Taoist Master Yifeng's body stiffened. *Impossible, right? Meng Shuping saw through that too?* Refusing to believe it, he put on a solemn face and declared, "Next, I shall burn the corpse of this evil spirit to prevent any lingering troubles."
With that, he placed the talisman temporarily on the table, then struck another pose, beginning to gesticulate wildly as he chanted, "I respectfully invoke the Marshal of the Cinnabar Heaven Fire Rhinoceros Court, the Red Meng Bingding Spirit… reduce it to ashes, swiftly, swiftly, as commanded by the law!"
He picked up the talisman again, held it up, and gave it a flick. Immediately, his fingers and the talisman burst into flames. Madam Fu instinctively stepped forward, her face etched with concern.
Then, Taoist Master Yifeng took a mouthful of water and sprayed it onto the burning talisman. He swiftly flung the talisman into a bowl on the table, and instantly, the bowl too ignited.
After completing these actions, Taoist Master Yifeng felt supremely confident. This ritual looked incredibly impressive and intimidating; most people wouldn't dare to scrutinize it, let alone uncover its secrets. He simply refused to believe Meng Shuping could see through this one.
No sooner had he thought this than he heard Meng Shuping's voice again: [He must have coated his hand with camphor powder, phosphorus, and sulfur, right? Phosphorus and sulfur are highly flammable and can self-ignite upon contact with air. The camphor powder absorbs heat when burning, protecting his fingers from getting burned. Then he sprays a mouthful of alcohol—wow, impressive! It looks as intimidating as it's meant to be.]
[But you have to give Taoist Master Yifeng some credit. Look at him—just to make a living, he's worked hard to learn how to do the 'flower-hand' gesture and all sorts of chemical knowledge. No wonder he's got the old lady completely fooled into believing whatever he says.]
Feng Shi and Wu Shi listened in a daze. Though they didn't fully grasp Meng Shuping's words, they inexplicably felt it sounded incredibly profound.
Taoist Master Yifeng began to doubt his life choices. *Did he really need to go back and train for a few more years?*
Madam Fu's mind was also a tangled mess. *Was Meng Shuping's spiritual cultivation too advanced, or was this Taoist Master Yifeng simply a fraud?*
The two of them entered the room, still bewildered. A moment later, Taoist Master Yifeng was the first to regain his composure. He stood up and said, "Madam, since the ritual is now complete, this humble Taoist will take his leave."
Madam Fu had no intention of keeping him longer and replied, "Then I'll have someone see you out."
By now, Taoist Master Yifeng had lost all the grace and elegance he had when he first arrived. After bidding farewell to Madam Fu, he left with his apprentice, his steps heavy.
After Taoist Master Yifeng had departed, Feng Shi also seized the opportunity to say, "Then I shall take my leave as well."
Meng Shuping hurriedly stood up and followed behind Feng Shi—this saved him the trouble of speaking. Right now, Madam Fu didn't want to see Meng Shuping at all.
She waved her hand dismissively, "Go ahead!"
The two of them left Madam Fu's courtyard and returned to their own respective quarters. Meng Shuping lingered in his room for a while longer until a young maid delivered his dinner.
Looking at the food on the tray, Meng Shuping frowned. [This isn't leftovers from lunch, is it? It looks even worse than what we had at noon! How come the food at the Earl's manor is worse than what I had in the countryside?]
He couldn't help but wonder, [Could it be that the Earl's household is struggling to make ends meet?]
Jinzhan thought disdainfully, *He really was raised in a petty household—can't even see the tricks the kitchen is playing.
The Earl's estate is vast and prosperous; how could they not afford a proper meal? It's just the servants cutting corners and fooling him.*
But before she could feel smug for long, she noticed Meng Shuping glance at her. [Didn't she say she liked eating this kind of food? Maybe we should let her keep having it?]
Jinzhan was horrified and immediately said,
"Fifth Young Master, it seems to me the kitchen staff are hinting for a tip from you. If you don't give them some reward, I'm afraid they'll keep serving you meals like this from now on."
Meng Shuping was astonished. "I have to pay money to eat in my own home?"
*What difference did that make from eating out? Just saving the effort of walking?*
Jinzhan explained in a condescending tone,
"Fifth Young Master, having grown up in the countryside, you might not know this, but in great households like ours, it's customary to give rewards to the servants. Otherwise, why would they bother to serve you wholeheartedly?"
Then, pretending to be helpful, she suggested, "How about this—give me a few taels of silver, and I'll go to the kitchen and smooth things over for you."
Of course, she had no intention of actually giving the money to the kitchen—she would just make a scene there.
Although Meng Shuping didn't understand these customs, he wasn't stupid. Hearing Jinzhan's words, he asked her, "Do Grandfather and the Madam have to give rewards every time they eat at home?"
Jinzhan sneered, "Of course not. How can you compare yourself to them?"
Meng Shuping finally understood. [Oh, so it's about treating people differently based on their status.]
He stood up and said to Jinzhan, "You can have this meal."
Jinzhan's face turned green. *Why was he making her eat it again?* She stared blankly and asked, "Young Master, aren't you going to confront the kitchen staff? You can't eat outside every day, can you?"
Meng Shuping said unhappily, "Eating out is still cheaper than eating here."
A few taels of silver every time? His money wouldn't last long that way. Besides, he had no intention of indulging those people. There was no reason a young master like him should have to curry favor with the servants—who would respect him then?
Jinzhan, having failed to trick Meng Shuping, looked very displeased. But she could only watch helplessly as he walked out. However, Meng Shuping didn't make it very far—after just a few steps, a maid came to inform him that Meng Wenxiu had sent someone over.
Meng Shuping was surprised.
What did his scumbag father want with him at this hour?*
A moment later, an unfamiliar maid entered the room. She curtsied and said, "Fifth Young Master, the Second Master is at the Dewdrop Pavilion and has asked for you to come over."
Meng Shuping asked doubtfully, "What does he want with me?"
The maid shook her head. "The Second Master didn't say."
Meng Shuping didn't want to go. Whatever Meng Wenxiu wanted, it probably wasn't anything good.
So after thinking for a moment, he played dumb. "Since he didn't say, it probably isn't important. I'll go see him another day."
Meng Wenxiu's maid was stunned. She quickly added, "It must be quite important—that's why the Second Master didn't tell me.
If Fifth Young Master doesn't go, the Second Master might come here himself later."
Meng Shuping sighed in frustration. *Wasn't his scumbag father annoying enough?* Reluctantly, he said, "Fine, let's go."
*He really couldn't let Meng Wenxiu come here and bother him.*
But when Meng Shuping arrived at the Dewdrop Pavilion, he found that besides Meng Wenxiu, Meng Shuqi was also there. The two seemed to be drinking, as there were many dishes on the table along with wine cups.
Meng Shuping glanced at the food on the table—it looked, smelled, and undoubtedly tasted delicious, a far cry from the leftovers he'd been served.
Thinking about how he was still hungry while they were here enjoying themselves, Meng Shuping couldn't help but feel resentful.
He complained inwardly, [He's here eating well and drinking fine wine, but he called me over without even checking if I've eaten. How inconsiderate can he be?]
Hearing this, Meng Wenxiu's expression turned slightly awkward. He had decided to summon Meng Shuping on a whim and hadn't considered whether he'd eaten.
Now that Meng Shuping mentioned it, he felt a little guilty. He coughed awkwardly and said, "Ping Geer, come sit and eat with us."
Noticing the maids standing nearby were all looking at him, Meng Shuping stiffened. He hurriedly waved his hands in panic and refused, "No, no, I've already eaten."
[There's barely anything left on the plates, and he wants me to eat? Eat what? Their saliva? Ugh, that's disgusting!]
Meng Wenxiu was angered. *Why was eating their leftovers disgusting?* But when he looked at the table, he had to admit Meng Shuping had a point—there wasn't much food left. So he couldn't very well lose his temper.
Seeing that Meng Wenxiu remained silent, Meng Shuping couldn't help but wonder, [What did he call me here for anyway? Just to watch them eat? What kind of weird hobby is that?]
[And it's so windy and cold—why are they drinking outside at night instead of inside? Aren't they afraid of freezing?]
[Hah!]
[Could it be... both father and son got dumped and came here to drink away their sorrows? Hahaha, now that's worth celebrating.]
[Wait, no—scumbag dad is already old and faded; he probably doesn't have the energy for romance. So maybe he lost his job?]
Meng Wenxiu's temples throbbed with anger.
Who was old and faded? He was at the age where he was most charismatic! What did a brat like Meng Shuping know? Besides, they were drinking while enjoying the scenery—it was refined taste! Meng Shuping was an illiterate fool; what would he know about such things?*
Seeing Meng Shuping's thoughts drifting further into absurdity, Meng Wenxiu straightened his face and said sternly, "I heard you went to see the Madam today by sedan chair?"
Meng Shuping lowered his head as if guilty and asked innocently, "Y-yes... what about it?"
[Why is he asking about this? Is he jealous that I took a sedan chair and wants to take one too?]
Meng Wenxiu's eyes widened. *Who was jealous?* He said unhappily, "You're a junior. How could you take a sedan chair to see the old lady? If this gets out in the future, wouldn't outsiders say the descendants of the Earl's household are unfilial?
You may not care about your reputation, but your other brothers and sisters do!"
*After all, he had spent so many years in the backwater countryside, lacking even basic etiquette.*
Meng Shuping thought Meng Wenxiu was making a big deal out of nothing—it was just a sedan chair ride, and now it was being tied to filial piety. He said stiffly, "It was the old lady who insisted I take the sedan chair."
[Why is he so angry? Anyone who didn't know better would think the old lady was his birth mother. And if he wants to show filial piety, he should go to the old lady—what's the use of showing it to me? It's like casting pearls before swine.]
[But... the people in the Earl's household are such gossips. Why does everything get spread outside? No wonder Third Uncle's affair was rumored with such vivid detail. Not to criticize, but the servants in this mansion really need to be disciplined. If word gets out about that good-for-nothing father and Sun Shi, the whole mansion will be disgraced!]
Hearing Meng Shuping bring up him and Sun Shi again, Meng Wenxiu was absolutely furious. *Could this kid please stop mentioning this? He and that Sun Shi had nothing to do with each other, alright?*
He fumed inwardly: *The most infuriating thing was that Meng Shuping was silently criticizing him, leaving him no way to refute—if only he had the guts to say it out loud!*
Meng Wenxiu snorted coldly, "How could the old lady possibly have you take a sedan chair?"
If he was going to lie, he should at least come up with a better excuse. If the old lady was really that kind, she would have let Qi-ge take the sedan chair—how could it possibly be Meng Shuping's turn?