It grew much noisier as more guests joined the banquet. The people here all strained their necks while talking, their voices resonating through the yard. Li Chengru couldn’t help frowning at their vulgarity.
An hour later, the banquet finally began. The first dish was fried pork, the mouth-watering look of which gave all the guests a good appetite.
Growing up in a big city, Li Chengru had tasted all kinds of delicacies, including, of course, fried pork. Few people could make fried pork that was truly delicious. The pork most people made was either too fat or too lean or had skin which was not crisp enough for gourmets to enjoy.
In any case, Li Chengru didn’t like fried pork. Usually, he would eat only pork skin and the lean part while throwing away the fat. He was too lazy to have a taste, but Fengsheng couldn’t wait to throw a piece of pork into his mouth.
As soon as he took a bite of it, he exclaimed with excitement, “Young master, the pork is so delicious. Really! Try some. This is the best pork I’ve ever eaten!”
“Don’t exaggerate,” said Li Chengru rolling his eyes. “Yes, we’ve been away from the capital for days, but this is just a piece of pork.”
But as well as Fengsheng, all the other guests were saying how delicious it was with great satisfaction. In the blink of an eye, the fried pork had been half eaten. Fengsheng hurried to take a piece for Li Chengru before it was too late.
Li Chengru might have got angry on other occasions. He had been annoyed having meals with many strangers who gulped rudely, showing no courtesy at all. However, since this had been made by Ye Xiaoxian, he dubiously took a bite of it.
Just then, he was totally amazed by the taste. The pork skin was truly crisp with excellent sourness. The fat was not greasy and the lean was not chewy, melting on his tongue immediately. Served with with some plums, it was yummy and appetizing.
Li Chengru soon finished the pork in his bowl. When he wanted to eat another piece, the plate in front of him was already empty.
The dish that followed was poached chicken with ginger sauce. Before Fengsheng could take a slice for him, Li Chengru had snatched the meatiest one at once. Dipped with soy source and chopped garlic, the chicken smelled even more alluring. The chicken skin was crisp and the meat tender, giving his taste buds a perfect experience.
Every time a dish was served, Li Chengru was the first to have a taste. All the people sitting around him were surprised by his behavior. Distinguished as he looked, he scrambled for the dishes, regardless of his identity.
Li Chengru was quite content after finishing his meal. Since he had left the capital, this was the first time he had eaten and drunk all he could. His only regret was that he could only enjoy a little from each dish because he had too many competitors. What if that woman cooked only for him!
Oh no, that woman will not cook for me. My plan didn’t work at all.
…
Scholar Wong also went to the banquet with Qin Qingqing who seemed pregnant with a swollen belly. While she went to join other female guests, he strolled to the kitchen. It was obvious that he had come here for Ye Xiaoxian. He had changed a lot since they met last time, his one-time graceful pureness missing from his face. With a beard, he was fatter with a slightly rounder belly. In other words, he had grown stout.
“Little Ye,” he was not so confident as he greeted her.
She smiled and replied, “Mr. Wong, why are you here? It’s so smoky. You’d better go and join the banquet.”
“I see. I’ll soon leave.” He seemed to have something to talk about with her. When she took a short rest, he asked, “Little Ye, I heard that Baofeng will participate in the county-level examination. Is it true?”
“Yes. How do you know?” she asked.
“Baofeng’s headmaster told me when I visited him several days ago,” he replied. His chubby face squeezed up as he smiled, which made him appear as vulgar as those married men who were waited on hand and foot.
“What about you? It seems that the provincial-level examination will follow the county-level one. Will you take it?” she asked.
His only reply was an embarrassed smile. He felt that perhaps this was the reason why he didn’t look young anymore. His figure gave away everything. He had given up learning and instead accepted the life arranged by his family. If nothing else, he would live on his family businesses with his wives and children until he died.
He said, “Baofeng is the county’s hope now, not me.”
“I hope he can succeed,” she said.
Since they hadn’t met for a long time, both of them were embarrassed when they couldn’t find common topics.
After he went back to the banquet, Ye Xiaoxian soon finished her work, but she didn’t want to join the feast. Therefore, she had her meal with the cooks in the kitchen. When the bridegroom arrived with a sedan chair at the auspicious time, Ye Xiaoxian hurried out to have a look.
Dressed in red with a red kerchief, Liu Qianqian was escorted out of her room by the matchmaker. The kerchief veiled her expression, but after chatting for a whole night, Ye Xiaoxian knew she was beaming was happiness.
Qianqian, may you be truly happy with him.
…
When she left the banquet, she met Li Chengru again. But this was no coincidence, because she was at the back door. He must have been waiting here for her on purpose.
Now that his plan had failed, Li Chengru didn’t need to feign politeness anymore. He stared at her coldly as he had done in their first meeting. She cast an indifferent look at him and walked past him without saying a word. But he out-paced her and stopped in front of her.
“Mr. Li, I told you I don’t know where Xiao Baoshan is. Do you still think I’m telling a lie? He once promised that he would be with me forever, but he still went back on his word. If you find him, please help me ask him why he’s been so cruel to me? If he can’t give an explanation, help me kill him. Don’t hesitate and don’t be merciful, okay?”
Her tone was ice cold. Li Chengru had planned to threaten her, but now he couldn’t find the right words even to begin. He knew the one she cared about most now was Xiao Baofeng. The guests had told him that this boy was the hope for the entire county, the most promising one to earn a scholarly honor.
