Chapter 48

There was a faint smell of alcohol in the air. The evening breeze blew into the house through the open window, bringing with it the faint scent of grass and trees in the yard.

Ye Jia narrowed her eyes and stared at the motionless figure on the bed. His dark hair was slightly loose, half-tied and spread across the pillow. His brows were slightly furrowed, and he truly possessed a certain patience. Ye Jia was almost leaning over his cheek, but he ignored her, as if the movement of adjusting the pillow was an illusion. She then put on her shoes and stood up to open the door.

The west room was so quiet as if no one was there. The door was closed tightly and there was no movement in the room.

Ye Jia glanced over as she passed, wondering why Yu Shi was sleeping so soundly tonight. But she didn't bother to investigate further. She simply opened the main hall door and headed to the kitchen. She cooked a bowl of hangover soup with the few ingredients she had. The cilantro she'd be mixing with the pork head tomorrow was chopped in the basket. Thinking about it, she grabbed a handful and added it to the soup. She also added a small bowl of vinegar.

She lowered her head to smell the sour taste, then silently took it back into the house.

The person on the bed had his eyes tightly closed, his breathing shallow and steady. He was still in the same position she had left him, but there was something different about that posture. Ye Jia walked over and called him softly, "Husband? Husband? Are you drunk?"

After calling out several times, no one responded. Only when he got closer could he hear the man's soft, sticky mumbling. The slender figure was pushed and shoved by Ye Jia several times, and it took a long time for him to turn over.

Slowly opening a pair of watery eyes, he said softly and vaguely to Ye Jia, "I'm not drunk."

...Drunk people always say they are not drunk and there is nothing wrong with them.

She nodded. She put one arm around his neck and used all her strength to lift him up, leaning him against her shoulder. "Here, I just made you a bowl of hangover soup. Have some."

As he spoke, he handed his bowl of coriander paste and vinegar to his mouth.

Ye Jia was sure that the strong smell of vinegar would come out. She saw with both eyes that the man's cheek twitched. Then she looked away and it was gone. Ye Jia's eyes narrowed, and the smile on the corners of his mouth turned kind. I guess the play has reached this point. He can only pretend to be drunk and reach out to push the bowl. Ye Jia would let him push it? What a joke!

She pinched the man's chin, ignored his hesitant attempts to speak, and poured the bowl of vinegar into his mouth.

Zhou Jingchen drank half a bowl of a hangover soup with cilantro and vinegar, and the sour taste nearly brought him to tears. If there was one thing the regent of Yan, who had dominated the country for twenty years, hated most, it was probably cilantro. There was a smell to it that he simply couldn't stomach. Ye Jia watched him twitch for a long time, and he managed to keep it under wraps. She couldn't help but admire him.

Zhou Jingchen, Zhou Yunan, what a ruthless person.

However, Ye Jia put the remaining half bowl of vinegar aside and said quietly, "Oh my God, I actually fed my husband so much coriander. I heard that coriander has the effect of killing sperm, but I don't know if it's true? Does my husband know what killing sperm is?"

The person in her arms looked at her with eyes that were misty with soreness, gentle yet ignorant.

Ye Jia smiled slightly: "Killing sperm, as the name suggests, is detrimental to men's essence and blood."

His expression froze, and Zhou Jingchen raised his head instantly.

Ye Jia also lowered her eyes and looked at him.

Their eyes met, and Ye Jia raised one eyebrow slightly: "Is it delicious?"

“…Not bad.”

"Another bowl then?"

Zhou Jingchen was very stiff. After a pause, he asked, "When did you find out?"

"While you were holding up the pillow."

Zhou Jingchen: “…”

Reaching into his sleeve and pulling out a handkerchief, he wiped the vinegar Ye Jia had accidentally fed him on his face. Then he silently sat up from Ye Jia's arms, threw back the thin quilt and got out of bed. He went to the side, opened the cabinet, took out a straw mat, spread it on the floor, and put a pillow on it. Finally, in front of Ye Jia, he lay down with his back to her.

Ye Jia squinted her eyes at his actions and sneered, "It's a rumor that coriander kills sperm. I lied to you."

The man lying on the ground suddenly stiffened and lay down stubbornly.

The night passed peacefully until dawn, and Zhou Jingchen ate at home before returning to the barracks. Now that his status had changed, his access to and from the garrison was much less restricted. Like the other officers there, he only had to arrive before morning exercises.

After quickly packing up, he changed into his military uniform and went out.

Passing by the courtyard, Yu happened to be washing up with Rui Jie'er in the courtyard. She looked up and saw him in a hurry, which made her feel a little strange. Just then, Ye Jia came out of the house and asked casually, "What's wrong with Yun'an? Why are you in such a hurry so early in the morning?"

Her son was always so calm and composed, rarely acting so hastily, and she couldn't help but feel a little strange. Yu took a cloth and wiped Rui Jie'er's face, then turned her gaze away from Zhou Jingchen's back. Recalling the sight of her son and daughter-in-law hugging last night, she felt a sudden pang of emotion. Too embarrassed to ask directly, she inquired indirectly about what had happened the previous night.

"I fell asleep after drinking. I was very drunk." Ye Jia was worried about the opening of the shop today, so he answered perfunctorily.

When Yu heard this, her heart skipped a beat.

"...drunk last night and never woke up?" It shouldn't have happened. How could this have happened? Yu had been happy for a while this morning, but things hadn't gone the way she'd hoped, and she suddenly felt anxious. Her gaze darkly fell on Ye Jia. Seeing Ye Jia's lively and graceful figure, not looking like he'd just had sex, her heart sank.

This Yun'an, this Yun'an... Yu was so angry that she began to worry whether her son had any hidden illness.

Yu's heart sank after such a moment of joy. "How about I make some nourishing soup for Yun An when I have time?"

Yu's words came out of the blue, and Ye Jia was stunned for a moment. She didn't understand. But then she thought about how Yu had been making her nourishing soup every few days, making her as strong as a calf and making her sleep much more soundly at night. Making nourishing soup for her own son was no big deal, so she nodded. "If you want to make soup, then make it. We don't need the money."

He was worried that Yu Shi didn't have enough money, so he added considerately, "If you don't have enough money, come to me for it."

Yu: “…”

Not to mention that Yu Shi became even more worried after hearing what Ye Jia said, Ye Jia saw that the ingredients were almost prepared, so he helped Ye Wumei to move things.

Adding the stove and pots from the breakfast stall, five braised pig heads, thirty pounds of pork belly, and a large bucket of pig intestines, three people loaded everything onto the oxcart. The oxcart moved slowly but remarkably steadily. For a family like the Zhou family, who didn't care about speed, an oxcart was naturally more convenient than a horse-drawn carriage for transporting goods. Ye Jia and Ye Wumei sat on either side of the cart, perched on the rafters.

Old man Sun cracked his whip and the cart began to squeak.

On the first day of the new shop's opening, since there was no lion dance troupe in the small town, Ye Jia bought some firecrackers and set them off in the street. The crackling sound of the firecrackers attracted the attention of everyone on East Street.

Ye Jia had already spread the news of Xishi's stall closing among the diners, some believing it and some not. Early this morning, many people went to the stall's usual location, but after a long wait, when the stall owner didn't show up, they assumed it was just closing down as usual. When they heard the sound of firecrackers and rushed over to see what was happening, they realized the stall had changed its location, and the food looked much more presentable.

"Madam, we've moved to a new shop, but are the breakfast prices still the same as before?" Some people are afraid of price increases and ask before buying.

Upon hearing this, Ye Jia said loudly, "Breakfast will remain at the original price, no price increase, don't worry. To wish a good start to the new store opening, today, anyone who comes in to buy pig's head will receive two ounces of braised pig intestines with three pounds of pig's head. We don't make much, so come and try some. This pig intestine is a new product we've come up with, and it tastes very good. We won't be selling it, so just consider it a bonus!"

As soon as these words were spoken, some people in the crowd immediately cheered.

Everyone in Dongxiang knows the delicious pork head meat at Xishi's stall. Their skill in preparing the meat is beyond compare. When they heard about this new item, the proprietress generously gave it away for free as a bonus. Who wouldn't be happy? However, eating pig offal is rare these days, and pig intestines are even rarer. Even though it's a free gift, some people still find it a bit jarring to hear it's pig intestines.

Ye Jia had roughly guessed it. When she'd made it for home at Zhou's house before, everyone's reaction had been the same. With that in mind, she didn't rush to explain, only saying that she'd leave a bowl for everyone to taste first.

Because the Ye Jia sisters were good-looking and friendly in their business dealings, many diners, even if they didn't think much of pig intestines, kept quiet about it. They simply praised the boss lady's cooking skills, saying that everything she cooked was delicious. Someone even asked Ye Jia when she would start selling them, and Ye Jia could only smile and reply, "As soon as we finish our breakfast business."

"Then we can wait to try it!"

The diners were all cheering, and Ye Jia naturally welcomed them with a smile. That was the good thing about small places: once you've established a good business relationship, everyone in the neighborhood knows you. Everyone gets along well, so naturally, they're happy to speak well of Xishi's stall.

The weather wasn't cold at the end of September, making the cool autumn weather perfect for building up some weight. People get hungry easily, so Ye Jia had Old Man Sun set up the frying pan and stove at the entrance. On one side was the batter, on the other the prepared ingredients. As the stove lit, Ye Wumei spread the batter onto the frying pan, and the aroma wafted across the air, making many people hungry at the mere sight of it.

The novelty of Jianbing Guozi hasn't worn off yet; even though they've only been on sale for a short time, many people haven't gotten tired of them. The aroma of grain combined with the fragrance of eggs immediately piques the appetite of Jianbing Guozi fans.

Now Ye Jia has basically handed over the business of this breakfast stall to his fifth sister.

Fifth Sister was more skillful than she, and Ye Jia occasionally felt guilty watching her do so much work. Even if Fifth Sister was capable, she was only fourteen, and wouldn't be coming of age until the following year. When she thought about it, she felt like she was exploiting child labor. Seeing how hard she worked, Ye Jia, feeling guilty, doubled her wages. Fifth Sister had truly never seen money, and she was so overjoyed to receive two taels of silver that she wished she could work for Ye Jia all day and all night.

She was even more enthusiastic about the breakfast stall than Ye Jia. She truly wanted to devote all her energy to it. Besides the ingredients Ye Jia had just started preparing, she also added many dishes favored by the locals. It's true that food should be adapted to the local market. The few side dishes Fifth Sister added were selling quite well.

The batter was not prepared in large quantities and was sold out by about 2:15 am.

Fifth Sister rubbed her waist and stood up. After breakfast, the stall could be packed up. This was the good thing about opening a shop. Now, they didn't have to send all the stuff back after they moved it in. After use, they could just wash it and bring it back to the backyard of the shop, and it was convenient to take it back when they needed it again.

"Rest for a while." Perhaps because young people have unlimited energy, Ye Wumei doesn't even know how to get tired. "Have breakfast and rest for a while."

Ye Wumei took the almond goat milk handed to her by Ye Jia, took a sip and responded happily: "Hey!"

Old Man Sun set up chairs in the back. Although Ye Jia's shop wasn't a place for people to stop by for a quick meal, but rather a purely cooked meat shop, she also included some seating for customers to rest. When Ye Jia renovated the shop, she specifically remodeled the interior to resemble the structure of a later-day milk tea shop. She built a large, long cabinet and a bar in the back, with three sides facing the door. She also installed wooden racks and hooks behind the bar, facing the door, to hang the cuts of pork head by their respective parts.

When customers come, they can choose whether they want pork cheek or pig ears. There is a scale on the right side. After choosing, they go to the right side of the bar to weigh it and pay, and then take the left side to cut it.

There are about ten tables in the middle, and each seat is not big enough, just enough for two people to sit.

Most people come to buy meat, which is cut and carried away. If they can't make up their minds and want to eat in the shop, they can sit down and eat. This makes the place bright and clear. When Zhou Jingchen brought people to show his support, they were quite impressed by the shop's layout.

Liu Yuan's brows raised: "This shop is well run."

Zhou Jingchen glanced at him and told them to find a seat by themselves. He casually asked Ye Wumei, who was sitting behind the counter, "Where's your sister?"

Ye Wumei was sitting in the back drinking goat milk. When she looked up and saw Zhou Jingchen, she was startled. She almost choked on the goat milk and coughed for a long time before she was able to speak. "Yes, in the backyard."

Over there, Liu Yuan had already asked Ye Wumei to cut the meat. They came to show their support, so of course they had to spend money. Since Liu Yuan got promoted, his salary has increased. As a bachelor, he doesn't drink or buy clothes, so he just keeps it all. Now, when he saw the meat, he pointed at the pig's ears and nose and asked to cut it: "This, this, this, cut me a piece of each, mix it up, and eat it here."

This wasn't the first time Ye Wumei had seen Liu Yuan. The last time she saw him, she'd already thought he was handsome. Only her brother-in-law was ridiculously handsome, making others look ugly when standing next to him. That time, when they were standing together, it didn't show. Now, when she saw him alone, he was indeed incredibly handsome, a bit too eye-catching.

The little girl nodded with a stern face, quickly took the meat off the hook and took it aside to be weighed.

She used to follow Ye Jia to set up a stall in the tile market, and she was even more skilled at these tasks than Ye Jia. She quickly weighed and calculated the amount, weighing nearly three pounds. She pulled two plates from under the counter to place the meat on, and stretched out her hand. "Pork head meat is 39 wen per pound, and pork belly is 45 wen per pound. A total of 129 wen. I'll pay you first and then I'll cut it."

Liu Yuan hadn't noticed that the person watching the shop was a young girl, but when he heard her harsh words, he took a closer look.

Only then did he realize that, although her facial features hadn't fully developed yet, she was still a beauty. She looked somewhat like Zhou Jingchen's wife. A thought flashed through his mind, and he began to tease her: "Little girl, I'm a guest brought by your brother-in-law. Isn't it a privilege to come here for your first visit?"

When the Liu family was still strong, he was also quite popular among women. Although he was down and out now, he could still make a young lady blush with his smile.

But sorry, ever since Ye Wumei followed her sister, she has learned a lesson: no matter how handsome a man is, he cannot be as beautiful as money.

Even Liu Yuan's laughter didn't stop Fifth Sister from calculating quickly. She kept her eyes on her nose and her heart on her mind, methodically calculating, "One hundred and twenty-nine coins, no bargain. But we have a new item today. Buy three pounds and get two ounces of pig intestines for free."

"Pig intestines?"

The last time Liu Yuan went to Zhou's house for dinner, he had eaten many fresh dishes, but he had never eaten pig intestines.

Ye Wumei didn't bother to talk anymore. She grabbed a small plate and went to the counter opposite the door. There was a large pot underneath, filled with the pig intestines Ye Jia had braised yesterday. Wumei picked up a small section with her chopsticks and weighed it out, carefully weighing it out at two taels. Then she pulled out a large kitchen knife and placed it on the chopping board with a snap. "Want to buy it? Then I'll cut it."

Liu Yuan glanced at the man holding the large kitchen knife and said, "...buy it."

Liu Yuan felt his pockets and found no copper coins. He pulled out a small silver coin.

Judging by the weight, it must have been about one ounce, so she gave it to Ye Wumei directly. She weighed it in her hand and found a pile of copper coins for him to put on the bar. Then, with a stone-faced expression, she aggressively cut out two pounds of pork belly, one pound of pork head, and two ounces of pork intestines. She mixed it with the marinade she had prepared long ago and cilantro, then looked up at him.

Liu Yuan was inexplicably nervous. He coughed and said seriously, "Eat here."

Ye Wumei nodded, filled three plates for him, and then returned to her seat. In the drawer under the cabinet was a bowl of goat's milk that she had half-drunk. She sat over it, took it out, and slowly closed her eyes while holding it.

Liu Yuan, who witnessed everything: "..."

Zhou Jingchen didn't wait outside with this group of soldiers. When he couldn't find Ye Jia in the store, he went to the backyard to look for him.

They were both composed adults, and the awkwardness of last night faded into the past. Seeing Ye Jia, though he froze for a moment, a smile softened the situation. He was still wearing his military uniform, his hair a bit disheveled. Ye Jia was boiling goat milk, and when she saw him coming, she casually poured him a bowl.

Zhou Jingchen found an empty seat beside her and sat down, taking the cup and holding it without touching it. He actually came over because he wanted to discuss something with Ye Jia. He had left a message the last time he went out to suppress bandits, asking him to reply after returning. Was Ye Jia's gesture last night a rejection?

The Regent, having no experience in opening up to women, was somewhat concerned, but refused to admit it was a rejection. He still hoped there would be some way around it.

He opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Ye Jia interrupted him: "It's freshly cooked and sugared. Don't you want to drink it?"

Ye Jia was just taking a break for now, as he still had a lot of work to do later. Seeing him seeming to want to say something but not being able to, he wondered if he was up to something or something.

Zhou Jingchen drank silently: "Jia Niang..."

He was just about to speak when Old Man Sun came hurriedly from the corner gate. It was a neither-hot nor-cold day, but he had been running so hard that his clothes were soaked with sweat.

Ye Jia drank the milk in the bowl in one gulp, stood up and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Boss," Old Man Sun said, wiping the sweat from his forehead, his face filled with anxiety. He stammered, "Today I went to the grocery store on West Street to get the item you wanted, but the owner said they were out of stock. He said the caravans from the Central Plains had raised the price by half, making it too expensive and unprofitable. He won't be stocking the item you wanted anymore. It's out of stock starting this month."

The fragrant soap business has stabilized, with customers at Linglong Rouge Shop and Lihua Lane praising its quality. Wu Shaodong, the Rouge Shop owner, is reportedly looking to increase the supply, which is why Ye Jia was anxious to stock up on extra bath beans. She had Old Man Sun pick up the goods before the scheduled time.

"How could there be none?" Ye Jia frowned. In order to ensure cooperation, Ye Jia signed a contract with the grocery store owner Xu.

Old Man Sun couldn't explain it clearly. He didn't understand business, nor did he understand contracts. He followed Ye Jia's instructions to pick up the goods and settle this month's payment. The reply he received was that there was no stock: "Shopkeeper Xu said he was sorry. He didn't tell you about the shortage of stock in time, and he also said that the signed contract should be treated as if it didn't happen."

How could this be allowed to go unmentioned? A contract is a binding agreement between two parties, and it's supposed to be done in a reasonable and lawful manner. Once signed and pledged, the business must continue, even at a loss. Shopkeeper Xu has been running the shop for years, and he lacks integrity!

Ye Jia no longer had the leisure to drink goat milk, and was anxious to go to West Street to take a look.

As soon as he moved, his arm was grabbed. Ye Jia turned his head away, and Zhou Jingchen put down the bowl. Putting aside the selfishness of his children, he raised his hand to stroke Ye Jia's messy temples and said seriously, "Don't worry, I'll go with you to take a look."