Chapter 76

Zhou Jingchen's tent was very clean, and there were very few things in it. Ye Jia sat on his bed and slowly scanned the tent, the bed, the desk, the cabinets, and the few clothes. Every place was tidy.

Ye Jia sat in the inner tent for a while when she heard some noise outside. Craning her neck, she saw two soldiers carrying a bucket of water into the room. Zhou Jingchen came in, clutching two pieces of clothing. With one hand, he lifted the bundle Ye Jia had brought and opened it, revealing a large box of dried meat. Su Bai's fingers pinched a piece and examined it; it was dark and, frankly, not very appealing.

But he didn't seem to be shy and put it in his mouth. He chewed it slowly and his eyes lit up.

Seeing that he really liked it, Ye Jia raised an eyebrow. This man and Yu Shi were indeed mother and son; their tastes were exactly the same.

Zhou Jingchen enjoyed eating but wasn't greedy, only taking three or four pieces. Su Bai's hand twisted the lid and replaced it, then he put the entire box of snacks back into the cupboard.

Ye Jia: "...This thing doesn't last long. If you can't finish it, you can share it."

"I can finish eating."

...Okay.

Someone outside the tent whispered a reminder, interrupting the two of them. Zhou Jingchen responded and instructed the soldiers to put the bathtub aside.

After everyone left, Zhou Jingchen naturally untied his hair. The moment it fell, Ye Jia's heart skipped a beat. Zhou Jingchen stood by the desk, looking sideways at Ye Jia. Seeing her eyelashes fluttering rapidly, he couldn't help but laugh. He wanted to tell Ye Jia that they were married and there was no need to be shy about doing such things. But seeing how awkward she was, he kept silent.

It's a rare occasion for this person to come and see him, so don't make him angry and run away.

Zhou Jingchen was very understanding and tactful: "Jia Niang, can you go to the outer room and wait for me for a moment?"

Ye Jia glanced at him and saw that he had taken off his thick armor and was only wearing a thin white shirt.

The end of March wasn't considered cold anymore. The man's collarbone dipped deeply beneath his slender neck. Light shone through the window, and the setting sun swirled fine dust particles in the afterglow. His jet-black hair cascaded over his shoulders. Standing there, he looked like an ink painting, his eyes shimmering like water.

Nodding, Ye Jia went to the outer tent and waited very consciously.

Sun Yushan was also here, so Old Man Sun was naturally taken to Sun Yushan's tent.

Here, many things are naturally taken care of. Ye Jia sat in the outer tent for a while. The tent wasn't soundproof, and the sound of water dripping inside was very clear. Ye Jia pinched her brows, her head feeling a little dizzy. Some things made her feel a little dizzy when she thought about them. But then she thought about many things and just sat there and counted the things she wanted to tell Zhou Jingchen.

Thinking about all the things one by one, Ye Jia felt upset and slowly put down the yellow waste.

I don't know how long he spent washing up inside. Ye Jia was really free, so he caught a glimpse of the things on Zhou Jingchen's desk.

Besides some official documents and letters, I could vaguely see a few large paintings in a bottle under the cabinet. There was really no place to sit, so I sat down behind his desk.

A book was spread out on it, with unfinished annotations.

The book was, naturally, a military treatise. On it was a passage from Sun Tzu on the use of spies. Next to it, a small, scribbled note read: "Those who wage war must employ spies to learn the enemy's true intentions." Zhou Jingchen's handwriting was a stark contrast to his personality. While he appeared respectful, courteous, and gentle, his handwriting was unbridled and unrestrained, penetrating to the very core. There's a saying that a person's handwriting reflects his character, and Ye Jia felt there might be some truth to that.

The name Zhou Jingchen reflects his hidden nature, arrogant and somewhat rebellious.

Zhou Jingchen had read this military manual countless times. It didn't have many annotations, but every sentence was perverse and pointed. As Ye Jia flipped through the pages, she practically forgot the annoying sound of water beside her.

The clear, warm scent of osmanthus flowers wafted from her side. It was coming from Zhou Jingchen's hair. Ye Jia suddenly snapped out of her thoughts and looked over. Zhou Jingchen had come out of nowhere and was standing quietly across the table, his eyes lowered as he followed her hand turning the pages of the book.

Their eyes met, and Zhou Jingchen raised his eyelids.

Her eyes were clear as water beneath her crow-feather eyelashes. "You've come all this way, can we have dinner?"

...Of course it's useless.

After a day of driving, Ye Jia didn't eat anything even though he had brought his own dry food because he felt uncomfortable in the swaying carriage. Ye Jia pursed his lips, held his breath, took a small step back, and shook his head.

The heat and moisture from his body slowly warmed up, and during this moment he even washed his hair.

"Do you have anything delicious here?" He doesn't even dry his hair. Isn't he afraid of getting a migraine when he gets old?

"It seems not. The conditions in the barracks are limited, and the food we can eat is just enough to fill our stomachs." Although Zhou Jingchen is the commander, he is not too particular about food, clothing, housing and transportation. In addition to paying special attention to cleaning himself, the rest are easy to feed. "You can't eat these things, otherwise I will make porridge for you?"

Ye Jia: "...Did you cook the porridge that was warm on the stove the day you left last time?"

"Yes." Zhou Jingchen nodded. "I cooked it hastily, so the taste is not good. Please forgive me."

...It's okay, not too thick nor too thin, just drinkable.

Considering that he rarely cooks, being able to cook well was already a good thing. Her eyes followed the water droplets on his hair and slid down onto his clothes. Ye Jia closed her eyes patiently and said, "Forget it, where's the cloth towel you usually use?"

Zhou Jingchen was startled, then took it from behind his back and handed it to her with both hands.

Ye Jia pushed the man onto a chair. He brushed the wet hair off his shoulder and wiped it off bit by bit. Zhou Jingchen's hair was truly excellent. If it were made into a wig in the future, it would sell for tens of thousands. Ye Jia thought to himself, his eyes falling on him again. Although this man was a bit neglectful of his family, Ye Jia actually knew what he had been doing recently.

He devoted a great deal of energy and time to the peaceful lives of the people of Libei Town, the orderly state of Dongxiang Town, the re-establishment of the Kashgar County government office, the strengthening of border defenses, and the maintenance of peace in the northwest. Ye Jia didn't just admire him, but he was somewhat moved.

Her eyes unconsciously fell on his profile. There was a scratch on Zhou Jingchen's neck that was still red and swollen. After Ye Jia wiped his hair, her fingers unconsciously touched the wound on his neck.

Zhou Jingchen hissed softly, and Ye Jia quickly retracted her finger. Noticing his gaze, Ye Jia turned her head and asked, "Where's the wound medicine?"

"No need." The wound medicine was in powder form. This scrape only broke the skin and flesh, not deeply, so it didn't hurt much. Zhou Jingchen just noticed Ye Jia's eyes falling on his neck, so he deliberately hissed.

At this time, Ye Jia asked. He looked at Ye Jia innocently and said, "It doesn't hurt much if you don't touch it. It's just a minor scratch, don't worry about it..."

Ye Jia couldn't help but see that there was indeed no medicine in his room. Too lazy to go out and ask, she glanced at him and pulled out a porcelain bottle from her bosom. As soon as she took off the lid, a faint fragrance of pear blossoms filled the air.

She picked up some ointment on her finger and rubbed it on his neck.

After applying it, seeing him staring eagerly, Ye Jia raised the corners of her mouth and said proudly, "There are still two bottles. Do you want them?"

Zhou Jingchen: “…Yes.”

Of course he did. The young lady he married even disliked him for having frostbite on her face. If any wound was not properly cared for, wouldn't her beauty fade and her love fade sooner or later?

Seeing that he really wanted it, Ye Jia couldn't help but grin.

Zhou Jingchen put the two bottles of pear blossom cream back into the drawer without changing his expression, and pulled Ye Jia out to eat.

The communal meals cooked by the firemen in the barracks were indeed terrible, but when someone with a high position ordered food, they would still cook it decently. Zhou Jingchen, however, rarely ordered food; he would just eat whatever was served. But today, he did come and order a meal.

The conditions were limited, and the food wasn't very good. However, Ye Jia didn't say anything. After eating properly, he returned to the tent with Zhou Jingchen.

She had come this time to discuss the matter of the hundred acres of fertile farmland. With so much land in her hands, it wasn't going to go to waste. Winters in the northwest were so cold that it was impossible to grow crops. If she neglected to start the spring ploughing, the fields would be wasted for the entire year. Ye Jia absolutely wouldn't allow that to happen, and she brought it up immediately upon returning to the tent.

Zhou Jingchen had thought about this earlier, but he hadn't been able to focus on it since he was overwhelmed. Now that Ye Jiayi mentioned this, he naturally thought of it again.

"Jia Niang, what are you going to do?" Zhou Jingchen sat down at the table. His hundred acres of fertile land was located in a valley in the southeast. In fact, it was originally the property of Chen Hai and Niu Buqun. However, after the fall of Chen Hai and Niu Buqun, the land was left idle. Through this reward system, the higher-ups gave it to Zhou Jingchen. "Have you thought about what crops to grow?"

"Of course, it's food." Nothing in this Northwest region was more precious than food. Of course, growing crops also had to consider soil and climate. Forcing crops on land that couldn't grow food was unwise.

"Of course, we also have to consider the fertility of the field itself."

Ye Jialai had considered this carefully before coming here. She roughly knew the locations of these fields and was also familiar with how some of them were previously cultivated. "Growing food is naturally the primary priority, but fruits and medicinal herbs can also be grown. Some fields on higher ground are difficult to cultivate, so we can plant some fruit trees. Also, winters are cold and difficult here, so growing cotton would be a good option."

After Zhou Jingchen heard what she said, his eyes gradually lit up.

"The difficulty nowadays is that there aren't many people who know how to plant and maintain it long-term." Ye Jia is good at planning and assessing the situation, but she herself isn't a professional with the relevant expertise and lacks the necessary skills. "I just don't know if my husband can find someone who can."

Zhou Jingchen has a group of people under his command. They cannot be said to be talented people, but they are somewhat useful.

In fact, he had been eyeing this group of people since he entered the military camp, and now that he had climbed to the position of captain, he had the opportunity. These people were not recruited by him, but criminals who were reclaiming wasteland in the west field.

Those exiled to the northwest were naturally convicted. Some committed murder and arson, others fraud and deception, but the majority were political criminals. More than half were descendants of convicted officials or orphans of prominent families. Many of these individuals were well-read, some even acclaimed scholars. Regardless of the truth of their crimes, few of those condemned to this place would survive.

Coincidentally, there was a Grand Minister of Agriculture during the reign of the previous emperor. Zhou Jingchen still couldn't figure out what crime the old man Zhang Changli had committed to be thrown here for punishment. But since this person was sent here, he would definitely save him: "Don't worry about this matter, I can find him."

As soon as Zhou Jingchen finished speaking, Ye Jia's eyes lit up: "Are you serious? You know how to grow various crops and take care of fertile land?"

"Even if he doesn't understand it now, he will definitely be able to handle it well in the future." Zhou Jingchen had some friendship with the old man. Besides him, there were many other people who could be used. "We won't be short of people to do the work. Just tell me how many people you need and I'll get them there as soon as possible."

"As soon as possible." Ye Jia excitedly grasped Zhou Jingchen's wrist. "Spring plowing starts in March. If you wait, it won't be beautiful anymore."

As the two were talking, a soft "Sir" came from outside the tent. Ye Jia turned her head and saw a figure standing outside the tent. Zhou Jingchen whispered, "Come in." The figure walked in carrying a tray. Not daring to look up at Ye Jia, he placed the tray on the table in front of Zhou Jingchen, bowed, and hurried out.

Seeing that the person was delivering something, Ye Jia ignored him and mentally calculated how many people would be needed. If all 100 mu of land were planted, it would take 100 people per mu. However, the land was not particularly large, so if one person was responsible for two to three mu, 40 to 50 people would be enough.

While thinking in his mind, Ye Jia smelled a familiar bitter smell of medicine.

She looked up at Zhou Jingchen, who had already drunk half a bowl of medicine without knowing when, and said with dead eyes: "...Husband, why are you taking medicine?"

"When it's warm and cold, it's easy to catch a cold. Just a little cold medicine."

Zhou Jingchen drank the rest in one gulp, then tilted his head towards Ye Jia and slowly curled his lips. A trace of water stain stained his cinnabar-colored lips. A candle had been lit in the room at some point. Under the candlelight, his lips were a vibrant crimson, glistening with water. "By the way, Jia Niang, how many days do you plan to rest this time?"

Ye Jia stared silently at the empty bowl: "...I have to go back to catch up on the spring plowing."

"Don't worry, I'll take care of those things."

Zhou Jingchen gently held one of her hands, pinching her fingers with his slender fingers nonchalantly: "Someone will take care of the planting. Will you stay here for a few more days?"

Ye Jia pursed her lips and glanced at him.

When their eyes met, Zhou Jingchen smiled politely.

...She understood what he meant. Ye Jia's cheeks flushed unconsciously, and her eyelashes trembled rapidly. She felt a little embarrassed, like the tent was so thin and there was no soundproofing. "Zhou Yunan, you..."

"Yeah." Zhou Jingchen tilted his head and leaned down.

As they smelled each other's scent, Ye Jia was led into the inner tent by him in a daze.

Zhou Jingchen's bed wasn't very big, just a single-person soft couch, the kind that was convenient for traveling. Ye Jia was squeezed onto it, her breathing becoming disordered.

She felt that this wasn't right; she hadn't washed at all during the entire trip. Even though she hadn't sweated or gotten her clothes dirty, Ye Jia still felt it was better to wash. She was worried Zhou Jingchen would do the same thing again to get her to accept him faster.

"Wait," Ye Jia's heartbeat was about to jump out of her chest. She held down Zhou Jingchen's hand that was reaching into her clothes, "I need to wash up."

Zhou Jingchen's breathing became heavy and short, and his cold face gradually became evil.

He released what he was holding in his mouth and looked at people with his eyes slanted, the corners of his eyes as red as rouge.

"Don't bully me."

"Huh?" Ye Jia was a little confused by the sudden words.

"Don't bully me on purpose."

Ye Jia: “…”

Zhou Jingchen's breathing was hot. "I will soon be twenty. Twenty years old is the most energetic time. I have a lovely wife in my arms. You want me to let you go now? It's really too much..."

Ye Jia's face turned red when he said that. How could she be bullying him?

"Be good. It's okay if you don't wash up." Zhou Jingchen lowered his head and pecked her earlobe.

Ye Jia was so dazed by his kiss that she couldn't make out what he was saying. Zhou Jingchen had no idea how many times he'd asked for advice, using one method after another to curry favor. At first, Ye Jia had tried to remember not to scream, but she couldn't control herself. She also remembered not to lose face, and she bit Zhou Jingchen's shoulder.

Zhou Jingchen was not afraid of the pain and let her bite him. Every time she bit him, he would bite her even harder.

The two of them tossed and turned in the tent until midnight. Ye Jia was half-conscious and half-asleep when Zhou Jingchen carried her to the soft couch. She had no recollection of when Zhou Jingchen called for water or cleaned her up. By the time Zhou Jingchen had squeezed her onto the not very spacious bed, she was already sound asleep.

The night in March was still a bit chilly, but Zhou Jingchen was warm. Ye Jia was warmed in his arms and slept well.

Everyone knew that the captain's wife had arrived, so unless summoned by a master, the soldiers in the main tent would stay away.

The next day, when Ye Jia opened his eyes, it was almost noon.

Zhou Jingchen was not at home, and there was a bowl of porridge on the small table next to the bed.

Ye Jia opened her glued eyes. The hairpin had long since fallen. Her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders, and the radiance in her eyes and eyebrows was as radiant as a flower in full bloom. Lazily smoothing her hair, Ye Jia glanced at the porridge, which was neither too thick nor too thin, and yawned. Needless to say, this porridge was clearly made by Zhou Jingchen himself.

My clothes were all stained last night, and I had nothing to wear. There was only one set of clothes left beside the bed, and the color was obviously Zhou Jingchen's.

Needless to say, Zhou Jingchen wouldn't let her go at this rate. Ye Jia couldn't really walk at this hour, so she had no choice but to put on Zhou Jingchen's clothes. Just as she was getting dressed, the tent curtain was lifted again.

Ye Jia was stunned and turned around to look.

Zhou Jingchen came in with a bucket of water, and his breathing paused slightly when he saw Ye Jia.

The petite woman wore ill-fitting clothing with an open neckline. The skin between her slender neck and chest was covered with scars. Her black hair fell to her shoulders, her eyes were bleary, and her eyebrows were filled with a lingering color.

He had a new set of clothes in his arms, probably something he had just bought. He slowly walked over and placed them beside the bed: "The material isn't very good, so I can barely wear it once."

"where have you been?"

As soon as Ye Jia opened his mouth, he found that his throat was very hoarse and dry.

Zhou Jingchen brought the water over and poured it, then stood beside Ye Jia, his head slightly lowered. His slender, white fingers combed through Ye Jia's hair that fell on her shoulders. Although Jia Niang always coveted his beauty between the two of them, wasn't Zhou Jingchen the same?

"Want to go out for a stroll during the day? This place is actually quite big. There's a large grassland outside the city. Do you want to ride a horse?"

Ye Jia couldn't help but roll her eyes when she heard this: "...Do you think I'm suitable now?"

Zhou Jingchen hadn't realized it at first, but when she rolled her eyes, he suddenly realized that he had said something inappropriate. He couldn't help but smile and said, "It's my fault, Jia Niang, don't blame me."

Ye Jia: “…”

Ye Jia blushed after she finished speaking, and she couldn't help but roll her eyes at him. She pushed him away, tied her hair up casually, and walked to the washstand to wash up.

Although he said he didn't want to go out, he was somewhat curious. Since it was a rare trip, he naturally wanted to take a look at the scenery on Zhou Jingchen's side.

To be honest, when she arrived, she saw the watchtower. Ye Jia, who was a civil engineer, couldn't help but complain about it, saying it was too simple. But then she thought about it and realized that the current construction conditions were not as good as those in the future. At this time, such a watchtower was considered sturdy.

When the two of them left, Zhou Jingchen would occasionally ask about the camp's affairs. In the short time since they left the main tent, they had already encountered several people standing by, hesitant to speak, watching them. Ye Jia gathered her scarf around her shoulders and told Zhou Jingchen to go back to work: "Business is more important. I'll go shopping by myself."

Zhou Jingchen hesitated, frowning as he looked at a figure not far away. A man in military uniform was waiting.

Ye Jia blinked and looked at him. Zhou Jingchen raised his hand and stroked Ye Jia's hair. "Forget it, I'll finish my chores and then take you for a walk. It's not safe around here. If you want to go out, stay in the camp and don't go out."

After saying that, he instructed two people to follow Ye Jia, and he hurried away with that person.

Ye Jia walked around the camp, which was made of wood and earthen walls. Deep trenches had been dug into the ground, and the earthen walls were at least 13 feet high. Soldiers were still carrying wood around, clearly indicating the camp wasn't yet complete. Ye Jia examined the wood holding the fence together; it was all hard, difficult-to-break wood.

When these busy soldiers saw Ye Jia coming, they wanted to look but didn't dare to.

In ancient times, there was a concept of garrisoning and guarding the border, and Zhou Jingchen also had this idea. These transferred soldiers not only needed to build camps, but also needed to reclaim wasteland and build garrisons.

Many people were carrying mud to the outermost area, where many more were working on the city wall. They were gradually building towers, installing various defense equipment and watchtowers and poles for observing the enemy. Outside the city walls, trenches were being dug, and deer forts and horse traps were being set up. The two soldiers followed Ye Jia, watching her turn this way and that, their gaze unclear.

Ye Jia took a look around, and now that he had a rough idea of ​​what Zhou Jingchen was doing, he felt relieved. But building all this stuff was a money-burning undertaking... Where on earth did Zhou Jingchen get all that military equipment? Was it funding from above? It didn't seem likely. Could it be the money he'd plundered from the Yao family last time?

Thinking of this, Ye Jia suddenly remembered something. The money Zhou Jingchen had stolen last time seemed to have disappeared.

She squinted her eyes as she looked at these... Never mind, the Yao family's money was also the hard-earned money of the local people. If Zhou Jingchen really used all the confiscated money on building the fortress, it would be considered taking from the people and using it for the people.

After she had walked around and was about to return to Zhou Jingchen's tent, she saw soldiers cracking whips and pushing a group of people forward. They looked a bit like exiled prisoners. Ye Jia didn't want to go close and just waited for the group to pass. As they walked, one of the old men with a white beard rolled his eyes and fell straight to the ground.

It was quite a frightening sight, startling everyone who was about to be whipped. He hurried over to investigate, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. Although these people were prisoners, they were all specifically wanted by the adults, especially the old man lying on the ground.

Ye Jia watched from the side for a long time, then walked over with a frown on her face. She wasn't very knowledgeable about medicine, but she did know a little about first aid. The old man had clearly lost his breath and passed out.

Ye Jia was just about to touch the old man when the two people following behind him hurried forward: "Madam, just tell us what you want to do, and we will do it."

Ye Jia glanced at them and quickly stepped aside. Pointing at the old man, he said, "Lift his chin and clear the foreign objects in his mouth. Press his chest a few times and breathe into his mouth. Once he breathes back, he'll be fine."

Ye Jia had just finished speaking when the two of them felt a little embarrassed. But after hesitating for a moment, they still did as they were told.

After they pressed the button a few times and blew it, the old man actually coughed a few times and opened his eyes. The moment he opened his eyes, he started cursing. He cursed the Emperor of Great Yan, the corrupt officials in the court, and Zhou Jingchen, the man who had brought him here. Ye Jia listened to his curses, which were full of quotes from classics and his ironic words, and he was inexplicably amused and embarrassed.

Zhou Jingchen hurried over after receiving the message and heard the old man's scolding, and started laughing.

"Have you scolded me enough, Teacher?" Zhou Jingchen had worked with this old man for a few months when he was young, so he could call him Teacher. "Why don't you get up?"