Chapter 77
The old man was stunned for a moment when he saw that the person who brought him here was Zhou Jingchen. He sat on the ground with his legs apart and groaned heavily. Then he stretched out his hand to the soldier beside him, raised his chin and gestured with his eyes. The soldier was the boy who had just blown him with air. He was stunned for a long time before he reached out to help the old man up. The old man stood up and patted his clothes, saying in a muffled voice: "You kid are not dead yet?"
These words were so unpleasant to hear that Zhou Jingchen and his wife hadn't reacted yet, and the people around them all looked frightened.
Zhou Jingchen chuckled and nodded, "Lucky to be alive."
"Hmm." The old man looked Zhou Jingchen up and down before moving his gaze away from him and onto Ye Jia standing nearby. Although he had just pouty, he was still conscious. He just couldn't make a sound or move, but he heard everything Ye Jia said. His eyes swept up and down, and his already graying eyebrows raised, "Why is there a little girl in this military camp?"
Ye Jia didn't say anything. Zhou Jingchen reached out and pulled Ye Jia to his side: "Teacher, this is my wife."
"Are you married?" Zhang Changli hadn't just been taking Zhou Jingchen for a few months; he'd also taught him when he was young. Zhou Jingchen calling him "teacher" was perfectly natural for him. "You and Gu, ahem... it's nothing. The past and the future are all gone. Now that you're here, it's unlikely you'll ever return to Yanjing, so it's good to sever ties with those people there."
After saying this, regardless of Zhou Jingchen's seeming desire to speak, he continued, "Little girl, you have a very good temper."
Ye Jia: "...Why do you think so?"
"I saw it." The old man was quite capable. After talking to himself for a while, he asked Zhou Jingchen directly why he was brought here. "I am just an old man who works in the mud and fields. I can't help you with anything else."
"Nothing. I came to see the teacher just to talk about that little thing in the mud field."
Zhou Jingchen raised his hand in a gesture of request. The old man looked at him for a long moment, then followed him, head held high and chest puffed out. Behind him, a soldier led a dozen or so people, some middle-aged men, the others young men in their twenties or early twenties. They all looked somewhat numb, having been sent to wait in a certain area by the soldier without much reaction. Zhou Jingchen then led Zhang Changli back to his tent.
After walking a few steps and seeing that Ye Jia hadn't caught up, Zhou Jingchen turned around and called out, "Jia Niang."
Ye Jia withdrew his gaze and quickly followed.
Arriving at the camp, Zhang Changli's face was filled with surprise as he surveyed the tents. Back then, Prince Jing's lineage had been in trouble, and the entire family had been exiled on charges of treason. Zhang Changli had offered his advice, but his voice was insignificant, and his words were silenced without even a ripple. Over five hundred lives had been lost in Prince Jing's mansion, and the bloodbath at Caishikou ran red that day. Zhang Changli had assumed the lineage of Prince Jing was extinct. He hadn't expected Zhou Jingchen to survive such a difficult situation, rising to the rank of captain in this part of the northwest.
At this time, everyone sat down in the tent. Zhou Jingchen ordered someone to serve tea, and Zhang Changli just drank the tea quietly without saying a word.
Ye Jia entered the tent and sat down next to Zhou Jingchen. He waited for the old man to finish his two cups of tea. The old man slowly stroked his beard and looked at the two of them: "Tell me, what did all this bring me here for? What do you want me to do?"
"Teacher, rest assured. I'm not asking you to do anything immoral or against the law of nature." Zhou Jingchen could immediately see the old man's wariness. Although the old man cursed the emperor of Great Yan, he still supported the Yanjing side. Knowing all too well what had happened to the Jingwang family, he was simply worried that Zhou Jingchen, young and impulsive, would commit an unjust act of rebellion.
Zhou Jingchen smiled and said, "We have a hundred acres of farmland at home, but with so few people left, it's been left unattended. My wife wants to grow some food for the family, but she doesn't know how to grow crops. We've been looking for help from local slaves, but the locals are mainly herders, and few know how to grow crops."
As he spoke, he mentioned asking Zhang Changli to help his family grow crops.
Zhang Changli was worried for a long time, but it turned out that Zhou Jingchen was going to take him, a high-ranking minister of agriculture, home to farm for his wife!
Arrogant! Ignorant! Ignorant!
The old man was so angry that his face turned purple in an instant and he was shaking with anger. He poked Zhou Jingchen's nose with one hand and said, "You, you are using a sledgehammer to cut chickens and use pearls to shoot sparrows. Who do you think I am?"
"That's better than leaving me to open up wasteland in the West Field, isn't it?" Zhou Jingchen smiled gently, like a young man who cared deeply for his elders. "Teacher, with your old arms and legs, can you still swing a hoe? You're exposed to the wind and sun all day long, can your body still withstand it? Instead of such hard work, why not help me with a little work? Jia Niang has a lot of new and exotic crops, but she still doesn't know how to plant them. Perhaps with your knowledge and experience, you can make those seeds that don't know how to plant survive?"
The first sentence was enough to infuriate him, but the second sentence made Zhang Changli's face change.
He rubbed his face and squinted at Zhou Jingchen, looking unconvinced. But seeing Zhou Jingchen's assurance, he became skeptical: "In this shabby place in the northwest, the wind turns the ground into grass. What new and exotic crops can there be?"
"Teacher, have you ever heard of chili peppers?" Ye Jia added, "It's a foreign vegetable."
When Ye Jia heard the tone Zhou Jingchen used when speaking to the old man, he roughly guessed the man's personality and naturally spoke in line with them.
Zhang Changli had never heard of these things. After listening to Ye Jia's description of the chili peppers, he thought about it and laughed a little. "There are many spicy plants, and Cornus officinalis is one of them. The one you're talking about is probably a modified form of Cornus officinalis, right?"
"Of course not." Ye Jia said another thing, and Zhang Changli listened with half belief and half doubt.
Ye Jia sighed. "It's a pity I'm not at home right now. If I were, I could show the seeds to the teacher. Besides pepper seeds, I also have winter squash seeds, melon seeds, cucumber seeds, and two other kinds I don't quite recognize. I got them last year, but I haven't dared to plant them yet. Because I don't know much about agronomy, a lot of the seeds I got are left unused..."
Old man Zhang Changli had no other hobbies; his entire life was devoted to agronomy. Dayan's grain production was declining, farm tools were failing, and the people were starving. These were the things he devoted his energy to daily. He couldn't help but be envious of the new seeds. Ever since he'd offended the alluring concubine in Yanjing and been unceremoniously dismissed by the new emperor and thrown here, the old man had grown disheartened. Half buried in the earth, he'd thought this was the end of his days, but now he felt a surge of desire.
"I've lived for most of my life, and I'm still being fooled by a bunch of little brats like you guys?"
The old man looked unconvinced. But Zhou Jingchen arranged for him to go to Dongxiang Town, so he didn't refuse.
It was very convenient to arrange these things. Except for Zhang Changli and Zhou Jingchen, who had to meet alone and talk to each other as a sign of respect, the others were at his mercy as he chose them. They had nowhere else to go.
Zhou Jingchen's promise of quick arrangements was truly swift. Twenty people had already been sent over within the day alone. The remaining personnel weren't in a rush; he would transfer them over once the locals had agreed on the required manpower for the planting plan. Since these exiles entered his territory, their lives were in Zhou Jingchen's hands. Even if the higher-ups knew about it, they wouldn't intervene.
As soon as the person was sent over, Ye Jia wanted to go back, but Zhou Jingchen said something pitifully, and Ye Jia couldn't leave.
He was forced to stay in the camp with him for three days, but he never fulfilled his promise to take Ye Jia for a horseback ride. Every day, Ye Jia opened his eyes at noon. After three days of eating a lot of fish and meat, Ye Jia felt like he was dizzy even when walking.
It is said that the land of gentleness is the tomb of heroes, and vice versa.
"Beauty can lead people astray, beauty can lead people astray. I must not be led by the nose again." Three days was not a long time. Ye Jia kept reminding herself on the third night that she must not be fooled by Zhou Jingchen's pitiful appearance. She had to go to bed early tonight and leave early tomorrow morning. "Zhou Jingchen, if you dare to do something like that again, I will smash the bowl you used to drink the medicine from!"
Zhou Jingchen ate it for three days in a row, and his lips and teeth were rosy and white, like a fairy who had absorbed a lot of energy. "We are newlyweds, Jia Niang, please be understanding."
She wanted to be understanding, but she couldn't do that: "If you don't want food in the future, you can just act willfully and pretentiously!"
Don't think Ye Jia doesn't know that if you want a strong army, you can't make sure the soldiers below are well fed. Relying on funds from above can only provide enough food and clothing. These soldiers raised by Zhou Jingchen must contribute to it.
Ye Jia's words made Zhou Jingchen couldn't help laughing.
He was not ashamed, but proud: "I am just eating Jianiang's soft rice now, thanks to Jianiang's kindness in raising me."
Ye Jia was speechless: "...it's good that you know."
Now that the words were so clear, Zhou Jingchen's expression became serious. He wanted to keep her, but the current situation was not suitable for sentimental relationships. Jianiang understood his feelings and indulged him. To be honest, Zhou Jingchen was shocked and touched. What had he done to deserve this?
It really proved what his mother said, that he was lucky to have picked one up, he was really lucky: "Don't worry, I won't touch you tonight."
That night, Zhou Jingchen slept with Ye Jia in his arms.
His bed was too small, and they had been having trouble moving it during the previous nights of marriage. Jia Niang was also very sensitive about her reputation, so the two of them didn't dare to make any noise, which was a bit regrettable. Ye Jia was dazed when she heard him mutter in her ear, "When the time comes, we'll move to a bigger courtyard. I'll have to make a bed that can accommodate ten people without being crowded."
Ye Jia was so sleepy that she thought it was all a dream. She smacked her lips a few times and replied, "You wish."
Zhou Jingchen was stunned when he heard this. He lowered his head and buried it in Ye Jia's neck, smiling so hard that tears welled up in his eyes.
The two of them stayed up all night until dawn, and the next morning, Ye Jia got on a mule cart to go home.
Old Man Sun had been living with his son these past few days, and he was in high spirits. Knowing his son was doing well, he was even more energetic than before. He waited until Ye Jia was seated, then cracked the whip and turned the cart around with a squeak. Ye Jia sat upright in the mule cart, a small box tucked into her arms. She had stumbled upon it last time in a jewelry store, and it was surprisingly pleasing to her.
Zhou Jingchen stood not far away and watched the mule cart leave. His figure was stretched out in the morning light, and his eyebrows were cold and beautiful.
The car had only traveled about ten feet when it suddenly stopped. The carriage didn't open, but the curtains were lifted. Ye Jia stretched his head out of the carriage and called out from a distance, "Zhou Yun'an!"
Zhou Jingchen was stunned, his eyes gradually brightened, and he walked over quickly.
The man then stood still under the carriage, looking up at Ye Jia. Ye Jia leaned over the window, pulled out a long, black wooden box from his arms, and handed it to him. His hair fell down on both sides as he lowered his head. Ye Jia grinned, "This is for you. Take it."
Zhou Jingchen was stunned. Ye Jia had already returned to the car. He said softly, "Uncle Sun, let's go."
Old man Sun whipped the horse whip and the carriage began to squeak.
Zhou Jingchen stared blankly at the wooden box. He opened it and saw a redwood hairpin inside. He blinked, and the corners of his mouth curled up unconsciously. This little girl, Jia Niang...
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