Conflict
"Look, Young Master, this restaurant looks great!"
Seeing that his young master was still depressed, and even didn't have the motivation to eat, the young servant became anxious. After seeing that the restaurant in front was quite lively, he quickly pushed the young man to come in. The shopkeeper at the door greeted them with a smile and cheerfully asked the waiter to lead them to the private room on the second floor.
When they first entered the restaurant, the two were immediately attracted by the restaurant's peculiar decoration. Su Qingze, who was behind the waiter on the stairs, curiously looked at the seat surrounded by flowers and plants. He then saw a few small steamers* on the table, there was a small dish with a few crystal clear desserts inside.
*zhēnglóng: an appliance for steaming food made of bamboo sticks and wood chips.
He asked in curiosity, "What is that?"
The waiter smiled and answered, "That's shrimp dumplings. Next to it are steamed pork ribs, red bean shortbread, and egg pancakes."
Su Qingze nodded, stared at the few foods downstairs. He said directly to the waiter, "Give me a plate of this soup dumpling, shortbread, and spare ribs. The porridge, too."
Ming'an was overjoyed, he urged the waiter. "Go, go! Don't make my young master hungry!"
"Alright!" The waiter pushed the door of the private room named "Sour" and invited two people to sit inside.
"Unexpectedly, there is such a unique restaurant in this small county town. It seems that the dim sum here is also very delicious. You can taste it later, Young Master!"
Ming'an poured the tea for Su Qingze. When his young master was a child he was in poor health. So his family members always tried every means to coax him to eat more, but it seemed that they accidentally coaxed him too much, causing his body to have excess flesh. Nevertheless, his young master was born well. Even though he gained weight, he would still look good. Same as cute as Fuwa*.
*One of the mascots of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games is based on the Tibetan antelope symbolizing health and friendship.
This young boy loved to be pretty. After finding that his figure had changed drastically, the young master, who couldn't wear his previous clothes anymore, was so depressed that he didn't want to eat for three days, which frightened the family. Later, the young master passed out of hunger, caught a cold, and turned to get seriously ill. After recovering from the illness, the young master dared not stop eating, but every time he was full, he would blame himself on his chubby belly.
Most of Shuāngers in this world liked to have a tall and slim body, and a slender waist. But the young master had been like this since he was a child. He even thought that having such a thin and slim body was too easy to get sick. That was why he admired so much those strong and healthy Shuāngers! Whenever he saw such a Shuānger, he would run to them to ask how he could develop such a "nice figure". But the persons he asked before told that they had grown into this appearance. Besides that, they originally felt inferior in their heart because of this look. So when they were asked by his young master, they thought that his young master was trying to humiliate them. So they would always run away in embarrassment.
The person they just met now was the strongest of all his young master had encountered. Also, the only one who did not turn his face and answered his young master’s questions seriously...
This Shuānger looked as strong as a man, even taller and stronger than a man in general. But they didn't expect that he had been married! Besides that, his husband looked like an elegant and cultured man. Not only that, this couple was still walking together in public. It seemed that their relationship was really good, which really subverted their perception!
Su Qingze said "um" and looked at his teacup. There was a small blessing word printed on the white porcelain cup, which was written in a simple and elegant style.
"Xiaojie and guye had settled down. How long will you stay here, Young Master? If you don't go back, Lao Furen will urge you!" Ming An said cautiously.
Su Qingze stared at him unhappily. "Let's talk about it later. I've only been here for a few days!"
"Haha..." Ming'an laughed dryly. "Laorenjia* is getting confused when she is old. Don't take what she says to your heart."
*grand old man [woman].
"I didn't take it to heart, but I kept it in my head!" Su Qingze snorted.
At first, he thought that grandmother sent him delicious food from time to time because she favored him. But that day when he got up early to greet his grandmother, he accidentally heard his grandmother and An Mama* talked at the door.
*wet nurse.
"He has been fattened into a ball, yet still eating much! If you raise a pig, you can still slaughter it to eat it, but what about him? I don't know when it will be slaughtered."
"Although some meat sellers have placed a deposit, in case someone thinks that he has too much fat and decide to return the goods..."
"If he can't get married then, where can I put my old face!
"Poor my Mi'er. She looks better than him but doesn't have such good fortune. Every day I'm getting angry with this pig..."
The more Su Qingze thought about it, the uglier his face became. Just because he was a Shuānger, he was always disliked by his grandmother since he was young. He didn't know when it started, his grandmother suddenly didn't show her indifferent attitude towards him anymore. Although she didn't often talk to him, she still would order someone to send some delicious and fun stuff from time to time.
He was flattered. It made him changed his view of his grandmother and became more filial to her grandmother. But he never expected that he was actually a fattened pig in her grandmother's heart!!!
Being really trampled to the ground, how could he stand it! He rushed out to question grandmother. As a result, the old lady fainted due to the high stimulation when she saw him as if she had seen a ghost!
After the old lady woke up, she wept bitterly and apologized to him. But could he still believe her? He ran to ask his father and mother-- What did it mean 'although some meat sellers had placed a deposit, they would return the goods if he was too fat?' His father and mother hesitated, refused to say it. After repeated questioning, they finally told him that when he was just born, he had been given infant matrimony*!
*wá waqīn: refers to a marriage made by the parents when the man and woman are very young.
The old lady actually gave a false display of affection to him on purpose because was forced by the opponent's power. But why no one had ever talked to him about his infant matrimony! In a fit of anger, he came to this county with his sister and brother-in-law...
"Young Master, don't be angry. You can go back whenever you want, do as you please. After all, Xiaojie and Guye are here. So Furen won't feel worried much."
"Stop talking about it, I don't want to listen." Su Qingze siped his tea glumly. Actually, he didn't want to act like this all the time. But if he really didn't eat, his family would worry. Also, it was not that he could lose weight without eating. If no one guided him, he would break his body instead...
"Yes, yes!" Ming'an nodded hurriedly and looked at the door. "Why is this waiter still not coming yet. I'll go and see!"
The waiter now was carrying a tray upstairs. At this time, the door that was written "sweet" next door was opened. The blue silk youth walked out and saw the waiter. He immediately shouted, "Hey, waiter!"
The waiter hurried forward and asked, "What can I do for you, Dear Guest?"
The young man glanced at the dim sum on the tray. "I want these and send me two more steamed ribs." He said that he wanted to take it away!
The waiter hurriedly stopped him. "I'm sorry, Sir. This is what other customers ordered! I'll give you the new one!"
Ming'an just went out and found that his young master's food was gonna be taken over by others. He immediately walked over to criticize. "Why are you so rude? We ordered this!"
The blue silk young man glanced at him and said in an arrogant manner, "Where does this little servant come from? Speak politely to me! This is what our Master Juren wants to eat!"
Ming'an was not afraid, he sneered. "What about Master Juren? Does Master Juren usually snatch other people's things?"
"Hey, little ferocious Shuānger. You are fierce and unreasonable!" The blue silk youth raised his eyebrows and sneered. "Is this yours? Have you paid it?" He took out a silver coin from his arms and threw it to the waiter. He sneered. "Now this is mine!" After finishing speaking, he was about to take away the food.
"My young master ordered this!" Ming'an stopped him.
The young man in a green robe came out and shouted, "Which family are you from? This is what our Master Juren wants to eat. You don't understand human language?"
"You are the one who doesn't understand human words. This is what my young master ordered!" Ming'an gritted his teeth and did not want to back off.
The young man said with a black face and sternly, "You actually disrespect Master Juren! I think you are looking for death!"
Hearing the conflict, Su Qingze also came out. Then he saw his little servant was surrounded by two men, with a tense atmosphere among them. He frowned. "Ming'an, what's wrong?"
"Young Master, they want to take our snacks!"
"This is your young master?" The blue silk youth looked at Su Qingze up and down, his eyes contemptuous. "What have you eaten so you are fattened to be a pig?"
Su Qingze's face flushed red. Ming'an stood in front of him and cursed, "You the one are a pig. Your whole family is a pig!"
"You have to persuade your young master properly to stop eating after having this such appearance. Otherwise, no one wants to marry him or want to spend their money for this such body..."
The young man in the green robe acted like 'i'm doing it for you'. It disgusted Ming'an. He couldn't help but yelled, "You bully bastard! Do you know who my young master is? Our young master..."
Su Qingze frowned and whispered. "Don't tell them!"
"Young Master!" Ming'an shut his mouth unwillingly.
"Who your young master is?" The blue silk youth insulted. "Aren't you the son of Fan Lao Er who sells pork on the street?? Hahahaha..."
"Why don't you tell me who you are?" The young man in a green robe laughed.
Su Qingze, without any expression, just stared at the two people who laughed arrogantly and walked back to the private room.
Ming'an lowered his head and stood beside him. "Young Master, sorry..."
"Why do you apologize when you didn't do anything wrong." Su Qingze was very angry, but his reason was still there. "There are so many such people in the world. We are just not lucky when we encounter one of them."
The other party's words might be quite insulting, but it was not wrong. At least, his figure was indeed like this!
After a moment, the shopkeeper Liu came in with the tray and said apologetically to Su Qingzem "What happened just now is really embarrassing, and had disturbed the two people's interest in eating. These meals are an apology for you."
There was the food Su Qingze just ordered, and there were two plates of other delicate dim sums.
Su Qingze's face was a little slow. "Then thanks for your kindness."
"Please enjoy your meal," Shopkeeper Liu said politely before leaving.
Facing a full table of delicious food, Su Qingze's anger faded.
Seeing his young master back to act as usual and couldn't stop eating, the stone in Ming'an's heart fell to the ground.
After Shen Yanbei and Gu Changfeng returned to the restaurant, the shopkeeper Liu reported the incident.
Shen Yanbei said, "Uncle Liu, you handled this very well."
The shopkeeper Liu couldn't help swallowing bitterness. "The younger son of the Wang's Family, Wang Cheng, and Li Yuan's eldest son, Li Sheng, were usually domineering and arrogant. Later, after they climbed up to Li Juren, the two acted more and more uncontrollably. When the former owner was still here, the two come to eat without paying, even the stingy people like the former owner doesn't have the way to against them..."
Wang Cheng was that young man in a green robe. He failed in the civil service examination after many trials and errors and had relation by marriage to Lijia Village. While the blue silk youth was Li Sheng, a native of Lijia Village. Since Li Yizhong was a Juren, the two of them toward Li Yi, acted like they took the head of the general's horse as a guide*.
*lackey who follows someone's order.
In this small county, there were not many scholars. Zhang Juren who bore this title first had passed away. Now Li Yi was the only one Juren. That was why these three people could be so arrogant.
"The wages of sin is death*." Shen Yanbei frowned.
*Duō xíng bù yì bì zì bì: he who is unjust is doomed to destruction.
Shopkeeper Liu sighed. "I just hope that this new magistrate is not like the former magistrate Zhang..."
Collusion between officials and businessmen to accept bribes was everywhere.
"Does the new county magistrate have a relation to Lijia Village?"
Shopkeeper Liu shook his head. "I haven't heard of it. No one the ancestor of Lijia Village has ever been an official. Or the husband of the married daughter and Shuang'er has any powerful in-laws..."
When Shen Yanbei heard it, he felt relieved. But under Gu Changfeng's calm expression, his heart turned to be hot and cold.
Gingers: Double chapters~
