Ch 59: Guide to Feeding a Villainous Husband

“…In short, by the time Boss Qin arrived, all the red crabs had already died, due to the negligence of the person responsible for monitoring them. However, that person has since gone missing, and Dongling has already sent someone to investigate the matter. But please, Father, remain calm; this dish does not contain any inedible dead crab meat. Instead, it is a renowned dish from ancient texts, which, when carefully considered, is actually more time-consuming and labor-intensive than simply steaming the red crabs.”

At first, Song Luan was displeased to hear that the crabs had died, but upon learning that the dish was also a “famous dish,” his spirits lifted.

“Is this true?” he asked.

Song Yunmu nodded.

“Father, I will personally explain this to the guests later. When the time comes, you can simply say it was your decision.”

Song Luan breathed a sigh of relief.

If nothing else, he knew very well that his eldest son was reliable in handling matters.

Especially recently, it was said that he had been following some medicinal recipes, and his health had noticeably improved.

No matter what, as long as Song Yunmu could maintain his health, the family business of the Song residence was destined to be passed on to the legitimate son.

As for the second son, Song Luan was more than willing to give him a share of the business, allowing him to live out his days as a wealthy and idle man, which would be more than sufficient.

Just as Song Luan expected, the guests indeed harbored doubts about the preparation of the red crabs, fearing that the dish might contain stale crab meat.

Song Yunmu seized the moment, stood up, and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect towards the guests. With a few words, he explained the “origin” of the dish.

He slightly embellished the explanation that Qin Xia had given, which had been relayed to him by Song Dongling. After his speech, the expressions of the guests immediately changed.

“As expected of the Song family, willing to discard the valuable crab meat.”

“This banquet has certainly been costly; the Song family would never serve dead crabs. There’s obviously some clever thinking behind this!”

“Yellow croaker is also rare this season, but who is the master chef behind this? How does he know so many ancient dishes from the previous dynasty?”

“If I could invite this chef to cook a banquet at my residence, I’d gladly pay a hundred taels!”

…

Seeing that not only had his reputation remained intact but had even been elevated, Song Luan was thoroughly pleased.

Sitting at the secondary table, Concubine Guo, unaware of the backstory, assumed that the kitchen had carelessly let the crabs die and that the main house had come up with the “fake crab” as a cover.

Just a clever trick.

Unwilling to eat the dish, she instead picked up a piece of rouge goose breast.

She had to admit, though, that the chef recommended by the Sang family, found from the common folk, truly had some skill.

As she ate, she habitually glanced at her son seated at the main table.

No one knows a child better than his mother, and with just one look, Concubine Guo could tell that something was wrong.

Song Yunlang’s expression clearly showed that he had something on his mind!

Her heart skipped a beat, and she wondered if her son might have tampered with the crabs.

As for Song Yunlang…

He had indeed been staring at the crab shells on the plate for a long time, feeling nothing but bad luck.

Because the crabs’ deaths were indeed related to him.

Last night, after returning from drinking outside, he happened to see a young Ge’er in the residence with a pair of alluring, water-like eyes, a fair complexion, and a graceful figure.

His throat tightened, and he habitually ordered his personal servant to keep watch while he pulled the young Ge’er into his embrace.

Who in the residence didn’t know the second young master’s nature?

However, this young Ge’er was clearly prepared, and after a brief struggle, he half-heartedly complied.

Overjoyed, Song Yunlang didn’t intend to finish things in the garden and planned to take the young Ge’er back to his room.

But at that moment, the young Ge’er mentioned that he was responsible for tending the crabs in the kitchen, and if he didn’t return to take care of them, the crabs might die, causing a big problem.

Song Yunlang, caught up in the moment, couldn’t care less about the crabs.

He immediately said that if the crabs were dead, so be it—he had a way to ensure that the young Ge’er wouldn’t be punished.

As it turned out, after a night had passed and the sky was just beginning to lighten, the young Ge’er rushed to the kitchen to check on the crabs. Upon returning, he knelt down and reported that all the crabs had died.

“Please, Second Young Master, protect me, or else I fear I’ll be sold out of the household!”

To Song Yunlang, this young Ge’er had served him well last night, and it was just a batch of crabs. As the Second Young Master of the Song family, how could he not protect a mere kitchen servant?

At the same time, a sly idea came to him: he could use this incident to create trouble for the main house.

If the red crabs weren’t served at the birthday banquet, his father would surely blame the main house, and they wouldn’t come out unscathed. If they forced the crabs to be served, giving the guests dead crab meat, it would be the laughingstock of the town.

He figured that when the time came, he could fan the flames and let the main house know that taking over the responsibility wasn’t so easy.

After that, he hid the young Ge’er in his own courtyard, waiting for the main house to embarrass itself so he could find some excuse to smooth over the situation with the young man later.

What he didn’t anticipate was that, in such a short time, Song Yunmu and Song Dongling had already come up with a solution.

Judging by his father’s expression, it was clear that he was quite pleased with the outcome.

Now, things were going well for the main house—they had gained credit and reputation. If it was discovered that the crabs’ deaths were related to his dalliance with a servant…

He was likely to face a severe beating.

Song Yunlang’s face turned as pale as that of the often-sickly Song Yunmu.

By this point in the banquet, even Song Luan thought all the dishes had been served.

Unexpectedly, not long after, another team of servants entered, carrying wooden trays of dishes in sequence.

Song Dongling also stood up from the table where the ladies of the household were seated and walked to the main table, bowing to her grandmother and father.

“Dongling, what is this…?” Song Luan was puzzled by his daughter’s actions, but Song Dongling was well-prepared.

She raised her head and smiled brightly at her father, saying, “Father, since it’s your birthday, as your daughter, I must present a gift. I’m not particularly skilled, so after much thought, I decided to personally cook a dish for you. This dish holds special meaning to me, so I’ve also had the kitchen recreate several portions to share with our honored guests.”

The daughters and sons of the Song family had never touched domestic chores, having been raised in luxury from a young age.

When Song Luan heard that his beloved daughter was willing to cook for him, he was overjoyed.

“Very well, very well, let me taste your cooking today!”

Seeing his reaction, Song Dongling clapped her hands, and a series of dishes of “Immortal Duck” were presented.

The portion at the main table was indeed prepared by Song Dongling herself.

When the dish was placed on the table, the smile on Song Luan’s face froze.

“Could it be…?”

There was no way he wouldn’t recognize this dish; it was unmistakably his late wife’s specialty recipe, Immortal Duck.

Song Yunmu chose this moment to speak, his tone sincere.

“My sister and I both know how deeply you cared for Mother, and this Immortal Duck was once your favorite dish. Unfortunately, its essence has eluded others. Dongling spent a long time in the kitchen trying to perfect it just in time for your birthday. We thought there could be no better gift than letting you taste this dish once more.”

Seeing the Immortal Duck brought a flood of emotions to Song Luan, but the timing made him suspect that there was more to it.

However, this pair of children left by his late wife had always treated Concubine Guo and the second household with respect, even though they had their reservations about officially promoting Concubine Guo. They had never caused any real trouble.

One was his most trusted legitimate son, the other his most cherished daughter.

In the end, Song Luan chose to believe that they were simply trying to honor him, and they had certainly put in a lot of effort.

There was just one thing.

At this crucial moment, in front of all the guests, including his brother-in-law Sang Chenghua, he had to make a clear statement.

Favoring a concubine over the legitimate wife was a matter of disgrace, but cherishing his late wife would earn him praise.

Song Luan, who was very concerned about his reputation, knew exactly what to do to uphold his image in the eyes of the guests.

Concubine Guo had served him faithfully for many years, but after today, it would be difficult to bring up the matter of officially promoting her.

But that was fine; she was a concubine, after all.

Under the watchful eyes of the guests, Song Luan stood up, raised his wine cup, and spoke fondly of the deep affection he had for his late wife, Sang Jinyao, and praised the Immortal Duck as a dish of unparalleled excellence.

His performance of deep affection for his wife and the unity of his family truly moved many people.

Moreover, the Immortal Duck was genuinely delicious.

The banquet thus concluded smoothly and successfully, with no one paying attention to the disheartened and pale expressions of Concubine Guo and her three children in a few corners of the room.

As the head chef, Qin Xia went to receive his reward from Master Song after the banquet.

Many of the guests inquired about the location of Qin Family Eatery in the city and whether they would take on the task of catering future banquets.

Qin Xia, having been quite exhausted recently, wasn’t keen on taking on such tasks for the time being. So he didn’t give a definite answer, simply saying it would depend on the circumstances.

When leaving the Song residence, a more spacious and elegant carriage was provided for him than the one he arrived in.

Qin Xia returned home with a load of rewards, including not only money but also many fine ingredients from the Song residence, which were not easily available elsewhere.

Zheng Xinghua and Zhuang Xing each received twenty taels of silver as wages and two pieces of fine fabric, and they were both very pleased.

“Everyone worked hard today. Tomorrow, the restaurant will only be open in the evening. You can all take a good rest and don’t need to start work so early.”

Zheng Xinghua and Zhuang Xing thanked him, and as they passed the spot where Zhuang Xing had boarded the carriage that morning, he got off, while Qin Xia and Zheng Xinghua continued to the entrance of Furong Alley.

Qin Xia first knocked on the door, but when no one answered, and only Da Fu called from behind the door, he assumed that Yu Jiuque had gone to visit Fang Rong.

He opened the courtyard gate and had the servant from the Song residence bring in the rewards, gave them some copper coins, and sent them on their way.

“Da Fu, where’s your little father?”

Qin Xia joked as he patted the goose’s head.

The main hall wasn’t lit, and he couldn’t shake the feeling of emptiness in his heart.

So he picked out several items from the things he had brought back from the Song residence, wrapped them up, and headed to Zitong Alley.

In Zitong Alley, the once bare branches of the wisteria in winter had already sprouted leaves, draping over the green brick walls in a lush green cascade.

Qin Xia walked briskly, eager to see Yu Jiuque and share with him the stories of his day at the Song residence.

When he reached the Liu family’s door, he raised his hand and knocked.

“I’m coming!”

Fang Rong hurried over to open the door, and upon seeing Qin Xia, she smiled happily. “What brings you here today?”

Qin Xia handed over the items he was carrying.

“I went out to cater a banquet today, and the master of the house rewarded me with a lot of things. I brought some over to share with you.”

He glanced inside the courtyard and asked with a smile, “Is Ah Jiu here? I’m here to take him home.”

Fang Rong was stunned.

“Jiu Ge’er? He hasn’t been here.”