Chapter 60: Far inferior to the landlady's cooking skills
Zhu Zhifeng answered each question in turn. Madam Zhu's upbringing had instilled in her excellent social etiquette, and she greeted the elders, siblings, and younger relatives in turn.
She was the center of attention, and everyone rushed up to her with great enthusiasm to compliment her, praising her beauty, intelligence, and good manners.
Yu Wan and her two companions sat at a table on the very edge, far from the main table, and were ignored by everyone.
Xue Xiujun grumbled from the side, "This banquet is so boring. It would be much better if we just cooked some dishes and made some flower wine in the courtyard, and ate and drank as we pleased. That would be so much more comfortable."
He Jing looked at Yu Wan with heartache and whispered:
"If you don't want to stay here any longer, we'll leave."
Yu Wan knew that these two people were standing up for her and felt that she had been ignored and wronged.
She had no social standing to begin with; she was just a merchant's daughter from a remote small county. When she arrived at such a prestigious household, being given an extra set of chopsticks and a bowl was already considered a great favor.
She didn't care whether people looked up to her or looked down on her, nor did she feel that she was in a difficult situation.
"This dish is good, you should try it. I won't be cooking special meals for you tonight, this is the last meal of the day."
Xue Xiujun snorted, "What's so good about it? It's far inferior to your cooking, boss lady. I just heard that it was made by a descendant of an imperial chef, but it's nothing special."
Yu Wan laughed and said, "Can you stop lying through your teeth? Their dish is indeed delicious, it's just that it tastes different from mine. It's normal for the taste to differ from place to place."
After finishing their meal, the dinner wasn't over yet, so the three of them decided to go back and rest.
At this moment, Jin Yifei walked over and sat in the empty seat next to Yu Wan.
"A-Wan, Young Master He, Young Master Xue, I'm so sorry. I didn't expect the banquet to turn out like this. They didn't tell me so many people would be coming. My parents asked me to entertain the guests, since I haven't been back for a long time. It's my fault for neglecting you all."
Neither of the two boys paid any attention to him, only Awan showed understanding.
"That's normal, no need to apologize. We've finished eating and are planning to head back. Could you please tell Ah Feng?"
Seeing this, Jin Yifei became anxious. "Don't go! I haven't introduced you to my grandparents and parents yet. Awan, you came out to travel to see the world and find more opportunities for development. Look, all the important and influential people in Jiangnan are here tonight. I plan to introduce you to them after they exchange pleasantries. Maybe you'll have the opportunity to cooperate with them in the future. Do you want to miss this opportunity?"
Yu Wan looked surprised, not expecting him to have such thoughts. After feeling grateful, she felt that this person was a bit naive.
"How could someone as insignificant as me possibly catch the eye of such important people? Thank you for your kindness, but I appreciate it."
Jin Yifei couldn't understand, "When you were in Sui County, you worked so hard for the restaurants, what's wrong with you now? This isn't like you at all."
"It's not a matter of whether I fight or not. Although I haven't said a word to these people, I know that even if I stood in front of them, they wouldn't give me a second glance."
Jin Yifei scanned the entire room and saw that the powerful and influential people with similar strength were chatting with each other, while some merchants with slightly less power went up to greet him, but they only gave cold and perfunctory responses.
At that moment, he understood.
I never imagined that a teenage girl could understand human nature so well.
He even felt a lingering fear that if he had actually pulled Yu Wan forward to greet those people, what kind of embarrassing situation would Yu Wan have ended up in?
What kind of looks would those people give Yu Wan, and the two of them, as they speculated about their past relationship, thus underestimating Yu Wan?
After all, what these people saw was just a young and beautiful woman whose name was unknown to anyone here.
"I'm sorry, Awan, it was my oversight." He apologized sincerely, cold sweat beading on his back.
Yu Wan smiled, not minding at all. "It's okay, I know you meant well."
Jin Yifei felt deeply ashamed, having almost harmed her.
Yu Wan offered a few words of comfort, then took her leave.
He Jing and Xue Xiujun followed silently behind.
At that moment, someone noticed their figures.
When Zhu Zhifeng saw them leave, she anxiously wanted to follow them, but her grandmother had been holding her back all night, so she couldn't get away.
Madam Jin had a kind face and an elegant demeanor, but her eyes were sharp, and she immediately noticed that her granddaughter's gaze was following the group.
"Ah Feng, are those the friends you brought with you this time?"
Zhu Zhifeng replied absentmindedly, "Yes, Grandmother, I'm full too, and I want to go back and rest."
Grandma Jin smiled kindly, took her hand, and said, "You're so young, yet you don't have as much energy as an old woman like me. This family banquet tonight is for you; you are the star of the show. They've prepared this welcome dinner for you, how can you leave first? Do you still consider yourself a guest of the Jin family?"
“But I…” Zhu Zhifeng didn’t want to be in this kind of situation at all. Having to fake a smile and act like a lady was too tiring.
Most importantly, she was terrified that her grandmother would bring up that crucial topic.
What I feared most came to pass.
Madam Jin chuckled and said, “Ah Feng, now that you’re here, don’t leave. I’ve been worried sick about your parents in this small border town, afraid they might encounter danger at any moment. I know your father’s character; he’s the magistrate of this county, and he won’t leave unless the imperial court orders him to. Your mother and he are deeply in love, and she would never leave him. Every time I think about the possibility of losing one of my daughters, I wake up in the middle of the night with tears streaming down my face.”
Seeing her teary eyes, Zhu Zhifeng comforted her, "Grandmother, there's no need to worry. My parents are doing well, and our Sui County is developing very well. The friends who came with me, especially the woman named Awan, she's very, very capable. With her around, I believe our county will only get better and better."
The old lady Jin was amused by her words, put her arm around her shoulder and gently rocked her, her tone full of affection.
"You're too naive, kid. Even when you were little, I felt you weren't very thoughtful. You're straightforward and believe whatever people say, making you easily taken advantage of."
“No, Grandmother, Sui County really is different from before. Otherwise, you can write to my parents and ask them,” Zhu Zhifeng said.
Old Madam Jin seemed to have run out of patience; her expression turned cold, and she spoke in a tone that brooked no refusal:
"Listen to your grandmother, stay here. Your grandmother will find you a good husband. Don't go back to that mountain valley. There are many wealthy young men here tonight. Tell your grandmother which one you like."
Zhu Zhifeng knew from childhood that she was very assertive, so she was afraid to face her on the way here. This family dinner was indeed not simple.
"Grandmother, I don't want to get married yet."
"Nonsense, how old are you? When I was your age, I had already given birth to your second uncle." Old Madam Jin patted her hand and pointed to several men, introducing them.
"Look at those promising young men. If you're not satisfied, have your uncles, aunts, and other relatives pick some for you. I guarantee you'll marry into a good family."
Zhu Zhifeng noticed Jin Yifei passing by with a heavy heart and quickly tried to signal him with her eyes, but he didn't receive her signal at all.
“Cousin!” she cried. “Grandmother, my cousin has been away from home for so long, don’t you want to know what he’s been through? He used to love traveling, but he’s different now. He’s grown up a lot in Sui County. Let him tell you about it. A-Wan and the others are my friends. The Jin family is a well-educated and respectable family, we can’t neglect our guests! I’d better go and keep them company.”
Grandma Jin hadn't paid any attention to the younger generation all evening, but now that her granddaughter kept bringing it up, she could only ask perfunctorily.
"Oh? Who are your young guests? Are they your good friends? Is Yifei also very familiar with them? How familiar are they?"
Zhu Zhifeng was eager to get away and planned to get her grandmother's attention to her cousin, who didn't care about her life or death. She thought it would be great if she could praise Awan in front of her grandmother and bring Awan some good business opportunities.
“We all especially love Awan’s cooking. Cousin, tell me how Awan’s eatery grew from a small stall into the food court it is today, and tell me how she awakened your Jin family bloodline.”
Jin Yifei smiled bitterly, "Awan is really good."
It was so good that he felt ashamed of himself.
Seeing her distraught appearance, Old Madam Jin had some guesses in her mind.
“This Miss Awan is truly extraordinary. The fact that you two siblings speak so highly of her has piqued my curiosity. I’ve sent someone to deliver a message that I’d like to invite her for tea tomorrow.”
Just as Yu Wan was about to go to sleep, someone came to deliver a message. The maid who delivered the message was respectful and had excellent manners. Her voice was soft and cool, and she only said what needed to be said before turning and leaving.
After the maid left, Yu Wan stood at the door, gazing at her indifferent back in deep thought, wondering why Old Madam Jin wanted to see her alone.
In wealthy families like the Jin family, those in high positions don't receive guests casually unless the guest's status makes them impossible to ignore.
Yu Wan knew she was an unknown nobody. Perhaps everyone in Sui County knew her name, but in the eyes of the Jin family, she was nothing.
But then I realized that it was probably those two siblings who had mentioned her.
She didn't mind and went inside to sleep.
Early in the morning, Zhu Zhifeng rushed over.
"Awan, you must save me! My grandmother wants to keep me here and force me to get married. She wants to tie me to Jiangnan so I can never return to Sui County. You have to help me find a way to escape! Last night, my grandmother talked to me for so long, and I didn't dare say anything disobeying her because of her age, but I was so frustrated. You can't just stand by and watch me die! You've always been the most resourceful; you'll definitely find a way, right?"
If she hadn't come back too late last night and was afraid of disturbing Yu Wan's rest, she would have rushed over to ask for help during the night.
Yu Wan saw her two big dark circles and knew that she must not have slept. She wondered how she had endured the whole night until dawn before rushing over.
Zhu Zhifeng said urgently, "Or should we run away now?"
Yu Wan knew that she was flustered. In this era, most marriages were arranged by parents and matchmakers. The ideas that Zhu Zhifeng had been taught since childhood made her not believe that she could control her own destiny.
Those who hold power also believe they can control the fate of others.
Yu Wan laughed and said, "You haven't done anything wrong, yet you ran away without a word. That would make it seem like you've done something shameful."
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