Chapter 146 We are husband and wife
Yan Jue put his arm around Chen Pingjin's waist, his tone carrying a hint of danger, "Why are you speaking so gently to a servant?"
The large hands around his waist had thick calluses on their fingertips from years of martial arts training, and the rough texture rubbed against his skin through the thin clothes.
That was the most sensitive spot, making Shen Pingjin tremble all over.
"What are you doing..." Shen Pingjin said in a very low voice, her face flushed.
Yan Jue smiled slightly, said nothing, but tightened his grip on Chen Pingjin's waist.
Because cotton was still ahead of the competition, Shen Pingjin had no choice but to tolerate Yan Jue's reckless behavior.
But this feeling is just too unbearable!
Shen Pingjin gritted her teeth, thinking that she would definitely take revenge later!
Cotton, walking ahead, was completely unaware of the unusual behavior of the two people behind her. At that moment, she was still worried about what to say when she met Boss Fang.
She was indeed a maidservant serving the landlord, but that didn't mean the landlord treated her any better.
She was one of those owed wages and treated like a human being.
But in this world, who isn't selfish? She only hoped that after she took these two guests inside, the landlord would give her some good food and pay back the monthly rent she owed.
The distillery was very large, with a total of five courtyards. The owner, whom Xiao Mang had mentioned but whose whereabouts were unknown, was in the first courtyard.
Cotton walked forward with a heart full of trepidation, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the gleaming mahogany door.
She turned around, looked at Shen Pingjin and Yan Jue, and said, "Esteemed guests, this is the place."
Shen Pingjin gave Yan Jue a look, and Yan Jue knew he should stop, so he immediately withdrew his hand without making a sound.
Shen Pingjin then replied, "Thank you for your help, young lady. May you lead us inside?"
Cotton had the same idea, so it nodded and said, "Then come with me."
Shen Pingjin and Yan Jue followed Mianhua inside.
The yard was large, surrounded by many flowers, trees, and shrubs. The soil here seemed different too. Unlike the red soil of the south, the soil here was fertile black soil, and in springtime, the ground was lush and green.
Fang Shengde heard the door open outside, and a dark glint flashed in his eyes. At that moment, he was writing a letter on the table.
"Those bastards are here again? Hmph, there's a rumor going around that the Emperor is coming to the south. I don't know if it's true or not, but as long as I don't hand out this money, you'll never leave!"
He stood up from the chair, pushed open the door with a fierce expression, picked up a knife, hid it in his sleeve, and walked out.
Cotton was still thinking about what reason to go in, but unexpectedly Fang Shengde came out of the house on his own.
The moment Mianhua saw Fang Shengde, she felt her bones go weak. She looked just like a wilted little cabbage and knelt down on the ground with a thud.
"Boss Fang, I've brought you two guests. Could you please settle the monthly wages you owe me?"
When Fang Shengde saw the cotton, the knife hidden in his sleeve seemed ready to strike, especially after he heard that they had come to ask for money; his eyes flashed with a fierce light.
But this brat actually said she brought two guests?
Only then did he notice that there were two people standing behind Mianhua.
The woman had a delicate and pretty appearance, while the man was exceptionally handsome. Although they were dressed simply, they exuded an extraordinary aura, even from a distance.
Fang Shengde sheathed the knife hidden in his sleeve, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes. He wanted to see what reason this unusual-looking customer had for wanting to buy smuggled salt from him.
He smiled and said, "Cotton, get up. You look like I've mistreated you."
As he spoke, he took out a tael of silver from the purse at his waist, bent down, and whispered in Mianhua's ear, "Why didn't you know better earlier? Why did you have to go against me like those beasts?"
When Mianhua saw the silver tael, tears welled up in her eyes. She knelt on the ground, thinking to herself that she had indeed done nothing wrong!
She quickly knelt down and thanked him, saying, "Thank you, Boss Fang. I will never disobey your orders again."
Fang Shengde chuckled, "Get up first, I'll give you the rest of the monthly pay later."
Cotton wouldn't pretend to be innocent after getting a good deal, so she quickly nodded to indicate that she understood.
He then got up from the ground and ran out of the yard.
Little did she know that the landlord behind her was watching her departing figure as if she were a dead person.
Shen Pingjin also noticed that something was wrong with the landlord, but then she thought that she hadn't given anything away, so she immediately stepped forward and smiled:
"You must be Boss Fang. I've heard so much about you."
As the saying goes, you can't hit a smiling face. Fang Shengde immediately responded with a smile, "Gentlemen, are you here to buy salt?"
Chen Pingjin nodded and said, "That's right."
"Then why don't you two gentlemen come inside with me for a chat?"
Upon hearing this, Yan Jue and Shen Pingjin exchanged a glance, realizing that the shop owner was suspicious of them.
Yan Jue smiled and said, "As merchants from the southwest, we don't like the damp air inside. Let's talk outside."
Fang Shengde thought that once he entered the room, it would be his territory. Even if something happened, it wouldn't matter.
But to his surprise, the two of them refused to go in.
In an instant, his suspicions about the two men grew even stronger. “There are some exquisite pastries and fine cloud tea that I bought from outside. You two have come from afar, and I don’t want to fail in my hospitality.”
Shen Pingjin thought to herself, "This is bad. Fang Shengde is quite cunning."
Yan Jue held Shen Pingjin's hand tightly, indicating that she was alright and not to worry.
Fang Shengde also noticed Yan Jue's action, and for a moment his gaze towards the two of them became somewhat ambiguous, "What are you two doing...?"
Yan Jue said without batting an eye, "Boss Fang, you guessed right, we are husband and wife."
Fang Shengde suddenly realized, "So that's how it is. If the two are husband and wife, then everything makes sense."
Fang Shengde couldn't help but burst into laughter, "If your young lady doesn't want to come into the room, you can come in alone and discuss it with me."
Yan Jue shook his head. "If my wife weren't here, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to negotiate with Boss Fang."
Fang Shengde was taken aback, not expecting the two to be so affectionate. He said, "I truly envy your love. But as you know, this is a place where smuggled salt is traded. You are outsiders. If you don't talk to me on my turf, I'm afraid!"
Yan Jue frowned and said, "Boss, the business of selling smuggled salt is all about honesty. If you don't trust us, how can we even begin to discuss this deal?"
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