The General's Delicious Wife Chapter 025: Vinegar pot
Xue Ping's culinary skills naturally cannot be compared to Xia Yue Chu's. In addition, ever since she is with a child, the family has hired a helper for the chores. She seldom cooks and her cooking skills has deteriorated.
Xue Liang Ping cannot tell the finer details of what he is eating. What is good or not good, when the food comes into his mouth, as long as it is fish or meat, they are all very good things to eat.
On the other hand, Xue Zhuang's and Qin Zheng's mouth has been fostered by Xia Yue Chu to become artful recently. Eating the meat that Xue Ping has cooked, it tastes worse than the big white cabbage that Xia Yue Chu stir-fries. So the both of them eat with a dwarfed spirit.
Feng Yong Yuan is immanently someone who has studied and seen certain aspects of the society, noticing the way Xue Zhuang carries himself is unlike a regular soldier, so while everyone is focusing on drinking and eating, he tries finding out more. "What rank have you been serving in the army all these years?"
"Just a regular soldier in the army. Whatever rank or no rank, it is fortunate enough to be able to pick back my life and return home after being in the army so many years."
"That is true too." Feng Yong Yuan realizes that Xue Zhuang has made no significant achievements in the army, he swiftly becomes lacking in interest. "It is still better to have come back, there hasn't been any news so many years since you left, the family has always been concerned."
"Serving the army and fighting in wars, it is one location today and uncertain whereabouts tomorrow. For basic soldiers like us, where would we have any chances to write a letter home. Plus, all the happenings within the army is confidential, if any mishaps were to happen, you can be treated and caught as spies. By that time, it is a matter of losing your life and who knows, the entire family to the nine generations may be implicated for execution!"
Qin Zheng abhors Feng Yong Yuan's arrogant demeanour, he cannot stand it and rushes to reply on the behalf of Xue Zhuang.
Feng Yong Yuan suffers an affliction and feels uncomfortable in his heart, so now he is not saying anything anymore.
Instead, Xue Ping has garnered an interest towards Qin Zheng. Pouring wine into his cup to the brim, smiling as she asks. "Qin Brother is of what age this year? Where is your hometown?"
"I am seventeen this year, hometown is over at Yi Meng."
"Have you went back to take a look in recent years? What other people are in your family?"
"There was a widespread famine when I was ten plus of age, there is no one left in the family, just me alone. When I almost couldn't continue living, it was around the time when they came to our village to gather abled man, I signed up for army to have something to eat."
When Qin Zheng mentions his family matters, he could not hold his eyelids back from sinking downwards, shielding the anguish in his eyes.
Xia Yue Chu sees Qin Zheng being so joyful everyday, till this point then does she know that he actually also has had a hard life.
Over at that side, Yi Meng is a region of poverty. Becoming a soldier would make them spill their blood on the blade and struggle for their lives.
Seventeen years old, if it is in the modern days, he is still a child!
Thinking up to this point, the way Xia Yue Chu looks at Qin Zheng is softened with compassion.
But on the other side of the table, Feng Yong Yuan gets visibly upset. Since Xue Ping started talking to Qin Zheng, his expression darkens in an obvious and noticeable rate.
Seeing that Xue Ping has no plans to stop asking more questions, finally he cannot stand it longer and coughs fiercely twice.
Xue Ping knows how petty Feng Yong Yuan is, so she discreetly shoots him a glance, warning him that there are guests at home right now, so not to act rashly.
Feng Yong Yuan being deeply irritated, he gulps down a few cups of wine into his stomach.
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Xue Ping sighs inwardly, not daring to agitate Feng Yong Yuan any further, she turns her head to Xue Liang Ping and chats over the small matters of the household.
After the afternoon meal, other than Xue Liang Ping, everyone else's mood has been negatively affected.
"Okay now, seeing that all of you are doing well is all good now. We will get going and go home earlier when we buy all we need."
Xue Liang Ping is in a fantastic mood today, so he has drank a few more cups at noon. Now his body is warming up due to his drinking, there is a thin layer of sweat on his forehead and his face flushes red. He stands up and begins walking off.
"Father, wait a second, I have something with me, you help me to bring it back for Mother and Qin."
Xue Ping goes into her room after saying so and sees Feng Yong Yuan sitting on the brick bed sullenly. She cannot help but frowns. "My Father is going home now and you are not going to send him off, who are you showing your temper to!"
Feng Yong Yuan has been unhappy ever since, upon hearing this he explodes. Slamming his hand on the desk.
"I am showing temper, where do I have a cheer like yours. Smiling so sweetly and welcomingly at others! What is that for, you find that young man pleasing to your eyes? I knew it, you have found me annoying, it is good now, a young one came here, you can fool around with others so conveniently!"
Xue Ping simmers with rage till she trembles and wills herself to suppress her volume. "Don't you spill filth with your mouth, just how dirty is your heart and thoughts, why do you keep thinking in that direction!"
Feng Yong Yuan jumps up on his feet, closes in towards Xue Ping and grabs her chin with his hand, questioning her spitefully. "Then why did you have to smile like a flower at others? What was it for asking this and asking that?"
Xue Ping knows about this flaw in her man, being overly suspicious, which they have bickered over and over many times. Now that there are people waiting outside, she does not want her maternal family to see her joke, so she sulks and explains. "I was just thinking that he is around Qin's age and he also looks decent, so I asked a few more questions. Why do you have to be so narrow minded?"
Feng Yong Yuan releases his hand with his half-believe and half-doubt, still upset about it. "Your Father is also someone along in his years, his manner is still so sloppy. Who would lead a male stranger into his own daughter's house."
Xue Ping's eyes reddens with exasperation, she no longer cares whether they could hear from the outside. Slamming on the desk in rage. "Feng Yong Yuan, are you asking for a fight?"
Feng Yong Yuan sees that his wife is truly offended, he then takes a back stand, mumbling. "I, I am only concerned about you, you know I cannot stand you talk and laugh with other people…"
Seeing that he has mellowed down, Xue Ping wipes off her tears. Now is not the time for them to argue. She dabs on some powder to hide the swell on her eyes, takes a bag and turns to head outside.
Feng Yong Yuan, with eyes full of gloom, watches her back as she exits.
Xue Ping comes out from the room quickly, handing the baggage over to Xue Liang Ping, taking the items out one by one and telling him what to do with them.
"Father, this is a pair of shoes I made for Mother, tell her not to be unwilling to dirty it that she refuses wear them. When I am free again, I will make another pair for her. This piece of cloth is also for Mother. Sometime earlier my Mother-in-law had tailored this for herself, I thought it looks good, so I bought the cloth for Mother too. When you go back, let Qin oversee it to make a gown for Mother. This material is cooling for the summer. Those cloth below that are brighter in colours are for Qin. If she wants to make new clothes with them, so be it. If not, she can keep them as her dowry too. There are some patterns which are fashionable in the city, there are also some scrap pieces of cloth. I don't have the energy to deal with those, take them all together, the least can be made into insoles for the shoes."
Xue Liang Ping keeps everything neatly, "If you have time, come home for a visit. Your Mother always speaks her worries about you!"
"Sure, probably in a few days later, taking the opportunity before my parents-in-law come back and Zhi Jun is not at home too. For Me and Yong Yuan to make a trip would be convenient."
"Just don't interfere with Yong Yuan's studies, that is the most important!" Xue Liang Ping instructs.
"Rest assured, Father, I know." Xue Ping originally wants to pass some money to Xue Liang Ping. But seeing that Xue Zhuang and Xia Yue Chu are present, she fidgets with the purse inside her pocket and does not take it out eventually, thinking that it would be better to hand it directly to Madam Sheng later when she visits in a few days' time.
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Translator Notes:
In the Chinese culture, vinegar connotes to the emotions of jealousy and envy. The acidic tone in flavour is used to describe the human nature when one experiences these emotions. The common phrase is 'someone eating vinegar' meaning that someone is being jealous, or 'a vinegar jar' referring to someone who is filled with jealousy.
Translated by Yellow. Sep 2022.