Braised goose, roasted duck with flowers, fish-flavored shredded pork, honeyed pork elbows, fish balls, braised duck feet, sweet and sour ribs, Dongpo pork, soy sauce chicken, stir-fried pork with loofah, stir-fried greens, and mushroom chicken soup.
All of these dishes were served in large portions of meat and vegetables, satisfying the guests immensely. Such culinary skills were not just extraordinary for a household of farmers; even big restaurants would be hard-pressed to do better.
The matchmaker had completed half of her work with this visit, having collected the respective birth details and the marriage contract. She was now ready to receive a generous red envelope.
As for whether or not she would be invited to these young people’s future wedding depended on whether the groom’s side would host the banquet here. It was possible that she would not be asked to be the matchmaker the next time.
Ye Luoqi only showed her face while everyone was eating; after the meal, she returned to her room.
Zhong Xingwang had wanted to speak privately with Ye Luoqi, but he got no chance and had to follow tradition, knowing that there would be plenty of time in the days to come.
Alone, Zhong Xingwang discussed plans for purchasing a residence with Hongji, his future father-in-law.
Hongji agreed to travel to the Capital City with Zhong Xingwang in two days to secure the property.
Zhong Xingwang also thought it would be a good opportunity for his family to meet Ye Luoqi and arranged for both their children and spouses to join the trip to the Capital City.
Hongji considered and then agreed. Neither he nor his wife nor their children had traveled far before; it was the perfect opportunity to go to the Capital City. They would first secure a house and then deal with the business of a store.
Zhong Xingwang informed Hongji that they would be staying at the estate and to notify him once they were ready to leave.
Zhong Xingwang had his elder sister see off the matchmaker, as he wouldn’t be leaving the estate so soon.
Upon seeing the guests about to leave, Ye Shuzhen and her husband also decided not to linger.
Ye Shuzhi and her children of course were to follow Ye Shuzhen back to the county. The sisters visited their mother again before boarding the carriage and departing.
Ye Shuying watched her sisters leave, then visited her mother herself, unconcerned as to whether her sister-in-law would reciprocate with a gift.
She decided to take a box of pastries from the living room and gathered some of the meat dishes that were leftover but already prepared for the evening meal from the kitchen, packaging them to take home for her family, thus saving on the evening’s meal preparations.
Mrs. Li, the older sister-in-law who loved to take advantage, when would she ever kick this habit? Arriving empty-handed, and leaving with her arms full.
Undeterred by her sister-in-law’s gaze, Ye Shuying reluctantly left with her son, carrying the heavy items back home.
Ye Shiqi and her fourth sister continued to see the guests off, standing under the eaves. They watched their elder sister pack up food, a small advantage taken. Though they did nothing to stop her, they observed with indifferent eyes.
Hongji’s father had been silent during the meal, dutifully pouring drinks for the guests and himself, ending up drunk.
Now, staggering back to the next room, the workers stepped in to support him as he seemed about to tumble over.
Aunt Lai took the opportunity to call out to Hongji’s father, but her voice was not enough to make the drunken man pause, and he walked away without looking back.
Aunt Lai, angered, slapped the bed, frustrated that not just the man but also the workers ignored her.
Though Hongji’s father’s steps were unsteady, his mind wasn’t completely numb. He was intentionally ignoring Aunt Lai; indeed, he was beginning to despise her.
He resented that she, a married woman, had gotten pregnant without realizing, continually stirring up trouble. If only she hadn’t fought with Mrs. Lai right from the start, causing a miscarriage with her mischief.
Hongji’s father didn’t just resent Mrs. Lai; he despised Aunt Lai as well. He never considered that the women’s conflict was due to him and that all the trouble stemmed from his indulgent attitude.
With all the guests gone, Hongji wasn’t thinking of heading to the factory to work. He decided to sit with his wife and daughters, informing them about the trip to the Capital City to purchase a house.
"Husband, you decide!" Mrs. Li had come to understand that to support their children in possibly reaching greater heights, they, as parents, should lay the groundwork for them beforehand if they had the means.
"Alright, you all start packing and prepare your clothing. We aren’t just going for a day or two, but rather five or six. Ensure that everything is arranged in advance."
Hongji also planned to arrange things at the factory the next day.
Ye Shiqi herself didn’t need to pack much, but it was different for her family members.
She had her own preparations to make: over the next two days, she needed to prepare spiritual spring water for her two uncles at the estate.
Of course, Ye Shiqi wouldn’t thought with her family; it was her secret.
Since she might be away for five or six days, possibly longer, she thought she would need a large clay vat. She intended to ask her uncle to purchase an even larger clay jar from the kiln factory in front of the estate the next day.
Previously, Ye Shiqi had stealthily added spiritual spring water to several estates. This time, she needed to make special preparations and consider how to explain it to them.