After she drank a cup, she put down the cup, rinsed her mouth with clear water, then picked up another cup of wine, drank it in two gulps, and said happily, "It has a tea aroma."

Ouyang Ming was surprised. She tasted tea in the wine; in her sixteen years of life, it was her first time encountering such a thing. Moreover, this wine, though tea-flavored, had a strong aftereffect; in just a few breaths, the alcohol hit her... This Miss Gu Er truly delighted people by being able to concoct such wine.

It was only after she came here that she heard from her grandfather that mixing several kinds of wine together could create a wine with a new flavor.

Ouyang Ming loved the wine sent by Gu Jinli. This wine was different from any other in Great Chu, extremely interesting and tasty, but she was naturally restrained, only having one cup of each kind before putting it down.

However, there was one thing she couldn’t understand. Didn’t the Gu Family send a meeting gift on the third day after their sisters came to town? Why send again now? And a gratitude gift at that?

Could it be...

"Who from the Gu Family came to see Grandfather today? Was it Brother Cheng’s older brother?" Ouyang Ming asked. She had met Brother Cheng; the little fellow was very good-looking, resembling Gu Jin’an, whom she had rescued on the road, the only difference being the younger one was more lively, and the older one more steady.

The maid who brought the wine replied, "It was indeed Brother Cheng’s older brother, the top student of the Jianghuai provincial examination this year."

Indeed it was him; it seemed he had guessed her identity and told the family sisters about how she saved him, and that’s why the Gu sisters sent a gratitude gift again.

"Take the wine to Grandfather," Ouyang Ming said, and then to the chief maid Shan Cong, "Go inside and fetch a bolt of Jingyun Silk, and also bring the stone-breaking bow to the front yard study as a return gift for the two Miss Gu’s."

The items sent by the Gu Family, whether wine or fans, were of superior quality, so she naturally had to return the gift; otherwise, it would be impolite.

Mrs. Han was a bit surprised upon hearing this: "Third Miss, that stone-breaking bow is your treasured possession, do you really wish to give it away?"

Ouyang Ming looked at the two bottles of wine and smiled, "Miss Gu Er sent me a new concocted wine, which delighted me, so I must return the favor. I heard she’s skilled in martial arts, so gifting her the stone-breaking bow would be quite appropriate."

Though Mrs. Han felt a little reluctant to part with the stone-breaking bow, she no longer objected and nodded to Shan Cong to proceed.

Shan Cong, who managed Ouyang Ming’s household affairs and held the key to Ouyang Ming’s private treasury, came back after about two quarters of an hour, already having taken people to bring the Jingyun Silk and the stone-breaking bow. After notifying the two maids who brought the wine, the group headed toward the study in the front yard.

Before leaving, Ouyang Ming instructed Shan Cong: "Have Grandfather tell Scholar Gu that saving them was merely an act of chivalry and he need not dwell on it, nor send any more gratitude gifts."

Sending gifts back and forth is troublesome.

"Yes." Shan Cong responded and left with the maids.

Upon hearing that his third granddaughter sent the stone-breaking bow to Gu Jinli, Master Ouyang was stunned for a moment, then laughed. Ming girl might have taken a liking to Gu family’s second girl, even giving her the stone-breaking bow.

This stone-breaking bow was once a battlefield weapon that tasted blood, which he acquired by chance. Seeing Ming girl’s fondness for horseback riding and archery, he had given her the stone-breaking bow. Little did he know she would gift it away.

Is this like the legendary sword gifted to a hero?

However, this stone-breaking bow is indeed quite fitting for Gu family’s second girl.

Gu Jin’an was very pleased when he saw the return gift from Ouyang Ming. The two presents were indeed far more valuable than what his family had sent. What made him even more delighted was Shan Cong’s following words.

Shan Cong conveyed Ouyang Ming’s words to Master Ouyang.

Gu Jin’an was quite joyful to hear it. She was truly clever, already guessing he would deduce her identity.

But telling his family not to send gifts in the future left him a bit uneasy; he wished to present her many more things.

"Did you hear that, Good Brother An? No need to send gifts anymore; our family doesn’t bother with such formalities," Master Ouyang said as he drank the two bottles of new-flavored wine, sighing contentedly with eyes closed, "Truly good wine, with a tea aroma."

Gu family’s second girl was becoming more and more remarkable, able to concoct such variably flavored wine.

Gu Jin’an, seeing Master Ouyang enjoying the wine, laughed and said, "I shall bring you a few more bottles some other day."

He emphasized, "It’s not a gratitude gift, just some small tokens of respect from a younger generation to you, not worth much."

Master Ouyang did not refuse, laughing, "Well then, I won’t be polite with you, but no more ham, please. It takes too long to make, a delicacy that takes three years to craft."

The concoction of wine only requires gathering materials and blending them to make it.

"Yes, I will listen to you," Gu Jin’an said and continued discussing what had happened in Linhe Prefecture with Master Ouyang.

Master Ouyang said, "That Tong family deserves it... Actually, there are many families with private mines in Great Chu, but daring to make and sell scimitars was a crime leading to family extermination, beyond saving for the Tong family."

However...

The timing of this matter being exposed was too coincidental. The Tong family had been running private mines for years without incident; how come it happened just when Tong San got involved with Gu Jin’an?

Master Ouyang couldn’t help but think further; could there be Gu Jin’an’s handiwork involved? 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

But with many people in the study now, Master Ouyang refrained from asking questions, choosing to leave his suspicions unsaid, and only spoke about the bandits who ambushed Gu Jin’an and his group: "They indeed came from Central State. Ever since the Northwest drought, many refugees have flooded into Central State, with quite a few turning to banditry. Even after several years, they haven’t been eradicated."

Master Ouyang sighed. Great Chu had been in turmoil since Duke Wei’s faction was eradicated five years ago; the Emperor only cared about removing military-powerful ministers, forgetting that it was inadvisable to touch these powerful ministers while Great Chu was still unstable. Once moved, it might invoke God’s wrath.

People said the Northwest drought was divine retribution from God upon the Emperor.

Gu Dexing responded, "The Northwest is no longer suffering from natural disasters; in another two years, the bandits formed by refugees will surely be wiped out by the court’s army, so there’s no need for concern."

Master Ouyang laughed, "You think too ideally."

The issue in the Northwest was never natural disasters but plagues of war. To restore stability to the Northwest as it was five years ago, another Duke Wei is required. Only someone who can subdue the various armies and Rong people in the Northwest will bring real stability.

With stability in the Northwest, the court will then be free to suppress banditry, otherwise the scourge will never end, and the number of roaming bandits will only increase.

"Let’s not discuss this; this is a soldier’s matter, unrelated to us," Master Ouyang, not wanting to dwell on the Northwest anymore, as it only stifled him, turned to the topic of their upcoming banquet, "Brother Wang said the three families will host together, for one day, serving hearty farmhouse dishes?"

Gu Jin’an nodded, "Yes, farmhouse dishes are hearty and mostly meat dishes, suitable for farm folk."