Chapter 117
“In terms of materials, it’s mainly bricks, slate, and mortar.”
Ye Jia meticulously explained the structural diagram to Zhou Jingchen. To prevent a shortage of masons and other obstacles in mixing a strong, adhesive mortar, Ye Jia also detailed the composition ratios of the mortar. "Of these three, the most convenient is naturally the fire pit. However, its heating range is limited, and its function is similar to that of a brazier. We'll see which one suits the people's homes best, or which one they can afford."
Now that the picture is out, it is urgent to popularize it. Zhou Jingchen immediately called Bazatu over.
Bazatu dispatched a team to alleviate the shortage of masons. Although the soldiers in the camp didn't know how to build, many of them had experience in construction. With guidance, they could handle these tasks.
Zhou Jingchen had just returned and hadn't had time to rest, even though these matters didn't require his personal oversight. But once something was done, it was also necessary to shoulder the responsibility of reputation. Zhou Jingchen wasn't the type to do good without expecting anything in return. He had naturally sought fame and the support of the people to rise to power, and naturally, he couldn't be indifferent to fame and fortune. Now that he was doing something that benefited the people, he took the opportunity to promote his virtues and love for the people, killing two birds with one stone.
These tasks naturally required Ye Jia's assistance. Although Ye Jia's pregnancy was not very convenient, she only needed to arrange for the staff to build the soup kitchen. Ye Jia set up a shelter in the town, where many homeless people could take shelter from the cold and receive two meals a day.
This type of shelter was specially established by Ye Jia during the previous war. Several nearby towns also had shelters. It was originally designed to temporarily house civilians displaced by the war. Later, after the situation in Suiye and Libei towns stabilized, those who had fled returned to their hometowns. The shelter was not demolished; Ye Jia decided to transform it into something similar to a welfare institution in later times.
At the same time, in Sidao Village, a village under the town, the family at the easternmost end was crying loudly.
The cramped, dilapidated house was dark inside. Days of heavy snow hadn't been cleared, and the yard was already filled with snow. The snow was so thick, it couldn't bear the weight, and the tiles on the roof had fallen off, causing them to fall all over, making the house look even more dilapidated. A cold draft blew in from the windows, barely larger than a well. From the house, faint sobs could be heard. Some people stood at the door, whispering to each other. After taking a look inside, they sighed.
"Dead?" asked a big man with a dark face but frostbite all over his face.
"What a sin..." The young woman being questioned shook her head and said, "God is just not giving me a chance to live. I have no children and no money to rely on. I'm old and weak, and without anyone to take care of me, I'll freeze to death overnight. I just checked the whole house and found only one old coat. The lining of the coat is frozen. Old Mrs. Li was saying yesterday that she was going to her daughter's house in a couple of days to avoid the cold..."
"Well, the weather is abnormal this year. It's cold everywhere."
"Yeah, wasn't Uncle Yang from the Yang family the same yesterday? He almost couldn't be saved today."
"Alas... God won't let me live..."
As they were talking, a group of people came in from outside the yard gate.
Sidao Village wasn't the closest to Dongxiang Town, so after all the surrounding villages had been loaded, it was finally Sidao's turn. However, upon their arrival, the soldiers encountered someone frozen to death. This winter, elderly widows like this family had a hard time.
It was common for people to freeze to death or develop cold-related illnesses. Many also died of starvation because their families had no surplus food.
The stationed personnel listened to the villagers' chatter and sent a few people inside to settle the elderly man. Then, they sent for the village chief. He hurried over and invited the village elders to join him. Only then did he politely invite the elderly man to his home. The flag chief, leading the group, briefly informed the head of Sidao Village of the plan for a kang (a traditional Chinese kang) or fire wall and fire pit, and explained the higher-ups' plans.
After they said this, the room became quiet for a moment.
It was the first time the villagers heard of kang, and since they had never seen it before, they were naturally subconsciously skeptical.
"Are these fire walls, fire kangs, and other things really that useful?" Some families were better off and could afford a brazier. Or they could simply huddle behind a stove and warm themselves. This was the first time they'd heard of a fire burning under a bed. "Will I get burned or scalded in the middle of the night?"
It just so happened that among the stationed soldiers who came to Sidao Village there were people from the village who had left, and they immediately told them that all other places had built kangs.
"Uncle, this kang is a good thing!"
The man persuaded him, "Heat kangs are only things that the rich can afford. We ordinary people don't have the luxury of enjoying such good things. The master is worried that the common people won't be able to survive the winter and feels sorry for our hardship. The master's wife drew the plan herself, and the master specially took it out to make one for us common people. The local masons can't make it, so the master has specially sent skilled masters to build it for every household. It's a rare opportunity to come across such a good opportunity, so don't miss it..."
If this were mentioned to other people, they might not believe it, but when it was mentioned that it was Ye Jia who wanted to do it, some people would believe it immediately.
Not to mention the soup kitchens and shelters Ye Jia has built over the past two years. They initially consumed two granaries of grain, along with numerous emergency cotton-padded clothes, and mobilized doctors to provide free medical treatment to the refugees... Each of these seemingly insignificant actions has established a strong reputation among the people. Not only do the locals of Dongxiang Township know that their mistress is kindhearted and deeply concerned about the people, but even across Kashgar County, using Ye Jia's name is incredibly effective.
With this said, building a kang becomes easier.
Zhou Jingchen sent soldiers from the garrison to do the work for free, but the people still had to pay for the materials for the kang. However, the savings on labor alone could save a significant amount of money. It was affordable for any family that could get by.
It took a whole day to set up the kang, and another four or five days to dry it out. A team of men would split up and go to different households to clean up the kang, and even the Bailai village would take nearly half a month. That year, there was no time to rest during the twelfth lunar month. Before the New Year came, Zhou Jingchen summoned all the generals from Beiting for a meeting, and the work continued until the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, when they finally had some free time.
During this period, Ye Jia had been watching over the kang-making downstairs, thinking that everything would be peaceful until the end of the Lunar New Year. However, the usually well-behaved child suddenly started to stir up trouble on the night of the 21st day of the twelfth lunar month.
Ye Jia's move was sudden. At that time, she was making trouble for Zhou Jingchen, pinning him down on the couch. Zhou Jingchen, concerned about her body, didn't dare to move, and with a flushed face, he let her do whatever she wanted. The atmosphere was heated when her skirt suddenly became wet. She didn't react when the warm water flowed down her calves. It was only when Zhou Jingchen touched her and felt the wetness that she woke up: "What's going on?!"
"Ah, it seems my water broke." It happened so suddenly that Ye Jia didn't react at all and felt a little confused.
When Zhou Jingchen heard that his water had broken, his face turned pale.
He immediately bent down and lifted Ye Jia up horizontally. He didn't care that his shirt was ripped open, exposing his slender neck and half of his chest. He ran out in his thin clothes: "Huanpei, Xiaoli! Call the doctor and midwife immediately, and tell the kitchen to boil water and prepare for the birth."
These things have been prepared since Ye Jia became pregnant. Zhou Jingchen was afraid of accidents, so he personally took care of every detail. In order to prevent the doctors in small places from doing things inaccurately, he also found books on gynecology to read. Ye Jia nestled in his arms, listening to the thumping of his heartbeat, and was surprisingly calm: "Don't panic, it's not easy to have a first child."
Zhou Jingchen found her indifferent look a little funny, but now he couldn't laugh anymore. "Would you like some food first?"
Many women lose their strength while giving birth, and Ye Jia was reassuring in every way except her health. Zhou Jingchen always felt that she didn't eat enough and was too frail.
After thinking about it, he turned around and called his followers: "Go to the storehouse and get that old ginseng."
What should have been a chaotic night seemed very orderly because of Zhou Jingchen's well-organized arrangements.
When Mrs. Yu heard the news and rushed over, Ye Jiacai was already sitting in bed, not yet in labor. Zhou Jingchen sat beside her, looking calm, but a closer look revealed his face and lips were completely white. He was wearing only a disheveled singlet, and even his shoes were on backwards. Mrs. Yu was a little panicked at first, but the sight of her son in this state made her smile.
"It's going to be quite a while. Go change your clothes and come back. What are you wearing?"
Mrs. Yu hadn't said anything about a man entering the delivery room being unlucky. She had always disregarded such nonsense, and after all, it was good that her son was willing to accompany her. She simply thought Zhou Jingchen's attire was awful, and even as a mother, she couldn't stand it. "Jia Niang was very weak after giving birth and before she was fully recovered from the confinement period. You have to take care of her at home, and you can't let her catch a cold now."
Zhou Jingchen lowered his head to glance at Ye Jia, who was silently eating noodles from the bowl.
Ye Jia opened her eyes wide and looked at him.
They exchanged glances, and Zhou Jingchen let out a sigh, "...Then I'll go change my clothes. You eat slowly."
Ye Jia blew on the scalding noodles and took a sip.
...This young lady has been acting strangely since she got pregnant, and he's having trouble grasping her thoughts. But he really can't catch a cold right now; it's not good for the child or Ye Jia.
While I was changing clothes, the doctor and midwife arrived.
The midwife came in and said nothing else. She touched Ye Jia's belly and lifted her skirt to take a look. She only said one sentence: "It's still early, no rush."
Ye Jia listened with a sense of relief, calmly finishing her bowl of noodles and a bowl of soup. Zhou Jingchen came over, dressed, and Ye Jia even felt a little sleepy. However, the midwife thought it wouldn't be good for her to sit still, and suggested getting down and walking around if she could. More movement would also help the baby come out. Honestly, just because lying down didn't hurt, that didn't mean getting up and walking around wouldn't hurt.
But in order to suffer less during childbirth, Ye Jia gritted her teeth and walked downstairs.
The fourth and fifth sisters of Ye had not even slept. They put on some clothes and came to accompany her.
When Fourth Sister Ye was pregnant with twins, she and Ye Jia were sisters from the same father and mother, and they were both small and strong. Don't even mention how painful it was to give birth to twins; it nearly killed her. But Fourth Sister Ye didn't want to scare Ye Jia with these words at this time. She just racked her brains to teach him some advice: "When you're about to give birth, remember to follow the midwife's breathing."
Ye Jia understood that effective breathing could also be a way to relieve pain. Her stomach wasn't hurting at the moment, and she still had the energy to chat. But before she could finish her words, her expression suddenly changed. Waves of pain surged up, and cold sweat began to form at her temples.
The midwife took another personal look and decided to let her walk. Ye Jia was in so much pain that she was almost dazed, and Zhou Jingchen carried her away.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, Ye Jia felt like her soul was about to be torn apart before the midwife finally said it was okay. Fourth sister Ye had given birth before and could help out in the house. Fifth sister Ye didn't want to leave, but Yu was afraid she'd get scared from watching too much, so she forced her out. Yu glanced at Zhou Jingchen, hesitant about whether to kick her son out as well. Zhou Jingchen had just said, "I'll stay with her," when Ye Jia interrupted him.
"You go out too." Ye Jia didn't need a man to stay in the house with her. She didn't like being watched by too many people when she looked so miserable.
Zhou Jingchen was not annoyed by what Ye Jia said, he just frowned and said: "I have to guard it myself to feel at ease."
"No need." Ye Jia insisted, "You go guard outside."
Zhou Jingchen wanted to say more, but the midwife simply spoke up: "Master, you are wasting time here and it is distracting. Why don't you go outside and ask the master to concentrate on giving birth. The child can't wait, don't waste time here."
Yu couldn't stand it any longer and yelled, "Hurry up and leave! Stop dawdling!"
Having said that, Zhou Jingchen was worried but there was nothing he could do. He could only glance at Ye Jia hesitantly and turn away.
Ye Jia had thought that even if it was a little difficult, it wouldn't be that hard. Instead, the birth took a whole day and night. The child, who had always been so docile, was anything but docile when it came out; it just wouldn't come out. Ye Jia was practically exhausted from shouting so much that if a ginseng slice hadn't been urgently brought in for her to press under her tongue, she would have probably passed out from exhaustion.
Screams were heard from the house. Zhou Jingchen stood in the corridor and looked at the swaying figure in the house. He had never felt so tormented.
He'd suffered serious injuries before, countless life-threatening injuries in his past life. But he'd never once felt timid. This was the first time he couldn't see what was happening inside, only hearing the screams. His entire body tensed. Zhou Jingchen unconsciously clenched his fingers, letting the snow drifting in from the corridor fall onto his shoulders without reacting.
Ye Jia's screams were so tragic, and Jia Niang had never been so heartbroken before... Zhou Jingchen's breathing was heavy. He was at a loss as to how to handle the matter of giving birth. Zhou Jingchen couldn't help but think that this was the only child he and Jia Niang needed. He and Jia Niang didn't need any other children in the future, just this one was enough...
He waited from dusk to dawn, and then from dawn to dusk...Finally, the sound of a baby crying was heard in the house, and Zhou Jingchen finally came to his senses.
"Master! It's a young master! It's a young master!"
The midwife's voice announced the good news, and Yu's surprised laugh echoed from inside. After a long moment, the tightly closed door finally clanged open from the inside. Having not slept all day and all night, Yu's face was brimming with fatigue, yet her joy couldn't be concealed. She rushed out and shook Zhou Jingchen's hand, her hand trembling uncontrollably. However, Zhou Jingchen didn't bother to comfort Yu at this moment; he just wanted to go see how Ye Jia was doing.
"No, don't go over there now." Yu grabbed him and said, "Jia Niang hasn't finished packing yet. She'll be furious if you go over there."
Ye Jia was a very calm person, but that didn't stop her from being too proud. With her legs spread wide, like she was giving birth, her lower body covered in blood, she really didn't want to be seen by others. Zhou Jingchen was a little anxious, but he still waited where he was.
Zhou Jingchen finally saw Ye Jia after Fourth Sister Ye had cleaned up, wiped her clean and changed her clothes.
He said nothing else. The thick smell of blood filled his nose, and the basins of blood being carried out were still vivid in his mind. He took off his large banner, wrapped up Ye Jia, who was motionless and eyes closed, and carried her back to his bedroom. The child was still in the cradle beside him. Seeing him carrying his wife away, Yu Shi was about to speak when Ye Simei tugged at her sleeve.
Yu was stunned for a moment. Fourth Sister Ye opened her mouth and mouthed, "Brother-in-law seems angry."
Yu glanced at Zhou Jingchen's back as he gradually disappeared toward the doorway and realized that it seemed so. Her son, a naturally cheerful and unflappable man who knew nothing about anger, had become ridiculously angry at this very moment. Carefully wrapping up her grandson, she muttered, "Why is he so angry? It's not like he's being forced to have a baby..."
Zhou Jingchen didn't know why he was angry, but he was angry, and extremely angry.
Carefully placing the person back on the bed, he stared at the unconscious man, his lips all white. Although Ye Jia had already cleaned up Ye Simei, he still asked Xiaoli to fetch a bucket of hot water and personally wiped Ye Jia from head to toe.
Ye Jia slept very soundly, and only opened his eyes faintly in the evening of the next day. When he opened his eyes, there was no one in the room.
She was wondering, and just as she was about to stand up, a voice drifted faintly from a distance: "Don't move, lie down."
"Huh?" Ye Jia originally thought that no one was in the room, but unexpectedly there was. "Are you there?"
Zhou Jingchen listened to her, his face stern as he went to the table to pour a glass of water, then turned around and fed her the water. Ye Jia drank several glasses of water before her throat gradually felt better. Although it wasn't very obvious, well, it was very obvious. Zhou Jingchen didn't seem very happy. Ye Jia blinked, wondering why he looked like that: "Where's the child? Boy or girl?"
Ye Jia was so exhausted from the delivery room that she fell asleep as soon as the midwife said, "It's time for the baby to be born." When she woke up, she was still a little confused: "Why didn't I see anyone?"
"In the side room, Fifth Sister and the wet nurse are looking after her."
Considering that Ye Jia was busy and had no time to nurse the baby, the family specially found a wet nurse.
"Hmm..." Ye Jia nodded after hearing this, but she didn't rush to see the child. She just felt pain all over her body.
She was exhausted and her stomach was empty, which made her feel uncomfortable. After looking at Zhou Jingchen who was standing silently beside the bed for several times, she was stunned. What was wrong with Zhou Jingchen's expression?
"What's wrong?"
Zhou Jingchen sighed, seeing her unconscious state. As if finally realizing she was hungry, he wordlessly helped her up and sat her against the bedpost. Then he left the room and ordered chicken noodle soup. There was a low table in the room, where Ye Jia or Zhou Jingchen usually read or did their accounts. He placed one in front of her for a short while.
The noodle soup was prepared by Ye Simei a long time ago, but although the chicken was stewed until soft, there was no seasoning at all.
Ye Jia grabbed the spoon and scooped a spoonful of soup, then took a sip and raised her head: "No salt."
"Yes, no salt." His tone was slightly tense. After bringing the noodles over, Zhou Jingchen didn't leave. He brought a table and placed it on the bed. Zhou Jingchen took off his shoes and sat cross-legged on it.
Ye Jia was stunned for a moment, blinking her big eyes and looking at him: "Huh?"
Without even raising his eyelids, Zhou Jingchen turned and had the food brought in. Xiaoli carried the food box and placed the food one by one on the low table. As soon as it was taken out, the aroma of the carefully cooked food filled her nostrils. Looking down, she saw the food was glossy and delicious. Zhou Jingchen came face to face with her, glanced at her, and slowly picked up his chopsticks in front of her.
...He was a man who usually slept and ate without speaking, but now he seemed possessed by some strange spirit. He ate with his chopsticks, exclaiming how delicious the dish was. And yet, he was also eloquent, his every word captivating.
Ye Jia: “…”
"It smells so good." Zhou Jingchen swallowed a piece of meat in his mouth and said in a low voice.
Ye Jia already found the bland chicken noodle soup quite unpalatable, and the more he explained it, the more it tasted. She endured it, swallowing three sips of the soup. Then, the man picked up a piece of braised pork, waved it around in front of her, and slammed his chopsticks on the table.
"Zhou Yunan! What are you doing!"
Zhou Jingchen chewed the meat in his mouth slowly and glanced at her: "Eat it, aren't you hungry?"
Of course she was hungry! But her noodles were tasteless! If this guy wasn't eating in front of her, Ye Jia might have been able to tolerate it. But in front of him, other people were eating spicy food, but she could only eat pure chicken noodle soup. This was killing her!
"...What on earth are you trying to do?" Ye Jia wasn't exactly slow-witted; she saw Zhou Jingchen's sullen expression the moment she opened her eyes. After carefully examining Zhou Jingchen's expression, she came to a conclusion, "Don't give me that postpartum depression stunt!"
Zhou Jingchen was almost choked by her words. After a pause, he asked, "...What is postpartum depression?"
"Literally." Ye Jia's mood didn't change much. Instead, she looked at Zhou Jingchen strangely. "I became depressed after giving birth."
Zhou Jingchen: “…”
"Then what else is it?" Seeing his strange expression, Ye Jia glanced at the braised pork on his plate. Although her mouth was watering with greed, she still rationally restrained her desire. "You look like I owe you eight million taels of silver."
...Forget it, why should I be angry with her? Zhou Jingchen sighed sadly. This young lady is just different from ordinary people.
Zhou Jingchen rarely had such childish moments. Whether in his past life or this one, he had always been calm and composed, even a bit of aloof observer. But for some reason, his moods had become increasingly volatile since he met Ye Jia. Just like now, even a god could be pissed off by her.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something. But a quick glance at Ye Jia revealed a pale face, his eyes etched with fatigue. He realized his own anger was rather unreasonable. Finally, he sighed and put down his chopsticks: "Jia Niang, I'm your husband."
The words were spoken suddenly, and Ye Jia's heart skipped a beat for some reason. She opened her eyes and looked at him.
"I want to stand by your side at all times." This wasn't Zhou Jingchen's illusion; Ye Jia was indeed quite wary of him. "No matter what you look like or what your situation is, I'm your husband. I hope you can treat me as your wife, the one closest to you."
Ye Jia: “…”
"You've seen me at my most miserable, half-dead, naked, and crippled. You've seen it all." Zhou Jingchen had always been vaguely happy with Ye Jia, but his heart was actually as clear as a mirror, and he knew everything. Sometimes, xenophobic behavior was indeed harmless, but it was still uncomfortable to see him excluded in such a life-or-death situation. "I hope you can trust me."
Ye Jia pursed her lips and lowered her head.
"I don't need you to be perfect, nor do I need you to be indestructible. It's okay to rely on me a little more sometimes." Zhou Jingchen softened his tone and said softly, "You can trust Fourth Sister and Mother, but you should trust me even more."
Ye Jia was a little confused by his sudden words. After a pause, he roughly guessed that he was talking about the incident when he was kicked out of the delivery room during childbirth.
She pursed her lips and said nothing.
Seeing her lowering her head in thought, Zhou Jingchen said, "When you encounter problems in the future, can you trust me first? Don't leave me out?"
"...I didn't leave you out." Ye Jia clicked her tongue. She didn't expect Zhou Jingchen to be so brooding over this matter.
Actually, she had kicked Zhou Jingchen out because she simply didn't want him to witness the horrific scene. It wasn't a question of trust, but she'd felt the scene was terrifying at that moment, and that seeing it too often would make someone lose their desire for female sexual pleasure. She felt she still had a lot of life ahead of her, so maintaining a bit of mystery would increase her sexual appeal.
However, she did not deny what Zhou Jingchen said. She was indeed wary of Zhou Jingchen to a certain extent.
After thinking about it, there was actually nothing to explain: "...Okay, next time you want to come in and keep me company, just come in and keep me company."
Zhou Jingchen didn't expect her to give in, and was stunned for a moment.
"You're right." Honestly, after being married for so long, Ye Jia had never had any intuition about marriage. She always looked at things from the perspective of one person, and Zhou Jingchen's words reminded her. She was no longer alone; she had a home here. After thinking for a long time, she softened her tone and said, "If there hadn't been a breakup between us, we would have been together for a long time. I really should change my mindset."
Zhou Jingchen paused for a long moment before coming back to his senses. The smile on his face grew wider, and for some reason, he felt a surge of excitement.
Zhou moved the table in front of her aside, and Zhou Jingchen bent down and held her in his arms.
"Forget about it next time. It's enough for you to know what I mean." Zhou Jingchen himself didn't really like children. He didn't have any in his previous life. To have one in this life was already a rare thing. "We only need this one child."
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