Chapter Seventy-Fifth: The Lantern Festival Poetry Party

  Chen was drunk, but it wasn't really drunkenness, he just couldn't tell east from west.

  Looking at the distant firework, the beautiful fireworks, Chen Jiulang burst out laughing: "Really beautiful, Master, do you think we can still watch the fireworks here next year?"

  "Why can't you? Do you think you can graduate from the academy in just one year?" Chao Xiaoyu's face was flushed with a faint red glow, her eyes hazy and drunk.

  "This tavern is my property, but I'm not short of money now, brother, I don't lack money. When I leave, this tavern will be given to the shopkeeper."

  Chao Xiao Yu stopped the action in his hand, looking at the distant lights: "I haven't been home for over a decade, and besides, you little brat, I'm older than you, who's your brother, call me sister".

  Just as Chao Xiao Yu's slender hand was about to reach out again, Chen Jiu hastily explained: "No, I didn't take advantage of you, it was just a figure of speech."

  "Hmph, consider yourself lucky this time, come on, let's have another drink." Chao Xiao Yu raised his wine cup once again.

  "I really didn't think you could drink so much, cheers!"

  The sound of footsteps came, and Fei Yan's temples trembled slightly as she held a plate in her hand: "Master, husband, the dumplings are here."

  "Great, great, great! It's actually my favorite three-fresh filling. The boss has a heart!" Chao Xiaoyu's nose was very sensitive and he smelled the dumplings from far away. He directly snatched the plate, leaving Chen Jiu's hands empty.

  Holding chopsticks, he picked up a dumpling from the small fishing boat and turned it around in front of Chen Jiu: "Smell, smell, is it fragrant or not?"

  Chen Jiuzui's eyes revealed a hint of cunning: "After drinking too much wine, his nose wasn't working well and he didn't smell it."

  "Then you smell it." Chao Xiao Yu once again held out the dumplings in front of Chen Jiu, shaking them back and forth.

  "Hey, how did you eat it all? I haven't eaten yet!" Zhao Xiao Yu glared at the empty chopsticks and Chen Jiu's bulging cheeks, exclaiming in annoyance.

  "Sir, if you don't eat anymore, I won't be polite."

  "Go, go, go! Your dumplings are behind you!" Chao Xiaoyu rudely pushed away Chen Jiu's hands.

  "Master, your dumplings have arrived." This time it was the old shopkeeper himself who brought them.

  "Boss, let's close the wine shop for tonight and have everyone go home to celebrate the New Year. We won't open tomorrow either, let everyone stay at home for a few days. And give each person a 10-tael silver red envelope."

  "The master of the house, someone has ordered food in advance." The old shopkeeper said in a low voice.

  "Ordering meals, what kind of meal are you ordering? Our restaurant doesn't have that kind of rule. We only serve food after we open for business. It's not the practice here to order meals in advance. If anyone is dissatisfied, they can come and argue with me." Chen Jiu said discontentedly.

  "Alright, alright, I'll go and pass on the instructions now." The old shopkeeper didn't dare to argue back, turned around and left.

  Chen Jiuzhou was given a stern look by Xiao Yu: "You're being too overbearing, aren't you?"

  "The strong are the rulers, on my turf, what I say goes, unless the other party has the power to make me change the rules, otherwise they can only follow what I say" Chen Jiubai's overbearing nature is exposed.

  "This is bandit-like" Chao Xiao Yu put the dumpling in his mouth, revealing an expression of enjoyment, and said indistinctly.

  "I was originally a bandit, after all. Having been a bandit for so many years, it's unrealistic to expect me to change my nature in just one or two days."

  Time flies, the cheapest thing in the world is time, and the most priceless thing is also time.

  On the first floor, behind the wine house, Chen Jiu was lying on the bed, and Chao Xiaoyu sat beside him giving him a massage. Looking at Chen Jiu's expression of enjoyment, Chao Xiaoyu let out a soft sigh: "I must have owed you in my previous life, I'm your elder, it should be you giving me a massage instead."

  Chen Jiulian lazily opened a slit in his eyes: "If you dare to ask me to give you a massage, I don't mind".

  "Ah, ah, ah, it hurts, let go quickly!" Chen Jiu suddenly cried out as he felt the force at his waist.

  "Who told you to speak like that, this time I'll teach you a lesson, you're getting more and more arrogant!" Chao Xiao Yu removed his hand from Chen Jiu's waist.

  "It should be that I owed you in my previous life, the spell is yours to take, this is a priceless treasure that has been lost for ages".

  The "bang bang bang" knocking sound came, disturbing Chao Xiao Yu's work. Chao Xiao Yu got out of bed with the momentum.

  "Who?" Chen Jiu said unhappily.

  You think I'm easy? I only get a massage once a day, and just when I was getting started, someone came to disturb me.

  "The young master of the Dong family has arrived." The voice of the shop assistant came from outside.

  "Who is it?" Chen Ji got out of bed with a grunt, put on his clothes and opened the door.

  Looking at Xiao Er's delicate face, Chen Jiufurrowed his brow: "Call him over."

  Xiao Er left, and the figure of Chao Xiao Yu appeared at the door, looking out at the sunlight. He took a light breath: "This view is really not bad. Since Yi Xiao Xue has come, it's not good to let him see us inside the house. Let's talk outside instead."

  After finishing speaking, he walked out and sat on a stone lantern.

  Chen Jiu walked back into the house and fetched two cushions, handing one to Zhao Xiao Yu: "It's winter now, the cold air on the stone bench is too heavy, can your body take it?"

  "Thanks." Chao Xiao Yu took the cushion and sat down without any politeness: "Why did you take two, isn't Yi Xiao Xiao coming later?"

  "We've already broken ties, no need to mention it, just letting him in is enough. If he wants to sit down, there's no cushion, this cushion was prepared for friends, and he's not a friend."

  "Oh, I see." Chao Xiao Yu didn't ask any more questions and just turned his face away. In his opinion, it wasn't a big deal.

  "You know, I've heard a saying that's often circulated among our mountain bandits." Chen Jiu let out a cold breath.

  "What's up?" Zhao Xiao Yu had always been very curious about Chen Jiu's past.

  "Friends are either for sale or for selling you out," Chen Jiu said languidly, gazing at the sun in the sky.

  "Will you betray me?" Chao Xiao Yu gazed at Chen Jiu.

  "Do you think I would?" Chen Jiu retorted.

  "Can't you just answer without questioning? I believe you won't."

  Chen Jiu rubbed his forehead and said in a low voice: "Then you just remember, it's definitely not going to happen".

  "In this world, there is indeed only profit. Apart from relatives, no, even relatives will sell you out. For relatives, you can only trust three-tenths of them. In this world, there is no one who cannot be sold out by themselves." Chao Xiao Yu's realization seems to be even deeper than Chen Jiu's.

  "He's here" Ah Xiao Yu's eyes were sharp.

  Today, since there was no need to go out, Chao Xiao Yu still dressed up as a girl, looking like an immortal fairy, and Jing Ling. Yi Xiao Xiao, who had just arrived, was clearly stunned.

  Morning, a small fish lightly smiled, showing charm. Chen Jiu on the side was displeased. A white and tender palm waved lightly, and the flying snow on the ground instantly formed a snowball, hitting Yi Xiao's face: "This is my private territory, not for you to come and offend me. You can't even hold onto beauty, your moral character isn't much better."

  Yi Xiao's martial arts skills are quite good, and his martial realm is not low either. Chen Jiu didn't use all his strength, so naturally he couldn't hit Yi Xiao.

  But Yi Xiao was infuriated by Chen Jiu's words, his face flushed red, pointing at Chen Jiu with trembling fingers, unable to utter a word.

  "This brother, if you have something to say, please speak up. My time is very precious and I don't want you to waste it for nothing." For some reason, Chen Jiu suddenly couldn't control his mouth at this moment, it seems that Chen Jiu has a lot of resentment towards Yi Xiao Xue not trusting him.

  Also, apart from the familial affection at home, Zong Shu and Pang Zi's buddy relationship, Yi Xiao Xiao is absolutely Chen Jiu's first friend since he came to this world. Unfortunately, this first friend let him down, a friend without trust is no friend at all.

  "Alright, alright, Chen Jiu, you're quite ruthless! Tomorrow is the Lantern Festival and most of the students from Qingyang Academy will be going to Qujiang River to attend the poetry recital. I'm here to inform you, but do you have to use this attitude towards your fellow classmates?"

  "Yes, we were classmates, I, Chen Jiuzi, was rude, please sit down, brother."

  "It's fine, since the message has been delivered, I'll take my leave." Yi Xiao stormed off in anger, her fingers clenched into fists, her heart racing with indignation.

  "How detestable! Someone came over with good intentions to inform him and ease the relationship, but he actually had this kind of attitude. Bastard! This kind of person doesn't deserve to be a scholar, not even having a bit of magnanimity, it's infuriating, it's infuriating!"