“Hahaha, I was waiting for those words of yours!” Zhao Bufan laughed even more uproariously. 

Auntie Zhao gave him a look and then smiled, “You clearly don’t see yourself as an outsider. Do you know how much a jar of ‘Jiannanchun’ or ‘Gujinggong’ costs ah? They’re a couple hundred taels a bottle. As an uncle, do you really feel okay taking advantage of Xiaocao’s generosity?”

“Auntie Zhao, these words truly make us seem like outsiders then! As the younger generation, what’s wrong with giving a few bottles of alcohol to my own uncle? Are you implying that the words you said before, when you stated that we were as close as a family, were just for politeness sake?” Yu Xiaocao cutely swayed back and forth with Auntie Zhao’s hand in her own as she exclaimed in an adorable manner.

“Lass Xiaocao is right. We’re not outsiders!” Zhao Bufan grinned until his eyes scrunched up into a small line.

Xiaocao chatted about household matters with Auntie Zhao while Old General Zhao happily enjoyed the tea in front of him. Zhao Bufan conversed idly with his martial brother Fang Zizhen.

As they talked, the topic of the conversation had turned to Zhao Han. Xiaocao asked out of concern, “Auntie Zhao, will Older Brother Han be spending the New Years at his garrison again? It’s been so many years but he hasn’t come back once to celebrate the New Years. Does he really need...