Chapter 9: Old Shanghai Smoked Fish

Chapter 9 Old Shanghai Smoked Fish

"Sir, what brings you back?" Yun Fan was somewhat surprised; he had originally planned to handle the old steward on his own.

Wen Zhaofu told everyone to sit down: "No need to rush, Xiao Yun. Speak slowly, otherwise Uncle Cheng won't understand."

The old butler took a deep breath—it was true. He had only caught the gist of Yun Fan's chatter.

Seeing Wen Zhaofu return, the old butler straightened his back, put his hands on his hips, and declared, "Regarding the clothing matter, if the Young Master agrees, then I agree."

"The other households really don't dress like you anymore?" Wen Zhaofu grew genuinely curious. It had been a long time since he visited the other families, so he wasn't up to date.

Liu Erxing nodded first: "Absolutely not. At Carp Pavilion, everyone wears hoodies. My honorary grandfather has always been pretty casual. Every time I come here, I feel like I've time-traveled."

"Rainbow Pavilion is the same. My mom just asks everyone to wear shirts," Cheng Yu chimed in. "She says tailcoats are inconvenient and just add to the cleaning difficulty."

"Aunt has always been good at budgeting," Wen Zhaofu said with a smile, then turned to Wen Haochen. "What about Father's place?"

"Oh, my mother doesn't like having too many people around. There are only four of us in total," Wen Haochen replied. "They just wear shirts and trousers, not those tailcoats."

The old butler opened his eyes wide: "They... they've actually become so disrespectful of rules?"

"Rules should serve people, not restrict them. If they don’t improve efficiency and instead cause inconvenience, then they’re not good rules," Yun Fan frowned.

Liu Erxing clapped his hands: "Uncle Cheng, the Qing Dynasty fell over a hundred years ago!"

The old butler blinked, not understanding how this had anything to do with the Qing Dynasty. He looked to Wen Zhaofu for help, hoping his employer, whom he served with all his might, would support him.

"Well, since everyone has already abandoned tailcoats, let’s just go with what’s comfortable," Wen Zhaofu said calmly. "Xiao Yun doesn’t have to wear them if he doesn’t want to. Uncle Cheng can wear them if he likes. The same goes for everyone else."

The chefs and others watching from nearby all gave a thumbs up. They had wanted to support Yun Fan but didn’t dare oppose the old butler, so they could only watch from afar.

The old butler was quite displeased, but since Wen Zhaofu had spoken, he didn't say anything more. Wen Zhaofu smiled, thinking the dispute was over, but neither Yun Fan nor the old butler showed any sign of moving.

"Alright, since the Young Master has spoken, I have nothing more to say," the old butler sat up straight again. "But I disagree with your proposal to change the meal times!"

"The doctor said eating on time every night is good for the Young Master’s leg recovery. Don’t you want the Young Master to be able to stand again?"

"Hey! Old man, you can’t just make things up," Liu Erxing started rolling up his sleeves, but Yun Fan quickly held him back.

"Uncle Cheng, look—Mr. Wen has to rush back for this meal time every day, possibly having to postpone work or hurry on the road. In just the few days I’ve been here, I’ve seen him come back out of breath several times. When people are tired, they lose their appetite and don’t eat well."

Yun Fan glanced at Wen Zhaofu and continued, "I asked Doctor Shi. His instructions are that every meal must be eaten. It’s better if it’s on time, but it’s okay if it’s not, as long as it’s not too late."

"Eating and living should be based on comfort, Uncle Cheng," Yun Fan felt he was speaking with great patience.

Wen Zhaofu frowned slightly. He realized Yun Fan’s real goal was here.

Yun Fan was afraid that if he only brought up changing dinner time, Wen Zhaofu might think it was just for his own benefit and wouldn’t agree to have so many people accommodate him.

But by tying it to the clothing issue, the meaning changed entirely.

In that moment, Wen Zhaofu had a strong feeling that Yun Fan was caring for him.

"Besides, with a bit more flexibility, the kitchen can relax too. Eating is important, but it shouldn’t be a task. We should all feel at ease."

Chef Man nodded repeatedly, tightening his grip on his chef’s hat, hoping Wen Zhaofu would agree.

The kitten in Cheng Yu’s arms let out a "meow." He stood up: "Lege is hungry. I’ll take him back."

Wen Zhaofu let out a long sigh and smiled at the old butler: "Uncle Cheng, I’ve always been sorry about all the concern you've shown for my health. Now Doctor Shi says I’m much better. Why don’t we all relax a little?"

With those words, the matter was settled. The old butler opened his eyes wide, his face full of disbelief. He turned sharply to look at Yun Fan but didn’t see any triumphant expression on his face.

Yun Fan just blinked, pursed his lips, and relaxed his shoulders.

How strange, the old butler wondered. Was this utterly unremarkable Yun Fan really just not taking his work seriously and not trying to steal his head butler position?

But why did Wen Zhaofu seem happier the more Yun Fan broke the rules?

*

Yun Fan wasn’t deliberately trying to oppose the old butler; he just couldn’t stand seeing people uncomfortable. Moreover, breaking rules, in the old butler’s eyes, was irresponsible toward the butler role, which aligned with Yun Fan’s carefree approach.

But why did Wen Zhaofu always support him?

It wasn’t hard to understand—Wen Zhaofu was uncomfortable. As a big boss, others might think he could do whatever he wanted, but from Yun Fan’s observation, he wasn’t the type to make requests based on his own preferences.

Since he wouldn’t speak up, Yun Fan would do it for him.

Chef Man made a dish of Old Shanghai-style smoked fish and asked Yun Fan to deliver it to Cheng Yu. The smoked fish required marinating, frying, and soaking in sauce, with both crispiness and a wine aroma. A small plate demanded great effort.

"I saved some for you," Chef Man said with a raised eyebrow. "Come back to eat."

Yun Fan immediately broke into a broad smile: "Thank you, Chef Man!"

Rainbow Pavilion was due south of Taiping Qingshui Residence and belonged to Cheng Bixia, the eldest daughter of the main branch. She was Cheng Yu’s mother, who had lived abroad in her early years and returned to Hong Kong only in the last decade.

It was quite a distance from Langyun Terrace to Rainbow Pavilion. Yun Fan, carrying an insulated lunchbox, was breathing heavily from the walk. He looked at the small box in his hand, feeling its fancy decorations added unnecessary weight.

But there was no helping it—everything in a wealthy family was so extravagant.

Yun Fan didn’t have much trouble finding Cheng Yu, who was playing with a cat in the garden. On the emerald green lawn, a small white cat ran around, like something out of a painting.

"Young Master Cheng," Yun Fan called out.

Cheng Yu straightened up and looked over in surprise. Yun Fan raised the box in his hand: "I brought you some smoked fish, made by Chef Man."

"Zhao Fu is always so thoughtful," Cheng Yu smiled. "Thank you for coming all this way."

Yun Fan replied: "No need to be polite. How’s the lawsuit progressing?"

Cheng Yu glanced at him: "I’m returning to Shanghai tomorrow with the lawyer Zhao Fu arranged for me. I think winning shouldn't be a problem."

"I’ve seen cases where after breakups people fight over cats and dogs, but this is the first time I’ve seen it go to court," Yun Fan said with a laugh.

"You probably think I’m unreasonable too," Cheng Yu said. Dressed in casual clothes and without glasses, he appeared more relaxed.

Yun Fan shook his head: "Everyone has their own limits and things they insist on. There’s no right or wrong. I just hope you achieve what you wish for."

Cheng Yu widened his eyes slightly, staring fixedly at Yun Fan. Even his mother, who usually supported him, had called him unreasonable this time. As he himself said, most people who heard about this thought it was absurd.

"Maybe this cat gave you a lot of happiness, or it helps you remember happier times," Yun Fan nodded. "So I understand you."

"The former," Cheng Yu said firmly. "There’s nothing worth remembering about that jerk."

Yun Fan laughed out loud, tilting his head back slightly, his hair swaying in the wind. His bright laughter reached Cheng Yu’s heart, quietly untangling his gloomy mood.

"Has anyone ever told you…" Cheng Yu's words were cut off by a loud voice.

He had been about to say, "Yun Fan, you’re very good-looking." This compliment from a top-tier judge of appearances was rarely given out.

No chance to say it now. Cheng Yu pouted and glanced at Liu Erxing.

"I'm heading off, the car's fixed." Liu Erxing waved at them. "Yu Bro, come find me to hang out when you have time."

"Busy, maybe later," Cheng Yu said with a polite smile.

Liu Erxing nudged Yun Fan in the back with his elbow. "How about you?"

Yun Fan raised his eyebrows and shrugged. "It's not up to me. You'll have to ask Zhao Fu."

"Just talk to him, he'll agree." Liu Erxing laughed, then turned and noticed Cheng Yu giving him a meaningful look.

"How much for the sledgehammer again?" Liu Erxing avoided Cheng Yu's gaze and turned back to Yun Fan.

Yun Fan narrowed his eyes, knowing he was exchanging their code phrase again, and replied with a smile, "Eighty, the sledgehammer's eighty."

"You're one of us!" Liu Erxing patted his shoulder. "I'm off! I'll be back."

"I never wanted to come here before—it felt stuffy. But now that Little Cloud's here, I think it's pretty interesting."

"Right, Cheng Yu?"

Without waiting for Cheng Yu's reply, Liu Erxing walked off with long strides just like when he came. Cheng Yu smiled and tilted his head at Yun Fan.

Yun Fan thought that once they all left, his life might finally return to peace.

These Four Kings... they're actually not bad.

Author's Note:

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Oh you, dear Little Cloud, everything is just getting started [covering face and peeking][covering face and peeking].