Chapter 60 Feigned Affection

The handsome young man's expression was calm, but the aloof chill surrounding him was impossible to ignore, causing the smile on Master Zhao's face to falter ever so slightly.

In that instant, Master Zhao seemed to see Lu Dashan standing behind the boy, holding a knife.

Before Master Zhao could figure out how to begin the conversation, a light breeze swept by.

He seemed to catch the faint fragrance of a young woman, and the girl who had been hiding behind the sturdy woman earlier now hurried over.

“Husband.”

Her gentle voice made Master Zhao's mouth twitch.

Su Tang greeted her husband with a bright smile, “Are you tired, my dear? Is there anything you’re craving?”

Her soft, affectionate words made it seem as if no one else existed in her world but her husband.

Huang Wenzhao watched them with a faint smile.

Master Zhao let out a dry chuckle, about to speak when Su Tang suddenly seemed to recall something. “It was my oversight just now. Master Zhao and Scholar Huang helped us out with that food incident, and Master Zhao said there had been many misunderstandings before, and he wanted to host a banquet as an apology.”

“Yes, yes, that’s exactly what I meant,” Master Zhao agreed.

“My husband has just returned from the academy, weary from his studies. What do you think, my dear?” Su Tang asked.

Lu Jingyuan glanced at Huang Wenzhao and replied, “That’s fine.”

Su Tang covered her mouth with a smile. “My husband is always so reserved. Scholar Huang must have heard as much. What he means is, if Uncle is present, we would certainly go together to express our thanks.”

She looked at Master Zhao, who was momentarily stunned. “My brother-in-law isn’t here.”

Su Tang sighed with regret. “If father-in-law were here, it would be well. He’s always reminding me from the county to take good care of my husband. If he knew I was taking my husband out to a banquet at will, I fear he’d be furious.”

Zhao De shivered. “Right, right, Lu Dashan values your husband highly. Perhaps next time, when you’re in the county—after all, there aren’t many good places to go in this town.”

He looked at Huang Wenzhao, who exchanged a glance with him and then said with a light smile, “I approached out of genuine goodwill. Since Jingyuan is so cautious, very well—there’s always another day.”

Turning to Su Tang, Huang Wenzhao’s gentle gaze was as soft as ripples on a lake. “Madam, you are thorough, steady, kind, and clever. I admire you greatly and hope that, in the future, we may share prosperity together.”

Su Tang’s eyes flickered at the words “share prosperity,” but she still responded with a gentle bow, “Thank you.”

...

After Zhao De and Huang Wenzhao left, Su Tang and Lu Jingyuan entered the courtyard and then the house.

Su Tang recounted the incident with the Zhao and Huang families joining forces and the scuffle over the food.

“Today, the steward from Uncle’s family came by and told us to be wary of Master Zhao, but said nothing of the Huang family.”

“I know you and Scholar Huang aren’t close, and both the teacher and the county magistrate are only distant acquaintances. Since Scholar Huang is close to the magistrate, I thought it best to keep our distance for now. Once we’ve seen Uncle and father-in-law, or you can ask your teacher, then we can decide what to do next,” Su Tang said earnestly.

Lu Jingyuan was silent. She truly had a knack for passing the buck.

Seeing her husband quiet, Su Tang assumed he agreed with her reasoning and smiled sweetly, “How was the academy today, husband? Was everything well?”

Her eyes, curved with laughter, sparkled with light—and calculation.

—“I know I was wrong. I’ll never be alone with Liu Erlang again, all right? Even if Sister Li is there, I won’t. Please, don’t stop going to the academy over this. You love your studies most, and if you stopped, the teacher would be terribly disappointed, wouldn’t he?”

—“Though the Zhao family restaurant has had many disputes with us, now that we’re working together, both sides benefit. If it weren’t for you studying at the academy and apprenticing with the teacher, we wouldn’t have these advantages.”

—“I’m only half-joking. I’ll be going between the county and the town a lot these days, so I might not be able to pick you up every day. But whenever you eat knife-cut noodles or dragon’s beard noodles, just imagine I’m right there with you, keeping you company, all right?”

Lu Jingyuan’s mind flickered with thoughts, and the calculations in the girl’s eyes softened into tenderness.

He said, “Today Brother Jiang told me something.”

He repeated what Jiang Bowen had shared.

When Su Tang heard it, she praised, “Brother Jiang is straightforward and a good man. I’ve heard there’s a student society at the academy—Brother Jiang must be a leader there, surely?”

Lu Jingyuan was moved. “He is.”

“Why don’t you join as well?” Su Tang suggested.

Lu Jingyuan looked at her.

Why?

Su Tang explained, “Clearly, it was Zhang who overheard, but instead of telling you, he spoke to Brother Jiang, knowing he’d pass the message on. Brother Jiang must have realized that too, yet still told you. You’re steady and won’t act rashly, unlike others. But Brother Jiang’s straightforward nature makes him easy to take advantage of. If you keep an eye on things, those troublemakers won’t dare act recklessly.”

“Brother Jiang helped our family; it’s only right for you to help him in return. It’s just reciprocation.”

A vein visibly throbbed on Lu Jingyuan’s temple.

Was that really the meaning of reciprocity?

Su Tang nodded emphatically.

Yes, that’s exactly how it should be used.

“All right,” Lu Jingyuan agreed.

Su Tang was delighted—her husband was becoming so much more agreeable.

“Husband, what would you like to eat? I’ll make it for you~”

As she spoke, the commotion of ten men in the courtyard drew everyone’s attention.

“Wait a moment, husband.”

Su Tang picked up the ten red envelopes she’d prepared and went outside.

...

The window was slightly ajar, and Su Tang’s bright, gentle voice carried across the yard.

“These are your wages for today. Tomorrow we head to the county, and we won’t be back for ten days. Remember to let your families know. If anyone comes looking for you here, I won’t hesitate to send them away.”

“We will, boss.”

“No worries.”

The ten men replied, some shyly, some loudly, all in high spirits.

Through the window, Lu Jingyuan saw the red envelopes in their hands.

Each one was bulging with money.

She didn’t hold back.

Lu Jingyuan looked at Su Tang.

The setting sun bathed her in golden light, making her seem radiant.

For a moment, all her schemes and pretenses faded away, leaving only compassion and kindness.

Su Tang turned and met her husband’s gaze.

She smiled brilliantly.

Lu Jingyuan averted his eyes and closed the window.

Su Tang: “...”

Was he shy?

In the past, she would have teased him, but now she was simply too busy.

The ten workers, under the stern supervision of Li Qingtian, had already been sorted into top, middle, and lower tiers—three in the top, four in the middle, and three in the lower.

The top group would stay at the “Safe Haven Inn,” the lower group would be sent to various street corners in the county, and the middle group would be placed in the bustling areas.

If she was going to make her move, she wanted to cover every corner.

She’d already arranged the recipes for each stall, but the recipe for the Safe Haven Inn needed more careful thought. Tomorrow, she’d have to recruit another batch of master chefs in the county as well...

Caught up in her plans, Su Tang felt as if she’d returned to those days of hard work, when a calm voice sounded beside her.