HBWMA -Chapter 27 Pig Brain Soup

By noon, everyone had moved to the dining hall. Each face looked ashen, as if they were facing a great enemy. Even the usually talkative Fourth Master wore a pained expression.

Fang Mei’s position was awkward. She couldn’t fit into either side of the conversation, so she tried her best to shrink her presence and followed at the very back. Still, this was the first time she had sat at the Shen family table outside of the annual banquet. Thinking of that, a faint sense of anticipation rose in her—she had to perform well later at the table.

The Shen residence had two dining halls. One was a private banquet hall that could accommodate two to three hundred people, and the other was the family’s daily dining hall. “Daily” was a relative term—this one hall alone could easily seat fifty to sixty people.

The maids had already finished serving the dishes. As soon as the masters and young ladies entered, they hurried forward to guide them to their seats.

Fang Mei took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement bubbling in her chest, and sat down with an air of casual composure.

After everyone was seated, Shen Zhi walked in from outside.

“Everyone,” he said, “the Old Master isn’t feeling well. He has instructed that once you finish eating, you may disperse.”

At that, everyone visibly relaxed, as if a great weight had been lifted.

After delivering the message, Shen Zhi left again. The others exchanged glances and silently lifted the lids of the soup bowls in front of them.

Their reactions were strange enough to be confusing. Fang Mei frowned in bewilderment, but could only follow everyone else’s lead. The moment she lifted the lid of her soup bowl, the faint excitement she had felt was instantly overwhelmed by a metallic, fishy stench.

“Ugh—!” She couldn’t hold it back and turned away, gagging while covering her mouth.

What… was this?

In the clear, thin broth floated pale, brain-like masses, with not a trace of oil.

No—wait.

They were actually expected to eat this raw?!

Fang Mei stared in shock, hand still covering her mouth as she looked around the table.

The Shen family members, however, seemed used to it. While none of them liked the taste, years of “training” had given them some resistance. No one said a word; they simply began eating. Even so, the flavor was overpowering—almost everyone showed varying degrees of difficulty swallowing.

“…”

Fang Mei didn’t want to look too pathetic. She forced herself to take a small spoonful, but the moment it entered her mouth, she nearly spat it out.

No—!

Her expression twisted in horror. How was this any different from eating filth? She couldn’t take it anymore and turned away again, gagging.

Shen E had been eating fine at first, and her bowl was almost empty. But Fang Mei’s continuous gagging beside her triggered an involuntary chain reaction. Shen E suddenly retched, and the pig brain soup sprayed out from her nose.

By sheer coincidence, a piece of the expelled “brain” arced through the air and landed on Shen Yuan’s hand.

Shen Yuan’s expression changed slightly. Calmly, he pulled a handkerchief from inside his suit and, expressionless, wiped his hand while vomiting.

One after another, people at the table could no longer hold it in. Especially Fang Mei and Shen E—their gagging sounds rose and fell in waves. Soon, Shen Ji couldn’t hold on any longer, slammed down her spoon, and joined the vomiting group. Then came Shen Qing and Yao Ge, followed by the third son, Shen Che…

The Fourth Master widened his eyes, then quickly grabbed his soup bowl and downed it in one go. After finishing, he covered his mouth and retreated three meters away from the group.

Close call.

He had almost been wiped out with the rest of them.

The wave of retching continued in bursts for a full fifteen minutes before finally subsiding.

At that moment, the maids entered again in orderly fashion, carrying fresh bowls of soup.

“Masters and young ladies,” one of them said with a polite smile, “the Old Master has instructed that you must finish every last drop.”

The Shen family’s expressions turned even worse. Almost in unison, they turned to look at the source of the disaster.

Fang Mei also hadn’t expected the meal to turn into this. Her face was deathly pale, but she had no words to defend herself.

Shen E pointed toward a corner without courtesy. “Mrs. Jiang, there’s a seat over there. Please move and stop disturbing everyone.”

Fang Mei looked embarrassed and was just about to stand when the leading maid stopped her with a smile.

“Miss,” the maid said, “the Old Master has said that since we are one family, we must eat at the same table. No one is allowed to leave.”

Shen E’s expression changed slightly as she shot Fang Mei a sharp glare. “Be smarter.”

Fang Mei looked awkward.

Shen Qian wiped the corner of his mouth with a gloomy expression. His gaze casually swept over Fang Mei, who was sitting uneasily. As expected of the old master—nothing escaped him. Everything was already under his watch.

After the last lesson, everyone was now wary of Fang Mei. Although the second bowl was still just as hard to swallow as the first, they all managed to get it down without incident.

The soup pot was soon emptied. Shen Qian was the first to stand, putting on a polite smile. “Sorry for today. This matter dragged everyone into it. I’ll host next time to make it up to you all. I’ll take my leave for now.”

Hearing this, everyone stood up as well.

Shen Che said, “Big brother, those words are too formal. We’re family—no need for such politeness.”

Shen Qian nodded slightly, glanced at Yao Ge, then turned and left the hall. Yao Ge, who had been disgusted after forcing down two bowls of pig brain soup, didn’t even bother with formalities and hurried after him.

“Shen Qian! Shen Qian, stop! Explain yourself clearly!” Once outside the dining hall, Yao Ge caught up to him and questioned angrily, “Are you insane? How could you acknowledge that bastard?! You—”

“Shut up!” Shen Qian snapped through gritted teeth, his patience finally breaking.

Yao Ge froze. “You’re telling me to shut up?! Shen Qian, that’s the Speaker of the National Assembly! Your Shen family can just discard him like that? What about me? What about the Yao family?”

A vein jumped in Shen Qian’s temple, his face darkening instantly.

Yao Ge hesitated, a trace of fear appearing. “You… are you really going to give up your current power? My brother—”

Shen Qian coldly cut in, “If your brain is still this unclear right now, I don’t mind adding one more divorce scandal.”

“!” Yao Ge stared at him in shock and disbelief. “What did you say? You want to divorce me? The old master would never—”

She suddenly stopped mid-sentence, as if realizing something, her body trembling slightly.

Shen Qian let out a cold laugh and walked out of the corridor.

The Yao family had calculated everything too well. If not for the old master, he would have almost been dragged into their scheme.

Meanwhile, Shen E and Shen Yuan exchanged a few polite words with the third branch before leaving the dining hall together. Seeing Shen Qian and Yao Ge part on bad terms, both of them tacitly slowed their steps.

Only after Yao Ge’s figure completely disappeared did Shen E speak.

“What do you think the old master is planning? Every influential family has its share of shameful secrets. Why is the old master acting like this this time?”

Shen Yuan replied, “Why? Because someone tried to scheme against the Shen family. This is the old master cutting off a limb to save the body.”

Shen E froze slightly. “Who would be so bold?”

Shen Yuan glanced toward the direction of Qinyuan. “Otherwise, why do you think we were made to drink pig brain soup today? The old master is reminding us not to forget what happened seven years ago.”

Shen E’s expression shifted slightly, becoming solemn. “If that’s the case, then Sister-in-law should also learn her lesson.”

Shen Yuan said, “This matter isn’t over yet. Don’t go spreading it around. When you return to the Xiao family, know what you should and shouldn’t say. Don’t forget—you are first a daughter of the Shen family before you are a wife of the Xiao family.”

Shen E looked embarrassed. “I understand.”

To avoid further lecturing, she quickly changed the topic. “By the way, where is A-Yu? Why haven’t we seen him lately? It’s one thing if he’s usually never home, but now it’s summer break and he’s still nowhere to be seen?”

Speaking of that rebellious son, Shen Yuan also had a headache.

“Where else could he be? Roaming the world like a wild dog. I don’t know who he takes after with that unruly temperament!”

“Who does he take after? The old master said that A-Yu’s wild nature is just like his younger days,” Shen E said. Compared to her elder nephew Shen Nian, she preferred her younger nephew Shen Qingyu more.

“Brother, I should warn you about something. I heard Lanxi is coming back soon.”

Shen Yuan’s eyelids lifted slightly.

Shen E leaned in and lowered her voice. “The main branch was originally the old master’s favorite. Once Lanxi returns, where will there even be room for us to speak in front of him? Even big brother has already sent his illegitimate child into the Shen estate—so you can’t just do nothing. Even if not for yourself, you should think about A-Yu.”

Shen Yuan lowered his gaze, his eyes darkening for a moment.