Crossing Over to Yamada Love

Upon hearing Xue Lingyun's words, Mo Lan smiled at him and said, "I'm not a gentleman to begin with. If you're not a gentleman, are you blind too? I'm a young lady, and I have nothing to do with being a gentleman." After she finished speaking, she turned around, meaning to make Xue Lingyun see clearly that she was a woman, not a gentleman.

Xue Lingyun was speechless. It was just a slip of the tongue. He had never won an argument with this girl, but he still enjoyed it. What could he do? He liked her.

Xue Lingfeng stared at Mo Lan, listening to their argument. He wasn't in a particularly good mood. On the contrary, Xue Lingyun had his mother's support, while his mother seemed to be trying to make him back down.

Her mother and that woman were at odds and couldn't get along. Her mother always felt that the woman had stolen her father and ruined her and her life, so she didn't have a good impression of the Wang family. Apart from the old Marquis, she didn't like anyone else. Now that she learned that Mo Lan's grandmother was the old Marquis's sister, she should have been happy. But in this way, Mo Lan's grandmother also became that woman's aunt. Seeing that woman's warm way of calling her "aunt" made her feel disgusted.

These past few days, Madam Xue had been pondering whether Mo Lan would become close to that woman if she became her daughter-in-law. The thought of her becoming relatives with that woman made Madam Xue uncomfortable, so when she met Xue Lingfeng, her words implied disapproval. With Dong Mei stirring things up, Madam Xue's doubts deepened, and her good impression of Mo Lan was significantly diminished.

Xue Lingfeng understood his mother's thoughts. He had tried to persuade her twice and expressed his own feelings, stating that he and Mo Lan had pledged their lives to each other and that he would not change his mind. However, his mother was unable to accept this and couldn't change her mind. He couldn't be as forceful as he would be with outsiders. She was his mother, and he didn't want to hurt her. Being too forceful would backfire, so Xue Lingfeng was still somewhat troubled.

Mo Lan was unaware that the two Madam Xues' attitudes had changed. In her heart, Xue Lingfeng was her boyfriend and future husband, while Xue Lingyun was a good friend of the opposite sex, someone she could talk to and help each other with, but nothing more.

"The Marquis wants to take us to the capital," Mo Lan said suddenly after a moment of contemplation.

The two Xue brothers exchanged a glance; this wasn't unexpected. The Marquis felt indebted to his sister and wanted to make amends, so he would definitely bring them to the capital. But what about Lanlan? Would she want to stay in the capital?

"Grandma and I have discussed it, and we don't want to go to the capital right now. After my sister's wedding is over, and Erlang's autumn exam is coming up soon, then it will be September. We'd like to go to the capital then. But we won't go with the whole family, and we won't stay for long. After all, this is our home. Going to the capital is just to accompany Grandma to see her family and fulfill her wish." Mo Lan didn't hide anything and told her the answer she had discussed with her grandmother.

"I'll go with you." Xue Lingfeng didn't say much more. His words conveyed his meaning: he wouldn't let Mo Lan stay alone in the capital. He had to stay by her side.

“I’ll go too. My maternal grandfather just wrote to say he misses me and wants me to go to the capital to see him. Lanlan, then I can go to the manor with you.” Xue Lingyun wasn’t going to be outdone and said he would go as well. He had even thought of an excuse.

"Why are you all getting involved? Why are you going everywhere? I'm not going to get lost, and I'm not going to never come back. Besides, I have Little Fatty in the capital; he can show me around sometime." Mo Lan glanced at the two of them. What's with all this arguing?

“I haven’t seen Lao Shi for a long time either. It’s perfect timing, since we’re coming to the capital this time, we can get together again. It’s settled, let’s go together.” Xue Lingyun pretended not to understand Mo Lan’s meaning. On the contrary, Mo Lan’s words made him really miss Xiao Shi.

Xue Lingfeng didn't say anything, but he told Mo Lan with his eyes that he would definitely go.

"Alright, go if you want. There are definitely more things in the capital than in Shangchang. We'll go and take a look around when the time comes, and see if there's anything new or interesting. Then we'll have business to do again." Mo Lan stopped worrying about it. It was good that they went; they could accompany her, and she wouldn't have to worry about safety or going out. She could also take a good look around the capital and see if there was anything suitable to do. When the time came, she would come up with ideas, and Xue Lingfeng and the old Marquis would provide the funds. The Wang family and Xue Lingfeng's people would run the business together, and she would take some of the profits. When her family had more money, she would set up a school in the manor, hire a few teachers, and let children over six years old come to study. It would be a good deed.

"That's a great idea! Count me in when it's time, I'll pay for it," Xue Lingyun quickly chimed in.

"Aren't you afraid of losing money? Aren't you afraid I'll sell you off?" Mo Lan asked him, amused.

"What are you afraid of? Do you think you can lose money on what you've done? You have no idea how much money the Xue family has made from those fresh foods and barbecues, and they even received praise from the Emperor. It's a pity we didn't get any of these good things." Xue Lingyun said with dissatisfaction. The Xue family in the capital treated the people from the Xue family ancestral home quite well. Even Xiao Shi was valued by them. But he and his fifth brother didn't get any benefits.

Mo Lan's eyes flickered. She had long anticipated the Xue family's wealth, but she wasn't jealous. Making big money was a matter of personal choice. Someone like her, without power or influence, was already facing so much trouble just opening a steamed bun shop in the manor; in the capital, it was simply unthinkable. She'd have to close down within two days. So, she wasn't envious of others making big money.

"Okay, we'll see when the time comes," Mo Lan said with a smile.

The three chatted for a while longer before the Xue brothers went to say goodbye to the old Marquis.

Lying on the kang that night, Madam Wang pondered for a while and said to Mo Lan, "Girl, you should come with me to the capital. My two elder brothers are blood relatives and have been very good to me. But what about others? There are many things to do in the mansion, and I'm afraid they might have some opinions. We won't be staying for long either. It will be easier for just the two of us to go, and it will be convenient for us to travel back and forth."

“Grandma is right. We shouldn’t go with so many people, lest they think we’re going there to seek refuge. We’ll stay for a few days and then come back. As long as we don’t try to take advantage of them, they probably won’t give us a hard time.” Mo Lan knew her grandmother’s concerns were valid. There were definitely many people at the Marquis’s residence, and they wouldn’t have any affection for her grandmother. They would think of her as a poor relative, and even if they didn’t say it, they would dislike her. Therefore, they couldn’t stay too long and risk becoming disliked.

"Well, Lan'er, why don't you draw a design and make a screen for your great-aunt? We don't have anything valuable, but the screen you embroidered is quite unique. It'll be presentable and a good gift for your great-aunt." Madam Wang thought that if she made the cross-stitch Mo Lan made into a screen and brought it over as a gift, she certainly wouldn't be criticized.

“Okay, I’ll think of a good design and draw it out. Aunt and sister can both embroider, so let’s finish two and take them with us. One for each of our two great-uncles.” Mo Lan nodded in agreement.

"Okay, go to sleep. We still need to buy fish early tomorrow morning. Your great-uncle likes to eat fish, so cook him a few different kinds. I think he likes your cooking, saying it's better than your mother's." Wang said with a smile.

Actually, Lan Yatou doesn't cook very often. She only cooks when she's learning something new. Once her two daughters-in-law have mastered it, she stops cooking and starts thinking about other things. The other day, she personally cooked some dishes, and her older brother said they were quite good. Since then, Lan Yatou has to cook two dishes every day, which makes her daughters-in-law complain every time, saying they don't know what's so good about it and want to try it. But Lan Yatou's dishes are all eaten by her older brother, the Xue brothers, or Mingda, and her daughters-in-law still haven't tasted them. They still don't know what's so good about them.

"Hey, I won't make boiled fish for my great-uncle. His stomach is recovering, so he can't eat anything so spicy. I'll go with Dad early tomorrow morning. There's plenty of fish now, so I'll pick out some good ones to cook, and we'll have a whole fish feast." Mo Lan agreed. There were quite a few kinds of fish here, and they weren't polluted, so they were quite delicious. She planned to cook several different kinds of fish every day.

"Alright, alright, Grandma will also try Lan's whole fish feast." Madam Wang grinned.

The next day at dawn, Mo Lan got up and dressed. Wang Shi combed her hair, and she and Mo Changhe ate something before leaving in a carriage. This carriage belonged to the old Marquis, and the driver was also brought from the capital by the old Marquis. There was another carriage behind them, with a servant and a guard on board to help them.

Upon arriving in town, they went straight to the fish market. There were many fish vendors, some with shops, some with stalls, and some with a large wooden basin or bucket in front of them. These were usually fish caught by their own families, and they sold whatever they caught.

Mo Lan meant to buy a few carp, stew them, and eat them. But Mo Lan shook her head, saying there were many other delicious fish. It couldn't be that simple.

She looked at each shop, selecting carefully. In her previous life, the "Three Flowers and Five Delicacies" of Heilongjiang were very famous. Among the Three Flowers, the Ao Flower was the most delicious, so she was looking for the Ao Flower.

Suddenly her eyes lit up, and she looked at it carefully. The fish had a long, flat, round body, a pointed head, a large mouth, and large eyes. Its body was a bluish-green color with a metallic sheen. There were irregular black spots on the sides of its body, and it was covered with small, fine scales. Its tail fin was truncated, and the front half of its dorsal fin was very hard, while the back half was soft.

Mo Lan smiled. "That's it! This is the Ao Hua. I've eaten it several times in my past life. The taste of Ao Hua is extremely delicious."

She recalled the sayings people had about mandarin fish: it was said to contain protein, fat, and many nutrients; its flesh was tender and easily digestible; it was beneficial for children, the elderly, and those with weak constitutions or poor digestion, as it could replenish their energy without causing digestive problems. Such a fish would be perfect for the old Marquis.

Furthermore, mandarin fish has the effect of "treating tuberculosis worms," ​​which means it is beneficial for the recovery of tuberculosis patients.

Mandarin fish meat is low in calories and rich in antioxidants, making it an excellent choice for women who love delicious food, want to maintain their beauty, and are afraid of gaining weight.

Therefore, this flower is not only delicious, but it can also nourish the spleen and stomach for the old Marquis, making it the most suitable food for him.