The Eldest Eldest Young Master's Gentle Wife (12)

The silver bottle broke, and the water flowed in. The cavalry suddenly pulled out a gun and shot. 

Spring is short and bitter. 

The next day, Li Cai Wei woke up in Jiang Zhe's bedroom, a soft bed underneath her and a familiar scent of honey locust on the quilt. 

Honey locust scent? 

She squinted and opened her eyes. Before her was a magnified handsome face. Jiang Zhe supported his head with one hand, and brushed aside the hair on her face with the other. His voice was soft: “You're awake. Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?” 

Li Cai Wei looked at him, last night's the absurd memory gradually resurfacing. Blood rushed up, and her face flushed red. She quickly huddled under the quilt, not willing to meet his eyes. 

Jiang Zhe: ……… 

He tried to pull open her quilt, but Li Cai Wei held on to it tightly. Jiang Zhe was also not willing to use real strength to fight with her, and could only kiss her through the quilt. “It's not early anymore, I have to go to the shop. Cui Xi brought some jade round-rice porridge from the kitchen, remember to eat after you get up.” 

Li Cai Wei sulkily muttered an "en" in the quilt. 

A hint of warmth flashed through Jiang Zhe's eyes, and he couldn't resist touching the bulge in the quilt before he got out of bed to change clothes. 

Li Cai Wei hid in the quilt. Only when she heard the sound of the door opening and closing and estimated that Jiang Zhe had left, did she slowly climbed out. 

Just nice, there was a knock on the door, and Cui Xi shouted from outside: “Young Mistress, it's Cui Xi.” 

Li Cai Wei: “Come in.” 

Cui Xi pushed the door open with one hand, holding the tray of food in her other hand. After coming in, she nimbly closed the door behind her. 

Cui Xi: “Young Mistress, before leaving, the Eldest Eldest Young Master told me to send you some food first, before helping you up.” 

Li Cai Wei lowered her head and gave a small smile: “En.” 

Cui Xi skipped over happily, “The Eldest Young Master really treats Young Mistress well, for him to specially order such details. It can be seen that the Eldest Young Master really has Young Mistress in his heart.” 

Li Cai Wei smiled silently.

Cui Xi knew that she was in a good mood, and continued speaking auspicious words while serving her. 

Suddenly, Cui Xi screamed in surprise. 

Li Cai Wei was shocked: “What, what is it?” 

Cui Xi's face was red, and she couldn't speak. She turned around and ran out, but quickly ran back in. 

Cui Xi walked to Li Cai Wei, and hesitantly took out a mirror. 

Li Cai Wei didn't know what was happening, and took the mirror for a closer look, wondering: “Nothing-” 

Her voice stopped. 

Li Cai Wei's face visibly turned red. She hurriedly took away the mirror and shyly rubbed her neck. 

Jiang Zhe, he… He's so bad. 

Cui Xi hid the smile on her lips. After the initial shock, she was even more open-minded about this than Li Cai Wei this Young Mistress. 

Cui Xi: “The Eldest Young Master really dotes on Young Mistress.” 

Li Cai Wei glared at her with shame. 

Cui Xi gave in: “Alright, I won't say anymore. Young Mistress, quickly drink the porridge before it turns cold.” 

Li Cai Wei finally pretended like nothing was wrong, and took small sips of porridge. After a while, she suddenly asked: “The Eldest Young Master left in a rush, did he eat breakfast?"

Cui Xi frowned and replied: “The Eldest Young Master has Shui Gen around, he shouldn't be hungry.” 

Li Cai Wei thought so too. 

……………

By the time Jiang Zhe arrived at the shop, it was almost ten o'clock. 

The treasurer thought that something had happened to the Jiang family, and asked about it.

Jiang Zhe casually found an excuse to brush it away. 

The treasurer didn't care too much, and went back to his own business. 

Jiang Zhe sat by the table side and checked the proceeds in the past month. 

Time pa.s.sed unconsciously, and he had already been here for half a year. 

In the past six months, he helped in the Jiang clothing shop. From the beginning, when everything was new to him, till now where he had become familiar with the shop, he gradually discovered that the Jiang clothing shop was already on the decline. 

Western goods had taken over the country. Compared with the traditional handicraft industry, the machine-made western goods were cheap and good. In contrast, the traditional industry suffered almost devastating blows. 

It was only because the Jiang clothing shop was big and established, with many years of credibility, did they manage to retain some customers. 

However, Jiang Zhe knew that this was only the beginning. 

At the latest, they can survive for a few months. Once the foreigners finished testing the market in this country and find out there are many business opportunities, they will crazily enter the market. When that happens, more shops will close down. 

In the original story, the Jiang clothing shop was thus slowly eaten away. 

Jiang Zhe was not a person to sit still and accept death. 

Since the meat had already rotted, the best method is not to cure, but to completely remove it, and then grow new meat. 

This process would undoubtedly be long and painful. 

His personal strength was too small. Before the rotten meat is removed, the only thing he can do is to preserve his strength, so that when the new meat grows, he can better protect it. 

Jiang Zhe stared at the table, thinking deeply into the issue, an idea already in mind. 

He closed the account book and called for Shui Gen, asking, “Where is Father?”

Shui Gen: “Answering Eldest Young Master, the Old Master is in the dye workshop.” 

Jiang Zhe got up, “Then I will go find him.”

Shui Gen hurriedly stopped him, “Eldest Young Master, it is already noon. You didn't eat anything in the morning, if you don't eat again, even the strongest body cannot withstand it.” 

Jiang Zhe paused, “Alright, serve the meal.” 

Shui Gen: “Yes.”

About five minutes later, Shui Gen came in with a food box. 

Jiang Zhe raised his eyebrows. 

Shui Gen chuckled with a smirk: “The Young Mistress sent it.” 

Jiang Zhe's mouth quirked up slightly. 

It seems that this morning's comforting worked. 

His biological clock was always on time. He woke up at seven, intending to get up and sneak out. However, the image of her crying face from last night rose unbidden in his mind. 

His wife was so sensitive and p.r.o.ne to overthinking, how could he bear to see her fall into self-doubt after overthinking things again? 

So he stroked her face, and went back to pretending to sleep. 

Shui Gen: “Eldest Young Master? Eldest Young Master?” 

Jiang Zhe returned to his senses, and looked up at him. 

Shui Gen: “Eldest Young Master, quickly eat, otherwise the seaba.s.s will have a fishy smell when it turns cold.” 

Jiang Zhe withdrew his gaze, and quietly invited Shui Gen to eat together. 

Shui Gen waved his hands: “This isn't appropriate.” 

Jiang Zhe: “Sit down.”

The two looked at each other, and Shui Gen was ultimately utterly defeated.

—————–

TN: I guess we kind of get an insight into the time period they are in right now - being the start of the westernisation in China. So traditions are still abound, but you can see western items around though the older generation remains dismissive of the western culture.