Favoring the concubine and killing the wife? She divorced the concubine and lived with her concubine

A piece of nonsense:

Work has been incredibly busy lately, leaving me feeling bald and down every day. My writing is a complete mess. I'm frustrated by the already dismal data, but I can't bear to part with the people I've written about. Fortunately, the weekend is here, so I'll quickly write something to ease my inner frustration.

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Xiao Xuan returned to the upper room of Baixiang Tower, ordered some side dishes and a pot of warm wine, told the waiter not to disturb him, and closed the door.

The dishes were delicious. He felt that the pig's trotter soup at Baixianglou was more flavorful than that at Miweixuan. It was not heavily spiced, but lacked the fishy smell of pig's trotters. Each mouthful was full of fatty aroma, while the soup was refreshing and not sticky. It was truly a skillful preparation. After drinking a pot of warm wine, he couldn't help but feel happy.

The Xiao family's uncle and aunt were already very wary of him, and would definitely put pressure on Xiao Lan. After all, the Xiao family had a precedent of women running the family, so it wasn't a big deal. As a grandson born to a concubine, he simply couldn't stand up to the status of a wealthy family.

But it didn't matter. Unlike his father, he didn't care about his birth. At least he was his parents' only son. Moreover, if one had something to rely on, he wouldn't care about these illusory things.

He walked to his desk, spread out a piece of white paper, picked up a brush, and without a moment's thought, began to write. His handwriting was beautiful, his strokes powerful but not arrogant.

This letter is so kind! I have thought deeply about it and have not forgotten it. Things are going well here for now, and I hope I can return home to spend the New Year. I hope you are well and await my return.

When I don't see you for a day, I miss you like crazy. When will I see you again to comfort my wandering mind?

If you have a letter to write back to me, please send it to Baixiang Tower in South City.

Just as he put pen to paper and was about to call the waiter to mail the letter, he heard a knock at the door.

"Sir, there's a letter for you!"

"A letter?" Xiao Xuan was puzzled. The previous letter should not have arrived yet, so how could there be a reply so soon?

When I opened the door, the waiter handed me a letter. It was actually just a piece of paper in an envelope. The envelope was not even sealed, which meant that the person who delivered the letter was still watching it.

He looked down from the third floor and found no one he knew. Puzzled, he did not waste any time. He thanked the clerk, sealed the envelope and mailed it before opening this one.

"At the hour of Xu, we gather in the elegant room of Miweixuan." The signature is a kite drawn with just a few strokes.

Xiao Xuan looked at the familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar handwriting, feeling both happy and surprised!

Before the hour of Xu, Xiao Xuan arrived at Miweixuan early.

Today's Miweixuan is different from the past. It is deserted. Since the last rat infestation, they have not yet obtained the documents for reopening, so there are no customers even during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Xiao Xuan was looking at the tightly closed door, hesitating, when he heard a noise from inside and an older shopkeeper came out to greet him.

"Mr. Xiao, please come in. The master has been waiting for a long time!"

Xiao Xuan paused, then stepped into the room.

There was no one in the hall on the first floor of the restaurant, but the lights were on, the tabletops were wiped clean, and the tableware was neatly placed on the large and small tables, as if the restaurant was ready to welcome guests.

Xiao Xuan looked up at the second floor, where Fan Zhixing was leaning over the railing to look at him.

"Master Xuan, long time no see!"

"Uncle Fan!"

Fan Zhixing had been with Xiao Xuan's father since he could remember. He wasn't just a servant, but a friend. Xiao Xuan's father, Xiao Zongwen, called him "brother," so Xiao Xuan always called him "Uncle Fan."

The two are not relatives.

It was said that Fan Zhixing had been beaten half to death in the woods by someone, and Xiao Xuan's grandmother had rescued him and raised him. Xiao Zongwen and Fan Zhixing were as close as brothers. Xiao Xuan had originally called him Second Uncle, but he wasn't used to it, so he changed it to Uncle Fan. He had no idea why he wasn't used to the one-character difference.

"Come up quickly, I made some dishes you like!" Fan Zhixing looked very happy and even came down the stairs to greet him.

Xiao Xuan hurried forward, met the person halfway, and followed him into the private room.

There was a table full of fine wine and delicious food in the private room. They were all the dishes that Xiao Xuan loved to eat when he was a child, including sweet and sour pork ribs, honey-glazed lotus root, bamboo shoots and bacon, and sweet-scented osmanthus wine that was warmed and the aroma lingered.

"Uncle Fan, I haven't seen you in years! I didn't expect you to open Miweixuan in South City?"

"Yes, it's probably been seven or eight years, right? I went back once during the Chinese New Year a few years ago, but I didn't see you!" Fan Zhixing personally filled Xiao Xuan's glass with wine, his eyes full of doting. "Your father said that you are now very capable and travel around everywhere. Is it difficult to see you?"

"No!" Xiao Xuan held the cup in both hands. "I've been in Beidu for over three years and haven't left yet. You're too busy to go back and see me!" Putting down the cup, he looked up at Fan Zhixing, still puzzled. "How did Uncle Fan know I was here? Did my father write you a letter?"

"Yes, you insisted on going ahead, so I asked you to see if I could run into you so I could take care of you."

"Why do I need help? I'm fine. I lived here at Miweixuan for the past few days, but then there was a rat infestation..." Xiao Xuan said this, picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs and put it in his mouth. He savored it carefully, his eyes lighting up. "Made with plums? It tastes just like when I was a kid! I've ordered this dish here before, and it wasn't prepared this way."

"Well, people in every place have different tastes. People here like salty and fresh food, and don't like strong sour and sweet food, so we don't use the old method. I think it tastes better this way!" Fan Zhixing also ate a piece and was quite satisfied with his cooking skills.

"Uncle Fan, your cooking skills are still the same as before. If you were still a chef, I would be able to recognize you by just one dish!"

At that time, Xiao Xuan's grandmother was having a hard time in South City, so she took Xiao Zongshan and Fan Zhixing all the way north to return to her mother's home. She opened a small restaurant and barely made ends meet.

Who would have thought that Fan Zhixing actually had some skills and the food he cooked was delicious, sometimes even better than what Xiao Xuan's grandmother cooked. Over time, he became the chef of that small restaurant.

Gradually, his reputation spread and the business grew. Xiao Zongshan's restaurant business also gradually improved. His family no longer had to worry about food and clothing. He even bought a large courtyard and opened many branches. However, he only stayed in the north and never returned to the south city.

"I was busy with other things before and had no time to come back, otherwise I would have recognized you in the crowd at a glance. Come on, you are a grown-up now, not the kid who got drunk after one glass of wine before. Let's have a few more drinks today, uncle and nephew!" The two drank one glass and filled another.

Fan Zhixing picked up another piece of bacon for Xiao Xuan and said, "Try it and see if it's like what your grandmother made!"

Xiao Xuan picked it up and tasted it carefully. "Hmm? It lacks a bit of smoky flavor?"

"Ah, you finally found out! This meat is indeed not smoked enough. But don't worry, I still have to smoke it slowly and make it taste the way you like it!"

Xiao Zongwen had also suffered a lot of injustice, so he was very strict with Xiao Xuan. Every word and action was required of him, as expected of a young master. He didn't tolerate any violation of etiquette or any unbridled behavior. Therefore, Xiao Xuan was always tense in front of them.

But Uncle Fan was different. He would secretly take him out to fly kites, rob bird nests, and swim in the river. Xiao Xuan's mother passed away early, and Xiao Zongwen didn't want to miss her by looking at her belongings, so there was nothing of Xiao Xuan's mother's at home. Only Uncle Fan would secretly help him take a portrait from the bottom of the box and tell him it was his mother.

Later, both of them were punished by Xiao Zongwen, one was punished to copy books, and the other was punished to cut meat. Those days were the happiest time of Xiao Xuan's childhood, until Uncle Fan passed away for unknown reasons, leaving Xiao Xuan sad for a long time.