Chapter 298 — Guan Xuemin's Selfish Motives

Guan Xin was born into a family of physicians, a household of scholars. The Guan family of today could stand nearly shoulder to shoulder with the great clans, yet Guan Xin had never picked up a single bad habit of a rich young miss. Her parents were busy with work; though her father was a shareholder in the hospital, his company was in another city, and he and her mother could scarcely find time to come home even once. Having grown up at her grandfather's side, Guan Xin learned early to tidy the house, to wash clothes and cook. She kept the whole household in perfect order. Though the housekeeper, Liu Ma, was there, whenever Guan Xin came home she would always help Liu Ma bustle about, never once idle. Her skill in the kitchen was nothing short of transcendent; in the medical college's family quarters she was hailed as the universe's supreme, invincible little kitchen goddess. Any dish Guan Xin cooked would draw her grandfather's old friends shamelessly over to mooch a meal. Gentle and refined, at home in the parlor and the kitchen alike, Guan Xin naturally became the object of admiration for the boys her age in the medical college's family quarters. But the Guan family's discipline was strict: no romance before graduation, which made her suitors shrink back. Guan Xin, however, went straight from graduation into society and work—only by then Guan Xuemin's fame had grown greater and greater, and those old friends who once came seeking a match mentioned the matter less and less. Guan Xuemin's prestige could now stand on equal footing with those great clans. Whether Guan Xin would marry into a wealthy house, these people could not know, but given her type—a good wife and loving mother—she was absolutely the first choice for a daughter-in-law of a grand family. With fewer marriage proposals coming, Guan Xin actually breathed a sigh of relief. She had only just graduated, her career not yet made; what mind did she have for romance? But no mind or not, sometimes when love comes, nothing can hold it back. When Guan Xin began to feel something for Wei Zhao, even she found it baffling and unbelievable. It was the first time she had ever taken a liking to a boy; before this, Guan Xin had even wondered whether something was wrong with her orientation. Perhaps her psychological development was simply late? Guan Xin consoled herself. Yet she felt that between her and Wei Zhao there was likely no possibility anymore. She had entertained fantasies, but reality was, after all, reality. The first time she saw Tang Yun, Guan Xin chose to flee. Yet after fleeing, she could not help wanting to see Wei Zhao again—a somewhat contradictory state of mind, knowing it was impossible, yet still hoping to meet. Like a moth to flame, somewhat foolish and irrational, but beyond control. "Xin-xin, do you want Liu Ma to help?" Liu Ma's voice rang out from outside the kitchen. Liu Ma had finished tidying the house and had come to the kitchen to help Guan Xin. "No need, I can manage on my own." Guan Xin flatly refused Liu Ma's help—she absolutely could not let Liu Ma come over, or her secret in the cooking would be seen, and Liu Ma would surely stop her from her mischief. Hearing Guan Xin's refusal, Liu Ma thought nothing of it. She knew that tonight Old Master Guan meant to introduce a young man of outstanding talent to Guan Xin, and she assumed Guan Xin had taken a fancy to him and wanted to show off, to display her invincible culinary skill. If someone were helping at her side, how could Guan Xin's standing as the universe's supreme, invincible little kitchen goddess shine through? It must be said, Guan Xin's cooking was truly superb. Even though the seasonings went in in wild confusion, dish after dish of fragrant, colorful, tasteless, unpalatable delicacies came to the table in procession! Without tasting a bite, judging by appearance alone, one would absolutely drool—color and aroma alike were superb. But one taste, and every dish turned out either too salty or too sour, or else too sweet; in short, not one had a normal flavor. Before taking each dish off the heat, Guan Xin would randomly add one more seasoning, and only then would it leave the wok. Watching Guan Xin bustle in and out, Guan Xuemin was delighted at heart. Such a virtuous, lovely, gentle, refined, well-read, and sensible granddaughter should surely make Wei Zhao linger and forget to leave, no? Then, if he came to their home a few more times, all those difficult medical questions of his could be answered one by one! And if he could become his granddaughter's husband, the Guan family could be assured of a hundred years of flourishing prosperity! Though the Guan family's present standing could rival the great clans, and even the heads of those clans treated the Guans with great respect, Guan Xuemin knew very well that it was all because of him! He was Doctor Guan, and so they elevated the Guan family's status. Everyone has their day of birth, aging, sickness, and death; to know a divine physician was to have a guarantee for one's life—this too was why the Guan family's standing had risen so swiftly these past years. But once the day came when Guan Xuemin was gone, the Guan family's standing would plummet. A Guan family without its divine physician would be no different from any ordinary minor clan. Though Guan Xuemin was not the sort to care about fame and profit, he could not help planning for his children and grandchildren. Especially this granddaughter—Guan Xuemin worried all the more. Finding her a good home had become the burden on his mind. Seeing Wei Zhao, Guan Xuemin thought of Guan Xin. If his granddaughter truly could be with Wei Zhao, the Guan family's prestige would not decline with his passing, but would advance another step! Guan Xuemin knew very well—what sort of divine physician was he? Wei Zhao was the one! And twenty years ago, that divine physician he had met... that was a true divine physician! His eldest son's family had already settled in Yanjing, living in comfort and wealth. His younger son and daughter-in-law were busy with business in another city, and only their daughter Guan Xin remained at his side. As for his two sons' lives, Guan Xuemin had nothing to fret over. The eldest son had little ability; he had merely borrowed Guan Xuemin's connections to make a good deal of money over the years, enough to support his family for a lifetime. For this eldest son, Guan Xuemin held little affection. Having tasted life in high society, the man was unwilling to return to this small place, Songshan, and came back only once a year at the festivals, which disappointed Guan Xuemin greatly. The younger son came back often and was upright by nature, only a little rigid. In business he relied on his own ability and never once traded on Guan Xuemin's name outside. By rights, with such a temperament, without background or backing, the younger son should have suffered in society—but his luck was good. In his early years he had met a benefactor, a legendary figure with connections reaching every corner. Sadly, this man too had vanished from everyone's sight in the same year as the divine physician who had once guided Guan Xuemin, becoming a legend... "Xin-xin, no need to cook so many dishes! Enough to eat is fine!" Watching his granddaughter run back and forth, bustling about, preparing a table of fine delicacies, Guan Xuemin grew a little puzzled. Had his granddaughter truly grown up? Had she begun to care about her own lifelong matter, wanting to show herself off before this young man of outstanding talent? "Oh... almost done, there is still one sweet-and-sour carp, it will be out of the wok any moment!" Guan Xin said with a smile, while secretly thinking: sweet-and-sour carp? I will let that young man of outstanding talent taste sweet-and-sour mustard carp.