"Wife, I want to eat meat” 《娘子，我要吃肉》Chapter 71

Xia Ling Mei did not think she could meet an old friend here.

The second manager glanced without blinking at the memorial tablet on the table, a solemn expression, looking carefully, the full beard on his face could even be observed to be trembling. Both of Zhuang Hei Zi’s palms were held together, carefully he presented a joss stick, knocked his head three times on the ground, then did he stand up, facing Xia Ling Mei.

“So my younger brother knows Lady Wang from before.”

Surprise flew past Xia Ling Mei, the grief on her face was replaced by all kinds of expression, she lowered her head: “Zhuang Sheng is the second manager’s younger brother?” She bitterly laughed, moving back a little bit, her two hands clinging onto the Buddhist beads joined together and she half-bowed to Zhuang Hei Zi. The second manager just took it, as if he didn’t feel there was anything improper with it, only a bit of shaking flashed between his expression, passing in an instant. His beard was too dark, it covered a great part of his cheeks, and hid all his subtle expressions, not allowing people to see much of the truth.

Xia Ling Mei did not raise her head, with a kind of sigh she said: “Young hero Zhuang is my lifesaver.”

Only then did the second manager show a shocked expression, he fell back a step, still not moving to avoid Xia Ling Mei: “He saved your life? Then where is he himself?”

Xia Ling Mei pursed her lips, silently without words she looked towards that memorial tablet painted black, everything was self-evident.

The second manager complexion changed several times, again he kneeled: “Zhuang Sheng is my younger brother from the same father but different mothers. Only, he wouldn’t accept his past, he always treated me as a sworn brother with the same surname.”

Zhuang Sheng had said his father was away all year round, showing no interest to the mother and child. Maybe Zhuang Sheng had long ago guessed correctly he was no the son of the first wife, but he didn’t want his mother to bear the status of an outside wife, therefore even as a `qian shi tong`,[1] also concealed the truth, allowing his own mother to think his father was seduced away by some other woman, and not because…

“Since he was young he travelled around the country, he wasn’t skilled in anything else, he had a thread of cleverness and energy, his martial art wasn’t strong either. When I sneakily went to see him, seeing him swap the information he gained himself for money. That loathsome boy, when did he do honest business, he basically made threats and promises to force the other person to use money to buy peace, those information of his were peoples’ weaknesses.”

Xia Ling Mei thought back to the first time she met Zhuang Sheng, however you looked at 

him his appearance was that of a graceful son of nobility, but the things he did was either steal or rob, or crouch on people’s roof beams, he was truly hundred thousand miles away from being a nobleman. Speaking of him using other people’s weaknesses to exchange for benefits, was also something that definitely could be possible, after all being a `qian shi tong` was that kind of business.

Perhaps it’s because Xia Ling Mei’s expression was too gentle and soft, without any hatred, that was when the second manager’s words became a little bit softer: “Back then I was also only older than him by eight or nine years, making a living doing manual labour, using all the ways to get closer to him, then we became sworn brothers. To speak the truth, I have a lot of siblings with the same father but different mothers, there isn’t one I truly know, the only person I became sworn brothers with was him, honestly he is too intelligent, and understood about repaying kindness…” Speaking to here, he looked at Xia Ling Mei, “Lady Wang says he is your lifesaver, it must be because you mutually owe a favour to each other.”

Xia Ling Mei recalled that period of time both of pain and happiness, shaking her head: “I had very few exchanges with him, to be truthful, when we were out and about together if we weren’t drinking we were playing mah-jong, occasionally when he lost too much I would excuse that debt of his…this, isn’t considered a favour right?”

The second manager scratched his complete mess of hair, choking once: “It shouldn’t, probably.”

Xia Ling Mei did not want to say at all that Zhuang Sheng lost his life because of love, in her mind, she knew for her he would disregard everything. The vague distant yet closeness between the two of them did not need to be known by a stranger, just leave it in the past memory, buried in his tombstone.

The two of them unknowingly had spoken quite a lot about Zhuang Sheng, the most the second manager spoke about was the interesting anecdotes from when he was young, and she could only share that period of time they spent in the Jianghu.

“Oh, that’s right, once, he heard a female general came from the imperial court, he made a fuss of wanting to go and see her, afterwards he disappeared for a few months.”

“Female general?” Xia Ling Mei was unconvinced, “Even though the imperial court allows females to study, there is no such thing as female entering the court as an official, such a great official position of power as a general especially could not be held by a female.”

Strangely the second manager smiled: “You understand the workings of the court very well.”

Xia Ling Mei `en`, just then seeing Xia Fen climb out from behind the statue of Buddha, she beckoned him over: “This is my son, Fen Er come meet hero Zhuang.”

The second manager crouched down, the back of his wide shoulders was like a mountain enveloping a person, he rubbed Xia Fen’s head, after Xia Fen gave his greetings he looked left and right, actually unable to fish out anything from his pockets to give him as a present, so he conveniently took out a piece of silver, with a few kneads he formed an animal which looked like Eurasian siskin, rough and simple, putting it on the sandalwood Buddhist beads Xia Fen wore on his wrist, after telling Xia Fen in the future if he had time he could come and find him in Beiding city at the hired bodyguard office, he then said goodbye.

Xia Ling Mei stood in the glowing and splendid hall of Buddha, watching that straightforward man walk down with great strides, not too far away, a woman in the prime of her youth loudly came out from the thick forest to the side, pulling a face at him, grabbing his arm strongly, they went further away together.

The winter sky, everywhere was a piece of deep grey. Maybe the hall emitted a warm colour, spreading along to the two people’s swaying clothes, radiating, not dispersing for a very long time.

A pair of hands covered her eyes: “The person has left, what are you still looking at.”

Xia Ling Mei sneered, pulling the big hands of a man away: “Since you won’t let me look, then why didn’t you come out just now?”

Wang Yun Feng had a calm expression: “I saw you were deep in conversation, how would it be good for me to disturb. If I ruffled your feathers, make you flip out on the spot here and beat me up then, what could be done.”

Xia Ling Mei rebuked: “Cease your nonsense.”

Xia Ling Mei did not take with her Zhuang Sheng’s memorial tablet, she consecrated the memorial tablet in the temple, after giving donations to the temple then did she set aside her thoughts and continued to hasten on their journey with Wang Yun Feng.

Wang Yun Feng this person was very good at pretending, his usual zombie face made it hard for people make out his thoughts, but when he wants to hide some certain thoughts, you can only find tiny hints of it from a very, very tiny matter.

Juan Shu waited to returned when someone had seen the master and mistress chat and laugh intimately, that’s when he knew Lord Wang must have kept it in and not spoken out, waiting for an opportunity to eat up the mistress completely clean.

Compared to the previous half of the journey where they started and stopped based on Xia Ling Mei’s temper, the journey after the old temple was commanded by Wang Yun Feng.

Xia Ling Mei slowly began to be fond of sleeping, waking up in the carriage during the day she was felt limp and pain all over, Wang Yun Feng would considerately massage her back and shoulders, from time to time holding a book he would read to her some classical story of some faithful official or general. Xia Fen loved generals the most, every time he listened with enthusiasm; the physician loved to hear about the emperor and the chambers of imperial concubines, every time he listened he would secretly salivate; Xia Ling Mei…the child in her stomach loved to hear about civilian court officials the most, when it came to a civilian court official Xia Ling Mei felt focused and her head was fine, with others…she was sleepy.

After one day, the middle-aged physician was moved to another carriage by Wang Yun Feng, saying the smell of medicine from his was too strong, it would affect Xia Ling Mei’s rest. The physician under his roof, had no choice but to give in.

Another day passed, Xia Fen was threatened by Wang Yun Feng, saying he was too naughty and would scare his younger brother or sister inside his mother’s stomach, afterwards apart from studying in that carriage, at other times he had to stay with the physician. Xia Fen wanted to object, but Wang Yun Feng that so called father attitude was getting more and more excessive, younger brother or sister’s rest was very important, otherwise they won’t grow up to be tall or big, that would be their older brother’s fault. Xia Fen was swindled away by a big bad wolf in sheep’s clothing.

On the third day, at daybreak Xia Ling Mei woke up in Wang Yun Feng’s arms, Wang Yun Feng accompanied her during the afternoon meal, at night going to sleep she would be rolled up like a silkworm by Wang Yun Feng into the front of his chest.

Wang Yun Feng kept up the appearance of a man of honour, from time to time saying: “Wife, is your husband too anti-social?” As a result Xia Ling Mei would console him: “No.” Then would take the initiative to lean into his embrace, listen to him softly reading.

Wang Yun Feng still persisted with examining the state of his child’s growth several times each day. He very seriously expressed: “The child is almost four months old, the physician said they ought to be taking shape, I must observe their activity every day, it isn’t good if they’re too disturbing, it’s also not good if they’re too quiet, the best would be for me as the father to speak with them every day.” Xia Ling Mei was at a loss, in one day she would always be lifted up and moved by him several times, sticking his blacker than black head on her belly. His ear was slightly cold, but his palm very warm, stroking her belly from one side to the other, sometimes she would feel clammy lips kissing her flesh, causing numerous goose bumps.

Wang Yun Feng deserved to be called an immaculately dressed beast, with a dignified outer skin, secretly however doing such caddish thing.

Xia Ling Mei was confused by his appearance, shut inside a very small carriage box, being touched by him here every day, there a kiss, if you want to stop him, he would show a `I haven’t done anything wrong` and felt wronged face, while Xia Ling Mei conceded step by step, he little by little invaded, little by little besieged and took over the city by force, little by little take down Xia Ling Mei’s guard, finally taking the opportunity of the external force tormenting Xia Ling Mei’s entire body to be limp and weak, at any moment seeing an erotic red haze, in his eyes and in his heart completely only this hypocritical true lecher remained.

Every day Juan Shu rode a horse beside the carriage, pricking up his ears painstakingly to hear a least a bit of charm and gentleness; Xiao Bai riding on the other side, profoundly felt the pregnant Lady Wang was like a tigress with her teeth pulled out, without the slightest amount of menace, unexpectedly yet appearing to be pushed around by a hairless long legged loyal dog, incredible just incredible.

Hei Zi still made his way along the surrounding shadows, now and then he had to pay attention as to whether young master Xia Fen had fallen into a trap ah, whether he had again picked some wild fruit to eat and had gotten diarrhoea, whether he had gotten tired of riding and fell asleep sprawled on horseback…heaven have pity, was he actually a shadow guard or an old female servant?

Like this they made their way, eventually they rushed back to Beiding city before the new year.

His highness the crown prince who had been waiting for a very long time was about to break the doorstep of the Wang residence with his trampling, Xia Fen that wild leopard, has he made progress with his martial arts! His Highness the crown prince would remember to pay back in kind even in death, to beat the crap out of Xia Fen.

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[1] Know a thousand things.