Chapter 48 Chapter 48 Beautiful and Strong Miserable Dad 18
To celebrate, Zhuozhuo scooped up the fattest koi in the lake, the one she'd been eyeing for days. The size of the koi was such that the mere presence of it would have made her father despair. Fortunately, there were guests today.
Feng Pansheng had never been so hospitable in his life. During the meal, he asked Shen Xingyun to eat more fish several times.
Shen Xingyun was a shrewd man and quickly saw Feng Pansheng's difficult situation - Zhuozhuo loved to eat koi, and the koi in the lake were all raised big and fat. Children would only take a few bites and then stop eating, but she loved them so much that she couldn't bear to give them to others, so she had to let her old father eat them.
A fat fish a day. If Feng Pansheng wasn't hungry, he wouldn't finish it, forcing himself to eat until he was stuffed. After seven or eight days of this, he felt full just by the sight of fish, and the thought of the koi in the lake filled him with murderous intent.
But it was easy for Feng Pansheng to end this miserable life. He just had to refuse to eat. Who could force food into his mouth? The problem was that Zhuozhuo's emotional value during the fish meal was too great, with constant praise, and his old father simply couldn't handle it.
Originally, Feng Pansheng wanted Shen Xingyun to share the fat fish, but when Zhuozhuo started praising Shen Xingyun, his eyes turned cold when he looked at Shen Xingyun. He said with a fake smile, "I heard that many court officials have visited the Marquis of Changping's mansion recently. Aren't you going back to entertain them?"
"Your Majesty, I'm going back now. The guests should be leaving soon. Let's talk tomorrow." Shen Xingyun skillfully picked out the bones and stuffed a large piece of fish into his mouth. This fish wasn't very tasty. It was too old and the meat was old. I don't know why Zhuozhuo liked it so much.
Thinking this way, Shen Xingyun reached for the flower koi again. Just as he was about to pick up the flower koi, Feng Pansheng's chopsticks also arrived. Out of respect for etiquette, Shen Xingyun changed direction without a trace and picked up another dish.
Soon, Shen Xingyun, thinking of sharing the burden for his boss and friend, went to pick up the fish again. However, Feng Pansheng's chopsticks arrived again, and Shen Xingyun had to change direction again to pick up other dishes.
But this time, Shen Xingyun understood. These two times weren't coincidences; Feng Pansheng didn't want him to eat. Shen Xingyun looked at Zhuozhuo, who had come to Feng Pansheng to cheer him up, and then at Feng Pansheng, who looked calm and even somewhat enjoyable as he ate the fish. He was speechless.
Let's just say, Feng Pansheng, are you spoiled too much? Are you so soft-hearted? A few nice words have caused you to do this!
Alas, Shen Xingyun put down his chopsticks and started to drink the soup. It would be better for Feng Pansheng to bear the sweet trouble of eating koi alone.
However, after this meal, Shen Xingyun, who had been a little worried about Feng Pansheng's character, was completely relieved. Even if Feng Pansheng was corrupted by power in the future, as long as Zhuo Zhuo was there, he would definitely stick to his bottom line.
After Chen Xingyun said goodbye, Feng Pansheng took Zhuozhuo to lie on the soft couch to relieve his fatigue. Zhuozhuo lay on his legs and looked at him. Suddenly, he said in a coaxing tone: "Daddy is happy now."
"Um?"
"Daddy was not very happy during the meal because Uncle Shen ate fish." Zhuozhuo was very sensitive to Feng Pansheng's emotional changes. Mainly, he would not hide it in front of her. She knew what was going on after observing him for a while.
Feng Pansheng suddenly felt a little embarrassed, but he was able to hold himself together and said calmly: "It's Shen Xingyun who is too noisy here."
Zhuo Zhuo said doubtfully: “But Uncle Shen didn’t say much. Daddy talked a lot today and kept asking Uncle Shen to eat fish.”
"...Daddy just wants to have dinner with Zhuozhuo." When the cunning adult couldn't convince him, he started to play the emotional card.
Zhuozhuo said sweetly, "I like eating with Daddy, too."
At this point, Feng Pansheng couldn't help but ask, "Zhuozhuo likes Qiuyu Baishu and the others very much, and he didn't even want to let them eat the koi. Why is he willing to let Shen Xingyun eat it today? Does Zhuozhuo like Shen Xingyun as much as he likes his father?"
Feng Pansheng's tone was sour as he said the last sentence. He remembered that when they first met, Zhuozhuo was very close to Shen Xingyun, but after they separated and she was alone with him, she gradually became close to him. Now that they were reunited after a long separation, Feng Pansheng felt a sense of crisis.
Zhuo Zhuo pouted and said aggrievedly: "Daddy asked Uncle Shen to eat it. Doesn't Daddy like it?"
Feng Pansheng choked, feeling that he was indeed in the wrong. He quickly said, "Dad likes to eat it. Dad asked Shen Xingyun to eat fish, just as a way of entertaining guests. The host family is used to taking out their favorite things to entertain guests. We were just being polite, but who would have thought that Shen Xingyun would really eat it with big mouthfuls, he really didn't treat himself as an outsider."
Feng Pansheng hadn't even become emperor yet, but he'd already mastered the art of shirking responsibility. If Shen Xingyun heard this, he'd probably vomit blood and die of rage. He treated Feng Pansheng like a brother, but Feng Pansheng treated him like a victim.
Feeling guilty, Feng Pansheng seriously lectured Zhuozhuo, "Zhuozhuo, next time we visit someone's home, don't accept their beloved things unless you really like them."
9972 complained, "If you like it, you can accept it, right? How can a father educate his children like this? Others all teach that "a gentleman does not take away what others love"!
Zhuozhuo was no match for the scheming adult. After being tricked by Feng Pansheng, she had obediently accepted his lesson and had forgotten about settling scores. She only remembered that they were talking about the koi fish. She thought for a moment and said, "Daddy raised the koi fish. Zhuozhuo and Daddy eat them together."
This innocent and lovely sentence sounded to Feng Pansheng: It's not that I don't like Qiuyu and the others enough that I don't let them eat it, and it's not that I like Shen Xingyun too much that I let him eat it, it's just because the koi belongs to them two, and everyone else is an outsider.
Feng Pansheng's sour heart was immediately soothed. He calmly beamed with joy, fanning himself and saying, "Daddy also raises many other things: peacocks, pheasants, snakes, deer, and rabbits. Zhuozhuo, do you want to eat some?"
Zhuozhuo said childishly, "Are they good-looking? Every koi is different."
Feng Pansheng paused fanning himself, as if understanding why Zhuozhuo was so obsessed with the koi. He smiled and said, "Because every koi looks different, you want to taste every one?"
"Yes." Zhuozhuo nodded and said with some distress, "Koi fish aren't very tasty. There are so many bones, and each one tastes almost the same."
Feng Pansheng had a clear opinion on this. The difference in taste was probably due to the different ages of the koi, and the different levels of toughness of the meat. I guess every time he ate fish, Zhuozhuo would cheer him on because they thought he was amazing for finishing such a disgusting and unpalatable fish.
However, the misunderstanding was resolved, which was cause for celebration! Feng Pansheng was practically overjoyed. He was about to say, "In that case, I won't eat it anymore," when Zhuozhuo said in a baby voice, "But Daddy likes it and always finishes it."
Feng Pansheng: “…”
Feng Pansheng smiled and said, "Yes, Daddy likes to eat it. But he can't eat it every day. Zhuozhuo needs a balanced diet, and so does Daddy. Besides, there are only so many koi in the lake. If we keep eating, what will happen when they're all gone? We need harmony between man and nature."
"Hmm."
Feng Pansheng didn't give Zhuozhuo time to think. "Does Zhuozhuo know what the unity of man and nature is? After farmers harvest rice, they don't sell or eat it all. They keep some for seeds to plant next year. Hunters will let go of pregnant females. Fishermen use wide-pore nets to let small fish slip through. In some places, fishing is suspended every spring and summer."
“Is this the unity of heaven and man?”
“This is the unity of nature and man, but it is more than that.”
Zhuozhuo said softly, "My mother once caught a fawn with babies in its belly, but she let it go. She said that if we killed the fawn now, the babies inside wouldn't grow up. If all the fawns were killed in their bellies, there would be no more fawns on the mountain anymore."
Feng Pansheng felt a little complicated when he heard Zhuozhuo talk about her relationship with Wu Jingqiu for the first time. "Your mother is right."
Zhuozhuo was encouraged and continued, "We keep the rice grains for seeds so that the seeds can grow and produce more rice grains. We let the small fish out of the fishing net so that they can grow and give birth to more fish."
"Yes, that's right. Zhuozhuo is so smart. Zhuozhuo can draw inferences from one example." Feng Pansheng's inner pride was about to overflow, and he wanted to announce it to the world, letting everyone know how outstanding Zhuozhuo is.
Zhuozhuo asked in confusion, "Then why do we stop fishing in spring and summer?"
Feng Pansheng said, "Because this is the season for most fish to mate and spawn, the fishermen have stopped fishing to allow the fish to reproduce."
"Oh, I understand." Zhuozhuo's eyes sparkled, and she was filled with the joy of receiving new knowledge. "Everyone is so smart."
"Zhuozhuo is the smartest and daddy's darling." Feng Pansheng's corny words floated out of the window, and the waiting guards and maids and the secret guards in the dark couldn't help but get goosebumps.
Zhuozhuo reciprocated the gesture and said childishly, "Daddy is also Zhuozhuo's sweetheart."
The ruthless Prince Li was coaxed into a frenzy, his heart melting into a pool of water. He was so happy that he had forgotten the purpose of his rambling.
Zhuozhuo didn't forget. Zhuozhuo said, "So, Daddy said we can't eat the fish in the lake every day. It's summer now, so we have to wait until they give birth to baby fish. Only after they've given birth can we eat them."
"Right, right, right!" The humble old father, who had finally waited for this, agreed excitedly, "We'll wait until autumn to eat it."
"When is autumn?"
“Autumn is when the leaves turn yellow and fall from the trees.”
"Will the grass turn yellow? Will the vegetables turn yellow?"
"The grass will leave seeds, dry up and die. Next spring, the seeds will sprout and grow into new grass. The vegetables will also die, but there will be people who grow them in a temperature-controlled room. Zhuozhuo still wants to eat the vegetables."
Zhuozhuo, a foodie, said worriedly, "Will everything else die too? Do we only eat vegetables and fish in autumn?"
"Every season has its own fresh produce. In autumn, there are ripe fruits, lotus roots, and fat crabs. We also have meats like beef and mutton, as well as dried fruits and preserved fruits. We can eat them every day."
"Well, I want to eat lotus root..."
The father and daughter chatted intermittently and gradually fell asleep amid the chirping of insects.
When Zhuozhuo woke up, Feng Pansheng was reading under the elm tree outside the window. The wind blew down elm seeds that landed on his shoulders, which he gently brushed away. Zhuozhuo was stunned by this scene, vaguely feeling that Feng Pansheng seemed so rarely so peaceful and gentle.
Zhuozhuo didn't say anything. Feng Pansheng looked over at him with a smile, as if he had eyes on the back of his head. He said softly, "Are you awake?"
"I'm awake." Zhuozhuo rolled over, fully awake, but she refused to get up from the soft couch. She stretched out her arms crookedly and begged coquettishly, "Daddy, hold me."
Feng Pansheng also doted on Zhuozhuo. He put down his book and came over. He first picked up the shoes on the footbed and put them on her. Then he carried her to the yard and said, "The pony that Daddy promised to give Zhuozhuo has been delivered today. Do you want to go and see it?"
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