Chapter 59 (Picking Up My Cousin)

Chapter 59 (Picking Up My Cousin)

Zhao Tuo was somewhat different from the bearded man beside him. His appearance was actually somewhat similar to that of the people of Daxia, rather than those of the people of the South.

The Southern Kingdom initially learned everything from the Great Xia, including their clothing and customs. There were even intermarriages between the two countries, and cultural exchanges were extremely frequent.

Even the royal family of the Southern Kingdom were the same; their royal family's everyday clothing patterns were mostly imitations of those of the Great Xia Dynasty.

At this moment, Zhao Tuo was dressed in a purple casual outfit, with cloud patterns embroidered on the cuffs of his robe. Before meeting him, Jiang Ru had imagined him to be a sleazy person, but now that she had met him, he actually looked quite presentable.

He called out Song Shu's name correctly the moment he opened his mouth, which showed that he had come prepared. He actually had such intentions and even dared to keep an eye on Song Shu.

Who is Song Shu? The granddaughter of the prime minister. Is she someone he could possibly be worthy of?

Jiang Ru immediately stepped in front of Song Shu, looking at the newcomer warily.

Zhao Tuo, completely unaware, stepped forward and even extended his hand to Song Shu, saying, "Would Miss Song do me the honor of having a drink with me?"

Jiang Ru didn't care about formalities anymore. She took Song Shu's hand and said, "Let's go."

Zhao Tuo held up his fan to block the two of them, and said with a smile, "Young Lady Song, are you not going to do me the honor?"

Jiang Ru couldn't help but roll her eyes. She took a step forward and forcefully blocked Zhao Tuo's fan, saying coldly, "Miss Song is busy, but if you want to drink by yourself, then I can treat you."

Zhao Tuo sized her up. He must have missed some important information; he had no idea who Jiang Ru was. But seeing that Jiang Ru was traveling with Song Shu, he paid her a little more attention: "And this young lady is..."

He only knew that Song Shu liked to come here, and even Jiang Ru didn't know. Jiang Ru immediately understood that the information about the prince of the Southern Kingdom was just so-so. Jiang Ru then said directly, "I am the manager of this beverage shop."

Having initially thought Jiang Ru was someone important, Zhao Tuo realized she was just a lowly shopkeeper. His expression softened, but he remained polite: "Thank you for your kind offer, shopkeeper. However, I would like to have a drink with Miss Song today."

Song Shu also managed to maintain her composure: "I shouldn't refuse your invitation, young master, but I'm really unavailable today..."

Before she could finish speaking, Zhao Tuo pressed on: "I've long heard that women of the Great Xia Dynasty rarely leave their homes, so it seems Miss Song is just like that..."

It's a shame he's a prince of the Southern Kingdom; he's really out of his mind. But he's already gone this far, even bringing up the Great Xia. Song Shu's face turned cold: "Young Master Zhao's words are biased."

Zhao Tuo realized he had misspoke and corrected himself, saying, "I was wrong. I just really wanted to invite Miss Song for a drink, and I was in a hurry."

Song Shu softened her tone slightly: "Since Young Master Zhao is so kind in inviting me, then I will respectfully accept your invitation."

At this moment, Jiang Ru spoke up: "Since Young Master Zhao is going to treat us, this beverage shop is really too shabby. Why don't we move to a restaurant and try some of the delicacies of our Great Xia?"

Zhao Tuo was satisfied: "Good."

Jiang Ru patted Song Shu's hand, gave her a reassuring look, and winked at her.

They arrived at Zui Chun Feng, the most luxurious restaurant in Bianjing. It was said that the dishes here were even more extravagant than those in the imperial palace, with each dish costing a thousand gold pieces. Even wealthy families could only afford to eat there occasionally.

As the group entered the restaurant, the waiter hurriedly came to greet them. Zhao Tuo waved his hand and asked for a private room. The waiter, with a big smile, led them into the room.

Then the menu arrived. Zhao Tuo could read Daxia characters, and when he saw the prices, he hesitated for a moment. Jiang Ru then asked, "Young Master Zhao, are you really going to treat us to dinner?"

Zhao Tuo immediately replied, "Of course."

Jiang Ru was satisfied with his words and looked at the menu with great anticipation.

People in Bianjing love to eat crabs. When crabs are at their best, countless carriages and horses come from Jiangnan. Whoever eats the crab first will boast about it.

It's almost June now, and crabs aren't at their peak season yet, but there are still quite a few early-ripening crabs. Although they're a bit smaller, their roe is plump and delicious, and the people of Bianjing (Kaifeng) still love them.

Especially now, before the peak season for crabs to enter Beijing, the price of crabs has been driven up to astronomical levels.

These crabs are sold individually. Jiang Ru hesitated and said, "These crabs are too expensive. Why don't we order fewer?"

Zhao Tuo, not wanting to be looked down upon, said, "This little bit of money is nothing. My lady, eat as much as you like."

Jiang Ru then tapped the menu: "Then let's do it this way, ten each of the hand-washed crab, crab stuffed orange, and pickled crab." After saying that, she looked at Zhao Tuo with sincere eyes, "Young Master Zhao, you really should try it. The crabs in Bianjing are the most famous. I guarantee you'll never forget them after eating them."

Even before he had tasted it, Young Master Zhao had already made a lifelong memory of it. Although he was not short of money, he glanced at the price and knew that even if he could afford it, he would still feel the pinch.

But he had just told Jiang Ru to order whatever she wanted, and since he had already said it, there was no reason to take it back. He could only say in a very gentlemanly manner, "Then I'll have to give it a try."

Jiang Ru then pointed to the menu and said, "This crab soup is also extremely delicious, Young Master Zhao, please try it."

Zhao Tuo waved his fan and said, "Okay."

Jiang Ru continued, "We can't just eat crab. Let's also have some roasted mutton and stir-fried quail with bamboo shoots. These are local specialties."

Zhao Tuo waved his fan more slowly: "Okay."

Jiang Ru carefully flipped through the menu, her fingers paused slightly, she looked up and spoke.

As soon as she spoke, not only Zhao Tuo, but even Song Shu felt a tightness in her chest, fearing that Jiang Ru would continue to ask for an exorbitant amount. Fortunately, Jiang Ru knew when to stop: "Let's stop here. We can't finish ordering too much. We can add more if needed."

Even when hosting a dinner party, it's not just about eating; it's all about using the meal as an excuse to talk about things that have ulterior motives. Nobody like Jiang Ru would order so much.

The waiter received such a large order and confirmed it several times before happily agreeing to it.

Jiang Ru then reminded them, "There are so many crabs that we can't serve them all at once. Let's serve the pickled crabs first."

The pickled crabs were marinated in advance and served the fastest. The waiter nodded immediately and ran off like lightning.

Jiang Ru also ordered a few cold dishes. Before long, the dishes on the table were served one after another. Zhao Tuo seized the opportunity to speak: "I have long heard that Miss Song is beautiful enough to topple kingdoms. Seeing her today, it is indeed true."

Before Song Shu could answer, Jiang Ru immediately pointed to the honey-soaked tofu on the table: "Young Master Zhao, try this. It's a famous dish from Bianjing."

Zhao Tuo's words were forcibly interrupted, and he could only take a bite first.

Before he could even speak, the waiter brought over a full plate of pickled crab. This pickled crab had to be marinated for a whole day to be at its most flavorful.

Jiang Ru casually picked up two crabs, one for herself and one for Song Shu.

Song Shu wasn't unfamiliar with crabs, but usually the maids would peel them for her. Seeing the crabs arrive, her maid was about to step forward when Jiang Ru stopped her, smiling at Zhao Tuo: "Young Master Zhao, do you know a saying?"

Zhao Tuo knew perfectly well that there was a trap in her words, but she still went along with it and asked, "What do you mean?"

Jiang Ru: "It's said that the best crabs are those you peel yourself."

Zhao Tuo glanced at the maid who had stepped forward to peel the skin for him, seemingly curious: "How do you know?"

Jiang Ru lied through her teeth: "This crab has to molt eighteen times before it can reach our table. The crab has worked so hard, and yet we have to ask someone else to peel it for us. It's really not sincere. So the people of Daxia have a saying that we must peel the crab ourselves so that the heavens will know our sincerity and we can eat the best crab."

It's likely that only Jiang Ru knows this in the entire Great Xia Dynasty. Upon hearing this, Song Shu's maidservant silently retreated, pretending that she wasn't the one who had just set off.

Zhao Tuo: "..."

Even though he knew perfectly well that Jiang Ru's words were all nonsense, Zhao Tuo still couldn't find any rebuttal. He looked at the crab in front of him, at a loss for what to do, and Song Shu was also at a loss for what to do.

Jiang Ru naturally picked up the crab and showed Song Shu how to peel it. Even though she hadn't eaten crab for many years, Jiang Ru's crab-peeling technique was still skillful. Song Shu was a little clumsy at first, but she quickly learned how to peel it.

Jiang Ru demonstrated it to Zhao Tuo from a distance. Zhao Tuo hesitated for a moment and then started to do it, but he was a little flustered.

Being busy is the right thing to do. When you're busy, you forget everything else and only have food in your eyes. You don't have time to think about those other things.

Perhaps thinking that there was still plenty of time, Zhao Tuo patiently peeled the crab for a while. After he finished peeling one, Jiang Ru praised, "Young Master Zhao is amazing. He peeled it so well on his first try."

No one can remain unfazed when praised, and Zhao Tuo was no exception. He first calmly glanced at Jiang Ru, and then peeled another one.

Jiang Ru continued to praise, "It's getting better and better, Young Master Zhao, please continue."

Seeing that Zhao Tuo was already immersed in Jiang Ru's praise and was peeling the crab faster and faster, Jiang Ru interrupted him in time: "Young Master Zhao, why don't you try it first? It would be a pity if you peeled it and didn't eat it."

Zhao Tuo could only reluctantly stop and begin to taste the crab.

Song Shu didn't know what Jiang Ru meant until Jiang Ru put a peeled crab on his plate and said in a low voice, "Eat quickly, or he'll eat it all."

Song Shu: "..."

She couldn't possibly eat that many; there were thirty of them.

Before we could finish the pickled crab, two other types of crab were served one after another, along with several main dishes that Jiang Ru had ordered. The table was piled high with food, leaving no time to even chat or eat.

Later, Zhao Tuo finally came to his senses amidst Jiang Ru's praise and began to carry out his initial task. However, as soon as he tentatively called out Song Shu's name, Jiang Ru immediately said, "Young Master Zhao, it is a tradition of our Great Xia not to talk while eating."

They made no mention of how much they had just said.

Zhao Tuo almost laughed in anger. He said, "Who was that who just spoke?"

Jiang Ru made a "shh" gesture: "That was an accident. From now on, we can't talk anymore."

Zhao Tuo: "I am not a Great Xia person, so I don't have to follow the rules?"

Neither Jiang Ru nor Song Shu replied, so Zhao Tuo asked to himself, "I've heard that Miss Song is over eighteen but still unmarried, I..."

A loud "bang" rang out, interrupting Zhao Tuo's words. He looked at Jiang Ru impatiently again.

Jiang Ru looked flustered: "I almost forgot, my cousin is calling me home for dinner. I'm running out of time, Song Shu, come with me quickly."

Zhao Tuo said irritably, "If your cousin is calling you, then just go. Miss Song and I can continue."

"Shameless!" Jiang Ru rolled her eyes inwardly. Zhao Tuo was getting more and more difficult to deal with. After she finished extorting him, it was time for her to run away with Song Shu.

As if on cue, three knocks came from outside the door. A maid went to open the door and saw Pei Wu standing there.

He stood tall and elegant, his light-colored clothes accentuating his refined and otherworldly demeanor. He said softly, "Cousin, I've come to take you home."

Jiang Ru winked at him through the crowd, and Pei Wu then looked at Song Shu and said, "It just so happens that Miss Song is here as well. Lord Song said that Miss Song has been out for too long today and is waiting for you to come home."

A few people away, Zhao Tuo glanced at Pei Wu suspiciously, while Pei Wu met his gaze expressionlessly.

They were at loggerheads, neither of them showing any emotion, but they both seemed to dislike each other.