Seeing his nephew’s reluctance to part with the wine, Lu Yang coughed lightly and advised, “My eldest nephew, since our ancestors didn’t drink, it’s clear they didn’t appreciate alcohol. Your father also needs to travel, and he really can’t carry this whole jar of wine!”
Two clan members nearby also joined in the persuasion, saying, “Yes, Yao Ge, just let it go. Let everyone share the wine.”
“Your intentions are certainly appreciated by the ancestors, so you should stop holding onto the wine.”
As they persuaded him, the two men licked their lips. Fortunately, the ancestors didn’t like wine, or they wouldn’t have had a chance.
Lu Xingyao, however, clung to the wine jar stubbornly. He had chosen this wine himself and carried it back; he wasn’t going to let these people have it!
Seeing this, Lu Qing directly gave his second son a meaningful glance.
The old man was anxious. At this time, the second son was still hesitating. Just grab it!
At that moment, Lu Yang and the old man shared an unspoken understanding. Without further discussion, they moved in, grabbing Lu Xingyao’s legs while calling the two clan members over to help.
The three of them worked together: one to snatch the wine jar and the other two to pull Lu Xingyao away. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to enjoy the fine vintage.
After a while, the rich aroma of the wine filled the air. The Lu family members each had a small bowl of wine. The Liu family hesitated but eventually joined in and had a few sips on this auspicious day.
Du Hangwu, who hadn’t had wine for a long time, couldn’t resist the tempting aroma and shyly asked for a bowl.
Even if he could endure other things, he couldn’t resist the allure of this wine. The scent was too enticing.
Other officials, drawn by the fragrance, quickly moved in to get their share. If they could get some, that would be great; if not, there was no shame in trying.
Lu Qing took a small sip. Although it wasn’t as exquisite as the wine he had in the capital, it was still quite good. His grandson had good taste.
Lu Yang, smiling, held his bowl of wine and praised Lu Xingyao, “Eldest Nephew, this wine suits your second uncle’s taste very well. I’ll treat you another day.”
He was just following the old man’s advice, not wanting his nephew to think of him as a greedy elder who snatched away the wine from younger family members.
At that moment, Lu Xingyao, holding the empty wine jar, wept, lamenting how these people were so cruel to drink up the fine wine he had prepared for the ancestors.
Lu Xingyan, who had also received a bowl of wine, seeing his nephew’s dejection, generously offered his own, “Don’t be upset. You can have mine.”
Lu Xingyao glared at him angrily. This wasn’t about the wine!
“You elders are so disrespectful, only caring about a sip of wine and showing no respect for the ancestors!”
Lu Xingyan hesitated for a moment, “So, are you going to drink this wine or not?”
Lu Xingyao grabbed the wine from his hand, “Of course I’ll drink it! How could I not?”
Since it was bought by the young master, it had to be consumed. Not drinking it would be a huge loss.
Seeing this, Lu Xingyan smiled but said nothing.
Lu Xingyao gulped down the wine in a hurry, barely savoring the taste. He shoved the empty bowl back into Lu Xingyan’s hands, “Just because the ancestors chose those two items of yours doesn’t mean they favor you. Don’t get carried away.”
With that, he continued to hold his empty wine jar and sob, looking like a wronged little wife.
Lu Xingyan: “.”
He couldn’t understand why the ancestors favored this nephew so much. Maybe it was because he seemed weaker?
Meanwhile, Gu Xingzhao, watching from home, nearly laughed out loud. How could a jar of wine make someone cry? It was absurd.
She rummaged through the supermarket and ended up sending two bottles of milk beer to ancient Lu Xingyao.
She was soft-hearted and couldn’t bear to see the child cry. A couple of bottles should cheer him up.
In the next moment, Lu Xingyao, who had been crying, suddenly noticed the two bottles that had appeared beside him. His eyes lit up, and he immediately set aside the empty jar to inspect the bottles.
These must be a gift from the ancestors! They truly care for me!
The milk beer bottles had a note attached, instructing him to pry open the tab to drink.
Lu Xingyao proudly walked over to Lu Xingyan, shaking the bottles deliberately, “If I ever get the chance to see the ancestors, I’ll definitely ask them why they always give me special treatment.”
Lu Xingyan: “?”
Lu Xingyao looked troubled, staring at the milk beer, “Although they care for me, I can’t just monopolize everything.”
Lu Xingyan: “.”
Other clan members gritted their teeth, wondering what the ancestors saw in him!
Gu Xingzhao watched the scene with a smile. No one knew how much she enjoyed seeing Lu Xingyao act like this, so much like the old man.
At this moment, Lu Xingyao was showing off to his father and grandfather.
They pretended not to see, keeping their heads down and drinking their own wine, unable to tolerate the sight of the boy’s show-off. They were afraid they might want to punch him.
Lu Qing looked at his eldest son, who was usually so serious, and wondered how his son and daughter-in-law, who were both so proper, could have produced such a lively Lu Xingyao?
As he pondered, something flashed in front of him.
It turned out that Lu Xingyao, seeing that they were pretending not to see, stretched his arm and waved the bottles in front of them, making sure everyone saw.
Lu Qing: “…”
He started to consider whether he should tell the ancestors not to give special favors to his grandson in the future.
It wasn’t that he envied his grandson; he was just worried that this constant pampering would spoil him, turning him into an arrogant young master.
Lu Yang, noticing the bottles in Lu Xingyao’s hands, even though he didn’t know exactly what they were, assumed they must be good since they were from the ancestors. He asked, “Eldest Nephew, what’s this?”
Lu Xingyao raised his eyebrows, taking an air of superiority, “This is the divine brew bestowed upon me by the ancestors!”
Lu Yang licked his lips, “Eldest Nephew, haven’t I treated you well?”
Lu Xingyao scoffed, feeling a sense of restored dignity.
Lu Yang, thick-skinned, acted as if nothing had happened. He put down his empty bowl and shamelessly approached Lu Xingyao, “Eldest Nephew, let me have a taste of this divine brew from the ancestors too!”
Everyone turned to look at Lu Yang, their eyes wide with disbelief. How could the second master be so shameless?
Lu Xingyao, not one to be stingy, huffed, “Fine, I’ll reluctantly let you have a taste.”
Hearing this, the other clan members were immediately tempted. Although the young master was pretending, he was usually easy to please.
Lu Xingyao followed the note from the ancestors, pried open the tab with his finger, and pulled it up. Under everyone’s gaze, the tab popped open with a slight sound.
Gu Xingzhao’s heart skipped a beat, thinking, “Oh no!”
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