Chapter 171: Glutton (for Affection)- Unedited
Author:Â White Pear Flower
Raws:Â https://book.qidian.com/info/2386994/
Translated by Gumihou
Gumihou: Okay, so I added the ‘for Affection’ to the original text, poor Jin Zhenyi was just a walking appetite for punishment, created to demand things and be crushed by AR Qiuning’s benevolence.
That is too unfair for the poor kid.
USMiC applied to protect his character.
Please read the Edited Version Here
Jin Feng raised an eyebrow, about to speak, when Fu Qiuning laughed and said, “I anticipated that Yige might not like these rustic dishes, so I specifically instructed the chef to send some sample dishes…” Before she could finish, she heard the voices of the maidservants outside greeting each other. Then, the curtain was lifted, and Rui’er and Si’er, the maidservants serving Jin Zhenyi, entered and placed a food box on the table. They picked a few delicate dishes, including steamed catfish, stewed mushrooms with chicken, braised trotters, Dongpo pork, mushroom meatballs, and a bowl of sour bamboo shoot soup. Because Jin Zhenyi liked meat, most of his meals consisted of meat dishes.
The family began to eat. Jin Zhenyi ate the dishes in front of him while his eyes wandered over the dishes on the table. He heard Jin Feng laugh and say, “Although it’s rustic fare, it has its own unique flavor. It’s really delicious.” It made him itch a bit. Then he heard Fu Qiuning also laugh and say, “It’s the unique fragrance of the big pot that makes it especially delicious.” It felt like there were greedy bugs crawling in his stomach. He looked at his sister beside him, who was a proper young lady, but she didn’t touch the sample dishes and only went for the Four Happiness meatballs that didn’t look very appetizing, as well as sweet potato slices and fried meatballs—typical rustic dishes. She looked like she was savoring the food.
The aroma of the food filled the air, and as Jin Zhenyi ate his sample dishes, he felt they lacked flavor, and his mouth started to water. At this moment, he couldn’t help but blame Qiuning in his heart. He thought, “Why is this woman so meddlesome? Why did she have to think so thoughtfully about it? I just casually mentioned it, did you really have to take it seriously? Aren’t you ashamed, as an adult, to fuss over a child like me?”
“Why aren’t you eating? Are you already full?” Jin Feng looked at Jin Zhenyi, who had a frustrated expression and was absentmindedly playing with his chopsticks, and asked. Just then, Fu Qiuning had just served a bowl of shredded chicken, egg, and pork blood soup to Jin Zangfeng and Jin Zangjiao. She then picked up a bowl in front of Jin Xiunan and asked with a smile, “Third Miss, would you like some soup? If you do, I’ll serve you a bowl.”
Jin Xiunan hurriedly said, “Thank you, Aunt.” She reached out and took the soup bowl, and then she heard Jin Feng laugh and say, “This soup looks delicious. What ingredients are in it?”
Fu Qiuning took her own bowl, smiled, and said as she served the soup, “I’ve heard from Yuniang that this kind of soup is indispensable in ordinary households. It’s made with shredded meat, pork blood, tofu, eggs, and if the family is wealthy, they add some oysters. It’s quite delicious. You see, because it’s thickened, it looks appetizing.”
Jin Zhenyi looked eagerly at the people drinking soup on the table. He also wanted to drink, but he felt too embarrassed to ask. He turned around to find a maid to serve him, but he couldn’t find anyone. It suddenly occurred to him that the maids in the elegant tower didn’t serve from behind. Fu Qiuning didn’t like formalities and said that when the family ate together, it would be warmer and more intimate if they served each other. So, the maids followed suit. At this moment, when he needed someone, there was no one available.
Therefore, he complained in his heart about Fu Qiuning. Suddenly, he heard Fu Qiuning say, “Why isn’t Brother Yi eating? Just looking at the soup? Do you want to drink it too?” After speaking, she took a bowl and filled it for him. Jin Zhenyi felt happy in his heart, but he didn’t want to easily admit defeat. He grumbled, “Although it doesn’t look good, I can reluctantly have a few sips.” While saying that, he quickly took the bowl of soup.
His contradictory actions amused everyone at the table, but they didn’t want him to feel embarrassed. So, Jin Zangfeng and Jin Zangjiao lowered their heads and hurriedly swallowed their food. Jin Xiunan didn’t want to make fun of her brother, so she also lowered her head and pretended not to notice. Jin Fengju and Fu Qiuning exchanged a glance, both smiled slightly, and didn’t expose him. That’s when Jin Zhenyi relaxed.
After drinking a bowl of soup and finding it delicious, Jin Zhenyi decided to let go. He thought, “I’ve already lost face earlier, so what’s wrong with being a bit shameless now? I don’t believe this woman won’t let me eat in front of father.” Thinking with a “righteous and bold” mindset, he reached for the chopsticks to pick up the wood ear mushrooms, cabbage, and sliced meat that he had longed for. The dish seemed ordinary, but it tasted delicious and flavorful when he ate it. He realized that what Fu Qiuning said was true. The rustic farmhouse-style dishes were indeed special.
Jin Fengju laughed and said, “Ask Yuniang later about the chef. We should hire him and have him cook these dishes exclusively for our family. I’m sure our ancestors will enjoy it.”
By now, Fu Qiuning had finished eating and pushed her bowl aside. She smiled and said, “Why bother? It’s just a momentary enjoyment. If you eat it for three to five days, it will be enough. For the sake of this novelty, do we really need to hire someone and inconvenience those families in the countryside who hold various events? Even if our ancestors like it, it’s not worth it. We can pick a nice day and invite him to come and cook for us. Do we really need to hire him permanently?”
Jin Fengju smiled and said, “You’re right. Let’s do that then.” After speaking, he saw Jin Zhenyi sneakily put a big Si Xi meatball into his own bowl. He quickly said, “You’ve eaten a lot, be careful not to overeat. It’s okay to stop eating when you’ve had enough.”
Jin Zhenyi didn’t dare to oppose his father’s words, but he also didn’t want to give up the big meatball. He muttered in a low voice, “I’m not full yet.” While saying that, he secretly glanced at Qiuning, hoping she would speak up for him again, even though he knew he wouldn’t appreciate it. He was being unreasonable in his thoughts.
“That’s such a big meatball, just eat half of it. It’s all meat, not easy to digest,” he said. Unexpectedly, Fu Qiuning not only didn’t speak up for him but also stood on the same side as Jin Fengju. Jin Zhenyi was infuriated and wanted to smash the bowl and leave. First, his father was here, so he didn’t dare to act recklessly. Secondly, he hadn’t taken a bite of the big rice ball yet, and he couldn’t bear to waste it. After thinking for a while, he could only bite it angrily and take a big mouthful.
In the evening, after the couple had finished their intimacy, Jin Fengju asked Fu Qiuning, “Did Zhenyi cause any trouble while he was with you? This boy is nothing like me. He has a bit of a rogue character deep down, which I always find troublesome. If he doesn’t change this rogue nature even in your presence, let me know, and I’ll teach him a lesson.”
Fu Qiuning smiled and said, “I actually like him this way. His likes and dislikes are written all over his face, which is much better than those who are deeply scheming. Although Third Miss is quiet and thoughtful, and we rarely interact, our relationship is harmonious. Now Feng’er and Jiao’er are studying with them in the same study room, and it’s not as tense as before. I think it’s good, so you don’t need to worry about these things.”
Jin Fengju laughed and said, “That’s good. I thought about it for a long time and felt that besides being with you, I wouldn’t trust anyone else to take care of them. Now it seems that I made the right move.”
Fu Qiuning pursed her lips and sneered, “What do you mean? A move? Have I become your pawn?”
Jin Fengju quickly hugged her and kissed her cheek with a smile, saying, “Not a pawn, but a wife. You are not my legitimate wife. Alright, it’s getting late. Let’s sleep. I won’t go out tomorrow, I’ll accompany you all day. How about that?”
Fu Qiuning smiled and said, “Don’t bother me tomorrow morning. I have to make rice dumplings. Luckily, the ancestral banquet is in the evening; otherwise, there wouldn’t be enough time.”
Jin Fengju laughed and said, “Dragon Boat Festival is not just about making rice dumplings, right? I’ll put peach branches and mugwort leaves on the doors.” But then he heard Fu Qiuning’s laughter and said, “Those things can be done by the children. Do you really need to do it, my lord?” Jin Fengju retorted, “If that’s the case, the kitchen and the maidservants on the rainy steps can make the rice dumplings. Do you, as the lady of the house, need to do it?”
Fu Qiuning wanted to say that she wasn’t the lady of the house, but she was afraid that Jin Fengju would misunderstand and insist on letting her wield power in the house. To be honest, although that position held great power and benefits, who would want to bother with it when they could enjoy the fruits without laboring? Qiuning didn’t consider herself as capable as Wang Xifeng, and she preferred to hide her talents rather than reveal them.
After teasing each other for a while, the couple fell asleep. It’s unknown how much time had passed when Jin Fengju felt someone getting up and dressing quietly next to him. He opened his eyes and indeed saw Qiu Ning quietly getting out of bed. He lazily said, “It’s still early in the morning, the sun hasn’t even come out yet. What are you doing? I don’t have to attend court right now, so I can sleep a little longer. When I start attending court again, I won’t have this opportunity.”
Fu Qiuning startled him and quickly turned back, whispering, “My lord, please continue sleeping. Today is the Dragon Boat Festival, and it’s customary to tie colorful threads to ward off evil spirits before the sun rises for the children.” After speaking, she noticed Jin Fengju was about to get up, so she gently pushed him and smiled, saying, “This is the mother’s task. How can I let you, the father, do it? Besides, men are usually careless. They might wake the children up.”
Hearing her words, Jin Fengju made a sound of agreement and intended to remind her not to forget Jin Zhenyi and Jin Xiunan, the siblings. However, in the end, he didn’t say anything. He didn’t know why himself. If it was to test Qiu Ning and see if she cared about those two siblings, it seemed unreasonable. After all, the two children were forcibly brought to them, and Fu Qiuning was not their birth mother. She had previously expressed her unwillingness to take them in. Jin Zhenyi, that brat, didn’t know how to restrain himself. Even if Fu Qiuning didn’t tie the threads for them, it was only natural. Where could he send the two children if he left here?
Thinking like this in his heart, he still felt a shadow looming. He decided to get up as well, but after waiting for a long time without seeing Fu Qiuning return, he washed up and left the room. He asked a servant girl and learned that Fu Qiuning had already started making rice dumplings.
After a while, the household servants had all begun their work in their respective positions. The four children, because they had a day off today, unusually didn’t wake up early. However, they didn’t dare to delay too long either. They got up as soon as the sun rose, finished getting ready, and sat together in the dining room, waiting for Fu Qiuning to join them for breakfast.
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