Chapter 69: Teeth Marks on Her Arms Teeth Marks on Her Arms
The lights are dim and the moonlight is clear.
A thin mist rises from the surface of the water in the tank and sneaks into the room through the window with the evening breeze.
Zhang Min felt his chest and abdomen were burning, but his back was terribly cold, even a little chilly.
Ice and fire tormented him.
The breath on his skin was like a raging fire, but it burned his sanity.
"My lady..." Zhang Min's throat tightened, and he even tasted a sour taste, as if a crushed green apricot was stuck in his throat. "I met the Right Prime Minister today. When we were paying our respects, he helped me up. Perhaps... I got it from that time."
——If looking in the mirror can be considered a different kind of meeting.
Ye Jindian straightened up and looked up at his slender neck.
On her skin, as white and delicate as pure porcelain, the red marks from her teeth that she had bitten in the afternoon had disappeared.
She didn't know what she was thinking about, and took another step forward.
The dark shadow of the candlelight overlapped with the clear shadow of the windowsill, falling on her expressionless face, interweaving an almost icy calmness.
Zhang Min shuddered. "...Madam, I swear, I have absolutely not been to any brothel. The scent on me must be the scent of the perfume bags worn by my colleagues in the Right Prime Minister's Mansion."
He tried to divert the matter to other places.
Seeing that his wife did not move, he stood up and planned to find a whip to beg for mercy.
As long as she doesn't hold back her anger, it's okay for her to apologize.
Ye Jindian pulled him back and raised her hand to rub the skin that had been sucked and bitten.
The jade color instantly turned into rosy color.
Zhang Min's heart skipped a beat, as if he had fallen into an icy cave.
Could it be that his collar was not covered tightly enough, revealing something and letting his wife find out?
"My dear..." Zhang Min lowered his head, his dark eyes twinkling with a shimmering color. His voice became round, soft, and completely harmless. "I've been busy with work lately and haven't been able to stay with you. It's my fault. You can hit me, scold me, whatever you want to do to me." He took her hand and pressed it against his face. "Just... don't be angry, don't get excited, and don't ignore me. Okay?"
She was so silent and expressionless that it was really disturbing.
In the past, he had entered the ice field alone and destroyed the enemy's base camp. He was surrounded by eighteen silver wolves on the way, but he was not as nervous as he is now.
Ye Jindian kept rubbing that piece of skin until it turned red.
“Hmm—”
Zhang Min groaned as his fingertips brushed across his Adam's apple.
Ye Jindian's fingers paused.
"My lady..." He seized the opportunity and pulled her hanging sleeve. His fingers slowly tightened, and his knuckles turned a frightening white. "Don't ignore me. Talk to me, okay..."
Ye Jindian retracted her finger: "I don't suspect that you are cheating outside."
What? !
Zhang Min blurted out, "There's a strange smell on me, my lady, how could you not be suspicious?!"
Is he really so dispensable?
Or her love for the weak scholar is unmatched by anyone.
What if this weak scholar is not him? As long as he is gentle and weak and says a few soft words, she will do anything.
Ye Jindian slowly raised her eyes and looked at him calmly.
Zhang Min: “…”
He lowered his head and tugged at her sleeves: "My lady, I was wrong."
As the one who deceived others, he has no right to be jealous.
"Alright." Ye Jindian pulled up his loose collar, closed it, and patted it. "Go wash up quickly and get some rest early."
She has to sleep.
There is something she wants to investigate tomorrow.
Ye Jindian walked around him to the bed and lay down.
Zhang Min followed her closely, turned around and was choked by her neat and unconcerned performance.
My wife just brushed this matter aside so lightly and didn't pursue the matter any further? ! !
How could she—
In the dim light, Ye Jindian's eyelashes were covered by shadows, her face was serene, her raven-black hair spread out behind her like algae, with a faint light dancing.
The shallow and long breath ripens the rosy color of the cheeks.
Zhang Min looked at her, gradually lost in thought, and unconsciously lowered his head to place a kiss on the top of her head.
He leaned over the edge of the couch and responded quietly, "...Okay, ma'am. As you command, ma'am."
*
The next day.
The drizzle stirs the lotus leaves, and the wind turns the pond green.
Ye Jindian got up almost an hour earlier than usual.
However, when she got up, Zhang Min was gone, and only the quilt beside her was still warm.
I got up and looked for him but couldn't find him.
However, the kitchen contained already fried臊子, green vegetables, and rolled and pulled noodles.
The臊子 and green vegetables were steaming hot, obviously having just been cooked.
Even the dry biscuits and meat sauce to be taken to the Arsenal to fill their stomachs were all prepared, wrapped in large banana leaves, tied with hemp ropes, and placed in a bamboo basket on the side.
She just had to boil the noodles she was going to eat this morning.
The noodles were kneaded with lard, and they were chewier and tasted better than last time.
The臊子 was salty and tasty, and the vegetables were crisp and sweet. Ye Jindian finished a bowl of臊子面 in one breath.
She washed the pots and pans and hung them aside.
“Ahhh——”
Xiao Huang's cries today were much gentler.
She looked over and saw that the rice mixed with water and crushed bone meal was placed in a chipped earthenware bowl.
Thinking of her handsome husband who was scared and screamed for help last night, she couldn't help but lower her head and smile, rubbing the dog's head.
*
Ye Jindian held an umbrella and went to the scholar's house at the end of the street.
The plump and bright pomegranate flowers in Wang Si Niang's house were shaken by the breeze and drizzle, rubbing against the wall and shaking off the scattered petals all over the ground.
She couldn't bear to step on it and walked almost close to the opposite wall.
“Knock knock—”
She knocked on the gate.
The shy, big-eyed scholar came to open the door, and was quite stunned when he saw it was her.
"Excuse me, my dear." Ye Jindian bowed, holding her umbrella. "I hadn't decided what kind of storybook I wanted to write last time, but after pondering it over for a while, I finally have one." She handed over a piece of paper. "All my wishes are written on this paper. I'll trouble you to write it down."
The big-eyed scholar took it in a daze.
On the eaves of the tree, the secret guard who was watching the person glanced at the secret guard who was protecting him on the opposite side, and took a deep breath for the other party.
hiss--
Oh no, why would my sister-in-law come here to find the person who fabricated and slandered the Prime Minister?
Thinking back to the last time he failed in his duty of protection, he was whipped by the Prime Minister as punishment, and his buttocks still hurt a little.
If something unexpected happens again...
I'm afraid his butt will be beaten to pieces.
However, things did not seem as bad as he thought. Ye Jindian handed the paper to the other party and left, heading to the Arsenal.
As the shift was about to be handed over, the secret guard returned to the Right Prime Minister's residence and informed Zhang Min of the situation truthfully after he left the court.
Zhang Min put away the document in his hand and asked: "Madam, did you take the initiative to look for him?"
Since the lady found out something was wrong and immediately tried to send him a message, she would definitely not be in collusion with the other party.
So why did she go there?
In order to find out the truth for the "Right Prime Minister Brother", she also wanted to find out the background of her "weak husband".
But no matter which one it is, it is not what he wants.
Secret Guard: "Yes."
"Got it." Zhang Min picked up his pen and checked the document. "Go downstairs and have a meal and rest."
The secret guard saluted and retreated.
After reviewing the paperwork, Zhang Min stretched and said, "Fufeng, get ready to change your clothes and follow me to the Military Equipment Supervisory Office."
*
Military Equipment Supervisor.
The rain fell like a curtain in the corners of the gray eaves, covering the small courtyard. The water vapor condensed into cold mist, weaving through the winding corridors.
The warden covered his waist with one hand and clapped his thigh with the other, his face filled with sorrow. He paced back and forth, looking down as if he had lost tens of thousands of coins.
The drizzle continued, and the sound of Ye Jindian's footsteps and the shaking of the umbrella echoed in the empty corridor, especially clear.
The supervisor raised his eyes when he heard the voice.
Ye Jindian put away her umbrella and turned around to see him leaning on his waist and supporting himself with his legs swaying a little unnaturally.
Her gaze paused subtly for a moment, she lowered her head, turned around, and walked straight in the other direction as if she had seen nothing.
The winding corridors are all connected, and you can take a detour to get back to the workshop.
It's just a delay.
The supervisor looked at her hurriedly fleeing figure and blurted out: "Don't think too much, I just accidentally bumped into the corner of the table."
Since the superior has spoken, Ye Jindian can no longer hide.
She turned around and bowed, lowering her brows and head, looking like someone who was well versed in the world and people's hearts, and said repeatedly: "Yes, yes, I know, I understand, I understand."
Jian Zheng: "..."
"Well, it's almost noon, and I'm in a hurry to sign my name in the diary, so I won't chat with the supervisor any longer." Ye Jindian apologized, saluted hurriedly, and walked quickly.
Jian Zheng: "…………"
After signing her name, Ye Jindian returned to the workshop.
Luo Dong saw her panting and asked curiously, "What happened to you? Is there a dog chasing you?"
Ye Jindian shook her head: "It's even more terrifying than that."
Luo Dong: “???”
Ye Jindian had no intention of saying a word to him. She took the two forged crossbows, said something, and took them to the carpentry workshop to adjust their fit with the carrier.
The crossbow, with a force of eight to ten stones, was mounted on a platform as high as the windowsill, weighed over fifty kilograms, and was as thick as the body of an eight-year-old child.
After assembly, it can be unfolded to support a mechanical crossbow, and folded to serve as a long table.
The crossbow carrier with a force of more than twelve stones weighs more than a hundred pounds and is as thick as the body of a young man.
When unfolded, it is as big as a beauty couch, and when folded, it can accommodate a person.
The former was easy to open and close by one person, but the latter was too much for her to handle. She called Luo Dong for help, and it turned out that it would take at least two people.
Luo Dong was sweating profusely and asked her, "Is there a problem with the crossbow?"
Ye Jindian hasn't tried it yet.
"Take a break first."
She said she wanted to rest, but she still walked out with an umbrella, looking for a target to stand in the rain facing the window.
As soon as she entered the door, she put the bamboo tube aside and fiddled with the mechanical crossbow of eight to ten stones, stuffed the arrow into the chamber, and pulled the trigger.
"call out--"
"when--"
"Duk--"
"Bang"!
The arrow flew out of the barrel, the crossbow body hit the windowsill, the arrow pierced the center of the bull's eye, and the tail feathers dragged the target into the wall, cracking the bricks and stones.
Ye Jindian: “…”
If it breaks, you won't have to pay for it.
Luo Dong: “…”
It’s bad, the young are really formidable.
The waves behind the Yangtze River push the waves in front of them, and he, the wave in front of him, died on the beach.
Outside the wall.
Zhang Min looked at the protruding blue bricks and silently turned his head to look at the supervisor who was being supported by Fu Feng.
"There must be something wrong with the bricks. They're old." The Supervisor straightened up and said with a look of certainty, "It's very old. It's understandable that it's broken. It's not Engineer Ye's fault."
Zhang Min was satisfied and went in with an umbrella.
"Military weapons are the foundation of our nation, Dayan, and they should not be underestimated," he said. "Since that's the case, I will allocate funds from my private treasury to renovate this wall and all the inner walls of the Armory."
The Supervisor bowed excitedly and said, "Thank you, Right Prime Minister."
Zhang Min stepped into the Institute of Technology and looked forward with his umbrella raised.
Ye Jindian stopped in her tracks and stood in the drizzling corridor, somewhat surprised. "Right Prime Minister. Supervisor."
Luo Dong bowed silently, put away his joking expression, and said nothing more.
Zhang Min looked at the target that was forced to stick to the wall, then followed the direction of the arrow feathers and looked at the small and medium-sized crossbows displayed in the window.
He carried his sleeves on his back and said with a smile, "The crossbow that Engineer Ye mentioned yesterday is now complete?"
"I can't say for sure." Ye Jindian shook her head. "This is the first test, and we found many problems. There is still room for improvement."
For example, how do we address the damage caused by the crossbow arrow colliding with the wood when it's fired? And how do we address the problem of the three-pronged footing underneath, designed to adapt to the terrain and maintain a firm footing, slipping during the recoil?
"Right." She perked up as she spoke of these things. "A crossbow weighing more than twelve stones needs to be set up outdoors. We'll also need two or three soldiers of medium height to help test it and see if we can use their own weight to reduce the weight of the crossbow carrier."
If the crossbow arrows are too loose, the carrier will have to be made heavier.
Walking in special terrains such as mountains and wilderness is already difficult. If you add more weight than 100 kilograms, it would probably be inconvenient.
The crossbow carrier with a weight of more than twelve stones had not been tested yet, but Ye Jindian smiled and talked about her previous test, turning around and letting everyone in to take a closer look.
Without Zhang Min's instructions, Fu Feng very tactfully lifted up the target.
After the target was set up, he turned back and helped the limping warden inside.
Ye Jindian and Zhang Min stood side by side in front of the window. She told them all the problems she had discovered and how to improve them in the future. As she spoke, she disassembled the crossbow and carrier that were made of iron buckles and mortise and tenon joints.
"Right Prime Minister, please look." She put the carrier together, tied it with cloth, and slung it over her shoulder. She then picked up the crossbow with one hand. "This way, the crossbow is easier to hold."
She put it down again, reloaded it, and fired the crossbow.
Fu Feng couldn't help but exclaim, "Just tinker with it a few times, pull it apart, set it up, put the crossbow into the groove, press the iron buckle in, and step on it, and it's done?"
Ye Jindian nodded, pressed down her wrist, fiddled with the crossbow and shook it, and was able to change the direction and aim!
Zhang Min's face changed instantly and he glanced at Fu Feng.
Fu Feng immediately went out: "I'll go to the sentry post."
Even the stealthy secret guards won’t be allowed in.
Zhang Min put his hands behind his back and looked at the two people behind him.
Through the golden mask, the supervisor could not see the change in his expression, but he could feel the coldness spreading around him.
As a supervisor, he certainly understood the significance of such a weapon and immediately said, "Right Prime Minister, rest assured. I will ensure that no one except us will know about this."
Luo Dong also stated: "I am also involved in this matter, so I will not leak it and put myself in turmoil."
In his early years, he was always in turmoil, being fought over and kidnapped by various forces. If he didn't want to continue living like that, he would not have hidden his identity and become a blacksmith who only made farm tools.
Zhang Min would not believe their verbal promises.
However, he had his own ways to protect his wife and to prevent them from surrendering to the enemy, so he did not bother to argue with them and let them retreat to the outer room.
"I have a few words to say to Mr. Ye alone."
Luo Dong hesitated and was pulled away by the warden, who closed the door behind him.
Ye Jindian: "...The Right Prime Minister wouldn't be afraid that I would surrender to the enemy with weapons, so he wants to teach me a lesson, right?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Zhang Min raised his hand and tapped her forehead with his fingertips. "The person I want to talk to you alone is my brother, not the Right Prime Minister."
——It’s called knocking, but in fact it’s no different from gently scraping.
If Fu Feng were here, he would be able to appreciate the obvious doting.
Ye Jindian didn't realize it, but was also stunned.
My brother had done this to her many times during the years when they were most familiar with each other.
But the intimacy in their youth was more immature and restrained than it is now, so much so that she never understood how much excitement the boy had suppressed to achieve this light touch of his finger across her forehead.
Zhang Min didn't seem to notice anything wrong. He took out a thick stack of letters from his pocket and handed it to her.
He knew his wife must be very worried about Aunt Wan. However, she was already ill, and she was afraid that sending a few more letters home would make Aunt Wan worry even more, so she kept it to herself and waited for the wild goose letter to arrive.
She would never tell this expectation and waiting to the "weak scholar".
She was always so concerned about others, afraid that if she asked, the "weak scholar" would feel guilty for not taking good care of her.
He didn't have the letter in his hand, and he didn't dare to speak to comfort her, for fear that he would be presumptuous and arouse her anxiety.
"It's a letter from Aunt Wan, sent from Jiangnan. She wrote it all the way and immediately sent someone to deliver it upon arrival." Zhang Min's eyes behind the golden mask were full of smiles. "I guess in a few days, another thick stack of letters will arrive."
He also collected a stack.
In addition to describing the scenery along the way, the letter also urged him to take care of Tiantian and comforted him that there must be a hidden reason behind Tiantian's actions.
actually--
Regardless of whether there is any hidden secret in this matter, he probably can't let it go easily now.
It’s a letter from my mother!
Ye Jindian was overjoyed and stretched out her hand to take it, but she remembered that her hands were wrapped in bandages and stained with sawdust and dirty water, making them very dirty.
She quickly untied the straps around her cuffs and hands and threw them aside.
"Let me see."
She wiped it hard on Zhan's clothes and raised her hands to take the letter.
The sleeves slid down to the elbows, revealing a red bruise with teeth marks on Ye Jindian's forearm.
Zhang Min's smile suddenly disappeared.
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