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Title: The Crazy Adventures of Wu Gate
Chapter: 19 of 87
On the next day, as if he was in a rush to go to Qi Residence, Mister Qi personally came to pick her up.
Inside the carriage, Mister Qi suddenly said, “… Ah Qiao, I originally didn’t want you to wade through these troubled and muddy water.”
Qing Qiao turned her head to look at him with a surprised expression.
“… Everyone knows that Gu Shang Shu loves his daughter as much as life. You were pampered and spoiled since childhood. To have you taking care of that child, Shao Yi… I’m worried that you’ll be suffering an injustice.” Mister Qi’s smile was gently and his eyes held a hint of an apology.
“I’m only going to be responsible for his eating. It’s not like I’m going to have to educate him in ethical behavior, why are you being so polite?” Qing Qiao pursed her lips. She thought, wasn’t she just going to feed a pig? She still had the ability to fatten an animal.
“Shao Yi… He…” Mister Qi deliberated for a moment before hesitatingly saying, “That child’s personality is a bit special… If he offends you later, please do your best to tolerate it.”
“I’m very tolerant.” Qing Qiao mumbled. She turned around to look outside the window with a smile.
The scorching sun was burning. She couldn’t help but use her sleeve to cover her face and thought of that male peacock that she hadn’t seen in a while.
“You’re very tolerant.” Lu Zi Zheng had given her this evaluation on the twenty-fifth time that he stepped on her hand and ruined her clothing. Then, he shook his sleeve, abruptly left, and abandoned her while she was still bleeding.
The sunlight was too hot.
She looked at the palm of her left hand. In the area between the thumb and forefinger, there was a faint scarred line. You wouldn’t be able to see the scar unless you were carefully looking.
Then, she raised her gaze to look at the glittering, delicate silver bells on her wrist.
Stayed dormant for three years only for this.
She sighed, closed her eyes, and simply fell asleep in the warmth of the sun and the swaying of the carriage.
After they entered the residence, Mister Qi prepared a first-class room and also selected a certain number servant girls and boys for her. Qing Qiao thought this polite treatment was too excessively grand.
When these servants heard that this miss was here to specifically oversee their young master’s diet, they all sincerely looked at her as if she was someone they had all longed to see. They almost treated her as if she were a visiting immortal that they should be worshipping.
She suddenly really wanted to see what that brat who refused to properly eat looked like.
The time to eat dinner finally arrived.
Mister Qi brought her to a spacious hall. This hall was densely packed with a hundred servants. They were all carefully holding food boxes.
A middle-aged man at the front severely lectured, “… What is our goal?”
“To have Sir eat a mouthful!” Everyone simultaneously loudly replied as if they were unstoppable.
“Good! Everyone, cheer up today! We must have Sir eat at least one mouthful!” The lecturing person was very excited. His body was stretched out and tensed up as if he were going to start dancing. “If anyone meets the goal, he or she will be heavily rewarded with a thousand silver taels!”
(T/N: This would be approximately 50 kilograms or 110 pounds of silver.)
*Sound of clamoring*
The servants looked at each, but quickly recovered their senses. They were stirred up with fighting sprit.
Qing Qiao looked at this with awkwardness and mortification. No matter how bad his anorexia is, to reward servants with a thousand silver taels for him to eat a meal, wasn’t this price tag to unreasonably absurd?
This was a common occurrence for Mister Qi. He couldn’t help finding her idiotic expression laughable. If he were to secretly tell her that her every time Shao Yi was willing to taste a new dish, Shao Yi’s dad would reward the chef with a thousand gold taels, wouldn’t this little girl go crazy?
Soon after, a pair of identical twin girls wearing fluttering white clothing that was untainted by even a speck of dust arrived.
With voices as crisp as bells, the two of them said to Mister Qi, “Sir has said that the meal can be started.” Then, they bowed.
“En.” Mister Qi nodded. He held Qing Qiao’s hand as they walked out of the hall. They entered the main hall of a large house. There was exquisite furniture displayed in the house and smoke rising from incense.
Even though her eyes had been opened in the Prince Duan’s residence, Qing Qiao was still speechless from amazement from seeing this house’s level of luxury. She was a daughter from a noble family and had seen the luxuries of the world. But in this short period of time, her cognition of luxurious buildings had been updated several times. It seemed that her father was an uncorrupted government official.
The twin girls kneeled down in front of a decoratively carved bed. They were prostrated with their hands touching the ground when they asked, “Sir, can the dishes be brought inside now?”
A very faint voice said, “… Okay.”
It was so quiet that Qing Qiao suspected that she was experience an auditory hallucination. She could only vaguely see a shadowy figure behind the layers upon layers of gauzy curtains.
However, as soon as that shadowy figure’s word was said, a blue-robed man shouted, “The first one is summoned.”
His lung power was excessive, his voice was sharp, and his volume was loud. She guessed that even people five hundred meters away could clearly hear his every word.
A talented person!
Qing Qiao immediately looked at the blue-robed man with some admiration.
Not only did this person have superhuman hearing, he was also remarkably born with a trumpet for a mouth. He was the truly the fighter amongst the minions!
She saw servant number one walk to the front of the decoratively carved bed and kneel down. He lifted up a small white jade bowl and spoon above his head in offering, “Slowly stewed white phoenix soup with ginseng.”
(T/N: The soup is made from a breed of chicken called Silkie.)
The twin girls opened the curtains. A pale white hand slowly stretched out. The arm was so slim and frail that it seemed as if a single fracture could break it.
She only saw that hand freely using the spoon to stir the soup and then immediately pushing the bowl away without even taking it closer to take a whiff.
“Too thick.” The slightly hoarse voice said with revulsion as if he was avoiding a plague, “Take it out to feed the pigs.”
Servant number one’s dream was completely shattered. He held in his tears until he left the room.
The blue-robed man didn’t show wonder at this strange sight. Once again, he announced, “The second one is summoned.”
Servant number two carried a dark green plate. Trembling with fear, he walked forward, “Gold… Golden toad abalone and jade.”
(T/N: The above dish is made by shaping and decorating abalone into toads. The jade part is either fish paste dyed green like below or some green vegetable and shaped into eggs. I can’t believe this dish actually exists even if golden toads symbolize monetary prosperity. Below is a picture of the dish.)
This time, the person in the bed didn’t even stretch out his hand. He coldly said, “Too smelly. I don’t like the smell.”
Trembling with his entire body, servant number two crawled out of the room.
It seemed that Sir’s condition wasn’t good today. The blue-robed man used his sleeve to wipe his sweat, continued working harder, and announced, “The third one is summoned.”
Servant number three was a clever youngster. He had brought his own charcoal to keep the ceramic pot in his hand hot while he was waiting outside. He feared his dish getting the slightest bit cold.
However, his fate was more wretched. He didn’t even have the opportunity to announce the name of his dish before he was directly eliminated from the competition.
“The outward appearance isn’t good.” The person on the bed superficially said.
Servant number three kneeled down on his original spot in panic. His face showed that he had completely given up hope.
“Ah Yi, don’t be so nonsensical!” Mister Qi couldn’t resist shouting out to stop him, “You haven’t even opened up the ceramic pot, how could you tell the dish doesn’t look good?”
“I wasn’t referring to the dish. I was referring to…” The hand slowly moved towards servant numbers three and he lightly pointed, “him.”
“He’s so ugly that it affects my appetite.” That hand slightly waved to show a driving out gesture of “you should leave quickly”.
Servant number three finally recovered his senses. He stumbled as he left. His figure from the behind was as if ten thousand arrows had struck his body and he was so sad that he wished to die.
This announcement had gone up to servant number fifty-four and the person on the bed still hadn’t eaten.
There was a large area damped with sweat on the blue-robed eunuch’s back. The twin girls kneeled on the ground to piteously beg, “Sir, please eat just a little bit!”
However, the person on the bed took care of himself without worrying for others and continued to be picky.
“Too salty.”
“Not salty enough.”
“Too wet.”
“Too dry.”
“Too greasy.”
“Not greasy enough.”
The entire one hundred and twelve prepared dishes had been announced, but none of them interested this young noble.
“Ah Yi!” Mister Qi couldn’t resist sighing, “Don’t be so difficult. I’ve brought you all of the famous chefs in the entire country. Why do you still refuse to eat?”
After he said this, he strode forward and started to half dragged and half pulled the person on the bed outside.
Qing Qiao quickly looked forward in her eagerness. Her eyes ccouldn’t help shining from the sight in front of her.
The beautiful young man sitting on the bed had a weak body and his movements were gentle. His long hair was loose. His skin was like honey and his eyes were like amber. His long eyelashes were like dense fans. His body was too thin, but at long last, she finally met a first-rate young and cute boy.
Very good very good. She felt delighted. This story’s author always liked to do what was least expected and catch her off guard. But from the sight in front of her, the author didn’t have the courage to destroy the doctrine of “encountering beautiful men when transmigrating” for now.
“I refuse to eat regardless. What can you do to me?” The young man’s face showed his displeasure. He turned away his seething face.
So, it was cute boy that liked to act spoiled. Qing Qian covered her smiling mouth.
“Ah Yi!” Mister Qi took a deep breath. The blue veins on his forehead were protruding, “… What do I have to do for you to agree to eat?”
“Ask ninth uncle Yu to come. When ninth uncle Yu comes, I’ll eat!” The young man turned around and smiled. The brightness of his smile was like spring sunshine.
Oh! So, you have a sweetheart? The corners of Qing Qiao’s mouth opened more and more. He’s called ninth uncle Yu? So, you’re in love with a man. Alas, no wonder this cute boy was rebelling through a hunger strike. The current society has unsophisticated customs. I’m afraid they won’t be able to accept your universally shocking love. But, young noble, don’t worry. Older sister Qing Qiao is a woman who has waded through boy love books. Although I haven’t waded deeply into it, I will naturally accept your relationship unconditionally and wholeheartedly give my blessings…
However, Mister Qi’s next words froze the smile on her lips.
“Ah Yi, why are you doing this to yourself? Prince Duan is very busy. How could he come to visit you every day? Besides, he’s engaged to Gu Shang Shu’s daughter. They’ll be married next year. You can’t keep pestering him!”
Mister Qi’s face showed his helplessness.
囧。
Qing Qiao only thought that there were suddenly countless stars in front of her that she couldn’t finish catching.
Her eyes had turned twice. Both of her hands were spread out. She prepared to foam from the mouth, fall to the ground, and not come back up.
“Gu Qing Qiao is an ugly woman! Sooner or later, this young noble will feed her to the dogs!”
Qing Qiao suddenly heard thunder and immediately returned from the borderline of fainting.
Who had such a blood feud with herself?
She looked around and saw the beautiful young man clutching the bed sheet and fiercely gnashing his teeth in anger as if he were a baby beast that had been provoked.
“Ah Yi, don’t be like this!” Mister Qi settled the young, cute boy that was on the verge of going crazy while secretly looking at her with guilty eyes, “… Miss Gu hasn’t done anything wrong. It was Prince Duan that went to her father to propose the marriage.”
“I hate her!” The beautiful young man turned a dead ear and his slender fingers covered his face. He sobbed, “… If it wasn’t because of her, ninth uncle Yu wouldn’t only come to see me every two months… For her, ninth uncle Yu tamed Zuo Qing, picked up the Unicorn Bow, and utilized a quarter of the black-robed guards to protect her… She’s without talent, beauty, or morals. She spends every day eating and playing. How could she be worthy of my ninth uncle Yu who’s like a celestial immortal?!”
The beautiful young man had become more stirred up as he spoke. Tears overflowed from the cracks between his fingers. His body was also slightly trembling.
“Ah Yi!” Mister Qi frowned. He looked at his nephew and then he looked at his guest. With an embarrassed expression on his face, he said, “You haven’t met Miss Gu. How could you say someone is without talent or beauty without any evidence?”
“The servants I sent out saw her!” The beautiful young man put down his hands. His face had turned red from anger.
“When they came back, they all said that Gu Qing Qiao’s face is incomparably ugly and looks like a giant meatball!”
Qing Qiao rolled her eyes. She couldn’t help but start to twitch.
“Enough!” Mister Qi finally couldn’t continue listening and shouted for him to stop in a stern voice, “Ah Yi, you’re being too childish! Your stubborn and mischievous personality can’t distinguish between truth and fiction. How will you be able to take on heavy responsibilities in the future?!”
The beautiful young man put away his tears in resentful anger, but he couldn’t retrain his face that was full of hate.
“… Ah Yi, uncle will introduce a person to you today.” Mister Qi closed his eyes for a moment as if he were making a painful decision, “I found an older sister to accompany you for a period of time… After you meet her, you will clearly understand a little bit more about the reasons for feelings. She is…”
Mister Qi’s gaze crossed over the vast distance of the room and stopped at Qing Qiao’s head.
Qing Qiao shivered as if a cold wind has passed by. At the speed of light, she moved to the front of the decoratively carved bed, raised her arm, and shouted, “Greeting Sir Shao Yi! This servant was invited by your uncle to be your nanny!”
As she said this, her bright eyes keenly looked at him. The second half of Mister Qi’s words was pushed back into his stomach.
Disregarding that there was someone behind her that was pulling on her clothes, Qing Qiao directly faced the beautiful young man. She smiled this lifetime’s most pure and charming smile at him as she said, “Sir, please remember this well. This servant’s name is Du Chun Jiao.”