Chapter 59 Jealousy
The temperature dropped the next day, and Granny Xu brought out a red and gold stand-up collar jacket for Li Qu.
Fearing she might infect others with her cold, she voluntarily wore a veil.
When Zhou Jin entered the courtyard from outside, he saw her sitting on the veranda, staring blankly at the sparrows that had landed on the branches.
The servants were noticeably more attentive, changing her into a thick cloak.
"Greetings, Third Master."
The sounds of maids greeting him came from behind.
Li Qu turned around and saw him go up the steps to the corridor, so she got up and went to greet him.
She didn't approach him, but stopped five steps away. Without bowing, she simply tilted her head slightly and called out to him with a smile, "Jinlang~"
Her face was veiled, but he knew she must be smiling sweetly.
His face, which had been chilled, softened unconsciously as he raised his hand to loosen his cloak: "What did the doctor say today?"
"It's just a common cold. If you take your medicine and rest as usual, you'll recover in about ten days." Granny Xu accepted the cloak Zhou Jin gave her with even greater respect than usual.
Zhou Jin extended his hand to Li Qu.
Li Qu looked at Zhou Jin's hands, then at Zhou Jin himself, and then happily stepped forward, placing her warm hands into his cold palms.
"I fear that I will pass on my illness to Jinlang."
She said that, but then she came up and hugged his arm, pressing her face against his arm in a coquettish manner.
Then she looked up at him and complained, "I wanted to take my things and go for a stroll in the garden, but Granny and Cuiguo wouldn't let me go out."
Her gentle, clear voice was tinged with a nasal tone, adding a touch of languor.
He couldn't help but ask, "What kind of equipment are you bringing?"
Without hesitation, Granny Xu betrayed her mistress: "The mistress told us old servants to bring pepper water and pepper powder, saying that anyone who tries to bully her should be sprinkled with it."
"He also said to bring more and sprinkle it in densely populated areas of the enemy's population to achieve a surprise victory and win with fewer troops."
Zhou Jin: "..."
His concubine was truly a brilliant woman who spent money like water.
“The villa is not inhabited year-round, and this item is subject to a fixed quota, making it a rare commodity.”
"The head of the kitchen is a glutton, a man who's willing to risk his life for food, and he won't let you waste the pepper."
Li Qu: "Then after I go back, I will prepare some things for self-defense."
"Sprinkling it is like sprinkling gold dust. If Aqu wants to play, I'll sponsor you some."
She immediately exclaimed happily, "Great!"
"If anything happens, protect yourself first. I'll take care of everything else."
He removed her cloak and handed it to Granny Xu, then led her into the house.
"During your brother-in-law's term, the area was stable, and he was eligible for a promotion at the beginning of the year."
"He first went to Jianshui County to serve as the county magistrate."
This roughly means being promoted from county head to deputy mayor.
That's undoubtedly skipping a grade.
"Jianshui County is under the jurisdiction of Hezhou, and it is only a seven-day journey between the two places."
"If you miss your older sister or nephew, you can ask someone to pick them up for a few days."
He clearly took to heart her question before she went to sleep last night: "I wonder how my eldest sister's second son is doing."
"The prefect of Jianshui County will retire next year. A year is enough time for your brother-in-law to familiarize himself with the affairs of the county."
"At that time, arrangements can be made to promote him to the position of prefect."
This is equivalent to being promoted to a higher rank at the beginning of next year and then again at the end of the year, a three-rank promotion in one year. Zhou Jin has undoubtedly put in a lot of effort.
The two sat facing each other on the tatami mat, with a low table between them.
Zhou Jin had someone bring her a small stove of tea and some roasted oranges.
"Your second sister's marriage can also be arranged."
“She has her own ideas, and neither her parents have forced her. As her younger sister, it’s not easy for me to control her.”
She smiled at him, but her heart was pounding.
"Won't people be dissatisfied with my brother-in-law's transfer, and pose a threat to Jinlang?"
"There are many dissatisfied people, but they pose no threat."
He didn't care at all.
He holds the pen that writes the rules of this world, and he can write however he wants.
"I can see clearly why the master transferred people to Jianshui County."
“Those people will naturally no longer compete with your brother-in-law for the position of governor of Jianshui County.”
He turned the oranges on the oven: "Don't worry."
She suppressed her excitement, watched him roast oranges, and asked in her usual tone, "Does your brother-in-law know about this?"
"We had planned to transfer him elsewhere, and we had already spoken to his superiors. He should have received the news a couple of days ago."
"The letter arranging his trip to Jianshui County was sent last night; he should receive it in three days."
So, the eldest sister's people should be on their way.
Fearing that her excitement would be noticed by Zhou Jin, she took the initiative to make tea, saying, "You treat me so well, Jin Lang, I have no way to repay you."
He set the roasted oranges aside to cool, then looked up at her: "Does Aqu prefer boys or girls?"
Li Qu's hand trembled while washing the tea, and she almost messed it up.
Realizing her blunder, she looked up at him shyly and scolded him, without answering.
He leaned down, removed the veil covering her face, and, disgusted that it obscured her slightly flushed cheeks, tossed it aside.
He persisted: "Does Aqu prefer boys or girls?"
"Girl." Her face flushed slightly, and a warm, gentle smile played on her lips.
She brewed the tea, served it to him, and picked out a cup to present to him with both hands. She said, "It is said that girls tend to resemble their fathers more. I wish to give birth to a daughter who resembles Jinlang more."
He said, "A-Qu still wants to have a boy."
She angrily slammed the cup down in front of him: "There are plenty of women who can give birth to legitimate sons and daughters for you, why do you insist that I give birth to a boy! He doesn't need to inherit the family business!"
"Such blatant favoritism towards boys! If you have a daughter in the future, she shall not be allowed to call you father."
He was inexplicably struck by her later words, "If you have a daughter in the future, she is not allowed to call you father."
He imagined that in the future, a girl he and Aqusheng would squat at his feet, sweetly calling him 'Daddy~'.
He couldn't suppress the upturn of his lips.
"What are you laughing at! I mean what I say!"
She picked up a slightly cooled orange, wrapped it in a handkerchief to prevent her fingers from getting stained by the black, charred orange peel.
She angrily peeled the orange.
He coughed, picked up the teacup she had slammed down, spilling half a cup of tea, and drank it all in one gulp to calm his turbulent emotions.
"A-Qu has misunderstood."
“Aqu’s children, whether boys or girls, are all excellent.”
"However, the sky has four directions, which need to be measured by the feet of men, and girls also need the help of their brothers."
"If he has a talent for studying, I will arrange everything for him in the future."
"Even if you ascend to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss before me, I will not lose my support..."
She took an orange segment with her delicate fingers and pressed it against his lips.
She looked at him, speechless for a long time.
Suddenly, she stood up, placed her hands on the low table, leaned forward, and kissed his lips.
Receiving a positive response from her, he took the initiative and shared the burst of roasted orange flavor with her.
"A-Qu, once the legitimate son is born, give birth to a child for me."
She gently replied, "Okay."
He eagerly awaited that day.
She waited until everything was ready before leaving.
One heart remains steadfast, while another, unaware, has been tightly bound by a red thread.
*
Zhou Jin was unsurprisingly infected by her.
The servants watched as the usually aloof and serious Master Zhou sneezed repeatedly, and chuckled from afar.
Poor Li Qu originally wanted to avoid him for a few days while she was sick, but he kept her soaking in the hot spring every day.
As they soaked, the water in the pool began to ripple.
"Jinlang is so vigorous and virile that he doesn't even spare his sick concubine. I am suffering."
He shamelessly said, "The doctor said that sweating is good for the illness."
"Jinlang, just deceive me."
She didn't believe it at first, but after recovering from her illness six days later, she realized that the doctor who had guided Zhou Jin was not a quack.
Time is too beautiful, slipping through our fingers.
Before they knew it, it was time to return home.
Since there were no local specialties suitable to bring to the maids, Li Qu instructed someone to buy some rare pastries from Hezhou City, two boxes for each of them, just to make it a little fun.
Seeing her diligently writing messages and notes for each person, Zhou Jin said, "Do they deserve this much care from you?"
She smiled gently: "It's worth it."
He casually flipped through the notes she had made: "Third Aunt Chang?"
He recalled an unpleasant scene.
She was almost married off to that ugly servant named Chang San.
He secretly hid the note in his sleeve, not wanting her to have any further contact with that servant named Chang San.
Fortunately, she didn't notice.
She put away her pen, blew on the carefully cut note in her hand, took out an exquisitely embroidered purse, stuffed it inside, closed the opening, and looked at Zhou Jin with a smile.
"concubine……"
Before she could finish speaking, the slowly moving carriage suddenly stopped. Li Qu lunged forward due to inertia, but Zhou Jin raised his arm and pulled her into his arms.
He frowned, about to question her, when he heard a woman sobbing outside.
"Please, Third Master, save me!"
Upon hearing the voice, Li Qu knew it was Haoyue.
Just then, Huaiqiu's voice came from outside: "Master, it's Miss Haoyue."
"She was chased here and seemed to be running in a panic, almost getting trampled by a horse."
"When those people saw the Zhou family's carriage, they turned around and ran away, still watching from a distance."
For some reason, Zhou Jin, who was usually calm and composed in the face of danger, subconsciously looked at the woman in his arms.
She smiled, left his embrace, sat back in her previous seat, and looked up at him.
That smile was clearly a forced one.
She said, "Thank you for saving me, Third Master."
He pursed his lips, wanting to explain.
She lowered her eyes and stopped looking at him.
There was also mournful weeping outside.
"When I was out strolling with my maid, I was surprised to find that a madman was following us."
"The maid lured some people away, while others with ulterior motives followed behind."
"I was terrified and quickly fled, lifting my skirt. The person behind me saw this and hurried after me."
"As the people got closer and closer, I panicked and ran blindly, and was almost trampled by the horse."
"When I looked up and saw that it was Third Master's carriage, I felt that I had escaped from a desperate situation and felt relieved."
"It is my fault for disturbing you, Third Master. Please send someone to escort me back to Baoyue Tower."
"I will repay your kindness with all my heart, even if it means turning into grass and carrying a spring in my mouth."
Outside the carriage.
Haoyue, dressed in a casual dress and wearing a veil, was helped up from the ground by a kind old woman.
Graceful and delicate, with a delicate and frail appearance.
Her mere demeanor was like a delicate flower swaying in the wind, captivating all who beheld her.
Passersby had already stopped to watch.
Once someone recognized the other person as Haoyue from Baoyue Tower, the crowd instantly gathered.
Some people whispered among themselves, "Why not take advantage of a beauty who's offered herself up?"
The scene was chaotic and lively for a while.
Suddenly, a gentle voice came from inside the carriage: "The carriage has been disturbed on its way home, which has spoiled my mood."
"Which hero is willing to escort Miss Haoyue back to Baoyue Tower and clear the way? Master Zhou is willing to reward him with one hundred taels of silver."
Haoyue was clearly taken aback when she heard it was a woman's voice.
Upon hearing what they said, it became clear that the promising situation was over.
The crowd erupted in cheers, and a poor man, desperate for money, immediately shouted, "Is there really a reward?"
In a gentle tone: "Master Zhou's word is as good as gold."
"I'll deliver it!"
A tall, imposing peasant, who wasn't even wearing shoes, stepped forward: "Gentlemen, let's see if Master Zhou's hundred taels of silver to send someone to deliver a beauty is just a joke!"
The carriage curtain was suddenly lifted slightly, and two silver notes fluttered out: "This is for your help in clearing the way, and the other is a reward."
The man immediately stuffed the silver note into his pocket and, laughing loudly, invited Miss Haoyue to go first.
A voice came from inside the carriage again: "Huaiqiu, have someone protect this brave and righteous hero who rescued the damsel in distress."
"Anyone who dares to harm the person who helped Lord Zhou clear the way for two hundred taels of silver shall be killed without mercy."
As soon as she finished speaking, Haoyue's gentle voice rang out: "Thank you, hero, for stepping forward! Thank you, young mistress and third master, for saving my life..."
"Without a murderer, there would be no life-saving grace; it was just a few people who followed the girl with unclear motives."
"The one who escorted you back to Baoyue Tower was this hero; he has nothing to do with the Zhou family. Please, young lady, have some self-respect and don't try to associate yourself with them."
Haoyue's hand, hidden in her sleeve, clenched the handkerchief tightly: "What the young mistress said..."
"I haven't finished speaking yet," Li Qu interrupted her rudely.
"Miss Haoyue's talent is widely known. You should bring more guards with you when you go out in the future."
"Next time I might not be so lucky to be rescued by a strong man."
Haoyue's face, hidden behind the veil, was extremely unpleasant: "What the young mistress says is absolutely right. It was my oversight that led me astray."
"Excuse me, could you please make way? I'm waiting to get home."
Granny Xu had already gotten off the carriage at the back, and upon seeing this, she pushed Haoyue aside.
Haoyue's maid squeezed out from the crowd and quickly supported Haoyue's arm.
Only after the carriage left and the next carriage came along did Granny Xu get into it.
He didn't give Haoyue a single glance the entire time.
The hierarchy of contempt is roughly as follows: wives despise concubines, concubines despise entertainers, and entertainers despise prostitutes.
Haoyue's purpose was obvious: to curry favor with Zhou Jin.
The method wasn't particularly clever, but if it were a chivalrous young master, he would definitely have invited the beauty into his carriage by now.
A man and a woman alone in a car, it's hard to explain themselves.
Li Qu acted as if nothing had happened, and lowered her head to distribute the written notes to the gifts.
She noticed that the card for Chang San Niang was missing. She looked down at her surroundings but couldn't find it.
Not wanting to talk to Zhou Jin, he wrote another one.
Zhou Jin: "What were you trying to say to me just now?"
She ignored him.
I wrote a note, blew on it, and stuffed it into the gift.
Then she lay down on the low table, her back to him, as if she were asleep, or perhaps angry.
Zhou Jin: "You embroidered a purse for me?"
Nobody paid any attention to her.
Zhou Jin: "You wrote a note for me?"
Still, nobody paid any attention to him.
Zhou Jin: "Didn't you already send them away?"
Still silent.
He frowned, raised his hand, and tapped the low table: "Li Shi!"
She stood up abruptly, tears streaming down her face, her cheeks flushed with anger: "When I'm happy, I'm Aqu; when I'm unhappy, I'm Li!"
"Will you be so kind as to have a meal with me when you're in a good mood, and won't I even be allowed to see you when you're not?"
She took out the sachet she had prepared for him from her bosom, and glanced around as if looking for something sharp.
Unable to find it, she stuffed the purse into her mouth and began to bite it fiercely.
Seeing her throwing a tantrum, he was also unsettled and frowned deeply: "Don't be ridiculous."
She threw herself onto the low table and cried, "It was all my fault, it was all my fault."
"My heart can only hold Jinlang, but Jinlang's heart can hold ten or a hundred people."
"I am petty and narrow-minded, but Prime Minister Jinlang is magnanimous."
"I will reflect on my own actions!"
The carriage arrived at the gate of the mansion. Without even looking at him, she turned around, lifted the curtain, and jumped off the carriage.
Zhou Jin pulled her hand, but only brushed against a corner of her skirt.
He knew she was extremely jealous, but he wasn't smug about it at all.
He knew that her behavior was a sign of jealousy, which was unacceptable, but he wasn't too angry.
His feelings were so complicated that he sat there in a daze until Huaiqiu called him, at which point he got out of the car.
She was nowhere to be seen outside the carriage, and even Granny Xu and the others had vanished.
"Take the gifts she brought to the people in the courtyard."
Huaiqiu accepted the order: "Yes."
Zhou Jin: "Forget it, I'll go by myself."
Huaiqiu: "...Yes."
"Oh, right, there's a copy for Chang San Niang, you can take it there."
"And take care of Chang Sanfangliang's matter as well."
Zhou Jin vaguely remembered that she had mentioned this matter before.
Huaiqiu accepted the order and went to carry out the task, while others delivered the gifts from the maids of Fanghua Garden.
When Zhou Jin arrived, he happened to see her holding scissors, untying the embroidery thread on her purse.
His anger flared instantly, and he stepped forward to snatch the purse from her hand: "Li Qu!"
She stood up and grabbed the purse, shouting, "Give it back to me! Give it back to me! I made this, and I can open it if I want!"
He held it high.
She jumped up and down, but couldn't reach it.
Enraged, she raised her foot and stomped hard on his instep.
It took a lot of effort.
He was hurt by being stepped on.
But a maidservant was peeking from afar with a terrified expression. He endured the pain and called out, "Li Qu!"
She ran into the inner room, threw herself onto the bed, and cried, "What bright moon, what full moon, embroider handkerchiefs and sachets for my master!"
"Today, I'll be fond of things made of bright moonlight, but tomorrow, having lost something made of bright moonlight, I'll be fond of things made of round moonlight."
"I will never allow you, my lord, to have the chance to defile my things!"
"Waaaaah, I'm going to destroy it!"
"I will never do anything for you again!"
He sat down on the edge of the bed and watched her fall onto it, her body slightly turned to the side, making her waistline appear deeper and softer.
His face was stern, and he spoke coldly, intending to rebuke her for being unreasonable, but instead he said, "I have absolutely no relationship with her, I am completely innocent!"
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