Noble Son-in-Law - Chapter 35.2

Chapter 35.2

This was Shen Qingqing’s first nighttime outing since returning to Beijing.

When their carriage reached the main street, the restaurants lining both sides buzzed.

Shen Qingqing felt the urge to peek outside but held back, worried that Li Zhi might tease her about the Shen family girls’ lack of decorum. So she just sat there, lost in thought.

Li Zhi watched her momentarily before grinning and pulling back the curtain on his side.

Just then, they passed a street vendor grilling kebabs, and the evening breeze carried the mouthwatering aroma right into the carriage.

Shen Qingqing couldn’t resist stealing a glance outside.

“Have you eaten it before?” Li Zhi asked softly.

She quickly turned away, scoffing, “Street food is full of dust. I wouldn’t touch it.”

Li Zhi replied, “Street snacks have their own charm.” He then signalled the driver to stop and called out to Ah Rong to grab ten skewers.

Ah Rong beamed and dashed off, knowing his master would surely share some of the goodies with him.

As he expected Li Zhi took just two skewers for himself and handed the rest to Ah Rong and the driver.

As the carriage rolled on, Li Zhi lowered the curtain, keeping one for himself and offering the other to Shen Qingqing.

The newly grilled mutton skewers were golden brown with a few burnt spots. They were also sprinkled with salt, pepper, and other seasonings.

Feeling the mouth-watering aroma, Shen Qingqing’s stomach started to activate, and she tried hard to hold back her saliva.

Li Zhi understood his wife’s thoughts at a glance, and he brought the meat skewer towards her mouth. “Try it.”

“No!” Shen Qingqing turned her head and maintained her previous disdain.

Li Zhi didn’t intend to let go of it easily. “Just one bite. It tastes good. Eat more; if you don’t like it…”

He stopped talking mid-sentence.

Shen Qingqing narrowed her eyes at the man and asked, “What if it tastes bad?”

Li Zhi glanced at her red lips and replied softly, “If it doesn’t taste good, I won’t be touching you tonight.”

‘If he says such a thing, then it must be really good.’ Shen Qingqing bit her lip, then grabbed a small piece of meat skewer from Li Zhi’s hand.

The barbecue was still warm, and the meat was tender and tasty. After eating one bite, she wanted another.

“So, how is it?” Li Zhi asked with a grin.

Shen Qingqing didn’t want to let the man win, so she claimed it was terrible.

Although she wore a disgusted expression, the way she eyed the skewers revealed her true desire. 

It made Li Zhi feel good. ‘If she expressed her true thoughts, it wouldn’t be this interesting.’

Because his wife didn’t reveal her true thoughts, Zhi didn’t feel like sharing the food anymore. Therefore, he finished both skewers in just a few bites. Then he tossed the sticks aside and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief in an elegant manner.

Shen Qingqing sat there, feeling a bit awkward. She thought she could eat that delicious street food once Li Zhi was gone.

It didn’t take much time for them to arrive at Wanghu Tower.

Li Zhi helped Shen Qingqing out of the carriage. 

He was tall and handsome; she was petite and charming. Therefore, people could not stop looking at them.

Among the crowd was an official. When he spotted Li Zhi, he was surprised at first and then hurriedly approached the couple respectfully.

Li Zhi responded with a warm and polite smile.

This was Shen Qingqing’s first time seeing Li Zhi interact with other officials, and honestly, she found them all a bit pretentious.

‘He was such a gentleman right now. Oh, such an old fox turned out to be my husband.’

When the official left them, Li Zhi led Shen Qingqing to the private room on the second floor. “Let’s go.”

The classy room that Li Zhi had booked was spacious and luxurious. Four elegantly dressed maids were already standing by, ready to assist at a moment’s notice.

“Master Marquis, is it time for the meal?” Shopkeeper Xie from Wanghu Tower came over personally to greet the respected guests.

Li Zhi glanced at Shen Qingqing, who nodded in response, and then he replied to Shopkeeper Xie, “Go ahead and bring it out.”

Shopkeeper Xie gave a knowing look to the young servant.

Shen Qingqing settled next to Li Zhi. 

After some time, the young servant returned empty-handed, leaving Shen Qingqing puzzled. Just then, four more sturdy boys entered the room, and they were carrying a large black charcoal basin. On top of the glowing coals was a whole roasted golden sheep!

Shen Qingqing was taken aback. ‘What a massive sheep! The aroma is incredible!’

Thanks to her noble upbringing, she managed to keep a composed posture and expression. With a smile, she glanced at the feast before her, then turned to Li Zhi and asked softly, “Isn’t this a bit too rich for dinner?”

Li Zhi smiled and said, “It’s perfectly fine to indulge now and then.”

Shen Qingqing remained silent, observing closely.

The mutton was nearly ready, though it was intentionally left a bit undercooked to please the guests. At that moment, the chef from Wanghu Tower showcased his skills in front of Li Zhi and Shen Qingqing, enthusiastically drizzling soy sauce around the charcoal basin, adding sesame oil, and then slicing the sheepskin into strips. He cut the golden mutton into thick pieces and chopped large mutton bones to place in the basin.

Shen Qingqing watched it with keen interest.

“Everyone, please step back,” Li Zhi instructed as the plates were set down, waving to Shopkeeper Xie and the others.

Shopkeeper Xie smiled and stepped aside.

“Have you tried this before?” Li Zhi asked Shen Qingqing.

Shen Qingqing shook her head in response.

Without hesitation, Li Zhi picked up a mutton bone with meat and handed it to her.

Shen Qingqing frowned, but before she could protest, Li Zhi added, “This is how you truly enjoy it. There’s no one else around, so you can eat however you like.”

Shen Qingqing still hesitated.

Li Zhi chuckled. “You don’t need to put on a show for me.”

Shen Qingqing felt a surge of annoyance at first but then realised she didn’t have to pretend around Li Zhi.

“Alright, I’ll eat it,” Shen Qingqing said, lowering her head and taking a bite.

The mutton was soft, aromatic, tender, and not greasy at all. It perfectly matched Shen Qingqing’s cravings stirred by the barbecue skewers. With each bite, it only got more delicious.

Li Zhi was busy grabbing meat from her plate, while Shen Qingqing just focused on eating it. 

But her appetite was pretty small, and she was already feeling about eighty percent full. When she saw Li Zhi reaching for more meat, she quickly turned away, wiping her mouth, and said, “If you’re not hungry, please don’t interfere with others eating.”

Li Zhi understood her point. Since it was true, he decided to focus on his own meal instead.

After washing her hands and mouth, Shen Qingqing returned to watch him eat. 

Li Zhi was taking his time, enjoying his meal, and his elegant demeanour matched his noble status perfectly. 

“Are you really skilled in kung fu?” Watching him eat was a bit torturous, so 

Shen Qingqing decided to talk about something. 

Li Zhi smiled at her question and replied, “If I didn’t know how, I wouldn’t be the commander of the imperial army, would I?” 

Shen Qingqing rolled her eyes. She didn’t say it out loud, but it was clear she thought he had climbed the ranks thanks to his imperial concubine sister.

Li Zhi understood his wife’s thoughts at a glance, but he didn’t bother to defend himself. Instead, he said, “There’s going to be a hunting competition. If you come, you’ll see what I can do.” 

He tried to persuade her again, but Shen Qingqing replied coolly, “I’m not going.”

“You don’t know that nothing beats a whole roasted lamb out on the grasslands. Just picture it: a clear, starry night in January, gathering with friends and family to light up a bonfire in the wild. The lamb is sizzling over the flames, and that mouthwatering smell wafts through the air for miles… The stars above are like a beautiful curtain, the grass beneath us is our cosy mat, and the food and drinks are just perfect. Can you really imagine it?” Li Zhi spoke with such enthusiasm.

Li Zhi’s words vividly evoked an image of a night feast on the grassland in Shen Qingqing’s mind, and her eyes lit up with excitement.

She suddenly felt a strong desire to experience the starry sky on the grasslands, sit by a roaring bonfire, and savour a truly roasted whole lamb.

End of chapter 35

Have a nice day!