Ancient Foodie Survival Guide Chapter 27
Translated by Serena Love
Edited by Azure
Chapter 27: Going Back to Her Mother
Jiang Shuyao was eating, drinking, and happily relaxing every day when she received a message from the Xiangyang mansion. She was so shocked that she immediately bounced off the rocking chair—Mrs. Xiangyang was pregnant!
There had been no happy events in the Xiangyang mansion for many years. The four maids were extremely happy. If Mrs. Xiangyang could win over her man in one fell swoop, how could the Yingying and Yanyan in the backyard dare to be presumptuous?
They were joyful, but saw Jiang Shuyao with worry on her face.
"Miss?" Bai Zhi whispered to her, guessing, "Are you homesick?"
Jiang Shuyao said, "No, I'm just worried." After she passed through, she took over the original owner's body and was affected by Mrs. Xiangyang's maternal love. After marrying, she didn't have to worry about food and clothing, and she had plenty of money and wealth, but she couldn't repay the other person even a little bit.
"I want to go back to my mother." She decided.
"Miss!" Bai Zhi was taken aback. "How can you run to your maiden's house without any big deal?"
"Isn't it a big deal for my mother to be pregnant?" She turned and returned to the room to change clothes and collect things.
"Then... wait until the child is born." Bai Zhi was anxious when she saw her lady open the closet and start picking clothes.
Jiang Shuyao waved her hands and sighed, "My mother's appetite was not good when I went back home last time. Now she is pregnant, and her appetite will definitely worsen. How can she have a good pregnancy? Besides, she has a bad relationship with my father. And in the backyard, all those concubines always trouble her. My mother only has me, her only daughter. If I don't care about her, who would?" She was holding the body of the original owner, so she had to look after her mother.
"But..." Bai Zhi didn't dare to indulge her this time. She had only heard of a mother coming over from her family to take care of her daughter, but she had never heard of a daughter returning home to take care of her mother.
Jiang Shuyao was still in the stage of semi-adaptation to these ancient rules and etiquette. If Bai Zhi didn't tell her, she wouldn't understand the degree of behavior that would be considered normal and insisted on going back to her family.
In the stalemate between the two, Xie Xun, who went home quickly after work to eat a meal, arrived in the courtyard. Seeing that Jiang Shuyao was not in the yard or the small kitchen, he was a little confused. When he was looking for her everywhere, he heard a faint voice from inside the room.
He stepped back a few steps to avoid them, but Jiang Shuyao suddenly came out of the room. She didn't show any expression when she saw him. She only stopped and told him, "I want to go back to my maiden house."
Boom-
Like thunder exploded on his head, Xie Xun's mind was blank. For a moment, he was so surprised that he didn't know how to react.
Jiang Shuyao ignored him and hurriedly went to the main hall, ready to tell the old madam.
Xie Xun stood there; his mind was numb, and his heart was flustered.
He walked quickly without thinking about it carefully to catch up with Jiang Shuyao.
Seeing that his expression was not good, Jiang Shuyao said in a daze, "What's wrong?"
Xie Xie opened and closed his mouth, and finally, he only weakly said, "Someone came to make trouble?"
"Eh? No." Jiang Shuyao was even more dazed.
"Then, who bullied you?"
"No." Jiang Shuyao looked at the sky. She did not have time to gossip, "If you have anything to say, just say it directly. I have to get down to business in the Shouning Hall."
Then after she said that, she saw Xie Xun pursed his lips and didn't know how to speak, so she left.
Xie Xun watched her back and how she decisively went away, but he could no longer catch up.
If something went wrong at the beginning, it would be difficult to keep going.
He stood sullenly in place.
In the beginning, Jiang Shuyao forced him to marry her by death threat and with the power of the queen. He was always unhappy. He treated her coldly from the moment she married into the mansion. Although his family members did not make things difficult for her, there were still many cold and harsh treatments.
He also couldn't tell how he felt about Jiang-shi. He felt numb and suffocated when he heard that she was going back to her family's home. This depression was inexplicable.
This… was because they are friends, right?
He raised his head to look at the direction where Jiang Shuyao left.
Yes, they were friends.
If a friend was in trouble, how could he watch idly?
Suddenly he figured it out. Immediately his mood raised, and he ran towards Shouning Hall, ignoring his etiquette.
If his mother embarrassed her, he would have to stop it. If Jiang Shuyao wanted to find her own place, as her friend, he would have to support her.
He ran wildly and caught up with Jiang Shuyao at the gate of Shouning Hall.
His neat hair was messed up, hair strands fell from his temples, and his breath was unstable. Before Jiang Shuyao said anything, he gasped and asked, "Are you going to go back to your maiden house?"
Jiang Shuyao didn't understand what was with him today and replied, "Yes."
Seeing her answer quickly, with impatience between her brows, Xie Xun suddenly had a bad thought.
"You deliberately-" The word "divorce" whirled on the tip of his tongue. However, he didn't say it, but changed the word, "Do you want to leave?"
Wasn’t this nonsense? Jiang Shuyao just wanted to push him away no matter what he meant, "Yes."
Xie Xun's heart seemed to be pinched. It was sad and sour.
He did not know why he was so uncomfortable. He was pushed and staggered. Seeing that she walked into the house without hesitation, he didn't have time to think about it, and he said what he was thinking and said loudly, "I will give you a letter."
He raised his head and saw Jiang Shuyao turn around. He calmed down and said very seriously, "I will write that there is no relationship between you and me..."
In this way, she could find a perfect partner.
He hoped that after the separation between the husband and wife, she would comb her hair down again, sweep her crescent eyebrows beautifully, and select a husband from high-ranking officials. In front of the shadow court, her beauty would be in harmony with the music.
Thinking about this, he suddenly became enlightened. He put aside his subtle unhappiness and showed a relieved smile.
"Let's go. I'll accompany you in."
Jiang Shuyao finally said more than one word after the whole journey.
"What are you talking about?" She was puzzled, with her arms spread, she felt depressed, "What's the matter? What are you talking about? Are you going to divorce me?"
Xie Xun, who had just shown a relieved smile, was about to say goodbye to his friend. His face stiffened, and the smile disappeared. He stammered, "You, don't you want to leave me?"
Jiang Shuyao let out a "hum" from her nasal cavity. She glanced at him, turned and entered the Shouning Hall, and threw a sentence, "My mother is pregnant. I'm going back to my family's house to see her."
Xie Xun was confused again. Seeing Jiang Shuyao lift the curtain and enter the house, he shook his muddy brain and quickly followed her.
No matter what, his goal of solving problems for his friends remains the same. Jiang Shuyao wants to go back to her maiden home, so he must open his mouth to help.
Xie Xun was always stupid when facing Jiang Shuyao, who didn't play her cards according to common sense, but he was always very calm when facing other people.
With lotus tongues and eloquent words, he convinced the old lady to agree to Jiang Shuyao returning to her maiden home in two or three words, but she couldn't stay long; two days was enough.
Bai Zhi, who was waiting outside, heard Jiang Shuyao say this, and her jaw dropped in shock.
Xie Xun had sent the Buddha to the west, and now he sent Jiang Shuyao to the door of Xiangyang Mansion. Seeing her get off the carriage, turn, and enter the mansion, he couldn't help but call out to her, "I'll pick you up in two days!"
Jiang Shuyao turned her head and frowned, "Huh?"
Xie Xun was inexplicably scared. He sighed and whispered, "Don't forget." There was a sense of grievances, and he immediately added, "Whatever it is, I will help you next time. Come once, and there will be a second and a third time."
Jiang Shuyao suddenly walked towards him, and Xie Xun almost couldn't hold back to take a few steps back.
She stood still in front of him, glanced at his face, and saw Xie Xun with a guilty conscience, not knowing why.
"Are you afraid that you won't be able to eat?"
Xie Xun's hanging heart fell to the ground in an instant, but he picked it up again. "Why do you think I am like that--" As he said that, he was suddenly confused. It wasn’t because of eating, but why?
He shut his mouth, letting Jiang Shuyao misunderstand.
Jiang Shu looked at him with blank eyes. When he couldn't help but dodge, she suddenly raised her hand and patted his shoulder, and smiled. "Wait for me to come back." After finishing speaking, she turned neatly and entered the house.
Xie Xun still stood stiffly in place until the door of Xiangyang Mansion was closed.
He tilted his head and thought for a while, but still didn't understand. Finally, he touched his shoulder.
Strange, it was so numb.
But she didn't use a lot of power. How could he feel numb?
He didn't understand. He turned to his horse and returned to the mansion. Thinking about the bright and brilliant smile that she just made, and the corners of his mouth rose.
He drove the horse back home slowly, enjoying the sunset in the sky in a very good mood. The afterglow was warm and soft. The thin clouds were stained with scarlet red, and the edges were golden light, red like the carrots in the fish-flavored pork made by Jiang...
Wait! Jiang Shuyao had returned to her maiden home, so didn't it mean that he has no hot food for tomorrow?!
Xie Xun's smile collapsed.
＊
Jiang Shuyao arrived at Xiangyang Mansion, Mrs. Xiangyang scolded her and blamed her for running to her parents' house after she got married, but she was delighted to see her return.
"Quickly, ask the kitchen to cook you some food. There happened to be beef today. You were right in time." She recovered some vitality, pulled Jiang Shuyao, and looked at her from top to bottom. "Why have you gained so much weight?"
"Mother, how am I fat?" The original owner used to be so hungry her face was yellow and thin, and now she had just grown a little bit of flesh to make it up and showed her original appearance.
Lin-shi stopped talking and finally chuckled, "Yes, you are married, so your mother will ignore it." She took Jiang Shuyao's hand and said, "Eat well, dress well, what else do you want? That's it, just rely on Duke Xie's mansion!"
Jiang Shuyao was stunned when she heard her last sentence. She was someone who had thought about leaving, so she tentatively said, "Xie Boyuan doesn't care about me. What if I take a break?"
Lin-shi raised her eyebrows proudly. "No. It was not without reason that your mother chose Duke Xie's Mansion for you. Your mother didn't have enough strategy, and my whole life was spent on business. I was bewildered, but I dared to make it happen. You have chosen the most suitable husband, and your aunt agrees." Jiang Shuyao's aunt is a woman who has passed numerous difficulties to become a noble concubine.
Jiang Shuyao listened to her intention, and before she could think about it, Lin-shi interrupted her thoughts and asked someone to make a bowl of beef soup for Jiang Shuyao.
Jiang Shuyao regained her consciousness and observed Lin-shi. She saw that her face was pale. Although she had recovered some energy after seeing her, she was only barely holding on. She was covered with a thin layer of twilight. It seemed that her only remaining fighting spirit dissipated after Jiang Shuyao was married.
"Has Mother eaten well recently?"
Lin-shi felt a little relieved when she heard the questions and touched her daughter's face. "After you grow up, you know to care about your mother. You don't feel I am stingy like before."
Seeing her avoiding her question, Jiang Shuyao frowned and said solemnly, "Mother, you were weak, but now you are pregnant. You have to eat well."
Lin-shi shook her head and sighed, "Who knows if I am pregnant? Who knows if this baby..." She started the topic, "Recently, I have a bad appetite, so I can only eat something sour, and I always get tired of eating plums."
"How about I make some sour soup?"
"Sour soup is vinegar soup? How unpalatable." Lin-shi said with disgust.
Jiang Shuyao stood up, "It's not unpleasant, I'll make it for you. If your daughter makes it herself, you always eat two more bites, right?"
She ran away without waiting for Lin-shi's agreement. Lin-shi looked at the direction she was leaving for a while, and she suddenly smiled, then raised her cuffs and wiped the corners of her eyes.
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