Chapter 35

Where could Zhou Jingchen have appeared from? The door of the house was locked, so he must have climbed in through the window of his east room.

Although Ye Jia closed the door at night, she was afraid of the heat and left the window half-propped with a fork pole, letting in the night breeze to dissipate the heat. Ancient windows weren't like the security windows of later generations. If they weren't bolted shut, her window would be as wide as the hole. Ye Jia slept soundly again that night. Zhou Jingchen sneaked back in the middle of the night and, standing outside the courtyard, noticed the east room window was open.

How could he rest assured that Ye Jia's room would be open like this? What if someone was blind enough to crawl in in the middle of the night and something happened?

Zhou Jingchen planned to stay home overnight and return before dawn the next day. But when he crawled in, he saw Ye Jiayu lying on the bed, her body radiant in the moonlight.

His Royal Highness the Regent, who had been fearless all his life, was a little confused at that moment and stood in the darkness for a long time without moving.

I had intended to wait until the woman on the bed fell asleep before covering her up, but I was caught off guard when a hand tugged at the rope. Without even opening my eyes, I dazedly got up and walked out.

That little piece of fabric was about to hang on her body. If it weren't for her bulging chest, the little piece of fabric would have fallen to the ground and she would have been naked facing the window. What a shame! This girl really sleeps like a fool. She can't even see such a big man standing by the window. She walked towards the main room with her eyes closed and was about to take off her pants under people's noses. If he hadn't been quick to hold her down, Zhou Jingchen felt that when she woke up, she would definitely scream and want to kill him.

But that was about it, Ye Jia regained consciousness, turned around, picked up a clothes rail from behind the door, and started whipping his legs.

Zhou Jingchen took several blows without resistance. Seeing her face flush with anger, her chest heaving, he quickly looked away. Guessing he wouldn't feel better if he didn't yell at the beating, he feigned a few yells. Then, lowering his eyelids, he glanced at Ye Jia's face and saw that she looked relieved. He then dodged a few steps, feigning unbearable pain.

Then the door opened with a creak, and Ye Jia pushed him out.

Standing outside the house, watching the door slam shut, Zhou Jingchen felt a bit amused and helpless: "...Jia Niang, don't be angry."

How could Ye Jia not be angry? Do you understand that people have three urgent needs? If you can't hold it in after being scared, how embarrassing it would be!

Fortunately, she held on. But she was so frightened that she didn't dare to relieve herself. Looking at the bucket behind the door that had been accidentally kicked over, she couldn't pick it up and use it again. Secondly, Zhou Jingchen was standing outside the door. How could she relieve herself in the main room? Ye Jia wasn't so careless as to have a handsome, well-built man outside listening to her use the toilet.

Social death is not as embarrassing as she is now.

Ye Jia paced around the room anxiously for a few times before suddenly realizing she was naked. She looked down and realized she wasn't naked, just a bit too cold. So she hurried to the east room, found some clothes, and put them on. She opened the door expressionlessly.

Zhou Jingchen was still outside, the moonlight illuminating the courtyard. The man stood against the light, blocking the entrance, his eyes sparkling. He was still clad in the same thin armor, his figure erect as a pine tree, his black hair dancing in the wind. His voice was low and gentle, coaxing, "Jia Niang, don't be angry. I was wrong and scared you. If you're still angry, hit me a few more times..."

"Get out of the way." Ye Jia couldn't hold it in any longer, his face was fierce and his eyes looked like he wanted to eat someone.

Zhou Jingchen recalled her behavior just now, tried hard to suppress his smile, and silently stepped aside.

Ye Jia walked around him and went out. Zhou Jingchen watched silently as Ye Jia first walked calmly for a while, then seemed to think it was too slow and began to quicken his pace. Finally, he couldn't help but jogging towards the toilet, and couldn't help grinning.

"Yun'an?" Yu heard the noise and put on her clothes, still holding a kitchen knife in her hand. "Why are you back at this hour? Where's Jianiang?"

Zhou Jingchen quickly put away his smile and said seriously, "I happened to be on errands nearby today, and I came back to keep watch in case there was any disturbance at night."

Mrs. Yu breathed a sigh of relief. She had been half asleep when she suddenly heard a noise in the east room. She thought a criminal had broken into her daughter-in-law's room, and she was terrified. Without a second thought, she reached under her pillow and pulled out a knife. Not even daring to turn on the light, she prepared to sneak over under the cover of darkness and kill the criminal. But when she emerged, she found her own son standing by the door.

"It's the middle of the night, why are you standing outside instead of going into the house?" Yu felt relieved and went into the house to light the lamp and bring it out.

"Mom, please go in."

Yu was a little puzzled and stretched her neck to look outside the room. Seeing nothing, she returned to the west room.

Zhou Jingchen stood there for a while, then walked around the house to the east wall, where he could clearly see the direction of the toilet and watched quietly. When he saw the person inside come out, frowning, straightening his clothes and walking back, he turned around and walked to the front of the house.

Ye Jia came back and washed her hands by the well. Seeing Zhou Jingchen still standing in front of the door, she raised her brows and asked, "Why are you still standing there?"

Zhou Jingchen smiled good-naturedly and told Ye Jia the reason for his return without her asking. Ye Jia, now that her mind had returned, actually guessed what he was thinking. They were moving tomorrow, so Zhou Jingchen was understandably worried: "How many days do you have left on your mission?"

"At least four or five days."

Zhou Jingchen had actually asked all the necessary questions, but those who had finished their work couldn't be treated any differently since the others hadn't finished their questions yet. They naturally advanced and retreated together. However, he had a good relationship with the sergeant and squad leader who was in charge, so he could use the excuse of running errands to leave for the day. He was returning tonight to watch over the family and to personally escort the two women, one child, to Dongxiang Town tomorrow.

There's been some unrest these past few days, sparked by the unrest caused by a massacre by bandits. Many people are taking advantage of the situation by claiming the bandits are on the run, causing unrest in several villages. Families have been robbed, and innocent girls have been abducted and raped, leaving people in a state of panic.

Ye Jia nodded and went back to the house with him.

Zhou Jingchen's mattress was still in the closet, but there was no need to sleep on it in this weather. He could just spread a straw mat on the floor and cover himself with clothes. Ye Jia evened out a straw mat for him and even went to get some hot water to wipe it clean.

It was not convenient for Zhou Jingchen to wash in the barracks, but he had to clean up when he got home. Now he just stood in the yard and washed under cold water.

Under the bright moonlight, a man in thin underpants tilted his head back, a bucket of cold water pouring down from above. He was tall, with a handsome and powerful frame, broad shoulders and a narrow waist, and long legs. His upper body was bare, and his lower body was only a thin pair of underpants hanging from his waist... Ye Jia stood by the window, watching him quietly, and noticed with her sharp eyes that his buttocks were quite perky.

Zhou Jingchen caught a glimpse of a figure passing by the window from the corner of his eye, with a faint smile glimmering in his eyes.

His every move was as smooth as flowing water, his restraint yet revealing a gentlemanly demeanor. His clothes, dampened by the well water, clung to his body, revealing the fluid lines of his muscles as if they were painted. He might as well have taken them off… Suddenly, a flood of colorful nonsense flooded his mind, and Ye Jia smacked himself on the head. He turned around and, like a hopping salted fish, sank straight into the bed.

He pulled the thin blanket over his face expressionlessly. He was scorching hot, but he still forced himself to sleep.

Zhou Jingchen walked into the room, still damp with sweat, and Ye Jia was already fast asleep.

He: "..." What's going on? He was just hiding by the window and peeking at her, and now she's already fast asleep in just a few minutes?

Zhou Jingchen chuckled, feeling strangely frustrated, like he was flirting with a blind man. He stood by the bed and watched for a moment, then reached out and pulled the blanket off Ye Jia's head. Sure enough, after covering it for a while, he was sweating profusely. Speechlessly, he bent down and carried the doghouse from the floor to the main room. Diandian crouched in the kennel, staring at him with a pair of emerald green eyes.

Thanks to the urine it had peed the day before, Diandian recognized the man as its rarely seen old father, so it didn't rush over to bite him.

The next day at dawn, Old Man Sun came with an ox cart.

Without any help from Yu and Ye Jia, Old Man Sun and Zhou Jingchen loaded the boxes onto the oxcart. Yu helped Rui Jieer change her clothes, deliberately choosing something inconspicuous. Ye Jia was cooking in the back kitchen and happened to bring some leftover braised chicken giblets and fried chicken ribs from yesterday. She made a dozen or so steamed buns, added all the ingredients, and wrapped them in cloth, placing them in her backpack.

After finishing the last meal, Ye Jia went into the house and called Zhou Jingchen over.

Zhou Jingchen blinked at the empty pot in front of him, not understanding what she meant for a long time. Ye Jia tsk'd and poured a ladle of cold water into the hot pot. Then she instructed Zhou Jingchen to scoop out the water and dismantle the pot.

Zhou Jingchen roughly understood, but not completely, so he asked, "...Do you want to take this apart and take it away too?"

"Yeah." Ye Jia rolled his eyes at him and argued, "You don't know how expensive firewood, rice, oil, and salt are until you manage a household. Do you know how much an iron pot costs? We spent nearly half of our savings on buying the house. We'll have to tighten our belts from now on. How can we not be frugal?"

Zhou Jingchen was speechless and took it apart quickly.

After the large iron pot was loaded onto the oxcart, Ye Jia and Yu Shi took a tour of the three houses and two small huts. After checking every nook and cranny to make sure nothing was left, they boarded the oxcart and headed for Dongxiang Town. Honestly, if the land wasn't so difficult to demolish, Ye Jia would have taken the houses and the land along with it. It would have been even better if the well at the entrance could be taken with it.

It was already bright when they went out. Ye Jia held Diandian in his arms, and Yu Shi took Rui Jie'er and they got into the car.

Old Man Sun was a little surprised when he saw Zhou Jingchen behind the two men, but although he was surprised, he didn't ask anything in person.

The oxcart creaked out of the village. Old Lady Wang happened to come back from outside and was shocked to see the family's behavior. Ye Jia thought of the old lady's care these days and reminded them. Old Lady Wang shook her head and said that her family was here and she would not move: "My family has been in Wangjia Village for many years. Even if those bandits come again, I would rather die in Wangjia Village."

People at this time all had similar ideas. They valued their roots and were unwilling to leave their hometowns.

Ye Jia was just reminding us to do our best and leave the rest to fate. After that, the two said goodbye at the village entrance: "Aunt Wang, if you come to Dongxiang Town in the future, please come to my house for dinner. I will definitely treat you to good wine and delicious food."

Old Lady Wang laughed as she listened, and hugged Rui Jie'er somewhat reluctantly: "I will definitely go and take a look when I have time."

At this point, they really did leave. The oxcart moved slowly, and it would take at least three hours to reach Dongxiang Town. When they reached the intersection, they saw a figure squatting under a tree, carrying a lot of bags.

When the ox cart got closer, Ye Jia realized it was Ye Wumei.

Ye Wumei, who didn't know whether she had sneaked out of the house or been beaten, squatted under a tree and looked around, looking panicked and helpless. Her hair was a mess, and there was a slap mark on her cheek, which was swollen. As soon as she saw Ye Jia, she rushed over, tears and snot streaming, grabbing Ye Jia's arm and saying, "Third sister, I want to go to Dongxiang Town with you."

Ye Jia was stunned and immediately glanced at the two packages at her feet.

Although tightly packed, it was clear they were just clothes. Ye Wumei was wearing dusty clothes. Honestly, the Ye family wasn't much better off than other families. There were too many mouths to feed, but too few people to work. Despite Ye Tongsheng's reputation as a scholar, Ye Tongsheng, Ye Qingjiang, and his son, along with their several younger children, didn't work. Only the second wife's second sister-in-law and two older nephews worked, so naturally, even food and clothing were a problem.

"You want to leave, have your family agreed?" Ye Jia didn't care too much, so he just asked her this question after listening to her crying.

Ye Wumei lowered her head, tears streaming down her face. She looked utterly embarrassed, pursed her lips, and said stubbornly, "Whether my parents agree or not, I want to move out. Anyway, staying home is just a way to earn some money for my family's wedding gift when I'm old enough. What's the difference between that and selling me?"

Ye Jia didn't say anything. She didn't expect that this quiet little sister was thinking this way.

"Did you have a fight with your family?"

"Yeah." Ye Wumei wiped her face with her sleeve and sobbed, "Last night, Qinghe told Dad and Second Brother what you, Third Sister, said. But before I even said I wanted to move, Dad threw his chopsticks and bowls in a rage. Mom also added fuel to the fire. I just said I wanted to move away and Dad beat me. Second Brother kept scolding me, saying I was stupid and that my daughter was outgoing and didn't care about her roots. The whole family was crying and making a fuss, but I just wanted to leave."

When Ye Jia went to deliver the message to see Ye Su's attitude that day, she had expected this result. She was not surprised at all when Ye Wumei said this.

"Do your parents know that you ran away?"

Ye Wumei didn't say anything.

"They'll find out sooner or later. Fifth sister, I can't take you away without our parents' permission. If I do, my family will come after me and I'll definitely not get away with it." It wasn't that Ye Jia was cold-blooded, but rather a reasonable guess based on the Ye family's past behavior. Ye Jia had done his best to remind them to evacuate the goods in time, based on the original owner's kindness, but he didn't want to be entangled with his family in the future.

"I know." How could Ye Wumei, who had been with Ye Su for more than ten years, not know what Ye Jia, who had only fought a few battles with her, could see?

But she had no choice; she was destined to marry off in exchange for a bride price. Ye Wumei saw it as she was better off leaving early than having her parents dictate her marriage. "So my second sister-in-law saw me leaving, and Qinghe knew too. Neither of them tried to stop me. Yesterday, my father was furious and told me to leave the Ye family in front of the whole family. Don't even think about setting foot in the Ye family again..."

She looked up at Ye Jia, her eyes filled with desperate panic: "I ran away because I didn't plan to go back."

Ye Jia hadn't expected that the quiet little girl, Ye Wumei, could actually be so cruel. The Ye family had three daughters, but the one with the worst temper was the easiest to control, and the two younger sisters were both more reasonable than the original one.

After frowning and looking at her for a long time, Ye Jia was still a little hesitant.

No matter what dispute Ye Wumei had with the Ye family today, if she took the initiative to take the person away, her parents would have something to hold her accountable in the future. Regardless of whether Ye Wumei did it willingly or not, the fault lay with Ye Jia. The Ye family was not a group that could be so reasonable.

"I can't take you away without my parents' consent."

Seeing Ye Wumei's eyes dim for a moment, Ye Jia sighed and said, "But if you must go to Dongxiang Town, you can follow behind my car. Your departure this time has nothing to do with me. It's your own decision."

As soon as Ye Jia finished speaking, Ye Wumei's dim eyes instantly lit up: "I know, Third Sister."

Despite this, Ye Jia couldn't bear to watch a little girl carrying a heavy bag following the cart. Unable to bear it, Ye Jia simply drove Zhou Jingchen off the cart and told Ye Wumei to put the bag on the ox cart. Zhou Jingchen glanced at Ye Jia deeply and got off the cart without saying a word. Yu Shi looked at her son and daughter-in-law, hesitant to speak, and finally turned her head away, choosing to turn a blind eye.

My son is a boy, so what if he gets off the bus and walks? He can't be more delicate than a girl.

It was almost 3 p.m. when we arrived at our new residence, and the sun gradually became less intense.

They walked slowly, stopping frequently, and even had a quick lunch along the way. Ye Jia had made a steamed bun early in the morning, stuffed with fried chicken strips. The braised chicken giblets and fried chicken ribs were still good snacks. Though they weren't as fragrant as they were fresh from the wok after a night, Ye Jia had cooled them with well water and placed them in a vent to keep them from spoiling. As the family ate, seeing that Ye Wumei hadn't brought any food, Ye Jia shared a piece of bread with her.

Ye Wumei ate with amazement, thinking to herself, no wonder Third Sister was selling food in town. This skill really could be used to make a living. Ruijie had been very well-behaved all the way, not making any noise or noise. When her little face flushed with heat, she would softly call out "Grandma."

Yu was fanning Ruijie while eating a steamed bun. After a few bites, she found it quite delicious and suddenly had an idea: "Jia Niang, do you think we can sell this at our stall? It seems to taste quite good too."

Roujiamo (Chinese roujiamo) is naturally quite good, and later became a popular snack across the country. However, Ye Jia never planned to make it. Mainly because meat is too expensive and not affordable. If the people of Dongxiang Town were better off, Ye Jia might consider making Roujiamo.

We'll talk about these things in detail after we settle down, but let's move there first.

Arriving at the new residence, Old Man Sun helped unload the belongings and then drove off. Ye Jia had wanted to invite him to have a meal, but Old Man Sun was worried about the safety of driving through the night, so he had to leave early and hungry. Ye Wumei was penniless and hadn't saved any money at the Ye family. She had only a few copper coins when she returned. There was no way Ye Jia could really drive her out and leave her to live at the Zhou family's.

There was no time to pack, so I could only temporarily clear out two rooms and the kitchen. My luggage and clothes were still packed in boxes, and I made a rough bed to rest in. Because the move was so hasty, I didn't have many things in my new home, so I had to make do with what I had.

It must be said that Yu was a really good mother-in-law. She had no complaints about Ye Jia's behavior, and only asked Ye Wumei to stay in the same room with her at night.

Ye Wumei knew that her sister was the one causing trouble for her own willful behavior, so she put down her bag and started helping with the chores. She was an expert at housework, cleaning the house and even cooking. For a simple meal in the evening, Ye Jia made noodle soup.

Probably because they had been busy all day, everyone thought the food was delicious.

As soon as it got dark, Yu took Ruijieer to bed. Fifth Sister Ye, tired but embarrassed to go to bed first, sat in the main room and waited. Seeing her like a chicken pecking at rice, Ye Jia urged her to go to bed quickly. Only then did she obediently go into Yu's room.

Zhou Jingchen was leaving for the evening. He could skip a day of work, but he couldn't stay home at night. If someone checked on him, even if he got along well with his superiors, he'd still be held responsible. He stood in the yard with his hands behind his back, looking up at the sky.

Ye Jia moved the clothes into the house and took the basin. She went back and forth several times and passed by him several times.

Zhou Jingchen stood there like a wooden stake, motionless, his expression deep and unfathomable. Ye Jia wasn't the curious type; most of the time, she didn't pay much attention to what others were doing. But the fourth time she passed Zhou Jingchen, she couldn't help but frown. "What are you doing here? Blocking things?"

Zhou Jingchen: “…”

He silently moved a few steps to the side, still looking at the sky with gloomy eyes.

Ye Jia had been about to go inside to wash up, having been busy outside all day. Moving, cooking, and being exposed to the sun were exhausting. But perhaps because he'd been standing there for so long, his expression was truly solemn. Ye Jia couldn't help but wonder what he was looking at. Was he gazing at the stars? Her mind was momentarily clouded by the dough, and she put down the wooden basin and scooted over, imitating his gaze towards the sky.

After looking for a long time, I found that the sky in ancient times was pitch black, with nothing but a sky full of stars and a bright moon.

After a long while, Ye Jia couldn't help but ask: "...What are you looking at?"

Zhou Jingchen seemed to be chuckling, but it seemed as if he wasn't. His voice was light and airy, with a chill air. He lowered his head and stared at Ye Jia, who blinked her eyes at him. He said gravely, "Hmm... I'm thinking about the first half of my life."

Ye Jia: “…”

It was quiet. So quiet that only the chirping of insects could be heard.

Ye Jia…Ye Jia was speechless and furious. Her face flushed crimson, the embarrassment of being teased reaching all the way to her ears. The next moment, she felt so embarrassed and angry that she couldn't help but kick him hard in the calf. Then she stormed back into the house and slammed the door. "Get out! If I see you still in the yard after I finish my shower, I'll go to your camp tomorrow and report you for abusing your position and leaving the team without permission!"

Zhou Jingchen laughed out loud, and standing outside the door, he said to the window, "I'm going back now. Remember to lock the window at night."

After saying that, he waited for a moment. There was no movement in the room. He looked down at Diandian, who was squatting at the doorway, staring at him dimly, and smiled. "Eat more meat and take good care of the house. Well done, I'll bring you something delicious next time."

In a moment, he left his new home lightly.

Ye Jia was showering in the house. When she came out, the yard was empty. She poured out the water. Ye Wumei came out, dressed in her clothes, and suddenly said, "Third sister, when are you going to start your business? I can actually help you."

"Go to sleep," Ye Jia yawned, not wanting to say more. "We'll talk about these things after we're settled."

Ye Wumei bit her lip and went back to her room to sleep.

The next morning, news reached Dongxiang Town. Or rather, the garrison. Because the Zhou family's new house was right next to the garrison, every movement in the camp could be heard clearly from there. As expected, something had happened last night. The bandits, either fearless or under orders, attacked Yejiazhuang and Zhangjiaqiao before the garrison troops had fully evacuated Libei Town.

Over forty people died last night in Yejiazhuang. Zhangjiaqiao, the village where Old Man Sun lived, was massacred. A few people hid in cellars and escaped the disaster, but most were beheaded in their sleep. The village's cattle, sheep, and grain were all looted.

Ye Jia's mind was buzzing, and he exchanged a glance with Yu, whose face was also pale. They were both thinking the same thing.

Horrified, yet relieved.