"Wife, I want to eat meat” 《娘子，我要吃肉》Chapter 66

The group of women chattered continuously, yet it wasn’t sure who were sincere, who were insincere.

Xia Fen didn’t understand them speaking in a roundabout way, only knowing Lord Wang was his cheap father, and mother?

“Fen Er has a mother.” He struggled out from the arms of the married women, impatiently stomping the ground twice and brushing his own clothes. Mother said these were new clothes, he wasn’t allowed to dirty them, otherwise he would have no dinner tonight.

The house was briefly quiet for a while, someone laughed and said: “Then how about finding another mother for the young prince? The more mothers, the more people there are to love you.”

Hua Bao Xia glanced at that married woman slightly, it was her great aunt.

Her great uncle had inherited the nobility of the Hua family, her daddy was only liked by the old lady, his business supported the shop front. However merchants would never be equal to officials, this branch of the family could not win over the main branch, ordinarily they were not picked on much outright or in the dark by the main branch. Hua Bao Xia was the only daughter of her daddy, he swore he would marry his daughter to a man with a prestigious family status and possessed scholarly honour, raise their family status. Hua Bao Xia grew up in such a family, she understood best a woman lived well if they married well, not only does she want to work hard for her daddy, she also wanted to vie for honour for herself. By means of her scheming she had obtained her great uncle’s regard, sometimes he would also bring her to see those sons of influential families. To the ambitious and aggressive Hua Bao Xia, she didn’t want to be trapped in her bedroom, she wanted to go and see the world, using some effete language without substance to those sons of influential families was better than staying in her room embroidering.

Originally daddy had settled on the first son of the Gu family for her, but that person relied on her father to take care of him, he had been an official for so long yet he was only a fifth ranked official, his family property was weak, even though he looked confident and elegant, but in the end he wasn’t what she wanted. Maybe the Heavens wanted to help her, when she was still putting off going to the Gu family, she ran into the imperial envoy chancellor 

Wang Yun Feng from the Imperial city.

Compared to Gu family’s cousin, Wang Yun Feng’s family background, moral quality and official position were much better than cousin’s. And having known him for so long, Lord Wang had always been good-natured towards her, although he always adhere strictly to the principle of women and men not spending time alone together, but she still felt Lord Wang treated her differently from others. Hua Bao Xia was fairly confident in her own appearance and methods, under a deliberate plan, they had held hands, giving courtesy, then she would mention it a little in front of her family, great uncle would speak to her alone.

Amongst these ideas, he ought to have a notion of marrying her off to Lord Wang. After all, Lord Wang grew up in the Imperial city, the hundreds years old Wang family was a distinguished family of considerable reputation in Dayan. Hua Bao Xia a little merchant’s daughter marrying Wang Yun Feng, it would absolutely be an advantage to the bride’s side. 

The rumour was Lord Wang’s wife’s health has always not been good, she had not left the residence for many years, if Hua Bao Xia married Wang Yun Feng in Zhuozhou, give birth to a boy and girl, sooner or later she would replace the title of main wife, becoming the Wang family’s mistress.

Old master Hua simply did not consider Hua Bao Xia as his own daughter, in his mind his younger brother was born from a concubine, the daughter of a concubine was also several ranks below the daughter of the first wife of the main branch. He helped her fulfil her own dreams, and could bring benefits to the Hua family, best of both worlds. Even if it doesn’t happen, Hua Bao Xia wasn’t his own daughter, her father also wasn’t here, her mother had no position in the rear court, if her reputation was ruined, as a great uncle he could shirk all responsibilities cleanly. Anyway, it was Hua Bao Xia who was hopelessly muddled with a man herself, knowing the other person has a wife she still went to seduce an important minister of the imperial court, that is Hua Bao Xia’s lack of shame.

If she really doesn’t marry, wasn’t there still that young man of the Gu family asking for her marriage!

What was the rush, this great uncle’s thoughts, Hua Bao Xia had guessed quite a bit, but she believed she was bright and incomparable, she had set her mind on flying to the top of the branch to be a phoenix, and did not care for the older man’s careful thoughts.

To Hua Bao Xia the Imperial city, she had a morbid thinking of the main branch of the influential families and a married woman of an official, that false vision of the future became her driving force, she won’t turn back, even if she has to pay an even bigger price.

Hua Bao Xia already knew Xia Fen was Wang Yun Feng’s son, deliberately got close to him. Even though she wasn’t understand why uncle had said Wang Yun Feng’s primary wife had an old illness difficult to cure, and had no son, yet Wang Yun Feng to this day brought Xia Fen with him, nevertheless his identity as the son of the first wife was evident, there was not enough time for her to carefully think of what the error was, perhaps she simply didn’t want to think about it. She only knew if she curried favour with the child then she could gain Lord Wang’s approval, it was a very calculated matter.

She cleverly did not go and argue with Xia Fen, directly interrupting: “Lord Wang ought to have finished talking with uncle, I’ll escort the young prince to go and see the adults.” Allowing no explanation she took Xia Fen out of the room, actually appearing to directly ignore great auntie’s instigation.

Xia Fen didn’t like outsiders, even more towards Hua Bao Xia he opposed her like a wild beast, as if the other person had unconsciously entered onto his territory, trying to separate him from his prey.

His father was his, his mother also was his, no one could take them away. 

Hua Bao Xia needed to make him express intimacy, Xia Fen was not willing. Hua Bao Xia also did not want to hold this child, she still remembered the image of him holding a long sword and cutting people. But after all she had already reached that stage, walking with a six years old child who couldn’t take huge strides, no matter how she walked she couldn’t be at ease, if she walked quickly people would say she was inconsiderate, if she walked slowly people would say she was trying to curry favour, anyway was not right.

The two of them walked around the garden towards the front courtyard, if it was the daughter of uncle’s first wife she would never go to the front courtyard, Hua Bao Xia however was different. She felt she could not lose to a boy, and can help uncle in some `matters`, her talents and learnings were recognised by her uncle, and was praised by the other children of the influential families, why can’t she go. What more the academies of 

Dayan did not treat male and female differently, only after a woman is married is her coming and going restricted, most families were not too strict. Of course, it was also related to the area, in Zhuozhou this traffic hub place, women showing their face in public was more common than other provinces. If it was in Beding city, girls after the age of ten from influential families came directly home from the academies, beginning their traditional training to be an influential family’s mistress and mother, their parents would also strictly remind their daughter of closedmindedness, furthermore would restrict their contact with boys with a lot of rules.

It could only be said, Hua Bao Xia and Xia Ling Mei were both powerful and talented women, but their attitude towards the worldly customs were completely different.

Wang Yun Feng finished talking important matters with numerous influential family heads, they massed together on one side to appreciate the flowers and drink tea.

November, it really was a time of red maple trees and ginkgo trees as far as the eye can see, everywhere if it wasn’t dark red it was gold, layer by layer covering the courtyard, as if the ground was inlayed with rubies and gold, splendorous and majestic. Compared to outside the city, one was heaven, the other was hell.

Hua Bao Xia was just at the time of her maidenhood, like an alluring woman accidentally wondering into paradise she slowly walked into everyone’s eyesight----she always knew how to capture a man’s gaze.

Xia Fen in a few steps ran to Wang Yun Feng side, seething: “Return home.”

Wang Yun Feng’s thoughts were immediately pulled away by his son, knowing his temper had already reached his limits, at once he held his son and stopped talking with the others, wanting to take his leave.

Hua Bao Xia wanted to say something but hesitated, she couldn’t help but softly ask: “Lord Wang when will you come again?”

Wang Yun Feng lifted his brows, rearranging his son’s clothes, with a zombie face he said: “This official is busy with matters, if there’s something the matter I will certainly send a trusted aide here to discuss with Lord Hua.”

Hua Bao Xia rubbed her handkerchief, giving a meaningful glance to a maid not too far away, not a while later someone came carrying a brocade small box. Hua Bao Xia personally opened it, revealing two small bags of fragrance inside: “Bao Xia greatly admire Lord Wang’s personal character, I personally specially embroidered a pouch as a gift for the Lord, please kindly accept it.”

A `so this was it` expression appeared on everyone’s faces around them, looking at the old man Hua the expressions held some scorning, perhaps some pandering.

Hua Bao Xia wasn’t considered much in the eyes of the influential family’s children in Zhuozhou, a girl who has her face shown to the public by her uncle, was indeed unable to be regarded as important by the children of the influential families who were serious about morality and conduct. However, Hua Bao Xia was ambitious, they were also happy to poke fun at her, pretending they were not true. But they didn’t expect, the Hua family to actually sell their daughter to Lord Wang, this honey trap was feasible!

Which man could refuse a beauty’s adoration? Which son of an influential family did not have wives and concubines? In the end Hua Bao Xia was the daughter of a merchant, it wasn’t the worse thing to marry Lord Wang and be his concubine.

See, if Lord Wang married this Hua Bao Xia, he would be tied together with Zhuozhou, no longer able to escape.

Everyone here thought Wang Yun Feng would not refuse, they did not know, Wang Yun Feng in Beiding city, in the eyes of all the officials in the imperial court, was as stubborn as elm tree roots!

He pushed the brocade small box away: “This official is unable to accept Lady Hua’s kindness.” From Xia Fen’s waist he took out a small bag full of fragrance, “Everything we father and son use are all bestowed by the emperor. To simply put it the child’s embroidered pouch, the material was bestowed by the empress personally, the design was designated by the empress, the golden threads on it was dyed with gold powder, the embroidery itself was embroidered by the palace’s embroidery women for over half a month to finish it. The dried flowers inside were personally dried in the sun by Princess Ling, the formula was blended together by physicians at the great infirmary, afterwards it was placed in the empress’ Buddhist hall and consecrated for forty-nine days, it is then bestowed onto Fen Er.”

The fragrance pouch his son used was indeed like this, his old father’s one was even more precious. How can your Hua Bao Xia’s embroidered thing compare? Let alone your embroidered item, you yourself, don’t have the qualifications to declare your adoration for Wang Yun Feng!

One was the son of the first wife of the head of an influential family, one was a merchant’s daughter, as a concubine, Wang Yun Feng still thinks it’s not fitting.

This was a slap on Hua Bao Xia’s face in front of everyone.

Before Wang Yun Feng left, he deliberately swept his eyes over the old man Hua. The other person was like Tarzan, possessing a big heart and friendliness, as if he was not at all unhappy with Wang Yun Feng because of the trivial thing that happened just now.

This one thing which happened at the Hua residence, according to reason Xia Ling Mei should not know.

The blame would be, when Xia Fen returned he hugged Xia Ling Mei’s thigh, grumbling: “Mother, someone wanted to give an embroidered pouch to daddy. Quickly make one for daddy.”

Xia Fen said these things without a beginning or end, Xia Ling Mei sized up Wang Yun Feng’s waist, he didn’t lose an embroidered pouch on him! One of them was one she had embroidered when she was bored.

Wang Yun Feng coughed once, while he was considering whether to confess. Over there Xia Fen continued: “Mother, someone said they’ll find me one more mother.”

Xia Ling Mei opened her eyes wide, sweeping onto Wang Yun Feng’s face, one hand already reaching for the back of her waist.

“Someone, really needs a good spanking! This woman has only not been watching for half a day, and he is about to give me another sister!”

Wang Yun Feng couldn’t help take two steps back, stammering: “No, no such thing.”

********************************************

T/N: XLM has finally been pushed to the limits! Let the punishment begin hehe