Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Concubine
She liked him panting and looking at her with a dazed look in his eyes.
He didn't even close his eyes while kissing her, but stared at her blankly. Chu Xian felt her whole body soften at the lust in his eyes.
While he couldn't help but let out a suppressed gasp of pleasure from his throat, I gently bit his rapidly rolling Adam's apple.
The man groaned and subconsciously rubbed her tightly.
The summer shirt was thin and soft, tightly embracing the delicate and firm body; one could even clearly feel the rise and fall of each other's outlines.
Suddenly, Chu Xian's face flushed red, and she was stunned in disbelief. She wanted to look down shyly, but Chi Zheng gently lifted her chin and covered her eyes with his palms.
He whispered in her ear, almost begging for mercy: "Don't look..."
Chu Xian smiled slyly and gently bit his fingertips with her mouth.
"Stop it..." Yinzhen was in a very miserable state at the moment. At such a young age with full vigor and vitality, how could he not be moved?
He changed his mind and wanted her so hastily, but he felt extremely unwilling.
He wanted to ask for her to be granted the title of Concubine, to give her a status to settle down. If she became Concubine, she could be welcomed into the mansion through the main gate, just like his wife. He didn't want to let her down.
At this moment, she was like a restless cat, teasing in his arms. Yinzhen suppressed his wild throbbing, raised his hand with difficulty, and held down her tender hand as she unbuttoned his clothes.
"Shu'er, will you marry me? I can't let you have sex with me without a name or status. I will give you a legitimate status."
The person in his arms suddenly stiffened, and when she looked up at him again, her eyes were filled with a tender smile.
Until this moment, Chu Xian was completely relieved. She finally got the long-awaited answer.
Tonight she deliberately teased Chi Zheng, which was the final test for him. She would naturally not make peace with Chi Zheng without a matchmaker. Even if Chi Zheng could not control his emotions, she would stop him at the last moment.
If she came to stop it, the final assessment of Chi Zheng would have failed, and she would need to consider it again before deciding whether to marry him.
wrong!
Chu Xian keenly caught the loophole in Chi Zheng's words, put her arms around Chi Zheng's neck, and looked up into his eyes.
Yinzhen's breathing was slightly disordered. Lin Shu's eyes were extremely beautiful, starry eyes like waves, and her hair was like mist.
Why do such a pair of beautiful eyes appear so abruptly on her somewhat dull and cold face?
They were out of place and not right for each other, but it still made his heart beat fast.
"Why give me a title? Don't you want to marry me?"
Yinzhen asked with a smile in his eyes: "If you are willing to marry me, I am willing to marry you."
He decided to secretly complete the ceremony for her to marry into the family as the legitimate wife, without giving her any injustice.
"Whoever dares not marry, on August 16th of next year, you must bring three letters and six gifts to propose marriage."
Her wedding to the Fourth Prince is on August 16th next year. If nothing unexpected happens, she will be imprisoned in July next year.
When she is released from prison safely, she will definitely catch up with Chi Zheng to propose marriage.
There was absolutely no chance of any mistakes in breaking off the engagement, and she was confident that she could get away with it safely.
"Okay." Yinzhen agreed immediately.
As soon as these words were spoken, Su Peisheng and Sui Qing, who were guarding outside the door, looked at each other in surprise. This was an answer that everyone was taboo about and absolutely did not want to hear.
Lin Shu and Chi Zheng could never be husband and wife in this life.
Even though Ulanara Chu Xian and the fourth prince Yinzhen got married, they could only become a distant and resentful couple, tormenting each other.
Who could have expected that the other side of the tender affection was the mortal enemy who was unable to tolerate each other and was determined to fight to the death.
There is no turning back.
Su Peisheng scratched his head and hid in the corner with a sad face. He would rather the Fourth Prince took Lin Shu's body tonight.
But I can't bear to touch her body. I'm actually interested in Nara's servant. What should I do?
Sui Qing gritted her teeth, her expression unable to hold back. She would rather the girl was playing with Chi Zheng than falling in love with him.
In the west wing, Chu Xian straightened the thin shirt that was wrinkled by Chi Zheng, raised her fingertips and wiped the lip balm marks on his cheek.
"Lin Shu, can you please help me? The girl has arranged a lot of accounts, and I don't understand them..." Sui Qing brought a stack of account books and abruptly interrupted the girl's secret meeting with Chi Zheng.
Chu Xian glanced at Sui Qing. How could she not know that Sui Qing was worried that she and Chi Zheng would break their rules, so she deliberately used the account book to remind her of her identity.
Just as he was about to take the account book, his hand was empty and the account book was snatched away by Chi Zheng: "I'll do it."
Yinzhen spread out the account book and read it carefully, and was suddenly shocked.
He lowered his eyes, suppressing his surprise, and slowly asked, "These shops are profitable. Are they all owned by the young lady? Who is in charge on a daily basis?"
Unexpectedly, the rival that confronted him over the years was actually the Nara clan.
Nara is so stupid that she must have someone behind the scenes directing her.
Yinzhen felt a sense of appreciation for talent and decided to invite the expert at all costs. If he couldn't come, he would kill him.
If it weren't for the advice from that master, his secret business would never have declined and gradually lost ground.
Last month, Songzhuzhai alone lost half of its regular customers who bought rice paper to Fengnianzhai, which was owned by the Nara family.
The Xuan paper from Fengnianzhai is indeed of high quality.
If he had not secretly used his power to suppress the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial College from purchasing Xuan paper, Songzhuzhai would have already lost its business of supplying Xuan paper to the Ministry of Rites this year.
Fengnianzhai's secret recipe of waterproof, moisture-proof and insect-proof pine soot ink is sold out, and it is hard to get one, and no one can imitate it.
The masters behind Nara were even more business geniuses, their ideas changing every day, so fast that he was caught off guard.
Chu Xian tilted her head and smiled playfully at Chi Zheng, "Who else could it be? I personally manage your most profitable shop."
Yinzhen clenched his brush tightly and stared at Lin Shu's smiling eyes in disbelief.
It was her...
The person who had been fighting with him secretly in the past few years was actually Lin Shu. Yinzhen raised his lips and smiled bitterly. It was nothing. He couldn't kill her. He couldn't bear to kill her.
Well, when she becomes his concubine, he can safely hand over the power of managing the household finances to her instead of Nara, the idiot who can't even figure out how to move the beads on an abacus.
Chu Xian sat at the table, clacking away on the abacus. A cup of warm floral tea was passed to her lips. She smiled and lowered her head to let Chi Zheng feed her affectionately.
"Please help me look at those green ledgers later, and we'll figure out how to completely destroy them."
"Why do you want to destroy it?" Yinzhen took the green account book handed to him by Su Peisheng in confusion.
When he opened the account book and saw the familiar shop name, the smile on Yinzhen's lips disappeared.
The densely packed list of shop names in the account book was all his secret businesses. It was outrageous. What on earth was that vicious woman from the Nala family trying to do? She actually instigated Lin Shu to destroy his business.
"I'll do as the young lady says. I don't care what he does." Chu Xian said casually.
The shops recorded in the green account books are all the secret businesses of the Fourth Prince Yinzhen, which are spread throughout the territory of the Qing Dynasty, and he also has many businesses in vassal states.
Unless the Fourth Prince himself saw this account book, no one would know that the owner behind these shops was the Fourth Prince Yinzhen.
Chu Xian did not sit idly by over the years, but actively planned. Since her existence caused history to deviate, perhaps Yongzheng might not necessarily be the Fourth Prince.
Can the Fourth Prince, without his minions, still become the emperor smoothly?
Chu Xian has only been deliberately doing two things over the years: one is to break off the engagement, and the other is to secretly build up her own power.
If she fails to cancel the engagement, she must do her utmost to support the Eighth Master as the new emperor.
Only when the Eighth Master ascends the throne can everyone have a good ending.
But changing history is no easy task. She discovered that history was always correcting itself, constantly putting her efforts in order.
Every time she was sure of success and could trip up the Fourth Prince, he always managed to avert danger.
"What grudge do these shops have with the girl?" Yinzhen was puzzled as to why Nara was so deliberately targeting him.
"Where are there true friends in the business world? They're all just chasing fame and fortune. They gather when there's profit, and disperse when there's no profit."
"These shops are on par with your business. You have to defeat them to make a lot of money."
Chu Xian has been wearing Lin Shu's skin for many years and has seen countless despicable deeds. She has become accustomed to the ups and downs of life and always speculates about people's hearts with the greatest malice.
"Besides, it was these shops that attacked us first, so we can't be blamed for being ruthless."
Yinzhen stared at the account book for a long time in silence, speechless.
He couldn't possibly come up with an idea to attack his own industry, so he declined.
“I’m not familiar with these industries.”
"It's okay. Go check out numbers 13 and 19 in the account book. These two shops will be closed down next month. Take a look at the trends in the accounts of these shops over the past six months and use this as a warning."
"impossible!"
Yinzhen blurted out that those two shops were the most profitable and prosperous shops, with crowds of customers every day. How could they be closed just like that?
"Chi Zheng, don't just do things superficially." Chu Xian moved closer to Chi Zheng, grabbed the account book, and sat affectionately in his arms.
"Look, these two shops are a restaurant and a bakery, and they've been buying more and more ice lately."
"I guess they can't sell all the ingredients and cakes in one day. What's wrong with keeping them in the fridge and selling them the next day?" Yinzhen was puzzled.
Chu Xian shook her head: "No, look at the charcoal they purchase every day, it has increased dramatically, which means they are preparing a lot of cooked food in advance and selling it in cold storage to save trouble."
"Leftover meals don't taste good, so how can leftover dishes and pastries taste good?"
"The person in charge must be annoyed by the hassle of making them now, and wants to make them in large quantities to save trouble, without caring whether the pastries and dishes will be fresh if they are sold the next day or a few days later."
"Also, the accounts for the soybean oil, flour, peanuts, eggs, pork, and chicken purchased by these two shops are not correct."
"Early this year, there was a chicken plague in Baoding Prefecture, and the price of chicken plummeted throughout the city. Why are the prices at these two shops remaining the same?"
"Also, the soybean oil and flour prices are off. Last year was a bumper harvest, so this year's soybean and flour prices should be slightly lower than the previous two years. Why are the purchase prices so flat? There's no fluctuation at all."
"It's too flat. If you draw a graph of the prices, you'd draw a straight line, like stagnant water."
"If my guess is correct, these shops must be colluding with each other, deceiving their superiors and hiding the truth from their subordinates. They must have a common problem."
Chu Xian laughed with glee. The Fourth Prince was busy making a name for himself in the court, so he had no time to manage these trivial accounting matters.
It must be that his manager was secretly disobeying his orders.
"Oh, so that's how it is." Yinzhen looked coldly at Su Peisheng who was huddled by the door.
This dog slave is so blind and does such a bad job!
Yinzhen couldn't help but feel angry. In recent years, he had gradually focused his energy on the court and rarely handled accounts personally. Unexpectedly, such a huge mistake was made.
"Oh, there's no need to crack down on such an unscrupulous shop. It's rotten to the core." Su Peisheng's back was covered in cold sweat, and he said angrily with gritted teeth.
I will send someone to check the accounts overnight and deal with all those termites.
"It's not that simple. A centipede is still alive even after death. These shops have more than just centipedes." Chu Xian checked the account book at a glance and couldn't help frowning.
The Fourth Prince is really hard to kill, he always manages to turn the tide at critical moments.
Songzhuzhai unexpectedly won the purchase order for pens, ink, paper and inkstones from the Ministry of Rites.
It is obvious that the rice paper in her shop is cheaper and made of better quality, and her pine soot ink is less prone to smudging.
Feeling depressed, Chu Xian casually picked up the rice paper on the table. The rice paper was densely covered with the essay topics from last year's imperial examination.
Although I couldn't fully understand Chi Zheng's long and eloquent speech, I could feel his passionate concern for the people and the country.
She once secretly sent people to Baoding Prefecture to investigate Chi Zheng, who was stripped of his title of Juren for accidentally injuring a prominent villain.
Being guilty, he could not enjoy the allowance for a Juren, and his eligibility for the three-yearly spring imperial examination was completely cut off.
"Chi Zheng, do you want to take part in the imperial examination next year?"
Chu Xian couldn't take her eyes off Chi Zheng's article, feeling a little regretful.
After ten years of hard study, my only wish is that one day I can be successful in getting my name on the imperial examination and enter the imperial court, with a purple robe and a red crown on my head.
He must have been very sad when his honor was taken away from him.
"Don't think about it. I'm a criminal. How can I be qualified to take the imperial examination? I'm grateful that you don't despise me and take me in."
Yinzhen explained casually.
The only flaw in Chi Zheng's identity was that he offended the powerful and had his fame and honor taken away. Before he had time to deal with it, he met Lin Shu in a hurry.
If he had not lost the pass that identified him as another wealthy businessman, he would not have had to meet Lin Shu under the identity of Chi Zheng.
"That's not impossible. If you can get a joint guarantee from the local prefect and the education commissioner, you can take the imperial examination."
Chu Xian remembered that the current Baoding prefect, Nara Xianxing, was a descendant of a branch of the Ulanara clan. All she had to do was write a letter in person and ask Xianxing to help write a guarantee document.
As long as she can curry favor with the academician and ask for his guarantee, Chi Zheng can successfully take part in the imperial examination.
"My cousin, Nara Xianxing, from a branch of my family, is the prefect of Baoding Prefecture. I have a good relationship with the servants around Lord Xianxing. I will try to mediate and I will definitely be able to convince Lord Xianxing to guarantee you."
"And the Academician, please allow me to find out who the Academician of Baoding Prefecture is."
"It's a pity that you don't become an official. Let me give it a try. I won't let you down." Chu Xian held Chi Zheng's warm hand with her backhand.
"I will never let you suffer any injustice, don't be afraid." Chu Xian held his hand tightly and comforted him in a soft voice.
In the eyes of the powerful, Chi Zheng was just a commoner from a humble family, not even as good as an ant.
Chi Zheng must have offended someone, which is why he was plotted against at the critical moment of the exam.
"Shu'er, don't worry, I have no intention of fame."
A warm feeling lingered in Yinzhen's heart. Lin Shu was the first woman who said she wanted to protect him and didn't want him to suffer any injustice.
She was just a little servant, but she was thinking about how to protect him and plan his future. How could it not be touching?
"Lin Shu, the hot water is ready. It's your turn to take a shower and change your clothes." Sui Qing stood at the door, wanting to say something but stopping himself.
"Okay." Chu Xian gently pinched the back of Chi Zheng's hand and looked back at him every few steps.
Coming to the kitchen, Sui Qing finally couldn't help but give earnest advice.
"Lin Shu, your plan to restore Chi Zheng's reputation may not be a good thing. If he regains his status as a juren, how could he be willing to stay here?"
"If he's lucky enough to pass the imperial examination, he'll inevitably enter the court as an official. A young and promising scholar like him will surely be chosen as a son-in-law by a high-ranking official, marrying a noblewoman from an official family. He'll definitely look down on you."
There were some things Sui Qing didn't dare to say openly, after all, the girl was now Lin Shu.
"It would be better to let him stay at the manor as a steward and keep you company."
"Sui Qing, Chi Zheng is not someone who seeks to curry favor with the powerful, and I am not a selfish person. How could I imprison him here for my own selfish reasons?"
"Don't drag him down with me just because I'm stuck in the mire. He has real talent and shouldn't be buried in the mud."
"Sui Qing, you must remember that if you like someone, you must never clip their wings, degrade them to the dust, make them depressed, or suppress them in everything."
"We must look at things from a broader perspective and not be complacent, swinging our sword at those who are weaker than us."
Sui Qing said nothing and hummed softly towards the window.
Chu Xian smiled before she spoke. Seeing Chi Zheng walking towards her, he took the wooden barrel from her hand. The two of them left talking and laughing.
Sui Qing sat powerlessly in front of the stove, and was so angry that he used tongs to poke the roasted potatoes into a string of candied haws.
Su Peisheng was still immersed in Lin Shu's enlightened and open-minded words.
I really didn't expect that someone as narrow-minded and short-sighted as Nara would have such a far-sighted and righteous servant by her side.
Yinzhen brought buckets of warm water, filled the bathtub, and stood in front of the screen.
The wind was gentle and the moon was bright. After washing her face, she did not put on any makeup or rouge. She smiled at him and gently combed her hair with a peach wood comb. Her wrists were as white as jade and her black hair was scattered.
To be honest, she was not stunningly beautiful, but he couldn't help but stare at her infatuatedly.
His heart moved slightly, and he walked over, took the peach wood comb, and slowly tied her hair with clumsy hands.
His bun was slightly askew. Chu Xian stroked the loose bun, but she couldn't bear to loosen it and comb it again. She found a peach wood hairpin to tighten the bun and slowly walked behind the screen to take a bath.
She didn't need to remind him of etiquette, as he had already restrained himself and left, but he didn't go far away. Instead, he waited for her outside the door, his tall and straight figure reflected in the door.
She was fascinated by what she saw.
After bathing, he took the initiative to pour bath water for her.
Chu Xian walked towards the east wing while combing her hair.
"Shu'er, yesterday I annotated two very interesting miscellaneous books about strange things in the wild and wild places. Would you like to read them together?"
Chu Xian paused, turned around to see his anxious expression, which he couldn't hide in time, and smiled, "I'll go put on my face powder and bring my pillow and Madam Zhu."
"Um."
The man looked away and coughed lightly.
Chu Xian returned to her room and lightly applied a layer of jade face powder, then read the secret report sent by Sui Qing for a while.
"Sui Qing, go and find out who the Baoding Education Commissioner is. The more detailed the better."
"I've just sent someone by carrier pigeon to investigate overnight. I expect a reply early tomorrow morning."
"Let them cater to their needs and obtain the guarantee document with the seal of the academician, regardless of the cost."
"Someone has been sent to do it."
How could Sui Qing not know what the girl was thinking? There was no need for the girl to say it, she had already given the necessary instructions.
After finishing the trivial matters, Chu Xian went to the west wing with a pillow in her arms. Chi Zheng had already bathed and changed his clothes, wearing a dark-colored casual suit, and was sitting beside the spring stool waiting for her.
Chu Xian lay comfortably on his lap, listening to him tell her stories in his clear and gentle voice.
Half asleep and half awake, she didn't remember what Chi Zheng said, but only remembered the fresh and elegant scent of bath beans on his body.
Yinzhen slowly stopped talking, carried the sleeping person in his arms to the inside of the bed, and when he took off her hairpin for her, he couldn't help frowning.
The peach wood hairpin was extremely rough, and there were even barbs on the tentacles.
He walked quickly to the table, took out a rasp and polished it carefully. Then he felt that the lotus carved on the peach wood hairpin was crude, so he took out a carving knife and carved it carefully under the lamp.
The candle in the west wing was extinguished at midnight. Sui Qing tensed herself, took out the needlework basket, and continued to sit under the west wing window, listening to the movements in the house.
Fortunately, I had a good night's sleep.
At noon on the fourth day, the guarantee document written and sealed by Baoding prefect Nara Xianxing was delivered to the manor at full speed.
Chu Xian happily held the document in front of Chi Zheng and said, "See, I told you I could protect you."
Yinzhen stroked the document with his fingertips, feeling mixed emotions, and remained silent for a long time.
"Chi Zheng, Sui Qing and I will go into town to buy some women's things. You don't have to wait for us for lunch or dinner."
"Okay, Su Sheng will give you my money box. Go and buy whatever you want."
Yinzhen nodded. She had already started talking about buying women's things, which obviously meant that she didn't want him to follow her.
He hated the fact that he was a poor scholar with little money. If he were a wealthy businessman and approached Lin Shu, he would take out the banknotes and put the best things in front of her without any hesitation.
"Save your money for the day of marriage proposal."
Chu Xian was worried that Chi Zheng was too poor to afford the betrothal gift. His annual salary was only twenty taels, plus Su Sheng's wages, the total was only thirty taels.
"Okay, there won't be much to do in the village after the beginning of autumn. I'll go to the city in a couple of days to find a job as a tutor and earn more for the betrothal gift."
Yinzhen was in great pain. He had to rack his brains to get the silver to her in a reasonable way.
"Zhuangzi will be busy after the autumn harvest and the spring sowing. You can go first and don't get too tired." Chu Xian couldn't help but be moved. She was not wrong about him. Chi Zheng was indeed a good man.
Chi Zheng carefully prepared a water bag of ice drink for her, carried her onto the carriage, and sent her out of the gate of the manor before turning back on foot.
Chu Xian didn't look away and lowered the car curtain until his figure disappeared behind the door.
"My lady, the academician of Baoding Prefecture, Zhou, has been in the capital these days reporting on his work. Someone has invited his wife to have lunch at Liuquan Residence. Academician Zhou is henpecked and follows his wife Chen's lead in everything."
"Ms. Chen is a woman from Shu. She has a bold and outgoing personality. She loves spicy food, especially hot pot. She also likes to collect various bracelets."
"I have ordered someone to prepare a pair of jade bracelets with a very clear texture and send them to Liuquan Residence."
"Okay." Chu Xian frowned painfully, "Go buy some medicine to protect your spleen and stomach."
"Miss, I can go out to entertain you. You can just wait for my good news in the compartment. You cannot eat spicy food."
"Everything will be mediated by the middleman. We just need to attend the banquet and give gifts according to the circumstances. There will be no problems."
"It's okay. I'll sit next to Chen and serve her tea and water. Just eat less spicy food."
The carriage sped to Liuquanju. Before even meeting Mrs. Chen, the cost of the meal and tea for everyone had already cost sixty taels of silver.
Liuquanju is indeed the number one den of indulging in illicit entertainment in this city.
Chu Xian clenched her purse tightly with a painful grip. She was the host, but she didn't even have the right to sit at the table. She could only stand behind the middleman, serving tea and water, and obeying submissively.
If she had not found out that Zhou Xuezheng had a grudge against her elder brother Xingchan, she would have used her identity as a member of the Nara clan to suppress the matter. Why would she have to beg others for help?
After three rounds of drinks, the middleman finally called Chu Xian over, and Chu Xian politely sat down.
The table was full of Sichuan dishes cooked with red oil and chili peppers, but Mrs. Chen didn't even touch her chopsticks.
"Madam, is the Sichuan cuisine in Beijing not to your liking?"
"No, it's just that my family is hosting a banquet for distinguished guests from Shu tonight, and the newly hired chef is not cooking well enough. I'm worried that I might be disrespectful, and I've been so worried about it these past few days that I can't sleep or eat."
"That's easy. Just ask Lin Shu to invite the Sichuan chef from Liuquanju to your house to cook." The middleman gave a look, and Chu Xian hurriedly poured wine.
"Let's take another look." Chen was not interested.
Seeing that Chen was unhappy, Chu Xian gritted her teeth and flattered herself, "To be honest, Madam, I have a little experience in Sichuan cuisine. Why don't I cook two Sichuan dishes for you to try? If you are satisfied, I am willing to cook for you, Madam."
"You? You can cook?"
Chen looked at the thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl in front of her in disbelief, without any hope.
A good chef is like a good doctor, only older ones have superb skills. What does this young girl know?
"Would you please sit for a moment? I'll make you two Sichuan dishes, how about that?"
Chen was in a bad mood today and didn't know what excuse to use to refuse the task entrusted by an acquaintance. It just so happened that this girl overestimated her abilities, so she took the opportunity to decline.
"Thank you very much." Chen nodded.
Chu Xian got up and went to Liuquanju to borrow the kitchen. The Sichuan chef who was in charge of cooking today looked at her with disdain when he saw that it was a little girl who was in charge of cooking.
But gradually, he could no longer laugh.
The old cook remained there in a daze until the girl left with the tray, and the spicy and smoky aroma lingered in the kitchen for a long time.
"Lao Zhao, what kind of Sichuan cuisine does she make? Why have I never seen it before?"
The kitchen manager at Liuquanju was scraping the bottom of the pot with a spatula, his eyes shining.
The diced chicken is smooth and crispy, the peanuts are crispy, salty, fresh and spicy, and the tofu is even more delicious.
The steward couldn't wait to turn around and scoop a bowl of white rice and pour it into the pot to rinse it.
The tofu is tender, the red oil is translucent, the minced beef is fresh and delicious, and the green garlic sprouts are green and oily, like jade inlaid with amber.
"I...I haven't seen it either..." The old chef had a sad face. He felt like he was kicked in the face today.
On this side, Chu Xian brought Kung Pao Chicken and Mapo Tofu to Mrs. Chen.
Kung Pao Chicken originated in the Xianfeng period and was created by Ding Baozhen, the Governor of Sichuan.
Mapo Tofu originated in the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty. During the Kangxi period, no one else could make these two delicacies.
As expected, after Mrs. Chen had a feast, she was immediately delighted and asked her to be the chef for the banquet tonight.
"Cough cough cough cough... Thank you, Madam, for your kindness." Chu Xian coughed heart-wrenchingly.
I just choked on some chili pepper in the kitchen and it took me a long time to recover.
"Madam, please help me with the troublesome matter at home." As Chu Xian spoke, she pushed a pair of jade bracelets of excellent quality in front of Madam Chen.
"Okay." Chen calmly put the bracelet into her sleeve.
"Come, let's taste this delicious food together. Don't be shy." Chen greeted them warmly.
Chu Xian gritted her teeth and picked up her chopsticks. The moment the dish entered her mouth, it was so spicy that cold sweat broke out on the tip of her nose and the taste burned from the tip of her tongue all the way to her lungs.
He didn't recover until he sent Chen out of Liuquanju and got in the car to leave.
“Cough cough cough…”
"Drink some water quickly." Sui Qing saw that the girl's face was red from coughing, and she felt sorry for her and helped her drink some water to moisten her throat.
"It's okay, give me the medicine."
Chu Xian was sweating profusely and holding her stomach tightly. She would get stomach cramps whenever she ate spicy food.
Stomach cramps are more torturous than stomach pain. At this moment, my stomach was in severe pain, and I was sweating coldly and trembling all over.
Sui Qing trembled as he handed the prepared pill to the girl's lips. When he was about to take the water bag, someone snatched it away.
Chi Zheng unscrewed the water bag breathlessly, while Su Sheng was tying up the ox cart beside him. It was obvious that the two of them had just arrived in a hurry.
"Why are you here?" Chu Xian endured the severe pain and forced a smile.
"I'll take you to see a doctor." Yinzhen put the pill into her mouth, fed her some water, and anxiously bent down to pick her up.
"No, take me to the West Market to buy ingredients. We need to go to Zhou Xuezheng's house to prepare the food later."
"Let Su Sheng and Sui Qing go, be good." Yinzhen refused, and held her in his arms, and ran quickly to the clinic diagonally opposite.
"We only have one final push left. We cannot afford to fail at this crucial moment."
Chu Xian pounded his chest anxiously and struggled to get out of his arms.
"Lin Shu! I have no interest in taking the imperial examination, you don't have to force me!" Yinzhen was angry and anxious. Her stubborn temper was annoying, but it made him feel distressed.
Chu Xian's face turned pale. "Your kindness is taken for granted. After today, I don't want to care about you anymore."
"Suiqing, let's go." Chu Xian pushed the man away and climbed into the carriage with difficulty.
"Go to West Market."
Her face was pale as she curled up in the carriage. Just as she was holding back her tears out of grievance, the curtain of the carriage was opened. Chi Zheng walked into the carriage with a stern face, leaned over and held her in his arms.
The two of them were silent. Chu Xian curled up in his arms uncomfortably, hugging his neck tightly.
His palms never stopped rubbing her belly.
After buying all the ingredients, Chu Xian barely came to her senses.
Led by servants to the kitchen of Zhou Xuezheng Government, Chi Zheng and Su Sheng helped to wash the ingredients, while Chu Xian personally prepared the side dishes.
“Cough cough cough…”
Heart-wrenching coughs continued to come from the kitchen.
By the well, Su Peisheng was choked and tears welled up in his eyes. Just as he was about to wash his eyes with water, he was suddenly splashed in the face by water.
"Master... we only need one more vegetarian dish to complete the meal. Please be patient." Su Peisheng brushed the vegetable leaves off his face and looked nervously at the ashen-faced Fourth Prince.
I am angry.
"Oh, the academician has such great power, but he only knows how to enjoy himself." Yinzhen sneered.
With a cold look from his master, Su Peisheng knew what to do.
Zhou Xuezheng will definitely not pass the assessment of the Ministry of Personnel when he returns to Beijing to report on his work this time, and this is only the prelude to his misfortune.
The master and servant were speechless, their heart-wrenching coughs never stopping. Yinzhen stood up anxiously, about to go into the kitchen to help her, when he suddenly heard Sui Qing's trembling voice exclaiming from the kitchen: "Lin Shu!"
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