Song Dynasty Dreams: Marrying Zhao Pan'er at the beginning

Chapter 16 Even When Beating a Dog, One Must Consider Its Master

“What are you stewing?” A passerby curiously asked Gao You.

Gao You glanced at him but didn’t recognize him, so he couldn’t be bothered to respond. The passerby was a little displeased at first, but upon realizing it was Gao You, he forced a sheepish smile and turned away. That was the advantage of playing dumb—no need for socializing.

So refreshing!

The pot was simmering with meat.

Time passed bit by bit. Around noon, Zhao Pan’er, Xiao Lingdang, and Sun Sanniang returned to the teahouse.

“Husband?”

Gao You stood up and looked at Zhao Pan’er. Zhao Pan’er sighed in frustration and slapped her forehead.

“Sorry, Gao Lang, we’re back late!”

“We arrived late this morning, and there were too many people in line!”

“You must be hungry, I’ll go prepare food right away!”

It’s just coming home late, what’s there to feel guilty about?

Gao You shook his head and pointed at the simmering pot.

“Smells so good!”

Xiao Lingdang quickly ran into the kitchen, stuck her nose over the lid, and took a deep sniff.

“Did brother-in-law make this?”

She looked at him as if she had just seen an alien. Gao You rolled his eyes at her, picked up his folding fan, and walked away.

“Brother-in-law can actually cook?”

Xiao Lingdang hurried back to Zhao Pan’er and Sun Sanniang.

Sun Sanniang chuckled and knocked on Xiao Lingdang’s head.

“Did you really think Gao You was a fool?”

“His intelligence is perfectly fine!”

“But what kind of meat did he stew? It smells amazing!”

Zhao Pan’er didn’t bother chatting with them and instead rushed into the kitchen to clean up the mess Gao You had left behind. Whenever he finished cooking, the kitchen basically needed a complete renovation.

“My knife!”

Sun Sanniang’s heart ached when she saw her kitchen knife being used to chop bones.

Zhao Pan’er smiled and comforted her.

“Knives are meant to be used!”

Sun Sanniang rolled her eyes.

“Pan’er, don’t play dumb!”

“This knife is specifically for slicing noodles!”

“How could he use it for chopping bones?”

Zhao Pan’er laughed.

“But Gao Lang doesn’t know that!”

“One shouldn’t be blamed for ignorance!”

The knife didn’t come with instructions, so they really couldn’t fault Gao You for it. Xiao Lingdang patted Sun Sanniang’s arm.

“At worst, just eat more meat later to make up for it!”

“Brother-in-law, what kind of meat did you stew? Why does it smell so good?”

Sun Sanniang ignored Xiao Lingdang and quickly prepared a few side dishes.

Before long, Gao You and the others were sitting in the teahouse’s main hall, enjoying lunch.

“Eating meat without inviting us?”

Ouyang Xu’s voice rang out, making everyone roll their eyes.

Why is this guy here again?

Didn’t he suffer enough humiliation yesterday? Does he crave even more?

Gao You glanced at Ouyang Xu, who had just entered. Behind him were Song Yinzhan and Yinping.

“Yinzhan?”

Sun Sanniang frowned at Song Yinzhan.

She was confused—why was Song Yinzhan with Ouyang Xu again?

Song Yinzhan scratched her head awkwardly.

“I was invited by the retired official, Lord Liu, this morning. Then I happened to run into him!”

“I swear, I didn’t deliberately stay with him!”

Ouyang Xu’s lips curled slightly.

“I was also invited by Lord Liu for a visit!”

“That’s how I happened to meet Yinzhan!”

“Worried that a delicate lady like her wouldn’t be safe, I personally escorted her!”

“I believe that in Qiantang, everyone from all walks of life would give me some respect!”

Was he showing off his official title and influence?

Zhao Pan’er and the others exchanged glances but didn’t bother responding.

Ouyang Xu, as if oblivious to the awkwardness, continued.

“It smells amazing!”

“Then I won’t stand on ceremony!”

He grabbed a bowl and chopsticks and sat directly next to Gao You. His shamelessness was reaching new heights! Gao You couldn’t be bothered to deal with him. He picked up a slice of aloe vera and ate it calmly.

“Gao You, get out here!”

Outside on the street, a rowdy group of people wielding sticks stormed towards them. Xiao Lingdang immediately grabbed a hidden wooden club, her voice tense, “Pan’er-jie!”

“They seem to be looking for brother-in-law!”

Zhao Pan’er frowned and looked at Gao You. But Gao You remained still, appearing completely indifferent.

“Let’s go out!”

Zhao Pan’er got up, ready to step outside with Xiao Lingdang.

If someone was coming to cause trouble for them, how could she let her husband handle it alone? Although Gao You preferred to laze around, he had an unyielding spirit and would never hide behind a woman.

“Wife!”

Gao You reached out and held Zhao Pan’er back. She knew he was worried about her and smiled to reassure him.

“It’s fine!”

“I’ve run this teahouse for so long. I’ve seen all kinds of things!”

“This is nothing—I can handle it!”

Gao You’s lips curled slightly as he gave Zhao Pan’er a reassuring look. The noisy crowd barged into the Zhao family’s teahouse. Neighbors, hearing the commotion, squeezed in to watch the drama unfold.

Gao You still didn’t bother standing up. He simply locked eyes with the intruders and spoke coldly, “What’s the matter?”

“Did you kill my dog?”

This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.

At the front of the group stood a middle-aged man in silk clothing, glaring at Gao You with a vicious expression.

Dog?

Xiao Lingdang leaned in close to Zhao Pan’er and whispered, “Did brother-in-law kill that big black dog from this morning?”

Zhao Pan’er examined the middle-aged man carefully and gasped.

It was indeed the owner of the big black dog—One of the most notorious local landlords in Qiantang, Wang Dashan.

His younger sister had married the magistrate of Liuzhou as a concubine, making him someone no one in Qiantang dared to offend.

Could it be that her husband really had killed that big black dog?

With Wang Dashan backed by the magistrate, he had always acted recklessly. Even though Gao You was from the prestigious Gao family, today’s trouble wouldn’t be easy to resolve.