Chapter 44: Peach Blossoms and Flowing Water, Fat Mandarin Fish (Part 2)

  I put down the wontons, and Ma Ershao said with a smile: "So fragrant!" He also walked over with a drooling face, his triangular eyes staring at me fixedly: "Oh, Mei Cai has become more and more beautiful in recent years. A few years ago she was still a little yellow-haired girl, but now that she's grown up, she's got some color to her. I'll talk to your parents about it, Ma Ershao wants to take you as a personal maid for San Niangniang, your parents will be so happy they won't be able to sleep."

  I quickly said: "Mei Cai is here on behalf of her parents and also wants to take over the dessert shop, thank you for your kindness, Second Master Ma."

  "Hey, you poor thing, don't you know your own worth? You're just a small-time shopkeeper, and yet you still think about finding a husband? Instead of struggling to make ends meet with some future poor husband, why not sign a contract with me and get a few more silver coins for your family? Once you enter the Ma household, I'll definitely pamper you."

  "Second Master, you don't know that Xiaoyu is the most favored one. People are afraid to even mention her name in case it gets ruined, and they're scared to hold her in their hands in case she gets hurt. You just opened your mouth, but it's like asking them to give up their precious pearl. The Mei family only has this one daughter, and even if the Second Master's family is wealthy and influential, they still wouldn't be willing to part with her. It's better to forget about it."

  "Hmph, Second Young Master was just joking, teasing this little girl for fun. Could it be that he really took it seriously?" Second Young Master snorted: "Even the firewood-carrying girls in our household are more delicate than her, and she can't even step into the back courtyard of our mansion."

  I hastily said: "Mei Cai is from a humble background and naturally unsophisticated, I really don't dare to be on an equal footing with the Second Young Master's family."

  Ma Ershao wanted to say something else, but Yu Xi hurriedly interrupted him, fearing that he would hurt someone with his harsh words: "Nowadays, everyone on Zi Yu Street is talking about how you personally saw a fish that can talk. Is it true?"

  "That's natural!" Ma Ershao heard it and widened his eyes, standing up straight: "I'm telling you the truth, I saw it with my own eyes, it really happened!"

  I saw Ma Er Xiao was full of enthusiasm, obviously wanting to continue boasting, so I quickly concentrated and perked up my ears to listen carefully to what he had to say. [Hot updates are fast, the website page is clean and has few ads, I love this kind of website, must give a good review]

  "Where did you meet the young master?" Yu Xi hurriedly asked.

  "Isn't it the Rouge River!" Ma Ershao clapped his hands and said mysteriously, "You don't know that a while ago, my fifth wife had heart palpitations and went to the temple to burn incense and pray, and only then did she get a secret recipe. It said that in the spring, fish caught by her husband's own hands would be made into soup, and in three to five days, she would recover. You also don't know that my fifth wife is usually gentle as water and doesn't like to fight for favor or eat vinegar. She's the apple of Ma Ershao's eye. As soon as she heard there was a solution, I immediately dropped everything and hired a boat to go up the Rouge River."

  "Oh, Yu Xiao is indeed a considerate person!" Yu Xi said with a smile: "Working hard for the sake of beauty."

  "You're also the red beauty of Second Master, hehehe..." Second Master continued: "The scenery of Rouge River has always been pleasant, I thought it would be nice to take a trip out. Fourth Auntie has been cold-shouldering me for these few days, and I'm not very happy about it. To win her favor, I took her along, but didn't expect that this trip would scare my delicate Fourth Auntie half to death."

  "Could it be that the talking fish also saw Fourth Wife?" asked Yu Xi hurriedly.

  "Really isn't it!" Ma Ershao clicked his yellow teeth and said with a start, "That fish, you can't guess where I saw it!"

  "The fish, of course, are in the water." Yu Xi said with a smile: "No matter how strange the fish is, it can't fly in mid-air under the bright sky!"

  "Ah, beautiful girl!" Ma Ershao slapped the table: "You are indeed clever and resourceful, a female Zhuge! That fish has flown right into my boat cabin!"

  "Dragonfly? I'm afraid that fish has also become a spirit, and it can talk and fly. How rare." Yu Xi's eyes also showed curiosity.

  "Isn't that so!" Ma Ershao lowered his voice: "Actually, who wants to personally scoop up the fish? The fishing net is smelly and dirty, Second Master doesn't even want to touch it. It's just a formality, thinking of having fun on the water, letting the boatman casually scoop one up to get by, Fifth Auntie doesn't know the inside story, still grateful and delighted, happily drinking it down. After all, it's spring fish, who scoops it up is the same? That's why Second Master has been in the cabin, the cabin has a small window, and the fish just swam straight in from that small window!"

  Yu Xi and I listened with even greater interest, and Yu Xi urged him to continue: "What kind of fish was it? What did it look like when it was born?"

  Ma Shi couldn't help but feel proud that his story was so well-received, and continued: "I'm afraid if I tell you, you'll be scared to death! That fish was over four feet long, quite a size, but what's more, where the fish head should have been, there was actually a human head! With eyes like bronze bells, whiskers and hair slightly raised, nostrils flaring, it looked just like a heroic figure.

  Yu Xi's face turned pale and she couldn't speak a word, involuntarily taking in a cold breath.

  Ma Ershao smiled and said, "At that time, the fourth aunt saw it, and she was so scared that her eyes rolled back, and she fainted. I, Ma Ershao, have a strong heart and wasn't affected by it."

  I have serious doubts about the truth of his boastful words.

  Yu Xiujing was still in a state of shock and hastily asked, "Second Master indeed has an extraordinary bearing, to be so fearless in the face of danger, it's truly admirable."

  Second Master Ma smiled and said, "A small matter, all these are small matters! Second Master saw the fish jumping in, puffed out his cheeks, and was still flapping around. He shouted, "Who are you, a monster from where? How dare you disturb Second Master? Quickly report your name!" Unexpectedly, the fish-headed man saw Second Master's majestic appearance and also knew how to behave, his courage broken, he replied, "I am an acquaintance of yours from a past life, I didn't mean to disturb you, but in the water, I sensed that you are radiant with glory, now truly a god-like person shining brightly. That's why I dared to come forward and pay my respects."

  "I didn't expect Second Young Master Wei's prestige to be so intimidating, even that person is so afraid." Yu Xi young lady flattered.

  "That's natural!" Ma Erxiao said with a smile: "I asked him, 'You demon dare to call yourself my acquaintance from past life, how bold! What are you doing in this Rouge River, come and tell me!' The man hastily replied, 'If the young master doesn't believe me, I'll ask, does the young master have a crimson birthmark three inches below his navel?' At that time, I was stunned. The mark on my body, except for a group of aunties, only my deceased mother and nanny knew."

  As he spoke, Ma Ershao casually lifted his robe, revealing a dark-haired belly with an egg-shaped crimson mark on it.

  Yu Xi exclaimed with her hand covering her mouth: "That fish seems to have some divine power! I wonder if that mark has anything to do with its past life?"