Chapter 57
Ye Jia had already forced himself to erase the memory of the drunken incident from his mind. With the mentality of "as long as I don't think about it, it won't bother me," Ye Jia confidently ignored the incident of him forcing himself to kiss someone last night.
Waking up early in the morning, facing Zhou's occasional glances, Ye Jiadu gritted his teeth and pretended nothing had happened.
Zhou Jingchen didn't make things difficult for her and pretended to be melancholy as he went to wash up.
Heavy snow fell overnight, and by morning, the snow outside had piled up into a world of white. Sticking a stick in the snow, it was at least a foot deep. Ye Jia was amazed that the snow had fallen so deeply that night.
Sure enough, the poem "The deep ice is three feet thick, and the white snow covers a thousand miles" is not an exaggeration.
"No, it's getting colder soon. I'm afraid we won't have a good winter this year." Ye Jia stood at the door, frowning at the snow-covered sky. Old Man Sun and Ajiu had been shoveling snow in the yard since before dawn. They had to carry food to the shop soon. The cart wouldn't be easy to move without shoveling the snow. Fourth Sister Ye carried the child to the front yard and helped sweep with a broom.
"Besides lighting the brazier, we have no other options."
Yu Shi naturally felt cold too. Back in the day in Yanjing, the palace had underfloor heating. Servants would light fires outside, and the heat would flow into the house through the fire ducts. Felt carpets and braziers would be laid on the floor. Even in the coldest weather, wearing only a few layers wouldn't make you feel cold.
She knew nothing about this place. She had only managed to survive the winters of the previous years by sheer luck.
Ye Jia had no idea of the hardships Yu had endured in the harsh winters of the northwest over the years. She would find a way to solve any problem and would not force herself to endure. "We are all weak and cannot endure it. We must find a good way to keep warm, otherwise we will get sick from the cold."
If someone else had said that, Yu Shi would have given up hope. Perhaps Ye Jia had been so reliable over the past six months that she now believed everything she said. When Ye Jia said she was going to figure out a way to survive the winter, Yu Shi felt relieved. No one could understand the cold of winter in this land better than she did; to say it was bone-chilling was an understatement. This was why fur was so valuable here. How could a rag coat possibly keep as warm as fur?
As the year draws to a close, furs become more expensive on the market.
Speaking of which, every year around this time, Ajiu would take his men into the mountains. They'd trade in furs, as the fur of wild animals was at its thickest in winter. If they caught a beast and skinned it whole, they could earn three or four taels of silver from selling it.
Ajiu had been thinking about taking people into the mountains for some time, but considering that Ye Jia had asked him for something, he delayed until heavy snow fell and did not enter the mountains.
Ye Jia didn't know about this. If he had, he would have discussed it with Ajiu much sooner. But Ye Jia did plan to discuss it with Ajiu in a couple of days. After all, the only way to go to the Western Regions was to rely on him or someone he trusted. Ye Jia couldn't find anyone suitable for the time being. Naturally, the priority now was to address the cold winter weather.
Ye Jia knew that the technology of making kangs existed in ancient times.
According to Ye Jia, the practice of using campfires for winter warmth dates back to the Paleolithic Age, known as fire pits. Later, the term "hot pit" (zhidi) emerged. This term, "zhidi," involved digging a fire pit where people would sit or lie on the ground to warm themselves. The combination of stove and fire gave rise to the fire pit. It wasn't until the Northern Wei Dynasty that the technology for warming fires on the ground and installing chimneys emerged. Gradually, a wall in front of the fire developed, eventually evolving into a low fire wall. Ultimately, in rural Northeast China, it was combined with a bed, eventually becoming the well-known kang (fire bed).
However, kangs were only found in the Northeast, north of present-day Youzhou. The technology for heating and heating kangs appeared in this region during the late Qin and early Han dynasties, but it wasn't widely adopted. While kangs did appear in North and Northwest China, furs were the primary means of keeping warm in the Northwest.
In other words, if she wanted to find someone to make a kang that could be slept on, she had to figure out the principles and techniques herself before she could hire anyone to do the work.
The house the Zhou family currently inhabited was already built. If they wanted to build a kang, some parts would have to be torn down, and others would have to be rebuilt. This would be quite a undertaking. Ye Jia looked around his house, then glanced at each room. If the kang was built, he feared the family wouldn't have enough firewood.
Fortunately, there was a forest behind her yard. If she needed firewood, she just had to carry a basket and go to the forest to collect it.
After much deliberation, I finally figured out a kang (a type of kang) could be made. Different types of kangs are suitable for different areas. The sleeping area inside the house should naturally be an earthen kang, and a floor kang can be dug out in the main hall. If that's not possible, a side kang or a heated floor kang can also be used.
Just keep it original. As long as it’s not cold, everything is fine.
Ye Jia decided to build a kang and wouldn't put it off any longer. After all, if she put it off, she'd be the only one left cold. Winter temperatures in the northwest dropped rapidly; there was no telling when the water would freeze and she wouldn't even be able to find anyone to work. With that in mind, she went to get Zhou Jingchen's brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, sketched out the structure, and then carefully broke down how to lay it out.
She broke it down into very detailed sections for fear that people wouldn't understand.
By the time she finished her drawings, Ye Wumei and Old Man Sun had already driven to the shop. Ye Wumei was anxious to set up her breakfast stall, and even in the heavy snow, she wasn't worried about the lack of people eating out. She worked very hard anyway.
Ye Simei was still sweeping the snow in the yard. The snow was piled up so high that the light shining on it was dazzling.
Ye Jia squinted his eyes and glanced at her a few times, then asked where Yu was.
"Auntie went to the back to collect firewood." Ye Simei wiped the snow particles from her face and walked back with one foot deep and one foot shallow. She was wearing thick fur, two sets of fur that Ajiu had made for her. She was not afraid of the cold weather, her face was flushed with heat, "Sister, is there something you need help with? I'm not busy right now, I can help you."
Ye Jia wasn't busy at all; she was just going out. Since no one was home, she had to tell Yu: "Where's Ajiu? I have something to ask Ajiu."
Fourth Sister Ye knew that Ajiu wanted to do business with Ye Jia, and she also knew what he was thinking. Every night, Ajiu would go to bed and hug her and talk to her. When Ye Jia heard that she wanted to find Ajiu, she immediately replied, "Ajiu said he had something to do and would be back around noon. Is this a worry for you? Do you want me to go and find him?"
"Out?" Ajiu had already left in a short while. Ye Jia waved her hand, "No, no, it's the same when he comes back."
Fourth Sister Ye looked at Ye Jia. She was genuinely curious. Although she didn't know much about business, she had a vague understanding of many things. But hearing Ah Jiu talk about it often would make one's mind active. She wondered if it was about business. After all, the last time Ah Jiu took people out for a trip, Ye Jia gave them thirty taels. That was a lot of money.
"Sister, is it a business matter?" Ye Simei has a soft personality and speaks in a soft voice.
Ye Jia glanced at her. Since he wanted Ah Jiu to help him, he could talk to Fourth Sister about some things. Maybe Ah Jiu would listen to what Fourth Sister said. Ye Jia thought that he might not be able to talk to Ah Jiu when he came back, so he mentioned it to Fourth Sister Ye first: "This is not a big order signed with the Cheng family. In the future, if we want to sell things to the Western Regions, I don't believe everything the Cheng family says. We need to find a trustworthy person to follow us all the way, so that we can know the route well and understand how to deal with people from the Western Regions."
Fourth Sister Ye blinked, feeling happy that her sister and Ajiu had the same idea. Ajiu had just been mumbling to her about doing business, and her sister had given her tips and even hired someone to lead the way. "Sister, do you want to ask Ajiu to go?"
"Well, I can't trust others, but I can trust my brother-in-law."
Ye Jia frowned again as he looked at her. "But Jiu can't run away all the time. You and the child..."
"It's okay, sister. I'm not such a delicate person." Ye Simei felt warm in her heart, and couldn't help but think of the time when she got married and had nothing, and her sister made some jewelry and secretly gave it to her. Sisters are all blood relatives, how can others compare to them? "Besides, isn't Ajiu working hard outside so that I and the children can have a good life? He spends the money he earns on me."
Ye Jia laughed when she heard this. She was puzzled. Could it be that her love for money was so obvious that she had led her fourth and fifth sisters astray?
"Well, it's really good to have the family's money in hand." Ye Jia thought for a moment and gave her affirmation.
Fourth Sister Ye's eyes curved and she suddenly smiled. Needless to say, Fourth Sister had grown up quite a bit now. She bore a striking resemblance to Ye Jia's face, though compared to Ye Jia's dazzling, almost captivating beauty, Fourth Sister's features were softer and gentler. Ye Jia felt that his teachings were not wrong. Although the status of men and women was vastly different in ancient times, those who held financial power still had a greater say.
Since Ajiu wasn't around, Yu went back to collect firewood. Ye Jia went inside to change into some thicker clothes and went out. "Fourth sister, you stay home and look after the house. If mother comes back, tell her I'm going to the street vendor to find a bricklayer."
After saying that, Ye Jia went out with an umbrella.
It must be said that after the heavy snow, the streets were completely deserted. Few people were seen, and the tile market was closed. A few shops were open along the street, but most were closed. Transportation in ancient times wasn't as advanced as it is today, and heavy snow blocked roads, making travel difficult. Small vendors couldn't even brave the dark to make the journey to town. Without customers, the shops naturally closed.
Fortunately, the pawnshop was still open, with only a small door left. Two workers were sitting by the brazier inside, warming themselves by the fire.
Ye Jia went in and told the man what he wanted. The man sitting by the fire thought for a moment and said he could find someone. However, the weather was not good for going to the countryside, so he told Ye Jia to come back in three days and there would be a mason to take over the job.
"Can't we do it sooner?" Ye Jia wanted to take advantage of the free time these few days to finish the kang as soon as possible. "I can get more wages."
The shop assistant thought about it and said nothing else. Ye Jia paid more, so their commission would naturally be higher. So, why not go to the house of a familiar bricklayer? It snowed heavily yesterday, so everyone must be staying home to winter, so hiring someone would be cheaper.
"Okay, please wait here for a moment. I'll go out for a walk."
Ye Jia was politely invited inside to sit down. The man tied two bags around his legs, put on a felt hat, and hurried out. A moment later, two burly men with dark faces followed the clerk. Before they arrived, the clerk had explained Ye Jia's requirements for workers, so naturally, they wanted people who could handle the job. Needless to say, he only agreed on the wages and would take them back to work.
Generally speaking, bricklayers in the market charge 300 wen per job. Less skilled workers might get half that. Ye Jia was anxious and said he would give them processing fees. If they worked in heavy snow, the price would be increased by another 100 wen.
The two men were excited about the price. Before Ye Jia asked, they hurriedly said they could do it.
In that case, let’s settle the matter.
Ye Jia's wages would be paid to the pawnbroker, who would then pay the masons. The commission they took was quite high, 20% for a single job. No wonder they say there's always a shady business, and the pawnbrokers were taking quite a bit.
The wages will be paid after the work is done, so the two men will go back with Ye Jia first.
When Ye Jia and his men returned to the Zhou residence, Yu Shi had just returned with a few children. Sun Jun and his two sons each carried a large bundle, having already started working at a young age. Rui Jie'er also carried a small bundle, bringing the total to four people: one large and three small. Upon seeing Ye Jia, Yu Shi glanced at the two people behind him. Before she could ask, Ye Jia explained, "It's cold in winter, so we need someone to help with the kang."
"Kang?" Yu Shi didn't quite understand the term. It was the first time she had heard of it. But judging by Ye Jia's expression, it seemed like he was in a hurry to get it done. So she nodded and let the children go into the yard first. "Do you need help from home?"
"Yeah." To build a kang in the room, naturally all the furniture and other things had to be moved out.
There weren't many nice things in the house, so moving out wasn't a big deal. The main reason was that the money Ye Jia had earned over the past six months was stored in the roof beams. She'd definitely be going in and out when work started, so she had to ask Yu to keep an eye on the money box. After everything was settled, Ye Jia had to go shopping. After all, building a kang required materials: loess, quicklime, mud slabs, bricks. None of these things could be missing.
Ye Jia had agreed with Yu Shi to empty the house, and he personally took the money box out and brought it to Yu Shi's house, asking her to keep an eye on it. Yu Shi, of course, knew how serious it was, so she took the money box back to her house, and Ye Jia went out to the street again.
Before leaving, I went to the shop and called Old Man Sun, who drove along with me.
The brick kiln was closed, but there was someone at home. When I knocked on the door, someone answered.
Even though they weren't open during the day, they wouldn't turn away business if it came their way. When the brick kiln manager heard Ye Jia wanted to buy something, he led him to the back warehouse. He negotiated a price with the kiln staff and bought enough lime and quicklime, but no clay slabs. After all, this place was unused, so it wasn't surprising the kiln couldn't produce any bricks. Fortunately, though, if they didn't have clay slabs, thin stone slabs could be used instead.
"We do have thin slate." There are quite a few slates around the brick kiln, but they might be a bit thick. "Do you think this one will work?"
Ye Jia glanced at the thickness of the stone slab and found it was indeed a bit thick. "Can you grind it a little thinner?"
"Yes, but it will take some effort." The brick kiln owner was very polite in his business dealings. He would grind the bricks to whatever thickness Ye Jia requested. But if he wanted more, it would take some effort to get the goods.
"Okay, based on this size, I'll give you about three hundred." A kang is made up of three layers: the rammed earth layer, the bed, and the kang surface. The mud slabs should be laid down in layers according to the size of the kang surface. Ye Jia calculated the size of the kang surface based on an area of five feet wide by six feet. Glancing at the size of the thin stone slabs, Ye Jia estimated, "Shopkeeper, when can you finish grinding them?"
"If you need it urgently, come and get it this afternoon." The manager could see that Ye Jia was anxious and said that he would find someone to do it as soon as possible.
Ye Jia thought about it and realized that he couldn't make the kang properly after a whole morning, so he nodded and said, "Then I'll come back this afternoon."
After several trips back and forth, by the time Ye Jia returned home, Yu had already had everything moved out of the room. Actually, there wasn't much; Ye Jia's room only had a bed, a table, chairs, two cabinets, a chest of drawers, and a dresser. It wouldn't be easy to leave it in the yard on a snowy day, so they moved it to another empty room. Since they needed to make a kang, they naturally had to share it with both rooms.
Yu's things were almost the same and were moved to the empty room.
The quicklime was brought back, and the loess had to be fetched from outside. Ye Jia didn't know where to find the loess, but the two masons knew.
"Don't worry, boss. Just bring out two buckets and a rope and a shoulder pole, and we'll go pick it up." The masons had been there all morning, and besides helping to move things, they had been doing nothing. Thinking that the other party was willing to pay an extra hundred coins, they naturally felt embarrassed to rest.
If they could find loess, Ye Jia would let them pick it.
Yu looked at the half-empty house, where only half of the materials had been brought back, and worried about having nowhere to sleep at night: "How long will it take to build this kang?"
"When the weather is good, a day is enough." To build a kang, two holes must be dug in the wall, one for the fire and the other for the chimney. A chimney must be well-made at home, otherwise the smoke at night would be unbearable. Bricks, mud, and quicklime are used to build the base of the kang. Ye Jia glanced at the quicklime and asked, "Where can I get hay?"
"Don't we already have quicklime and mud? Do we need to add hay?" Yu had seen Ye Jia once, having had people come to fix the roof. She knew the uses of these things firsthand. Speaking of hay, the Zhou family had no land or crops, so they naturally didn't have any.
"Quicklime won't work; it won't hold up to burning. The longer the mud is burned, the stronger it becomes. Adding some hay can enhance its strength and toughness." Ye Jia counted the materials while calculating what else was missing. He didn't waste all his time waiting for the thin stone slabs. There were many steps involved in building a kang. The thin stone slabs were the layer on top of the kang, so they could quickly work on the rooms where the kangs would be installed, clearing the bottom first.
Things were moving quickly here, starting with Ye Jia and Yu's rooms. Two masons finished laying the foundation and clearing the chimney. It was almost afternoon.
After the kang plate is ready, you have to wait for it to dry, which will take at least three to five days.
Ye Jia wasn't a stingy person. She'd naturally build a kang for everyone who needed one. She and Yu's rooms needed to be built, as did the room where Fourth Sister Ye and her husband lived with Old Man Sun. It was winter, so she couldn't be stingy and let anyone get frozen. After all, there were children living in both rooms, and Ye Jia couldn't bear it. The family didn't have many rooms, so the two empty rooms could be used as replacements. Once the two kangs were old enough, she could build the other two kangs.
Old Man Sun went to the brick kiln again and brought back the polished thin stone slabs. Within a day, the two kangs were ready. These two men were truly hardworking. Ye Jia specially invited them to have dinner at Zhou's house, and afterward, he went with them to the pawnshop to settle the bill.
After taking a 20% commission, the two bricklayers earned more than 300 coins for a day's work.
After leaving the pawnshop, Ye Jia saw the two men happily pocketing their wages and called them back: "I need to build two more kangs at home. Come back to my house in five days when these two are ready. Next time you come, you don't have to go through the pawnshop. I will pay you directly."
The two men had not expected such a good thing to happen, and they thanked him profusely: "Boss, you are so kind. We will go there again in five days."
Ye Jia nodded. The house she had returned home from was temporarily uninhabitable. Yu moved her belongings to the inner room on the east side. It was a bit shady, but in an emergency, there wasn't much demand. The bed was placed in the corner, and Yu had deliberately doubled the quilt. She also spread the mattress from the cabinet, originally meant for Zhou Jingchen, on the bed. Her intentions were clearly obvious.
Once the work was done, Yu returned the money box. Ye Jia opened it and saw that the silver and banknotes inside were untouched. Yu was truly well-mannered in this regard. Apart from the pocket money Ye Jia gave her, she would not take the initiative to ask for it.
By the evening, the weather looked strange and it started snowing again.
There were some strange noises coming from the garrison, a sense of chaos. Ye Jia stood at the door for a moment, somewhat thankful that her main business wasn't the food shop. Otherwise, with these kinds of weather happening too often in winter, the garrison would be in trouble and there would be no profit at all. But the matter of the fragrant soap couldn't be put aside.
The contract with the Cheng family didn't specify how much goods to deliver, only the commission, the timing, and the conditions for achieving it. As for how much to ship at once, it depended on their supply. Ye Jia naturally wanted the more the better. After all, the Cheng family only made three trips to the Western Regions a year. The next trip wouldn't be until six months later. If she could only make a small profit from this trip, why would she bother?
Since they couldn't make too many fragrant soaps in a day, Ye Jia only made a few hundred each day and kept them in an empty room to dry. Because fragrant soaps need at least fifteen days to dry.
That is to say, within the fifteen days before the Cheng family's escort mission in the first month of the year, she will try her best to find free time to make it.
The town's butchers slaughtered more pigs as the Lunar New Year drew near. Some villagers raised livestock and slaughtered pigs and sheep for the Lunar New Year. This made it much easier to get pig pancreas. Ye Jia only needed to agree on a price with the butcher, and he would bring it to her.
It had to be said that the hundred pounds of bath beans Old Man Sun had brought back from Libei Town had been a huge help. If they hadn't stockpiled so much at once, they would have been waiting in vain. This time, not only did they have to produce enough to take to the Western Regions, but they also had to reserve a stable supply for Liyuan Lane and Linglong Shop. Seeing the bath bean powder dwindling day by day, Ye Jia finally called Ajiu over.
In fact, Ajiu had heard from Ye Simei that Ye Jia wanted him to go to the Western Regions with her, and he was waiting there early.
In fact, he already had a plan in mind when he went to the Cheng family with Ye Jia to discuss the matter that day. After all, the Zhou family only had so many people, all women except Zhou Jingchen. If he were a commoner, he would naturally lead the team himself. But Zhou Jingchen was a soldier and could not easily leave Dongxiang Town. There was also an old man, Sun, who assisted the Zhou family, but at his age, there was no way he could withstand the long journey.
As Ye Jia's brother-in-law, Ajiu believed he was more trustworthy than Old Man Sun. But honestly, he was having a hard time deciding whether to go to the Western Regions. If he were alone, he could run as far as he wanted. No one would care if he got hurt or died. But now that he had a wife and two children, he couldn't let go of his wife and son.
"Don't worry. I'm here and will definitely take good care of our two sons." Ye Simei was quite open-minded. Although it was painful for a young couple to part when their relationship was harmonious, Ah Jiu couldn't be tied to her belt forever. "Besides, my sister won't let me go without food."
That's true. Ajiu knew how Ye Jia treated her two younger sisters.
With the support of Ye Simei, Ajiu came over and sat down. As soon as Ye Jia started talking about the matter, he agreed immediately.
The promise was made so quickly that Ye Jia didn't even react. "Could it be that you've already planned this? The last time I went to the Cheng family, I stared at the gilded plaque for a long time..."
"I've noticed it." Ajiu scratched the back of her head shyly, "I can't be a failure all my life."
Ye Jia smiled when she heard him admit it. She liked honest people.
"But before the twelfth lunar month, I need you to go out and do some shopping." Ye Jia pondered for a moment and said, "It doesn't matter if it's in Luntai or inside the Great Wall. As long as you can find a suitable source of goods with good quality, fair prices, and a stable supply. As long as these are confirmed, you can cooperate with any workshop or store, but I personally prefer to work directly with a workshop."
Ajiu naturally knew that, generally speaking, buying things first-hand would definitely be cheaper than buying things second-hand.
"If the workshop's main product is fumigated bath beans, the supply will be more secure. If we partner with merchants, they also buy from the workshop, so the price will definitely be much higher due to the middleman." Ye Jia wasn't sure if Ajiu had any experience in this area, but out of caution, he explained it to him. "If you negotiate well, I won't ask you to come in vain. I'll give you and your subordinates a commission for the trip."
"Sister, I'm not worried about the commission." Brothers should settle accounts clearly. Ye Jia made this very clear last time.
Ah Jiu knew that the Zhou family was making fragrant soap. In the past few months, he would occasionally run into the family busy at work. However, due to his taboo attitude, he did not dare to look at them for too long.
"It's just that I can't tell the quality of these bath beans." Ah Jiu was being honest. He had actually been out there for quite a few years. But the fur he had seen the most over the years was good, and he could tell at a glance whether the fur was good or not. Whether the bath beans were good or bad was hard to say. "If you trust me to buy them, you have to teach me how to tell the difference first."
"That's for sure." Even without Ajiu telling Ye Jia about this, he said, "I'll go with you when we get back first."
Honestly, even if she trusted Ajiu, Ye Jia still had to be cautious. Just like her previous collaboration with Xu Youcai, she hadn't been careful enough to allow Xu Youcai to control the supply. Since this was a long-term partnership, Ye Jia naturally had to personally negotiate with the bath bean workshop. Ajiu could be sent to pick up the goods, but she would have to personally handle the signing of the contract and the selection of the goods.
Ajiu raised his eyebrows. No matter what his thoughts were, he didn't think Ye Jia did anything wrong.
"Okay then," Ajiu also nodded, "Sister, have you booked a departure date?"
"We have to do it as soon as possible." Ye Jia never liked being caught off guard in life-or-death races. She always took a steady approach to everything she did. "In winter, the days are short and the nights are long, and the days pass by in the blink of an eye. If we delay, I'm afraid a few heavy snowfalls will force us to wait until next year."
Since they were going to cooperate, Ye Jia was prepared to make it official. She wasn't trying to recruit Ajiu to work for her, but rather to sign a contract as equal partners. Ajiu had some money on hand, so he could probably manage to set up a bodyguard team. There wasn't a bodyguard team, but Ajiu herself could find someone to work, so that would be fine.
This means that Ye Jia is cooperating with Ajiu, and Ajiu will discuss the subsequent matters with others.
Ye Jia thought about it and simply wrote a contract on the spot.
She prepared a copy based on later shipping contracts, wrote it out, and then made another. Ah Jiu, who could read, read it over, and both parties signed and sealed it.
"Since it's become so formal, I'll go back and tell those brothers." Ajiu got the formal contract and smiled so hard that his fangs showed.
Ye Jia hadn't seen the other four people except for the one who pulled the melons last time. But he knew they were all young people. He nodded and said, "You go and talk to them. This matter is urgent. Once the heavy snow stops, we have to go out and find a source of goods."
Ajiu didn't stay for dinner at home in the evening. He said goodbye to Ye Simei and left.
By the time Ye Jia finally sorted things out, it was pitch dark. Fifth Sister had already prepared dinner and, imitating Ye Jia's example, had made a spicy stir-fried lamb dish. Since it was a cold winter day, she'd also prepared some hot steamed buns. This was something Ye Jia had made the other day when he was lazy. Fifth Sister Ye had learned the recipe by watching. It was her first time making it, and it was delicious.
They were just about to eat when Zhou Jingchen came in from outside, covered in snow.
Diandian was now half a man's height, and in the winter, her fur had exploded. It looked as if it had exploded, growing even larger. She twitched her ears at the sound, but her eyes remained closed, and she showed no intention of getting up.
Ye Jia sat down at the table and tucked her feet under Diandian's belly. It must be said that thick fur is good; it keeps her warm.
The door of the main room was half closed and was pushed open with a creak.
Ye Jia raised her head and met Zhou Jingchen's gaze, a layer of snow on his eyelashes. He had come from nowhere, and his clothes were tattered. His arms and the hem of his clothes were covered in mud. Ye Jia was stunned. The lights illuminated his back, and Zhou Jingchen's eyes sparkled in the candlelight. "I'll go change my clothes."
Only then did Yu notice his disheveled appearance. She put down her chopsticks and stood up. "What have you been doing? How did you end up like this?"
"There was a minor incident. A group of kidnappers we caught a while ago escaped." Zhou Jingchen said vaguely, "No one was hurt."
"Kidnapper? Can a kidnapper who's been caught escape?"
"Yeah." Zhou Jingchen's eyes darkened as he murmured. He then emphasized, "Remember to keep an eye on the children at home during this period."
Yu frowned and glanced at Ye Jia.
Ye Jia simply put down his bowl and chopsticks, stood up, and was about to follow.
Seeing that Zhou Jingchen was pushing the door of his old room, she blinked. Yu Shi couldn't help but curl her eyes. No one had reminded him that he had moved rooms today.
Sure enough, he just put his head in to take a look and then retreated. Turning his head to look at everyone, Zhou Jingchen's heart skipped a beat: "The house has been moved?"
"Hmm." Ye Jia didn't say anything, it was Yu who spoke first. Seeing her talking, Ye Jia picked up the chopsticks again, put a chopstick of meat into his mouth and chewed slowly. Yu's words at this time were not so pleasant, at least not to her own son's ears: "Since you are upset, why not just tear down this house. Move all your things out."
Zhou Jingchen: “…”
He had always thought his mother said those words to provoke him, but who would have thought she would actually take out his things. Zhou Jingchen felt a little uneasy, and his eyes unconsciously fell on Ye Jia's face.
Ye Jia bit her chopsticks and looked at him silently, without any intention of explaining.
After a pause, he suddenly raised his hand and stroked the corner of his mouth.
Under Ye Jia's eyes, he gently scraped his lips with the middle joint of his index finger.
Ye Jia's scalp tightened, and her ears and cheeks felt hot. She looked at him expressionlessly. Zhou Jingchen's eyelashes drooped, and his disheveled appearance and lonely expression made him look a little aggrieved. He opened his mouth as if to explain something, and Ye Jia quickly put down her chopsticks: "Mom, I'm going to take my husband to look for clothes. We moved to a new house, and it's hard to find things no matter where we put them."
After saying that, Ye Jia walked out from behind the table and pulled Zhou Jingchen into the back room.
Although they didn't know what had happened, the fourth and fifth sisters, along with the others, felt something was amiss with the two men's actions and avoided looking. Yu frowned, picked up her chopsticks, and took a bite of her food. She looked down and saw Ruijie holding up her small bowl. Ruijie was now fair and tender, and even a bit plump.
She held her small bowl in one hand and a wooden spoon in the other. She pouted her greasy lips and said, "Grandma, I'm hungry. Vegetables."
Yu quickly calmed down and picked up her small bowl to serve her some food.
Rui Jie'er contentedly filled a bowl and went to a nearby low table to eat. The Sun Jun brothers were also sitting there. The children's table had no food, so they would come to the adults' table after finishing their meals. The three of them ate more together.
Ye Jia pulled Zhou Jingchen into the house, and Zhou Jingchen realized they had moved rooms. The furnishings here were the same as the one next door, though the orientation might be reversed. The cabinet was placed against the wall, and the clothes inside were still there. Zhou Jingchen could find his clothes on his own without Ye Jia's help. While he was looking for clothes, Ye Jia told him about the kang at home.
Zhou Jingchen wasn't as ignorant as Yu, so he naturally knew what a kang was. But he'd only seen that thing in Youzhou, so how did Jia Niang know about it?
Zhou Jingchen hadn't failed to notice Ye Jia's peculiarities. Normally, a girl from the countryside in the northwest wouldn't know so much. He'd previously been surprised by Ye Jia's ability to recite poetry, but now that the kang had been revealed, he couldn't help but question Ye Jia's identity. In fact, Zhou Jingchen knew the kang was a thing from his previous life.
He personally led his troops to suppress the Jurchens who had repeatedly harassed the northeastern region of Youzhou, the capital of Dayan, and only then did he learn about the existence of kangs. How could Jia Niang, a girl born and raised in the northwest, know about kangs and actually build one?
This abnormality was hard for Zhou Jingchen to ignore. His eyelashes moved slightly, and he looked at Ye Jia with a bit of deep thought.
Ye Jia dared to sit on the kang, unafraid of being discovered. Honestly, there were too many unusual things about her, and a closer look revealed flaws everywhere. She had no idea what a Northwest aboriginal girl looked like, let alone what the original owner looked like. She could only live her life according to her own way. If she really became entangled with Zhou Jingchen in the future, she would have no way to avoid him.
Besides, with Zhou Jingchen's keen sense, he should have noticed her strangeness a long time ago.
Their eyes met, Ye Jia's expression frank and fearless. Zhou Jingchen licked his lips, pondered for a moment, and then his eyes softened. Now was not the right time to talk, and with a glance, he suppressed his doubts. He nodded: "How many days will that kang be usable?"
"Usually it takes three to five days. But in weather like this, it will take at least five days."
Ye Jia wasn't sure what he was about to say when he paused, but judging by his expression, he clearly found it odd. But why he chose not to ask was puzzling to Ye Jia. She watched him take out his clothes one by one. If he didn't need her help, he simply left the room. "There's warm water on the stove. Go get it yourself if you need it."
After she finished speaking, she went out.
Zhou Jingchen's hand holding the clothes paused, his index finger resting on his lips. After a moment's thought, he curled his lips into a slow smile. He placed the clothes on the bed and went out to fetch water and buckets. Going back and forth through the main hall made it a little uncomfortable for everyone to eat.
Old Man Sun, Ye Wumei, and the others had put down their chopsticks since Zhou Jingchen returned. Yu Shi took a couple of bites, but then she put them down as well. When Ye Jia came out, she saw everyone had put down their chopsticks, waiting. She returned to her seat and sat down. "Let's all continue eating. My husband still needs a while to wash up, and it's so cold the food will get cold soon. He'll eat later, and I'll make it for him."
When Ye Jia said this, everyone else's eyes turned to Yu again.
Yu thought, "That's fine. If we wait a while, the food will get cold and won't taste good. Why not have her daughter-in-law make fresh food later?" So she picked up her chopsticks and started eating. "Eat it while it's hot. After we clean up, Jia Niang will make it for Yun An."
After she said this, the others nervously picked up their chopsticks and started eating.
But after eating two mouthfuls, he relaxed. Nothing was more important than having a full stomach. After dinner, Ye Wumei took the dishes and prepared to go to the kitchen, while Old Man Sun went to boil water. Lin Zeyu looked around, not knowing what to do, so he huddled aside and didn't say anything. Zhou Jingchen had finally washed up, changed his clothes, and came out. He glanced at him and pointed at him: "From now on, after dinner, when it comes to washing dishes and clothes, ask him to do it."
Ye Wumei was stunned. She looked at the boy standing in the corner and then at her sister.
"Well, let him do it." Washing dishes for a teenager wasn't considered child abuse, and besides, Fifth Sister was only two years older than him. Her own sister wasn't the one cooking and washing dishes, and the servant she'd paid ten taels of silver for was now full and doing nothing.
Ye Jia turned around and saw Zhou Jingchen with wet hair. She asked casually, "Is it time for dinner, my husband?"
"Not yet." Zhou Jingchen shook his head. "Jia Niang, I haven't eaten all day. Let's make something easy to cook."
Ye Jia: “…”
The fifth sister handed the dishes and chopsticks to Lin Zeyu, and Ye Jia got up and went to the kitchen.
There was still some soup left in the hanging pot, so Ye Jia made him a bowl of noodle soup. She was quick to make it, as Fifth Sister had a lot of dough left over from her cooking. Hand-cutting the noodles was quick, and after boiling the noodles, she fished them out, rinsed them with cold water, and then added them to the boiling broth. Ye Jia mixed the ingredients for him, adding some chili sauce to the side of the soup.
When he brought it over, Zhou Jingchen was already inside. The light swayed slightly in the wind, occasionally making a crackling sound. Seeing Ye Jia come in, Zhou Jingchen put down his pen and looked up. He reached out to take it, then sat down in front of Ye Jia and quietly ate his noodles.
There are really people who can eat noodles without making any sound.
Ye Jia had already washed up, exhausted after a busy day. It was cold in winter, and her hands and feet were freezing, making it difficult for her to sit still. Feeling free to do nothing, she took off her shoes and got into bed. Diandian's nest moved to the foot of the bed, and just as Ye Jia was about to lie down, Zhou Jingchen suddenly swallowed his food and spoke softly, "Jia Niang, you didn't even explain what you did to me yesterday?"
The light words were like a thunderclap on the head. Ye Jia's hand that was pulling the quilt stopped and her eyes widened.
"Don't make excuses saying you're drunk and don't remember anything." Zhou Jingchen tilted his head slightly, his eyelashes casting a thin shadow on the bridge of his nose. He completely disregarded the rule of not talking while eating or sleeping, as if he was afraid Ye Jia would fall asleep again if she closed her eyes.
Ye Jia, who was about to go to sleep, said: "..."
Ye Jia didn't say anything. He asked quietly, "Jia Niang, don't you have anything to say to me?"
"...What?" Ye Jia twitched her lips, her scalp as hard as her mouth. Was she going to tell the man she'd drunkenly harassed directly that she was just greedy for his body and that she was shameless?
The little bit of sleepiness that Ye Jia had felt disappeared in an instant, and she sat up with the help of the quilt.
Their eyes met, and Zhou Jingchen actually took a sip of soup slowly.
"What happened last night."
Ye Jia hesitated, then replied, "Well... I'm sorry?" She hadn't meant to do that. With a young man of such impressive stature, appearance, and temperament constantly hanging around, and sleeping in the same room every night, even with a heart of steel, Ye Jia couldn't help but be moved, right? When she wasn't drinking, she tried to act indifferent, but when she was drinking and letting herself go, she couldn't help herself.
"Is that all?" Zhou Jingchen was shocked and stared at her with wide eyes, as if she could be so shameless.
Ye Jia's cheeks couldn't help but turn red, hot and red.
"What do you want?"
A glint flashed in Zhou Jingchen's eyes, and he frowned, as if thinking.
After a long while, he finally spoke and asked tentatively, "Can I sleep in your bed tonight?"
Ye Jia's eyes suddenly raised and glanced at him.
Zhou Jingchen took another sip of his soup, his posture perfectly composed. The light illuminated half of his face, revealing his lips, red from eating noodles, still stained with moisture. He softened his tone and said, a bit pathetically, "It's cold out. Sleeping on the ground is too cold for my bones to bear."
The situation has changed a bit, and Zhou Jingchen has to change the way he treats Ye Jia.
The moment he pushed open the door to the adjacent room and saw the kang, he realized something. The Jia Niang before him might not be the Ye his mother had married him. Zhou Jingchen wasn't sure what Ye Jia's situation was, or if it was similar to his current situation. But he quickly realized it wasn't. Even if his memory of his former wife was vague, Zhou Jingchen remembered that she didn't have the means to understand so much.
The person in front of me is clearly another person.
Even though he didn't know why she'd fallen into his arms, Zhou Jingchen didn't want to let go. Just now, while washing up, he recalled every detail of their recent journey and realized that the previous "boil the frog in warm water" approach might not be the right approach. Jia Niang seemed more free-spirited and bold than he'd imagined, and she rarely displayed the shyness of modern women. Perhaps she was attracted by his beauty, but she knew when it mattered most.
If he wants Jia Niang to care about him and be reluctant to let him go, there must be enough entanglement and trust between them.
Ye Jia watched him with his drooping eyelashes. The interplay of light and shadow made him look rather forlorn. She couldn't help but reflect on herself, wondering if she was being too much by always asking Zhou Jingchen to sleep on the floor. Actually, if she thought about it carefully, the ground was freezing in winter, and she felt cold even in bed. Even if Zhou Jingchen was strong, he wouldn't be able to handle it, right?
...But it wasn't her request to sleep on the floor in the first place!
"If you want to sleep, come up and sleep. No one's driving you down. You chose to go down on your own." Ye Jia could vaguely sense a change between them. After replaying the scene from last night three or four times in his mind, Ye Jia's thoughts about Zhou Jingchen had become much more vulgar.
She doesn't want to be vulgar, but this guy always seduces her!
Ye Jia's eyes unconsciously fell to his wet lips, and after a few stealthy glances, he caught her red-handed. Ye Jia's cheeks heated up, and she sniffed and looked away. Still unwilling to give in to being stared at, she steeled herself and returned her gaze to him, feigning innocence.
Zhou Jingchen also saw that she was pretending to be calm. He felt amused in his heart but looked very accusatory on the surface.
"Besides that, didn't Jia Niang tell me anything else?" Zhou Jingchen blinked, his white hands setting down the bowl and chopsticks. He had finished his bowl of noodles and the soup, devouring it without a murmur.
After a pause, he asked again, "Or, does Jia Niang have anything to ask me? About me and the Zhou family?"
Ye Jia's heart skipped a beat and he raised his eyes.
"Jia Niang has never opened up to me. Is it because she is afraid of trouble, or because my mother and I have not been honest with you?" Zhou Jingchen realized that if he did not bring up this issue, Ye Jia would continue to play dumb with him, so he just brought it up.
Ye Jia initially wanted to avoid it, as the decision was too important, potentially impacting her life for ten or twenty years. She tried to be cautious and calm, but it was undeniable that she was tempted by Zhou Jingchen from time to time. This was the reason for her struggles and avoidance. She coveted his beauty but couldn't make up her mind to be with him for the rest of her life, so she kept avoiding the important issues.
Zhou Jingchen, who had always let her get away with it, suddenly became strong for some reason, and Ye Jia was caught off guard.
She felt a little irritated, her heart beating rapidly. But facing Zhou Jingchen, she didn't want to be completely cut off from him. It really was like... wanting freedom and wanting to catch someone who made her heart flutter. It really wasn't possible to have it both ways.
Pursing his lips, Ye Jia simply straightened his neck and admitted: "Both."
Ye Jia's mind has always been clear, and it is because of this clarity that he makes rational choices: "Zhou Jingchen, Zhou Yunan, I am indeed attracted to you. Your appearance, temperament, and attitude are all very much to my liking, but you are too troublesome. I can see that you are not an ordinary person, and I can also see that you have ambitions and aspirations. Youlong Qiantan, you will not stay in this small place forever, you will leave one day."
"...After you leave, things in the outside world are uncontrollable. You'll encounter more troubles and temptations. Right now, because we're in the same humble position, seeing each other day and night, we have the illusion of intimacy. Once you leave that environment, everything will change. There are countless beautiful and interesting people in the world outside, and no one can guarantee that they will be the other person's only choice. You can't, and neither can I. The unequal status of men and women means men face more temptations. Can we truly remain consistent? If not, the things we encounter in the future will remain unchanged, leading to misunderstandings. Or, when distance or other circumstances cause cognitive discrepancies, who can guarantee that you and I will still trust each other as much as we do today? Or that we can still be in the same room, chatting under the same lamp at night?"
She admitted it so frankly that Zhou Jingchen was choked by her.
Zhou Jingchen had never imagined that Ye Jia, despite appearing carefree, could actually be so insightful. Admittedly, the outside world was full of temptations, and people's hearts were fickle. Zhou Jingchen had experienced so much in his previous life, so many things that had completely changed him. However, he always believed that everything was in his power.
After a pause, he asked seriously, "How do you know it's impossible if you don't try?"
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