Accidentally Married to the Big Shot

Chapter 122: Chapter 122: Give Her a Massage

“The two of them weren’t really hungry to begin with, and they had been snacking on some fruit while chatting, seemingly ignoring Su Meixi’s invitation as if they hadn’t heard it at all.

Su Meixi then said, “The dishes are ready, I’ll leave them here. If you’re hungry, help yourselves, I’m not hungry. I’m going to rest upstairs now; you two take your time eating.”

Just as she was about to leave, Qiu Yurou suddenly spoke up, “Hold on, since you’re hosting guests, how can you be so impolite? Even if you’re not hungry, you should at least join the guests for the meal, right?”

Qiu Wenyin followed, “Exactly, I remember that’s how our dad taught us too, never to lose manners in front of guests. Even if it’s inconvenient, you have to keep them company. Sister-in-law, hasn’t anyone in your family told you this?”

Su Meixi still held back her irritation, “No, they haven’t.”

“Oh, I almost forgot, your parents are divorced, and you’ve been living alone since you were a child, so no one has taught you these things. But with your aunt around, she’ll gradually teach you the rules.”

The two continued to speak as they walked over.

Seeing the dishes on the table that looked quite alike in color, Qiu Yurou’s face turned green, “Su Meixi, this is bluefin tuna from Hokkaido, a fish that’s supposed to be made into sashimi; how did you manage to braise it? Who cooks it like this?”

“Is that so? I didn’t know, I’ve been living alone since I was a child, nobody ever taught me,” said Su Meixi with a smile.

Qiu Yurou was so annoyed she clutched her forehead.

Looking at the various dishes on the table, Qiu Wenyin couldn’t help but say, “Although I live in the UK, I often scroll through videos on social media, and sister-in-law, it seems like you cooked all the ingredients in one pot, didn’t you? Did you boil four dishes in one pot?”

Su Meixi admitted with a smile, “Yes. My cooking skills aren’t the best, and this is how I usually cook, but the taste is not bad. Try it.”

Curious, Qiu Wenyin tasted a piece of meat. As soon as she put it in her mouth, she immediately spat it out, “This pork hasn’t been marinated; it tastes gamey!”

She took another bite of the mushrooms, but they were too tough to chew.

Suddenly, it dawned on her, “Sister-in-law, these are black truffles, aren’t they?”

“Black truffles?” Su Meixi seemed to have had them before, but when she did, a waiter would shave them with a shaver, usually sold by weight. She had never seen them in such large pieces.

“It’s black truffle, for heaven’s sake, why did you stew it? This is not an ingredient you stew, it’s worth thousands per kilogram.”

Su Meixi was surprised.

Then she turned to Qiu Yurou.

Qiu Yurou’s face was green with anger.

Not because of the money, but out of sheer irritation.

Because it was clear that Su Meixi had thrown together this meal carelessly, and not only was she ignorant about the ingredients, she was lazy and poor!

“Wenyin, I’m feeling a bit ill, help me over to the side to sit for a while,” Qiu Yurou said, touching her forehead.

Qiu Wenyin hurried to support her, but not forgetting to throw a parting shot at Su Meixi, “You can’t even cook properly, I don’t know what my cousin sees in you.”

Su Meixi wanted to say, did Gu Wei really need a chef?

However, seeing Qiu Yurou’s condition, she thought it unnecessary to escalate the conflict.

Qiu Yurou had asked her to cook solely to upset her, but instead of infuriating her target, she herself ended up in distress. It was a fitting irony.

Su Meixi said, “Since you can’t stomach the food I’ve prepared, I’ll go back to my room. If you get hungry later on, figure something out for yourselves.”

Just as she turned to leave, Qiu Wenyin called out to her again, “Stop right there. Are you really going to leave without even offering an apology after upsetting my aunt like this?”

Su Meixi glanced at Qiu Yurou, who was leaning on the couch, and couldn’t help but respond, “But I came down to cook for you, and you don’t want to eat. How can you expect an apology from me? I don’t know what I did wrong.”

“Anyway, my aunt feels dizzy now, and you need to take responsibility. Aren’t you trained in traditional medicine? Come over and give my aunt some acupressure or a massage or something.”

Su Meixi smiled, then approached and asked, “Mother, are you sure you want me to give you a massage?”

Qiu Yurou glared at Su Meixi.

Massage was a tricky business—the ancient Chinese medical arts were rather esoteric, especially when it came to acupoints; pressing the wrong spot could be disastrous.

But now that Su Meixi had come all this way, it would be a letdown not to give her a bit of a hassle.

“You go ahead, I’m so dizzy right now, just press the temples would be fine.”

Su Meixi said, “Well, then, Mom, lean on the sofa, and I’ll massage you for a while.”

She walked behind Qiu Yurou and began gently pressing her temples.

“Mom, does it feel a bit better?”

“It’s alright,” Qiu Yurou refused to admit.

Qiu Wenyin interjected, “Cousin-in-law, do you often give people massages at work? Does that include both men and women, the elderly and children?”

“That’s right.” Su Meixi sensed that Qiu Wenyin’s remark was loaded.

Sure enough, Qiu Wenyin said scornfully, “Isn’t that just like those hair washers on the outside?”

Su Meixi couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Cousin, speaking of hair washing, I remember a story about a barber who also gave massages. Do you want to hear it? This barber had some impressive skills passed down from his ancestors and could give very relaxing massages.”

With nothing better to do, Qiu Wenyin said, “Go on then.”

Su Meixi began telling the story, “It must have been during the Republic period when our land was invaded by Japan. There was a group of Japanese soldiers who took over our city and heard about an incredible local barber. This barber was skilled not only in hair washing but also in massage, with a technique handed down from his ancestors that could make people feel extremely comfortable.”

“After the military learned about him, they summoned the barber to give them massages. The barber didn’t want to go at first, but the Japanese threatened to kill his whole family if he refused, so he had no choice but to agree. That day, he told his family to hide in the nearby mountains while he went to the Japanese camp to wash and massage the commanding officer. The officer enjoyed the massage and was about to reward him when, just as the barber left, the officer suddenly died. Do you know why?”

Qiu Wenyin asked, “Can a massage kill someone?”

“Of course, it can!” Su Meixi declared confidently.

Qiu Yurou staggered for a moment and instinctively pushed Su Meixi’s hands away.

“Mom, don’t be scared, that skill has been lost now. I only thought of the story because my cousin mentioned hair washing and massages. Do you still want a massage?”

Qiu Yurou said coldly, “No need, if you want to go back to your room, go now. We don’t need you here.”

“Alright, Mom, if you need me, just call at any time.”

Su Meixi, relieved, then went back to her room.

…

Downstairs, Qiu Wenyin complained, “Auntie, I really don’t like that cousin-in-law at all. She’s so poor and self-righteous, and she loves to tell scary stories.”

Qiu Yurou said, “Your task this time is to make her realize she’s not fit for this family and to leave on her own if she’s sensible.”

“Driving her away is easy, just make her look foolish in front of everyone. I can’t believe she’d have the nerve to stay after that.”

“I was thinking the same,” Qiu Yurou said.

“Auntie, does your head still hurt? Let me rub it for you.”

As she said it, Qiu Wenyin moved behind Qiu Yurou to massage her temples.

But the moment Qiu Wenyin’s hands touched Qiu Yurou’s temples, she unavoidably pulled away.

“Go away; your nails are so long, it feels more like you’re pinching me. Besides, you don’t know how.”