So this guy’s actually backing down a step? Fushan Yue glanced at He Lingchuan, then laughed. “Since you’re offering so graciously, we’d be rude to refuse.”0

The three of them strolled into Little Qianjin Lodge. The frontage of the restaurant was modest, but its appointments were refined. Even the tea served to guests was a top-grade lotus-scented brew.0

Since the post station housed many envoys, there were always a few tasteful establishments nearby where people could conveniently meet over lunch or dinner.0

This place specialized in green-red wine[1], which was a type of rice wine. Its color was mellow and luminous, like red amber, and its flavor lingered with a soft, velvety smoothness. It was perfect for a quiet drink among acquaintances.0

Each dish that came out was small but meticulously prepared.0

Bai Ziqi picked up some crab crisps[2] and popped them into his mouth. It crackled loudly between his teeth. “This restaurant’s specialty is red fermented rice lees. Try it. It has a distinctive flavor.”0

Naturally, the lees left over from brewing green-red wine could also be used in cooking. These tiny freshwater crabs were dry and hard with barely any meat to them, but once fried in oil and dressed with red lees, they became the ideal drinking snack. They were crisp, crunchy, and easy to eat by the mouthful. It was very easy to unknowingly go through twenty or thirty of them.8

There were also sliced snails...0