Chapter 273: Mom, Let’s Open A Winery (A Small Theatre Play Included)
Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
What did he say?
Wifey, it’s time to hold our wedding?
Lu Shaoming looked at the girl’s confused expression. He raised his hand and rubbed her hair. “Why? Don’t you want to walk down the aisle with me and wear your wedding dress?”
Ning Qing’s dainty eyes rippled with joy as she embraced the glazed book he’d just given her. She kept nodding like a woodp.e.c.k.e.r — yes, yes, yes!
Lu Shaoming laughed and pretended to think. “Hmm, let’s not have a wedding. Didn’t someone just say she doesn’t like me?”
“No, I like, Lu Shaoming! I like you.” Ning Qing tried to explain. Her autumn pupils were bright as she went near him and kissed him again.
Lu Shaoming blocked it with his hand and pinched her dainty little nose. He went near her lips and softly said, “It won’t be as satisfactory kissing now. Let’s wait until the evening. Kiss me well and make me happy. Then, I’ll buy you whatever wedding dress you’d like, whatever jewelry, whatever Chinese or Western wedding you want; I will satisfy you.”
Ning Qing was so happy, and she wasn’t ashamed. “Ok!” She nodded her head.
…
They entered the Ning family Villa together. Ning Qing ran upstairs. She pushed the door to her room open and hid the glazed book beneath her pillow.
She cherished that book so much.
Downstairs, Lu Shaoming was talking to her father, Ning Zhengguo. They were sitting on the living room sofa. Lu Shaoming filled his pipe with tobacco, sparked a lighter, and lit his father’s bowl.
“Dad, remember that a pipe is different from a cigarette. A pipe is smoked. Take a breath first, and then slowly breathe in the aroma of the tobacco. Right, that’s it.”
Ning Zhengguo leaned comfortably into the sofa, and he took a mouthful of smoke according to his son-in-law’s instructions, enjoying it so much his eyes narrowed.
The awe and fear he usually had for Lu Shaoming had disappeared. Ning Zhenguo directly changed “Young Master Lu” to “Shaoming” when addressing him. “Shaoming, this is really a good thing. No wonder the pipe has always been the favorite of gentlemen and n.o.bles. Looking at this pipe, I would say it has been some years. An antique?”
Lu Shaoming’s face was calm as he said. “Yes, I bought it from an auction when I was in Europe. It is from the Qing Dynasty. I thought that Dad might like it, so I got it.”
Ning Zhenguo heard that it was “from the Qing Dynasty” and thoroughly looked at the pipe three times over. His expression indicated — Oh my, it’s indeed a treasure!
“Oh my, Shaoming, Dad understands your filial piety, but don’t buy anything else in the future… How expensive it is. If Qingqing gives birth to a football team for you in the future, that will be enough of a gift to make up for it.”
Now Ning Qing saw the smile on her husband’s face blossom completely, and the son-in-law and father-in-law pair laughed but did not speak.
Ning Qing’s little face turned red. A rich son-in-law had bought his father-in-law an expensive and luxurious gift, the gift blinds the eye. So the father-in-law had pushed his beloved daughter forward to flatter his son-in-law. The two men were laughing so tacitly.
A revolutionary friends.h.i.+p was thus born.
Just then, Yue Wanqing came out of the kitchen. She saw her son-in-law getting along so harmoniously with his father-in-law. She laughed and asked, “What are you talking about so happily? Come and wash your hands; get ready for dinner.”
“Ok.” Lu Shaoming got up and looked at Ning Qing. He walked over and held her soft hand.
Their eyes met and an indescribable affection and sweetness pa.s.sed between them.
Ning Zhenguo, who was behind them, still dared not put his pipe away. He held it in his hands like a baby, and then pull out his cell phone to make a call, “Hey, Lao Liu, come over for a game of mahjong tomorrow, I’ve got something interesting to show you! Yes, my son-in-law bought it. Of course, it’s Young Master Lu; isn’t that a given? Since when do I have a second son-in-law?”
With her father’s bragging behind them, Ning Qing blushed. She carefully peered at the man beside her, and his refres.h.i.+ng scent swept over her as he whispered in her ear, “You do not have to give birth to a football team for me, just give birth to two kids, two sons, two daughters, or one son and one daughter. I’ll like them all.”
Ning Qing felt so sweet that she felt as if her body was like a pile of marshmallows. “Ok.” While n.o.body was around, she nodded her head vigorously. She would promise him. She would promise him anything.
As long as he liked it.
Then Yue Wanqing came out again. “Shaoming, go and grab the red wine in the storage room. It’s the one Qingqing had brought back last time. You weren’t home then, so we didn’t drink it. You’re back today, and everyone’s happy, so let’s have a good time and drink some red wine.”
“Alright.” Lu Shaoming went to get the red wine.
…
The family of four sat at the table. Ning Qing saw that there were red wine gla.s.ses in front of the three people, but she was unhappy because there was only a bowl of soup in front of her.
He kicked the man under the table and gave him a pitiful look — Hubby, I want to drink too.
Lu Shaoming could not bear seeing her being so coquettish. He held up his gla.s.s of red wine and wanted to give her a sip.
But how could they possibly hide their little actions from Yue Wanqing who was opposite them? “Qingqing, pregnant women must abstain from alcohol. You can’t drink it. You have to endure it for the sake of the Little Master Lu in your stomach. And you, Shaoming, I don’t want to nag at you, but I have seen this so many times! Every time Qingqing acts a little coquettish, you take her out to eat all that junk. She’s picky, but you would pamper and spoil her? How can you be such an easily swayed father? Is Little Master Lu or your wife more precious? Don’t spoil the wrong person, otherwise Little Master Lu would say that his father is easily swayed by words and only listens to his mother.”
Yue Wanqing was right about this. Since Ning Qing had discovered that she was pregnant three months ago, if she wanted to eat lobster or ice cream, as long as she pouted her mouth a little, Lu Shaoming’s heart would ache and he would make sure that she could have it.
She was also picky when it comes to food. What she wouldn’t eat was given to Lu Shaoming. She would only pick out what she liked to eat. Lu Shaoming would also follow after her to feed her.
Yue Wanqing couldn’t bear to keep seeing this; he spoiled her too much.
How could they be such irresponsible parents? Bullying Little Master Lu since he hasn’t been born yet…
Lu Shaoming was embarra.s.sed and took a sip of red wine as he held the gla.s.s. “Mom, Qingqing is always very good. She’s only been that capricious once or twice.”
Yue Wanqing looked at them. “A while ago, I saw you peel crabs for Qingqing to eat. How many times have I told you that Little Master Lu would drool if you eat crabs? You guys don’t listen to me. That’s OK. After five months, we shall see if Little Master Lu will drool or not.”
Lu Shaoming: “…”
“Mom, how can you say bad things about me? Am I your biological daughter?” Ning Qing knitted her eyebrows and said in a delicate voice, “Hmph, if you don’t let me drink red wine, so be it. I can still smell it. It’s red grape wine, made by fermenting dried raisins and lavender.”
Lu Shaoming looked at the girl beside him with a rather surprised look. “Ning Qing, are you sure you didn’t read the label?”
Ning Qing pouted her pink lips and was unhappy. Her little hand under the table felt around for his thigh and pinched it. “Lu Shaoming, what are you saying? Are you looking down on me?”
Lu Shaoming held her small hand quietly and looked at her adoringly as he said, “No.”
At this time, Ning Zhengguo laughed and said, “Shaoming, you probably don’t know, Wanqing has studied red wine since childhood. She likes to make her own red wine. Qingqing has probably been imperceptibly influenced, and it’s likely that she has a keen sense of smell for these flavors.”
Lu Shaoming’s handsome facial features softened as he said. “No wonder, Ning Qing can immediately smell whatever cologne I have on.”
He’s had two fragrances on him since they had met. One time, it was to please her, and the other time, it was because of Zhou Zhilei. Each time, Ning Qing was immediately aware of it.
Ning Qing pulled back her little hand, scrunched up her little nose, and hummed to the man. She said coquettishly, “So you should be careful in the future. My nose is very sharp.”
Lu Shaoming raised his sharp brows, which meant — how dare you?
Yue Wanqing looked at her daughter and son-in-law’s sweet interaction and laughed happily. She drank a mouthful of red wine, then had a second mouthful. Finally, she couldn’t help but praise them. “Qingqing, whose red wine is this that you told me about last time? It tastes pure.”
Ning Qing drank the soup with a small spoon. She glanced sideways at Lu Shaoming and said, “Shaoming, my mother asked whose red wine is this. I am not too familiar with them. You’re the most suitable one to introduce them.”
Lu Shaoming quickly gave her a look that plead for mercy. Firstly, he was afraid that she would overthink it. Secondly, he was more afraid that his mother and father-in-law would misunderstand.
Ning Qing hummed again, then bowed her eyes and drank the soup.
“Mom, this is the wine of Zhou Heng, the king of the winery industry. His red wine is very pure. It had become a global hit in just over 10 years.”
“Mmm,” replied Yue Wanqing, nodding her head. She tasted the red wine carefully again and twisted her eyebrows. “I always felt that this red wine lacked a taste. Lavender is a small purple-blue flower, with a very romantic feeling, but the taste of this wine is weak and not rich enough.”
Lu Shaoming was a little interested. n.o.body had ever been able to criticize the Zhou family’s red wine all these years. “Mom, what do you think is missing?”
“Wait.” Yue Wanqing got up and went into the kitchen. She took out a small bottle and poured half a milliliter into the red wine.
Ning Qing wanted to drool when she smelled it. “Mom, you’ve added the Chinese liquor: Er Guo Tou.”
“Yes, this is the oil from the rose petals with dew which I picked in the morning, mixed with Er Guo Tou. Shaoming, have a taste of this after I’ve mixed it like this.” Yue Wanqing poured another cup for Lu Shaoming.
Yue Wanqing was a connoisseur of red wine, but when it comes to wine, Lu Shaoming had the most say.
Growing up in a rich, n.o.ble family, he had tasted most of the world’s top red wine. Only a genuine gentleman could discern the real taste of red wine.
Lu Shaoming took a sip, and with admiration, he said, “This kind of alcoholic smell of the Er Guo Tou has stimulated the taste of lavender, making it stronger and richer. Mom, the red wine from the Zhou family is better after you’ve mixed this in. Next time when I meet Mr. Zhou, I will tell him your formula, I wonder what he’ll think about it?”
Yue Wanqin smiled modestly. “Is Mr. Zhou not the king of the world’s winery industry? I’m just a cla.s.s fool in front of him; it’s alright to not mention it.”
“Mom.” Ning Qing’s little head turned as she came up with an excellent idea. “Mom, shall we open a winery?”
When the words came out, all three were stunned.
Ning Qing’s laughter became more and more brilliant. Her autumn pupils sparkled with bright and touching light. “Mom, let’s open a winery, and later, we will have our gra.s.slands and Winehouse, roses, cherry blossoms, lilies… When we open the doors in the future, we will be welcomed with a sea of flowers. Let’s make our own wine, wine that belongs to the Ning family!”
P.S: A small theatre play included.
When Little Master Lu was two years old, he ran to Xiao Hua’s house, who was his neighbor, to confess his love. “Xiao Hua, I like you, be my girlfriend.”
Xiao Hua looked at Little Master Lu with a disgusted face. “Hey, come back to me when you don’t drool.”
The door closed with a bang.
Little Master Lu wiped the sparkling corner of his mouth and returned home in melancholy. His mother was in the kitchen, and his father was sitting on the living room sofa reading a newspaper. Little Master Lu asked, “Dad, why can’t I stop drooling even though I’m already two?”
Lu Shaoming lifted his head from the newspaper, lifted his sword brows and softly replied, “Ask your mother.”
Little Master Lu placed his hands on his hips and said, “Dad, come on, do you really think I don’t know? That’s because you and Mom always show off your love in front of me, torturing me, a single dog.”