"Wife, I want to eat meat” 《娘子，我要吃肉》Chapter 65

Xia Ling Mei sneered: “Lord Wang who are you calling?”

Wang Yun Feng swiftly closed his mouth, seeing Xia Ling Mei’s line of sight fall on Hua Bao Xia’s body, without hurry his hand trembled, the delicate and powerless Hua daughter with just an `ah` turned numerous times, just as she was about to fall down, the back of Xia Fen’s blade happened to hit her shoulder, Hua Bao Xia delicate cry turned into a blood-curdling screech, almost breaking everyone’s eardrums in the surrounding.

Wang Yun Feng seized Xia Fen’s long sword, in cold sweat. Fortunately none of the blades given to Xia Fen had been sharpened, and Xia Fen recently was used to scaring people, no longer brandished weapons as before, otherwise, he would have really slaughtered the influential family’s young lady on the spot, Wang Yun Feng plan would have been all for nothing.

Xia Ling Mei stared at Xia Fen, Xia Fen shook uncontrollably: “Mother…”

“Young master.” Xia Ling Mei interrupted him, “Before I came here the mistress repeatedly told me, made me watch over you, don’t allow you to brandish weapons and harm people.”

Xia Fen opened his mouth, Wang Yun Feng hurriedly picked Xia Fen up, forcing a smile at Xia Ling Mei, a lot of his pleasant surprise and worry were temporarily oppressed under a pair of eyes: “Why are you here?”

Xia Ling Mei glanced at Hua Bao Xia who was shivering from the pain: “If I didn’t come, it could be possible that when Lord Wang returns home, there will be another mistress.”

Wang Yun Feng stepped forward quickly wanting to hold Xia Ling Mei’s hands, casually, she placed the food basket into his hand: “Eat.”

That expression containing rage and envy, clearly forced the father and son not dare to say another word more.

Hua Bao Xia was lying on the floor, filled with glistening teardrops: “Lord Wang…”

Wang Yun Feng’s ears had temporarily shut, at that time he was diligently taking that food basket to the side hall, Xia Fen followed behind him skipping along holding Xia Ling Mei’s hand.

Hua Bao Xia’s maids were jumping in anger, just as they were about to find Wang Yun Feng to argue, Xiao Bai came out from nowhere, just by chance blocking their way: “Aiyo, this is 

Lady Hua! Why are you on the ground, with such a pitiful appearance, did it hurt falling? I’ll help you up, don’t move…” As he spoke, he leered.

In an instant Juan Shu by the side pushed Xiao Bai away: “What are you doing, everything in this house is dealt with by me. You can’t steal my thunder, Lady Hua, I’ll help you up. 

Seeing your suppleness, that waist, those bound feet, truly…”

The two echoed one another, each of their expressions more indecent than the other, their words more vulgar than the other. But their backs were to the door, inside the room apart from the Hua family’s young lady and servants, their voices were low, everyone outside could only see Lady Hua walking back step by step, her face turning pale, only quite a while later then did she shrewdly cry out in fear: “Mol---es---ter!”

Xia Ling Mei in the side hall sighed: “It really is lively here!”

Wang Yun Feng was just biting into a steamed dumpling, the mushroom inside was scalding, the outer skin was both thin and transparent, a mouthful of softness and smoothness, the grease scalding a person’s tongue so it stuck out. Wang Yun Feng forced himself to swallow the dumpling, softly laughing he picked one up for her: “People come and go each day here, most people I don’t know, as long as they get the job done it doesn’t matter if it’s lively.” As he spoke he held her hand, “when did you arrive, why didn’t you come and see me earlier?” Touching her hand it felt like there were small holes, turning her hand over to look: “How did you stab your hand like this?”

Xia Ling Mei retracted her hand, replenishing a bowl of congee for Xia Fen, wiping the corner of his mouth: “Nothing, I just mended some clothes for you father and son. If I don’t work any harder, I’ll be waiting for Lord Wang’s divorce letter in a few days.”

Wang Yun Feng abruptly said coldly: “What nonsense!”

He sat perfectly straight, the fingers holding the chopsticks were both dry and bony, his flushed complexion from surprise just now cooled down, covered with a layer of frost. Like this he leaned his head over, what shadows in the depths of his pupils, semi cold, semi warm.

Xia Ling Mei thoughts moved, she suddenly smiled: “That’s right, even if you personally wrote a divorce letter, that would also be fake.”

Divorce letter, it was the secret suffering of the two people for the past many years. 

Ordinarily they refrained from bringing up this part of their history.

Xia Ling Mei had a strong natural disposition, she had been holding back her anger since yesterday when she saw Hua Bao Xia, today seeing those two together, that envious anger just slowly appeared, her words were pointed again. Wang Yun Feng faintly felt strange, when they were in Beiding city, Xia Ling Mei would not show her feeling so bluntly like this. 

No matter what she was a daughter of an influential family, being able to endure a lot was a necessary self-constraint of a master and mother of a household, therefore, many times when they met again she would be smiling and sweet, not allowing people to see what she was actually feeling.

Wang Yun Feng’s seven apertures of his head were nimble, he was best at thinking over things at an angle, not long after he stroked the expressionless Xia Fen’s head, picking up a fowl bottom for his son: “Eat. Your mother seldom cooks, don’t have any leftovers, otherwise you don’t know when you may next be able to eat this.” Afterwards he himself picked up another steamed dumpling, taking off the skin, pouring out the greasy soup, picking out the mushroom from inside and placing it on Xia Ling Mei’s small dish, smiling: “When you were in Beiding city, you treated me not too coldly and not too warmly, I was doubtful whether you already no longer cared for me. Being apart for so many years, you and I have changed too much. Right now it seems that, you may not have changed, you can’t stand other woman getting close to me a little bit, no matter how much time passes you will be still as before.” 

He smothered a laugh for a while, his brows gradually separated, a luster appeared on his hollow cheeks glaringly bright, the tip of his nose wrinkled, “Oh, this jar of vinegar[1] has doubled in strength, the smell makes it so I can’t open my eyes.”

Xia Ling Mei choked, blushing, she put down her chopsticks: “If you dare to do it, then I dare to say it!”

Wang Yung Feng nodded: “Yes, it’s my fault.” However you look at it his humbleness was so annoying.

Xia Ling Mei clutched onto his ear: “If you dare to pick up other women, worry about me breaking your legs.”

Wang Yun Feng neared her, holding her finger, smiling that his eyes narrowed into a line: “Yes, yes, yes, husband will solemnly comply with wife’s instructions.”

Xia Ling Mei was still seething, Wang Yun Feng had already gotten closer and closer to her, suddenly he kissed the edge of her mouth, whispering in her ear: “If you don’t let go, husband will do whatever he wants in front of our son.”

Xia Ling Mei was both embarrassed and angry, Wang Yun Feng already covered their son’s eyes, holding Xia Ling Mei’s neck, deeply kissing her.

Sunlight entered through the window, lazily shining on the two of their backs, comfortably warm. The strong fragrance of hot congee for breakfast wafted in the wind to outside.

Juan Shu biting into a chicken steam bun, carelessly asked Xiao Bai: “Do you think the mistress will beat the master up? Before, when the mistress got angry she was even more cruel than a shrew.”

Bai Yan noisily drinking the congee: “Don’t worry, when have you seen the master suffer in front of the mistress, in the end the mistress will be coaxed in to being docile by the master. Zeze, I didn’t say it, the master has read the <The Thirty-Six Stratagems to Chase a Wife> for so many years, he hasn’t successfully learned anything else, bucket-loads of sweet speech and honeyed words, fearlessly trapping the mistress inside the honeypot unable to get out.” Lifting his head to stare at a particular house beam, “Hei Zi, I’m not wrong am I?”

Hei Zi did not reply, his eyes stopped at the holes in the window. Next time, he absolutely had to remind the young master Xia, not to follow Lord Wang’s bad examples. Lord Wang overstepped the bounds to handle matters more and more, could it be that he had been hungry for so long?

Anyone could see Lord Wang’s mood was very good today, so good that people got a spring feeling, like a mass of flowers clearly lingering in the spring.

For several continuous days Lady Hua did not come to bask in the sunlight at Lord Wang’s residence, some people’s mood was good and some were bad. However, to Wang Yun Feng, this was a good thing. Xia Ling Mei was by his side, she dealt with the basic needs, even the usual food sent from Lady Hua passed by her hands to be sent to give to the seriously injured patients. Xia Fen changed into his winter clothes, learning to write characters and study by Wang Yun Feng’s side every day, learning martial arts by Xia Ling Mei’s side, once in a while when he had free time he would go and play with the nearby children.

Xia Ling Mei told other people she was Xia Fen’s wet nurse, knowing the young master was here, she was sent by the mistress to specially care for the two masters Usually she rarely left the house, she was busy inside Lord Wang’s courtyard, not saying much and not doing much.

A few days passed peacefully and quietly, Wang Yun Feng received an invitation from the master of the Hua family, inviting him to the residence for a drink.

Wang Yun Feng had been fighting with the influential families for so long, he was getting more and more bargaining chips in his hands, clutching hold the weak points of the officials, making the merchants have trade relations with the neighbouring provinces, extracting a portion of reliable merchants and victims together to return to their original places to begin reconstruction, then following the document imperial granting dynasty merchant qualifications, one by one things were arranged. The beneficial large flat bread could only be so big, the more people there were to eat it the quicker it was consumed, the influential families had people in trading, and had people as officials. Anyone could see, the imperial court was very dissatisfied with the calamities met by Zhuozhou all year round, sooner or later some of the officials will be disposed of. Rather than waiting for outsider officials to come and eat this flat bread, might as well choose between themselves, make Wang Yun Feng choose, in this way the family would only expand and strengthen more and more.

Originally the influential families were waiting, they didn’t think Wang Yun Feng, a very minor imperial censor, would actually grasp hold of information that can be used against all of Zhuozhou’s more than ten officials safely and soundly, they again started to reassess Wang Yun Feng’s level of trust in front of the emperor.

Enticing him, was overall better than offending him.

The Hua family focused their contemptuous feelings, no longer allowing Hua Bao Xia to go and upset the apple cart, rather it was Lord Hua who personally issued a gold ticket, it could be said it was giving Wang Yun Feng ample honour.

Wang Yun Feng had been to the Hua residence once and had not returned again, compared to that night’s desolation, today Wang Yun Feng still sitting in his carriage could see from outside the curtain to see a great deal of sedan chairs and horses stopped outside the gates of the Hua residence, it might be assumed a lot of influential families had gathered.

Now wherever Xia Fen went he was pulled along by Wang Yun Feng, like a little adult striding along the waves, twisting his little bottom he followed behind his cheap daddy. Having been taught by words and examples, in front of outsiders Xia Fen on the whole behaved a little like the children of the influential families, how to stand, how to sit, how to greet people, each one done to a certain manner, where was his tiny overlord personality.

Wang Yun Feng drank tea and talked with everyone in the front hall, Xia Fen was taken to the rear court to give the old Lady a kowtow.

Thinking about it, influential families were related by too many marriages, Wang Yun Feng’s son through many twists and turns could barely be related in some way to the Hua family. 

Using this layer of intimacy, Xia Fen had to give a kowtow to the older generation.

There weren’t many people in the Hua family, because a lot of their descendants were merchants, they were outside all year round. In the rear court a crowd of women chattered together pleasantly, too many too count, dressed up even more magnificent than the women of the Xia family. Xia Fen was pulled and pinched by this person and that person, he was soon dazed by the smell of fragrance.

Until someone made fun: “Lord Wang’s child is so cute, whoever becomes his mother would not be able to help love him dearly. Bao Xia, quickly come look, this child looks so much like an inviting wealth boy.”

Someone at the side laughed: “Older sister Bao Xia must have seen the young prince before, where are we still able to come and pick it up.”

“Precisely, I heard Lord Wang love this son extremely dearly, if the young prince calls you `mother`, maybe Lord Wang also…”

Hua Bao Xia from the side shyly said: “Nothing is set yet, sisters stop talking nonsense.”

“Aiya, don’t be shy, who doesn’t know these past few days you and Lord Wang already…”

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[1] The character for vinegar can also mean jealousy.