The Feast

> > The Feast – Chapter 24

Chapter 24: The Coolie

TRANSLATOR’S NOTE: I’m going to do my best to see if I can put out at least a chapter every two days. Admin and I have informally agreed not to trespa.s.s into each other’s territory and this is a slight violation of our agreement. However, at this point, I will be very happy to receive a scolding email from Admin…

Also, none of my posts contain any advertis.e.m.e.nt, mainly because I don’t know how to fix it up, so if you wish to contribute something (or bribe me to update something, lol) feel free to go to the Donate section. I can’t guarantee a fast update, but I’m the responsible type, so if someone paid me to do something, I’ll bust my b.u.t.t to fulfill my end of things.

That said, I am really not good with technology, so please be patient while I blunder about here.

Best regard,

Gumihou

Crystal Aris: So whipped.

Nadywing: I had to Google Puchero, but it does look similar. Yummilicious!

Ri Hikaru: As a foodie myself, I have to agree.

Queu: Slave is almost the right word!

Strikerbeat: I couldn’t quite believe my eyes when I translated it.

Kirindas: x.x.x!

This novel is so great, I just can’t leave it alone. Must share! Even though I was late…much apologies…

On wards to the novel!

That rascal was still quite dignified.

Su Nuan Nuan gave Duan Tingxuan's adaptable att.i.tude a positive evaluation. Then, with a wide smile, she led the lot of people into the kitchen. There she mixed a small tub of bean past with sugar, expertly split 20 or so eggs into yolks and whites.

She gave the Duan Tingxuan an extra large bowl of egg whites with a smile: "From now on, we'll have to depend on your Lordship, otherwise even the combine efforts of myself, Hong Lian, Xiang Yun and Si Ping will not be able to achieve the desired results."

Duan Tingxuan frowned at the extra large bowl and the pair of chopsticks and muttered: "Surely you're not telling me to beat egg whites?"

"This kind of work, who doesn't know how to do? Why must it be me? Nuan Nuan, even if it's some kind of a revenge, can't you come up with something less obvious? Can you not play games like this?"

"Naturally, everyone know how to beat eggs. However, I want these egg whites beaten until they turn into bubbles. Aside from you no one else has this kind of strength.” Su Nuan Nuan was staring directly at Duan Tingxuan: "Also, your Lordship please don't use common man's eyes to guess at a n.o.ble person's intention and imagine that I still want revenge against you. As mentioned before, if I really had any intentions for revenge, a bottle of rat poison is more than sufficient, why should I waste my effort like this?"

"You… a good man does not b.u.t.t heads with women." Duan Tingxuan fiercely pointed at Xu Nuan Nuan's nose for a bit, before shuffling to the side to beat the egg whites with a depressed air.

As a long practising martial artist, he's already powerful, coupled with the unspent temper which he could only unleash on the hapless eggs whites. In an instant bubbles began to form, more and more bubbles kept on forming, rising higher and higher in the bowl. Su Nuan Nuan, Hong Lian, Xiang Yun and Si Ping all stared in awe at this performance.

"Is this fine?"

He unhappily proffered the large bowl towards Su Nuan Nuan, and watched as she placed some flour into the bowl. Hmm, should be flour, right? It's all white powdery stuff anyway. As someone who could not tell one grain from another, the prince had actually guessed wrongly. What went into the egg whites wasn't all flour, she also added some starch as well. Naturally, this type of detail wasn't something a prince would be interested in anyway.

When the oil in the pot heated up, even Hong Lian and Xiang Yun were surprised. Neither of them had ever eaten such a curious snack before.

They only saw Su Nuan Nuan scoop up a ladle full of the egg white, flour and starch paste, picked up one of the prepared b.a.l.l.s of bean paste, covered it with the egg paste before lightly dropping the little ball into the pot of oil. A white dumpling swelled up to bob on the surface, slowly turning golden in colour.

Su Nuan Nuan's movements were extraordinarily quick, rapidly filling the pot with over ten dumplings. Using a bamboo strainer, she stirred the dumplings, keeping a close eye on them. When she estimated that they were about done, she quickly scooped the lot out and transferred them into a large clean bowl. Then, she looked up at Duan Tingxuan's creased brows and smiled. "Well, they're done. Please try one, fragrant and sweet Snow Soft Bean Paste snacks. Guarantee you'll love them."

"Do you think I'm crazy? Putting one in my mouth now, only if I don't want my tongue any more." Duan Tingxuan rolled his eyes at Su Nuan Nuan. Will this woman die if she misses an opportunity to take a dig at him? Was there some kind of compulsiveness that made her turn against him at every point?

Now that he thought about it seriously, there's a possibility that there's an inner compulsiveness that made a woman's resentment terrifying. Just a few days ago a case from Shun Tian court came in. Just because a man decided to keep a mistress on the side his wife ended up cutting off his vital thing with a pair of scissors. The woman was found guilty, of course, and as punishment was banished from Shun Tian. However, the man was already disabled for life.

Just thinking about the case made the prince broke out in cold sweat. He gave Su Nuan Nuan, who was busily making more Snow Soft Bean Paste snacks, a complicated look. Now that he had something to compare to, Nuan Nuan is still not quite the level of a resentful wife.

That man had kept a single solitary mistress outside the house, while I have so many beauties beside me, ng! Speaking of which, should I thank her for not bringing out the scissors?

As he continued to think, his gaze misted over with complex thoughts. Su Nuan Nuan was too busy to notice his gaze. It was Hong Lian who accidentally saw this look and the little maid's heart skipped a beat. Oh, Amitabha, this is good. They need no longer fear getting kicked out of the palace any more.

A few tens of Snow Soft Bean Paste snacks were out of the pot. The ones that were out first could already be eaten. Although they were still a little hot, as long as it won't harm his tongue, the prince didn't care. One after another they disappeared into his gullet. As he ate, he kept making noises of happiness and deliciousness.

At this point, whatever dissatisfaction he had against Su Nuan Nuan was lost. Truly the power of delicious food was too strong.

When there were less than 20 pieces of the Snow Soft Bean Paste snacks in the bowl, Su Nuan Nuan, seeing that Duan Tingxuan showed no signs of stopping his starving wolf performance couldn't take it any more. She grabbed the wolf's paw, gritted her teeth and said angrily.

"Still eating? Is your stomach a black hole? Not afraid to explode? Hong Lian, Xiang Yun and Si Ping combined didn't even eat as much as you did. How shameful is it to call yourself a prince when you can't even understand basic etiquette? Do you want to be the first prince in history who ate himself to death?"

It was only when Su Nuan Nuan said this that Duan Tingxuan felt the fullness of his stomach. Just now he was only concerned with satisfying his tongue, where would he find the attention to bother about his stomach?

Satisfied to see that he had awkwardly stopped, Su Nuan Nuan turned to Si Ping. "It's now dark, take a few home for your old mother. Having an old parent waiting for their son to come home and eat is really pitiful. Since you got stuck with a master who did not know basic human kindness, it's really a misfortune for you poor mother-son pair."

After the initial shock, Si Ping felt a strange heat p.r.i.c.kle his eyes. He was but a mere servant. Though his various masters always gave him rewards in the form of money and things, in the end, aside from the prince, who else would really care about him beyond his usefulness as a servant?

Unbelievably, Big Madam really had changed into a better person after her brush with death.

When he nodded quickly in response, Hong Lian took out some brown parchment paper as makeshift takeaway packets and helped him put the snacks in. During all this time, Duan Tingxuan's voice had been howling in the background with indignant and great wrath:

"What do you mean I don't know basic human kindness? You want to know how well I treat Si Ping? Just ask him, are there any other servants as well treated as he is? How many servants had to wait on their masters hand and foot, day and night? Si Ping's mother was a servant who had once served the Old Madam, nowadays she is still given some odd jobs from the needlework house. How could they even be as pitiful as you said? You wish to bribe Si Ping? Hmph! I'll ask you to give up this idea as soon as possible."

"Is that so? So it turns out I've mistaken the situation?" Su Nuan Nuan creased her browse with a cold smile. "In that case, Si Ping there's no need for you to bring those things home. Leave it all here."

"Master," Si Ping gave Duan Tingxuan a resentful gaze. Oh master, ah, master. What kind of face are you trying to fight for? Though my old mother's situation is not pitiful, I still wish to bring such good things back for her to taste. Aren't you just spoiling your servant's good thing?

"Er…"

Duan Tingxuan finally reacted. His heart was all annoyed, ah. I am so stupid, truly foolish. Si Ping is my servant, ah. The moment we stepped past the threshold of this place, wouldn't at least half of those Snow Soft Bean Paste snacks be mine?

Miscalculation, this is definitely a miscalculation.

When his thoughts arrived at this point, he thickened his face and back-peddled: "Nn, you're not wrong, I just…that, hem, hem! I was just unwilling. You even thought about Si Ping's mother, why not spare a thought for Old Great Madam and Great Madam[1]? They've never eaten anything like this, ah, why did you never mention anything about taking this bone soup or these Snow Soft Bean Paste whatever to show some filial consideration?"

Su Nuan Nuan watched as Hong Lian and Xiang Yun lit the doorway lantern, and said with a cold sneer: "That day when I was banished into Mei Yue Lou, Great Madam never said anything. Which was fine, since she generally despises me anyway. Think I don't know that? The less I show up in her face, the more comfortable days she'll have. If I were to suddenly appear to to show filial consideration, Great Madam would surely suffer from some mental distress. So why should I bother?"

Duan Tingxuan sighed, and said in a soft voice. "You only say that mother dislikes you, but you never thought about the things you did in the past. Anyone would dislike a person with such terrible behaviour. Mother is not an unreasonable person, if you've truly have a change of heart, she would slowly notice your good points. Do you know why she likes Xue Zi Lan? Isn't it because Xue Zi :an is a warm, generous and thoughtful? As long as you…"

"Hold it."

Su Nuan Nuan crossed her arms in front of her chest, shaking her head at Duan Tingxuan: "Just give up, even if you beat me to death, I could never turn into that kind of warm, generous and thoughtful little woman. Ever since my near death experience, I have had a great realisation. A person's life can be summed up with two words. Food and Drink. Nothing is above delicious food. I am a proud gluttonous foodie, you go do your filial thing, if there are good things to eat, I'll come. This will be how we'll get along in the future. I trust you have no objections to this?"

"You…" Duan Tingxuan felt like there's a mouthful of air stuck in his chest. Unable to swallow or spit out. After a long while, he smacked the table and glared. "A couple one night, a hundred day's grace, a woman cannot be too fussy."

"It was once grace, but once broken there's only disgrace. At best, I shall address you once as lord." Su Nuan Nuan's lips curled. Want to do battle using idioms? Bring it.

"You want to debate verses with me?" Duan Tingxuan gritted his teeth. "I mean it. Ever since you married me, we are joined as one body. Since I have already lowered my head, what else do you want?"

Su Nuan Nuan laughed coldly: "Don't, my Lordship's wife isn't just me alone. If we're going to talk about joined as one body, then just how many times can you split that body of yours? You talk about a couple one night, a hundred day's grace? That day you tossed me into this Mei Yue Lou, where were these words? Did a dog ate it?"

"The reason why you're sent here, shouldn't you know in your own heart? People outside the palace said I was dropping stones into a well due to your father's matter, that I was favouring the concubines and looking to banish the wife."

"However, the real reason you should know best, shouldn't you?"

"How did He Xiang and the child in her belly lost their lives?

"Yue Yer being sold to a brothel was under who's orders?"

"When your father got into trouble, I spared no effort running around trying to fix the situation. You not only did not show any understanding, but stirred up trouble within the Inner Court instead."

"You betrothed Yu Fu to a disabled man, annoying Great Madam until she fainted."

"Even the children weren't spared. Mao Ming falling into a pond was under who's scheme? Who frightened Mao Chuan until he fell sick? Do you really want me to lay out all these matter before you?"[2]

Author's Note: Come, come, come, collect recommendation tickets!

Translator's Note: Dude, most of past Su Nuan Nuan's crimes could be linked to your extreme l.u.s.tiness, ah. I think she just went crazy from you spreading your rain and dew all over the place…I’d probably bring out the scissors too, or a spoon. Yes, a spoon…

[1] Duan Tingxuan's mother – I've decided to use Big Madam for Su Nuan Nuan, Great Madam for Duan Tingxuan’s parent’s generation, and Old Great Madam for the grandmother.

[2]The seven paragraphs was originally one whole chunk, but I took creative licence and split them for dramatic purposes.

Here’s a picture of the Snow Soft Bean Paste snack I found on the net. There’s no equivalent English name for it. Gosh, I want to eat it!

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