Chang Yu was somewhat flattered.
She took the box and quickly opened it.
Inside was a round fan. Holding the handle, it felt warm and smooth to the touch. The material didn't look like jade, but was milky white.
"This is an ivory fan with a hundred butterflies carved on it. My mother had it bought from Jiangnan County before the New Year. I have never used it. Although summer has passed, if it is well preserved, it can be used for several years without any problem."
Seeing the confusion on her face, Lu Baozhu offered an explanation.
"It's too valuable, Miss Lu, I can't accept it." Chang Yu closed the box and refused.
"What, don't you consider me a friend? If you accept it, I'll come in as a guest; if you don't, I'll get in my carriage and head home." Lu Baozhu said this with a somewhat serious expression.
He seemed unhappy.
"Chang Yu, please accept it. Miss Baozhu has a cheerful personality; she genuinely considers you a friend," Yan Xia quickly interjected, trying to smooth things over.
"Thank you, Miss Lu. I'll accept it then. I really like this fan," Chang Yu said, holding the wooden box in her arms.
"That's right, this is what I carefully selected for you. I'm glad you like it. Alright, I'm going inside to sit down. Aunt Yan, I hope the food at today's banquet won't disappoint me."
Lu Baozhu came to Chang Yu's birthday banquet for two reasons. Firstly, she didn't have many friends and could get along well with Chang Yu. Secondly, she was very bored these past two days. Her mother had gone to a friend's house in Jiangnan County for a banquet and wouldn't be back until the day after tomorrow. She also happened to want to eat the food at Yan Xia's house.
So he went to their door himself.
Lu Baozhu thought that everything Yan Xia made tasted good, so her food must be pretty good too.
She was extremely excited.
"Don't worry, you'll definitely be satisfied, haha." Yan Xia didn't dare say anything else.
But food.
She's bursting with confidence!
Only five tables were booked for today's banquet.
Therefore, the dishes will be several more than those at the granddaughter's full moon celebration.
A total of twenty-two dishes.
First came the cold dishes: raspberry jam with mashed yam, shredded persimmon with bok choy, beef tripe with chili oil, and boneless chicken feet with sour and spicy sauce.
None of the four cold dishes originated from this dynasty.
The raspberry jam was made by her personally and stored in the cellar. The yams were also bought early in the morning at the market by the servant in charge of purchasing in the kitchen. I heard they were just dug up yesterday and were very fresh. The persimmon strips were made from dried persimmons and mixed with bok choy that had been blanched in chicken soup for a few seconds, along with a little vinegar and chili flakes. It was sweet, sour, and fresh.
As for the spicy beef tripe, just like its name suggests, it is made with Yan Xia's secret chili oil, mixed with beef tripe shreds cooked in broth. It is crispy and spicy, and incredibly refreshing.
And then there's the spicy and sour boneless chicken feet.
The kitchen maids removed all the bones one by one, ensuring there wasn't a single bone fragment left.
This is just a cold dish.
The remaining hot dishes, desserts, and soups totaled eighteen.
Flying in the sky.
It runs on the ground.
It swims in the water.
Everything was gathered on the table.
After standing for more than an hour, all the guests finally arrived.
Yan Xia returned home with her children to entertain guests.
But just as she was about to turn around, she saw her adoptive father standing at the entrance of the alley next to the mansion, seemingly talking to someone, with the hem of his light pink clothes peeking out.
The person opposite me was a woman?
"You all go back first, Mother has something to attend to." Yan Xia told her children to go inside first.
She crept up to the corner of the alleyway and hid there to eavesdrop.
It was separated from Yan Hecheng by only one wall.
"Brother Yan, please let me in! It's your granddaughter's birthday banquet, and you didn't even invite me. I'm so heartbroken!"
Yan Xia got goosebumps all over.
The sound was like a rusty saw sawing through old wood.
He's clearly an old man, but he insists on speaking in a high-pitched voice.
Old Jiazi, huh?
That's not right. Her father stays home every day, and I've never seen him know any women.
Why is she even calling him Brother Yan? Could he be her father's lover?
Yan Xia became even more gossipy. She rubbed her frizzy arms and continued listening.
"Why did I call you? You don't even know my granddaughter's name. What are you doing here? Besides, we're not even acquainted. I already had the servants tell you not to come to my house to see me again. Why didn't you listen? It's fine if you come on ordinary days, but we have so many guests here today. Don't cause trouble. It wouldn't be good if others misunderstood. Alright, alright, you should leave now. I'm going inside."
Yan Hecheng's voice sounded somewhat impatient.
He urged the woman to leave quickly.
“Brother Yan, the day we met, I fell in love with you at first sight. You even held my hand. Men and women should not touch each other, but my heart has long belonged to you. Since neither of us has a partner, why can't we live together?”
Brother Yan, I truly love you. Don't you...don't you want to take responsibility for me? That day, your hand was so warm, intertwined with mine. I thought we'd grow old together. I've even told my sons about you. I said I wouldn't marry anyone but you. Brother Yan, if you don't marry me, I'll be too ashamed to face anyone! Waaaaah—"
Sun Xiangxiang covered her face and cried.
"Don't cry, passersby are watching. I'm begging you, I don't like you. That day when we held hands, I only grabbed you because I saw you almost fall. I didn't want to either. Look at me, I'm already so old, what's the point of getting married? You're not bad looking, and you're younger than me. It would be easy for you to remarry. There's no need for you to come to me, right? Besides, my daughter wouldn't agree to it either."
Seeing that Sun Xiangxiang was persistent, Yan Hecheng simply brought up Yan Xia.
"She's your daughter. If you're willing, who can stop you? This entire Yan family belongs to you. How can a junior stop an elder? Brother Yan, I think you just don't want to marry me. My life is so miserable. My first husband died young, and I finally met you, but you won't marry me. If you won't marry me, why are you holding my hand? I've been a widow for so many years, and my chastity is gone—"
Sun Xiangxiang's wailing grew louder and louder, and all the passersby turned to look at them.
Yan Hecheng's face turned bright red.
He wished he could cover Sun Xiangxiang's mouth to stop her from making a sound, but he was also afraid of touching her skin, in which case Sun Xiangxiang would accuse him of being a pervert.
Yan Hecheng stood there helplessly, pacing anxiously in circles.
"Please, stop wailing! Tell me, why do you insist on marrying me? I'm old, penniless, and in poor health. I get out of breath after just a few steps. If you marry me, you'll be living a life of widowhood. What are you after? Besides, I've already told you, my daughter doesn't agree. Stop bothering me and just leave."
Yan Hecheng was extremely helpless.
He was telling the truth; his body had been injured during his corvée labor.
Now he looks no different from a man in his sixties.
Even if he married Sun Xiangxiang, he would not be able to share a room with her.
Moreover, he doesn't want to get married; he has absolutely no interest in that area.
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