Chapter 556: Chapter 196 Lady Yun
The trellis shaded them from the sunlight overhead, and the table was laden with steaming, delicious dishes. Standing before the stone table, the woman was flanked by a person on each side, thus even the breeze seemed to soften here.
Ji Xun looked towards Pei Yunmeng.
His expression was calm, his smile slight, and the tone of his speech very natural; yet Ji Xun couldn’t help but frown slightly, feeling a sudden displeasure.
For some reason, he found himself somewhat disinclined towards Marshal Pei.
Everyone at the meal was silent as Duan Xiaoyan, with quick eyes and hands, pulled Pei Yunmeng to take a seat beside Lu Tong, "Why bother with such formalities? We have such a large table; surely we can find a place to sit?"
The youth looked at Ji Xun, his smile brilliant as he spoke: "Doctor Ji, please take a seat over there—" He pointed to an empty spot, which was quite far from Lu Tong, directly opposite her at the round table, "You’ll be right next to the deep-fried spring goose; it makes it easier to serve yourself."
Zhu Ling: "..."
The deep-fried spring goose, glistening with oil, was quite incongruous with Ji Xun’s clean attire.
However, Pei Yunmeng had already been firmly seated by Duan Xiaoyan, and the stone table was not large to begin with. With a wooden table added alongside, they barely managed to seat everyone, with very limited vacant spots.
After a pause, Ji Xun turned around and sat down where Duan Xiaoyan had just pointed.
Lu Tong breathed a slight sigh of relief.
For some reason, she always felt that whenever Ji Xun and Pei Yunmeng met, there was something odd about the atmosphere. Their conversation was normal and their manners proper, yet there was a palpable tension as if swords were drawn and bows bent. The more amiable Pei Yunmeng’s smile, the more courteous Ji Xun’s behavior, the stronger this sensation became.
Lu Tong suspected there must have been some past conflict between them.
Lin Danqing coughed lightly, shifting the topic with a chuckle, "Shopkeeper Du’s dishes are truly sumptuous. This braised duck with lychee and pork kidneys looks almost as good as what the chef at Renhe Restaurant makes."
Ah Cheng spoke quickly: "Doctor Lin is impressive; the braised duck with lychee and pork kidneys was in fact bought from the Renhe Restaurant by the owner himself."
Du Changqing knocked on his head, scolding, "You talk too much!"
"Bought from a restaurant?" Zhu Ling blinked and added, "I thought it was made by ourselves."
The meal was indeed rich and well-presented. Xiao Medicine Boy had initially complained about how cramped the Medical Officer Institute’s courtyard felt, but upon seeing the dishes, his complaints vanished. Ji Xun, being a medical student, ate very simply, and it was rare for children to see such greasy food—only to discover it was bought from outside.
Miao Liangfang explained: "The culinary skills of those of us in the Medical Officer Institute are modest, and we feared the hospitality might not be up to par, inviting ridicule, so Shopkeeper Du specially went to the Renhe Restaurant to purchase these dishes and wine."
Zhu Ling puzzled, "If that is the case, why not simply dine in the restaurant?"
The restaurant would have been more spacious, and their Young Master wouldn’t have to squeeze next to the greasy deep-fried goose.
Du Changqing rolled his eyes, a fake smile on his face, "We are all physicians at the Institute, collecting salary, and occasionally might receive gold bead strands or something similar from nobility, but our place is different."
"Those who come to West Street for treatment are poor; not to mention receiving any silver, sometimes when we’re overly generous, we might end up losing money," he said, glaring at Miao Liangfang, who quickly lowered his head to snack on peanuts, pretending not to hear.
"We earn so little, and prices are soaring. Taxes were increased this year. To be honest, the Institute’s expansion cleaned out my savings, and it’s uncertain if the cost will ever be recouped. To speak frankly, it’s less like running a business and more like making a charitable donation," he leaned back, "Booking a room at Renhe Restaurant costs money for the reservation, of course it’s more cost-effective to eat at the Institute."
Zhu Ling was lost.
Although he was just a Xiao Medicine Boy, having grown up following Ji Xun, he had lived a simple life but had never really suffered.
Especially given that the Ji Family was of the scholarly class, the notion of painstakingly haggling over a single silver coin was beyond comprehension... Zhu Ling sneaked a look at his Young Master.
Ji Xun’s eyebrows were lowered, and he remained silent as if contemplating Du Changqing’s words seriously.
Seeing this, Lin Danqing spoke with a smile, "That’s not quite the right way to look at it. Life may be somewhat modest on West Street, but there’s no worry about food and drink. Contentment brings happiness. Moreover, Shengjing is still doing okay. A while back when I visited home, my father told me that there had been a locust plague in Su Nan, and all the young crops were eaten up, leading to famine there."
Yin Zheng exclaimed, "A locust plague in Su Nan?"
The group was taken aback. News of the locust plague had first spread from inside the Palace, and West Street had not yet heard.
Du Changqing looked at Lu Tong, "Isn’t that where both of you are from?"
Lu Tong and Yin Zheng were from Su Nan.
Miao Liangfang frowned, "Locusts covering the sky, wiping out crops in an instant; once famine starts, I fear a plague might swiftly follow..."