Jiapingguan Chronicle

Chapter 2702 Still Vigorous in Old Age 86.0
Xue Mu took a deep breath and boldly asked Chu Han and Old Madam Ning what they thought, saying that he wanted Chu Han to come and taste Sister Ning's new product.

He asked the question with some trepidation, as he wasn't entirely sure what to expect.

He felt that based on his understanding of Old Madam Ning, she should be able to agree, but he couldn't say for sure about the distinguished guest from the Duke's mansion.

To his utter surprise, the two agreed without the slightest hesitation, which delighted him.

Perhaps he was too overjoyed, and his expression didn't quite hide it, causing Chu Han, Old Madam Ning, and Third Master to all show amused expressions.

"Are you worried we won't agree, or are those kids worried?" Chu Han gestured with his chin towards Shen Cha and the others. "Look at how calm they are; you can tell we'll definitely agree. But..." He glanced at Old Madam Ning, "Why is the family running a small business? Are you having difficulties?"

“No problem.” Madam Ning waved her hand. “This is something that can’t be explained in a few words. We can talk about the Ning family’s affairs in detail when we have time.”

"Okay!" Chu Han nodded. "Anyway, I'll be staying for a while longer, so there's no rush."

"However, Xiao Ning's cooking skills are quite good," the Third Grandfather said with a smile. "It suits my taste perfectly."

"Your sweet tooth hasn't changed?" Chu Han saw Third Grandfather touch his chin sheepishly and shake his head gently. "That won't do. You're getting old; you should eat less sweets."

"Oh, you don't know this, but the pastries Xiao Ning makes aren't sweet at all." Third Master looked at Old Madam Ning, then at Xue Mu, "Isn't that right?"

"Yes!" Madam Ning was quite certain of this. "Not only is it not sweet, but it's also different from the pastries sold outside. Many pastries outside are full of oil and sugar, but Xiao Ran's pastries are very refreshing and don't have that heavy taste, so they are easy to eat." She took a sip of tea. "That's why most of the people who like her skills are young ladies from wealthy families who care about their figures."

“Okay, this is one I like too.” Chu Han looked at Xue Mu, smiled, and said, “Don’t be surprised. Please let Miss Ning meet me. I’m eager to try Miss Ning’s cooking.”

"Yes!"

Xue Mu bowed to Chu Han and Madam Ning, then went to the backyard to invite Sister Ning.

Sister Ning didn't come alone; she was accompanied by Ning Cheng, Xiao Fengqi, and Qi Zhifeng, who had been with her the whole time. Behind them were several little girls, each carrying a tray with small boxes of different colors on it. Xue Ruitian clung to Song Yaojia's shoulder, staring longingly at them.

Everyone thought that after Sister Ning and her entourage greeted Third Master, Old Madam Ning, and Chu Han, they could taste the new products. Unexpectedly, when Xiao Fengqi and Qi Zhifeng saw Chu Han, they were so surprised that they took several steps back, their faces showing disbelief.

"What? Don't you recognize me after all these years?" Chu Han touched his face. "I don't think I've changed much!"

Xiao Fengqi and Qi Zhifeng exchanged a glance, and at the same time did something that made everyone present drop their jaws.

The two of them immediately knelt down and kowtowed to Chu Han, calling him "benefactor." Their sudden action caught everyone off guard. Shen Cha, who was drinking tea, couldn't help but spit it out when she saw them doing this. Fortunately, Jin Miaomiao and Xue Ruitian beside her managed to dodge in time, preventing any innocent bystanders from being affected.

"What's wrong with Xiao Cha?" Chu Han heard Shen Cha coughing violently and quickly came over to check on her. "Are you alright?"

"No!" Shen Cha coughed and waved her hand. "I just choked!" She looked at Chu Han, then at Qi Zhifeng and Xiao Fengqi who were still kneeling, and asked in a low voice, "These two..."

"Oh, it's nothing. I just saved them once when they were little." After confirming that Shen Cha was indeed alright, Chu Han went back to his seat. Before sitting down, he helped Xiao Fengqi and Qi Zhifeng up and told them to sit with Shen Cha. "Kids should play with other kids. They don't need to stand in front of us." He patted their shoulders. "They're waiting for you to answer their questions!"

Xiao Fengqi and Qi Zhifeng turned around to look at Shen Cha and the others, then bowed to Chu Han, Third Master, and Old Madam Ning, nodded to Sister Ning and Ning Cheng, and went directly to Shen Cha's side.

"Please sit wherever you like!"

Shen Cha glanced at Mei Lin, who then walked over, poured tea for the two of them, and silently took two steps back.

"What do you want to ask?" Xiao Fengqi took a sip of tea and glanced at the group of people staring at him expectantly. "Who is that?"

“A relative,” Shen Cha said before the others, “Our old man is always traveling and we don’t see him often. Little Tian only met him when he was very young.”

"Hmm!" Xue Ruitian nodded, glancing at Song Yaojia and Xia Chen who had come closer. "We only run into each other occasionally. This person is so elusive, when did you two run into him?"

“That was many years ago.” Xiao Fengqi calculated, “It must have been about twelve or thirteen years ago. I was still young then, and Xiao Feng was even younger.”

"Twelve or thirteen years ago, wasn't little Qi just a baby? About the same age as Sister Ning's child?" Shen Cha looked at the aggrieved Qi Zhifeng and chuckled, "What's with that expression?"

"It's only been a few days, and my sister isn't as close to me anymore!" Qi Zhifeng looked at the distance between himself and Shen Cha. "We're so far apart."

"I've just recovered from my illness, and I don't know if I might make you sick too, so let's keep a little distance!" Shen Cha smiled. "To be able to save your lives when you were so young..." She frowned slightly, "Did you encounter a kidnapper?"

"The General truly lives up to his name; his strikes were absolutely brilliant." Qi Zhifeng gave Shen Cha a thumbs up. "Sister, you're amazing."

"Did you really encounter kidnappers?" Upon receiving confirmation, Shen Cha frowned slightly, her expression turning somewhat grim. "Kidnappers actually made a move in Linhuang Prefecture? And they even kidnapped members of the Xiao and Qi families! Don't they have a death wish?"

“The General is right, so it’s impossible for this to happen without an inside man.” Xiao Fengqi sighed and said, “To be precise, we were both betrayed by people in the manor, which is why we were able to run into the kidnappers so accurately and let them get their hands on us so easily. However, those kidnappers had only led us a short distance out of Linhuang Manor when we met our benefactor.”