Chapter 454 - Chapter 454: Chapter 461: Tremendous Pressure (2/2)

Seeing his mother finally come to terms, Brother Xing was also very happy and began to laugh. Brother Chen and Sister Yu, although they didn’t quite understand, saw their mother and elder brother smiling and joined in the laughter, filling the room with a warm and joyful atmosphere until a knock on the door signaled that dinner was ready outside.

“Come on, let’s go eat,” said Su Wenyue, hearing that dinner was ready, and led the three children to the main hall, where Mr. and Mrs. Su and the Liu Family members had already gathered.

Becoming casual and informal while traveling is one thing, but basic rules still apply: the master eats first, then the servants. Old Man Liu, seeing this, didn’t presume to sit at the same table with Mr. Su’s family and intended to dine with the servants.

Master Su, of course, couldn’t allow Old Man Liu and his family to sit with the servants. After all, Old Man Liu was the village leader and the host here. “Brother, you are the host; there’s no reason for you to sit with the servants. Please, bring your daughter-in-law and children to sit down,” he insisted.

“Yes, Uncle Liu, you should listen to my father, you can’t go wrong. Look, the children are hungry. Let’s not stand on ceremony any longer, and quickly eat. That’s what matters,” Su Wenyue also said with a smile, inviting Mrs. Liu Huang and her two children to take their seats.

Old Man Liu had intended to dine with the servants for comfort, but Master Su was adamant, so having no other choice, he sat down, albeit very stiffly, not daring to look around too much. Mrs. Liu Huang and the two children felt the same way, overwhelmed by sitting with such distinguished guests.

But who were Mr. and Mrs. Su? Since they had every intention of having the Liu Family at the table, they naturally eased the atmosphere. After Old Man Liu had a few cups of wine, he loosened up and started talking more, even occasionally addressing Master Su as a brother. Mrs. Liu Huang watched with worry at the side.

The father-in-law loved a drink and, when times at home were good, he enjoyed it occasionally. Now that life was hard and even a full meal was a struggle, wine was a rare luxury. Having had a few cups was quite normal, but it was crucial that he didn’t offend the noble guests.

Mrs. Liu watched attentively. Seeing that Master Su wasn’t bothered by Old Man Liu’s words, she finally relaxed and eased her mind.

Madam Su also kept insisting that Mrs. Liu Huang and her two children eat more. Especially Su Wenyue, after learning about the earlier episodes with the family, felt particularly affectionate towards Mrs. Liu Huang’s children. She kept serving them food, urging them to eat their fill without reserve.

The Liu Family members usually relied on scant rice grains to keep their bellies full, and a dry rice meal was rare, often just wild vegetable porridge with few rice grains. Now given the opportunity to enjoy such plentiful and fine food, prepared with the craftsmanship of chef Shu Qin, they felt it was comparable to a feast for the gods. They had never tasted anything so delicious in their lives. They started eating tentatively due to reservation and nervousness, but gradually, they picked up the pace, slowing down only when they felt stuffed and a little embarrassed by their lack of restraint, but still longing for more.

Still, Su Wenyue was worried they hadn’t eaten enough and asked with concern, “Sister-in-law, have you all had enough? Don’t be polite with us. There’s plenty more food in the kitchen; just eat your fill.”