Picking Up a General to Plow the Fields - Chapter 79
79. The farce in Ming Yue Restaurant (part 2)
Towards the Su Xin-er who was shadowing behind him, he acted as if he didn’t know. Anyhow, he doesn’t have eyes at the back of his head.
Today, Cui Shao Xi was furious at Su Xin-er. This lass doesn’t care about the surrounding when flaring up and don’t think before she speaks.
Fang Qing couple was conversing with Lian Fang Zhou and Ah Jian when Fang Qing glanced to see Su Xin-er acting like that. She then lightly pinched Su Jing He under the table and signaled at him with her eyes.
Only then did Su Jing He noticed what his sister was doing. His face reddened and bitterly thought, ‘this sister is too embarrassing ah!’
Even in the most ludicrous moment of his past, he never acted like his sister when chasing after girls.
“Xin-er, come, sit next to your Sister-in-law! You’re not the one treating today, so what are mixing around for!” Su Jing He pointedly looked at Su Xin-er.
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Lian Fang Zhou and the other two pretended not to see or hear.
All three of them had the same thought, ‘If I knew earlier this dinner would be like this, I would have found an excuse to decline and not come.’
“Xin-er, quickly come over! I left a space for you!” Fang Qing beckoned Su Xin-er with her hands.
Su Xin-er pouted, looked over at the spot between Fang Qing and Lian Fang Zhou. With no choice, she went to sit.
Now there are only two empty seats left. If she doesn’t sit there, then cousin will sit next to Lian Fang Zhou and Sister-in-law. She was firmly against that.
Seeing Ah Jian sitting on the other side of Lian Fang Zhou, her heart then felt slightly better.
Cui Shao Xi called for the staff to come in again and gave him few instruction. Only then did he finally sat down.
At the moment, only half of the dishes were brought over. From the looks of it, it’ll need to take a while longer. So everyone casually chatted around.
Unexpectedly, Su Xin-er grinned at Lian Fang Zhou, asked, “Miss Lian, are you engaged yet? This sir, Ah Jian, should be Miss Lian’s fiance? You two are well matched!”
Everyone happened to freeze. The room had fallen into silence at once.
Su Jing He’s facial expression was terrible. ‘She, an unmarried and yet-to-be engaged girl, to actually say such words in front of this many people!?’
Lian Fang Zhou and Ah Jian subconsciously looked at each other. Both of them were a bit embarrassed, they never thought Su Xin-er would ask such questions.
She questioned like that, now how is she to answer?
Cui Shao Xi’s face blackened and sunk. Also, with the same terrible expression was Lian Ze. He wanted to speak out but halted by Lian Fang Zhou’s eye signal: At any rate, must give some respect for Fang Qing’s feeling.
“Just said you were straightforward. Oh, this mouth of yours, really makes one don’t know whether to love or hate!” Fang Qing started laughing, pinched Su Xin-er’s cheeks and said in a very intimate tone as if she was joking, vaguely skipped this topic.
But Su Xin-er wasn’t appreciative. She spoiled uttered ‘Sister-in-law!’, turned her head to escape Fang Qing’s hand and her eyes focused on Lian Fang Zhou. She kept on grilling, “Miss Lian, you haven’t answered me yet!”
She was obviously wanting Lian Fang Zhou to give a clear answer.
No matter how good Lian Fang Zhou’s temperament was, she still felt somewhat infuriated. Did nobody ever teach this young miss how to act like a person?
Just when she was about to open her mouth to talk back in not gentle nor rough manner at her, Ah Jian responded out of nowhere, “Miss Su has a sharp eye! Really knows how to talk!”
Ah Jian said it very politely and within that politeness was frankness, making anyone who heard it, not feels disgusted. But those two phrases itself was very pawky*.
However, Su Xin-er didn’t care about this. Her face immediately filled with jolly, and merrily blurted, “So it’s true! Congratulations you two! When are you two marrying? Don’t forget to send us invitations. I will send you an enormous gift! You are my Sister-in-law’s relatives, after all!”
“Many thanks, Miss Su!” Ah Jian replied with a smile.
Image result for 冬瓜鳖裙羹
White gourd and calipash soup.
Recipe in Chinese- https://www.meishij.net/china-food/caixi/hubeicai/130558.html
(I can’t guarantee the validity of it since I never had it before)
Precisely then the staff pushed the door and came in carrying tray. The tray contained a giant bowl of the white gourd and calipash* soup. The staff smile as he dipped his head, affirmed, “The dishes are all served. Guests, please enjoy your meal!”
Su Jing He and Fang Qing then busily urged and merrily invited everyone to taste. Fang Qing’s apologetic gaze had landed on Lian Fang Zhou and Ah Jian countless times.
Only now did Su Xin-er really rest her mind. With a brilliant smile, she turned to watch Cui Shao Xi. Cui Shao Xi didn’t even bat an eyelid at her
Although Su Xin-er felt disappointed, she immediately found an appropriate reason for Cui Shao Xi, ‘Cousin is being bashful! When outside, cousin is usually conscious of his dignity!’
Seeing Su Xin-er stop, everyone all let out a giant breath out. Cui Shao Xi, Su Jing He, and Fang Qing were very polite as well as informal– Fang Qing is relatives, so that goes without saying, while both Cui Shao Xi and Su Jing He wasn’t so fussy. Soon the atmosphere became more lively.
Only it seems like Cui Shao Xi was being very snug to Ah Jian. He kept on giving a toast to Ah Jian, and Ah Jian doesn’t refuse, accepted one after another.
Gradually, everyone noticed something was strange. Lian Fang Zhou couldn’t help say to Ah Jian, “Drink less. Tomorrow we have to travel early in the morning.”
When Cui Shao Xi heard these words, he felt even more downhearted. ‘Clearly, two people were drinking, and she only dissuaded Ah Jian while overlooking him. Is he that, unlikeable?’
Actually, Cui Shao Xi was really making things hard for Lian Fang Zhou! Unless Lian Fang Zhou went mad, she wouldn’t go provoke him.
“What is there to be afraid of!” Cui Shao Xi slapped the table. He slightly wobbled as he stood up with a huge grin. A cup in one hand and a pot in the other, his eyes stared straight at Ah Jian and beckoned, “Come, let’s, continue, drinking! Not drunk, then not allowed to return!”
“Cousin, don’t drink anymore! You’re drunk!” Su Xin-er solicitously expressed as she stood up to go over to support Cui Shao Xi.
“Halt!” Cui Shao Xi glared at her. “Stay there!”
“Then you got to promise me you won’t drink! If you become drunk, then you’ll suffer a lot! You’ll get a headache!” Su Xin-er pouted her mouth.
Lian Fang Zhou thought, ‘Acting up again. Don’t know how we’ll end it this time. ‘ So she looked at everyone, then spoke, “I say we’re about done, how about going back?”
This was what Su Jing He and Fang Qing wished for and instantly agreed. Su Jing He called for staff to come and instructed them to bring in their servants. Almost forcefully supporting Cui Shao Xi down the stair.
Like a tail, Su Xin-er followed behind. She continuously ordered the boys to ‘be careful!’ and ‘pay attention!’
“Have a good rest tonight. I’ll have everything properly arranged for tomorrow. And also that ten thousand liang, I’ll get ready as well.” Inside the carriage, Fang Qing informed Lian Fang Zhou.
“Many thanks, Cousin! I will definitely return the money to Cousin!” Lian Fang Zhou grateful promised
“You don’t always have to keep this matter in mind. I believe your words! That year Aunt has shown me kindness and were close sisters with my mother. So we should also be intimate as well! In the future, when there are problems, you can come to look for me!” Fang Qing smiled.
“Then, I’ll thank Cousin now!” Lian Fang Zhou gratefully said.
“We’re family, no need to be courteous!” The two of them looked at each other with grins.
On the whole road, the two of them happily conversed, mutually understood not to mention Su Xin-er at all.
The carriage reached the inner entrance, and everyone got off. Lian Fang Zhou will have to follow Fang Qing couple and Su Xin-er to the inner courtyard. Cui Shao Xi has his own yard in the outer courtyard. Lian Ze and Ah Jian will go with him to the guest rooms in the outer courtyard.
Lian Fang Zhou walked a few steps to go to Ah Jian and Lian Ze’s side. To Ah Jian, she smiled, and whispered, “I’m very thankful that you save us from embarrassment tonight!”
Pawky: Scottish word for sardonic sense of humor
Calipash: the fatty gelatinous dull-greenish substance found under the upper shell of a turtle and esteemed as a delicacy
