Lu Weiwei then relaxed her grip.
These minor details don't matter.
When Zhang Sheng passes the imperial examination and becomes a scholar a year later, that will be her time to turn her life around.
Therefore, when she saw Lu Amian and his wife arrive, she was momentarily stunned.
In terms of appearance, she hadn't changed much. But was this still the same Ah Mian she remembered—always with straw in her hair, her sleeves always seemingly old and tattered, with big eyes on her thin, pointed face, and even a somewhat frighteningly silly girl?!
Ah Mian now has a rosy complexion, her shiny black hair is neatly tied in a bun at the back of her head, and her clothes are brand new. She looks like a young lady who is living a very comfortable life.
Originally, one glance would have been enough, but Lu Weiwei noticed that her newlywed husband, Zhang Yixing, was also staring blankly at that person.
"Look at that slovenly, unsophisticated family downstairs..." Lu Weiwei chuckled softly, her voice neither too loud nor too soft, but just loud enough for the makeup artist and her group to hear. "Come and see, that farmer couple must be visiting a restaurant for the first time, they're making quite a spectacle of themselves."
At this moment, Lu Amian, who was on the first floor, was unaware that she was being watched by many people on the second floor. She was secretly clutching Meng Chijian's sleeve while watching people prepare to light the firecrackers without blinking.
A waiter took out a tinderbox, placed it on the fuse, and quickly ran away.
In an instant, a series of crackling sounds filled the air, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.
Ignoring A-Mian's protests, Meng Chijian prevented her from getting to the front and covered her ears with his two large hands.
At first, Ah Mian was curious, but when the firecrackers went off, she was startled. After watching the firecrackers calmly, she smiled and thought she had joined in the fun amidst the sulfurous smell in the street.
Upon arriving at the restaurant, Ah Mian was filled with emotion once again—
"What a magnificent little building! I wonder how much money it must have cost."
"Waiter, how much is your monthly allowance?"
"I wonder how many chefs such a restaurant needs?"
Seeing that she was taking notes very seriously, Meng Chijian asked, "Do you want to open a restaurant?"
"No, I want to open a tofu shop."
“Oh,” Meng Chijian glanced discreetly at the figures faintly visible behind the second-floor window, “Making tofu requires getting up early and working late; it’s very hard work. And the profit margin is low. How can one support a shop like that?”
Just as A-Mian was about to speak, she suddenly became wary and said, "I won't tell you."
Meng Chijian dismissed her thoughts as daydreaming and childish talk, and didn't take it seriously. He casually chimed in, "I think I saw someone I know. I'll go say hello. You wait here for the banquet to start, okay?"
"Um."
With good food around, Ah Mian wouldn't wander off, so he left with peace of mind.
This wedding banquet was indeed extremely elaborate, and the presentation was truly impressive. The dishes were served in pairs: whole chicken, whole duck, whole goose, and whole fish—four main courses plus eight braised dishes. Each dish had a symbolic meaning, and as each dish was served, the waiter would loudly announce its significance:
"Auspicious Dragon and Phoenix—"
"Four Happiness Meatballs—"
Amian was completely confused. In front of her were a dish of meatballs in sauce, a dish of boiled fish, a dish of preserved duck, a pot of chicken soup, and some cold dishes and seasonal vegetables.
As soon as the dishes were served, everyone started eating without hesitation, their chopsticks flying as they picked them up.
Ah Mian had a plan in mind. Since eating the preserved duck was laborious and time-consuming, she quickly grabbed a meatball with substantial filling.
I don't know how these meatballs are made, but they're neither fishy nor dry, and when you bite into them, they're as soft and fluffy as tofu, melting instantly.
After finishing the meatballs, I noticed that no one was vying for the cold dishes, so I immediately showed off another half bowl of preserved egg and tofu salad.
Then came the anxious part. She picked out a piece of fish belly meat and had to eat it slowly and carefully to avoid getting a fish bone stuck in her throat.
Finally, we ate rice soaked in chicken broth and leisurely ate the braised duck.
A little while later, the waiter came over and whispered to her that the kitchen had saved her a small stew pot, and that she should go and eat it quietly.
Amian asked in bewilderment, "Why is that?"
The waiter said, "You'll find out when you get there!"
Ah Mian hesitated, as if a piece of flesh had been cut from her body, and shook her head with a heavy heart.
If it were before, she would have gone without hesitation.
Meanwhile, Zhang Yixing waited and waited in the kitchen, but no one came, leaving him completely baffled.
Time was short, so he could only write a few words on a piece of paper, ask the waiter to pass them on, and then go to entertain his guests.
However, in the midst of his busy schedule, he forgot one thing.
That is, A-Mian is illiterate.
When Meng Chijian returned after finishing his work, the banquet was already more than halfway over.
"I just went to give the gift; it didn't cost much, just twenty copper coins."
At this time, people would bring gifts or give some copper coins when attending weddings, just for good luck. The value of the gifts depended entirely on the closeness of the relationship.
"Oh," Ah Mian said lazily after finishing her meal, then suddenly whispered, "The waiter just asked me to go to the kitchen for a stew, but I didn't go."
His face screamed, "Praise me!"
Meng Chijian found it amusing, but simply said, "A-Mian is so clever."
"And this, could you help me see what's written on it? I can't understand it."
Amian took out a note and gave it to him.
Meng Chijian opened it and saw two lines written in small regular script. He remained expressionless and casually asked, "What is the relationship between the groom and your family?"
"So it was a neighbor. What did they write?"
Meng Chijian casually crumpled the note and put it in his pocket. "He said he's short of money because he's getting married recently and wants to borrow ten taels of silver from you."
"What?!" A-Mian slammed her hand on the table, then looked on with disbelief. "That's really what the note said?"
"Yes. He said that if he didn't have ten taels, borrowing eight taels would be fine, and he would definitely repay it later."
Ah Mian clutched the purse hidden in her clothes. "Let's hurry up and leave after we finish eating, so he won't keep bothering me to borrow money."
"good."
After returning home, Meng Chijian casually threw the note into the stove and burned it.
The note wasn't about borrowing money; it was a vague invitation for Ah Mian to meet him at a so-called "old place" in a few days. Although the purpose was unclear, he was already married, yet he wanted to secretly meet someone else's wife, completely disregarding Ah Mian's reputation.
While everyone was enjoying the wedding feast, Meng Chijian managed to find out quite a bit about the Zhang and Lu families.
The Zhang family and the Lu family had a betrothal since childhood, and it is said that the children of the two families were childhood sweethearts.
Looking at the couple today... there doesn't seem to be much familiarity or tacit understanding between them, like people who grew up together.
Meng Chijian glanced at A-Mian, who was playing with the nine-linked rings on the long wooden bench. He knew that A-Mian was clueless about matters of the heart. However, a possibility that couldn't be ignored was slowly rising to the surface, still making him feel a little depressed and uncomfortable.
Who was the Zhang family going to marry in the marriage agreement with the Lu family at the beginning?
"Are you very familiar with that person from the Zhang family? Why would he think of borrowing money from you?"
Amian, unsuspecting, honestly replied, "I'm also puzzled. He should know I have no money. It's just that when he was little, he couldn't recite his lessons and was locked in the village ancestral hall. I stole some roasted corn and broad beans for him to eat a few times."
"Oh. So it seems you two are quite familiar with each other."
Meng Chijian stood up, took the nine-linked rings, and went to fetch water without saying a word.
A-Mian was left completely bewildered, tilting her head in confusion.
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