Chapter 176 The extremely picky head of the Shen family
Maybe it was because her gaze was too direct, or maybe it was because the man was sharp, the finger that was hooked up with the chess piece suddenly dropped it, and he turned his head to look at Shen Anan.
"..." Shen Anan quickly retracted his thoughts, responded with a polite and distant smile, and closed the window frame.
Shen Yunbai looked at the window frame for a long time before he withdrew his gaze, and the corners of his lips seemed to curve slightly.
When Shen Anan woke up, the person playing chess was gone, leaving only an empty table and a game of chess.
"Miss, the maid just came and said it was time for dinner. She asked if you wanted to eat in your room or in the kitchen."
"Where's Li Huaiyan?"
Mo Xiang replied, "Duke Li has been dizzy since he got on board, and he is still asleep now. I'm afraid he can't eat."
"Well, ask Qingfeng to go to the kitchen to get some food for him. Let's go to the kitchen."
There are still five or six days of sailing to go, and it would be impolite not to express my opinion on someone else's boat.
She asked Mo Xiang to take the silver and was led to the kitchen by the people on the boat.
You can't ask someone to deliver food to you the first time, as that would make people think you're being arrogant. It's better to let Mo Xiang get familiar with the food first, and then you can bring the food to the boat room later.
She knew that wealthy families were extravagant, especially businessmen who spent money like water, but such extravagance still surprised her.
She imagined that the kitchen on the ship would be the size of a whole room, but what she saw was not a kitchen at all; it could more accurately be called a banquet hall.
The hall is very large, and its furnishings and decorations are no less luxurious than those in the banquet hall in the palace. The tables, chairs and benches are all made of pear wood, and there are even musical instruments in the corners for appreciation.
The host probably has the habit of listening to piano and singing while eating.
The hair of the cooks were all wrapped up, looking clean and neat. The food on the table was steaming, but the man only took three or two bites before the food was taken away and replaced with other dishes.
Not to your taste? Or too picky?
Shen Anan looked at the man in white robe with a strange look in his eyes.
The man did not turn around, and the maid walked towards her, "Hello young lady, my master invites you to sit over."
Shen Anan frowned slightly, instinctively not wanting to have any contact with such a weird person, but out of courtesy, she did not refuse.
She walked over slowly and bowed, then took the purse from Mo Xiang and handed it to the man. "This time, we are in a hurry, and I would like to thank Master Shen for his willingness to help. This little bit of silver will be considered as a thank you gift and my food and lodging for the next few days."
The man didn't answer, but his brows slightly frowned.
The maid beside him immediately took the purse into her hands and explained, "My master never touches silver. Silver is the dirtiest when it passes through many people."
“…???!!!”
She didn't know what expression or words to use to respond to the maid's words.
Is silver the dirtiest? Then why does he still spend money lavishly and work so hard to earn it?
Isn’t everything he eats and drinks made of silver? Shen Anan didn't object to him saying that silver was dirty, but that... look really shocked her.
Shen Anan glanced at the man's spotless robes and desk, wondering if he would also dislike the dirtiness of people close to him? He quietly stepped back a few steps.
The maid had already received the silver. She said, "In that case, I will not bother Master Shen with his meal."
She turned to leave, but the man suddenly said, "Miss, you are Lord Wang's distinguished guest. You must be of a high status. There is no need to be so polite."
"..." Shen Anan was stunned for a while before she realized that he was responding to her initial polite greeting, right?
It’s just that this guy’s… reaction time is a little too long, which makes her feel… a little stupid! ! ! !
Perhaps because her expression was not concealed, the man pursed his lips and smiled, humble and gentle.
His profile was thin and bony in the candlelight, and his outline made Shen Anan feel familiar for a moment, but it was only a fleeting moment.
Shen Anan was sure that the two had never met before, so she didn't take it to heart.
"The cooks are busy right now. If you don't mind, please sit down and have some." It was the maid next to the man who spoke, but she was obviously repeating what the man meant.
Shen Anan was indeed a little hungry.
She glanced at the cook, who was now extremely busy. She really didn't have time to prepare the few bites of food for the picky master of the house.
Thinking of dealing with it, Shen Anan nodded and agreed.
Anyway, it's only five or six days, so just make do with it. Once you get off the boat, you'll never see him again in your life.
The cook brought a new dish, and his maid immediately reached out to take it, picked up the tenderest and brightest piece in the middle, and then cut it into four pieces with a knife and placed them on Shen Anan and Shen Yunbai's plates respectively.
“…”
Shen Anan looked at the two pieces of chicken the size of a fingernail and couldn't help but sigh. If she continued to eat like this, how long would it take to fill her stomach?
The other person had a calm expression, apparently always like that. The dish of chicken was put away by the cook, probably to be given to the boatmen later.
It was indeed a waste to just throw it away like this. Even though she came from an official family and even married into the royal family, she had never seen anyone be so extravagant and wasteful.
She wondered if what Li Huaiyan and the others were eating were also what the man in front of her had left over. If she hadn't come today, would she have eaten the leftovers too?
Shen Anan began to wonder who this man was and what kind of wealth he had to withstand such a bully.
She remained expressionless and slowly put the chicken that was filling her teeth on the plate into her mouth.
"I heard that the girl is going to Tianshui City."
The man finally spoke again, and Shen Anan said "hmm" softly when he heard it.
"There are some things to take care of."
Shen Yubai nodded slightly and continued, "Tianshui City has been very unstable recently. Aren't you afraid to go there now, young lady?"
Very uneasy?
Shen Anan raised her eyebrows, how could she not have heard of it.
Besides, she didn't tell the official where she was going, so how did he know?
He did not answer but asked, "How did Master Shen know that I was going to Tianshui City?"
Shen Yubai looked at her calmly, "Your servant once inquired about the matter and guessed it."
Chen Tian? Shen Anan's eyes darkened.
But he also understood what the man opposite him meant.
The entire ship was under his control. He was telling her, even warning her, not to do anything or have any inappropriate thoughts. Of course, this was also a kind reminder.
If they were going to do serious business, Chen Tian's impatience would allow others to discover the loophole, which would only bring trouble to them.
"His brother is missing, and he was so anxious to find out, which made the head of the Shen family embarrassed."
Shen Anan said something evasive, but Shen Yubai seemed to believe it, "If you are looking for someone, it is better not to go at this time."
Speaking of this, Shen Anan asked, "I didn't hear about what happened in Tianshui City on the way here?"
Shen Yubai lowered his head but said nothing.
"..." Shen Anan was speechless in her heart, thinking, since you don't want to say it, why bring it up?
Another dish was served, and Shen Anan ate it slowly, not even filling her throat, let alone her stomach.
If she hadn't been thinking about eating the leftovers when she left, she would have definitely stood up and left. Although it wasn't dirty, it was still a bit disgusting to think that they were left over by others. It felt like she was picking up garbage to eat.
Then, the man who was a few beats behind spoke again, "It is said that bandits are rampant and very rampant, especially against outsiders, killing people and robbing their property, and are even more brutal."
Shen Anan narrowed her eyes, "What about the local government? Will they just ignore it?"
Especially the man's words about outsiders made Shen Anan very alert.
Is it possible that Gu Tan used the excuse of banditry to kill outsiders because he was worried that the officers were coming to arrest him?
"Government?" The man sneered, and for the first time there was another expression on his face, one of disdain and ridicule.
"It's just rotten mud. How can crooked roots produce good grass?"
This is not just an insult to local officials. If you think about it carefully, it involves a wide range of issues, even directly threatening the emperor.
Shen Anan didn't care about these things. After all, he was not scolding her. There were many people in Daliang who had opinions about the emperor, and she was one of them.
It's not worth arguing about, it makes people doubt her identity.
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