Chapter 54

Honeymoon (新婚旅行)

It feels like a salary negotiation for a rookie in society?

I was sipping warm tea, but the teacup conveyed a chilly sensation to me.

The tea sliding down my throat felt like ice.

*gulp*

It couldn't help but be tense, as this negotiation would determine when I could make xiaolongbao with Zhuge Qing alone.

My father-in-law, with a smile as if he knew everything, looked at me while I sat stiffly like a private.

*thud*

After savoring the teacup for a moment, he put it down on the table and began to speak to me.

"Xiaoma, to show such a respectable demeanor to the Sima clan's brat, I was impressed by your skills. I thought you were more proficient in medicine, but your cooking skills are no less impressive."

It seemed like a misunderstanding due to saving Zhuge Qing and the Tang clan's patriarch, but I should have corrected it. However, I kept my mouth shut, thinking that if I did, the first night might be delayed.

"Thank you, thank you, Father-in-law!"

"Haha, so you're pleased?"

"Of course, of course!"

After finishing the conversation with my father-in-law, I headed to my quarters with a happy heart to catch up on the sleep I had lost from getting up early to make xiaolongbao.

While it was hard to find someone at the level of a great master, there were plenty of brats like Sima Jue in Zhongyuan. I thought that if I disciplined them appropriately, the day I had been looking forward to would come soon.

With a happy heart, I skipped toward my quarters, but then I saw two women talking in a pavilion in the distance. As I approached a bit to get a better look, I saw that it was Tang Yingying and my wife, Zhuge Qing, having a very intimate conversation.

I could have just passed by, but I became curious about what they were talking about.

Maybe Tang Yingying was saying something bad about me, or perhaps my newlywed wife was talking about what she thought of me.

My contemplation didn't last long.

As I slowly circled around to a spot where I could hear their conversation, their voices became faintly audible.

"I'm worried he's getting too clingy lately."

"Yeah, when that happens, you should give him a little something to distract him. Make him think he's taming you, but don't let him know he's being tamed. He'll be less clingy if he thinks you're getting closer. We raise a lot of venomous creatures at our house, so I know a thing or two about taming simple beasts."

My heart sank at Zhuge Qing's words.

'Have I been too clingy?'

I felt a deep pain at Zhuge Qing's unbelievable words and Tang Yingying's treatment of me as a simple beast.

My vision went dark, and dizziness washed over me.

'They both think of me like that?'

"Ah, a little at a time?"

"Yeah, he's just missing my embrace. You just need to gently distract him with something else."

I felt a deep sense of betrayal at Tang Yingying's words, which seemed to be teaching Zhuge Qing gaslighting.

Shaking with betrayal, I rushed out to stop Tang Yingying.

"Tang Yingying, what exactly are you two talking about..."

But as I rushed toward them, I suddenly heard a dog barking.

"Wang! Wang!"

Looking in the direction of the barking, I saw a small puppy in Zhuge Qing's arms.

To clear up the situation where I had been eavesdropping, I had to give a long lecture on dog training, as if I were a dog trainer.

"Sir, there are no bad dogs in this world..."

***

After tasting the xiaolongbao, the guests insisted on having it every morning, no matter how many times I served it.

I even taught them how to eat it, but they strangely didn't follow my instructions.

It was because of one guest's comment.

"The first time I ate it, my palate was stripped, and it was hard to eat. But if I follow the method taught by the shilong, I can enjoy it."

"Haha... This person. If this were a martial arts technique, paying with a limb would be reasonable, but just the palate? As a martial artist, shouldn't you pay the proper price?"

The guest's comment drew everyone's attention during breakfast. After a moment, they all nodded solemnly and began to eat the xiaolongbao in one go.

"Thinking about it, you're right. I should pay the price!"

'No, you crazy people, I don't want your palates! I won't take them!'

The guests were willing to pay with their palates to experience my cooking technique.

Although it was absurd, I was happy because the satisfied guests earned me extra points with my father-in-law.

The additional points I gained were 1 fen.

Current total score: 10 fen and 1 fen.

I needed to at least become a .300 hitter, but every time I saw my wife, Zhuge Qing, my heart felt heavy.

The wedding celebration, which lasted for half a month, finally ended, and a few days later, most of the guests had returned home.

The only ones left were Tang Yingying's family from the Tang clan.

Since the Tang clan's patriarch and my father-in-law were sworn brothers, they were more like family than guests.

The Tang clan stayed longer because my father-in-law had asked them to stay a bit longer since they had come to visit.

Zhuge Qing was pleased that Tang Yingying would stay longer.

One morning, after a quiet breakfast and a conversation with Zhuge Qing, my father-in-law called both of us at the same time.

Usually, he would greet us in the morning or talk about necessary matters during breakfast.

Curious as to why he had called both of us, I went to the patriarch's office and saw a letter on the table. The patriarch greeted us while holding the letter.

"Did you call us, Father-in-law?"

"Did you call us, Father?"

After we greeted him, my father-in-law put down the letter and said with a regretful look.

"Qing, your uncle couldn't make it and sent a letter of apology."

Zhuge Qing nodded and replied.

"Uncle couldn't come, I see."

The reason why weddings, birthdays, and festivals in Zhongyuan last so long is due to the vast territory. Even with ample time, not arriving means something must have happened.

Moreover, Qing's uncle from the Zhuge clan, Zhuge Jue, was an old friend of Brother Bao Dailun.

I had heard he was my father-in-law's younger brother, but I had never met him.

I could guess why he couldn't come.

He must have taken an official position and couldn't leave.

I had heard that the Song dynasty's civil servants were quite strict.

As I nodded at their words, my father-in-law asked me.

"Qing's only uncle and my brother, so we should pay our respects. If he can't come, we'll have to go. How about you go to Dongjing to pay respects to Qing's uncle?"

A bolt from the blue!

By Dongjing, my father-in-law meant Kaifeng, the capital of the Northern Song dynasty. It was an unreasonable request to separate a newlywed couple for a journey that would take months.

Even if 80 fen and 9 mao of the billion were left, it was still a problem.

I was already strongly addicted, and not seeing my wife would definitely cause withdrawal symptoms.

I looked at my father-in-law with a Tibetan fox expression and asked.

"Alone? Do you mean I have to be separated from my wife for months?"

Seeing my cold expression, my father-in-law replied sternly.

"If I really meant to send you alone, I would have a face to show. How could I separate a newlywed couple?"

"Then, what do you mean?"

Seeing my disbelief, my father-in-law smiled and said.

"Qing's martial arts aren't that strong, and you have no martial arts at all. We need protection, right? If we use the boat, we might encounter bandits. There will be armed guards on the boats leaving from Ezhou, but safety is important. So, you two will go together by boat."

The bandits were the problem!

The idea of a honeymoon with guests was a bit disappointing, but what could I do? I had to bring them along to stay safe.

"Understood. I'll take my time, no, I'll return quickly."

Thus, a high-end cruise to Kaifeng, the largest city of the Northern Song dynasty, for our honeymoon was decided.

***

The honeymoon was scheduled to coincide with the Tang clan's departure.

As my father-in-law suggested, we would go to Ezhou, which is modern-day Wuhan, and take a boat.

Zhuge Qing seemed excited about the boat trip to Kaifeng.

"Sister, I've never been on a boat before."

"Be careful, you might get seasick."

'I'm excited too, but how much more must Zhuge Qing be?'

As I sipped tea with Tang Yingying and Zhuge Qing, talking about the boat trip, I started to feel like I had forgotten something.

'What did I forget?'

A nagging feeling, like I had used the bathroom but forgot to clean up.

As I was chatting with them, I suddenly fell into thought.

"Old Master? Are you worried about something?"

"Brother, what are you thinking about?"

Snapped out of my thoughts by their questions, I replied.

"No, I just feel like I've forgotten something, but I can't remember what it is..."

But I fell back into thought.

'What is it? It feels important...'

Just then,

*puu*

Suddenly, tea was sprayed on my face. Wiping my face with my sleeve, I glared coldly at the source of the tea.

It was definitely Tang Yingying, who sometimes swallowed tea down the wrong pipe.

But the lips that were pouting and dripping with water were not Tang Yingying's but Zhuge Qing's.

An unbelievable reality.

'Well, I'm grateful, but why?'

Sending a look that demanded an explanation, I turned to Tang Yingying, who was looking at me with a smug expression.

"Turns out, this will remind you..."

I felt I needed to have a serious talk with Zhuge Qing once Tang Yingying left.

About whether I should continue being friends with Tang Yingying.

But sadly, I had to suppress that thought.

Because the moment I was really hit by the tea, my memory returned.

'The inn! Galian!'

I realized that the agreed period had passed, and my inn and Galian had been left unattended.