Chapter 18: A feast with the local village elders

Lin Feng himself was not exactly sure what had just happened.

One moment, he had been politely greeting the local villagers who had approached him. Before he knew it, he was already sitting in an old courtyard house, surrounded by villagers who had gathered for an impromptu village meeting.

The boy felt a little embarrassed about intruding on what seemed like such a private occasion, but earlier, when they had met in the streets and introduced themselves, the elders had said they wanted to talk to him a little more.

Since Lin Feng would be staying in the village for a while, these friendly elders hoped that he could also participate in the village discussions. They even said that young people from the capital might have some interesting insights.

Lin Feng did not want to keep refusing and risk disappointing the elders’ goodwill. It went against his upbringing.

Eventually, unable to refuse any longer, the boy found himself practically dragged into the gathering.

The bodyguards watching over him from behind did not stop the villagers, so it was clear that they did not think he was in any danger.

Several tables were laden with all kinds of local dishes, while children laughed and ran around the courtyard.

The villagers were incredibly enthusiastic, and Lin Feng could not resist their hospitality.

Before long, several bowls and plates had been served in front of him.

There was a bowl of thick wheat noodles topped with a rich, savory fermented soybean and pork sauce, served with fresh, crunchy vegetables.

There was also a plate of thin-skinned dumplings filled with minced meat and vegetables, a few savory crepes made from grain flour and eggs and topped with chili oil, each with a crispy wheat-flour center, and piles of dense buns filled with seasoned pork and leeks.

Looking at the amount of food piled in front of him, Lin Feng’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

The boy hurriedly waved his hands, trying to stop the elders from adding even more food to his already overflowing pile.

"I may not be able to finish all of this. This is too much."

"Young man, don’t be shy. At your age, you can definitely finish it all," one of the elders said cheerfully. "My eldest grandson should be around the same age as you, and he can eat three times this amount."

Three times!

The boy was shocked.

"I’m just a little worried that I won’t be able to finish everything. It’s such delicious food. I don’t want to waste it."

"What do you mean, waste? Just take the leftovers home with you," one of the elders said dismissively.

"Here, this is our very own roasted duck specialty. If you take a slice and wrap it with some lettuce, it will taste even better."

Lin Feng was left feeling a little helpless.

"Then I’ll try to finish what I have first. If I still want more, I won’t be shy and I’ll tell you, all right?" he relented.

Like a lost lamb, Lin Feng could only eat alongside everyone else.

Since he was already here, he might as well take this chance to adapt and blend in.

Watching the others, the boy clumsily imitated the elders’ way of wrapping the duck meat with lettuce and dipping it into the sauce before putting the whole piece into his mouth.

The boy’s fair cheeks bulged, clearly not used to chewing such a large piece of food. His face flushed red, and he immediately covered his mouth as he chewed carefully.

This boy...

What a refined and graceful boy!

The villagers all surreptitiously watched as the young man ate their down-to-earth, home-cooked dishes with grace and elegance, almost like a palace concubine from a period drama.

"Why do you eat like a sissy?" a fat boy with plump cheeks, who seemed to be around eleven or twelve years old, loudly commented.

He had been busy slurping down wheat noodles with fermented soybean and pork sauce when he noticed Lin Feng eating.

So dainty!

Only girls ate like that. Men should act a little rougher!

The plump boy’s mother, who usually doted on him, could not help but look at her son and see how he was eating his noodles.

Usually, she would not have minded it. But right now, after seeing the refined eating etiquette and graceful movements of the young man, her son suddenly seemed to resemble the fat pig in their backyard, ravenously devouring its food in the pigsty.

The contrast almost gave the plump boy’s mother a heart attack!

She angrily slapped the plump boy on the head, causing him to almost dip his face into the bowl of noodles with dark sauce.

"Mom, I’m eating!"

Seeing her son complain with his mouth still full, his mother’s face darkened.

"Close your mouth! How can you eat like a pig that’s been starved for days? Is this how I raised you?"

"Yes. Isn’t this how you raised me?" The plump boy was confused. "Men should behave rougher!"

The plump boy’s mother gritted her teeth and almost beat up her own son on the spot.

"You! Say that again! I didn’t tell you to eat like a pig, you little rascal!"

Sensing danger, the plump boy immediately picked up his bowl, dumped a few more pieces of duck meat and some buns into it, and ran away with his head still buried over the bowl of noodles.

"Tiezhu! Come back here if you’re so capable, ah!"

"Now, now," the other elders laughed, stopping the plump boy’s mother as she was about to chase after her son. "Tiezhu is still young. He hasn’t awakened as a man yet. Let him eat however he wants."

"I swear, I really didn’t teach this rascal to be like this. I don’t know how he turned out this way, ah!"

The plump boy’s mother defended herself as she sat back down, throwing embarrassed glances at Lin Feng.

Lin Feng, who had witnessed everything, was inwardly shocked by the scene he had just seen. However, thanks to his good upbringing, he maintained a calm and gentle facade.

Seeing the plump boy’s mother’s discomfort, Lin Feng smiled at her.

"Tiezhu is a very lively and cute boy. A boy’s years of innocence are very precious, so this will actually be quite an interesting memory to look back on. When he grows older and becomes more mature, it won’t be too late to tease him about it." Unconsciously, his memories went back to the years he spent as Madam Lin, the matriarch of the house, back in the previous life.

An elder laughed.

"He’ll probably deny it then, saying that this never happened."

Everyone laughed cheerfully. Even the plump boy’s mother laughed, thinking that it was probably likely to happen.

The villagers’ impression of the young man from the capital rose considerably, and they began talking business while eating.

This was another new experience for Lin Feng.

From the boy’s memories, he did have the impression that modern Chinese people often preferred to discuss business over dinner or a meal. But today was a firsthand experience for the boy who now had the soul of an ancient woman.

Like a deer caught in headlights, his chopsticks slowed to a stop as his head turned slightly from side to side, looking at each person who was speaking. His amber eyes were wide with curiosity.

He looked so much like an innocent young boy, completely unaware of the complexities of the adult world. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Some elders nearby noticed his expression and could not help but ask,

"Boy, how old are you now? Have you already graduated from high school?"

The conversation stopped as everyone’s eyes turned toward the newcomer.

The young boy answered obediently, "I’m seventeen years old. I’m currently in my freshman year, but I took a year off to recuperate."

"Seventeen and already in university? Did you skip grades?"

Recalling his memories, Lin Feng nodded.

"Yes. I skipped two grades during primary school."

"Wow!"

Everyone exclaimed in surprise.

"Which university are you attending?"

"Peking University."

"Wow!"

Everyone exclaimed again.

This young man... wasn’t he practically a genius?

If everyone had previously been curious about him because he was said to be handsome, rich, and famous, now they felt an even greater sense of admiration.

There was no helping it!

To these elders, being able to study well was one of their greatest aspirations for their children. A child with such high academic achievements had to be someone who studied hard.

Someone who studied well would not have time to fool around and was definitely a model child.

Now, this young man not only had an exceptionally beautiful appearance, but he also had the halo of an academic genius!

The elders became even more curious. Seeing that Lin Feng was very approachable, they began asking him questions related to the rumors they had heard.

"Xiao Feng, is it true that you’re the son of a filthy-rich multibillionaire tycoon from the high society of the capital?"

Lin Feng was a little taken aback. He soon realized that these people must have heard rumors about him.

He shook his head.

"No. My father went bankrupt and ran away, and my mother just died a few months ago..."

The boy’s voice slowed, his lashes flickering as though he had suddenly remembered something.

The atmosphere instantly went deathly silent.

The elders immediately began scolding each other.

"Oh dear, look at what you’re asking! You made Xiao Feng remember something sad, ah! You’re getting senile!"

"I didn’t mean to! I’m sorry, Xiao Feng. Wait... did you just call me senile, old man?"

"You’re both old and senile! What are you even arguing about?"

The other elders patted Lin Feng on the shoulders.

"Life always goes on, boy. Your mother must have wanted you to live well..."

Then, remembering that the child’s father had run away and left him alone, they felt even more indignant.

They all assumed that Lin Feng’s mother must have died from the heartache of seeing her husband run away, leaving the poor mother and son drowning in debt.

"You must be staying at a relative’s house right now. You said you’re recuperating..."

They wanted to ask what illness he had, but they were worried about making the boy remember unpleasant things, so they did not continue down that line of questioning.

Instead, they asked,

"So, what’s your plan now? You took a leave from school. Will you be able to return next year?"

"Since you have an entire school year off, how about earning some money while you’re staying here? Once you’re back at school, your relatives won’t be able to help you as much as they do now."