Xia Mian calmly swallowed the crab in her mouth, wiped her lips with a hand towel, and then looked at Zhou Qianqian, “Young Lady Zhou, what’re you angry about this time?”
“‘One shall not speak while eating or sleeping.’” Xia Mian recited, shaking her head helplessly, “Just how many times have you broken the Huo family’s etiquette today? You can’t just behave as you please because of one favor from decades ago.”
Zhou Qianqian was trembling with anger. Xia Mian gently raised a finger in a gesture of silence, then pointed to Ning Shaoyun, who hadn’t even spared her a single glance so far. Peeling crabs in silence, Ning Shaoyun put the meat in her son’s bowl, who ate them with elegance. Xiao Feng, watching Chenchen’s movement closely, imitated the older boy and ate his food without making a sound.
None of them paid any attention to Zhou Qianqian’s outburst.
Even Old Madam Huo had no way to refute Xia Mian. When she first arrived at the Huo family manor in Yan City, the first etiquette she was taught was ‘One shall not speak while eating or sleeping.’ It was a lesson she had a tough time with, but she had enforced it thoroughly over the years.
After making her statement, Xia Mian calmly continued peeling crabs. She took advantage of the fact that the old lady, sitting at the head of the table, couldn’t see her actions and grew even bolder, making sure Zhou Qianqian felt the frustration of being the receiving end of one-sided provocations without any way to retaliate. Finally, she finished eating and rinsed her mouth with the tea provided. The Huo family didn’t have a proper rinsing basin, so they had to improvise with an empty bowl.
The seemingly straightforward etiquette actually demands careful coordination between the server and the person being served. The servants of the Huo family were completely unfamiliar with it, so when they attempted to carry it out, everything went wrong, and the dining table became chaotic.
Xiao Feng’s lips pursed, secretly holding back his giggle. It was also the first time for Chenchen to do this, and he imitated Ning Shaoyun out of curiosity.
Zhou Qianqian watched Xia Mian calmly wipe her hands and let out a sneer, “Miss Xia, you certainly have a grand style!”
Xia Mian put down the hand towel and said helplessly, “Young Lady Zhou, please stop picking on me. As a guest, I am just following the Huo family’s etiquette. I saw that Uncle Fu trained the servants to the standard of a chief eunuch. If I didn’t follow the etiquette like a young lady from a wealthy family, wouldn’t that be disrespectful?”
“A young lady from a wealthy family?” Zhou Qianqian mocked, “Does Miss Xia’s family have some kind of distinguished ancestry?”
Xia Mian proudly lifted her head, “Speaking of my ancestry…”
Zhou Qianqian frowned, and the old lady couldn’t help but pay attention. Did the Xia family really have some notable background?
Then, they listened as Xia Mian declared with a firm tone, “Three generations of poor farmers, with deep roots in the revolution!”1
The old lady and Zhou Qianqian almost choked.
Even the servants faltered for a moment, and Xia Mian could hear a few stifled giggles.
The old lady’s face darkened, completely losing any desire to entertain Xia Mian. Now, she only wanted to send away this troublesome girl as quickly as possible!
After the uncomfortable meal, they moved from the dining room to the living room. Ning Shaoyun instructed the maid to bring some desserts for the two boys, since no one had eaten their fill on the dining table.
This time, no one dared to mess around, and the desserts were quickly brought out, thoughtfully cut into small pieces.
Xiao Feng had never had this kind of cream cake before, so he held the small fork and watched Chenchen, who deliberately slowed down to teach him.
Zhou Qianqian noticed this and quickly mimicked Xia Mian’s ridiculing gesture from earlier. But her efforts were wasted, as Xia Mian didn’t even glance her way. Frustrated, Zhou Qianqian took a deep breath and looked at the old lady.
She saw the old lady frowning at the children’s matching outfits, clearly wanting to say something but holding back out of pride.
Zhou Qianqian quickly grasped the situation and sarcastically remarked, “Why is this child wearing the same outfit as the young master? Are you planning to make them like brothers just because you saved the young master’s life? How cunning!”
Xiao Feng seemed to realize they were talking about him. He glanced at Zhou Qianqian, then calmly continued eating his cake. This woman, who had repeatedly been deflated by his Auntie, was not worth his concern!
Before Zhou Qianqian could even process that she had been looked down upon by a child, Xia Mian clapped her hands cheerfully, “Oh my, thank you for your reminder, Young Lady Zhou. Your father helped the old master once, and now you are regarded as the daughter of the Huo family. Since we saved Chenchen’s life, this life-saving bond surely calls for them to become sworn brothers.”
Ning Shaoyun smiled as she patted her son’s head, “It just happens that Chenchen often feels lonely because he’s an only child. It’s great for him to have Xiao Feng as a brother.”
Chenchen obediently called out, “Little Brother Xiao Feng.”
Xiao Feng smiled sweetly, “Big Brother Chenchen.”
The two little guys exchanged brotherly smiles.
The old lady’s expression grew even more displeased, and Zhou Qianqian, gritting her teeth, mockingly added, “Don’t try to justify your opportunism with such noble-sounding words…”
“Enough,” afraid of what Xia Mian might say next, the old lady interrupted Zhou Qianqian before the latter could continue. Counting the time, Huo Xuewen should be returning soon—the old lady now only wanted to quickly wrap things up and send these troublesome pests away.
Zhou Qianqian, realizing this as well, wisely kept quiet and waited to see what would happen next.
“Miss Xia, we are indeed very grateful that you saved Chenchen,” the old lady said as she extended her hand. Uncle Fu immediately handed her a pen and a checkbook. “This amount should be enough for you to settle down and study in Yan City.”
As she signed the check, the old lady continued, “Based on what you said, I understand that you didn’t expect anything in return for saving Chenchen—that coming to Yan City was just a coincidence. But you did save Chenchen, and our Huo family is not one to forget kindness, so please accept this check.”
Ning Shaoyun frowned and said, “Mother, this isn’t appropriate.”
Casting a quick, cold glance, the old lady responded, “It’s not your turn yet to decide things in my house. If you hadn’t been running around recklessly, none of this mess would have happened. From now on, just stay home, take care of your child, and serve your husband well.”
Ning Shaoyun’s expression turned cold, but Xia Mian, full of excitement, had already taken the check. She was actually laughing inside—Hahaha, it’s the legendary check-giving scene! In her previous life, the classic scene where the wealthy madam handed the female protagonist a check to leave her son was already outdated, but here she was, experiencing it firsthand!
It seemed that this trend indeed started around this time—”Here’s a check, leave my son” and so on. Many of the future generations would wish to be ‘humiliated’ like this, but wealthy people have become smarter, and no one does this anymore. Xia Mian found it quite novel.
The old lady noticed her reaction and felt a flash of disdain.
Zhou Qianqian spoke up on her behalf, “Fifty thousand yuan should be enough to cover your education until you graduate from university. Don’t say that the Huo family treated you poorly.”
Xia Mian rolled her eyes, “Why do you always have to butt in? May I ask what your position is in the Huo family, and what right do you have to speak to me like this? Are you worried that we might outshine you, making you look worthless, which is why you harbor such hostility towards us?” After saying this, she ignored Zhou Qianqian and straightened up to look at the old lady. “I understand what you’re implying, Old Madam. By accepting this money, the life-saving favor we did for Chenchen will be considered settled.”
The old lady narrowed her eyes and said, “Or you can also choose to name a condition. If it’s reasonable, I will fulfill it.”
“No need,” Xia Mian said as she waved the check with a smile. “This is just fine. But I think fifty thousand is not quite right.”
Zhou Qianqian showed an expression of “I knew it.”
The old lady also narrowed her eyes, a cold smile playing on her lips.
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