Chen Lan watched the two little ones finish their meal and placed the siblings in the stroller, preparing to join the lively gathering.
Having not drunk water after her nap, Chen Lan felt a pang of thirst. She instinctively opened the system. Staring at the interface before her, Chen Lan froze for a good while, asking herself, what was she supposed to buy?
Chen Lan wasn't one to dwell on things. After half a second of hesitation, she let it go.
With the thought of just buying something since the system was already open, Chen Lan found herself browsing the beverage section. As she looked, a sudden idea flashed through her mind: since their travel plans for the day were complete, there was no need to rush further. Why not set up camp here for the night? With mountains, water, and no large predators in the forest, it would be the perfect spot for camping!
And so, Chen Lan happily made her decision! Since they weren't driving anywhere in the afternoon, perhaps they could all have a little drink to relax.
Yes, buy alcohol!
Chen Lan stopped hesitating and quickly placed her order.
For her mother-in-law and Wen Rou Niang, along with Mama Cui and Mama Liu, the four of them could have some Shaoxing yellow wine to invigorate their blood and relieve fatigue.
For Uncle Fu and Uncle De, they could have some Erguotou baijiu.
For Cui Qiao, Hu Yuzhen, Zhao Xiaoyue, and Ming Wei, the young wives and girls, they could have some red wine for beauty and skin nourishment.
As for Brother Xiang Dong and Brother Er Hu, the younger men, they would get something they hadn't tried before—beer.
The three younger brothers would still have yogurt. If that wasn't enough, perhaps some orange juice to supplement their Vitamin C.
Yes! That's right, let's add orange juice for the mothers-in-law and Cui Qiao's group as well to supplement their Vitamin C.
Chen Lan quickly placed her orders and looked at the piles of alcohol and beverages spread on the ground.
Chen Lan couldn't handle it alone, so she shouted loudly, asking for help to carry the alcohol. A group of people with a craving for drinks, hearing the word "alcohol," came rushing over.
Xiang Xi ran at the front. As soon as he reached Chen Lan, he exclaimed dramatically, "Little Lan, you know your brothers best. I was just getting parched from eating barbecue, and you called us to help carry alcohol. I told you we have the best understanding!"
Chen Lan scoffed, "Little Watermelon, if we have such understanding, why did you tattle on me to Mom?"
Xiang Xi cried out in feigned innocence, "No, no, Little Lan, when did I ever tattle on you? You're wronging me."
Chen Lan, not allowing him to argue, said, "Last time, you complained to my mom that I bullied you when we were kids. Did you forget?"
Xiang Xi was instantly silenced!
"Hey! Hey! Little Lan, didn't we agree not to bring this up again?"
Chen Lan didn't want to banter with him anymore. She said, "Stop joking around. Hurry up and get out of the way so they can all carry it. Come, let me tell you, this baijiu is for Uncle Fu and Uncle De."
"This Shaoxing yellow wine is for Mother-in-law and my Mom, Mama Liu, Mama Cui, and them. And this orange juice is for them too."
"Red wine and orange juice are for Ming Wei and the other young wives."
"Yogurt and orange juice are for Ming Zhe, Wen Kai, and Wen Qi, those three little rascals."
"You group of grown men are drinking this," Chen Lan said, pointing to the pile of beer as she spoke to Xiang Xi and the others who had come to help.
Xiang Xi and the others were stunned. So much alcohol? If they drank it all, wouldn't they get completely drunk?
Xiang Xi immediately said, "Little Lan, have your brothers offended you? You're letting us drink so much alcohol, wouldn't that kill us?"
Chen Lan feigned anger and said, "What are you talking about? Little Watermelon, am I the kind of person who would do bad things to harm you? Every time I get something good, aren't you the first person I think of? Do you know this is a good thing?"
Xiang Xi quickly apologized, "Yes, yes, yes, your brother's mouth is asking for a beating," he said, lightly patting his own mouth.
After a couple of pats, he eagerly asked, "Little Lan, then tell me quickly, how do we drink this? So much!"
Chen Lan stopped stalling. "First, have them carry the alcohol for Mother-in-law, Uncle De, Ming Wei, and them. Then I'll tell you how to drink this wine?"
After they had delivered everyone else's drinks, Chen Lan said to them, "This drink is called beer."
"Beer is a foreign wine, made from wheat malt and barley malt as raw materials, with hops—equivalent to our brewing yeast—for fermentation. This beer has a relatively low alcohol content, so it's not easy to get drunk. It also contains a variety of nutrients. It can aid digestion. You all ate so much meat today, so drinking some beer can help cut through the grease and aid digestion."
"Also, beer contains a lot of carbon dioxide. If you drink too much, you'll burp, just like when we drink soda. You've all probably drunk soda, right?"
Xiang Xi and the others nodded in unison, "We have, and after drinking it, we keep burping."
"Alright! Hurry up and carry the beer over to drink!"
Chen Lan watched them carry the beer away and followed behind, pushing the stroller with Jia Yao and Jia Hui inside, to join the fun.
From a distance, she could see a group of people eating, drinking, laughing, and making merry. The loudest and most cheerful laughter came from the table of the mother-in-law and the others. From far away, she could hear her mother-in-law's hearty laughter.
Uncle Fu and Uncle De, along with Teacher Zhou Jicheng and Brother Er Hu, were drinking baijiu. They were drinking, chatting, eating, and playing finger guessing games.
The three younger brothers, who were usually the most boisterous, were now well-behaved and sensible, grilling food for the ladies at the mother-in-law's table.
Ming Zhe said while grilling, "I'll grill two skewers of fish balls for my mom. Mom likes fish. I'll also grill two skewers of lamb for Mama Cui. Lamb is good for strengthening the body."
Hearing Ming Zhe's mumbling, Chen Lan smiled knowingly. Ming Zhe was truly a little warm guy.
Wen Qi said, "I'll grill mushrooms for my mom. Mom likes mushrooms. I'll also grill an eggplant for Mama Liu. Sister said Mama Liu has leg pain and needs to be careful with her diet now, so she can't eat meat!"
Listening to them, Chen Lan felt a surge of emotion. This child was so thoughtful that he was impossible not to like. He was a truly caring and sensible little warm guy.
She wondered which young girl would be lucky enough to have him in the future.
Enough! She was daydreaming again. Chen Lan quickly cut off her wandering thoughts.
Chen Lan looked at her eldest brother, Wen Kai. Wen Kai said, "You all grilled for Mom and them, but no one grilled for Big Sister. I'll do it. Big Sister likes seafood the most. I'll grill a big prawn for Big Sister. Big Sister also likes squid, and Big Sister likes spicy food. Big Sister likes..."
As Chen Lan listened, her eyes welled up with tears. She was moved by her eldest brother Wen Kai's thoughtfulness.
Chen Lan never expected that Wen Kai, who was usually quiet and unobtrusive, with a low sense of presence, would be such a meticulous child. He knew her preferences better than she did. How could she not love them?
She had to work harder to plan their future and ensure they had a carefree and beautiful life!