The Feast Part One

Chapter 28: Various Hidden Opinions

Though they all thought like this, their faces still wore ingratiating smiles. Normally, in front of this venerable grandmother, Madam Yang would have little to say, but due to her son's extraordinary demonstrations, she also laughed along happily. "Why is Old Madam in such a hurry to send us away? What's a little waiting for a good meal? In any case, let us take a look at this bones soup that could only be described as heaven's food, where mere mortals could only sip a little before we leave."

Hearing this, everyone laughed heartily. Even the Old Madam was swaying with laughter as she pointed at Madam Yang, still laughing she said, "Yes, yes, very well, with such a splendid son, as a mother you have the right to be proud. Fine, fine, in order to prevent you all from calling me an old foodie lady, I'll let you all have a look. I am curious myself. I know that bone soup could be fragrant and delicious, but could this stuff really be drunk directly? Never heard of this."

As she spoke, Duan Tingxuan already removed the fourth large bowl's cover. Immediately, a powerful meaty fragrance emitted. Xue Zi Lan smiled, "It's definitely fragrant, this is the bone soup mentioned by my Lord? It doesn't look like it. What are those things inside? Those looks like red dates, and that's...peanuts?"

For a time, everyone speculated on the soup and what it contained. Old Madam Fang immediately had a small bowl, and felt that it was not enough. Seeing the daughter-in-laws, granddaughter-in-laws as well as her many great-grandsons around her, she gave a little he-he chuckle and said. "Very well, very well, I can't finish this all by myself. Chiu Ling, you portion this out for everyone. While it won't make you full, you can at least try some. This really is a never seen before gourmet dish."

Everyone's curiosity had been arose. Hearing Old Madam Fang word it this way, they immediately thank her noisily. This made the old lady happy enough to laugh out loud. She turned to Chiu Ling, "Enough, I am very happy today. My appetite is good too. Peel a Zong Zi (sticky rice dumpling) [1] for me, get me one with meat in it."

Duan Tingxuan smiled. "Old Madam please don't eat too much. They are wrapping Zong Zi over there too, but we could only try them at night. I heard that the zong zi are stuffed with all kinds of interesting things. Afterwards, I shall bring some for Old Madam to try."

Old Madam Fang was stunned, for a moment. Then, she quickly replied with a smile and a nod. "They are? Oh, that's good. What kind of fancy Zong Zi would they come up with?"

The things brought over are not ungenerous, but since it was split among so many people, in the end it was not enough. The children were still young, and almost completely surrounded the smoothie bowl. The adults only managed to try a mouthful each, though they all thought it was delicious and wished to eat more, they did not have the face to fight the children over it. They could only stare as the small children battle among themselves for the smoothie.

Due to this pleasant surprise, the Dragon Boat Festival lunch was a cheerful success all around. Once lunch was over, it was only with with the excuse that Old Lady Fang must rest her frail body that everyone dispersed, leaving only Duan Tingxuan in her house.

As they walked away, the smiles on the various masters and mistresses of the house faded. All kinds of hidden thoughts could no longer be concealed as they floated up and colour their faces with all kinds of expressions.

"Where did elder brother get those fresh and new dishes? For this Dragon Boat Festival, to make a good impression, we have prepared all kinds of rare spices in order to show our filial consideration. Who would have thought that he would grab the limelight with those few dishes and turn her head so quickly? All our efforts had been wasted, I just can't take it, I just can't!"

Surname Shi entered the house, angrily muttering. When she did not hear her husband's reply, she turned to look, and saw Duan Tingye pacing up and down slowly behind her. Unhappily, she said, "What are you doing walking around like that? Think of a good plan, ah."

Duan Tingye gave his wife a look, and said just as unhappily, "What if I stop walking around? Will a good plan just appear?"

Surname Shi stood up, "This kind of good food can't just suddenly appear. I'm thinking, to give such an elaborated show coupled with cooking skills, a woman has to be involved. Knowing elder brother's attitude, perhaps he's harbouring someone outside? Possibly because he can't just bring her into the house, he sought to entice the Old Madam over to his side. As long as he could appease the old woman, everything will go smoothly for him.

The more she talked about it, the more convinced she became. She directed a smiled at Duan Tingye, "Since you're often outside, did you not hear anything? Follow any rumours you might hear, once we get to the bottom of it we can just drop it at the right time and watch a good show. By then, won't the Old Master be even more disappointed with elder brother?"

Duan Tingye shook his head. "You are thinking too much. Not only did I hear nothing. But that elder brother of ours, he'd even bought prostitute in as a concubine, what could he possibly be worried of that needs the Old Madam's approval? From what I can see, though this matter is curious, it's not something out of the blue. Did you not notice the two maids? Even the Old Madam mentioned it, those two maids clearly came from Big Madam's side, say...do you think it's possible that those things were made by Big Madam?"

Surname Shi curled her lips, and sneered. "How could that incompetent, poisonous woman have such a detailed mind? If she's really that good, she have would never have been cast out into Mei Yue Lou. You listen to me, those two maids are just red herrings, he must have some slut outside. You just pay careful attentions to the rumours outside. Whatever you hear could only benefit us."

Hearing his wife made such an analysis, he could not help but felt some excitement too. There's a saying that husband and wife tended to resemble each other after marriage, this was an especially significant point. Just look at this Second Young Master Duan, after having married such a greedy and scheming woman, with an imagination that could make her a successful novelist, he also grew excited over the imagined outcome. As such, Duan Tingye was swept up into this 'Duan Tingxuan has a kept woman outside' theory and spent over half a month chasing after rumours. In the end, the result was like scooping water with a basket, a waste of time and energy.

Naturally, Surname Shi was an evil woman and Duan Tingye was no virtuous bird himself. However, because these two are united in their hearts and mind, in their part of the palace, aside from two maids no other women resided there. We have to admit, in this regard, Second Young Master Duan good point was that he focused all of his attention on his wife and rejected the lecherous ways of his elder brother.

In the end, it was due to the lack of information that led Second Young Master Duan to chase after the rumours in Surname Shi's imagination. For Xu Ran Yun, no such mistaken path was trodden upon.

When Hong Lian and Xiang Yun appeared, her heart rattled like crisis drums. A few days ago she had thought that she and Duan Tingxuan had joined forces to eradicate that terrible woman. When no news of the three women's fates came to her, she had already raised the danger level of Mei Yue Lou up by two points.

However, because Dragon Boat Festival was just around the corner and there were just too many things to take care of, she had put that matter away, thinking to deal with them after the festival. She had to nip this flame of interest on that woman as soon as possible.

Who would have thought that in just these few days, that little flame had turned into an inferno. Managing to even burn an impression upon the Old Madam. Who knows, perhaps this woman would even burn back into the Inner Court, how could this not make her furious?