Reborn as a Rich Woman in the Eighties
Chapter 232 - 231: The Landlord’s Friendship Must Be Well Maintained

Chapter 232: Chapter 231: The Landlord’s Friendship Must Be Well Maintained

"Okay!" Lin Xia wiped her hands and motioned for Lu Zheng to wash his hands too.

Lin Qiu went to take out the hot dishes from the pot, but her eyes kept darting towards those two, not knowing if it was just her imagination, but she always felt that her sister and Brother Lu looked quite in sync when together.

Jiang Mingyuan arrived quickly; Lin Xia had just returned to the Eastern House and changed into new clothes when he showed up.

There’s a restaurant in the city, Donglaishun, known for its authentic and delicious copper hotpot.

But the only drawback is that it’s not close to where they were. If it were summer and the weather warm, walking there might be feasible, but not with the freezing cold.

So here comes the question, with four of them heading out, and only two bicycles in the yard, who should carry whom?

Jiang Mingyuan suggested, "Lin Xia! I’ll carry you. Let Lu Zheng carry Lin Qiu!"

But how could Lu Zheng possibly agree?

He looked at Lin Xia, "Lin Xia! I’ll carry you, I don’t know the way either!"

Lin Qiu watched as Brother Lu and her second brother vied to carry her sister, and she inexplicably wanted to laugh, holding it back with her head bowed.

Lin Xia looked at the two of them; whom should she choose to carry her? It seemed like no matter whom she chose, it wouldn’t be right!

But this multiple-choice question could entirely have another option.

"Xiaoqiu! I’ll carry you," Lin Xia said and then looked towards Lu Zheng and the others, "You two sort out who should carry whom!"

Lin Xia pushed a bicycle up, Lin Qiu clenched her teeth and followed close behind, not daring to look back at the scene, she almost burst out laughing; her sister was so interesting!

Lu Zheng looked at Jiang Mingyuan, "I’ll carry you!"

In terms of height, he was bigger and taller than Jiang Mingyuan, so it seemed somewhat bullying to let him carry.

Jiang Mingyuan laughed heartily, "No need! I know the way, and since a guest should be treated courteously, I’ll carry you!"

It wouldn’t have been difficult for him to carry even two Lu Zhengs, let alone one.

Lu Zheng didn’t insist further, "Alright then, thanks!"

"No problem!" Jiang Mingyuan pushed the bicycle up, and the two also left the house.

Lin Qiu locked the gate then hopped onto the rear carrier of Lin Xia’s bicycle.

Jiang Mingyuan also mounted his bicycle, Lu Zheng got on, and the four of them set out together.

On the way, they chatted casually at first, but due to the slippery road Lin Xia nearly fell off, so thereafter she focused intently on cycling.

She stopped talking, and there wasn’t much for Lu Zheng and Jiang Mingyuan to say either.

Jiang Mingyuan didn’t find it hard to carry Lu Zheng, though Lu Zheng sitting at the back felt quite awkward.

Finally, they arrived at Donglaishun, which was still a fairly large one-story building.

They locked their bicycles and entered the restaurant, noticing that there weren’t many diners around.

The waiter led them to a table by the window, Lin Xia sat next to Lin Qiu, while Jiang Mingyuan and Lu Zheng sat on one side.

Drinking the hot tea provided by the waiter, Lin Xia finally felt a bit relieved.

Since moving to the city during winter, she had hardly ever cycled, often just pushing her bicycle to the greenhouse or walking to Yecheng University.

Just earlier, when she was carrying Lin Qiu, they hit an icy patch and nearly fell; it was a terrifying ride to reach their destination.

The waiter held up a handwritten menu to order, and after ordering lamb and some vegetable garnishes, Jiang Mingyuan asked, "Lu Zheng! How much liquor shall we start with?"

"You decide," Lu Zheng answered indifferently.

Mingyuan raised his eyebrows and looked at the waiter, "Then bring us two jin of the little burn first!"

Lin Xia hurriedly waved her hand, "Big brother, Xiaoqiu and I don’t drink, two jin is too much for you guys—just bring one jin first!"

The alcohol content of the liquor here wasn’t low, half a jin per person was already quite a bit. She knew her big brother could probably hold his liquor, she wasn’t sure about Lu Zheng, but she couldn’t let them drink till they drop on their first visit!

"Alright then! We’ll do as you say! Bring one jin first and two bottles of soda!"

After Mingyuan instructed the waiter, he stood up, "I’ll head to the restroom first!" and took the opportunity to settle the bill.

"I’ll go too! Let’s go together!" Lu Zheng also stood up.

Mingyuan looked at him coolly, "Sure!"

The two men left the table, leaving only the Lin sisters.

Lin Xia instructed Lin Qiu, "Xiaoqiu, you stay here, I’ll be right back!"

She couldn’t let her big brother or Lu Zheng foot the bill—this meal had to be on her.

She went directly to the bar and paid, and by the time she returned to her seat, the two men hadn’t returned yet.

Lin Qiu whispered into Lin Xia’s ear, "Sis, what do we do if big brother and the others drink too much later?"

She felt like the two men seemed to be getting competitive; if they both got drunk, could she and her sister manage to get them back?

"We’ll just have to stop them! Once we’ve eaten enough, let’s start making our way back!"

Lin Xia was also somewhat worried. Earlier in the greenhouse, she had sensed something off between the two men, and just now, her big brother had suddenly ordered two jin of liquor—it looked like they were aiming to compete in drinking.

Lin Qiu expressed her doubts, "If it really comes down to it, do you think they’ll listen and just leave?"

But at that moment, Lu Zheng and Mingyuan returned, so she couldn’t say anything more.

Originally, enjoying hotpot and listening to the music in the store during this cold winter was quite enjoyable.

However, Lin Xia and Lin Qiu ate quite a bit of lamb, while Mingyuan and Lu Zheng only took a few symbolic bites, busily toasting each other.

Lin Xia had never noticed Mingyuan being so persuasive with drinks, but now his urging was smooth and continuous.

And the performance of Lu Zheng also surprised the Lin sisters. He didn’t look like a smooth talker, but faced with Mingyuan’s toasts, he responded without missing a beat.

The two men’s capacity for alcohol was astonishing; they quickly finished off one jin of liquor.

"Lin Xia! Bring another jin of liquor! You see, Lu Zheng hardly ever comes by, and we’re both enjoying this, you should let us have our fun, right?"

Mingyuan’s face was slightly flushed from drinking, but his eyes were clear, and his speech was steady.

Lin Xia didn’t want them to continue drinking, "Big brother, you guys have hardly eaten anything! Stop drinking, have some lamb, have some vegetables!" The empty stomachs would surely lead to vomiting later on!

Lin Qiu also joined in persuading, "Yeah, big brother, Brother Lu, you guys should eat something!"

"Lin Xia, it’s fine! We’ll eat while we drink. Let’s have one more jin! The alcohol content here isn’t that high!" Lu Zheng interjected, his face showed no change of color, it even seemed a bit pale, Lin Xia really couldn’t tell the depth of his tolerance.

Mingyuan chimed in, "Right! Lin Xia, when a guest speaks, shouldn’t the host comply accordingly?"

He had intended to pay earlier, but as the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, Lin Xia had surely slipped away and settled the bill while he and Lu Zheng were at the restroom.

This left Lin Xia really powerless, "Then, I’m telling you, we can only have one last jin. After Xiaoqiu and I are done eating, we’re leaving! If anyone asks for more alcohol, I’m really going to lose it!"

Mingyuan looked at Lin Xia with a smile, "Okay! My sister has spoken, big brother must comply!"

"Agreed!" Lu Zheng said, "We’ll leave after we finish drinking!"

The two men were quite united in their desire for another jin of liquor...