Chapter 5

“Constable Zhang.”

Zi Yi sat across from Zhang Meng, speaking with some unease: “We’ve ordered so much food, can we finish it all?”

Zhang Meng put her index finger to her lips, made a “shh” sound, and whispered: “Don’t worry, the boss will definitely pay for all this. We just need to eat our fill.”

After Jin Yue took the criminal away, Xu Lu Cha walked up to Zhong Huo with tears in his eyes, knelt down and bowed, thanking Zhong Huo for saving his life.

Even though Zhang Meng was the one who had saved him, Xu Lu Cha chose to ignore her. But Zhong Huo unhesitatingly took all the credit.

She even said that it was natural and right for officials to serve the people, and she had only done what she should.

Zhang Meng didn’t argue. In modern times, she had experienced superiors taking credit for their subordinates’ work many times. As long as the boss was happy, that was fine.

Zhong Huo and Xu Lu Cha seemed to hit it off immediately. Once they started talking, they couldn’t stop. They even made plans to go to Yingyue Teahouse for tea and flower viewing.

Zhang Meng and Zi Yi, as followers, naturally went along.

Zhang Meng had suffered too much unfair treatment from Zhong Huo. Knowing Zhong Huo’s love for saving face, she was sure Zhong Huo would pay for this tea and flower viewing with a guest.

Zhang Meng wouldn’t feel satisfied unless she ate her fill at Zhong Huo’s expense.

While Xu Lu Cha and Zhong Huo were talking and laughing in the private room, Zhang Meng and Zi Yi sat outside, ordering over a dozen dishes from the menu.

An hour later, Xu Lu Cha and Zhong Huo were still talking inside, while Zhang Meng and Zi Yi were so full they could barely stand up.

Originally, Zi Yi was very reserved, only eating a little before stopping. But Zhang Meng ate with such relish that he couldn’t help joining in.

After eating and drinking their fill, with the two inside still not coming out, Zhang Meng got very bored. She took out two hair ribbons of different colors from her sleeve.

“Zi Yi, let me show you a magic trick.”

Zi Yi asked puzzled: “A magic trick?”

Zhang Meng smiled. She tied both ends of the two differently colored ribbons, held the red ribbon in her left hand stretched into a circle, and the blue ribbon in her right hand also stretched into a circle. She held both hands in front of Zi Yi and said:

“Watch carefully.”

She slowly brought her hands closer together, rubbing the ribbons against each other twice. Suddenly with a “pop”, the two ribbons were linked together.

Zi Yi exclaimed in surprise, taking the linked ribbons from Zhang Meng’s hands to examine them closely. He tugged on both sides: “Both ends of the ribbons were tied tightly. How could they possibly be linked together?”

“It’s very simple, I’ll teach you.”

Just as Zhang Meng was teaching Zi Yi, the two who had been talking for over an hour finally came out.

Zi Yi hurriedly stood up and silently walked behind Xu Lu Cha.

Zhong Huo frowned and glared at Zhang Meng.

On the way back, Zhong Huo kept a stern face the whole time.

Zhang Meng thought it was because she had spent too much of Zhong Huo’s money, making her unhappy.

Although Zhang Meng had always believed that taking advantage of the boss wasn’t really taking advantage, but being clever, seeing the boss’s face so dark made her feel a little guilty.

“Boss, how about…” I’ll pay for mine and Zi Yi’s meal from my wages.

But before she could finish speaking, she was interrupted by Zhong Huo’s cold voice.

“As soon as you have free time, you can’t help but flirt with men? It’s so improper! What will people think of our yamen if they see this?”

Zhang Meng was startled by the boss’s inexplicable words: “No, no, no, boss, you misunderstand. I wasn’t flirting with any man.”

Zhong Huo stopped walking and glared at her: “Your heads were so close together, do you think this official is blind?”

She even used “this official” to refer to herself, so the boss was truly angry. But hadn’t she also been closeted away talking with Xu Lu Cha for a long time?

If it was about damaging the yamen’s image, hadn’t the boss taken the lead in that?

Zhang Meng lowered her head, trying to hold back, but she couldn’t help saying: “Boss, you were the one who went into a private room to talk with Young Master Xu first. I was just bored and chatted with Zi Yi for a bit.”

Zhong Huo faltered: “There’s nothing between me and Young Master Xu.”

“There’s nothing between me and Zi Yi either.”

In the deep courtyard of the Xu residence.

“Zi Yi, what do you think of that Zhong Huo?”

The man in green clothes stood barefoot by the pond, his slender fingers plucking a flower petal and throwing it into the clear water.

The blood-red petal floated on the water, spinning with the current, covered in fine droplets, looking even more delicate.

Zi Yi held the ribbons in both hands, studying them intently. Hearing the question, he replied: “She’s upright, diligent in governing and caring for the people, outstanding in appearance, and talented.”

Xu Lu Cha’s hand holding the flower branch tightened slightly as he said: “I found her quite boring.”

“Ah?” Zi Yi looked up.

“She was even distracted while talking to me.” Xu Lu Cha’s fingers tightened, and with a “snap”, the flower branch broke.

“Young, young master.”

Xu Lu Cha tossed the broken flower branch into the pond and said flatly, “As the saying goes, ‘like master, like man’. I guess that Zhang Meng learned her gluttonous behavior from her.”

Zi Yi wisely kept his mouth shut and lowered his head to continue studying the two ribbons.

“Zi Yi, it seems you and that glutton got along quite well?”

Zi Yi’s face stiffened: “No, young master.”

“Throw away the ribbons.”

“Yes.”

“Zhang Meng, did you upset the boss again today?”

Jin Yue squatted to the side eating watermelon as she asked.

Zhang Meng sighed while washing dishes: “When have I not upset her?”

Jin Yue said: “I’ll probably quit in four or five days to go back home and marry a husband. When the time comes, you can ask the boss for leave and come back with me. Not only can you attend my wedding ceremony, but you can also escape from the boss for a few days to relax. How about it?”

Hearing this, Zhang Meng praised: “That would be excellent.”

That night, Zhang Meng wrote a leave request of several hundred characters, and submitted it to the boss the next day.

“Denied.”

Zhong Huo threw the leave request back at Zhang Meng.

“Why?”

“I remember you just took leave a few days ago.”

Mentioning this made Zhang Meng feel aggrieved: “Boss, how was that considered taking leave? I cooked dinner that day, weeded the grass, and watered the flowers.”

Zhong Huo glared at her: “As a member of the yamen, aren’t you ashamed to be so calculating?”

“Boss, although I want to dedicate everything to the yamen, my adoptive father wants me to find a man I love before he’ll see me. I’m not playing around on my few days off, I’m busy with a major life event.”

Zhong Huo’s face darkened: “A woman should establish her career before talking about starting a family.”

“Isn’t it start a family first, then establish a career?” Zhang Meng retorted softly.

Unable to get Zhong Huo’s approval for leave, Zhang Meng was listless on her street patrol. Usually she could easily push an old man’s cart uphill with one hand, but now she could barely manage with both hands.

Moreover, she wore a bitter expression all day long.

“Constable Zhang, you seem to be in low spirits today!” the vegetable seller uncle said with a smile.

Zhang Meng replied: “Just so-so.”

The uncle placed two bundles of vegetables on her cart: “Since Constable Zhang is in such low spirits today, I won’t mind making you feel even worse – no discount on vegetables today.”

“Uncle, how could someone as generous as you do something so stingy? It doesn’t match your noble character at all.” Zhang Meng pushed the cart full of vegetables out of the market. It was still early, with the sun blazing hot.

Not in a hurry to return to the yamen, Zhang Meng sat at the entrance of a teahouse, drinking free tea provided by the owner to cool off.

“Constable Zhang.”

A clear, pleasant male voice sounded.

Zhang Meng gulped down some tea and waved at the person in front of her: “What a coincidence, Young Master Xu. Zi Yi.”

Xu Lu Cha smiled shyly, his beautiful eyes bright and moist, like rippling spring water.

Zi Yi stood behind Xu Lu Cha. Seeing Zhang Meng wave at him, he lowered his eyes with a slightly reddened face.

“Constable Zhang, how come we don’t see the boss out inspecting today?” Xu Lu Cha asked, seeming a bit embarrassed.

“She’s busy with something.” Busy docking employees’ benefits.

Xu Lu Cha nodded: “The boss has many official duties, naturally she can’t come out to inspect every day.”

Zhang Meng said: “She’ll come out when she has time.”

Sadness can be contagious. Seeing Zhang Meng’s dispirited look, Xu Lu Cha thought to himself: Who is she putting on that dead face for? Given her glutton-like nature, she’s probably just upset because she hasn’t eaten today.

Though Xu Lu Cha thought this way, his face didn’t show it. He just gently curved his lips in a smile, gripped the silk handkerchief in his hand, and brought it close to Zhang Meng’s face to wipe her sweat.

“Constable Zhang has patrolled the streets all day, you must be tired. Look at how sweaty you are.” His tone was gentle with a hint of coquettishness.

Zhang Meng was startled by the cool, fragrant handkerchief. She leaned her head back to avoid it, then used her sleeve to wipe the sweat from her forehead: “I can wipe it myself.”

Xu Lu Cha’s beautiful eyes darkened, but his smile remained unchanged as he naturally put the handkerchief away.

“Yesterday, because the boss was there, Lucha was too nervous to speak much with Constable Zhang. Lucha deeply regrets it.”

Zhang Meng took out two empty cups, filled them with tea, and pointing at the two empty seats opposite her, said to them: “Please sit, have some tea.”

Xu Lu Cha sat down but didn’t drink the tea. He continued: “Today, Lucha feels very happy to be able to chat and drink tea with Constable Zhang.”

“Young Master Xu is too kind,” Zhang Meng said. Seeing Zi Yi standing behind Xu Lu Cha and not sitting down, she quickly invited him again: “Zi Yi, you sit too.”

Zi Yi hesitated and looked at Xu Lu Cha. Seeing Xu Lu Cha also smile and gesture for him to sit, he stiffly sat down beside Xu Lu Cha.

“Constable Zhang, you helped Lucha retrieve my jade pendant. Lucha wanted to thank you properly, but ended up giving you something unsuitable. Lucha feels very ashamed. Seeing that Constable Zhang loves good food, Lucha personally made some pastries for you.”

Zi Yi placed the food box he had been holding on the table and opened it. A fragrant aroma immediately wafted out.

Zhang Meng’s hand holding the teacup paused as she exclaimed in surprise: “Young Master Xu, did you make all of these yourself?”

Though there weren’t many types of pastries in the box, each one was exquisite, like a work of art.

Xu Lu Cha smiled slightly and nodded gently: “I hope Constable Zhang won’t find them lacking.”

Zhang Meng picked up a pastry and took a bite. Her eyes lit up: “It’s delicious!” Having good food to eat improved her mood somewhat.

Xu Lu Cha lowered his head shyly: “I’m glad Constable Zhang likes them.” What an unsophisticated person, so easily pleased by some small pastries.

“Constable Zhang, Lucha has a favor to ask.” Xu Lu Cha took out an exquisite sachet, “Could Constable Zhang help Lucha deliver this sachet to the boss?”

Zhang Meng took the sachet: “Alright, I’ll give it to her for you.”

She put the sachet in her sleeve, then picked up another pastry and put it in her mouth: “These are really so delicious.”

Xu Lu Cha felt even more disdainful inside, but kept a smile on his face: “If Constable Zhang likes them, Lucha can make them for you every day.”

“No, no, no!” Zhang Meng shook her head hurriedly, “I can’t afford that.”

Xu Lu Cha was taken aback: “Wh-what?”

Zhang Meng smiled: “We have rules in our yamen that officers can’t casually accept things from civilians. If the boss found out, my salary would be docked. So let me pay you for the pastries.”

“Constable Zhang, there’s no need to pay. Lucha specially…”

“I must pay.” Zhang Meng took out two silver ingots from her sleeve and pushed them in front of Xu Lu Cha. “I don’t know the price of these pastries, but I’ll pay you according to the prices at Yingyue Teahouse. Although the taste of what you made isn’t as good as Yingyue Teahouse’s, it’s quite good already. Thank you.”

Xu Lu Cha’s face stiffened, his hands resting on his legs slowly clenching.

“Oh right, Zi Yi, how are you doing with the magic trick I taught you the other day?” Zhang Meng looked towards Zi Yi.

Zi Yi kept his head down, replying with some difficulty: “It’s, it’s alright.”

“Next time we have a chance, I’ll teach you something even more fun.”

Zhang Meng stood up, packed the pastries, and smiled as she bid them farewell: “I have something to do, so I’ll be going now. We’ll chat again next time.”

With that, she turned and left.

Xu Lu Cha’s tightly clenched hands slowly relaxed. Zhang Meng’s repeated dismissal of his advances made him both annoyed and unwilling to give up.

Usually, as long as he softened his attitude a little, women would automatically gather around him and try to please him in every way. When had he ever been treated so coldly?

Xu Lu Cha lowered his eyes slightly, then raised them again, his eyes now brimming with misty moisture.

“Does Constable Zhang dislike Lucha?”

☆、