Chapter 99
The group stayed in the inn for only one day and set off at dawn the next day.
Ye Jia placed the old woman in one of the two carriages at the back, where she was cared for by two guards. The old woman, sensing that Ye Jia and the others had no ill will towards her, remained unusually quiet. As long as the urn in her arms wasn't touched, she made virtually no sound.
The carriage sped along the official road and the journey was very smooth.
The trip to Khotan wasn't far off, and they arrived just as dusk fell. Khotan was far more prosperous than Dongxiang Town, and even at this hour, many shops were still open. Perhaps it was a special holiday, as red lanterns were hung everywhere. Young men and women in new clothes played and played through the streets. Zhou Jingchen lifted the curtain to see the carriage stop in front of an inn in the south of the city.
After booking four rooms and settling in briefly, the guards went to the city to call a doctor.
There were many clinics in Khotan, so it wasn't difficult to find a doctor. He arrived soon. The old doctor, carrying a medicine box on his back, walked quickly into the room and went straight to the bedside to take the old woman's pulse.
After a long moment, he put his hand away and shook his head, saying, "This woman is suffering from both Qi and blood deficiency, weak bones, and severe injuries. Her liver Qi is stagnant, and her hysteria is difficult to cure. At this age, she probably doesn't have many years left."
He was about to say more, but turned to look at Ye Jia and Zhou Jingchen. Just standing there, their looks were enough to make one think they were striking; they didn't look like the old woman's children at all. He swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
Ye Jia saw what the old doctor was thinking and smiled faintly, "Doctor, just prescribe the medicine."
The old doctor nodded and simply prescribed some soothing and nourishing medicine. Realizing the woman wasn't her child, he didn't prescribe anything too expensive. Since Ye Jia had already hired a doctor for the old woman, he didn't bother with the small expense. He gave the prescription to the guard, instructing him to escort the doctor out and get the medicine, then have the inn's kitchen prepare it and bring it back.
Ye Jia patted the hem of her clothes and was about to go back to her room. She turned around and saw Zhou Jingchen still standing in the old woman's room, looking at something. She was suddenly a little surprised: "Husband, what are you doing here? Aren't you busy today?"
Zhou Jingchen's gaze shifted from the pendant around the old woman's neck, his cold gaze softening as it landed on Ye Jia's face. He curved his eyes and said softly, "Well. Today is the Shangsi Festival. Didn't Jia Niang bring any clothes? Let's go. Khotan City is going to be very lively tonight. Pack up and go to the market. We'll have dinner there too."
She changed her clothes frequently, changing her small clothes daily and her outer garments every four or five days when the weather got colder. These small habits couldn't be changed even in ancient times. Zhou Jingchen knew Ye Jia's habits very well and could see that she was uncomfortable without a change of clothes these past two days.
"Are the clothing stores on the street open at night?" Ye Jia's eyes lit up, and she immediately became excited.
"nature."
Ye Jia walked over quickly and glanced at the old woman on the bed. Weird, what was Zhou Jingchen looking at? He scanned the old woman up and down, and when he saw the thing hanging around her neck, he was suddenly startled. Ye Jia turned around to look at Zhou Jingchen, and when their eyes met, Zhou Jingchen suddenly reached out and put his arm around her waist and held her in his arms.
Zhou Jingchen looked at Ye Jia's doubtful expression and laughed: "You are too perceptive, little lady. Nothing can satisfy you."
"...What is that?" How could he be so perceptive? She just took another look.
"I don't know." Zhou Jingchen just looked at her hastily and thought she looked familiar, but he couldn't be sure. After all, she was an old woman who was a little crazy. She would scream if a man got close to her. Zhou Jingchen, as a man, couldn't reach out and grab her neck. "She looks a little familiar."
Ye Jia looked back again and pushed Zhou Jingchen's arm around her: "Let me go, I'll go over and take a look."
Zhou Jingchen loosened his arms, and Ye Jia walked over and sat down beside the bed.
As they got closer, the old woman shrank back into the bed. But perhaps because Ye Jia had saved her from the fat cook before, she didn't show much repulsion towards him. Ye Jia wasn't sure if she could understand what he was saying now. After thinking for a moment, he asked her tentatively, "Old lady, can you take that thing off your neck and let me see it?"
The old woman's eyes were cloudy, her gaze dull and confused. It was unclear whether she heard or not, as she stared at a crack in the ground without moving.
Ye Jia asked again, and the old woman slowly raised her head.
She began to recite poems again. She could recite quite a few poems, and every one of them was a love poem. Ye Jia frowned and looked at Zhou Jingchen, who shook his head. "Forget it, let's go out for a walk first."
Ye Jia nodded. Just as he was about to stand up, the old woman grabbed Ye Jia's arm.
"Um?"
The old woman tilted her head and stared at Ye Jia, not knowing what she was looking at. Suddenly, she reached out and touched Ye Jia's face. Ye Jia blinked and sat still. The old woman muttered something and looked up at Zhou Jingchen. Zhou Jingchen was standing not far away, wearing a flowing robe, his black hair half-tied with a mahogany hairpin, his expression cold and distant.
The light from outside the window shone on him, creating a faint white glow.
At that moment, she didn't know who she mistook Zhou Jingchen for. She stumbled off the bed and ran to him. Holding the urn in one hand and grabbing his sleeve with the other, she cried out in surprise, "Xi Qing, Xi Qing, are you here to pick me up?"
"Xiu Qing?" Zhou Jingchen stood still, but the old woman happily circled around him like a little girl.
Ye Jia glanced down at the urn she was holding. Something hanging from her neck accidentally bumped against the urn, making a soft thud. The slight sound startled the old woman, and she immediately let go. She slumped back into bed, muttering rapidly, "One mountain, two mountains, the mountains are far away, the sky is high, the smoke and water are cold, the maple leaves are red with longing..."
The two of them exchanged glances. Ye Jia stared at the urn for a long time, feeling somewhat reluctant. The old woman looked a bit like she had Alzheimer's, but she wasn't sure such a condition existed in ancient times. Listening to her reciting love poems, could the urn contain the ashes of her former lover?
After helping the person back onto the bed, Ye Jia took another look at the person on the bed before leaving. "Husband, do you think she's not a beggar, but just lost?"
"Hmm?" Zhou Jingchen didn't know what he was thinking about, but came back to his senses after hearing this.
"This old woman, could she not be a beggar?"
In ancient times, few people could afford to study, let alone women. Someone who could recite such a long string of verses wouldn't necessarily be literate, but they certainly had contact with someone highly educated. Logically, it's unlikely someone of that age would wander around with an urn; it's likely they were suffering from Alzheimer's and accidentally lost.
Zhou Jingchen raised an eyebrow: "Whether it is or not, we can't take her with us all the way."
"Forehead……"
Finding someone is so difficult. In later times, with information technology so advanced, even if a child is lost, it would take ten or twenty years to find them, and there's a high probability that they won't be found. In this age of information stagnation, it's naturally even harder to find a needle in a haystack. "If you're not busy, go to the government office and ask them to help find you. Isn't it the government office that handles missing people?"
Khotan is a large city with a government office. Reporting the crime wouldn't be difficult, but it definitely wouldn't be possible at this hour.
Zhou Jingchen smiled faintly and said, "Of course, but there's no rush."
Even as darkness fell, the streets were still bustling with activity. Young men and women, carrying lanterns, wandered through the streets, and countless small stalls lined the streets. Vendors called out to attract customers. People were guessing riddles, blowing candy figurines, and painting candy paintings... The atmosphere was bustling and lively. Just a few hundred miles apart, yet the difference was so stark.
After traveling to this world, Ye Jia has been busy all day long. He hasn't had any rest or fun for a long time. For a moment, he was actually a little excited.
Everything she saw was new and exciting, and she found everything she saw interesting and lively. Zhou Jingchen stood by her side, protecting her. As they walked, passersby frequently turned their heads to look at them. Ye Jia strolled for a long time, and couldn't help but think of what Zhou Jingchen had said about stockpiling food and supplies. However, the grain store was closed that night, so she simply put the matter aside and stood in front of a monkey show to watch the fun.
The monkey trainer held a gong in one hand and a gong hammer in the other, and struck the gongs clang clang clang.
The people around them periodically applauded and cheered as the monkey flipped and jumped through the fire ring. Ye Jia was watching with great interest, and just as she was about to say something, she realized Zhou Jingchen had disappeared from her side. Startled, she stood on tiptoe, looking for him.
But due to his lack of height and the noise, he couldn't find Zhou Jingchen even on tiptoe. Ye Jia was a little anxious, wondering why Zhou Jingchen was wandering around. It would be funny if he was kidnapped by a kidnapper.
Muttering to herself, she felt a pair of hands reaching out from under her armpits and pinching her ribs, and then she was lifted up.
The sudden movement startled Ye Jia, and she immediately fluttered her arms and legs like a frightened goose, turning her head and opening her mouth to scream. However, the person behind her separated her from the others, and a familiar, clear breath enveloped her. She realized that the bastard pinching her ribs was Zhou Jingchen. His breath sprayed on the back of Ye Jia's head, and the person asked her kindly, "...Can you see now? Do you want it higher?"
Ye Jia: “…”
Seeing Ye Jia remained silent, Zhou Jingchen thought she still couldn't see. Glancing at the child sitting on his father's neck, he suggested, "...why don't you sit on my shoulders too?"
Everyone around looked at her, and Ye Jia's face suddenly turned red.
"Believe it or not, when you are old and disabled, I will push you out to bask in the sun!" Ye Jia wanted to bite his back teeth to pieces.
Zhou Jingchen was caught off guard and almost laughed. He put Ye Jia down, raised one hand, and completely covered Ye Jia's figure with his wide sleeve. He just looked down at Ye Jia, who was glaring at him. It seemed that he had never heard such a threat before and he didn't know what to say. After a long while, Zhou Jingchen said with a smile: "You won't push me out to bask in the sun?"
Ye Jia: "...If you get the same disease as that old lady, I will definitely get rid of you."
"...Why are you so mean, little lady?" Zhou Jingchen seemed a little aggrieved, but his eyes were full of smiles. He whispered to her, "Is it wrong for me to let you sit on my shoulders?"
Ye Jiali was the one who had the axe to grin and turned away.
Zhou Jingchen followed her slowly, with the corners of his mouth raised all the time.
Ye Jia wasn't angry, it was just that Zhou Jingchen always liked to provoke her in small ways. He was happy to see her blush. Honestly, it was a bit embarrassing for a modern person not to be as open-minded as this person. Ye Jia slowly exhaled, stood there with her hands on her hips, and turned around. Zhou Jingchen had obtained two lamps from somewhere and walked over slowly, holding one in each hand.
"Let's go to the river and release lanterns," Zhou Jingchen grabbed one of her hands and placed one of the lanterns in her hand, "to get rid of the evil."
Ye Jia glanced down at the rabbit lantern, which looked quite lifelike. "Didn't you say you wanted to buy some clothes?"
"I asked someone else to buy it, and then I could exchange it when I got back."
Zhou Jingchen took her hand and said, "Let's go. It's a rare opportunity to encounter the Shangsi Festival. Going there to pray can ward off evil spirits and bring good luck for the coming year."
Ye Jia thought so too. Doing business really requires a mysterious spirit.
Many people gathered by the small river where lanterns were released, and some had already stood at the innermost position on the short river bank.
There were young men and women praying for marriage, young women praying for a son, and still others praying for health. Ye Jia didn't have any special wishes, but since it was a rare and relaxing holiday, she also released lanterns and made a wish. Zhou Jingchen squatted beside her, watching her and muttering. There was originally a gentle, peaceful feeling about her. But as he listened, his expression darkened.
Ye Jia closed her eyes and muttered, "Please God bless me with abundant wealth, a healthy life, and good luck in everything I encounter. May I be forever young, enjoy everything I eat, have many romantic partners, and be surrounded by handsome men..."
After a long series of prayers and wishes, Ye Jia opened his eyes. Across from him was a dim light, its glow casting shadows on people's faces.
Zhou Jingchen smiled faintly: "Is it agreed?"
"It's agreed." Ye Jia nodded.
"Yeah." Zhou Jingchen nodded, "Then move aside, it's my turn."
Ye Jia was stunned. She had never thought that Zhou Jingchen also liked to join in this kind of activities. However, she thought that Zhou Jingchen had also brought a lantern, so it was appropriate to the occasion and it was indeed a formality. So she squatted and moved a few steps to the side, and squatted to the position where she had just been. She slowly straightened her clothes and closed her eyes, imitating Ye Jia's demeanor: "I pray that the gods will bless my wife Jia Niang's wish."
Ye Jia: "...Wait, my eyesight is not good and I didn't hear you clearly, please say your prayer again."
"It's enough if the gods hear it." Zhou Jingchen flicked the hem of his clothes and stood up, looking at Ye Jia sideways. "Besides, praying to gods is not as good as praying to yourself. Let's go."
...Who was it that said it could bring good luck when I first came here?!
After releasing the lanterns, Ye Jia felt tired of strolling around and dragged Zhou Jingchen back.
Zhou Jingchen let her pull him along, and the two of them walked through the bustling downtown area. Just as they were about to leave the market, in the dark, he accidentally kicked over the dustpan of a small vendor selling hair ties on the roadside. A cry of "ouch" came from the ground, and Ye Jia ducked her head in fright. She saw a panicked old woman on the ground, quickly gathering the scattered items into her dustpan. There was actually an old woman selling hair ties sitting there.
The dustpan that Ye Jia had kicked over was filled with ribbons of all colors and styles. Feeling a bit bad for the situation, Ye Jia quickly squatted down to help the old woman sort out the tangled ribbons and hair ties. Zhou Jingchen also squatted down to help pick up the ties.
"I'm sorry, I didn't see it earlier." Ye Jia was in a hurry and didn't notice it. She felt really embarrassed. "Why don't I buy two hair ties? You braid them very beautifully, buy one for my husband too."
Everything these days is handmade; every ribbon is handwoven. She squatted down and picked out two red ropes. They were at least ten feet long, with tassels at each end, like the pegs on a guqin. Needless to say, they had a unique charm.
The old woman had been setting up her stall for a long time, but this was the first person to buy one. She was immediately delighted: "Ten cents a stick."
Ye Jia immediately took out a small ingot of silver and stuffed it into her hand.
The old woman became anxious when she pinched the silver because she didn't have much money on her and couldn't make change.
"It's okay, take it." Ye Jia wasn't a spendthrift, but he'd been careless when he'd walked, kicking things off someone's stall, and was trying to make amends. Besides, the family wasn't short of the little money now, so Ye Jia wasn't going to be stingy at this moment.
After stuffing the things into the old woman's hands, Ye Jia pulled Zhou Jingchen back to the inn.
Back at the inn, sure enough, there were clothes, shoes, headwear, and even rouge and powder. The jackets were all silk, and the coats were also satin. I don't know where Zhou Jingchen got these things, but he certainly looked pretty good.
"For now, I've prepared two sets of clothes, one for washing and one for changing." Zhou Jingchen also had new clothes, "We have to visit grandpa tomorrow."
Ye Jia was trying on clothes to see if they fit her properly when she was suddenly surprised: "Grandfather is in Yutian City? And in such a hurry?"
"No need to rush." Zhou Jingchen smiled, "I wrote to my grandfather a long time ago, and both grandparents want to see you."
Ye Jia: "...When?"
"Before we got married."
Ye Jia: "..." As expected, nothing this guy said could be believed.
No matter what, after getting married, the ugly bride would have to meet her parents-in-law sooner or later. Ye Jia wasn't the type to be shy. Even a high-achieving student from the future wouldn't feel nervous about meeting a great scholar. Besides, Yu Shi was such a good-natured person, buying pigs and looking after them, so the Yu family's upbringing should be good.
I need the key tomorrow, so there's no need to delay. Ye Jia folded the clothes and put them back, then went to the next room with the lantern to check on the old woman.
The old woman had fallen asleep, and she looked much more normal when she was asleep.
Ye Jia covered her with the quilt and then looked at the pendant around the old woman's neck. Only when he got closer under the light could he see clearly that it was a token. The patterns on the token looked like animal patterns. Ye Jia took it off her neck and turned it over and over, but couldn't find any words or patterns. There was only a few animal patterns carved on the front that looked like tigers and leopards.
Zhou Jingchen looked at this thing several times. Could it be some kind of command certificate? Is it just like the door number token in TV dramas? Ye Jia glanced at the person on the bed again and shuddered.
It was really creepy to suddenly see the urn in the middle of the night.
Ye Jia took the things and returned to his room. Zhou Jingchen was reading a letter under the lamp, frowning. Hot water had been sent over, and the bucket was steaming. Ye Jia placed the lamp on the table by the window and waited for the waiter to leave before holding the thing in front of Zhou Jingchen: "Husband, do you recognize this thing?"
"How did you take it?"
Ye Jia blinked: "Can't take it?"
"Not really."
Zhou Jingchen took it with a serious expression. He looked at it for a long time before speaking: "This is actually the tiger talisman of the Anxi Protectorate."
Ye Jia: “!!!!”
"Is this true?! Are you seeing things, my husband?"
"That's right." Zhou Jingchen stroked the runes on the token with his fingers and said calmly, "The Anxi Protectorate's tiger talisman was stolen three months ago, and now the Protectorate is in chaos. This time, we came here not only to see my grandfather, but also for the tiger talisman."
It sounded a bit magical. She couldn't be so lucky, could she? She just picked up a beggar and found him with a tiger talisman?
"I heard that the Anxi Grand Protector, Qiao Yuandao, is looking for an old woman who's over sixty years old. She stole the Qiao family's treasures and is offering a reward of ten thousand taels of silver," Zhou Jingchen said slowly. "However, Qiao Yuandao added a condition to his wanted notice: her life must not be harmed, her body must not be searched, and she must be properly taken care of."
Ye Jia raised her brows, with an indescribable subtle expression: "...Don't tell me you recognized this woman a long time ago?"
"It's not too early." Zhou Jingchen smiled.
Ye Jia: "..." She said no wonder Zhou Jingchen agreed to take the old woman with him so easily.
"So, what are you going to do next, sir? Send this old woman back to the Qiao family?" He offered a reward of 10,000 taels of silver, and also demanded that her life not be harmed. It wasn't hard to guess her identity. "Who is this old woman in the Qiao family? A relative of the Anxi Grand Protector? A mother or something?"
"Not really my biological mother," Zhou Jingchen pulled Ye Jia into the inner room and openly reached for Ye Jia's belt, "but her status is somewhat special."
Ye Jia uttered an "oh," and came to her senses to find her belt had been untied. Zhou Jingchen had already taken off her outer garment and was about to reach for her undergarment. Ye Jia grabbed him and glared at him, "I have something to do tomorrow! Besides, you can't raise a child for five years!"
Zhou Jingchen's smile froze for a moment, and the look he gave Ye Jia became pitiful.
He hasn't touched his wife for almost half a year. He has been busy and has no chance. Now that they are together, can't he try it out?
"I brought some pills." He pulled a porcelain bottle from his sleeve, uncorked it, and poured out a black pill into his palm. Before Ye Jia could react, he swallowed it.
"What did you eat?" Ye Jia was furious. "Didn't I tell you not to eat it? Are you feeling better now? Why are you taking random medicine again?"
"It's okay," Zhou Jingchen undressed her and carried her to the bathtub. "It's okay to take it once or twice occasionally. I had this pill specially made for me. It's less harmful than the herbal remedies you took before."
"Even if the damage is small, it's still damage. Zhou Yun'an, you're really not going to give up until you're done for! I have to torture you to the point of breaking you before you know fear!" Isn't it said that this person is pure and has few desires? Is this what is called pure and has few desires?!
"What are you afraid of? Are you afraid that after your husband becomes disabled, you won't push me out of the house to bask in the sun?"
Ye Jia: "You! Wuuuuuuuu..."
As he spoke, he quickly ripped off the red rope around Ye Jia's neck and pressed her against the wall of the bathtub...
I agreed not to make a fuss, but in the end he succeeded twice before I finally let go.
The bucket of water almost completely overflowed onto the floor. By the time Ye Jia, limp, was lifted from the tub, it was less than half full. Too tired to even roll her eyes, Ye Jia rolled onto the bed, closed her eyes, and fell asleep. Zhou Jingchen hastily threw on a shirt and went downstairs to tidy up. When he returned, he contentedly cuddled her to sleep.
Pure and unselfish? What a joke. He had deceived his wife into marrying him by using his beauty and pretending to be pitiful. How could he be pure and unselfish?
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