Chapter 113

Zhou Jingchen returned in a hurry, entering the courtyard without alerting anyone. Yu Shi didn't get the news until much later, but she didn't rush over to disturb them. She simply waited for the young couple to come over on their own when they had some free time.

After a short rest, Zhou Jingchen changed his clothes and went to Yu's place.

Yu had long been pining for him. Ye Jia hadn't seen Zhou Jingchen for only six months, but Yu hadn't seen him in at least seven or eight. A slender, pale blue figure, clad in a flowing, snowy robe, entered the room, a chill condensing into frost on his brow. Zhou Jingchen's previously ethereal features seemed even more desolate in the interplay of light and shadow. Yu was stunned by the sight of him.

When the others came closer, Yu finally came to her senses: "You're back?"

"Yes." Zhou Jingchen approached, suddenly raised his hand to lift the hem of his clothes, knelt down and kowtowed three times to Yu. It had been so long since they last saw each other, and he always felt a sense of indebtedness towards his mother. "How are you feeling lately, mother?"

"Very well, very well." Yu hurried forward and helped the man up.

Having not seen each other for a long time, she couldn't hide her excitement. She circled Zhou Jingchen several times, carefully examining him. Seeing that he was in good health and had no extra injuries, she felt relieved. She didn't know much about the war in the Anxi Protectorate, but Yu Shi never meddles with matters she barely understands. She simply patted his shoulder, pulled him to sit next to her, and then asked about his situation outside.

With the war going on outside, the situation was naturally not easy. Injuries and suffering were inevitable. Zhou Jingchen avoided the important issues and picked out some trivial matters to talk about. After calming Yu's heart, he paused before talking about the Yu family.

Speaking of which, back in March or April, Zhou Jingchen secretly orchestrated the Yu family's arrival in Beiting. For safety reasons, the Yu family's location wasn't disclosed to anyone else. Firstly, the fewer people who knew, the better. Secondly, the situation in the Anxi Protectorate was complex, and if a war broke out, there wouldn't be much time to make arrangements. Now that the situation in the northwest had stabilized for the time being, if the Yu family wanted to meet, Zhou Jingchen would naturally make arrangements.

"Mom, do you want to see grandpa and uncle?"

Yu was startled when she heard this, her lips twitching as she suddenly felt a sense of homesickness. Speaking of which, Yu hadn't seen the Yu family for four or five years. The Yu family's current situation was partly due to the Jing Palace. Yu never said it, but secretly she felt sorry for her family. After a pause, she asked, "Are your maternal grandfather and his family all right?"

"Of course everything is fine." Zhou Jingchen smiled. "Grandpa is worried that Mom can't take care of herself, so he often asks about your recent situation."

As soon as the words fell, Yu's eyes instantly turned red. No matter how old you are, you are just a child in front of your parents. Yu wiped the corners of her wet eyes, took a deep breath, and carefully asked about the recent situation of the Yu family.

Hearing Zhou Jingchen explain how the Yu family had been cared for and spared serious suffering during their exile, she felt a sudden sense of peace. Besides the bittersweet memories of her life, her greatest concern was for her parents and brothers, who had been implicated by her. The Yu family, a family of four hundred years, had fallen in a single day because of her. This was a pain Yu Shi could never face. Now that she knew her family was healthy, the pent-up resentment within her dissipated considerably.

The Yu family couldn't be called a philanthropic family, but they were benefactors to many poor scholars. Over the years, the Yu family had done practical things for the poor, and it was a relief that they hadn't suffered during their exile.

"As long as they are well, as long as they live well," Yu murmured, "We'll see each other again when we get the chance. There's no rush now."

Zhou Jingchen could more or less guess what Yu was thinking, and sat quietly beside her, waiting for her to digest her emotions.

After a long moment, Yu let out a deep breath, raised her head, and said with a smile, "Mother doesn't expect too much now. I just hope that everything goes well for you and Jia Niang. Jia Niang is a woman who values ​​love and friendship, and is capable and intelligent. Although she comes from the countryside and isn't as luxurious as the girls in the boudoirs of Beijing, this is what makes Jia Niang stronger than ordinary women. Meeting Jia Niang is a blessing in disguise for our family."

Zhou Jingchen said nothing, only listening to Yu's ramblings with a faint smile. Mother and son talked for a long time, and Yu never mentioned Gu Mingxi again. She used to worry about her son being stubborn, but now she thought it was just her own fault. With such a strong character, how could he hold back because of Gu Mingxi?

"Forget it, mother won't keep you any longer. You haven't seen Jianiang for a long time, so go and spend some time with her." After talking for a while, Yu stood up and drove people away.

Zhou Jingchen smiled, nodded and left.

Yu watched him walk away, feeling deeply relieved. After marrying Jia Niang, Yun An had become much more popular. Although the Jing Palace had suffered a devastating blow in recent years, it was slowly recovering. Jia Niang's pregnancy was expected to begin by the end of the year or early spring. Yu was anxious for Ye Jia and the child to be healthy.

The heavy snow continued all day, and when Zhou Jingchen walked back to the main house from Yu's house, another layer of snow fell on his shoulders.

This time, he had specially changed into a slim-fitting green robe. He wore a white fox fur coat. His already tall figure was accentuated by the flowing green robe. He stood in front of the doorway, casually brushing the snow off his arms. Ye Jia leaned back on the couch, peering through the window at the man. The light reflecting off the white snow made him look like a living jade statue, his every move a painting.

As if sensing the attention, Zhou Jingchen turned his head and saw that it was Ye Jia looking at him, and he couldn't help but smile slightly. Ye Jia's heart pounded. Well, her love of beauty, which had been dormant for a long time, came back to life.

Even though it wasn't yet nightfall, the weather was bad and everyone was staying indoors. Ye Jia had developed the habit of drinking goat's milk since he arrived in this world, and it hadn't been broken. Yu Ruijie, needless to say, later on, Ye Simei and her two children, as well as the three generations of the Sun family, also developed the habit. The sheep the Zhou family had raised yesterday were now producing milk, making it convenient to drink.

They had some free time recently, and since Ye Jia had taken care of the fourth and fifth sisters, they were both hungry. So they started thinking about new food at home.

Speaking of which, the Zhou family has no shortage of novelties these days. The shopkeepers downstairs know their boss loves fresh food, so they always include a bunch of goodies with their account books. Ye Jia looked through their inventory and found a lot of fine tea that Yuan Chunsheng had bought in Jiangnan, so they decided to make their own milk tea.

It uses goat's milk, fresh goat's milk. The tea leaves are washed and then boiled with the goat's milk, adding honey. While the resulting tea is not as good as milk tea, it still tastes better. Zhou Jingchen was immediately greeted by the faint aroma of milk when he entered. He looked up to see the plump Ye Jia sipping from a large bowl, eyes narrowed. He couldn't help but smile.

Perhaps due to excessive worry, she hadn't gained much weight during her pregnancy. She was already thin and slender, and now, despite her large belly, her limbs were still very thin. Perhaps she lacked the instincts of motherhood, as her appearance hadn't changed much, except for a slightly worse complexion.

"What do you want to drink?"

Ye Jia looked up at him and said, "Goat milk tea, would you like to try it?"

"Hmm." Zhou Jingchen wasn't one to indulge in food. He'd usually eat a few more bites of Ye Jia's cooking at home, but usually ate out just to fill his stomach. Hearing this, he became interested. He walked over, lowered his head, and took a sip from the bowl in Ye Jia's hand.

Ye Jia: “…”

Zhou Jingchen looked at her innocently: "...What's wrong? Can't I drink?"

"…Is your mysophobia fake?"

Zhou Jingchen: “…”

...When will this annoying wooden lump start to speak like a human being? Reaching out and pinching Ye Jia's mouth as she spoke nonsense, he simply took the bowl from Ye Jia's hand and drank it all in one breath.

Ye Jia looked at the empty bowl and curled her lips: "I don't dislike you."

Regardless of whether he disliked her or not, he didn't like what she said. Zhou Jingchen had figured out Ye Jia's personality and didn't engage in idle chatter with her. He put the bowl on the table and reached out to touch her belly.

The last time he saw her was in April, when she didn't even have a belly. Now she's grown so big, and this is the first time Zhou Jingchen has touched her with his own hands. Coincidentally, the usually lazy child, perhaps aware of her father's return, actually kicked Zhou Jingchen's hand. When he felt something strange under his hand, Zhou Jingchen almost stood up in excitement. His eyes lit up in an instant: "It moved?"

"Yeah." Ye Jia was already used to it. "This kid is lazy. He usually doesn't bother to move. You're lucky."

Zhou Jingchen couldn't help but smile widely.

Ye Jia glanced at him several times, but she wasn't deliberately trying to dissuade him. She was already in her advanced stages of pregnancy, and moving around was actually quite difficult. But she was lucky enough to be in the coldest part of winter, so she didn't have to go out. However, considering the medical standards of ancient times, Ye Jia would walk and move more often, even if it was difficult, to avoid difficulties in childbirth.

Zhou Jingchen's hand rested on her belly for a long time, and even after receiving four or five kicks from the little guy, he still grinned. Ye Jia glanced at him from the corner of her eye, her gaze unconsciously falling on his bright red lips. Before she knew it, she slightly raised her body, turned her face to the side, and pressed her lips to his.

As the warm breath approached, Zhou Jingchen's eyelashes fluttered.

He let Ye Jia lick his lips, parting them slightly to let her tongue lick him. Although they'd been married for almost a year and a half, they'd actually spent very little time together. Zhou Jingchen, still young and full of vigor, naturally reacted immediately to the closeness of his beloved in her arms. However, considering Ye Jia's current weight, he had to suppress any thoughts.

The only sound in the quiet room was the gentle rustling of fabric. Outside the window, heavy snow fell, occasionally blew in by the wind. Soft sucking sounds intertwined with slightly heavy breathing as Zhou Jingchen was forced onto the couch, his cyan fabric and black hair sliding gracefully to the ground.

He carefully supported Ye Jia's waist with one hand, and supported the ground with his long legs to prevent them from falling accidentally. His breath was taken away, and Zhou Jingchen felt that he was going to be driven to death by this person: "Jia Niang, Jia Niang, please stop making trouble."

Ye Jia wasn't making a fuss. They were family, so it was okay to give her a taste, right?

After kissing for a long time, Zhou Jingchen could no longer bear it and suddenly pulled her away. His lips were as red as if they were painted with rouge, and his eyes were watery. Zhou Jingchen slowly straightened his waist and sat up, looking at her with his eyes slanted. Ye Jia was already obsessed with him, and she didn't feel embarrassed at this moment. She tilted her head to look at him, openly coveting his beauty.

"What did the doctor say?" Zhou Jingchen's breathing was a little heavy, and his eyes were very deep.

Ye Jia blinked, "What are you talking about?"

"Can your body withstand it this month?" Zhou Jingchen asked without any hesitation, nakedly and directly.

Ye Jia: "...What are you thinking? I just want to taste it."

"Oh?" Zhou Jingchen didn't say anything, just quietly falling down, landing on her hand that had touched somewhere at some point, "Taste it like this?"

Ye Jia: “…”

What did he care how she tasted it? After all, she was hers, so why couldn't she do whatever she wanted? Feeling indignant, Ye Jia rolled her eyes at him and got up from the couch. The snow was falling harder and harder, and the sky was getting darker. Just as Ye Jia walked downstairs, a little head popped out of the doorway. The little head had a small head of curly hair, and a pair of green eyes blinked as they looked at Ye Jia who was drinking water.

Ye Jia had just caught him once in the afternoon, and this little guy, fearless as ever, came again: "Xiao Ba, why are you here again?"

Xiao Ba's two black paws grasped the door frame, and he stared at Zhou Jingchen curiously for a long time. He seemed a little curious and a little scared, and slowly emerged from behind the door frame, his chubby little body climbing over the threshold and crawling in. He opened his little arms and called out to Ye Jia, "Auntie, hold me~"

The little guy is almost two years old, but he can only utter one or two words.

Ye Jia couldn't hold him. Just as she was about to walk over, Zhou Jingchen suddenly stood up from the soft couch. His tightly tied hair was a little loose, and some strands of hair fell on his temples, making him look less lonely. He strode over and picked up the plump little kid from the ground. Xiao Ba was seeing Zhou Jingchen for the first time since he regained consciousness, and he was a little dazed when he was held. His little face was tense as he looked at Ye Jia.

"This is your uncle." Ye Jia drank a glass of water, feeling that the inexplicable anger had not subsided and he was very restless.

Although Xiao Ba's words were incomplete, his little brain was very clever. He glanced at Zhou Jingchen cautiously and called out in a very low voice, "Uncle."

Zhou Jingchen had never really liked children. In his previous life, Gu Mingyue and Zhou Ye's son had grown up beside him, and he hadn't been touched at all. Perhaps it was because he was a father in this life, he felt a little more affection for other people's children: "Yeah."

The little guy's eyes lit up immediately at the response. Children all like good-looking people, and Xiao Ba was curious about Zhou Jingchen simply because he thought he was good-looking. Seeing his gentle attitude, he twisted his little body and snuggled up like a piglet. Zhou Jingchen was amused by the little curly hair rubbing against him, and then he curled his eyes and noticed there was another kid by the door. A little kid with black straight hair.

Their eyes met, and the black straight-haired little cub slowly crawled over the threshold, ran to Ye Jia and hugged her thighs.

“…Is this Xiao Qi?”

"Yeah." Ye Jia reached out and rubbed the child's head. "Xiao Qi is much quieter now."

Zhou Jingchen's eyes wandered over the two children's faces for a long time. Xiaoqi and Xiaoba were both incredibly handsome. Suddenly, he blurted out, "Our children will definitely be better than Xiaoqi and Xiaoba in the future."

Ye Jia: "...You sold all of Wang Po's melons."

Their eyes met, and a smile appeared in Zhou Jingchen's eyes: "That can't be helped. After all, the child's father relies on his looks to make a living, don't you think, Jia Niang?"

Ye Jia: “…”

Ye Jia couldn't help but blush, and her cheeks turned red silently.

Xiaoqi and Xiaoba didn't stay in Ye Jia's house for too long. After a while, Ye Simei came over and took them away.

Ever since the snow began to fall in the northwest, most shops along the streets of Dongxiang Town had closed. Xishi's shop was no exception. Ye Simei, now finding success in her business, would spend her days huddled indoors, hoping the snow would stop so she could resume her business. But apparently, the weather wasn't going her way; the snow continued to fall for three or four days straight. Ye Simei spent the last few days sighing at home, as if she had lost a fortune.

It was almost dinner time, so Ye Simei came over to pick up the child and asked Ye Jia to come over for dinner.

As soon as she entered, she saw Zhou Jingchen holding the child, and her neck shrank subconsciously, her face drooping. Speaking of which, Ye Jia also remembered that Ye Wumei had said in the past that she was afraid of Zhou Jingchen. She felt that Zhou Jingchen was not a good person at heart. Now Ye Simei was also like this, not daring to even look at Zhou Jingchen, which made Ye Jia laugh and cry.

She didn't dare to say a word to her brother-in-law when she came in. She hurriedly said a few words to Ye Jia and then took the child back to the house: "Sister, the meal is ready at Fifth Sister's place. I guess it will be served soon. You and your brother-in-law should clean up and come over quickly."

"Okay." It was winter and we couldn't go out, so we just ate and slept. "Just change your clothes and go."

"Did you do something?" Ye Jia was also curious. Now that everyone had left, she couldn't help but ask, "Why are they all afraid of you?"

Zhou Jingchen had no idea. But he didn't care. As long as Ye Jia wasn't afraid of him, it was fine.

Dinner was served early, and it got dark early. It felt like they had only been sitting there for a moment when a figure hurried in. It was also a coincidence that they had just finished dinner when the doorman announced that someone was outside.

Under the cover of night, the snow particles reflect some light.

Ye Jia frowned, wondering what kind of guests would come in such a snowy day. But after thinking it over, he asked the doorman to invite the person in.

The person who came was not a stranger, but Ajiu who had not returned for a long time after going out.

Ah Jiu came from nowhere, dressed in a thick leather coat. He looked like a Turk. No one knew how long he had been traveling, as his face and lips were frostbitten. He was wearing a thick felt hat, and a layer of snow had fallen on the ground when he came in. Ye Simei hadn't seen Ah Jiu for a long time and was a little unrecognizable. It was only when Ah Jiu opened his arms and called her that she threw down her chopsticks and rushed over.

Ye Simei's voice was shaking with excitement: "Why are you back at this hour? You, why are you..."

Ye Jia was also a little surprised. He looked closely and saw a tall, thin young man following behind Ah Jiu. He didn't recognize the young man at first glance, as he had a delicate appearance, like a beautiful woman. Only after the man knelt and saluted did Ye Jia recognize him. It was Lin Zeyu.

"Just in time to get back to town before dark."

Ajiu laughed, let go of Ye Simei, bent down and picked up his two fat sons, one in each hand.

After a brief moment of affection, he put the man down, knelt on one knee, and bowed to Zhou Jingchen before saying, "Brother-in-law, the five hundred horses have been delivered in good order. They are all good war horses from outside the Great Wall. The horses have been sent to the western field."

Ye Jia was startled and looked at Zhou Jingchen. Zhou Jingchen smiled at her and then called Ajiu to the study.

Zhou Jingchen hadn't returned idle this time. Soldiers had to train daily and perform the necessary tasks. While the border troops were well-organized and strong, infantry was still far inferior to cavalry. Cavalry was indispensable. Ye Jia then remembered that Zhou Jingchen had been holding off on allocating the West Farm to her for breeding. It turned out he had been planning this for a long time. Raising horses there seemed perfectly suitable.

With Ajiu's return, the house became very lively.

Ye Jia noticed that Ajiu's temperament had become much calmer than before. Furthermore, Lin Zeyu seemed to have grown up a lot. Ajiu had changed his previous cunning and weak character. Although he still looked as pretty as a little girl, his temperament had become more upright.

In order to raise horses, Zhou Jingchen moved the people from the West Field to the vicinity of Suiye Town, and Ye Qinghe personally took care of it.

Ye Qinghe was a man of great courage and determination at a young age. Even before his official promotion, he already possessed considerable influence. He held considerable prestige in Suiye Town. Zhou Jingchen had assigned him to guard the exiled prisoners, preparing to train him for a period before reappointing him to a position.

Ye Jia did not interfere with his plan. Ye Jia found that after Zhou Jingchen came back, she could not control herself and always wanted to take advantage of others.

Although Zhou Jingchen allowed her to take advantage, he couldn't stand it any longer. He hadn't touched his wife in over six months, and he was already feeling pent up. Ye Jia didn't know how to avoid him, and instead teased him regularly. One time, he couldn't resist and went straight in. But because he was worried about the child, he didn't dare to move too much, so he just gave it a quick taste, causing two blisters on his tongue.

Holding it back again and again, Zhou Jingchen looked at Ye Jia with a look of resentment.

Zhou Jingchen stared at her for a long, dark moment, then reached out to straighten Ye Jia's rumpled clothes and restrainedly fastened her belt. Ye Jia's lips were swollen as she looked at him innocently, her complexion clearly much better than the day they first met. Of the two, Zhou Jingchen was the one looking the worst. His tongue was burning with blisters, the pain so intense that he couldn't even drink hot tea.

"Someone come." Zhou Jingchen pinched his brows and took a deep breath: "Please ask for a doctor."

A figure immediately appeared outside the house. It was a strange face.

"yes."

Ye Jia curled her lips. The man outside the door flashed and walked out.

The doctor arrived sooner than expected. Zhou Jingchen had brought a military doctor with him this time. He rarely ventured out, but had already been assigned to the Zhou family residence. He hurried over upon being summoned, carrying a large medical kit. While the soldiers had never met Ye Jia, they all knew that His Highness had a wife whom he deeply loved. The mistress had delivered a large amount of food and fodder to the army during His Highness's battle against the Lingnan army.

The military doctor didn't dare to look directly at Ye Jia's face. He lowered his head and walked forward to ask Ye Jia to hand over his wrist.

Ye Jiaying stretched out his hand, and he placed two fingers on it, then withdrew it in an instant: "Although the master is a little weak, he is very healthy. He has been a little tired recently, and he will be fine after resting for a while."

Zhou Jingchen nodded, paused, and then openly asked about private matters: "Can her body withstand sex?"

The doctor who asked this question was stunned, and Ye Jia was also dumbfounded.

For a long time, the room was silent. Ye Jia's face flushed instantly when she realized what was happening. Zhou Jingchen used to be very shy, but now that the battle was over, he'd become so much more shameless. He even said something like that!

Ye Jia was embarrassed and rushed over to cover Zhou Jingchen's mouth with her hand: "Can you spit out ivory from your mouth!"

Zhou Jingchen quickly supported her and smiled: "I have to ask, you are going to drive me to death."

Ye Jia was furious. How could she possibly be driving him to death? She had just been feeling a bit horny lately; it was a normal physiological phenomenon. Ye Jia had common sense. Women in late pregnancy would be affected by estrogen, leading to a stronger libido. Zhou Jingchen, this guy, really was that!

The military doctor hadn't expected the usually cold Zhou Jingchen to behave this way in front of his wife, and was momentarily stunned. It took him a long time to come back to his senses, and he lowered his head, not daring to look around. The old doctor, embarrassed, coughed twice before reminding her, "Of course it's possible, but the mistress is indeed a bit pregnant and can't withstand the tossing and turning. Your Highness, it's better to be patient."

Zhou Jingchen nodded, asked some other questions, and quickly sent the person out. He turned to Ye Jia innocently and said, "See, you can't do it."

Ye Jia's face tensed: "...You asked the doctor just to tell me this?"

"What else?"

Ye Jia instantly became furious and rushed over to cover his laughing mouth tightly. The old doctor, carrying his medicine box on his back, hurriedly left their residence as if he was being chased by a ghost. But Zhou Jingchen's laughter still leaked through the door.

That night, Ye Jia took a pair of small scissors and ran under the lamp angrily.

Zhou Jingchen realized that he had laughed too much. Seeing that she had ignored him for a long time, he walked over to her with a cup of tea, glanced at her nonchalantly, cleared his throat and asked her, "What are you doing? You've been talking to you for a long time and you're not paying attention to me."

Ye Jia snorted, raised one of his hands, and spread out his five fingers: "Cut your nails."

Zhou Jingchen glanced at her hand and saw that her fingernails were cut into jagged shapes. He asked, "...cut like this?"

"Hmm." Ye Jia opened and closed her hands, then raised her head and smiled gently at him: "Let me show you what it means to be cruel and destroy a flower."

Zhou Jingchen: “…” What a hot hand.