W Chapter 72

Chapter 72: Heartbroken Rice Noodle Rolls

Ling Xing’s mind went blank for a moment. He unconsciously clenched the hem of his clothes, his throat tightening, “Why did Mother ask me to say it?”

And she even said, begged him.

Ling Xing felt a layer of fog in front of him, with something hidden behind it. But to obtain that thing, a great price would have to be paid.

Yet that thing was also enticing people to explore it. Just gently push aside the fog, and one could get their wish.

“Second Son doesn’t want to consider marriage for some reason, but he’s not young anymore and should have a wife. Mother agrees with him taking the imperial examinations and embarking on an official career. But I don’t want his marriage to be tainted by utilitarianism, forced to take sides.”

Xu Youfang’s words interrupted Ling Xing’s scattered thoughts.

“Because Star Ge’er and Second Son get along well, and when Eldest Son was alive, Second Son listened to Eldest Son a lot. You’re also his brother-in-law, the widow of Eldest Son, so he will listen to what you say.”

Xu Youfang spoke earnestly, thinking of her son’s future, she held Ling Xing’s hand and said slowly, “Mother knows it’s not easy for a Ge’er to say these things, so Mother begs you to help, okay?”

Official career, marriage…

Ling Xing bit the soft flesh inside his lip, the pain making him sober. This was the Great Yu Dynasty with its strict laws.

During Ling Xing’s silence, Xu Youfang’s heart sank more and more, almost to the point of despair.

Could it be that she felt wrong? Could it be that Star Ge’er also fell in love with Second Son?

Just as she was about to despair, Ling Xing nodded almost imperceptibly, “Okay, Mother.”

Xu Youfang laughed through her tears, a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, there was still room for maneuver.

She knew that as long as Ling Xing spoke, Shen Hui would despair of this unspeakable emotion. Although it would hurt, he could only suppress it and wait a few years until it calmed down, then he could return to the right track, marry and have children.

Xu Youfang understood her son, doing her best to bring him back to the sunny path.

…

Ling Xing planned to add rice noodle rolls when he went to the county to do business and open a shop.

People in the county were more willing to spend money than people in the town. Rice noodle rolls were simple, quick to make, and tasted very good.

Plus, all the necessary ingredients were readily available, just needing to make another steamer.

He had already asked a carpenter to make one, and he would get it in a couple of days.

He also made additional bamboo steamers with edges, ten each of round and square.

The round ones were for making cold noodles, and the square ones were custom-made according to the size of the steamer, for making rice noodle rolls at that time.

The bamboo craftsman weaved them quickly, with a smooth and dense surface. Brushing a little oil on them made them very smooth and not sticky at all.

Today was the delivery date, and they were delivered directly to the Shen family.

Ling Xing asked Cao Manyue to soak aged rice during the day.

After dinner, Ling Xing had no sleepiness. He lit an oil lamp, preparing to grind rice milk, and try making rice noodle rolls tonight.

As soon as he lit the oil lamp, he turned his head and saw Shen Hui coming over, “Brother-in-law, what are you going to do? I’ll help you.”

Ling Xing saw that he had already rolled up his sleeves, revealing his muscular forearms, with veins crawling on them, full of strength.

Clearly the same action as before, but Ling Xing quickly averted his gaze.

He originally wanted to refuse, but then he thought of what Xu Youfang said, paused, and nodded.

He said to Shen Hui, “Need to grind rice milk.”

Making rice noodle rolls required rice milk, with some potato starch water added to make the rice noodle rolls more chewy.

It just so happened that starch was also needed for making soup dumplings, so it was a long-term supply at home, no need to get more.

Shen Hui naturally gave an “En” sound, “Okay, I’ll go wash my hands, wait for me to grind.”

Ling Xing touched his ear, it was a bit itchy. Then he sat beside the small mill, fiddling with the empty wooden basin, and went to check the rice soaking situation.

Shen Hui quickly returned, sat down directly, and started grinding rice milk.

Ling Xing only needed to add the soaked rice to the small mill from time to time.

Because Ling Xing had said before that he would try new food at night and didn’t need help, the Shen family and Ling Yue finished cleaning up and went to sleep.

Xu Youfang naturally saw Shen Hui sitting in front of the small mill, but she didn’t stop him, knowing that everything would become normal before dawn.

The yard wasn’t very dark. Tonight’s moon was very round and bright, and you could see clearly by the moonlight. Plus, there were three oil lamps lit around, the small world warm with candlelight.

The stone mill started turning, making a dull buzzing sound. Shen Hui’s forearm muscles and veins became even more obvious. Ling Xing’s gaze burned, and he quietly shrank back.

Hidden under his long eyelashes, Shen Hui didn’t notice.

The two were silent, Shen Hui intuitively felt something was wrong.

In the past, Ling Xing would have endless things to share with him.

“Is Brother-in-law in a bad mood?”

Ling Xing shook his head.

Shen Hui didn’t believe it, “You were a little distracted at dinner. Did something happen?”

Ling Xing was slightly stunned and looked up, “How did Second Son know I was distracted?”

This time it was Shen Hui’s turn to be silent.

Because I’ve been secretly looking at you.

But these words couldn’t be said.

“I can feel it,” Shen Hui said vaguely.

Ling Xing nodded, really not knowing how to mention the matter of considering marriage to Shen Hui.

But the promised thing had to be done, and Shen Hui’s future was also very important.

Ling Xing had been preparing himself mentally, until the rice milk was all ground, and Shen Hui was about to carry the wooden basin, when he very quietly opened his mouth, “Second Son, you should consider getting married now.”

After Ling Xing finished speaking, he lowered his head, his fingers fiddling with the hem of his clothes, not daring to look at Shen Hui.

After a while, Ling Xing realized that Shen Hui hadn’t moved. He looked up and saw that Shen Hui had taken the rice milk into the kitchen at some point.

Ling Xing quickly got up. When he entered the kitchen, he saw Shen Hui lighting the oil lamp, and the room became bright.

Shen Hui’s expression didn’t change much, and he asked Ling Xing what to do next.

Ling Xing came back to his senses and said, “Pour the potato starch water into the rice milk, and then make some sauce.”

“Need to light the fire?” Shen Hui asked calmly.

Ling Xing nodded, “Yes.”

“Okay.”

After saying that, Shen Hui sat in front of the stove, preparing to light the fire when Ling Xing needed it.

Ling Xing began to prepare the rice milk, looking at Shen Hui from time to time.

The flickering flames of the oil lamp reflected on his face, outlining his handsome profile.

Ling Xing thought that he probably spoke too quietly just now, and Shen Hui didn’t hear what he said.

He let out a breath, and it would take a long time to prepare himself again to speak.

The consistency of the rice milk for rice noodle rolls had to be a bit thick. Ling Xing stirred the rice milk, and his breath was filled with the fragrance of rice.

After the viscosity met the requirements, he prepared to chop green onions, ginger, and garlic, which needed to be stir-fried with lard and then scooped out.

A hand reached out from behind, skillfully took the knife in Ling Xing’s hand, and silently chopped the ingredients.

Ling Xing looked at Shen Hui’s profile at close range and realized that something was wrong with Shen Hui.

His cheeks were tense, and the veins on his neck were bulging, as if he was trying his best to endure something.

Between his eyebrows, he could also feel a gloomy air. His black eyes were hidden under his eyelids, submerged in the shadows, unable to discern whether a storm was brewing inside.

Ling Xing opened his mouth, wanting to say something.

Shen Hui put down the knife first, “Chopped.”

Ling Xing watched Shen Hui sit back in front of the stove, staring at the stove without saying a word. He suddenly wondered, was Shen Hui angry?

Next came lighting the fire, stir-frying the ingredients, scooping out the ingredients, pouring in the seasonings, pouring in the starch water, and making the sauce.

Shen Hui didn’t say a word throughout the entire process. The kitchen only had the sound of the pot and the sound of the fire.

The silence made people feel uneasy.

After the sauce was made, Shen Hui didn’t let Ling Xing do it. He put the scalding hot sauce into a pottery pot.

Then he brushed the pot and poured in water, needing to steam the rice noodle rolls.

The custom-made bamboo steamer had a circle of barriers on the edge, so Ling Xing didn’t need to completely rely on the strength of his wrist to control it, he only needed to directly shake the rice milk water inside to flatten it.

The water in the pot boiled, steam diffused, and the visibility in the kitchen was reduced a bit.

Shen Hui blocked Ling Xing, isolating the steam gushing from the pot, and put the bamboo steamer that Ling Xing shook well on the pot.

The bamboo cover was directly buttoned on the steamer. In the short time waiting for the rice noodle rolls to cook, Ling Xing felt like a very long time had passed.

The rice noodle rolls were made very successfully, a translucent film, cut open from the edge with a wooden piece, pushing towards one side.

When officially selling them, you could choose to add eggs, meat sauce, and so on.

This time, he was just trying the method of making rice noodle rolls and the taste of the sauce, so there were no auxiliary ingredients.

Ling Xing silently used a wooden piece to cut off the rice noodle rolls in the bamboo steamer. Then he took another wooden piece, holding it with both hands to clip the rice noodle rolls together and put them on the plate.

The sauce had cooled down a bit, slightly viscous, and a rich salty fragrance was emitted with a gentle stir.

Ling Xing used a spoon to scoop some and evenly drizzled it on the rice noodle rolls.

He smelled the aroma of the food, thought for a while, and then picked up the plate and walked to Shen Hui’s side.

Shen Hui put out the fire in the stove and got up to clean the bamboo steamer when he felt his clothes being gently tugged.

Turning his head to look, Ling Xing was holding fresh and delicious food, smiling at him, with a meaning of comfort.

“Second Son, have some.”

After a slight pause, he stuttered a bit, and said softly, “D-don’t be angry anymore…”

At this moment, Shen Hui felt that his choked throat had room to breathe. His chest was sour and swollen, and all the stuffiness was punctured and dissipated outward.

He was angry, and also embarrassed.

Angry that why he was this identity, embarrassed that in this situation, he didn’t even have the qualification to say no.

He was thinking that perhaps in this lifetime, he would never be able to wait for the person in front of him to treat him as a man, a man who had fallen in love with him.

In the other person’s eyes, he would always be the husband’s younger brother.

Shen Hui lowered his head and looked at Ling Xing, what a beautiful person, really like a star.

But this star didn’t fall into his arms, didn’t belong to him.

But he just wanted to possess it.

The accumulated emotions impacted his heart. Shen Hui suddenly reached out, his large hand blocking Ling Xing’s eyes.

Ling Xing was pushed back by the force, and soon felt the back of his head being held by Shen Hui’s other hand, preventing him from continuing to retreat.

He was imprisoned, and his vision was deprived, only darkness in front of him.

The other senses gradually magnified in the darkness, and Shen Hui’s breath enveloped him.

Ling Xing was a little uncomfortable and a little uneasy.

The tall man was slightly bent over, gently trembling, and tears dripped on the back of Shen Hui’s hand covering Ling Xing’s eyes.

The tears slid down the back of his hand, brushed against Ling Xing’s lips, and landed on his clothes.

Ling Xing felt a slight itch on his lips, lightly pursing his lips to remove the strangeness. Because his senses were deprived, his body struggled uneasily, “Second Son, what’s wrong? Let go…”

“Don’t move.” Shen Hui’s throat was dry. It seemed like a heavy mountain was pressing on his body, and his heart was clenched, so painful that he couldn’t breathe.

His suppressed voice trembled, “In the future, don’t ever talk to me about considering marriage, okay?”

If it came again, he really couldn’t bear it.

Ling Xing couldn’t see what Shen Hui’s expression was now, but he heard that Shen Hui was afraid.

The palm covering his eyes was shaking.

After a brief silence, Ling Xing chose to follow his heart.

“Okay.”

As for Mother’s side, he would talk to her properly tomorrow.

Shen Hui got a response, like finding life after death, and laughed bitterly with his head down.

So obedient, but not his.

After a long while, Ling Xing was finally able to see again.

He looked up at Shen Hui, who quickly turned away, his voice a little low and hoarse, “It’s getting late, Brother-in-law should go to rest quickly.”

Ling Xing was slightly stunned for a moment, and didn’t ask Shen Hui why he covered his eyes just now.

He had to get up early to go to town, and it really wasn’t good to delay any longer. So he gave the rice noodle rolls to Shen Hui, “I said I would make new food for you to try, don’t forget to eat them.”

Shen Hui thought of what Ling Xing said when he saw him last night, and the corners of his mouth twitched weakly. He nodded in agreement, “En.”

After Ling Xing finished washing up, he returned to the room and lay down. He couldn’t sleep with his eyes open, his mind full of the slightly red corners of Shen Hui’s eyes that he had unintentionally glimpsed.

Was it because of the candlelight?

Or…

Ling Xing raised his hand and covered his eyes.

Taking the imperial examinations to become an official, the laws are strict, it shouldn’t be what he thought.

The next day, Xu Youfang woke up earlier than usual.

She got dressed and went to the kitchen, her heart uneasy and expectant.

As a result, when she pushed open the door, she saw a dark figure. It was Shen Hui sitting on the stool.

His expression was tired, and he hadn’t changed his clothes. It seemed that he hadn’t slept all night.

Xu Youfang lit the oil lamp and looked at Shen Hui uncertainly, “Have you been sitting here all night?”

Only then did Shen Hui realize that it was almost dawn.

He twisted his neck to make his stiff body more comfortable.

Then he raised his eyes to look at Xu Youfang, his eyes were bloodshot, his expression firm, and when he opened his mouth, his voice was so hoarse that no one could hear him, “Mother, don’t look for him anymore. It’s useless, I won’t let go.”

Xu Youfang heard the meaning in his words. Shen Hui guessed that she asked Ling Xing to persuade him to consider marriage.

She also saw that even if Ling Xing didn’t have that kind of feeling for him at all, even if she asked him to consider marriage, Shen Hui didn’t intend to give up.

Xu Youfang was curious, what did he think about during this night of sitting there?

At the same time, she was also a little surprised. She seemed to have underestimated Shen Hui’s feelings.

Even if there was no result, he wasn’t willing to let go.

Was he stupid?

Xu Youfang didn’t want to really watch Shen Hui let his feelings go on like this, she was afraid something would happen.

This kind of feeling was not allowed in the first place, she could only lower her voice and angrily say, “Don’t forget that you want to take the imperial examinations and become an official, your feelings are not allowed by the law!”

After sitting for a night, Shen Hui was also very tired. He didn’t want to deal with it, and directly said, “Mother, I never wanted to become an official.”

“I wanted to take the imperial examinations because I need an identity to accompany him into the county government. From beginning to end, it was just so that I could stand by his side in any situation.”

Instead of watching helplessly, letting others get involved.

Actually, it was good that his mother could see it, at least he didn’t have to rack his brains later to think about how to get his mother to accept it.

Xu Youfang looked at Shen Hui in surprise, she didn’t expect it to be like this.

He went to great lengths to take the imperial examinations for this reason?

She didn’t know whether to say Shen Hui was stupid or terrible.

How did he come up with these ideas!

Xu Youfang frowned, heartbroken, and hated that she didn’t discover it earlier and stop it in time.

She raised her hand and hit Shen Hui, a loud slap, mixed with a suppressed roar, “You had such dirty thoughts so early? And so painstakingly scheming! Shen Hui! Are you worthy of your brother?”

Shen Hui lowered his head and didn’t speak, he wasn’t worthy.

But he didn’t want to let go either.

Seeing Shen Hui stubbornly refusing to let go, Xu Youfang could only close her eyes weakly, and opened her mouth after a long time, “If Star Ge’er liked you, he would have responded to you long ago.”

Shen Hui rubbed his fingertips, his expression gloomy, “Perhaps, he just didn’t realize it.”

“What do you want to do?” Xu Youfang had a bad feeling, and warned him, “Don’t harm Star Ge’er!”

Shen Hui chuckled, “Of course I won’t.”

The cold of this night made him think clearly.

If Ling Xing really had no feelings for him, then he would find a way to make Ling Xing have feelings for him.

If Ling Xing had feelings for him but didn’t realize it, then he would find a way to make him realize it.

There could only be one ending between them.

That was to be together.

He wanted that star to belong to him.

Looking at Shen Hui’s determined expression, Xu Youfang felt that he was really crazy.

In the end, she was still afraid that Ling Xing would be hurt, and said, “Forced melons are not sweet, Shen Hui, I warn you, don’t mess around.”

Shen Hui nodded when he heard this, seemingly agreeing, but what he said was completely different, “I will make it sweet.”

She couldn’t reason with him, couldn’t persuade him, and Xu Youfang had no choice. She couldn’t kill him.

She also knew clearly in her heart that no matter what, Second Son wouldn’t really hurt Star Ge’er.

Forget it, children are all debts, so be it.

She couldn’t control it anymore.

When Ling Xing entered the kitchen, he felt that the atmosphere was not right. Shen Hui’s left face was a little red, smiling happily at him, and Xu Youfang was smiling bitterly at him.

He had also gotten up earlier on purpose today, to tell Xu Youfang about the thing he agreed to last night, but he didn’t accomplish it.

Under Shen Hui’s unavoidable gaze, Ling Xing went to Xu Youfang’s front and quietly told her that his persuasion failed last night.

Xu Youfang already knew the result.

She continued to smile bitterly, her slightly tired eyes looking at Ling Xing. She thought that not only did he fail, but he also stimulated Second Son, who was on the verge of going crazy. He could break through the window paper at any time and say some unsightly things to you.

Xu Youfang sighed, patted Ling Xing’s shoulder, and resignedly said, “Mother knows, it’s okay, let’s talk about it later.”

Seeing that Xu Youfang didn’t blame him, Ling Xing felt vaguely guilty, feeling like he was letting her down.

He actually didn’t try very hard to persuade him last night…

Soon Shen Yan and Shen Lai got up, and Wu Xue wagged his tail waiting for food. Ling Xing’s emotions were interrupted, and he simply suppressed them in his heart, no longer taking them out to think about them in detail.

After eating, Shen Hui didn’t follow Ling Xing to town, but took the student’s contract to the county.

Yesterday, there were people at home, and he couldn’t go out.

Today, he had to go to the county government early to re-register his identity.

When he arrived at the county government, the clerks in the yamen were very busy, seemingly doing something big.

From the sparse lip language of the people coming and going, Shen Hui roughly guessed that it was for the sausage workshop.

Ling Xing used the sausage recipe to exchange some things with the county magistrate, Shen Hui knew it on the first night he got home.

The matter was also related to him, needing him to confirm whether to go to the county together. Naturally, the sooner he confirmed it, the better the arrangements.

Shen Hui of course chose to go, and was even a little happy, to be able to leave the village, with no acquaintances.

Knowing that the yamen had already started working on the sausage business, Shen Hui didn’t pay too much attention to exploring it, and went directly to the household registration department, he wanted to get it done quickly, eager to go home.

Everything in the county government couldn’t be hidden from Lin Qingyu. After Shen Hui’s household registration was re-registered, Wang Tuan came over with a bunch of things.

“Scholar Shen, these are rewards from the county magistrate, congratulations to Scholar Shen on passing the yamen examination.”

Wang Tuan’s face was smiling, and he had more respect when facing Shen Hui than he had before.

Shen Hui’s expression was the same, and after taking the things, he nodded, “Thank you for the county magistrate’s kindness.”

After saying that, he turned around and left.

Wang Tuan hesitated for a moment, chased after him and opened his mouth apologetically, “Scholar Shen, I was blind and didn’t recognize Mount Tai before, I hope Scholar Shen won’t blame me.”

Shen Hui laughed, it was normal for people with a little power to look down on ordinary people.

And although Wang Tuan looked down on him at that time, intentionally ignoring him, he never said anything harsh to him or did anything to hurt him.

He just “couldn’t see” him, it was painless and not itchy, there was really no need to take it to heart and blame him.

But he really didn’t want to pay attention to Wang Tuan anymore.

Not because of Wang Tuan’s initial neglect, but when Wang Tuan sent the plaque on behalf of the county magistrate, the other party said many good things about Li Huiyuan in front of his brother-in-law.

Looking at that posture, he couldn’t wait to pull his brother-in-law and marry him directly to Li Huiyuan.

Shen Hui blamed him, blamed him a lot.

He didn’t even return to Wang Tuan, raised his foot and left directly.

The unsuspecting Wang Tuan sighed in the back, alas, he had offended the man to death.

He regretted it!

The things that County Magistrate Lin gave were very practical, pens, ink, paper, inkstones, and five silver ingots, worth fifty taels.

Not all of them were for Shen Hui. There was also a thick and big letter, which was for Ling Xing.

Shen Hui had a legitimate excuse not to go home, and could go directly to find Ling Xing.

In the letter County Magistrate Lin gave to Ling Xing, the real words left for Ling Xing were only on a thin piece of paper.

There were two slightly smaller envelopes in the big envelope, one was for a doctor in a medical clinic in the county, one was for the county school, and there was also a deed for a shop in the county.

The letter for Ling Xing wrote that he had already greeted the doctor in the medical clinic and the people in the county school, and he could directly find them with the letter at that time.

Because Shen Hui passed the scholar examination, so according to what he said before, he changed the quota to a deed for a shop.

Ling Xing glanced at the location of the deed. He had taken the entrance exam before, and Xie Qingya had gone all over the county, and he roughly remembered the location.

The shop that County Magistrate Lin gave had a decent location, quite close to Liu Qingyu’s Osmanthus Alley.

It was on the same street, called Spring Rain Street.

There wasn’t much food on this street, mostly cloth shops and jewelry shops.

His snack shop, full of the atmosphere of ordinary life, was sandwiched between this group of high-end shops. Most likely, he would be disliked to death.

But having a shop was better than not having a shop, saving a lot of rent.

Ling Xing had taken the time to go to the county’s courtyard with Xie Qingya and found a repair team, entrusting Liu Qingyu to help keep an eye on it, and calculating the supervision fee on a daily basis.

Counting the days, it was also the time he had agreed with the repair team.