Higher Level Wife

Chapter 24: Dinner

Translated by Pill Bug

Edited by Gumihou

Fu Qiuning sighed and secretly lamented: Trying to overturn these feudal ideas is really not easy, ah. In the past, when the doors were closed and we practised a locked courtyard policy to protect ourselves, Yu Jie and Aunt Yu enforced my every order almost religiously. However, after just two visits from Jin Fengju and seeing that the scum man has no intention of divorcing me, these two people immediately have ideas jumping in their minds. Just look at their behaviour. Aren’t they both hoping and wishing that Jin Fengju will stay the night?

While she brooded, Yu Jie and Aunt Yu were chatting animatedly to each other. Yu Jie said, “Just the other day I was speaking to Mrs. Zhang, we started talking about the Young Marquis. She told me how she once overheard a few madams talking about who the most beautiful man in the capital was and would you believe it? The winner turned out to be our Young Marquis.”

Aunt Yu laughed, “Surely this news is already several years old? When it comes to beautiful men, the Capital tends to prefer unmarried men. Moreover, the Young Marquis already has several wives and concubines and so many children besides. How can he still be the most beautiful man?”

Yu Jie pouted and said, “If that is so, why would I bother bringing this up? In truth, our Young Marquis is still the number one beauty in the Capital. I heard that there was a rival candidate once but when he met with our Young Marquis at the banquet, everyone was stunned. The gap between the current beautiful man and the previous beautiful man is just too wide, ah. Not only did he not look older after his marriage, but he had become more elegant, refined and personable. Therefore, he was once more bestowed the title of number one most beautiful again.”

Aunt Yu laughed: “So that’s it. In fact, although the Young Marquis has many children, isn’t it because the Madam and those concubines are so competitive? He is only 24-years-old now. People often say that men are at their most good-looking in their 30s and 40s. Just how eye-catching will our Young Marquis be then?”

“The two of you ah, should worry less about that. Hurry up and be done with the meal so that we can kick that man out,” Fu Qiuning snapped as she banged on her pot with the rice spoon. “Are you not ashamed to talk about men so openly in front of me?”

Yu Jie and Aunt Yu’s faces immediately reddened. Yu Jie refused to accept defeat and said a little sullenly, “Those… those people who talked about men are noble ladies from famous houses. Aih, they were the ones who crowned the Young Marquis as the number one beauty in the capital. So what if we talk about it in private? Madam, this maid also doesn’t believe that your heart is like stagnant water. Don’t you also hope that one day you and the Young Master will be as harmonious as the Qin and Se [1]?”

Fu Qiuning glared at her and huffed, “I am not like you, I don’t enjoy being stuck in some ridiculous daydream. Let’s quickly serve this Great Plague God well, then send him on his way and lock the door. I can only hope that he will leave this courtyard alone for another five or ten years. I do not have any Qin or Se thoughts about that man.”

Yu Jie giggled cheekily and said, “Madam, I’m afraid that’s not possible. Today, the Young Marquis has specially instructed that the courtyard door must not be closed in the future. We can only close it at night.”

“What? This is my courtyard, who is he to tell me what to do?” Fu Qiuning grew angry, but just as suddenly she slumped down like a deflated ball. She scowled miserably at the rice pot, and lamented, “Right, this is not my courtyard at all. Everything here clearly belongs to his family. Indeed he has the final say over everything, tis finished, we’re all finished I tell you…”

“Madam…” Yu Jie really did not understand why her madam looked like she had just lost her entire family. However, before she could think of something to say, Fu Qiuning waved her hand at Yu Jie, “Do not talk to me. I’m feeling too irritated right now, let me have some peace.”

 Yu Jie and Aunt Yu exchanged surprised looks with each other. They finally understood that Fu Qiuning really did not like Jin Fengju at all. If it had been anyone else at all, how happy would they be to have the number one most beautiful man gracing their courtyard? So their mistress was really not acting coy just now…

In the end, the two shrugged at each other and quickly busied themselves making the food. While their hands and feet worked, their minds busily puzzled over the mystery of their mistress. Just what is our Madam thinking? Everyone else looks forward to good things but she fears it like the plague.

When the meal was finally ready to be brought out, Jin Fengju and the two children could not be found in the house. After a closer look, they found that father and children had gone to the yard to inspect the flowers and herbs. Having grown up in the lap of luxury, Jin Fengju had never laboured in the fields or garden before. Still, blessed with a quick and inquisitive mind, he listened with great interest as his children described the characteristics and functions of each plant they came across. 

Fu Qiuning happened to encounter this scene as she exited the door and came down the steps to gently call, “Young Marquis, the food is ready. Would you-”

“Today’s weather is quite excellent with barely a trace of wind. As it is still bright, let us have a table brought out and have the meal outside. To have a meal among fragrant and elegant flowers is just perfect,” was Jin Fengju’s reply. Naturally, this lightly spoken statement was accompanied by his typical lightly flavoured smile.

Fu Qiuning thought: you sure have a lot of weird habits. Why don’t you just eat and get lost? Must you be so pretentious and have a table brought outside to eat? Curse you, curse your mom.

Unhappy and disgruntled, her thoughts were filled with expletives as she hurtled vulgarities at this man. Nevertheless, she still managed a soft smile on her face as she said, “Yes, this humble woman shall arrange it right away.”

What kind of person was Jin Fengju? Just from Fu Qiuning’s eyes and minute expression, he knew he was extremely unwelcomed. Well, if he thought about it properly, this was the official wife he had abandoned for six years the moment she married in, anyone would be filled with resentment, right? In fact, for Fu’shi to speak so pleasantly to his face, it was already something quite rare, wasn’t it?

Human beings are contrary creatures. Jin Fengju’s other wives and concubines were obviously panting for him to visit, all of them surrounding him like stars around the moon hoping for an opportunity to shower him with love and yet he was more annoyed by such attention. On the other hand, when faced with a secretly resentful Fu Qiuning who could not be bothered to spare a shred of flattery or adoration, he felt relaxed and comfortable instead. It was not like he liked Fu Qiuning. It’s just… he felt less annoyed in her presence.

He spoke a little longer with Changfeng and Changjiao. Not long after that, Jin Ming along with Aunt Yu and Yu Jie came out carrying a table between them. The meal was soon set on the table along with the tableware. Naturally, he noticed that the plates and bowls here were all coarse porcelain, less exquisite than those he usually used. However, when paired with the lovely colourful side dishes, it has the effect of stimulating the appetite.

Each of them took their seats, with Aunt Yu, Yu Jie and Jin Ming ready to serve from the side. Jin Fengju reached out with a pair of chopsticks and picked up a piece of pork stir-fried with scallions. He ate the meat and smiled, “Your cooking is not bad, the flavour is no worse than the marquisate cooks.” His eyes fell upon Jin Changfeng’s plate and saw that he was eating a piece of dumpling of some sort. He turned to Jin Ming and said, “Bring two of those for me.”

Fu Qiuning quickly laughed, “Young Marquis, these are… these are all crude things. I fear the Young Marquis would not be used to them, why don’t you try this trotter tendon instead? It’s been stir-fried with mala spices. I wonder if it would suit your taste?”

“Is that so?” Jin Fengju liked spicy food. At this, he picked up a couple of pieces of trotter tendon and ate them thoughtfully. He nodded and even bestowed a couple of words of praise. Just as Fu Qiuning managed to swallow her heart back to her stomach, he once again pointed at the large porcelain bowl filled with little Shepherds’ Purse Dumplings and said to Jin Ming. “Are you deaf? Bring some for me.”

[Gumihou: I wonder if he’s going to get addicted to the dumplings…]

https://www.sidechef.com/recipes/1520/pork_and_shepherds_purse_dumplings/

https://www.sidechef.com/recipes/1520/pork_and_shepherds_purse_dumplings/

Pill Bug TL Notes:

[1] 瑟 Se, this Chinese musical instrument. This idiom means: pair well together.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Se_(instrument)