Back to the Countryside

Chapter 51: 明了(Clearly Understand) 

Translator: LittleYen

"Hey, hey, hey, over here, what's all the noise?" A few men in constable(捕快)'s clothes with big swords at their waists pushed their way in, from outside the crowd.

(捕快: constables responsible for catching criminals in ancient times)

        When the woman saw them, it was as if she saw the last hope that saved his life,so she cried out then she jumped at their feet.

"Sir, sir, please deal with this person! My husband is going to be killed!"

        After they saw a woman crying pitifully, they looked up therefore saw a handsome, well-dressed gentleman stepping on a farmer guy. 

"What is this? to commit a violent act in the middle of the street?"

        "Sir, he has beaten my husband 'not distinguishing between red-green and black-white'. Please, you must give me justice!" With the constable present, the woman straightforwardly had the courage to put the blame on the other party.

[不分青紅皂白 /bù fēn qīng hóng zào bái

not distinguishing red-green or black-white (idiom) / not to distinguish between right and wrong]

        When the leading constable heard her words, he took a closer look at the gentleman who had beaten the peasant, yet he looks unfamiliar. Although he looked like a rich man,he didn't know if he could mess with the person or not, so he didn't speak so rudely in order to avoid 'kicking the iron plate'.

['kicking the iron plate' : 

can be regarded as thinking that the other party is very easy to bully but unexpectedly the other party is more powerful]

He said, " I'm sorry, this sir, please let go of him first! Otherwise we'll have to arrest you!"

"Come on! Let him go!" The woman was so proud to have someone backing her up that she pointed at him and told him to let her husband go.

        Qi Yue glanced at her once, smiled coldly before he put his foot down. Immediately the sound of cracking bones followed by the man's screams rang out in the ears. Only then, did he withdraw his foot and say, "Let out (already)! "

        "Ah!" The woman shouted, therein she rushed back to the man's side, only to see that he had fainted from the pain and that there was no blood on his face. "Officer, he committed a crime in front of you, arrest him now!"

The constable's face was a bit embarrassed, he had asked him to let him go but he still dared to do it. Did he really have no regard for them? He pressed his hand on the hilt of his sword."You're......"

        "Constable You!"

        Before he could finish his sentence, someone called out to him from the side, he turned his head, immediately saw Zheng Yue Feng, the young master of the Zheng family, a little surprised, "Young Master Zheng?"

        Zheng Yue Feng walked up to him with his fan in hand while he arch his hand, he said, "This is my friend, I'm afraid there is some misunderstanding here."

        Surprisingly, he was a friend of the young master of the Zheng family? Constable You withdrew his sword and softened his face, "I'm not quite sure of what exactly had happened, but since it's Young Master Zheng's friend, I think there's really a misunderstanding."

        Zheng Yue Feng held up his folding fan and moved closer to him, whispering a few words in his ear.

        When Constable You heard this, then he took a look at He Ling, whose face was a little worried. He was really beautiful.No wonder he had attracted such a Deng tu ze.It was understandable that the handsome gentleman was so angry. If he had such a Fu Lang, he wouldn't want anyone else to touch him!

        He immediately scowled and stared down at the woman, said angrily, "You woman, how dare you deceive me, could that be, you want to be imprisoned?"

The woman already had a bad feeling when the two of them were talking in a familiar way, now that she was being reprimanded, she shrank back in fear, "I don't dare, I don't dare, this civil woman do not dare!!"

        Seeing that she didn't pester them, these several big men were too lazy to bother with that woman, so they gave her a cold snort and paid no more attention.

        "Gentlemen, if you have time, go to the Ban Yue Restaurant for a meal and a drink. Just put it on my bill!" Zheng Yue Feng shook his fan as he gave them a nod, originally wanting to stuff silver money over, but he didn't have his money bag right now. 

        "Young master Zheng is being polite, this is what we should have done!" Constable You turned to him and gave him a greeting. He was quite happy since the food at the Ban Yue Inn was not something you could just eateat casually, it was very expensive!

        After a few compliments, the constables left, as they were supposed to be on patrol and had business to do.

        "Qi Gong zi, you're really not afraid of anything, you even dare to do it in front of the constables!" Zheng Yuefeng shook his fan and returned to the men's side, teasing him. 

        Qi Yue, who was patting He Ling's waist soothingly, smiled, "Isn't Zheng Gongzi here? I have nothing to fear!"

        Zheng Yue Feng choked, he was really using him as a matter of course, he didn't know whether it was fortunate or unfortunate to be friends with this man.

It was the first time Xu Hua had seen such a Zheng Yue Feng, he was high spirited, able to do something skillfully and easily, completely different from what he had seen in Gushui Village. He looked very reliable now, but at the same time it made him understand how big the gap between them was. He lowered his eyes, indescribably he felt a little disappointed. 

        "Hua Ge'er, let's go!"

Caught up in his thoughts, he didn't notice that they had finished talking,he only came back to his senses when Zheng Yue Feng stood in front of him and held out his hand to him.

        Xu Hua looked at the man who was smiling stupidly at himself again, so suddenly he had the unimaginable thought. Was this man treating him .... a little different? Did he has...? he was shocked by the thoughts in his mind!

        "Hua Ge'er, what's wrong with you?" Zheng Yue Feng frowned, seeing his dull eyes, a little worried, could it be that he was frightened by the situation just now?

        Xu Hua met his eyes and shook his head gently, in order to determine whether he was overthinking or not, he bit his lips then hesitantly reached out his hand, not tugging on his sleeve, but placing his hand on his palm.

        At that moment, Zheng Yue Feng's eyes lit up,he reacted swiftly by taking that hand in his, not giving him the slightest chance to regret it, smiling and showing a row of teeth like he had grabbed some precious treasure!

        If Xu Hua couldn't see his feelings with such a reaction, he would be a stone head instead of the wooden one! His heart was beating so fast that he dared not look at his face again.How could it be that he liked him?

        "It looks like he's not far off!"(Tl: from the marriage I guess?) Qi Yue wrapped his arms around He Ling, looked down and smiled at him. 

He Ling nodded approvingly, "This time it was worth it, to come here!"

        Perhaps he would have been in a brighter mood if He Ling hadn't been touched indiscriminately. With this in mind, Qi Yue turned his gaze to the woman who was holding her unconscious husband, minimising her presence, at the same time she looked over scared witless. He coldened his expression, "You'd better pray that I don't come across you guys again."

The woman's entire body trembled while she hugged her husband tightly, not even daring to say anything more.

        At noon, the four of them went back to the Shengde Clinic in order to pick up Father Xu, intending to go to the Ban Yue Restaurant for dinner. Zheng Yuefeng had not been able to buy anything for Xu Hua today, so he couldn't say how upset he was,that's why he had to treat him well during the meal!

        They sat in their previous seats by the window, looking out at the crowded street, felt the lingering fear in heart. 

        Xu Hua, both father and son, were even more uncomfortable than He Ling had been previously, sitting in such a restaurant, as the people sitting around in the restaurant were all wealthy, so people like them who dressed in shabby country clothes, really did not fit in.

        Zheng Yue Feng looked at him, took a bite of the bok choy and put it into his mouth, then grimaced in a particularly exaggerated manner, "Even though this is our own restaurant, I still have to say that this bok choy is not as good as the mountain wild vegetables we dug last time!"

        Xu Hua saw him picking at the plate of vegetables, pursed his lips in amusement, how could you say that about the vegetables cooked in your own restaurant?! 

        Seeing him loosen his frown, Zheng Yue Feng's mood improved,thus he put a simmer-fried 'pork meatball' into his bowl, "This is not bad, try it!"

[Tl Notes : in original the pork meatball used the literal words 'lion's head' but it mean pork meatball]

        He gave himself a dish, Xu Hua blushed a little, as he did not dare to look at the other person's face, lowered his head and took a bite. It tasted like nothing he had ever tasted before. It was obviously meat, but it melted away in his mouth without chewing.it was really delicious. "How can you make meat like this?"

Seeing his expression, Zheng Yuefeng knew he liked it, so he extended his hand to give him a few more dishes, "Of course you can! These are also the specialties of our restaurant, you should eat more!"

While giving him the dishes, Zheng Yuefeng also raised his eyebrows at Qi Yue in triumph.The last time they ate here, the two of them,a couple in love, were so lovey-dovey sitting across the table. At that time, he couldn't have been more envious, but this time he had someone he could give the food too.

        When he met his eyes, Qi Yue snorted disdainfully then he put the pricked fish into his little Fu Lang's bowl.

What is there to be proud of when you haven't even gotten the person yet? This fool is really a fool! 

        When Father Xu saw Zheng Yuefeng's attentive attitude towards his family's ger, he felt both relieved and a little worried.If they could have a good outcome, that was what he wanted, but if not ...... he was afraid Hua Ge'er would be sad!

Downstairs, the shopkeeper of the Ban Yue restaurant was welcoming an honoured guest, he greeted him with a smile on his face, "Master, why did you have time to come here today?"

        "I wanted to see how the shops were doing, I forgot there was an event today, it was so crowded!" This distinguished guest was none other than Master Zheng, wrinkling his brow, obviously being squeezed in the crowd,made him not particularly delighted , "How is business at the restaurant these days?"

        "Business at our Ban Yue Restaurant is, naturally, just as prosperous as ever!" The shopkeeper gave him a joyful bow, then, as if thinking of something, said, "By the way, the young master is also dining upstairs with his few friends!"

        "Oh? Yue'er is also here?" He heard from the servants that he had gone out early this morning without even bringing Kang Yuan, so he had come out to meet his friends? Master Zheng pondered for a moment, then turned his head sideways to the two servants following him and said, "You don't have to follow me! Just have your meal downstairs!"

After saying this, Master Zheng waved his hand as he told the shopkeeper to get busy, so he went upstairs by himself. 

        When he reached the first floor, he saw that elegant seat by the window, how his own son diligently served food to a ger, smiling like a fool. It was a waste of all the years he had make him □□ so smart and capable!

He narrowed his eyes while looking at that ger carefully, he looked ordinary, he was dressed ordinary, from head to toe he was just ordinary.He thought that this was Xu Hua, whom Madam had told him about and whom his son's heart exists to be sentimentally attached to. 

Looking at him, looking like this,he couldn't see anything about him that was worthy of making his son's 'spirit and soul upside down' . However, from the looks of it, he is more pleasing to the eyes than those soft, delicate and weak gers from the wealthy family. 

[神魂颠倒/lit. spirit and soul upside down (idiom); infatuated and head over heels in love / fascinated / captivated/obsessed]

Zheng Yuefeng, who was happily eating, felt the eyes on him and thought, 'Could it be that his handsome and dashing appearance has attracted another 'peach blossom'? But I can't let Xu Hua misunderstand!'

With that thought in mind, he glared at the person with a wrinkled brow, but when he saw the other man's face, he was so shocked that he almost lost his grip on his chopsticks. "Dad?"

['Peach Blossom' are the figurative words for 'love affair' or 'romance' . It refer to love interest]

The four people at the same table looked up in surprise and followed his line of sight to see a middle-aged man dressed in a luxurious and elegant manner, walking towards him.

★★★★☆☆☆☆☆★★★★

Translator :

I take it slow for this chapter. I enjoy the appearance of Zheng Gong zi's father also how this short trip to the town was told