Shen Cangfeng and Wei Changying were both stunned, saying unanimously, “For us?”

Wei Changying’s expression changed and immediately thought of the lotus-picking girls.

However, Gu Naizheng smiled and said nothing, looking unpredictable. His attitude made Wei Changying, who didn't know his temperament, felt so hurried that she almost couldn't help asking him. Fortunately, Huo Zhaoyu was considerate. He smiled gently and explained, “Brother Yaoye and the sister-in-law, Brother Zilie is talking nonsense. In fact, I happened to live by the lake to escape the heat these days. Seeing the tavern of Xie Family catching fish and shrimp by the lake this morning, I thought that the tavern had now changed its rules and opened in summer as well. I came here on purpose because I have admired the excellent cooking skill of Uncle Xie, but I didn’t expect that Uncle Xie had prepared the dishes for you and that he didn't intend to do business today.”

Gu Naizheng sighed when he heard and said to Huo Chenyuan, “I have known it. It would be difficult for you to have a free meal with your honest brother.”

Huo Chenyuan smiled shyly and did not speak. According to his expression, it seemed that he didn't like to talk much.

But Shen Cangfeng and his wife had already understood what they meant. They wanted to have a meal in the tavern of Xie Family, but they had no idea that the Xie Family caught fish just to entertain Shen Cangfeng and Wei Changying, and they did not prepare meals for others. So they waited here on purpose to have a free meal.

Gu Naizheng was a bit shameless. Not only did he want to have a free meal, but he also intended to complain Shen Cangfeng and Wei Changying first, forcing them to invite him. Maybe Gu Naizheng planned to pretend to decline first and then agree reluctantly and naturally.

But Huo Zhaoyu was sincere. Since he wanted to have a free meal, he just expressed it directly.

Knowing that it was a false alarm, Wei Changying was speechless for a while. Now that they had implied, even if Shen Cangfeng wanted to be alone with his wife, he couldn't refuse their proposal. He could only follow their intentions and invite them.

Indeed, the brothers of Huo Family were more gentle and considerate. After they agreed embarrassedly, they proposed, “Brother Yaoye comes with your wife at this time probably because you like to stay quiet. We came here by boat and found out that the tavern of Xie Family didn't do business today, but there was no food on the boat, so we were so hungry and thirsty that we had to disturb Brother Yaoye and your wife. If you’d like, please share some of your food with us, and we can eat it on the other side.”

Wei Changying secretly breathed a sigh of relief. On such a hot day, the three of them rushed over for the delicious food of the tavern of Xie Family. After sailing for a long time, only when they arrived did they realize that they were not entertained here, and the tavern next was not open, either. If they had sailed back hungry, even though they hadn't rowed the boat by themselves, it would be pitiful of them.

Thinking that they just shared some food and it won't disturb their quietness, Wei Changying smiled. “Wait a minute!”

Young Master Gu Naizheng’s folding fan shook fast and patted Huo Zhaoyu’s shoulder carelessly. Although Huo Zhaoyu was a strong man, he couldn’t help but shake slightly, even making the entire showboat shake with him.

Gu Naizheng said with foaming at his mouth in a high voice like the sound of a great bell, "On the other side? Brother Jiayao, you can see what your ultramarine robe has become. On such a hot day, Grandpa Xie has just prepared ice for one private room. If we don't have our meal inside, how could we endure the heat?"

He nodded to Wei Changying then, saying shamelessly, "The sister-in-law, since you are not an outsider, I believe you will not care about it, will you?"

Looking at his brilliant smile, Wei Changying was angry, thinking, "Since you put it that way, do I have the other choice?"

So Wei Changying could only say with a friendly and hospital smile, "Brother, of course."

Huo Zhaoyu and Huo Chenyuan looked helpless and ashamed and said hurriedly, "No! No! It has been insulting to share your food today, so how can we bother you at the same time?"

Before Wei Changying opened her mouth, Gu Naizheng had already said triumphantly, "Brothers, you are wrong. The sister-in-law has actively invited us to join the seat. Now the weather is hot, why would you ask for trouble? It's the first time for us to see sister-in-law Wei, but we don't bring any gift for her. So how can we refuse sister-in-law Wei's good intention?"

Wei Changying's hands squeezed into tight fists. How she wanted to hit him desperately!

Shen Cangfeng was annoyed by Gu Naizheng. He held Wei Changying's hands and stroked the back of her hand to show comfort. He smiled bitterly and said, "The three of you, please go up together. It's scorching here."

It was also the reason why the taverns of Furong Islet were closed in summer. They had selected this place because the water was shallow here with little wind and waves, so they were able to decorate the showboats as the taverns and build the bridge for visitors to come.

In spring, autumn, and winter, since it was not hot, it didn’t matter whether there was the wind. But in the hot summer, it was windless and scorching. Even though the ice could be transported here, the ice room was stuffy, so how could tourists be willing to eat here? No wonder Huo Zhaoyu's robe was wet while waiting in the cabin.

When they arrived on the second floor of the showboat, there were all divided seats, with only a narrow passage in the middle, which seemed very dark. Uncle Xie's daughter-in-law led the way to the inner middle room and opened the door, and the sunlight shone through. She specifically chose the side avoiding the sun. There was a long table in the middle, with six seats around, and there was space for the attendants to stand and wait beside. The window was embedded with colored glaze, so it was bright and could also block the cool air of ice to dissipate.

The showboat didn’t move since it was set here, but the Xie Family didn’t live here every day, so there were no other furnishings in the private room except a writing desk in the corner, whose four corners were nailed to the deck. Set on the writing desk were the “scholar's four jewels” (writing brush, ink stick, ink slab, and paper), which were not made of good materials, just for visitors to record their inspirations.

Shen Cangfeng and Gu Naizheng were seated politely. Now Gu Naizheng insisted that the Shen Cangfeng couple should take the first place. Wei Changying believed that after Shen Cangfeng's courtesy, Gu Naizheng would happily rush to the first place and sit down as the host, call the maidservants, and then eat all the food prepared by Grandpa Xie.

"Uh, I should believe that Gu Naizheng would eat up all the food prepared by Grandpa Xie. It seems that I am also hungry," Wei Changying thought.

When she was thinking freely, Uncle Xie’s daughter-in-law and her husband came in, raised a set of utensils containing ice, and placed them near Shen Cangfeng and Wei Changying. Obviously, Shen Cangfeng let them move the utensils containing ice to Gu Naizheng, who had complained about the heat. However, this time Gu Naizheng declined again, which had been unexpected by Wei Changying.

Wei Changying thought that he was polite, not so rude. Gu Naizheng continued saying, “I just saw them prepare more than one set of utensils containing ice. I think the other one is bigger, so we could use that one, and yours this one."

Wei Changying was silent.

The rest of the people knew about Gu Naizheng's ignorance, and they were all dumbfounded. Shen Cangfeng coughed and said, "Brother Xie, just as Zilie said."

The brothers Huo Zhaoyu and Huo Chenyuan looked embarrassed. According to their expressions, it was clear that how regretful they were to have decided to come over with Gu Naizheng today.

So Uncle Xie’s son and daughter-in-law brought in a set of bigger utensils containing ice and placed them beside Gu Naizheng. It seemed that he was extremely afraid of the heat or he was unruly in nature. He moved his seat to the utensils containing ice regardless of the manner, hold the utensils happily, and praised, "I am refreshed!"

Wei Changying kept silent.

Huo Zhaoyu took a deep breath, raised a cup to Shen Cangfeng, and smiled reluctantly, "Brother Yaoye, I'm sorry for today's harassment. First I replace the wine with tea and apologize to you. If you want to stay by the lake another day, please go to our house and let us arrange a feast to apologize."

Wei Changying thought, "You just said that the three of you saw the Xie Family fishing. It is expected that Gu Naizheng has been a guest in the resort of Huo Family. With such a fool in, your apology feast could not be pleasing!"

It seemed that Shen Cangfeng had the same thought and quickly declined, "Brother Jiayao worries too much. It's nothing but a meal, how come to apologize? We should have visited your house, but unfortunately, I have only two days off admitted by my mother. I will return to the capital tomorrow, so I'm afraid I have no time to go."

"Then next time is all right," Huo Zhaoyu and Shen Cangfeng greeted with each other, which made the atmosphere less embarrassing. Suddenly, the door of the private room opened and Uncle Xie's daughter-in-law came in with a porcelain plate, which was big enough to grow the lotus, steamy and fragrant inside. With just a sniff, Wei Changying gave a secret compliment. She had always been fed up with delicate and delicious food, but the dish on this plate was surprisingly fragrant and mouthwatering. No wonder that Gu Naizheng, Huo Zhaoyu, and Huo Chenyuan, who were all children of the aristocratic family, whose resorts had no shortage of cooks, were attracted here on such a scorching day.

The porcelain plate was carefully placed on the table. The plate was covered with the pattern of green lotus and two fishes. The soup on the plate was milky white, on which a fish head was half-soaked, with green onion, shredded ginger, dried bamboo shoots, and other ingredients sprinkled on it. The dish looked very simple to make, but the fragrance was fascinating.

Before Shen Cangfeng asked, Gu Naizheng, who had been holding the utensils containing ice before, had rushed back to the side of the table, staring at the fish head with beaming eyes. Wei Changying would not be surprised if he grasped the fish head and gnawed wildly in the next instant.

"Where is the Qingquan wine, the iced Qingquan wine?" Gu Naizheng stared at the fish head, salivating, and asked loudly without raising his head, "This fish head cooked by Xie Family should always match the iced Qingquan wine. The daughter-in-law of Xie Family, since the fish head has been placed, where is the wine?"

"The wine is almost ready," answered Brother Xie, the son of Uncle Xie, who shouted and brought in a jar of wine. There were wisps of white gas outside the jar, and it was apparent that it had been immersed in the ice.

Seeing this wine, Gu Naizheng was slightly satisfied but still complained, "Why is it just a jar of wine? How can it be enough?"

Huo Zhaoyu and Huo Chenyuan looked at Wei Changying's extremely strange expression and wiped their sweating heads. They smiled and said, "Our brothers don't want to drink today. One jar of wine should be enough."

Wei Changying gritted her teeth and said, "I am a woman, and I don't like to drink. Brother, you can drink it with my husband."

Even if she had been aroused by this fish head to have a few drinks, it would now have been completely ruined by Gu Naizheng.

Shen Cangfeng gave a dry cough and said, "I don't like this wine as well. Brother Zilie, you can drink as much as your will."

Gu Naizheng smiled and said cheerfully, "This is such good wine, why you don't drink it? How wasteful it is!" Then he said with joy, "If this is the case, then I will not be polite." After that, he opened the mud seal with a pat, raised his neck, and drank freely. After a binge drinking, he randomly wiped the stains on the corner of his mouth with his sleeve. When he waved his hand, a little drink splashed in front of Wei Changying, but Gu Naizheng didn’t notice it. Probably he would not care even if he had noticed it. He laughed loudly and said, "Good wine, good wine! What a pity, what a pity, you guys don't drink it!"

“My husband said that he didn't like the Qingquan wine, but he didn't say he would not drink it!” Wei Changying thought.

Wei Changying looked at the fish head in front of her and suddenly had no appetite at all. She just wanted to lift the fish head and hit Gu Naizheng on the head!

The Gu Family was also a distinguished family in the capital for hundreds of years, how could there be such an unreliable child!