Chapter 516: Getting Better At Placating People
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Upon hearing Su Ying’s question, the couple who were sorting out the rice cakes raised their heads and said with a smile, “Young Madam, you may not be aware, but the Empress has established a women’s academy for children from poor families like us. As long as we meet the requirements, when we get selected after drawing lots, we can go and study.”
Half of the woman’s hair had turned white, and when she smiled, the wrinkles on her face bundled up at the corners of her eyes. However, Su Ying could see the hopefulness in her eyes, and her turbid eyes were filled with joy and radiance. “Our girl Moon is lucky. We won the ballot yesterday, and tomorrow she can pack up and go to school.”
“Yes, yes. No one in our family is literate. If she goes to the academy, Moon may be able to write poems and articles. She will become a scholar, and that makes her different from the rest of us.” The middle-aged man spoke with a proud expression.
The two men pounding the rice cakes were probably Moon’s older brothers. They were smiling happily as they listened to the conversation.
Su Ying found this family’s happiness infectious. “Then you have to work hard.” Moon nodded solemnly. “Thank you, Big Sister. I will definitely work hard to learn. I definitely can’t let down the Empress’s good intentions for us commoners.”
Su Ying suddenly felt that the soft and sticky rice cake was so sweet that she couldn’t help but buy two more servings.
The entire family was extremely grateful for Su Ying’s patronage and even gave her extra.
Very happy?” Xiao Jin looked at the corners of Su Ying’s eyes that were curled upwards, and a faint smile also appeared on his lips.
“Mm-hmm. I’m quite happy.” In the past, there was no light in her world. Now, she could be someone else’s light. The feeling was actually not bad.
The drawing of lots was probably Zhou Xiangrong’s idea. This method was good as it was quite fair.
Su Ying was in a good mood and bought the two little fellows candied hawthorns.
When they were tired of playing and were about to look for a place to eat, Su Ying discovered that the restaurant she had eaten at last time also had an outlet here.
However, judging from the taste of the dishes in that restaurant, it was not surprising for them to open a branch.
“Let’s go to that restaurant and rest.”
Just as Su Ying led Xiao Jin and the children to the outside of the restaurant, a young male waiter dressed in a standardized uniform came out to welcome ’ them. He smiled and walked up to Su Ying.
“Good afternoon, Madam. How many people are dining with you?”
Before Su Ying could say anything, Xiao Jin walked up to stand in front of her and completely cut off her view of the waiter.
Su Ying raised an eyebrow.
“Is this restaurant’s food delicious?” Xiao Jin asked frostily. This question was probably directed at Su Ying.
“It’s delicious.”
Xiao Jin’s dark eyes landed indifferently on the waiter’s face. “I want a private room.”
The waiter felt his hair standing on end all over his body due to Xiao Jin’s gaze, and the smile on his face froze. “Please… please come in.”
The waiter brought them to a private dining room. Su Ying noticed that the restaurant here was decorated in the same way as the one she had visited before, so she asked, “How many branches does your restaurant have in the capital city?”
“Madam, have you been to the other branches? We already have six or seven outlets in the capital city alone. There are also outlets in other places. In the future, if you have the chance, you can try them.”
Xiao Jin coughed softly and gestured for the waiter to take their orders.
After Su Ying ordered the dishes, the waiter excused himself. The instant she turned around, she saw Xiao Jin looking at her with displeasure.
Su Ying was dumbfounded. Was he starving? That couldn’t be. Didn’t he eat a lot of food on the street just now?
“Wait a while. The dishes should be served quite quickly.”
Xiao Jin remained silent.
Su Ying felt that the atmosphere in the private dining room wasn’t quite right. She turned to look at the two little ones to ask for help. The two little ones looked at Su Ying and then at Xiao Jin. They silently moved their stools to the side to ensure that they wouldn’t become implicated in the brewing storm.
Su Ying took a sip of tea. She didn’t know why Xiao Jin was acting so strangely. “The owner of this restaurant is quite smart. He knows what the customers want.”
What do you want? Handsome young men?”
“Cough, cough, cough, cough…”
Su Ying almost spat out a mouthful of tea. “They are quite young.” Their faces were so tender that they resembled flower buds.
The atmosphere around Xiao Jin became even more oppressive.
The two little ones again silently moved their stools further away. This was so dangerous!
Su Ying licked her lips and said sincerely, “But in terms of handsomeness, I’ve never seen anyone more handsome than my children’s father.”
The moment she said that, the storm clouds in the private dining room cleared and the sky became clear for thousands of miles.
Xiao Jin suppressed the smile in his eyes and said nonchalantly, “You have good taste.”
“Of course. My two eyes are only focused on good things.”
Bai Shuang gasped silently to herself. The Empress had changed. She did not know from whom the Empress had learned this, but she knew how to placate the Emperor and make him happy now.
The restaurant’s chef cooked really fast. Soon, all the dishes were served.
The two little ones had eaten a lot of snacks along the way, so they were not hungry. However, when they saw the food on the table, their appetites were aroused.
“Mother, this meat smells so good.”
“That’s a roasted beef tongue. It’s tender and chewy. Mother likes it too.”
While they were eating, elegant music began to play in the main hall on the first floor. Su Ying chewed on a chicken drumstick as she walked to the corridor and looked down curiously. She saw several male-female couples dancing on the stage on the first floor.
Su Ying knew this sort of dance. It was social dancing. She recalled having seen it in her memories.
“Xiao Jin, come.”
Xiao Jin put down his chopsticks and walked over when he heard her.
Su Ying pointed down. “Have you seen this before?”
Xiao Jin looked at the hands of the men and women that were intertwined and shook his head slowly. “I’ve never seen this before.”
In the Chu State, there were dances where men and women danced together,
but it was definitely not in this way.
Su Ying tilted her head and looked at the men and women dancing below with interest. They were wearing beautiful masks, and they looked like a picturesque scenery when they stood there. As soon as they came out, they attracted the attention of the customers.
The people of the Chu State were considered liberal-minded. In addition, those who could come out to sing and dance were all theatrical actors or operatic singers in the eyes of the public, so the customers did not feel that there was anything wrong with it.
This restaurant is full of unconventional things.”
“It is indeed different.”
Su Ying returned to her seat and continued eating.
Perhaps it was because the taste of the food was a little different, but the two little ones also ate a lot.
“Where do you want to go later?”
They were now in the commoners’ district of the capital city. Su Ying still wanted to go to the slums to take a look.
Xiao Jin naturally wouldn’t object. After eating his fill, they left the restaurant and headed to the most remote corner of the capital city.
By the time they arrived at that place, it was already close to two hours later. The horse carriage went around a street, and the buildings that greeted their eyes were completely different from the ones they had seen when they left the palace. As far as the eye could see, there were rows of low houses. Even a tall man like Xiao Jin would have to bend his waist to the lowest point to enter.
Before they left the palace, they had already dressed up in civilian clothes. However, standing in this place, they still looked out of place. The road in the middle was like an invisible gully, dividing the prosperity of the capital city and this place into two different worlds.
When they were buying rice cakes in the morning, the little girl with a bright smile said that her home was here..
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