“Wife, I want to eat meat” 《娘子，我要吃肉》Chapter 4

Xia Ling Mei was very angry, once she’s angry her maids would pretend to be blocks of wood, unable to hear, see or speak, leaving her to vent her anger.

After Gu Lang said those words yesterday he had felt a little guilty, he again sent someone over to give her clothes, and again tonics, it was found out by old Lady Gu, grabbing his ear she nagged at him for a while: “You wastrel, this old woman has raised you for no reason. How much money was spent on those clothes, even your mother herself doesn’t dare to part with those tonics to eat, you actually gave them all to a stranger. Tell me, are you actually an offspring of our Gu family?”

The old lady was fully aware of the meaning of throwing a tantrum, inside the lounge of the rear courtyard she repeated herself for a while, Xia Ling Mei sent people to return the tonics and clothes in the same condition as before, and in addition she sent a pair of gold bracelets.

The bracelets weren’t big, though the engraving of blessed with children and grandchildren was very intricate, the cost of the labour to carve this was even more precious than gold.

Gu Lang laughed: “Mother, look how much Lady Xia knows to give presents to one’s elders.”

The old lady made a `pei` sound at him, the clothes were given to the maid inside the house, the tonic at once was stewed into soup, that pair of gold bracelets immediately adorned the old lady’s wrists, she fondly admired her left then her right, her words still spiteful: “This sort of thing this old woman still doesn’t value. Look at this circle it still isn’t as sturdy as my jade bracelet, there isn’t any weight at all wearing it, it’s hollow.”

“Then son will go and buy you another pair?”

The old lady slapped him again on the face, Gu Lang pretended to drink tea, dodging it. “I told you you’re a wastrel, you still won’t listen, if you have that sort of money why don’t you keep it for your wife. Mother warns you, don’t think you can bribe me with these bracelets. Daughter-in-law, pei, our Gu family’s daughter-in-law must at least be the first daughter of a fifth rank official family.”

Gu Lang pair of eyes still stayed on those gold bracelets. Xia Ling Mei easily brought out such high quality jewellery, does this mean her family background is considerably ample? But usually he didn’t see her buy anything, she came to Gu family with only herself, and hadn’t brought along any trunks. Where did this money come from?

As he was about to speak, a man coming from the other end handed over a bronze message, with a glance at the signature he was surprised it was from the imperial censor senior official Wang. If in Dayan the workmanship of nine official ranks were regarded as entering a courtyard, the ninth rank is knowing the door plate of the courtyard, and seventh rank is stepping onto the small step you stand on as you enter the courtyard, fifth rank is the threshold, fourth rank is to walk in the outer courtyard, third rank is to stroll around the official business office, eighth rank is to reply standing in the study, first ranks are the Tai Shi, Tai Fu, Tai Bao, Tai Wei, Si Tu and Si Kong who sat with the emperor discussing national affairs.

Imperial censor senior official was a third rank official, he was considered as part of one those who can speak in the official business office, able to be one of the officials people wanted in life and death.

The imperial censor department really made people love it but also not love it, hate it but also cannot hate it. You love it too much, other officials hate you: you hate it too much, the staff in the department hated you even more. You couldn’t smile too promiscuously at the people in that department, maybe they would think you are a prostitute, you would be willing to welcome customers, they may not even necessarily be willing to open the door to welcome you; you also couldn’t mock and ridicule them, calling them evil street tyrants, opening and closing your mouth would cause a well to do family to lose their family fortune and wrench the family apart. If not, they would let you experience the calamity that makes innocent bystanders get into trouble in the disturbance.

Gu Lang was an official who had taken up office not so long ago, those who flattered him would say he was a `fifth rank high officer`, those who despised him constantly called him a `mere petty fifth rank officer`. There was a dime a dozen of this level of officials in Beiding city, out of around ten people, eight would kowtow at him as a lower ranked person. But this was Chenzhou, where the highest official was Lord Hua the provincial governor, the very same Hua family of Gu Lang’s female cousin, his collateral relative, they had operated in Chenzhou for more than ten years, and could seriously be considered a local tyrant. The imperial censor senior official, such a yielding person, also could not move the Hua family, naturally he couldn’t move Gu Lang.

But respect still had to be taken into consideration, Gu Lang welcomed Wang Yun Feng in warmly, offering tea at once, Wang Yun Feng directly spoke plainly of his purpose in coming.

“I came because of personal matters. Is it true in Lord Gu’s residence there is a lady with the surname Xia.”

Gu Lang stared blankly. Being nice Xia Ling Mei would be called his life saviour, but was considered nothing to others. A fifth ranked officer on his journey to his new post was rescued by a woman of the Jianghu, if it was told to others they would laugh at him. You Lord Gu are too useless, it’s hero rescues the beauty for others, but you’re better, it’s beauty rescue the hero, and you were even messed around by a beauty that she wants you to 

devote her life to her.

`Ze ze` [tongue clicking] If people were to find out it would be really embarrassing for a grown man.

He laughed mischievously: “This is Gu residence, there are only Gu family and servants in the residence, where is there a woman with the surname Xia.” He leaned closer to Wang Yun Feng, “Could it be the Wang residence has lost someone?”

Wang Yun Feng already foresaw the other person wouldn’t speak the truth, waving his hand, Juan Shu immediately presented a foot-long hardwood box, inside there was a delicately adorned painting scroll. A strong steed, gorgeous well-rounded beautiful women momentarily dominated people’s eyesight, vivid brush strokes, bright colours and lustre, dazzling and stunning people. It was difficult to have even with thousands of gold, the <Lady Guo trip in spring>.

Gu Lang’s eyes brightened, as he was readying to extend his hand to study it more intricately, Juan Shu swiftly retracted it, Wang Yun Feng drank the tea: “Lord Gu…”

Gu Lang shook his empty claws: “He he, there is indeed a Lady Xia in the residence.”

Wang Yun Feng nodded his head: “Please take the trouble to ask her to come out.”

Gu Lang hesitated.

Wang Yun Feng placed the teacup down: “It’s not convenient?”

Juan Shu unrolled and rolled the painting back up again, Gu Lang: “Convenient, of course it’s convenient.” It was just a glance nothing more, moreover it was in Gu residence, even if 

Wang Yun Feng had the ability he couldn’t do anything to him, besides, his attitude appeared to be looking for trouble with Xia Ling Mei.

Gu Lang did not have the grand idea of being made a scapegoat for someone, allowing him to see Xia Ling Mei once, he would obtain a piece of genuine ancient painting, what can he have against it.

When a maid arrived at the small courtyard Xia Ling Mei lived, just at that time she came across they the mistress and servants training the pet.

The Eurasian Hobby called Fei Dao stood on the ground, in front of it were several railings, each one higher than the other, finally there was a metal railing, a tarpaulin was wrapped on top of it, lit on fire it popped as it burned, on the head of the metal railing was a wicker basket with a little sparrows trapped inside.

Maybe because the flame was too large, the little sparrows incessantly chirped, some flapped their wings wanting to fly out, others were already terrified by the extraordinary mighty Eurasian Hobby opposite them, some immediately threw themselves onto the ground pretending to be dead wanting to escape from calamity.

Fei Dao pulled its shoulders in feeling he had been wronged, occasionally looking at the 

alive food at a distance swallowing his saliva, now and then gloomily staring at the burning railings sighing in despair.

Xia Ling Mei sat on a rocking chair, rocking back and forth, watching the banister burn even greater, extending her coral whip to prod Fei Dao’s fat bottom: “Jump.”

Fei Dao felt wronged, looking at its own master he called out twice.

Xia Ling Mei snorted: “Letting you search for your own wild food, making you so fat that you can’t even fly.” She flicked her whip over, just brushing past Fei Dao’s wings, scaring Fei 

Dao to spread its wings bouncing and hoping on the spot but unable to flutter up.

The maid moved closer to Xiu Yu’s side, quietly asking: “What is Lady Xia doing?”

Xiu Yu glanced at her: “Losing weight.”

“Ah?”

“In the short space of three months Fei Dao had gained five pounds. Lady Xia is afraid it is too fat to find a good marriage, right now she’s occupied making it lose weight.”

The maid was puzzled: “That bird also has to marry?”

Xiu Yu looked at her in distain: “You need to marry too, why can’t it marry. Our Fei Dao is known for its beauty in the Eurasian Hobby specie.” She turned to look at the other person, asking: “Did you need something from the lady?”

The maid hurriedly explained why she came. Xiu Yu asked for the name of the one visiting. 

The maid shook her head; Xiu Yu once again asked the reason for the person to visit, the made again shook her head; Xiu Yu asked: “What do you know?”

The maid innocently blinked her eyes: “I only know my master asked for Lady Xia to greet the guest.”

Xiu Yu was itching to use Fei Dao to kill her.

Does Lord Gu think her lady is a maid, for him to order her about. Also greeting guests, what young lady from any family would go and casually meet a stranger. Even if her lady had walked the path of the Jianghu, most of the time she wore a veiled hat, sat inside a carriage, at most when they reach the mountains she would travel on horseback. This Gu family really didn’t understand formalities, maybe they never respected her lady from the beginning.

Xiu Yu suppressed her discontent, she moved closed to Xia Ling Mei’s side, as expected, 

Xia Ling Mei was not willing to meet a stranger. The maid deflated, thinking this Xia Ling Mei was really arrogant, but it was this mighty arrogance which the old lady did not like. The old lady didn’t like, so the maids naturally also didn’t waste much thought on it, gladly and diligently returning to reply.

Not long after, another older female servant came to invite Xia Ling Mei, only saying an officer wanted to see her.

Xia Ling Mei was already standing brandishing her whip forcing Fei Dao to practice jumping, feeding a bean for every railing jumped over, whipping if it doesn’t jump over. For the happiness of being fully fed and the painful struggle in hell, jumping over a railing it would cry out mournfully, Xia Ling Mei shook her whip threateningly, Fei Dao could only continue the weight loss plan with a smile on its face.

The older female servant was shocked by Xia Ling Mei’s whip, all her organs wanted to leap out, her eyes rolled to the top of her head, telling her that she ought to understand to act in an appropriate behaviour when living under another person’s roof: “Lady you live in our Lord’s residence, whatever the master says even if the lady has complaints you should still listen to him, carry it out sincerely. Respect the Gu family, the Gu family will think of your wellbeing, allowing you to live so comfortably at ease.” As a servant who has served the old lady for many years, they really couldn’t bear rude and unreasonable vixens showing off, just because she saved Lord Gu’s life she could abuse her powerful connections in the residence. It was fine normally, now Lord Gu wanted her to greet a guest but unexpectedly still needed to coax and plead, what morals.

Seemingly this was the first time Xia Ling Mei saw the unreasonable treatment of Gu family towards her, naturally, it could have happened many times before, but were shouldered by her own two maids.

She lightly laughed twice, educated from childhood she would never bicker with a servant, let alone argue.

She only indicated to Xiu Yu: “Go and take a look.” As she spoke, she took a bean throwing it at Fei Dao’s head who was taking the opportunity to laze off. “Don’t stop, fat bird.”

Xiu Yu had been gone for around a cup of teas time, when she left she was on her own, when she came back unexpectedly there were three people. Leading the way was Gu Lang, why does the man in the middle of them look so familiar, it actually was…

“Wang Yun Feng!” Xia Ling Mei stared at him with wide eyes.

Fei Dao standing not too far away appeared to have been poked with a pin, suddenly screeching, spreading its fat wings, continuously sprinting for five, six zhang[1] before being able to fly, pouncing in Wang Yun Feng’s direction.

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[1] Ten Chinese feet (3.3m)