Since ancient times, there have always been more busybodies than those who mind their own business. Although Shen Yun’s words bordered on gossip, everyone couldn’t help but prick up their ears. Ji Cheng found herself in a position where she couldn’t avoid answering.
In truth, Ji Cheng didn’t know the real reason, but she could use the excuse Shen Che had given her.
Ji Cheng adjusted her hair and said, “I’ve been puzzled about this too. It’s just that the Second Young Master said the bed was too stuffy and he wasn’t used to it. Poor sleep is detrimental to one’s health, so that’s why we urgently changed the bed.”
“How could it be stuffy? We’ve seen the bed in your new room. It’s all openwork carving, made from a solid piece of rosewood. Your family must have spent a lot of effort to have it carved so beautifully. What a pity!” Shen Yun sighed.
Ji Cheng was about to speak, intending to elevate herself further as a virtuous wife – after all, she was following the principle of adapting to her husband’s ways. However, the Old Madam spoke first.
“Ah, Che has always been like this. Since he was little, he never liked sleeping on beds with canopies. Even when I had him sleep in the gauze-curtained bed in my room as a child, he would fuss about feeling stuffy. But if he lay down on a stone table in the garden, all his problems would disappear. Unfortunately, the little maids spent half the day looking for him and even got punished for it,” the Old Madam said with a laugh.
With the Old Madam’s explanation, Ji Cheng’s borrowed and not-so-credible excuse was accepted.
In the evening, when Shen Che went to pay his respects to the Old Madam, she pulled him aside to talk but didn’t avoid Ji Cheng’s presence.
“Tell me, what’s this about moving the bed? I wanted to ask you this morning, but you ran off quickly. You’ve just married this new bride, and you’re already bullying her? Hurry up and apologize to your wife,” the Old Madam scolded Shen Che.
The dowry furniture was a matter of face for the new bride, especially the new bed, which was of utmost importance. Shen Che changing the bed on the second day of marriage was undoubtedly seen by outsiders as a sign of extreme dissatisfaction with the new bride. Coupled with Ji Cheng’s background, many people were gossiping behind their backs, saying that Shen Che looked down on Ji Cheng.
Ji Cheng herself didn’t feel wrong at all. Shen Che’s actions were not intended to embarrass her but stemmed from some unknown reason.
Now that the Old Madam was reprimanding Shen Che in front of her, she was already giving Ji Cheng enough face. Ji Cheng immediately stood up gratefully, “Old Ancestor, the Second Young Master didn’t…”
The Old Madam waved her hand, interrupting Ji Cheng’s words, “You, your temperament can’t be too good. I’m counting on you to keep this monkey in check for me.”
The term “monkey” applied to Shen Che struck Ji Cheng as oddly amusing, and she couldn’t help but giggle.
“Old Ancestor, I’m already so old, yet you still call me that. Look, you’re making Cheng laugh at me,” Shen Che immediately started to act coy.
The Old Madam laughed, “If you keep behaving so irresponsibly, I’ll keep calling you monkey, and let your wife laugh at you.”
After this banter, the Old Madam didn’t bring up the bed-changing incident again. If she truly felt Ji Cheng had been wronged, she would have ordered the bed to be moved back. But ultimately, out of love for her grandson, the Old Madam indulged Shen Che’s dislike. Asking Shen Che to apologize in front of Ji Cheng was her way of mediating between the young couple.
After Shen Che and Ji Cheng left, Maid Cao attended to the Old Madam as she prepared for bed, gently undoing her hair and using a wide-toothed comb to scratch her scalp. “Miss, I see you’re truly worried. You fretted when Young Master Che wasn’t married, and now you fret when he is. The Second Young Madam has a good temperament. From what I saw today, she doesn’t seem to be at odds with Young Master Che. Why do you need to…”
The Old Madam knew far more than Maid Cao did. She even knew about the slap Ji Cheng had given Shen Che, having heard it from An He. What they didn’t know was that it wasn’t the first time Ji Cheng had slapped Shen Che. The first time, she had even smashed several of Shen Che’s most treasured tea sets.
“Cheng is outwardly compliant but inwardly determined. You see her as having a good temperament, but in fact, she’s more resolute than anyone. However, her character is indeed magnanimous. Her not being at odds with Che is due to her forbearance. But Che’s actions this time were too rash. Ah, I’m just worried they won’t be a harmonious couple,” the Old Madam said.
“How is that possible? Wasn’t it Che himself who proposed to marry Cheng?” Maid Cao instinctively thought that if the couple wasn’t getting along, it must be because Shen Che was dissatisfied. How could Ji Cheng be picky?
The Old Madam fell silent. When Ji Cheng was staying at the Shen family’s house before, she had never expressed any intention of marrying Shen Che. She had readily agreed to those few marriage proposals, and the subsequent changes weren’t her doing. Now that the Old Madam thought about it, she felt that Shen Che must have had a hand in it.
Later, when Shen Che suddenly brought up arranging a marriage for Ji Cheng, mentioning the Liu family, Ji Cheng had agreed without a word. The Old Madam had seen through the oddness between the two at that time, or rather, she had seen through Shen Che’s oddness. Sure enough, the matter with the Liu family later came to nothing.
When An He came to tell her that Shen Che wanted to marry Ji Cheng, Ji Cheng had just returned to Jin Bei to observe mourning. The Old Madam and An He naturally disagreed, not because Ji Cheng wasn’t suitable, but because waiting another three years would make Shen Che too old.
Fortunately, Shen Che never mentioned this marriage again, but he also didn’t agree to any other marriages. When Shen Yu went to the Western Regions, Shen Che was rarely at home. Even though the Old Madam and Princess An He were anxious, they could do nothing about it. They didn’t dare arrange a marriage for him behind his back, fearing what trouble he might cause.
Ji Cheng’s mourning period hadn’t ended yet, but just as it was about to, Shen Che returned home right on schedule and personally mentioned marrying Ji Cheng to the Old Madam at Rui Ying Hall.
The Old Madam was puzzled at the time. It had been nearly three years since he had mentioned this person and this matter. She had thought Shen Che had gotten over his infatuation, but it turned out he had kept it in his heart all along.
After a long while, the Old Madam finally replied to Maid Cao, “These young people always think they have a lifetime to quarrel, not cherishing the present. If I can help them avoid some detours, I will.”
Maid Cao was simple-hearted and blessed, lacking the Old Madam’s many thoughts. “Don’t worry, Old Madam. Didn’t the Lu family’s people come back and say they were loving? You’ll be holding a grandson soon. I see that Young Madam Cheng has a figure suitable for childbearing, and she has a good appetite too. Her ‘soil’ must be fertile.”
Ji Cheng indeed had a figure suitable for childbearing, with a slender waist that accentuated her rounded hips – a sign of being likely to bear sons. However, the Old Madam couldn’t help but recall what Shen Che had said before about Ji Cheng having a health problem that made her unsuitable for childbearing. Although it was said that she would be fine after taking medicine for two years, it was still a hidden concern that needed to be addressed.
While the Old Madam was worrying about whether Ji Cheng could conceive, Ji Cheng herself was also a bit concerned, as she found herself alone in bed again tonight.
Ji Cheng had always had trouble sleeping, not because she was alone, but because Shen Che’s complete lack of action undoubtedly made it even more difficult for her to fall asleep.
The atmosphere had been quite good tonight. When Ji Cheng and Shen Che returned to Nine Li Courtyard, Shen Che had “invited” her to the top chamber to look at account books.
It was just like how they interacted three years ago.
The only difference was that Shen Che used a new set of tea utensils when brewing tea. Ji Cheng remembered Shen Che saying that older tea sets were more mellow, having gained a spirit after long-term immersion in tea. So under normal circumstances, Shen Che used old tea sets.
However, tonight’s tea set was made by Shen Che himself, supposedly to commemorate their new marriage. The celadon porcelain was adorned with camellia patterns, exuding an elegant timelessness in its simplicity. The camellias were painted with a wild charm, without the affectation of cultivation, not something an ordinary porcelain craftsman could create.
Ji Cheng thought to herself that Shen Che must have been quite leisurely. She had originally thought he was so busy in the Northwest that his feet barely touched the ground, but she hadn’t expected him to have such free time for leisure pursuits.
“As long as you want to do something, you can always squeeze out some free time,” Shen Che said, taking a sip of clear tea from the new cup. “It’s a pity that Qingming has already passed this year. Next year, we can go tea picking again. After drinking tea for so many years, the tea picked by Cheng’s jade hands is still the most fragrant. Its clear aroma lingers long.”
Although this complement was obvious, people always liked to hear kind words, and Ji Cheng was no exception.
After drinking the opening tea, it was time for Ji Cheng to get to work. Only then did she notice, under Shen Che’s guidance, the boxes piled up along an entire wall. “So many?!”
Shen Che replied, “There are more in the room below. I saw that they couldn’t all fit up here, so I didn’t bring them up. After you finish these, I’ll go get the rest.”
Even the industrious Ji Cheng felt her fingers cramping. “Even if I haven’t looked at them for three years, there shouldn’t be this many account books just for the Western Regions, right?”
“That was before. We’re husband and wife now, of one heart. These are all the account books for my business dealings this year. The previous years’ books have also been brought over for your reference if needed,” Shen Che said.
Ji Cheng looked at Shen Che speechlessly. She suddenly understood a bit why Shen Che wanted to marry her, and could even comprehend why he was willing to marry her even though she had tried to kill him.
Because there was no greater torture for an enemy than working them to death.
Ji Cheng wondered why she hadn’t thought of such a good idea before.
The orange candlelight that used to illuminate the top chamber was gone, replaced by night pearls that made it as bright as day. Ji Cheng felt a bit regretful, feeling that it lacked some of the former ambiance.
Night pearls the size of a fist were already rare treasures in the world, but they were more suitable for grand palaces, not for this otherworldly top chamber laid with green wood and rush grass.
Shen Che, as if he had learned to read minds, said, “Candlelight strains the eyes when looking at account books. Night pearls are slightly better, but you shouldn’t look at them for too long either. You don’t need to rush through these accounts, just familiarize yourself with them gradually.”
Looking at account books was much more comfortable than looking at Shen Che’s face. At least the things in the account books were clear as day to Ji Cheng, with not a single detail escaping her notice. The tricks and false accounts were as visible to her as a woman’s face without makeup, every flaw apparent.
As Ji Cheng was fiddling with the white jade abacus in her hand, Shen Che had started to sleep with his head resting on a rush cushion.
Ji Cheng didn’t think much of it at first, but when her neck started to ache and she looked up to see Shen Che sleeping soundly, she began to feel unbalanced. She flicked the white jade beads under her fingers hard, causing the abacus beads to clash against the frame with a crisp sound. Shen Che’s only reaction was a slight movement of his eyelashes.
Ji Cheng’s childish nature surfaced. She covered the abacus with both hands and randomly moved the beads again. This time, Shen Che opened his eyes, looked out to check the position of the moon, then turned to Ji Cheng and said, “It’s getting late. You should go down to sleep.”
In the blink of an eye, Shen Che stood up and added, “I’ll escort you down.”
It was just escorting Ji Cheng down. The couple entered through the main door together, and then Shen Che went up through the secret passage.
Ji Cheng had originally thought Shen Che’s additional sentence had a different meaning. Following the principle that playing dumb could help conceive a son, she hadn’t pointed it out, not even daring to show a mocking smile. But Shen Che had just left like that.