Chapter 36

The next day, at dinnertime, the kitchen brought Yunkai roast duck and thin noodles in a duck bone broth. He watched the maids place the dishes one by one from the food boxes on the table, feeling a surge of joy. Apparently, Lan Yueming still remembered her promise to eat roast duck with him yesterday. Did that mean she was no longer angry?

He sat at the table, full of hope, waiting for Yueming to eat together. He decided to say something nice to her during the meal, so that they could get along well after going down the stairs. After waiting for a while, Yueming still didn't show up, and he felt something was wrong.

He called over to Feng Xiaochong: "It's raining outside. Go and fetch Miss Lan. Her maid is clumsy and dull. Don't let her get wet and get sick again."

Feng Xiaosai, however, felt that Miss Yueming wouldn't come at all. She was such a polite person, how could she be late for dinner? If she really wanted to come, why would she have asked the kitchen to bring the food instead of her own maid? Perhaps she had already eaten in her own courtyard, and asked the kitchen to bring the food just because she promised the Second Young Master yesterday and didn't want to be rude.

He wanted to say something, but seeing the relieved look on the Second Young Master's face as he looked at the roast duck and noodles, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue, bowed, and went to invite Yueming.

Feng Xiaosai returned quickly. Yun Kai's heart sank when he saw he was alone. He asked, "Where's Miss Yueming?"

Feng Xiaosai walked quickly to his side and said, "I just arrived at Miss Yueming's courtyard when I saw the Third Madam go in. I was afraid she was going to cause trouble for Miss Yueming, so I didn't go in and hurried back to tell you the news."

Hearing that the Third Wife was going to look for Yueming Yunkai, she became anxious and stood up and rushed outside. Feng Xiaosai quickly grabbed an umbrella and chased after her.

Yueming had been scowling all day, and no matter how Aiye and Yehu tried to comfort her, she remained unhappy. It wasn't until dinner, when she saw the steaming roast duck being sliced ​​into slices, that her frown finally relaxed.

Mrs. Du thoughtfully prepared both dry and wet dipping sauces. The wet dipping sauce was a Kunming favorite, a salty-sweet sauce. Back in Kunming, Yueming's favorite breakfast spread was on her roasted rice cakes. The vendor meticulously spread the sauce on them, then placed a crispy fried dough stick in the middle, sprinkled it with shredded cucumber and some sour-soaked cabbage leaves, rolled it up, and handed it to her. She could eat two with sweet soy milk.

The dry ingredients are pepper and salt. Don't use Ma Guo salt for frying; use fine salt. Add Sichuan pepper powder and fry in a dry pan until fragrant. After removing from the pan, add the burnt yellow chili powder. Not only can it be dipped in roast duck, but it can also be dipped in sour doyi or sour papaya.

Yueming likes both dipping sauces. She dips it in the sweet and salty sauce first, and when she feels tired of it, she dips it in the salt and pepper sauce. She finishes half of the plate in one go. Just as she is enjoying her meal, Ai Ye comes to announce, "The Third Madam is here."

Yueming put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief. He thought to himself, what I fear is what will come true. Last night I was worried that the Third Madam would cause trouble, and sure enough, she came as expected. How impatient I am!

After taking a sip of passion fruit tea, she said to Ai Ye, "Please invite the Third Madam in."

The Third Wife had heard last night that Yunkai and Yueming had quarreled. Although she didn't know what they were quarreling about, she was still so happy that she almost burst into laughter. Did this little bitch think she had hooked up with the Second Young Master and was becoming frivolous? Did she think men were good things, that they could be fresh for a while and never be fresh again? Who was the Second Young Master? He would have countless women in the future, just like his father, the Tusi. What did the women in the inner court rely on? Just the pity of men. This little bitch was rejected by the Second Young Master. Isn't this a good opportunity for revenge?

After patiently waiting for half a day, and seeing that they showed no signs of reconciliation, he boldly arrived at mealtime, ready to disgust the little rascals of the Lan family.

Before the Third Madam even entered the house, her voice entered: "Ah! Miss Lan, you're feeling better now. I was so irritated by those unruly servants that I fell ill and didn't have time to take care of you. Now that I'm feeling better, I've come to see you."

Just as Ai Ye pulled the curtain, the Third Madam scurried in, her face filled with murderous intent. Yueming didn't stand up to greet her. Instead, she put down her teacup, picked up her chopsticks, and sat down steadily on the chair, smiling and saying, "Thanks to the Third Madam, I'm fine now." After all, today was going to be a falling out, so why bother with the formalities?

Seeing Yueming showed no sign of stopping, the Third Wife said hypocritically, "Ah! What a coincidence! You're still eating!"

Yueming smiled and said, "This is truly a coincidence. Third Madam hasn't eaten yet, right? If you don't mind, please sit down and eat with us."

The Third Madam sat down and said, "How could I dislike it? The food here is unique in the mansion."

Yueming asked Aiye to set the table for the Third Madam. Yehu had heard that the Third Madam didn't act like a proper wife at all, but rather like a shrew. She stood nervously behind Yueming, ready to step in front of the young lady if the Third Madam started a fight.

The Third Madam picked up a piece of roast duck, dipped it in salt and pepper, and put it in her mouth, praising it. "Is this duck meat? How come there is no duck smell at all? We don't have this kind of cooking skills in the mansion." While chewing the meat, the Third Madam asked Yueming with ill intentions, "Is this made by the chef that the Second Young Master hired for you? It's the cooking skills of Shengweixuan! The mansion only reserves a few tables for it during festivals. How can we eat it on weekdays? Miss Lan is really lucky!"

Yueming let out a faint smile. "The Third Wife knows nothing, she's just courting death." The Second Young Master's beating that day only frightened her, not her suicidal instincts. Did she think that if she subtly pointed out the Second Young Master, she'd panic, burst into tears, or something?

She picked up a handful of noodles with her chopsticks and slurped it into her mouth before saying with a strange expression, "Eating a duck is a blessing? How can you say that? But my family is simple and the rules are lax. I didn't know that the concubines of wealthy families have such a hard time, unable to even get a duck to eat."

When the Third Wife heard this, she almost choked to death on the duck meat in her mouth. This Lan Yueming was really good at stabbing people's hearts. He knew that what she cared about most in her life was that she had a noble status but was only a concubine. The little hoof stabbed her with a fierce and accurate knife.

In her old temper, she would have jumped up and slapped the ignorant little hoof, but the two beatings from the Second Young Master that day, while not enough to scare her temper, had certainly frightened her. The image of Man'e covered in blood was still vivid in her mind. She could be so rude with words as to teach the younger generation a lesson, but she couldn't do that with her hands; they weren't her own child.

She swallowed the duck meat with difficulty and pouted as she lectured, "Miss Lan, you don't know how expensive firewood and rice are until you manage the household. There are so many mouths to feed in this house. If you don't plan for the critical moment and find yourself stretched thin, that would be a disgrace. We have children, how can we be as carefree as Miss Lan?"

Yueming clapped her hands with a look of admiration on her face. "That's very well said. The Third Madam is indeed a street vendor. She knows how to make a living better than a freeloader like me."

The Third Wife was so angry she nearly threw her bowl. How did this little bitch know everything? Who told her, the Second Young Master or the two maids Li Shengmeng had sent? Since this girl wouldn't give her face, then she wouldn't give her face either.

The Third Madam snorted and laughed, "Even if I'm selling rice on the street, it's my own rice, and I eat my own food. So what's the point of Miss Lan eating at home?"

Yueming knew that Santiantai would definitely talk about these things, and she also thought that she would be furious. In the end, she was just a little out of breath, but not as angry as she thought.

She shook her head regretfully and said to the Third Madam, "Third Madam, selling rice on the street, must be a person who is devoted to her family, but I don't understand why she would speak ill of me now."

The Third Wife rolled her eyes and sneered, "Miss Lan, you really think you're such a big shot. Don't think that just because your father made a little money for the Tusi Mansion, you can be so arrogant that you look down on everyone. Selling that thing will make money for everyone. A servant who has done a little good for his master wants to take credit for it and be so proud of it. Isn't he afraid of being struck by lightning from the sky by the Bodhisattva?"

Yueming really wanted to explain to the Third Wife that thunder and lightning were controlled by the God of Thunder and the Goddess of Lightning, a task that could be performed by gods without the need to trouble the Bodhisattvas. But then, think about the time of day, they were in the middle of an argument! Teaching and educating people would be discussed later when there was an opportunity.

Yueming used a porcelain spoon to press down on the noodles and scooped up a spoonful of soup. While drinking it with relish, she said to the Third Wife, "My father, the Prime Minister, is not a big shot here, let alone a little girl like me. I just wonder if Li Shengmeng will give me the grain he lent to the Mengding Tusi Mansion to appease my anger when he finds out that I've been wronged. After all, Miss Tao's dowry has been sent to me, so what does a few loads of grain mean to me?"

The Third Wife felt as if she were being strangled, unable to utter a single word. The veins in her hand, clutching the handkerchief, were throbbing. Her voice seemed to escape from between gritted teeth: "I had forgotten about your mother. I never thought the Tao family would be willing to stand up for a little bastard like you."

Before Yueming could curse back, Ye Hu behind her said sternly, "Third Madam, be careful with your words. Master Li Shengmeng will not be happy to hear what you say."

The third wife felt that the relationship between Yueming and his master was about to turn the tables. The master was born but not educated by her mother, and the servants she brought up were also unruly and dared to interrupt the master when he was speaking.

She sneered and said, "Li Shengmeng is unruly from old to young, especially your mother..." The rest of her words were interrupted by Yun Kai who rushed in.

"Third Madam..." He was running so fast that he was still breathless. "It's not customary in our Tusi Mansion to come to our guests and yell."

Yueming's fingers were already pinching the edge of the bowl. If the Third Madam dared to say anything bad about her mother, she would splash the noodles in front of her all over her face.

He'd been caught in the rain as he hurried in. Yunkai's hair, combed back with pomade, fell limply against his forehead. Not only were his shoulders soaked, but water dripped from his trouser legs onto the floor. From the corridor, he could hear the Third Wife cursing at the top of her voice. She rushed in without even bothering to take off her shoes, leaving a trail of hurried footprints on the floor, polished so well by mugwort that it looked like a mirror.

Yunkai usually took care of himself meticulously, and this was the first time Yueming had seen him in such a state of disarray. He must have rushed over as soon as he heard the news. Angry at what he had said yesterday, yet grateful for his haste to rescue her, these two conflicting emotions left Yueming unsure what to do. She lowered her head, helplessly stirring the noodles in her bowl with her chopsticks.

The Third Madam was terrified when she saw Yun Kai coming in, but she felt that she had nothing to blame today. It was the little bitch from the Lan family who started it first.

She snorted and laughed, "Although I'm just a concubine, I'm also the Second Young Master's elder. Is the Second Young Master going to teach me a lesson? Then why not teach Miss Lan first, is it okay to discuss the affairs of elders casually?"

Although Yun Kai was in a mess, he still held his back and shoulders high, carrying himself like a young master from a chieftain's mansion. He glanced at the Third Madam and said, "If you agree to my Third Sister's marriage to her father, then you are naturally a relative of the Lan family, and it is only natural for you to teach her a lesson. But don't you disagree?"

"You..." The third wife was furious. The chieftain and Yin Tai had only sought the opinions of the parties involved and had never told anyone about it. Yin Tai had kept the matter secret, fearing that if it failed, both families would lose face. This little bastard actually brought the matter up in public. He was trying to tear her face off!

"Where did you learn this skill of bending your elbows outward, Second Young Master? After studying abroad for a few years, have you learned to not know the difference between inside and outside?"

Yunkai applauded the Third Madam, "Third Madam is truly understanding. Father wrote to say that if Meng Dingfu can't borrow grain from Lishengmeng this year, we won't get involved. I was thinking that it's Third Madam's family and was going to plead with him when he returned. But after Third Madam's lecture today, I think I'd better not get involved. After all, you've entered the Yunxiang Mansion and you should know what's inside and what's outside."

They were just using Meng Dingfu to strangle her. The Third Wife was so angry she was about to explode, but she didn't dare say anything. She couldn't bear to watch her own father and mother starve. She glanced coldly at Yun Kai and Yue Ming, snorted, and turned to leave the room. Furious, she lifted the curtain with such force that she nearly ripped it off.

As soon as the Third Madam left, Yueming and Yunkai became awkward. Yunkai, concerned about his reputation, didn't want to make peace first, while Yueming, still resentful of what he'd said yesterday, didn't want to pay any attention to him. The air seemed to freeze.

Yueming was the first to speak. He asked Yunkai, "Has the Second Young Master eaten yet?"

Yun Kai thought confidently, the next sentence should be "If there's nothing, let's eat together!" He answered excitedly, "No."

Yueming nodded: "If you haven't eaten yet, go back and eat quickly. You are dripping wet. If you don't go back and change clothes quickly, you will catch a cold. Yehu, get the second young master an umbrella."

Yunkai’s smile froze on his face. This isn’t the routine!

Coming to his senses, Yun Kai almost laughed out loud, but he couldn't find any fault with her words. He came to her rescue, soaked like a drowned chicken, but she threw a basin of cold water in his face, which really chilled him from the heels to the top of his head. He was a man who was always bullied, and his face immediately turned red with anger, frightening Ai Ye and Ye Hu so much that they trembled with fear as they handed over the umbrella.

Yunkai didn't even look at the umbrella in Yehu's hand. He walked away with his head held high and without saying a word.

Seeing the Second Young Master leave in a huff, Feng Xiaosai pointed at Yueming and said, "Miss Lan, you... you..." What a great opportunity! Why are you so stubborn? The Second Young Master has done so much for you, how can you be so ungrateful! The Third Madam's outburst is such a good way out! Isn't it better for everyone to take this step down? Looking at Yueming's expressionless face, he finally said nothing, stomped his feet and chased after Yun Kai.

Seeing him so angry, Yueming thought she would be happy and eat two more bowls of noodles, but the roast duck that was just plump and fragrant suddenly felt greasy and she couldn't swallow it. She pushed the bowl away and said to Yehu, "I don't want to eat anymore."

The torrential downpour that had just sent the pink, white, dark green and dark green tumbling across the courtyard had turned to a drizzle, creating finger-sized circles in the puddles. In his haste to get here, he hadn't bothered to change shoes, and his feet, in flip-flops, were covered in mud from his hurried steps. With his feet in such a mess, Yunkai ignored Feng Xiaosai's warnings to watch out for puddles and, in a huff, walked away, treading through the puddles.

When the maid returned to her yard, she was startled to see Yunkai's appearance and quickly asked for water to give Yunkai a bath.

Yunkai washed his feet with hot water before immersing himself in the tub. He tilted his head back while Feng Xiaosai and the maid washed his hair. Gazing at the steam rising from the tub, he recalled Yueming's expressionless face.

He was very angry when he left. He felt that it was okay to have no contact with Lan Yueming, and what would happen if he fell out with Lan Yingde? He didn't care about Prime Minister Yun's long-term plan. Whoever wanted to coax him could do it.

But after soaking in the hot water, her heart, which had just cooled down, seemed to warm up again. She hadn't spoken to the Third Madam for a day and she came looking for trouble. If she ignored her, she was afraid that those mean-spirited people in the mansion would bully her again.

Lan Yueming was indeed a bitch, but since he was so much older than her and a man, what could he do if he gave in a little? Even though she hadn't invited him to dinner just now, she still cared about him, and even gave him an umbrella when she was shooing him away! He should just reluctantly forgive her!

Yunkai comforted himself while taking a bath.

The food had already gone cold after he had been out for so long, so Feng Xiaosai went to the kitchen to heat it up. The noodles were clumpy, so Feng Xiaosai had no choice but to ask the kitchen to serve rice so that the second young master could eat it after taking a shower.

Yun Kai looked at the roast duck and glutinous rice and became angry again. If it weren't for Lan Yueming, would he not even be able to eat noodles? She sat steadily at the table and ate happily.

No, reconciliation is one thing, but this girl must also be taught a lesson and a lesson.