Cute Wife Gourmet

Chapter 35 Your Young Master

As soon as Ye Jiayao left Wei's mansion, she inquired about the location of Daming Lake. It is located to the east of Jinan city, but it is not called Daming Lake but Lianzi Lake, named after the lotus flowers planted all over the lake. It is also called Lixia Bo because it is under Mount Li. No matter what it is called, the lake is still the same lake, and the scenery is still beautiful. As the saying goes: lotus flowers on four sides and willows on three sides, half of the city is covered with spring scenery and lake.

Today the sun is shining, the lake is clear and blue, and the willow trees are shady. Walking by the lake with the warm breeze blowing on your face is very pleasant and pleasing to the eye. It's a pity that the lotus flowers in the lake are not in full bloom yet, so you can't see the spectacular scenery of the ten-mile lotus pond.

There were many tourists paddling in small boats on the lake, which looked very pleasant. Ye Jiayao ran to the pier. There was only one small boat left. She asked the price and found out that it cost two hundred copper coins to rent a small boat.

Ye Jiayao couldn't help but hold her purse tightly. She didn't have much money, and the little money she had wasn't even enough to go to Jinling, let alone have any spare money for a boat trip.

However, after coming here with great difficulty, I just walked along the shore and felt a little unwilling that I didn't even go to the Pavilion in the Center of the Lake.

"Boatman, can you make it cheaper? I won't be playing for long." Ye Jiayao negotiated with the boatman.

The boatman looked at her with squinted eyes, and then said impatiently: "If you want to rent it, rent it. If not, go away and don't block my business."

Ye Jiayao still couldn't make up her mind, so she took out two hundred copper coins and asked shamelessly, "Then boatman, can I find someone to share the rent with?"

The boatman didn't even look at her: "The starting price is two hundred copper coins, no negotiation, add one hundred for each additional person."

Bah, you're just a broken boat, do you know how many meat buns you can buy with 200 copper coins? A full 100 of them, enough to make you die of stuffing. You're even more evil and cruel than the bandits in Black Wind Hill.

"Boatman, go to the island in the middle of the lake..." A young man in fancy clothes came over and wanted to board the boat without asking the price.

The boatman immediately greeted him with a smile: "Sir, be careful, your feet may slip."

"Hey, I rented this boat first, you can't snatch it away!" Seeing that the last boat was gone, Ye Jiayao hurriedly grabbed the boy.

The young man turned around and narrowed his long and narrow eyes. He glanced at Ye Jiayao and shook off her hand in disdain: "You rented it first? Then why don't you get on the boat?"

The boatman was afraid that his business would be ruined by this poor boy, so he hurriedly asked, "Who said I rented my boat to you? Can you afford it?"

Ye Jiayao just couldn't stand this kind of snobbery. Damn it, you don't fight for bread, but for your reputation. Mom, cough cough, I'm going to fight with you today.

"Who said I can't afford the rent? Open your eyes and take a good look." Ye Jiayao took out a handful of silver and waved it in front of the boatman.

The boatman didn't care about this little bit of silver at all, and rented it to him for a maximum of 200 copper coins. If he rented it to that noble young man, he might even get a reward.

"You've been haggling for so long over two hundred copper coins. If you don't want to spend any, just stand on the shore and watch. Sir, please come in." The boatman bowed to the young man.

Ye Jiayao stood in front of them, with her hands on her hips, and said angrily: "How do you do business as a boatman? Everything is based on first come first served. I didn't say I don't want to rent it. Is there a sign on your boat that says no bargaining or hesitation? Or is it because he wears better clothes than me and looks richer than me? Do you know what you are calling this? You are a snob. If you don't rent the boat to me today, believe it or not, I will overturn your boat."

The boatman was stunned. He didn't expect this poor boy to be so arrogant. Nowadays, scoundrels are afraid of arrogant people, and arrogant people are afraid of those who don't care about their lives. In business, harmony brings wealth. If the poor boy insists on picking on him, it will be really troublesome.

"Forget it, forget it, you guys form a team and get on the boat together."

The nobleman said disdainfully: "I like someone, so let's put it this way, I'll rent the boat to whoever offers the highest price."

The boatman was overjoyed: "That's great."

Ye Jiayao finally managed to scare the boatman, but this stinky boy is causing trouble again. Damn, isn't he just a rich second-generation? Is it a big deal to be rich? If I hadn't fallen on hard times, I wouldn't be any worse than you. Ye Jiayao leaned over to the young master and sniffed: "Why is it so smelly?"

The nobleman was immediately annoyed: "What did you say?"

Ye Jiayao rolled her eyes: "I said you reek of money, but you look quite handsome. Why do you say things like a fat-headed person with nothing but money in his stomach?"

"You kid, do you know who I am? You are so bold to insult me." The young master's face turned red.

Ye Jiayao didn't take it seriously and boarded the boat leisurely: "I don't care who you are. I've rented this boat anyway, and I don't want to be on the same boat with anyone! It's so much more comfortable to be alone."

I thought to myself: Judging from his Wu accent, he must be from another place. I’m going to leave after swimming in the lake anyway, so I’m not afraid of you at all!
"Boatman, start the boat."

The young master was dumbfounded. The boat was just stolen like that?

"Hey, let's go together. The boat fare is half each." The young man jumped onto the boat and landed steadily next to Ye Jiayao.

The boat shook and Ye Jiayao lost her balance before she sat down. In panic, she grabbed the young master's sleeve.

"Bah..."

There was only the sound of tearing cloth, and a cut was made on the young master's shoulder.

"Let go, you little brat. You've torn my clothes." The young master was furious and pushed Ye Jiayao away with force.

"Who told you to jump up suddenly? Do you think this is land?" Ye Jiayao pulled his sleeve tightly, and the two of them struggled together, and the boat shook more and more violently.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't do this, the boat is going to capsize." said the boatman anxiously.

"Bah..."

There was another hissing sound, and Ye Jiayao fell onto the boat, pulling herself up by one of her sleeves.

The young man's face turned green when he looked at his torn clothes.

Ye Jiayao was also stunned. Damn, this material looks good, but why is it so fragile? It breaks when it is torn. It is really useless. "Give it back... give it back to you." Ye Jiayao got up, patted her butt, and returned the sleeve to the young master.

The nobleman took the sleeve and threw it into the water, glaring at Ye Jiayao with gritted teeth: "What do you say? This is the finest Hangzhou silk, Yunshuibi, which can't be bought for a hundred taels a piece."

Ye Jiayao curled her lips and said, "You still have the nerve to ask me what to do? If you hadn't jumped up rashly, would I have held you back? What if I fell into the water without holding you back? What if I drowned? Can you afford the compensation? I haven't even asked you for compensation for mental damages yet!"

The boatman was afraid that the two would quarrel and get off the boat, so he rowed the boat quickly and pushed away from the river bank.

The young master was so furious when he saw the boy's rogue look, which said "come and bite me if you are not satisfied" that he thought he had met the god of plague.

"Hey, we agreed that each of us will pay half of the boat fare!" Ye Jiayao didn't care whether he was angry or not. He asked for it. The serious matter was to finalize the boat fare first.

The young master snorted angrily, glared at Ye Jiayao fiercely, sat down and ignored her.

This episode did not affect Ye Jiayao's mood of enjoying the beautiful scenery at all. After all, it was not her clothes that were torn, and she also saved fifty copper coins. Why should she be unhappy?

"Wow, there are so many fish, and even golden carp..."

"Wow, it's a water bird, boatman, what is this bird called?"

Ye Jiayao was chattering excitedly.

The boatman rowed the boat and said lazily, "It's a egret."

"A line of egrets flying in the blue sky? How beautiful..." Ye Jiayao sighed, finally seeing the egrets in the poem.

The nobleman glanced at Ye Jiayao with disdain, thinking that she was a rogue who was not afraid of anything and was trying to imitate a scholar in reciting poems. What a pretentious person.

"Hey, boatman, I heard that this lake has four wonders: frogs don't croak, snakes are hard to find, the lake never gets wet during droughts, and the lake never rises during rains. I know why the last three are, but why the frogs don't croak?" Ye Jiayao asked.

The boatman said in disbelief: "I have been making a living on the lake for more than 20 years, and I still don't know what's going on. Why don't you tell me why snakes are hard to find, why the water doesn't rise after a long drought, and why the water doesn't rise after a long rain?"

Ye Jiayao said proudly, "What's the benefit if I tell you? How about you charge me fifty less copper coins for solving a puzzle?"

The boatman shut up tactfully. How could his curiosity be compared with real gold and silver?

But the nobleman who was sulking nearby was aroused by his curiosity.

"You said that, that makes sense, I'll pay for your boat trip."

Ye Jiayao suddenly felt that this young man was still somewhat cute. If it were that stupid donkey, he would never fall into the trap so easily.

"If you treat me to a meal when we get to the island, I'll tell you." Ye Jiayao is best at pressing for more. If she doesn't try to extort money from someone, she's a fool. She heard that there are several special foods on the island, and things in the scenic area are always very expensive. She's short of money, so she wants to spend frugally.

The nobleman said angrily, "You speak first."

Ye Jiayao smiled and said, "Look at the birds on the lake. Aren't there a lot of them?"

The nobleman raised an eyebrow: "What does this have to do with anything?"

Ye Jiayao said, "Why is it okay? Don't you know that many birds don't just eat fish in the water, they also catch insects and snakes? There are so many birds here, so insects and snakes naturally have a hard time surviving."

The nobleman frowned and thought for a while, then said reluctantly, "You are right."

Ye Jiayao curled her lips: "That's how it is."

Damn, in my previous life, I made a travel guide specifically for visiting Daming Lake. I know about the attractions, customs, food culture, and allusions and legends here.

"Then how do you explain the lack of river water during a long period of rain, and the lack of river water during a long period of drought?" the young master asked curiously.

Ye Jiayao kept it a secret: "This is a rather profound explanation, I don't know if you can understand it."

The nobleman sneered, "Are you bragging?"

Ye Jiayao wrinkled her nose and explained, "The lake doesn't rise when it rains for a long time because there are many outlets for water in this lake, so any amount of water can be drained out in time. As for the lake not rising when it's dry for a long time, it's because the bottom of the lake is a piece of fine-grained igneous rock, and it's difficult for the water to seep in. Do you understand?"

The nobleman said awkwardly, "Who knows if you are just making it up."

Ye Jiayao snorted: "Believe it or not, the average person wouldn't understand this."

"Boatman, is what he said right?" The young man went to ask the boatman.

The boatman said blankly: "It seems to make sense."

He didn't know what that igneous rock was, but seeing that what the poor boy said sounded very plausible, he decided to believe him.

"How is it? How is it? You pay the boat fare and treat me to something delicious." Ye Jiayao said with a smile.

The young master rolled his eyes. He was worried now. How could he have the nerve to go to the island for a trip in such tattered clothes?
(End of this chapter)