Cui Xingzhou deliberately made a public appearance at the North Street entrance, intending to send a warning to his enemies. However, Liu Mentang remained unaware of her husband’s inscrutable thoughts. She focused solely on helping Li Mama wash and prepare the crabs.
Though not skilled in cooking, Mentang knew how to make spicy crab, a dish her mother often prepared for her. Her mother, a woman from the jianghu world, had married Mentang’s father, a fallen aristocrat, against her own father’s wishes. Attracted by his dashing demeanor, she brought a substantial dowry to fill the nearly depleted coffers of the Liu family.
Mentang’s father had married her mother as his second wife, condescending to wed a woman from the jianghu world for financial reasons. This mirrored his later decision to marry Mentang into the Cui family for money. Sadly, in her father’s eyes, her mother was an ill-matched, uncouth woman. Her dreams of marital harmony dissolved, and she passed away early, worn down by a loveless marriage.
Initially, Mentang thought her forced marriage to the Cui family would be even worse than her mother’s experience. To her surprise, her husband Cui Jiu was not only handsome but also steady and loyal. With such a husband, she would be content with a simple life.
Filled with determination to be a worthy wife, Mentang gazed at her husband, who was reclining on a wicker chair in the courtyard, reading a book. However, her wrists, still weak from injury, could not match her enthusiasm. After chopping just two crabs, they ached terribly.
Knowing of her injury, Li Mama took over the knife, saying, “Madam, please rest. When everything is ready, you can season the dish… There are freshly boiled sweet potatoes in the pot. You should serve some to the master to line his stomach. Crabs are cooling in nature and shouldn’t be eaten on an empty stomach.”
Mentang washed her hands and brought a bowl of steaming sweet potatoes to the small wicker table beside the chair. She sat on a small bamboo stool next to the table and began peeling a sweet potato for her husband.
There weren’t many books in North Street, and Cui Xingzhou quickly lost interest in the one he had picked up. He put it down and watched his wife intently as she peeled the sweet potato.
The sunlight cast a gentle glow on Mentang’s fair skin, making it appear as delicate as the crab roe buns he had eaten earlier. Her eyes were bright, her nose high and straight, and her thick eyelashes were lowered in concentration. Her lips were slightly pursed, revealing faint dimples on her cheeks.
From any angle, Liu Mentang was a rare beauty. Cui Xingzhou mused that Lu Wen must be a man capable of great things to have given her up so heartlessly.
As Cui Xingzhou lost himself in thought, Mentang interpreted his intense gaze as one of desire. His eyes seemed to burn hotter than the sun overhead. Blushing, she held the peeled sweet potato to Cui Jiu’s lips.
Caught off guard by her gesture, Cui Xingzhou kept his mouth tightly closed, unwilling to open it. Mentang pressed the soft sweet potato against his lips, saying, “Eat up. Why are you acting like a child who needs coaxing?”
No one had ever dared to feed Cui Jiu so boldly before, not even the courtesans who entertained him. If he could reveal his true identity, the Prince of Huaiyang had a thousand ways to intimidate beautiful women. But now, all he could do was open his mouth and silently take a bite of the peeled sweet potato.
Fortunately, this intimate moment was brief. Li Mama, sensing her master’s discomfort, quickly finished preparing the crabs and called Mentang to season the dish.
Thanks to their Sichuan neighbors, they had authentic doubanjiang (spicy bean paste) available. To enhance the crab’s flavor, Mentang generously poured half a jar of Huadiao wine into the pot, saving the rest for her husband to drink later.
With two baskets of crabs, Mentang prepared three dishes: one spicy stir-fry, one steamed, and remembering her husband’s earlier desire for crab roe buns, she used a sterilized needle to extract a bowl of crab roe for Li Mama to make into buns.
Finally, the Prince of Huaiyang could feast to his heart’s content. He particularly enjoyed the spicy crab, which perfectly showcased the delicate flavor of the hairy crabs. The spiciness was balanced with a sweet aroma, making it irresistible.
Halfway through the meal, Cui Xingzhou’s first thought was to have Mo Ru buy two more baskets of crabs tomorrow to be cooked at North Street.
However, their rare family dinner was interrupted by a knock at the door. When they heard it, the Prince of Huaiyang exchanged a glance with his servant Mo Ru—could it be rebels coming to make contact?
Mo Ru quickly approached the door and cautiously asked, “Who’s there?”
A familiar voice replied, “I’m Wang Shan, Master Zhao’s servant. The master bought some crabs today and, passing by, thought to bring some for Liu Mentang to taste!”
Liu Mentang, who had been eating from her bowl, looked up in dismay at the mention of her name and glanced anxiously at Li Mama. She couldn’t understand why Mr. Zhao would send crabs specifically for her. Heaven knows she had never encouraged Mr. Zhao’s attention! They had previously fallen out, a fact she hoped Li Mama would confirm to her husband if necessary.
Mo Ru, recognizing the voice of the Marquis of Zhengnan’s servant, relaxed and opened the gate. Sure enough, it was Wang Shan, holding two baskets of fresh, dripping crabs.
Wang Shan wasn’t alone. From the carriage behind him, the Marquis of Zhengnan leaned out, addressing Mo Ru, “Oh, you’re here too. Is… is Master Jiu also present? Excellent, I can join you for lunch…”
With that, the Marquis eagerly descended from his carriage.
The Marquis had deliberately passed by this location today. During their last encounter, he had been angered by the young lady’s rash actions and had sworn not to associate with her again. However, as his anger subsided, he began to regret his hasty words.
In truth, he couldn’t blame Liu Mentang. It was Cui Xingzhou who was truly at fault. If he was using her as bait, he should have provided her with a life of luxury. Instead, the miserly Cui Jiu insisted on maintaining the facade of a declining household, forcing the poor girl to exhaust herself trying to restore their fortunes.
The Marquis thought to himself that if he ever fell on hard times, he would consider himself fortunate to have a woman like Mentang by his side, working tirelessly to improve their situation. With this perspective, he found he could even forgive her for dismantling the trap set for the expert assassin in his presence.
However, as a man of his word, he struggled to find a way to mend their relationship after declaring so vehemently that he would cut ties with her.
The rift with Liu Mentang had left the Marquis with little appetite and filled with regret. He was overcome with feelings of longing and sleepless nights, emotions he hadn’t experienced since his youth. His melancholy nearly drove him to join his wife in the Buddhist hall, seeking peace of mind through the rhythmic tapping of wooden fish.
His low spirits had kept him idle at the Marquis’s mansion for several days. Yesterday, his mother had asked him to accompany her on a visit to the royal palace.
The old Marchioness and the Princess Dowager had been close friends since their maidenhood, and their friendship had endured even after their respective marriages.
The two ladies’ idle chat inevitably turned to topics of sons and daughters-in-law. The old Marchioness, thinking of her daughter-in-law who could only seek solace in Buddhist chanting, sighed enviously at the Princess Dowager’s fortune. The Princess had the luxury of raising her future daughter-in-law under her roof, molding her to her liking. Judging by Ruo Lan’s graceful and lovable demeanor, the Princess’s efforts had paid off.
Though the Princess Dowager tried not to boast, she couldn’t help but feel a bit proud when complimented. She mentioned that Ruo Lan was a thoughtful girl who had personally selected ten of the finest crabs from two large baskets to ensure Xingzhou would have something fresh to eat. She planned to prepare crab roe buns early the next morning and deliver them to the Prince at the military camp while they were still warm.
The old Marchioness was amazed, praising Miss Lian for her thoughtfulness.
Listening to this conversation, Zhao Quan’s eyes lit up as he realized he had overlooked the potential of using crabs as a peace offering.
Upon returning to his mansion, he immediately ordered his servant to buy four baskets of crabs. Rolling up his wide sleeves, he selected two baskets of the finest specimens. Early the next morning, he set out for Lingquan Town, using the pretext of passing by to deliver crabs to Liu Mentang and, hopefully, offer an apology.
However, despite all his calculations, the Marquis hadn’t anticipated finding Cui Xingzhou at the North Street residence.
Still, Cui Jiu’s presence provided a legitimate reason for him to stay for a meal.
As Zhao Quan entered the courtyard, he found Cui Jiu and Liu Mentang sitting close together, their meal already half-finished.
He felt a pang of displeasure. Why wasn’t Cui Jiu at the military camp eating the crab roe buns his fiancée, Miss Lian, had sent? Instead, he was here eagerly sharing a meal with Liu Mentang. Wasn’t this charade of luring the enemy going a bit too far? What was Cui Jiu’s true intention?
In his heart, Zhao Quan had already assumed the role of Liu Mentang’s future husband. Seeing her sitting so close to his friend in the North Street residence made him uncomfortable.
However, when he caught sight of his friend’s knife-like smile, his jealousy subsided considerably. If he inadvertently disrupted Cui Xingzhou’s plans, the consequences could be severe.
With this in mind, he quickly greeted Cui Jiu with a smile, “Brother Cui, I see you’ve already started eating. Had I known you’d bought crabs, I would have brought something else.”
Cui Jiu’s smile didn’t reach his eyes as he asked mildly, “Did Mr. Zhao come just to deliver crabs?”
Reminded of his purpose, Zhao Quan quickly turned to Liu Mentang and bowed, saying, “Miss Liu, I spoke hastily that day at Mr. Chen’s residence. Please forgive me and don’t take offense.”
Liu Mentang managed a forced smile that also failed to reach her eyes. She replied stiffly, “I hope Mr. Zhao will be more mindful of propriety in the future. Fortunately, my husband is here today. Otherwise, your abrupt visit in broad daylight might have given the neighbors cause for gossip.”
Although Zhao Quan had prepared himself for Liu Mentang’s reluctance to forgive him easily, he hadn’t expected such a harsh response. Hurt, with tears welling up in his eyes, he said, “I didn’t think it through and nearly tarnished your reputation… In the future, I’ll write letters…”
He had intended to suggest corresponding and meeting outside, but Cui Xingzhou, sensing the situation was getting out of hand, intervened, “You’ve misunderstood, my dear. Mr. Zhao indeed came to see me on business.”
Grateful for the Prince’s timely intervention in clearing his name, Zhao Quan realized that staying would be futile given the young lady’s deep misunderstanding. It would be better to leave with Cui Jiu, who had finished his meal, and make other plans.