bullyxtreme Chapter 103 What is menopause?
Chapter 103 What is menopause?
Chapter 103 What is menopause?
"And Father even asked Xizi if it was cold up there."
Little Sizi pointed to the sky, "Of course it's cold up there, the wind is so strong. Has Father lost his mind?"
Su Mu climbed up from the bamboo chair and rubbed Xiao Sizi's head.
"It's nothing, your dad is just going through menopause."
"menopause?"
Little Si blinked his big eyes, trying to understand this new term, "What period is that? Is it good seven?"
"Not tasting good is a disease."
Su Mu walked to the water vat, scooped up a ladle of cold water and splashed it on his face. "The symptoms are just making trouble out of nothing, being sentimental, and having a strange tendency to stare at the moon. It'll be fine in a while."
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from the courtyard gate.
Wang Dequan's bright red manager's uniform was particularly eye-catching. He was panting heavily as he ran, and he was holding a bright yellow scroll in his hand.
In the past, Wang Dequan would have walked into the woodshed with his head held high, looking down on everyone.
But today, he stood at the door, first straightened his clothes, put on a smile, bent down three degrees, and then dared to step across the threshold.
"Su—Brother Su."
The name changed quickly enough.
Su Mu wiped his face with a handkerchief, not even lifting his eyelids: "Steward Wang, what brings you here? The kitchen didn't catch fire, and I didn't steal any food."
"Oh, you're joking."
Wang Dequan smiled ingratiatingly and took two steps closer. "His Majesty has decreed that a Mid-Autumn Festival family banquet will be held tonight in the Taiji Hall. He specifically instructed that Mr. Su be sure to attend, and that a seat be arranged for you below the Princess."
Royal banquet.
He was still seated below the eldest princess!
In the Tang Dynasty, this was an extremely high honor.
Countless fifth-rank officials would fight tooth and nail to get a seat in the Taiji Hall, but Su Mu, a mere servant, ended up sitting right among the imperial relatives.
Little Si clapped his hands excitedly: "Great! Great! Brother, let's go! There are some really good fruits there!"
Su Mu threw the towel into the basin of water.
A few drops of water splashed out and landed on Wang Dequan's brand-new boots.
"I'm not going."
Wang Dequan's smile froze: "Brother Su—this is His Majesty's grace, a Mid-Autumn Festival family banquet, a time for reunion."
"What's the point of reunion?"
Su Mu turned and walked towards the stove, lifted the pot lid and looked at the leftover porridge from last night. "I don't even need to go to that banquet to know what kind of place it was."
A group of people sat upright, the food was already cold by the time it was served, and they had to listen to those old scholars reciting pretentious poetry. "No, I don't have time."
"No...no time?"
Wang Dequan almost bit his tongue.
In all the world, how could anyone dare to say they were too busy to refuse the emperor's family banquet?
"What are you busy with?"
Wang Dequan wiped away a cold sweat and tentatively asked.
Su Mu rummaged through the corner and found a pile of bamboo strips and colored paper, along with a few thin iron wires.
"I promised to make a rabbit lantern for Sizi."
Su Mu pointed to the pile of junk, "The moon is beautiful tonight, perfect for playing with lanterns. Going to the banquet would take too much time, and if we don't finish, this girl will start crying again."
Upon hearing the name "Rabbit Lantern," Xiao Sizi's eyes instantly lit up like light bulbs, and his earlier intention to persuade Su Mu to attend the banquet vanished in an instant.
"A bunny lantern! With big ears!"
"Okay, I'll make you long ears."
Su Mu sat back on the small stool, picked up the cleaver and began to whittle bamboo. Without looking up, he waved to Wang Dequan, "Steward Wang, go back. Just say I'm unwell and can't stand the cold, especially the cold at high places."
Wang Dequan stood there, unsure whether to leave or stay.
Looking at the back of that person who was intently whittling bamboo, and then at the little princess squatting on the ground beside him helping to pass notes.
The two of them, one big and one small, would rather play with bamboo in this dilapidated courtyard than enjoy the extravagant wealth in the Taiji Hall.
"Then—I'll go and report back right away."
Wang Dequan left with a bitter face.
Su Mu's temper is becoming more and more unpredictable.
Liangyi Hall.
Li Shimin is trying on his everyday clothes for the evening banquet.
After hearing Wang Dequan's report, he paused in adjusting his collar.
"He said he was busy?"
"yes----"
Wang Dequan knelt on the ground, not daring to breathe loudly. "Mr. Su said—that going to listen to those old scholars recite poetry is too boring, and the food is cold too."
Moreover—he promised Princess Jinyang that he would make rabbit lanterns tonight, and he was afraid of being late.
The main hall was eerily quiet.
Wang Dequan pressed his forehead against the floor tiles, cursing Su Mu a hundred times in his mind.
Isn't this pushing him into a fire pit?
"Ha ha ha ha!"
A burst of hearty laughter suddenly erupted.
Li Shimin turned around, his face showing not anger, but rather an expression of admiration that said, "Just as I thought."
"Fine! So you're too busy!"
Li Shimin dismissed the palace maids who were helping him dress and fastened his own belt.
"If he were to abandon his promise to the children and rush to express his gratitude just because of my imperial edict, he wouldn't be able to write a poem like 'I wish to ride the wind and return.'"
Li Shimin walked to the window and looked in the direction of the imperial kitchen.
In his eyes, Su Mu's behavior was not disobeying the imperial order at all.
That's called being true to yourself.
This is called regarding the powerful and wealthy as nothing more than fleeting clouds.
He'd rather preserve his childlike heart and devote himself to a simple rabbit lantern than engage in insincere pleasantries over drinks. That's the true character of a wise person!
"Wang Dequan".
"Your servant is here."
"Pass down the order: leave that seat empty at tonight's Mid-Autumn Festival banquet."
Li Shimin was in a good mood. "That's reserved for Mr. Su. Even if he doesn't come, it will still be empty. Also, have the Imperial Kitchen send some hot food and wine to the backyard of the Imperial Kitchen. Don't let people think I'm stingy, not even letting a distinguished person have a decent meal."
Wang Dequan was dumbfounded.
He refused the emperor's offer, and not only was he not punished, but he was also offered a seat and food.
What kind of bewitching potion did Su Mu give His Majesty?
"What are you waiting for? Go!"
"Yes, yes, yes! This servant will go right away!"
Wang Dequan scrambled out of the room.
Li Shimin stood with his hands behind his back, humming an off-key tune, feeling extremely relaxed.
He understands life, keeps his promises, is talented, and doesn't crave fame or fortune.
The more I look at Su Mu, the more pleasing he becomes.
Menopause—what kind of illness is that? I'll have to have the imperial physician look it up in ancient books another day.
When the autumn wind blows, the crabs get restless.
A batch of Chinese mitten crabs was sent to Chang'an.
The Imperial Food Bureau has finally gotten its revenge!
Liu Fengyu commanded a group of imperial chefs, putting in his utmost effort.
These crabs were all incredibly lively, with green shells, white bellies, golden claws, and yellow hair, making a clattering sound as they crawled in the bamboo basket.
To be on the safe side, the Imperial Food Bureau chose the least risky method—steaming!
Served with Zhejiang vinegar and shredded ginger, or the crab can be dismantled and made into sweet crab, a tradition that has been practiced in the palace for decades.
A message came from the Liangyi Palace that His Majesty was delighted with the meal and even rewarded the Imperial Kitchen with several bolts of silk.
Liu Fengyu had just straightened his back when he saw the few remaining baskets of top-quality crabs in the corner. With a wave of his hand, he ordered them to be sent to the backyard of the imperial kitchen.
This is both a gesture of goodwill and a way of showing off.
In Su Mu's small courtyard.
Several bamboo baskets were overturned on the ground, and more than a dozen large crabs were scurrying about on the bluestone slab, blowing bubbles and making soft sizzling sounds.
Little Sizi squatted on the ground, supporting his chin with both hands, his little face almost touching the crab shell.
"Hey bro! This big bug is fierce!"
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