Chapter 4, Hami Shrimp and the Kneeling Ancestral Hall

Fang Yishao, upon hearing this, was indignant and exclaimed, "They are wronging you, why do you not speak up?"

"What are you saying?" Shen Yong stood up, and both the waiter and the attendant were anxious. Once Shen Yong went mad, he would soon start tearing down the house again

"What happened?" Shen Yibo rushed out to ask, thinking to himself, I hope it’s not Shen Yong causing trouble on the street again

The fellow quickly fell silent, watching Shen Yong with trepidation.

Shen Yong was momentarily taken aback, holding his teacup and continuing to drink tea. Seeing Fang Yishao's smiling face, he couldn't help but let the corners of his mouth curl up slightly. He cleared his throat and muttered softly, "What are you grinning about? Just drink your tea."

Fang Yishao was in high spirits, thinking how clever her husband was. She had only been at the Dongxiang residence for a few days and had been busy setting up the wonton stall, leaving her no time to explore. Now, pulling Shen Yong along, Fang Yishao decided to have some fun and asked, "Where shall we go?"

While pondering, Fang Yi arrived at a small stall selling earrings. She picked out two, held them next to her ears, and asked him, "Which one looks better?"

The shopkeepers were left dumbfounded, and the attendant quickly led the way, guiding Fang Yishao and the others to the back kitchen. Shen Yong followed closely behind Fang Yishao, feeling somewhat anxious. After all, Jia Dahua was a chef personally appointed by the Emperor, which was why he was so arrogant. Usually, not to mention him, even his father, who was also a chef, was not taken seriously. Fang Yishao's cooking was quite good, but... could he really handle it?

"Going to the brothel to drink flower wine... oh dear." Before Shen Yong could finish his sentence, Fang Yishao pressed him down and struck him fiercely, saying, "Dare you go drink flower wine?! I'll beat you to death!"

"We all do," the guy said, "but... I've never heard of these dishes, especially the stir-fried shrimp with cantaloupe... one is sweet and the other has a fishy smell; can they taste good together?"

"Alright." Fang Yishao nodded slightly, and before Shen Yong could fully enjoy his happiness, he heard her softly say, "I will go tell father that you are drinking flower wine."

Fang Yishao ran out and, seeing Jia Dahua bowing his head in defeat, said, "Get up, it's enough to admit your mistake. Let me tell you, from now on, you are not allowed to say that my husband is a bully; he is a good person"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Shen Yong turned his face and glared at him, saying, "What did you say?"

"It is quite fragrant and sweet." Shen Yong nodded

"Is that so?" Fang Yi, feeling delighted, said, "Hmm... then I would like an order of stir-fried eel with chili, pan-fried chicken with fermented black beans, crab meat with loofah, and a dish of stir-fried shrimp with cantaloupe. As for soup, please bring me a winter melon and dried tangerine peel kelp soup, and I would also like a serving of eight-treasure chestnut rice."

I cannot do it, I will bow to you and call you grandfather said Fang Yishao

"Not ... ..." Shen Yong had no choice but to change his words, "Not a bully"

"No." Shen Yibo quickly waved his hand and said, "Let me finish my thoughts quickly; I have wanted to do this for over ten years! Virtuous daughter-in-law! Virtuous daughter-in-law! Haha."

Fang raised an eyebrow slightly and coldly asked again, "Where are you going?"

"So ugly?" Shen Yong frowned, what kind of daisy is this, dry and dirty.

Shen Yong was taken aback, and the urge to hit someone inexplicably faded away. He asked Fang Yishao, "Are we still eating? Why not change to another restaurant? However, this is the most upscale restaurant in Dongxiangfu."

Shen Yong's expression was somewhat complicated as he sighed and said, "Why are you wasting your effort? I have been a bully for over ten years, and you think that just by cooking a few dishes, you can call me a good person?"

The man swallowed the food in his mouth and said, "Could I have a bowl of rice?"

The chef scoffed disdainfully and said, "What pot matches what lid"

Shen Yong had long been displeased with this chef, and said, "Alas, how do you speak? Calling her 'little girl' at every turn, do you know this is Madam Shen?"

However, Chef Jia Dahua was somewhat skeptical. He snatched a pair of chopsticks and took a bite of the stir-fried shrimp with cantaloupe... He found the cantaloupe to be fragrant, crisp, and sweet, while the shrimp was fresh and succulent... The key was that the sweetness permeated the shrimp meat, yet the fishy taste of the shrimp did not emerge at all

Whenever those engaged in business see Shen Yong, they feel a headache. If this young master is displeased, he might kick over chairs and overturn tables. In fact, the villagers are quite averse to him, but helplessly, Lord Shen Yibo is a good official, and everyone is reluctant to make things difficult for him. Therefore, they do not hold Shen Yong accountable and let him have his way.

Fang Yi smiled and asked, "How is it?"

Fang Yi scratched his head and asked, "What about the chicken leg, crab meat, and sliced gourd?"

With a turn of his eye, Fang said to the attendant, "Alas, my friend, I ask you... is it truly impossible for your chef to prepare this dish?"

The fellow did not speak, found a stool to sit down, and quickly grabbed a piece from each of the other dishes to stuff into his mouth, nodding while chewing. The shopkeeper, anxious, asked him, "Hey, is it really good or not?"

Fang Yi smiled and said, "The more you drink Longjing tea, the more its flavor becomes diluted. The beauty chrysanthemum pairs perfectly with Longjing tea, as it can eliminate the astringency. Drinking it will not leave you with a dry mouth or a diminishing taste."

Shen Yong was taken aback, and the others were also momentarily stunned. Subsequently, everyone laughed and dispersed. Fang Yishao noticed that everyone was looking at him as if he were a fool, feeling somewhat puzzled, he turned to look at Shen Yong

Fang Yi spoon came out and said, "Try them all, see if they are delicious or not"

The fellow was quite perceptive and quickly said to her, "Oh, so it's the young lady of the family. Please feel free to order; we have the best chefs in the entire Dongxiang Mansion in our building"

The fellow was somewhat displeased, thinking to himself... What kind of person marries what kind of wife? Is Fang Yao not a well-known talented woman? Although she has never stepped out of her house or interacted with the villagers, it is said that she is knowledgeable and reasonable. How could she, alongside Shen Yong, behave in such a way as to cause a scene?

Everyone is looking at her

"How can that be appropriate!" Shen Yong said with a stern face, "You are a young lady, and we, a group of grown men, cannot take you along."

Uh... the guy was somewhat taken aback, staring at Fang Yishao for a long time, and said, "That... young lady, the dish you ordered is not available at our establishment"

Fang Yishao felt somewhat helpless as he looked at Shen Yong and said, "My lord, shall we go eat somewhere else?"

Shen Yong frowned and said, "You choose for yourself, how would I know?!"

Jia Dahua was taken aback, glancing at the shopkeeper, who was eating with his mouth full and pretending not to see him as he looked up at the sky

Shen Yong saw this from the side, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Alas, Old Jia, bow down and admit your mistake!"

Shen Yong watched from the side, his eyes wide open as he swallowed saliva, it smells really good

The shopkeeper was infuriated by him, snatched the chopsticks, took a bite, and then rushed off to find some rice. The other diners could no longer contain themselves, rushing over to grab dishes with their hands, and after eating, they all exclaimed, "Delicious! Truly delicious! Shopkeeper, please bring me a portion of this dish!"

Shen Yong felt somewhat skeptical, picked up the teacup, took a sip, and smacked his lips.

Everyone was asking him, "Hey, is it good to eat?"

"Yes, yes, my attitude was not good." The fellow quickly apologized

Then, hot oil is added to the pan, using one spoon for two pots simultaneously, stir-frying in a swift and visually appealing manner, while... the aroma has already wafted out through the kitchen window

Shen Yong only knows fatigue at this moment, and nothing else. He can only say, "You decide."

Fang Yi dragged Shen Yong around from morning until noon, and after much difficulty, they finally entered a restaurant to sit down for a meal. Shen Yong lay on the dining table, panting incessantly, utterly exhausted; this girl is truly hard to please

Shen Yong found it amusing, "Who has wronged me? I am indeed a bully"

Fang Yi said with satisfaction, "From childhood to adulthood, I have been bullied quite a lot. Apart from my father, you are the only one who is willing to stand up for me."

Sigh. Shen Yong softened his expression, took out some silver to give to Fang Yishao, and said, "You can go wander around by yourself, buy whatever you want. I am going to hang out with my brothers."

Cough cough... Shen Yong was drinking tea and choked on it, coughing incessantly... ? ... This is quite surprising, someone actually thinks that the little bully Shen Yong is a good person? !

I will also go with you to find your brothers to have some fun

Shen Yong was about to respond when the chef, rather arrogantly, said, "You won't find dishes like that anywhere else. I'm not exaggerating, the crab meat stuffed melon and the Hami melon stir-fried shrimp, one is fishy and the other is vegetarian, and they are both served cold. How could they possibly taste good?! Little girl, don't speak carelessly!"

Shen Yong felt a sense of relief, even more satisfying than beating someone up. These people, usually, whenever they see him, either puff up their cheeks and glare or roll their eyes with disdain... Today was truly refreshing

"Huh?" Shen Yong widened his eyes, looking at Fang Yishao, "You..."

Fang Yishao reached out and patted Shen Yong's arm, smiling, "My dear husband, you are truly a good person"

The chef looked at Shen Yong with disdain and said, "You may not believe it, but whoever can prepare this dish for me today, I, Jia Dahua, will cut off my head and offer it to you as a stool to sit on"

The chef let out a cold laugh, sat down beside, and said, "Ha... I just don't believe there is anyone in this world who can make this thing; the little girl simply lacks experience"

I am going to drink flower wine, you yellow-haired girl cannot go. Shen Yong replied indifferently

Wonderful! Truly wonderful!" Jia Dahua could not help but exclaim.

"This is more like it," Fang Yishao said with a smile, as she took Shen Yong's arm and went shopping.

Fang Yi was taken aback for a moment and asked, "Why?"

Fang Yishao smiled and looked at the chef named Jia Dahua, saying, "I bet you that I will prepare these dishes shortly for the shopkeeper, the staff, and the guests. If everyone says they are delicious, you won't have to cut off your head or kneel down to my husband and say ten times, 'I am convinced, Master Shen.'"

Shen Yibo was taken aback as he stood at the entrance of the ancestral hall. The attendant asked, "Sir, this seems rather inappropriate. Should we stop the young mistress?"

"Beauty Daisy," Fang Yishao said with a smile

Fang Yi rolled his eyes and said, "How could I not know? My father often says so! He also loves to drink flower wine. If he dares to go drink, I will hit him with a rolling pin. I have broken several already. Do you dare to try it?!"

Shen Yong had just heard the names of several dishes reported by Fang Yishao, and he was almost drooling. He knew that Fang Yishao was skilled in cooking, and she would definitely be able to make them, so he wanted to eat what she prepared. However, the attendant said they were not available and had a very poor attitude towards Fang Yishao. Although Shen Yong did not particularly like Fang Yishao, she was after all his wife. The attendant actually dared to look down on her, which immediately ignited Shen Yong's anger, and he shouted at him, "How dare you speak like that?!"

Shen Yong watched from the side, feeling uncomfortable; she was not as beautiful as Qing'er from the Fragrant Pavilion

"It's you I'm talking about!" Fang Yishao glared, "I am your wife, how dare you go to drink at a brothel? And by the way, how old are you? Drinking at a brothel at your age! Aren't you afraid of getting sick?"

"Family law?" Shen Yibo widened his eyes and hurried to the ancestral hall. From a distance, he saw Fang Yishao holding a rolling pin, with Shen Yong pinned down in front of the hall. Fang Yishao said, "Tell me, are you a bully?"

Fang Yishao listened and slightly frowned, saying, "You are truly a strange chef. Just because you cannot make it does not mean that no one in the world can. What do you mean by speaking without basis?"

After Shen Yong finished shouting, he was initially certain that he would kick over a few tables. However, after a moment's thought, he decided against it, considering that Fang Yishao might get scared and go home to talk nonsense, which would likely lead to him getting scolded again. Interestingly, when he turned around, he saw Fang Yishao staring at him with wide eyes that were already quite large, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, seemingly very pleased.

Fang Yi spooned her tea and smiled foolishly at him, while Shen Yong immersed himself in drinking tea, thinking to himself... This girl claims to be a talented woman, yet she looks so silly.

What is this? Shen Yong was puzzled

You should go to the ancestral hall and take a look! The servant said, "The young mistress is using family discipline on the young master!"

With one hand on the sleeve, he asked the shopkeeper, "Where is the kitchen?"

"Waiter," Fang Yishao called out, "We would like to have four dishes and one soup, along with two bowls of rice." While speaking, he asked Shen Yong, "My dear, what dishes would you like to have?"

Fang Yishao squinted his eyes, and Shen Yong felt a trace of murderous intent. Startled, he quickly and honestly pointed his finger at the pair in red

Shen Yong, seeing that she did not have the demeanor of a refined young lady at all, smiled and said, "The places I go, you cannot reach"

Stir-fried eel with chili peppers, pan-fried chicken with fermented black beans, crab meat and sliced gourd soup, stir-fried shrimp with cantaloupe, and a winter melon soup with dried tangerine peel and kelp. As soon as these dishes were placed on the table, everyone couldn't help but drool at the aroma and the vibrant colors.

Fang Yi was angry, threw down the spoon, and said, "You are not allowed to eat today, go back and kneel on the washboard"

Shen Yong went out onto the street and finally understood, feeling somewhat puzzled as to how he managed to memorize it all at once

Fang Yishao heated the stove and quickly prepared the ingredients. Jia Dahua, who was originally watching with a disdainful expression, was slightly taken aback by Fang Yishao's actions; this girl seemed quite impressive.

Everyone looked at each other in confusion, and the shopkeeper gestured for the assistant to eat first. The assistant picked up a pair of chopsticks, grabbed a piece of eel, put it in his mouth, chewed a couple of times, and was stunned.

Fang Yishao smiled at him and said to the boss, "I want this pair in red."

Shen Yong raised his eyebrows high, thinking... This old gentleman is really unreliable, no wonder his daughter is so fierce; it turns out she even dares to hit her own father, let alone me, her husband

Shen Yong's face turned ashen with anger, and just as he was about to strike him, he heard a loud "bang" as Fang Yishao slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and said, "Good!"

Oh, isn't this Young Master Shen? Hurry up and attend to him

At this moment, it can also be considered a meal, as many people are eating. Upon hearing that Shen Yong's new wife is going to compete in culinary skills with Chef Jia Dahua, preparing several dishes that have never been heard of before, they all followed to the backyard to gather around the kitchen and watch the excitement

Uh... Young Lady, let me go ask the chef and the shopkeeper for you, please wait a moment. The attendant's attitude has clearly improved a lot, and he hurried away.

Shen Yibo had just returned home after attending to official business when he heard a servant exclaim, "This is incredible, my lord!"

Shen Yong touched his nose—he actually smiled quite well

At that moment, the shopkeeper and the cook came over with the attendant. The shopkeeper apologized to Shen Yong, saying, "Young Master Shen, we are unable to prepare that dish."

Good! Jia Dahua slammed the table, "It's settled with a word!"

Uh... the man shook his head, "This is unheard of."

Fang took out two dried pink flowers from the small pouch at his waist, tossed one into the tea cup in front of him, and placed the other into Shen Yong's tea cup

"It is not..." Shen Yong could only plead, "Alas, come down, it will be a heavy death... Oh dear."

Uh... Shen Yong wanted to struggle but could not break free. Fang Yishao struck him again and said, "Do you dare to say it?!"

Yes! The fellow nodded, "However, we have clear stewed eel, braised eel, and I have never heard of dry-fried eel with finger peppers."

I grabbed his collar with one hand and pulled him towards the Shen residence.

"What if it cannot be done?" Jia Dahua asked with a smile

Shen Yong was reluctantly being dragged around the streets by Fang Yishao.

Sigh... Shen Yong quickly grabbed Fang Yishao, helplessly sighed, "I admit I am afraid of you, let's go, I will accompany you to buy rouge and powder."

Shen Yong supported his chin with one hand, thinking that waiting a little while was fine since he was exhausted. In the blink of an eye, he noticed Fang Yishao smiling at him with a peculiar expression, so he asked, "What are you looking at?"

Fang Yi, with a displeased expression, said, "These are my favorite dishes, yet you don't have any of them. You even claim to have the best chef in Dongxiangfu. What a deception"

Walking down the street with a ladle in hand indeed gives off an air of a refined young lady, as if she has never strolled about before, glancing here and there with a face full of delight and wonder

"Is there no eel here?"

The fellow thought for a moment and said, "I apologize, dear madam, but the dishes you mentioned will likely need to be prepared by the imperial chef from the palace."

"Why did you hit him?" Shen Yong widened his eyes as he looked at Fang Yishao, "This dead girl is so bold, she actually dared to hit her husband"

Fang Yi gave him another slap and asked, "Are you a bully?"

"Where are you going?" Fang Yishao asked curiously, "Why can't I go?"

Shen Yong looked at her in surprise and asked, "Oh, as a young lady from a prominent family, you actually know about getting sick?"

A table was set up at the door by the fellow, and before long, Fang Yi had prepared all the dishes and placed them outside

Jia Dahua, feeling helpless, knelt down before Shen Yong and bowed his head, saying, "Grandpa Shen, I am convinced."