Chapter 18 You Dislike Me
After this incident, the two didn't speak much for several days.
Until one morning, Jiang Shuifu, with a long face, refused to wake him.
Shen Jizhao seemed to sense her hesitation, opened his eyes, and she mustered her courage to ask him:
"My husband, why do you... every day..."
The man didn't understand what she was talking about at first, but he understood her meaning once he straightened up.
Last night, they could still excuse themselves by saying they were confused from poisoning, but now they don't even have an excuse anymore.
He was somewhat surprised and ashamed, realizing that she had known about his reaction all along.
He was trying to save face and didn't want her to think that he acted this way because of her.
This is a normal reaction; it doesn't mean I want you.
The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he abruptly changed his tone, uttering instead a matter-of-fact statement:
Why not?
He is her husband, so she can do whatever she wants with him.
Besides, is it okay for her to lie softly on his chest without wearing underwear, but not for him to have a normal reaction?
The countryside is not the Eastern Palace, and there is no ice chest. The sweltering heat of summer is always more severe for women. Jiang Shuifu felt hot in her clothes, so she loosened the sash to relax. Seeing that he was not displeased, she simply took them off.
"You dislike me?"
Shen Jizhao looked at the woman with a bitter face and became somewhat angry.
Jiang Shuifu shook her head. She was just someone who could be abandoned at any time. What right did she have to look down on him?
The man lightly brushed against her, stopping short of touching her.
"Your body says otherwise."
Blushing, she silently pulled the blanket over her head. He had really turned bad; he was actually flirting with her.
That long strip kept popping into my mind.
Surrounded by cyan, its color is purplish-red.
Like a rooster puffing out its chest, displaying its majestic power.
It was obvious how capable he was, but she didn't actually like him. It hurt her too much. Every time she thought she had reached the end, he would show her with his actions that it was impossible.
The man, who had played a little prank, was pleased with her reaction and had no idea that he was actually being disliked.
*
The courtyard was quiet. Jiang Shuifu sat under the eaves, winding silk threads to do needlework, while Shen Jizhao was processing the fish they had caught the day before. Some of the fish they would eat themselves, and some they would buy.
Under the bright sunshine, the osmanthus blossoms continue to play the role of creating an ambiguous atmosphere, occasionally falling onto the quiet and beautiful woman.
Shen Jizhao's gaze was immediately drawn to her; her beautiful face was made even more radiant by the rays of sunlight, requiring no makeup whatsoever.
Her small, plump lips bit off the silk thread in her hand, and her lip color immediately returned to a vibrant red.
He suddenly felt that she was too plain when she was in the Eastern Palace, and should dress more brightly.
He looked her up and down and noticed that her clothes were too rough. In such hot weather, wouldn't wearing such coarse cloth be too stuffy?
Unaware that someone was secretly watching her, Jiang Shuifu continued embroidering with delicate fingers, each stitch executed with remarkable skill, captivating all who looked away.
At that moment, the bracelet on her wrist slipped off as she moved.
She really liked this bracelet and never took it off. She would rather have it stick in her skin than take it off while sleeping. It was because of this that they had a fight last time.
He suddenly said:
"Sell your bracelet; you can get some money from it."
The woman who had just received the injection accidentally pricked her fingertip, and blood gushed out instantly. She puffed out her cheeks and looked at him with some displeasure, saying:
"Husband, you must be joking."
After she finished speaking, she turned her back to him and began embroidering.
Oh, you're getting temperamental.
He twitched the corner of his mouth, deciding not to make things difficult for her.
Women love jewelry, and even if he were poor, he wouldn't do something like that.
Suddenly, a distinguished-looking man burst into the courtyard. He was in his forties, with a ruddy complexion and a beaming smile. He pushed a cart laden with treasure and shouted:
"Silly Flower, Silly Flower, come out quickly! Your man is back, come and give him a kiss!"
Jiang Shuifu and Shen Jizhao were both drawn to him. In less than a second, Aunt Zhang from the opposite house came running out, wobbling and stumbling, without even putting down the vegetables in her hand.
She ran up to the man and slapped him several times:
"Where the hell have you been? You left without a word, leaving me, a weak woman with no strength to even kill a chicken, to live as a widow. How dare you come back!"
The man wasn't angry even after being hit; he let Aunt Zhang punch and kick him, then he hugged her tightly and said:
"I've made it big! I've started a business, and now I'm even in the Chamber of Commerce! I'm rich! Look, silly Hua, this is all for you!"
Aunt Zhang shed tears of excitement, hugging and hitting him, while the man cried out in pain.
She then pushed him aside and went to grab the silver treasures, silks, and satins, which allowed the man to follow her into the house.
Jiang Shuifu and Shen Jizhao were dumbfounded. Could husband and wife really resort to violence? In marriage, the husband is the head of the household, and the husband is the wife's heaven. Men have always had a natural status.
In the relationship between Zhang Da Niang and her husband, the man does not take it for granted that he is arrogant, and the wife does not have to be gentle and virtuous. If the husband makes a mistake, she can even teach him a lesson.
Of course, taking action is wrong.
Jiang Shuifu took the embroidery and went into the house. She suddenly felt that it was really good to be an ordinary person.
Shen Jizhao continued working. The countryside is the countryside after all. This kind of anti-Heavenly Gang trend must not be allowed to spread to the capital.
"Husband, did you fish these pearls out of the river? They're neither edible nor marketable, what use are they?"
Shen Jizhao tossed her a single sentence: "Don't worry about it."
She pouted, deciding not to care anyway, since she couldn't control him.
She took the seedlings and went out to plant vegetables. When Zhang Da Niang's husband returned, she was very happy. She gave them the seedlings and allowed them to plant and harvest on her land.
If you grow your own vegetables, you won't have to spend money to buy them, which will save you a lot of money.
Shen Jizhao suddenly appeared beside her:
"I need to go out for a bit."
She just said "oh".
Oh? How come he never noticed how perfunctory she was before? Wasn't she worried about his safety going out alone while his leg injury was still healing? She didn't even ask him where he was going out to do it!
With a cold expression, Shen Jizhao strode away, leaning on his cane.
Jiang Shuifu looked completely bewildered.
But perhaps he forgot that he did not give her the right to interfere in his affairs.
Back when he was in the Eastern Palace, he had to go on a long trip. She ran to ask him when he would return, but all he gave her was a cold, indifferent back view, without a single word of reply.
From then on, she stopped humiliating herself and interfering in his affairs.
Jiang Shuifu didn't see him return all afternoon. Now it was almost dusk, and the food was ready. She was very bored, so she could only hug the wooden stake at the gate of the courtyard and wait for him.
When he returned, she had already woven a basket full of tortoises and hamsters.
A figure walked slowly along the dirt path. Although he had difficulty moving, his posture remained upright, and every move he made exuded an air of nobility and arrogance that he could not shake off.
The little girl, hiding in the haystack, didn't notice his arrival. Because she kept pulling at the grass, her hair was a mess, with several strands sticking out.
Looking at her unkempt appearance, Shen Jizhao had no choice but to reach out and pluck the grass blades one by one.
"Why don't you make ugly buck-toothed rabbits anymore?"
Upon hearing the sound, Jiang Shuifu knew something was wrong. She had gotten tired of standing at the door and had gone to lie down in the haystack to watch the sunset. Since she happened to have some grass nearby, she started weaving it.
I was so engrossed that I didn't notice him coming.
He hadn't seen her in this disheveled state, covered in grass, since she entered the Eastern Palace. He'd probably give her the cold shoulder.
Shen Jizhao emphasized, "Hmm?"
She thought he was angry again, and answered him softly, "The buck-toothed rabbit is for you."
Because it was for him, she wouldn't make it up anymore.
The annoyance in Shen Jizhao's heart vanished. He walked forward and sent a voice through the air: "Let's go back."
At the dinner table.
"Husband, you're amazing! You sold so much silver! This braised pork is so delicious!"
Jiang Shuifu devoured the braised pork that Shen Jizhao had brought back from the shop. In addition to the braised pork, there was also steamed chicken leg with taro, mushroom and meatball soup...
She was so happy that she casually mentioned, "Why did you order this mushroom soup, husband? There's not much meat in it, but we have mushrooms at home!"
Shen Jizhao stopped eating. How dare she mention those mushrooms? If a wild man gave them to her, she would just accept them!
She thought he was thinking about the poisoning incident, so she quickly shut her mouth.
Shen Jizhao watched as she ate the braised pork and chicken leg clean, and then he touched his purse, which was even cleaner.
But following him, he wouldn't even be able to eat meat a few times a day, and he wouldn't allow that.
Jiang Shuifu picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks and gave it to him: "Husband, you should eat too!"
She only remembered his rule after she finished picking up the chopsticks: they couldn't eat with the same chopsticks. Since the chopsticks were ones she had used, she immediately picked them up again, smiling cautiously.
Shen Jizhao did hesitate just now. Although he was forced to work to make a living, his inherent sense of discipline remained.
But if a person can't even solve their basic needs, how can they talk about rules? He can eat with his eyes closed.
After the meal, he tossed her a bundle, saying it was for her.
Jiang Shuifu blinked her large, alluring, fox-like eyes at him: "Is it for food?"
Shen Jizhao pursed his lips, his mind filled with nothing but food.
"My husband, we haven't had anything good to eat in so long, let's eat together."
Well, what she said makes sense.
Jiang Shuifu could tell from his expression that it wasn't food, and she was a little disappointed. But when she saw the pinkish-red corner peeking out, she became very excited.
"My husband, what you gave me was a dress!"
She quickly opened the bundle, and a peach-colored dress was right in front of her. It was the thinnest summer brocade and feather gauze. He probably spent all the money he made from selling it.
Perhaps she was too happy and forgot her limits, or perhaps his attitude towards her had been a little different lately, she rushed up and hugged his waist: "Husband, thank you."
She wouldn't hesitate to ask him to return the money, because she was worth it, and she didn't want to spoil his fun.
It's only natural for a husband to spend money on his wife. Unlike during the time when he was the Crown Prince, now every penny he earns is hard-earned. She's happy that he's willing to spend it on her.
But the next second, she was no longer happy. Almost the instant she hugged him, he shot into the sky.
It pressed firmly against her body, its long, forceful erection awakening.
Shen Jizhao wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground and pushed her away, saying, "Who told you to hug me!"
Jiang Shuifu was also embarrassed. Her husband was too easily swayed. She suddenly understood why he wouldn't let her touch him.
The awkward silence ended with a thud outside. The woman, now dressed in a new peach-colored dress, twirled around a few times before sitting obediently and embroidering, while Shen Jizhao, on the other side, picked up his brush and began to write.
Aunt Zhang slammed the door shut, and the punishment followed:
"You should stay outside for now, there's no room to sleep inside!"
The man knelt down and kept begging her to calm down, spouting sweet nothings one after another without repeating himself.
Hearing this, Shen Jizhao's ears turned red, and his brush tilted to the side. Fortunately, his painting could still be saved.
He couldn't help but glance at the woman embroidering; she remained calm and focused on her work.
This peach-pink outfit really suits her. The gauze dress is cool and refreshing, and her fair skin on her arms is faintly visible. Fortunately, the chest area is covered just right, and his feeling was right after all.
He just watched her like that. The hot, humid summer wind blew through her gauze skirt, causing it to sway and bloom, creating a large mist of peach blossoms and bringing the fragrance of osmanthus, which awakened the tip of his wolf-hair brush.
Another dot fell on the paper, and this dot made a huge splash.
He had to tear it off and replace it with new paper to continue painting, but that touch of peach pink remained in his sight. The peach pink closed its petals and fell asleep.
The corners of his mouth turned up slightly.
That night, his pen seemed to descend like a dragon.
A note from the author:
----------------------
Cherish it while you can, good days are numbered, Mr. Chen.
Excuse me, reviewers, did I use a single word that was borderline offensive in the first two sentences? I don't know where you got the idea that this chapter should be locked? How many times has this happened? You've released it and then locked it again!
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