PBCW Chapter 11

“Zhao, Zhao, Great General Zhao, I…don’t dare…,” the trusted aide shifted his body and kneeled on the floor. His entire body was shaking.

“If you don’t dare, then beat it! When you go back, tell your mistress that in the future Tang Wan is my, Zhao Zhong Shi’s daughter in law. If I hear, someone slanders her again, then there’s no need for the Lu family to live in the capital any longer!”

“Y-Yes…” that trusted aide was so scared that his tears even fell. His appearance was different from the arrogant look just now. It caused the people observing on all sides look in contempt.

“In this area of the capital, only I can block people. There hasn’t been anyone who dared to hinder me. If today isn’t the day, the Zhao family sends the betrothal gift to the Tang family. I will have your dog head!” Zhao Zhong Shi no longer looked at the trusted aide and walked towards the Tang family in large strides, accompanying his son with him.

When Zhao Shi Cheng recognize his father looking extremely imposing, he knew his father was intentionally making people not dare to belittle the Tang family. He couldn’t help but laugh in spite of himself.

He intentionally followed his father and stood at the door of the Tang family. Took the initiative to bow towards Tang laoye and politely said. “Uncle Tang, today my father and mother specially came here to propose a marriage towards Miss Tang for me. The matchmaker and the betrothal gift were behind us. Because time was a little pressing, I’m anxious it isn’t properly prepared. Furthermore, my father was away due to royal orders and only came home the day before yesterday, so it was postponed until today that we came to propose. I hope uncle will forgive me.”

His move gave Tang laoye many faces. Tang laoye hurriedly middle along as he bowed and raised his hand in salute. After that, he welcomed the honored guests inside without a single look towards Lu You’s wedding procession. While the Zhao family’s betrothal gifts party gradually lifted the betrothal gifts one by one pass the door.

Lu You’s wedding procession, due to Madam Tang’s demand, was forced to walk through this lane. This time, it was really embarrassing. Because you can’t backtrack getting married, the members of the entire party could only stop on this lane. Wait until the Zhao family’s party went through before they could continue onwards. Before stating anything about the possibility of missing the auspicious hour and time, Lu You’s complexion was even more superb, black one moment and pale the next. Because of his indecisiveness, he allowed his mother to bully and humiliate Tang Wan. Promptly, he saw Zhao Shi Cheng propose with his own eyes and suffered the loss of his true love. It could also be counted as meeting his retribution.

The gesticulation of the passerby on the side was even more. The people who originally sympathized with the Tang family was all filled with admiration towards the Zhao family’s imposing manner. Even more women were envious of Tang Wan. She had the chance to remarry into such a great husband’s family. As for the Lu family, they already became a laughing matter.

The Zhao family entered the Tang family’s hall. After the son and daughter of both sides had greeted each other, the food and drink were hastily placed on the table. Everybody exchanged compliments happily.

Because her father warned her that she couldn’t consume anything, Tang Wan could merely quietly sit there. But when it landed in Zhao Shi Cheng’s eyes, it became composed and quiet.

“As expected, the daughters of the Tang family are. As rumors said, beautiful and talented. My son is the most fortunate to be able to wed such a wife!”

Zhao Zhong Shi laughed and praised.

“Great General Zhao is exaggerating. Wan er suffers from poor health. I’m still frightened she isn’t worthy of young master Zhao!” Although Tang laoye was proud of his daughter, but he in addition was too verbally modest.

“I’m really telling the truth! The Zhao family is a set of military man. If we possessed such a highly talented daughter-in-law like Tang Wan, our Zhao family can also have some bookish charm.” The more Zhao Zhong Shi looked at this daughter-in-law the more satisfied he was.

The two families were there, you praise and I’m modest. But Tang Wan couldn’t sit still. The entire table was filled with food, but she couldn’t eat a single bite. The kind of pain where you could only drool in your mind was simply more of an agony compared to being in hell. She couldn’t endure any longer and pulled on her father’s sleeves, ceasing his conversation. She said with a blushing face, “Uncle Zhao, Aunt Zhao, father and mother, Wan er will withdraw first.”

This kind of dinner party discussed her marriage. Naturally, it was unsuitable for her to be on the scene. Especially since everyone praised her, naturally she couldn’t repress her embarrassment. When everyone thought of this, they all understood. Therefore, Tang furen laughed and allowed her to leave.

As for Madam Zhao, initially she still received a complaint towards Tang Wan’s identity as a divorced woman. Now that she saw she was indeed attractive and displayed an outstanding temperament. Even more importantly, she didn’t have the any arrogance of a female scholar and knew when to advance and retreat. Her heart also slowly accepted this future daughter in law.

Once Tang Wan left, the two families began to speak about the matters of the wedding without restrictions.

But this time, it changed into Zhao Shi Cheng who couldn’t wait anymore. He fidgeted as he flashed a look straight at the door Tang Wan left from. It wasn’t easy enduring until both sides were discussing up to one stage. He opened his mouth and said, “Uh… Uncle Tang, Aunt Tang, is it possible for me to see Tang Wan?”

When he said this, everyone all laughed. Zhao Zhong Shi even scolded jokingly, “This son of mine, now that you have a wife, you don’t want your father and mother. What’s the rush?”

“The general is overstating it. Young people are all like this. We moreover had a time like this. Just allow him go.” The more Tang furen saw her son in law, the more she was amused. She dropped a hint with good intentions. “Right now, Wan er should be at the garden with Xiao Chun accompanying her!”

In any case, the servant girl was there, so everyone let Zhao Shi Cheng go.

He joyfully went to the back garden, but there was not a single figure in sight. Suddenly, his sharp eyes glanced towards Xiao Chun who walked swiftly out from what seemed to be the kitchen. Her lips were still muttering to herself. He supposed that Tang Wan was probably inside, so he quickened his pace and went to encounter her.

“Wan er, are you inside?” Zhao Shi Cheng came to the kitchen door and sure enough, he saw Tang Wan. But before he possessed the time to be happy, the scene that fell into his made him at loss for words. His voice was even stuck in his throat.

Inside the kitchen, Tang Wan was currently fighting bravely with a pig foot. Although her table manners weren’t bad, but she ate with carefreeness. In front of her eyes, there was a large roasted suckling pig on the table. In addition, it was consumed until only a whole pig head was left. On the side, the bones of the pig were piled up on a mountain. There wasn’t anyone else inside the kitchen, so it couldn’t allow anyone else who consumed it.

When she heard Zhao Shi Chang’s voice, Tang Wan almost choked. She tilted her head and undoubtedly saw him stand at the door. His shocked expression caused her to not know how to exonerate this matter for a moment. She could only grab her pig foot and look back at him dumbly.

Zhao Shi Chung only spent a while trying to discover his voice. He pointed at the bones on the table and asked with considerable difficulty. “Wan er, did you devour all of this?”

She couldn’t deny it. Her cheeks were still bulging! She could merely nod her head blankly.

This was an entire pig! Could she absolutely eat all that? He looked at her slender body. Where did all the meat she ate disappeared to? He gulped his saliva and suddenly also recalled something. He struggled to ask. “Then, that time at Ying Feng pavilion. I gave you ten chickens. Could it be that you…”

“I didn’t eat all of it!” Tang Wan rushed to swallow the meat in her mouth and help defend herself. “I gave two to Xiao Chun and the guards.”

Two…Didn’t that mean she ate the eight chickens that were left? Zhao Shi Cheng felt like he was about to faint. The shock he experienced, within only the time of these two conversations, really wasn’t small. It was as if there was a private corner that crumbled from her goddess like image and he didn’t know how to react.

She perceived his taciturn and thought that he considered the intentions of terminating the engagement now that he discovered her true colors. She scolded herself angrily in her mind for being gluttonous. Her appearance became a pitiable manner. “You…could it be you didn’t want to marry me anymore because of this? I said it before, m-my appetite is a little larger compared to most people.” She didn’t grasp why but when she thought he couldn’t marry her, and they became estranged from now on. She in fact displayed no appetite for the first time.

A woman could eat one entire pig and eight chickens? Was this termed an appetite that’s a little big? This “little” was a little too monstrous!

He used every ounce of strength to just calm the shock in his heart. After he had come out of his dazed state, her delicate and charming expression came into his eyes. At that moment, he suffered his heart melt at her delicacy again. He suddenly thought his current expression was inappropriate in front of her. It caused her to be so alarmed and stoop to compromise as if he loathed her. But he clearly didn’t have this sort of idea.

When he carefully recalled, she was eating with relish just now and the look of her bulging cheeks was quite cute. He never witnessed any women digest their meals as elegantly and to their heart’s content as her. Didn’t this mean she was pure and innocent?

After he had accepted the situation, he accused himself while consoling her. “Wan er, you’re overthinking it. Just now, I was only…uh, a little surprised. But this can’t frighten me. It was only eating an entire pig. It’s not you like committed some heinous crime. Of course, I’ll marry you.”

“Really?” Tang Wan smiled. Her bright and charming eyes glistened. “That’s great. Then, in the future, I don’t have to cover it up.”

“Yes, yes, yes. You don’t have to cover it up…” Zhao Shi Cheng detected her smile and smiled along with her. Although this truly was his sincere words, his determination to marry Tang Wan also didn’t change, but in his bones.

[note] in the bones—beneath the surface; in one’s innermost nature; in substance [/note]

his stingy nature caused him to secretly wail in his heart.

It seems that in the future he absolutely needs to think of a method to gain more money. Supporting a woman really wasn’t easy. There’s an additional money pit in the family, ah…

Initially, according to Madam Tang’s plan, her son’s wedding should be grand and impressive. In addition, during the wedding procession, it would also conveniently bring the Tang family the utmost humiliation. It would smash the fairytale of Tang Wan, the capital’s female scholar and remind everyone that she was but an abandoned wife. And as well as avenge the jealousy she had towards her elder brother and his wife plus the hatred of Zhao Shi Cheng hurling insults at her.

But her wishful thinking was destroyed by the Zhao family. Her son’s gorgeous wedding procession was surpassed by Zhao Shi Cheng’s proposal party. When her son escorted the bride to the wedding, he also missed the auspicious time and caused the Wang family to be unaccepting of the Lu family. Furthermore, the threat Zhao Zhong Shi put down even made the Lu family hesitate about acting when they sought revenge.

And her son, he didn’t obtain the slightest happiness for his marriage. After he had married Madam Wang, he was anxious and depressed all day, making Madam Wang gnash her teeth in hatred.

Everyone knew that it was only because Lu You saw with these own eyes that Zhao Shi Cheng sent betrothal gifts to the Tang family. He suddenly realized his beloved Tang Wan was undoubtedly going to marry someone else. So, he received a massive shock and collapse after a single setback.

But the Zhao family was wealthy and powerful, even if Lu You wanted to take Tang Wan back.

[note] It translates to do one’s utmost to stem a raging tide; vigorously attempt to save a desperate situation (Pleco), but I think the author meant this when she/he wrote the idiom. Tell me if you prefer the direct translation or my translation of it which might be wrong, and I’ll change it. [/note],

What could he do about it?

It was possible it’s heaven that heard his resentment, Yang Xian He. Who he almost successfully formed a team within the flower festival last time? Ordered someone to send a letter. She asked Lu You to compose a poem for her and mount it as a hanging scroll to deliver.

T/n: Merry late Christmas! Did you guys do anything special for the holidays or maybe finally get something you wanted for a really long time? I know I did. Christmas is such a nice holiday. Anyway, I wanted to post yesterday but I couldn’t finish the chapters since my charger decided to put on a disappearing act after my device died. From this experience, I’ve learned that I’m not good at keeping my schedule. Hahaha.

I just want to point out that Zhao Shi Cheng finally discovered her “little” appetite. That was fun to read. I could almost picture Tang Wan frozen when Zhao Shi Cheng saw her eating an entire pig. Now, I just want to see how he reacts to her “little” strength. As I mentioned before, the 33 chapters is actually just 10 long chapters separated into 33. In this chapter, I cut out the beginning of chapter 4 and I’ll paste that in chapter 12.

Update: Chapter 11 is edited by Blacklotus.