"Returning to Before Husband's Castration" 《回到老公自宫前》Chapter 43

 Wang Da Xia wanted to stay, Wei Cai Wei didn’t want the short time she has with Ding Wu to be disturbed and make Ding Wu who had travelled so far to feel wronged with Wang Da Xia running is mouth, so she found an excuse to chase him away, she said: “How is it just adding a pair of chopsticks if you’re to stay? You eat a lot, that small portion of chicken and mushroom stew with pancakes would only be enough for you, my small temple can’t hold such a respected and superior Buddha as you, you ought to return to your own home.”

Wang Da Xia was still a malleable young man, he was susceptible to spare the rod, spoil the child method.

Wei Cai Wei had just coaxed him and he agreed at once, his promise was like a fart, even a fart would leave a smell, he immediately changed his mind.

Wei Cai Wei could forgive Wang Da Xia time and time again because of their previous husband and wife relationship but who was Ding Wu?

Based on Wei Cai Wei’s personality, she would not make Ding Wu get used to Wang Da Xia’s rudeness because of their relationship.

Do you think everyone in this world is your previous wife!

That’s why Wei Cai Wei almost directly chased him away, Wang Da Xia knew she was angry and immediately became well-behaved, he continued to wave the fan to maintain the burning fire, “I was hungry on my way over, I ate a basket of baos to keep me going, I won’t eat much, I’ll only eat a few slices of mushrooms and won’t fight over the meat with you.”

Wang Da Xia was like a puffed up frog, expanding to its peak, he thought he was very scary but he deflated with a poke from Wei Cai Wei.

Wei Cai Wei was determined to make him leave, just as she was about to tell him to go, there was a knock at the front door, Wang Da Xia acted like there were reinforcements, he immediately jumped up, “I’ll help you open the door.”

Without waiting for Wei Cai Wei’s refusal, Wang Da Xia took advantage of his long legs, running over like the wind, he pushed open the door, manager Chen and Li Jiu Bao stood there, the two of them carried a basket of zongzi, a jar of rice wine personally fermented, as well as a pig face.

When the two people saw it was Wang Da Xia who opened the door, they were stunned.

Wang Da Xia took the gifts in excitement, saying: “Come, come, there’s no need to bring gifts, come, come, come, take a seat.”

The two of them had seen the embroidered uniform guard’s notice a few days ago, they knew the double homicide of Chen qianhu and his son had been solved, it was that Zhou xiaoqi who had kidnapped Wei Cai Wei, they heard today that Wei Cai Wei had recovered and had returned from the embroidered uniform guard’s yamen, so they brought gifts for Wei Cai Wei to steady her nerves.

Wang Da Xia felt manager Wang and Li Jiu Bao were very pleasing to the eye today, a good rain after a long drought, their visit dispelled some of the awkwardness— Wei Cai Wei couldn’t chase him away in front of guests.

Of course when Wei Cai Wei saw the future empress dowager Li came to visit and had received the zongzi she had personally made, the fermented rice wine, how could she offend her?

She couldn’t chase away old guests in front of new ones, at once she enthusiastically invited them to sit on the stone stools in the courtyard, Wang Da Xia even had a seat because of these two.

But he understood Wei Cai Wei didn’t want to see him, when they left, he would also be chased away, he only sat for a moment before taking the initiative to run back to the stove to continue fanning the flames.

The stove was cooking rice, there was no time to boil water for tea so Wei Cai Wei cut open a watermelon and took handfuls of various dried fruits brought by Ding Wu from Tieling to serve.

Wei Cai Wei introduced Ding Wu to the two of them, “This is a friend from my hometown, Ding Wu, when I was caught up in this disaster and in the grip of the law, he came all this way to act as a witness and prove my innocence.”

Manager Chen felt a deep veneration, “Brother Ding Wu is really loyal.”

Wei Cai Wei then introduced the guests, “This is manager Chen, he found this house for me and helped me move from the tavern, he looks out for me usually.”

“This is miss Li, manager Chen’s neighbour, her family is in the tiling business, she was the one placed the tiles on my roof, great craftsmanship, water tight.”

A woman’s full name shouldn’t be told to men, that’s why Wei Cai Wei called her miss Li.

Ding Wu cupped his hands in greeting, “As they say a relative afar is less use than a close neighbour, my friend is lucky to have you to take care of her.”

The two of them hurriedly greeted him back, manager Chen said: “I did what I should, doctor Wei even gave us refreshing pills, my grandmother really like them, they’re better for relieving heat than mung bean soup.”

It wasn’t good for Li Jiu Bao to speak with male strangers, she smiled and nodded in response.

The four of them sat around the stone table talking, only Wang Da Xia reamined to one side sensibly tending to the stove, serving as a “kitchen maid”, silently seeking for forgiveness from Wei Cai Wei.

Wei Cai Wei peeled hazelnuts for her guests as usual, she remembered Li Jiu Bao loved these.

This was the future empress dowager Li, she had to serve her well as our future supporter.

When the pancakes inside the pan gave off a distinctive smell of grain, manager Chen and Li Jiu Bao stood up to take their leave in tacit agreement— their host needed to eat, if they didn’t leave now they would be wanting to mooch a meal.

Wei Cai Wei of course needed to act like she wanted them to stay, “Eat then leave, the chicken is ready, the pancakes are also cooked.”

Manager Chen said: “My grandmother has cooked for us and is waiting for us to return, if we don’t she won’t eat, we’ll come and disturb you again another day.”

Wei Cai Wei saw the guests out, giving them two branches of Gaoli ginseng that Ding Wu had brought as a return gift.

Although manager Chen and Li Jiu Bao hadn’t experienced much of the world, but they knew Gaoli ginseng was precious, they promptly refused.

Wei Cai Wei forced them to take it, “Manager Chen has a grandmother at home, she needs to take more tonics in the summer so she’ll be less susceptible to illness in the winter. Miss Li’s brother and father are labourers, eat some ginseng to replenish their strengths, Tieling is right next to Gaoli nation, their not as expensive in Tieling as in the capital, take some to eat.”

Great kindness was hard to find, the two of them were worthy to take them, she continued saying: “Many thanks for your kindness, it’s hard to repay you.”

Manager Chen hurried the mule cart along, carrying Li Jiu Bao back to Machang lane.

Manager Chen asked: “The dragon boat festival the day after tomorrow, will your brother and father be home to celebrate? If they are, I’ll go over to Sanlitun in the morning to bring them back.”

Li Jiu Bao shook her head, “They were going to go home for a bit but they just asked someone to bring home their wages and gave me a message, they said the customer is hurrying them to get the work done, they can’t rest even for a day, they’ll be paid double their wages on dragon boat festival so they won’t come home.”

“Double.” Manager Chen was speechless, “What kind of customer is so generous and is in such a rush.”

Li Jiu Bao said: “I heard their building a tomb, the customer is someone who is unlucky to their wives, he married four wives in one go, all of them have to be buried with him, apart from the man and his official wife’s tomb, their also needs to be three tombs for the other wives. An ancestral hall also needs to be constructed around the tombs, buildings to protect them etc, the time allocated is too tight.”

Ever since Li Jiu Bao’s brother and father went to work in Sanlitun they never returned home.

Manager Chen said: “Such urgency, the customer might have a serious illness, preparing his funeral in advance, rushing against time just in case.”

Li Jiu Bao held the Gaoli ginseng in her hand and said: “Working day after day without rest, father and brother must be tired, not being able to return home for the festival. I’ll bring zongzi and rice wine to visit them tomorrow, celebrate the festival with them early and give them the Gaoli ginseng, if there’s time I’ll use a small stove to make them ginseng soup.”

Manager Chen said: “Good idea, I’ll take you to Sanlitun tomorrow.”

Tianshui lane.

Ding Wu efficiently sliced the pig face given by the guest into pieces, mixing it with cucumber and adding garlic, vinegar, crushed peanuts and sesame seeds as seasoning, placing it in a bowl he served it on the table.

It was a cold dish.

The pot over the stove was also just placed onto the table, opening the lid, the aroma of chicken stewed with mushrooms and pancakes came flowing out, the courtyard was filled with the scent of meat.

Wei Cai Wei scooped out three bowls of rice wine and placed them on the table and prepared three sets of bowls and chopsticks.

Wang Da Xia who was working hard to be good saw the number of bowls and chopsticks, he knew Wei Cai Wei’s anger had dissipated and wasn’t going to chase him away, seeing he had a share, he became happy and rushed over, just as he was about to sit down he thought of something, straightening his bottom, he made an inviting gesture towards Ding Wu, “A friend from afar, big brother Ding please sit first.”

Wei Cai Wei: This is better.

Ding Wu didn’t refuse, he sat down, Wei Cai Wei also sat down, Wang Da Xia took the final seat.

Ding Wu was the child of a fallen high official, Wang Da Xia and Wei Cai Wei were from middle-ranking families, they all paid respect in not talking when eating, they didn’t speak much during the meal.

Wei Cai Wei opened a zongzi for Ding Wu, and used her chopsticks to give Ding Wu a drumstick, placing it in his bowl.

Then she picked up the second drumstick, Wang Da Xia held his bowl out as accustomed, Wei Cai Wei however placed it into her own bowl.

Wang Da Xia was a little embarrassed, but he couldn’t retract the bowl back, he was about to reach out and pick up the ladle to add a bit of chicken soupinside to conceal his mistake, but Ding Wu took it first.

Ding Wu took the metal ladle from the pot, scooping out a full bowl of chicken soup, he said: “Thank you to second young master Wang for understanding her request for help that night she was held hostage by Zhou xiaoqi and helped her escape from the evildoer, many thanks.”

Wang Da Xia had been mean over and over again, Ding Wu however didn’t take it to heart but rather gave him soup.

Such a modest nobleman, really was…the worst.

The nicer Ding Wu was, the more jealous Wang Da Xia became, suddenly he felt he had met a lifetime enemy, but in front of Wei Cai Wei he couldn’t just continue to mock Ding Wu so openly, he said: “Doctor Wei and I have been through a life or death situation, we have some understanding of each other, her slight hint made me understand she was in danger right away. Besides we’re neighbours, we ought to look out for each other.”

What he meant was, you are indeed a friend who was good to her before, but it’s different now, I’m now the friend who is the best for her.

Wang Da Xia drank the soup Ding Wu poured for him in a natural manner.

Just as he was going to reach for a chicken wing, Ding Wu picked up the metal ladle again, helping him replenish his soup, two full scoops, the second scoop contained a massive piece of chicken breast, Ding Wu poured it out, a self-taught chef’s cooking, he unexpectedly removed the piece of chicken breast.

Ding Wu had a kind smile on his face, like a friendly brother from next door, he poured the refreshing chicken soup into Wang Da Xia’s bowl, “Come, drink the chicken soup, all the essence is inside.”

Wang Da Xia: I don’t want essence, I want meat.

Wang Da Xia drank two bowls of chicken soup in a row, drinking so much at once he was half full with liquid.

The third bowl, he decided he had to eat chicken.

In order to stop Ding Wu from once again “passionately” giving him more soup, Wang Da Xia got smarter after drinking two bowls, he placed the bowl down where Ding Wu couldn’t reach.

Wang Da Xia raised the serving chopsticks, attacking the chicken breasts in the pot with them.

“These are mushrooms older brother Ding Wu picked from the mountains of Xiangya himself.” Wei Cai Wei picked up the metal ladle, scooping out a ladle full of mushrooms, “Delivering mushrooms from thousands of miles away, the thought counts more than the gift, why don’t you try it?”

Wang Da Xia couldn’t refuse, he obediently passed the empty bowl he had hidden over, “Of course I will.”