Chapter 51
Ye Hu pushed the door open with an embarrassed look on his face and said, "Miss, Master Lao Ben insisted on coming in."
Yueming scolded her: "What nonsense are you talking about? You are becoming more and more unruly. I was listening to you. Master Lao Ben asked you to pass the message, so why did you insist on coming in?"
Yueming rarely scolded her and Aiye. Seeing that she looked unhappy, Yehu didn't dare to say anything to Lao Ben anymore. He lowered his head and asked, "Should we let him in or not?"
Yueming frowned. She really indulged them too much. They even dared to show disrespect to a young master like Lao Ben. His father was a tax collector. Wouldn't this cause trouble for his father?
She frowned, taking care not to have a tantrum outside, and said calmly, "Please ask Master Lao Ben to come in."
Lao Ben came in and smiled when he saw Yueming. "I shouldn't have bothered Miss Lan from entertaining guests. We agreed to treat you last time, and today happened to be the day we met. We thought it would be better to do it today. If Miss Lan is not convenient, we can make an appointment next time. I just came in to say hello."
Yueming smiled politely, "It's okay. Since we've met, let's sit down together!" He then introduced Dusong, "This is Master Lao Ben from the family of the tax collector, Mr. Palao Lang."
Du Song bowed to Lao Ben and said, "Master Lao Ben."
Lao Ben quickly supported Du Song's arms while he carried his luggage. "I don't deserve this. You are Lan's sister's uncle, so I should be the one to pay my respects to you."
Yueming seemed to understand why Han Yunkai disliked Lao Ben. He was just good at saying nice things, but he said, "Why don't you bow? Just a nod will be enough for me." This was the first time she had seen someone so calm and composed, all talk and no action.
But such hypocritical people are also easy to get along with, as long as everyone is hypocritical. They are all sensible people who know the disgrace of fighting, so they will show some courtesy to each other, and the relationship will not be awkward when there is courtesy.
Now that he had joined, the dim sum and snacks on the table seemed a bit shabby. Yueming asked Ai Ye to tell Mrs. Du to serve a few signature dishes so that Ye Hu would not have to wait outside and could come in to serve.
Lao Ben smiled brightly, "I told my mother the other day that I wanted to invite my sister to our house. She was very happy and said that you must not have eaten authentic Han food in a long time. When you come over, I will definitely cook for you and show you my cooking skills."
Without waiting for Yueming to politely evade the question, Yunkai pushed the door open and walked in: "Your mother is not Han Chinese, how can she be authentic?"
Yueming stared in amazement at Yunkai's chest, which was still heaving from his hasty running. She wondered why Yunkai had come to join in the fun. Then, seeing that he had nothing in his hands, she couldn't help but blurt out in confusion: "Why are you here? Where's the roast chicken? Did you lose?"
Yunkai heard that Lao Ben had followed Yueming into Shengweixuan, so he ran all the way. Seeing Lao Ben sitting steadily across from Yueming, he couldn't help but curse inwardly: This filthy bastard has actually learned to follow women. Is he planning to do something illicit? He dared to set his sights on Lan Yueming. He doesn't want his legs anymore, right?
Just as he was cursing to his heart's content, he suddenly heard Yueming asking him a silly question. He frowned and said sarcastically, "I haven't asked you yet! Didn't you say you were here to see your uncle? When did Lao Ben become your uncle?"
Yueming was furious. Are you blind? Uncle Song is such a big living person, and you didn’t see him! Holding back his anger, he stood up and introduced Du Song: "Uncle, this is the second young master of the Tusi Mansion."
Du Song smiled and bowed to Yun Kai: "Second Young Master, I'm sorry to bother Miss Yue Ming at home."
Yunkai straightened his back and accepted his greeting. After glancing at Yueming, he said to Dusong, "You're too polite. Mr. Lan is busy with the affairs of the Tusi Mansion, so it's only natural for us to take care of his daughter. I heard Yueming call you uncle. Are you related to her family?"
Du Song lowered his head and said, "I just followed Master Lan to beg for food. Miss Meng is so kind as to call me uncle, but I don't dare to accept it."
Yun Kai said, his hands behind his back, "Those who can follow Mr. Lan are all great men. Since Yueming calls you uncle, you don't have to be modest in front of me. She doesn't have many relatives or friends in Yunxiang. You can come to the Tusi Mansion to see her more often. Just treat it as an ordinary visit between relatives."
Du Song's eyebrows moved when he heard this, and he bowed to Yun Kai, "In that case, thank you very much, Second Young Master."
He was told not to be so modest, yet he still insisted on bowing. Yun Kai shrugged at Yue Ming, who looked indifferent. He said innocently, "If he insists on doing this, there's nothing I can do."
With Yunkai here, Yueming naturally needs more dishes. Yehu goes to find Mrs. Du, and the only one left to serve is Feng Xiaosai, who is always smiling. But Yunkai pushes the teacup towards Yueming and says, "Pour some tea, I'm so thirsty."
"Feng Xiaosai..." Yueming just opened his mouth when he was interrupted by Yunkai: "You don't have hands! Why are you calling him?" He frowned and looked unhappy.
Yueming choked and decided not to indulge his bad habits: "Where's your hand? Is it broken? It won't fall down by itself!"
"Lan Yueming, you have no conscience! I was thinking of bringing you a roast chicken when I went out, but now you're complaining when I asked you to pour a cup of tea."
Yueming sneered, "Where's the chicken? Where's the chicken? Why don't you take it out? I can return a few dishes and save some money."
Yun Kai waved his hand nonchalantly, "Don't worry, I'll make sure you have Vietnamese roast chicken when we get home tonight. The chicken legs are so delicious."
Lao Ben, who had been watching their quarrel coldly, sneered: "Are you sure you can win?"
Yun Kai lazily turned his head to look at him, but his eyes were stern: "It's not about whether I can, it's about me definitely winning."
Lao Ben sneered. He really couldn't stand seeing Yun Kai acting so arrogantly, but he didn't want to argue with him in front of Yue Ming. He said to Yue Ming, "I just came here to say hello. I've kept you guys for so long, it's time to go."
Yueming was surprised: "The dishes are almost served, how can we let the guests go? You don't need to waste a meal!"
Yun Kai poked Lao Ben's sore spot with a mean mouth: "He has to go back and say goodbye to his Vietnamese chicken. He should be in your stomach tonight."
Yueming's surprise was genuine this time: "He said if he loses, the roasted chicken is yours?"
Lao Ben nodded, then decided it was not a good idea to embarrass himself, so he said, "We did say whoever loses the fighting cock gets roasted, but you don't even know whose chicken you're eating tonight."
Yun Kai felt that he was still being stubborn even when his death was imminent, and he kept sneering at him.
Yueming frowned and looked at them disapprovingly: "Why are you playing so mean? It's just an outsider, but we're all friends who grew up together. How can you make fun of someone's favorite thing?"
Lao Ben looked at Yun Kai and said with a double meaning, "How can a chicken be considered a favorite, right? Second Young Master!"
Yun Kai's expression remained calm, as if he didn't understand what Lao Ben meant. He raised an eyebrow and said to Lao Ben, "Alright, alright, you're such a grown-up, why are you making a fuss? You just came to eat for free without being invited, and now you feel embarrassed! Don't worry, Lan Yueming has plenty of money, and you won't make her poor."
Lao Ben's veins were throbbing, and he cursed Yun Kai's eight generations of ancestors in his heart with great disrespect. He had wanted to leave, but now he refused to leave.
Du Song looked at Yun Kai and Lao Ben in confusion, wondering how they could have such a deep grudge against each other that they could fight like fighting cocks and yet still eat at the same table. Then he looked at Yun Kai and Yue Ming, and suddenly he understood.
He is very familiar with this scene!
The boy is in love and the girl is ignorant!
When the food and wine were served, Yunkai raised his glass to toast Du Song first: "Mr. Du, you have come from afar. I am sorry that I cannot entertain you at the Tusi Mansion. I would like to offer you a toast through the help of Yueming. Tomorrow I will host a banquet at the Tusi Mansion to welcome Mr. Du."
Du Song quickly raised his glass and said politely, "Second Young Master, I appreciate your kindness. How could someone of my status be worthy of your care? Besides, I only came to see Miss Yueming, as Master Lan had instructed me to do before he left. I have a lot of things to deal with back at Li Shengmeng, so I won't bother you. Could you also apologize to Mrs. Yin for me? It's not that I'm being rude or disrespectful, but I came in such a hurry that I didn't have anything to offer, so I'm embarrassed to come visit you."
Yun Kai waved his hand and said, "We don't care about this in our family. You are a very important person in the eyes of Master Meng Tao of Li Sheng. My father wrote to me praising you very much. If he knew that I didn't treat you well when you came to Yun Xiang, he would definitely scold me when he got home."
When Lao Ben heard that Du Song was part of the Lishengmeng salt caravan, his eyes flickered. He marveled at Lan Yingde's remarkable skills. Even though the Tao chieftains considered him their sworn enemy, he endured the Tao family's abuse and sent the caravan over, arranging everything. The Tao family had previously occupied a mid-tier position within the Nine Meng Thirteen Circles, but with this caravan, they had soared to prominence, surpassing everyone else. With the exception of Chieftain Han, no one could possibly hold them back.
He also raised his glass and said, "Uncle Du, you might as well stay a few more days. Firstly, you can spend more time with Sister Yueming. Secondly, as a junior, I have a lot to learn from you."
Seeing everyone toasting, it wouldn't look good for her to just sit there and eat her food. Yueming raised the small ceramic cup in front of her. Before she could say anything, Yunkai patted her head lightly and scolded her, "You're so old, and you're only thinking about drinking. Put the cup back."
Seeing that Dusong also looked disapproving, Yueming put the cup back angrily and picked up the chopsticks to eat again.
Yueming obeyed but didn't let Yunkai off the hook. He glared at Ye Hu and Ai Ye, who were serving beside him, "I wanted to scold you when I was pouring the wine just now. You move when I tell you to, but don't move when I don't. Is this how you serve the young lady? And you're still standing there watching. Don't you know to clear the glass and get her some other drinks?"
Ye Hu and Ai Ye looked at each other, then at Yue Ming. Yue Ming had said that they didn't need to listen to anyone except herself. Seeing the two maids looking at her pitifully, Yue Ming defended them, saying, "No need to change. I just don't drink. Don't scold them."
Yun Kai turned back and glared at her: "I'll teach them the rules first, and then I'll scold you later."
Yueming...what does it have to do with me?
Seeing that Yueming had also eaten first, Yehu and Aiye cleared the cups for Yueming while the other went to see if there were any fresh fruits to make a drink for Yueming.
Du Song watched coldly without interrupting. It was good that the two maids listened to Yueming's words, but they lacked a bit of shrewdness and the ability to read the situation. Serving the young lady wasn't just about blindly following her orders; they had to cover for her shortcomings and anticipate things she hadn't thought of. Otherwise, why had the Tao family sent them here? Were they simply sending two servants who could speak Chinese?
Seeing Yueming in trouble, Lao Ben immediately offered his help: "Sister Yueming's maid can teach herself. Why are you being so rude? You'll be embarrassed."
Yun Kai looked him over with a forced smile: "You studied for several years with that sour scholar Hong Xiucai, and while you haven't learned anything, you've definitely picked up his whole set of pretentious talk about morality and righteousness."
Lao Ben was furious, but he wore a nonchalant smile on his face. "Pretending to be respectable is also a form of upbringing. Do I have to be as vulgar and vindictive as you to appear like a real person?"
Yueming was dumbfounded. Did these two people go out to the streets to quarrel?
Yun Kai shook his head and waved his hands at Lao Ben. "That's because I treat Yue Ming and Mr. Du as my own family. It's hypocritical to act like a decent person in front of your own people, isn't it?"
Seeing that Lao Ben was about to jump up and beat up the Second Young Master Han, Du Song quickly tried to smooth things over: "I shouldn't refuse the Second Young Master and Lao Ben's kind invitation, but the things going on in Lishengmeng really don't allow me to stay any longer. I offer a toast to the two young masters. When you two are free and go to Lishengmeng one day, I will definitely treat you well."
Yueming sighed quietly in his heart. He hadn't seen him for a few years and wanted to have a good chat with Uncle Song, but more and more people came in, making the meal more lively than a market.
After dinner, Du Song apologized to Yun Kai and Lao Ben, saying he had to hurry on his way. The two young masters condescended to accompany Yue Ming downstairs to see Du Song off. Yue Ming was reluctant to leave after finally meeting someone she knew, and she kept asking Du Song when he would come see her again.
Du Song sighed, "I have to take advantage of the dry weather to make another salt trip. I won't be back for a month or two. Miss, please be careful in Yunxiang. If there is anything, send someone to Lishengmeng to deliver a message. I have someone here."
Yueming looked at him eagerly: "Can you come back when the Tao family marries their granddaughter?"
"I should be able to come back soon," Juniper asked, "Miss, are you going too?"
Yueming nodded: "Han Yunkai promised to take me there when the time comes."
Du Song couldn't help but smile when she heard her second young master and Han Yunkai being called each other. She glanced at Yunkai, who was teasing Lao Ben so much that his face turned pale, and whispered to Yue Ming, "The second young master is really good to you."
Yueming pouted with a look of horror on his face, "Don't you see how annoying he is? If he stops scolding me, I'll go to the temple to burn incense. How can he be nice to me?"
The more sparks fly, the more interesting life becomes! Du Song understood in his heart, but did not say it out loud. He just touched Yueming's head and said, "I really have to go. Take care, Miss!"
After bidding farewell to the two young masters, Yueming jumped on the horse and waved goodbye to him with red eyes: "Uncle Song, be careful on the road."
Juniper nodded at her and whipped the horse. Yueming was still waving in that direction until the horse ran away.
Lao Ben wanted to go forward to comfort him, but Yun Kai grabbed him. He said enthusiastically, "Lao Ben, do you want to come to my house for tea?"
He was so sarcastic just now, but now he's so enthusiastic? Lao Ben couldn't figure out what malicious intentions were behind his sudden change of attitude, so he cautiously refused: "No."
Yun Kai quickly frowned and threw away the hand he was holding. "If you don't want to go, just go back home! Why are you following us?"
Lao Ben stumbled after being thrown around, but luckily Feng Xiaosai caught him from behind. After Lao Ben regained his balance, he pushed Feng Xiaosai aside and sneered at Yun Kai, "Why are you panicking? What's yours will be yours sooner or later. It's useless for you to try to take what's not yours."
Yueming finished her sorrow and turned around when she heard this. She asked curiously, "What are you taking over? Did the Second Young Master steal your things?"
The two young men were startled and their faces turned red.
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