Chapter 94
Stockpiling food was no easy task. Northwest China lacked extensive farmland, and the market for grain was limited. Most of the food had to be transported from the interior. In other words, to quickly replenish the fortress's lost food, either the authorities had to transfer it from other granaries or send personnel to the interior to make large purchases.
Ye Jia pondered for a moment, then went to look for Ye Simei. Ye Simei and Qiuyue were still operating their cooked meat business. Despite Li Bei Town standing in the way, the lives of the people of Dongxiang Town remained unaffected. The townspeople continued to live their lives as usual.
After the Liu family's shop was closed, the cooked food market experienced a brief period of decline, but now Xishi's shop's business has gradually recovered. When Ye Jia arrived at the shop, Ye Simei and Qiuyue were busy as hell. After waiting for a while and seeing off a wave of diners, Ye Simei wiped her hands and came over to talk to Ye Jia: "Sister, how come you have time to come here today? Didn't you say the workshop is very busy?"
"I have something to ask you." Because of the incident caused by Fifth Aunt, Ye Simei no longer brought her children to the shop. Ye Jia assigned Xilai to Ye Simei and asked Xilai to help take care of the two children. "Qiuyue, please take care of them for a while."
After saying that, the two sisters went to the backyard: "Yuan Niang, when will Ajiu come back?"
Ah Jiu had been traveling extensively with his men lately, gradually gaining a reputation for himself. Each of his men was skilled and courageous, their martial arts far surpassing those of the average escort. Their loyalty and respect for the rules made them highly respected.
Later, at the suggestion of Zhou Jingchen and Ye Jia, Ajiu simply rented a small shop in the town and set up an escort agency. He chose a simple and straightforward name, combining his own name with his wife's. Yuanjiu Escort Agency not only dared to handle business in the Central Plains, but also dared to take business in the Western Regions that the escort agencies in the interior of the country dared not to take.
Ajiu came back a few days ago and chatted with Zhou Jingchen in the study until midnight, then took his men and left Dongxiang Town overnight.
Ye Jia was asking this question out of caution. Actually, stockpiling food didn't necessarily require Ajiu's personal involvement. But given the current situation, if Libei Town went to war, Dongxiang Town would undoubtedly be affected. If food supplies ran low, their lives could be at risk.
"...I'm not sure about that either. But Ajiu should be back in a few days."
In fact, Ye Simei didn't know what Ajiu was doing outside. It wasn't that Ajiu didn't tell her. It was that Simei was too timid and Ajiu was afraid that she would worry. But even so, Ajiu would still ask someone to tell Ye Simei about Ajiu's return date and whereabouts, "Sister, do you have something important to talk to Ajiu about?"
Ye Jia nodded and frowned as he thought about it.
According to common sense, war requires the right timing, location, and people. "Timing" refers to the right opportunity; in other words, taking advantage of someone's vulnerability is essential. Since the enemy had already successfully launched a surprise attack and set fire to the fortress's granary, they were unlikely to remain silent. Therefore, Libei Town was certain to face a battle in the near future.
Considering the inconvenience of transportation, procuring grain would take time and effort, and it certainly wouldn't be delivered in time. The only way to get grain was to transfer it. And Dongxiang Township didn't have a granary. Kashgar City did have two granaries. The fastest way to transfer grain was naturally from Kashgar.
With Guo Huai in charge of Kashgar, it should not be difficult for Zhou Jingchen to transfer grain.
Ye Jia was planning to buy food not for emergency supply to the fortress, but to prepare for emergencies: "Forget it, I'll go to the escort agency."
We can't rely entirely on Ajiu, we have to think of other ways.
After much deliberation, Ye Jia decided to have Old Man Sun accompany Yuan Chunsheng to Luntai. Luntai was over 500 miles from Dongxiang Town, so even if war raged, it wouldn't affect Luntai. Ye Jia calculated the silver she had on hand—nearly 10,000 taels. She would budget roughly 2,000 taels for grain storage. If grain prices didn't rise, she should have enough to stockpile two granaries.
There's a lot of food, and transporting it during these chaotic times is dangerous. We have to hire someone to escort it.
Thinking of this, Ye Jia first went to Yuanjiu Escort Agency.
I don't know what Ajiu did when he left, but he took almost everyone with him. There weren't many people left here, only about twenty. Ye Jia knew that Ajiu's main purpose in staying in Dongxiang Town was to protect Ye Simei and her two children, which meant that these twenty people couldn't be sent out. She asked roughly, and sure enough, the people left behind to guard the place had recovered, and at most ten people could help transport the food.
Since Yuanjiu Escort Agency couldn't escape, Ye Jia decided to go to Cheng's house. Cheng's was the largest escort agency here, and Ye Jia had some questions to ask.
Ox carts move slowly, but mule carts can arrive in half a day.
Ye Jia did not delay and took two maids and Si Nan Zhan Lin to Cheng's house early the next morning.
Cheng family steward Zhang had been waiting for a long time. Upon hearing that Ye Jia had arrived in person, he hurried out to greet him. It wasn't just steward Zhang who was meeting Ye Jia this time; the Cheng family's elder and Cheng Yi were also present. The Cheng family was based in Libei Town, and as a traveling merchant, they were naturally well-informed. They received the news as soon as something happened in the fortress. While they didn't know the full story, they had a general idea.
Thinking that Ye Jia came to ask for food and supplies, the old man of the Cheng family was waiting for Ye Jia early.
Before Ye Jia could speak, he spoke in a resounding voice, "Madam, my Cheng family is willing to contribute 3,000 dan of grain to support the fortress. The captain has done so much for the peace of Libei Town, and the people are grateful. My Cheng family is just a merchant family, and we don't dare to claim to be a family of righteousness, but we do have ancestral teachings. In times of great disaster, every man has a responsibility, and my Cheng family cannot refuse."
Honestly, Ye Jia was somewhat touched. Her original plan was to hire the Cheng family's escorts to escort the goods, while she herself spent money to stockpile food for emergencies. However, she had underestimated the awareness of some righteous people. Old Master Cheng must have been waiting for this.
Ye Jia certainly wouldn't turn away the food that was delivered to her door. Besides, the food wasn't donated to her, but to the city wall.
Ye Jia immediately stood up and bowed to the old man: "Thank you, Mr. Cheng, for your generous donation."
Old Master Cheng waved his hand, not seeming to take credit for it. His beard twitched, "You're too kind, Madam."
Besides offering to provide food and fodder to the fortress, Old Master Cheng also had a soap business deal with the Zhou family. Coincidentally, Ye Jia had come for these two matters.
Speaking of which, ever since Zhou Jingchen took the position of Captain of Kashgar, the Zhou family's business has been handled by more than just Manager Zhang. With this change in status, the Cheng family's attitude naturally shifted. This is the social etiquette of the business world. Now, regardless of the quality of the Zhou family's goods, the Cheng family will not easily refuse them. They will invest heavily in this business.
"Madam, this is the case. This happened suddenly. The border of Libei Town has been in turmoil for some time, and there is a high possibility of war."
In reality, the Cheng family had indeed gone to the Zhou family as Zhou Jingchen had said, but they had come up empty-handed. They had only just learned that the Zhou family had moved, and before they had time to go to the Shen residence to look for them, they hadn't taken it seriously. Old Master Cheng personally explained to Ye Jia, "The Cheng family's trip to the Western Regions will be put on hold for now. We'll see if it's appropriate to go again once the situation becomes clearer. The trip, originally scheduled for mid-July, has been postponed to September."
"So that's what's going on..." Ye Jia understood.
Doing business is, to some extent, a matter of luck. Going to the Western Regions is no easy task; as the saying goes, high risk means high reward. The reverse is also true; otherwise, going to the Western Regions wouldn't bring such rich rewards. Ye Jia understood: "If that's the case, I'm relieved."
Ye Jia was initially concerned about a change in the cooperation, as the Cheng family had been slow to arrive, fearing they would unilaterally break the contract like several previous merchants had done. Since the situation was forced upon them, the business naturally had to adapt, and special circumstances should be handled appropriately. The two parties therefore re-arranged the timing of their next trip to the Western Regions, roughly agreeing on a time and determining the method of delivery.
As he spoke, Ye Jia brought up the matter of hiring the Cheng Family Escort Agency to escort the convoy. "I wonder how many highly skilled escorts your agency can spare?"
"We can spare about thirty people." Old Master Cheng knew that Ajiu had founded an escort agency in Dongxiang Town, but he didn't take it too seriously. Truth be told, there were countless escort agencies in Dayan, and even more in the northwest. The Cheng family was the sole dominant force, and they weren't afraid of outsiders trying to take a piece of the action. Furthermore, Ajiu was Zhou Jingchen's brother-in-law, so they had to be polite when he wasn't working under their watch.
Ye Jia thought to himself that this was enough. Thirty experienced escorts were more than enough.
The Cheng family accepted the order, and Old Master Cheng promised to deliver the food aid to the fortress within three days. Ye Jia politely thanked Old Master Cheng and was about to leave when Old Master Cheng stopped her, a look of hesitation on his face. Ye Jia, knowing what was going on, immediately asked, "Old Master, if you have anything to say, please speak up."
Old Master Cheng hesitated for a long time, but still looked at his eldest son who had been sitting beside him without saying a word.
In the end, the old man couldn't persuade his son to join the army, so he finally agreed. However, the old man had a request, "...If I can stay with the captain and serve him, I will feel more at ease."
Ye Jia's heart skipped a beat, but he didn't say anything.
Ye Jia had always remembered Zhou Jingchen's peculiar attitude towards Cheng Yi. Zhou Jingchen was a man who kept his emotions to himself, rarely experiencing such dramatic mood swings. Ye Jia always felt there was something fishy about anything that made him worry. She wouldn't make decisions rashly, so at this point, she could only politely decline, "As a woman, I rarely get involved in important military matters. If Mr. Cheng is concerned, why not ask my husband in person?"
Old Master Cheng had naturally approached Zhou Jingchen, but he hadn't relented. If it weren't for his eldest son's outburst, Old Master Cheng would have wished he couldn't join the army. "Alas, I'm in a difficult position. Madam, don't worry about it."
Ye Jia glanced at Cheng Yi, and Cheng Yi raised his eyes just in time.
Their eyes met, and Cheng Yi's eyes gleamed, perhaps because of his temperament or because he was too young. He had no idea how to hide his incompetence, which made people feel uncomfortable.
Ye Jia didn't agree, and the Cheng family didn't force him. Old Master Cheng felt both relieved and a little frustrated, but he politely escorted Ye Jia out and told him to take back thirty highly skilled escorts that day.
Even if the Cheng family offered to provide food, Ye Jia wouldn't abandon his plan to stockpile grain. He led his escorts back to the Shen residence in a flurry of activity. It was dusk when they arrived. The sky was thick with crimson clouds, casting a crimson hue across the sky. A lone goose clucked across the sky, but the lingering summer heat was still strong. As soon as Ye Jia entered the house, he was met by Yingtao, who had been waiting at the door.
"Master, you're finally back." Yingtao was sent by Yu to watch over the place, and she was told to report back as soon as she saw Ye Jia. "What's this?"
"Let's talk inside." Ye Jia hurried back to the house, his clothes already soaked with sweat.
It was really hot at the end of July, and Ye Jia had always dressed very warmly when she went out. She was feeling a bit uncomfortable when she returned home, and Yu Shi had also received the news and hurried over to bring her some cooling tea. Yu Shi also knew what Ye Jia was doing at the Cheng family's house, so she didn't rush and let Ye Jia drink some tea first to cool down. "It's really tiring running around in this hot weather. It would be great if there was someone helpful by your side so you don't have to run around yourself."
Ye Jia smiled and drank two cups of cold tea before she felt a little better.
"Mother, this is what happened." Ye Jia then briefly told Yu about hiring someone to store grain. Yu was unaware of the grain burning in the Libei Town granary, and her face immediately changed.
"With such a big deal, shouldn't Luntai urgently send in grain?" Although Yu Shi didn't know much about court affairs, her upbringing gave her a strong sense of the bigger picture. Upon hearing this, she immediately frowned. "It's not practical for us to stockpile grain. What general would need to empty his own family's coffers to feed his soldiers? Even if the higher-ups were confused, they wouldn't be so foolish!"
But everyone understands the principle, but people don’t actually do things that way.
Regardless of how Luntai handles the situation, they have to make secondary preparations: "Storing food isn't just for my husband, we also have so many people to support. Once a war breaks out, the situation will be unpredictable. Having enough food and fodder will give us peace of mind."
"That's true," Yu sighed, "If the Cheng family doesn't go to the Western Regions, all the fragrant soap we've stockpiled will just sit there."
"I can't let it go." The Western Region can't be sold, but the East can. "Wait, I'll find a way to move the business eastward."
While the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were talking, Ye Simei came over and said that dinner was ready.
Ye Jia had been out and about all day, starving. She and Yu had lunch before heading off to wash up, exhausted. She'd slept through the night when the warmth of a body warming against her body woke her. She groggily opened her eyes. Zhou Jingchen had returned, and he'd nearly given her a heat stroke by holding her close. He reeked of sweat, and his face was a pale white.
Ye Jia pushed his head away, pushing him away for a long time. Zhou Jingchen didn't know if he hadn't slept in the past two days, the dark blue under his eyes looked like he was terminally ill. "Why are you coming back at this hour?"
Zhou Jingchen leaned lazily against the bedpost, tilted his head to look at Ye Jia, and smiled with tired eyes.
"Laugh, laugh, laugh. Just laugh."
Seeing his lips pale, Ye Jia recalled how he'd rushed to the fortress before his wounds had healed. Perhaps he hadn't properly recovered there, and his injuries had probably worsened. She hurried over to unbuckle his belt, only to see scabs forming and yellow fluid oozing from the wounds. She felt a pang of heartache and anger at his lack of self-care, but then she realized there were some things she couldn't stop him from doing.
Letting out a muffled breath, Ye Jia could only go and get the medicine and bandages without saying a word.
"Jia Niang, I haven't washed for several days." Zhou Jingchen was unable to get up, so he leaned against the bedpost and stretched out his hand to Ye Jia.
He did smell quite strong. He was dealing with urgent matters in the military camp on such a hot day, so he probably had no time to wash up properly. Ye Jia placed the wound medicine on the table in front of him and turned to call out.
Xiaoli quickly brought in some hot water and changed the water in the inner room's bathtub. Ye Jiacai came over and helped Zhou Jingchen to his feet.
The man was not polite and put half of his weight on Ye Jia.
Ye Jia placed a small wooden stool in the tub, quickly stripped him naked, and let him sit down. Normally, when they were joking, Zhou Jingchen would deliberately do those little tricks to embarrass Ye Jia. But now, he seemed to have no shame at all. Zhou Jingchen leaned against the tub wall, raised his hand and gently pulled the wooden hairpin, and his black hair fell like a waterfall.
It fell into the water and instantly became wet and heavy.
Ye Jia used a little water to wet his hair. Drops of water slid down his nose and brow, landing on his eyelashes for a long time. Zhou Jingchen blinked slowly, curling his lips to smile again: "Jia Niang, are you always pretending to be shy for me?"
"Hmm?" That's the trouble with thick hair. It's difficult to even moisturize it.
"I don't even blush when you look at me like this now," Zhou Jingchen slowly closed his eyes, his eyelashes casting a dark blue shadow under his eyelids, "Or have I lost my ability to seduce?"
Ye Jia really didn't want to argue with him, but this person always provoked her: "...If I still want to do that when you are already like this, am I still a human being?"
Zhou Jingchen chuckled softly, his chest shaking against the wall of the tub. Ye Jia then noticed that besides the wound beneath his right ribs, his back was also covered in bruises. Unaware of what he'd been through out there, Ye Jia felt a sharp, sharp prick of pain as if a needle had pierced her heart. She pouted, saying nothing, and carefully tucked Zhou Jingchen's hair behind his ears, slowly combing and washing it.
It took Ye Jia a long time to wash his black hair clean. The man was already fast asleep leaning against the tub.
The two lamps on the windowsill crackled with a crackling sound, their light swaying in the night breeze. Ye Jia gently stroked his brow with her fingers. His face, which seemed a little cold during the day, seemed remarkably gentle under the soft light of the lamp. Ye Jia extended her index finger and touched his brow before turning to fetch her own bath towel and washing him.
After taking just two steps, she heard a rustling sound in the fabric. Ye Jia quickly turned around to see that he was holding the hem of her skirt. She grabbed his hand and was about to pull her clothes out when the eyelashes of the sleeping person slowly fluttered twice and opened his eyes.
"……where are you going?"
Ye Jia: "..." Are you looking at me like a thief?
"I'll go get some bathing supplies, please wait a moment." Ye Jia rarely showed any mercy, and she had shown her mercy several times that night.
Zhou Jingchen's eyelashes trembled in a struggle, as if he tried to open them but was too exhausted to do so. He wouldn't let go of the hem of the garment, and leaning against the tub, his eyes closed again. Ye Jia felt helpless, wanting to emulate Emperor Ai of Han, who cut off his robe and sleeves. He reached out, grasped the fabric on either side, and tugged hard, but it didn't shred. He tugged again, but still nothing.
…Forget it. Ye Jia simply untied his belt and took off his undershirt to him.
Taking a cloth and some soap for bathing, Ye Jia used all her might to scrub the grown man clean. It must be said that no matter how good-looking a person is, they can't avoid the fatigue of being too tall and bulky. Ye Jia felt so exhausted that he almost vomited blood.
"Hey, husband, get up." It's definitely impossible to lift him up, and it's definitely impossible to carry him up. But even so, Ye Jia would never let outsiders come in to carry Zhou Jingchen, he was not wearing any clothes! Ye Jia could only shout at him, holding his face and patting it continuously, "Your wound can't be soaked in water, get up quickly! Go to bed and sleep. Hey, Zhou Yunan, do you hear me!"
He slapped her several times, not hard, but the change in quantity led to a qualitative change. The man's cheeks turned red before he finally managed to open his eyes a crack. He grasped Ye Jia's wrist, which was pinching his chin, with one hand, and suddenly exerted force to pull Ye Jia into the tub.
Ye Jia had stripped off his undershirt, leaving only the loose fabric on. Water splashed out, wetting a large area on the ground. Ye Jia had fallen into the water so unexpectedly that her small clothes had nearly shifted, exposing a part of her body. Speechlessly, Ye Jia wiped the bathwater from her face, then reached out and pinched his ear, twisting it hard.
Zhou Jingchen finally opened his eyes, and when he lowered his head, he saw the beautiful scenery that was exposed at the edge. He lowered his head and bit Ye Jia's collarbone.
"Zhou Yunan!"
She felt sorry for him because her head was stuck in the door. This guy was bound to make trouble once he got excited. "Why don't you get up!"
Zhou Jingchen had just noticed the two of them were soaking in the water. His hair was still soaking wet, and Ye Jia had wrapped it in a large cotton towel. His body was also clean, and exuded a faint sweet-scented osmanthus fragrance. He blinked and put away his unruly hands. "Did Jia Niang wash me?"
"...What else?" It's not that she disliked him, but after she soaked in the bath water, she had to take a bath again.
Zhou Jingchen's eyes sparkled as he put his arm around Ye Jia's waist, lifted her up, and stepped out of the tub. Without even wiping the water off his body, he carried her straight to the bed. Ye Jia knew what he was up to the moment he saw him, and quickly stopped him, "Zhou Yun'an, stop it! Don't you see what you've done? Do you want to die on me? Can you think of something else when you see me?"
"What are you thinking about?" Zhou Jingchen was amused by her exasperated look. He suppressed the smile in his eyes and asked her, "Isn't it normal for me to have thoughts about my wife? If I don't have thoughts about you one day, Jia Niang, you'll probably chop me with a knife."
Ye Jia choked and retorted to him unhappily: "...No, at most I will replace you."
Zhou Jingchen: “…”
Seeing this guy really want to fight to the death to stop Ye Jia from hugging Pipa, Ye Jia had no choice but to admit defeat: "Alright, alright, I'm just kidding. I won't change, absolutely not. Don't try to prove yourself by doing it yourself. Put me down quickly and reapply the medicine to you."
There’s no need. There’s no need to be so picky about this.
Finally, she calmed him down and reapplied the medicine to him. He leaned on her shoulder and fell asleep again.
Probably because he was really tired, Ye Jia didn't bother him. She helped him down to lie down, and asked Xiaoli to bring in another basin of hot water. She wiped herself clean again, changed into new clothes, and then climbed back into bed to sleep.
I didn't sleep well that night and was woken up several times by the heat.
Ye Jia initially thought it was just a man's temper, and Zhou Jingchen's embrace was the reason for this. It wasn't until daybreak that Ye Jia realized something was wrong: Zhou Jingchen had a low-grade fever. He turned on the light, his cheeks flushed red. Ye Jia quickly changed her clothes and sent for a doctor. The old doctor was summoned early in the morning and took Zhou Jingchen's pulse. After taking his pulse, he scolded Ye Jia.
"He suffered a serious injury before, and his body hasn't fully recovered. Now he has a cold. Is he taking too many medicines?" The old doctor was very accurate in taking the pulse and could tell the problem with just one touch. "You young people don't know anything, but you mess around. If you make someone sick, you'll regret it for the rest of your life!"
Yu was also there at the moment, her face pale with fear after hearing what the doctor said. She didn't know what medicine Zhou Jingchen had taken, and she looked at Ye Jia eagerly.
Ye Jia thought about the medicines he usually took, and his face was a little embarrassed.
"Jia Niang, what medicine does Yun An usually take?" Yu Shi became anxious when she saw Ye Jia not speaking.
Ye Jia didn't know what to say.
"I..." Just as he was about to speak, the drowsy person on the bed opened his eyes.
"They are some tranquilizing medicines. Jia Niang doesn't know about them." His voice was as hoarse as a broken bellows, and it sounded so dry that it made you bleed.
"Nonsense! What kind of tranquilizing medicine is this? I think it's..."
"Doctor Jiang." Zhou Jingchen raised his eyelids, his voice steady and unhurried, yet with a certain pressure. The old doctor glanced at Yu, whose eyes were red with anxiety, sighed, and swallowed the words on his lips.
Ye Jia quickly turned around and poured a glass of water, holding him and feeding him. After drinking twice as much, he finally felt much better. "Mom, my son has been fighting outside and is always tired. I can't sleep well at night. I have to take some medicine to get a good night's sleep. It's not something that harms the body, but it conflicts with the nourishing medicine I've been taking recently, so that's a bit of a hindrance."
What he said made sense and was well-founded. Yu glanced at the old doctor, who snorted and turned to write a prescription.
Yu was half-believing and half-doubting, so she had to give up.
The injury wasn't serious, just a combination of repeated injuries and overwork. The old doctor prescribed some tonic medicine for Zhou Jingchen, and while Yu was in the kitchen boiling some medicine, he warned the young couple, "Girls, no matter how strong your husband is, he can't handle this kind of abuse. While taking those medicines once or twice won't hurt, they're actually quite toxic. Taking too much will definitely have an impact. Unless you two truly don't want children, don't take advantage of your youth and do anything reckless."
Ye Jia's heart thumped and he looked towards Zhou Jingchen.
Zhou Jingchen was still the same, smiling gently and elegantly: "Nothing, just eating it once in a while."
Ye Jia let out a breath, "Never mind, the doctor is right. I won't let him take that medicine anymore."
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