The Plough

it 'quickly.' I don't even eat this much at home.”

Ling Yao chuckled, “That's different.
You're our guest, so we have to make sure you feel welcome.
Come on, sit down, don't be polite.
Eat more.
If you don't eat enough today, I won't let you go out!”

Yue Dingtang originally hadn't planned to stay for dinner, but Ling Yao was insistent, and Ling Shu had not yet given him a final reply regarding Du Yunning's case.
He agreed and removed his coat and scarf.

Without a word, the old servant immediately came to take it away and promised to return it before the guest left.

The servants for the wealthy were rarely as meticulous and sharp-eyed as this, and an attentive person could easily see the former glory of the Ling family from these details.

Yue Dingtang's eyes fell on the dining table where the old servant had placed his coat.
Inadvertently, he noticed that the corner of the table was badly worn and a piece of paper was stuffed between one of the table legs.

Ling Yao was a good cook.
Yue Dingtang had eaten at the Ling family before, and she had cooked the meal herself.
The long-forgotten familiar taste, combined with Ling Yao's enthusiasm, was enough to offset Ling Shu's negative indifference.

’

“Dingtang, where are you working now?”

Ling Yao served him a bowl of chicken soup and asked casually.

Yue Dingtang: “I'm teaching law at the university, mainly teaching the history of Western legal systems.”

Ling Yao's eyes lit up: “It's a good job, decent and leisurely.
Are there a lot of knowledgeable female teachers at the school?”

Yue Dingtang: “There are a few, but not many.”

Ling Shu felt uneasy: “It seems like someone is knocking at the door, I'll go see.”

“Sit down!”

Ling Yao shouted, giving Ling Shu a paralyzing spell, and then smiled and looked at Yue Dingtang.

“What kind of girls are they? Are any of them unmarried? You and Ling Shu are old classmates.
I don’t have any other requirements for him, only hoping he will get married soon.
The woman doesn't have to be wealthy, as long as she is of good character and her family background is clean.”

“Ling Shu isn't like you.
He's always running errands at the police station.
All his colleagues are men, and the only women he sees are suspects.
It's hard to expect him to find someone on his own.
If he waits until he's thirty, he'll be a bachelor!”

Ling Shu let out a helpless sigh: “Sis, can you at least let the guest eat a meal in peace, don't scare him away!”

Yue Dingtang said, “It's alright.
There aren't many female teachers of the appropriate age at school, but my third elder sister knows a lot of people, I'll ask her to keep an eye out for us.”

Ling Yao smiled, her eyes and brows both lifting, and nodded in agreement.

“Dingtang, you're so outstanding, you must have gotten married already, right? When should we have the newlyweds over for a meal? Sis doesn't have much else to offer, but my cooking skills are still impressive.”

Yue Dingtang laughed: “Not yet, my family isn't in a rush.”

Ling Shu seized the opportunity: “Sis, look at him, he hasn't gotten married yet and you're asking him to help me find someone? That's like asking a blind man to light a lamp!”

Ling Yao sighed: “You're such an outstanding person, there must be someone willing to pursue you.
They'll be queuing up from outside the city walls to the North of the Su River.
Unlike Ling Shu, I'm afraid no one would even take him if he shouted from the streets.”

Ling Shu: ……

’

Yue Dingtang, as if the firewood wasn't burning hot enough, consoled her: “Maybe Ling Shu has a girlfriend outside and just hasn't told you.
Sis, don't worry too much, these things should sort themselves out.”

Ling Yao rolled her eyes: “Him? As long as he doesn’t bring home a dancer one day asking to marry her, I'll thank the Heavens!”

Ling Shu couldn't help but comment: “You said last time that as long as I was willing to marry, you'd even accept a dancer.”

Ling Yao gave him a stern look.

The topic ended, and after a few moments of silence–

“Dingtang, you've been overseas for a few years, why haven't we heard from you since then?”

“I stayed in France for three years, and then traveled around Europe for another two, visiting several countries.”

“So you can speak all the languages of Europe then?”

Yue Dingtang calmly said, “Not really, I can speak English and French fluently, but I can only say a few phrases in Russian and Spanish.
After returning, I almost forgot them since there isn't the same language environment.”

Ling Yao said, “That's amazing.
No wonder you can teach in college.
Our Ling Shu can't even speak a few sentences of foreign language up to now.”

Ling Shu: …

Finally, he understood that Yue Dingtang was the “exceptionally brilliant child next door”.
As long as he was there, it was doomed that he couldn't have a peaceful meal.

“Big sister, you can't say that.
We have been speaking Chinese since we were young, so it's natural that we would feel uncomfortable suddenly going abroad.
I have seen people who have stayed abroad for several years, but still can't speak a foreign language, and still stammer when they meet foreigners.”

Yue Dingtang eased the situation in time.

“You are right, but after all, they are both abroad.
You should compare the good ones, not the bad ones.
If Ling Shu can have half of your ability, I wouldn't have to worry so much.”

Ling Yao looked at him, and when she did, her face lit up, her voice softened, in stark contrast to when she faced her younger brother.

“Ling Shu was very outstanding when he was studying.
Now, everyone's post-graduation experiences and directions are different.
With Ling Shu's ability, he will surely have a bright future soon.”

Yue Dingtang comforted and looked at Ling Shu, who had a face of despair, feeling quite good.