54 Slim Waist
◎Zhao Zhonggan's waist is thinner than his.◎
Before long, Banzhu knocked on the door carrying a full food box. Yingjianhua only opened the door a crack, completely blocking out the scene inside.
The food box was quite generous; although it lacked delicacies like eggplant casserole, it was still tempting and delicious. Du Zhijin remained silent, simply burying herself in her food. After she had refilled her bowl twice, she noticed that the small bowl in front of Ying Jian's picture had barely been touched.
She mumbled through her chopsticks, "Why aren't you eating?"
That shouldn't be the case. Before, in the village, they ate the most ordinary boiled cabbage with great relish. Why are they so uninterested now?
Ying Jianhua put down her chopsticks, her gaze inadvertently sweeping over her waist, her brows furrowing almost imperceptibly: "I have no appetite, you can eat it all."
When Banzhu handed him the food box, her eyes lingered on his waist several times, her expression hesitant and unsure what to say. Remembering Zhao Zhonggan's figure, he instantly lost his appetite.
Yes, Zhao Zhonggan practices swordsmanship with Du Zhijin all day long, sweating profusely, and can burn off all the calories he eats, hence his slender waist. In contrast, he spends most of his time reading and writing prescriptions, sitting almost without moving, so naturally his waist is thicker than others.
That won't do. He needs to eat and drink less so that he can't be outdone by Zhao Zhonggan.
Having made up her mind, Ying Jianhua remained unmoved and resolutely refused to eat a single bite, no matter how Du Zhijin tried to persuade her. Left with no other option, she ate two portions by herself, quickly devouring the food.
He then called Banzhu to take away the empty food box. This time, Banzhu's gaze was even more intense, and a look of shock even appeared on her face.
Wow, Young Master Mo eats so much yet is so thin. Is there some secret to his diet?
Ying Jianhua, however, interpreted his surprise as something else entirely. He held back for a moment, but couldn't help asking Du Zhijin, "Are you still going to teach Zhao Zhonggan martial arts tonight?"
The saying goes, "Eat less and move more," so perhaps he should also get some exercise.
Du Zhijin thought for a moment and shook his head: "I'm afraid it won't work tonight. I need to wander around and test the map's reaction."
The map went completely silent after entering Liulijing. If she hadn't seen traces of a great demon on it the day before, she would have thought that the demon could travel a thousand miles a day and escape in the blink of an eye.
“Then tomorrow, I’ll go with you all,” he said.
She asked in surprise, "Amo, don't you dislike crowded places?" Then, she suddenly realized, "After what happened with the Phantom Demon, do you want to learn some self-defense techniques? Leave it to me!"
Ying Jianhua's eyes darted around: "...Yes, it's just what you think."
The two talked for a while longer when there was another knock at the door. Before Ying Jianhua could speak, Du Zhijin had already opened the window, ready to climb out at any moment.
...I really don't know where she picked up this bad habit. He was slightly speechless and waved for her to leave quickly.
Upon opening the door, this time, not only Ban Zhu was standing outside, but Tan Yun was also present.
Tan Yun bowed and explained his purpose: "The eldest young master has been away from home for many years and has finally returned. The madam is hosting a welcome banquet at the mansion and cordially invites our distinguished guests to attend."
Ying Jianhua nodded, and noticing that Tan Yun seemed to be looking behind her intentionally, asked, "Does the Lady Marquis have any further instructions?"
“Ah, no. It’s just…” she hesitated, then said, “Does the young master know where Miss Mu is? I originally invited her first before coming to find you, but she is not at Shuyu Zhai.”
Where is Du Zhijin? He's under that windowsill. Seeing the scene unfold, Ying Jian lays on the ground without batting an eye: "I don't know. I'll tell you if I see him on the road." "Then I'll trouble you, young master."
After Tan Yun left, he dismissed Ban Zhu and opened the window to look down.
There was no one outside the window, only a line of bamboo leaves arranged in a crooked and slanted pattern.
See you at the banquet.
The inscription is a sword made of two bamboo leaves.
"Really..." he sighed helplessly, but a slight smile played on his lips. Before leaving, he deliberately went around to pick up the two bamboo leaves in front of Ban Zhu and tucked them into his sleeve.
Ban Zhu asked curiously, "Young master, what are you doing...?" "Haven't you heard of 'brewing tea with bamboo?' Brewing tea with bamboo is quite an elegant affair."
He listened, his throat tightened, and he honestly shook his head. Ying Jianhua smiled slightly and said nothing more.
Liu Banzhu scratched his head, looking at the bamboo leaves scattered all over the ground.
Since Young Master Mo likes bamboo leaves, does he usually sweep them or not?
————
According to Ban Zhu, tonight's welcome banquet is a family dinner, and apart from him and Du Zhijin, everyone else is a relative of the Marquis's family.
Upon seeing the painting, Ying asked him who the Marquis's relatives were.
Ban Zhu: "There is a concubine, the second young master, the third young lady, Aunt He, and a cousin."
"Miss?"
When asked about this cousin, Ban Zhu was vague, only saying, "Miss Wu is the daughter of the Lady of the Marquis's younger sister."
After saying that, seeing that Ying Jianhua didn't ask any more questions, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Even at a family banquet, Lady Hou prepared a lavish and grand affair. Maids filed in, and a variety of exquisite dishes filled the long table. The top tier featured pastries shaped like eight-treasure hairpins, their flaky crusts encasing rose-red bean paste—a feast for the eyes. Fresh bamboo shoot and ham soup floated in white jade bowls, while steaming shad still smoldered. Even the side dishes were garnished with emerald-green orchid petals. Silver candles burned brightly, two golden dragons illuminating the scene. Incense was burned, candles were held, and bamboo blinds were half-rolled up. Dozens of servants stood at attention, ready to refill wine and serve food.
Upon seeing this setup, Ying Jianhua assumed the seating arrangement would be elaborate, but after entering the main hall, he discovered that things were not as he had imagined.
It's true that the Marquis of Jianchang is sitting at the head of the table, but why is Zhao Zhonggan sitting with Du Zhijin? And why is the Marquis's wife sitting opposite them?
Du Zhijin was the first to see him and waved. Zhao Zhonggan followed the gesture and waved back.
Ying Jianhua wrote: "...This humble commoner, Mo Yan, greets the Marquis of Jianchang and his wife."
He was quite satisfied with his pseudonym, which was neither particularly refined nor elegant, but rather of average quality.
Upon hearing this, Marquis Jianchang nodded to him across the long, flowing table, then suddenly turned his attention to Zhao Zhonggan: "You unfilial son! Young Master Mo is a man of outstanding talent and learning, well-versed in poetry and literature. And look at you? You do nothing all day long, neglecting your duties and causing your mother endless worry!"
After he finished speaking, the room fell silent.
Originally, Zhao Zhonggan was talking to Du Zhijin with an undisguised smile on his face. After hearing what the Marquis of Jianchang said, he immediately stopped smiling and his face turned serious.
Yingjian thought to himself that this was not a good sign.
How did the Marquis of Jianchang know that he was "well-versed in poetry and literature"? Could it be that Ban Zhu relayed his words to him?
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.
I was still careless.
"Zhong Gan doesn't want to go home because you always lose your temper for no reason. Like father, like son. If you were a good person, why would you worry about not producing a 'Young Master Mo'?" But the Marquis's wife was there and didn't buy it. She left the Marquis of Jianchang speechless with her words.
She said coldly, "Anyway, I can't have children."
Upon hearing this, Marquis Jianchang was completely speechless and silently shut his mouth. Ying Jianhua was led by a servant to sit down on the other side of Du Zhijin, and after witnessing the whole process, she couldn't help but feel curious.
Does the Marquis of Jianchang's mansion have the final say under the Marquis's wife? He decided to ask Du Zhijin after the banquet.
As soon as he sat down, Ying Jianhua felt a gaze upon him. He paused slightly, subtly picking up a pastry to observe his surroundings.
The gaze came from across the way... it was a woman in white.
For some reason, he felt that the other person was the "Miss Wu" that Ban Zhu had mentioned. He couldn't explain why, but she just seemed like a character from a storybook.
Miss Cousin and Young Master Marquis... Is their relationship like the one described in the storybooks?
Although there was a slight unpleasantness at the beginning, the banquet proceeded without incident. Marquis Jianchang seemed to have been discouraged by his wife, drinking silently without uttering a word. Contrary to popular belief, his concubine, the second son, and the third daughter did not mock or ridicule the heir; everything proceeded smoothly.
Sure enough, stories are stories, and reality is reality; no one would risk their life to challenge authority.
Ying Jianhua couldn't say whether she felt more regret or relief. She couldn't eat the delicious food on the table, so she could only use expensive ebony chopsticks inlaid with silver to pick up a few orchid petals as a side dish and taste them briefly.
Suddenly, a pair of chopsticks appeared in front of him, taking away his side dish of orchids and then taking back a piece of tender white shad.
It is Du Zhijin.
She leaned close to his ear and whispered, "It's so quiet here, I can't even eat. The orchids you chose are perfect, they'll help cut through the richness."
"It's only right to reciprocate, here's a piece of fish for you, don't waste it."
He noticed the grains of rice at the corner of her mouth and was about to remind her when another voice rang in his ears: "What are you talking about? Is steamed shad delicious?"
Zhao Zhonggan had somehow gotten close and was staring intently at the fish in his bowl.
Ying Jianhua paused for a moment, then put the fish into her mouth in front of him and replied, "Delicious."
What he didn't say was that he wanted to get the food himself.
After finishing the fish, he regretted it. He looked down and measured his waist, and the fish meat he had eaten suddenly became substantial.
Damn it, it must be Zhao Zhonggan's conspiracy! How despicable!
The welcoming banquet was centered around Zhao Zhonggan, and his every move drew everyone's attention. Lady Hou was pleased to see him interact with Du Zhijin, and was already planning when to set the wedding date. However, after several rounds of drinks, Marquis Jianchang seemed drunk: "What kind of behavior is this! The formalities of marriage haven't been completed yet, how can you act like this!"
The Three Letters and Six Rites?
Du Zhijin looked at Ying Jianhua blankly, and Ying Jianhua was also full of surprise.
Zhao Zhonggan finally lost his temper and became completely enraged. He kicked over the table, scattering gold and silver artifacts all over the floor with a crisp sound.
The servants exclaimed in surprise, and the Third Miss opposite them hugged Aunt He tightly, the mother and daughter trembling.
He glanced coldly at his half-brothers and half-sisters in front of him and scoffed.
"Does the Three Letters and Six Rites necessarily have to be taken seriously? My mother is right, if the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be crooked too."
The sarcasm in his words was so strong that the Marquis of Jianchang was so angry that his hands trembled. He roared, "You wretched child!! Guards! Bring out the family law!" "Let's see who dares!!" The Marquis's wife was not to be outdone. At her command, all the guards stood still.
The scene froze for a moment. Du Zhijin's chopsticks were still suspended in mid-air, unsure whether to pick up anything or not. She wanted to ask Ying Jianhua for help, but found... found him watching with great interest, even holding a few sunflower seeds from the fruit plate in his hand.
Noticing her looking over, he raised an eyebrow, offered her a peeled sunflower seed, and silently asked: Do you want some?
Du Zhijin:......
Du Zhijin took the melon seeds and watched the play with him.
[Author's Note]
*Inspired by Dream of the Red Chamber
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