Fan Yao suddenly tugged at her mother's clothes and asked, "Will Father find a concubine for me and my brother?"
Luo Suyue was stunned, her face darkened instantly, and she suppressed her anger as she said, "Yaoyao, who told you that?"
"That's what they all say. They say that Father is making a lot of money now and will take a concubine sooner or later," Fan Yao said, pouting.
Those people also said that her mother was too old and not as pretty as the young girls, and that men preferred young and beautiful women. But she didn't want to say this to her mother, worried that it would upset her.
"Don't listen to those people's nonsense. They're just jealous that our family is doing well," Luo Suyue said gently, stroking her daughter's head.
She believed her husband would never do such a thing, but if he ever wanted to take a concubine, she would definitely choose to divorce him. After all, she still had two children, and she wouldn't be unable to make ends meet.
As Luo Suyue led her daughter back to the backyard, she heard a man and a woman chatting and laughing coming from the main room. She paused, and tightened her grip on her daughter's hand slightly.
Fan Yao shook off her mother's hand and ran into the main room, where she saw a very beautiful older sister sitting opposite her father.
Fan Sheng beckoned to his daughter, "Yaoyao, come here quickly, where is your mother?"
"Mother is outside, Father, who is this older sister?" Fan Yao asked, pointing at Xia Qingqing.
Fan Sheng introduced with a smile: "This is Father's friend. You can't call her sister, you have to call her Aunt Qing, okay?"
Although Xia Qingqing looks very young, calling her "sister" messes up the generational hierarchy.
"Haha, I don't actually mind being a generation younger," Xia Qingqing said with a smile.
Seeing that his wife hadn't come in yet, Fan Sheng got up and went out to look for her, only to find her standing in the courtyard in a daze: "Wife, what are you thinking about? Why don't you come in?"
"Who is that girl inside?" Luo Suyue asked softly.
Fan Sheng gave a mysterious smile: "I was just about to introduce you to him, you'll never guess."
Luo Suyue stared blankly at the man in front of her, a chill running through her heart. Could it be that the man had really brought back a concubine without saying a word?
"My dear wife, what are you thinking? The person inside is Miss Xia," Fan Sheng said helplessly. He was worried that if he kept her in suspense any longer, his wife would rush up and scratch him.
"Miss Xia, is that Miss Xia?" Luo Suyue asked, her earlier dejection gone, with a mixture of surprise and delight.
Fan Sheng nodded: "That's right, otherwise, who else do you think there would be a Miss Xia?"
He stepped forward, took Luo Suyue's hand, and said, "My wife, shouldn't you trust me a little more? Do you really think I'm such a despicable person?"
He had heard the rumors circulating outside, but he always believed that the innocent would clear themselves, never expecting his wife to overthink it.
"I...I didn't," Luo Suyue said guiltily, lowering her head.
Fan Sheng sighed, "Let's go. I'll introduce Miss Xia to you. She'll be staying here for about three months, and she might stay at our house temporarily during those three months. What do you think, my wife?"
“Of course, no problem. I have no objection to how long I stay,” Luo Suyue immediately replied.
In her heart, Xia Qingqing was the benefactor of the whole family. Without Xia Qingqing, they would not have the good life they have today. She would be willing to stay for three years, let alone three months.
Thinking about her wild thoughts, Luo Suyue couldn't help but feel ashamed.
When Xia Qingqing saw Fan Sheng leading Luo Suyue in, she immediately greeted her with a smile: "This must be your sister-in-law, she's so beautiful."
Looking at the beautiful and refined woman in front of her, Luo Suyue blushed shyly and said, "Miss Xia is too kind. You are the real beauty. I am just a country woman."
"Sister-in-law is too modest. You can just call me Qingqing," Xia Qingqing said with a smile.
After chatting for a few minutes, Luo Suyue was about to go to the kitchen to cook when Fan Sheng called her back: "Qingqing is visiting our home for the first time, how about we go to a restaurant for lunch together, my wife?"
"Of course, of course," Luo Suyue nodded quickly.
When Fan Yao heard that they were going to a restaurant for dinner, he tugged at his mother's clothes and asked, "Mother, can I ask my brother to come along?"
"Yaoyao, be good. Your brother still has to go to school. You can take him with you next time you have the chance," Luo Suyue said, patting her daughter's head.
"Okay," Fan Yao said, somewhat disappointed.
Xia Qingqing smiled and pinched her little cheek: "Why does Yaoyao want to ask her brother to go with her?"
Fan Yao tilted her head back and answered earnestly, "Because the food at the restaurant is delicious, and I want my brother to be able to eat it too."
Although the family is now wealthy, Fan Sheng and Luo Suyue are not extravagant people, as can be seen from the fact that they still do everything themselves.
A meal at a restaurant can easily cost several taels of silver, but if you buy groceries and cook for yourself, that same amount of money could last you a month, and you could eat very well.
"Yaoyao is so well-behaved. Your brother will be very happy to know that you care about him so much," Xia Qingqing praised with a smile.
Fan Yao's fair cheeks flushed slightly: "My brother is very good to me too. He always thinks of me when he has something delicious to eat."
Around noon, the group went to the largest restaurant in the county town.
He found an empty table and sat down. Immediately, a waiter from the restaurant came up to him: "Oh, isn't this Boss Fan? What would you like to eat today?"
Fan's Sweet Soup Shop was a household name in the county, and it was no surprise that the restaurant staff had also bought sweet soup there.
Fan Sheng handed the menu to Xia Qingqing and said straightforwardly, "Qingqing, you order. Order whatever you like, don't worry about saving me money."
Xia Qingqing took the menu, glanced at it, and gave a forced smile. To her, the words were like gibberish.
What's it like for a college student to become illiterate in an instant?
Fan Sheng noticed the stiffness on Xia Qingqing's face and quickly realized that she didn't recognize their writing. Just as he was about to say something, he heard Xia Qingqing ask the waiter:
"This is my first time at your restaurant. Do you have any signature dishes? Could you please recommend one?"
"Alright, our restaurant is famous for dishes such as squirrel mandarin fish, lotus duck, pan-fried quail, honey-glazed ham, braised beef, crispy tendon, poached chicken, stir-fried wild bamboo shoots with meat..." The waiter rattled off more than twenty dishes in one breath, naturally all of which were the more expensive ones.
Xia Qingqing thought for a moment and said, "Then let's have a squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, a braised beef, and a stir-fried wild bamboo shoot with meat. Do you have any side dishes?"
The waiter quickly noted down the dishes Xia Qingqing had ordered and then hurriedly recited the names of the dishes.
Xia Qingqing ordered a stir-fried vegetable dish, a cold dish, and a dessert: "That's all."
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