Chapter 237: Let’s Have a Drink Sometime
“Miss Wen, what are salted duck eggs, and what is century egg tofu?” the yamen runner who was chewing on a meat pie beside them asked curiously. After listening for a while, he barely managed to follow the father-daughter duo’s conversation.
He added another question: “The roast duck you mentioned just now, could it be the roast duck from your Yunwu Town? I heard about it long ago, but I haven’t had the time to try it. People say that roast duck only tastes good when it’s freshly roasted.”
As he spoke, the runner suddenly swallowed his saliva. Sigh, thank goodness the meat pies Wen Yao made were savory and fragrant, otherwise, they really wouldn’t have been enough to satisfy this sudden craving.
He hadn’t known before that Scholar Wen’s daughter possessed such excellent culinary skills.
Wen Yao felt it was a bit of a pity. This small, broken courtyard of hers didn’t have an oven. Otherwise, she could have roasted a duck to properly thank this runner for taking care of her old dad.
“If you want to eat it, Officer, just head to Yunwu Town whenever you’re free, and it will be my treat,” Wen Yao drew a grand promise first.
Wen Xiuyi also nodded. “Mm, thanks to your care these past few days, running around with me from dawn to dusk. Whenever you’re free, just go to Yunwu Town. We’ll treat you to roast duck—eat as much as you want, it’s on us.”
The yamen runner felt that the meat pie in his hand tasted even more fragrant, and his tone grew much more intimate. “That is truly wonderful! People also say that even if you go, you might not get a taste of that roast duck since they only supply a limited amount each day. With Scholar Wen’s words, I can rest easy.”
Wen Xiuyi chewed on his meat pie, speaking with complete casualness, “Oh, that roast duck shop was opened by this girl. If you ever want to eat it, just go anytime.”
The yamen runner: “!!!!”
Wen Yao nodded in agreement. “My dad is right, Officer. Thanks to your care for my dad during this short period, if nothing else, the ducks will definitely be on the house.”
The people at the yamen had all said he was unlucky to be chosen by the magistrate to follow this poor scholar from out of town. Looking at it now, how was this bad luck? This was clearly striking absolute gold, alright?
The yamen runner grew increasingly enthusiastic, introducing himself to Wen Yao: “Miss Wen, my surname is Ma, and my name is Ma Qiang. The people at the yamen call me Little Ma. You can just call me that too. If you ever have any business in the prefecture seat in the future, just come look for me.”
Little Ma—hahaha, if it weren’t so inappropriate, Wen Yao would have almost burst out laughing. She nodded. “Then I’ll trouble you, Brother Little Ma.”
The address ‘Brother Little Ma’ almost made Wen Xiuyi choke. He shot a glare at the wretched girl, while Ma Qiang merely grinned happily.
After eating a few bites, Wen Xiuyi took a brief nap in the carriage, just like his past routine of taking a lunch break at noon. When the hour arrived, he woke up and continued to keep himself busy.
Wen Yao stayed in the carriage, casually chatting with Ma Qiang to ask about the situation in the prefecture seat.
It wasn’t until Wen Xiuyi emerged surrounded by the villagers that the two stopped. Sitting in the carriage and watching Wen Xiuyi encircled by the crowd, Wen Yao could even see several elderly folks silently wiping away tears, their reluctance to part with Wen Xiuyi written clearly all over their faces.
Ma Qiang spoke up: “We won’t be coming to Sanyuan Village tomorrow.”
Wen Yao understood. No wonder; no wonder everyone looked so reluctant to part with Wen Xiuyi.
With great difficulty, Wen Xiuyi placated the emotions of the villagers, speaking in a loud, clear voice, “If there is anything you don’t understand, just come to Gutong Village in Yunwu Town to find me. However, the round-trip distance is long. Everyone had best gather all your questions together first, and then send someone to find me, alright?”
The crowd chimed in one after another:
“Scholar Wen, you truly are a good man.”
“Scholar Wen, stay for a simple meal before you leave.”
It was plain to see that everyone’s reluctance to part and gratitude toward Wen Xiuyi were genuine. Perhaps at the very beginning, everyone held a skeptical attitude toward Wen Xiuyi, but as his expertise manifested, they gradually came to believe what he said.
From the initial skepticism to the current reluctance to part, Wen Yao looked at the expressions on so many faces and finally understood exactly why Professor Wen had been so persistent back then.
“Scholar Wen truly is a good man.” A sigh from Ma Qiang drifted by her ears, laced with respect and admiration, making Wen Yao straighten her back a bit more.
Her father, her dearest father, should be a person who shone brilliantly like this.
“Let’s go, let’s go, drive quickly. I can’t take it anymore,” Wen Xiuyi urged Ma Qiang to flee the moment he managed to get back onto the carriage.
Yet turning back to wave goodbye to everyone, he transformed once more into that reluctantly parting Scholar Wen.
Once the carriage started moving and the figures behind grew smaller and smaller, only then did Wen Yao tease, “Dad, you change faces quite quickly, huh?”
Wen Xiuyi tidied up his clothes, which had been tugged out of shape, and lamented, Sigh, everyone was far too enthusiastic. They even tore my clothes. When I go back, your grandma is going to scold me again.”
A single sentence made Wen Yao burst into a hearty laugh, and even Ma Qiang, who was driving the carriage, couldn’t help but smile.
Treading on the sunset, Ma Qiang delivered the two back to the small, broken house. Looking at their somewhat dilapidated courtyard, Ma Qiang truly found it a bit hard to accept now. After all, Miss Wen ran the wildly popular Yunwu Roast Duck Shop, so why did they still live in such a broken courtyard that was also incredibly remote?
“Scholar Wen, then I’ll head back first. I’ll pick you up at the usual time tomorrow,” Ma Qiang cupped his fists toward Wen Xiuyi.
Wen Xiuyi waved his hand. “Oh, Little Ma, stay for dinner.”
Ma Qiang wasn’t old, looking to be only in his twenties. He didn’t feel anything was amiss about being called Little Ma by him. He merely gave a bashful smile. “No, Scholar Wen, I won’t cause trouble for you. I still have to head home; my wife is waiting.”
Alright then, as a lonely old man, he couldn’t delay the young couple.
“Then alright. Sometime—let’s have a drink sometime.”
Only then did Ma Qiang offer a salute with a grin and drive the carriage away.
“Don’t know if my brother is back yet,” Wen Yao muttered as she went to open the door. The padlock was unlocked, so it seemed Wen Jun had already returned.
“Brother, Brother, we’re back!” Wen Yao started shouting the moment she entered the door.
Wen Jun walked out from the kitchen, giving a slight smile. “I didn’t know when you two would be back, so I just threw together a few dishes.”
Wen Xiuyi slipped into the kitchen. Seeing a few simple dishes placed over the stove to keep warm, his heart filled with warmth and emotion.
The three sat down to eat. Wen Jun asked the two about their trip to the countryside, and the two also asked Wen Jun about the situation on his end.
It turned out that Dr. Jin also had a close physician friend in the prefecture seat who ran a medical clinic. This time, Wen Jun had specifically come to visit the good friend on the old man’s behalf. He had returned by noon, and since he had nothing to do in the afternoon, he tidied up the house and familiarized himself with the surrounding environment, only to discover that this place truly was a bit too remote.
“Remote is good. With those matters regarding your sister, crowded places are prone to causing trouble,” Wen Xiuyi said directly.
Wen Jun agreed completely. It was just that the brother and sister pair had to head back tomorrow, leaving only Wen Xiuyi here by himself. Speaking of which, he wouldn’t even be able to get a hot meal when he returned in the evening.
