arose. Didn’t villagers look down on households without men precisely because they lacked laborers? When trouble struck, they couldn’t match families with more able-bodied men.

The He family and the Yan family faced similar circumstances, and both were upright. Yan Xiaoyu thought frequent visits between the two households would provide mutual support.

The same applied to the Yan family.

Even though Yan Xiaoyu harbored reservations about Yan Shaoxuan, he had to admit that Yan Shaoxuan was a true gentleman for risking drowning to save someone.

Moreover, there was some old bad blood between the Yan brothers and the eldest branch of the Yan family. When Yan Yonghe passed the jinshi examination at twelve, Yan Xingsheng was overjoyed, and the Yan family became the talk of the village. Everyone said Yan Yonghe was the reincarnation of the Literary Star. Little did they know that Yan Shaoxuan would later appear. At ten, in his very first examination, Yan Shaoxuan won first place, instantly eclipsing Yan Yonghe.

But that wasn’t all. When Yan Yongfang reached marriageable age, Yan Xingsheng and his wife sent a matchmaker to the Yan household to sound out the possibility of marrying their daughter to Yan Shaoxuan. To their shock, Yan Shaoxuan flatly refused. Somehow, word of this refusal spread, and the two families became thoroughly estranged.

As the saying goes, ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend.’ With Yan Yonghe in the Yan family, Yan Xiaoyu harbored a thorn in his side.

‘Scholars, farmers, artisans, merchants’—like the feudal dynasties in the histories of Great Chu and Huaguo, scholars held a status far above ordinary people, especially those who entered government service. He had to be wary.

His decision to befriend the Yan brothers stemmed from this very consideration.

Yan Shaoxuan was also a scholar, rumored to be quite gifted. Though he currently held the disadvantage against Yan Yonghe, who could predict the future?

Perhaps this man could lend them a hand when the Yan father and son turned against them.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Yan Shaocheng handled matters with care. Not long after Aunt He’s family arrived, the two brothers showed up as well, bringing a small packet of tea and a bag of malt sugar as gifts.

Yan Xingmao felt somewhat overwhelmed by the gifts from the Yan and Liu families. Previously, visitors to the Yan household—whether from the village or elsewhere—had always come for Yan Xingsheng and his son, rarely giving him a proper glance.

This was the first time he’d been treated with such solemn respect. Though it came through his son’s influence, it still filled him with delight.

After a few minutes of pleasantries, Yan Xiaoyu quickly finished stir-frying the last vegetable dish and invited everyone to the table.

The broken table leg had been repaired with a new piece of wood secured by hemp rope. It was polished clean and placed in the courtyard, flanked by four long benches.

Though the table was large enough for today’s crowd, they’d have to squeeze a bit to fit everyone.

At the square octagonal table, Yan Xingmao and his wife were seated at the head. The Yan brothers and Aunt He and her husband took places on either side. Yan Xiaoyu, his sibling, and Liu Tiao sat on the benches below.

Yan Xingmao wasn’t one for words, and Yan Xiaoyu, having bustled about all day, was famished by now. After exchanging a few polite pleasantries, he urged everyone to dig in.

The eight dishes on the table were all generously portioned, with the cold dishes served in large bowls—a clear sign of the host’s sincerity in welcoming guests. Not only were the portions ample, but the presentation and taste were also delightful surprises.

The taro in the braised pork belly was starchy, fragrant, and melt-in-your-mouth tender. The pork belly absorbed the taro’s aroma, rich yet not greasy, moist, and delicious. The two ingredients complemented each other perfectly.

The scallion-baked perch was deliciously fresh, its savory flavor intertwined with the aromatic scallions for a unique taste.

Each piece of tofu in the minced pork and tofu dish was coated in savory meat juices and crumbled pork, looking utterly tempting and perfect for mixing with rice.;

The fish head and tofu soup had simmered to a creamy white, dotted with bright green scallions. The tofu was silky smooth, and the broth rich and mellow—one sip made you wish you could swallow your tongue whole;

The cucumber and wild amaranth salad, spicy and refreshing, made one’s mouth water with every bite…

Though everyone was somewhat reserved when they first sat down, once they picked up their chopsticks, all restraint vanished.

Yan Xiaoyu sampled each of the eight dishes himself, nodding with satisfaction. Glancing up at the expressions of the others, his pride swelled.

Everyone at the table, men and women alike, ate with such satisfaction they didn’t even lift their heads. Even Yan Shaoxuan’s icy expression seemed to thaw slightly.

Only after the initial craving passed did they find the energy to speak.

“I had no idea Brother Yu was such a skilled cook! We brothers have truly feasted today!”

Yan Shaocheng picked up a piece of braised pork. ”This braised pork is Shaoxuan’s favorite, and so are the pig’s trotters. But he cares about appearances and thinks pig’s trotters aren’t refined. Out in public, he always says his favorite is Wensi tofu.”

Yan Shaoxuan stiffened, his earlobes flushing crimson.

Yan Xiaoyu chuckled inwardly but offered a sympathetic smile: “Then I share Second Brother Yan’s taste—I adore braised pork belly and pig’s trotters too.”

“Who doesn’t love meat? But Xiaoyu’s cooking truly is exceptional. Even pumpkin blossoms turn out more tender than anyone else’s. No wonder your scheming aunt loves putting you to work in the kitchen!” Aunt He chuckled.

Having eaten his food, Liu Pingshan, who had been reluctant to come, now put on a different face: “Brother Yu’s cooking is indeed excellent. To me, it tastes even better than the dishes at the restaurants.”

It was a pity Yan Xingmao was crippled. Otherwise, saving up some silver to help his ger open a restaurant in town should have been a profitable venture.

Aunt He rolled her eyes. “Always trying to make yourself look good. How many times have you even eaten at a restaurant?”

The couple bickered a bit more, but their faces were filled with smiles. Compared to when they arrived, the atmosphere was completely different.

Everyone chatted and laughed, and the meal ended with both hosts and guests thoroughly enjoying themselves.

When they finished, the table was spotless, not a single drop of sauce left on the plates.

While cooking, Yan Xiaoyu had specifically told his sister that there would be plenty of food today, so she could eat freely. But Yan Xiaoyue had developed a habit over the years, and when the food first arrived, she still held back. But after Yan Xiaoyu served her several helpings, she finally let go. She shared the last bit of sauce from the braised pork with taro and the minced pork with tofu with Liu Tiao and Aunt He, mixing it into their rice.

Liu Pingshan watched with obvious envy, but too proud to join in, he could only gaze longingly as his wife and son ate.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

After the meal, He Qiuhua went to wash the dishes. Aunt He took Liu Tiao to help. Yan Xingmao and Liu Pingshan examined his newly woven bamboo basket together, while the remaining four sat in the courtyard enjoying the cool evening breeze and chatting idly.

Mostly, it was Yan Xiaoyu and Yan Shaocheng talking; Yan Shaoxuan, like Yan Xiaoyue, said little.

Though Yan Xiaoyu found him peculiar, he reminded himself that guests should not be ignored. Steeling himself, he exchanged a few words with him. Yan Shaoxuan’s demeanor softened slightly, yet his gaze held a lingering hint of resignation—as if Yan Xiaoyu were the one clinging stubbornly to the conversation.

Having observed him today, Yan Xiaoyu noted that this person was quite polite to elders like He Qiuhua and Yan Xingmao, but simply didn’t enjoy talking to peers of similar age. Linking this to the village chief’s words and his reaction when he accidentally sat on Yan Shaoxuan’s lap earlier that morning, an unbelievable suspicion began to take root in Yan Xiaoyu’s mind.

—Could it be that Yan Shaoxuan thought he had a crush on him, and was deliberately giving him the cold shoulder?!

To be mistaken for someone with such misplaced affection, Yan Xiaoyu felt like cursing his father.

Since Yan Shaoxuan had saved him and he hadn’t formally thanked him yet, he seized the moment. Standing with his teacup, he looked at Yan Shaoxuan: “Second Brother Yan saved my life that day, and I’ve never forgotten it. But great kindness needs no thanks. I have nothing substantial to offer as a token of gratitude now, so I’ll raise this tea in place of wine to toast Second Brother Yan. Though I deeply admire Brother Yan’s character, we are worlds apart. I fear I might tarnish your reputation. Henceforth, I shall avoid troubling you. When the time comes that you need me, I will repay your kindness then!”

He hoped this man would grasp the unspoken meaning—his feelings toward Yan Shaoxuan were pure gratitude, nothing more!

Yan Shaoxuan froze, his expression shifting through confusion and a hint of flustered annoyance before settling into a faint, “Oh.”

“Why all this nonsense?” Yan Shaocheng swept a glance over the pair and laughed heartily. “If you ask me, you two siblings are both wonderful. Shaoxuan and I consider it our good fortune to be your friends. Brother Yu, you’re being too formal. Didn’t you just say yesterday that we were ‘of one mind’? This meal today—I reckon I’ll be thinking about it for half a year. If you talk like this, how am I supposed to come over for free meals in the future?“

Yan Xiaoyu loved hearing him talk like this, and his lips immediately turned up in a smile. ”Brother Yan, no need to be so polite. You’re welcome anytime.”

Yan Shaoxuan crossed his arms, his gaze deep and sombre.

His brother could come anytime. But what about him?