Chapter 113: The Fifteenth Lantern Festival, Entering Drunken Immortal Tower

Today, Misty Cloud Town was bustling. Crowds flowed through the streets, and the cries of vendors rose and fell without end.

Wen Yao and Wen Jun each held one child by the hand, afraid that in such a crush Big Head and Jin Xiuyi might be lost in the throng.

“Grandma Wen, Grandpa Wen, you’re finally here. Dr. Jin and Shopkeeper Qiu have been waiting for you at the clinic,” Hong Hai said, rubbing his hands together and stamping his feet. The cold still clung to him, and it was clear he had been waiting quite a while.

Seeing this, Madam Luo felt a little guilty, and a little sorry for him too.

“We’re not strangers to the road. Why should you stand out here freezing yourself like that?”

Hong Hai scratched his head and gave a simple laugh. “It’s nothing. I wasn’t doing anything else anyway. Grandma Wen, let’s go back first.”

The whole group then set off in grand fashion for the Hall of Healing.

Inside the clinic, Dr. Jin had just seen off a patient and was standing at the doorway for a while. At last, he spotted those familiar faces in the crowd.

“They’re here,” he called into the room, and Shopkeeper Qiu came out after him.

“Grandfather.” In the end, the children were still children. No matter how happily they had played at the Wen family’s place, after being apart from their grandfather for so long, they surely missed him. So the moment Jin Xiuyi saw Dr. Jin, he ran straight over.

Big Head also saw Shopkeeper Qiu. When he noticed the older man looking at him eagerly, he hesitated and glanced at Wen Yao.

Wen Yao lowered her head and said, “If you want to go, then go. Shopkeeper Qiu is our Big Head’s father too now.”

Big Head corrected her, “Godfather.”

“Right, right, godfather. Go on.” Wen Yao let go of his hand, and Big Head immediately ran off after Jin Xiuyi, calling out obediently, “Father.”

Shopkeeper Qiu smiled so broadly his face nearly split with delight.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, he asked Hong Hai to close the door while saying to the others, “Dr. Jin and I have booked a table at Drunken Immortal House. Let’s head over now. Once the crowd thickens, the roads will be hard to get through.”

When the Wen family heard this, they were stunned. Drunken Immortal House? That was the biggest and finest restaurant in all of Misty Cloud Town. Rumor had it that a single meal there could cost several dozen, even over a hundred silver taels.

Madam Luo quickly declined. “Dr. Jin, how could we possibly go somewhere like Drunken Immortal House? That would be far too extravagant. We can just find some ordinary place and make do.”

Dr. Jin frowned as soon as he heard that.

“Now, Elder Sister, aren’t you being too formal with me? Besides, Drunken Immortal House is still just a place to eat. Why wouldn’t you be able to go there? If you put it like that, do you mean to look down on me, old Jin?”

“This…” Madam Luo began.

Before either of them could say more, Shopkeeper Qiu had already led Big Head out by the hand.

“Enough with the this and that. Let’s go. We booked a private room on the third floor of Drunken Immortal House. The view there is the best; you can see more than half of Misty Cloud Town from up there. And the lantern festival is right on the street below the restaurant, so tonight it’ll be as convenient as can be.”

Madam Luo still felt it was a little improper.

In truth, Wen Yao also wanted to see just what the biggest restaurant in town was like, so she coaxed her grandmother. “Grandma, let’s go. Today we can be honored guests at the finest restaurant in town. You can even try it and see whether the cook at Drunken Immortal House is better or whether mine is.”

Dr. Jin and Shopkeeper Qiu quickly chimed in, “Exactly, exactly. Go have a look. I rather think the cooks at Drunken Immortal House still fall a little short compared with Yao Yao.”

Madam Luo shot Wen Yao a reproachful glance. “You two really should stop praising her. If this girl had a tail, I’m afraid it would be sticking straight up to the sky.”

“We’re telling the truth,” the two of them said with a laugh, beckoning everyone along toward Drunken Immortal House.

Madam Luo could only sigh and follow. On the way, she whispered to Wen Yao, “This debt of gratitude just keeps getting bigger.”

Wen Yao glanced at the people in front, chatting merrily. Old Man Wen, dressed like an ordinary country farmer, was walking beside those two; it looked out of place, and yet for some reason strangely harmonious.

As for Big Head, he had Wen Jun on his left and Shopkeeper Qiu on his right, hopping along happily beyond measure.

At this point, Wen Yao could only comfort Madam Luo. “Grandma, the more debts there are, the more one can bear. From now on, whatever we do, we’ll just remember Dr. Jin and Uncle Qiu. And if that’s still not enough, since Shopkeeper Qiu seems to like the teacups Dr. Jin uses, I can buy a couple more and give them to him.”

Madam Luo nodded. “Of course. One is Little Jun’s teacher, the other is Big Head’s godfather. They’re proper relatives of our family now.”

“Exactly, so the most important thing is to keep a calm mind. If you see a dish you like later, I’ll make it often for you from now on.” Wen Yao was always at her best when it came to making the old lady happy.

Madam Luo could not help the corners of her mouth from lifting. She raised a hand and gave Wen Yao’s arm a light slap, smiling as she said, “You really don’t know the meaning of modesty.”

“That’s right. Who is your granddaughter, anyway? I’m the famous Wen chef who can cook circles around anyone near or far.” Wen Yao said with a grin, almost hanging herself onto Madam Luo’s arm.

The grandmother and granddaughter chatted and laughed all the way to the entrance of Drunken Immortal House.

Today, Drunken Immortal House was packed beyond belief. The welcoming attendant at the door was so busy he seemed to wish he had three heads and six arms.

When he saw this large family coming in such a procession, he froze for a moment. Then he quickly collected his expression and stepped forward with a smile.

“Are you here for a meal, honored guests? I’m afraid Drunken Immortal House is completely full today. Perhaps you should try somewhere else?”

Wen Yao glanced at the attendant and said nothing. There was no trace of disdain or impatience on his face, and his manner was polite enough, so he was not unpleasant to look at.

But Dr. Jin’s brow furrowed.

“The table has already been booked.”

Only then did the attendant notice that among this group were none other than Dr. Jin and Shopkeeper Qiu from the Hall of Healing. His expression changed at once, and his smile grew even brighter.

“Dr. Jin, Shopkeeper Qiu, my apologies. This one was blind to high guests. Please don’t take offense. I’ll take you all upstairs at once.”

With that, he flicked the towel over his shoulder, smiled at the Wen family, and bent slightly at the waist, far more courteous than before.

The sight of it inexplicably straightened Madam Luo’s back.

Following the attendant into the doors of Drunken Immortal House, the luxury and grandeur inside left the Wen family stunned. Even Li, who usually had a bolder spirit, unconsciously grew restrained after stepping through the door, especially under the sideways glances from the other diners.

There were curious looks, puzzled looks, and even disdainful ones.

If Li was already like this, then Cai was even more uneasy, clinging to Wen Xiuqing’s sleeve as if she were about to tear it apart.

Just as those contemptuous diners were about to make trouble, the attendant led the whole group straight upstairs—and not to the second floor, but the third.

One had to know that a private room on the third floor of Drunken Immortal House was not something ordinary people could afford. How could this family of country bumpkins go straight up to the third floor?

A curious onlooker called over a runner from the staff.

“Who was that family that just went up? They actually went to the third floor.”

The little attendant glanced upstairs before replying, “That was a private room booked by Shopkeeper Qiu and Dr. Jin from the Hall of Healing. It’s a street-facing room on the third floor.”

As for who that family was, he had no idea. But if Dr. Jin and Shopkeeper Qiu valued them that much, then they must be either relatives or friends. Surely they couldn’t be enemies.

Of course, he did not dare say that aloud. Just then, another guest was calling him over, and the little attendant ran off, leaving the one who had asked still utterly baffled.