Chapter 81: Chicken Wonton

Ma Bing was awakened by the thunder.

It was just dawn, and outside it had started to pour at some unknown time. The thunder rolled, and lightning like snakes darted through the thick clouds, creating a somewhat terrifying sight.

The wind wasn’t strong, but it blew into the room, bringing with it a heavy mist that soaked half of the desk right next to the window. The other half, held down by paperweights, fluttered like white butterflies, rustling softly.

She got up to close the window, carefully removing and hanging the paper aside.

It wasn’t torn; it could still be used once dried.

After this interruption, she was wide awake.

Ma Bing decided to get dressed properly and go out with an oil-paper umbrella.

This time she was prepared, wearing rain boots specially coated with tung oil.

After applying tung oil, the surface of the boots wouldn’t get wet when exposed to water, just like lotus leaves.

“Miss Ma, leaving so early?” a familiar constable greeted with a smile.

Ma Bing nodded. “I was startled awake by the thunder. I couldn’t fall back asleep after getting up.”

“Indeed,” the constable empathized. “My boy was scared awake in the middle of the night and cried loudly. The whole family couldn’t sleep at all…”

Ma Bing remembered that his family had just welcomed a baby boy last month. Although his words were complaints, his face clearly showed the joy and pride of a new father.

The weather was bad, and there were few pedestrians on the street. Everywhere she looked was filled with a hazy mist, blending the sky and earth into one.

The raindrops were huge, hitting the ground with a loud “papap” sound, making one’s heart race.

Under the eaves, shallow pits had already been formed from the continuous impact of the rain.

Born and raised in the northwest, Ma Bing actually found it a bit hard to adapt to such a humid climate.

Compared to the border regions, the central plains had far too many waterways and excessive rainfall. Whenever this happened, she felt as though she had turned into a fish, breathing nothing but moisture.

It gave her the illusion of being soaked.

But there were advantages to having so much water. For example, fish and shrimp that were once expensive were now common.

When she was a child, before coming to the central plains, she had eaten dried fish twice. It was too fishy and dry, like coarse tree bark, so she had avoided such strange things ever since.

But later she learned that fresh fish and shrimp didn’t have such a strong odor. When cooked well, they were incredibly delicious.

She felt a sense of regret, thinking about how many people in her hometown had never tasted them.

The street-side restaurants had already started preparing the second round of breakfast.

The first round was specially for officials heading to the early morning court session.

Speaking of court, it was indeed a tiring task. With the vast size of Kaifeng City, those living close to the imperial palace had it easier. But those living far away might need to leave an hour earlier, meaning they had to get up in the dead of night?

So early that people were still half-asleep, their stomachs still groggy, unable to eat properly. They would half-close their eyes and doze off in the sedan chairs on the way. By the time they reached the restaurant, their second nap would be over, and they would be awakened by the aroma of food.

Ma Bing was also awakened by the aroma.

The large clear-oil sign carved with “Zhang Sao You Xuan” had been washed clean by the rain. Under the sign were copper bells that occasionally rang with a dull and distant sound when the wind blew: “Ding~ ding~”

The huge oil pots never stopped. A worker wearing only a vest skillfully rolled out dough, while another didn’t even look, just grabbing a few “You Xuan” dough pieces effortlessly, which then flew like colorful butterflies into the oil.

The dough was very particular, almost made entirely from oil, repeatedly folded and kneaded.

Only in this way could the “You Xuan” be crispy and flaky when fried.

The fried “You Xuan” were scooped out with large ladles and placed on bamboo racks to drain the oil.

The shopkeeper was a meticulous person, and the workers he hired were also careful. The golden “You Xuan” were neatly arranged in circles, leaning at an angle, their round bellies looking quite impressive.

Continuous hot steam rose from them. If one looked closely, one could see tiny oil bubbles popping.

There was another stove at the back of the house, selling chicken and wonton soup. The women making the wontons all wore floral headscarves and aprons. With a few quick pinches and flicks of their fingers, beautiful dumplings magically appeared on the cutting board.

It was said that “You Xuan” paired with chicken wonton soup was a beloved delicacy in the east.

Ma Bing’s self-control, which she prided herself on, completely collapsed in the face of the rich aroma. She obediently went in, found a seat, and almost reverently said, “Two ‘You Xuan’ and a bowl of chicken wonton soup, please.”

At a nearby table, a family of three had arrived early and were already eating.

The child was hungry and grabbed the “You Xuan” as soon as it was served, shouting “Hot, hot, hot,” yet unwilling to let go. He gritted his teeth and took a bite.

“Crunch~”

The delicate patterns instantly shattered. The translucent skin turned into countless fine threads, clattering down all over his hands.

The child hurriedly reached out to catch them, eagerly stuffing them into his mouth, chewing noisily.

The mother was both exasperated and amused, “Slow down. Why don’t you blow on it first? No one is going to take it from you.”

The child chuckled and went on to eat the dumplings. Before long, sweat beads appeared on his forehead.

Watching him eat without lifting his head, the mother took the opportunity to wipe his sweat, and Ma Bing felt a faint sense of longing.

“Miss, be careful not to burn yourself!”

Her thoughts were interrupted by the waiter, who arrived and then swiftly disappeared like a gust of wind.

The business was busy, and the waiters moved extremely quickly.

Although it was summer, the rainy weather was a bit cold, so Ma Bing decided to drink the soup first.

The dumpling soup was made from chicken bones, simmered into a thick broth, nearly white, so opaque that the bottom of the bowl couldn’t be seen.

A bit of coriander was sprinkled on top, creating a beautiful contrast of white and green.

With one bite, the deliciousness of the chicken soup filled her mouth. The slightly hot broth slid down her throat, and she instinctively shivered, almost able to see the thin chill dissipating with that warmth.

After eating to her heart’s content, Ma Bing bought some vegetables and picked up a jar of lively river shrimp, planning to stay indoors for the next few days.

If it continued to rain, she would make a hot pot for dinner, she thought quietly.

On her way back to the office, the constable was about to start his shift. Seeing her from afar, he ran over and handed her a letter.

“Miss Ma, just now the residence of Chancellor Yuan sent over an invitation.”

Chancellor Yuan’s residence…

Ma Bing hurriedly took the letter to read. It was personally written by Yuan Yuan’s mother, saying that if convenient, she would like to pay a visit tomorrow.

It must be about Yuan Yuan, Ma Bing knew without guessing.

It would be good to meet. She could ask how Yuan Yuan was doing. She had been quite worried about her these past few days.

But since she was the younger generation, how could she let a noble lady come to visit her?

Ma Bing then prepared to write a reply letter, arranging to meet the next day in a private room at a restaurant near Yuan Mansion.

Before entering, she said to the constable, “A woman mustn’t be careless during her postpartum period. Stew a few squab pigeons for your wife; it’s very nourishing.”

The constable listened, as if receiving a treasure, and carefully asked about the method of stewing squab pigeons, expressing his gratitude.

It so happened that after Ma Bing finished writing the reply and made arrangements for the meeting place, Yuan’s people immediately responded affirmatively.

Because she had this matter on her mind, she was somewhat distracted for the rest of the day.

In the evening, Xie Yu and others came as usual to share her dinner. Seeing her frequently lost in thought, they naturally became concerned. After discreet inquiries, they learned the reason.

Yuan Pei didn’t know about the case between Ma Bing and Yuan Yuan, so he was somewhat surprised.

“Now that you mention it, that little Yuan girl hasn’t come around in a while. Maybe she’s sick?”

Hu Ping thought, “Maybe. After all, Er Liang is a doctor.”

Since she was ill, it was inappropriate for the group of men to continue discussing.

Only Xie Yu had already guessed the truth, but such a matter was difficult to comfort.

However, the Yuan family had a strong tradition of gentlemanly conduct, so they probably wouldn’t do anything improper.

The next morning, before the hour of Chen, Ma Bing arrived at the agreed restaurant.

She had thought she was going early enough, but to her surprise, Yuan Yuan’s mother, Lady Sun, had already arrived.

Lady Sun had sent all the maids away to stand guard at the door. Once the door was closed, she actually bowed to Ma Bing first.

Ma Bing was so startled that she jumped up immediately, hurriedly going over to support her. “You mustn’t do that! You mustn’t!”

It was clear that Yuan Yuan’s situation had worried her mother greatly. In just over a month, Lady Sun had become much more haggard.

She was filled with remorse. “It’s all because of Yuan’er… I’m so sorry to have troubled you.”

A few days ago, she and her husband had just hinted at arranging a marriage for Yuan Yuan when the girl had run away directly, only to come back crying later and locking herself in her room for several days without coming out.

At first, Lady Sun had thought she just disliked the match or had a sweetheart in mind, so she quietly asked.

At first, the girl refused to say anything, but eventually, after much pressing, she let slip a little.

Lady Sun had been so shocked that she trembled all over.

“What a fate, what a fate!”

Never had she imagined that there really was a sweetheart.

But, but how could it be such a sweetheart!

The girl had kindly saved her daughter, but that mischievous child had such thoughts, making her, as a mother, both anxious and angry, and she really couldn’t bear to ask for forgiveness from the other party.

Talking about the matter with Yuan Yuan’s mother, Ma Bing herself also felt a bit uneasy.

But such things couldn’t be avoided, and it was better to deal with them quickly and decisively.

“How is Yuan…?”

Ma Bing herself felt the question was absurd.

Sure enough, Lady Sun hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. Tears rolled down her eyes. “It’s our past sins that we must repay in this life.”

Ma Bing didn’t know what to say and could only silently watch her grieve.

Since childhood, Lady Sun had rarely shed tears in front of strangers, but now… truly, children are debts owed by their parents.

She wiped her eyes with a handkerchief, said a few more words of apology, and, observing Ma Bing’s expression, sighed, “Now that it’s come to this, I won’t speak of superficial pleasantries. These past few days, I’ve thought a lot. Originally, if you also… well, now it seems, after all, it’s that child’s misunderstanding, so I’ve given up on this thought completely.”

Ma Bing, understanding her meaning, was shocked speechless, deeply moved by this mother’s love.

Lady Sun’s meaning was clear: if the two girls truly had feelings for each other, she was even willing to persuade Yuan Gao to allow her daughter to never marry.

After all, they had property and ability. Even if they never saw each other again in the future, they wouldn’t starve.

But she was worried that her daughter might be the only one with such feelings, so she steeled her heart, mustered her courage, and came in person today to test the waters.

After seeing Ma Bing’s expression today, she was sure that Ma Bing had no such feelings for her daughter, so she gave up completely.

After all, she couldn’t force someone to do something they were unwilling to do for the sake of her daughter.

“That child has been spoiled by us,” Lady Sun sighed. “She’s young and inexperienced. Suddenly seeing such an outstanding girl like you, she might have confused her gratitude, sisterly affection, and other feelings. It’s all our fault…”

But as a mother, she knew her daughter well. Lady Sun knew that although her daughter was young, she had a strong will and might not be confused.

Ma Bing wasn’t angry with Yuan Yuan in the first place. Seeing Lady Sun’s humility, she was even less inclined to hold a grudge and thus comforted her with a few words.

“Does Lord Yuan know?”

Lady Sun shook her head. “Men are generally careless. He still thinks the child is just spoiled and doesn’t want to leave her parents by getting married. Besides, I dare not let my husband know about her terrifying thoughts.”

Ma Bing nodded. “That’s true.”

Yuan Gao was already old, and being a man, he might not be able to empathize. If he got upset, wouldn’t that be Yuan Yuan’s fault?

Although same-sex relationships were not uncommon, they were rarely spoken of openly. Occasionally, there were some romantic anecdotes, but Yuan Gao would most likely not be able to accept it.

“So, what does the lady plan to do in the future?” Ma Bing asked.

Whether it was true love or confusion, Yuan Yuan’s condition wouldn’t improve in just a few days. They had to find a way.

Lady Sun said, “Now my husband only thinks Yuan’er is stubborn and doesn’t want to get married. Since she’s still young, he’s not eager to force her. I’ve convinced him to let Yuan’er live outside for a few years. Perhaps with time, her feelings will fade, and she’ll come to terms with it.”

She had a younger sister with a strong personality who had divorced her husband years ago and was now raising her child alone. It would be perfect to send Yuan Yuan to live with her for a few years, saying that she missed her aunt. Others wouldn’t have much to say.

Yuan Yuan was leaving?

Ma Bing was stunned but slowly nodded. “That’s… fine.”

After saying all that needed to be said, Lady Sun stood up and bowed again, sincerely saying, “I’m sorry for troubling you. I have no face to ask for anything else, but there’s one last thing I must say, even if it means being bold. If you’re unwilling, it’s fine. Just pretend you never heard this today.”

“Please go ahead.”

With red-rimmed eyes, Lady Sun trembled as she said, “No matter how many faults that child has, her heart toward you is genuine. Even if you never meet again in the future, I beg you, please don’t be angry with her.”

Such a mother’s heart was truly touching.

Her words brought tears to Ma Bing’s eyes.

She naturally felt how Yuan Yuan treated her, and how she treated Yuan Yuan—wasn’t it also sincere?

But fate played a cruel trick, and two hearts went in different directions, causing lifelong regret.

“When will she leave? If it’s convenient, I’d like to see her off.”

Unless something unexpected happened, this might be their last meeting in this life.

From then on, mountains and rivers would separate them, and they would be in different worlds.