Li Ying never expected that during his absence of several days, he had actually been making plans for her. For a moment, she was rather stunned.
"You... you've actually invited all the most renowned tea masters in the world to the capital?"
Although she had never had any dealings with these people, she knew the temperament of Master Ge very well. If it weren't for her accidentally hitting upon his interests and setting up a new tea banquet that exactly suited his taste, this old tea master might still be as cold as ice and have rejected her from a distance.
"You've only been away from the capital for a few days. How on earth did you manage to persuade so many reclusive tea master experts?"
Naturally, Lu Xunguang wouldn't go into all the difficulties he had encountered in detail. He just casually said nonchalantly, "It's just a matter of showing enough sincerity and carefully finding out their preferences, then taking appropriate measures."
He said this calmly, but Li Ying knew that he must have spent a great deal of effort. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been away for so many days. The last bit of mild resentment in her heart instantly vanished.
"Lu Lang..."
Her eyes were full of affection, and her once straight and almost rigid back softened. Unable to suppress the longing in her heart for so many days any longer, she opened her arms and threw herself into Lu Xunguang's embrace.
Lu Xunguang hugged her tightly. His big hand patted her back clumsily. He whispered in Li Ying's ear.
"A Ying, it's my fault. I've made you suffer..."
He buried his chin deep in the crook of her shoulder. The stubble on his face tickled her cheeks.
Li Ying took a deep breath and smelled the cold night wind, the fodder for the horses, and the dust from the long journey on his body. She stood on tiptoe and gently pecked at his Adam's apple like a fledgling bird. Then she offered her thin cherry-like lips without hesitation, letting him take what he wanted.
The two were deeply in love, their affection lingering.
After a long time, Lu Xunguang finally let go of her and said softly, "A Ying, don't worry. I've already found out that the source of the rumors in the market is from my Lu family's silk workshop. Even though the shopkeeper is my wet nurse, since she's been spreading such groundless rumors, I will definitely give you an explanation."
Li Ying was about to try to persuade him.
After all, the kindness of the wet nurse's breastfeeding couldn't be ignored. Many wealthy families would rather support their wet nurses in the mansion properly to avoid being criticized and laughed at by outsiders.
Lu Xunguang was just starting to make a name for himself in the capital. If he were to punish his wet nurse, especially since this wet nurse had been managing the silk shop in the capital for many years and had done a very good job, she was a loyal servant. If he were to act rashly, it might make the old servants of the Lu family feel disappointed.
These words were on the tip of her tongue, but before she could say them, Lu Xunguang stopped her.
"A Ying, don't worry. I know what I'm doing."
He changed the subject, and a faint glimmer of light suddenly shot out from his eyes.
"I really should thank A Man today for standing up bravely to protect you. If it weren't for A Man's angry scolding, I wouldn't have realized how wrong I was."
He looked at Li Ying intently, and his voice took on a hoarse, alluring tone.
"A Ying, since I came to the capital, I've been busy dealing with the Lu family's business. I didn't want you to suffer in such a difficult life, so I always thought that I would propose to you after the Lu family made a comeback. But I didn't expect that my so - called male pride would actually make you stay with me without a proper name and become the topic of people's idle chatter."
He gently took Li Ying's hand and said sincerely, "A Ying, wait for me. After you meet the tea masters and I deal with all the matters at hand, I'll come to propose marriage. Okay?"
As he said this, a faint blush appeared on his dark face, which had been tanned by the sun and wind in the fishing village. There was also a hint of barely perceptible uneasiness in his eyes, as if he was afraid that she would reject him.
Li Ying smiled sweetly. She shook the bamboo - woven hoop bracelet on her hand and said brightly, "Of course I'll agree. I'd be willing to marry you a thousand or even ten thousand times."
She leaned her cheek against Lu Xunguang's chest and listened to his steady and powerful heartbeat. The panic of the past few days finally vanished at this moment.
"Gurgle."
Just then, Lu Xunguang's stomach growled uncontrollably. His face turned even redder, and the tips of his ears were also tinged with a blush.
Li Ying couldn't help but laugh. She let go of his waist and asked with concern, "If I'm not mistaken, you probably rushed back day and night without having a meal, right?"
Lu Xunguang nodded honestly. Fortunately, there was still a pot of steaming radish and beef offal stew in the kitchen. Li Ying tidied up her clothes and went to serve him some food.
The beef tendons had been stewed until they were soft and glutinous. The thick gelatin melted in the mouth. The honeycomb tripe still retained its chewy texture. The lungs were tender. Li Ying had washed the beef intestines extremely clean, and there was just the right amount of fat left. They were cooked until they were almost transparent. When you took a bite, the strong aroma of beef tallow burst out in your mouth.
The beef brisket was marbled. It was stewed until it was wobbly, tender and delicious, and not greasy at all.
The winter in the capital was bitterly cold. Li Ying added some farmhouse salted sauce and dried red peppers to the soup base. It was cooked until it was spicy, making people eat to their heart's content.
Among them, the most amazing one was the large - cut radish.
The white radishes were full of juice. The outer layer absorbed the meaty aroma of the beef brisket and beef offal. Although the inside was soft, it still retained its original sweet taste. When you took a bite, it not only warmed your stomach but also easily got rid of the greasiness.
After finishing this pot of beef offal and radish stew, you could add some thick white beef bone broth and slice some bean curd skins and green vegetables to make a hot pot.
Lu Xunguang ate heartily without any courtesy. Li Ying watched him contentedly with a smiling face. Her wandering heart suddenly settled down.
If she could just walk hand in hand with Lu Xunguang like this for a lifetime, she would be more than willing.
After clearing away the dishes, Lu Xunguang told her in detail about the life stories of the tea masters he had found out about on this journey, one by one.
He had already arranged everything for her. These people were very interested in Li Ying's idea of "sealing tea in bamboo tubes". She didn't need to say much. She just had to be careful not to accidentally touch on their taboos.
Li Ying was about to thank him when Lu Xunguang frowned. His expression showed a bit of embarrassment and guilt.
"A Ying, I originally thought that for the golden - flower dark tea that has been giving you so much trouble, I would definitely be able to find a suitable tea master on this trip. But this tea is really..."
All the tea masters had seen the golden - flower dark tea, and their evaluations were the same as Master Ge's - this tea was extremely rare. If the golden flowers were denser, the taste would surely be even better.
However, these golden flowers were just an accidental result of improper storage and transportation. Who could guarantee that the same situation could be reproduced next time?
Moreover, in the final analysis, this thing was a kind of colony. If one were to try it rashly, who knew if it wouldn't ferment into some deadly toxin?
Human lives were at stake, so Li Ying really didn't dare to act recklessly.