Chapter 18 (1/2)
The Mrs. Long San Who Wants a Certificate of Divorce
Long San couldn’t make clear of what his feelings were exactly, he just sat there by the bedside, quietly watching Feng Ning. Watching, watching, suddenly feeling, why did it seem like she got somewhat thinner? It shouldn’t be ah, she had only gone for three days, no matter how hungry she got, she shouldn’t have gotten so skinny already. It must be his own misconception.
As he sat there dazed, staring directly at Feng Ning’s face, she abruptly opened her eyes, the two of them, looking at each other, both got a sudden fright.
“Did you have a nightmare again?” Long San quickly asked, covering up his own awkwardness.
Feng Ning had still not come around, no matter who it was, after opening their eyes and seeing themselves being stared at, naturally it would be hard to tell the situation ah. She blinked, then blinked again, seemingly having sobered up, then finally sincerely explained: “Long San, I’m hungry.”
“Hungry?” Long San stared at her astounded, he was suffering from all these frustrations, but this woman is actually able to fall asleep thinking of food.
“En[1]. So hungry, I woke up.” Feng Ning curled her lips, after waking up she felt increasingly hungry.
Long San really didn’t know what kind of reaction he should give her; how hungry could she be ah, even nightmares have run away. He turned his head, gave a look around his room, confirmed that there really wasn’t anything to eat, as a result he faced Feng Ning and shook his head: “It’s too late, I don’t have anything here to eat.”
Feng Ning was disappointed beyond words, she thought for a while, suddenly her eyes flashed: “Long San, let’s go to the kitchen.” Before she even finished speaking, she had jumped out of bed and started getting dressed.
This time Long San was truly startled, forgetting how he had said before that it was inconvenient for him to be there when she changed clothes, he was only occupied with asking: “Right now? In the middle of the night, to the kitchen?”
“En.” Feng Ning forcefully nodded; this appearance of being in great spirits, how is it anything like someone who is extremely tired, and made a fuss of wanting to sleep?
“At this time, the kitchen workers have all gone to sleep.”
“It’s not like we’re eating them, they can keep sleeping.”
“Then who will make you food?”
“Just heat the leftovers and it should be fine.” Feng Ning already finished dressing, pulled Long San along and ran outside.
Long San followed her rus.h.i.+ng all the way towards the kitchen, and didn’t think of how her foraging for food had nothing to do with him. But this kind of sneaking in the night, like rats looking for food, was much too humiliating, he tried persuading again: “The kitchen stoves have all been extinguished, how can you warm anything? Just endure a little, tomorrow morning you will have breakfast to eat.”
“But I’m so hungry, so hungry it’s painful. In the temple, knowing there’s nothing to eat, I endured it; but at home, I still have to endure?” Feng Ning’s pitiful appearance, Long San’s heart was shaken by her words “at home”; she regarded this place as home ah.
The minute he got lost in thought, he was pulled into the kitchen by Feng Ning. There were no lights inside, in the darkness it was impossible to see the fingers of an outstretched hand; don’t know from where, Feng Ning found a candle and lit it, as though proud of her achievement, she shot a smile at Long San.
Long San helplessly held out his hand to take the candle; he looked at Feng Ning familiarly rummaging for food, honestly not wanting to know exactly how she became so familiar with the kitchen. After a long while, Feng Ning couldn’t find anything. She pouted her lips and complained: “How can they have eaten up this cleanly ah? Not leaving a single thing behind.”
Long San sighed: “That’s only natural, the kitchen doesn’t leave any extra food overnight, the servants have to clean up completely before they can rest; that’s the rule.”
“That rule is no good.” Feng Ning hugged her sunken empty stomach feeling anxious: “I’m really so hungry, Long San my stomach is hungry.” Pitifulness penetrated through her big bright eyes: “When I get hungry, I feel unwell, when I feel unwell, I can’t sleep. Long San tell me, why do I have to go hungry even after coming home?”
She incessantly grumbled and cried, Long San couldn’t take it anymore: “Alright, alright, stop making noise, let me see what we have here?”
Feng Ning suddenly closed her mouth, looked at Long San: “You know how to cook food?”
Long San didn’t respond, only rummaged through the noodles, eggs, and vegetables in the kitchen, looked back and asked her: “Egg noodles should be good enough, right?”
Feng Ning was so happy her eyes bent smilingly, she forcibly nodded her head and said okay. Long San snappily distributed the work: “You go light the stove, boil the water.”
“Yes, San Ye.” Feng Ning answered energetically, grabbed the flint stone and started a fire on the stove, busily hurrying around joyfully. Long San cleaned his hands, grabbed the flour and rolled it into a small lump of dough, and set it to one side to soften, then set about to beating the eggs; he turned his head and took a look at Feng Ning in the middle of blowing hard to a.s.sist in lighting the fire on the stove, on her face a black smear, her earnest and serious expression actually looking exceptionally adorable.
A servant who had heard the noise ran over to look, seeing that it was San Ye in the kitchen making food, he had a sudden fright. As he was about to speak, Long San waved his hand at him, that servant then looked at the Mrs. Long San crouching on the floor, thought for a bit, nodded, and then withdrew. Once Feng Ning’s fire was up and ready, she turned around and ran over to inspect Long San’s progress, upon seeing the st.u.r.dy and bright lump of dough on one side, she happily cried out a “wa”, and praised: “Long San, you really are amazing, just looking at this dough is tasty.”
Long San finally couldn’t help laughing: “You’re even more amazing, you can tell it’s tasty by just looking.”
Feng Ning raised her head high: “Naturally, my husband made it, so it must be delicious.” She finished speaking, saw some green onions poking out from a vegetable basket, and hurriedly ran over, leaving Long San by himself feeling deeply moved by her words “my husband”.
“Long San, Long San, there’s green onions.” Feng Ning ran over, with a handful of green onions and placed it onto the counter: “Add this in, it’s fragrant.” She finished speaking, then ran off again.
Long San watched her run around in circles in the kitchen, and inwardly sighed. He threw aside his chaotic thoughts, spread out the dough, and rolled them into thin sections, slicing them into noodles. Before he finished cutting, he once again heard Feng Ning cheer: “There’s bacon, there’s bacon……” She held out the meat and once again ran over: “Put a little of this, it’s tasty.”
Long San finally couldn’t bear it anymore and used his sleeve to help her wipe the black smear off her face, and admonished: “Be a little quieter, don’t go waking everyone up.”
“Right, got to be quiet. If others were to come, these noodles won’t be enough.” Feng Ning earnestly nodded.
“Only know how to eat.”
Feng Ning happily laughed, and also reached her hand out to help Long San wipe the flour off his forehead. She leaned in close looking at him, and suddenly said: “Long San, you’re rather good looking.”
Long San felt his face warm up in a flash, he quietly coughed: “I don’t need you to tell me I look good, don’t think that flattery will get me to make you food, let me tell you, it’s only this time.”
“Hmph.” Feng Ning was dissatisfied: “Guessing the heart of other’s with one’s own measure [2], I was only saying the truth, yet you can still twist the meaning, you people, always make things so complicated. Boring.”
These words were like a needle piercing Long San’s heart, before he could even reply, Feng Ning pulled on his sleeve, fiercely shaking: “Water’s boiling, water’s boiling, quick, quick, noodles, noodles……”
Long San really didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Alright then, actually, in her heart, food is still the most important ah. Whether he’s good-looking or not, distressed or not, she simply doesn’t take it to heart.
The bacon-green-onion-egg noodles was out of the pot very quickly, Feng Ning satisfyingly held the big bowl, buried her head in, and fiercely ate; her table manners was always far from graceful, but could nevertheless make people insatiably hungry; Long San watched, and watched, and unexpectedly also felt hungry. He grabbed the bowl over, and divided up Feng Ning’s half bowl; at first Feng Ning hugged the bowl in a dead hold, only after being glared at by Long San did she unwillingly hand it over, watching Long San take noodles, while on one side “wa wa” shouting: “Enough, enough, if you take more, there won’t be any left……you also want the meat? That’s no good ah. I’ll be responsible for the meat and eggs, okay? I won’t inconvenience you…… Stop taking, my heart hurts……really, please be lenient ah…….”