Before the house is confiscated, the enemy's warehouse is emptied and exiled

It was a sunny day and it was almost noon.

The Water Qilin strolled leisurely on the bustling streets as usual.

At this moment, a rich, mellow and mouth-watering aroma of food wafted out without warning from a quiet courtyard deep in the alley, instantly attracting Shui Qilin's full attention.

The water qilin immediately stopped, turned his head sharply, and fixed his eyes on the direction of the courtyard that exuded an alluring fragrance.

This small courtyard stands quietly at the corner of a busy street, exuding a unique atmosphere of tranquility and elegance, with a wonderful charm of finding peace in the midst of hustle and bustle.

The appearance of the courtyard is extremely simple and elegant. A gate carefully crafted from logs gives people a heavy and mysterious feeling. It is surrounded by a circle of bamboo fences, and the fences are covered with colorful flowers, which is very beautiful.

There are two weeping willows planted in front of the courtyard. The green willow branches sway gently in the wind, adding a sense of tranquility to the courtyard.

Above the wooden door hangs an antique wooden plaque with three large characters engraved on it - "Jingyayuan".

Shui Qilin looked at the plaque and couldn't help but chuckle, thinking to himself:

"The name of this courtyard is quite fitting, and it perfectly complements the atmosphere here!"

At this time, the courtyard door was slightly ajar. Shui Qilin involuntarily took two steps forward and peeked inside curiously through the crack in the door.

There were several rustic wooden tables in the middle of the yard, and several elegant scholars in long gowns were sitting around them, enjoying the sumptuous delicacies on the table with relish.

Seeing this scene, Shui Qilin suddenly realized that this was actually a hidden private restaurant.

I don't know why, but I had never noticed the existence of this store before.

Just as the Water Qilin stopped, a clever servant suddenly walked out quickly from the wooden door.

The servant smiled broadly and spoke enthusiastically:

"Oh! Sir, look at your attire today, it's really elegant!

Why not come to our Jingya Garden to taste some delicious food?

I can guarantee that the food here will definitely suit your taste!"

The water qilin originally wanted to refuse, but at this moment, it inadvertently caught a glimpse of several plates of tempting delicacies placed on the table in the yard - golden and fragrant salt-baked chicken; bright red and oily, fat but not greasy braised pork; and tender and smooth stuffed tofu that melts in the mouth.

Just one look at it made Shui Qilin swallow hard involuntarily.

The servant was sharp-eyed and immediately noticed Shui Qilin's little move. He quickly reached out and grabbed Shui Qilin's sleeve, smiling and saying:

"Sir, come here, please come this way!

How about you sit here? It’s spacious and comfortable!”

In the end, Shui Qilin couldn't resist the temptation of this delicious food. After hesitating for a moment, he nodded slightly to show his agreement.

"Okay, sir, what would you like to eat?"

As he spoke, the servant skillfully presented a menu to Shui Qilin.

The Water Qilin was not polite at all at this moment. He waved his hand and said to the servant in a very imposing manner:

"Serve me all the signature dishes in your restaurant!"

I was thinking to myself: Now that I'm here, I might as well enjoy it! When I was a divine beast in heaven, how could I have such a good meal?

This small restaurant serves food really fast.

Before long, a table full of delicious dishes was neatly laid out.

The delicious dishes exuded an enchanting aroma that went straight into people's nostrils, making people drool just by looking at them.

Shui Qilin picked up the chopsticks happily and began to eat voraciously.

I have to say that after a period of practice, its skills in using chopsticks have become more and more proficient, and its movements of picking up food are as natural and smooth as flowing water.

Just as Shui Qilin was eating with gusto, a pleasant singing voice suddenly came from the shop.

The voice was gentle and melodious, like a spring breeze, which instantly attracted the attention of Shui Qilin.

It couldn't help but stop what it was doing and turned around to look. It saw a young man with an upright posture and outstanding temperament standing not far away and singing.

The man was dressed in a long white robe with flowing sleeves, giving him a certain air of immortality. Beside him, a clever and well-behaved servant was waiting on him.

Seeing the curious look from the water qilin, the servant stepped forward and introduced it with a smile:

"How is it, sir? Do you think this singer sings well?

This is the owner of our Jingya Garden! Not only does he have a beautiful singing voice, but he's also proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting!

After saying this, the servant's face was full of pride.

Upon hearing this, Shui Qilin smiled and nodded in agreement.

After transforming into a human form, what it wanted most was to become a handsome, elegant and refined young man like the boss in front of it.

Perhaps because he felt the Water Qilin's prolonged gaze, the young boss put down his instrument after singing a song and walked towards the Water Qilin.

He came to the table, smiled and asked politely:

"Sir, I wonder if the food in this restaurant suits your taste?"

Upon seeing this, the Water Qilin hurriedly nodded in praise and gave a thumbs up without hesitation to express his satisfaction and appreciation for the food.

After asking the question, the boss didn't turn around and leave. Instead, he gently pulled over a chair, sat down slowly, and continued to chat with it with interest:

“When I first heard the audience sing, they looked very focused and seemed quite interested in it.

Could it be that you, sir, are also interested in opera?"

The Water Qilin smiled and shook his head, responding:

"Actually, I just enjoy listening to it. I have no knowledge of music."

"That's fine. If you're interested, I can teach you!" the boss responded gently.

So, the two of them opened up and had a very pleasant chat.

During the conversation, Shui Qilin learned that the boss in front of him was named Liu Mingqi and was from Guilin County.

Although this person possessed extraordinary talent, he had a tragic fate and was never able to find an opportunity to display his talent. In desperation, he had to choose to open a quiet and elegant private restaurant to make a living.

At first, the Water Qilin was still somewhat wary. After all, its master had repeatedly warned it that people's hearts were unpredictable and that it must be cautious at all times.

However, after it secretly spied on the aura emanating from Liu Qi, it did not notice anything unusual.

So, it gradually let down its guard and drank happily with Liu Qi, feeling that they had met too late and that a thousand cups of wine were not enough when meeting a close friend.

It also promised that if there was an opportunity, it would introduce the talented Liu Qi to the current king to prevent his talent from being buried.

Before I knew it, two hours had passed.

But even so, the two of them still felt unsatisfied and seemed to have endless things to say.

Finally, Liu Qi generously gave Shui Qilin her long-treasured fine wine and delicious food so that it could take them back to the Shen Mansion for her family to enjoy slowly.

When they parted, they agreed to meet again here tomorrow.

Then, from that day on, Shui Qilin would come to Qingyayuan on time to have dinner almost every day, and he and Ah Qi would clink glasses, chat and laugh together, and they regarded each other as a rare and close friend.