For many people, that meant that their family’s monthly expenses were a few silver less, which was not enough for them to drink good wine or give people a reward.

When the Qingfeng House opened, of course, it was impossible for Jiang Zhen not to show up, so he returned to Fucheng ahead of schedule.

He spent a long time by the sea supervising the work of others on the “construction site” every day, letting himself get tanned, so when he wore delicate clothes, his whole body looked less harmonious.

Zhao Jinge ran back and forth between Fucheng and the seaside these days, but he was very careful and always wore a hat to block the sun. He looked much less tanned and others could even tell that his skin looked white and tender.

“Jinge, you look more and more handsome.” Jiang Zhen touched Zhao Jinge’s face with some surprise.

“Is that so?” Zhao Jinge looked at Jiang Zhen happily.

“What are you doing?” Jiang Zhen asked.

“I’m taking tonic medicine,” Zhao Jinge said, somewhat embarrassed. He initially went to the pharmacy suspecting he was pregnant, but since he was not, he asked the doctor to prescribe some medicine to nourish his body. After taking this medicine, he looked and felt better, so he went back for more. After taking it like this even if he was not pregnant, his appearance got better and better.

“A little medicine is fine, but don’t take it randomly,” Jiang Zhen said. After asking Zhao Jinge, he learned that he was eating something like red dates, so he was relieved.

Even so, these things could still make people sick.

Zhao Jinge skin became much smoother, so Jiang Zhen couldn’t resist touching and stroking it. After returning home, he directly pounced on him and Zhao Jinge was almost unable to get up the next morning.

Of course, he got up in the end, but when he arrived at the Qingfeng House, he was more or less out of energy and couldn’t help yawning.

This was a little indecent, so Zhao Jinge felt embarrassed when he suddenly saw that Wen Yingniang, who sat opposite to him, also kept yawning.

After her marriage, Wen Yingniang did not go back to Minnan.

The Wen family did not entirely belong to her parents, so although her father was the head of the Wen family, there were also many Wen family elders above him.

Wen Yingniang’s father and mother loved her, but those people did not. She was a married woman who lost respect in Fucheng.

Before Wen Yingniang had gotten divorced, the side branch of the Wen family was using her to make fun of Father and Mother Wen. Ever since Wen Yingniang divorced . . .

For the sake of their daughter, Father and Mother Wen let Wen Yingniang stay in Fucheng. That meant that Wen Ming would also stay here.

In the future when these things fade away, Wen Yingniang would be able to go back.

Of course, she didn’t intend to go back; it was not because she liked Fucheng so much but because she did not want to cause trouble for her parents.

Fucheng was not far away from Minnan, so she would be able to go back to see her parents during the holidays.

“Zhao Jinge, long time no see.” When Wen Yingniang saw Zhao Jinge, she greeted him. After she got married, she wanted to visit Zhao Jinge,1 but Zhao Jinge was too busy. She also had a lot of things to deal with, so the two of them had not met until now.

“Madam Wen.” Zhao Jinge smiled when he saw Wen Yingniang but felt that something was a bit strange. The marriage was less than two months old. It was the newlywed period, so Wen Yingniang should be very happy and energetic. Why did she look so tired?

“You didn’t sleep well?” Wen Yingniang asked. She saw Zhao Jinge yawning, so she could not help but also yawn.

“I didn’t sleep well. You . . .” Zhao Jinge frowned and looked at Wen Yingniang.

“I don’t get enough sleep these days,” Wen Yingniang said. “Probably because I finally relaxed. There is nothing to worry me. I just want to sleep all day. Also, I don’t know why, but the more I sleep, the more tired I am.”

“Sleeping more is going to make you more tired.” Zhao Jinge nodded in agreement. “Your body will also start to hurt.” When he was in bed all day during the month after giving birth, his body always felt uncomfortable.

“That’s true.” Wen Yingniang nodded her head in agreement and yawned again.

Wen Yingniang slowed down a bit before becoming a little more energetic, asking, “Zhao Jinge, how do you and Jiang Zhen get along?”

“Ah?” Zhao Jinge was a little confused.

“Wen Ming follows me all day and still wants to sleep with me. I am not used to it,” Wen Yingniang said. Her face couldn’t help becoming a little red.

At first, she thought that she and Wen Ming married for mutual benefits, but recently she sensed that it could be for another reason.

Wen Ming must have liked her a little.

It’s just…she was not used to it.

In the Liao family, there were many rules. Although Liao Qinghe would come to sleep in her room, it was only seven or eight times a month. Even then, the Liao parents would accuse Liao Qinghe of being addicted to women.

But Wen Ming was the opposite; these days, Wen Ming didn’t do anything but follow her all day and rest with her every night.

She felt that she was sleepy because she had been disturbed by Wen Ming so much.

All of a sudden, there was a person around her fighting for the quilt, and she was unaccustomed to it.

“If he doesn’t sleep with you, who will he sleep with?” Zhao Jinge became a little confused. He wasn’t aware of the matter of large families sleeping in separate rooms.

He and Jiang Zhen always slept together.

Wen Yingniang pondered over Zhao Jinge’s words, and the more she thought about it, the more it made sense.

Yeah, if Wen Ming doesn’t sleep with her, who will he sleep with?

Wen Yingniang and Zhao Jinge whispered as they walked and finally stopped at a garden in Qingfeng House where the ladies play.

It was still early, so there were not many people in the garden. The two of them found a pavilion hidden in the trees and sat down, asking the waiter to wait around.

It was only after they spoke for a while that, suddenly, several women and gers came towards them.

“Isn’t this Madam Wen? Why does she look so bad?” the first one asked.

Both Wen Yingniang and Zhao Jinge frowned.

The place where the two of them stayed was very quiet, so there was no doubt that this group of people had come here on purpose to find trouble.

“With such an ugly face, I’m afraid she met with an ugly man.”

“I heard that she recruited a husband from one of her own servants. She couldn’t get married, so she could only pick up a piece of junk!”

“Maybe she was sad because Master Liao was going to get married. In just a few days, the lord’s marriage will be taken care of . . .”

 

. . .

 

These people talk to each other one after another, looking at Wen Yingniang with eyes full of gloating.

“Madam, that one in yellow is the wife of Zhang Juren’s wife, and her daughter is going to marry into the Liao family,” the servant girl beside Wen Yingniang suddenly said.

“Madam, that Liao family is now living by pawning their own calligraphies and paintings, so I don’t know if this lady’s dowry is enough for them to spend.”

“The money is secondary. If the Liao family gets a concubine for the eldest son, it would be funny.”

 

. . .

 

The maids around Wen Yingniang said one thing after another, making Madam Zhang’s expresion look ugly.

The Zhang family was also considered a large family. Madam Zhang’s husband was only a scholar, but his father-in-law was an official at court.

The marriage with the Liao family was the decision made by Scholar Zhang. Madam Zhang had been very dissatisfied with it because she didn’t want her daughter to suffer, but she could only delay the marriage by two months.

However, no matter how dissatisfied she was with her daughter’s marriage, her daughter was going to marry Liao Qinghe, making Madam Zhang side with the Liao family. After seeing Madam Wen, she couldn’t restrain herself from finding trouble with her. Wen Yingniang not only left the Liao family but also bankrupted them. She was really disgusting!

Madam Zhang came to make fun of Wen Yingniang, but when she was taunted in turn, she turned pale. Still she said, “Madam Wen, it’s so unbecoming of you to curse others when you’re having a bad time yourself!”

“Who’re you saying is having a bad time?” Wen Yingniang snorted coldly.

“Does Madam Wen still think she’s doing well? Heh, a hen that doesn’t lay eggs, what would happen to her in the future?” Madam Zhang said.

Madam Zhang deliberately chose to poke Wen Yingniang’s sore spot. Wen Yingniang, who always had a bad temper, became so angry that she even wanted to hit people!

She sprang to her feet from the stool but suddenly felt dizzy, and the scenery around her turned black and white.

Covering her forehead, she frowned painfully.

“Madam!” The servant girl beside Wen Yingniang hurriedly supported her while someone else jumped up quickly and went to find a doctor.

Their lords have instructed them to protect and serve Wen Yingniang well and that they must not be negligent in the slightest!

Wen Ming, Jiang Zhen, and Zheng Yi were sitting together and talking when suddenly, someone came to report. “Master! Madam is not well. Her face is white and she almost fainted!”

“What?” Wen Ming was startled. Thinking that Wen Yingniang had not been feeling well these days, he immediately got worried, stood up, and left. As he walked, he asked, “What’s going on?”

“It’s all because of Madam Zhang!” the maid immediately said.

Wen Ming’s face instantly darkened, and his steps quickened.

When Wen Ming reached the door, he was stopped. He was about to think of a way to enter when another maid came out. “Master! Madam is pregnant!”

 

Edited by: Faro

Proofreader: Antiope1

 

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