Chapter 23
Was it a caravan, or was it the escort taking the western route? Ye Jia's thoughts immediately became active. Just then, the large man heard the voices outside the house and came out to check. Seeing the visitor, he greeted them. As if casually asking, Ye Jia asked the large man which caravan he was with and what kind of escort he was carrying.
The old lady's surname was Wang, and she was a member of the Wangjia Village chief's clan. The Wang family was a prominent family in the village, with half of the over 200 households carrying the surname Wang. They were also closely related, belonging to the same branch for five generations. The old lady's son, Wang Kui, was only about twenty-five or twenty-six. He looked rough, but he was actually quite reserved. He only mentioned a local business in Libei Town. When he mentioned this business, he glanced at Ye Jia with a strange expression.
Where else could there be other local businesses? In the entire Libei Town, there was only one family that had a business and employed escorts, and that was the Cheng family.
Speaking of the Cheng family, Ye Jia might be more familiar with them than he is.
Ye Jia: “…”
Noticing his strange expression, Ye Jia immediately turned around. She didn't feel awkward, though; after all, it was the original owner who had been having an affair with Young Master Cheng. She had, by some strange coincidence, possessed the original owner's body, having only met the legendary Young Master Cheng once. As for the Cheng family's occupation, she knew only that they were a well-known and wealthy family in town, their men all skilled, and they employed a group of tough bodyguards who could fight and run.
Pulling the corner of his mouth, Ye Jia gave the things to Old Lady Wang and prepared to go back. But Old Lady Wang grabbed his hand and said, "Don't worry, Jia Niang. Wait a minute."
The old lady went into the house and took out a bag of things and handed it to Ye Jia, smiling: "Go back and give it to the child to sweeten his mouth."
Old Mrs. Wang gave a bag of hazelnut candy.
When Ye Jia took it back, Rui Jie'er was delighted. The little ones surrounded her and kept praising their aunt. She couldn't say anything nice for the time being, but her sweet praise made Ye Jia laugh. Ye Jia was lost in thought, and when she sat down, she realized Zhou Jingchen wasn't there.
"He said he had to go out for something." Yu had already cleaned the stove and was taking a knife to the backyard to cut chives. "He won't be back until dark."
Ye Jia nodded, went inside to change clothes, and then came out to help her. However, as soon as she entered the room, she found an extra thin blanket on the bed. Ye Jia thought that she had been sleeping alone wrapped in a blanket for the past two days, and Zhou Jingchen probably couldn't even cover the corners of the blanket, so she couldn't help but feel a little guilty.
On second thought, it wasn't that cold in April. She wouldn't freeze to death if she dressed warmly. There was a square cabinet in the east room that Yu had specially built to store her clothes. But when she opened it, she found a mattress stuffed inside. Ye Jia took a look and it was new. She didn't know when it had been brought in; it hadn't been there yesterday.
When she came out, she wanted to ask Yu, but she saw that Yu had already cut a large bundle of leeks and was busy sorting them in the front yard.
...Never mind, it's just an extra bed and bedding, not a big deal.
"Mom, please get a bigger wooden basin. This one is too small and difficult to handle." Ye Jia rolled up her sleeves and came over to help.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were busy in the yard when they heard voices outside. Looking up, they saw a group of dark, burly men striding past the courtyard gate and heading east. To the east was the home of the village chief of Wangjia Village. Actually, the village chief also lived in Wangjia Village and was a member of the Wang family. The men were so hurried, it seemed like something important was going on. Ye Jia was curious and muttered something.
Yu wiped the water off her face with her sleeve and said unconcernedly, "It must be some new order from above. Every year during the spring plowing season there are some things to do, like encouraging farmers to plow, and paying taxes and labor service."
In ancient times, there was a village head, a grassroots official position. Four households formed a neighborhood, five neighbors formed a bao, a hundred households formed a li, and five li formed a township. Each li had a village head. This head was responsible for household registration, agricultural and sericulture regulations, investigating illegal activities, and collecting taxes. Every March and April, they encouraged farmers to cultivate their land. However, Libei Town was not a major agricultural town. Since it was incorporated into the garrison camp, the village head had been largely under the command of the garrison commander.
"After all, we have no land and we are all orphans and widows. These things have little to do with us, so don't worry." Yu picked the leeks and put them in clean water, washing them twice and then rinsing them with water later.
That was true, but Ye Jia, due to his previous life's work, was used to keeping up with current events and was somewhat concerned. To put it bluntly, information is money, it is life, and being cut off from information can sometimes be fatal.
After thinking it over, she wiped her hands and stood up: "Mom, you stay home and do your work first. I'll go take a look. If it's nothing serious, I'll come back."
Yu Shi saw her looking puzzled. Ye Jia was always like that, with big ideas and a plan in mind, and he didn't listen to advice. But Yu Shi also knew she wasn't the most sharp-witted and sharp-witted person. In her youth, she was too well protected by the men in her family, and she had never experienced hardship, so her thinking was simple. She was someone who understood things without understanding them, so when Ye Jia said he wanted to go, she didn't stop him: "Go ahead, go ahead. I can handle this on my own."
Ye Jia didn't even change her clothes, just nodded and left.
As expected, when I reached the east side, I saw a group of people gathered at the village chief's house. The courtyard was filled with people, mostly men from the village. The village head was also there, sitting in the courtyard with the village chief and a few others, talking. From a distance, they all looked gloomy.
Ye Jia walked over and heard the village headman talking to the village chief. They were talking about recruiting twenty soldiers for the garrison this year. They needed them urgently, and they had to get a number by the end of the month.
The village chief squatted on the threshold, his old face full of wrinkles. "Shouldn't it be every three years? We had one last year, and forty people left. This year we need another twenty. The higher-ups treat us like we're raising pigs. Which village can have so many young and strong laborers? What's more, the men who died last year haven't even had their ashes returned yet. How many orphans and widows are there in our village? We really can't afford to raise any more people."
The village head knew it, but how could a hoe be harder than a knife? He was caught between the garrison and the villagers, and there was really no other way. They all had to eat, they all had to survive. The superiors were forcing him, so he could only force the subordinates. Thinking that some things were awkward to say, the village head persuaded the village head to come inside and talk.
The village chief was dragged around by him and had no choice but to ask everyone to go back first.
How could anyone want to leave? They gathered outside the village chief's courtyard, discussing the matter. Conscription was a serious matter; going to war was a matter of life and death. Those who had fought last year naturally didn't want to do it again this year, while widows and orphans couldn't bear to see their only son die. With the livelihoods and lives of every household at stake, even the most docile of souls would fight for it. The village chief had no choice but to put his hands on his hips and tell them to come back tomorrow.
Then he was pulled back into the house and the door was closed.
Ye Jia frowned, listening to the villagers' murmurs. He had forgotten that conscription existed in ancient times. In those days, the population was small, and soldiers were scarce. When the imperial court needed men for war, recruitment was often unsuccessful. Consequently, they resorted to coercive means, conscripting men. Libei Town, located on the western edge and near a garrison, was often short of men during times of war.
But there must be a system for recruiting soldiers in every dynasty, right? Ye Jia was not familiar with the conscription system of the current dynasty, and had never heard of any dynasty recruiting soldiers every year.
She was surprised to learn that when Ye Jia returned home, Yu had already washed and chopped the leeks. She looked up and saw her expression was serious and somewhat surprised. After listening to Ye Jia's complete account, Yu fell silent.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law sat in the room without saying a word. Rui Jieer looked at her grandmother and then at her aunt, and was so frightened by the silent atmosphere that she dared not say a word.
After a long while, Yu Shi finally smiled dryly, not knowing whether to comfort herself or Ye Jia, and said, "This matter shouldn't be ours. Yun'an is an exile with a special status. He is registered in the roster in the West Field. No matter how we recruit soldiers here, we can't get Yun'an..."
But at this point, he couldn't say anything more. The emperor was far away, and who would recognize them in such a small place? No matter how noble they once were, they were now exiles. With the crime of treason confirmed, they were the lowest of the low. Zhou Jingchen had nearly died in the West Field before he was carried back. Who could guarantee that now?
"Forget it, let's see what the village chief says tomorrow." Ye Jia patted her skirt and stood up. "Mom, are all the leeks here? I'll go knead the dough."
I didn't cook anything new for dinner, but there was still quite a bit of leftover mutton pilaf from lunch. It would still be delicious if I heated it up in the evening. Yu was preoccupied, so she didn't eat much that night.
Ye Jia ate a bowl as usual, and was about to clean up when Zhou Jingchen came in from outside in the dark.
He wasn't alone; he was followed by two young men. Ye Jia recognized one of them: Old Man Sun's youngest son, Sun Yushan. The other was a dark, thin, long-faced man. He was poorly dressed, but looked like a scholar. Upon seeing Ye Jia, he politely bowed and addressed her as "Sister-in-law." Sun Yushan, feeling somewhat embarrassed, scratched the back of his head and followed suit, calling her "Madam."
Ye Jia blinked and looked at Zhou Jingchen in confusion.
Zhou Jingchen smiled good-naturedly: "Jia Niang, we just came back from outside and haven't eaten yet. Is there any food at home?"
Of course there was. But it was only enough for one person. Ye Jia glanced at Sun Yushan and the long-faced man, then went to the kitchen to make a large pot of noodle soup. There was still quite a bit of mutton and yam soup left, so Ye Jia also scrambled eggs and chives as a topping.
Yu had been holding back something since Ye Jia returned that afternoon, but now that she saw someone else around, she felt it was unwise to speak. So, she and Ye Jia went to the kitchen together. The dough was ready, and Yu lent a hand, and the two of them worked in the kitchen, making chive and egg pancakes. She was kneading the dough for over 300 pancakes today, and by the time they finished, it was already dark. Ye Jia put the pancakes in a basket and went to wash his hands.
When he returned to the main hall, Sun Yushan and the long-faced man had already left. Zhou Jingchen was sitting under the lamp, washing up, wiping his face as he turned to look over.
"What's wrong? Why do you look like that?"
Rui Jie'er had already been coaxed to sleep, so Yu told Ye Jia what she had heard.
Recruiting soldiers was a fact, and Zhou Jingchen was a young and strong laborer. If they really couldn't find anyone, he would most likely be the one to take on the responsibility. Ye Jia sat aside without saying a word, waiting to see what he would say. Zhou Jingchen only nodded after hearing this, his expression as if it was nothing. He methodically cleared the dishes on the table, turned around and saw the two people still looking at him, and could only say: "I've heard about this a long time ago, it's not a big deal."
"How can it not be a big deal?" Yu wanted to say that you are no longer the prince of King Jing, but she swallowed her words when she thought of Ye Jia. "This is a big deal. What if other families are unwilling to send people? Will the burden fall on you?"
There are only 250 households in Wangjia Village. Although the population is large, the villagers are surnamed Wang.
"You're the only one left in our family. If this head falls on you, will you go or not? There aren't many people from other families in the village, and we've been here the least. As for friendship, we really don't have any." At this point, Yu Shi began to regret her social incompetence. If she could get closer to the village chief, she might be able to plead for him. "If you're called out and something happens, what will happen to Mother, Jia Niang, and Rui Jie'er?"
As she spoke, she became a little excited, with a tense face, as if the fate of the Zhou family had already fallen upon them.
"My son was previously in Xichang, and his mother took good care of him at home."
"Look at what you're saying! There's nothing we can do about it. Life is getting better. Mother has found you a wife, and Jia Niang is capable. Our family is about to get better. And yet here comes these filthy things!"
Yu was furious and slapped Zhou Jingchen hard again, not caring about Ye Jia still there: "It's all because of you being stubborn. I don't know what you are thinking about all day long. Look, you and Jia Niang have been together for three months, and there is not even a sign of a child! You are such an unfilial son, you are deliberately trying to wipe out the Zhou family! You are already nineteen years old, and other people who married earlier have several children..."
"..." How did this matter take such a turn and end up like Juehou?
Ye Jia felt awkward as he listened, and sat there stiffly without saying a word.
Zhou Jingchen let her slap him a few times to vent her anger, but didn't respond. Glancing at Ye Jia, who was about to shrink into a ball, he patiently waited for Yu to stop before saying that he had his own plan for the matter and that she needn't worry.
After saying that, he coaxed Yu into submission.
Yu knew he was scheming. It was probably because of this that King Jing had chosen the third son instead of the eldest son as Crown Prince. But the third son was incredibly capable and courageous, and his actions were unacceptable. She was truly afraid. As she had said, times were different now. They didn't have so many guards willing to risk their lives for them.
Thinking of this, Yu couldn't help but turn around and waved to Ye Jia, calling her over.
Ye Jia vaguely realized that the atmosphere was a little off, and hesitantly stood up. As soon as he walked over, Yu held his hand.
Yu grabbed Zhou Jingchen with one hand and forced Ye Jia's hand into his palm, warning Zhou Jingchen with her eyes: "If you can have a child sooner, I won't be so scared. There are only so many people in the family, and Ruijie'er is still too young to know anything. Mother is incompetent, and whether she can raise Ruijie'er is another matter. It all depends on you. Yun'an, if you really want your mother to be happy, you two should consummate the marriage tonight."
Ye Jia: “!!!”
The clasped hands tensed instantly. She hadn't expected Yu to bring this up directly. Ye Jia's scalp tingled. "I have to set up my stall in town tomorrow morning, and it's already so late. Dawn will be here in a few hours. Mom, you better stop worrying about this and go get some rest."
"There's no rush to set up a stall. If it doesn't work out, I can go set up a stall tomorrow morning."
Yu was rarely assertive, using her status as an elder to pressure the two. "Mother is the elder in the family, so listen to me. Jia Niang, I've seen you make those pancakes so many times, you should know how to make them. On the contrary, you two haven't consummated your marriage in three and a half months. It's really against the rules."
Ye Jia: “…”
Zhou Jingchen, on the other hand, said nothing, his expression as calm as a jade statue whose depth could not be determined.
Seeing his wicked behavior, Yu was furious. She patted the back of Ye Jia's hand and let go.
Ignoring her inherent elegance, she turned to the east room, fetched an extra blanket, and put it away. Don't think she didn't know the boy had brought in a mattress at noon. She had turned a blind eye to the situation out of a desire to save face for her son. Since no matter how much she tried to persuade him, she could either endure it or sleep on the floor!
Seeing Yu holding the new quilt, Ye Jia suddenly remembered the bed she had seen in the closet that afternoon. She glanced up at Zhou Jingchen, whose eyes flickered slightly. He raised his hand and pinched his brow, looking helpless. "Mom, I'm going to be honest with you. I'm definitely going to the recruitment this time."
Yu, who was holding the quilt, stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him in shock: "What did you say!"
"This time the garrison is recruiting soldiers not because of the intense war situation. In recent years, the western defense has been stable, and there has been no fighting. The only thing that is giving Li Beizhen and the garrison a headache is the rampant horse bandits on the trade routes to the Western Regions. In recent years, a very powerful group of horse bandits has emerged, with over a hundred of them, and they often rob people on the road. This has hurt the financial resources of several officers in the garrison, which is why we need to recruit soldiers to suppress the bandits."
In fact, this statement was vague, but Zhou Jingchen was unwilling to explain it too clearly.
His mother was entangled in this, and he had no choice but to speak. If she knew nothing, it would really hinder his progress.
Zhou Jingchen glanced at Ye Jia, thinking he couldn't hide this from her. After all, Ye Jia was his wife, so he simply told her, "Jia Niang, you knew before you married me that the Zhou family was a descendant of criminals. I can't go into detail about the crime, but I can tell you it's a disaster that has affected three generations. My Zhou family can't live with the name of criminals for generations, so we naturally have to find a way to clear our name. Besides, some things can't be avoided by simply avoiding them."
When Zhou Jingchen said this, he was looking at Yu. Yu knew what he was talking about.
"Recruiting soldiers isn't difficult. The base is in the nearby town, and it only takes half a day to get there by donkey cart." Zhou Jingchen stopped talking. "What's going on at home is fine. Mother and Jia Niang don't have to worry too much."
After he explained what he meant, Ye Jia felt relieved.
Honestly, being a soldier doesn't guarantee death. Many officers in the northwest rose through military merit. While they didn't reach high ranks, it was still considered a success for everyone involved. Of course, Ye Jia knew war was brutal, with many casualties. After all, a general's success is built on the sacrifices of countless others. But Zhou Jingchen, the villain who survived to the end, shouldn't be killed so easily.
Thinking of this, she took the bedding back from Yu's arms.
"Mom, you should go to sleep first." Ye Jia returned to the house with the quilt in her arms. "We have to get up early to set up the stall tomorrow morning. It's getting late."
In any case, it's right for her to work hard to make money.
Now that everything was out in the open, Ye Jia had a clear idea of what Zhou Jingchen was thinking. He wanted to be vindicated, to have his name cleared. He didn't want his child to be born as the descendant of a criminal. In other words, he had no plans to have children for at least the next four or five years. Ye Jia trusted his willpower; he wouldn't be Zhou Jingchen without it. But at least they had to talk frankly.
Yu had already gone to bed, and the two of them were now sitting face to face at the table, with silence all around them.
After a long while, Ye Jia got straight to the point: "Do you privately disapprove of this marriage?"
As soon as she said this, Zhou Jingchen's eyes flickered. He shook his head and said calmly, "No, Jia Niang, your mother personally arranged for you to marry me. It's my parents' order and the matchmaker's words. There's no question of whether I agree or not to this marriage."
"What do you mean?" Ye Jia frowned.
"This is mainly up to you." Zhou Jingchen's eyes fell on the table with restraint, not looking at Ye Jia's face. "While the ceremony between you and me hasn't been completed, there's still a way out. You know the Zhou family's financial situation very well. I can't guarantee whether there will be many troubles in the future. As long as the ceremony between you and me hasn't been completed, you still have a way out. If you ever get tired of the Zhou family and want to leave, I can also help you leave with a clean slate."
Ye Jia's heart moved, and she suddenly looked up at him. Zhou Jingchen's eyes were open, and his meaning was clear.
To be honest, a woman's reputation is important, and while it might be strictly enforced in Yanjing or among the wealthy families, it's less of a concern in this open-minded northwestern borderland, where widows often remarry. It's unclear whether Ye Jia, who's so beautiful and young, would stay with him. But he was different. If he made a move on Ye Jia, she would be his, and she would stay with him until the end.
Zhou Jingchen lowered his eyes to hide the sharpness in them. He would never let his wife marry someone else.
Ye Jiake hadn't decided to wade into his family's troubled waters; she was taking things one step at a time. Frowning, she pondered for a long time before roughly understanding what he meant. Was he giving her a way out? By not moving, was he leaving her with a choice?
Good, good job, Ye Jia smacked his lips.
"There's no rush for this. You can think about it later." Zhou Jingchen concealed the expression in his eyes, turned around, picked up the mattress that Ye Jia brought back, and prepared to spread it on the ground. "It's getting late. Go get some rest."
As soon as he moved, Ye Jia grabbed his sleeve. Zhou Jingchen turned his head: "?"
"I want to sleep on a new one." Ye Jia really hadn't decided whether to accompany him to the end, but she had decided that she would definitely not sleep on the old quilt tonight.
Ye Jia stood up, pulled the quilt off the bed, and kindly spread it out for him. Then she took the new quilt from his arms and swiftly spread it on the bed. She picked up the bucket and went out to wash up. After washing up, she rolled back into bed with the new quilt in front of Zhou Jingchen's eyes. "I want to sleep on a new one."
After saying that, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
Zhou Jingchen: “…”
All the thoughts in my mind were choked by her actions and I couldn't say anything.
After a short wait, he went out with a bucket of water to wash up. When he came back, the person on the bed was already fast asleep. Lying on the hard ground, Zhou Jingchen couldn't help but feel a little amused. Was Ye Shi a little too generous to fall asleep so quickly?
After a sound sleep until the next day, Ye Jia got up before dawn. As she was leaving the bed, she accidentally stepped on someone who had been awake until midnight. Zhou Jingchen opened his eyes with a start and met Ye Jia's wide-open eyes.
Their eyes met, and Ye Jia silently retracted his legs: "I'm sorry, I forgot there was someone lying on the ground. It's pitch dark, are you okay?"
Zhou Jingchen: "...It's okay."
Ye Jia said "Oh", quickly put on her clothes and went out to wash up.
Holding his belly as he sat up, Zhou Jingchen's first thought was to be thankful her foot hadn't gone astray. If it had been even half a foot off, his mother would have given up on him carrying on the family line.
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