Vol 2 Chapter 16 (1/2)

Volume 2 Chapter 16: Don’t tell me that the discussion of heroes over wine is the last chapter of volume 2

TL: Last chapter of the main story for volume 2! Next is a 5-10 part extra story for volume 2. As I’ve said before, this is genuinely a plot driven story. Up till now it has really just been a prologue and things will start heating up and the later we go, there will be more differences from the original. From now on, I’ll also translate some author Q&As.

Reader: I really hope that Xuan De and Meng De end up together in the end.

Author: I hope so too but who knows (Shrugs)

Hu, I finally made it out.

But! I didn’t agree to what they wanted to do!! a.s.sa.s.sinating Meng De! How can I do such a thing?

Un… Should I tell Meng De?

But if I do that, then those people will… I don’t know how Meng De will deal with them.

Such a pain! If I knew it would be like this, I wouldn’t have gone, or maybe let Yun Chang come along– No that might be even worse.

But leaving that aside, from what I’ve seen in Xuchang so far, I feel that this does seem like an appropriate place to be the new capital.

People are leading safe and prosperous lives, business is thriving, though I don’t know if there are thieves about but I haven’t met with any yet.

I’ve had to go to Court early in the morning after shortly arriving here. After that, before I could even rest in the inn, I got called to meet the State Uncle by that signaller and had to listen to that bulls.h.i.+t. As I looked up to the sky, I saw that it was already noon now.

Hai, I’m starting to realise that I haven’t been able to have breakfast lately, and even lunch has been becoming a sporadic affair as well.

Un? Wait… I happen to have some free time now, and Yun Chang and the rest should be out for lunch too, so now should be the perfect time for me to try out the local cuisines alone. I happen to have some money in my purse too.

As I thought so, I went to feel for my purse.

…

Eh? Where’s my purse? d.a.m.n it!! I’ve been robbed!! And I was just praising this place.

“Hai~ No choice but to return to the inn first.” I sighed as I accepted my fate and headed in the direction for the inn. Looks like I’m going to be scolded by Mi Zhu again.

(TL: He really is a kept man… Being given an allowance lol.)

“Yo, Xuan De, why’re you here?”

“Un?” I looked tiredly over and got a shock.

“Meng De?!” As I turned around, I saw the very person we had been talking about. This isn’t good.

“Xuan De, you haven’t been back to the inn? Un… Ah, you came out to have lunch right?” Meng De nodded.

“Ah, ah, Yes. That’s it.”

“Un? What’s wrong, why are you so nervous?”

“Am I?”

I’m suffering from a guilty conscience of being witness, though not accomplice, to and being included in the ‘Cao Cao a.s.sa.s.sination Group’. I cannot even look Meng De in the eye now.

“Maa, not that it matters.”

“Hu~” I heaved a sigh of relief as Meng De did not pursue the matter.

“Let’s go.”

“Ah? Where to?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Meng said as she pointed to a row of shops. “Lunch, my treat.”

(TL: MC just makes girls want to take care of him and feed him lol.)

I followed Meng De into a restaurant and couldn’t help but to say the matter I was met with earlier. — Not the matter with State Uncle, but the one where I was robbed.

“Is that so, so Xuan De was robbed huh.” Meng De laughed after hearing my grievances. “But that thief really has a good eye huh, to be able to tell in an instant that you’re like a block of wood.”

“I’m human okay?”

Hai~ I was already down to begin with and was hoping to get a good meal and lighten up but who knew that I’d lost my money.

As I looked at Meng De, my mood continued to get worse.

“Ah, Meng De, I think I’ll go back first, I feel bad about having you splurge on me.”

If you have free time to eat with me, why not solve the crime issue here. And moreover, having a girl treat me is…

“Aiya, don’t be so reserved.” Meng De waved at the me who was getting up and bade me to sit down, “No matter what, I’m an Imperial Chancellor already.”

“…”

Honestly, I have some words that I really can’t say.

“Un? Could you be thinking ‘To think an Imperial Chancellor would be eating lunch at a third rate street restaurant’, or something like that.”

I frantically shook my head.

“Pu, looking at your reaction, you’re definitely thinking something like that.” Meng De broke out in laughter as she looked at me.

“…” I didn’t think that my expression would be read do easily.

“I have a reason for eating here.” Meng De said as she pointed at the restaurant’s sign that said ‘Bronze Cauldron’.

What does it mean?

“Ah, it’s served.” Meng De said, her tone filled with elation.

“Ah… Isn’t this…” What was served was not just a bronze cauldron, but a heap of fresh ingredients and 2 plates of some kind of sauce.

“I’m guessing you’ve never eaten this before. I chanced upon this stall and was pleasantly surprised by how it tasted.” Meng De said as she took a piece of vegetable and stirred it in the bronze cauldron before taking it out and dipping it sauce, and finally putting it in her mouth gently. “Un!~~~ This is it! Xuan De, you should try it too.”

“Ah, ah.” I nodded.

Isn’t this just shabu-shabu!!

(TL: I have no idea what the English name is for shabu-shabu. It’s not hotpot, that’s a general term.)

I wanted to throw a tsukkomi but I remembered the era I was in and held it back. But that wasn’t all, I had to act like I’ve never eaten or seen this before too.

“… Meng De, do you see this dish often around here?”

“No, this should be the only one in all of Central Plains.” Meng De said as she ate, “Thinking about it another way, perhaps the people aren’t used to eating like this. I like it though. And since the weather has begun to become colder, we should eat something hot. Look, there’s even heat rising from the fire below.”

Indeed, if there’s no heat, it wouldn’t be called hotpot.

(TL: Raw – There’s even a fire below (with no reference to steam). The wordplay was in the term 火锅 which is hotpot in Mandarin.)

I gave a helpless smile as I started picking up food and stirring it in the cauldron. As I ate, I couldn’t help but be amazed at the long history of Chinese cuisine.

I really didn’t think that there were hotpots in this era. I guess this can be considered a blessing.

“Boss, warm a flask wine for us!”

“… Pu!” I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw Meng De’s expression.

“Ah? What’s the matter?” Meng De frantically wiped her mouth when she saw me laughing at her and asked. “Do I have some sauce on my face?”

“No no no, I was just laughing at how you spoke and ate just now. You look just like Yi De when I first met her.”

Back then, Yi De was also shouting like that and then I was pulled onto the tracks of the true history.

True… Haha, is this really true though? I wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness of my thoughts.

“Hou hou~~~ Lord Zhang Fei is it? Looks like you all have quite a good relations.h.i.+p huh.”

“Of course, she’s my little sister after all.” I looked at Meng De as I ate, “Ah, speaking of which Meng De…”

“Ah? What is it this time?”

“You have sauce on your nose.”

“Eh!!” Meng De hurriedly turned around and wiped her nose with her clothes, not caring if they got stained.

Haha, Meng De has a cute side to her huh.

“The wine for you 2 has been warmed.” The xiaoer brought over 2 bowls of wine on a wooden tray and set them on the table.

I hope Meng De has a good drinking capacity.