Chapter 78 : The Secret of the Case

Everyone sat in the main hall, with steaming, fragrant food on the table.

Mother Xiao first made a bowl of chicken soup and served it to Su Yanqing.

“Master Su, you should drink some chicken soup to nourish your body. It’s not easy for you to come here, so you should eat well before leaving.”

Then, she served Mr. Zeng a bowl of chicken soup.

This is the basic way of hospitality, and Mother Xiao is very enthusiastic towards her guests.

However, she did not forget her two daughters-in-law and daughter, and made chicken soup for them with chicken.

The chicken soup is thick, the meat is soft and boneless, and red dates are added to enhance the sweetness of the chicken soup.

Jiang Sui’s braised pork and braised fish are also good, with good color, aroma, and taste, which makes people salivate and whet their appetite.

The pork belly is fat and lean, and the fat is fried just right, melting in your mouth, fat but not greasy.

It is also fried with various spices, and it doesn’t taste fishy at all.

Mr. Zeng loved this braised pork so much that he couldn’t stop eating it after picking up the first piece with his chopsticks. Fortunately, Xiao Yi bought a lot of meat and Jiang Sui cooked enough.

“I didn’t expect Miss Jiang to have such a skill. She can open her own restaurant with this skill.” Mr. Zeng praised.

The sweet and spicy taste of braised pork is not common in Jeju Prefecture, so it gave Mr. Zeng a fresh taste.

There is a dish called braised pork in red sauce, but because the cooking methods are different, the taste is also very different. Mr. Zeng has eaten it several times, but only Jiang Sui’s dish surprised him immediately.

Jiang Sui often cooks for herself in modern times. Braised pork is a classic dish. It is not difficult, but it is not simple either.

“I didn’t know how to cook at first, but after watching my mother-in-law cook a lot, I had some creative ideas. I’m sorry, but I hope Mr. Zeng likes it.”

She can make it, but the original owner Jiang Sui can’t. She never had a good life before, she couldn’t even eat meat, let alone study the recipe.

“Hahaha, I like it. I like it very much.” Mr. Zeng laughed heartily.

At the dinner table, Su Yanqing kept his eyes on Xiao Lanlan, who was not in a good mood. She had just cried, and her eyes were a little red. She was afraid of being noticed, so she kept her head down and ate silently.

He wanted to comfort her, but he didn’t know how to say it, and he couldn’t find an opportunity.

Except for the two of them who had something on their mind, the others were chatting happily with Mr. Zeng, but Jiang Sui still carefully noticed that something was wrong with Xiao Lanlan.

She could see that Xiao Lanlan had feelings for Su Yanqing, and Su Yanqing probably also had a crush on Lanlan.

As a mother, Mother Xiao also saw her daughter’s little thoughts, but she was very realistic. The family background and status of Mr. Su were not something her family could afford.

Since ancient times, people have always valued matching up with each other, and many relationships are not just about mutual affection.

After dinner, it was already dark outside, and Mr. Zeng was about to leave with Su Yanqing.

Su Yanqing left the Xiao family his address in Jeju Prefecture, saying that if they had the chance to go to Jeju in the future, they could go to his private residence to find him. He would tell the servants and if they came, they would be treated as honored guests.

Until Su Yanqing was about to leave, Xiao Lanlan still looked thoughtful and lost. The two looked at each other from a distance, feeling endless bitterness.

She tried her best to force a smile, Su Yanqing stammered for a moment, but in the end, he couldn’t say much, only saying “take care” and “see you again someday.”

Xiao Yi escorted Mr. Zeng’s carriage to the entrance of the village and told them to be careful on the road.

Mr. Zeng was about to whip the horse when Su Yanqing, who was sitting in the carriage, suddenly spoke up.

“Wait a moment, Brother Xiao.”

Xiao Yi just turned around and heard Su Yanqing calling him, so he stopped immediately. He saw Mr. Zeng lifting the curtain of the carriage to facilitate their conversation.

“Master Su, what else is there?” Xiao Yi asked.

Su Yanqing hesitated, as if he was holding something in his hand under his sleeve, but he still mustered up his courage because he didn’t want to miss it.

He gave the item in his hand to Mr. Zeng and asked him to pass it on.

“When I was in Huaxi County, I accidentally got a hairpin. I had no use for it, but after examining it carefully, I found that it was very suitable for Miss Xiao. I forgot to give it to her just now, but now I remember it. Please help me pass it to her, Brother Xiao.”

It didn’t make sense that he gave her a hairpin for no reason, so he made up a story to justify it. But only Mr. Zeng knew how redundant his words were, and it felt like he was trying to cover up his mistake.

It was obvious that he personally picked out this hairpin at the jewelry store. He was sitting in a wheelchair and had difficulty moving around. When Mr. Zeng asked him why he went to the jewelry store for no reason, he used the excuse that he was picking out some jewelry for his mother.

However, Xiao Yi was a straight man, so he didn’t think too much about it.

The hairpin came into his hand, but he couldn’t see it clearly in the dark, but he was too embarrassed to ask for it.

“Master Su, your things must be good. I’m afraid Lanlan can’t bear this kindness.” He was referring to human feelings, not love between men and women.

“It’s not a valuable item. If I don’t give it to Miss Xiao, it’s useless for me to keep it. Sorry to bother you, Third Brother Xiao. It’s getting late. Uncle , let’s go quickly.”

He was afraid that Xiao Yi would continue to refuse, so he hurriedly urged Mr. Zeng to drive.

In the darkness, Mr. Zeng couldn’t help laughing, and after lowering the car curtain, he whipped the whip and drove away.

Xiao Yi held the hairpin, listening to the sound of the carriage wheels gradually fading away, he shrugged helplessly and went home.

When he got home, he knocked on Xiao Lanlan’s door. After a while, Xiao Lanlan opened the door and was surprised to see that it was her third brother. At this hour, why did her third brother want to talk to her?

“Third brother, are you okay?”

Xiao Yi handed the hairpin to her, and with the candlelight spilling out of the room, he could see the hairpin clearly. It was a purple jade butterfly hairpin, very delicately made, made entirely of jade, with the butterfly carved lifelike, and it was obvious at first glance that it was not cheap.

“What is this?” Xiao Lanlan was confused. Where did the third brother get the jade hairpin?

“Oh, I just went to see Mr. Su and Mr. Zeng off, but Mr. Su stopped me before I left. He said he got a hairpin by chance, but it was useless to him, so he asked me to bring it back for you, saying it was suitable for you. I thought the things Mr. Su got must be very valuable, so I wanted to help you refuse, but Mr. Su left without giving me a chance, so I had to bring it back for you. If you feel bad about it, then keep it. If you have a chance to see him again in the future, you can return it to Mr. Su!” Xiao Yi is really a straight man.

Xiao Lanlan’s hands trembled a little when she took the hairpin. She felt that the hairpin weighed a thousand pounds.

She nodded to Xiao Yi, tacitly agreeing with his statement.

Xiao Yi completed the task, yawned, and left, ready to take a shower and go to bed, after all, he had to get up early tomorrow.

Xiao Lanlan was a little lost. She closed the door and walked into the candlelight with the hairpin. The purple jade hairpin was illuminated by the candlelight and there was no impurity inside.

She had never touched anything so delicate.