Chapter 217: Is This Really A Biological Father!
Building a house is a major event in life.
From drawing floor plans and designing layouts, to selecting suitable construction teams.
Then to the procurement of raw materials.
There are many tasks, big and small, in all sorts of stages.
Jiang Tao chatted with his father and uncle at the old house for a while before taking his leave.
There’s still a long way to go from planning now to starting construction.
By the time he drove back to his father-in-law’s home in Xicheng Huafu Residential Area in Ping County, it was exactly twelve noon.
Xu Li and his mother-in-law had already made dumplings and were waiting for him to come home.
“Honey, you’re back~”
“I was just about to call you to come home for dinner, and you’re already back.”
Upon seeing Jiang Tao enter the door, Xu Li’s face lit up with a sweet smile.
Although the couple had been inseparable recently.
Yet, as soon as they were apart for a while, Xu Li couldn’t help but miss her husband.
She felt she was becoming more and more dependent on her husband.
“Tsk tsk tsk~”
Standing nearby, her younger sister watched her older sister and brother-in-law, who had been married for seven or eight years yet were still so affectionate, and marveled.
As the younger sister, she had been fed plenty of “dog food” by her sister and brother-in-law.
“Xiao Tao is back, hurry up and wash your hands. Today we made Boiled Fish and Boiled Beef, and we’ll call your dad up later for you two to have a drink.”
The mother-in-law, wearing a floral apron, came out of the kitchen, her eyes filled with smiles as she looked at Jiang Tao.
Du Yongmei was now extremely pleased with her elder son-in-law; the more she looked at him, the more she liked him.
“Alright, today we’ll try something good. I got some fine wine from a friend.”
Jiang Tao said, raising his hand to display the jade nectar in the plastic bucket.
“Oh, is this yellow wine?”
Seeing the golden liquid in the plastic bucket, Xu Li couldn’t help but ask curiously.
“Haha, you could say it’s yellow wine. Based on its color, it is indeed yellow wine.”
Jiang Tao chuckled, thinking that it might not be appropriate to insist this jade nectar was baijiu.
Although, in terms of taste, the jade nectar was indeed more like baijiu.
However, in terms of color, it really didn’t match baijiu.
It wasn’t white at all!
Jiang Tao said with a smile:
“Lili, you, Mom, and Shasha should all try some later. It tastes pretty good, and the alcohol content isn’t high.”
Xu Li gave Jiang Tao a playfully reproachful look: “Mom can’t drink right now!”
“Oh! Look at my memory!”
Jiang Tao smiled and patted his forehead, realizing he had forgotten his mother-in-law was pregnant!
Although the jade nectar had potent properties, it was still a type of alcohol.
No one could say for sure whether drinking alcohol during pregnancy would affect the fetus.
But if it could be avoided, it should be avoided.
Better safe than sorry.
“Ahem…”
Du Yongmei naturally understood the conversation between her daughter and son-in-law, and her old face blushed slightly.
She was already of a certain age and was suddenly pregnant again, about to become a mother; it was indeed a bit awkwardly strange.
Xu Li then turned to Xu Sha and said:
“Shasha has to drive this afternoon, so she can’t drink either.”
“Okay then…”
Xu Sha looked at Jiang Tao with a pitiable smile and said:
“Brother-in-law, can you save some for me to drink tonight?”
“This wine looks like it tastes really good.”
Xu Sha was very aware of her brother-in-law’s capabilities now.
For someone like her brother-in-law, who treated Moutai like water.
The wine he got from his friend was most likely even better than Moutai!
“What are you, a young girl, drinking alcohol for? Can’t you learn something good.”
The mother-in-law shot her younger daughter a look.
Xu Sha: “A small drink is pleasant! Drinking a little is even good for your health.”
“Hahaha, what the second child says is right. A small drink is pleasant, a small drink is pleasant!”
As soon as Xu Sha finished speaking, her father came out of the bedroom, chuckling and adding.
Du Yongmei said, “You’re finding an excuse to drink! And you too, the fine wine Xiao Tao gave you is delicious, but you must also be temperate.”
“Yes, my dear wife, as you command, as you command.”
“Go rest with Xiao Tao for a bit, have a smoke, and dinner will be ready soon.”
“Thank you for your hard work, my dear wife.”
“Shameless!”
Watching her parents affectionately displaying their love, Xu Sha was inadvertently force-fed another large dose of “dog food.”
It made her want to find a boyfriend.
“Daddy, can I have some?”
Jiang Xue looked at the jade nectar Jiang Tao was holding, which looked like honey water, and was almost drooling with desire.
Upon hearing his little cotton jacket’s words, Jiang Tao felt a bit conflicted.
The property of the jade nectar to increase lifespan was indeed powerful, but it was alcohol after all.
Alcohol could have a significant impact on the development of a child’s brain and nerves.
Was it more beneficial than harmful, or more harmful than beneficial, to let Jiang Xue drink this?
It was hard to say.
“You drink your AD calcium milk. No drinking before you’re a minor.”
While Jiang Tao was hesitating, Xu Li had already made a decision.
“Alright then.”
Jiang Xue was only curious about what her father was holding; she didn’t particularly want to drink it.
Soon, a table laden with a sumptuous lunch was served.
The pickled fish made from the fish the father-in-law caught himself, and a plate of bright red boiled beef, both of which were dishes Jiang Tao liked.
Braised prawns and Big Plate Chicken were Jiang Xue’s favorites.
There were also home-style dishes like stir-fried leeks with eggs, stir-fried okra, fish-flavored shredded pork, and Di San Xian.
Nine dishes and one soup, a total of ten dishes, symbolizing “perfect” in Chinese culture.
As Jiang Tao opened the cap of the plastic bucket and poured out the jade nectar, a rich aroma of wine instantly filled the room.
“Wow, it smells so good! Brother-in-law, what kind of wine is this! It smells amazing!”
“Sniff sniff sniff~ This wine is extraordinary just by its scent! In terms of aroma, it’s even better than Moutai!”
Upon smelling the wine, Xu Wencheng’s eyes lit up, and he enthusiastically gave Jiang Tao a thumbs-up.
“Mom, can I have a tiny sip? Just one tiny sip.”
After smelling the aroma of the jade nectar, Jiang Xue looked at her mother with a pitiable expression. She wanted to drink it again!
“No, you’re still young. You can’t drink alcoholic beverages; it will damage your brain and make you stupid.”
“Honey, pour me a glass to try too~”
After reprimanding her little cotton jacket, Xu Li quickly picked up her wine glass and eagerly asked her husband for some wine.
Jiang Tao poured a full glass for his father-in-law, Xu Li, and himself.
“What a beautiful wine color!”
Xu Li brought the wine glass close to her eyes, gazing at the golden jade nectar in the glass, her delicate face filled with joy.
“Dad, Lili, you two try it too and give me your appraisal.”
Jiang Tao said with a smile to the two of them, then picked up his wine glass and took a shallow sip.
It must be said, the taste of the jade nectar was indeed superior to Moutai.
Upon entering the mouth, it instantly left a fragrant taste on the lips and teeth, and it was not at all harsh going down the throat.
The aroma of the jade nectar was even more rich and had more layers.
“Good wine! This must be a fine wine that has been cellared for at least thirty years!”
After tasting it, Xu Wencheng looked at Jiang Tao in surprise.
He had previously tasted the Nu’er Hong that Jiang Tao had dug up from the courtyard in Xiao Shahe.
The taste of today’s wine was even better than the Nu’er Hong given before, and the quality had significantly improved!
“Wow, it really is delicious! Beyond imagination!”
After a light sip, Xu Li’s beautiful eyes were also filled with joy.
Du Yongmei, standing nearby, looked on with envy but remembered the baby in her belly and immediately restrained herself.
“Brother-in-law, you must save some for me!”
After seeing the reactions of the others after drinking, Xu Sha excitedly swallowed and said.
“Alright, I’ll save some for you.”
After agreeing to his sister-in-law, Jiang Tao smiled and said to Xu Li and his father-in-law:
“Dad, this wine is aged, and although it’s delicious, you shouldn’t drink too much. You must drink in moderation for it to be effective.”
“My friend said that drinking one cup a day is just right. More than that won’t have much effect and might even have side effects.”
Jiang Tao had deliberately chosen the smallest porcelain cups from his father-in-law’s house to pour the wine.
These small porcelain cups held about 20ml per sip.
“Your friend is absolutely right! Drinking such excellent wine like ordinary wine would truly be a waste of a treasure.”
“We’ll have to drink it sparingly from now on!”
Xu Wencheng nodded, completely agreeing with Jiang Tao.
A few yuan of beer has its way of being drunk, and hundreds of thousands of yuan of red wine have their way of being drunk; they can’t all be treated the same.
The wine Jiang Tao brought today, although it was in a plastic bucket and looked ordinary.
Xu Wencheng was astonished after tasting it, knowing that this wine was definitely not cheap!
At the very least, its value was definitely higher than Moutai!
“The rest is for you, Dad. If you have a cup every day, this will last you ten to half a month.”
After pouring one cup for each person, Jiang Tao, not wanting to overindulge, screwed the cap back onto the plastic bucket and gave the rest to his father-in-law, Xu Wencheng.
“Hahaha, okay, okay, my good son-in-law, Dad will accept it.”
Xu Wencheng didn’t stand on ceremony with Jiang Tao, praising him and accepting the wine gratefully.
He also knew that his son-in-law was not someone who just talked big.
If his son-in-law said he was giving it to him, he genuinely meant it and wasn’t being polite.
“Dad, Dad, Dad, share some with me, share some.”
Xu Sha, watching the three of them drink the jade nectar and listening to their conversation, her curiosity about the jade nectar reached its peak.
Xu Wencheng playfully teased his daughter, “Nine to one, I get nine, you get one.”
“Mom, Sister, Brother-in-law, look at Dad! Is this my real dad!”
“Hahaha~”
Everyone laughed as they watched the father and daughter’s playful banter.
Of course, Xu Wencheng was only teasing his daughter, and in the end, they reached a fifty-fifty split agreement.
The meal was harmonious, lasting from around twelve noon until half past one.
After eating and washing the dishes, everyone rested at home until past three in the afternoon.
Xu Li suggested going to a nearby farm for fruit picking, which was unanimously approved.
The rural farm was located next to Qisan Reservoir, not far from the county town.
Everyone briskly went downstairs, and Xu Sha drove her father to Qisan Reservoir to go fishing first.
Afterward, they set off again, heading towards a farm called “Old Soldier Farm.”
At 3:30 PM, a Mercedes-Benz G-Class was parked at the entrance of Old Soldier Farm.
It was still the Qingming Festival holiday, so many people were at the farm for fruit picking.
Most of the over thirty parking spaces at the farm entrance were already occupied.
Before even entering, cheerful chatter could be heard from inside the farm, indicating it was very lively.
“Let’s go! The strawberries, cherries, and mulberries at this farm are ripe.”
“I saw reviews saying the taste is very good too!”
“If the taste is as good as they say, I’ll definitely pick a lot today and bring some back for Nannan.”
After getting out of the car, Xu Li introduced the fruits available for picking at the farm while smiling and waving to everyone.
During her days back in her hometown, Xu Li also called Du Ennan two to three times daily. Their relationship was as close as that of sisters.
They would share any delicious food or drinks they found with each other.
Xu Li had also recently received a set of skincare products from Du Ennan via express delivery from the Capital City.
According to Xu Li, that set of skincare products was worth over 20,000 yuan.
Du Ennan was truly generous when giving gifts to Xu Li and Jiang Xue!
If not for knowing that Xu Li and Du Ennan’s sexual orientations were normal.
Jiang Tao would have suspected they were in a lesbian relationship.
The group entered the farm, chatting and laughing, and arrived at the service desk.
The farm’s fruit-picking projects were charged per person.
Each person paid 66 yuan for unlimited eating.
Upon departure, each person could take home one jin of three different types of fruit.
For any excess, payment would be according to the farm’s listed price.
Xu Li had already purchased coupons on a certain app and, after successful redemption, each person received a small bamboo basket.
Carrying their small bamboo baskets, they followed the staff’s directions to a greenhouse to pick strawberries.
The strawberries tasted sweet and sour, quite good, and were not small. The group picked three full baskets.
After picking strawberries, they went to pick cherries.
The farm planted over forty mu of cherries, with many varieties.
There were cherries like Crystal, Meizao, Hongdeng, and Blues, among others.
Xu Li and her mother-in-law, Du Yongmei, were responsible for picking; Jiang Tao and Jiang Xue were responsible for eating; Xu Sha took photos with her mobile phone.
The group cooperated and had a very joyful time.
They entered the farm at 3:30 PM and played until 6 PM when the farm was about to close before heading to the service desk to settle the bill.
In addition to the several jin of fruit included with the entrance tickets, the extra fruit cost Jiang Tao over 500 yuan.
For Jiang Tao, whose daily income was tens of thousands, over 500 yuan was insignificant.
As long as Xu Li and the others had fun and were happy.
He wouldn’t even bat an eye if it were 5,000 yuan.
All the fruit was packed into insulated foam boxes.
The boss even had two workers help them carry the boxes outside and load them into the car.
At 6:30 PM, the group returned home, laden with fruit.
Xu Li divided the several boxes of fruit into four portions.
One portion for each set of parents, one for themselves, and the remaining portion for Du Ennan in the Capital City.
After playing for the afternoon, everyone was tired and didn’t feel like cooking.
Jiang Tao took everyone to a Big Plate Chicken restaurant outside the residential area for a meal.
After eating their fill, Xu Li dropped off her mother and sister at their home before returning to her own.
The family of three returned to Jiang Family Village after nine in the evening.
They delivered several boxes of fruit to their parents and chatted for a while before going home.
Back home, Xu Li took Jiang Xue to wash up first, and Jiang Tao was the last to wash.
By the time Jiang Tao finished washing, Jiang Xue had already fallen asleep.
Second Child Plan, initiated!
