Chapter 65 As expected of your wife, she really has a knack for "selling" products...
Since learning that Deng Jie was pregnant, Guo Jia has been extremely careful and protective of her.
On this day of rest, he moved a low couch into the backyard and let Deng Jie lie down while he washed her hair.
"Why make such a fuss? I can do this myself." Deng Jie couldn't help but chuckle as she watched him bustling around, but she also felt an indescribable sense of joy.
"A bath is for cleansing and bathing. It doesn't matter who you bathe for, right?" Guo Jia said, spreading a linen cloth on the wooden pillow and helping her lie down. He then scooped up warm water with a ladle and gently poured it over her black hair, softly asking, "Is the water temperature nice?"
Deng Jie blinked and looked up, gazing into his eyes. He reached out and stroked his face, smiling, "Very good."
Guo Jia felt her warmth, moved his face closer, met her gaze for a moment, his heart stirred slightly, and leaned down to gently kiss her brow, "That's good then."
The water murmured softly as Guo Jia patiently massaged her dark hair, the faint scent of soap filling the air.
Deng Jie closed his eyes, enjoying the pleasant moment, when he remembered something and said to Guo Jia, "Master said that pregnant women should be careful when using spices, for fear of disturbing the fetus. I think I should entrust Zhong Jun to manage the incense shop for a while."
Guo Jia paused, somewhat surprised. The incense shop used to be run by Xun Wei and Bian Shi. Although they no longer interfered in Ye City, he didn't expect it to be run by someone else.
"Oh? That's strange."
Deng Jie glanced at him, then deliberately said with a sly look in his eyes, "Since I've acknowledged her as my sister, she's your own sister! We're family, so naturally I'll trust her."
Guo Jia chuckled, "You've got a good deal knowing her; I thought you'd ask Lady Xun or Lady Bian to help you."
Seeing that he didn't take it to heart, Deng Jie snorted lightly, "The Shenge family has two powerful clans behind them, with abundant wealth, and they don't lack this little bit of income. Gao Wenhui is frugal and her salary is limited. Zhongjun has a hard time managing the household, and she always talks about cooking for you. Let her manage the incense shop; it will bring in some extra income."
Guo Jia gently pressed his fingers on the top of her head, smiling indulgently: "Alright, alright, it's your incense shop, you're in charge."
After Guo Jia wrapped Deng Jie's long hair with cloth, he led her into the water to bathe.
Before he could soak in the warm water for long, Deng Jie felt nauseous and started dry heaving by the edge of the pool. Guo Jia rushed over, startled, "How are you? Are you feeling unwell again?"
"You'd better get up quickly!" Guo Jia found some dry clothes and waited for him.
After Deng Jie changed into new clothes, her discomfort subsided somewhat, but she looked at Guo Jia with a hint of embarrassment: "I seem to be hungry..."
Guo Jia breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that she had recovered her spirits and asked with a smile, "What would you like to eat? I'll have Huai Niang make it."
Deng Jie tilted his head and thought for a moment, then his eyes suddenly lit up: "Hey, the first time we came to Ye City, you took me to the food stalls in the East Market. Back then, I was always worried about keeping you from eating, so I didn't dare to eat to my heart's content..."
Faced with her explicit suggestion, Guo Jia didn't hesitate for a moment. He took her hand and said, "What's so difficult about that? Come on, let's revisit the East Market today. Eat whatever you want, as much as you want!"
The East Market remained bustling with people and was always lively.
Dressed in casual clothes, the two of them walked hand in hand like an ordinary couple in the marketplace, weaving through the various fragrant stalls.
"This sesame flatbread smells so good!"
"Okay, I'll buy it!"
"I've never tried this roasted chicken before!"
"Let's try it today!"
"This sunflower soup looks refreshing!"
"Give me a bowl!"
"The lotus root soup looks delicious..."
Deng Jie was in high spirits and wanted to try everything he saw, but he only took a bite or two of each thing, either feeling nauseous or losing his appetite.
Guo Jia, who was by her side, became the final destination of these foods.
After walking around, Deng Jie was still enjoying his meal, while Guo Jia's stomach was already round and full.
"Hmm... I'm still a little hungry..." Deng Jie looked at Guo Jia apologetically. Guo Jia helplessly rubbed his stomach, gritted his teeth, and said, "Continue!"
Deng Jie grinned and pulled him along as they continued shopping, her gaze drawn to a familiar sign. "Ah! It's this one!"
Guo Jia looked up. He remembered that this was a food stall run by a foreign merchant. They had tasted yogurt here years ago, and it was very authentic.
"And braised pork belly and milk crisp! I've been wanting to try them for so long..."
Faced with his wife's coquettish pleading, Guo Jia had no choice but to nod in agreement and light them all for her.
The two sat down in the food stall, and the food was quickly served.
Deng Jie quickly turned his head away and covered his mouth, but he still couldn't help it.
"Say it!" Guo Jia was shocked and quickly got up to help her.
The commotion alerted the other people in the neighborhood. After all, Deng Jie was not yet pregnant, and they thought there was something wrong with the food. They all clamored for the neighborhood owner to pay compensation.
The shop owner was startled by the commotion and rushed over. His face turned extremely ugly. He was so angry that he tried to defend himself and immediately tried to drive the person away, insisting that there was nothing wrong with his food and that he could eat it right away as proof.
Deng Jie was both embarrassed and upset. He apologized repeatedly, admitting that it was his fault and testifying on behalf of the workshop owner.
Guo Jia was in a flurry of activity, trying to comfort his wife while repeatedly apologizing to the shop owner and offering compensation, which finally calmed the shop owner down.
Seeing that Deng Jie couldn't get used to the muttony smell either, and that it would be a waste to leave the untouched food lying around, Guo Jia asked the shopkeeper to pack the food into a wooden food box. Only then did the two of them help each other out of the house.
"I'm sorry for causing you trouble..." Deng Jie pouted, like a child who had done something wrong.
"No way, all pregnant women are like this. We've already compensated her, we're even!" Guo Jia said with a smile, putting his arm around her shoulder to comfort her. "Look, I even got Jia some late-night snacks for tonight!"
Deng Jie nuzzled against him, his expression relaxing. "But Fengxiao has always been thin; he should gain some weight!"
Guo Jia burst into laughter at her joke, and the awkwardness he had felt earlier vanished.
The two continued to walk hand in hand, strolling slowly home in the afterglow of the setting sun.
As Deng Jie passed a fruit stall that was about to close up shop, he stopped in his tracks again.
On that stall, baskets of plump, round green plums were piled up, gleaming enticingly in the twilight.
"These plums look really good!" Deng Jie squatted down and asked the stall owner curiously, "Sir, how much are these plums? Why are there so many left after you've already bought them all?"
The stall owner, an old farmer with a worried look on his face, sighed and said, "These plums are too sour and astringent. I've been setting up my stall all day, and nobody has bought any."
"Sour?" Upon hearing the word "sour," Deng Jie's mouth watered. She glanced at the old farmer and asked, "May I try one?"
Since they couldn't sell them anyway, the old farmer picked out a few for her: "Please try them, madam."
Deng Jie gladly accepted it, sat down on a blue stone by the stall, and without bothering to wash it, wiped it with his sleeve and put it in his mouth.
But when I turned my head to look, I saw that Deng Jie was eating with great relish, and he ate several pieces in a row.
"Isn't it sour?!" Guo Jia looked at her in shock.
"It's sour, but delicious!" Deng Jie replied happily. "Can we buy some? I won't feel nauseous eating this!"
Guo Jia tugged at the fat on his face and nodded, "It's good that you can eat it."
As he spoke, he got up and asked the old farmer if he could buy it.
Just as Guo Jia was paying, Deng Jie sat on the bluestone, piling the kernels one after another on the wooden box lid, making a small stack.
"What is this? Is it delicious?" A woman passing by saw her eating with relish and went up to ask.
"Green plums! They're sour, appetizing, and delicious!" Deng Jie handed her one, pointing to Guo Jia and saying, "My husband is buying some right now!"
"I heard it's been rainy this year, so the plums are all sour..." The woman took the plum with some skepticism and took a bite. At first, she frowned at the sourness, but then the aftertaste whetted her appetite. "Oh my, it's really sour! But... it's actually quite appetizing?"
Guo Jia had just received a small handful when he went back to find Deng Jie.
Worried that there wouldn't be enough to eat, Deng Jie decided to eat his fill first and then buy some more to take home, so he continued to sit.
That's often how things are in this world; once someone starts something, more and more people will gradually get involved.
With Deng Jie, the living advertisement, sitting next to him, and the woman taking turns buying, the old farmer's stall attracted more and more people.
Some people grimaced from the sourness, while others, like the woman, exclaimed how delicious it was. Before long, the baskets of green plums dwindled at a visible rate, eventually becoming empty.
Deng Jie was dumbfounded. She had just finished eating the last one and was planning to buy some more to take home, but she found that the old farmer had already started to pack up the empty basket and go home, completely satisfied.
Seeing Deng Jie's reluctance to part, the old farmer repeatedly bowed and said, "Thank you, Madam! You are truly my benefactor! I will go to town again tomorrow, and I will save the biggest sour ones for you!"
Guo Jia, seeing this long-lost yet familiar scene, laughed loudly. After bidding farewell to the old farmer, he put his arm around Deng Jie and went home. "I thought that no one would recognize us after we came to Ye City, and that my wife's 'salesmanship' ability should have been cured by now. But I didn't expect that she hasn't lost a bit of it!"
Deng Jie gently pinched him, "It's still better than all that... this and that...!"
When she thought of those chaotic days in Xuchang, she was too embarrassed to bring them up again. "But my plums are gone!"
Guo Jia rubbed the spot where she had been pinched, took her hand and said, "It's alright, we'll come back tomorrow to buy more of those 'big sour ones'!"
He pointed to the food box as he spoke, "Your appetite is so good, maybe you can help Jia with some of the food when you get home?"
Deng Jie had initially blurted out "Okay," but upon remembering what had happened before, his spirits immediately dampened. "I just hope I don't throw up again..."
"It's alright," Guo Jia squeezed her hand. "Huai Niang is experienced. I'll have her prepare some light vegetable soup; it'll help cut through the richness."
“Ah Xiang is already ten years old… she’s probably forgotten all her experience,” Deng Jie muttered.
"Speaking of which, shouldn't we find a wet nurse in advance? Look at my foresight; I even reserved an extra room..."
"It hasn't been that long, and you're already thinking way too far ahead...!"
The setting sun cast long shadows of the two, who jostled and laughed as they made their way home.
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