Chapter 91 I'm willing to end our bet early...
The weather is getting hotter and hotter; it's almost the hottest time of the year.
Jiang Shuifu stayed indoors all day, resting in the cool of the ice chest, and ate the medicinal meals that Shen Jizhao made for her every day. He also brought her tribute fruits, but he didn't allow her to eat too much of them.
Of course she wouldn't listen to him. She didn't know why he had been so busy lately, so busy that she was completely unaware when he came back at night, and she couldn't find him when she woke up in the morning.
However, this suited her just fine. This way, she could eat whatever she wanted, as much as she wanted, without having to take those dark, unappetizing medicines.
But her daily life was quite boring except for reading storybooks, and she never went out beyond the pomegranate tree in the yard.
She sat on the swing, swinging back and forth, with a pomegranate tree shading her head.
She looked up intently; the pomegranate blossoms were still as bright orange-red as ever, but many had faded, replaced by plump little pomegranate fruits.
The small pomegranates, no bigger than the palm of your hand, are still a vibrant green. Dangling from the branches, they resemble emeralds, gleaming and full of life.
With a quick glance, she swung vigorously, causing the pomegranate tree above her to sway, its branches, leaves, flowers, and small pomegranates rustling and making a swishing sound.
The whole summer seemed to be filled with this pleasant scene of lush greenery, vibrant flowers, and tinkling bells.
She laughed heartily; she loved anything that was bright red and vibrant green, full of life.
The next moment, her swing was pushed even higher, almost brushing past the little pomegranates. She twitched her nose and smelled their unique, fresh scent.
Her eyes flickered, her head tilted, and the owner of the hands behind her appeared before her.
It is Shen Jizhao.
Shen Jizhao pushed her very high, but she wasn't afraid. The higher she flew, the more relaxed she became, because she could smell the joy of freedom.
A month has passed, and there are still two months until their agreement is fulfilled.
She doesn't plan to turn back.
Shen Jizhao had no idea what she was thinking, but he simply shook down a lot of pomegranate flowers.
In an instant, the woman floated carefree, as countless crimson flowers rained down, covering her black hair, her slender shoulders, and her dress, making her look like a pomegranate fairy, fiery red, dazzling and radiant.
He stared in disbelief, unable to recover for a long time.
The fairy was untouched by worldly affairs, and he suddenly felt that keeping her by his side would stifle her ethereal aura.
Coming to his senses, he carefully picked up the pomegranate blossoms scattered on the ground, one by one, with meticulous care and tenderness, as if handling precious treasures. He then wrapped them in his robe, looked up at her, and smiled.
"The pomegranates will be ripe soon. I'll make you a pomegranate drink when they're ripe. For today, you can just have a pomegranate cake."
Jiang Shuifu continued playing on the swing. Not far away, a man had laid out many ingredients on a stone table: pomegranate blossoms, green tea filling, lotus seed paste…
And there were also clumps of oily skin that he had kneaded.
She watched intently as he wrapped the oil-based dough around the pastry, rolled it into an oval shape, and then rolled it up layer by layer, repeating this action several times.
Then press the pomegranate flowers to extract the juice, pour it into the dough, and the red oil dough is ready.
Next, place the loosened oil dough on top of the water dough, wrap the green tea filling inside, roll it into a round pomegranate shape, and then use scissors to cut six calyxes on the top, and then gently lift the calyxes.
In the final step, he added green leaves to the bottom of the pomegranate and sprinkled osmanthus flowers into the calyx at the top, making the overall shape lifelike, just like a large and red real pomegranate.
Jiang Shuifu was increasingly amazed as she looked at him. How could he do everything?
This isn't a pomegranate cake; it's made with pomegranates!
She approached and sat down beside him, observing his movements closely. Seeing the pomegranate flower cakes arranged on the plate, she couldn't resist touching them; she wanted to make them too.
But as soon as her clean hands touched the dough, the man, who was busy making the pastries, stopped her:
"Your nails are beautiful, don't get them dirty."
Jiang Shuifu withdrew her hand. That's right, all she needed to do was eat; why make things difficult for herself?
Shen Jizhao started picking the pomegranate flower stamens again. This was a very troublesome task, requiring both patience and meticulousness.
He sensed the questioning look in the woman's eyes, so he momentarily distracted himself, raised his eyes, and asked her with a wicked smile:
"Didn't you say pomegranate flowers can be stir-fried? Do you want them lightly cooked or braised?"
Jiang Shuifu was stunned. He actually remembered something she had mentioned casually.
So she didn't stand on ceremony and, out of curiosity, picked up a flower and started picking it too:
"Stir-fried garlic, please. I also want to eat tomato meatball soup, Sichuan pepper fish fillets, crab meat lion's head meatballs..."
As Shen Jizhao listened to her list of dishes, he couldn't help but chuckle and tease her, his eyes full of doting: "You really can eat a lot."
The dinner took two hours to prepare, and by the time he finished, Jiang Shuifu had already taken a nap.
After picking a few pomegranate blossoms in the yard, her hands got tired, and she immediately gave up and went back to her room.
Dinner's ready!
She had just sat down at the stone table when Weiwei ran back from outside right on time, took a stone chair, and joined them for the meal.
In an instant, a scene of abundant and peaceful dining unfolded.
The woman stared at the steamed pomegranate cakes, unable to tear her eyes away. They were plump, beautiful, and golden in color. She picked one up but couldn't bear to eat it. After admiring it for a long time, she finally took a bite. To her surprise, the taste was incredibly soft, sweet, and delicious.
He made all sorts of fillings, and she tried them all.
Garlic pomegranate blossoms are also delicious, very fresh and fragrant. The slightly sour and sweet taste of the pomegranate blossoms combined with the strong garlic flavor makes them extremely appetizing.
The man watched her intently, admiring her hearty meal, occasionally moving her plate aside, his smile growing wider and wider.
Watching your loved one eat, especially when it's something you've cooked yourself, is incredibly appetizing, satisfying, and a truly blissful experience.
He unconsciously ate a few more bites of rice.
On the other side, a maid was feeding a fox. The fox didn't want to be fed, so it pretended to scratch her with its paws, then jumped down and spun around, biting the meat and jumping, kicking here and there, never stopping for a moment.
Seeing this, the man would occasionally stroke its fur, while listening to the woman's laughter as she ate and drank her fill.
This scene is so unpleasant.
.
Before going to sleep that night, Shen Jizhao knocked on her door, not needing her to let him in, but simply asking:
"Tomorrow I want to take you somewhere, and bring Weiwei with me. Will you agree?"
After a long while, the woman inside finally had a moment to agree to his request. She was engrossed in reading her storybook and just wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible.
The next day, Jiang Shuifu got up very early, and wontons appeared in front of her right on time.
Looking at the wontons in front of her, she suddenly remembered what the old lady had said, which he had specially learned. However, she still ate with relish and without any guilt.
She had to admit that she had to look at him in a new light; it turned out that the noble Crown Prince really did resemble a master chef when he got serious.
"Shen Jizhao, why don't you open a restaurant?"
The man immediately shook his head, unwilling.
"That's true. What kind of status does he have? He's the Crown Prince. He wouldn't do something so degrading," she pouted.
Shen Jizhao's words suddenly appeared again, explaining, "I am willing to be your cook all by myself."
Jiang Shuifu: ······
"I don't need a cook."
Strangely, Shen Jizhao took her not to a market, but to a mountain forest.
He led a horse to her: "Get on the horse. We'll be hunting together today. I've heard your riding skills are superb. I'd like to test them out."
Jiang Shuifu stared at him in shock; he had actually brought her horseback riding.
He had never liked women wielding weapons, yet he would take the initiative to lead her in doing such a thing.
She scoffed at him: "I'm not going to compete with you! I'll shoot mine, you shoot yours, let's keep to ourselves!"
Under the influence of Shen Ji Zhao Ying, whatever she says becomes law.
Jiang Shuifu didn't even glance at him, and led the way on horseback. With a spur of her legs, the horse instantly took flight, looking incredibly dashing.
Her long, black hair cascaded down her back, flowing smoothly yet powerfully, creating ripples. Her body undulated rhythmically, exuding a wild and unrestrained beauty, a beauty born of tenacious growth.
The man standing there stared at her retreating figure, lost in thought.
He had never seen Jiang Shuifu on horseback before, nor had he ever seen her so radiant and full of energy.
On horseback, she was the most passionate and joyful woman he had ever seen, more dazzling than the blazing sun.
He felt a pang of regret, regretting that he hadn't experienced her passion and joy sooner.
But now, she enjoys riding horses, and he enjoys watching her ride.
He caught up with her, keeping a respectful distance while gazing at her with undisguised admiration. He was astonished by her exceptional riding skills.
Before long, the woman on horseback shot a wild deer. The deer was extremely fast, yet she hit it with a single arrow, demonstrating her true skill.
She continued running forward and encountered a piglet. She nocked another arrow, narrowed her eyes, and shot, hitting the target again.
She smiled happily, her eyes sparkling, and she was incredibly vibrant and lively. When she spotted her prey, her eyes turned slightly wicked; she raised the corners of her eyes, fluttered her eyelashes, aimed, and shot.
Like a cunning fox radiating golden light, it captivates the eye, making it impossible to look away for even a moment.
Shen Jizhao followed behind her, taking in all her ruthless determination, her unerring arrogance, and her carefree joy. The corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up again and again.
It turns out she has such a bold and flamboyant side.
He suddenly realized that he didn't understand her.
He had always thought she was a clingy, spoiled woman.
She never showed her true self to him.
However, he blamed himself, for it was all his own doing. He had personally extinguished her joy and vitality, trapping her in a magnificent cage.
And he was the master of this cage, pressing her down so she couldn't breathe.
Shen Jizhao suddenly lost the courage to continue following her; he felt he was unworthy.
But he still followed her, silently eliminating any potential dangers and protecting her.
After the hunt, Jiang Shuifu ran across most of the mountain until sunset, when the golden afterglow of the setting sun poured down, covering the woman covered in layers of sweat.
Shen Jizhao approached her step by step from behind, took out a handkerchief and offered it to her to wipe her face. She took it and wiped her face a few times.
The man behind her wrapped his arms around her neck, but she was so engrossed in the pleasure of the end of the horseback ride that she didn't notice. It wasn't until she felt a slight coolness that she subconsciously turned her head and looked down.
He had simply tied up her hair and spread it behind her to relieve her heat.
At this moment, Weiwei, who had run off into the woods as soon as it entered, returned. It seemed tireless, its eyes still shining brightly after running for so long, and it was full of energy.
Shen Jizhao stroked it one last time and combed its fur.
Jiang Shuifu lowered her eyes, and they happened to meet. He began to examine himself all at once:
“I remember when we were hunting, you said you wanted to ride a horse, but I refused you without hesitation. At that time, I thought that as the Crown Princess, you should abide by the rules and know when to advance and retreat. But now, I feel that I was terribly wrong. You are not the Crown Princess, but Jiang Shuifu. You are only married to me, Chen Jizhao. You have things you like, and you have sources of joy, not cold dogmas and etiquette. I apologize for all my past actions of binding you with rules. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that.”
His words were sincere, and she listened in a daze. The past was brought up again, mixed with his apology. She remained outwardly calm, but in reality, she couldn't help but feel a little heavy-hearted.
His apology was actually useless, but it was still necessary.
He looked away and stared at Weiwei:
"Weiwei is a creature of nature. It loves the vast sky, forests, and plains. It yearns for freedom and unrestrained living. So, today, I brought it here to say a final goodbye to it with you."
He's going to let it go.
She was startled, then nodded. Weiwei was indeed much better. It often ran out and didn't come back until very late. It was time to let it go.
It may return to the jungle, carefree and happy, just as it was when they first met it.
She gave it one last hug, and it seemed to understand something, nuzzling against her.
Then it walked to Shen Jizhao's feet, stretched out its claws, jumped up and grabbed his arm.
As always, he scratched out a bloody mark.
Its eyes were extremely smug, as if telling him that it would not forget the time he had hurt it, that it held a grudge, and that in the end, it was still the one who was more powerful.
Shen Jizhao smiled helplessly, tossed it aside, and it ran away incredibly fast.
Just before it disappeared from their sight, it turned back and glanced at them.
Jiang Shuifu smiled and waved, and Shen Jizhao turned his back on her. If he was going to leave, he should leave decisively.
Jiang Shuifu was genuinely happy for Weiwei. It was free and could live its original life again. Finally, she no longer owed it anything.
Looking at her smile, so genuine, so sincere, so full of longing and envy, Shen Jizhao suddenly made the decision he had always been unable to bring himself to make.
He solemnly called her name:
“Jiang Shuifu, I’m willing to end our bet early. From now on, we will have no connection or entanglement. You can leave, you can be free, I’ll let go. I hope you’re happy… not just today.”
I hope that every day from now on she can be as genuinely happy as she is today, and that her radiant smile can shine from the bottom of her heart.
He will bless her and protect her from where she cannot see him.
After that, she was just Jiang Shuifu, no longer his ex-wife, no longer the person he was desperately pursuing, and he no longer treated her as his possession, nor would he call her "Shuifu" so intimately or without any sense of propriety.
She is simply herself.
Mountains may be high and rivers may be long, but for him and her, this may be the end of their lives.
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Author's Note: Chen Gouzi (dejected and sorrowful): This life ends here. [crying][crying]
Benda: Just beg me, and I'll make the decisions. [eating melon seeds][eating melon seeds]
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