Da Tang Shuang Long Zhuan Volume 9 Chapter 7 part2

While it is still Christmas morning where I live, I realize that for most of you (somehow I have a feeling that most of you are on different time zones), it is already the day after Christmas. So ... without further ado, here's a bit update, consider it a Christmas bonus. There will be another part of Chapter 7, which I hope I can post this weekend.

The two boys felt the name ‘Lu Miaozi' sound very familiar, but it took them quite a while to remember that it was Shen Luoyan who mentioned his name, saying that he was the number one skilled craftsman under the heavens. Supposedly her weird net was coming from his miraculous hands. No wonder the design of this Inner Castle's landscape garden, the layout of every tree, every stone, seemed as if it was made by Heaven, all because he was secretly behind it.

Glistening teardrops appeared from Lu Miaozi's eyes; unable to bear it anymore, he turned his head around and let out a painful sob.

Suddenly he shook his head and heaved a deep sigh, and then spoke in low voice, "You'd better go back and go to bed! If you are free tomorrow, try to find time to come here, I have something to tell you.”

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling slept for less than two sichen [i.e. 4 hrs] when the sound of knocking on their door woke them up.

From the outside, Xiao Juan called out, "Two Xiao Shifu, wake up quickly, it is dawn!”

The two boys were a hundred thousand times unwilling to get out of bed, but Xu Ziling was pushed by Kou Zhong to open the door.

As soon as Xiao Juan came in, her eyebrows rose up so high as she said, "What happened to you two? Such a dirty clothes and you went to bed in it? Take it out now and change, let me take the dirty ones to be washed, all right? Two ‘great generals'?”

Rubbing his eyes, Kou Zhong fell back onto the bed and said, "Can I sleep a little longer, please?”

Putting her hands on her small waist, Xiao Juan angrily said, "Changzhu wants to see you, quickly take a bath and change your clothes.”

Xu Ziling sat down on the corner of the bed and said with a wry smile, "Not taking a bath is also violation of the house rule?”

Xiao Juan stomped her feet and said, "If you keep doing this, I won't pay any attention to you anymore!”

Kou Zhong sprang up, pressed his hands on Xiao Juan's shoulders, and smiled apologetically, "Xiao Juan Jie, please calm down; may I ask which way is to the public bath, north, south, east or west? Also how many li do we have to walk? The sooner we go, the sooner we will come back.”

Xiao Juan wanted to keep a straight face, but in the end, "Pfft!” she could not help laughing. Rolling her eyes, she frowned and said, "Don't stand too close; you stink!”

Kou Zhong laughed aloud and stood back. Casually he caught the clothes Xu Ziling threw at him; he was adamant not to concede, "There are many kinds of stink, my kind is the best kind of stink.”

Xiao Juan laughed tenderly and went out the door. The two boys scrambled to follow on her left and right sides.

The weather was very nice that day, an old servant was sweeping dead leaves in the courtyard, everywhere they looked, they saw people were coming and going. Three young maids, who were pruning the flowers and bushes, were brazen enough to stare at them.

Kou Zhong whispered in Xiao Juan's ear, "Why does Changzhu want to see us?”

Xiao Juan did not care at all, "How would I know?” she replied, "It was Fu Dajie who ordered me to get you.”

Kou Zhong fell back to Xu Ziling's side, who was walking three steps behind; he laughed softly and said, "It ought to be because you are handsome enough, right? Ha!”

Xiao Juan suddenly stopped, turned around with arms akimbo, her apricot eyes glowered at them as she shouted with her tender voice, "What did you say? You must be talking bad things about Changzhu.”

The two boys did not expect her reaction to be this intense; they jumped in fright.

Xu Ziling hastily said, "Xiao Juan Jie, please don't misunderstand, Xiao Ning only said that probably Changzhu did not think we did not learn enough lesson, so that she summons us to admonish us.”

Xiao Juan half-believing, half-doubting; she spoke with serious expression, "Just remember: don't be disrespectful toward Changzhu, otherwise, no one will be able to bail you out.”

Without any choice, the two boys nodded their promise.

Xiao Juan continued in low voice, "If you really dare to speak ill of Changzhu behind her back, I will no longer pay attention to you.”

When Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling arrived at the ‘Flying Horse Pavilion', where Shang Xiuxun handled day-to-day operation of the Flying Horse Ranch, this beautiful Ranch Master was having a meeting with the Housekeeper Shang Zhen and the Four Managers, including Liu Zongdao. About a dozen men and women were standing outside the courtyard, Deputy Housekeeper Liang Qian and Lan Gu were among them.

Noticing the two boys arrival with Xiao Juan, they all turned their attention to them. Lan Gu even whispered something to a man standing next to her, evidently she was talking about the two boys.

One of them, a young girl with well-proportioned figure, gentle, refined, and dignified, with elegant appearance, stepped forward to meet the three people. Frowning, she said, "Why so late? Changzhu has already asked about you, you don't know how embarrassed I am.”

After explaining the reason, Xiao Juan introduced them, "This is Fu Dajie!”

The two boys hurriedly paid their respect, while secretly praised Luo Fang's luck with women was indeed not shallow; they also did not expect her to be so young, yet her position within the Ranch was quite high.

Big Sister Fu studied the two boys for a moment; an amazed look flitted across her pretty eyes. She was just about to speak, when the man standing guard by the door called out, "Summoning the two Pastry Chefs!”

Big Sister Fu instructed them in low voice, "Come with me, be careful when speaking.”

The two boys could not help feeling a bit nervous as they came to just outside the threshold.

They saw that the entire furnishing inside the hall was finely carved furniture, in the middle was three-panel marble-deck big reclining chair, on east and west were symmetrically placed two marble armchairs with circular screen and a matching small table decorated with some small objects; the atmosphere looked solemn and serene.

Shang Xiuxun was half-reclining on the chair, she was dressed in men's clothes, complete with a hat to cover her beautiful hair, yet it was still difficult to conceal beautiful glow of her oppressing natural beauty.

The Housekeeper Shang Zhen was sitting on the first chair to her left, and the next in line was precisely Liu Zongdao, while the other two [sic] managers were sitting on the other side.

The three people had to give way to an old man coming out of the pavilion. Big Sister Fu saluted to him and reported, "Two Xiao Shifu are here.” And then she whispered, "You are new here, you can't cross the threshold.” After that she withdrew to the side.

The two boys had no choice but to stay outside the threshold and saluted inside, feeling a bit awkward.

Shang Xiuxun had her head down, concentrating on drinking her tea. Shang Zhen was blowing smoke from his pipe. Liu Zongdao returned their salute with a smile, but the other three managers' eyes were like sharp arrows shooting at them.

Li Zongdao's single eye lit up as he smiled and said, "Was it because the hard journey that you were unable to get out of bed?”

Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling were quick-witted; they knew he was saying that in their defense, hence they promptly agreed with him.

Taking advantage while Shang Xiuxun was still drinking her tea, Liu Zongdao introduced the other three managers.

The First Manager Liang Zhi was a man short in stature, about forty years old, but grew a beautiful, glossy black beard. His eyes flickered with terrifying sharpness, the taiyang acupoints [on one's temples] bulged out. Just by looking at his appearance, one would immediately know that he was a martial art master expert in both inner and outer skills.

The Third Manager Tao Shusheng was a big and tall middle-aged man, his eyes long and narrow like a goat's, making his appearance unflattering.

On the contrary, the Fourth Manager Wu Zhaoru was young and handsome, his skin as fair as a girl's; but compared to Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling's unique physical appearance, he appeared exceptionally inelegant.

The three managers' response seemed to be rather cold; it appeared that they only nodded their heads to acknowledge the two boys' salute just as a courtesy to Liu Zongdao.

Shang Xiuxun put down the cup and picked up something that looked like an account book from the small table and looked down to browse it. Absent-mindedly she said, "Other than pastries, what else can you make?”

Everybody, including Big Sister Fu and Liu Zongdao, was taken aback; nobody ever thought that their astute Ranch Master would summon the two boys just to ask such a trivial matter.

With his hands hanging by his side, Kou Zhong respectfully replied, "We know a bit of everything.”

The Third Manager Tao Shusheng scolded them harshly, "Genius! Changzhu is asking you, outside of pastries, what other expertise do you have. Do you understand the question?”

Wu Zhaoru seemed to be breathing through the same nostrils with Tao Shusheng; he laughed mockingly and said, "Perhaps they have expertise in a bit of everything!”

Xu Ziling did not take any offence, but Kou Zhong really wished he could take the two men outside and give them a good beating; but right now all he could do was ‘glug!' swallow his anger into his belly.

Shang Xiuxun still had her attention focused on the book; she did not even seem to hear what others were talking about. It was quite a moment later she finally said slowly, "In the meeting tonight we will have honored guests coming from the north. Northerners love to eat roast meat, smoked meat and stuff like that the most. Do you know how to make them?”

Chapter end