Chapter 86 The visitor's sense of guilt and shame for violating moral ethics...
"I told him long ago that Chuqi definitely hadn't returned yet, but he refused to believe it and rushed over!"
The kitchen was filled with the sweet aroma of food. A plump figure held an iron wok in one hand and a porcelain plate in the other as he lowered the lean and fat ribs into the wok. A sizzling sound was heard, and white mist rose. The figure's face became blurred, and his voice became softer. "But it's okay. I haven't had a proper meal in ages..."
Lin Meiju was both surprised and a little guilty. She really couldn't bear it any longer and introduced Lu Qingyan who came to visit to Chen Huisheng. After resting for an hour or so, she woke up to find that not only was there another guest, but these two guests also helped Aunt Zhang prepare a large table of food.
The smell of burnt food soon spread, and the kitchen was filled with clanging sounds. The unique aroma of pepper and numbing mixed with the spicy taste of onion and ginger rose up. Then, with a "hiss", the strong smell of alcohol swept away the last trace of fishy smell, and the plump white face behind the stove became clear.
Lin Meizhu quickly put on her apron and walked into the kitchen. "Brother Zhou Er looks a little thinner. Is it because of the hard journey?"
Zhou Liangnian glanced at his waist and abdomen, banging the spatula even louder. He laughed and said, "I also feel that I have lost weight. Mr. Lu Zhao said it was an illusion..."
"You eat three bowls of rice for every meal. You know whether you've lost weight or not."
Lin Meizhu also saw the movements of the person behind Zhou Liangnian who was answering the call, and was somewhat surprised. She couldn't help but take another look. Lu Qingyan had already taken off his wide-sleeved robe and was wearing a moon-white shorts. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing his well-defined wrists.
Lin Meiju's gaze moved from the tender bamboo shoots to the slender knuckles on them, and for a moment she couldn't tell which one looked better.
Zhou Liangnian came from an ordinary small merchant family, so it was reasonable for him to know how to cook. But Lu Qingyan? He came from a family of scholars and officials, so shouldn't he have never touched ordinary water?
Lin Meizhu's memories of Lu Qingyan still lingered from half a year ago, when she and Lu Fei'er had gone south to relax and stayed at the Lu family's house. Lu Qingyan had come south to celebrate her grandmother's birthday, and she had met him a few times. Back then, he'd lectured on poetry and prose to the children at home, enjoying wine and wine with other scholars, a scene of glorious beauty. Now, seeing him in her kitchen, washing his hands and cooking soup, it felt a little unreal.
Lu Qingyan looked up, seeing the curiosity and fear in Lin Meizhu's eyes. He washed his hands and said with a smile, "I was raised by my grandfather when I was young. My grandmother loved cooking. I watched her a few times. My cooking skills are very basic, so please forgive me."
Lin Meiju suddenly remembered that Lu Qingyan's grandmother was also a talented woman, and seemed to have written a cookbook. With this in mind, it was no surprise that Lu Qingyan could cook.
Lin Meizhu naturally had a fondness for people with excellent cooking skills and praised, "I'm afraid it will take me ten years to catch up with Master Lu's knife skills. You are really too modest."
Next to Lu Qingyan was a porcelain plate covered with thin ice. The fish slices were evenly distributed, thin enough to be translucent, and neatly arranged.
He placed the seasoned fish fillet into a porcelain bowl and handed Lin Meizhu a pair of chopsticks. "Would you like to try it?"
Perhaps it was his casual, easygoing tone, or perhaps it was his natural movements, but the distance between them in Lin Meizhu's heart quickly closed. She took the chopsticks, glanced at the small dish of mashed orange, and asked, "Is this orange shreds?"
Nowadays, people in the market often use ginger vinegar sauce to eat fish, or add mustard and tangerine peel to enhance the flavor. Lin Meizhu had heard earlier that scholars like to use orange peel to accompany fish at banquets. After trying it today, she found it really extraordinary. However, perhaps because she was used to the usual spicy and refreshing condiments, she felt that the orange peel was good, but... not strong enough.
Looking up, she saw Lu Qingyan looking at her seriously and intently, his eyes filled with anticipation. Lin Meizhu ate the remaining half of the fish and praised him generously: "It's sweet and sour, refreshing and refreshing. The taste is just right. I'll learn how to make it with you tomorrow..."
Lu Qingyan's face visibly relaxed. Just as he was about to speak, Zhou Liangnian, who was standing beside him, lifted the lid and stir-fried the braised pork. He called out, "Eleventh Lady, mine's ready too. Come and try it! I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"
Soon after, another classmate of Chuqi, Zhang Yixin, arrived. He was from Xiangyang and had arrived quickly after receiving Zhou Liangnian's letter. He was a little shy when he saw Lin Meizhu, and when he learned that Chuqi had not yet returned, he bowed and was about to leave. It was Zhou Er who ran out with a spatula in hand to stop him.
Chen Huisheng's leg pain had recurred due to the rough dragging of the county yamen runners, but fortunately, the visit of these young men turned his anger into joy. During the meal, he invited Lu Qingyan to sit at the head of the table and said, "If it weren't for Lord Lu's timely arrival, I'm afraid the county magistrate would not have been willing to let my daughter and I go home. I am deeply grateful."
The problem of bandits in the two lakes region was serious. The court appointed Lu Qingyan as the inspector-general to visit the people to investigate the enemy situation and secretly investigate the neglect of the various garrisons and government offices to provide a basis for subsequent military deployment.
The Inspector General held a low position, but his power was immense. He could impeach officials, oversee military affairs, and even execute people without prior approval. Lu Qingyan had been in Jingzhou for over half a month and, passing through Jiangling County, went to Huishengtang to visit a friend. The county magistrate's men, who had been closely monitoring Lu Qingyan's movements, learned of his connection to Huishengtang and hastily released Lin Meizhu and the others.
Lu Qingyan declined again and again, firmly refusing to take the seat as a junior. Zhou Liangnian also tried to comfort and persuade him, and Chen Huisheng finally sat down in the main seat reluctantly. After three rounds of drinks, they talked about the recent situation of Chuqi, and the atmosphere gradually became harmonious.
Zhang Yixin, a poor drinker, became more talkative as he got drunk. He hugged a passing beggar, Da Huang, and complained about his frustrations, having failed the imperial examinations so many times. He was the oldest of the four, yet had the worst results, and his ranking in this special examination was even lower than the previous one.
Zhou Liangnian chased after him, trying to pull him back. Walking down the corridor, he saw several auspicious tanks and remembered something interesting. He said, "Chuqi also raised a few small fish while on duty at the Hanlin Academy. He asked me to take care of them when he went to Zhejiang. Later, Princess Jiafu happened to see me feeding the fish. When she heard me say I was so busy that I almost forgot to do it, she suggested I ask the palace maids to help me. I thought, is there such a good thing?"
"Then one day, His Highness suddenly said those little fish were really pretty and asked me where I found them. How would I know? I thought His Highness liked them and wanted to keep a few for fun, so I hurriedly wrote to Chuqi to ask."
"However, on the seventh day of the first lunar month, I went to the capital without receiving the letter. I gave His Highness a reply in person and told me that there seemed to be a few more fish."
Zhou Er was at a loss for words, shaking his head repeatedly: "I still don't dare to tell him the truth."
Lin Meizhu covered her lips and smiled, seeing through it but not saying it out loud. Chuqi had a good memory, so why would he say something as vague as "seems"? He must have already realized that this fish is not that fish, and didn't want to make Zhou Er and His Highness feel guilty, so he got into a mischievous mood and scared Zhou Er from time to time for fun.
Thinking back to the lovely and cunning Li Minzhi, Lin Meizhu felt a little emotional. It had been more than half a year since she left Beijing. She wondered if she and Lu Fei'er were doing well. She had been able to get through those days because of the support of these two friends. But now, she could only communicate with them through a few letters. The three of them could no longer be together, and she couldn't help but feel a little lonely.
There are also the siblings Chen Chali and Lin Qiwu. When she left, their eyes were swollen from crying... And her own mother, has she ever thought about herself once?
Lin Meizhu's smile faded a little, and she drank the wine in the cup.
Lu Qingyan was chatting with Chen Huisheng. He glanced sideways slightly and then poured all the remaining yellow wine in the jug into the cups of Zhou and Zhang.
On the other side, Zhou Liangnian pried open Zhang Yixin's hands that were holding the dog. The yellow dog shook itself twice, then lay down in front of Zhang Yixin and refused to move. It howled in response to every word Zhang Yixin said, and everyone in the hall couldn't help laughing.
Zhou Liangnian was walking back when he saw a reed straw circling in the water in the auspicious jar. He rubbed his eyes, thinking he was hallucinating, so he walked forward and pinched the straw, squeezing it firmly and trying to pull it out.
Then ripples suddenly appeared on the water surface, and then began to shake violently. Some force below was struggling to pull him down. Zhou Liangnian stared down and saw a pale face with disheveled hair rising from the bottom and slowly enlarging and floating up.
Zhou Liangnian let go of his hand, stepped back hastily, and shouted, "Oh my god!"
With a "Wow" sound, a person dripping with water stood up from the auspicious jar, and everyone stopped moving.
Zhou Liangnian immediately turned around and laughed, "You little girl, you really scared me!"
Aunt Zhang rushed out and scolded, "You stupid girl, you're running around after eating! Don't you know we have guests at home?"
Lin Meizhu casually pulled a piece of cloth to wrap Xiaoman up and patiently talked to her for a few words. Xiaoman asked, "Is this not okay?"
Lin Meizhu shook her head, and Xiaoman said, "Okay, I just feel cool in the water. Since Eleventh Lady said no, I won't do that next time."
Zhou Liangnian snatched food from the dog's mouth and rescued a small fish. Zhang Yixin held the dog's mouth and said, "You like fish too? Chuqi likes fish too. You know Chuqi, right? He's my brother, also known as Li Linyuan and Song Xingzhi..."
Zhou Liangnian couldn't help but interrupt him, "Come on, it's not your turn to introduce..."
Zhang Yixin said to himself, "You know I'm going to be a royal relative soon? The emperor has already drafted the imperial decree granting the marriage... I won't forget you after I become successful..."
Lin Meiju paused in picking up the fish, and the little fish jumped lightly and escaped from her fingertips.
All the sober people looked at Lin Meiju.
Lu Qingyan's gaze was fixed on her face, not missing a single subtle shift in expression. He saw deep astonishment, the worry and uneasiness that followed suspicion, a hint of melancholy and confusion that followed a moment of absence, and perhaps some complex emotions he had yet to decipher. But he was certain he saw no resentment, heartache, or jealousy stemming from the discovery of betrayal or concealment by a loved one. She hadn't even immediately asked who the woman was!
In an instant, Lu Qingyan felt his body and mind lighten. The struggle and guilt that had lingered in his heart for half a year, as well as the guilt and shame of violating moral ethics, were all gone.
Lu Qingyan slowly loosened his grip on the wine cup and said, "It's just hearsay. I guess Chuqi didn't want you to worry, so he didn't mention it in his letter home."
Zhou Er, who was interrupted, hummed and said, "On the seventh day of the first lunar month, I have already petitioned His Majesty to observe a three-year mourning period for Marquis Wu Ding and Lady Zhenlie. That news cannot be trusted."
Lu Qingyan scooped a bowl of soup for Lin Meizhu, who took it and said, "Thank you, Lord Lu."
Lu Qingyan laughed: "Eleventh Lady is so distant from me."
Lin Meizhu readily accepted the offer and picked up a piece of tender meat for him, saying, "Brother Lu, you eat too."
Lu Qingyan's smile deepened a little, and he said softly, "Okay."
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