Seeing Yuan Jue accept the task so easily, Feng Fei couldn't help but scrutinize him even more curiously. "Tsk tsk, this guy is not only good-looking and capable, but he even knows the essential cooking skills for an outstanding man in China! What a perfect family man!" Feng Fei thought to himself, believing that if Yuan Jue were sent to China, he would definitely be fought over by all those fujoshi (female fans of male-male romance), mature women, single women, and homebodies. "But right now, only I can do it!" Feng Fei couldn't help but feel secretly pleased, his face beaming with smugness.
Feng Fei waved her little hand, "Let's go! We've all eaten!" She grabbed Ming Feng and pulled her into her arms, then started walking out, with Yuan Jue following closely behind. Just as they reached the door, Feng Fei stopped and turned to look at Yuan Jue: "Where are we going?"
Yuan Jue smiled, stepped forward, took Feng Fei's hand, and walked towards the right side of Zuifeng Pavilion.
To the right of Zuifeng Pavilion was a north-south street lined with various shops. Rice shops displayed large signs, boldly proclaiming only the character for "rice." Deep within the street, an enticing aroma of wine wafted from a tavern; following the scent, one couldn't see the shop itself, suggesting the owner understood the adage "good wine needs no bush." Another shop, displaying a sign for "tofu," had its entrance crowded with burly men dressed in blue robes and blouses.
Cherry blossoms, cascading down the mountainside, are a sight to behold. The text appears to be a jumbled collection of characters and symbols, possibly from different sources, and lacks coherent meaning. A direct translation isn't meaningful without further context or clarification.
The store was ridiculously crowded, so Feng Fei grabbed a passerby and asked him questions.
This Miss Pan was quite a remarkable woman. Although the Vermilion Bird Kingdom was predominantly female, and many women were out in the public eye, it wasn't common for someone to own a shop and work as a businesswoman. In her younger days, Miss Pan had been engaged to what seemed to be a good family, but unfortunately, her parents died unexpectedly on the eve of their marriage. After Miss Pan completed her three-year mourning period, her original family had already remarried. Miss Pan wasn't angry; since her family had suffered the misfortune first, she couldn't blame them for "breaking off the engagement." As the saying goes, it's natural for men to marry and women to marry when they're of age!
If that were all, it would have been fine, but little did they know that the family they had met before turned out to be a wolf in sheep's clothing.
After Miss Pan finished her mourning period, she brazenly went to the official's house and asked to be taken as a concubine! This was outrageous! In the Vermilion Bird Kingdom, women were respected, and such disregard for national law was rare, yet Miss Pan had encountered one. It turned out that this family had gotten in touch with a high-ranking official in Fengdu, whose concubine was the youngest son of this family. This youngest son was said to be incredibly beautiful and charming, the official's darling.
The youngest son of this family was extremely grateful for their upbringing and would frequently have the official send them fine gifts. Gradually, this family developed an arrogant and domineering attitude. In Qingfeng Town, those without power feared this scoundrel, while those with power dared not provoke them.
As the saying goes, even if a person has no intention of harming a tiger, a tiger may still have the intention of harming a person's heart.
Seeing that the townspeople feared them, this family became even more ostentatious. Normally, Miss Pan wouldn't have attracted their attention, but because of those shallow-minded people and this family: the Pan family always made a fortune selling tofu, and the profits were considerable. If they took Miss Pan as a concubine, wouldn't they get a "dowry"? And their eldest son would have another warm bedmate, which would help them have more children!
Originally, this family looked down on the Pan family's meager wealth, but they couldn't resist the temptation of "having more children"! Their eldest son had been married for almost two years, and his wife wasn't even pregnant! Let alone having a child! Moreover, in the Vermilion Bird Kingdom, it was extremely rare for a man to marry; families with even a little wealth usually married sons-in-law. Since marrying a wife was difficult, taking a concubine was even harder! And this Miss Pan had neither power nor influence, no elders above her, and only a younger brother below her—it would be far too easy to control her!
After thinking it over, the family brought their men to the Pan family's house. They had initially intended to directly ask to take Miss Pan as a concubine, but the eldest son of the family knew the importance of "courtesy before force," first appealing to past affections before finally revealing their true intentions. Upon hearing their nonsense, Miss Pan immediately flew into a rage, grabbed a carrying pole from her house, and forcefully drove the entire group out.
What a disgrace! The family was immediately enraged! Many people passed by the Pan family's door, and they got to witness this whole spectacle. The eldest son of the family barked a vicious threat at the door: "What an ungrateful wretch! We saw your weak daughter and younger brother and wanted to help them out! And you just kicked us out!" His first words were nothing but bloody slander.
"Pah! Look at your behavior! Everyone in Qingfeng Town knows that your family's current situation is entirely due to your youngest son being a concubine! And you never know how to behave yourself. You'll get what's coming to you sooner or later!" With that, Miss Pan slammed the courtyard gate shut.
The family was immediately embarrassed, their faces turned bright red, and they slunk away after saying only, "Just you wait and see."
But the matter did not end there.
This scoundrel used his limited power to coerce and threaten Miss Pan, causing her younger brother to be unable to continue his studies and forced to stay at home. Moreover, their original business—a small tofu shop—was also forced to close down.
Actually, it would be better to close the tofu shop for now, because my younger brother has been listless and dispirited ever since he came back from school. If it weren't for Miss Pan keeping a close eye on him, he probably would have died several times over. Moreover, since her parents died early, her tofu-making skills are not yet proficient. It would be good to take advantage of these days to hone her skills.
So Miss Pan shut herself in her house and began to hone her skills while also trying to comfort her younger brother.
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Did everyone enjoy their food and fun? If you're in a good mood, please save this post and give it a thumbs up!
Chapter Twenty: The Tofu Beauty (Part Two)
Chapter Twenty: The Tofu Beauty (Part Two)
I rarely go out except to buy some daily necessities.
Seeing that the Pan family's gate was always tightly closed, the rogue family was at a loss, but their resentment only grew stronger! So, one day when Miss Pan was out, the rogue family found two notorious scoundrels in Qingfeng Town—Ma Hu and Guai Liu—and sent them to the Pan family's door to bully them.
Pan's family had only one younger brother left at home. Moreover, he had not yet recovered from the previous blow. After opening the door in a daze, he was covered in dog blood by Ma Hu and Guai Liu, and was punched and kicked. He almost lost his life.
When Miss Pan returned, she found the doorway covered in blood, and her younger brother sitting on the ground, also covered in blood. She was instantly terrified! Miss Pan rushed to help her brother, only to find that her brother, whose eyes had been unfocused and vacant, was now looking at her with clear eyes. Overjoyed, Miss Pan asked, "Little brother! What happened? What's wrong?"
The determination in Pan's younger brother's eyes gradually became clear, and his words became more articulate: "Two scoundrels came, probably summoned by that wolf from the mountains! I'm fine! Thanks to my sister's care the other day, I'll never do that again!"
"Good! Good! Good!" Miss Pan exclaimed three times in a row, showing how excited she was. "Those two scoundrels actually did something! Then I won't hold it against them! But this debt should be settled properly with those beasts!"
Miss Pan helped her younger brother into the courtyard. She first boiled water for her brother to wash himself clean, and then the two siblings discussed how to deal with those people in the courtyard.
The next day, Miss Pan, dressed in mourning clothes, confronted Ma Hu and Guai Liu. Seeing the aggressive Miss Pan, Ma Hu and Guai Liu were filled with apprehension. Had they gone too far yesterday and killed the Pan family's younger brother? No way! They were always careful with their strength; how could they possibly kill someone!
Although Ma Hu and Guai Liu were notorious scoundrels, they were also known for never killing anyone; they were two men who knew their limits. Therefore, they couldn't help but feel apprehensive when faced with Miss Pan, who came to their door dressed in mourning clothes.
As soon as Miss Pan approached Ma Hu and Guai Liu, she pulled out a kitchen knife from her waist and held it to their necks. Ma Hu and Guai Liu were so frightened that their faces turned ashen. They took several steps back before daring to plead, "Miss Pan, Miss Pan! Let's talk this out! Put the knife down first!"
Miss Pan ignored them, only glaring at Ma Hu and Guai Liu. Finally, Ma Hu and Guai Liu gave in, pleading that if Miss Pan didn't cause trouble for them, they would grant all her requests. Indeed, "the reasonable fear the unreasonable, the unreasonable fear the stubborn, the stubborn fear the reckless, and when you encounter someone who is both stubborn and reckless," Miss Pan was not reckless, but rather there to "take lives."
What Miss Pan and Ma Hu Guai Liu secretly discussed later remains unknown. All that is known is that on the third day, the eldest son of that scoundrel had his leg broken, and a few days later, news came from Fengdu that his youngest son had offended the official and was beaten to death! This time, the scoundrel lost his backing and fled Qingfeng Town in disgrace.
Because many people in Qingfeng Town had been bullied by this scoundrel, upon learning that his backing had collapsed, they immediately beat him mercilessly, beating him so badly that he had to flee before he could even help his eldest son recover from his leg injury.
At first, the townspeople didn't know why this scoundrel's youngest son died or how his eldest son's leg was broken. But gradually, rumors spread that it was all Pan's doing, and that Ma Hu and Guai Liu were the ones helping him! Don't you see that these two are already working for the officials and their advisors in Fengdu?
Gradually, those fools in Qingfeng Town stopped bothering Miss Pan, and she reopened her tofu shop. Because of her previous reputation, many people wanted to see just how capable Miss Pan really was. But upon seeing her, they were all astonished! Miss Pan was not only extremely beautiful, but her eyebrows were like willow leaves in early spring, often carrying a hint of sorrow and melancholy; her face was like peach blossoms in March, subtly exuding charm and allure; her slender waist swayed gracefully, with a languid and languid air; her delicate lips were so alluring that they attracted bees and butterflies in a frenzy.
The women watching were secretly filled with envy and resentment, while the men drooled and glared with lust. However, Miss Pan always carried a kitchen knife at her waist, which deterred the lecherous men, and the women who were filled with envy looked slightly better.
The scene of people constantly surrounding Miss Pan's tofu shop continued, but Miss Pan never chased them away. About a year later, a group of women dressed in light red brocade robes suddenly arrived from Fengdu and immediately sought out Miss Pan in Qingfeng Town. While the men of Qingfeng Town were worried about Miss Pan, they found her house unusually quiet. The next day, they learned that Miss Pan's younger brother was returning! Moreover, Miss Pan's younger brother had become the advisor to that official in Fengdu!
This is truly remarkable! In the Vermilion Bird Kingdom, it's almost always women who want to obtain an official position; it's extremely difficult for men to achieve any recognition. Aside from a very few who gain official positions through unique bloodline abilities, it's practically impossible for others to succeed.
In the discussions among the people of Qingfeng Town, there was no mention of any theory that "the youngest brother of the Pan family was appreciated by the officials because of his awakened bloodline." The general consensus was that the youngest brother of the Pan family rose to power through his beauty, as the Pan family had always been known for producing beautiful women.
The people of Qingfeng Town envied the youngest brother of the Pan family for his good fortune. They all secretly sighed that if they had an outstanding youngest son, they could send him to be a concubine to the official in Fengdu, and then they could also walk sideways in Qingfeng Town.
Meanwhile, Pan's younger brother returned to Qingfeng Town with Ma Hu and Guai Liu. Ma Hu and Guai Liu were allowed to rest at home for a while, while Po Pi Lai Zi, who had previously been on good terms with Ma Hu and Guai Liu, came to inquire about their whereabouts. He learned that Pan's younger brother hadn't risen to prominence through his looks, but rather through genuine intelligence and skill! The day Ma Hu and Guai Liu had caused trouble for Pan's younger brother, he was so startled that he had awakened his bloodline! And what he had awakened was a mental ability related to strategy and intellect!
The town of Qingfeng was in an uproar. Now, the Pan family's daughter was even more attractive to the townspeople. Many families with eligible men at home went to inquire whether the Pan family's daughter would be willing to "marry" her, but the answer they all received was no.
Actually, was Miss Pan perhaps afraid of being hurt? That's why she rejected all men. This is the longest-standing and most reliable rumor circulating among the people of Qingfeng Town. However, no one really knows the real reason. What is clear is that Miss Pan doesn't need a "son-in-law."
Although no one dared to cause trouble for Miss Pan anymore because of the reputation of the younger brother of the Pan family, the number of people surrounding Miss Pan's tofu shop was increasing. After all, the more they saw Miss Pan, the more likely they were to make an impression and perhaps even catch her eye! Most people held this mentality. However, as time went by, Miss Pan grew older, and the young men who had hoped to marry into the Pan family grew up and reached the age to marry or be married off. So, those who were ready to marry married, and those who were able to marry married. At this time, Miss Pan was still single.
However, Miss Pan's tofu stall business was always booming, and she even earned the title of "Tofu Beauty".
After hearing the story of the "Tofu Beauty," Feng Fei couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement. "Wow, this Miss Pan is truly remarkable! In China, she'd probably be a superwoman. Luckily, this is the Vermilion Bird Kingdom. If it were one of the other four male-dominated countries, Miss Pan, the 'Tofu Beauty,' would likely have met a very different fate."
"Actually, I also heard that this Miss Pan hasn't gotten married because she's waiting for a scholar surnamed Wu." The person who was telling Feng Fei about Miss Pan's story gave Feng Fei this tidbit before leaving.
"puff……"
Luckily, Feng Fei hadn't drunk any water at that moment, or he would have definitely spat it out. Is this some kind of alternate-world version of Wu Dalang and Pan Jinlian? And with a scene where Pan Jinlian waits for Wu Dalang to the death?
A sense of curiosity stirred within Feng Fei, who grabbed the person who was about to leave, her voice slightly hoarse: "What is Miss Pan's name? And what's the story with that scholar surnamed Wu?"
"Oh, this Miss Pan's full name is Pan Jinlian, and the scholar surnamed Wu is apparently the eldest son in his family. Everyone else calls him Wu Dalang, but his full name seems to be Wu Menqing." The man who had been stopped wasn't annoyed and kindly answered the question for the curious young man in front of him. However, after glancing at the sky, he looked a little awkward and said to Feng Fei, "Is it alright now? My wife wants me to go buy tofu! If I go back late, she'll definitely misunderstand and think I'm lusting after Miss Pan's beauty!"
"Ah!" Feng Fei quickly let go of his hand and apologized profusely. The man waved his hand, squeezed into the tofu shop with great difficulty, and soon came out holding a basket full of tofu. He even gave Feng Fei a smile as he passed by.
Feng Fei, however, was oblivious to the scene that had involuntarily formed in her mind after hearing what had just been said: a Wu Dalang who looked like Ximen Qing and Pan Jinlian, who sold tofu, were being all lovey-dovey... The scene seemed strange no matter how she thought about it!
Feng Fei felt a chill run down his spine.
Because listening to the story of the tofu beauty took quite a while, Yuan Jue, who had just been letting Feng Fei gossip about it, suddenly grabbed Feng Fei's hand, strode off, and said as they walked, "Xiao Fei, it's getting late. If we don't hurry, we won't be able to eat our own meal tonight, and we might not even have a blanket. Although it's not very cold now, it's still early spring, and even in Qingfeng Town, the temperature difference between day and night is still quite large. If we don't have blankets tonight, we'll definitely catch a cold the next day..."
After a long, rapid-fire chatter, Feng Fei was completely bewildered. He wondered what had gotten into Yuan Jue, who was suddenly talking non-stop, like a machine gun. So, in a daze, Feng Fei was unknowingly led along by Yuan Jue for the rest of the way.
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Bancheng's health has been really bad lately... Any comforting words?
Chapter Twenty-One: Two Lively Treasures
"We've arrived." Yuan Jue pulled Feng Fei to a car dealership before quietly letting go of her hand. A hint of reluctance flashed across his face, but the next moment it transformed into a look of 'there will be other opportunities in the future.' However, by the time Feng Fei looked at him, he had already returned to his usual calm and composed demeanor.
"Here? What are you doing?" Weren't they supposed to be buying oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and bedding? It's not like they're buying a carriage. What are they doing here? Feng Fei looked at Yuan Jue in confusion, only to receive a flick on the forehead in return. Feng Fei rubbed her forehead, which was a little sore from the flick, and glared at Yuan Jue. What kind of habit is this guy! He's been flicking his forehead a lot lately.
Seeing Feng Fei's dazed expression, Yuan Jue's fingers itched, and he couldn't resist the urge to flick the strings again, but he restrained himself in the end. Yuan Jue stepped forward and walked into the car dealership, where he spoke with the owner for a while. The owner then beckoned over a middle-aged man who looked to be about forty years old, whispered a few words in the man's ear, and then had the man follow Yuan Jue out.
After they came out, Yuanjue pulled Fengfei to stand aside, while the middle-aged man turned right into an alley. Soon, the sound of "clatter, clatter" could be heard. Fengfei looked over and saw that the man had driven out in a horse-drawn carriage.
Feng Fei then looked at Yuan Jue with a sudden realization, "We're driving to buy things!"
"Otherwise, do you think we can carry everything we bought back home?"
"That really won't work! At least not for me, look at my skinny arms and legs! Hehe."
Yuan Jue stopped his idle chatter with Feng Fei. Seeing the carriage stop, he climbed in, stood on the frame, and bent slightly, extending his right hand outstretched, placing it directly in front of Feng Fei's eyes. Feng Fei looked up and saw the man standing in the sunlight. The gentle early spring sun bathed Yuan Jue in a soft glow. Yuan Jue's features were also gently open, a captivating smile playing on his lips, his eyes shimmering with tenderness. Feng Fei felt herself sinking into it, and her movements involuntarily stopped.
"Xiao Fei." Yuan Jue's voice came from above. Feng Fei couldn't help but raise his eyes, his gaze finally landing on Yuan Jue's lips. They were thin lips with a pinkish tinge, and people with thin lips are often considered to be naturally aloof.
Just as Feng Fei was starting to come to her senses, she drifted off into thought again.
Yuan Jue couldn't help but laugh. He grabbed Feng Fei's outstretched hand and pulled her onto the carriage with a slight effort. Feng Fei's attention was still on Yuan Jue's lips. At this moment, she lost her balance and fell into Yuan Jue's arms. Feng Fei was still staring blankly at Yuan Jue's lips.
Seemingly feeling uneasy under Feng Fei's gaze, Yuan Jue pursed his lips. His throat was a little dry, and his body felt a little hot. Yuan Jue awkwardly straightened Feng Fei, tilting his head to one side: "Xiao Fei, you go in first." With a little effort, he pushed Feng Fei inside.
The light dimmed suddenly, and Feng Fei finally came to her senses. Thinking about her actions, she wanted to slap herself a few times. It was so embarrassing! Feng Fei covered her flushed and burning cheeks and squatted down inside the carriage. After a while, when her face had cooled down, she ran to sit down in a seat inside. At this moment, Yuan Jue, who had been standing outside, seemed to hear Feng Fei sit down and lifted the curtain to enter. Without even looking at Feng Fei, he sat down by the window on the right side of the carriage.
"Ahem..." Feng Fei was a little awkward. "Well, I was just lost in thought..." Well, explaining would only make things more awkward, so it was better not to explain at all!
Yuan Jue seemed to have no sense of anything, and simply gave a faint "hmm".
Feng Fei felt even more embarrassed, but also a little angry at Yuan Jue's reaction, so she angrily turned her head to the other side, refusing to look at Yuan Jue. As a result, she missed the smile on Yuan Jue's lips and the doting look in his eyes.
"Clop clop clop," the horse's hooves landed, kicking up clouds of dust, which also formed a melody that struck the hearts of the two people inside the carriage.
"that……"
"I……"
They spoke at the same time, then stopped simultaneously. Feng Fei awkwardly turned his head to the side, while Yuan Jue chuckled softly and said gently, "Xiao Fei, you go first!"
"Ahem," Feng Fei cleared his throat, but still didn't turn his head. He just stared at the curtains and said in a muffled voice, "Suddenly, I don't want anything anymore!"
Yuan Jue was taken aback, but the next moment he realized that this was the real Feng Fei, someone who would deliberately refuse to do things out of spite or embarrassment. Yuan Jue held back his laughter: "Alright then, I'll do it..."
"Bang!"
Yuan Jue and Feng Fei were thrown towards the carriage. Feng Fei quickly grabbed the window frame, but because she was protecting Ming Feng, she lost her grip and continued to fall forward. As Yuan Jue's body tilted, he braced himself with his feet, planting them firmly on the carriage deck. Seeing Feng Fei fall forward, Yuan Jue reached out and pulled her into his arms without thinking.