Chapter 54
Zhou Jingchen glanced down at his less-than-dignified lower body, his lips curling in a wry smile. One's circumstances were truly a mysterious thing. In his past life, he had remained calm even when countless stunning beauties threw themselves naked into his arms. Now, even a glance at Jia Niang would cause him to lose control of his anger.
There was a rustling sound behind him. After a long while, he finally asked, "Are you dressed?"
Ye Jia grumbled a cold "hmm," her dark hair unable to hide the redness of her ears and neck. She wasn't exactly reserved, but the man before her always managed to make her feel awkward. Her reaction was so intense because she was feeling awkward. Zhou Jingchen had been in there for a while, so he probably hadn't seen anything.
Silently comforting herself, Ye Jia got out of bed, slipped on her shoes, and went to the cabinet, where she tied up the bottle of pear blossom cream and put it in. She smeared the cream all over her face and body, and as she walked, the wind she blew was mixed with a faint scent of pear blossoms.
Didn't Zhou Jingchen see anything? Not quite.
His Adam's apple rolled up and down, his eyelashes trembling like a butterfly about to take flight. He silently pushed the fleeting glimpse of the red plum blossoms on the snowy peaks into the depths of his mind. He took a deep breath, then turned around as if nothing had happened. He looked up at Ye Jia, his lips curling softly. His face remained calm, but upon closer inspection, his eyes seemed to be swirling with eddies, as if they could swallow him whole.
Goosebumps rose on Ye Jia's arms, and she glanced suspiciously at the man quietly making the bed. She felt a dangerous aura lingering around him.
The atmosphere was heavy, but not awkward. A strange ambiguity permeated the air. Ye Jia forced herself to focus. There was no point dwelling on such a trivial matter. She closed her eyes and thought of something else to distract herself.
While business may seem stable now, it's only the beginning. A single food stall isn't the end; there's still much to do. Once business is considered, any awkwardness or ambiguity fades into the background. Soon, Ye Jia felt drowsy. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, Zhou Jingchen stared intently at the girl on the bed, whose breathing was gradually stabilizing, and sighed softly.
...This must be the wheel of fate. The one you discarded in your previous life is now longing for something you can't eat. Zhou Jingchen lay down resignedly only after Ye Jia's breathing calmed down and she fell into a deep sleep.
In the middle of the night, under a dim moon and sparse stars, Zhou Jingchen suddenly opened his eyes from an embarrassing dream.
He looked down at his lower body, lifted the quilt and sat up.
The person on the bed was sprawled out, one slender, white leg draped over the quilt, which had been flipped over, leaving a delicate, white foot dangling from the edge. Zhou Jingchen stood up, tucked the quilt back over her, retrieved a clean pair of pants from the closet, and tiptoed out of the room. He then fetched a bucket of cold water from the well and went to the kitchen. Soon, he could hear the man's controlled breathing.
It was already three o'clock in the morning when he came back, covered in sweat. He happened to run into Ajiu who was out to use the toilet, and the two met in the yard in the middle of the night. Ajiu glanced at the wet pants in his hand and raised an eyebrow: "Brother-in-law, why haven't you slept yet at this time?"
Zhou Jingchen's expression was somewhat stiff, "...Yeah."
Ajiu suddenly raised the corner of his mouth and laughed a little strangely. But he still gave Zhou Jingchen face and did not expose him in person. He nodded and pointed to the toilet in the southeast corner: "I'm going to the toilet, brother-in-law, you can do whatever you want."
Zhou Jingchen: “…”
When the two met, one went back to the house, and the other went to drain the water.
After Ajiu finished peeing and returned to the house, he went to bed and hugged his wife, unable to hold back and told her about what he had just done with Zhou Jingchen. Ye Simei was half asleep and didn't understand what he meant when she heard this, so she just responded vaguely. Ajiu was hot-blooded and hot-blooded, and hugging his delicate wife at night without being able to touch her made him a little angry, and he couldn't sleep.
"Yuan Niang, do you think my sister and her husband are having problems with their marriage?" Ah Jiu had heard about Ye Jia's affairs and knew that her aunt had a lover before she got married. She married into the Zhou family to raise money for her brother-in-law's medical expenses. "My brother-in-law went to wash his pants alone late at night..."
When Ye Simei heard this, her heart skipped a beat. She knew about the affair between Ye Jia and the second master of the Cheng family. But it had been a long time since that incident, and her sister had been living peacefully with the Zhou family for a long time. There was no need to mention it. She didn't want to damage her sister's reputation. So she vaguely brought up the matter, held Ajiu's face and kissed her hard, "Go to sleep, I know what's going on."
Ajiu was just curious, but since his wife didn't allow him to mention it, he didn't care about it anymore.
Leaving aside the mutterings of Ye Simei and her husband, Zhou Jingchen returned to his room and went back to sleep. When he opened his eyes again, it was the next day, and the room was empty. Ye Jia, Ye Wumei, and Old Man Sun had gone off to do their business, while Yu Shi and the children were grinding bath beans in the yard. He glanced up at the bed, rose, and tidied himself first. Then he tidied his own bedding and made up Ye Jia's bed.
After breakfast, we went to the base.
The garrison was in turmoil. Because of the Zengqing Mine incident, Oguz had imprisoned Shen Hai and his closest associates. A thorough investigation of Shen Hai's actions over the years was underway. Shen Hai's deeds proved untenable, and the more they were investigated, the more shocking they became. Even Oguz was impressed by the audacity of such a small lieutenant. Just how much courage did he have to commit such heinous acts?
While Ugus continued to move, Shen Hai did not give up on saving himself.
Chen Hai was very different from Niu Buqun. Niu Buqun had risen from humble beginnings, and without family support, he was easily overthrown. Chen Hai, on the other hand, came from the Shen family of Youzhou in the Central Plains. Someone in his family served in the imperial court in Yanjing, a high-ranking official. There was no way Chen Hai would simply allow himself to be killed by a half-blooded general. He was now trying every possible means to contact his family.
As soon as Zhou Jingchen arrived at the camp, Liu Yuan grabbed him. They avoided a group of patrolling soldiers and went to talk separately. Liu Yuan's face darkened. He had been thinking a lot over the past two days, and his attitude towards Zhou Jingchen had become much more respectful.
Seeing that there was no one around, he lowered his voice and said, "Someone is coming from Luntai."
"Who?" Zhou Jingchen was calm and composed, as expected. "Someone sent by the Shen family?"
"I guess so. He's arguing with Ugus in the main tent." Liu Yuan glanced at a dark and strong man passing by, his eyes more scrutinizing. "Even if he's not a member of the Shen family, he must have some connection with the Shen family."
Zhou Jingchen nodded, exchanged glances with the dark and burly man passing by, and then looked away from each other as if they didn't know each other.
Liu Yuan's gaze shifted, and when it landed on Zhou Jingchen's face, his expression changed, and he suddenly narrowed his eyes. "That dark and strong man who just passed by was brought here by Oguz. I heard he's one of Oguz's most trusted subordinates recently. He's a skilled warrior, and extremely ferocious on the battlefield. I heard he's a general who can fight one against a hundred. His name is Zabatu, and he joined the army around the same time as you."
"Why? Are you interested in him?" Zhou Jingchen asked without moving his eyebrows, "Are you not keeping a low profile anymore?"
Liu Yuan couldn't stand his sarcasm. After a pause, he tutted, "If you keep pretending, you'll probably be treated like a fool."
Zhou Jingchen chuckled and said nothing. He glanced up at the main tent. A man dressed as a civil official emerged, followed by two military officers, leaving in a menacing manner. A moment later, Oghuz's command to summon his trusted aides rang out from within the tent. Four or five soldiers of foreign descent hurried past the two men and entered the tent. Zhou Jingchen flicked his sleeves and turned toward the parade grounds.
Liu Yuan watched him go, then turned to look at the location of the tent. He folded his arms, nodded at his elbows, and turned to go to the training ground.
At the same time, Ye Jia's shop opened, and it was a lively scene again.
Jianbing (a type of pancake) has been around for quite some time now, having replaced chive and egg pancakes as Xishi's signature dish. Ye Wumei carefully prepares a single bucket of batter each day, packing up and returning to the shop. Ye Jia has completely handed over the breakfast stall business to Ye Wumei, while he himself manages the shop. He doesn't even wait for the time of day to begin hanging the meat and setting out the pig intestines.
Early in the morning, not many people were eating pig intestines. But some people would stop by and buy a pound to take home for lunch. Even a few of these items sold quite a bit. Nowadays, pig intestines have become popular, and more people come to the shop every day to buy them than to buy meat.
The breakfast stall had just closed today, and Ye Wumei and Old Man Sun carried the pot and stove to the backyard.
The shop was empty. Ye Jia sat at the counter, clacking away on her abacus. Just then, a woman led a middle-aged woman dressed in festive attire into the shop, one after the other. Before they spoke, they burst into laughter. Their cheerful expressions stunned Ye Jia for a moment. She quickly put down her account book and abacus, stood up, and wiped her hands with the rag from her waist. "What would you two like to buy?"
The two men's smiles froze when they heard Ye Jia's question.
After a pause, the middle-aged woman with a silk flower pinned to her ear grinned even wider and began to congratulate Ye Jia: "Boss, you're pregnant! Today I'm here to propose marriage to your sister on behalf of the youngest son of the Li family in town!"
"Propose marriage?" Ye Jia was really confused and didn't react for a long time. "Who are you proposing marriage to?"
"Of course it's for your sister." The matchmaker thought Ye Jia hadn't heard, so she raised her voice high and shrill with joy, "The sister who sets up a stall in front of your shop every day to make breakfast. The youngest son of the Li family has taken a fancy to your sister, so he specially asked me to come here to talk to him!"
As she spoke, she began to praise the youngest son of the Li family, saying how he was honest, had handsome features, and was a good young man who loved his wife. "Although the Li family is not that wealthy, the mother-in-law of the Li family is a person who knows how to manage the family. For so many years, she has managed the household and helped the four sons to get married and start their own families. The family is thriving. The sisters-in-law are all good-natured. Your sister will definitely not suffer any loss if she marries into the family..."
"It's right at the entrance of the town. There's a very tall tree at the entrance of the alley. You can go and ask around and you'll know." The matchmaker praised it so much that her words were as sweet as honey.
Ye Jia listened for a long time before finally confirming that the two people came in to propose marriage to Ye Wumei.
She didn't interrupt, but waited patiently for the matchmaker to finish his praise before speaking indifferently, "So, the Li family is so good, then my sister would be marrying up if she married into them?"
"That's not what I meant. They say marry a man and he'll provide you with food and clothing."
When the matchmaker heard what Ye Jia said, her eyes rolled and she licked her lips in dismay. Glancing at the meat hanging in the shop, the aroma was so fragrant that it made her drool. She thought that if this marriage went through, the girl's family would at least give her two pounds of meat as a thank you. "These days, when it comes to marriage, it depends on whether the man has a good temper. A good temper means he will never be wronged in his life. The sons of the Li family are all famous for loving their wives, and the youngest son is especially good-tempered. If he didn't have that kind of personality, I wouldn't dare to say that to you, right?"
The woman who had followed the matchmaker opened her mouth and was about to speak when Ye Wumei, having just finished cleaning the stove, came out, lifting the curtain. She glanced at the others and then obediently walked over to Ye Jia and sat down.
When this person came out, the matchmaker took one look at the fifth sister and hissed slightly.
If nothing else, the two sisters from Xishi's shop were truly beautiful. She had never seen such pretty girls anywhere. She squeezed the silver coin in her arms, and a grin spread across her face.
She took a few steps and tried to get closer to Ye Wumei to take a look. She looked even prettier up close. No wonder the youngest son of the Li family was so coy when he mentioned the sister of the proprietress of Xishi Shop. She quickly winked at Ye Jia, telling him to send her away.
Since ancient times, women's marriages have been arranged by their parents and matchmakers. Since the two sisters from Xishi Shop heard they had no parents, it was natural for the elder sister to make the decision about Ye Wumei's marriage. For unmarried women, marriages were discussed only with the elders of their family; it was not the girl's turn to listen.
As a result, her eyes were almost cramping, but Ye Jia did not send the man away. Instead, he told Ye Wumei the purpose of their visit in front of everyone.
"Are you planning on getting married now?" In Ye Jia's opinion, Ye Wumei was only fourteen. She wouldn't be coming of age until next year. Even if she was, she was still a minor. In her opinion, why would someone fourteen or fifteen be considered married? Aren't you worried that a child born too early might die too soon? Ye Wumei could afford to wait another five years. "Just tell me what you want to say. I'll do whatever you say."
As soon as Ye Jia said this, Ye Wumei was stunned. In her opinion, matters like marriage were decided by the elders. Even if their parents were not around, it was still her sister who made the decision. If Ye Jia really agreed, she would have no choice. Unexpectedly, Ye Jia asked her directly what she thought. She was not as docile as Ye Simei at heart, so she said with a wooden face: "Sister, I'm still young. I don't plan to get married."
Ye Jia was not polite and turned to the matchmaker and said, "I'm sorry, my sister is still young and has no plans to arrange a marriage."
The matchmaker was the first to encounter someone who did such a thing, and she was embarrassed by the back-and-forth conversation between the two sisters.
He stood there stiffly for a long moment. After a long while, he managed a smile. "Fourteen is not young. In the countryside, it's not uncommon for girls to get married at the age of eleven or twelve. Some girls get married early, and at fourteen they're already mothers. That young man from the Li family is sincerely trying to marry your sister. As the saying goes, it's easy to find a priceless treasure, but it's hard to find a lover. If you're not in a hurry to get married, it's fine to arrange the marriage first. It won't delay things if you wait until you're old enough to get married."
Ye Jia still had the same idea. Why would a teenager marry someone? However, Ye Jia did not show any displeasure and gently refused, "My family still wants to keep my sister for a few more years. The youngest son of the Li family should find another beautiful woman."
The matchmaker wanted to persuade him again, mainly because the Li family had promised a generous reward for their matchmaking. She was reluctant to part with him. "That boy is really good. If you miss this opportunity, you'll miss it. No matter how well a girl is raised, she'll still be raised by someone else and will have to get married when she's old enough. If you don't pick a good one while you're still young and settle down, you might not even be able to find a good family when you're older."
This was not a pleasant thing to say. Ye Jia was originally polite, but the smile on his face faded when he heard this.
Honestly, she'd heard this kind of talk the most in her past life. Ye Jia had always been a self-centered person. While the girls in her twenties were dating, getting married, and having children, she was still pursuing a master's or doctoral degree. After graduating with a higher education, she spent time at a design institute, where people would tell her these things every year, as if her life would be ruined if she didn't find a man who wasn't disabled and marry him. "Since Auntie says that, I'd like to ask. How many houses does the Li family have? How much land and livestock do they own? How many shops do they own? How much money do they have in savings? Are they educated? Do they have a legitimate business?"
"This, this..." This question really caught the matchmaker's attention. She knew in her heart that the Li family's decision to marry above their station by choosing the sister of the Xishi shop owner was because they saw that the two sisters were from other places, their families were wealthy but lacked men to start a family.
The shop has been open for so many days and no man has come, so the matchmaker just assumes that there is no man in the house.
"The Li family is very close and friendly, and they discuss everything together. A house is enough for us to live in, why do we need so many yards? Besides, as for the shop, he is still young, so he can own it with some money in the future."
"Even if it doesn't work out." Ye Jia smiled meekly, but the words stabbed like a knife into one's heart. "My family is a scholar family. My father was a student, and my sister has been reading and writing since she was young. She is smart and capable. We have three courtyards and a shop at home, and her brother-in-law is a military officer stationed there. If my sister wants to find a husband in the future, she must find someone worthy of him. I'm sorry for families like the Li family."
As soon as she finished speaking, the matchmaker's face turned green. The woman next to her, who had remained silent the entire time, flushed the color of liver.
After a long while, she was unable to get off the embarrassment. Her face trembled several times, and she wanted to curse: "A family of women who look like fairies, without even a man, what are you so frivolous about! Isn't she just a slut who makes money by flirting!"
Ye Jia only then realized that this woman was the mother of the Li family. She had been confident before coming. She thought, "What does it matter if the Xishi shop is rich? She's still a woman of the same family. Her son is a man. Since ancient times, it's not a matter of who a woman marries. Marrying his son is the best choice." But Ye Jia's words were harsh, almost calling her family impoverished.
The women in the market cursed people harshly, mixing in a lot of country slang, and people on the street came to watch the fun.
Ye Jia was furious. His face darkened.
She pulled out a knife and slashed at the chopping block. The abusive woman's face paled. She sat down on the ground and started throwing a tantrum. She was truly shameless, saying that if Ye Wumei hadn't flirted with her son, she wouldn't have condescended to come to this shabby place to propose marriage. But the two sisters were shameless, flirting with someone while also looking down on their family's poverty.
She had a loud voice and spoke quickly, arranging people like pouring beans, which attracted the attention of the onlookers.
Zhou Jingchen and Liu Yuan saw this scene as soon as they arrived at the door. They looked at each other, pushed through the crowd and walked in.
The woman inside sounded so real. If Ye Jia hadn't seen Ye Wumei busy as a top every day, she would have thought she had gone out to seduce the poor boy. But she pulled out a knife and tried to scare him, but it was useless. She couldn't really attack him, so she asked Old Man Sun to come and drive him away. As soon as Old Man Sun was about to approach, the woman started shouting "molestation." Old Man Sun was so afraid to touch her that he didn't even dare to touch her.
Zhou Jingchen had almost figured out what was going on after listening to this. He had just walked out of the crowd, about to reach Ye Jia, when Liu Yuan, who was standing beside him, drew his sword from his waist and swung it into the air. The scene suddenly fell silent.
The two men walked to the center of the shop with gloomy faces. Zhou Jingchen walked over to Ye Jia. His cold eyes swept over the woman sitting on the ground. His clear voice was not loud but loud enough for everyone in the shop to hear clearly: "Jia Niang, what's going on? Someone came to your shop to cause trouble?"
His eyes were like a bone scraper, sharp as a knife whenever it swept over someone.
The matchmaker and the woman only then noticed the two men in military uniforms. The man in the lead naturally pulled Ye Jia closer. He truly looked like Ye Jia's husband. The people of Dongxiang Township didn't recognize many other things, but they knew the uniforms of the garrisoned officers. The uniforms these two men wore were clearly respectable, unlike those worn by the lower-class soldiers.
The woman's expression changed several times, and she didn't dare to sit on the ground anymore. She quickly got up.
Ye Jia glanced at the woman's demeanor and succinctly explained the situation. He ignored the two men in the middle of the shop, sweating profusely. "Husband, it seems that if you don't come here often, people will think we have no man."
Zhou Jingchen, for some reason, felt that the words "husband" were particularly sweet today. He stroked Ye Jia's temples, tucking her hair behind her ears. Turning, he drew his sword from his waist and slowly approached the two women. He had barely taken a step when the two women took off, as if they were being chased by a tiger.
With all this commotion, regardless of Ye Wumei's marriage, the onlookers finally realized that there was indeed a man in Xishi Shop. The owner of Xishi Shop was married to a military officer stationed there.
After that, not only did the attitude of her neighbors improve a lot, but even the people who often came to her shop and called her a vixen disappeared. This is a story for later. After Ye Jia sent the people away, he patted Ye Wumei and said, "As for your marriage, you have to find someone yourself and come to me. I will tell you later."
For some reason, Ye Wumei hugged Ye Jia's arm and her eyes turned red: "Sister, I will work for you all my life."
Ye Jia: “…”
...That's not necessary.
Zhou Jingchen and the others came here to go to Tile Market with Ye Jia to buy a mule. After the spectators dispersed, Ye Jia took Zhou Jingchen to Tile Market.
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