41 A Coincidence (1/2)

41 A Coincidence

Translator: YTJS_ | Editor: Perriemix

”Your subordinate also went to the house of first young mistress Ye's wet nurse, Su, who has left the mansion and went back to her hometown. First young mistress Ye was indeed having a hard time at home,” Song Qi reported.

Xia Chunyu set his cup of tea down and walked to the window, his hands clasped behind his back. He looked into the distance with a frown. From where he was, he could see the dense white canvas of boats in the canal, manifesting into this flourishing city. Indeed, the river flows east, bringing tens of thousands of white sails over.

However, the bustling scene before his eyes could not cover up his mournful and desolate heart.

All the information that he has gathered pointed to Yaoyao telling the truth. Ye Jinxuan really was kidnapped and brought to Hei Feng Gang while the second young mistress Ye acted as a substitute for her. The second young mistress Ye took Ye Jinxuan's rightful place as the first young lady of the Wei mansion.

Yaoyao wasn't lying.

He dared not think of what Yaoyao must have been feeling when she left. She promised that she would follow her husband's orders, even if he has always treated her badly. She took on the role of the doting wife, never complaining when she washed his dirty clothes or made him delicious meals every day.

Chunyu, I will treat you well.

Chunyu, you cannot abandon me.

He shook his head, his mind occupied by her words, her soulful eyes, and her crafty, beautiful smile.

It was a pity that he didn't believe her back then. She treated him as a life-saving buoy in the sea of her troubles and misfortunes in her life, and he only looked down on her. He had let her down time and again just for the sake of protecting his noble status. With her gone, he was left with so much guilt and regret. At times, he would feel like there were two mountains pressing down on him, rendering him unable to breathe. Every thought of her was a sharp pain to him.

Song Qi looked at the Master Crown Prince sympathetically. Sister-in-law was a good woman, and he believed that everyone who has interacted with her would find it difficult to forget her. Even until now, he still could not forget the pig stomach chicken that she promised to trick him into playing with her.

”You did not tell Su the true condition of Yaoyao, right?” Xia Chunyu asked.

Song Qi replied, ”Your subordinate dared not tell the truth. The only thing that got Su to trust me was telling her that the first young mistress Ye is living well in Ji Nan and misses her. Su was delighted and even said that she was relieved that the hard times for first young mistress Ye has finally ended.”

Xia Chunyu's frown deepened. ”Take another trip to Su's house and give her a hundred silvers. Also, buy a pair of the best tiger skin you can find for her.”

He did not know if Yaoyao has any other wishes, those were the only one he has heard her mention.

Yang Zhou, an ancient city that was as described in poems and paintings, has a beautiful Shou Xi lake, a majestic grand canal, and beautiful private courtyards. The courtyards were passed down the generations of salt merchants and have become famous tourist sites in the modern times.

However, Helian Jing and Ye Jiayao decided that sightseeing could wait. Filling their growling stomachs were the priority.

There was a bustling food street by the grand canal. The ancient times were not like the modern times with cars, trains, and planes. Shipping was the main mode of goods transportation in ancient Yang Zhou. People from different locations would stop by here to try the local delicacies or simply appreciate the beauty of the scenery. It made perfect sense, at least business-wise, that the food and beverage industry near the canal coastal area was the most developed.

The two of them entered an ordinary teahouse, and Helian Jing ordered San Ding buns, jade, and a thousand layered cake. ”This is called the three absolutes of dim sum, a necessity when drinking tea. However, I am not sure if the dim sum here would taste good. The dim sums in Man Fu Restaurant are absolutely delicious, but it is too expensive and we cannot afford it right now. I will bring there next time.”

Ye Jiayao smiled, replying carelessly, ”Sure!”

The dim sums in Man Fu Restaurant were indeed the most authentic and expensive ones in Yang Zhou. Jinrong loved eating them, getting people to buy them for her from time to time and even flaunting it in front of her. Ye Jiayao only had it once when she was 10 when her maternal grandfather bought some for her.

In the range of Ye Jiayao's cooking abilities, her pastry skills were the most lacking, because, in the modern times, her father wasn't also very good at it. Ye Jiayao really did want to learn more about it but becoming a formal apprentice in the ancient times was difficult. Most chefs don't allow people to watch them cook or make pastry for the fear of their trade secret getting out. At least in the modern times, there were specialized schools and training classes to nurture budding chefs.

The dim sums were served quickly, and Helian Jing rubbed his hands together in excitement. He picked his chopsticks up and chose a San Ding bun first, relishing his first bite with a satisfied look.

Ye Jiayao followed his lead and also tried one. The skin was still soft and chewy, and the filling was diced chicken, diced meat, and diced bamboo shoots. However, Ye Jiayao found that the chicken was not fragrant enough. It appeared that it was used to stew soup because the freshness of the chicken was all extracted out. The diced meat was too fatty, and the diced bamboo shoot was quite tough with the taste of the dregs prominent.

Well, I'm giving this a two-star review.

She tried the thousand layered cake next. The authentic thousand layered cake has around 20 layers, a layer of cake and a layer of sugar oil alternately stacked together and separated. It was exceptionally soft and moderately sweet. Unfortunately, the thousand layered cake in front of her was all stuck and mashed together and a little too sweet.

Two stars.

On the contrary, the jade shumai was an unexpected surprise. The skin was paper thin, revealing the jade green chives inside and making it worthy of the 'jade' description. The shrimp filling was also good, fresh and tender.

Hmmm. Four stars.

”Delicious, delicious! This is too yummy, I miss the taste of Yang Zhou's delicacy too much.” Helian Jing was clearly very satisfied with his meal.

Ye Jiayao watched him with sympathy. Pitiful little Jingjing. After a few days of hard times, his expectations for delicacies has sharply declined. Based on his snobbiness, if this was served to him in the past, he might've thrown it away to feed the dogs.

I'm going to refrain from teasing him about this. Back in the day when Empress Dowager Cixi was seeking refuge, she considered a bread given to her delicious. Even when she returned to the palace, she wasn't able to forget it. It really was true that when a person is starving, everything would taste delicious.