¡°I¡¯ll give him one of your clothes from time to time during his afternoon nap. It¡¯ll be the same tonight.¡±
He seemed to have made up his mind.
Yue Jiaojiao didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. ¡°Zhao Zhan, he¡¯s only five months old.¡±
¡°In a few months, he¡¯ll be able to crawl and walk.¡± Zhao Zhan hugged his lover tightly and couldn¡¯t help but think. ¡°After the new year, should I bring him around the mountain?¡±
¡°Forget it. Spring wille soon after the new year. We¡¯ll go to Shangjing then.
¡°It¡¯ll take at least three months to get to Shangjing from here,¡± Zhao Zhan said as he calcted the time. ¡°Zhao Nian will be a year old by then.¡±
¡°Traveling is the best way to train a person¡¯s mentality. I think Zhao Nian can have his own room by the time we reach Shangjing.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao silently swallowed the words that were supposed to be a blow to him.
The atmosphere in the room was broken by Madam Qin¡¯s voice.
Zhao Zhan hugged Yue Jiaojiao tightly and buried his head in her shoulder, letting out a long sigh. It was rare for him to be so obviously disappointed.
Yue Jiaojiao held back herughter and pushed him away. ¡°Hurry and open the door for Madam Qin. She must be back to let us know that Zhao Nian is awake after she carried Ningning to Fang Tianliu.¡±
Zhao Zhan hugged her even tighter and took two deep breaths before he got up and opened the door.
Madam Qin looked at his expressionless face and shoved Zhao Nian into his arms. ¡°Zhao Nian is awake. Mydy should feed him now. If he cries, you¡¯ll have to sleep in the side room again tonight.¡±
Zhao Zhan¡¯s face darkened. He held onto Zhao Nian and lowered his head to look at him without blinking. The little guy felt his gaze and looked up at him with a silly smile.
¡°When will you stop pestering your mother?¡± Although Zhao Zhan said that, he did not use any more strength in his grip. ¡°You¡¯re such a troublesome fellow.¡±
Zhao Nian saw Yue Jiaojiao. He was so excited that he kept moving in his arms, asking for Yue Jiaojiao to hug him. He stomped on Zhao Zhan¡¯s chest repeatedly to be let go.
¡°Is that the only thing you can eat?¡± Zhao Zhan let out a long sigh and ced him in Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s arms. He then moved a stool from the side and ced it under Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s feet. ¡°When can you return your mother to me?¡±
Zhao Nian, who had sessfully snuggled into Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s arms, only revealed the back of his head to the other man.
Zhao Zhan didn¡¯t dare to fight with him.
Previously, when Zhao Nian bit Yue Jiaojiao and caused his lover to feel pain, Zhao Zhan had held her in his arms and righteously taught the little fellow a lesson.
In the end, Zhao Nian never forgot. When he stays too long with Zhao Zhan, he will cry until his entire body turns red. That night, Zhao Zhan slept in the side room.
The little guy cried his eyes out as he stood beside Yue Jiaojiao, dering his ownership.
¡°He¡¯ll be able to eat some porridge and eggs next month.¡±
Zhao Zhan took out a book from the table next to him and flipped to the page where Yue Jiaojiao was reading. He held it up for her to see.
before we leave for Shangjing, you don¡¯t have to feed him yourself anymore. Zhao Zhan noticed that his lover had finished reading and carefully turned the page. ¡°I¡¯ll make his meal when the timees.¡±
He could tell that as long as Zhao Nian ate and slept well, he would not stick to Yue Jiaojiao so much.
¡°When the timees, I¡¯ll be the one feeding him. If I make him angry, he won¡¯t deliberately remember.¡±
Zhao Nian had inherited Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s sensitivity and cleverness. However, the only way he could express himself now was through crying.
This father and son¡¯s daily life in the future would probably be a battle of wits and courage.
Yue Jiaojiao couldn¡¯t be bothered to get involved in the matters between the two boys. After all, Zhao Zhan was only a little fierce with his words, but in reality, he was more protective of Zhao Nian than anyone else.
After Zhao Nian was full, Yue Jiaojiao ced him on the bed.
Zhao Zhan put away the book and went over to wipe him, then changed him into a set of clean inner clothes. He then threw him a tiger doll for him to y with.
¡°Zhao Zhan, why do you think Xiangjun suddenly married someone from Bei City?¡±
¡°Xiangjun and Fang Tianliu have reconciled. Does that mean that there¡¯s an exnation for what happened in the past?¡±
Yue Jiaojiao had always been very curious about this matter.
¡°We¡¯ll ask Fang Tianliuter.¡± Zhao Zhan did not mind not knowing, but if his lover wanted to know, he would follow suit. ¡°If Xiangjun really has any grievances, we can¡¯t let Fang Tianliu do anything that will hurt others and himself on his own.¡±
From the beginning to the end, Li Xiangjun was the only person Fang Tianliu had ever loved.
If Fang Tianliu found out about Li Xiangjun¡¯s encounter, it was hard to guarantee that he wouldn¡¯t be impulsive and do something irrational.
Chapter 379 - 379 The Truth (Part 1)
379 The Truth (Part 1)
Li Xiangjun¡¯s arms didn¡¯t have the strength to hold the child, so Fang Tianliu took Ningning from Madam Qin¡¯s arms instead.
¡°Xiangjun, look.¡± Fang Tianliu carefully pulled down the child¡¯s swaddling clothes, revealing the child¡¯s face. ¡°Madam Qin and the others all say that this child looks like you. Look at how beautiful she is.¡±
Li Xiangjun looked at her and couldn¡¯t bear to look away.
¡°She¡¯s so thin, so small, and a little pale.¡± Li Xiangjun¡¯s eyes moved down from the child¡¯s forehead. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. My body isn¡¯t in good condition, so she¡¯s so thin and small. However, I feel that this child looks like you instead.¡± Li Xiangjun reached out her finger and touched her nose carefully. ¡°Look at her nose and mouth, don¡¯t they look like yours?¡±
!!
¡°No way, I¡¯m not as pretty as her.¡±
Fang Lioning, who was in Fang Tianliu¡¯s arms, yawned and slowly opened her eyes. She had grown up in Li Miao¡¯s arms and slept beside her at night. She was not familiar with Fang Tianliu and Li Xiangjun¡¯s smells. She had just woken up and was hungry. She couldn¡¯t find anything to eat, so she pouted and started crying.
Fang Tianliu was flustered.
¡°Tianliu, carry her to me and put her on myp. I¡¯ll use my hands to protect her and won¡¯t let her fall.¡±
Fang Tianliu looked at Li Xiangjun hesitantly.
¡°Look at her, her face is red from crying.¡± Li Xiangjun was anxious. ¡°I need to soothe her.¡±
¡°Why don¡¯t we¡ We can send her to Li Miao instead? She¡¯s used to her. ¡±
Li Xiangjun seemed to have been sshed with a basin of cold water.
Fang Tianliu realized that he had said something wrong and quickly ced the child on herp. He stretched out his hands to protect her from falling down. ¡°I¡¯m just worried about your body, it wasn¡¯t meant in any other way.¡±
Li Xiangjun was careful.
Luoning was so small. Her face had grown a little chubbier, butpared to Zhao Nian, who was one month old, she was a whole rock smaller.
¡°Don¡¯t cry¡¡±
She was self-taught and patted the child¡¯s back with a gentle expression.
Fang Luoning¡¯s head turned in all directions, then she buried herself in Li Xiangjun¡¯s arms.
¡°Is she hungry?¡± Li Xiangjun finally reacted.¡±Why don¡¯t we¡ It¡¯s better to give her to Li Miao and let her eat soon.¡±
As soon as she finished speaking, Luoning stopped crying.
Li Xiangjun hurriedly carried the child in her arms. Fang Tianliu was afraid that she would tire her arms out, so he also reached out to hold her.
¡°She smiled.¡±
Li Xiangjun looked at her andughed.
She had been unconscious for a while, so her clothes were light and close-fitting. When she lowered her head, the skin on her neck was clearly exposed.
The wounds were still terrifying.
Fang Tianliu¡¯s eyes subconsciously drifted over.
¡°I scalded these scars myself.¡± Li Xiangjun noticed that he didn¡¯t avoid his gaze. Her eyes were fixed on the child¡¯s face without looking up. She was still a little afraid of sharing about her past.
¡°Back then, I was married into the Lin family.¡±
Fang Tianliu raised his eyes in shock.
¡°The Lin family?¡±
The Lin family that was based in Bei City were¡
¡°Xiangjun, were you forced to do that?¡±
¡°I wasn¡¯t forced.¡± Li Xiangjun shook her head. Her eyes fell on Luoning with a nk look. ¡°It was my choice.¡±
¡°When I first arrived in Bei City, I found out that I was pregnant.¡± Li Xiangjun thought of the pain when she was injured and her eyes shrank.
¡°My soon to be husband did not really like me. I knew that he could not tolerate women being injured, so I got injured when I argued with him.
¡°I wanted to injure my forehead, but I forgot how strong I was and knocked over the teapot on the table.
¡°It was a good thing that I had my head down at that time, so the hot water didn¡¯t ssh all over my face.¡±
¡°So, you broke up with me because that guy forced you to marry him?¡±
Li Xiangjun shook her head again.
Fang Tianliu controlled his temper, afraid that he would hurt her again if he spoke louder. ¡°What did he use to threaten you?¡±
Thinking about how Li Xiangjun had not mentioned Manager Li¡¯s existence until now, Fang Tianliu could not help but me him.
¡°Was it because of Manager Lin?¡±
¡°Yes, my father was the one that sold me off.¡±
Li Xiangjun still felt indignant when she mentioned what her father had done. ¡°Even now, I still don¡¯t know what he has against my father.¡±
¡°My father made a contract in private and sold me off to him. At that time, I thought that my father and that person were conspiring to¡¡±
Chapter 380 - 380 The Truth (Part 2)
380 The Truth (Part 2)
Thetter part of her sentence was too painful to say. Even now, Li Xiangjun could not say it out loud. ¡°Anyways, I had no choice and no other way to survive. Once I reached Bei City, on my wedding night, I decided to die together with him. That would be revenge for your parents. After what my father did, I was too ashamed to see you, but I always want to do something for you.¡±
Fang Tianliu¡¯s mouth opened, but he didn¡¯t know what to say.
¡°When I was in Bei City, I identally found out that my father started getting controlled by that guy after your parents¡¯ ident.¡± Li Xiangjun finally looked up and quickly nced at Fang Tianliu before looking away. ¡°That¡¯s why I came back here. That¡¯s why I dared toe back to see you.¡±
Fang Tianliu had never thought that the truth of the matter would be soplicated.
!!
¡°Xiangjun¡¡±
Fang Tianliu opened his mouth and raised his hand to touch the wound on Li Xiangjun¡¯s neck.
Li Xiangjun shivered.
Luoning, who was in her arms, thought that her mother was ying with her andughed along, breaking the stagnant atmosphere in the room.
Fang Tianliu lowered his eyes to look at Luoning.
¡°This whole time¡ I¡¯m sorry to have wronged you.¡±
¡°That Lin guy is a bad man.¡± Fang Tianliu seemed to be boiling with rage. ¡°Xiangjun, how did youe back from Bei City?¡±
¡°After I was injured, I carefully hid in my own courtyard. I didn¡¯t dare to go out casually for fear that others would find my stomach.¡±
Perhaps it was because she had just experienced a life and death situation, but Li Xiangjun was no longer filled with fear when she thought about the past.
¡°It¡¯s such a coincidence. The doctor who came to change the medicine for me was Sun Jiyan.¡±
¡°The Lin guy disliked me and didn¡¯t want to spend much on me, so he found a wandering physician to change my medicine. With Jiyan¡¯s help, I managed to escape.
¡°I left him a letter before I came out. That way, he would think that I was depressed and wanted to kill myself.¡±
Fang Tianliu¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look rxed.
He saw that Li Xiangjun was tired from talking, so he patted her shoulder and carried Luoning back. Then, he took the pillow from Li Xiangjun and helped her lie down. ¡°You must have suffered a lot on your own. You should rest for a while,¡± Fang Tianliu pulled the nket up. ¡°I¡¯ll take Ningning to Li Miao to feed her.¡±
Seeing the uneasiness in Li Xiangjun¡¯s eyes, Fang Tianliuforted her. ¡°From now on, our family of three will never be separated.¡±
¡°Really? You believe me?¡±
No matter what, she had stayed in the Lin residence for more than two months.
¡°Of course I believe you.¡± Fang Tianliu looked at her with a sincere expression. ¡°Other than the harsh words you said to me back then, I¡¯ve always believed everything you said.¡±
¡°Xiangjun, I only want you to live well.¡±
The uneasiness in Li Xiangjun¡¯s heart dissipated. She couldn¡¯t resist the attack of sleepiness and fell asleep after her mind rxed.
Fang Tianliu waited for her to fall asleep before carrying Luoning to the next room. He then turned around and went straight to the backyard.
¡°Zhao Zhan.¡±
Zhao Zhan, who was in the middle of a jealous argument with Zhao Nian, was interrupted by his name being called. His face could not help but darken.
¡°Zhao Zhan, did something happen to Xiangjun?¡±
Zhao Zhan pulled his lover into his arms, then stood up and walked out of the door. ¡°Is there an emergency?¡±
When Fang Tianliu saw Zhao Zhan, he pulled him to sit under the pavilion in the courtyard. He quickly summarized what Li Xiangjun had told him. ¡°Xiangjun and Lin have signed a marriage contract.¡±
Zhao Zhan¡¯s expression also turned grave.
¡°But¡ Did she write a divorce letter?¡±
They didn¡¯t separate, nor did they abandon each other.
Li Xiangjun was still considered Madam Lin.
Fang Tianliu¡¯s eyes darkened, ¡°That man is full of cunning tricks. I suspect that he knows everything that Xiangjun has done.
¡°If he goes and reports Xiangjun¡¯s illicit affair, ording to thews of our court, she will be forced to drown.¡±
Fang Tianliu¡¯s face was filled with worry, and he was at his wit¡¯s end.
¡°What do you think I should do? Ningning is my child. I won¡¯t give up. Xiangjun married that man because he pulled many despicable strings.¡±
The more Fang Tianliu spoke, the angrier he got, but his tone was still firm. ¡°I won¡¯t let go of the mother and daughter.¡±
¡°So that man surnamed Lin is in Shangjing now?¡±
¡°He first harmed my family and then forced Xiangjun to marry him.¡± Fang Tianliu¡¯s eyes were filled with hatred, ¡°I want him dead!¡±
Chapter 381 - 381 The Truth (Part 3)
381 The Truth (Part 3)
Zhao Zhan could understand Fang Tianliu¡¯s thoughts. As a man, he too had grudges towards the people that had wronged his lover.
¡°We can¡¯t do anything that will vite thew. Did you manage to get any information while you were out? When we get to Shangjing, we¡¯ll find a way to hand him over to the court. Once we find something that can gain us the upper hand, we can let him be escorted to the authorities. When the timees, he won¡¯t be able to get himself out of the situation no matter what scheme he pulls.¡±
This fellow had done all sorts of evil things. It was getting more ridiculous by day.
¡°What¡¯s more, this matter actually has some sort of rtion to me. If I hadn¡¯t schemed to detain Lin Yuanxu, I¡¯m assuming that we wouldn¡¯t have been targeted by the people from the Lin family.¡±
!!
¡°Zhao Zhan, this has nothing to do with you.¡± Fang Tianliu had stayed in Bei City for a long time, and it was not without any gains.
¡°Lin Yuanxu is a person who is very far from this other man with the surname Lin. Even without Lin Yuanxu, he would not have let the Fang family off.¡±
¡°No matter what, he poses a big threat to us. If he colludes with Shangyu, whether it is directed towards Miss Li, Jiaojiao, me, or you, we will definitely be stopped.¡±
These people were making them feel like they were getting stuck between a rock and a hard ce. It was getting more annoying to deal with them.
¡°Zhao Zhan, I¡¯ve made up my mind about something. After Xiangjun got stronger, I originally nned for the three of us to stay in Willow Vige and guard the yard and workshop for you. Now that things havee to this, I have decided that I must go to Shangjing with you.¡±
The workshop business had firmly taken control of Huai County and Bei City.
He didn¡¯t have enough trusted aides around him, so he only sent the soybean paste and seasoning to Bei City.
Zhao Zhan was very famous in Huai County and even Hekou County. He was fair in his work, had new ideas, and the quality of his items was very reliable and trustworthy.
Anyone who had dealt with Zhao Zhan only had great praises for him and nothing else.
¡°I understand, we¡¯ll set off in the spring.¡±
Chapter 382 - 382 Shangjing (Part 1)
382 Shangjing (Part 1)
It was the beginning of spring.
His trip to Shangjing had already been prepared. Zhao Zhan found the caravan from Huai County and set the departure date for seven days.
¡°Doctor Sun¡¡±
A nket was ced in Doctor Sun¡¯s courtyard. Yue Jiaojiao ced Zhao Nian on top of it and ced a little tiger toy beside him so that he could y with it.
¡°It¡¯s spring, and the ground is cold.¡± Doctor Sun was so focused on processing the medicinal herbs that he did not even lift his head. ¡°Put Zhao Nian on top, be careful not to let his stomach freeze.¡±
¡°I stuffed an extra piece of cotton cloth into his stomach.¡± Yue Jiaojiao sat opposite Doctor Sun and helped him up.
¡°Put that down,¡± Doctor Sun took the medicinal herbs from her hand. ¡°Your hands are not as nimble as Zhao Zhan¡¯s. Don¡¯t damage my precious medicinal herbs.¡±
¡°Doctor Sun, pleasee with us to Shangjing.¡±
¡°Why should I go? What kind of ce is Shangjing? It sounds like a dangerous ce.¡± Doctor Sun would always get into a bad mood whenever Shangjing was mentioned. ¡°I don¡¯t even want to stay in Hekou County, so why would I want to go to Shangjing with you? ¡±
¡°Without you, what would Zhao Nian do?¡±
Yue Jiaojiao pointed at Zhao Nian, who was happily crawling on the mat. ¡°Look, he¡¯s about to learn how to walk. It¡¯s normal for him to bump into something. What if we can¡¯t limatize to the environment after we get to Shangjing? Without you, what are we going to do when something happens?¡±
¡°There are many good doctors in Shangjing, you won¡¯t need me.¡±
Doctor Sun¡¯s will was firm and unwavering. ¡°If you leave, This house will be empty. Are you not going to let me stay here?¡±
¡°Doctor Sun, I can¡¯t go to Shangjing with peace of mind if you stay in Willow Vige alone.¡±
Although Doctor Sun¡¯s body looked healthy, he was, after all, old.
She didn¡¯t know when they would return from their trip to the capital, so Yue Jiaojiao couldn¡¯t be at ease leaving Doctor Sun alone in Willow Vige.
¡°Look at what this is.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao ced a piece of paper in front of Doctor Sun. ¡°Please take a closer look.¡±
Doctor Sun finally put down the medicinal herbs in his hand and turned to look at the paper in front of him.
On the paper was the structure of a house, one of which was circled.
¡°This is the ce we prepared for you.¡±
¡°This house was prepared by Zhao Zhan¡¯s rtives. We will stay here for a while after we go to Shangjing. When we have established ourselves in Shangjing, we will buy a new property. They¡¯ve even cleaned up this small courtyard for you.
¡°When Sun Jiyan came to bid farewell before the new year, Zhao Zhan specially asked him to go to Shangjing to renovate the house. The door to this small courtyard was reopened, and the floor tiles in the courtyard were pried up to create a separate medicine garden for you.
¡°And in this room, the medicine rack has already been prepared for you. There¡¯s a separate side door here for you as well.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao tried her best to exin in detail. ¡°When youe out from this side door there¡¯s a medicine hall opposite of you. If you have nothing to do, you can go in and take a look.¡±
¡°Medicine Hall?¡±
Doctor Sun picked up the drawing and took a close look at it, then looked up at Yue Jiaojiao.
¡°This house is so close to the medicine hall, so there¡¯s even less need for me to be there, right?¡±
Yue Jiaojiao saw that he was tempted but still did not relent. She picked up Zhao Nian, who was eating the little tiger , and stuffed him into Doctor Sun¡¯s arms.
¡°Can you bear to part with Zhao Nian? And also Luoning, the child you saved. She still hasn¡¯t recovered from her congenital deficiency. Are you not worried about her?
¡°Shangjing is such a scary ce. I¡¯m worried if a doctor from outside is invited to our house¡¡±
Doctor Sun looked at Zhao Nian, who was struggling.
The weather was getting cold, and the little guy could not go out. He stayed at home all day, and his skin became even fairer from it.
Doctor Sun hugged him, worried that the calluses on his hands would scratch his tender little face.
Zhao Nian raised his head and looked at Doctor Sun, who was grinning happily. Then, he grabbed Doctor Sun¡¯s beard and pulled it down.
¡°Fine, fine.¡± Doctor Sunughed in pain from being pulled. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. Jiyan just so happened to send a letter a few days ago that he¡¯s not far from Shangjing. I¡¯ll go to Shangjing to see him while I¡¯m here.¡±
¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯re willing toe with us.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao tried her best to persuade Doctor Sun for a long time before he finally relented.
¡°Then, please look after Zhao Nian. I¡¯ll have Zhao Zhane over to help you pack your things.¡±
Doctor Sun waved his hand, urging Yue Jiaojiao to leave quickly.
Chapter 383 - 383 Shangjing (Part 2)
383 Shangjing (Part 2)
When Doctor Sun¡¯s room was tidied up, it was the day of departure.
¡°Grandmother.¡±
Zhao Zhan supported Grandma Zhang and carefully helped her into the carriage. ¡°We¡¯ve been traveling for a long time. Grandmother, if you feel ufortable, just call me and we¡¯ll stop and rest.¡±
¡°I know.¡±
!!
Although Grandma Zhang was still muddled, she asionally knew clearly that Zhao Zhan was her grandson.
¡°Zhao Zhan, you won¡¯t me us for being so thick-skinned and following you to Shangjing, right? We¡¯re only thinking that while your grandmother is still in good health, we can apany her for as long as we can.¡±
¡°What are you saying? We agreed that we would go to Bei City with you.¡±
Zhang Lingzhen patted Zhao Zhan¡¯s shoulder.
¡°Since that¡¯s the case, we won¡¯t ever mention it in the future.¡±
¡°Xiangjun, be careful.¡±
In the carriage behind them, Fang Tianliu was carrying Luoning in his arms. He used his free hand to support his lover. ¡°Although this carriage is not asfortable as the Zhao Zhan has, I¡¯ve put a soft cushion inside so you won¡¯t be hurt even if you lie down.¡±
Li Miao hurried over with two big bags in her hands. ¡°These are the clothes I¡¯ve been staying up all night to make for Luoning.¡±
Luoning was a child who grew up in her arms.
Now that they were leaving, Li Miao felt extremely sad. ¡°This child¡¯s body is weak, and her spleen and stomach are recovering. It¡¯s easy for her to get indigestion and catch a cold. It must have been hard on her to survive for this long. You¡¯ve put in a lot of effort.¡±
Li Xiangjun held Li Miao¡¯s hands. ¡°Li Miao, if it wasn¡¯t for you, Luoning wouldn¡¯t have been raised so well. We owe you a great debt of gratitude. When she is older and more sensible, I will tell her how much you have done for her.¡± Li Xiangjun released her grip and knelt down. ¡°It must have been hard on you all these days¡¡±
Luoning, who was in Fang tianliu¡¯s arms, had already reached out to Li Miao.
Li Miao wanted to hug her, but she was afraid that they would have objections, so she couldn¡¯t bear to look away from Fang Luoning¡¯s face.
¡°Come, Luoning.¡± Li Xiangjun took the child from Fang Tianliu¡¯s arms and passed it to Li Miao. ¡°Please, I insist.¡±
¡°Ah.¡±
Li Miao quickly held Luoning in her arms and held her tightly.
Zhao Zhan walked from the front to the back of the carriage and saw Doctor Sun, Zhang Lingzhen, his wife, and Grandma Zhang all sitting firmly in the carriage. He made his way to the back of the line and spoke to Fang Tianliu.
¡°It¡¯s gettingte.¡± Li Miao wiped his tears and reluctantly returned Luoning to Fang Tianliu. ¡°You should set off quickly. It¡¯s dangerous to travel in the dark.¡±
¡°Of course, I¡¯ll leave the workshop to you and Dashan.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry. Dashan and I will take care of the workshop well.¡±
¡°Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s set off, ¡°Zhao Zhan said firmly. He watched as Fang Tianliu and Li Xiangjun carried the child and sat down in the carriage. He then bade farewell to Li Miao and returned to his own carriage.
Zhao Nian was sleeping soundly on the bed that was specially made for him in the carriage. His two small hands were clenched into fists and raised above his head, looking very cute.
¡°Jiaojiao¡¡±
Zhao Zhan jumped into the carriage and naturally held Yue Jiaojiao. ¡°Do you want to sleep for a while? It¡¯s just daybreak, do you want to catch up on sleep?¡±
His lover looked tired.
When she heard Zhao Zhan¡¯s words, she naturally shrank her body down and then rested her head on Zhao Zhan¡¯sp. She hugged a pillowfortably. ¡®I¡¯m a little sleepy.¡±
As she spoke, she let out a small yawn.
¡°Then I¡¯ll pull down the curtain in the carriage.¡±
Zhao Zhan bowed and covered the curtain. He then ordered the coachman sitting on the shaft, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
Chapter 384 - 384 Collision (Part 1)
384 Collision (Part 1)
The wheels of the carriage turned as they moved forward.
As soon as they reached the vige entrance, the coachman pulled on the rope. ¡°Sir, the road ahead is blocked.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao sat up straight. ¡°Is it someone from the workshop?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll go out and take a look.¡± Zhao Zhan patted the back of Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s hand, pulled open the curtain, and jumped off the carriage.
!!
¡°Zhao Zhan!¡±
Yang Lizheng was at the front, while Yang Dashan and Yang Maozhong stood on both sides. A group of people stood behind him.
¡°Hello.¡±
¡°I know you¡¯re leaving today, so I brought the vigers here to see you off.¡±
Willow Vige became the richest town in Wangshan in a single leap. Willow Vige was shining brightly. It was full of energy.
¡°Our Willow Vige is where it is today all because of you. Who would have thought that a little orphan hunter would grow up to be the backbone of Willow Vige?¡±
¡°After I leave, I¡¯ll leave the workshop to you.¡± Zhao Zhan¡¯s gaze passed through the crowd andnded on the workshop at the vige entrance. ¡°This workshop is our foundation. With it, we can grow into a stronger vige. We will definitely be back.¡±
¡°It¡¯s good you think that way. A fallen leaf returns to its roots. No matter how good the outside world is, it can¡¯t bepared to home.¡±
Yang Lizheng sighed as well, and then waved his hand.
Five or six people came over with their bags.
¡°These are just a small token of our appreciation.¡± Yang Lizheng patted the items. ¡°It¡¯s just some local specialties from our hometown. We know you don¡¯t need them, so we made them for Zhao Nian and Luoning.¡±
¡°Lizheng¡¡±
¡°You can¡¯t say no. You have so many carriages here. There¡¯s no reason you can¡¯t fit them all.¡±
Yang Lizheng had already called everyone to pile the bags on the carriage. Even if Zhao Zhan declined, he might as well not be so polite with him.
He took a step back and looked at the big guy in the distance. He cupped his fists and bowed deeply.
Yang Dashan and Yang Maozhong walked over and gave Zhao Zhan a deep hug.
¡°Everyone, take care of yourselves.¡±
Yang Lizheng lowered his head reluctantly, then raised his hand. ¡°Okay, make way for Zhao Zhan and his family.¡±
The crowd split into two sides.
Zhao Zhan cupped his hands once more before jumping into the carriage.
The coachman cracked his whip.
The carriage gradually disappeared from everyone¡¯s sight.
¡°Go to sleep.¡± Zhao Zhan found a ce to sit and patted his leg. ¡°You can rest here and sleep for a while.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao lifted the curtain of the car window and looked outside. The people of Willow Vige had already be small ck dots that gradually became unclear. ¡°I¡¯ve lived here for so long. Now that we are actually going to go to Shangjing, I really can¡¯t bear to leave.¡±
¡°In the future, if you¡¯re tired of living in Shangjing, we can alwayse back here again.¡± Zhao Zhan leaned over and put his arm around his lover¡¯s waist, looking out with her. ¡°Or, we could always find a house on the outskirts of Shangjing, or at the foot of the mountain.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao leaned backfortably, her whole body snuggling into Zhao Zhan¡¯s embrace. ¡°I wonder if the streets of the capital will be easy to stroll around.¡±
¡°It should be better than Huai County. When we get to Shangjing, we¡¯ll take some rest and then we¡¯ll take some money out and go out for a walk.¡±
Willow Vige had already been left far behind.
Yue Jiaojiao retracted her body from the carriage.
Zhao Zhan naturally sat up again and pulled Yue Jiaojiao into hisp. He patted his lover¡¯s back in a natural and regr manner. He kept his eyes on Zhao Nian so that he wouldn¡¯t lean against the bed to block her breath when she was sleeping.
¡
The city gate of Shangjing was much more magnificent than that of Hekou County.
Yue Jiaojiao had already noticed its presence when it was still far away from her.
It was towering and firm, like the most ancient and loyal fortress, standing firmly on the ground.
¡°We¡¯ve finally arrived.¡±
Even Yue Jiaojiao, who usually had a gentle personality and rarely had violent fluctuations, could not hide her excitement. She patted Zhao Zhan excitedly and said, ¡°Zhao Zhan, look, we¡¯re here!¡±
From Willow Vige to Shangjing, the two-month journey took them nearly four months.
Although they traveled very slowly, the hardships of the journey still could not be alleviated.
¡°It¡¯s been a long journey for you.¡± Zhao Zhan looked at his lover¡¯s thin face and could not hide his heartache. ¡°The house has been cleaned up. Let¡¯s go and settle down first. You should have a good rest.¡±
Zhao Nian was only wearing a one-piece suit with its sleeves and trouser legs cut off, revealing his chubby limbs.
He was almost 11 months old, so he had to learn how to call them Father and Mother.
At this time, it was extremely hot outside, and Yue Jiaojiao didn¡¯t wear her outer clothes when she was in the carriage.
Chapter 385 - 385 Collision (Part 2)
385 Collision (Part 2)
¡°Mama!¡±
Zhao Nian, don¡¯te over and stick to me. Yue Jiaojiao avoided his pounce in time. ¡°I¡¯ll get hot if you stick to me.¡±
Zhao Nian nimbly turned his head and looked at Zhao Zhan with eager eyes. ¡°Papa!¡±
Zhao Zhan held a folding fan in his hand and sat beside Yue Jiaojiao, fanning her. He then pointed to a spot not far from his feet. ¡°Sit here. You¡¯ll get some wind too.¡±
!!
Zhao Nian crawled over and gave his father a fawning smile. Then, he sat down and reached out his chubby hand to pull on Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s skirt.
¡°Don¡¯t pull on your mother;s clothes.¡± Zhao Zhan stuffed a little tiger into his hands. ¡°Hold this.¡±
Zhao Nian lowered his head and looked at it for a long time. Then, he threw the little tiger to the side.
¡°Sir, we¡¯re reaching the city gate,¡± the driver¡¯s voice came from outside. ¡°The officer at the city gate wants to check the travel pass and household registration.¡±
¡°Okay, let¡¯s stop for now. Go and inform the people in the carriage behind us to get ready.¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
The carriage stopped.
Zhao Zhan put down the folding fan in his hand, picked up Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s outer robe, and helped her put it on. Then, he took out the household registration and travel pass from the drawer on the side of the carriage and checked them. After that, he held Zhao Nian in his arms.
Their carriage was following behind the caravan.
¡°Jiaojiao, you stay in the carriage with Zhao Nian. I¡¯ll go down and stand next to the carriage. I¡¯ll handle the situation.¡±
¡°Alright, pass me Zhao Nian.¡±
Zhao Zhan pinched Zhao Nian¡¯s face. ¡°Be good and listen to your mother. Don¡¯t make a fuss.¡±
Themotion at the city gate had already reached the carriage.
Yue Jiaojiao pulled down the carriage¡¯s curtain, feeling a little nervous for some reason.
In their team, there was her, who had been dered dead in Yang City, and Li Xiangjun, who ran away and eloped with someone.
The guards at the gate of Shangjing were so strict that even flies couldn¡¯t fly in.
¡°Stop!¡±
The bailiff¡¯s chiding could be heard in the carriage.
Not only was Zhao Nian not afraid, but he also struggled to crawl out and watch the show.
¡°Zhao Nian, I¡¯ll apany you for a stroll once we¡¯re in the city. Stay still.¡±
¡°Officer, we¡¯re from Yongnian Caravan. We¡¯re all acquaintances here.¡± The coachman was a member of the caravan. As he spoke, he took out a purse from his pocket and handed it to the servant who hade to check. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard guarding the door. This is just a small token of respect.¡±
¡°Hmm.¡± the bailiff replied coldly as he put the pouch into his pocket. He then pushed the coachman aside and said,¡±Whoever is in the carriage, take out your household registration and travel pass for inspection.¡±
¡°My wife and my child are in the car.¡± Zhao Zhan took the initiative to open the curtain for him to take a look and then handed him the things. ¡°Here are the household registration and travel passes for the three of us. Please check them.¡±
Chapter 386 - 386 Curious (Part 1)
386 Curious (Part 1)
¡°Your wife?¡±
The bailiff took the item and nced at it, then looked into the carriage.
Yue Jiaojiao hugged Zhao Nian and nodded at them graciously. Then, she lowered her eyes and wiped Zhao Nian¡¯s drool with a handkerchief.
¡°Alright.¡± The bailiff returned the item to Zhao Zhan. ¡°Next!¡±
!!
Zhao Zhan knocked on the carriage wall to give Yue Jiaojiao a signal, then followed behind the bailiff, apanying him to inspect the Zhang family and Fang tianliu¡¯s carriages.
¡°Move!¡± He shouted.
¡°Those in front, move aside! My horse is startled!¡±
A shrill voice came from behind. Zhao Nian, who was hiding in Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s arms, struggled to pull open the curtain and look outside.
Yue Jiaojiao hugged Zhao Nian tightly and lifted the curtain to look outside.
It was a girl in a red dress, and the horse under her seemed to have gone crazy.
¡°Move!¡±
The bailiff stuffed the travel pass and household registration back to Zhao Zhan and shouted, ¡°Quick, pull the reins! Don¡¯t make any noise under the emperor¡¯s feet!¡±
Zhao Zhan hurriedly turned his head to look at Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s carriage. Then, he stuffed the three Zhang family members¡¯ household registration and travel passes into his arms and kept them properly. He quickly ran to Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s carriage, ced his knuckles to his lips, and blew hard.
There was a long howl.
The horse raised its hooves.
Zhao Zhan¡¯s brows were tightly furrowed, but he did not rx at all.
The raging horse only stopped for a moment before it charged towards Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s carriage like a madman.
Because they were about to enter Shangjing, Zhao Zhan¡¯s bow and arrow dagger were hidden in the carriage.
In the carriage, Zhao Nian was pping his hands. Yue Jiaojiao was already in front of the carriage door. ¡°Zhao Zhan, I¡¯ll bring Zhao Nian down to hide.¡±
¡°Jiaojiao, stay in the car and don¡¯t move.¡±
Zhao Zhan leaped forward and firmly blocked the carriage behind him. He took the opportunity to pull the woman off the horse and push her to the side. He nced at her from the corner of his eye and saw that she was not injured. He grabbed the horse¡¯s cor tightly and tiptoed to ride on the horse.
Yue Jiaojiao kept her voice down, afraid that her shouting would distract Zhao Zhan.
Zhao Zhan¡¯s legs tightened around the horse¡¯s belly, holding it in ce.
Several bailiffs took advantage of this moment to pull out the long swords at their waists and rush to stab the horse.
¡°My horse!¡±
Thedy who had been pushed aside by Zhao Zhan saw that her horse was bleeding and rushed forward to pounce on it. ¡°My horse is dying! Why are you doing this?¡±
One of the bailiffs ced the long sword in his hand on the girl¡¯s neck. ¡°If you dare to shout again, I¡¯ll take you to jail and charge you with the crime of disrupting the city gate!¡±
The horse fell to the ground with a loud crash, and Zhao Zhan made a detour. He lowered his head to look at the bloodstains on his body and was about to walk towards the carriage that Yue Jiaojiao was in.
¡°Sir! You can¡¯t punish me! Isn¡¯t he fine now? I¡¯m not talking about you guys, I¡¯m talking about him! My horse was about to die just now. If he hadn¡¯t suddenly rushed out, my horse wouldn¡¯t have died! Please, let me go!¡±
Zhao Zhan stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her, his eyes cold. The girl¡¯s voice went silent. She felt the sword on her neck move away and got up, running toward Zhao Zhan.
¡°You- Stop!¡±
Zhao Zhan had already strode to the front of the carriage. He lifted the curtain of the window and looked at Yue Jiaojiao with a face full of concern. ¡°Did you get a shock just now? It¡¯s just a crazy horse, it¡¯s already been dealt with.¡±
Seeing that Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s gaze had shifted to the bloodstains on his clothes, Zhao Zhan hurriedly consoled her, ¡°It¡¯s alright. This belongs to that horse. I¡¯m not injured.¡±
¡°Hey! I¡¯m talking to you!¡±
A gust of wind came from behind. Zhao Zhan dodged to the side, avoiding her hand.
¡°Youngdy, if I didn¡¯t stop you in time, your horse would have hurt my wife. If my wife was frightened or knocked by your horse, how would youpensate us?¡±
¡°I¡ My horse was good! Now my horse is dead! How am I supposed to enter the city?¡±
Zhao Zhan¡¯s brows were tightly knitted.
This girl¡¯s constant chattering was really annoying.
¡°How you enter the city is your business,¡± Zhao Zhan said as he sat on the shaft of the carriage and pulled the reins.
After themotion just now, the bailiff hastily checked their travel passes and household registration before waving his hand to let them pass.
¡°No! You can¡¯t leave! I can¡¯t get around without a horse.¡± she puffed out her chest and looked at Zhao Zhan. ¡°How about this? If you let me ride in your carriage, I won¡¯t ask you topensate me for my horse.¡±
Zhao Zhan nced at her and then jumped off the carriage.
¡°Jiaojiao, close the car door and don¡¯t let her in.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao swiftly locked the car door from the inside.
Chapter 387 - 387 Curious (Part 2)
387 Curious (Part 2)
¡°Officers,¡± Zhao Zhan walked over and pointed at the girl, ¡°That girl¡¯s travel pass and household registration have not been checked yet. She maliciously rode a horse at the city gate, so you should investigate it.¡±
Zhao Zhan sat on the shaft of the carriage and drove it through the city gate.
Thedy in red, who was blocked by the two bailiffs, stomped her feet as she watched the carriage leave. ¡°I, Liu Qinqin, will remember you! Once I catch you in Shangjing, it¡¯s over for you!¡±
Yue Jiaojiao peeked through the curtain to see thedy¡¯s appearance. She then pulled the curtain aside and poked Zhao Zhan¡¯s back with a yful smile. ¡°Zhao Zhan, thatdy just now was so pretty.¡±
Zhao Zhan grabbed his lover¡¯s mischievous hand and looked ahead with a serious expression. ¡°She¡¯s inferior to you in every way. No one canpare to you. We¡¯ll be at our house in another fifteen minutes. Thest time we stayed at an inn was ten days ago. We¡¯ve been eating dry food these days and haven¡¯t made anything good. I¡¯ll buy some of your favorite food and make it for youter.¡±
What had just happened was just a small interlude, and no one had taken it to heart.
Yue Jiaojiao carried Zhao Nian and sat on the shaft of the carriage with Zhao Zhan. They sized up Shangjing.
Zhao Zhan turned his head and nced at her with a gentle gaze. Then, he took out a veil from his arms and put it on her.
¡°I don¡¯t want you to be coveted by others.¡±
His lover was the treasure of the world, she was better than anyone else alive.
¡°Why are you still wearing this veil?¡±
Zhao Nian would be a year old in two months, but he could still remember this veil.
¡°Keep this, it can also block the sand.¡±
¡°Of course, its to block the wind and sand in Shangjing.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao leaned on Zhao Zhan¡¯s shoulder. Zhao Nian had already been taken over by him, and he was holding him in his arms.
Even in the more civilized Shangjing, the intimate behavior of the family of three still attracted people¡¯s attention from time to time.
Shangjing was bustling.
The roads in the city were two times the width of the streets in Hekou County.
The stalls on both sides were disying strange things, and from time to time, there would be foreign businessmen swaggering over asking to purchase some items.
Yue Jiaojiao observed the passerby¡¯s expression, but she didn¡¯t see anyone giving these foreign merchants any strange looks.
¡°Zhao Zhan, look.¡± Yue Jiaojiao excitedly poked Zhao Zhan¡¯s waist. ¡°There¡¯s a tavern from the western regions over there! There was even music inside! I want to take a look!¡±
Beautiful women, fine wine, and melodious music.
Zhao Zhan looked in the direction of his lover¡¯s finger. ¡°Then¡¡±
At the entrance of the tavern stood a girl with an enchanting figure.
¡°Look at how well she¡¯s dressed, and there¡¯s nothing wrong with her hair essories. Although her posture is a little flirtatious, the way she stands is clear. This ce is definitely not a brothel, but a wine tavern!¡±
Chapter 388 - 388 Settling Down (Part 1)
388 Settling Down (Part 1)
¡°I¡¯ll stay with you and take care of Zhao Nian tonight.¡±
Zhao Zhan had no reason not to listen to his lover¡¯s request.
The horse carriage slowly passed by the tavern. Thedy standing at the entrance of the tavern had a long veil wrapped around her arm, and it almost swept over Yue Jiaojiao, who was sitting on the outside.
Zhao Zhan pulled his lover to his side. ¡°Thisdy¡¯s method of attracting customers is very bold.¡±
Not only was Yue Jiaojiao not afraid, she even winked at thedy.
¡°We have wine from the western regions in our shop. You cane over with your husband to have a tasteter.¡±
The carriage slowly moved away. Zhao Zhan looked back. ¡°Wine?¡±
¡°Yes, wine.¡±
¡°I managed to stop Zhao Nian from breastfeeding on the way here. I can finally eat anything I want to my heart¡¯s content.¡± Yue Jiaojiao leaned on Zhao Zhan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve tasted wine. I¡¯m going to have a few good sses tonight.¡±
She wasn¡¯t a glutton.
However, the bustling Shangjing and the familiar sights made her feel a little more familiar with this ce that should have been very strange.
The house that Zhang Lingzhen had given them was located in a slightly more remote part of Shangjing.
They turned into East Street, went around a residential area, and then came to a stop.
Zhang Lingzhen helped Madam Zhang off the carriage and went to see Grandma Zhang. Then, he walked to Zhao Zhan, who was at the front. ¡°Zhao Zhan, take a good look at this manor. After the long street at the back, you¡¯ll see where the officials live. I¡¯ve been to this ce six years ago, but it¡¯s no different from before.¡±
The house was located at the entrance of an alley. There was a separate alley near the main street, so there was no need to go around the long alley or walk past other people¡¯s doors. It was very convenient.
¡°Let¡¯s go in and settle down first. I¡¯ll take this opportunity to see how the house has been renovated.¡±
Zhao Zhan took the key and opened the door.
There was a date tree in the courtyard with lush green leaves. A pavilion was built under it, and there were tables and chairs in the pavilion, creating a cool corner in the courtyard.
The house was much smaller than the one in Willow Vige.
¡°Oh, Zhao Zhan, this was done by Master Sun. He¡¯s pretty good at his craft. This house was originally a lonely courtyard, but after he changed it, even the small ce can look so neat and tidy. It doesn¡¯t seem to be crowded, and it looks very neat.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a good thing that there is this house in Shangjing, so that we can avoid having to eat and sleep in the inn.¡±
¡°This house was originally divided into a front hall and a back hall. I asked Master Sun to change this ce into an independent small courtyard.¡±
Zhao Zhan led them around the shadow wall. ¡°Behind closed doors, each room has an independent courtyard. Although the space is not big, it¡¯s morefortable to move around in your own courtyard. However, each courtyard only has one main room and one side room. I¡¯m sorry for the inconvenience.¡±
¡°What are you apologizing for?¡± Zhang Lingzhen patted Zhao Zhan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s more than enough for me.¡±
¡°That¡¯s enough, you two.¡± Madam Zhang walked up to them with a smile. ¡°We¡¯re a family, so there¡¯s no need to be so formal.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao walked up to them, ¡°We can leave the room in the South to Grandma. She¡¯s old, living in a shady ce would not be good for her health. You two can live on the East side. Zhao Zhan and I will live on the West side. We can leave the other to Tianliu and Xiangjun.¡±
¡°There¡¯s arge and a small courtyard behind these courtyards. One is for Doctor Sun, and the other is for Madam Qin.¡±
Madam Zhang nodded her head repeatedly. ¡°We¡¯ll do as you say. You¡¯ve arranged it well. Now that there are no servants around, my rtionship with my husband has gotten better. It¡¯s all thanks to the both of you taking care of us well.¡±
Zhao Zhan and Madam Qin took care of their three meals a day, and she stayed in the courtyard all day to do some embroidery work. She also took care of Zhang Lingzhen along the way, which made her heart feel more at ease than before.
¡°It is something we want to do, I¡¯ll get Madam Qin to help you clean up the yard.¡±
They had only brought one servant with them this time, who was in charge of taking care of Grandma Zhang.
As a daughter-inw, Madam Zhang had to go to Grandma Zhang¡¯s courtyard to help. It would take a long time for her to clean up her own courtyard.
¡°There¡¯s no need. Your grandmother¡¯s courtyard is easy to clean up. The servants are familiar with taking care of her.¡± Madam Zhang shook her head and refused. ¡°I¡¯ll go and help her settle down first. It¡¯ll be better for you to go back and clean up your own courtyard.¡±
Chapter 389 - 389 Settling Down (Part 2)
389 Settling Down (Part 2)
¡°You have a lot of things to take care of. We can get Madam Qin to help out in your courtyard.¡±
¡°Jiaojiao, take Madam Qin and Zhao Nian back to the courtyard. Leave the rest to me.¡±
Zhao Zhan¡¯s heart ached for Yue Jiaojiao, who had been standing in the same spot for too long. He took over the conversation and asked her to bring Zhao Nian back to the courtyard.
After Fang Tianliu found out where he was staying, he brought Li Xiangjun and Luoning over to settle down.
As soon as they finished speaking, they all started moving.
¡°Zhao Zhan, on the way here, I saw people lining up in front of some restaurants with food containers.¡± Yue Jiaojiao looked at the sky outside. ¡°It¡¯s Madam Qin¡¯s first time in Shangjing, and she¡¯s unfamiliar with the ce. You can go to the restaurant and bring back some foodter so she won¡¯t have to cook. The dining room is clean. Everyone can eat early and rest early. Then, we can go to the wine shop together when everyone is well rested.¡±
¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go out and take a lookter.¡±
Zhao Zhan would grant all requests made by his lover. After he had tidied up all the big items in the courtyard, he only left a few loose items for Madam Qin. Then, he called Fang Tianliu out to look for a restaurant.
¡°Zhao Zhan, where do you think that Lin guy is hiding now that he¡¯s in Shangjing?¡±
Fang Tianliu¡¯s heart felt heavy knowing they were so close yet so far.
If the stubborn stone was not removed, he would not be at ease at night.
¡°There¡¯s no need to be so anxious.¡± Zhao Zhan had been paying attention to the situation along the street, and he maintained constant vignce. ¡°The most important thing now is for us to first gain a firm foothold.¡±
¡°Lin and Shangyu are both hiding in Shangjing. Instead of trying our best to find them, it¡¯s better to stabilize our business first and then wait for them toe to us. By then, we¡¯ll be more than prepared. When theye to our door, we¡¯ll beat them at their own game.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯m just being overly anxious.¡± Fang Tianliu was a lot more stable than before after bing a father. He had settled down and no longer looked depressed. ¡°It¡¯s my first time in Shangjing. Zhao Zhan, you should apany your wife and look around first.¡±
¡°I¡¯m going to find Qingnian and ask him about the shop.¡±
Qingnian was a trusted aide Zhao Zhan had sent to Shangjing. He had signed a contract with the government. Zhao Zhan had taught him personally for a long time before he was finally at ease enough to let hime to the capital to get a feel of the situation.
¡°Then I¡¯ll leave this matter to you. First, you¡¯ll need toe up with a cost n with Qingnian, and then ask him how the search for the house is going. If you have enough silver on hand, buy a house and move away as soon as possible. I¡¯ll have to ask Qingnian to find two houses. I¡¯m not that thick-skinned to live with you all.¡±
¡
Most of the silver in Fang Tianliu¡¯s hands came from the family property that had been sold back then.
He carefully calcted the silver notes in his hand and measured them against the house prices in Shangjing. ¡°Every inch ofnd in Shangjing is worth its weight in gold. I can¡¯t afford a two-entry house, but I can buy a one-entry small courtyard. I¡¯m going to follow you well, Zhao Zhan. I only have one daughter in my life, so I have to earn more money for her.¡±
As they spoke, they had already arrived at the restaurant.
Zhao Zhan raised his head and looked around. The restaurant had a door and a half-window, and in front of the half-window, food boxes were being handed out from time to time and then quickly taken away.
¡°Hello sir, do you want to order the food in this restaurant?¡±
The person who was squatting next to the restaurant came forward. ¡°We also do deliveries to your doorstep if you do not wish to wait. Why don¡¯t you tell me where your house is and I¡¯ll send it to youter? You just need to give us ten coins for the errand.¡±
¡°Ten coins right off the bat?! Is running an errand that expensive?¡±
Fang Tianliu wished he could split the silver in his hands into two to spend and save it all for Fang Luoning.
In Wangshan Town, ten coins could buy five big meat buns, but in Shangjing, it was only the cost of running errands.
¡°Is this your first time in Shangjing?¡±
¡°This is the price for all the errand boys in Shangjing. Do you see this?¡± The man took off the wooden token on his waist and showed it to them. ¡°This wooden token was issued by the administrative office. If you want to find an errand boy, you must find the wooden token, so as not to be cheated of your silver.¡±
¡°If you don¡¯t want toe out, you can hang a sign at the door. Our errand boys will be patrolling the streets. When they see the sign, they¡¯ll ask you what they need to do and help you with it.¡±
Zhao Zhan was deep in thought. He took out ten coins and handed them to him. ¡°Are all the restaurants in Shangjing doing this business?¡±
¡°Not really. I won¡¯t hide it from you two. Every time we run an errand, these restaurants have to pay us copper coins as well. Some restaurants feel that it¡¯s too expensive and are not willing to do this.¡±
Chapter 390 - 390 Settling Down (Part 3)
390 Settling Down (Part 3)
¡°However, there are more than enough restaurants in Shangjing that do this so that we can sustain ourselves. Clothes, tea leaves, and meals, we can help you deliver them all.¡±
¡°What do you two want to eat? We¡¯ll send it to youter.¡±
As he spoke, he handed over the menu of the restaurant, and Zhao Zhan basically ordered all the dishes on the menu.
¡°Originally, we would have to use a shoulder pole to carry that many dishes. It would actually cost you more copper coins. Since it¡¯s your first time in Shangjing, I won¡¯t charge you this once.¡±
!!
¡°Many thanks. May I trouble you to send the things to this residenceter?¡±
¡°Alright, make sure the sign is visible. If the thing is broken and the errand boy steals your things, you can take this to the administrative office and file aint. We won¡¯t be able to escape.¡±
Zhao Zhan took the signs and weighed them in his hands before returning to the manor with Fang Tianliu.
Seeing that he was empty-handed, Yue Jiaojiao looked behind her curiously. ¡°Did something happen?¡±
Zhao Zhan told Yue Jiaojiao about what had happened at the restaurant. ¡°He said that it will be delivered in two hours.¡±
¡°Shangjing is so prosperous that there¡¯s even door-to-door delivery?¡± Yue Jiaojiaoughed after she finished her sentence. ¡°That¡¯s good. Our lives can be more convenient now.¡±
She waszy and liked to be lively but didn¡¯t like to go out. This business in Shangjing would save her a lot of trouble.
¡°I just came back with some books from the street,¡± Zhao Zhan said, putting a thick stack of books on the table. ¡°I¡¯ll make a sign for you to hang at the door tomorrow. The weather has been hot recently. If you like something, hang the sign at the door, and someone will send whatever you want to your house.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao happily took the list and flipped through it page by page.
Seeing that she was happy, Zhao Zhan¡¯s heart also rxed. He sat at the side and looked at Zhao Nian, who was ying happily alone with his two meaty arms exposed. Then, he reached out a finger and poked Zhao Nian¡¯s shoulder.
Zhao Nian¡¯s mind was in a daze for a long time, and then he pouted and cried.
¡°Zhao Zhan, you made the child cry, so you have to coax him yourself.¡±
As expected, when there was no danger, the father was the greatest danger.
¡°He¡¯s a boy, there¡¯s no need to coax him. He¡¯s not in pain.¡± Zhao Zhan was watching the show from the side. He casually gave him a toy and hooked him up to sit up.
The family of three yed happily for a while before Madam Qin¡¯s voice came from outside the door.
¡°There¡¯s someone at the door carrying tworge food boxes with a carrying pole. They say you ordered the dishes from the restaurant, Zhao Zhan.¡±
Zhao Zhan scooped his son into his arms and led Yue Jiaojiao out of the courtyard. ¡°I made a reservation at the restaurant to bring the meals over. Madam Qin, please set the food.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao tugged at the hem of his clothes, and Zhao Zhan grabbed his lover¡¯s hand in his palm. ¡°I know. When I went out just now, I went to the bar with Fang Tianliu to reserve a tableter at night.¡±
This guy always prepared everything in silence.
They were too tired from the journey, and they finally felt peace during dinner. However, the physical fatigue was hard to hide. After dinner, they went back to their rooms to wash up and rest.
¡°Madam Qin, I¡¯ll have to leave Zhao Nian in your care today.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao pushed Zhao Nian into Madam Qin¡¯s arms and turned around to go back to her room to change.
¡°Mama!¡±
Zhao Nian struggled to call out to her, but Zhao Zhan red back at him. Zhao Nian quickly put his arms around Madam Qin¡¯s neck and leaned on her shoulder, only revealing one eye to secretly look at his father.
While the father and son were confronting each other, Yue Jiaojiao had already changed her clothes and walked out.
She changed into a light yellow dress, which brightened up the dark sky.
She didn¡¯tb her hair into a cumbersome bun. She only used a gauze of the same color to tie her long waterfall-like hair at the top of her head, revealing some fine hair at the corner of her forehead.
Zhao Zhan¡¯s eyes were a little dazed when he saw her.
Her face still looked young and tender. Zhao Zhan stood opposite her and looked at her. For some reason, he felt that he had aged a little. It was as if time stopped for his lover but not for him.
¡°Mama!¡±
Zhao Nian pped his hands excitedly, his big round eyes were sparkling.
Zhao Zhan moved to the side and blocked Zhao Nian and Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s path without any mercy. He then raised his hand to cover Zhao Nian¡¯s eyes. ¡°Madam Qin, bring Zhao Nian back to her room. He should be taking his nap now.¡±
Madam Qin chuckled and nodded. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll bring him back to his room.¡±
The courtyard fell silent.
Yue Jiaojiao raised her head to look at the sky. ¡°Zhao Zhan, look. There aren¡¯t as many stars here as there are in Willow vige. Even the moon doesn¡¯t seem to be as big as Willow Vige.¡±
Without waiting for Zhao Zhan to reply, Yue Jiaojiao had already grabbed his hand and pulled him outside. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the tavern.¡±
Chapter 391 - 391 Settling Down (Part 4)
391 Settling Down (Part 4)
She was eager to go on a date.
Zhao Zhan followed behind his lover with an indulgent look on his face. He watched as she strolled around the streets. His reach was not too far away and not too close, and at many times, he stood close to protect her from gazes.
There was no curfew in Shangjing. On Central Street, thenterns hanging under the eaves on both sides of the street were very bright.
¡°We¡¯re here.¡±
!!
Thedy who was guarding the entrance of the bar saw Zhao Zhan and greeted him with a smile, ¡°Sir Zhao, you¡¯re here.¡±
She raised her brows and covered her mouth with her handkerchief as she looked at Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s smile. You¡¯re so beautiful, Miss. I¡¯ve seen many peoplee and go at the entrance of this tavern, but it¡¯s rare to see someone as beautiful as you.¡±
Zhao Zhan¡¯s face darkened as he blocked the hand that was about to touch Yue Jiaojiao. ¡°She¡¯s my wife.¡±
¡°Pardon me for my behavior. It¡¯s just that her face looks really tender, so I addressed her wrongly. A seat has been reserved for you. Pleasee in.¡±
Zhao Zhan led Yue Jiaojiao up the stairs.
The decorations in the tavern were not in the style of the Central ins, but full of exotic structures.
In the middle of the room, the sound of the horn and the beating of the drum was very lively. The tables were not arranged in an orderly manner. Instead, they were ced randomly everywhere
On the beams of the house, there were light veils and bones of some unknown animal.
Thenterns were very bright, reflecting the hustle and bustle that was happening inside. It wasn¡¯t too noisy, so the atmosphere made everyone happy.
The room wasn¡¯tpletely t. The tables were ced on the steps, and Zhao Zhan was escorted to a corner. He could see the entire room sitting there.
This was a spot that Zhao Zhan had carefully selected.
It was not far from the back door. If anything were to happen, Zhao Zhan could just leave through the back door with Yue Jiaojiao.
¡°Esteemed guests, what kind of wine would you like to drink? We have wine from the Western Region, wine from Shangjing, and other fruity wines.¡±
¡°There¡¯s fruit wine?¡±
¡°Bring up the grape wine and fruit wine for a taste.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s body swayed slightly. Zhao Zhan leaned back in his chair and tilted his head to look at her.
His lover¡¯s posture was rxed, without the slightest bit of difort. She was like a fish sliding into the river,fortably wagging its tail and then going away.
Zhao Zhan leaned forward and wrapped his arms around his lover¡¯s slender waist.
Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s clothes were thin, and the skin on her waist was burned by Zhao Zhan¡¯s palm. She turned her head and red at him weakly.
His lover¡¯s eyes were full of charm, and Zhao Zhan couldn¡¯t help but move closer to her.
There was a girl in a light muslin dress swaying her waist in the middle of the tavern to the beat of the drum. Yet, Zhao Zhan¡¯s attention waspletely on his lover.
¡°Your wine.¡±
The porcin bottle that contained wine had a beautiful narrow opening, and the servant ced two cups on the table.
¡°It¡¯s a ss cup.¡±
Back then, Yue Jiaojiao wanted to introduce ss in Willow Vige. However, no one in Huai County had heard of this kind of thing, so she could only give up.
¡°Where is this cup made?¡± Zhao Zhan held the cup in his hand and asked first, ¡°If they can make a cup, I¡¯m sure they can also make other pieces.¡±
The servant was taken aback. This was the first time she had heard someone ask such a strange question. ¡°The shopkeeper bought this cup from Treasure Pavilion. As for where it was made, I really don¡¯t know.¡±
Zhao Zhan noted down the name Treasure Pavilion and nned to take a look when he had the time.
In such a short time, Yue Jiaojiao had already tasted several different vors of fruit wine.
Her face was red, and it was hard to tell whether it was reflected by the red light above her head or the charm she exuded.
Zhao Zhan vigntly scanned his surroundings, wishing that he could hide his lover¡¯s appearance from others.
Yue Jiaojiao was so excited that she picked out a few of her favorite fruit wines and mixed them together. Then, she pushed it in front of Zhao Zhan. ¡°Zhao Zhan, try this.¡±
She reeked of alcohol and her eyes were misty. When she handed the wine over, shey on the back of Zhao Zhan¡¯s hand and gently scratched his adam¡¯s apple with her soft fingers.
¡°Jiaojiao¡¡±
Zhao Zhan grabbed her hand and held it in his palm. His eyes were burning as he looked at her, wishing he could hold her in his arms forever.
¡°Zhao Zhan, have a taste.¡±
He brought the ss to his lips and looked at Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s endearing face. Zhao Zhan didn¡¯t even look at her hand as he drank the wine in one gulp.
Even if it was filled with venom, he would dly endure it.
A servant came over to extinguish a fewnterns in the room and relit the cornermps nailed to the wall.
The corner that Yue Jiaojiao and the others were sitting in turned dark, and a tulle drooped down to hide them behind it.
Chapter 392 - 392 Settling Down (Part 5)
392 Settling Down (Part 5)
The drums gradually stopped, and a soft female voice and the sound of a lute echoed.
The fruit wine had a strong aftereffect. The tipsy feeling Yue Jiaojiao had gradually reached her head, but her expression was still filled with excitement. She didn¡¯t know when she had already nestled herself in Zhao Zhan¡¯s arms.
Zhao Zhan¡¯s breath was filled with her scent.
His hands sped her waist and he pressed her into his arms.
Yue Jiaojiao cried out in surprise. Zhao Zhan swept his gaze around, his back facing the main hall. He could not help but press Yue Jiaojiao firmly into his arms and lean forward to kiss her.
He had a broad back, and it blocked Yue Jiaojiao from others¡¯ view.
The candlelight was dim and the veil was light, so others could not see the situation in the corner.
This was the first time Zhao Zhan had acted so impetuously in front of so many people.
At this moment, after the noise around them was muffled, it seemed that there were only the two of them in the world.
His heart was beating like a drum.
His ears subconsciously blocked out all movement.
Yue Jiaojiao was a little reckless in her drunken state. She wrapped her arms around Zhao Zhan¡¯s neck and leaned in closer to him.
Zhao Zhan picked up the outer robe beside him and spread it open, wrapping his lover up tightly. He then threw a silver ingot on the table and left through the back door with Yue Jiaojiao in his arms.
The back door of the tavern was a small alley. It was so dark that one couldn¡¯t even see their own fingers.
Zhao Zhan pressed his lover against the wall, his actions were unrestrained andpletely devoid of his usual gentleness and calmness.
Yue Jiaojiao let out a few groans, her voice as soft as a kitten¡¯s meow. ¡°My love¡¡±
Zhao Zhan¡¯s scalp went numb, and an itch crawled from his tailbone to his heart. His soul was sent flying far away by her cry.
¡°Y-you¡¡±
Yue Jiaojiao looked like a seductress who had descended to the mortal world under the moonlight to seduce people.
Zhao Zhan, who was lying on her neck, heard rustling sounds not far away. He picked Yue Jiaojiao up in his arms and went home.
Yue Jiaojiao chuckled softly.
His lover¡¯s voice was lively, and the corners of her eyes were moist. Her smile was like a clear spring that spilled all the way down the street. Under the soft moonlight, Zhao Zhan¡¯s eyes were covered with ayer of misty affection.
Madam Qin had left the door open for them.
Zhao Zhan pushed open the door to his courtyard and strode into his room.
Yue Jiaojiao struggled and wanted to jump off his body. Zhao Zhan reached out to stop her in a flurry, but Yue Jiaojiao grabbed his cor and pressed him down.
¡°My dearest husband.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s nails slowly moved down from the corner of his forehead and clutched Zhao Zhan¡¯s cor.
¡°Jiaojiao¡¡±
¡°Shh¡¡± Yue Jiaojiao pressed on the corner of his lips and smiled slyly. ¡°Don¡¯t say a word.¡±
Zhao Zhan¡¯s adam¡¯s apple rolled unconsciously, and his eyes seemed to hide the burning desire of a hungry wolf that wanted to devour anything in its way.
Her fingers slid from his cor to his belt, and Yue Jiaojiao gently pulled it outward, throwing his belt to the ground.
Zhao Zhany on his back, his eyes burning.
Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s lips were bright red, and her fingertips hooked around his waist.
Zhao Zhan¡¯s hands could not help but want to hold her waist.
¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s charming smile was like that of a little fox. Draped in the thin veil of the moon, she pressed down on Zhao Zhan¡¯s hands and interlocked her fingers with his. Her waist softened and she bent down.
Zhao Zhan¡¯s body tensed.
Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s lips curved into a faint smile.
The leaves of the jujube tree outside the window fluttered in the gentle wind.
The fervor was like a scratch to Zhao Zhan.
His lover was sprawled all over him. Zhao Zhan grabbed her waist and turned her over.
The bed curtains were pulled down to block the view inside.
It was as if the wind had blown into the room through the gap in the window, and the deliberately trimmed tassels on it fluttered.
Zhao Zhan bowed and kissed his lover¡¯s shoulder like the most devout guard ever.
Perhaps it was not the wine that was intoxicating, but his meticulous gentleness.
Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s mind was shaken to the point of cking off when she was immersed in the moment, but her eyes softened because of his carefulness.
She was weak and obedient.
The veins on the back of Zhao Zhan¡¯s hand bulged, and his heart tensed up as a violent thought rose in his mind.
His heart was restless, and even the impulse he had turned fanatical.
Chapter 393 - 393 Warmth (Part 1)
393 Warmth (Part 1)
The moon outside the window slowly hid under the thick dark clouds. The wind outside howled, making the window frame creak.
The squeaking of the wood formed a strange music score.
The thunder boomed.
At first, raindrops as small as sand grains fell, and then the rain gradually became heavier. To the naked eye, it looked like they were falling in torrents.
The branches of the jujube tree in the courtyard were wrapped in the raindrops, but they did not seem to be stopping at any time.
Dawn broke and the rain gradually stopped. The sun pushed through the clouds, casting a golden light on the earth.
Zhao Nian, who was in Madam Qin¡¯s arms, knocked on the door and called out in a baby voice, ¡°Mama! Mama!¡±
The door was pulled open.
Zhao Zhan looked at Zhao Nian and reached out to take his son from Madam Qin¡¯s arms. Then, he dashed out of the room and closed the door. ¡°Don¡¯t go in. You¡¯ll disturb your mother¡¯s sleep.¡±
¡°Is she still sleeping? Breakfast is prepared and ced in the dining room. Shouldn¡¯t you wake her up?¡±
¡°There¡¯s no need to do that.¡± Zhao Zhan was already making his way toward the dining room. ¡°Jiaojiao hasn¡¯t had a good rest for the past few months. Madam Qin, can you put Zhao Nian in Doctor Sun¡¯s courtyard to yter? You can stay in our courtyard and watch over Jiaojiao. I¡¯ll prepare food for her when she wakes up.¡±
¡°Today is the first breakfast after moving to Shangjing. There are elders in the house¡ She¡¡±
Zhao Zhan immediately retorted, ¡°Jiaojiao had dinner with me yesterday. We¡¯re a family. There¡¯s no need to be so polite with the rest.¡±
There were too many people living in this house.
Although his lover was considerate and never said much, Zhao Zhan didn¡¯t want her to feel ufortable in her own home.
¡°After we buy the house and move out, Grandmother, Lingzhen, and his wife will still be here. Fang Tianliu and his family of three will also move out. At that time, Madam Qin, you will get the chance to rest more.¡±
¡°Are you sure?¡±
¡°Of course, I will stille over to apany Grandmother from time to time.¡±
Zhang Lingzhen also had a business in Shangjing, so he was always busy working. Sometimes, an appropriate separation could make the family closer. Zhao Zhan wasn¡¯t unaware of this.
¡°Madam Qin, Fang Tianliu and I will be going out for a while. If Jiaojiao wakes up, tell her that the brand I promised her yesterday is ready and that she should remember to use it.¡±
Although Madam Qin did not understand the context, she did not ask any further. She nodded and replied, ¡°Alright.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao slept all the way until after lunch before she slowly woke up.
She turned over andy on the pillow. She had consumed too much energyst night, and her stomach was rumbling with hunger, but she was toozy to get out of bed.
The door was pushed open from the outside, and the sun shone into the room.
Yue Jiaojiao raised her hand to cover her eyes.
¡°Mydy, are you awake?¡± Madam Qin heaved a sigh of relief and rxed her tense spine. ¡°I¡¯ve been in this courtyard for a long time and was starting to get a little worried, so I couldn¡¯t help bute over to take a look.¡±
¡°Madam Qin, I¡¯d like a cup of water please.¡±
Her throat was so thirsty that it hurt. Madam Qin hurriedly poured a ss of water and handed it to her.
¡°Two more cups, please.¡±
The pot of tea was half empty before Yue Jiaojiaoid back down to ease the difort in her throat.
¡°Are you hungry? Should I go get something for you to eat?¡±
Madam Qin lowered her eyes, not daring to look at her.
Yue Jiaojiao was afraid of the heat, so the nket had been messily pushed to the side, and her undergarments were loose, revealing arge area of her skin.
It seemed to be filled with blooming and warm roses.
Chapter 394 - 394 Warmth (Part 2)
394 Warmth (Part 2)
¡°I want to eat a bowl of cold noodles.¡± Yue Jiaojiao was in urgent need of arge amount of food to replenish her energy. ¡°Can you also fry two eggs for me?¡±
¡°Ah, I¡¯ll go to the kitchen to prepare it for you right now. The sign on the table was ced by Zhao Zhan. He said that the brand he promised yesterday is there.¡±
Madam Qin rushed to the kitchen.
Yue Jiaojiao had recovered a little by now, so she got up, changed her clothes, and walked to the kitchen.
!!
There was a pile of orders next to the sign.
Zhao Zhan was afraid that she would be bored, so he asked her to look through the list at home to see if there was anything she liked.¡±Jiaojiao? Is that you?¡± Li Xiangjun appeared at the door with Luoning in her arms. ¡°I just saw Madam Qine out of your house and go to the kitchen. I saw your door open and assumed you were awake.¡±
¡°I slept in today and the whole courtyard found out.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao pulled her chair for her, then lowered her head and continued to look at the sheet of paper in her hand, revealing a small dark red mark on her fragile neck.
Li Xiangjun¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment. ¡°You must¡¯ve had a hard time on your way here. Even Doctor Sun is ying with Zhao Nian.¡±¡±Yesterday I drank in a wine tavern outside and indulged myself in a moment of greediness, so I couldn¡¯t get up.¡±
The word indulge lingered in her mouth, and there was an indescribable taste she could not get rid off.
Li Xiangjun¡¯s face was full of understanding and she tried to hold back herughter. ¡°Since Zhao Zhan dotes on you, it doesn¡¯t matter if you let yourself go a little more.¡±
¡°Alright, alright.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao was afraid that she wouldn¡¯t be able to stop the conversation if she continued, so she hurriedly handed her a few pieces of items that were on a list. ¡°Did Fang Tianliu tell you yesterday that you can stay at home to pick out the things you want to buy in Shangjing? Do you want to see if there¡¯s anything you like? Zhao Zhanpiled a few things for me to see.¡±¡±
¡°Actually, I was nning to go out by myself and have a look at the things.¡±
Li Xiangjun hastily flipped through the items and ced them back where they were. ¡°I came here to ask you if you wanted toe along too. The sun is not as strong now as before. Do you want to go out with me?¡±
¡°Oh¡¡±
¡°But if your legs are sore, tomorrow is fine too. I understand.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao blushed and rubbed her stomach. ¡°Actually, I think I can go out with you after I¡¯m done eating. I really don¡¯t have much energy right now to go immediately.¡±
Chapter 395 - 395 A Coincidental Encounter (Part 1)
395 A Coincidental Encounter (Part 1)
¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be waiting for you here.¡±
Li Xiangjun held back herughter.
Her personality was no longer as timid as before, her eyes were bright, and her energy was brimming.
¡°Has Fang Tianliu been treating you well?¡±
!!
A trace of shyness shed across Li Xiangjun¡¯s face.
¡°He has. We¡¯re preparing to buy a house and move out. However, even though I told him the truth, I don¡¯t know why, but I feel that he is hiding something from me.
¡°But for some reason, I can¡¯t figure out what it is. After all, he¡¯s treating me much better than before.¡±
Although her current strength was not as good as before, it was not inferior to Fang Tianliu¡¯s. With Doctor Sun¡¯s medicinal treatments working well, other than great joy and great sorrow, her body rarely felt weak.
Even so, Fang Tianliu still took care of her as if she was as fragile as porcin. He didn¡¯t need her to do anything, and even Luoning¡¯s matters were all taken care of by him.
Yue Jiaojiao knew that Fang Tianliu was worried about the fact that she didn¡¯t sign the divorce papers and didn¡¯t get the divorce papers. She decided to not talk about that topic yet. ¡°Buying a house is a big deal. Before we came, Zhao Zhan also asked Qingnian to help us look for a house. Later, we¡¯ll go out and see if there¡¯s any area you like.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right. The location of the house is very important.¡±
As the two of them spoke, Madam Qin brought the noodles into the room.
The thin silver thread noodles were covered with green vegetables and poached eggs.
Yue Jiaojiao impatiently picked up her chopsticks and stirred the noodles in her bowl. Then, she picked up a lot of shredded chicken legs from the ground.
¡°Chicken soup noodles?¡±
¡°I just saw it in the kitchen. Zhao Zhan must have left some soup stock for you before he left. He was afraid that it would go bad in the hot weather, so he hung it under the well and let it chill. It must have been stewedst night. After it cooled down this morning, he hung it down.¡±
Last night¡
Yue Jiaojiao lowered her head to hide the faint blush on her face.
No wonder Zhao Zhan took so long to get hot water from the kitchen in the second half of the night. He must have taken that time to stew the soup.
¡®This guy.¡¯
¡°That¡¯s very considerate of him.¡± Li Xiangjun grabbed Fang Luoning¡¯s small hand. ¡°In this world, I¡¯m confident that there¡¯s no one who dotes on his wife more than your husband.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao blinked and looked at her in shock. ¡°Is Fang Tianliu that bad?¡±
¡°Oh, Luoning¡¯s diaper seems to be wet. Do you want to go back and change it for her?¡±
Li Xiangjun reached out and touched it. She looked at Madam Qin with a face full of gratitude. ¡°Look at me, I¡¯ve talked so much that I¡¯ve forgotten to care for my baby. I¡¯ll bring her back to her room immediately. Jiaojiao, I¡¯lle and find youter.¡±
¡°You can wait for me in the room. You must be tired from walking all over the ce.¡±
Li Xiangjun had just left with the child in her arms when Madam Qin said mysteriously, ¡°Mydy, when I came out of the kitchen just now, I heard a woman¡¯s dry vomitinging from Master Zhang¡¯s courtyard.¡±
¡°Is Madam Zhang pregnant?¡±
Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s eyes were wide open. ¡°Are Doctor Sun¡¯s medical skills that amazing?¡±
Madam Zhang had seen countless doctors over the years, but none of them were able to give her what she wanted.
After their family moved to Willow Vige, Yue Jiaojiao had Doctor Sun take her pulse.
His original intention was just to prescribe a few prescriptions to make her body healthier so that she wouldn¡¯t get any more idents because she was not limatized to the new ce.
If she really got pregnant because of this, it would be a fortunate thing.
However, Madam Zhang was one year away from turning 40 this year. If she were to be pregnant, it would be a difficult and dangerous thing.
¡°Madam Qin, are you absolutely sure about this?¡±
This kind of thing couldn¡¯t be said carelessly. If she asked the woman if she was pregnant and she turned out to be wrong, it would make the already relieved Madam Zhang even more sad.
¡°From what I see, Madam Zhang is also unaware of it. She still thinks that it¡¯s because she¡¯s not limatized to the capital that she¡¯s having this stomach difort.¡±
Madam Qin talked about her observation over the past month. ¡°Madam Zhang used to be such a forthright person, but she¡¯s been listless all day long. She¡¯s been drowsy ever since she got off the carriage. Her face also has some faint changes. I think that Madam Zhang might be pregnant.¡±
¡°Since we¡¯ve already settled down in Shangjing, why don¡¯t we go to Doctor Sun and let him take a pulse for everyone in the family?¡±
Chapter 396 - 396 A Coincidental Encounter (Part 2)
396 A Coincidental Encounter (Part 2)
Yue Jiaojiao thought for a moment and nodded.
Madam Zhang was old. If anything happened to her because of her carelessness, she would suffer a lot of repercussions.
¡°I¡¯ll let Zhao Zhan know about this when he returns. We should let him know.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll be going out for a walk with Xiangjun now. Why don¡¯t youe with us, Madam Qin?¡± Yue Jiaojiao held onto Madam Qin¡¯s arm with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll be more at ease with you around.¡±
!!
¡°Did you have too much sleep?¡± Madam Qin looked at her lovingly. ¡°Why do you need to bring Luoning with you when you and Xiangjun are going out? Why don¡¯t you leave her at home? I¡¯m good at taking care of kids anyways. How can youdies have fun with a baby around?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t even think of that. Thank you for offering, we¡¯ll do as you say.¡±
Luoning was born with a congenital deficiency, and the streets were always bustling with people. Yue Jiaojiao didn¡¯t want to bring her out to get infected with any illness.
When Yue Jiaojiao conveyed their intentions to Li Xiangjun, the other party naturally agreed.
¡°I did think of that, but I thought that since Madam Qin is already taking care of Zhao Nian, it¡¯d be too much for her to take care of Luoning as well.¡±
¡°Luoning¡¯s health is more important,¡± Yue Jiaojiao said in a serious tone. ¡°Next time, you can¡¯t hold back your words just because you feel bad. Fortunately, Madam Qin was the one that offered this time. If she didn¡¯t, we might have moreplications.¡±
Li Xiangjun begged for mercy. ¡°I won¡¯t do it again, I¡¯ll tell you everything next time.¡±
Madam Qin coaxed Luoning. After some thought, she carried her to Doctor Sun¡¯s courtyard and ced her on a mat with Zhao Nian to keep thempany. She took a basket full of needle and thread and did some work at the side, watching the movements of the two little fellows from the corner of her eye.
Doctor Sun lowered his head and fiddled with the medicinal herbs. ¡°My small courtyard is upied by these two children all day long. When will I ever have the time to focus.¡±
Madam Qin bickered with him. ¡°Stop lying. I can see the smile on your face when you see them.¡±
The two of them chatted happily, and Zhao Nian, who was sitting on the cushion, pped her hands happily.
Yue Jiaojiao and Li Xiangjun were unaware of what had happened in the courtyard. After they left the house, they found a pnquin at the entrance of the alley and got someone to send the two of them to the most bustling street in Shangjing.
The pnquin stopped, so Yue Jiaojiao and Li Xiangjun lifted the curtain and walked down.
¡°Jiaojiao, look.¡± Li Xiangjun pointed at the shop next to her. ¡°It looks lively in that shop. Should we go in and have a look?¡±
Luoning was already almost five months old. Although Fang Tianliu was considerate of her in every way, the family of three also slept together at night.
However, what Li Xiangjun found hard to say was that Fang Tianliu had never touched her ever since that very day.
When there was no one around, Li Xiangjun would often look at herself in the mirror, and then a strong sense of disgust for herself would rise in her heart.
Yue Jiaojiao stood at the door and could already smell the strong fragranceing from the shop.
¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±
She didn¡¯t know what Li Xiangjun was thinking, she just thought that Xiangjun wanted to pamper herself, so she pulled her up the steps.
When they entered the shop, no one came to wee them.
The waiter in the shop took the time to nce at the clothes on the two of them before looking away.
This cloth might be considered good quality in other ces, but in Shangjing, it wasn¡¯t considered expensive at all.
Yue Jiaojiao couldn¡¯t be bothered to listen to the staff¡¯s introduction. She pulled Li Xiangjun around the counter to take a closer look.
The rouge ced on the counter in the hall on the first floor was rough and had a very obvious grainy feeling. Yue Jiaojiao kept feeling that there was too much lead powder in it so she really didn¡¯t think much of it. The bottom of her feet circled around the corner without her knowing.
Around the corner, there was a stack of ss boxes on the thick mahogany counter.
¡°Jiaojiao, this thing is really strange.¡± Li Xiangjun could not move her feet away from it. ¡°There¡¯s obviously something blocking it, but you can still see what¡¯s inside. How odd.¡±
¡°That¡¯s called ss.¡±
There was an opened rouge in the square ss box, and its color was much better than the one next to it.
Just as Yue Jiaojiao was about to reach out, a hand reached out from the side and snatched the item from her hand.
Chapter 397 - 397 Rouge (Part 1)
397 Rouge (Part 1)
¡°You over there, pack this, this, as well as the boxes of rouge and hair fragrance in the cab next to me and calcte how much silver you need.¡±
This person¡¯s tone was rude and unreasonable. When she spoke to the shopkeeper, she spoke with a sense of familiarity.
Yue Jiaojiao didn¡¯t want to argue with the other party to avoid getting caught up in trouble. She shifted her gaze to the rack with some fragrant bottles. ¡°Shopkeeper, could you please take this out for me to take a look?¡±
This thing smelled like perfume, but at the same time not.
!!
¡°Shopkeeper, I see that the quality of your shop is getting lower and lower. It seems that anyone from anywhere can enter.¡±
These words were really sharp and mean.
Even if Yue Jiaojiao was generally a calm and forgiving person, she still turned her head around with a slight anger on her face. When she saw the other party¡¯s face clearly, her eyes were filled with surprise.
¡°Based on your reaction, I¡¯m sure you know who I am. Is there anything else you¡¯d like to say?¡±
¡°Not really.¡± Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s face had a perfect smile on it, as if she was a close friend of the other party. ¡°I just happened to see your heroics of riding a horse at the city gate yesterday.¡±
¡°Y-you!¡±
The smug smile on Liu Qinqin¡¯s face instantly froze. ¡°How dare you?! Do you know what this ce is?!¡±
¡°Shangjing, of course, the city that everyone envies. I know that I¡¯m from the countryside, so I had to learn it from the nobles of Shangjing.
¡°It just so happens that just now, you were right beside me. I should be learning well. As a country bumpkin, how dare Ipare myself to someone like you?¡±
Liu Qinqin was so angry that her eyebrows were raised. ¡°Of course, you can¡¯tpare to¡¡±
Halfway through her sentence, she snapped out of her daze, and the whip in her hand was about to touch the tip of Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s nose. ¡°Are you calling me rude?!¡±
The shopkeeper was afraid that they would smash his items and hurriedly came over tofort the two women.
¡°M-miss, there¡¯s no need to get angry. I have a new batch of rouge here. The color is light and beautiful. When applied on your face, it¡¯ll look absolutely natural on you! There are only ten boxes of rouge in stock. Why don¡¯t youe upstairs with me to take a look?¡±
¡°Shopkeeper, it¡¯s really an eyesore to have people like them around. Why don¡¯t you kick them out? Even if theye to your shop everyday for a year, it can¡¯t bepared to the money I will be spending on this one trip here.¡±
¡°T-that¡¡± The shopkeeper looked troubled. ¡°I can¡¯t make that decision since she¡¯s already here, right? Miss, I¡¯m sure you know how strict the Ministry of Finance is with our shops. If this youngdy were to report it, how else will I get to sell you quality rouge in the future?¡±
¡°You¡¯re not the only one in Shangjing. I¡¯ll just have to go to other people¡¯s shops in the future then!¡±
Yue Jiaojiao had been waiting for the shopkeeper¡¯s reaction. Once she saw that he wasn¡¯t trying to curry favor with the powerful, she opened her mouth and said, ¡°Shopkeeper, could you bring out the ten boxes of rouge that you mentioned earlier for me to take a look at? I have many family members. I¡¯d like to buy a few more boxes to give to them.¡±
As she spoke, she took out a thick stack of silver notes from her purse.
In order to avoid being targeted, the silver notes were only waved in front of the shopkeeper before being taken back.
Even so, the shopkeeper still saw the face value of the silver note.
Each note was 100 silver pieces and it was such a thick stack ¡
¡°Youngdy, please follow me. They are upstairs.¡±
Liu Qinqin, who originally wanted to ask the shopkeeper to kick Jiaojiao out, heard this and stopped in her tracks. ¡°Wait! I want to see it too!¡±
There was a trend ofpetition in Shangjing. She could only show off such a novel thing by buying it.
Now that she hadn¡¯t bought anything, this country bumpkin from God knows where was about to surpass her. How could the usually proud Liu Qinqin tolerate this?
The shopkeeper subconsciously nced at Yue Jiaojiao.
¡°You should always open the door to wee guests. You don¡¯t have to mind me.¡±
As soon as Yue Jiaojiao finished speaking, she and Li Xiangjun were already walking up the steps.
The bnce in the shopkeeper¡¯s heart started to tilt, but he still invited Liu Qinqin up respectfully.
¡°Ladies, please take a look over here.¡± The shopkeeper carefully held the rouge and opened it. ¡°This box of rouge is very fine. We only get one box of this every month. In fact, the nobles in the pce also use type. If I didn¡¯t have connections, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to get these boxes.¡±
Chapter 398 - 398 Rouge (Part 2)
398 Rouge (Part 2)
Liu Qinqin¡¯s eyes were already glued to the item.
She ced her hand on the table and made a pping sound, then impatiently took out some silver ingots from her purse and ced them on the table. ¡°I¡¯ll take all of this!¡±
Yue Jiaojiao smiled faintly and didn¡¯t say anything.
This rouge was definitely better than the one downstairs, but the shopkeeper might not be willing to sell all of this to only one person. This way, he would not be able to publicize his reputation, and the shop would have fewer good items to keep as a secret.
As expected, the shopkeeper hesitated after hearing Liu Qinqin¡¯s words. ¡°Miss¡ To tell you the truth, this rouge is reserved for someone else, I can¡¯t afford to offend that person. If you want it, I can sell you only one box. However, you should know that this rouge costs thirty silver per box.¡±
Li Xiangjun¡¯s hand that was hanging on the table subconsciously grabbed Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s wrist.
The rouge downstairs was only a few silver for a box. Thirty pieces of silver was enough to buy two servants who will work until their legs drop.
Shangjing is that extravagant.
¡°If you want it, I¡¯ll ask the shop assistant to wrap it up for you. It¡¯ll be forty-eight pieces of silver in total¡¡±
Liu Qinqin¡¯s face was burning.
It would have been fine if Yue Jiaojiao and the others weren¡¯t by her side, but she had just seen the silver notes in the other party¡¯s hands. However, there were only two silver ingots in her purse at the moment, and so her expression turned ugly.
When she bought things, she never knew how to control herself. This was because she knew that her father would give her pocket money tomorrow. That was why every day, she would go out and spend all the money she had on her. That way, she could have more money to spend tomorrow.
However, she didn¡¯t expect that she would encounter a difficult person today!
The other party clearly looked weak, but her words she said made her so angry that she wanted to pass out.
As Liu Qinqin thought about it, the way she looked at Yue Jiaojiao became more and more like a knife.
Her facial features were very proper, but the corners of her eyes showed arrogance that destroyed the gentleness on her face, making her look very unruly and rude.
¡°I won¡¯t buy too much from you. Just give me three boxes.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao ced a silver note on the table. ¡°As for the remaining ten silver, I saw some fragrant items and lipstick downstairs. I¡¯ll take someter.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a good thing that you only want three boxes. If you want more, I won¡¯t be able to give it to you.¡±
The shopkeeper quickly got up to help her pack the rouge and brought Yue Jiaojiao to the second floor to pick out the fragrant bottles and lip balm. After that, he wrapped everything for her and then went to get the silver notes on the table.
¡°Miss¡¡± The shopkeeper was all-rounded in his business. ¡°I¡¯ll keep this rouge for you. As long as you want it, I¡¯ll definitely have it.¡±
Liu Qinqin snorted, grabbed the silver ingots on the table, and stuffed them back into her purse.
Yue Jiaojiao and Li Xiangjun carried their things and were about to head downstairs when they missed her.
Liu Qinqin¡¯s eyes were filled with hatred. She suddenly stood up and mmed her shoulder into Yue Jiaojiao. The force was so strong that it looked like she intended to push her down the stairs with this force.
Yue Jiaojiao and Li Xiangjun were already prepared for this. Thetter pulled Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s arm and dodged to the side. Liu Qinqin, who had missed, could not control her strength and rolled down the stairs while screaming.
¡°Ah-!¡±
The people downstairs immediately moved away.
The shopkeeper was anxious and cupped his hands at Yue Jiaojiao. ¡°Please forgive me for my poor hospitality. Please help yourself down.¡±
After saying that, he rushed downstairs.
This Liu Qinqin had an overbearing personality. If something happened to her in his shop, the shopkeeper was afraid that she would deliberately find someone to take revenge.
Li Xiangjun looked worried, ¡°Jiaojia, do you think something happened to her? I really didn¡¯t expect her to roll down.¡±
Yue Jiaojiaoforted her by squeezing her hand. ¡°Only one way to find out, let¡¯s go down and take a look.¡±
The stairs were not high, nor were they steep.
She also saw that Liu Qinqin¡¯s bag never left her hand, so she probably knew what she was doing.
With this thought in mind, Yue Jiaojiao walked down with Li Xiangjun.
¡°Zhao Zhan, look at them! It¡¯s because of them that I rolled down the stairs and made a fool of myself!¡±
Li Xiangjun¡¯s face was filled with shock.
Yue Jiaojiao looked at the Zhao Zhan that Liu Qinqin was talking about and raised her eyebrows. Her gazended on the corner of Zhao Zhan¡¯s clothes that she was holding onto and she asked gently, ¡°Dearest husband, why are you here?¡±
Zhao Zhan vigorously pulled her grip out the corner of his clothes and walked around Liu Qinqin, who was lying on the ground, to Yue Jiaojiao. ¡°Fang Tianliu and I were just looking after the shop at the end of the street, and we just happened to see you both walking around.¡±
¡°It¡¯s just that we didn¡¯t know which shop you went into, so we went to each shop one by one.¡±
After he finished speaking, he ignored everyone¡¯s gazes and grabbed Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s hands, sizing her up from head to toe. ¡°Jiaojiao, are you okay? Were you hurt?¡±
Chapter 399 - 399 Domineering (Part 1)
399 Domineering (Part 1)
Liu Qinqin was still lying on the ground when the scene yed out.
When she rolled down the stairs, she fell by Zhao Zhan¡¯s feet. When she looked up and saw who it was, her original anger turned into grievance. As she spoke, she had already raised her arm, waiting for Zhao Zhan to help her up.
If the other party was a gentleman, he could not turn a blind eye Right?
However, this country bumpkin immediately walked past her andpletely ignored her presence!
¡°I-I was so scared.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao had been practicing for the past two years. She had never disyed her previous temperaments because Zhao Zhan was usually considerate of her, making her seem more sensible and considerate than anyone else.
At this moment, her small face was pale. She gently leaned on Zhao Zhan¡¯s shoulder. Her voice was so soft that it made one feel pity for her. ¡°I¡¯ve really never seen such a brutal scene. It scared me to bits.¡±
How could Zhao Zhan not tell the truth in her words? However, he still looked at Liu Qinqin coldly, and then gently coaxed his lover, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯m here.¡±
The two of them were really infuriating.
Liu Qinqin couldn¡¯t take it anymore after being surrounded by the gossip of the people around her. She got up on her own and red at Zhao Zhan with her long and narrow eyes. She was so aggrieved that her eyes had turned red. ¡°Zhao Zhan, your actions just now were not the actions of a gentleman.¡±
Zhao Zhan turned a deaf ear to her, his eyes fixated on Yue Jiaojiao. ¡°Are you done buying the things you wanted? If you¡¯ve bought everything you like, I¡¯ll carry you home.¡±
¡°Zhao! Zhan!¡±
From the moment she saw Zhao Zhan¡¯s figure on his horse at the city gates yesterday, Liu Qinqin could not suppress the emotions in her heart.
She was pampered and had a willful personality since she was a child. The more she couldn¡¯t have it, the more she would ask for it. She would often say some things that would make people angry in an attempt to attract other people¡¯s attention.
Her attitude towards Zhao Zhan yesterday was only to deepen his impression of her in Zhao Zhan¡¯s heart.
¡°I was the one who fell, why would she be scared?¡± Liu Qinqin wished she could p Yue Jiaojiao with her hand. She looked at Zhao Zhan with anger and resentment in her eyes. ¡°She¡¯s being absolutely petty.¡±
Zhao Zhan wrapped his arms around Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s waist and pulled her into his embrace.
¡°My wife and I clearly don¡¯t know who you are. Why are you being so overbearing?
¡°My wife is intelligent, generous, and most polite and considerate. What do you mean by that? Are you ndering my wife?
¡°If you continue to be like this, I¡¯ll have to report your actions to the officers and ask the capital¡¯s officers to deal with this matter!¡±
¡°How can you not remember who I am??¡± Liu Qinqin blurted out. ¡°I clearly told you my name at the city gate yesterday!¡±
As she spoke, she lowered her head slightly and her ears turned red. ¡°A girl¡¯s name is the most private thing to share. You clearly heard it, so how can you pretend not to remember my name? Why? Is it because this country bumpkin woman is by your side, so you have no choice but to deliberately say that?¡±
Chapter 400 - 400 Domineering (Part 2)
400 Domineering (Part 2)
Liu Qinqin felt like it was totally unreasonable.
Even though Li Xiangjun had be a good-tempered person, she couldn¡¯t bear to listen to her pestering.
Coincidentally, Fang Tianliu¡¯s appearance also gave her the confidence to speak up. She red at Liu Qinqin with cold eyes and a look of disgust. ¡°You don¡¯t know shame at all. You¡¯re a woman that¡¯s clinging to someone else¡¯s husband. You¡¯re shaming your family¡¯s name!¡±
¡°Xiangjun,¡± Fang Tianliu looked at Li Xiangjun with bright eyes, ¡°I like your straightforward personality. Just looking at you makes me very happy.¡±
!!
His voice was very loud, and all the people around the shop who were watching the show heard him clearly.
Li Xiangjun¡¯s face turned red and she nced at him affectionately.
Fang Tianliu¡¯s body went limp, and he smiled as he moved closer to her, his tone full of love.
¡°Xiangjun¡¡±
Liu Qinqin looked at the two lovey-dovey couples and was so angry that her internal organs started to hurt.
¡°H-how dare!¡±
Zhao Zhan hugged Yue Jiaojiao tightly, ¡°Jiaojiao, do you want to apany me to the end of the street to take a look at other things? Changning is waiting over there.¡±
¡°Alright, sure.¡±
Since Changning was waiting there, they must have already chosen the address of the restaurant.
Liu Qinqin blocked Zhao Zhan¡¯s way and bit her lip as she looked at him. ¡°Zhao Zhan, it¡¯s your first time in Shangjing. If you encounter any difficulties in business, my father can help you. I can introduce you to my father.¡±
¡°Yesterday at the city gate, you identally killed my beloved horse. I can let that go but-¡±
¡°Zhao Zhao, this woman is being aggressive. Her words are sharp and hurtful¡¡±
Jiaojiao pretended to cry on Zhao Zhan¡¯s shoulder. She didn¡¯t want to be involved with this woman.
Zhao Zhan naturally held her closer.
¡°I won¡¯t let you encounter such an unlucky thing again.¡±
Liu Qinqin threw the bag in her hand, and it went straight toward Yue Jiaojiao.
Zhao Zhan immediately grabbed the bag that was directed toward Jiaojiao.
Liu Qinqin¡¯s face was red as she stumbled into Zhao Zhan¡¯s arms from the momentum of throwing the bag.
She knew that the other party¡¯s performance just now was only because his wife was beside him.
Look, she saw a little chance, so what if she wanted to fall into his arms?
¡°Ah-!¡±
Liu Qinqin¡¯s eyes narrowed. She didn¡¯t fall into the warm embrace but instead fell onto the hard ground.
¡°It hurts!¡±
When she pounced on him, Zhao Zhan let go of the bag and pulled Yue Jiaojiao to the side to hide at the door.
The other party was blocking his way, so he took the opportunity to go out.
Fang Tianliu and Li Xiangjun naturally went around Liu Qinqin who was lying on the ground and followed the two of them.
Changning had been waiting at the end of the street for a long time.
Changning quickly went up to them when the four of them appeared. ¡°This is the contract for the restaurant we just rented. Please have a look.¡±
This restaurant used to be an inn.
Because it was located at the intersection of two streets, it was pretty lively. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that the former owner had caused trouble and had to sell it, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to get such a good location.
The rent was 600 silver a year. In addition, they had spent 1800 silver to buy the restaurant.
Zhao Zhan paid five years of rent in one go.
The restaurant was three stories high, and the rooms that were originally used as inns had been demolished and cleaned, leaving only a little trace of their existence.
¡°I¡¯m going to renovate this restaurant ording to your original n. I¡¯ve already found someone to order the table, chairs, and tablecloths. Master Sun will bring some people here to start work tomorrow.
¡°After I arrived in Shangjing, I found out that there was a delivery service in Shangjing. Now I have to open another window for delivery.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao was not worried about the restaurant¡¯s business at all.
Zhao Zhan was no longer the same as before. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he was now like an old fox in the business field.
Yue Jiaojiao stood at the restaurant¡¯s entrance and looked around. She then pointed at a small shop across the street and said, ¡°Xiangjun and I looked around here already. That shop¡¯s business seems to be extremely cold. We¡¯ve been standing here for almost two hours, and only two people have gone in, and they came out as quickly as they went in. I want to go in and take a look.¡±
Just now, there were only her and Li Xiangjun. The shop¡¯s signboard was as good as gone. The door was extremely small and it looked dark inside. They couldn¡¯t see the situation inside clearly, so they didn¡¯t enter rashly.
¡°About that¡ That shop originally sold embroidery, but their owner disappearedst month, leaving only an orphan and a widow in the family. People on the street say that the wife of this family is a jinx, so people whoe spread that it was a taboo being there and are unwilling to go in anymore.
¡°As time passed, many women were afraid of being infected with the taboo of bringing bad luck to their husbands, so they stopped going there. This business has declined in just a month.¡±
¡°An embroidery business?¡±
¡°I want to take a closer look.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao had just moved when Zhao Zhan followed closely behind her. ¡°Jiaojiao, what do you want to do with this shop?¡±
He knew his wife¡¯s ability better than anyone else.
She was exceptionally intelligent. She had many novel ideas and recipes hidden in her head!
¡°Trust me.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao let the other party stick to her. When they reached the door of the embroidery shop, she turned her head and looked at Zhao Zhan, wanting to say something. ¡°As for what I n to do with it, I¡¯ll need to go in and take a look first before deciding.¡±
As soon as she finished speaking, she had already pushed open the door of the shop.
The light shone into the shop and dispelled the smell of dust.
...
A trembling woman subconsciously shrank back in panic as she held the child in her arms. When she saw Yue Jiaojiao and Zhao Zhan, she quickly put the child in her arms aside and stood up by herself. ¡°W-would you like to buy some embroidery?¡±
While they were talking, Yue Jiaojiao had already looked around the shop.
Although there was a smell of dust, the embroideries were arranged very neatly, and it was obvious that they had been deliberately ced there.
¡°The embroidery here doesn¡¯t seem to be tooplicated,¡± Yue Jiaojiao picked up an embroidery sample and looked at it carefully. Her tone was gentle, and she didn¡¯t mean to pick on it. ¡°Are there any more exquisite patterns in the shop? If you do, can you take it out for me to see?¡±
Chapter 401 - 401 Hopeful
401 Hopeful
Lady Yun looked at the couple in front of her. The husband was tall and handsome, and thedy was gentle and beautiful. When she spoke, her voice was soft. It was difficult to have any ill feelings towards her just by hearing her voice.
She wiped her hands on her clothes and said nervously, ¡°All the embroidery in the shop is already here. Although the technique of these patterns is not superb, they are exquisite and beautiful. Why don¡¯t you take a look around¡¡±
She felt that her words were a little too much, but her rent was due, and she had to raise a child alone.
When she first opened this shop, most of the money she earned was given to her mother-inw. What she left for them was only enough for their daily lives.
!!
Now that her husband was dead, this shop was burning money every day and everyone looked down on her. She didn¡¯t even care about shamelessness anymore.
As long as she could sell at least one thing, it would be considered a little hope in this dark life.
¡°I¡¯m sure that it¡¯s been a while since anyone has consigned any embroidery for sale in your shop.¡± Yue Jiaojiao put down the embroidery in her hands. ¡°In the long run, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be difficult to maintain the normal operations of this shop.¡±
¡°Mother¡¡±
The little boy beside Lady Yun tugged at the hem of her clothes. ¡°Is our shop really going to be closed down? If the shop is closed, then I won¡¯t go to school. I can read now, so I can learn by myself.¡±
He looked like he was only six or seven years old. When he spoke, he still had a childish tone, but his words were very sensible and considerate.
¡°Do you have any intention of selling this shop?¡±
Yue Jiaojiao didn¡¯t beat around the bush and exined her intention. ¡°I want to buy this shop of yours. Are you guys willing to sell it?¡±
Although this shop was not big, its geographical location was excellent.
The shop¡¯s business had been slow for so long, and yet no one had bought it. Yue Jiaojiao was actually worried that it might be because the other party was insistent on not selling it, or there was some other secret they were keeping, which was why she didn¡¯t tell her the reason for her visit when she first entered the shop.
When Lady Yun heard her say this, she immediately hugged the child beside her tightly.
¡°I see that you havee in with a purpose. Why is it that you also want to upy my shop like the others?¡± Although Lady Yun¡¯s words were full of wit, her tone was full of grief and indignation.
Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s mind was clear, so how could she not understand what she meant when she heard her say that?
Someone must have set their eyes on her, a person who had lost her husband, and wanted to take over this shop at a low price.
Instead of taking over, it was more like coaxing her to leave.
¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood my intentions,¡± Yue Jiaojiao said in a good mood. ¡°You can tell me the price you want. If I¡¯m not satisfied with the price, I¡¯ll discuss it further with you. Whether it¡¯s a deal or not will depend on the final result of our discussion.¡±
Lady Yun¡¯s vignce did not disappear. ¡°Are you really not sent by those people?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know who you¡¯re talking about, but I¡¯m really sincere with my decision. Also, if you really transfer the shop to me, I¡¯ll let you stay in the shop and help out, and I¡¯ll give you money to start working.¡±
Lady Yun¡¯s heart skipped a beat and she looked up at Yue Jiaojiao.
¡°You¡¯re willing to hire a woman like me?¡±
¡°So what if you¡¯re a woman? The business I want to do is very suitable for a woman to do.¡±
Lady Yun¡¯s hands were thick and strong. It was obvious that she was used to doing work at home. Although she was in a dire state now, she still maintained a clean and tidy lifestyle.
The child standing beside her had clean nails and hair. It was obvious that Lady Yun had taken good care of him.
If she wasn¡¯t someone who liked to be clean, she would never notice such a small detail like having dirty fingernails.
¡°If I want to transfer this shop of mine, it will cost you one thousand two hundred pieces of silver.¡±
¡°One thousand two hundred silver is too much. If you¡¯re willing, I can give you eight hundred taels of silver for rent.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao pitied her, but she would not let her silver go to waste. ¡°In your shop, there are only some counters and embroidery left. I think other people would only be willing to give you five hundred silver. I don¡¯t want to take advantage of this, but I also don¡¯t want to be a sucker. To be fair, you can only get seven hundred from reselling this shop. I¡¯m offering eight hundred taels. You should be able to see my sincerity.¡±
After she finished speaking, Lady Yun had already calmed down.
She naturally knew that her asking price was very high, but she just wanted to try and see if thisdy in front of her was specially hired by those people to deceive people.
Zhao Zhan understood tacitly and took out eight hundred silver and ced it on the table.
A gentle smile bloomed on Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s face. ¡°If you¡¯re willing, I can sign a contract for you right now. In addition, can I pay you five silver a month if you work for me?¡±
Five silver?
Lady Yun was a little nervous.
The well-known waiters in the restaurants in Ahangjing only earned about three silver a month, this was including tips.
Thisdy opened her mouth and offered five silver. She must have done business before, right?
However, from the way she ced her bid just now, she didn¡¯t seem like someone who didn¡¯t know anything.
When Lady Yun thought of this, she subconsciously raised her head and quickly nced at Zhao Zhan. Then, she tightly hugged the child beside her. ¡°What business are you nning to do? Although I don¡¯t have a husband, I¡¯m still a wife, so I can¡¯t do many things.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao couldn¡¯t help butugh when she saw that thedy had misunderstood her. ¡°What are you thinking? I bought this shop because I want to sell food. It¡¯s not what you¡¯re thinking.¡±
Lady Yun¡¯s face reddened, and she felt a little embarrassed in her heart. She mumbled, ¡°Five silver is a little too much for me. I don¡¯t feel safe holding onto that much silver.¡±
¡°We¡¯ll talk about wagester. Now, let¡¯s talk about this contract first.¡± Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s fingers tapped on the table. ¡°The contract has already been set up. If you agree, how about you sign your name and stamp your thumbprint here?¡±
It turned out that when Yue Jiaojiao arrived, she had asked Chang Ning to write her a contract.
Lady Yun carefully read the contract from the beginning to the end. She gritted her teeth and finally pressed her thumbprint on the contract.
Although this shop was her husband¡¯s hard work, she couldn¡¯t sustain it any longer. It was better to transfer it to a reliable person than to be deceived by those people. Besides, she could still work in the shop, which could be considered as keeping her honor.
¡°Lady Yun,¡± Yue Jiaojiao looked at the name on the contract and smiled, ¡°The shop is going to be renovated soon, so you should stay at home and spend time with the child. I¡¯ll still pay you. When the shop starts, I¡¯ll send someone to your house to let you know.¡±
Afraid that she would be worried, Yue Jiaojiao gave her her current address as well. ¡°If you need any help, you cane to my house to look for me.¡±
Chapter 402 - 402 Shop Owner
402 Shop Owner
Lady Yun clutched the contract in a daze, feeling as if the dust had settled.
¡°Mother¡¡±
The child beside her tugged at the corner of her clothes. ¡°We have money now. Are they the kind people you always talk about?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Lady Yun kept the contract in her arms and patted it carefully. ¡°They are the kind people that I always tell you about.¡±
¡°Boss¡¡± She looked at Yue Jiaojiao with eyes full of gratitude, ¡°In the future, if you have any requests, I¡¯ll definitely not hesitate to fulfill them. This is the key to the shop, please keep it well.¡±
A bunch of keys were ced on the counter. Zhao Zhan leaned over to keep the keys. This thing was hard, cold, and a little heavy. Naturally, he would not let his lover take it.
¡°When I need you, I¡¯ll send someone to your house to call you.¡±
Lady Yun quickly nodded in agreement. After packing up all her things, she brought her son home.
After she left, Zhao Zhan looked down at Yue Jiaojiao and said, ¡°The restaurant and this ce need to be redecorated. Master Sun is currently free and in Shangjing, so I¡¯ll ask him to clean up this shop as well.¡±
If his lover wanted to open a shop, he would give her his full support and would never refuse.
¡°Jiaojiao, are you thinking of opening a pastry shop?¡±
Zhao Zhan had been with her for a long time and could roughly guess what she was thinking. ¡°When we were in Wangshan, we didn¡¯t open one because we felt that our pastries would be too expensive to sell. Now that we¡¯re in Shangjing, it wouldn¡¯t be too strange even if the price was a little higher. You¡¯re quick to pick up, aren¡¯t you?¡± Yue Jiaojiao allowed him to hug her. Her eyes scanned theyout of the shop, and the image of the renovated shop appeared in her mind. ¡°It¡¯s true, I want to open a bakery.¡±
¡°Like making bread?¡± Zhao Zhan frowned, and then quickly thought of something. ¡°Or is it the thing you mentioned to me before that requires milk and butter to make?¡±
Yue Jiaojiao knew that he had remembered every word she had said.
¡°That¡¯s the one.¡±
The renovation of this shop would be a lot more troublesome than expected.
Yue Jiaojiao had worked hard at baking for a long time. Back in Willow Vige, it was really troublesome to make this thing. In addition, Zhao Zhan always made different kinds of pastries for her to eat, so she didn¡¯t have such a strong desire to bake.
Today, however, as she walked down the street, she could smell the sweet fragranceing from the pastry shops.
The desserts in Shangjing were much more colorful than those in Huai County and even Yang City.
If it weren¡¯t for the difficult process of making milk and butter, it would be a waste of these people¡¯s skills for baking.
¡°You want to use something with ss?¡±
Zhao Zhan could guess his lover¡¯s thoughts just by listening to her.
¡°I just happened to ask Chang Ning to ask a ss maker today. They can¡¯t make ss as big as a door, but they can make a small piece.
¡°If you want to use it, I can find a skilled carpenter in Shangjing and make some narrow wooden shelves. Then, we can embed the ss pieces in them.
¡°If you really want something like what you mentionedst time, then this is the only way.¡±
The matter of the shop¡¯s renovation was quickly put on the agenda.
It was currently summer, and the weather outside was a little too hot to handle. Zhao Zhan¡¯s heart ached for her, so he took on all the responsibilities. He kept an eye on the decorations in Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s shop, and left the decorations of the restaurant to Fang Tianliu and Chang Ning.
Due to theplicated process of making ss, they were upied until the weather turned cold and the autumn breeze was getting stronger. Only then did the decoration of the shope to an end.
Chapter 403 - 403 Teacher
403 Teacher
Zhao Nian was now 15 months old. He could now call out to his parents.
He was so heavy that both Yue Jiaojiao and Madam Qin¡¯s arms felt sore after carrying him for a while. Zhao Zhan had been so busy recently that he couldn¡¯t help out much at home. After discussing it with his lover, he decided to make a cart for himself.
He was worried that the cart would be too heavy to push, so he used wood and rolling iron to make the necessary load-bearing structure. The seat and back were made with cotton pads that were wrapped with two crossed wooden sticks.
When Yue Jiaojiao went out today, she and Madam Qin pushed this cart to the streets.
¡°Jiaojiao,¡± Zhao Zhan was standing guard at the entrance of the bakery. He came up to her when he saw her. ¡°Are you tired froming all the way from home?¡±
¡°My legs are a little sore.¡±
If it wasn¡¯t for therge crowd surrounding the entrance of the shop, Yue Jiaojiao would have definitely ced her entire weight on Zhao Zhan¡¯s body. ¡°Today is the first day of the restaurant¡¯s opening. Why are you here?¡±
¡°Fang Tianliu and Chang Ning are both responsible people. Besides, I can also find out what¡¯s going on over there in time.¡±
The restaurant was diagonally opposite to the bakery shop.
As it was the first day, there was a wheel at the entrance for the event.
It was a wheel that was divided into blocks of different sizes.
The smallest piece was upied with the first prize. The prize was that today¡¯s meal would be free of charge, and the maximum amount of silver was one hundred silver.
The second and third prize were free special dishes from the restaurant.
¡°Zhao Zhan, you¡¯ve secretly smuggled goods in, haven¡¯t you?¡±
Yue Jiaojiao pointed at the fourth prize on the wheel, which had taken up a certain space. The prize was a coupon that gave a discount in her bakery.
Then, there was the fifth prize, which was equivalent to the participation prize, and the prize was a bag of steamed buns.
When Zhao Zhan was organizing events for his family¡¯s shop in Willow Vige, the event nning was taught by Yue Jiaojiao step by step. Now, he could already draw inferences from one experience and n the next event himself.
¡°This event willst for five days.¡± Although Zhao Zhan held his lover in his arms, he let her borrow strength from his arms for fear that she would be tired from standing too long. ¡°Tomorrow is the opening day of the shop. At that time, the shop can make a name for itself in Shangjing with the discount on coupons.¡±
In the past few months, the shop had made a lot of rolls for all the products to be sold, and the standard amount of ingredients had been set.
After Zhao Zhan tasted it, he believed that as long as someone gave it a try, it would be impossible for customers to note back.
This first batch of customers could be used by the restaurant to open the first sales for the shop.
The bakery had to take the elegant route, and his lover wanted to create her own path, so Zhao Zhan could only tten the road for her.
¡°This way, I only need to open my shop quietly.¡±
The people surrounding the restaurant¡¯s entrance had already blocked this fork in the street until not even a child could pass through.
¡°Let¡¯s go into the shop first. Zhao Zhan took the key and opened the door. ¡°Let¡¯s take a rest inside.¡±
Theyout of the bakery was still a secret. Outside the shop, wooden shelves wrapped in oil paper were set up high to block the entrance, hiding the situation inside and outside of the shop.
Zhao Zhan pushed the door open and pulled out a chair for Yue Jiaojiao to sit on.
Zhao Nian, who was sitting on the cart, waved his hands excitedly and struggled to get off the cart.
Seeing this, Zhao Zhan took him out of the cart and let him walk around the shop.
¡°All the equipment is in ce.¡± Zhao Zhan was more familiar with the store than Yue Jiaojiao. He sat her down and exined everything to her. ¡°The oven has been in use recently. Milk will be sent to us every morning and afternoon. As for the other raw materials, I¡¯ve asked Chang Ning to get someone to purchase them all and send them to us every day so they will be fresh.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve given all the recipes to Xiangjun. She¡¯s in charge of tallying the ingredients. As for the rest of the physical work, I¡¯ll leave it to Lady Yun and the others to handle it.¡±
Strictly speaking, Yue Jiaojiao had opened this shop to satisfy her taste buds.
¡°We won¡¯t make much every day. Everything is limited in supply and will stop when it¡¯s sold out.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao didn¡¯t want to put in too much effort just because of a shop. Besides, low profit but high turnover had never been the path she wanted to take. Just the process of making butter by hand took more time than making bread.
¡°I specially brought this here today.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao pulled out the wooden board she had brought with her from the side of Zhao Nian¡¯s cart.
The thick wooden board was painted white, and on it were the limited-edition baking products that Yue Jiaojiao had drawn with charcoal.
¡°If someone orders a cake, I¡¯lle over and make the patterns on it.¡±
This was also a helplessparison if she wanted others to handle this. Aesthetics needed to be cultivated. Yue Jiaojiao had brought Lady Yun and Li Xiangjun by her side to teach them for two months, but the patterns they made were still very rigid and not creative enough.
This kind of thing could only be slowly cultivated and umted. Only then would it be natural to make special patterns.
¡°It would be great if we could find someone who¡¯s good at design.¡± Yue Jiaojiao sighed softly, but she was not anxious. ¡°Zhao Zhan, if you see anyone suitable, let me know. It¡¯ll be great to find a down-and-out schr, and then we¡¯ll lend a helping hand at giving them something to do. The other party will be grateful for a job.¡±
The schrs today ¡ª no matter if they were rich or poor ¡ª had a temperament that would never bend over for five buckets of rice. The girls who could learn a good skill were mostly well-off unmarried daughters, and it was impossible for them to show their faces in public to earn money here.
¡°If I really find a schr toe to this shop, what would you n to do with them?¡±
Zhao Zhan knelt down on one knee beside Yue Jiaojiao, hisrge rough hand pinching her soft skin and kneading it repeatedly in his palm. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to be my teacher? Why don¡¯t you teach me too?¡±
He had already developed an overbearing possessiveness, and his lover could only stand side by side with him.
Upon seeing this, Madam Qin picked Zhao Nian up and brought him to the backyard.
Yue Jiaojiao tilted her head and looked at him. She pulled out her fingers and pinched Zhao Zhan¡¯s stubbled chin. ¡°When did you be this jealous? I only said to find a schr who is good at design, and you made up a y in your heart?¡±
Yue Jiaojiao was sitting, so she was much taller than Zhao Zhan, who was kneeling on the ground.
He looked up at the smiling woman and suddenly leaned forward. He put one hand around her neck and pressed her down. ¡°Of course I¡¯ll give you anything you want. Even if I don¡¯t know how to, I can learn.¡±
The novels that she loved to read were all about schrs being obsessed with many things in life.
Even though Zhao Zhan¡¯s family was wealthy now, he still often secretly regretted that he was not a schr.
¡°Teacher,¡± Zhao Zhan¡¯s breath was intertwined with hers. ¡°If you can, why not teach this student instead?¡±
Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s breathing stopped for a moment. She was bewitched by him and lost in her thoughts for a moment.
...
Chapter 404 - 404 Preparations
404 Preparations
Zhao Zhan¡¯s eyes were filled with affection, and when he looked at Yue Jiaojiao, his gaze was so hungry that it was as if he wanted to swallow her whole.
¡°Teacher?¡±
When he spoke, he raised his tone, and his quivering hook had a hint of lust.
Yue Jiaojiao nced at the back door guiltily.
!!
¡°Madam Qin is already experienced in our patterns. If we don¡¯t call for her, she won¡¯te over.¡± Zhao Zhan hooked his arm around Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s face and made her turn around. He pressed his forehead against hers. ¡°You haven¡¯t said whether you¡¯re willing to teach me. Is it because I¡¯m a slow student and that you don¡¯t want to teach me?¡±
Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s toes, which were hidden in her embroidered shoes, curled in. If she didn¡¯t rely on her rationality to hold on to the armrest of the chair tightly, she was afraid that her entire body would have gone soft and fallen down.
¡°I¡¯ll teach you.¡± When she opened her mouth, she felt that her voice was dry and hoarse. She carefully leaned back to try to make the atmosphere less ambiguous. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you when we return to the residenceter.¡±
¡°Then I¡¯ll take it as a promise.¡±
Before Yue Jiaojiao could even nod her head, Zhao Zhan had already lifted his neck and kissed her. It was soft and sweet.
His blood was boiling, and his hands moved to Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s waist and suddenly tightened, holding her tightly in his arms.
Yue Jiaojiao was caught off guard and let out a low hmph as her arms were wrapped around his neck.
Zhao Zhan was clearly kneeling on the ground, but his aura was powerful. His strong and scorching aura wrapped Yue Jiaojiao tightly within it.
¡°Mama!¡±
Zhao Nian pulled open the curtain and happened to see Yue Jiaojiao pushing Zhao Zhan away in a hurry.
Zhao Zhan was pushed to the ground by her, his eyes looking at Yue Jiaojiao with an unsatisfied desire.
¡°Zhao Nian,¡± Yue Jiaojiao wanted to warn him, but she red at Zhao Zhan coquettishly. Then, she looked at Zhao Nian and said in a gentle voice, ¡°Come here.¡±
It was only then that Madam Qin appeared at the back door. When she saw that Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s hair was slightly disheveled, the clothes on her chest were wrinkled, and that she was panting as she spoke, she hurriedly said, ¡°Zhao Nian was being sneaky. I was distracted, and he managed to get in.¡±
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Nian ran in front of Zhao Zhan.
¡°Papa! Fight!¡±
He reached out his chubby little fist and smacked Zhao Zhan, then turned to look at Yue Jiaojiao and stretched out his hand. ¡°Mama! Pain!¡±
This made the few people in the roomugh.
Zhao Zhan grabbed Zhao Nian and threw him up, then quickly caught him a few times. ¡°Good thing you know how to protect your mother! Finally, your mother didn¡¯t dote on you for nothing.¡±
Zhao Nian thought that Zhao Zhan was ying with him and was so amused that he giggled. Then, when he came down, he excitedly grabbed Zhao Zhan¡¯s hair with both hands and said, ¡°Papa! y!¡±
¡°Hurry up and let go of your father¡¯s hair. You can¡¯t pull his hair.¡± Madam Qin knew that he was a child who didn¡¯t know how to control his strength. She hurriedly came over to coax Zhao Nian and took him from Zhao Zhan¡¯s arms. ¡°You can¡¯t do this in the future. You can¡¯t fight your father and mother.¡±
¡°Mama!¡±
Zhao Nian looked at Yue Jiaojiao with his hands and feet on the ground, wanting to jump into her arms.
¡°Madam Qin, let me carry him.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao was still sitting on the chair, mainly because her legs had just gotten a little better. Her waist was still sore and she was feelingzy so she didn¡¯t want to move.
Zhao Nian sat on herp, his chubby fingers poking the corner of Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s lips.
¡°Mama, pain pain!¡±
Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s face instantly flushed red as she hurriedly shifted Zhao Nian¡¯s seat.
Madam Qin immediately took out a toy from his cart and gave it to him, trying to divert his attention.
¡°Mama!¡±
Zhao Nian was struggling.
She could not stay in the room any longer. Since Yue Jiaojiao had achieved her goal foring here today, she carried Zhao Nian and stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±
Zhao Zhan, who was at the side, immediately took over the conversation. He scooped Zhao Nian up and ced him in the small cart. ¡°Let¡¯s go home. Mama needs to teach Papa how to make cakes.¡±
Zhao Nian pped his hands together,pletely forgetting about Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s abnormal red lips.
¡°Mydy, are you going to bake a cake today?¡±
Madam Qin didn¡¯t know the hidden meaning behind Zhao Zhan¡¯s words. ¡°Doctor Sun was still making a fuss yesterday, saying that you taught Miss Li to make that troublesome bread all day long and didn¡¯t even make a cake for him to try. Other than his medicinal herbs, all his thoughts are on food.¡±
Zhao Zhan was full of interest. ¡°That¡¯s great. Doctor Sun is in for a treat today.¡±
Under his gaze, Yue Jiaojiao kept feeling that if she didn¡¯t make a cake, she wouldn¡¯t be able to have a good time today.
Chapter 405 - 405 Ice Cellar (Part One)
405 Ice Cer (Part One)
Zhao Zhan¡¯s eyes glowed with a dark light.
There were many rare and niche things in Shangjing. He had found a safe contraceptive method in Shangjing, and now that the restaurant had taken its first step smoothly, he was in a good mood and had the time to think about other things.
The truth was, after giving birth, Yue Jiaojiao had an even more alluring charm than before.
The flower bud that was originally blooming shyly was now slightly in full bloom.
!!
The young and tender peach hanging on the branch had now be a full and juicy nectarine.
In the past, Zhao Zhan would always be concerned about not hurting her. Now, the red marks on Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s body rarely faded.
As soon as they returned to the manor, Madam Qin immediately pushed Zhao Nian to Doctor Sun¡¯s courtyard. Zhao Zhan hugged Yue Jiaojiao and went straight into the kitchen.
There weren¡¯t many servants in the residence, and the kitchen was usually upied by Zhao Zhan or Madam Qin. Madam Zhang would asionally cook a few special dishes from Bei City, but it wasn¡¯t very frequent.
The ingredients for making the cake had been prepared all along. Yue Jiaojiao took a few nces and said, ¡°It takes a long time to make the cake batter. Why don¡¯t we do it another day?¡±
¡°Jiaojiao?¡±
Li Xiangjun was wearing thick gloves and holding a cake that had just been taken out of the oven. ¡°What are you and Zhao Zhan doing here?¡±
Because she wanted to teach Li Xiangjun how to make cakes, there was a separate oven in the courtyard.
¡°Jiaojiao wants to teach me how to make cakes, so I¡¯m here to learn from her.¡±
Li Xiangjun held up the cake in her hands. ¡°I just made one here. Jiaojiao, why don¡¯t you teach Zhao Zhan this recipe?¡±
Now, she couldn¡¯t run even if she wanted to. Before Yue Jiaojiao could say anything, Zhao Zhan had already thanked her, ¡°Thank you, Miss Li. This will save us a lot of time.¡±
Li Xiangjun ced the cake on the table and looked at Yue Jiaojiao as she blinked and left quickly.
¡°Jiaojiao,¡± Zhao Zhan said pointedly, ¡°Shall I bring the cream over?¡±
The ice cer was built behind the kitchen.
¡°I haven¡¯t been down there since the ice cer was built,¡± Yue Jiaojiao said curiously. ¡°I want to go in and take a look too.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± he said.
Zhao Zhan held her hand, removed the cake from the mold, and ced it aside to cool. Then, he took Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s hand and brought her into the ice cer.
As soon as she went down, Yue Jiaojiao couldn¡¯t help but shiver.
The ice cer was built very deep down, and the ice bricks were piled up into a thick ice wall.
¡°Are you afraid?¡±
Zhao Zhan raised his hands and stroked her shoulders. ¡°Are you thinking about your childhood?¡±
Hearing him bring up the past, Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s tension eased. ¡°Although the memories of my childhood are scary, didn¡¯t you save me back then?¡±
Yue Jiaojiao was a little obsessed with emotional cleanliness.
When she was young, she had identally transmigrated into this body for a short time, and Zhao Zhan had saved her at the time.
Even if she did not believe in fate in the past, she had to admit that this world had its own ingenious existence.
¡°Fortunately, you¡¯re not the only one who remembers the past. I can also remember some things intermittently.¡±
The light from the ice cer came from the entrance on the ground, and a faint beam of light just happened to hit Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s side view.
Her hair seemed to be coated with ayer of gold because of the light.
The fine hair on her face was very clear.
His lover¡¯s eyes were filled with an indescribable charm.
Zhao Zhan lowered his head and sealed her bright red lips with a kiss. Then, he turned around and leaned against the ice wall, holding Yue Jiaojiao firmly in his arms.
¡°Oh-¡±
The surface of his skin was bone-piercingly cold, but his lips were burning hot.
Yue Jiaojiao felt as if she was caught in a world of fire and ice. However, a wave of heat immediately swept through her body, making her pant and making her legs so weak that she couldn¡¯t stand.
Zhao Zhan¡¯s arms lifted her up gently.
Yue Jiaojiao subconsciously wrapped her legs around his waist.
Her body was in the air, and the feeling became more clear until her earlobe went numb. She couldn¡¯t help but tremble all over.
¡°Eh? Why is the lid of the ice cer open?¡±
Madam Zhang¡¯s voice came from above. Zhao Zhan carried Yue Jiaojiao and moved to the shadow beside him.
¡°Is there anyone down there?¡±
Yue Jiaojiao subconsciously buried her head in Zhao Zhan¡¯s shoulder and neck.
¡°It¡¯s me, Zhao Zhan.¡± Zhao Zhan said. ¡°Please be careful of where you¡¯re going. This ice cer is very deep.¡±
¡°Of, it¡¯s just you. Since you¡¯re the one in here, I won¡¯t close the lid. Madam Zhang stood a little further away from the ice cer. ¡°You¡¯d better not stay in there for too long. It¡¯s very cold.¡±
Chapter 406 - 406 Ice Cellar (Part Two)
406 Ice Cer (Part Two)
¡°Thank you for your reminder, I¡¯ll be right out.¡±
As he spoke, Zhao Zhan had already loosened his outer robe and wrapped Yue Jiaojiao in his arms. He then looked at his lover and smiled with a hoarse voice. ¡°Even if she knew that it was you and me in here, she wouldn¡¯t think too much about it. Why did you hide first?¡±
¡°I was too nervous just now, so I forgot.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s lips were pink and moist, and Zhao Zhan¡¯s gaze could not help butnd on them.
¡°Hurry up and get your things.¡± Yue Jiaojiao covered his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s so cold here. If we stay any longer, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll catch a cold.¡±
Even if she didn¡¯t say it, Zhao Zhan wouldn¡¯t really impetuously ignore her health and let her stay here for too long.
¡°I¡¯ll go get it. You stand there and don¡¯t move.¡±
Zhao Zhan pinched his lover¡¯s leg. ¡°Can you stand?¡±
His tone was perfectly normal, but Yue Jiaojiao felt her ears heat up for some reason. She nodded slightly and said, ¡°I can.¡±
Zhao Zhan finally put her down on the ground after she spoke.
By the time she brought the cream back to the kitchen, the cake had already cooled down.
Yue Jiaojiao divided it up and ced it on the rotating rack. She stood at the side and instructed on what to do.
¡°Yes, here. You have to spread it evenly. When the timees, you can pick up ayer of fruit or chestnut paste to put it in the middle.¡±
¡°This cake can bebined with the tea fragrance to create other rich vors.¡±
Zhao Zhan¡¯s wrist was very steady, and he slowly squeezed out the cream in ordance with his lover¡¯s instructions.
Yue Jiaojiao even taught him how to use cream to write on the cake. He could write it, but it wasn¡¯t as beautiful as he hoped it would be.
He had obviously followed her instructions and made it bit by bit, but the final shape was not as exquisite and beautiful as his lover¡¯s personally made cake. The whole cake exuded a boorish aura like Zhao Zhan¡¯s.
¡°It¡¯s already very good.¡± Although the cake in front of her didn¡¯t fit Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s taste, it was still pretty good for a newbie. ¡°For a straight man like you, it looks great.¡±
¡°A straight man?¡±
Zhao Zhan frowned, not understanding the meaning of this word.
¡°It means that you¡¯re a very responsible man,¡± Yue Jiaojiao immediately added, ¡°So it¡¯s normal that you can¡¯t understand the delicate thoughts of a girl. Alright, alright, let¡¯s cut the cake up and distribute it to everyone. Yue Jiaojiao pushed him away. ¡°Remember to give Doctor Sun less cream. He¡¯s been getting on in years, so we can¡¯t give him too much sweet stuff.¡±
Zhao Zhan obediently pulled out a knife and divided the cake into a few pieces.
Madam Zhang¡¯s courtyard was the closest to the kitchen, so they went there first.
¡°I was wondering what you were taking from the ice cer. So you¡¯re going to make a cake today.¡± Madam Zhang took the cake and smiled happily. Then, she suddenly handed the cake back to Zhao Zhan. ¡°Zhao Zhan, quickly help me hold onto it for a while.¡±
Before Zhao Zhan and Yue Jiaojiao could understand what had happened, Madam Zhang had already leaned against the wall and retched.
¡°Madam Zhang¡¡±
Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s face was filled with worry.
Previously, she and Madam Qin had said that Madam Zhang was pregnant, but after Doctor Sun¡¯s diagnosis, they found out that it was a mistake.
It was a good thing that Madam Zhang didn¡¯t know what they were thinking.
Now that Madam Zhang¡¯s stomach was not feeling well, Yue Jiaojiao did not dare to think in that direction. ¡°Do you want Doctor Sun toe over and take your pulse?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I usually like the sweet things that you and Miss Li make, but when I smelled it just now, I only felt a burst of difort. It seems that I won¡¯t have the fortune to eat this today. I guess this piece of cake can only be left for Sir Zhang to eat.¡±
Madam Zhang said with a look of pity.
¡°I think it¡¯s better to let Doctor Sune over and take a look at you first.¡± Yue Jiaojiao was a little worried about her health. ¡°Maybe he will know what to do and how to fix it.¡±
¡°That¡¯s a good idea too. If I can recuperate, I might have a chance to try this cake.¡±
Chapter 407 - 407 Ice Cellar (Part Three)
407 Ice Cer (Part Three)
Zhao Zhan and Yue Jiaojiao took the opportunity to tell Doctor Sun about Madam Zhang¡¯s difort while they were delivering the cake to him.
When night fell, they heard excited and ecstatic voicesing from Madam Zhang¡¯s small courtyard. They were curious as to what was happening so they immediately perked up from the noise.
Zhao Zhan and Yue Jiaojiao hurriedly got up and went over, just in time to see Doctor Suning out from inside.
¡°Good news, I can have the cake now!¡±
Since the patient was doing fine, Doctor Sun immediately started thinking about the cake in his courtyard that he had to leave behind.
Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s eyes brightened. She exchanged a look with Zhao Zhan and immediately reacted. ¡°Zhao Zhan, from what I¡¯ve heard from Doctor Sun, is Madam Zhang really pregnant?¡±
Zhao Zhan also knew about the mishap they hadst time and was hesitant. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then Lingzhen¡¯s can be exined.¡±
¡°That¡¯s great! Quickly lie down and don¡¯t move. If you have any orders, just call me. I can do anything.¡±
In the room, Zhang Lingzhen¡¯s voice was so loud that it could be heard outside the courtyard.
When Zhao Zhan and Yue Jiaojiao heard the contents of his words, they had basically confirmed their thoughts.
¡°Hello?¡±
¡°They¡¯re here!¡±
Zhang Lingzhen, who had juste out of his room, was in high spirits, his brows and eyes filled with joy. ¡°Zhao Zhan, my dearest nephew-inw, you¡¯re here. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve all heard it. My wife is pregnant! Doctor Sun just said that the fetus is already three months old, but we didn¡¯t notice it at all. Fortunately, she¡¯s fine now. Otherwise, it would be toote for us to do anything!¡±
¡°It¡¯s actually been three months?¡±
Counting the days, she had been pregnant just when Doctor Sun had taken her pulse and said it was a mistake.
¡°I¡¯m happy for you.¡± Zhao Zhan was also happy. ¡°Jiaojiao and I won¡¯t go in and disturb her rest. I¡¯ll ask Chang Ning to find two reliable older women or servants to take care of her for the next two days.¡±
Zhang Lingzhen was a generous person, and Zhao Zhan was truly happy for him.
¡°Zhao Zhan, you and Jiaojiao are our lucky stars.¡±
If they weren¡¯t their lucky stars, how could there be no good news for his wife for so many years? Why did it happen after they lived with them?
Chapter 408 - 408 Moving House
408 Moving House
¡°There are too many people living in this house now. It just so happens that our new house is not far from here. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll go and see if Master Sun has finished building the courtyard. If it¡¯s tidied up, we¡¯ll move in immediately.¡±
The courtyard that Zhao Zhan had purchased was only a street away from where they were currently living.
Because the house price in Shangjing was too expensive, if he bought a small courtyard, it wouldn¡¯t feel nice. If he bought a big one, he would be a little short on money.
It just so happened that Fang Tianliu also didn¡¯t find a suitable one and wanted to live next to them.
The two of them discussed and simply chose arge courtyard with three entrances and three exits. After that, they asked Master Sun to renovate it. Zhao Zhan left two courtyards, and Fang Tianliu left one house with one entrance. There was also a courtyard that was more spacious than a normal one-entrance house.
Because the house with three entries and three exits was too big, it couldn¡¯tpare to the unit price of a small house, so it was much more cost-effective for them to buy it together.
¡°Her belly is getting bigger. If there is any difort, you can send someone to the house to call for Doctor Sun.¡±
Zhang Lingzhen¡¯s mind was nowpletely focused on his wife, and he muttered to himself for a moment when he heard Zhao Zhan¡¯s words. ¡°You¡¯re right. The most important thing right now is to buy two servants.¡±
As a result, they could not live in the house.
¡°It¡¯s already been three months, so we can¡¯t be careless since we already know about it. Before we move out, let¡¯s get Madam Qin toe over and help us with some things,¡± Yue Jiaojiao said.
The manpower at home was getting tight.
Zhang Lingzhen subconsciously nced at Zhao Zhan. He knew how much his nephew loved his wife.
Although he was a little tempted, he couldn¡¯t take away the person who made him happy.
¡°I¡¯m only here to take care of her for a few days. Besides, we all live in the same courtyard. It¡¯s not like Madam Qin can¡¯t help me now that she¡¯s here.¡±
Hearing her serious tone, Zhang Lingzhen hesitated for a moment, then nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go look for a few reliable servants tomorrow.¡±
Madam Zhang had been looking forward to getting pregnant for many years, so she was especially careful with this pregnancy. Usually, other than the necessary walking, she basically stayed in the room and did note out.
The shop would open for business the next day. Li Xiangjun had to go to the shop to take care of things, so there was no one to take care of Luoning. Yue Jiaojiao and Li Xiangjun decided to take Zhao Nian and Luoning to the shop.
It just so happened that Lady Yun¡¯s son was on holiday tomorrow at the academy, so he could watch over the two kids in the backyard of the shop.
¡°Madam Qin.¡± Yue Jiaojiao was also unsure how long she would be staying in the shop, so she carefully instructed Madam Qin, ¡°If Madam Zhang¡¯s condition is good today, you can take some time off to pack up. After the business of the shop and restaurant has stabilized, we will move to the new house.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry, mydy. I¡¯ll definitelyplete the task you¡¯ve given me.¡±
Madam Qin immediately nodded in agreement.
Seeing that she had finished giving her instructions, Yue Jiaojiao sat on the horse carriage and headed towards the shop.
Lady Yun had been pacing in front of the shop for a long time. When she saw her carriage, she immediately raised her hand to greet her, but she nervously retracted her hand right after. ¡°Boss, the sun has just risen. May I ask why you are here today?¡±
¡°It¡¯s the first day of business, so I came to take a look.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao got off the carriage with Zhao Zhan¡¯s help and walked into the shop first. ¡°The pastries we make are different from the other shops. We value freshness the most, so from now on, you¡¯ll have toe here a little earlier than the other shopkeepers to start your day.¡±
Chapter 409 - 409 Carriage
409 Carriage
Lady Yun entered the shop and put on the same style of clothes that Yue Jiaojiao had specially ordered for them. The only difference was the color of the cloth used to wrap their hair, which gave a fresh sense of life into the shop.
Li Xiangjun, who hade with Yue Jiaojiao, didn¡¯t act bashful either. After she put on her clothes, she immediately busied herself with work.
The work in the shop was done in silence, and Yue Jiaojiao watched from the side for a long time, but she couldn¡¯t find anything she could help with.
Moreover, every time she raised her hand, it made them think that she had done something wrong and they immediately stopped production to stare at her. This made her sit quietly at the side.
¡°I just went to buy some morning food.¡±
The food basket in Zhao Zhan¡¯s hand was full. ¡°Eating in the shop will spoil the smell of the pastry. I¡¯ll take them to the backyard first. The shop will be open in less than two hours. Eat more now and save your strength forter.¡±
As he spoke, he turned his head to look at Yue Jiaojiao, who was sitting on a chair next to him. A smile quickly shed through his eyes, and he carried the basket to the backyard without saying anything.
When he returned, he saw Yue Jiaojiao trying her best to keep her eyes open, trying her best not to fall asleep.
¡°Jiaojiao,¡± Zhao Zhan immediately bent down and pulled Yue Jiaojiao into his arms, ¡°Are you sleepy? The backyard isn¡¯t big enough to take a nap, I¡¯ll take you to the carriage to sleep.¡±
She had woken up too early today. Staying in the warm shop and surrounded by the aroma of pastries, Yue Jiaojiao felt her limbs warm and her bones warm, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel sleepy.
At this moment, she was obediently in Zhao Zhan¡¯s arms. Her arms subconsciously wrapped around his neck, and her head naturally leaned on his shoulder. The little bit of consciousness she had left disappeared in an instant.
Zhao Zhan looked at his lover who had fallen asleep, and his movements became gentler.
When Lady Yun and Li Xiangjun, who were busy at the side, saw this scene, they looked at each other and smiled. They ced the bread on the table into the oven and went to the backyard to eat.
¡°Zhao Zhan.¡±
The interior of the carriage was padded with a soft cushion, and Yue Jiaojiao subconsciously mumbled when Zhao Zhan ced her on it.
Zhao Zhan, who had originally wanted to get up,y down because of her ambiguous address. He reached out and pulled his lover into his arms, hugging her tightly.
His gaze lingered on Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s face. He was worried that he would disturb her and couldn¡¯t help but want to touch her from time to time, so he gently pecked her forehead.
¡°Don¡¯t mess around.¡±
In her daze, Yue Jiaojiao only felt an itch.
His lover frowned, obviously annoyed that her good dreams were disturbed by something. Zhao Zhan grabbed her hand and didn¡¯t dare to make any more noise. He just kept close to her, his ears perked up to pay attention to any movements outside.
When Yue Jiaojiao woke up, she could feel Zhao Zhan¡¯s hand on her ear.
The noise outside was blocked by this move and faded a little. She blinked and did not get up immediately.
¡°You¡¯re awake?¡±
Zhao Zhan could tell that she was awake from the change in her breathing rhythm, but he did not move his hand away. He only coaxed her, ¡°There¡¯s still about ten minutes before the shop opens. There are a lot of people outside right now.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao opened her eyes subconsciously.
Their carriage was parked right in front of the shop. If she got off now, the people who had been surrounding the shop for who knows how long would instantly burst into a discussion when they see the two people suddenly get off the carriage that had been quiet all this while.
¡°Are you worried that those people will gossip?¡±
Yue Jiaojiao didn¡¯t see the mischievousness in Zhao Zhan¡¯s eyes, and only nodded her head as she thought of a countermeasure.
Chapter 410 - 410 Welcome!
410 Wee!
¡°I¡¯ll get down from the door near the shaft, and you can get down from the back,¡± Yue Jiaojiao said, lost in her thoughts. ¡°Although we¡¯ll still be discovered, the impact will be more manageable.¡±
Even though the current customs were rtively open, it was still enough for a couple to stay in a motionless carriage for four hours in broad daylight, which was enough to arouse people¡¯s imagination.
¡°The main point today is to spread the bakery¡¯s reputation. If they start talking nonsense and forget the main point, then all our efforts today will be in vain.¡±
Zhao Zhan couldn¡¯t hold back hisughter any longer, and then said with a serious face, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my dearest wife. While you were sleeping, I had already entered and exited the carriage a few times. The people outside all know that there is someone in the carriage. Moreover, I will not let you fall into a difficult situation before the opening.¡±
As soon as he finished speaking, Lady Yun¡¯s voice came from outside the carriage. ¡°Boss, it was dark inside the shop just now, so you had no choice but to wait in the carriage. Now it¡¯s time to open the shop. Are you ready?¡±
There was amotion outside the shop.
Yue Jiaojiao tilted her head and nced at Zhao Zhan. ¡°You¡¯ve already made the arrangements?¡±
Zhao Zhan was afraid of angering his lover, so he raised his hand to help her tidy up her messy hair and dress. Then, he jumped off the carriage, ignoring the noise around him, and said, ¡°Be careful when youe down. I¡¯ll help you.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao bent her back and extended her hand to Zhao Zhan before she steadily alighted from the carriage.
Lady Yun was holding a wooden tray with a red silk cloth on it and a knife on top. ¡°Boss, please hold the scissors.¡±
The wooden frame used to block the shop¡¯s entrance had been removed by Master Sun and his menst night. Now, only a piece of cloth was left covering it, and the outermostyer was a red silk ribbon with arge ribbon in the middle.
¡°Shopkeeper, hurry up. We¡¯ve been waiting to go in and see what you¡¯re selling in your shop.¡±
¡°I heard that this branch will be the first one in Shangjing. It¡¯s not sold anywhere else. If we didn¡¯t get this voucher at the opposite restaurant yesterday, we wouldn¡¯t havee to join in the fun.¡±
¡°Speaking of the opposite restaurant, I have to talk about it. I heard that if you want to go in to eat, you need to get a number te. That number te is already filled up for five days.¡±
¡°Didn¡¯t you hear? That restaurant has things that other restaurants don¡¯t have. The taste is so unique. I was lucky enough to try it yesterday. The other restaurant meals are not even worth mentioning in front of their specialty.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s ears perked up as she listened. She didn¡¯t mind that they were all focused on the restaurant, so she picked up a pair of scissors and nimbly cut the silk cloth in two.
The tall and burly Zhao Zhan, who was standing beside her, raised his hand and pulled the oilcloth down with force.
¡°This is¡¡±
¡°The owner of this shop is really extravagant. It¡¯s such a small shop, but they actually used ss to make the front.¡±
The wall of the shop facing the street had been changed to ss. One could see everything inside the shop from the outside.
There were no crowded counters inside, only two ss cabs filled with freshly baked bread.
Li Xiangjun saw that the people outside were stunned. She went to the backyard and took out a piece of bread from the oven. In an instant, the fragrance of wheat mixed with milk spread out domineeringly.
¡°What¡¯s that smell?¡±
¡°This thing, why is it even more fragrant than the pastry shop that imed to have been in business for several generations?¡±
Li Xiangjun arranged the bread in the oven and then brought out the tray that she had prepared in advance. ¡°Dear guests, there are many small soft cakes here. You can have a sample of them. If you like them, you can go in and have a look. We have marked the price of each cake next to it.¡±
Chapter 411 - 411 Kidnapped (Part One)
411 Kidnapped (Part One)
¡°Can we really use the one we got from spinning the wheel in the restaurant?¡±
¡°You two families aren¡¯t working together to cheat us of our silver, are you?¡±
When Li Xiangjun was in Huai County, she had always been the manager of the Hundred vours Restaurant. Later, when they fought against Shang, Yue Jiaojiao didn¡¯t appear. She had always led Yang Dashan and the others to do it.
Even if they were in a different ce, the situation in front of her was not a big matter to her.
¡°Whether I¡¯m lying to you or not, you won¡¯t believe me even if I tell you more.¡± Li Xiangjun tasted the soft cake that had been cut into small cubes. ¡°You can try it first before you decide if you want to buy it. In addition, as long as you get a voucher from that restaurant for these few days, you can use it directly after we check it.¡±
It was Zhao Zhan¡¯s idea, and Yue Jiaojiao had helped him perfect it.
It was important to stamp the vouchers with the seal and print the patterns on them, but Yue Jiaojiao had also recorded the serial number on each voucher in two volumes. She and Zhao Zhan each held one volume.
For all vouchers, in addition to identifying the authenticity of the vouchers themselves, the code also had to match. This was to maintain order and to prevent people who counterfeited the same code from repeatedly verifying them.
Li Xiangjun was in charge of the matters in the shop, and Yue Jiaojiao and Zhao Zhan would only asionally help them when they were too busy.
They would first make soft cake famous, then they would introduce the expensive custom-made cake.
They were busy until noon.
The baked and fresh soft cakes simply couldn¡¯t keep up with the speed of sales.
Even the experienced and knowledgeable Yue Jiaojiao had no choice but to acknowledge Shangjing¡¯s spending power. The prices she set were not cheap, and each item was sold for more than one silver.
Although some peopleined about the price, they didn¡¯t hesitate to buy it.
Zhao Zhan felt sorry for his lover who had been helping out in the shop, but he also noticed that she did not have much food for the day. ¡°Jiaojiao, I asked Chang Ning to prepare some food for you in the restaurant. The shop is so busy, why don¡¯t I ask him to put the food in a lunchbox and bring it over instead?¡±
¡°Bring them over. Everyone should be hungry by now. I¡¯ll go to the backyard to check on Zhao Nian and Luoning.¡±
Although the backyard was not locked, she had not seen anyone for a long time, and Yue Jiaojiao missed him a little.
¡°Zhao Nian?¡±
No one paid any attention to her when she called out from the backyard.
Yue Jiaojiao picked up her pace, and even her voice was raised. ¡°Zhao Nian!¡±
Still, no one answered her.
Zhao Zhan, who was just about to leave the shop, sharply caught the uneasiness in her voice. He immediately stopped and turned to the backyard. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±
¡°Zhao Zhan, the children in the backyard are gone.¡±
Zhao Zhan¡¯s eyes narrowed. He immediately put his arm around Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s shoulder and consoled her gently, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll go to the restaurant and get someone to look for them. Other than Zhao Nian and Luoning, Shitou is missing too. Shitou is older. Maybe he took the two little guys out to y.¡±
Shitou was Lady Yun¡¯s son.
Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s heart was burning with anxiety, but she knew that she couldn¡¯t afford to panic. Her hands trembled as she held onto Zhao Zhan¡¯s arm. ¡°Zhao Nian can¡¯t walk far with those legs of his. Luoning can only crawl. Shitou is a child himself. He won¡¯t be able to hold on for long even if he¡¯s fighting two people at once.¡±
Zhao Nian and Luoning looked like they were from a well-off family. Even Shitou had dressed up well for the opening of the store.
If they were to encounter some bad people¡
¡°There¡¯s no back door in the backyard that leads to the main street. Let¡¯s ask the people in the shop if they¡¯ve seen the children go out.¡±
¡°Zhao Zhan, quickly go and tell the people you can trust in the restaurant about the three children¡¯s clothing and appearance. Have them quickly go and find them.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll go right now.¡±
Zhao Zhan kept thinking about Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s anxiousness, but the safety of the three children was even more pressing.
Li Xiangjun saw that he was in a hurry and his expression didn¡¯t look right. She turned her head and saw that even the usually gentle Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s expression had changed as well. She suddenly felt that something was wrong and held the tray tightly. ¡°Jiaojiao, did something happen?¡±
She spoke softly, not daring to let anyone hear her.
Yue Jiaojiao held her hand and walked to Lady Yun. She was clearly more anxious than anyone else, but she managed to keep her calm.
¡°I just went to the backyard to check on the three children, and then I realized that they were gone.
¡°Don¡¯t worry. Maybe the two children were too noisy and Shitou didn¡¯t know how tofort them, so he took them out to y. The most important thing now is to find the three children.¡±
When Li Xiangjun heard the first sentence, her legs turned to jelly and she wanted to fall to the ground. Fortunately, Lady Yun, who was beside her, immediately supported her steadily. However, her hands were also trembling.
¡°B-boss¡¡± Lady Yun¡¯s face was pale. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I apologize on behalf of Shitou.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao looked up at her and asked, ¡°Lady Yun, did you see Shitou take the two children out?¡±
Lady Yun was stunned and her body trembled slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on the shop. If Shitou takes the two children out, I would have definitely seen it. But I¡¡±
Li Xiangjun couldn¡¯t hold on any longer and slipped down the counter.
¡°Xiangjun!¡±
¡°Zhao Zhan has already sent people to the restaurant to look for them. All we can do now is to wait in the shop.¡±
Li Xiangjun¡¯s tears were already streaming down her face. ¡°I¡¯ve discussed this with Lady Yun. Even if the shop is busy, I¡¯ll watch the backyard while she watches the shop.¡±
¡°It¡¯s my fault. I didn¡¯t realize that the children were missing earlier.¡±
¡°Now is not the time to talk about responsibility.¡± Yue Jiaojiao was the backbone of their hearts. No matter how worried she was, she could only swallow her words. ¡°If we really have to point fingers, even I, as Zhao Nian¡¯s mother, have neglected them for the entire morning. Now, think about it carefully. When was thest time you saw the three little fellows?¡±
¡°About ten minutes ago, I saw Shitou standing at the back door and looking into the shop for a while.¡±
¡°A few minutes ago, I saw Shitou watching Luoning sleep. Zhao Nian was beside him,ughing at his antics.¡±
¡°You guys stay in the shop and don¡¯t move. Try not to show any strange behavior. If someone with ill intentions finds out, the children will be in a more dangerous situation. I¡¯ll go find Zhao Zhan and talk to him now.¡±
If the two children had gone missing 10 minutes ago, Shitou would have told Lady Yun.
The children had disappeared for the time it took to finish a cup of tea. Based on their speed, they shouldn¡¯t have gone too far. Apart from that, Yue Jiaojiao had Zhao Zhan send a few men to guard the city gates to prevent them from being taken away by the potential traffickers.
Chapter 412 - 412 Kidnapped (Part Two)
412 Kidnapped (Part Two)
After Yue Jiaojiao finished asking, Zhao Zhan was ready to hire a few avable manpower for a search and rescue party.
Hearing themotion outside, Yue Jiaojiao quickly walked out. ¡°Zhao Zhan, take some people with you to look for him. I¡¯m going home now.¡±
¡°The two dogs at home grew up with Zhao Nian and Luoning, so I¡¯ll bring them out to see if they can smell the children.¡±
Although this method didn¡¯t sound very reliable, as long as she could find her child, she was willing to try any method avable. After all, it was better to give it a try than to wait there like sitting ducks.
¡°I¡¯ll get Chang Ning to drive you back.¡±
Taking the carriage was always faster than walking. Yue Jiaojiao nodded and boarded the carriage. Chang Ning, who was at the side, did not dare to dy and quickly drove the carriage back to the manor.
¡°Chang Ning.¡± Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s voice came from behind the curtain. ¡°I won¡¯t be entering the manor. You can go in and bring the two dogs out. If anyone in the manor asks, just say that Zhao Zhan¡¯s restaurant needs them. Remember, don¡¯t exin too much, we don¡¯t want to make more mistakes.¡±
Chang Ning had followed them for a long time, so he knew everyone in the residence.
Right now, other than the elderly, there were only pregnant women in the house. Yue Jiaojiao didn¡¯t want them to know for the time being, as it would only make them more worried.
¡°I understand.¡±
Chang Ning was very fast. When he entered the manor, he first politely bowed to Zhang Lingzhen, then calmly exined his purpose foring, and then proposed to go over and take the dog.
¡°Madam Qin can bring them to you, she¡¯s known them the longest.¡±
It was best to let their own people handle the matters in Zhao Zhan¡¯s courtyard.
Zhang Lingzhen was a thoughtful person, and could always keep the distance that needed to be grasped.
As he spoke, he called for Madam Qin toe.
¡°Chang Ning said he¡¯sing to take the two dogs. You can go.¡±
¡°A dog?¡± Madam Qin said as she walked outside. ¡°Why would they want the two dogs? Yesterday, I heard that mydy wanted to take the dogs out of the city to have fun in two days, I don¡¯t recall her changing the days¡¡±
Chang Ning lowered his head and said cautiously, ¡°I¡¯m only following my boss¡¯s orders.¡±
Hearing this, Madam Qin was satisfied and didn¡¯t ask any more questions. She let Chang Ning take the dog out.
Yue Jiaojiao led them into the carriage, then took out some dried meat and water to feed the two dogs. She then took out Zhao Nian and Luoning¡¯s clothes and toys and ced them under their noses.
¡°Zhao Nian and Luoning are missing now. When you guys get outter, if you smell them, can you take us to them?¡± She spoke gently as she patted the two dogs¡¯ heads.
At the end of her words, she was already choking up.
The two dogs barked and rubbed against Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s shoulder. When the carriage returned to the shop, they jumped off and sniffed the air before barking into the shop.
¡°Madam, why don¡¯t we take them to the back of the shop? Will it be affected if they stay in the backyard for a long time?¡±
Yue Jiaojiao tugged at the dog¡¯s leash, trying to bring them further away, but they were insistent on charging in.
After half a day of bustling and crowds, there were very few people in the shop. Li Xiangjun and Lady Yun were sitting behind the counter in a daze. They were shocked when they saw the two dogs rush into the shop.
¡°Boss, this is¡¡±
¡°They¡¯re close to the kids, so I brought them here to help.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao didn¡¯t have much strength, and as she spoke, her feet were already being dragged by the two dogs as they struggled to move towards the backyard.
¡°Woof woof!¡±
They walked around the backyard, and then they kept shouting from a corner of the bedroom in the backyard.
¡°Look at me and my memory.¡± Lady Yun, who had followed them in, pped her forehead when she saw the ce. She looked excited. ¡°There used to be a hole here. I¡¯ve blocked it with tiles from the inside. After my husband passed away, Shitou and I stayed in the shop, worried that we would encounter danger, so we didn¡¯t block up the hole. We thought that it might be of use in the future. As a result, I forgot about it after a long time.¡±
Although Master Sun hade to help repair the shop, he had only changed the front part. Other than a huge oven in the backyard, there were no other changes.
Seeing this, Chang Ning immediately squatted on the ground and moved the tiles away, revealing a hole through which light could pass through. From the size, it could be seen that if Shitou went out, he must have been lying t on the ground and squirming his way out.
Chapter 413 - 413 Kidnapped (Part Three)
413 Kidnapped (Part Three)
Lady Yun had obviously thought of this as well. Her face was ashen. ¡°When Shitou returns with the children, I¡¯ll definitely give him a good beating. You can do whatever you want with us. My child is too bold and has no thoughts about his actions!¡±
It was already difficult for Shitou to go out alone. It was understandable if Zhao Nian followed him out because he liked to join in the fun, but what about Luoning? How did he get Luoning out?
¡°Now is not the time to talk about this. Finding the children is more important.¡±
The two dogs turned their heads to look at Yue Jiaojiao, pawing the ground as if they were trying to get out.
¡°Look.¡± Chang Ning held a few broken threads in his hand. ¡°Is this from Zhao Nian?¡±
The edge of the hole was not very neat. It must have been scraped off when he was climbing out.
Yue Jiaojiao nced at it.
¡°It is.¡±
¡°Lady Yun, where does this lead to?¡± Yue Jiaojiao stuffed the dog leash into Lady Yun¡¯s hands and said, ¡°You take the dog and wait here. When you hear our voices outside the cave, loosen the leash and let theme out to find me.¡±
The dogs were stubborn and wanted to crawl out. They couldn¡¯t be dragged out by force, otherwise they would keep barking in the backyard. Although our shop is narrow, it¡¯s deeper than the shop next door.
¡°The back leads to Qinglian Alley, and to the East of the alley is Shuanggui Street, where Shitou often goes.¡±
¡°Then you can wait here with the dog.¡±
¡°Chang Ning, let¡¯s hurry to Qinglian Alley.¡±
Chang Ning immediately nodded and went to the front to lead the carriage. After Yue Jiaojiao settled down, he went straight ahead.
Although the alley was just behind the shop, it was a long street with twists and turns.
Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s fingers were clenched tightly, and she gritted her teeth to force herself not to panic.
When they arrived at Qinglian Alley, Yue Jiaojiao took the two dogs from Lady Yun and followed them all the way to Shuanggui Street.
When they went out of the alley, they saw a bustling scene ahead of them.
The two dogs stood at the entrance of the alley, wagging their tails. They stepped on the ground and turned around anxiously. They sniffed around the wall for a long time and were a little confused.
Yue Jiaojiao then took out the two little ones¡¯ belongings and let them smell it. ¡°I know it¡¯s been hard on you, but can you hold on a little longer?¡±
Her breathing was nervous, and she didn¡¯t know if she wasforting the dog or persuading herself.
Thankfully, her actions were effective. The two dogs sniffed the ground and the wall again, and then led her to the West side. After walking for a long time, they stopped in front of a strong man selling candied haws.
Chang Ning hurriedly took out a few copper coins and handed them to the other party. ¡°May I ask if you saw the three children passing by?¡±
¡°You¡¯re talking about a little schr with two babies, right?¡± the man in his prime took the copper coins and recalled, ¡°I did. He even bought two candied haws from me. Then, a travel-worn man came over and chatted with them, saying that they were old acquaintances with their parents. I was busy selling candy at the time and didn¡¯t hear everything clearly. When I turned back to look, they had already gone far away with the man. From the direction they went, it looked like they were heading South of the city. The little kid fell asleep as soon as heid on the man¡¯s shoulder, so I didn¡¯t think much about it.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao, who had been holding on all this while, couldn¡¯t hold on any longer. Her feet went soft, and she staggered two steps back, trying to find a wall to lean against.
They left with a man, and it was a travel-worn man who imed to be an acquaintance?
If this wasn¡¯t a kidnapper, then what was it?
She knew Zhao Nian¡¯s personality better than anyone else. Although he looked very happy all day and could fall asleep on top of anyone who hugged him, he was actually very sensitive to other people¡¯s emotions.
When he meets someone who makes him feel ufortable, although he can¡¯t exin it, he will be more stubborn than anyone else. He would rather cry until his little body was red than be carried away by the other party.
How did he manage to sleep on a stranger¡¯s shoulder? He had obviously been drugged.
Zhao Zhan, who was not far away, saw Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s body swaying unsteadily. He shouted anxiously and quickly ran to her.
¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±
Zhao Zhan supported Yue Jiaojiao with one hand and ced his broad palm on the back of her head, burying his lover in his shoulder. He then looked at Chang Ning coldly and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±
He was very dignified in front of his subordinates.
Chang Ning did not dare to hesitate and told Zhao Zhan the news he had just heard.
¡°Madam must have thought that Zhao Zhan met a kidnapper, so she¡¡±
Chapter 414 - 414 Kidnapped (Part Four)
414 Kidnapped (Part Four)
Chang Ning¡¯s head hung low.
He knew how much Zhao Zhan cared for Zhao Nian even though they always quarreled with each other.
¡°We¡¯ve asked him all we needed. They¡¯re heading South. I¡¯ve already sent people to continue the investigation. Take them and quickly follow them.¡±
¡°Yes, sir.¡±
Chang Ning and the two dogs split into two groups. Zhao Zhan watched him leave with cold eyes before gently patting Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s back and saying in a warm voice.
¡°I¡¯ve gathered all the people who had a deep impression of that man. I¡¯ve also found a famous painter in Shangjing who¡¯s good at painting portraits.
¡°In addition, I¡¯ve also asked where many painters live. When the portrait is sessfully drawn, I will make the other painters hurriedly duplicate the drawing. After that I¡¯ll ask County Magistrate Zheng to help inform the governor of the capital.
¡°When the timees, with the help of officers, even if that person can hide, he won¡¯t be able to hide for long.
¡°I did all of this in case the kidnapper¡¯s aplices knew what we¡¯re doing and hurt some children in desperation. That¡¯s why I did it secretly and didn¡¯t make it public.¡±
It was not obvious that there were a few people missing from the street, but if even the hawkers who had set up stalls all day packed up and left, Zhao Zhan was worried that it would attract the attention of those kidnappers.
¡°Then let¡¯s go back to the restaurant. I can help.¡±
She was good at sketching. As long as the artist drew a portrait, she could find a charcoal pen and draw a more detailed portrait.
¡°I¡¯ll carry you back.¡±
Zhao Zhan couldn¡¯t care less about the strange gazes of the pedestrians on the street. He carried Yue Jiaojiao on his back and quickly rushed towards the restaurant.
When they arrived, the artist had started on the eyes.
Yue Jiaojiao immediately sat down beside the artist.
Zhao Zhan quickly sent someone to find a charcoal pen.
After the artist drew the other parts, he showed them to the passersby who had seen the man for confirmation.
They look a little simr, but not particrly eye-catching¡
¡°His eyes were a little slimmer.¡±
¡°What nonsense are you talking about? There¡¯s nothing wrong with his eyes. What¡¯s wrong is his nose. That person¡¯s nose isn¡¯t that narrow.¡±
Because Zhao Zhan had given him enough silver, even though the painter was already displeased after making several modifications, he still endured it and worked hard to modify it.
However, what others described was different from what he had seen.
Zhao Zhan had requested for the portrait to be as simr as possible, in the end, seven out of the ten people who had seen the man had to say that the drawing was correct before it waspleted. Thus, the portrait kept getting edited.
In the end, more and more people said it didn¡¯t look like it.
Yue Jiaojiao ced the portraits of the people who had crippled him in front of her. Her ears were listening to the sounds of the other people, and she held the charcoal pen and didn¡¯t stop sketching.
¡°Please, wait a moment.¡±
A female voice sounded, and the surrounding noise suddenly quieted down.
¡°Do you think this looks like it?¡±
She raised the portrait that she had just drawn.
¡°Like, like, like¡ Raise the corners of the eyes a little higher, and narrow the nose a little more and-¡±
¡°Don¡¯t be daft.¡±
The more these people talked, the more confused they became.
After all, they had only seen each other once. If they continued to argue, the face that they could remember clearly would be blurry after seeing so many simr portraits.
¡°In your memories, who knows that person¡¯s appearance the best?¡±
¡°What were you doing when you saw him? What was that man doing?¡±
These people looked at each other, and finally, a sugar shop¡¯s waiter stood up.
¡°I should remember him the best. When that person came to our shop to buy candy, I was the one who took the time to greet him. However, the shop was busy, and there was a child on his shoulder. He kept turning his head to look at the child when he spoke.¡±
The waiter quickly described the scene with gestures.
Yue Jiaojiao lowered her head and hastily constructed a scene. She no longer stuck to the face portrait and only restored the image that the waiter had seen.
¡°Zhao Zhan¡¡± Halfway through the painting, Yue Jiaojiao stopped. ¡°Look, don¡¯t you think this looks familiar?¡±
Zhao Zhan hurriedly went over to take a look at the content drawn on the paper. His eyes suddenly widened as he turned his head and met Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s eyes. He then brought the paper to the shop assistant. ¡°Is the content drawn on this paper the same as who you just saw?¡±
¡°Yes.¡± the shop assistant nodded repeatedly. ¡°It¡¯s really strange. What kind of painting skills does thedy have? It¡¯s as if she has seen this man herself.¡±
¡°Thank you for your troubles today. The waiter has already prepared a table of food and wine in the private room. Everyone can go and try it.¡±
¡°Many thanks, Zhao Zhan.¡±
With silver to take, and a table full of food and wine for free, these people immediately walked away.
After the crowd had dispersed, Zhao Zhan kept the paper and looked at Yue Jiaojiao. He said gently, ¡°Since we already know who it is, the rest will be much easier.¡±
Chapter 415 - 415 You’re Back!
415 You¡¯re Back!
Yue Jiaojiao had not expected that the person who had taken the three children away would be him.
The two of them took the portrait and did not go to the painters. Instead, they went to Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s shop at the side. ¡°Xiangjun, Lady Yun, we just found out who took the children away. You two wait in the shop for a while. We¡¯ll go and bring them as soon as possible.¡±
When Lady Yun heard this, she sped her hands together and said, ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good. My heart has been hanging in fear.¡±
Because of this, Li Xiangjun hadn¡¯t even eaten. Now that she saw Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s meaningful nce at her, she felt a little more at ease.
After giving them instructions, Zhao Zhan and Yue Jiaojiao drove the carriage straight home.
Madam Qin, who had been pacing around at the door, immediately ran over when she saw the carriage stop.
¡°It¡¯s my first time in Shangjing, so I don¡¯t know where the restaurant is. I wanted to find you, but I didn¡¯t know where to find you, so I was running around like a silly goose.
¡°Sun Jiyan has returned with three children¡ I heard from Doctor Sun that he met the three children on the street. I don¡¯t know if you know about this, but I thought you¡¯d feel anxious because the children are missing.¡±
¡°Did Sun Jiyan really bring the children back?¡±
The calmness that Yue Jiaojiao had been forced to maintain on her face all this time had crumbled. Her face was filled with excitement and joy as she walked around Madam Qin and quickly made her way to Doctor Sun¡¯s courtyard.
Zhao Zhan followed closely behind, his arm always shielding Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s back, afraid that she would suddenly fall.
¡°Doctor Sun.
Before she could enter Doctor Sun¡¯s courtyard, Yue Jiaojiao heard a scoldinging from inside.
¡°Finally, you¡¯re here.¡±
Doctor Sun was obviously furious. When he saw Yue Jiaojiaoe in, he pointed at Sun Jiyan and said, ¡°I think he¡¯s been wandering around outside for too long and doesn¡¯t know what it means to be thorough in his work. He even brought the children back. He didn¡¯t even ask you if you knew that he took the child away.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t speak up for him.¡± Without waiting for Yue Jiaojiao to speak, Doctor Sun red at her. ¡°I saw the two of you rush back. You must have thought that the children were lost, right?¡±
¡°Are you feeling anxious after finding out they were lost? Are you afraid? Did your legs go soft?¡±
As Doctor Sun spoke, he took Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s wrist and checked her pulse. ¡°Her heart rate is too high, she¡¯s sweating too much, and her pulse is unstable. It¡¯s obvious that she¡¯s just been frightened.¡±
Zhao Zhan immediately put his wrist behind his back. ¡°Doctor Sun, you don¡¯t have to take my pulse.¡±
Sun Jiyan, who was drowsy from the scolding, turned to look at the two of them.
¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I saw that this child looked exactly like you and I heard Shitou calling him Zhao Nian. The other little girl is called Luoning. I assumed she was your child too?
¡°You didn¡¯t see what Shitou was doing at that time. He was holding a small hand in his arms and holding onto another tightly. Your son was holding onto the candied fruit and his eyes were fixed on it, unwilling to look away.
¡°I didn¡¯t see any adults around them. I was worried that they might have been kidnapped, so I brought them back here, just in case.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao had just experienced such a shocking scene, so she could only restrain her anger towards Sun Jiyan. ¡°Doctor Sun, Shitou is a few years older than the two children. Why didn¡¯t you think to bring them back to the shop?¡±
¡°Shitou said that the two children couldn¡¯t stay in the shop for long, so I thought of sending them home first and let my master send them to the shop. As soon as they came back, they were scolded by my master. He was afraid that it would be too much trouble to send them back to the shop, so he let them stay here. Then, he thought of sending someone to find youter.¡±
Doctor Sun¡¯s consideration was quite thorough, but he just didn¡¯t know the location of the restaurant.
It just so happened that Madam Qin didn¡¯t want him to worry more, so she stood at the door and didn¡¯te back to exin it to him.
It was really a freakishbination of factors.
¡°Doctor Sun, Doctor Sun, I¡¯ll go in and take a look at the children first.¡±
Chapter 416 - 416 Academy Plans (Part One)
416 Academy ns (Part One)
They were still children, and they were exhausted from all the running. By the time they arrived at the familiar ce, Zhao Nian and Luoning were already fast asleep.
Shitou, who was trying his best to stay awake, was affected by their sleepiness. He eventually sat down and fell asleep.
When Yue Jiaojiao entered the room and saw this scene, she finally felt at ease. She walked over and helped Shitou to lie down on the bed. Then, she covered the three children with a thin nket and quietly left the room.
¡°How are the three children?¡± When Sun Jiyan saw here out, he hurriedly asked, ¡°You won¡¯t have nightmares because of the shock, right?¡±
!!
¡°They¡¯re sleeping well.¡±
It was only then that Yue Jiaojiao realized that Sun Jiyan had changed a lot. In the past, he had a strong schrly air about him, but after such a long period of practicing medicine outside, he no longer looked so dogmatic and weak. Instead, he looked more free and unrestrained.
Noticing her gaze, Sun Jiyan lowered his head to look at himself. When he raised his head again, heughed. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ve changed a lot?¡±
¡°You did.¡± Zhao Zhan, who was helping Doctor Sun organize the medicinal herbs, looked up at him when he heard this and naturally continued the conversation. ¡°How long do you n to stay?¡±
¡°It just so happens that we¡¯re nning to move the day after tomorrow. Since you¡¯re here, you can help us out.¡±
¡°For what? He¡¯s be more st*pid after staying outside for so long. You better ask him not to ruin my medicinal herbs.¡± Doctor Sun red at him unhappily. ¡°Zhao Zhan, don¡¯t worry about him. He can leave whenever he wants.¡±
¡°Master.¡±
Sun Jiyan also moved a stool over and sat beside Zhao Zhan. He helped Doctor Sun process the medicinal herbs. ¡°Master, after Ie back this time, I¡¯ll have to stay with you for a while. I originally wanted to open a clinic in Shangjing and settle down, but I¡¯ve been staying in Shangjing for a few days and observed it carefully. After thinking about it, I gave up on this n.
Shangjing is aplicated city. There¡¯s no need to get involved in this ce.¡±
Doctor Sun put down the medicinal herbs in his hand and dusted off the mud on his hands.
¡°Those who practice medicine and help the world have many ces to be, but you, kid, if you don¡¯t stay here for a while, I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll be able to see me when youe back next time. We¡¯ve been gone for so long and I never heard from you once. Do you think I have that long to live?¡±
¡°Master, let¡¯s not talk about the people in Shangjing first. If I can see all the people outside of Shangjing, it will take many years. So in the future, I will not go far. I wille back to see you every few days.¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°I definitely wouldn¡¯t dare to lie to you. Actually, I¡¯vee back this time to discuss something with Zhao Zhan.¡±
As soon as Sun Jiyan finished speaking, Doctor Sun muttered to himself for a moment before he got up and went into the room. Yue Jiaojiao, who was standing at the side, looked at the two of them and also wanted to get up and leave.
Zhao Zhan called out to her, ¡°Jiaojia, you don¡¯t have to leave. You¡¯re in charge of the family matters as well.¡±
As he spoke, he moved a stool in front of him. ¡°Come and sit.¡±
After Yue Jiaojiao had settled down, Zhao Zhan finally spoke up. ¡°So what is it that you wish to talk about?¡±
¡°You really are bing more and more meticulous. Since you¡¯ve asked, I won¡¯t hide it from you. To be honest, I know that you are familiar with County Magistrate Zheng and would like your help.
¡°County Magistrate Zheng was transferred to Shangjing because of your efforts in promoting the nting of soybeans and chili in Huai County. He needs a contribution that can help him stand firm.
¡°In the two years I¡¯ve traveled, I¡¯ve seen many girls being abandoned by their parents at will, sold like goods, or even raised in a way that¡¯s abusive. When they grow up, they¡¯ll sell them at a high price as betrothal gifts to supplement the men in their family.
¡°The world is bitter, the people are bitter, and the women in the bad families are used as scapegoats.
¡°So I¡¯m proposing that you and County Magistrate Zheng take the lead to set up a charity hall to adopt or teach these girls, to teach them how to read and understand, to teach them life skills, and to make their lives better.
¡°Farm work is tiring and it¡¯s normal for a girl¡¯s physical strength to not beparable to a man¡¯s. However, if they also have skills that can help them or even earn money, their days will be much better.¡±
Chapter 417 - 417 Academy Plans (Part Two)
417 Academy ns (Part Two)
Sun Jiyan had always lived in Huai County. Although he knew that most families wanted to have a boy, he had never been so deeply affected until he saw it with his own eyes.
Now that he had seen so much, he wanted to do something about it.
Zhao Zhan turned to look at Yue Jiaojiao and reached out to hold the back of her hand. Then, he looked at Sun Jiyan with a serious expression. ¡°To be honest, we¡¯ve already started working on what you¡¯ve mentioned. This was my wife¡¯s idea, but we¡¯re not running a charity, but instead an academy for women.¡±
Every time Zhao Zhan mentioned this, he would think that his wife was the best and kindest girl in the world.
!!
¡°Originally, the pilot test for the women¡¯s academy was set to be in Wangshan Town, but since we¡¯re in Shangjing now, the test has not been decided yet.¡± Zhao Zhan told him the details of the discussion he had with his lover in the past.
¡°The women¡¯s academy we¡¯re going to set up originally was nned to ept only unmarried girls. The academy will teach them simple literacy, needlework, weaving skills, and even dyeing cloth and rouge.
¡°Unfortunately, many people will think that if they send their girls to the academy, no one will work at home. So in order to attract them to send their children to the academy, the academy set up rewards.
¡°Every month, those who do well in the assessment will receive a certain number of copper coins as a reward, and the academy will provide a meal at noon every day.
¡°In addition, my wife said that not every pair of parents are excellent, so the academy will invite some prestigious people from time to time to gather the parents of these girls to the academy for lessons. Whoeveres can get two eggs or something else aspensation.¡±
There were many rules and regtions for the women¡¯s academy, and every one of them was set by Yue Jiaojiao and Zhao Zhan after careful consideration.
Zhao Zhan was now telling Sun Jiyan some of the more important points to make it easier for him to understand the matter.
Sun Jiyan¡¯s brows were tightly knitted together after hearing this. ¡°If we really do as you say, the cost will be huge!¡±
¡°If there is no money as motivation, those families who don¡¯t care about their daughters will not be willing to send their children to the academy. This is something that will take a long time to change their minds.
¡°Besides, who said that doing so would definitely result in a loss of money? In the future, these girls will be trained by this academy. When Zhao Zhan and I have established ourselves in Shangjing, we will slowly start to open a shop for needlework. By then, these girls that I have trained can also enter my workshop and shop.
¡°The finished products they learn in the academy can also be sold, but it takes time to operate. Zhao Zhan and I obviously won¡¯t let it continue to lose money.
¡°By making profits can our academy operate for a long time. Not only in the vicinity of Shangjing, but I hope that the academy can take root in many other ces.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao had been preparing for more than a year for the establishment of the women¡¯s academy.
She didn¡¯t want Zhao Zhan to participate in the court, and she didn¡¯t want those high-ranking officials who didn¡¯t like to do work to meddle in this business.
Speaking up for a woman and fighting for a woman¡¯s future was a matter that was full of obstacles.
Since she was here, she always wanted to do something for these girls. At least for now, the women¡¯s academy was something she could do within her power.
¡°Color me impressed.¡±
Sun Jiyan cupped his hands in respect.
¡°You both are kind people with a broad mind, you¡¯re much stronger than me. I know that your restaurant and shop will be opening soon. If you need my help, I¡¯ll be at your beck and call.¡±
¡°You¡¯re much too polite. By the way, regarding the matter of the children being brought here, I¡¯ll have to trouble you to make a trip here.¡± Zhao Zhan immediately called for his men. ¡°I¡¯ve just told you the address of the shop, you¡¯d better be quick. We shouldn¡¯t let them worry for too long.¡±
¡°Okay, okay, okay. I¡¯ll go right away. I¡¯m the one who brought these children back, after all.¡±
Sun Jiyan smiled and shook his head. He cupped his hands and quickly walked out of the door.
Zhao Zhan waited for him to leave before pulling Yue Jiaojiao into his embrace. He walked out of Doctor Sun¡¯s courtyard and returned to his own home. ¡°You¡¯ve shed too many tears today, and you¡¯ve had too many emotional fluctuations. It¡¯s best that you don¡¯t go out.¡±
Chapter 418 - 418 You Again?!
418 You Again?!
¡°You should go back to your room and have a good rest.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao rested her head on his shoulder and rxed after hearing what he said. She looked exhausted and said, ¡°I¡¯m a little tired, but fortunately, the three children are fine.¡±
¡°Zhao Zhan.¡±
Madam Qin waited for Zhao Zhan to leave Yue Jiaojiao in the room before she went up to him and said softly, ¡°There¡¯s ady outside. She passed an invitation and said that she¡¯s here to see you. We both know how good mydy¡¯s temper is, but allow me to say something that I shouldn¡¯t say. You must not-¡±
!!
¡°I don¡¯t have any other woman.¡±
Zhao Zhan didn¡¯t wait for Madam Qin to finish speaking and immediately replied, afraid that Madam Qin would misunderstand him if he spoke anyter. ¡°Madam Qin, you cane with me to take a look.¡±
¡°You can¡¯t possibly expect me to¡¡±
¡°I won¡¯t me you. It¡¯s only right for you to stand on Jiaojiao¡¯s side. At home, whether it¡¯s you, me, or even Zhao Nian, Jiaojiao will always be our number one priority forever.¡±
¡°I won¡¯t be going to the door with you. I was just being a busybody. Naturally, I believe in your character.¡± Madam Qin¡¯s face was a little hot. ¡°I¡¯ll go to Doctor Sun¡¯s courtyard to look after the children. He doesn¡¯t know how to take care of them at all.¡±
After Madam Qin finished speaking, she left in a hurry without waiting for Zhao Zhan¡¯s reply.
Zhao Zhan¡¯s brows were tightly furrowed all the way to the door. When he saw who it was, his brows were so tightly furrowed that they could squeeze a moth to death. His eyes were filled with obvious impatience and annoyance. ¡°How did you find this ce?¡±
¡°You¡¯re finally here today, does it look like I¡¯m one to give up?¡±
Liu Qinqin was wearing bright green clothes and the golden hair on her head was dazzling.
Zhao Zhan only took one look and immediately looked away when he felt ufortable.
His wife had always been gentle and elegant. The color of this woman¡¯s clothes was a little brighter, and she looked pretty and lively. How can she live like this? It was so piercing that it made people¡¯s eyes ufortable.
¡°Zhao Zhan,¡± Liu Qinqin lowered her head and sized herself up when he looked over. Then, she reached out to hold the hair ornament in her hair and lowered her head slightly as she spoke, ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a look at me? I¡¯m a woman, yet I dare toe and look for you. Why are you acting so embarrassingly?¡±
Zhao Zhan didn¡¯t expect her to twist these actions so badly.
He couldn¡¯t help but think of Lin Yunxu back then. Back then, when he faced the other party with his heart, he should have been equally disgusted, right?
¡°I¡¯m not looking at you because I don¡¯t want to make myself unhappy. If there¡¯s nothing else, please leave as soon as possible and don¡¯te back in the future. Our family doesn¡¯t want to have anything to do with you.¡±
¡°I spent so much effort to find this ce, how can you do this to me?¡±
Liu Qinqin¡¯s face was full of grievances.
¡°About that day at the shop, I knew that you had no choice but to be so heartless to me because your wife was there. I came to find you today to invite you to go out of the city with me as forgiveness. Zhao Zhan, don¡¯t you want to join me in the horse-riding party outside the city? That wife of yours is so delicate and needs you to pamper and protect her in everything. What¡¯s the point of living with such a woman?¡±
¡°You don¡¯t deserve to speak about my wife like that. If you don¡¯t leave, don¡¯t me me for being impolite!¡±
¡°Zhao! Zhan!¡±
Liu Qinqin stomped her feet and looked at him with tears in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m a woman. I¡¯m literally standing right in front of you and putting my ego aside for you. I¡¯ve said those things to you time and time again. Why are you trying to anger me? That day at the city gate, you didn¡¯t even care about your own life and you tried to save me. At that time, I made up my mind to want you¡ But you¡¯re actually so cold and emotionless.¡±
Zhao Zhan¡¯s face was as cold as ice. After hearing her words, his face was as ck as the bottom of a pot. ¡°That day at the city gate, I was worried that the crazy horse would scare my wife. If I had known that I would cause today¡¯s trouble if I stopped that horse, I would have taken my wife and avoided it.¡±
A wind-breaking sound suddenly came from the door directly opposite.
Zhao Zhan suddenly raised his eyes and grabbed the whip tightly. He turned to look at Liu Qinqin with a stern expression. ¡°With your violent personality, it¡¯s no wonder you have a crazy horse. You can¡¯t evenpare to a strand of my wife¡¯s hair.¡±
After he finished speaking, he let go of the long whip in his hand. Liu Qinqin lost her bnce and took a few steps back. She looked at Zhao Zhan in disbelief. ¡°You hurt me! You actually dare to hurt me! I know why you moved to Shangjing. I originally wanted to persuade my father to reconcile with you, but now, I¡¯m going to go home and tell my father to not rest until you die!¡±
Chapter 419 - 419 Exposed!
419 Exposed!
Zhao Zhan, who had already turned around and was about to step into the courtyard, immediately turned his head when he heard this. He looked at her with a sharp gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t know anyone with the surname Liu.¡±
¡°Of course, you don¡¯t know anyone with the surname Liu, but you should know the one with the surname Shang.¡±
For the first time, Zhao Zhan carefully looked at Liu Qinqin¡¯s face and found that her eyes and brows were simr to Shang¡¯s. ¡°You¡¯re Shang¡¯s daughter?¡±
¡°Hmph!¡± Liu Qinqin snorted and raised her chin to look at him. ¡°Now you want to look at me?¡± Don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know that you and my father are sworn enemies. You came from Huai County to Shangjing because my father chased you here, right?¡± Liu Qinqin thought of what Shang had told her and became even more arrogant. ¡°If you tell me the truth about how you feel towards me, I¡¯ll ask my father to let you go. How about it?¡±
!!
¡°Everything I said just now was true. As for asking your father to let me go,¡± Zhao Zhan¡¯s voice paused for a moment, and then he curled his lips sarcastically, ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you to go back and that man to wait for me.¡±
The door closed with a bang.
Liu Qinqin angrily mmed the long whip on the door, making a dull sound.
The servant who hade with Liu Qinqin did not dare to stay too close to her. She only bowed from a distance and said, ¡°If your father knows that you were here today, he will definitely punish us when you go back. You should quickly return with the servants. There are many eyes here. If others see this, it will affect your family¡¯s reputation.¡±
Liu Qinqin only kicked the door when she was tired.
The door suddenly opened from the inside, and she subconsciously wanted to grab the person in front of her.
Zhao Zhan dodged to the side.
¡°Zhao Zhan!¡±
Liu Qinqin was sprawled on the ground, the skin on her palms scraped from the rough ground. ¡°Who allowed you to suddenly open the door?¡±
¡°It¡¯s too noisy outside. I¡¯m worried that it¡¯ll affect my wife¡¯s rest, so I¡¯m going to report a case. I¡¯ll have to ask the officers toe and take you away. Are you going to just lie here and wait for them toe?¡±
The servants didn¡¯t dare to dy and hurriedly helped Liu Qinqin up. ¡°We¡¯ll take ourdy away and won¡¯t bother you any longer.¡±
¡°Thank you, please leave as soon as possible.¡±
¡°Yes, of course.¡±
The person in front of them was a fiend that even Shang found troublesome to deal with. How could they dare to casually provoke him?
Liu Qinqin still wanted to say something, but she had already been pulled into the carriage. She pulled open the curtains and her voice came from outside.
Zhao Zhan¡¯s face did not change in the slightest. He stood in ce for a moment before turning around and walking toward the restaurant.
Shang had already arrived in Shangjing. He could not let him follow suit anymore, so he wanted toe up and bite him.
¡°Zhao Zhan, what are you doing here?¡± Fang Tianliu was busy with the ounts in the backyard of the restaurant. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just send Doctor Sun to tell us that all the children are well and staying at home? Why did you follow Doctor Sun when he already sent the message?¡±
¡°I¡¯vee to you because of Shang.¡±
Fang Tianliu¡¯s expression turned cold. He stood up and closed the door tightly before sitting back down. ¡°Zhao Zhan, are you going to use the method that we originally came up with?¡±
¡°Exactly.¡± Zhao Zhan¡¯s fingers tapped on the table leg. ¡°I only found out today that the girl I met at the city gate and the rouge shop that day was actually Shang¡¯s daughter. Before this, we¡¯ve never heard of him having a family. Now that Shang is in Shangjing, we can¡¯t wait for him toe to us like before.¡±
Fang Tianliu clenched his fists. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯ve long wanted to beat that old fox until he can¡¯t fight back. This time, we¡¯ll settle our old and new grudges together.¡±
The two of them discussed a few more details. When the sky turned dark, Fang Tianliu went to the shop to look for Li Xiangjun while Zhao Zhan went back.
Yue Jiaojiao had already woken up and was sitting on the floor in her room, looking at the two children.
She had asked a carpenter to make a few sets of building blocks for Zhao Nian and Luoning; the blocks were sorge that they couldn¡¯t put them in their mouths even if they wanted to.
When Zhao Zhan entered the bedroom and saw this scene, he subconsciously lightened his footsteps.
The sky was dark, and the orange sunlight shone into the bedroom through the window, scattering gold specks on the floor.
The soft light shone on Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s body, enveloping her in ayer of light.
Her eyes were warm and her lips were curved into a gentle smile.
The two children surrounded her on either side, ying happily with the building blocks on the nket. They looked up at their mother from time to time, and then made baby sounds.
Zhao Zhan¡¯s chest puffed up, filled with satisfaction.
¡°Zhao Zhan?¡±
The emotion in his eyes was too strong. Yue Jiaojiao, who sensed it, subconsciously looked up at the door. Then, the smile on her face suddenly grew bigger. ¡°You¡¯re back! Shitou was worried that his mother would not be able to stay here for long. It just so happened that Doctor Sun had returned, so I had Doctor Sun send him back to the shop.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao said as she stood up.
Zhao Zhan had already washed his hands and face. He walked over to her and put his arm around her shoulders. ¡°Do your legs feel numb from sitting on the ground like this?¡±
As he spoke, he sat down on a chair at the side and pulled Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s wrist to sit on hisp. His strong knuckles pressed on her calf and gently massaged it. ¡°I¡¯ll make you a stool that can be moved when you sit on it. This way, when you¡¯re with the two children in the future, it¡¯ll be morefortable to sit with them.¡±
He massaged her lower leg for a moment before his fingers moved up to Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s slender waist and pressed down.
¡°Is your waist ufortable too?¡±
¡°Yes¡¡± Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s entire body feltfortable after being massaged by him. Shezily borrowed the strength of his other arm and leaned back. ¡°I woke up today and realized that my date came early, so my back is a little sore.¡±
¡°I noticed you when you stood up just now. I¡¯ll take care of the two children. What do you want to eat tonight? Do you want Madam Qin to cook, or do you want me to run an errand to buy your favorite dishes from Qingyun Restaurant on the street?¡±
Qingyun restaurant was Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s recent favorite ce because their dishes always had a certain taste that made her want more.
¡°I want to eat the rice ball you made today. I want it hot.¡±
Chapter 420 - 420 Holding Back
420 Holding Back
¡°Papa, bad.¡±
Zhao Nian grabbed his leg and struggled to climb up.
Luoning, who had been ying with him, thought that they were just ying. She quickly crawled over with her hands and feet, and her small hands grabbed the corner of Zhao Zhan¡¯s robe and babbled.
With the two kids messing around, Yue Jiaojiao couldn¡¯t sit on Zhao Zhan¡¯s body anymore. She got off the ground and leisurely sat at the side, watching the two kids mess around with Zhao Zhan.
¡°It¡¯s time to find a teacher for them.¡± Zhao Zhan picked them up in each hand and ced them on his knees. His big hands held them very steadily. ¡°I have met some people recently because of the renovation of the restaurant and bakery. The two children are less than three years old. It¡¯s too early for them to learn how to read and write, but I¡¯ve already chosen a martial arts master for them.¡±
¡°They¡¯re still too young, I don¡¯t expect them to learn any martial arts. I¡¯ll just keep thempany every day and y with them.¡±
¡°Your way of thinking is really simple and crude. Of the two of them, one has just learned how to walk, and the other can only crawl now. All you think about all day is to y with them.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao nced at him from the corner of her eyes and shook her head with a chuckle. ¡°Speaking of which, I don¡¯t like those old teachers who are full of nonsense. Don¡¯t let the two children be old-fashioned in the future. They¡¯ll look like sour talents and silly girls in the future.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right, I was wrong.¡± Zhao Zhan knew his mistake and changed his ways, obediently continuing, ¡°Otherwise, Tianliu and I will each take one out. This way, you can be more rxed.
I really didn¡¯t have time before to help around. Now that I have the time, it¡¯s better to keep this frisky monkey by my side than to let him stay by your side and torment you.¡±
If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that he couldn¡¯t free up his hands, Zhao Zhan would have already pinched Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s hand.
¡°Speaking of which, ever since you got pregnant, there has never been a quiet time around you. Now that you¡¯ve moved with me to Shangjing, with so many people living in this courtyard, you¡¯ve just been silently tolerating it for me.
¡°I know you like peace and quiet the most. During this time, you¡¯ve lost a lot of weight. When we move, you will not have to be so restrained like now. Every day, you can stay and do whatever you want.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao did not expect Zhao Zhan to notice her changes that urately.
It was just that on such an ordinary afternoon, listening to him chatting casually, her heart was filled with warmth. ¡°Ordinary people have their own worldly affairs. What¡¯s more, you¡¯ve blocked most of the things I want to do for me. I justck a little peace, but it¡¯s not bad to have a lively life once in a while. It¡¯s quite interesting.¡±
¡°You¡¯re only saying that because you are considerate, but I can¡¯t take it as you really are.¡±
Perhaps it was because he had honed his eloquence in doing business, but Zhao Zhan was now better at expressing himself than before. He was no longer like a taciturn person who only knew how to do things and did not speak.
¡°Alright, alright.¡± Yue Jiaojiao pushed a cup of tea in front of him. ¡°Madam Qin told me today that ady came to look for you and even caused a scene at the door. Was it Liu Qinqin?¡±
¡°It was.¡±
Zhao Zhan still had an obvious look of disgust on his face when he mentioned this person.
¡°Apparently she¡¯s Shang¡¯s daughter.¡±
¡°Shang?¡± Yue Jiaojiao suddenly had an idea. Her eyes brightened up as she approached Zhao Zhan. ¡°Did she say it herself or did you find out?¡±
¡°She said it herself.¡±
Zhao Zhan told her about what had happened at the door today. ¡°When we move to the new house, I¡¯ll ask Chang Ning to send two people to follow you at all times. I¡¯m worried that when you go out, trouble will find you. Shang¡¯s actions are despicable, and that girl is even more shrewish and knows how to use a whip. I¡¯ll have people follow you. Even if you run into them, you won¡¯t have to suffer.¡±
¡°Alright.¡± Yue Jiaojiao was smart enough not to ask too much. ¡°Zhao Zhan, you have to be careful too.¡±
Whether it was Shang or Lin Yunxu who had a grudge against Fang Tianliu, they were both cruel and merciless people.
Zhao Zhan¡¯s extra cautious steps must be because he and Fang Tianliu were going to do something.
¡
Shangjing has been in an uproar recently. It was because the ingredients for the expensive dishes in the Hundred vours Restaurant were all purchased from small workshops.
It was said that the small workshop was hidden very well. If it were not for the fact that the surrounding residents could not stand the noise inside these days to file aint, saying that someone was doing evil things inside day and night, causing the government to investigate, the workshop would not have caught the attention of so many people in Shangjing.
Chapter 421 - 421 Resort to Violence
421 Resort to Violence
This matter was discussed in the capital for more than three days. The Hundred vors Restaurant, which had just opened, was doing fine. How did the government suddenly find out? ¡°Master, the authorities said that we¡¯ve made too much noise and caused the people around the workshop to be unhappy. They said that we¡¯ve disturbed their peace, so they asked the authorities toe and check!¡±
Shang threw the vase on the ground, his face full of anger. ¡°What a bunch of useless people. You can¡¯t even handle such a small matter! Now the workshop matter is in an uproar, and the government has ordered us to move to another ce as soon as possible.¡± Shang panted heavily. ¡°This is great. All my ns have been disrupted. Let me ask you, does that Zhao guy and his intelligent wife know that this workshop is mine? I told you to keep an eye on them, how¡¯s it going?¡±
¡°Father! Father!¡±
The door was pushed open.
The long whip in Liu Qinqin¡¯s hand made a clunking sound as she walked to Shang angrily. ¡°Father, you promised me that you would bring Zhao Zhan to me and beg me to let him go. I¡¯ve waited for so long, and now his restaurant is in trouble. Is it that you¡¯re almost done with your task?¡±
¡°My dearest daughter, don¡¯t worry about anything.¡± Even though Shang was furious, he was still patient in front of Liu Qinqin. ¡°Although things went wrong this time, since I promised you, I will definitely do it.¡±
¡°But father, Zhao Zhan¡¯s restaurant is barely surviving. Is he still not going to admit defeat? I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m going to find him now. As long as he agrees to be with me, we¡¯ll let go of his restaurant.¡± The more Liu Qinqin said, the more she felt that what she said made sense. ¡°If it reallyes to a point where he can¡¯t make aeback, what if he sees me as an enemy and hates me more than he loves me.
¡°Qinqin, you can¡¯t disobey me on this matter.¡±
Shang tried to persuade her. ¡°Just wait patiently, don¡¯t worry.¡±
The attendant, who was standing aside, received Shang¡¯s look and came to persuade her. ¡°Mydy, what your father said makes sense. He has always done what he promised you for so many years.¡±
¡°I¡¯m talking to my father. Who are you to interrupt?¡±
The attendant didn¡¯t dare to say anything more.
With Qinqin¡¯s personality, if he said another word, the whip would soon fall on him.
¡°Qinqin¡¡± Shang put his hands on Liu Qinqin¡¯s shoulders and said earnestly, ¡°You¡¯re underestimating Zhao Zhan. Even if he¡¯s in trouble, he still has many tricks up his sleeve. If you don¡¯t let him feel that he¡¯s already unable to save himself, how can he willingly crawl under your feet?¡± Shang said each word very slowly, his eyes fixed on his daughter¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t sweat the details, time will take its toll.¡±
¡°If you still can¡¯t do it, I¡¯ll send people to kidnap his wife and lock her up for a few days before letting her go back. When the timees, I¡¯ll have people spread the news all over the city. A woman has been kidnapped for so many days, and no matter how good Zhao Zhan¡¯s rtionship with her is, he¡¯ll definitely doubt her chastity.¡±
When she spoke, the corners of her lips curled up slightly, and there was a kind of innocent viciousness on her face.
¡°You¡¯re just a young girl. How could you think of such a n?¡± Shang¡¯s heart ached when he spoke, and he tried tofort her. ¡°I don¡¯t me you. I just want you to know that I¡¯ll get you whatever you want. You just have to be happy and not worry about these things.¡±
The attendant standing by the side lowered his head and didn¡¯t dare to make a sound.
Shang probably thought that his daughter was naive and didn¡¯t know how cruel she was. In reality, she was much more violent than Shang.
¡°Alright, I still have things I need to discuss.¡± Shang pulled off the pouch at his waist and stuffed it into her hand. ¡°Here, take this fifty pieces of silver. Go buy some of that rouge and face powder that you like.¡±
¡°Then I guess I¡¯ll have to give you a few more days, Father.¡±
Liu Qinqin kept her purse, wrapped the whip around her waist, and left.
After she left, the attendant looked at Shang and looked up to speak.
¡°Master, I¡¯ve just thought about it. Although our workshop has been raided by the government, Zhao Zhan¡¯s restaurant has also closed down because of this.
¡°Although this is different from what you have previously imagined, I foresee that if you were to step forward and open another restaurant now, wouldn¡¯t it be just nice for us to use the reputation that the Hundred vors Restaurant had previously pushed out?
¡°You can let your subordinates learn most of the dishes that his restaurant makes. At that time, we can only exin that we made those raw materials by ourselves. We can use this opportunity to snatch all of Zhao Zhan¡¯s business. Even if he wants to make aeback, it will be difficult.¡±
Shang muttered to himself for a long time, but did not make a decision immediately.
The main thing was that after fighting with Zhao Zhan for two years, he knew better than anyone how difficult it was to deal with that guy.
¡°Don¡¯t worry, let¡¯s wait and see how it pans out.¡± Shang waved his hand. ¡°I feel that there¡¯s something strange about the workshop. Let¡¯s wait and see.¡±
Zhao Zhan was not aware of their discussion, and even if he did, he would not have taken it to heart.
He had moved to the new house.
After the workshop incident, he had already put up a notice in front of the restaurant to rify that the workshop had nothing to do with the restaurant. Even so, the restaurant¡¯s business had been greatly affected. Recently, it has be more and more deserted.
Yue Jiaojiao had arge cloak draped over her shoulders, and her neck was wrapped in pure white fur. Her hands were hidden in her sleeves, and she was holding a hand warmer. She carefully looked down as she entered the courtyard.
¡°Zhao Zhan, I¡¯m back.¡±
¡°Mother!¡±
Zhao Nian was now a chubby little boy. His small body was wrapped in a thick cotton coat and was not as mobile as before.
Zhao Zhan walked to the door before him, held Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s arm, and led her into the house. ¡°Where¡¯s Madam Qin? Why didn¡¯t shee back with you?¡±
¡°When we came back from Xiangjun¡¯s house, Madam Qin said that she was going to visit Doctor Sun. In the end, she realized that Doctor Sun wasn¡¯t feeling well, so I asked Madam Qin to stay there and take care of Doctor Sun. He¡¯s been getting on in years, we can¡¯t be careless even if he¡¯s caught in a cold wind.¡±
Zhao Zhan had already taken off her cloak and hung it at the side. Then, he gave her a new hand warmer. ¡°I¡¯m assured to have Madam Qin taking care of him. I¡¯ve been having a lot of time on my hands recently, so I wanted to ask if you would like to go to the hot springs in the suburbs. Since winter hase, I have been letting people take care of the manor. If you are willing, we can set off tomorrow.¡±
¡°When did you buy the hot spring?¡± Yue Jiaojiao pulled Zhao Nian into her arms and looked up at Zhao Zhan with a smile in her eyes. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that Shang will take advantage of our absence and shut down our restaurant?¡±
¡°He cane and try,¡± Zhao Zhan said in a casual tone. ¡°I know that he won¡¯t daree and find trouble with me. I¡¯ll apany you and Zhao Nian to the manor and have some fun for a few days. I¡¯d like to see what Shang can do while we¡¯re gone.¡±
Chapter 422 - 422 Brand Name, Nian
422 Brand Name, Nian
The matter of going to the hot spring was settled very quickly.
As Doctor Sun grew older, he stopped walking around as much.
Two years ago, Madam Qin¡¯s legs were broken and injured. Although it didn¡¯t look like it from the outside, every day when it was cold and wet, her legs would often hurt, and it was really a little unbearable.
When she went to Willow Vige from the mountain gaze, she had waited for Qian Congren for a while.
He didn¡¯t expect that for various reasons, the two would not get to see each other for a long time. Beforeing to Shangjing, Madam Qin had specially asked someone to pass him a message, but he didn¡¯t expect to get a reply.
At her current age, she had long been indifferent to love. Now that she had not received a response from the other party, she hadpletely let go of her thoughts.
Yue Jiaojiao watched from the side. Now that she was together with Doctor Sun, they looked like old friends.
She was also happy to see the two of them together, so she ordered Madam Qin around less. It was not bad to let the two of them apany each other more.
¡°Madam Qin, I¡¯ll leave the house to you then.¡± Yue Jiaojiao stood at the door and gently instructed, ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a few days from the manor. In the few days that we¡¯re not around, Chang Ning will stay in the manor. If there¡¯s anything urgent, just tell Chang Ning. Don¡¯t rush out on your own. Doctor Sun¡¯s cold has not yet recovered. I¡¯ll have to trouble you to keep an eye on him while Zhao Zhan and I are away.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will make sure everything is as they were.¡±
Now that Zhao Nian was growing up, Madam Qin had changed the way she acted towards Jiaojiao.
¡°You can go out and y with peace of mind. Aftering to Shangjing and staying in this courtyard all day, I¡¯ve lost some muscles from boredom. It¡¯s about time I get it back.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao squeezed Madam Qin¡¯s hand, a smile on her face. ¡°Then Zhao Zhan and I will take our leave first.¡±
Li Xiangjun, who was standing at the side, also said, ¡°Madam Qin, pleasee to our courtyard to take a look when we¡¯re not around. The servants in my house haven¡¯t been taught the rules yet. I¡¯ll be more at ease with you looking after them.¡±
¡°Oh! You tter me. Please don¡¯t worry, I will often go over to take a look to put your mind at ease.¡±
After giving her instructions, Yue Jiaojiao didn¡¯t waste any more time and got into the two carriages separately from Li Xiangjun.
When Zhao Zhan saw her enter, he hurriedly reached out to help her and then steadily pulled her into his arms. ¡°It¡¯s a long way to the manor. I¡¯ve prepared some storybooks and snacks in the carriage.¡±
¡°Father, y.¡±
Without waiting for Yue Jiaojiao to speak, Zhao Nian crawled between the two of them, his chubby little hands tugging on one of their sleeves. ¡°y with me.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao could not help butugh as Zhao Zhan let out a long sigh.
Ever since he had this son, the time he had with his wife was not as much as before.
He pulled out a pile of broken wooden boards from behind him as if he was performing a magic trick. His fingers were agile as he put them together. Then, he opened another grid and took out a cloth bag from it.
¡°This is¡¡±
¡°This is the building wood table you mentioned to me before,¡± Zhao Zhan said as he poured the contents of the bag out and hung it under the table that had just been put together.
There was a wooden box on the edge of the table, just enough to hold the building blocks in the bag.
Then, he firmly stuck the four legs of the table on the carriage.
¡°Father, new toy!¡±
This was the first time Zhao Nian had seen such a novel thing. In an instant, he let go of Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s hand and pounced in front of the wooden table. He sat down at the side and was so focused that he couldn¡¯t hear anything from the outside world. He didn¡¯t notice the flirtatious looks her parents were making.
¡°When did you make this?¡± Yue Jiaojiao picked up a building block and examined it for a moment. ¡°The surface is smooth, and there are no split ends. The building blocks are so small but they can fit so urately. How long did it take to make this set of building blocks?¡±
¡°When I first came to Shangjing, I found a carpenter to make it. I just got it half a month ago. Speaking of which, the money from the vige was earned from this.¡±
Zhao Zhan thought of the time when he had gone to find a carpenter to do this. He had asked a few businesses, but they had all pushed him out. They only said that he was here to cause trouble.
Later on, Master Sun, who was building a house, rmended him to a down-and-out carpenter.
Since they didn¡¯t have much to do, making one set or a few more sets of the set of wooden blocks didn¡¯t matter. Zhao Zhan had them make as many sets as they could, and then they put the first set ofpleted wooden tables on sale in the capital.
Speaking of which, the Secret Pavilion had always sold such wondrous items. Zhao Zhan¡¯s original price was 100 silver a set, but it waster sold at the high price of 1000 silver a set at the Secret Pavilion.
He had also learned from Yue Jiaojiao about the importance of a brand¡¯s meaning.
A special brand was made on each set of building block tables, and the brand name, Nian, was engraved on them. Then, they followed up with theunch of small building blocks that could be assembled into animals. They also hired a famous painter at a high price and worked with carpenters to create puzzles.
Yue Jiaojiao hadn¡¯t gone out much in the past half a month, so she didn¡¯t know that everyone in Shangjing knew about the existence of Nian, a shop that specializes in children¡¯s toys.
Selling children¡¯s toys has always been easy to earn. Zhao Zhan only had this concept in the past. Now that he was the one who earned money, he finally understood how explosive this easy to earn money was.
Chapter 423 - 423 Preparations
423 Preparations
Before Zhao Nian touched the wooden table, Yue Jiaojiao had prepared a simr toy for him. He knew how to y with that one with just a nce. He sat down beside the table and began to build it.
Zhao Zhan saw that he was focused on ying and retracted his gaze from the child. He lowered his head and spoke to Yue Jiaojiao in a gentle voice.
The wheels of the carriage moved forward slowly.
Yue Jiaojiao had stayed in Shangjing for a few months. Now that she was able toe out, she was filled with anticipation. Hence, she did not sleep the entire journey. When the carriage left Shangjing, she opened the window to look at the scenery outside.
¡°I wonder how Willow Vige is doing now? Based on the number of days, we¡¯ve been gone for almost a year.¡±
¡°I received a letter from Dashan yesterday saying that everything is fine in the vige.¡± Zhao Zhan¡¯s eyes were fixed on Yue Jiaojiao, his gaze as soft as a feather. ¡°The letter also said that when the weather gets cold, there will often be dead pheasants or hares behind our houses. Fortunately, the weather is not as hot as it used to be. When he was cleaning up, he noticed movement in the back mountain.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao rolled up the window and turned to look at Zhao Zhan in disbelief. ¡°Did he run into Chengfeng? When we left, we hurried up the mountain to say goodbye to Chengfeng. It¡¯s a pity we didn¡¯t see him.¡± Yue Jiaojiao still felt regretful when she thought about it.
The tip of Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s nose turned red, and her eyes were filled with longing when she mentioned Chengfeng.
Zhao Zhan reached out and held her fingers tightly. He said gently, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that Chengfeng knows Dashan, so he didn¡¯t hurt anyone. When Dashan noticed him, Chengfeng was dragging a dead wild boar. He was also injured,¡± Zhao Zhan said, feeling a little depressed about the contents of the letter. ¡°Dashan told Chengfeng that we had left and treated his injuries immediately after. The letter mentioned that when he went to the back of our house, there was no prey there. I think Chengfeng understood what he said, so he didn¡¯te back.¡±
¡°Even if the mountain road was difficult to walk on, we should have gone a few more times. Maybe we could have met Chengfeng.¡±
Chengfeng was smart. The more intelligent he was, the more Yue Jiaojiao couldn¡¯t help but think about how dejected he must have been when he saw that no one was keeping his prey.
He went to hunt wild boars, perhaps because he felt that the prey it had sent over before was too small, so he wanted to hunt a big one.
Zhao Zhan pulled Yue Jiaojiao into his arms, ¡°Don¡¯t be too sad. It¡¯s a good thing that Dashan discovered him in time. In the future, when we return to Willow Vige, we¡¯ll go to the mountains to visit him. Besides, the mountain is a long and winding mountain range. No one knows where it leads to. Maybe Chengfeng has gone deeper into the forest. Without us, he can better integrate into the forest.¡±
¡°Sir, we¡¯ve arrived at the manor.¡±
The carriage stopped.
Yue Jiaojiao kept all the sadness and regret in her heart and tidied herself up.
Zhao Zhan carried Zhao Nian out of the carriage and helped Yue Jiaojiao to her feet. ¡°Lunch has been prepared in the manor. Let¡¯s eat and rest for a while. We¡¯ll soak in the hot springter.¡±
While the two of them were talking, Fang Tianliu brought Li Xiangjun and Luoning from the back and walked to the front. ¡°I thought it was just a small manor. I didn¡¯t expect this manor to be so grand.¡±
The manor in front of them was much bigger than the house they had bought in Shangjing.
Although the courtyard wasn¡¯t that big, one still couldn¡¯t tell how deep it was from the gate.
¡°I¡¯ve asked the butler of the manor to take you to the courtyard that has been specially prepared for you,¡± Zhao Zhan said as he beckoned to the door.
¡°I was worried that it¡¯ll be too cold today and running around will cause a cold, so there¡¯s a hot spring pool in your courtyard. It¡¯s more convenient to use it this way.
¡°If you are hungry, the kitchen always has food. Since you are here, you should be at ease and not be constrained by other things.¡±
It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that the rtionship between Fang Tianliu and Zhao Zhan was one of life and death.
Now that she had heard the contents of his words, how could she not understand what he meant? They should y on their own and not have to get together.
¡°By the way, I¡¯ve specially asked people to prepare a room in the house. It¡¯s full of toys. If Luoning is bored, you can take her there to y.¡±
¡°Zhao Zhan, my Luoning is such a good girl. I can¡¯t bear to see her leave my side. However, since you¡¯re so sincere, I can let Luoning be Zhao Nian¡¯spanion for long. There are so many toys. It¡¯s boring to y alone, isn¡¯t it¡¡±
Zhao Zhan didn¡¯tment and brought Yue Jiaojiao into the courtyard after he was done.
Zhao Nian struggled to follow behind on his short legs. He called out, ¡°Father, y! y with sister!¡±
¡°You want to y with Luoning?¡±
Fang Tianliu, who was not far behind them, heard his question and subconsciously wanted to say something. Then, he heard his daughter, who was in his arms, p her hands and say, ¡°y!¡±
¡°Alright, go and y with Luoning.¡± Zhao Zhan gently held Zhao Nian in his arms and handed him to Fang Tianliu. ¡°If you¡¯re tired,e back. We will be waiting for you in the courtyard.¡±
¡°Zhao Zhan, you¡¡±
Li Xiangjun smiled and tugged on his sleeve. ¡°Let¡¯s have Zhao Nian y with us for a while. I¡¯ll send him over when he misses you.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao didn¡¯t think too much about it and softly instructed, ¡°Xiangjun, take care of your body and don¡¯t tire yourself out. Later on, hand the two children over to Zhao Zhan. You and Fang Tianliu can also take a stroll around this manor and enjoy the scenery as well.¡±
¡°Alright, I¡¯ll keep you to it.¡±
Zhao Zhan and Fang Tianliu exchanged a look, then Zhao Zhan brought Yue Jiaojiao to the courtyard to settle down.
In the next few days, Zhao Nian and Luoning yed happily in the room prepared by Zhao Zhan. If they were not exhausted, the two children would definitely not be willing to go back to their mothers.
Life in the manor was pleasant, and Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s mind gradually rxed. Zhao Zhan would asionally go out for a few hours every day, and these days felt like she had really returned to Willow Vige.
Chapter 424 - Chapter 424: The End (Part One)
Chapter 424: The End (Part One)
¡°Zhao Zhan! It¡¯s done!¡±
An excited shout came from outside the courtyard. Zhao Zhan¡¯s voice paused as he read the script. He lowered his head and looked at Yue Jiaojiao, who had just opened her eyes in a daze.
¡°What¡¯s done? What¡¯s Fang Tianliu talking about?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll go out and take a look.¡± Zhao Zhan pursed his lips, but his eyes were shockingly bright. ¡°Don¡¯t be rmed.¡±
¡°Zhao Zhan, tell me the truth.¡± Yue Jiaojiao reached out and tugged at the corner of his clothes, looking up at him. ¡°You¡¯ve been going out a lot recently. Is it because of Shang?¡±
He had bought a Manor in such a hurry, and then had people quickly clean it up and bring them over.
After the incident at the restaurant, he had not made any counterattacks, nor had he revealed any special information.
¡°I didn¡¯t do anything to Shang.¡± Zhao Zhan¡¯s eyes were full of gentleness and adoration, and the corners of his lips curled up. ¡°But I¡¯m guessing something did happen to him, and he suffered the consequences of his own actions.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s brows twitched as she waved her hand at Zhao Zhan. ¡°Fine, go quickly. Fang Tianliu looks so anxious that he¡¯s going to catch fire.¡±
¡°Zhao Zhan! Quickly!¡±
Fang Tianliu¡¯s voice was so high that it sounded like it was going to break.
Yue Jiaojiao chuckled and nudged Zhao Zhan. ¡°Hurry up and go. It sounds like his throat can¡¯t take it anymore.¡±
Under her urging, Zhao Zhan finally went out of the room and walked to the door.
Fang Tianliu saw himing out and his voice was full of interest, ¡°Zhao Zhan! Your calction was right, it really worked!¡±
¡°When you start a rumor, you have to refute it. ording to our original n, when Shangjing was in deep talks, the people we arranged in advance took action.
¡°It¡¯s a good thing that you had the foresight to set things up in advance. Every time the customers go to the restaurant to eat, we make the waiter indirectly teach them to recognize the source of our ingredients.
¡°After the incident broke out, ording to your n, we didn¡¯te out to clear things up at the beginning, nor did we deliberately point out the difference between the things in the workshop and ours. That was how Shang lost their vignce and became overjoyed.¡±
The noise outside was too loud, and even Yue Jiaojiao, who was in the room, could hear most of it. Perhaps Zhao Zhan had pulled Fang Tianliu far away after, so she couldn¡¯t hear the next sentence clearly.
¡°Perfect. Now that the matter is settled, can we go back?¡± Fang Tianliu couldn¡¯t wait to return to the capital and beat the dog when it¡¯s down. ¡°We should take advantage of the fact that Shang is in a terrible state right now and beat him until he can¡¯t recover.¡±
¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯m sure Shang has already been sent to prison.¡± Zhao Zhan thought of his backup n in the capital. ¡°Here, take a look at this.¡±
As Zhao Zhan spoke, he took out an item from his sleeve. ¡°This time, I¡¯ve also found some information regarding the Fang family¡¯s enemies. There are detailed records on this. You can take a closer look. There¡¯s no hurry to go back. I want to stay here with my wife for a few more days. I¡¯ve already made arrangements for your revenge.¡±
Fang Tianliu hurriedly took the things that Zhao Zhan handed over. This matter concerned the truth of the Fang family, so everything had to be put aside for the time being.
¡°It turns out¡ It¡¯s actually like this.¡±
The paper in his hand had be a crumpled ball from Fang Tianliu¡¯s forceful grip.
Even though this matter had happened a long time ago, Fang Tianliu¡¯s eyes still couldn¡¯t help but turn red as if they were about to drip blood. ¡°Zhao Zhan, I¡¯ll remember this favor in my heart forever.¡±
Zhao Zhan stood silently across from him, waiting for him to calm down before patting him on the shoulder. ¡°This grudge isn¡¯t just yours to carry.¡±
When he didn¡¯t know the truth, Fang Tianliu had been thinking about how to kill his enemy in his dreams.
Now that he knew the truth, he finally experienced a moment of calmness. He stayed in the hot spring manor to apany his wife and daughter every day and did not reveal any strange emotions in front of Li Xiangjun.
After all, Li Xiangjun had suffered such a serious injury because of that person. Now that she had finally let go of the past and was willing to open her heart to him, Fang Tianliu did not intend to mention the other party again and add to Li Xiangjun¡¯s troubles.
When the good news came, even though Fang Tianliu tried his best to endure it, his expression revealed his thoughts.
The person who had nned to marry Li Xiangjun was the one who had murdered the Fang family and caused the disappearance of the Fang Yuan bodyguard agency.
Initially, Lin Yunxu¡¯s n for Zhao Zhan to covet Yue Jiaojiao had failed, so he had the idea of letting Fang Tianliu harm them so that he could reap the benefits. Who would have thought that things would turn out contrary to his wishes? Not only did Fang Tianliu not be their enemy, but he had also be Zhao Zhan¡¯s good friend.
Later, Lin Yunxu went to prison and was released from prison. His personality changed greatly. After going back to the ancestral house, he was depressed all day long because he had experienced too many unbearable things in prison.
Lin Yuanxu was his uncle¡¯s most beloved junior. Seeing him like this, the other party asked around and found out about the Fang family..
Chapter 425 - Chapter 425: The End (Part Two)
Chapter 425: The End (Part Two)
He had an old grudge with the Fang family. This time, in order to make the Fang family disappear, he joined forces with Shang to murder the Fang family and destroy the Fang Yuan bodyguard agency.
As for the Zhang family, it was aplete coincidence that they were involved. However, if that person with the surname Lin did not look for the Zhang family back then, this truth might have been buried forever.
¡°Fang Tianliu, now that Shang failed to set me up, I have the upper hand. He will be beheaded in a few days. I sent a few people to sow discord in prison. It was Shang that dragged the Lin family into the muddy water. I received a letter today saying that the Lin family no longer exists. Lin Yuanxu is missing. As for his uncle, he died of a cold on the way to the capital.
¡°I¡¯ve already asked someone to confirm his corpse. There¡¯s no doubt that it¡¯s him.
¡°The other thing is aboutLi Xiangjun¡¯s matter. Back then, he took advantage of Manager Li¡¯s greed and Li Xiangjun¡¯s love for you to marry her to Jiangnan. However, after Li Xiangjun arrived, she kept threatening him with her own death. That guy locked her up because of it. Before anything happened, Li Xiangjun escaped.
¡°Li Xiangjun agreed to marry him not because she cared about Manager Li, but because she was afraid that he would do something to hurt you again. She also agreed because she wanted to help you find evidence.
¡°This time, we were able to bring Shang and Lin down because Li Xiangjun¡¯s evidence has made a great contribution.¡±
Fang Tianliu raised his head when he heard this. ¡°Xiangjun? How did she know¡¡±
¡°You¡¯re the one she loves. No matter how well she tries to hide it, as long as the person in her heart stays there, she¡¯s unmoved.
¡°Li Xiangjun has already let go of the past. Fang Tianliu, some things can¡¯t be forgotten in time without mentioning them. I think you should have a good talk with Li Xiangjun and let go of the past. Only then can the two of you truly live the rest of your life without any distractions or suspicions.¡±
After getting his revenge and learning about his sweetheart¡¯s hard work, Fang Tianliu wiped his tears fiercely and nodded his head forcefully before running back to his room.
From now on, he wanted to treat his wife twice as well, and a hundred times better.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, they had been in the hot spring manor for more than two months.
¡°Zhao Zhan, are we going back to the capital tomorrow?¡±
Now that Zhao Nian had grown up, he disliked being hugged. Zhao Zhan wrapped all the angr things in the house with cushions and let him crawl around the house freely.
Hearing Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s voice, Zhao Zhan picked up Zhao Nian, who had almost crawled out of the house, and casually put him beside them. Then, he started dressing the kid up in another set of clothing. He said gently, ¡°There¡¯s news from the capital that the matter has almost been resolved. I¡¯ve already packed the carriage and luggage. We¡¯ll set off tomorrow.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao stood up and walked up to him. She raised her hand and patted off the dust on Zhao Zhan¡¯s robe that had been kicked by Zhao Nian. ¡°Why are you suddenly changing his clothes?¡±
¡°I want to take you somewhere.¡±
As they spoke, Zhao Nian had already been tidied up. He was getting heavier and heavier now, and even Yue Jiaojiao found it difficult to carry him.
Fortunately, after Zhao Zhan arrived in the capital, he did not lose his hunting skills. Now, he was carrying Zhao Nian with one arm while his other warm hand held Yue Jiaojiao firmly in his palm. ¡°I want to take you somewhere.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao raised her eyebrows slightly, and the corners of her eyes curved slightly. Her pair of watery eyes contained a smile as she said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll have my full trust in you, dearest husband.¡±
The woman¡¯s voice was sweet, and the slightly rising tone reminded Zhao Zhan of a mischievous little white fox hiding in the shadows of the dense trees on a midsummer afternoon.
¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
The two of them walked side by side, one had broad shoulders and one had a gentle and beautiful back view. They looked inexplicably harmonious.
Now that winter wasing, the weather was so icy that there was a white fog when they spoke.
Zhao Zhan slowed down his pace and waited for Yue Jiaojiao. Once he got on the carriage, he immediately picked up a warm hand warmer and stuffed it into Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s hands for her to hold. Then, he unbuttoned his cloak and hugged her tightly in his arms. ¡°Jiaojiao, be careful not to catch a cold.¡±
The carriage was warm and weing.
Yue Jiaojiao skillfully found afortable position and nestled in Zhao Zhan¡¯s arms. She looked up at him and smiled. ¡°I just walked a few steps. I¡¯m not cold at all. Besides, this carriage was warmed up in advance. Now that I¡¯m holding a hand warmer and leaning against a stove, it¡¯s so warm that no one can get cold.¡±
Zhao Zhan lowered his head and looked at Yue Jiaojiao with an extremely gentle gaze.
He was more angr than before. His face was firm and his temperament was tough, but he always softened the edges of his entire body in front of Yue Jiaojiao. His whole body flowed like gentle clouds, firmly wrapping Yue Jiaojiao within..
Chapter 426-END - 426: The End (Part Three)
Chapter 426-END - 426: The End (Part Three)
¡°Zhao Zhan?¡±
His vision suddenly turned dark.
Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s voice was soft, and when she called out to him, there was a hint of coquettishness that she was not aware of. ¡°What kind of surprise did you prepare?¡±
Zhao Zhan concentrated on tying the soft silk ribbon behind Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s head. He then carefully tried to ensure that it would not strangle her and would not be loose. Only then did he heave a long sigh of relief and gently said, ¡°You¡¯ve been apanying Zhao Nian in the manor these past few days. There are many ces that you haven¡¯t seen yet.¡±
¡°Mama!¡±
Zhao Nian, who was ying attentively at the side, turned her head and saw that his mother¡¯s face was covered with a veil. He immediately crawled over on all fours and wanted to pull it off, but Zhao Zhan grabbed his hand and gave him a warning look. ¡°Don¡¯t mess around.¡±
¡°Papa, bad!¡±
Yue Jiaojiao couldn¡¯t help butugh and didn¡¯t have any intention of helping.
The little fellow¡¯s strength was getting better and he struggled with both his hands and feet. Zhao Zhan was worried about Yue Jiaojiao in his arms and was afraid that he would hurt her by kicking and swinging around. He quickly took a ribbon and covered Zhao Nian¡¯s eyes. ¡°Okay, okay, okay. I¡¯ll bring you to y with me.¡±
¡°Yay! y!¡±
¡°Be good and don¡¯t move. We¡¯re going to get off the carriage now. In a while, papa will untie the ribbon on your face.¡±
As soon as he finished speaking, the carriage stopped.
Zhao Zhan ced Zhao Nian, who had just been pacified, aside. He then carried Yue Jiaojiao down and ced her hands on his belt. ¡°Hold on to my belt and stand steadily. Be careful not to hurt yourself.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao nodded obediently, her delicate fingers tightly gripping his belt.
Only then did Zhao Zhan carry Zhao Nian out. Then, he led the two of them forward for about 20 steps. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao stopped moving.
Zhao Zhan first removed the ribbon from Zhao Nian¡¯s face and ced him on the ground. Then, he lifted his hand to remove the ribbon from Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s face. There was a hint of nervousness in his voice. ¡°Jiaojiao¡¡±
It was clearly a bleak season with withered leaves. However, Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s current location in this forest was filled with colorful flowers.
The cool breeze caressed her face, bringing with it not a biting cold, but a refreshing fragrance of flowers.
Lanterns were hung on the trees, some were tall and some were short. The one closest to Yue Jiaojiao had Zhao Zhan¡¯s neat and clumsy handwriting on it after a long period of hard work.
¡°Zhao Zhan¡¡±
Yue Jiaojiao felt as if she was in the midst of spring. Time was chaotic, and she seemed to have returned to the old scene of her snuggling up to Zhao Zhan on the mountain. ¡°Zhao Zhan, I like it very much.¡±
No matter how pleasant her words were, they couldn¡¯t bepared to what Zhao Zhan had prepared for her.
The nervousness on Zhao Zhan¡¯s face disappeared, and the smile on his face was as sincere as when they first met. ¡°Jiaojiao, I don¡¯t know how to write poems, but this line was made from my heart. I only hope that you will be my only memory for the rest of my life, and I only hope that you will always have a smile on your face.¡±
The wind blew, and the flowers on the trees spun and fell.
Zhao Zhan raised his hand and caught a pink flower that gradually opened up. Then, he inserted it into Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s hair.
He had never been a person who was skilled in sweet-talking, but at this moment, he could express from his head and every word he said was moving. ¡°Jiaojiao, I want to travel the four seasons with you, see thousands of scenes with you, and put flowers on your head to keep you warm. I will give up this body for you without anyints.¡±
Every time Yue Jiaojiao thought that the other party had loved her enough, he would always be able to wrap her up firmly with more love.
¡°Zhao Zhan, forever and now. I will always be by your side.¡±
They stepped on the winter snow, looked up at the spring flowers, and thenterns around them sketched in their hearts. The people who were making snowmen and ying in the snow beside them were the witnesses of their love.
Zhao Zhan lowered his eyes and blinked. He firmly bound Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s waist and kissed her passionately.
Zhao Nian, who was beside them, was focused on rolling the snowball in an attempt to make a tall and big snowman. He did not notice the movement behind her.
The petals rustled and fell, and Zhao Zhan¡¯sadam¡¯s apple bobbed. He could not tell if it was the fragrance of the flowers or the delicate person in his arms.
This spring scene was nned in advance by Zhao Zhan when he first arrived in the capital. He nted these flower trees in the greenhouse. After nting them, he got people to light braziers under the trees day and night to warm this ce up. Finally, this small area of flower trees was warmed up.
He hoped that the lover he wanted to protect would be warm for the rest of her life..
Chapter 426 - 426: The End (Part Three)
Chapter 426: The End (Part Three)
¡°Zhao Zhan?¡±
His vision suddenly turned dark.
Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s voice was soft, and when she called out to him, there was a hint of coquettishness that she was not aware of. ¡°What kind of surprise did you prepare?¡±
Zhao Zhan concentrated on tying the soft silk ribbon behind Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s head. He then carefully tried to ensure that it would not strangle her and would not be loose. Only then did he heave a long sigh of relief and gently said, ¡°You¡¯ve been apanying Zhao Nian in the manor these past few days. There are many ces that you haven¡¯t seen yet.¡±
¡°Mama!¡±
Zhao Nian, who was ying attentively at the side, turned her head and saw that his mother¡¯s face was covered with a veil. He immediately crawled over on all fours and wanted to pull it off, but Zhao Zhan grabbed his hand and gave him a warning look. ¡°Don¡¯t mess around.¡±
¡°Papa, bad!¡±
Yue Jiaojiao couldn¡¯t help butugh and didn¡¯t have any intention of helping.
The little fellow¡¯s strength was getting better and he struggled with both his hands and feet. Zhao Zhan was worried about Yue Jiaojiao in his arms and was afraid that he would hurt her by kicking and swinging around. He quickly took a ribbon and covered Zhao Nian¡¯s eyes. ¡°Okay, okay, okay. I¡¯ll bring you to y with me.¡±
¡°Yay! y!¡±
¡°Be good and don¡¯t move. We¡¯re going to get off the carriage now. In a while, papa will untie the ribbon on your face.¡±
As soon as he finished speaking, the carriage stopped.
Zhao Zhan ced Zhao Nian, who had just been pacified, aside. He then carried Yue Jiaojiao down and ced her hands on his belt. ¡°Hold on to my belt and stand steadily. Be careful not to hurt yourself.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao nodded obediently, her delicate fingers tightly gripping his belt.
Only then did Zhao Zhan carry Zhao Nian out. Then, he led the two of them forward for about 20 steps. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±
Yue Jiaojiao stopped moving.
Zhao Zhan first removed the ribbon from Zhao Nian¡¯s face and ced him on the ground. Then, he lifted his hand to remove the ribbon from Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s face. There was a hint of nervousness in his voice. ¡°Jiaojiao¡¡±
It was clearly a bleak season with withered leaves. However, Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s current location in this forest was filled with colorful flowers.
The cool breeze caressed her face, bringing with it not a biting cold, but a refreshing fragrance of flowers.
Lanterns were hung on the trees, some were tall and some were short. The one closest to Yue Jiaojiao had Zhao Zhan¡¯s neat and clumsy handwriting on it after a long period of hard work.
¡°Zhao Zhan¡¡±
Yue Jiaojiao felt as if she was in the midst of spring. Time was chaotic, and she seemed to have returned to the old scene of her snuggling up to Zhao Zhan on the mountain. ¡°Zhao Zhan, I like it very much.¡±
No matter how pleasant her words were, they couldn¡¯t bepared to what Zhao Zhan had prepared for her.
The nervousness on Zhao Zhan¡¯s face disappeared, and the smile on his face was as sincere as when they first met. ¡°Jiaojiao, I don¡¯t know how to write poems, but this line was made from my heart. I only hope that you will be my only memory for the rest of my life, and I only hope that you will always have a smile on your face.¡±
The wind blew, and the flowers on the trees spun and fell.
Zhao Zhan raised his hand and caught a pink flower that gradually opened up. Then, he inserted it into Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s hair.
He had never been a person who was skilled in sweet-talking, but at this moment, he could express from his head and every word he said was moving. ¡°Jiaojiao, I want to travel the four seasons with you, see thousands of scenes with you, and put flowers on your head to keep you warm. I will give up this body for you without anyints.¡±
Every time Yue Jiaojiao thought that the other party had loved her enough, he would always be able to wrap her up firmly with more love.
¡°Zhao Zhan, forever and now. I will always be by your side.¡±
They stepped on the winter snow, looked up at the spring flowers, and thenterns around them sketched in their hearts. The people who were making snowmen and ying in the snow beside them were the witnesses of their love.
Zhao Zhan lowered his eyes and blinked. He firmly bound Yue Jiaojiao¡¯s waist and kissed her passionately.
Zhao Nian, who was beside them, was focused on rolling the snowball in an attempt to make a tall and big snowman. He did not notice the movement behind her.
The petals rustled and fell, and Zhao Zhan¡¯sadam¡¯s apple bobbed. He could not tell if it was the fragrance of the flowers or the delicate person in his arms.
This spring scene was nned in advance by Zhao Zhan when he first arrived in the capital. He nted these flower trees in the greenhouse. After nting them, he got people to light braziers under the trees day and night to warm this ce up. Finally, this small area of flower trees was warmed up.
He hoped that the lover he wanted to protect would be warm for the rest of her life..
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and
continue reading tomorrow, everyone!