Fortunate Life of the Rural Beauty
Chapter 184 - 183: Practicing the Real Martial Arts

Chapter 184: Chapter 183: Practicing the Real Martial Arts

Manager Luo suggested that Luo Yuan should set off for Capital City the next day. The old Lord Hou happened to have a letter that needed to be sent there. This way, he can take care of both public and private matters. He can also bring a letter to Luo Mingyuan. If Luo Yuan hurries, he can return in five days. Then, they can see how many people Yang Mingyuan can introduce to the wine shop.

Chen Shi is returning to Dingzhou in ten days. After he returns, he will find a shop front first, get the lease settled, and hire more people if needed. All the preparations should be in place by next month, which is when the wine shop can officially open. On the day of the opening, Chen Ming, Chen Ye, and Manager Luo had better all go to Dingzhou.

The name of the wine shop will be Xinglong Grand Restaurant.

Everyone was overjoyed and the dinner was even more lively. The old lady was especially happy, now that her three sons had jointly opened a wine shop, they were all well-off.

That night, Chen Afu wrote a letter to Yang Mingyuan. Given that she had only studied cultural courses with Chen Ming for less than a year, many words she hadn’t "learned". So, she asked Dabao or Chen Ming for help while writing. When the letter was finally finished, it was five pages long. Even though the writing wasn’t very good, it still expressed clearly what she wanted to say.

Early the next morning, she asked Shan Zi to deliver the letter to Manager Luo’s house.

By late morning, a well-dressed Mrs. Wang was about to go to Xianhu Village with Chen Ming. Since she married into the Chens sixteen years ago, she hadn’t returned to her hometown. As she got closer to her hometown, she was so excited that her body trembled slightly.

Today, she was wearing her best clothes—a pea-green, flower-sprinkled brocade jacket, and a dark-green satin skirt. She wore a jade hairpin on her head, along with a silver hairpin, a gold bracelet on her wrist and a pair of gold cloves earrings. The jade hairpin and gold bracelet were birthday gifts from Chen Afu, while Mrs. Zhang secretly gifted the gold earrings, Chen Afu had also sent her a pair.

However, no matter how fancy her dress, she could not conceal her old age brought on by excessive worry and work.

Chen Afu had only rouge, but no lipstick, so she said she would borrow Auntie Zeng’s lipstick for her mother’s makeup. She thought she had been careless. Even though she didn’t use makeup herself, every household should be equipped with a set of cosmetics just in case.

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Wang blushed and said, "At my old age, if I wear makeup, won’t people call me an old witch?"

Auntie Zeng who was standing by laughed and said, "Listen to Auntie Chen, in wealthy families, even women in their seventies wear makeup."

Because Chen Ming didn’t allow the servants to call them lord and lady, Auntie Zeng and the others followed suit and also referred to them as Uncle Chen and Auntie Chen.

Chen Afu insisted on applying some light makeup for Mrs. Wang, who always listened to her daughter. Even though she didn’t want to, she sat down and let her daughter primp and preen her face.

Chen Afu drew her eyebrows slightly, dabbed a bit of powder on her face, and put on a swipe of light lipstick on her cheeks and mouth.

Although it was light makeup, she looked younger than when she wasn’t wearing any makeup, and her spirits were lifted.

Chen Ming’s eyes narrowed with laughter, repeating, "This is great, this is great."

The gifts they brought this time were substantial. In addition to two pieces of pork, a lamb leg, five kilograms of apples, two bags of sweets, and two bolts of silk for Mrs. Wang’s uncle’s family, they also gave each of the relatives who had cooperated in disciplining Mrs. Ding a piece of pork and a bag of sweets.

Chen Ming and Mrs. Wang then rode in the carriage, accompanied by Auntie Zeng and Xue Dagui, to Xianhu Village. The carriage was borrowed from the manager of Tang Garden.

Now that the family has a driver, Chen Afu thinks they should buy a bullock cart after the New Year.

After they left, Chen Afu, her son, and Alu, were invited to Tang Garden. They spent a day here, while Chen Afu cooked two meals.

The old master saw the legendary "martial arts" for the first time. When Chen Afu was leading Ms. Chu, Dabao, the Luo siblings, two younger maids, and the animals in their martial arts practice, the old man, stroking his beard, laughed heartily, finding it more entertaining than watching a big play.

Ms. Chu thought that her grandfather’s laughter was due to her good performance, so she twisted her chubby butt even harder and her voice was much louder than usual. The only song lyrics she could keep up with were "One, two, three, four, and two, two, three, four", so her voice was surprisingly loud when she counted these numbers.

The old man was even more amused.

After practising "martial arts", when they began playing with building blocks, Chen Dabao was taken by Chu Lingxuan into the courtyard to teach him how to squat, saying that boys should learn real martial arts.

He also told him, "You are a young man, you should not always play games of girls, nor act like a girl and be spoiled by your mother, which is disgraceful!"

Dabao defended himself, "My mom said I’m a child, and I should be like a child. There’s no harm in being a bit spoiled. When I grow up, I will be a real man." Having said that, he clenched his little fist.

The first part was indeed what Chen Afu had said. She had always been distressed that Dabao had lived his early life too carefully and too maturely. She wanted to give him more motherly love and planned to guide him well when he grows older.

Listening to this, Chu Lingxuan shook his head and said, "Even a wise woman can have her limitations. She does not realise that once habits are formed, it’s not easy to change them. From now on, when I come back, you will come to Tang Garden to learn martial arts with me. Your mother is a woman, focusing mainly on educating Yan’er."

Dabao, knowing Uncle Chu to be a capable general, was willing to learn martial arts from him and agreed, but still defended his mother, saying, "My mom is very competent and insightful."

Just as they were talking, Chen Afu lead a blushing Alu over and said, "Mr. Chu, please also teach my little brother."

Chu Lingxuan nodded and said, "When I return to Tang Garden, let Dabao... and Alu, learn martial arts with me."

Chen Afu agreed, she had always thought that boys should have more interactions with men. Even though they had Chen Ming and a few male servants at home, Chen Ming was introverted and simple, and male servants were not suitable to instruct the young masters too much. If Chu Lingxuan was willing to help teach Dabao and Alu, it would naturally be much better.

Chen Afu and the others did not even return to Lu Garden for a midday rest. Dabao and Alu slept on the Luohan Bed in the hall. Chen Afu, Mrs. Wei, and Mrs. Song, quietly chatted in the West Room. After the children finished their rest, they practiced "martial arts" again, before going to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

The old master was a bit heated from having hot pot for two continuous days. In the evening, Chen Afu made mung bean porridge, a few stir-fried dishes, leek oil pancakes and su pancakes, and also brought a plate of Korean-style spicy cabbage from Lu Garden. This was made by Chen Afu before the New Year. Due to insufficient ingredients, she did not dare make it too spicy, so it was not quite authentic, but due to the unique water at home, the modified spicy cabbage was extremely delicious and fragrant.

Whenever Chen Afu stayed at Tang Garden for a meal, Chu Hanyan would eat at the same table with her. So, two tables were set up in the hall - one table for The Chu family, Dabao, Alu and several men, and Chen Afu and Ms. Chu ate on the Luohan Bed’s small table. There was also a small table set up on the ground, where Zhui Feng, Wang Cai, Qi Qi, and Hui Hui ate.

The old master really liked the spicy cabbage and the crunchy wood ear mushrooms, saying that after eating a lot of meat dishes, these two dishes were particularly refreshing to the palate. He even asked Chen Afu to make more spicy cabbage, so that he could take some to the Capital City.