Ning Dao Covered with Snow

Chapter 179 New Year’s Eve Dinner

Yan Ciwan shot two arrows in a row, both hitting the bull's eye. She asked Xiao Ting and Xiao Yun to choose the prizes.

The stall owner stood aside and watched, feeling very painful, but did not dare to say anything, because he saw Xiao Xi and Jiang Tingyue standing next to them. He knew that these two were the county magistrate and his wife, and he could not afford to offend them.

Xiao Ting chose a spinning top, while Xiao Yun took a carp-shaped lantern.

Yan Ciwan had a lot of fun. She returned the bow and arrow to the stall owner and said, "Happy New Year's Eve, and prosperous business."

The stall owner was relieved to see her about to leave, and smiled: "Thank you for your care, I'll come often in the future."

The group walked and strolled, and finally arrived at the City God Temple.

They originally wanted to go into the temple to pray, but there were too many people in the temple today and they couldn't squeeze in. They could only worship the statue at the door and burn incense before leaving.

There was a middle-aged couple nearby, holding the portrait in their hands and asking people around.

Yan Ciwan was also stopped and questioned by them.

"This is my daughter. She got lost ten days ago and hasn't come home since. Have you seen her?"

As the woman spoke, she raised the portrait in her hand, her bloodshot eyes filled with hope.

Yan Ciwan stared at the girl in the portrait for a moment, then shook his head, indicating that he had never seen her.

The woman looked at the people behind her again, wanting to ask them if they had seen him before. As a result, she saw Xiao Que, and her spirits rose. She hurriedly pulled her husband to pay his respects.

"Greetings to Lord Xiao."

Xiao Qi told them not to be so polite.

The couple asked anxiously, "Excuse me, has the county government found Ah Su's whereabouts?"

"The detectives have searched the entire Jin County, but have not been able to find any trace of Kong Su."

Upon hearing this, the hope in the couple's eyes quickly died down and their faces turned extremely pale.

The woman murmured, "Can we still find my Ah Su?"

Xiao Yu couldn't bear it, but still said truthfully: "I will leave Jin County after the New Year, and a new county magistrate will take over the search."

The couple didn't say anything else. They seemed to have completely given up hope on the county government and left the City God Temple silently.

Yan Ciwan looked at the backs of the two people leaving and thought of Mr. Jia’s son and daughter-in-law, who also disappeared in Jin County.

Is there any connection between the two?
Xiao Wang saw through her thoughts and whispered to her, "It's not just Jin County, people are missing in many places under the jurisdiction of Yizhou."

Yan Ciwan smelled a conspiracy. With so many people missing, it was impossible for the government to just ignore it. However, it was very unusual that the government had found nothing so far.

After this little episode, Xiao Qie had no intention of continuing to visit the temple fair, and he planned to go back first.

After he left, Jiang Tingyue, as a guide, took everyone around the temple fair. It was not until the evening that they took a carriage back home.

The carriage stopped beside the courtyard gate, and Yan Ciwan and others got off one by one.

Xiao Ting glanced across the street and asked curiously, "The vendor selling candy figures yesterday is gone."

Jiang Tingyue didn't take this to heart. She said helplessly: "How many times do you want us to tell you that you can't eat sweets because your teeth are broken?"

Yan Ciwan glanced across the street and saw that it was empty. She remembered that when she came here yesterday, she didn’t see anyone selling candy figures across the street.

When everyone returned to Pinghu Residence, it was already completely dark.

All the lanterns in the courtyard were lit, and everyone gathered in the main hall to eat the New Year's Eve dinner. The long table was filled with fine wine and delicious food.

This was the first time that Yan Ciwan spent the New Year away from home. When she saw that Xiao Wang and Chao Lu were accompanied by their families, she couldn't help but think of her deceased mother, as well as her father and grandmother who were far away in Xizhou.

I haven’t seen them for a long time, and I wonder if my father and grandmother are in good health?

Du Lingzhou's habit of comparing himself with others surfaced again, and he insisted on challenging Xiao Wang to a drinking contest. Xiao Wang had never touched alcohol before, and no matter how the other party provoked him, he remained unmoved.

Yan Ciwan said with a smile: "We can't let Du Erlang's enthusiasm go to waste, let me drink with you." Xiao Wang looked at her with worry in his eyes.

Yan Ciwan winked at him, indicating that he could drink a lot.

Xiao Wang understood what she meant, but he was skeptical, mainly because Yan Ciwan looked so weak and fragile, and it seemed that just a glass of wine would make her drunk.

Du Lingzhou also doubted Yan Ciwan's alcohol tolerance. He looked her up and down, not very willing to do it: "Can you do it? I have the title of Dongdu Wine Fairy. I can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk. If you get drunk after just one cup, it would be too boring."

Yan Ciwan picked up the wine glass, drank it all, and then asked.

"Is this okay?"

Seeing her so generous, Du Lingzhou finally became interested and he picked up the wine glass and drank it all.

Then the two of them started drinking one glass after another across the long table, and the jar of wine was soon empty.

Yan Ciwan's face was slightly flushed, but his eyes were still clear, and his hand holding the wine glass was very steady. In contrast, Du Lingzhou's condition was not so good. His face was a little pale, his body began to shake, and his eyes were a little hazy.

Xiao Xi said he was drunk and asked him not to drink anymore.

Du Lingzhou was unwilling, so he poured himself another glass of wine and said with a thick tongue: "I'm not drunk yet, come again!"

After saying that, he finished the wine in the glass in one gulp.

He held on to the edge of the table, blinked hard, then raised his head and spoke to everyone in a tone that he thought was very relaxed.

"This little bit of wine is nothing to me!"

Yan Ciwan stretched out a finger and waved it in front of him, and asked, "What number is this?"

Du Lingzhou was very dissatisfied: "Why are you waving a chicken drumstick in front of me? I'm not hungry now. Come on, it's your turn to drink!"

Yan Ciwan said to Huai Yan: "Help him go back and rest."

Huai Yan knew that his son's drinking tolerance was not very good. If he continued to do this, who knows what kind of trouble might happen, so he quickly went to support Du Lingzhou's arm.

"Sir, let's go."

Du Lingzhou refused to leave. He shook off Huai Yan's hand and pointed at the person across the table and shouted.

"Ning Ci, do you want to drink or not? If you don't, you lose! You have to be my little brother, and you have to do whatever I tell you to do!"

Huai Yan reminded quietly: "Sir, the person you are pointing at is Xiao Liulang, and Madam Ning is to his right."

Du Lingzhou was stunned, then questioned.

"Xiao Liulang, when did you switch places with Ning Ci?!"

Xiao Wang said: "I have been sitting here the whole time."

"Impossible, you must have changed your position, you are deliberately lying to me! You have always loved lying to me before, making me mistakenly think you are a girl, making me lose face, I will never forgive you!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of everyone present became very subtle.

Especially Li Chengge, the gossip spirit in his eyes was already burning.

As if he was afraid of chaos in the world, he deliberately asked, "Why do you think Xiao Liu is a girl?"

Huaiyan pulled Du Lingzhou's arm hard, trying to stop him from talking.

But Du Lingzhou was already drunk and completely irrational at this moment, and he just opened his mouth and spoke.

"Because Xiao Liu is sick. He is a man, but he loved to wear women's clothes when he was a child!"

Thinking of the past, Du Lingzhou was extremely angry. He pointed at the person across the table and cursed.

"It's all your fault. My reputation has been ruined!"

(End of this chapter)