The 16th episode of bitter flesh drama

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  Shandong people are warm and hospitable, Cheng Yaojin is a typical Shandong person.

  After seeing off Xu Sanmao, Cheng Yaojin asked the housekeeper to prepare dinner and personally took Ao Wu and others to their rooms.

  At this time, everyone's worries about Cheng Mu's illness were lifted, and they also had the mind to notice other details.

  Kao Wu walked among several people, and being a head taller made him stand out.

  Even a tall and majestic Cheng Yaojin would be half a head shorter than Ao Wu, such a height would have an astonishing and extraordinary feeling, it's strange if it doesn't attract other people's attention!

  "Ah Wu, it's only been two days since we last met, how did you grow so tall?" Zhong Shen Yi reached out to touch his head, saying with a puzzled tone.

  Zhong Qing had thought that Ao Wu seemed slightly taller than her when they were riding horses, but now that they were standing together, he was actually a whole head taller than her, which really did seem strange.

  I thought Ao Wu's height was always like that, but now Cheng Yaojin heard Zhong Shenyi's words and realized he had suddenly grown taller, and curiously looked at him.

  Xiucai's figure was originally a bit thin, but not to the point of being pitied. However, his sudden increase in height made him look even thinner, which was also why Cheng Yaowen felt sorry for him earlier.

  I don't know the reason either! I can only use a few foolish house slaves' words to answer you. "Maybe it's because his neck was strangled and his bones were stretched."

  This explanation is too far-fetched and all three listeners felt a bit dizzy.

  "Really?"

  "Huh, I don't know either. I just ran away from the mountain bandits and suddenly became a hero!" Ao Wu shrugged his shoulders and spread out his hands as he spoke.

  Bell Doctor didn't make things difficult for him and said: "It's possible that he really hurt his neck, go back and rub some of the medicine from home on it!"

  The Zhong family only had a single daughter, and Master Physician Zhong was still very satisfied with this son-in-law, treating him like half a son. Seeing that he was injured, he was still very concerned.

  "Qing'er, I have something unclear," said Zhong Shenyi in a low voice.

  Zhong Qing had been frowning since she came out just now, as if there was something unhappy.

  "Hmm?" Jing's beautiful eyes blinked, "What's up?"

  Zhong Shenyi deliberately fell back two steps and pulled away from Ao Wu, but only two steps, Ao Wu could still hear what he wanted to hear.

  "As your father knows, Rich Young Master often comes to our house because of his friendship with Ah Wu. However, judging from your usual behavior, I thought you would come alone after what happened to your father. Why did you bring Rich Young Master along?" he asked in a low voice.

  Before, she was scolded by her mother-in-law for "not being a virtuous wife", and now hearing her father questioning herself, Zhong Qing's heart couldn't help but feel a bit depressed and wronged. However, she sat up straight and didn't care what others said. Now that her father asked, she explained: "Father is wrongly accusing me. When I took the Liaoren out, I met the rich young master, who said he had a relationship with Cheng Yuanwai and could come to plead with him. I was worried about Father, so I agreed. But fearing gossip, I had someone go up the mountain to call Lang Jun over together."

  "Oh, I see!" Zhong Shen Yi nodded in understanding.

  The two men in front, Ao Wu and Cheng Yaojin, were only two steps away, so they naturally heard their conversation. At this time, he also nodded slightly, it turned out to be the reason. Ao Wu thought that she brought up useless Xiucai to avoid suspicion.

  Jing Yong said in a low voice: "Zhong Niangzi is knowledgeable and courteous, just now I and my mother wronged her, Second Brother, accept this apology from me."

  Kao Wu smiled slightly. Since she could hear what Zhong Qing and the others were saying, she could naturally also hear Cheng Yaojin's words. This was her way of apologizing to Zhong Qing behind her back.

  It's not that I don't know my daughter, but I'm afraid Dr. Zhong had already guessed the reason for Zhong Qing's behavior and is now using her as a mouthpiece to say it out loud. Firstly, he wants to clear his daughter's name of the "unfilial" crime she committed earlier, and secondly, he intentionally wants Ao Wu to hear it, so that there won't be any jealousy between husband and wife. Especially since the rich second generation was targeting Ao Wu just now.

  Zhong Qing naturally also heard Cheng Yaojin's words, but wouldn't cover her ears like they did. Instead, she said to Cheng Yaojin in front of her: "Thank you, Brother Cheng, for understanding. It was just a small matter, not worth mentioning!"

  "Good! You're a straightforward and generous sister-in-law, not bothered by trivial matters. It's an honor for my second brother to have you as his wife!"

  But Zhong Qing heard this and glared at Ao Wu.

  It seems that there are still contradictions between the couple. As a big man, Cheng Yaojin naturally cannot intervene. He brought the three of them to a courtyard and arranged a room for Zhong Shenyi, and another room for Ao Wu and Zhong Qing.

  At this moment, Ao Wu's face was filled with a playful expression, while Zhong Qing felt somewhat uneasy.

  Kao Wu had long since realized that Zhong Qing was a virgin, meaning she had never consummated her marriage with the scholar. Now that they were in someone else's home sleeping in separate rooms, she couldn't speak out and also couldn't separate from him.

  Kao Wu didn't look at the entangled Zhong Qing, and followed Cheng Yaojin to the front of the main hall. Cheng Yaojin shouted: "Erdi, come out!"

  Cheng Erde walked out with a quivering face, and saw that he was now bare-chested, his clothes tied around his waist, revealing a dark and muscular body with small bulges of muscle. He was lean and robust. On his back were tied three or four rattan strips, and he walked to the front of Cheng Yaowen.

  "Kneel down." Cheng Yaojin ordered sternly.

  Cheng Erde thudded to the ground with a loud "thud" and knelt down.

  Cheng Yaojin looked at Ao Wu and said, "From now on, Brother Ao Wu is my second brother, the second master of the Cheng family. Don't you hurry up to pay your respects to Second Master!"

  In the end, he stretched out his big foot and kicked Cheng Erde with it.

  Cheng Erde hastily knelt down and turned around, shouting to Ao Wu: "Er De has seen Second Master, previously in Liangfu County I didn't recognize Second Master, I offended Second Master, please forgive me!"

  "Do you think that just by saying sorry, everything will be alright? What's the point of having me, Old Cheng, around then?" Cheng Yaojin's voice thundered out as he reached back and pulled out the rattan rod from behind Cheng Erde's back. The thick rod whipped down onto his back with a loud "crack", leaving an instant bloodstain on his dark skin. Cheng Erde let out a muffled groan, but remained kneeling in place without moving.

  "Big brother, don't hit anymore! Er De is saving his mother with all his might, I can understand!" Ao Wu said emotionally.

  Cheng Yaojin said: "No, this guy is not honest if he's not beaten, and my brother can also be provoked. He has really blinded his dog's eyes!"

  As he spoke, without leaving any strength in his hands, he fiercely whipped the back of Cheng Erde, slap slap slap, after three or five strokes, the rattan stick was broken by Cheng Yujin. He threw it aside and pulled out a new rattan stick from behind his back, continuing to whip.

  Bang bang bang, bang bang bang...

  Until he had flogged all the rattans on Cheng Erdi's back to pieces, Cheng Yajin stopped. He scolded Cheng Erdi, whose back was full of blood marks: "Don't you hurry up and thank Second Master?"

  Huh? Ao Wu didn't understand, after beating someone up, why would they still thank him?

  "Thank you, Second Master, for your kindness in pleading on our behalf!" Cheng Erde kowtowed and exclaimed: "Second Master repays grievances with virtue, I, Erde, admire you!"

  "Get up," said Ao Wu. "Although you're anxious to save your lord, it's not right to look down on others either. The person who can help you might be the one you least expect."

  "Yes, Second Brother will definitely remember." Cheng Erde said with a bow.

  "Second brother, you're absolutely right! You're indeed a scholar, your words are as beautiful as flowers, much more elegant than a rough fellow like me!... You damned Second De, from now on, learn from Second Master properly, get out of here quickly!"

  Cheng Erde responded with a grunt, using all four limbs to crawl out of the courtyard.

  "Second brother, don't bother with that servant. Come on, tonight I've prepared the best dog meat for us. We'll eat and drink to our heart's content!" Cheng Yaojin warmly pulled Ao Wu towards the hall.

  Kong Wu naturally knew that Cheng Yaojin was putting on a show for himself by beating up Cheng Erde, as he was now his mother's lifesaver, while Cheng Erde had previously humiliated him. So Cheng Yaojin wanted to return this favor to Kong Wu, otherwise the Cheng family would lose face and it would be like forgetting kindness and betraying righteousness, which would also create a rift between the Chengs and Kong Wu.

  However, Cheng Erde was a mid-level member of the Cheng family and could not be severely punished, lest he lose heart. Therefore, it was not good to hit him too heavily, nor was it good to hit him too lightly.

  Then Cheng Yaojin arranged this play, privately in front of Ao Wu's face, he whipped him severely, the stick was so thick that it saw blood, and gave Ao Wu enough face.

  However, those rattans were broken after being caned three to five times and were not durable. Although the caning on the back looked severe, the damage was not too great.

  Killing two birds with one stone, Cheng Yaojin's arrangement was very clever, rough but meticulous, indeed extraordinary.

  Although he knew it was a bitter meat show, Ao Wu didn't think Cheng Yaojin was hypocritical, but instead felt that he was a good person and admired him even more.

  After a while, the Zhong family father and daughter also came over. Cheng Yaojin ordered people to bring up dishes of meat, each person having a small table, with the same meat and vegetables on each one. This was an ancient style banquet where everyone sat on their knees.

  The fragrant dog meat on the table was the dog that had tripped up Madame Ching, and after being killed by Ching K'uei, since Madame Ching did not wake up, he left the dog meat behind without eating it. Now that Madame Ching has woken up, he is using the dog meat to thank his benefactor.

  Cheng Yaojin eating this dog meat is to avenge his mother, and Laozi following suit seems a bit suspicious of being an accomplice! Ao Wu couldn't help but think.

  "Take it away, I don't eat dog meat!" Zhong Qing covered her nose, slightly furrowed her eyebrows, and gently waved her hand at the Cheng family servant who was serving the dog meat.

  The people in Cheng's house were stunned and looked at Cheng Yaojin with difficulty.

  Jing Ke asked strangely: "Such delicious dog meat, why don't you eat it?"

  Zhong Qing's face showed a look of disgust, but she still maintained her politeness and said with a stifled expression: "I only eat vegetables, not meat."

  "Oh, Zhong Niangzi is really particular about it. Let's send the meat to Er Di. You're weak and should eat more." Cheng Yaojin smiled as he arranged for someone to bring the dog meat over to Ao Wu's table.

  Ao Wu took a look, on each person's table there was a clay pot of dog meat, a big fish with scallions, a chicken, a plate of mutton, a plate of small white vegetables, a plate of black soybean sprouts, and a small dish of garlic paste. There was more meat than vegetables. Now that Qiong Jing's dog meat had been moved to her own table, there were even fewer vegetables. Ao Wu picked up his own small white vegetables and said: "This dish is for Qing Niang."

  Zhong Qing pursed her lips, although she wasn't very willing to eat his dish, but since she had let him have the plate of meat, he gave her a plate of vegetables, which seemed only fair, so she accepted.

  Cheng Yaojin smiled and said: "Second brother and sister-in-law are really loving! Haha...... Everyone eat quickly, don't be polite!"

  After finishing, he picked up his chopsticks and scooped a large piece of dog meat from the ceramic jar. The oily dog meat dripped with thick gravy as it fell into the garlic paste dish. A layer of garlic paste was added to the surface of the dog meat. Cheng Yaojin opened his big mouth with its messy whiskers, and the dog meat was sent in. He immediately closed his mouth, and his cheeks began to bulge. With a "pfft" sound, the dog meat was too juicy, and as soon as his mouth moved, gravy sprayed out like an arrow flying out.

  Such a rough way of eating, if it were to fall on someone else, would be quite off-putting. However, with Chong Yujin, it gives people a natural feeling, as if he was meant to be this way. For a moment, Ao Wu felt that Chong Yujin's life was either too successful or too failed?

  However, his enthusiasm infected three guests, who openly followed him and started eating.

  The dog meat was eaten in two mouthfuls, and Cheng Yaojin picked up his wine cup and drank, saying: "Let's drink!"

  The wine was a turbid yellow liquor with floating particles. Ao Wu raised his cup and nodded to Cheng Yaojin and Zhong Shenyi, indicating that they should drink up. As the wine entered his mouth, he felt that its degree wasn't very high, less than 20 degrees, and it had a slightly sour taste. Although Ao Wu, who had traveled from a later era, didn't find the wine particularly delicious, he could still swallow it. In order not to disappoint the host's enthusiasm, he drained his cup to the last drop, without leaving a single drop behind.

  Jing Yong looked and his eyes showed appreciation, "Good, Second Brother has a good capacity for wine!"

  Zhong Shenyi and Zhong Qing found it somewhat strange how good his alcohol tolerance was?

  It suddenly occurred to him that Master Cheng was too enthusiastic and the scholar had been forced to drink. And so he felt relieved.

  After the banquet was over, Cheng Yaojin arranged for them to return to their rooms to rest. Ao Wu, with a strong smell of wine on him, followed Zhong Qing back to the same room.

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