Chapter 67

Having arrived in this place with so few supplies, Ye Jia hadn't put on makeup in a long time. Honestly, she was a bit shocked when she received the lipstick. She stared at Zhou Jingchen for a long moment before she couldn't help but smile. Zhou Jingchen smiled at her smile, too. It was his first time giving such a private item to a woman, and he felt a bit embarrassed.

But luckily, Jia Niang liked it.

"Jia Niang, come and try this dress on." Yu Shi, in the freezing weather, spent her time sewing clothes besides teaching the children to read. Now that she no longer had to do many chores, she naturally had plenty of time to do other things. She had been working on the dress in her basket since before the weather got cold, and it was finally finished. "This color will definitely suit you. Come over here quickly."

Ye Jia responded and stuffed the wooden box of lip balm into her arms. Suddenly, she reached out and grabbed Zhou Jingchen by the collar, pulling him close to her. Unexpectedly, she pecked him on the lips: "This color is very nice."

Then, before he could react, she turned and left.

Zhou Jingchen lay stiffly on the ground for a long moment, then raised his hand to touch his lips, unable to help but blushing slightly. He looked up and saw his mother, who had been standing by the window, smiling at him. Zhou Jingchen patted his clothes, stood up, and went back into the house without a word.

Ye Jia arrived at Yu's room. Yu pulled out a scarlet jacket and skirt and, with a smile, tried it on Ye Jia. Yu had searched through all the cloth shops and embroidery workshops in town to find this color; it was vibrant yet not vulgar, yet exuding a certain liveliness. Yu's aesthetic taste was always refined. She knew red suited Ye Jia, and every time she tried it on Ye Jia, she found a color that perfectly brought out her vibrant beauty.

To be honest, Ye Jia had rejected this color when it was first presented, influenced by her aesthetic tastes from a previous life. She always preferred dark, neutral shades like black, gray, or camel, feeling that anything too bright would look tacky. She had rejected Yu's dress the moment it was presented, but she was stunned by the effect once she put it on.

"I said Jia Niang was suitable," Yu smiled and fastened the belt for Ye Jia, "It turns out my vision was right."

Ye Jia was meticulously groomed by her, and she was a little dazed standing in front of the mirror. Yu narrowed her eyes and stared at Ye Jia for a long time, nodding in her heart. Jia Niang's appearance was so dazzling after just a little grooming. Yun An finally got the hang of it, and Jia Niang's good looks were not in vain: "Don't you have lip balm? Let me do your makeup for you?"

As soon as Yu finished speaking, Ye Jia froze and looked up at her.

"Ahem, I just saw it in front of the window." Yu went to the dressing table with a somewhat evasive look and took out a comb. She untied Ye Jia's messy hair and combed it again. "Yun'an has never given anyone such gifts before. I don't know what his taste is..."

As she spoke, she glanced at Ye Jia's face.

Seeing Ye Jia's lips curl up unconsciously, Yu Shi felt a surge of beauty within her. Yu Shi's makeup skills were unmatched by any other rural woman. She had been dabbling in them since she was a child, maintaining her beauty for most of her life. Makeup, skincare, hair, clothing, medicinal cuisine—all of these were as easy for Yu Shi to master as eating and drinking. It was only now, in her current situation, that she found them impractical, leading to her current financial constraints. Now that Ye Jia had taken on the responsibility of supporting the family, and life had eased, she could finally dedicate herself to these pursuits in her free time.

Her fingers deftly tied Ye Jia's hair into a bun, and she used the lip balm she had on her face to create a peach blossom makeup look. Although she didn't use any powder, Ye Jia's youthful appearance was impressive, with a clear, white complexion. This makeup made her look even more natural.

After finishing, Ye Jia took a small mirror and looked at himself in the room for a long time, almost thinking that he looked like this: "Mom, when our business grows bigger, all of your tricks can be exchanged for a lot of money!"

Yu: “…”

...I thought she would be so happy to see me so beautiful that she would stand up and spin around, then go out of the room and spin around Zhou Jingchen a few times. But after waiting for a long time, Ye Jia sat in the chair motionless, and then heard these words.

Glancing at Ye Jia's happy expression, she was choked and didn't know what to say for a long time.

"You know skincare recipes, you know makeup, and my mother has skills in clothing styles and perfumery. If used properly, any of these could be a way to make money?" Ye Jia had wanted to say this a while ago, but she'd been in such a hurry to make the scented soap last time. The thought flashed through her mind, then she suppressed it. But now that Yu had given her this trick, she was ready to try again.

Yu paused, lowered her eyes and thought, that's true.

In Yanjing, the most profitable businesses were rouge shops, followed closely by cloth shops and embroidery shops. Yanjing was home to many aristocratic families, each with its own harem of concubines. The rouge, powder, and silks consumed by a single aristocratic family in a year, if converted into silver, could feed the people of an entire city in Dayan for a year.

The lives of people of different classes in Dayan are clearly divided. To put it bluntly, they are like heaven and earth.

While the common people below were starving, the aristocratic families above continued to live in peace and prosperity. The people of Yanjing, oblivious to their own shortcomings, were content to indulge in a life of luxury and debauchery. "The rich feast on wine and meat, while the poor freeze to death on the streets" wasn't just a joke; it was the reality of Dayan.

Before the incident at Prince Jing's mansion, Yu, the Princess of Jing, spent tens of thousands of taels of silver annually on clothing and jewelry alone. Adding spices and jade, her expenses only grew. Yu had never considered it wrong, but now, looking back, she realizes her extravagance was truly excessive.

Thinking like this was too far away, so Yu quickly collected her thoughts.

She carefully closed the wooden box, turned around and looked at Ye Jia with a smile: "Just think about it, Jia Niang. Yun An and I support you. If you want me to help you in this area in the future, I can't say I can do it for sure, but I will definitely do my best."

Ye Jia's eyes flashed with ambition, and he smiled: "It's still early, no rush, no rush, let's take it step by step."

After the two finished talking, Ye Jia stared at the outfit and went back to her room. Zhou Jingchen was sitting at the table, reading a book. When he saw Ye Jia come in, he looked up and his eyes immediately lit up. Ye Jia was not shy like a woman. She raised her chin without any shyness and walked towards Zhou Jingchen. She raised her eyebrows and smiled at him like a peacock spreading its tail: "Is it beautiful?"

Zhou Jingchen's Adam's apple moved up and down, and he curled up the corners of his mouth in a faint smile: "It looks very good."

I'd never thought I liked that type of woman before, but after meeting Ye Jia, I realized he might prefer bright, elegant women. He tightened his grip on the book, pressing a few dents into the pages. His eyes unconsciously followed Ye Jia's lips. He'd originally chosen this color because Ye Jia wanted it, but he hadn't expected it to look so alluring on Ye Jia's lips.

Ye Jia proudly circled around him several times, and Zhou Jingchen's eyes followed her for a long time. Suddenly, he closed the book with a snap and placed it on the small table. He lowered his eyes, stood up suddenly, got off the kang, and put on his shoes.

Ye Jia held the small mirror in one hand and turned her head to look at him a few times.

Zhou Jingchen opened the door without a word, then walked to Yu's door and knocked twice modestly: "Mom, I have something to tell you."

Ye Jia blinked, grabbed the mirror, and walked to the door. She leaned half over the doorway, looking out.

Zhou Jingchen caught a glimpse of her from the corner of his eye, then looked up to see Yu open the door. He didn't know if it was intentional or not, but his voice was low, yet Ye Jia overheard clearly: "...Our previous marriage was so sloppy. I wasn't home at the time, and Jia Niang walked in without knowing what was going on. Now that I think about it, it's a bit awkward. Not being able to worship with Jia Niang is a huge regret for me. Mother, I'd like to re-plan our marriage."

Ye Jia unconsciously felt a numbness from his scalp to his tailbone, and his heart began to beat nervously.

Yu's voice was a little low, and it was hard to hear from outside. Ye Jia wanted to move closer to listen, but when she turned her head, she saw Rui Jie'er lying on the ground at the door, half of her body hidden outside, her big dark eyes staring at her strangely.

"Ahem," Ye Jia stood up straight and smiled at her, "What are you looking at? Don't you recognize me?"

Hearing the familiar voice, Rui Jieer jumped up immediately: "Aunt!"

"Um."

"Auntie!" Rui Jie'er rushed in, circled around Ye Jia and shouted excitedly, "Auntie looks so good today!"

Ye Jia nodded with a smile and deliberately asked her: "Auntie, didn't you look good yesterday?"

The little girl's eyes rolled around, then she grabbed Ye Jia's hand and smiled in a particularly flattering way: "Auntie looks beautiful every day!"

The childish talk made Ye Jia burst into laughter. Reaching out and ruffling her hair, Ye Jia went back to the room to change her clothes. It wasn't that she didn't like wearing them, but she had to work soon, and she didn't want to get such beautiful clothes dirty. Turning her head, she saw the small clothes she had thrown in the basket that day were still there. Ye Jia scratched the corner of her eye and took the clothes out to wash.

Fifth and Fourth Sister Ye were cooking in the kitchen. Ye Jia finished washing her clothes and found nowhere to hang them. It was freezing cold outside, and wet fabric would freeze in no time if left outside. Ye Jia simply brought a rope into the house, tied it between two cabinets, and hung up the clothes.

After hanging it up, Ye Jia just walked into the kitchen and her two sisters saw her appearance.

Although she changed her clothes, her makeup and hair remained the same. Fourth Sister Ye was stunned when she saw Ye Jia's face. They knew that Third Sister was pretty, a beauty rarely seen in the surrounding area. But after seeing her every day, they thought she was just like that. Now that she was wearing makeup, they were really shocked. Fourth Sister Ye pursed her lips and couldn't help asking, "Sister, what did you put on your face?"

"Rouge." Ye Jia placed the wooden basin on the table and turned to see that Ye Wumei had stopped chopping vegetables. "What's wrong?"

"I've seen rouge before. Zhang Chunfen put it on every day, and it looked like a ghost..."

Ye Wumei had never seen rouge in her life. She only knew Zhang Chunfen applied it every day. She secretly thought that rouge always looked ugly. "How could this thing look like this when applied on the face?"

Fourth Sister Ye had applied it once, on her wedding day, when her third uncle's sister from the village did it for her. Honestly, the result was just so-so. Fourth Sister Ye had never thought it could be applied so beautifully: "Sister, you, you..."

"Oh, this? Your aunt made it."

Ye Jia didn't know how the two girls hadn't seen that kind of thing before, and was a little puzzled by their shocked reaction. "Rouge requires a certain skill and technique to apply. If applied well, it will look good, but if applied poorly, it will definitely look like a ghost painting. If you two are curious, I'll go to the rouge shop one day and get a few boxes back, and have your aunt do your makeup for you."

When Ye Jia said this, the two of them immediately became happy. Fourth Sister Ye stared at the color of Ye Jia's lips, her eyes a little infatuated: "Why do I feel that the color of your lip balm is different from the rouge sold in the rouge shop in town?"

"Ahem," Ye Jia turned away, pretending to be busy, "There's only one box of this color, it's not available anywhere else."

Lunch was naturally mutton pilaf. Even on such a cold day, mutton pilaf was delicious and satisfying. It had become Ye Wumei's specialty, and her cooking was truly exquisite. Ye Jia had just finished his meal when Yu called him into the house.

Ye Jia guessed what Yu was about to say without her even opening her mouth. Sure enough, the first thing Yu said was Zhou Jingchen's suggestion of a new marriage. She kept saying how financially strapped they were, how the wedding had been so crude, and how much Ye Jia had suffered. Now that they had some savings, several of Ye Jia's relatives were there, and Zhou Jingchen had made friends at the station. It was a perfect opportunity to gather all their friends and family to plan another wedding.

"Yun'an said you agreed to this." Yu Shi had never heard of a family marrying twice, but having fallen into this situation, many things were not done according to the old rules. Zhou Jingchen was determined to confirm Jia Niang's identity, so Yu Shi naturally would not stop him.

Yu Shi is now determined to choose Ye Jia as her daughter-in-law. She won't change anyone else. "Jia Niang, what are you planning?"

Could Ye Jia say she was tricked? Did they just go on and on about something, and Zhou Jingchen took advantage of it and made the final decision?

Although she felt a pang of sadness, Ye Jia wasn't one to go back on her word. Having already promised Zhou Jingchen, she wasn't about to regret it at the last minute. "There's no need for a grand ceremony. My husband regrets not being able to personally worship heaven and earth and make a promise of a long life together. We're reorganizing it now to fulfill that promise. And since my husband is taking a leave of absence until the beginning of next spring, we can take advantage of his free time to complete the ceremony."

Yu nodded repeatedly after hearing this. It was indeed true. Last time, her daughter-in-law had held a rooster in her arms when she was worshipped. How ridiculous!

"Okay, I'll take care of this." Yu was worried that Ye Jia wouldn't be able to prepare things properly at such a young age, so she took charge of this matter since she had nothing else to do. "Just focus on your important work, and I'll take care of these things. If you're really too busy, just ask Yuanniang to help out."

Since Yu was so considerate, Ye Jia certainly wouldn't refuse: "Okay, I'll trouble you to take care of this matter."

When she heard about the wedding, Yu immediately set to work. She summoned Old Man Sun to drive the car, and hurried to the streets to ask the red paper vendors. She also visited candy and pastry shops, and even cloth shops. Considering Zhou Jingchen's short leave, which would end on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month next year, Yu had no choice but to rush the preparations. Fortunately, the wedding didn't need to be a grand affair; just following the proper procedures and etiquette would be enough.

Zhou Jingchen was also ordered by her to do something busy, including invitations and shopping.

Yu wanted to embroider a beautiful wedding dress for Ye Jia, so she worked day and night. She embroidered by candlelight at night, a sight that made Ye Jia feel awful. Several people were busy, and Ye Jia had her own things to do. After soaking the sorghum rice for a day and a night, it was steamed the next day.

Once the sorghum rice was cooked, Lin Zeyu immediately brought over the large clay pot he had heated the previous day. Ye Jia poured the sorghum rice in, then added hot water. Ye Wumei ground the yeast into a powder and sprinkled it on top. The large pot was then placed in a separate room next to the kitchen. Next to the stove, there was a clearing for firewood. Old Man Sun and his three grandchildren brought out the firewood and placed it in the two large clay pots.

Stir it with a stick every day and ferment at low temperature.

Ye Jia prepared the wine, and Ajiu finally returned from Luntai.

Upon his return, he first sought out Zhou Jingchen alone, and the two of them spent a considerable amount of time in the east wing. Of the two rooms on the east side, one was Ye Jia and Zhou Jingchen's bedroom. The vacant room had been cleared out and used as a study. Zhou Jingchen had unnoticed it, tidying it up quite nicely. He'd filled it with bookshelves and a desk, so anyone who wanted to discuss something could have a place to sit and talk.

The two of them talked in the east room for nearly half an hour before Ah Jiu came out, looking thoughtful. Looking up and seeing Ye Jia, he thought about what Zhou Jingchen had just mentioned to him and immediately slapped his head: "Sister, didn't we already agree on that?"

Ye Jia immediately laughed: "It's settled, but we haven't agreed on the specifics."

"Okay, sister, wait for me to go back to the room and change clothes, then come over and we can talk in detail." Ajiu had just been to Luntai and had a smile on his face, but upon closer inspection, you could see that his face was pale.

Ye Jia was a little surprised, but didn't ask. She nodded and motioned him to go back to the house.

As they passed each other, Ye Jia smelled a strong smell of blood on him, and her heart suddenly skipped a beat. Zhou Jingchen came out from the east room and saw Ye Jia staring at Ajiu's back, looking thoughtful. He then called out softly, "Jia Niang."

Ye Jia turned around and Zhou Jingchen came over, held her hand, and pulled her into their room.

No matter how bright it was outside, the room was always dark. Ye Jia was pulled to sit at the table. Zhou Jingchen pulled a tinder from his sleeve and blew on it twice, lighting an oil lamp on the table. The light flickered and then burst into brightness, illuminating the entire room. The flickering wick illuminated Zhou Jingchen's cold, solemn expression.

"Last time, I was halfway through talking to you and didn't continue." Zhou Jingchen didn't suddenly want to tell Ye Jia. He had been thinking about how to open the conversation with her for the past few nights. But every time, he swallowed the words back. "We're getting married soon, so there are some things I need to confess to you sooner rather than later."

Ye Jia blinked, and her heart slowly calmed down: "Well, go ahead."

"Jia Niang, the first thing I need to explain to you is my background." Zhou Jingchen knew Ye Jia understood clearly. Ye Jia might not be well-read, but he definitely had a very good education. "My surname is Zhou, my given name is Jingchen, and my courtesy name is Yun'an. I am the third son of Prince Jing, the seventh son of the late Emperor Dewu. Four years ago, my father was framed by a traitor, and his family was confiscated and he was exiled."

Ye Jia's heart skipped a beat, her eyelashes trembling slightly for a moment, but she looked at him firmly: "Yes."

"There was once a marriage arranged by the Emperor's grandfather. Although no decree was issued to grant the marriage, the Emperor's request was considered an engagement." Zhou Jingchen kept watching Ye Jia's face, fearing that she would turn hostile. "But after the Jing Palace fell, my family was exiled to the northwest, and that girl broke off all ties with me. I'm telling you this not because I still have feelings for her, but because I'm afraid that if we meet again one day, you'll be worried and misunderstand my feelings. I don't want to see our relationship ruined."

Ye Jia was stunned for a moment, then recalled the conversation she had overheard between Yu and Zhou Jingchen. She immediately realized that this person was Miss Gu Mingxi. She lowered her eyes, pursed her lips, and unconsciously said, "Childhood sweetheart?"

"Huh?" Zhou Jingchen didn't hear clearly and paused.

"Here comes the boy riding his childhood sweetheart, playing with his childhood sweetheart around the bed. Childhood sweetheart?"

As soon as the words fell, Zhou Jingchen's face froze. His hand unconsciously grasped Ye Jia's hand on his knee. The man who usually didn't want to explain things emphasized, "Although we're childhood sweethearts, it's not what you think. I, well, was very slow to understand matters of love..."

Before he finished speaking, Ye Jia's eyes turned to him, with a look of "Really? I don't believe it."

Zhou Jingchen suddenly felt a little embarrassed. He couldn't explain that he hadn't thought about this in his previous life. In this life, he had indeed been a little reckless with Jia Niang Meng and used more tricks. But this was the first time in his two lifetimes that he had finally come to his senses. "Anyway, you have to believe me."

Ye Jia stared at him suspiciously, but seeing that he was indeed sincere, she nodded reluctantly: "Okay, let's just assume that what you said is true."

Seeing her like this, Zhou Jingchen actually smiled. Ye Jia didn't react when he told her he was of royal blood, but when he mentioned Gu Mingxi's concern, she took it very seriously. Suppressing the sweetness in his heart, Zhou Jingchen continued, "My father, the king, was wrongly accused and hanged in the Heavenly Prison. Most of my father, brothers, and sisters died in exile. Now, only my mother, Rui Jie, and I are left in the entire mansion."

"Well, I know a little bit and have heard some rumors." Ye Jia nodded. "What else? Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

"No more." Zhou Jingchen saw that she was so calm and composed, with no emotion on her face. He was surprised, but also a little amused. "Why aren't you surprised? Or worried?"

"What are you surprised about? What are you worried about?" Ye Jia raised his eyes, "Are you worried that your revenge will implicate me?"

"Um."

"Can I run now?"

"cannot."

"Isn't that the end? I can't run away."

"I won't put you in danger. Just do what you want. If you're ever in danger, I'll be happy even if you abandon me." Zhou Jingchen didn't say anything. He stared at Ye Jia intently, not missing even the slightest change in her expression. But no matter how he looked at her, Ye Jia remained completely indifferent.

"I won't give up on you. Although I, Ye Jia, am not a powerful figure, I am also courageous." Ye Jia held her chin high, speaking with a unique pride. "When I don't agree to your promise, how you behave is none of my business. Once I make a decision, I naturally have the courage to stick with you to the end."

He stared at her, then suddenly leaned forward and hugged Ye Jia in his arms: "Then you must accompany me to the end."

After saying this, as if it wasn't enough, he added, "A gentleman's word is as good as gold. Jianiang, you are a woman, so you must also be a gentleman."

Ye Jia: “…”