father - home

After sending Joseph away and returning to the hospital, Qiu had already checked Zhao.Overall good, a bit anemic, which is normal after a subtotal gastrectomy.At present, Zhao still has delayed dumping syndrome after meals, but the frequency is getting less and less, and it will be better after a period of recuperation.Qiu is off work and wants to stay with us for dinner, but Zhao and I have another date, so that will be the next time.

Zhao wants to meet Mary, but I don't want to take him to Mary's house.In fact, the key is to see Mary, it doesn't matter where, besides, I never left anything in Mary's cabin, but I just don't want Zhao to see that room and that bed.

I made a reservation for the three of us at Augustiner's restaurant, and agreed that at seven o'clock at night Mary would go by herself.Mary's insistence on the phone that I should not pick her up played into my favor.On the phone, Mary didn't have any extra words. She didn't ask Zhao why she wanted to see her, and I didn't tell her that Zhao didn't know about our relationship.On the phone, the tone of our conversation was almost unfamiliar. It seemed that our relationship was even more distant than ordinary friends.Maybe in Mary's view, we are not even enough friends, we have nothing to do with each other.This is exactly what I expected, and Zhao couldn't feel anything or see any flaws.However, facing Mary's attitude, I couldn't relax.Emotion is a strange and subtle thing, the more you try to control it, the more it will have its own opinion.

The waiter was the same one from last time. He knew me and led us directly to the old seat facing the garden and by the window.I'm not in a hurry to order until Mary arrives.

"Wait." I called the waiter. "A plate of croissants and a glass of milk."

"Are you going now?"

"Yes, immediately."

After the waiter left, Zhao Chong raised his eyebrows at me. "I've had pastries at Joe's."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"You didn't ask me."

Bread and milk have arrived.Zhao picked up the milk and took a sip.

"Did you drink milk at Joe's?"

Zhao nodded.

"Then don't drink any more. Drinking too much milk will make you gassy."

"What should I do?"

"Keep it."

"Marty, a lot of people are starving."

I looked at Zhao, and tickled the fingers of my right hand resting on the table.Zhao leaned over and pushed the cup along the table.I picked up the cup calmly, put my lips against the position marked by the milk froth, and drank the milk.Until I wiped my mouth with a napkin, my eyes never left him, and he kept staring at me.

Mary wore a dark red dress with a low neckline, a flat chest, and a particularly slender neck.Dark red, the skin is whiter, almost transparent, and the blood vessels and bones under the skin are clearly visible.

"Can I call you Mary?" Zhao hurriedly stood up and pulled out the chair for Mary.

"Of course, of course."

"You're beautiful. Are you especially beautiful tonight, or have you always been?"

"You're so cute." Mary blushed, and a light came to her pale face.For the first time, I found that she was so beautiful.

"It would be more beautiful if the dress wasn't so dark. Since it's red, it should be brighter," I interjected.

"Don't you like the color of this dress? I think it's perfect. Dark red, calm, elegant, and distant. I like dark red, which matches your temperament very well, Mary. We like to use dark red in our Chinese-style home. Red, it represents stability, classic and long-lasting."

"Thank you, this is my favorite dress."

"You still thank him, he compares you to furniture?" I called out, with an injustice.

"I didn't mean that." Zhao felt aggrieved.

Mary looked at us with a smile.She is indeed beautiful when she smiles, and she no longer hides herself so deliberately.

The waiter brought the menu.I don't need to look at it, I hand it to Mary and recommend it. “The lamb chops here are famous.”

"Then the lamb chops, I'll listen to you." Mary flipped through it and handed it to Zhao.

Zhao Ze directly returned the menu to me. "My German is not very good, let him do it for me." Zhao looked at Mary when he said this, as if he was explaining to Mary, but he was actually talking to the waiter.

From the time we entered the door, the waiter's eyes glanced over from time to time.This is not surprising, no matter where Zhao goes now, he will attract almost all eyes, and there are very few Asian faces here, not to mention that he is so beautiful.Perhaps Zhao's health is getting better, and his sunshine, open-mindedness and firmness have infected me more strongly; perhaps it is because we are about to part, and it is becoming more and more difficult for me, or even unwilling to restrain myself.Just like drinking milk just now, the waiter must have seen it and must have associated it... What's the point?I do not care!But Zhao cared, he was afraid that I would bring bad luck.

I ordered two pan-fried lamb chops and one stuffed duck breast. When I ordered wine, the waiter said: "Wait a minute, sir, the boss said he will give you a bottle of good wine, so please wait a moment."

"Send me?" What I'm worried about is not Mr. Kroger's "send me" but "a bottle of good wine". If something like last time happens again, I don't want even the best wine, especially if Zhao is by my side. At that time, I absolutely must not cause trouble.

Fortunately, Mr. Kroger did not send me some champagne this time.The body of the bottle is hugged in the napkin, only the neck of the bottle is exposed.A very ordinary bottle, even if it is a good wine, will not be very expensive.

Mr. Kroger poured me some white wine.

"Taste." His smile was very kind, yet mysterious and excited.

I put the glass up to my nose, smell it, and shake it slightly.Light golden yellow, clear, transparent and bright; the bouquet is full-bodied, complete and lingering; the hanging glass is obvious and long-lasting.

I glanced suspiciously at Mr. Kroger and took a sip. "Caesars!" I called.Of course I can taste the wine I brew at home. "It's old wine."

"That's right! Can you taste what year it is?" Mr. Kroger laughed so hard that his eyes were almost blind and his face flushed.

which year?I know I don't have that ability, but I still have to try.I took a sip, savored it for a while, and took another sip. "Maybe 20 years, but..."

Zhao, Mary, Mr. Kroger, and the waiter all looked at me with wide eyes, how happy and relieved I was to be the center of attention.I feel and think, 20 years, or 25 years?Part of the estate's wines are aged every year, so it's really hard to be sure.Like Tsushima, I have never studied wine, and finally I shook my head with a wry smile. "I can't tell, Mr. Kroger."

Like all parents and teachers, when children can't answer the questions, it is their greatest satisfaction.Mr. Kroger happily unwrapped the napkin, cleaned the bottle body, there was no dust on the glass, and the logo was a little discolored, but the emblem of Caesar Estate was clearly visible, and the year on it was 1912.

"1912!" I couldn't believe it.

"It was the year you were born. Your grandfather said that the wine of that year was the best wine he ever made, whether new or aged."

The vintages of that year were bottled and sold 18 years later, and the supply was in short supply.

"The ones left in the manor have been drunk long ago. I didn't expect you to still..."

"I didn't expect it either. Now that good wine can't get in, I can only dig out all the bottom of the box. Last month, I went to take stock of the wine cellar, hoping to find something, but I didn't expect to find it. I thought there was no There are still two bottles. I don’t know what happened, so I drank one bottle first. The quality is still so high, almost unchanged. I just want to give you a surprise when you come again.”

"I'm really pleasantly surprised, Mr. Kroger, thank you so much."

"It's all right, child. I remember your birthday was in early August, when the grapes were harvested."

"Yes, the ninth of August."

"Fortunately, it's been a few days. Although the baroness didn't come, you and your friends..."

"They're my best friends."

"I know, I can see it, so I think this wine is very suitable for you."

"very suitable."

Mr. Kroger poured the drinks for the four himself.Zhao and I didn't say anything.After clinking glasses, Zhao, like us, drank the wine, and I didn't say anything.My mood at the moment is like this mellow wine, pure, joyful, harmonious and sweet.