Chapter 62: Chapter 46: The True Dragon Emerges!
Braised lion’s head, steamed deer tail, soft-fried tenderloin, stir-fried shrimps, red-braised pork, jar meat, crystal trotter, five-spice lamb, blanched meatballs...
Zhang Chen was eating with oil running down his mouth, the fragrant dishes making him feel like a ghost reborn from starvation. How long had it been since he had a proper meal? And top-notch food, at that.
Though it was an old society without various condiments, the culinary skills of this era were in no way inferior to those of the later times.
The most skilled chefs never used chicken essence or MSG in their dishes. Instead, they used broths made from chicken and duck, whose flavors surpassed all seasonings. What are seasonings but imitations of the flavor of the old broth? But how can processed products compare to genuine old broth?
It’s like artificial meat compared to real meat; can the taste ever be exactly the same?
The young girl across from Zhang Chen watched him gobble down the food, a hint of heartache in her eyes as she continued to add crystal trotter and jar meat to his plate, "Ah, you, why did you run away back then? Even if they bullied you, if you endured for three to five years, you wouldn’t have lacked food and clothing. Why suffer to make a living on your own? I know you were wronged, but isn’t being wronged better than starving alone in this remote place?"
Zhang Chen, who was still wolfing down the trotter, suddenly froze: What the hell? Running away from home? When did I ever run away from home?
He was about to ask when the girl spoke again, "Dad still pines for you. Hearing that I was visiting you this time, he specially sent you a thousand taels of silver. You must understand Dad’s difficulties. Although he’s the head of the family, Madam’s family is a prominent one, and he has to appease her. Our dad has to endure injustice from her, too. That year, when you and your mother were forced to leave the mansion, Dad was heartbroken but helpless. He asked me to tell you that over the years, he’s secretly arranged many paths for you. All you need to do is study hard, and once you succeed, you’ll have a bright future. Give me two more years, and once I establish myself in the Prince’s Mansion, Dad will no longer have to appease that woman."
At this moment, as Zhang Chen was gnawing on the crystal trotter, he felt a bit flustered. Wasn’t his cheap old man already dead? And yet he still cared about him? And sent him a thousand taels of silver? He, who supposedly was exiled here with his sibling and father, had no memory of any mother; how did he become the one who was chased out with her?
While eating the crystal trotter, Zhang Chen unobtrusively assessed the sweet girl before him, noting her large dimples and the clear, watery eyes, which bore no resemblance to the elder sister from his memories.
"Oh damn! There’s definitely been a mistaken identity!" Zhang Chen paused his trotter gnawing, his gaze passing over the half-eaten dishes as a thought flashed through his mind: "Is it still possible to cough it up now?"
Facing the sweet girl, Zhang Chen’s mind was awash with thoughts, and he halted his trotter-eating, then looked at the girl opposite, cautiously asking, "Um... Miss, are you sure I am your brother? Could there be a case of mistaken identity?"
Upon hearing Zhang Chen’s words, the girl’s eyes instantly reddened, tears as large as beans falling one by one: "I know you still bear resentment against our family, against Dad, against Madam. You’re always stubborn, refusing to acknowledge us, but I’m your real sister; don’t you even want to acknowledge me?"
Viewing the girl’s grief-stricken face, her tears like broken beads, Zhang Chen felt a headache coming on, yet he was very certain that she had indeed mistaken him for someone else.
What to do?
Zhang Chen was very flustered now.
Having already eaten most of the dishes and acknowledged half of the kinship, if he were to mention the mistaken identity now... Zhang Chen looked at the imposing man standing at the doorway, his eyelids trembling with fear, then glanced at the opposite girl weeping beautifully. Helplessly nibbling on the crystal trotter to disguise his guilt, he muttered ambiguously, "Fine, fine, don’t cry. I was just asking. It’s been quite a few years since we’ve seen each other, so we look a bit unfamiliar. If it’s a mistaken identity, wouldn’t that be bad?"
"Nonsense! You are my brother, even if you turn to ash, I would recognize you. How could I ever mistake you? Even if I mistake myself, I would never mistake you." The girl’s eyes brimmed with tears as she held Zhang Chen’s sleeve, her voice full of vulnerability: "Brother, don’t blame your sister, okay? It was all sister’s fault back then, abandoning you to go to the Prince’s Mansion, making you wander here uncared for. But you must understand your sister’s intentions; going to the Prince’s Mansion was to seek a glimmer of hope for us. If I died there, so be it. If not, I’d definitely carve out a future for you, breaking these shackles and constraints."
Staring at the girl before him, Zhang Chen felt speechless for a moment. He dearly wanted to say, ’No need to turn to ash, you’ve already mistaken me now.’
But now that he’s eaten, changed his clothes, what could he do?
He still had some doubts in his heart: "Whose sister is this? Got mistaken for me."
Having at least eaten their food and accepted their kindness, looking at the girl weeping beautifully, Zhang Chen could only offer comfort, "Don’t cry anymore. I was merely asking, fearing you’d mistaken me. If it turns out to be a mistake later, resulting in unfair blame, wouldn’t that be bad?"