Chapter 8 Is this what it means to be ungreedy?
A month passed in the blink of an eye, and Jiang Shuifu's confinement ended.
During this period, Shen Jizhao did not ask him to change his dressing.
He never came to see her.
Jiang Shuifu wasn't in a hurry; she had focused all her energy on one thing these past few days.
She wanted to cook a meal for Shen Jizhao.
Although Jiang Shuifu used to enjoy eating in her youth, she had absolutely no cooking skills. However, after marrying him, she learned a great deal.
Shen Jizhao loved spicy food, so she learned everything according to his preferences.
Jiang Shuifu's tolerance for strong flavors has improved a lot, but sometimes she still gets teary-eyed from the spiciness.
Shen Jizhao seemed to never stop moving forward. After being injured and bandaged last time, he immediately threw himself into state affairs and even sent Su Yang to handle a dangerous case.
Even now, he is still extremely busy every day.
Jiang Shuifu, just like before, sent him some expensive nourishing soups.
This has almost become a habit and a specific procedure.
This is how I've gotten through the past two years.
Jiang Shuifu wanted to do more for him.
In the blink of an eye, the sweltering heat has arrived, and it has been half a month since Jiang Shuifu was released from quarantine.
Shen Jizhao has not arrived yet.
Meanwhile, the first day of the Lunar New Year after the lifting of restrictions arrived as scheduled.
Jiang Shuifu thought he still wouldn't come, but to her surprise, he did.
Jiang Shuifu stood up to greet him, somewhat stunned.
As soon as Shen Jizhao entered the room, he smelled the aroma of food; the pungent and spicy smell easily filled the entire room.
He walked a few steps and saw several dishes on the table: chopped chili fish head, spicy tripe soup, and five-flavor almond cheese goose.
They're all spicy.
Jiang Shuifu blinked and called to him:
"My husband is here!"
Shen Jizhao casually asked with concern, "Why haven't you eaten yet, it's so late?"
Jiang Shuifu smiled and helped him change his clothes.
She replied sweetly:
"Isn't that how it is? We always have to wait for our husbands to come."
Jiang Shuifu's words left Shen Jizhao somewhat dazed.
Does she always wait for him like this?
As Jiang Shuifu stood on tiptoe to unbutton his round buttons, she asked:
"How is your injury, my husband? Have you changed the dressings these days? Has the wound healed? It's a little itchy when the wound is healing, so you must take good care of yourself."
Jiang Shuifu had given him many medicinal meals to help heal his wounds. Now that he was in front of her, even though she knew he was out of danger, she couldn't help but ask him about it.
Upon hearing about the injury, Shen Jizhao remembered what he had said before: he would come to see her.
But he seems to have forgotten.
His gaze fell on the woman who was softly giving him instructions.
This woman is a bit clever; she deliberately mentioned his injury to remind him of his mistake, and I suppose she'll be about to make her demands.
"My lord, you must not have eaten yet? I specially learned some cooking skills from the chef in the imperial kitchen. I thought you had been working hard lately and should have some nourishment. If you don't mind, why don't you try some?"
Sure enough, Shen Jizhao subtly twitched his lips.
Jiang Shuifu looked at him tentatively, and with her delicate hands, she placed the clothes she had changed out of on the screen shelf.
Shen Jizhao didn't feel anything about her cooking herself, let alone feel surprised or delighted. It made no difference to him who cooked it.
He looked at her with a puzzled expression, as if to say, "Pick up on the important points, don't ramble on."
Jiang Shuifu sensed his indifferent attitude and lowered her eyes for a moment.
Shen Jizhao took a long time to answer her question, and his reply was direct and ruthless: "I have already eaten."
Jiang Shuifu was taken aback; in fact, she had anticipated this situation.
Whether he'll come or not, whether he's eaten or not, are all uncertainties. She didn't send anyone to ask, afraid of bothering him; he's too busy.
Jiang Shuifu smiled faintly:
"Since my husband has already used it, then let it be. I'll have someone remove it right away. I can't let my husband have a bloated stomach. His health can't be compromised in the slightest."
Shen Jizhao strode towards the bedroom with his nightgown in hand, showing no reaction to Jiang Shuifu's slightly disappointed gaze or caring words.
He only stopped when he was almost completely disappeared from the inner hall, and a calm reply came:
"Put it out."
As she wished, he forgot that it was his fault.
Jiang Shuifu was both surprised and delighted. She instructed the palace maid to take the dishes off the table and warm them up, and finally served the dishes right after he finished bathing.
As soon as Shen Jizhao, dressed in a dark black nightgown with a round robe over it, came out, the table was already laden with dinner.
With diverse styles and excellent appearance, they are a feast for the eyes and the palate, but the flavor is too monotonous.
Most dishes contain chili peppers in various forms to some extent.
When Jiang Shuifu saw the nightgown on Shen Jizhao, she was reminded of the bright red nightgown he wore a month ago.
She was very happy that he had taken her nightgown.
Jiang Shuifu's eyes were fixed on the dishes on the table.
She was a little nervous, turned the jade bracelet on her wrist, and said softly:
"Husband, please sit down and have some. I've chosen dishes that are easy to digest; it's not good to eat too much at night."
Jiang Shuifu served him food, which consisted of tender fish and shrimp, along with minced meat and egg custard. In fact, she had also prepared quite a few abalone, sea cucumber, and shark fin dishes, but it was indeed a bit late now. Although Shen Jizhao liked spicy food, she couldn't let him eat too much.
Ultimately, it's bad for your stomach.
Shen Jizhao gazed at the fish paste wrapped in lotus pods on the plate.
This dish was supposed to be extremely bland, but she added a little Sichuan peppercorn.
The fish meat was spicy and numbing, while the lotus seeds were fragrant; the two distinct flavors blended together, stimulating his sense of smell.
He picked up a piece and put it in his mouth. Sure enough, it tasted spicy, but not too strong. The lotus seeds played a big role in this.
Jiang Shuifu stared intently at Shen Jizhao's expression, afraid that he would find it unpalatable. Logically speaking, she had cooked it many times and tasted it many times, so it shouldn't be hard to swallow.
Shen Jizhao maintained a completely indifferent expression, neither frowning nor raising his lips; she couldn't fathom his expression.
He picked up another shrimp dish. The shrimp were first coated in egg and fried, then stir-fried in a pan with chili peppers as a side dish, along with finely chopped garlic and ginger. The flavor was truly spicy and fragrant.
Shen Jizhao darkened his eyes, took a bite, and then casually glanced at Jiang Shuifu.
"You like to eat these?"
When Jiang Shuifu saw that he was asking about her preferences and caring about her, her cheeks flushed and she subconsciously shook her head shyly.
She then realized something was wrong and quickly nodded.
She was afraid that Shen Jizhao would misunderstand her as disliking his tastes and that they wouldn't be able to eat together.
"Don't worry, my husband, I like it very much. I've been eating it for a long time."
Shen Jizhao was not pleased after hearing this; instead, his expression revealed a hint of inquiry.
"I didn't know you developed this taste. Didn't you used to like sweet things?"
Jiang Shuifu felt a little happy, her head was spinning, she realized he remembered.
Before they got married, she loved to wait outside the palace gates every day to bring him food, always choosing her favorite dishes, as she wanted to share what she loved with him.
Shen Jizhao mostly ignored her, not giving her more than a few glances; he was so cold that she had no doubt he would turn around and throw the food box away.
So he'd eaten it before.
I still remember her preferences.
Jiang Shuifu was overjoyed and responded to him shyly:
"I used to prefer sweets, but now that I've tried spicy food in the Eastern Palace, I find it quite delicious. Trying more things is a good idea. Does my husband want something sweet?"
Her large eyes gazed at him with the same honest and open expression as always.
"My husband, would you like to try more things? The results might be quite good."
Shen Jizhao raised his eyes, his obsidian-like deep pupils reflecting the woman's hopeful probing. The woman's cheeks were rosy, and the timid look in her eyes added to her charm. Her eyes sparkled, and the corners of her eyes trembled.
He looked at her but felt little emotion; he only felt that the woman in front of him was too scheming.
She shouldn't think he couldn't understand what she meant. Try what? Try to like her?
Her thoughts were simple and easy to understand; he could see right through her at a glance.
Jiang Shuifu clearly saw her own reflection and expression in his pupils, and she unconsciously looked away.
Shen Jizhao shifted his gaze. Being shrewd is not a bad thing; it's a good way to control subordinates, and perhaps even an essential skill for a crown princess.
He slightly raised his lips:
"After being married for a long time, my Crown Princess does not understand me. I do not care about food or worldly desires, but only about power."
At this moment, the gentle summer breeze suddenly changed direction, causing the Arhat lanterns hanging under the eaves of the palace gate to flutter and collide with each other, their wicks flickering.
Summer is rainy, and it looks like it's going to rain again.
Shen Jizhao casually remarked something unrelated to the topic:
"From childhood to adulthood, I have always had a certain interest in cats."
As Jiang Shuifu listened, her brows and eyes quietly relaxed. She liked it too, but Shen Jizhao was just like her.
Just as she was about to declare that she would keep one in the Eastern Palace, he seemed to know what she meant and spoke before she could:
"However, I prefer raccoons with sharp claws and hard teeth. It's so boring for a soft and delicate creature. I don't like cowardly and incompetent things."
Jiang Shuifu didn't understand that the powerful and wealthy in the capital kept cats to sharpen their claws, because cats were, after all, livestock and could easily hurt people.
However, she also disapproved of pulling out claws and teeth. Animals are living beings too, and besides, she used to love cricket fighting and turtle fighting.
“My husband is right. I support you.”
Seeing that she didn't understand, Shen Jizhao simply pointed at her directly:
"The Crown Princess is sensible. The delicate and fair-skinned cat is clingy and always uses its soft and cute appearance to deceive people. It's not enough to just have food; it tries to gain favor. It's too greedy and doesn't know its limits."
At this moment, the dark clouds in the sky were suddenly pushed aside with great force, and the rumbling thunder forcefully penetrated through, enveloping the East Palace and pressing down on the Bihua Hall with lightning speed.
Jiang Shuifu was startled; her body went limp, and she silently braced herself on the table.
The wind, which had been building up for a while, was now even more rampant, and large raindrops poured in through the window, stinging Jiang Shuifu's delicate cheeks.
She vaguely understood what he was talking about, and she shook her head:
"I am not greedy. I am content to stay by my husband's side and watch over him."
Shen Jizhao's smile vanished instantly, and he picked up a piece of mutton placed in the center with his chopsticks.
He tasted the mutton; it was a perfect balance of lean and fat, unlike the usual cooking method, with more fatty parts, and it was sizzling with oil.
It suited his taste perfectly.
He calmly and methodically laid out his questions, as if addressing a prisoner about to be executed in jail. He took a sip of wine, then leisurely sprinkled it onto his blade, and then killed without a trace.
Is this what you mean by not being greedy?
A note from the author:
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I'll leave you in suspense; the next chapter will explain.
There's foreshadowing in this chapter (whispering in someone's ear).
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