Allure of a Country Maiden
Chapter 651 - 649

Chapter 651: 649

Xiao’er could tell that Zhu Yan wanted to speak, but she didn’t initiate a conversation on her own.

The conversation turned to which shop in Shengping County had the tastiest delicacies, which made for a rather pleasant atmosphere.

Zhu Yan struggled inwardly, rallying her courage to speak, when a server arrived with four bowls of noodles.

Zhu Yan stared frustratingly at the server. Why did he choose to serve the noodles exactly when she was about to speak?

The server, startled by Zhu Yan’s piercing glare, nearly spilled the noodles. He felt too intimidated to place his bowl in front of her.

Seeing this, Xiao’er nearly laughed out loud.

Jingrui kindly moved the noodles from the tray to Zhu Yan’s spot, relieving the nervous server.

The server gave Jingrui a grateful glance before scampering off.

The noodles here were chewy, and what set them apart were the flavorful little dishes on top like marinated eggs, braised meat, sour bamboo shoots, and fried soybeans. A large bowl cost twenty coins, and everything apart from the eggs and meat was unlimited. Though it wasn’t exactly a bargain, the shop was bustling with patrons and the servers were constantly on the move.

Embarrassed by her behavior, Zhu Yan clenched her teeth in anger. Embarrassment was an understatement; she was humiliated!

To compensate for her blunder, Zhu Yan signaled the server to bring some additional sour bamboo shoots, fried soybeans, and pickled vegetables.

The server, noticing Zhu Yan waving at him, discreetly sidestepped her and went another way.

Zhu Yan: ...

Xiao’er and Jinghao shared a look before quickly lowering their heads. They wanted to laugh, but it didn’t seem appropriate, so they pretended to be engrossed in their noodles, paying no attention to their surroundings.

Seeing Zhu Yan’s embarrassment, Jingrui couldn’t bear it and asked, "Miss Zhu, do you want anything else?"

"These little side dishes are very delicious, and additional vegetables are free. I wanted the server to bring a little more of each," she explained.

Upon hearing this, Jingrui raised his hand to get the attention of the server to order some additional side dishes, including the marinated eggs and braised meat.

After speaking, Zhu Yan regretted her words. Why did she have to mention that the vegetables were free? It made her seem too frugal! She was not like that at all! She just liked the food and wanted them to enjoy more as well!

Zhu Yan held back her tears. Her reputation was ruined in this little noodle shop!

After Jingrui instructed the server, he turned back around to see Zhu Yan’s conflicted expression. He was confused. Was she unhappy that he added more dishes? Had he not added enough?

Jingrui considered Zhu Yan’s natural strength and assumed she’d typically eat more than others. However, to preserve her dignity, she likely didn’t want to order another bowl and could only make do with extra side dishes.

Most women, including his sisters, preferred to eat more vegetables and less staple food, indulging more in their assortment of snacks.

Upon this thought, Jingrui asked, "Miss Zhu, it seems one bowl isn’t enough. Would you like another bowl?"

Add another bowl of noodles!?

This venture startled the other three people at the table!

Xiao’er and Jinghao immediately looked at Jingrui, who was attentively looking at Zhu Yan. Both of them thought that Jingrui knew Zhu Yan’s large appetite and then turned to look at Zhu Yan in astonishment: for someone so petite and slim, they hadn’t expected her to have such a voracious appetite!

To them, this was no problem. Their family was now wealthy, and they could afford to have a daughter-in-law who ate a lot! Jinghao mused.

When Zhu Yan saw Xiao’er and Jinghao looking at her, she went beet red. Master Shen surely overestimated her. Although her surname was Zhu, which also meant "pig" in Chinese, she couldn’t relate to it in any way, neither in appearance nor size!

"No need," Zhu Yan said, carefully enunciating each word to Jingrui, who had an earnest look on his face. The expression on her face seemed to signal that if he dared to make her eat more, she would flip the table.

Jingrui didn’t dare say any more, pointing at the bowl of noodles and subtly suggesting, "Eat your noodles before they congeal."

Zhu Yan nodded and suggested to Xiao’er, "County Mistress Rui’an, do taste the sour bamboo shoots. They’re quite tasty."

Xiao’er tried the bamboo shoots as suggested and found them to be tangy, spicy, and very refreshing, a taste she approved of.

Everyone was silent, engrossed in their battle with the noodles in their bowls.

Despite the freezing weather, having a hot, spicy bowl of soup noodles was very comforting.

After their meal, they exited the noodle shop just as snowflakes started to fall from the sky.

By this time, Zhao Yong had already brought the carriage to the storefront.

"It’s snowing. Miss Zhu, let me send you home. Big brother, Hao’er, you guys head back home on your own!" Xiao’er took Zhu Yan’s hand and got into the carriage before Zhu Yan had a chance to refuse.

The hesitation on Zhu Yan’s face during lunch wasn’t lost on Jingrui and Jinghao. They understood that Xiao’er wanted to inquire what Zhu Yan wanted to say. Both of them nodded understandingly, waved their hands, and headed back to the Liu Mansion, advising Xiao’er and Zhu Yan to be careful.

In the carriage, Xiao’er cut right to the chase, asking directly, "Miss Zhu, is there something you want to tell us?"

Zhu Yan hadn’t expected Xiao’er to be so straightforward. She glanced outside the carriage.

Xiao’er noticed Zhu Yan’s hesitation and spoke up. "Miss Zhu, feel free to speak your mind," she said, reassuring Zhu Yan, who was worried about Zhao Yong overhearing.

"I must confess, I came here to ask for a favor," Zhu Yan said before pausing.

Xiao’er did not speak, waiting for Zhu Yan to continue. Whether or not she would grant Zhu Yan’s favor depended on what it was.

Seeing Xiao’er’s patience, Zhu Yan continued, "County Mistress Rui’an, my family has been in the trading business for generations. We have everything, but our main business is in water transportation, tea, and cloth."

Inside the carriage, a small stove was kept warm with a pot of milk tea. Pouring the tea, Xiao’er nodded to indicate that she was listening and already knew about these matters.

"Over the last two years, my father’s health deteriorated, so he asked my second uncle to help manage the water transportation business."

This was the crux of the matter! Xiao’er looked up at Zhu Yan. Is she going to confess?

Did County Mistress Rui’an already know? Zhu Yan was startled by the meaningful look in Xiao’er’s eyes.

After looking at Zhu Yan, Xiao’er lowered her eyes and handed Zhu Yan a cup of milk tea. "Miss Zhu, please warm up with some tea."

Zhu Yan accepted the tea and expressed her gratitude. If County Mistress Rui’an already knew, then Zhu Yan was more grateful that she came clean today. After taking a sip of tea to calm herself, she continued, "Recently, an old housekeeper secretly told me that numerous grains and medical resources were being sent to the northwest by our family. Although we own a grain and oil store, my father had previously mentioned that the profit margin for grains was very small, so he planned to gradually cease collecting grains. After I heard the housekeeper’s words, I secretly investigated, and ironically, we’ve been collecting more grain over these two years than before. County Mistress Rui’an, you undoubtedly know the present condition in the northwest. What I wanted to say is that my family would never contribute to an evil cause!"

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