Chapter 466 Lavish Hospitality
Qiao Jinsong had a beaming smile on his face. Just as he was about to speak politely again, Joanna couldn’t help but interrupt, "Dad, can we talk while we eat? I’m starving!"
"Right, right, Mr. Ling has come a long way, and dinner is ready. Please, let’s eat!" Qiao Jinsong hurriedly said.
So, the group left the study and headed toward the dining room.
Qiao Anran, held by her sister, turned her big eyes back and forth to look at Ling Feng, suddenly asked curiously, "Who are you?"
Ling Feng smiled; he naturally liked children and was especially fond of this little girl who looked like a doll, so he said, "I’m your sister’s friend!"
"Boyfriend?" Qiao Anran tilted her head, asking earnestly.
Ling Feng: "..."
"Anran, don’t talk nonsense, he’s my friend, not my boyfriend!" Joanna quickly said.
But the little girl didn’t believe it, pouting her lips, "Look at the way he looks at you, when other boys come to our house, do you look at them like that?"
"You little troublemaker, if you keep spouting nonsense, I won’t carry you anymore!" Joanna said, somewhat exasperated.
Ling Feng chuckled to himself, thinking how this young girl could be so precocious.
At the same time, he was more curious—what did the mother of these two girls look like?
Both girls inherited her genes and had foreign features; judging by the beauty of the daughters, he could surmise their mother must also be a beauty, right?
Mulling over these thoughts, they had already reached the dining room, where he saw a huge place with a rectangular table that could easily seat twenty people without any issue!
"The settings are a bit simple; please don’t mind, Mr. Ling. Please take a seat!" Qiao Jinsong said with a smile.
Ling Feng quickly waved his hand, "How could that be right? You’re the elder; please, you take the seat!"
The two of them courteously declined back and forth, while Joanna and Li Fei’er didn’t wait and simply sat down.
Eventually, Ling Feng let Qiao Jinsong take the head of the table, and he himself sat down next to Joanna.
At this moment, the household staff began serving the dishes, flowing smoothly like water, bringing over more than twenty types of dishes, dazzling Ling Feng.
Seeing that there were only five people at the table, he thought for a moment and couldn’t help but ask, "Mr. Qiao, isn’t this a bit too courteous? We five can’t possibly eat all this!"
"Don’t call me Mr. Qiao. Call me Uncle Qiao. You are friends with Anna; why be so formal?"
Qiao Jinsong chuckled and added, "You’re a distinguished guest, so naturally we must treat you well. Today, feel free to eat your fill, try the specialties of the Qiao Family!"
"Yeah, all these dishes are home-grown, not a single one is bought from outside. Try it; the taste won’t be inferior to the vegetables you grow!" Joanna said with a smile.
Taken aback, Ling Feng, out of politeness, didn’t say much and picked up some greens to taste.
After tasting them, he realized that what she said was true, and he couldn’t help but ask, "The flavor is so good; could it be that the Qiao family also has a place with abundant spiritual energy?"
"Indeed, there is such a place. Our ancestor discovered a patch of spirit fields during his travels through Huaxia and decided to settle here. It’s thanks to these spirit fields that my Qiao Family has been able to develop and prosper to this day!"
As soon as Qiao Jinsong finished speaking, Ling Feng was astounded!
He could approximately understand what spirit fields meant—land imbued with rich spiritual energy capable of producing plants of exceptional quality.
And from what was implied, it seemed that the area of these spirit fields must be substantial!
He had asked casually, but he didn’t expect to receive such an astonishing response. After a moment of surprise, Ling Feng quickly said, "Thank you for enlightening me, Uncle Qiao. Normally, this kind of thing wouldn’t be shared with outsiders."
"You are not an outsider, come on, let’s have a drink!"
Qiao Jinsong raised his glass and, though his words were said in a light and breezy manner, they made Ling Feng feel somewhat embarrassed. On her part, Joanna’s face turned red, and she couldn’t help but shoot a stealthy, reproachful glance at her father.
Under the enthusiastic hospitality of the Qiao family, the meal was very enjoyable. Ling Feng was curious as to why he hadn’t seen Joanna’s mother, but out of politeness, he held back from asking.
Afterward, since it was getting late and Li Fei’er kept yawning, still not recovered from the fatigue of the journey, Qiao Jinsong ordered someone to take Ling Feng and her to the guest room, deciding that any matters could wait until the next morning.
After getting back to their room, Li Fei’er didn’t even wash up before stumbling to the bed and flopping down to sleep right away!
Ling Feng was speechless at the sight. He went over to help her take off her shoes and socks, pulled the covers over her, and saw that the girl had no reaction—she was already fast asleep.
Ling Feng lay down on another bed, resting his arm behind his head and letting his thoughts wander until he, too, fell asleep without noticing.
The next morning, before he even opened his eyes, Ling Feng felt someone stealthily approaching him. Then, something tickled his nose, and he heard Li Fei’er’s low, giggling laughter by his ear.
Upon opening his eyes, he saw the girl’s face right in front of his, teasing him with her hair.
"You’re up early. Did you sleep well last night?" Ling Feng asked.
"Not bad. Uncle, why are you on that bed? Didn’t you hold me while sleeping?" Li Fei’er pouted and asked.
Ling Feng chuckled and said, "I was afraid you would move too much in your sleep!"
"Tch, not taking the chance when it’s given!"
Li Fei’er gave him a look and turned to enter the bathroom.
Ling Feng shook his head helplessly, thinking to himself that this girl had already given him enough opportunities as it was.
The reason he hadn’t shared a bed with her was also due to his own considerations, after all, he was a guest in someone else’s home—how could he misbehave in their guest room?
Just after he finished washing up, there was a knock at the door, "Mr. Ling, the Family Head invites you to have breakfast."
"Got it, I’ll be right there!"
Ling Feng replied and stepped out of the room with Li Fei’er. They were greeted at the door by the same two people from last night, to whom Ling Feng nodded in acknowledgement.
They returned the gesture, and then followed them to the dining room.
Only Qiao Jinsong and Qiao Anran were in the dining room, one sipping coffee, the other buried in eating toasted bread, her little cheeks all greasy.
Seeing this, Li Fei’er couldn’t help but laugh. She hurried over to Qiao Anran’s side and took out a napkin to help wipe her face, "Anran, eat slowly, no need to rush!"
"Thank you, sister. You eat, too!"
Qiao Anran replied sweetly, pushing her plate towards Li Fei’er.
Ling Feng smiled and sat down as Qiao Jinsong immediately asked, "Did you rest well last night?"
"Very well, very comfortably," Ling Feng nodded and then asked, "By the way, where’s Anna? Why hasn’t she come down?"
"My sister is busy putting on makeup. ’A woman dresses for the one who pleases’," Qiao Anran said with puffed cheeks, muttering the words.
"..."
Ling Feng was both surprised and amused, wondering how such a young child knew so much about such things.
After laughing, he turned to Qiao Jinsong, "Uncle Qiao, since you haven’t treated me like an outsider, I’ll get straight to the point. I won’t be staying for long this time, so if there’s anything I can help with, please just let me know."
Hearing this, Qiao Jinsong paused for a moment, then said with a smile, "Who said I was going to ask for your help?"