Shen Yuan looked up as he saw the setting sun and spoke, “Well since it’s evening already we can chat here for a bit and then go to sleep after eating something. We can decide what to do tomorrow later.”
Bing Rong nodded in agreement, “Sounds like a plan to me. I brought some food from the city as well so we can eat it as a souvenir from there.”
Huo Rong looked at her for a moment as she asked, “Don’t we have chefs for that already in our manor?”
Bing Rong’s hand twitched a little as she replied with a slightly red face, “Well, yes, we do have chefs at home, but–”
Before she could continue, Huo Rong interjected, “But you forgot about that, were you thinking that we would take some time maybe on the ship?? Hmm??”
“No, I just thought it would be good to try the food together, to mix things up a little. We have been eating what the chefs are making for too long already.” She replied hurriedly with a red face, trying everything in her power not to admit that she forgot they had chefs back at home.
Shen Yuan smiled as he spoke before Huo Rong could question her again, “I like that idea a lot, let’s eat later what Sister Bing brought back together with what the Chefs prepared.”
Shen Yuxin smiled warmly at Shen Yuan, seeing how he was looking after Bing Rong already. “Let’s have a little feast in the garden, it will be interesting to change things a bit.”
Shen Yuan and Huo Rong smiled and agreed as they also wanted to try something different.
Bing Rong’s face softened with relief, her earlier embarrassment fading little by little, “Let’s, let’s make preparations for a huge buffet.”
“I also bought quite a bit of alcohol from Shadowveil City, let’s drink wine with food.” He never got to drink alcohol before because he was too young for it back then.
Now, he would finally be able to drink it with his family and enjoy their company.
…
As the evening settled in and the world got covered in darkness, the group began preparation for their little feast in the garden.
The garden was beautifully lit with soft, warm candle lights which glowed like fireflies by the manor’s maids.
Bing Rong and Huo Rong placed a large blanket in the center of the garden, arranging food that Bing Rong brought from the Shadowveil City along with what the chefs prepared in the manor.
The blanket was filled with all kinds of delicacies that looked and smelled heavenly. The rich aroma of the food spread throughout the whole garden, making Shen Yuan drool.
He controlled himself from diving straight to eating as he joined in to help set up some things and took out the wine.
He carefully uncorked one of the wine gourds, the fragrance of the wine wafting into the air as he poured it into four glasses.
It was his first time trying alcohol with his family, and he was pretty happy to drink with them.
Shen Yuxin watched with a warm smile on her face as Shen Yuan, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong busied themselves with the preparations for the feast.
She felt a deep sense of contentment seeing how close they were and the peaceful environment around them, she also felt pride in seeing how Shen Yuan turned out to be such a fine young man.
Once everything was ready, they all sat down together on the blanket, with all the food and wine served in front of them. The sky above then was filled with twinkling stars, each one shining brightly in the clear night sky.
‘The sky is clear here, unlike my previous life where the sky was filled with pollution and I couldn’t even see the stars clearly.’
Shen Yuan looked towards the moon as he smiled slightly when he remembered something. He turned his face towards the three women sitting with him as he spoke in a soft and gentle voice, “Isn’t the moon lovely tonight?”
Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong looked up as they agreed with him as Huo Rong replied, “Yes, it’s very lovely tonight.” She replied in a gentle tone with a sweet smile.
Bing Rong also chimed in, “It looks very lovely tonight.”
Shen Yuxin smirked lightly as she added, “So are you, Yuan’er.”
Shen Yuan laughed lightly and felt good for some reason. He raised his glass, smiling lightly towards his family, “To us, and to many more nights to come like this.”
Shen Yuxin, Huo Rong, and Bing Rong raised their glasses as well, toasting their bond and the peaceful moment they were sharing. Shen Yuan took a gulp of wine as the ladies took a sip elegantly, savoring the taste of it.
“This is damn delicious!” Shen Yuan said, surprised as he felt that the taste of this wine was much better than the one he drank in the training ground. “Can’t believe I was missing out on such good wine.”
Huo Rong giggled at his words as she spoke, “This is not even a high-quality wine, Yuan’er. If you want to, you can come to our sect to taste the High Tier Spirit Wine, one of the elders there is a Brewing Master. All her wines are top class.”
Shen Yuan’s eyes lit up as he nodded his head, “Sure sure, I will visit your sect soon to taste such fine wine.”
Bing Rong smiled lightly as she added, “But she doesn’t share her wine with outsiders, so you will have to work on your charming skills to try your luck.”
Shen Yuan listened to her words as he turned to look at his mother, “Don’t look at me, I won’t help you with this stuff.” She lightly giggled as she saw her face, but she couldn’t let him rely on her too much for everything.
So she decided to let him handle this himself. “I will think about something when the time comes. Let’s start eating for now.”
They began eating, savoring the various dishes with delight. The food from the city was a notch below what the chefs at the manor cooked, but nonetheless, it was delicious.
As they ate and drank, they talked and laughed, sharing stories and memories from the past.
After some time, Shen Yuxin leaned back, looking up at the sky. “The stars are so bright tonight. It’s almost as if they’re celebrating with us.”
Huo Rong nodded in agreement with a smile, taking another sip of her wine. “It’s a perfect night. We should do this more often.”
Bing Rong, who had been quietly enjoying the moment, spoke up. “I’m glad we decided to do this. It’s nice just to relax and enjoy each other’s company.”
Shen Yuan looked at the three of them and thought inwardly, ‘What more can a man ask for in life?’
He smiled with contentment as he saw his family happily chatting with each other.
As the night grew late, they continued enjoying the food and wine, eventually, the conversation grew more relaxed and intimate due to the effects of wine.
Eventually, Huo Rong and Bing Rong began to feel the effects of the wine as their eyelids felt heavier. Huo Rong stretched and yawned, putting her glass down, “I think it’s time for me to head back. I’m already sleepy from drinking all this wine.”
Bing Rong agreed as well with a small smile on her face, “Me too, it’s been a long day, it’s about time we rest.”