107 Pretending to be a Couple
"Hello, this is my wife."
"Jinxiu Pavilion? What is this place?"
Chen Jingshan did not answer, unlike before when he was so shy. Instead, he took her hand and walked in.
"Hey, sir, what kind of clothes do you want to make?" The owner behind the counter came over. She could tell at a glance that the material of the man's clothes was very expensive, so she greeted him with a smile.
Seeing the two of them being so intimate, the shop owner quickly circled around Ye Yunzhao, pointing to a piece of fabric on the counter that shone faintly and flatteringly said, "Madam, your shoulders are as if carved, your waist is as if slender, and your steps are light and graceful. If you could make a new dress of floating luster brocade with swallow feather tendons, you would be as beautiful as a fairy."
Ye Yunzhao got goosebumps after hearing what she said. He couldn't see the current situation clearly. His left hand was held tightly by Chen Jingshan and he couldn't break free. Every time he wanted to speak, he was blocked by the two of them.
"Are there ready-made clothes made of this material?" Chen Jingshan asked.
The shop owner laughed and said, "Ready-made clothes are nothing compared to tailoring. I think it would be better to make one for the woman."
Chen Jingshan glanced around the room. The two counters and shelves were filled with neatly stacked cloths. The east wall was lined with ready-made clothes. Amidst the colorful displays, a touch of elegant green caught his eye.
"Just this one."
The shop owner came over with a smile and said, "Oh, sir, you have excellent taste. Come, come, I'll take my wife to change clothes. Please sit down for a moment."
Ye Yunzhao looked at Chen Jingshan with resistance, shook his head slightly, and wanted to refuse.
The two looked at each other, and he seemed to see what she was thinking. Chen Jingshan's eyes were firm: "Trust me, try it first."
Having said this, Ye Yunzhao had no choice but to reluctantly follow the owner into another room.
Chen Jingshan tapped his fingers on the table. After an unknown amount of time, he heard the shopkeeper's voice before he saw the man. "Sir, please take a look! The lady looks truly stunning in this dress!"
She was dressed in green and had no makeup on, but she was infinitely beautiful.
Ye Yunzhao had already looked at himself in the bronze mirror. It looked similar to his original outfit, but the touch was different. Not only was it warm, it didn't feel heavy at all, and he felt a lot lighter.
"I don't think there's any difference. What do you think?" She was a little puzzled. "Why did you bring me here?"
He leaned closer and muttered, "You know I don't have any money... Can I not buy it after trying it?"
Chen Jingshan didn't want to comment on her in public. He felt that Ye Yunzhao was good in every way. His face, which was used to having a blank expression, now showed a little smile. He did not answer directly, but took out a silver ingot from his purse and handed it to the owner.
The shopkeeper's face lit up with joy when he saw the silver. He quickly took it and smiled at Ye Yunzhao, saying, "The lady looks so beautiful in this dress. This gentleman is speechless."
Ye Yunzhao stared at the money on his phone with wide eyes. Seeing it fall into the hands of the shop owner, she couldn't control herself and grabbed his hand: "Are you crazy???"
Chen Jingshan took her hand in his and led her out. Only then did he explain the reason: "The few people I know who are in charge are all greedy for money and power. If you wear the ordinary clothes of the person you just met, I'm afraid things will be delayed again and again."
"That's... alright." Ye Yunzhao opened his mouth, looked at his new clothes, and said with a sad heart, "But I don't know how long it will take me to save up this money to pay you back..."
"No need to return it." Chen Jingshan lowered his eyes to look at her, his eyes rippling. "When we meet later, you have to pretend to be me... Madam, even though it's fake, isn't it the husband's duty to buy clothes for his wife?"
"What?" Ye Yunzhao's eyes widened, and he gestured back and forth between the two of them with his slender white fingers, saying in disbelief, "You, I... Is this, something wrong?"
Although he had already guessed that she was unwilling, Chen Jingshan's heart still trembled when he heard the rejection. A bit of disappointment welled up in his eyes, but he forced a smile on his face, fearing that she would refuse again:
"Since we're old acquaintances, why don't you take advantage of that connection? It would be easier to say we're husband and wife than to recommend you to him, and it wouldn't waste too much time. Aren't you in a hurry to get back to Lingnan County?"
The two looked at each other for a long time before Ye Yunzhao hesitated and said, "That being said, I'm afraid it will have a bad influence on you. If you bring your wife to the capital in the future and someone in your circle misunderstands you, then..."
"No." Chen Jingshan said firmly.
He didn't like hearing such speculation, and he didn't want her to say it even more.
Seeing that he had made up his mind, Ye Yunzhao, the one who took advantage, had no reason to disagree. She nodded slightly, a little unaccustomed to such an intimate posture between the two of them. After taking two steps, she seemed to remember something: "Wait here for me, I'll be back soon!"
After saying this, the man disappeared like a gust of spring breeze.
But in the blink of an eye, Ye Yunzhao came back holding a small cloth bag. Seeing how she cherished it, Chen Jingshan couldn't help but feel curious: "What is this?"
"This is the clothes I just changed out of. I almost forgot about it. The owner thought we didn't want it anymore. It's almost because I was too quick to react." Ye Yunzhao touched it like a treasure, looked up and smiled, "Although I can't wear it in the capital, I can wear it when I get home. It's still quite convenient to wear it to work."
Chen Jingshan was amused by her playful appearance and agreed, "That's right."
Before he finished speaking, a pair of warm hands naturally held his hands.
Chen Jingshan was startled, then immediately grasped it. The touch beneath his hand was soft and delicate. Perhaps because she was used to doing things herself, there were a few light calluses on her hands. The calluses rubbed against his palms unruly, and a tingling sensation spread from his fingertips upwards, as if half of his body had completely lost consciousness.
Seeing him standing there, Ye Yunzhao followed his gaze and looked down, grinning slyly: "Didn't you say you wanted to pretend to be a couple?"
*
The head of the sauce shop was a stout middle-aged man. When the two of them arrived at his house, a servant came to announce, "Head, the shopkeeper Chen who came two days ago is here again."
Fat Hangtou immediately became interested. He liked this shopkeeper from Yuezhou for no other reason than that he had money. These shopkeepers from smaller places were more sensible than those in the capital. They would always give him a lot of silver when they made purchases. To put it bluntly, this shopkeeper Chen was his cash cow!
However, Fatty felt a little confused. He remembered that he had ordered people to put the special sauces and spices that Chen Jingshan needed in order the day before. Could something have gone wrong?
He leaned against the chaise longue and waved to the servant: "Hurry and let him in."
The servant had just left when a pretty young lady appeared before the fat man. The fat man, who was as fat as a water jar, stood up very nimbly: "Ah! Ah! Ah!"
He couldn't help but move forward, his pig-trotter-like hands reaching forward...
"Hello, this is my wife." Chen Jingshan stepped forward and blocked his action without making a sound.
Upon hearing this, Fatty felt a little annoyed. How could such a pretty young lady be so lucky to be the wife of Chen Jingshan? Although he liked women, he was not the kind of person who coveted other people's wives.
His previous enthusiasm vanished in an instant. The fat man leaned back on the chaise longue and said through gritted teeth, "Shopkeeper Chen, you've already taken everything. You can't be coming back just to introduce your wife to me... Why don't you serve tea to the guests?"
"Of course not." Chen Jingshan took Ye Yunzhao's hand and sat down. "I came here today because I have some personal matters and I want to ask for your help."
"What's the matter?" The fat man had a cold face. If it was a small matter, he would give him some face.
"I heard that the head of the trade has a good relationship with the head of the fruit and vegetable trade. Madam, you have something to ask..."
Before he finished speaking, the fat guy said with a hint of dissatisfaction: "Your matter is too troublesome. Why don't you just go to her directly? Why ask me for help?"
Hearing this, Chen Jingshan took two steps forward, pulled out two ingots of silver from his pocket, and gently placed them on the table. "Master Xing, you know I can't stay in the capital for many days. I'm afraid it will take more than half a month for you to visit me. I really can't afford to delay. Please accept this as a small token of my appreciation."
The fat man looked at the silver on the table, then secretly glanced at the young lady behind him. He hesitated and did not speak for a long time.
"Master, my husband often tells us how kind you are to him. He always bothers me for a few days every time he comes to the capital." Ye Yunzhao pretended to be pitiful, and said with a determined heart, "Right now, my family's business is run by me, and the vegetables and fruits are not as good as others. I really can't wait, so I beg Master for help. If this matter is successful, I will definitely give you a lot of money."
The fat man looked at the pitiful appearance of the young lady in front of him, and his heart softened. He really couldn't say no to the beauty: "Forget it, forget it, the silver."
As he spoke, he slowly stood up, the flesh on his face trembling. He moved to the desk, picked up a pen and wrote two lines, then handed the paper to Ye Yunzhao: "Take this and go find her."
Ye Yunzhao's eyes lit up, and he didn't bother to pretend anymore. He quickly took it and bowed: "Thank you for the outfit! Thank you for the outfit!"
Chen Jingshan hadn't expected things to go so smoothly. You know, the sauce shop owners were known throughout Beijing for being difficult to talk to. He had been prepared to spend a whole day on this, but he never imagined it would be resolved just like that?
However, since he had gotten what he wanted, there was no reason for him to delay and leave. He quickly stood up, thanked him, took Ye Yunzhao's hand and walked out.
The fat man behind him stared at Ye Yunzhao's back, feeling unfair. This young lady must have suffered a lot following Chen Jingshan in the remote Yuezhou City. It was such a pity. If only she had met him earlier, wouldn't it be better to follow him and enjoy the good life in the capital? She had no vision!
Seeing the two people walking further and further away, the fat man suddenly stood up, walked quickly forward, and tried to call out to them!
"Wait! Wait..."
Before he could finish his words, a servant suddenly walked up to him and whispered in his ear, "Head of the Dress, absolutely don't do that! If you do it today, I'm afraid someone will dare to take your place tomorrow. Besides, if the Madam finds out about this, I'm afraid the consequences will be disastrous..."
"Alright, alright! I don't need you to tell me." The fat guy glared at him resentfully, leaning his head against the door frame, and said quietly, "I just want to invite Manager Chen to have a meal..."
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