Chapter 83
...It looks good. If it wasn't, she wouldn't have bought it at first sight. Ye Jia looked at him speechlessly for a long time. Zhou Jingchen smiled at her. He raised his hand to rub Ye Jia's head, stood up and was about to leave again.
He'd taken time off to return this day, not just to visit Ye Jia and Yu, but also to attend to matters at the garrison. The previously captured Selik hadn't been properly escorted to Yanjing, and while he was still en route, the Turks had already begun negotiations with the Great Yan court. The results of these negotiations were deeply disappointing. The court had not only promised to return the Turkic king's third son soon, but also promised to hold those responsible for severing Selik's tendons.
Zhou Jingchen had severed the tendons in Sailik's hands and feet. The Grand Protector was naturally aware of this. Although Suletu hadn't explicitly stated anything about Zhou Jingchen's actions, he was deeply impressed.
In reality, Suletu's resentment of the Turks was long-standing. It wasn't just the Turks' repeated incursions into the Beiting Protectorate that caused Suletu so much trouble. Primarily, Suletu had lost his eldest son during his years of defending the border, fighting the Turks several times. His eldest son was born to Suletu's first wife, and he was his beloved son. His death at the hands of the Turks was a vengeance he would never forget.
For Suletu, the incident with the three Turkic princes was a welcome relief. He had escorted the three Turkic princes to Yanjing, intent on avenging his grievances. Instead, the incompetent officials at the imperial court not only failed to seize the opportunity to take a bite out of the Turks, but instead turned around and accused the Zhun Beiting Protectorate of incompetence. This incompetence left Suletu feeling like a thorn in his side, and he lost his temper.
Suletu would not release anyone so easily, and this time he did not immediately release Sailik as the court had instructed. He had taken the men back to Luntai midway, and they were now stranded in Jizhou. The court's visit was specifically due to Suletu's disobedience.
The court was furious at Suletu's audacity and ordered him to release the person and demanded that he severely punish those who hurt Sellek.
It is still unclear who the visitor is. Suletu summoned Zhou Jingchen to Luntai in order to go to Jizhou to bring back Sailike.
Putting aside the meaning of Suletu's actions, Ye Jia became a little worried after hearing this: "Will there be any danger in going to Jizhou? Now that your identity has been exposed, will you get into trouble?"
"It won't be dangerous," Zhou Jingchen poured a cup of tea and pushed it in front of Ye Jia. "No matter how dangerous it is, it can't be more dangerous than guarding the border, right?"
"..." Ye Jia thought so.
There was nothing more dangerous here than another battle in Libei Town. Zhou Jingchen didn't look like he was going to be in trouble, so she felt relieved. Zhou Jingchen didn't stay home for long, drinking only two cups of tea before rushing back to the camp. He seemed quite regretful that his new outfit didn't earn Ye Jia's praise, and before leaving, he came to Ye Jia's side again.
When he saw Ye Jia's eyes following him, he seemed to leave with a sense of satisfaction.
Yu heard the noise and came over to see that the person had left again. She immediately felt a little regretful. She sighed and sat down in front of Ye Jia, feeling quite lonely: "Yun'an is too busy. Why did he leave without having dinner at home?"
After a quick lunch, Ye Jia headed to the fragrant soap workshop. Ever since the workshop was set up and the staff hired, they'd been making the soap. The fragrant soap drying in the warehouse now lasted until August. After the incident with the Wu family's fragrant soap, other shops had been placing more orders, enough to supply these shops and Lihua Lane.
Ye Jia went in to take a look, then turned around and went to the other side to look at the batch of medicinal herbs that Yu had bought.
In fact, when Ye Jiapan first set up this workshop, he hadn't intended to focus solely on making fragrant soap, so he reserved a large space. Now, to prevent mixing of ingredients, it's been divided into two sections. The herbs Yu had previously purchased are still being ground, and the workshop has hired four or five more women who have struggled financially. They're still processing the raw materials, and haven't yet begun making pear blossom paste.
...It will be around May when these ointments are ready, so it seems that the shop should be set up as soon as possible.
Ye Jia had a clear idea in his mind, so he told people to do it well and turned around to go to Xishi shop again.
Old Man Sun was now running back and forth. Besides the daytime rush hours when Ye Jia needed him to take her there, he also had to go to the manor to pick up Zhang Changli in the morning and evening. Seeing that it was getting late, Ye Jia got out of the car and let him go to the manor.
Xishi's shop's business would pick up when the weather got hot, because pig's head was a cold cut and was refreshing and appetizing to eat in hot weather.
Unlike Ye Wumei, Fourth Sister Ye was not as creative as Fifth Sister Ye. She would cook whatever Ye Jia said. After a while, eating pig's head meat every day would become boring. Ye Jia thought about it and asked Fourth Sister to add two more dishes to the shop, one braised beef and the other cold-mixed lamb. Although there were more varieties, the amount of other meats was reduced, which was just right. According to the shop's previous booming business, it should have been closed at this time of day. But today, when Ye Jia entered the shop, there was still a lot of meat hanging behind the bar that had not been sold.
Qiuyue was counting the accounts when she heard the noise and looked up. Seeing that it was Ye Jia, she hurried out to greet him: "The boss is here."
Ye Jia glanced at the hooks above the shop and was stunned to see dozens of kilograms of meat left unsold.
Qiuyue also noticed Ye Jia's gaze and followed his gaze to the meat on the hook. A troubled look suddenly appeared on her face. "Boss, I don't know what's going on these past two days. There are fewer people coming to the shop to buy meat."
"Why?" It wasn't that Ye Jia was overconfident. Ever since Xishi Shop started selling beef and mutton, not only had the Dongxiang town locals been enjoying it, but some passing business travelers would also buy a lot to take away. They wouldn't say they always sold out by 5 p.m., but it wouldn't be later than 5 p.m. Sometimes, those accustomed to Xishi Shop's cooking would arrive late and still not be able to buy. It was a bit strange that they couldn't sell out. "How long has this been going on?"
"It's only been these two days." This was also the reason why Qiuyue didn't report to Ye Jia. It had only been two days, and nothing could be seen.
Ye Jia nodded and went in to look for Ye Simei.
Fourth Sister Ye was changing the diapers for the two little kids. The diapers were made by Yu Shi with a bell. Rui Jie'er had used them when she was little, but she couldn't bear to throw them away, so she saved them for Zhou Jingchen's child. When Ye Jia saw them again, she immediately gave them to Fourth Sister Ye.
"Sister, why are you here at this hour?" Ye Simei is quite good at taking care of children, mainly because these two children are really well-behaved.
"I happened to be visiting the workshop and stopped by for a quick look." Ye Jia picked one up and teased him, only for Xiao Bayi to grab his finger. The child's soft fingers felt quite comfortable to hold, and Ye Jia couldn't help but smile. Sure enough, other people's children are still the cutest.
Ye Jia sat in the shop for a while, and after the hour of You, he asked Qiuyue to close the shop.
As expected, the meat still hadn't been sold out today, leaving about 30 kilograms. Ye Jia realized that even if they took so much home, they probably wouldn't be able to finish it, so he and Ye Simei cut it up and mixed it, then took it home and delivered it to the base.
Bazatu was currently stationed at the garrison. Liu Yuan had been transferred to Luntai since Zhou Jingchen ascended to the rank of captain. Sun Yushan still stayed with Zhou Jingchen, but this time, Zhou Jingchen returned to Dongxiang Town, while Sun Yushan remained at the Libei Town fortress. When Ye Jia arrived with the meat, Zhou Jingchen was in the garrison holding a meeting. It was unclear what they were discussing, but the atmosphere in the tent was tense.
Ye Jia waited outside for a while, and after a while someone came to invite Ye Jia in.
The tent was filled with books. As expected of Zhou Jingchen, his residence wasn't much else, but it was filled with books. He was writing at his desk, completely absorbed, when Ye Jia entered. The light shone on him, and his aura was cold and distant. He had already taken off his clothes, now dressed in military uniform. The mahogany hairpin on his head was still there. He paused with a click when Ye Jia approached.
He raised his eyes and smiled slowly, his smile instantly dispelling the alienation: "Did you bring any food?"
"right."
Zhou Jingchen's eyes slowly lit up, and he looked a little expectant: "What delicious food are they?"
"Meat." Ye Jia wanted to leave when she saw him busy, but she waited outside because she was told to. "I've already given it to Bazatu."
Zhou Jingchen: “…”
Although he didn't get to eat the food that was delivered, he was pretty much done with what he needed to do. He didn't stay at the base for long and went home with Ye Jia. Zhang Changli hadn't seen Zhou Jingchen since their last encounter in the fortress. This time, sitting at the same table again, he naturally invited Zhou Jingchen to drink. Speaking of which, Ye Jia's wine tasted surprisingly good.
A refreshing aroma of wine wafted through the air. Zhang Changli had tasted many fine wines, but this kind of wine was rarely to his liking, so he drank a glass every night with dinner.
Zhou Jingchen usually doesn't drink, but he can hold his liquor quite well. Just as the two of them were talking, there was a knock on the courtyard door.
Ye Jia was stunned and looked at Yu, wondering who was outside the door at this time.
Turning around and seeing Zhou Jingchen at home, he went to open the door. Standing at the door was a strange middle-aged man, who looked to be around 30 years old. Ye Jia didn't recognize him and was feeling strange. Yu Shi, who arrived a step later, was immediately surprised when she saw the man. The man immediately knelt on the ground with a plop, his eyes red in an instant: "Master, you have suffered."
Yu hurried forward and told him to get up quickly. Not caring that Ye Jia was still covered in tears, she hurriedly said, "Jia Niang, close the courtyard door and let's talk inside."
Ye Jia, observing the situation, guessed that this person was most likely a former subordinate or servant of the Zhou family. He nodded and closed the door. The man followed Yu into the house and, seeing Zhou Jingchen sitting so peacefully, was about to kneel down again. Zhou Jingchen stopped him with a raised hand. Ultimately, the meal wasn't particularly satisfying. After the family hurriedly finished, Zhou Jingchen summoned the man to the east wing.
Seeing that things weren't going well, Fourth Sister Ye took the hot water back to her room and didn't come out again. Zhang Changli also left quickly, looking rather evasive, as if he didn't want to get too involved in the Zhou family's affairs. Ye Jia had wanted to go back to her room, but before she could move, Zhou Jingchen called her into the east room.
As soon as they entered, Zhou Jingchen reached out, held her wrist, and pulled her to sit beside him.
The man didn't dare look Ye Jia in the face and politely bowed to her. After Ye Jia sat down, Zhou Jingchen said, "This is my legitimate wife. If you need anything important and can't find me, feel free to discuss it with her."
Zhong Qing's expression changed for a moment when he heard Zhou Jingchen say this, and he subconsciously raised his eyes to look at Ye Jia. But then, realizing Ye Jia's identity, he restrained himself and lowered his eyelids. Ye Jia glanced at him curiously, and then heard Zhou Jingchen say again, "Jia Niang, this is Uncle Zhong, who used to be with my father. He's an old friend of the Jing Palace."
Zhong Qing didn't dare look directly at Ye Jia, but Ye Jia studied him. He was about thirty years old, eight feet tall, with deep features. His aura was as sharp as a knife, as if ready to pierce anyone at any moment. After a quick glance, Ye Jia looked away, not paying any more attention.
The two exchanged pleasantries for a moment, and Zhong Qing began to talk about what he had seen and heard in the past few years since he left Prince Jing's Mansion and the recent situation in Yanjing.
"Your Highness," Zhong Qing, still unable to shake off his old address, spoke agitatedly, "There's widespread resentment throughout the court and the country, all the while clamoring for the court's refusal to grant special privileges and allowing aristocratic families to sell official positions and titles. The students of Yanjing are enraged, and the common people are cursing at him. If the Sixteenth Prince continues his reckless behavior, Great Yan's foundation will be destroyed in his hands."
Zhou Jingchen had long known that this imperial uncle was absurd, having witnessed even more absurd things in his previous life. He didn't react too strongly to this incident. He had a good idea of the situation in Yanjing, but he was more concerned about how Zhong Qing had found his way here. "How did you know I was here?"
Zhong Qing was stunned for a moment, and glanced at Ye Jia with a somewhat obscure look.
Ye Jia seemed oblivious to Zhong Qing's gaze, listening intently. She neither interrupted nor pretended to be deaf. Zhou Jingchen held one of her hands beneath her sleeve. While she appeared calm, she actually let Ye Jia playfully pinch his knuckles beneath her sleeve. Zhou Jingchen naturally noticed the change in his expression and asked, "Why? Can't you say it?"
"Not really." Zhong Qing was just a little surprised. In fact, the prince and the young lady from the Gu family were engaged. They had been childhood sweethearts for over a decade, and the prince had been quite caring towards the young lady. He thought...
Zhou Jingchen didn't say anything. His eyes fell on Zhong Qing's face. Zhong Qing then spoke: "It was Miss Gu who gave us guidance."
"How did she know I was here?" Zhou Jingchen's face suddenly turned cold.
While his whereabouts and the Zhou family's plight were not secretive in Dongxiang Town, this was only true for those in Dongxiang Town and those with close ties to the Zhou family. In reality, with information so limited these days, outsiders without sufficient connections would have no way of discovering Zhou Jingchen's origins and whereabouts. Only Suletu and his closest confidants knew of his status as the Crown Prince of Jing.
"This, this..." Zhong Qing's expression became even stiffer, and he glanced at Ye Jia with a somewhat embarrassed look.
He couldn't say that Miss Gu was dreaming and dreaming about where Zhou Jingchen was, right? No one would believe these supernatural words. When he was found by Gu Mingxi, he didn't believe her words either.
Seeing him hesitating, Zhou Jingchen lost the desire to meet his old friend and looked at Zhong Qing in front of him sharply.
He was usually gentle and docile, seemingly without a temper. But once he got serious, his aura was terrifying, something Ye Jia had already noticed. When Zhou Jingchen turned cold, it was as if his popularity had been extinguished, making him feel suffocated.
Zhong Qing's scalp tingled under his gaze, and after a long while he said, "The prince has to ask Miss Gu personally about this matter."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ye Jia opened his eyes and glanced at Zhong Qing.
Zhong Qing didn't pay attention to the look Ye Jia gave him, and talked to Zhou Jingchen about the major events that happened in Yanjing in recent years.
The imperial court not only failed to grant special examinations, but also suffered a severe drought in Lingnan, with reports of numerous deaths from starvation the year before. Disbursed relief funds were scarce before reaching Lingnan. A local county magistrate in Yongzhou traveled thousands of miles to Yanjing to file a complaint against the Yongzhou governor for corruption. It's said he was hanged in Tianlao (celestial prison) just days after beating the drum for reporting corruption. Dali Temple Minister Ge Chengen, unsuccessful in investigating the case, was dismissed and sent back to his ancestral home. Then, Grand Minister of Agriculture Zhang Changli submitted a memorial to the Imperial Library, listing numerous crimes against the wicked concubine Gu Mingyue. He was subsequently imprisoned for selling official positions and accepting bribes, and ultimately sentenced to exile.
The two talked for a long time before Zhong Qing said goodbye at the right time.
After the person left, Ye Jia loosened her hand that was pinching Zhou Jingchen's fingers, and the man's eyes immediately looked over.
It was already late at night. The lamp wick flickered for a moment before returning to normal. Under the light, Zhou Jingchen's eyes were hidden by the shadows of his eyelashes. His eyelashes drew a thin black line across the bridge of his high nose.
Their eyes met, and Ye Jia frowned. "Did Mr. Zhang sell official positions and accept bribes and be exiled?"
"Yeah." Zhou Jingchen nodded and raised his hand to tuck Ye Jia's hair behind her ears.
... Old man Zhang Changli doesn't look like the kind of person who would sell official positions and accept bribes. Ye Jia felt strange, but then he understood the truth that you can only judge a person by their appearance. Often, just because someone doesn't look like someone who would do such a thing doesn't mean they won't do it.
"Old man Zhang does have something to do with this, but he was also deceived." Zhou Jingchen had long noticed that Ye Jia particularly liked his hands. He raised one hand, and under the light, the slender white knuckles looked like jade carvings. The fingernails were beautifully trimmed, and the fingers were long enough to cover Ye Jia's entire face with one hand.
As soon as he stretched out his hand, Ye Jia's eyes immediately followed: "How did you know?"
"Of course I found out."
Zhou Jingchen took Ye Jia's wrist, which was resting on her knee, and stood up and walked to the table. Ye Jia was stunned as he held her wrist. He picked up the lamp in one hand and took her back to their bedroom.
Ye Jia didn't come to her senses until she sat down and saw him take off his coat. She blinked and came to her senses.
“!!!!!”
Zhou Jingchen untied his belt and turned around to smile: "What's wrong? Didn't we see it a long time ago?"
Ye Jia: “…”
They had met before, but they weren't like the couple who spent every day together. They were so rarely together that when they met, there was always an unspoken shyness. Ye Jia hadn't washed up yet, and after dinner, she went to the east room.
She quickly stood up and said, "Husband, please go sit next door for a while. I need to wash up."
There weren't many rooms in the house, so the space was limited. Washing and brushing could only be done in her own room. Ye Jia had already communicated with Zhou Jingchen at arm's length many times. She'd even been carried to the table during their visit to the Walled City. But after such a long absence, bathing in the same room still felt awkward. She was never one to put herself in a difficult position and shoo people away without a word.
Zhou Jingchen placed the lamp on the dressing table and looked sideways at Ye Jia. Seeing her evasive gaze, his eyes dimmed. After a pause, he spoke: "Wait here for a moment, I'll go get you some water."
After saying that, he put on his coat, opened the door and walked out.
Zhou Jingchen slowly carried a tub over and filled it with water for Ye Jia. Without a word, he closed the door and left. Seeing him like this, Ye Jia let out a sigh of relief, undressed, and washed up.
She washed up quite quickly, and since she didn't need to wash her hair tonight, she just soaked it for a while.
When she emerged from the shower, Zhou Jingchen was sitting at the table in the main room, reading. Hearing the door open, he came over to help Ye Jia get some water. He then boiled another pot of water for washing. Under the lamp, Ye Jia was doing the accounts for the workshop and the shop, working out the budget for next month. Zhou Jingchen passed by her several times, carrying water, and returned a long time later after cleaning the house, smelling of bitter medicine.
Ye Jia looked at him with dead eyes: "...Don't you have something to do tomorrow?"
"Yeah." Zhou Jingchen nodded, "But so what?"
"Are you not afraid that you won't be able to come tomorrow?"
Zhou Jingchen slowly closed the book, curled his lips in a gentle and polite manner, "You can try."
Ye Jia's face flushed: "..."
…
Zhou Jingchen grasped Ye Jia's wrist with one hand, pinning the book against his armpit. With his other hand, he carried the lamp back into the house. Once inside, he placed the lamp on the table with a clatter. He also put the book against his armpit down. Before being pulled onto the kang, Ye Jia glanced at the Avatamsaka Sutra.
Ye Jia: “…” Reading Buddhist scriptures late at night, he is a talented person.
Although he had read Buddhist scriptures for quite some time that night, it was clear that they had not yet calmed his heart. As soon as he got into bed that night, he naturally couldn't stand the feeling of separation.
Zhou Jingchen's methods of flattery were becoming increasingly sophisticated, and the extent to which he tried to coax Ye Jia into accepting him was becoming increasingly extreme. Ye Jia felt that this guy was a lunatic at heart. He was a gentleman in clothes, but a beast without. He could actually make someone addicted to it without even having any such addiction. Ye Jia was afraid that if he kept spoiling her like this, she would become addicted to it, and no one else would be able to do the same.
Zhou Jingchen had no idea what she was thinking; if he knew, he'd probably laugh out loud. He'd diligently waited on her throughout the night, working until four in the morning before finally letting up. This guy hadn't slept all night, leaving in a hurry before dawn.
Ye Jia went to bed too late, and the next day he slept until noon before he opened his eyes with difficulty.
No matter how quiet the noises were in the east room last night, Yu Shi still managed to hear some when she woke up, though she naturally didn't call Ye Jia. When Ye Jia woke up, she had already gone to the workshop. Ye's fourth sister, Qiuyue, had also gone to the food store. Old Man Sun had sent Zhang Changli to the valley, while Lingdang and the children were watering the vegetables in the backyard. When Ye Jia finished washing up and came out, she heard the chatter of the people in the backyard.
After finishing a bowl of porridge, Ye Jia leaned over to take a look. She was startled to see that the row of pebbles she had casually planted had grown. Not only that, but their lush leaves had filled a large vegetable patch and were still extending outward.
From a distance, I could hear Sister Rui's clear voice: "Sister Lingdang, what kind of dish is this?"
The sound of the bell was too vague to be heard clearly, but Sun Jun replied to her in a mature and steady manner: "I don't know, but the boss should recognize it."
Curious, Ye Jia cleared the bowl and leaned over to take a look. Only when she got closer did she realize she recognized it. It looked quite familiar. Those heart-shaped leaves and those slender green stems… couldn't this be a sweet potato?!
Sweet potato! It's actually a sweet potato! Ye Jiaxi couldn't help herself, squatting down and pinching off a piece. She plucked off the leaves, and the skin of the stem underneath could be peeled off. She smelled it, and it was indeed a sweet potato. She hadn't expected her luck to be this good. Sweet potatoes don't require high soil requirements, are easy to grow, and yield a high yield. With this thing, she didn't have to worry about famine.
Her heart pounded wildly in her chest. Ye Jia returned to the house, clutching the leaf. She sat at the table for a long time, unable to calm down. She took a deep breath, telling herself to calm down. Then, looking down, she noticed a book on the table.
Perhaps Zhou Jingchen had left in such a hurry that he hadn't had time to return the Avatamsaka Sutra to the east wing. Ye Jia took a few more deep breaths, picked up the book, and prepared to put it back in the east wing. As she reached the door, she casually flipped through it. After turning a page, Ye Jia's face froze. Her heart, which had been pounding in her chest, fell silent, a deathly stillness.
Under the cover of this shitty "Avatamsaka Sutra" is a large-scale fire avoidance map.
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