Chapter 142: A Gathering in the Small Courtyard (Part II)

Su Fang hadn't eaten much earlier and was feeling hungry now. Hearing Su Nanxing’s words, he asked, "Hot pot? Is that what sister-in-law mentioned last time?"

Seeing the look of anticipation on his face, Su Nanxing replied, "Go and call Su Pei over as well."

Su Fang stammered, "Seventeenth brother, I don't want to go."

"Then help me set up a table."

Su Nanxing stepped into the main room and instructed, "Go and invite the Twenty-second young master; tell him we are having hot pot."

Amber acknowledged the order and left Star-Gathering Courtyard.

Su Nanxing picked up a twig and drew a circle on the ground, then drew a smaller circle in the middle. "Make a round table just like this, with a large hole in the center to hold the pot."

Su Fang looked at the diagram and asked, "How big is the pot?"

Su Nanxing brought out a yin-yang hot pot. Su Fang measured it with his hands, pulled out a few wooden boards, and began tinkering. Soon, a round table was finished.

Su Nanxing inspected it and praised Su Fang, "Your carpentry skills are truly impressive!"

Su Fang wiped his hands and said, "I just love doing these things."

Su Nanxing patted him on the shoulder. "In the future, if you work with Mingming, you will definitely be able to put your talents to good use."

Su Nanxing moved the table into the living room, walked around it, and realized there was no suitable stove. He headed into the bedroom. "Wife, we don't have a proper stove!"

"I brought an induction cooker." Tao Ming was staring at the bed canopy, lost in thought. Hearing Su Nanxing, she sat up and took out the induction cooker.

Su Nanxing took it and looked it over. "The solar panels on the roof won't be enough to power this, will they?"

Tao Ming was uncertain. "It should be fine, right? I remember buying a 3,000-watt one."

"Then let's give it a try." Su Nanxing knelt to help Tao Ming with her shoes, then led her out of the bedroom.

When Su Fang saw Tao Ming, he looked at her with admiration. "Sister-in-law is mighty!"

"Mighty?" Tao Ming laughed.

"You just gave Su Xi a good lesson! It was so satisfying! She’s always bullying me!"

Tao Ming realized that was what he meant and smiled. "Well, if people don't offend me, I don't offend them. Did anything happen after we left?"

"Sister-in-law, shortly after you left, Si Qi came in and whispered something to Mother. Mother then left with the Tenth and Fifteenth sisters, so we naturally dispersed." Su Fang glanced at Su Nanxing. "Later, I saw Nanny Wu, who serves Qiao Qingyao, coming out of Wei Xiang Courtyard. It’s likely Qiao Qingyao had business with Mother."

Tao Ming, seeing Su Nanxing busy with the induction cooker, asked in a low voice, "Are you very close with Qiao Qingyao?"

Su Fang shook his head. "She has always been arrogant and never says a word to me. But everyone in the Imperial City knows she is infatuated with Seventeenth brother."

"Why is that? There are other young masters in the Su family who are just as outstanding as Nanxing." Tao Ming felt that the Eighth brother, Su Cang, was even better-looking than Su Nanxing.

"Who can explain such things?" Su Fang thought to himself, *Why doesn't anyone look at me like that?*

Seeing Su Fang’s melancholy expression, Tao Ming said, "That’s true, just like how your brother insisted on marrying me."

As they spoke, Su Pei entered the main room of Star-Gathering Courtyard. Seeing Su Fang and Tao Ming chatting, he walked over and sat down, saying, "Sister-in-law, you were truly domineering today."

Tao Ming was even more amused. "Why are you saying that too?"

Su Pei wore an expression of having been avenged. "I’ve long found Su Xi to be an eyesore!"

"Alright, what did she do to make you all hold such a grudge?"

Su Pei seemed to recall some unpleasant memories. "Better not mention embarrassing things, but it was really satisfying to see sister-in-law put her in her place today."

Su Fang glanced at Su Nanxing, and seeing he wasn't paying attention, whispered, "Sister-in-law, I just heard that Qiao Qingyao invited Su Feng and Su Xi to a lotus-viewing banquet tomorrow. They say you were invited too. Is that true?"

Tao Ming nodded. "I was indeed invited, but I find it quite strange. Why would she invite me?"

"Qiao Qingyao has invited all the unmarried young ladies from the top ten prominent families in the Imperial City."

Tao Ming was surprised. "Unmarried young ladies? I don't think I count, do I?"

Su Fang interjected, "You and Seventeenth brother haven't signed the marriage contract yet, so you barely qualify as unmarried."

Tao Ming curled her lips. "She isn't planning to humiliate me tomorrow, is she?"

Su Fang looked serious. "Sister-in-law, Qiao Qingyao is not as easy to deal with as she looks. You must be careful."

"Can I choose not to go?" Tao Ming felt a bit nervous.

Su Nanxing walked over at that moment. "You cannot. If you don't go, you will offend not just her, but all the other noble ladies as well."

"What kind of logic is that?" Tao Ming couldn't grasp these complex social circles.

Su Nanxing saw Su Fang and Su Pei looking strange and asked, "Are the two of you talking behind my back?"

"No, absolutely not," they both shook their heads in unison.

Su Nanxing pulled Tao Ming up. "Let's eat, it's ready."

The round table was more than enough for six people, especially with two children included.

Su Fang and Su Pei looked at the novel stove and ingredients, unsure of how to begin. Tao Ming demonstrated how to mix the dipping sauce, and the two of them ate with satisfied expressions.

The yin-yang pot had one red side and one white side. Soon, the red half began to boil, sending up steam.

Tao Ming poured in a plate of lamb, waited a moment, picked it up, and put it in a bowl. "Su Fang, Su Pei, do you two want to try?"

The two of them mimicked Tao Ming, picked up the lamb, dipped it in the sauce, and stuffed it into their mouths regardless of the heat, chewing until their eyes watered.

Su Fang swallowed with a "hiss" and immediately picked up another chopstick full.

Tao Ming pulled out two cans of beer, opened them, and handed them over. "Drink something to cool down."

Su Nanxing cautioned Tao Ming, "You can't drink alcohol; you might be pregnant."

Tao Ming had no choice but to drink Bingfeng soda with Ruan Ruan and Nuo Nuo.

Ruan Ruan watched the lamb in Tao Ming's bowl longingly. "Mom, why does the spicy side always boil first?"

"Because there is a layer of oil on top of the spicy side, which holds heat better."

Ruan Ruan poked at the sauce in her bowl, waiting to eat meat. "What does 'holding heat' mean?"

"It means that layer of oil is like a pot lid, keeping the heat trapped inside."

Ruan Ruan pointed to the white broth and asked, "Then why don't we put a lid on this side?"

Tao Ming patted Ruan Ruan’s head. "That makes sense! Half a lid sounds quite interesting."

Su Fang took a sip of beer, not quite used to it, and looked at the orange cans in the hands of the three of them. "Sister-in-law, what are you drinking?"

Ruan Ruan replied, "Bingfeng, it's sweet."

Tao Ming handed Su Fang a can of Bingfeng and added the slogan: "I've been drinking it since I was little!"

Su Fang took a sip, his eyes squinting. "Delicious."

Su Pei also asked for a can and sipped it happily.

After eating for a while, Su Fang looked at the bubbling red broth and asked, "Sister-in-law, is this food from the other world?"

Su Nanxing smiled. "Mingming and I had this on our first date."

Ruan Ruan said indignantly, "Dad! You two went for hot pot and didn't take me!"

Tao Ming choked on her drink and coughed. Su Nanxing went behind her to pat her back. "Are you okay?"

Tao Ming shook her head. Once she recovered, she comforted Ruan Ruan, "Little treasure, next time we have hot pot, we will definitely bring you and Nuo Nuo, okay?"

Ruan Ruan thought for a moment and replied, "You have to make up for the ones we missed."

Su Fang added, "Include me when you make up for them."

After the meal, Su Fang and Su Pei bid farewell. Su Nanxing helped the two little ones wash up, and the family of four locked the door and went to sleep.

Tao Ming told a story, and the two little ones quickly fell asleep.

Su Nanxing pulled Tao Ming into his arms. "Sleep."

"Are you going to be so well-behaved?"

"I have always been well-behaved."