The New Mistress Fuca: Part 4 Dinner and Diatribe
The first day of being the new Mistress Fuca moves swiftly, the day soon turning to night as the night brings forth unexpected company.
Warnings: None
A/N: Hey dudes, I'm back, yeah even I didn't think it'd happen, but yeah. Apologies for the extremely long wait. I don't know if there's anyone reading this anymore but I'll try to be more regular. Thanks for reading!
After parting from the little boy she turned to her husband, “He seems like a sweet boy.”
“Stay away from him, he doesn’t need to be distracted from his studies.” He stated harshly before stalking away.
Standing still, watching him walk away she merely tilted her head before straightening her spine before walking purposefully towards her quarters. ‘Fine, if he’s going to be so rude then I might as well ignore him.’
QingQing trailed behind her mistress in silence, wondering about the harsh exchange between the couple.
Once they reached her quarters, she ordered QingQing to fetch the ledgers that the Madam had sent her. Reading through the ledgers was a taxing task but once she completed going through the most recent ones, she told QingQing to gather the head-maids and the head-eunuchs.
The task was swiftly completed and a line of servants stood before her, heads bowed in respect.
“Good morning, everyone. You must be wondering why I have called you here.”
She was met with silence, before she continued, “I have been reading the household accounts and I must say, they’re extremely well-maintained. Which one of you wrote these accounts?”
“It was me, Young Mistress,” an old voice answered as one of the senior maids stepped forward.
“They’re very thorough, which I appreciate,” she said, motioning towards the maid who answered as QingQing delicately placed a piece of silver within the maid’s hands.
“Now, you must have heard that Madam Fuca has put me in-charge of the accounts for this month, so from now on you will report to me about any and all purchases made, even the smallest ones,” she said smiling, sipping on her tea before giving them more instructions and dismissing them.
Madam Fuca had been running the household with a lax hand, whereas Erqing though a tyrant, was adept at keeping the books in order, which made her work both easier and harder. The servants would now be cautious about what they did but on the other hand they’d be more honest in fear of being punished.
She sighed, leaning against her chair as she sipped her tea, planning what she’d do next.
~
The night came quickly as she found herself alone within their chambers. The room was cold and desolate, a pristine room with no inhabitants. She slowly entered the room, lighting the lamps as she smiled, settling before the small table in the center of the room, opening the dishes that QingQing had bought her from the kitchen.
A small feast of steamed tofu flavored with chicken broth, meat stewed with cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and a blend of herbs along with steamed bamboo shoots and jasmine rice spread over the table.
The mouth-watering scents wafted around the room, making her eager to dig in. She took a few bites of the meat and rice, the flavors tingled against her tastebuds as she took another bite from her portion. Her attention was quickly drawn away from her food when she heard the familiar sound of the door sliding open. Her husband stood at the entrance, a calm look on his face as he took in her startled expression.
“You’re here,” he said.
“Well, where else would I be? This is my room, is it not?”
“Technically it’s my room, you’re just staying in it.”
“Technically, it’s my room, since I was here first.”
“That’s not how it works,” he said, frustrated at her childishness
“Well, that’s how it is. So, since this is MY room, what brings you here, to MY room.”
“Well, I had come to MY room to have dinner, but I suppose you’ve already started then,” he said, sitting down unceremoniously before her as he took one of the extra bowls as he started serving himself.
“Wha- that’s my food!” she shrieked indignantly as he smirked, piling more food into his bowl.
“Well, we’re married now, are you so cruel that you’d make your beloved husband starve?” he said mockingly.
She stared at him as he helped himself to her food, her irritation rising as he proceeded to fish out the best pieces of meat from the stew. As his spoon moved towards his bowl, she blocked his spoon with her own, preventing him from stealing away her meat.
“Beloved husband,” she said sweetly, “Isn’t it rude that you’re stealing my food and leaving me to starve? Are you so cruel that you’d let your dearest wife starve?” she finished, as she struggled to make him let go of his spoon, before eventually failing and letting him escape with his loot.
“Starve, dearest wife? I’d never let that happen. Consider it a small sacrifice for the privilege of dining with such delightful company,” he said, enjoying the meal he had claimed as his own.
“Oh, so you’re taxing me for the displeasure of your company? Fuca Fuheng, I didn’t think you’d stoop so low,” she said, gasping dramatically as she attempted to reclaim some of the fragrant meat from his bowl.
“I’m doing nothing of the sort! In fact, you’re the one so graciously hosting me, in MY room,” he said, grunting as he blocked her surprise attack.
“Oh really? Well then, shouldn’t the host have the honor of enjoying her dinner without any theft involved?” she bit back playfully.
“But my dearest wife, I’m just helping you finish all this food, I wouldn’t want any of it to go to waste,” he said, depositing another piece of meat into his bowl as he smirked at her.
“Fine, fine, but if you choke on something, don’t expect me to help you,” she said, spooning the rest of the meat into her bowl before he could get his sticky hands on it.
She continued eating as they fell into a comfortable silence with the rhythmic clinking of spoons against bowls the only sound in the room.
After they finished the meal, he stated that he’d be sleeping in his study, before going towards the sleeping area and picking up a bedroll he kept.
The cold line that had blurred for a moment was drawn again as he packed his belongings for the night and swiftly wished his wife a good night’s rest.
He felt conflicted as he exited the room. For a brief moment he’d felt surprisingly comfortable with her, but he knew better than to trust a few moments with a stranger. Memories of his misplaced trust in Erqing lingered in his thoughts as strengthened his resolve to be cautious.
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