Chapter 102: Chapter 102: Meeting Chu Lan and Others in Government City _1
Translator: 549690339
On the tenth of September, Madam Yun took Wei Ruo and Wei Qingwan out to the Government City.
In addition to the coachman and the guards, the attendants CuiPing, CuiHe,
XiuMei, and Madam Zhang accompanied them.
The invitation of the Magistrate’s wife was for the fifteenth of September, but since it would take a day to travel, Madam Yun, worried about unexpected occurrences, decided to depart four days earlier.
Xingshan County was in a remote location; they set out in the morning and only arrived at Government City in the evening.
The streets of Government City should have quieted down by evening, shops
closing and pedestrians heading home.
However, when the Wei Family’s carriage was halfway there, they saw a crowd of people fighting ahead, with the flash and clash of weapons terrifyingly dazzling.
The coachman wanted to immediately turn back, but the road was not wide enough to make the turn, so they were forced to stop at the side of the road, at a loss of what to do.
In the carriage, Madam Yun and Wei Qingwan were tense.
Wei Ruo was also startled. Who could be so audacious as to fight and brawl on
an important street in the Government City?
Wei Ruo carefully lifted the corner of the curtain.
Through the gap, Wei Ruo saw a familiar figure in the middle of the melee-Lu
Yuhong.
If Lu Yuhong was here, wasn’t Chu Lan involved too?
Sure enough, when Wei Ruo’s gaze swept across the street, she saw Chu Lan in a corner, surrounded by a few guards.
He didn’t move, the minions in front of him weren’t worthy of him personally taking action.
Wei Ruo saw Chu Lan at the same time as Wei Qingwan, who was sitting across
from her.
On her face was both the surprise and panic of witnessing this chaotic scene, and a hint of uncontainable glee.
About an hour later, the commotion outside subsided.
After a while, Lu Yuhong came towards Wei Family’s carriage.
“I apologize for disturbing you, the situation is now under control, you may proceed.”
To avoid any suspicion, Madam Yun didn’t lift the curtain, but replied through it: “No harm done. All is well now, thanks for your hard work.”
Madam Yun had already recognized Chu Lan and Lu Yuhong, and knowing their status, she naturally didn’t dare object.
After a short conversation, Lu Yuhong was supposed to allow the Wei Family’s carriage to leave. However, suddenly, whether recognizing the Wei Family’s carriage, or the Wei Family’s servants along for the journey, he asked: “Is Miss Wei in the carriage?”
Madam Yun and Wei Qingwan looked at Wei Ruo in surprise.
Wei Ruo thought for a moment, and replied: “What can I do for you, sir?” Lu Yuhong said: “Nothing much, I just wanted to ask if you still have any of the sauce you gifted Miss Xie?”
Sauce? Mushroom sauce?
Wei Ruo remembered, she gifted two jars of mushroom sauce to Xie Ying, at the time Xie Ying said she would share a jar with her brother.
Wei Ruo knew that Xie Jue was also in the Government City recently. He should be with Chu Lan and the others.
Listening to Lu Yuhong, it seemed that he had tasted the mushroom sauce at
Xie Jue’s place.
After pondering for a while, Wei Ruo replied: “I’m sorry, Mr. Lu, but I did not
bring it with me while traveling.”
Wei Ruo didn’t want to give any to Lu Yuhong, though it wasn’t a valuable item, but she didn’t like Chu Lan very much, thus she didn’t have a good impression
of Lu Yuhong either.
But she couldn’t outright refuse, nor could she daringly lie that she didn’t have any left. But she genuinely didn’t have any with her.
Wei Ruo said so, any ordinary polite visitor would have dropped the subject, wouldn’t normally continue asking for a jar of mushroom sauce.
However, Lu Yuhong was apparently not a traditional gentleman, and he straightforwardly said: “Then, when I visit Xingshan County in a few days, could Miss Wei gift me a jar?”
Wei Ruo had never encountered someone asking her so directly for something.
She barely knew this Lu Yuhong!
While she was thinking about how to respond, Chu Lan’s voice came from outside.
“Brother Yu, you are being too forward.”
Lu Yuhong scratched his head in embarrassment: “I’m sorry, Brother Chu. My mind was only thinking about getting the mushroom sauce to eat, who knew that Xie Jue would be so stingy, saying his sister gave it and only allowed me to take a scoop for mixing noodles. He wouldn’t give me anymore no matter what, since this sauce is not found elsewhere, and I finally meet the original creator, I lost my manners because of my desire!’
Lu Yuhong was a bit thick-skinned, and his actions tended to be lacking in etiquette.
After being reminded by Chu Lan, Lu Yuhong realized that it was highly inappropriate to ask an unfamiliar young lady for mushroom sauce on the street.
So, he apologized: “I’m sorry Miss Wei, I was absent-minded, I won’t bother you anymore.”
With that, Lu Yuhong moved out of the way.
Madam Yun ordered the coachman to continue onwards. After passing by Chu Lan and Lu Yuhong, Wei Qingwan carefully lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, and sneaked a peek at the two men behind them.
Meanwhile, Madam Yun asked Wei Ruo: “Ruoruo, what was that sauce they were talking about?”
Wei Ruo calmly answered:”It’s a sauce I made from minced meat and mushrooms when I had nothing else to do, and gifted two jars to Xie Ying. It seems like Xie Ying gave some to her brother, who is now in Government City. He probably befriended the gentleman we just met and happened to try some together.”
Wei Ruo had given it to Xie Ying in the first place. It was perfectly reasonable, so she did not need to worry about being held accountable by Madam Yun.
-I see.” Madam Yun nodded, then said, “If that young gentleman asks you for the sauce next time, just order the servants to give him some. If you give it openly and honestly, you don’t need to hide it.”
Giving out some food was harmless as long as it wasn’t a young woman’s personal possessions being exchanged privately.
Wei RUO didn’t pick up the conversation, but Wei Qingwan curiously asked Wei Ruo: “Sister, do you know how to make sauce?
Sitting against the wall of the carriage, Wei Ruo replied casually: “Many women in rural areas make a lot of their own food, I learned from them.”
“Sis, next time can you teach me as well, I want to learn too.” Wei Qingwan expressed her desire to learn.
“Little sister, what you should learn is how to be a good young lady and future family matriarch. The skills of making sauce can wait until later. But if you have a genuine curiosity, you can go discuss this with the kitchen maids in the house, as they probably know how to make it.” Wei Ruo responded.
Did she bring up her desire to make mushroom sauce in front of Madam Yun to pressure Wei Ruo into teaching her how to make it? What was she thinking. “The chefs in our house are definitely not as skilled as you, sis. Just now, that gentleman from the Capital who has undoubtedly tasted many delicacies, praised you so much, it means the sauce you made must be special.” Wei Qingwan remarked.
Wei Ruo replied in no hurry:”Please forgive me, little sister. I’ve been occupied with many things recently, and don’t have the time to teach you such things. Actually, the methods for making sauces are not that different, it’s the same who you learn from. If that gentleman finds favor with my sauce, perhaps it’s because he’s used to eating fine food on a daily basis, and the taste of this rural sauce is new to him..”
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