Chapter 24 Watching Bathing

Not only did Jiang Si break in without permission, she also looked indecently and showed no restraint at all.

She stared at him straight, so openly and confidently that Xie Yunshuo was speechless.

He couldn't cover his body for a moment, and the soap fell into the water. He squatted down and sat in the wide and deep bathtub, leaning against the edge of the basin and looking sideways.

The barrel wall, half a person's height, blocked his back, leaving only his broad shoulders.

Xie Yunshuo felt uncomfortable being looked at by her and shouted to her, "Get out."

Jiang Si originally planned to leave, but seeing his stingy look, she felt unhappy.

As if just looking at him twice would give him a huge advantage.

She simply had never seen a man's body, nor had she seen a general take off his clothes. She had no ulterior motives and was simply satisfying her curiosity.

But Xie Yunshuo's reaction was so strong, as if he had suffered a great loss.

His rejection made Jiang Si change her mind.

She refused to leave, standing still and asking him, "Why should I leave? Just give me the main room, and this is mine. You want to bathe, and there are so many empty rooms in Xian Yi Ju, isn't there one that can fit a tub? Yet you insist on putting it here? And you don't even let anyone stop you from outside, are you just trying to take advantage of me when I'm least prepared and expose yourself to me? And now you're pretending to be a chaste and loyal husband."

"What?" Xie Yunshuo was puzzled, and even his mind went blank for a moment. He didn't know how to respond to Jiang Si's nonsense and blaming him.

And unfounded malicious speculation.

He tilted his head, his wet hair dripping by his ear. His eyebrows twitched uncontrollably as his emotions fluctuated violently.

Originally, just looking at the back was no big deal. If Jiang Si didn't say anything else, he wouldn't have any thoughts.

But what had he done to provoke her that not only should he be taken advantage of, but he should also have to endure accusations? How could this make sense?

What do you mean by showing it to her on purpose?

It sounded as if he had other intentions towards her and was willing to risk his life.

It was obvious that bathing could wash away the sweat and fatigue, making one feel relaxed both physically and mentally, but Jiang Si's words made him feel blocked all over, as if he had fallen off a horse and was trampled on by the horse's hooves many times, making him unconscious and unable to control his movements.

Jiang Si was the first person who made him speechless to this extent.

He had no other choice but to say, "Get out. This is my yard."

If Jiang Si had not left him speechless, Xie Yunshuo would not have broken his decision and said such hurtful words.

The interests that had been considered and the decisions that had been made were no longer effective at this moment.

Xie Yunshuo didn't care about anything else. His only wish at this moment was to kick Jiang Si out of the room as soon as possible and not let her stay here any longer.

Therefore, he speaks without thinking.

Jiang Si didn't care whether the words were sincere or spoken hastily. She only knew that if she heard something unpleasant, she had to refute it and not suffer any loss.

Originally, she didn't care about Xie Yunshuo, nor did she care whether he was happy or not, so she would not be hurt by these words. She had judgment in her heart, so she acted relaxed.

"Since this is your yard, I will stay home tomorrow and not go back."

After she said this, she turned around and left. She left so decisively that it was impossible to tell whether what she said was true or false.

Xie Yunshuo found this particularly difficult to discern.

In a moment of anxiety, he frowned.

The left hand is placed on the wall of the barrel, pinching the edge of the barrel, clenching the fingers, and the tendons on the knuckles of the back of the hand protrude high.

Not only could she easily silence him, but she could also make him panic with just one sentence.

In Xie Yunshuo's understanding, Jiang Si was really capable of doing such a thing. She was willful and reckless, and it was very likely that she was angry with him and did not return to the general's mansion with him.

This must not come true, and it must not be known to outsiders. No one will laugh at Jiang Si's willfulness, but will only discuss what the Xie family has done and make the bride angry and send her back to her parents' home.

Thinking of the irreversible consequences, Xie Yunshuo's anger towards Jiang Si for turning the tables on him suddenly disappeared.

Instead, he was angry at her willful behavior.

But she was born like an incurable tuberculosis. Once she got involved, she would pester him endlessly, leaving him helpless and unable to cope.

Xie Yunshuo washed quickly, changed his clothes, and returned to the study.

If this happened at night, the two of them would separate and not disturb each other, but it would be lunchtime soon and they would see each other every day.

After this incident, the two had a big unpleasant quarrel and both said harsh words. Xie Yunshuo had a stern face, and Jiang Si had an icy aura and did not even smile.

Jiang Si was born bright and beautiful, but when she was angry and not smiling, she looked like she was keeping people at a distance.

People can only watch from a distance and dare not approach.

The servants around the two men saw that their two masters had dark faces and were in a bad mood, so they held their breath and dared not speak loudly for fear of bringing bad luck.

Although no one knows what kind of harsh words they said to each other that caused both of them to lose their composure like this.

However, everyone knew that it was because Xie Yunshuo was taking a shower after returning and his wife accidentally broke into the room.

This is incredible and puzzling.

According to common sense, women's private bodies are precious and cannot be shown to others, but men don't have so many requirements.

The person being watched bathing was the eldest son, not the lady. What could have caused the two of them to quarrel over?

It can't be that the eldest son doesn't want his wife to see his body and is angry with her.

Could it be that the two of them forgot that they were husband and wife, not strangers with no relationship to each other?

It's just a glance, what's that?

Do the two masters intend to never have sexual relations as husband and wife for the rest of their lives?

Or turn off the lights at night and don't look at each other.

However, regarding such a private matter, people just had the thought and did not dare to think too much about it.

At this time, Jiang Si and Xie Yunshuo were eating their meals without saying a word. The cold atmosphere made it seem as if a pair of enemies were sitting at the table.

It's like there's some irreparable blood feud.

Qiu Ze glanced at his wife cautiously, and his heart trembled at the coldness in her eyes and eyebrows without a smile.

The lady is breathtakingly beautiful, and even scary when she looks gloomy.

Looking at his own son again, although he had no expression on his face, Qiu Ze could see that his expression was complicated and solemn, with some dissatisfaction, some anger, some sadness, and some depression.

This expression was familiar, yet different from before.

Ever since the eldest son joined the army at the age of twelve or thirteen, his temperament has gradually become calmer, unlike the wild and unruly boy he was in his childhood. He remembered that the few times he lost his temper were all related to his wife.

Such strong emotions have become even more pronounced today.

Therefore, none of the servants in Xian Yi Ju, whether maids or servants, dared to bring bad luck upon themselves.

The young master's temper has become much more restrained now, but he is not without temper.

He couldn't get angry with his wife. If someone else made a mistake, the consequences would be serious.

Therefore, everyone moved very carefully and paid special attention to bumps and bruises, for fear of causing any accidents.

During the entire lunch, Xie Yunshuo did not see any signs of Jiang Si relaxing or getting better, nor did he see any scruples or hesitations.

As if there was no cost in angering him.

Because she was not afraid of parting ways with him.

The saying "those who are barefoot are not afraid of those who wear shoes" is exactly what Jiang Si and his situation are like.

If this marriage wasn't so special, he would be like being hung by a rope at his vital point, unable to do what he wanted and could only watch her do as she pleased.

This situation is just one of the straws that broke the camel's back.

Xie Yunshuo was constrained everywhere and felt depressed. He knew that for the sake of the Xie family, he needed to persuade Jiang Si to change her mind, but he couldn't do it.

Not arguing with Jiang Si was the consequence of his endurance, and he no longer had the energy to do anything else.

After lunch, the situation between the two remained stagnant, with no progress or turning point.

Jiang Si first put down her chopsticks, cleaned her mouth, rinsed her mouth, then stood up and left.

He treated the central hall of the main house as a restaurant and came and went freely without even saying hello.

Xie Yunshuo was drinking soup when he paused in his movements holding the porcelain bowl and spoon, and his breathing suddenly stopped.

Then, a crisp sound suddenly burst out from the collision of the porcelain cup he put down with the table.

Although it is not as abrupt as the sound of a heavy release, it clearly carries some clear emotions.

The obvious sound made the servants in the room nervous.

"Retreat, everyone." Xie Yunshuo breathed slowly, trying to slow down his body and mind by breathing in and out, so as to relieve the stuffiness in his chest and the tightness in his heart.

His brows furrowed deeper and deeper, and he couldn't stop thinking, tomorrow he would go back home at three o'clock. Was Jiang Si really angry about what happened today and was stubbornly staying at the Jiang house and refusing to go back?

In his heart, two voices, one on the left and one on the right, were constantly pulling at each other.

A voice told him, "Don't act on impulse. For the sake of the Xie family's reputation, you must coax her to change her mind. You can't cause trouble and go back to her parents' home."

Another voice told him, "She is spoiled and willful, and she speaks wildly. Why should we allow her to do whatever she wants?"

The two ideas kept going back and forth, making people dizzy and confused.

Unable to figure it out, Xie Yunshuo simply stopped thinking about it, stood up and went back to the study to do his own thing.

He couldn't do either of those two ideas.

For someone like him who has lived a reckless life for more than ten years, there is no way he would bow his head if he encountered such a thing.

If the other party can realize that he shouldn't have done that, explain to him, and say a few gentle and pleasant words, he may be able to let go of the past grudge.

But it is obvious that Jiang Si could never be that kind of person.

She completely forgot about Xie Yunshuo and continued to be busy with the maids, making pear candy and wine.

The pear candy becomes thicker and thicker, and when it is almost solidified, take it out and place it on a stone slab. After it cools, it will solidify into sugar ice.

All the osmanthus flowers used have been processed. The wine is mixed with osmanthus flowers and pear sugar, sealed, and placed in the Xie family's cellar. After brewing for three to five months, it can be opened and drunk.

After the wine was ready, simpler dishes such as osmanthus cake and osmanthus honey were also ready.

Jiang Si ordered people to pack up all the things and prepare some of the same things, and bring them back to the Jiang family when she returned home tomorrow morning.

She looked at the oil-paper bags, porcelain pots and wine jars placed in the tea room filled with the fragrance of osmanthus. Her expression, which had been deliberately stern just now, gradually improved and she even smiled.

I didn't expect that I could make so many things in these two days and take them back to honor my parents.

When she didn't think about Xie Yunshuo, her heart was filled with satisfaction and joy.

I don’t know if it’s because the Xie family has better feng shui and more nourishing soil and water, but this osmanthus tree is growing so well.

The petals are full and the fragrance is rich.

This time, the osmanthus cake and osmanthus honey made by the maids are much better than those in restaurants and shops outside.

She originally did this to kill time. She only picked three baskets of osmanthus flowers, not a lot, so this is all she made.

Send one copy to Xie Yunshuo's grandparents, one copy to her parents-in-law, and another copy to her home.

I had the least left, only four pieces of osmanthus cake in a plate.

In the evening, Jiang Si didn't want to eat any more food. She asked Ningshuang to make a pot of tea, pour a bowl of cheese with osmanthus honey, and eat a few pieces of osmanthus cake.

By the time she finished all these things, it was already noon. After being busy for the whole morning, Jiang Si felt sleepy and tired, so she returned to the main room, undressed and went to bed.

At this point, she hadn't even thought about the battle she was in with Xie Yunshuo. She had already forgotten even the smallest thing.

The phrase "This is my yard" was not wrong.

This was originally his Xie family, and she was originally considered an outsider. Given Jiang Si's personality, would she really be picky about words, get stuck on trivial matters, and get angry over this sentence?

That doesn't make sense.

What made her not want to bother with him was Xie Yunshuo's stingy and self-righteous attitude.

Jiang Si had said that he was only looking at the back and not the front, so he had nothing to lose. They were husband and wife, and a glance or two wouldn't make him lose a piece of meat, so why was he so noble?

Before getting married, her mother and nanny showed Jiang Si a booklet so that she knew what a man looked like.

It was just because he thought Xie Yunshuo was stronger than others and worth seeing, so he gave him face.

But he was coy, which made Jiang Si displeased.

This little bit of emotion was diverted while I was making the osmanthus cake and it was no longer a big deal.

She closed her eyes and fell asleep in her bedroom, sleeping soundly and deeply.

On the other side, Xie Yunshuo was in the study, and he couldn't feel at peace no matter what he did.

He kept thinking about what had just happened, what the two of them had said, and Jiang Si's unyielding attitude, and his mind was unable to calm down.

Soon, Ningshuang came to deliver a message.

"Master, everything the lady needs for her return home has been prepared. They will be packed into the box along with the gifts you presented to the Jiang residence."

Xie Yunshuo's heart sank because he was still thinking about those things before.

"Is everything ready for her return home?"

Ningshuang was puzzled and wondered why the young master cared so much about the lady preparing some gifts for her return visit.

It was as if the lady had done something wrong.

"Yes, but not much." Before Ning Shuang could finish her sentence, "It can't even fill a box," Xie Yunshuo said in a cold and deep voice, "Not much? Did you only bring the valuables from the dowry and betrothal gifts?"

Ningshuang was stunned, and after coming to her senses, she hurriedly explained.

"Sir, that's not the case. Madam returned home and prepared some sweet-scented osmanthus cakes and sweet-scented osmanthus honey, all made by hand. Madam's dowry and betrothal gifts are all well kept in the storeroom."

Xie Yunshuo's expression froze on his face, then gradually relaxed and returned to normal.

It turned out that she was not bringing a dowry home, but just some homemade food for her parents.

Xie Yunshuo sighed inwardly, blaming himself for being so angry that he even forgot about this.

He actually thought that Jiang Si was packing up and going back to her parents' home.

If Jiang Si had really done such an absurd thing, she would not have behaved so well in front of her father and mother in the morning.

A heart that had been in turmoil gradually returned to its normal state.

Only then did Xie Yunshuo realize that he had been standing there for a long time.

I let out a long sigh and sat down, and my fluctuating emotions gradually calmed down.

When Jiang Si said that, she didn't seem to be angry, but said it seriously, which made Xie Yunshuo worry for nearly an hour.

But now that he thought about it, he felt more and more that it was impossible for it to come true, so he felt relieved.

He was also surprised that Jiang Si, with her ruthless heart and decisive personality, was not as heartless as he thought.

Since Jiang Si had no intention of returning to her parents' home instead of returning home, he didn't need to worry about it anymore.

Now there was no need to rush into either idea. He didn't need to find a way to make her change her mind. The anger that was stuck in his chest also dissolved with the wind and disappeared without a trace.

With nothing to do, he continued to read the military book, and then he remembered that Jiang Si did not even allow him to keep a single book in the main room.

However, compared with what happened today, the previous events are insignificant and not worth mentioning.

Afterwards, he read for half an hour, and at the end of the afternoon, it was time for dinner.

Yesterday, Xie Yunshuo instructed Yan Qing to ask in advance before setting up meals in the future.

Therefore, when Yan Qing came to report something, he knew it was related to dinner.

Yan Qing is the head maid at Xian Yi Ju. She is steady and careful, and does things in an orderly manner.

Such a useful person came in front of Xie Yunshuo at this time, but he hesitated for a moment, which was rare.

Xie Yunshuo saw that Yan Qing was not right and put down the book: "Speak."

Yan Qingyi lowered his head and said, "My dear, Madam said that we don't need to set up her dinner tonight. You can just eat by yourself."

Xie Yunshuo was suspicious: "Why?"

Yan Qing took a deep breath. She knew that the young master had been holding his breath in the morning and had already relaxed. After she said this, she was afraid that he would become restless again.

So even she couldn't say anything without caring about it.

Yan Qing had no choice but to slow down his tone and choose his words carefully: "Madam said that she wants to have cakes for dinner, so there is no need to set up the table."

pastry?

Xie Yunshuo immediately realized that she had spent two days preparing the osmanthus cake, personally participating in everything from drying the osmanthus flowers to threshing the rice.

When steamed, the whole yard is filled with fragrance.

At that time, they were angry because Jiang Si had broken into the house and seen Xie Yunshuo taking a bath. That incident disturbed their mood and the fragrance of the osmanthus cake became a burden.

Although Yan Qing was careful with his wording, Xie Yunshuo still felt uncomfortable after hearing this arrangement.

Jiang Si said that she would not prepare her meals and let him have dinner alone, which was equivalent to not preparing the prepared pastries for him to taste.

He overheard the servants' conversation and heard that Jiang Si had packed all the things she had made, some for her grandparents, some for her parents, and some for her own family, so that everyone had a share.

He alone had no share.

I ate in my own yard and never thought about him at all.

This sense of disparity made Xie Yunshuo feel a little upset.

It’s not that Xie Yunshuo coveted her cakes, but the way she treated him was completely different from how she treated others.

How can people not care?

Even if there is resentment between the two.

This incident deepened the resentment.

Xie Yunshuo closed his eyes, sighed slowly, and calmed his mind.

Since marrying Jiang Si, he has sighed more and more frequently.

He couldn't understand how there could be such a hard-hearted woman in the world with such a sharp tongue and a sharp heart.

Everything he said and did, from inside to outside, made people feel uncomfortable.

No... not only that, he was the only one who suffered such treatment.

Whether it was her father, mother, younger brothers and sisters, she gave smiles, benefits and sweet words to everyone else.

Win people's hearts in a way that does not care about gains and losses.

But he is the only one I don't hesitate to treat with the worst attitude.

The more Xie Yunshuo thought about it, the more confused he became. How had he offended her so badly that he deserved such rejection?

Given Xie Yunshuo's personality, he wouldn't say or do anything about the osmanthus cake, no matter how much he cared.

But at this moment, an idea suddenly came to his mind.

He was not the kind of person who would swallow his anger. In the past, others had always avoided him, so why would he let a woman shackle him like this?

You can use this incident to find out her mood and ease the relationship between the two.

He put down his book and went out, heading towards the main house.

Yan Qing was stunned at the back and gasped in surprise.

Everyone in the room looked at each other, and subconsciously thought that the eldest son was unhappy after hearing what Yan Qing had just reported, and wanted to cause trouble for the lady and question and argue with her face to face.

Everyone had a look of fear on their faces, their hearts were pounding and their legs were weak.

Why is it that when these two, both of whom are outstanding men and masters who look like gods, meet each other, there will be such chaos and no peace.

But no one dared to delay and they all quickened their pace to catch up.

However, Xie Yunshuo, who was walking in front, was not in a hurry or in a rush.

He walked into the main house as usual.

A sweet and rich fragrance of rice cake and osmanthus hits you in the face.

Jiang Si had just woken up from a nap. After drinking some light tea and regaining consciousness, she asked the maids to bring her food.

Because she was enjoying it alone, she didn't ask for a table to be set up, but just placed the food on the kang table, as simple and casual as drinking tea and having snacks.

I just had a good sleep, less than half an hour, which made me feel refreshed but also didn't make my mind muddy from sleeping too long.

Therefore, Jiang Si was in a particularly good mood. She hummed a little tune and picked up a piece of white, plump and soft osmanthus cake.

Take a small bite and you will taste the sweet rice aroma and the pleasant rich floral fragrance that will permeate your mouth and nose.

She had never tasted such perfect osmanthus cake before, with a light sweetness and a soft, chewy texture.

Your mood will be even better and reach a higher level.

However, an unexpected guest came unannounced, walked into the room, and sat opposite her.

Jiang Si didn't understand why, so she stared at Xie Yunshuo and continued to savor her delicious osmanthus cake.

Xie Yunshuo asked her, "You don't want dinner today?"

Jiang Si felt something was strange.

Although these words did not reach the level of showing courtesy, she had already asked Yan Qing to reply, and he came to ask specifically, obviously he had some ulterior motive.

The two of them almost had a big fight in the morning for no reason. Given Xie Yunshuo's personality, he would not try to please her and ease the relationship for no reason.

So Jiang Si not only ignored his question, but also asked rudely: "What are you going to do?"

If she asked the wrong question, Xie Yunshuo would definitely change his expression given his temper.

But Xie Yunshuo did not feel dissatisfied about being wronged.

Xie Yunshuo said expressionlessly, "I don't have an appetite today, and I don't want to have dinner either. I'll just have two cakes."

As he spoke, without waiting for Jiang Si's consent, he reached out and took a piece of osmanthus cake and took a small bite slowly.

Jiang Si's expression suddenly changed.

It's even more infuriating than when Xie Yunshuo said Xian Yi Ju was his yard.

She picked the flowers herself, worked hard, and was busy all day long, but only had four cakes left for herself, which she used to replace her main meal in the evening. However, Xie Yunshuo shamelessly took one of them away.

This is intolerable, what else can’t be tolerated?

If it were someone else, especially a thin-skinned woman, they would not do anything after suffering this loss, and at most they would protect the remaining three pieces.

But Jiang Si is far from an ordinary person.

"Xie Yunshuo, did you get my permission to eat my cakes?"

She stood up, snatched the chipped osmanthus cake from Xie Yunshuo's hand, took it back, put it on a plate, and picked up the plate and held it in front of herself.

Xie Yunshuo was even more dumbfounded.

He never expected that even the osmanthus cake he had already taken a bite of would be snatched away by Jiang Si.

What kind of petty person is this?

Xie Yunshuo was very puzzled and couldn't help but call him by his name.

"Jiang Si, why do you treat me like this? You even want the ones I've taken a bite of, but you're reluctant to give me even a piece of osmanthus cake. It's really unreasonable."

He said she was unreasonable, so Jiang Si really showed him how unreasonable she was.

Jiang Si replied, "Yes, not only will I not give you any food, I would rather feed it to the dogs than give it to you."

Xie Yunshuo was so angry at her that his eyes went dark.