The Young Lady of the General’s House

“You want to go to the market?” Chu Xiuming asked after Shen Jin finished talking a bunch about all the curious play-things and little animals at the market.

Shen Jin ingratiatingly picked up a piece of furong cake for Chu Xiuming, she lifted the teapot to refill his cup eighth-full, then said, “Fujun, please take me to see it, would you?”

Her soft voice carried a subtle tone of trying to endear herself to him, like a kitten’s tender claw gently scratching into his heart.

Chu Xiuming took his time drinking tea and eating cakes before saying, “Alright.”

Happiness came too fast, Shen Jin couldn’t react right away. When she fully realised Chu Xiuming had agreed, dimples appeared on both her cheeks, “Fujun you are the best.”

Chu Xiuming lowered his laughing eyes, even if Shen Jin didn’t ask, he had actually prepared to take her to the market.

They were still rebuilding the town, no manpower could be spared for the mansion yet. Shen Jin had nowhere to play, Zhao Momo had countless times talked about her being cooped up in the rooms everyday. Shen Jin never complained but others were concerned.

Her objective achieved, Shen Jin stopped trying to flatter Chu Xiuming. She contentedly just sat there eating furong cakes, Chu Xiuming even had to fill up her cup for her.

“Right, are there many rumours about me in the Capital?”

“En.” Shen Jin swallowed, “There are many, very scary ones.”

Chu Xiuming didn’t speak but his eyes urged her to speak, Shen Jin thought a while, “Especially during the time Fujun were at the Capital to present war prisoners, it was halfway before you came and after you left.”

Without waiting for him to ask again, Shen Jin started a selection of rumours. Chu Xiuming put back half of the cake he was eating when he saw Shen Jin’s hand subconsciously reached out to the already empty plate. Shen Jin was too immersed in her story to notice, she was joyfully chattering.

“They said Fujun’s face was hideous, the first fiancee was scared to death after seeing your picture. The second fiancee I heard died of sickness, the third one was killed because Fujun was not happy with her looks……”

“If Fujun returned to the Capital, these rumours will die by themselves.” Her pretty almond eyes were moist and innocent.

“Second Sister will regret it so much, she said Fujun liked to drink blood, eat raw flesh, and you have to kill people everyday otherwise you will be itchy, Fujun do you like eating worms?”

Chu Xiuming’s face didn’t change during so many unfavourable stories regarding himself, but on her last question, he couldn’t resist flicking her forehead,

“Why would I like eating worms?”

“Then have you?” Shen Jin asked again.

Chu Xiuming slightly lowered his eyes, “I have, I have even eaten rat meat.”

Shen Jin looked surprised and curious, eyes full of questions looking at Chu Xiuming.

He helplessly spoke, “That time I was defeated, there were only tens of us left hiding in the forest, we ate anything we could get.”

He had oversimplified this painful matter of 9 deaths out of 10. Shen Jin seemed didn’t realise the severity of the danger, she said, “Thankfully I never eat worms and rat meat.”

Looking at her gloating face, Chu Xiuming flicked her forehead again.

Shouldn’t you be asking why we suffered the lost, or be concerned whether I was injured? But talking with Shen Jin now, suddenly the frustration disappeared.

“These rumours started around 6 – 7 years ago.” Shen Jin pondered a while, “When I heard it, everyone had been talking. But that time not as many, and not as dreadful.”

Chu Xiuming raised his eyebrows, he thought little wife herself was also happily spreading the rumours in the border town.

Shen Jin puffed her cheeks, “It’s not like anyone believes it. Noone in the Capital ever met you, they are just too idle, want to gossip. And here, everyone is very busy, noone has time for this.”

Chu Xiuming thought about the 786 heads, it was definitely a story for the ears of those who never killed.

Shen Jin kept babbling, she said many useful things, and even many more useless ones. “But it is odd that noone in the Capital talked about Brother-in-Law.” She meant Chu Xiuyuan.

A flash of sneer appeared in Chu Xiuming’s eyes, but it was gone so quickly that Shen Jin thought she had mistaken. She didn’t mind, if Fujun didn’t want her to know then she better not knowing.

It was almost time for dinner so she didn’t go back. When they entered the dining room, Chu Xiuyuan had been there, he smiled, “Brother, Sister-in-Law.”

“En”. Chu Xiuming responded then washed his hands with the water a maid carried. An Ping had also prepared water for Shen Jin. After washing both of them sat down, Chu Xiuyuan sat next to Chu Xiuming.

The maid quickly served the dishes, Shen Jin’s eyes instantly lit up when she saw the diced chicken dish, she could already smell the faint spicy and sweet fragrant. She took a spoonful of it to her plate then picked a piece with chopstick. The fried sweet and spicy chicken pieces were even more delicious than in her memory, and eaten with thick warm congee, it was heavenly.

(T/N: remember the sweet and spicy chicken at the restaurant the sisters booked to look at Imperial Exam winners parade?)

After the meal, Chu Xiuming holding her hand walked her back to her courtyard.

Shen Jin now felt her Fujun was very nice, so she didn’t mind his eavesdropping anymore. When she was washing feet with mugwort soap that night, she sighed to Zhao Momo, “Fujun is really a good person.”

Zhao Momo was speechless, she had been talking about the General’s good points and Shen Jin never listened, but now with just one dish, she was made sighing happily all evening. An Ping laughed, “Madam likes it then it is good.”

“I still want more, the meat was smooth and tender, and the side dishes were also excellent.” Shen Jin looked at Zhao Momo expectantly, she once again described the taste. She might as well ask Momo to tell the General that she wanted the dish on her own dining table.

An Ping and Zhao Momo knew what she wanted, Momo said, “If Madam ask, the General will definitely order it.”

“It’s not good.” Shen Jin talked without thinking, “I will look greedy.”

Zhao Momo and An Ping had no answer to that. So as long as you didn’t ask directly then you wouldn’t look greedy?

Momo was helpless but also amused, she could only say, “Alright, I understand.”

Shen Jin happily sent a very sweet smile to her direction.

That night she was awakened by painful bloated stomach. Either she was too happy for getting her wishes, or because Zhao Momo’s successful administration of health supplements, Shen Jin’s monthly matter that stopped for a period had today resumed. Not to say whatever smooth tender sweet spicy dish, anything made her stomach more painful. Her face paled with pain, she could only hug hand warmer in bed with Zhao Momo repeatedly giving her brown sugar water.

But the timing of this monthly matter was not bad, it was gone by the time they were going to the market. The sky was still dark when Zhao Momo called her up, Shen Jin was still muddled with sleep when she had almond goat milk.

After changing clothes and freshening up, An Ping pulled her hair up in simple style fastened with a silver crown. With a dark blue sky dress, she looked fresh and cool, finished off with a dark coloured cloak before Shen Jin was sent out.

Chu Xiuming in brown clothing was standing outside, Shen Jin stretched out a hand out from under the cloak to his waiting palm.

The warmth of his palm dispersed the morning cold off Shen Jin’s. He raised Shen Jin’s hood over her head, then holding her hand taking her out through the back gates.

Zhao Momo handed a small bundle to An Ping who walked behind Shen Jin through the gates. An Ping were not going with them, she had asked for a leave to go home today.

Shen Jin’s dress was simple but with exquisite details. The sleeves of her inner garment were tightened on the wrists with butterfly-shaped coil buttons, showing off her slim wrists. The outer garment had slightly shorter wide sleeves circled by flowers and plants patterns, at a glance it looked like there were colourful butterflies fluttered among flowers.

The market was not far from the border town, only one shi chen (T/N: 2 hours) ride. Chu Xiuming and Shen Jin shared a horse, he lifted her up first, draped the cloak handed by a servant boy over himself, then went up the horse behind Shen Jin. An Ping handed the bundle from Zhao Momo to Shen Jin.

Chu Xiuming first helped Shen Jin sat more comfortably then covered her with his cloak. After fastening the buttons of the cloak, he firmly put one hand over her waist, and the other hand on the rein.

Shen Jin was not very willing, she released one button so her head could come out of the cloak, “I can’t see outside.”

Chu Xiuyuan had been on his horse too, he was next to them, “Sister-in-Law, Brother doesn’t want you to catch the wind.”

Shen Jin knew herself misunderstood Chu Xiuming, her soft fingers tapped on the back of Chu Xiuming’s hand, “I’ll get in the cloak later.”

Chu Xiuming was not upset, he saw everyone was ready, “Let’s go.” His hand pressed Shen Jin back inside, after making sure all buttoned again, he spurred the horse.

Shen Jin had been on a horse before, but only a slow one led around by a servant. Rui Wangfei then forbid them to ride, she said riding was not good for girls because their legs would turn ugly.

Shen Jin couldn’t stand her curiosity, she unfastened one button again to peek outside. The border town was unusually quiet today.

The horses started running after passing the town gates, Shen Jin found there was nothing to see now while the wind hit her face quite hard, so she silently retreated into Chu Xiuming’s arms. Feeling a bit hungry, she opened Zhao Momo’s bundle, found meat jerky and pastries wrapped in oil paper, she slowly nibbled on those.

Chu Xiuming’s and Chu Xiuyuan’s horses were at the front, behind them were a few attendants of the mansion. Gradually there were more and more people on the road, all of them were also heading to the market, so they now travelled a bit slower.

Chu Xiuyuan wanted to talk to Chu Xiuming, but then he saw brother’s cloak moved. A hand came out from inside holding a piece of jerky moving towards Chu Xiuming’s mouth.

Chu Xiuming’s face looked helpless so he thought his brother would refuse, but then Chu Xiuming lowered his head and ate the jerky. Chu Xiuming then patted the part of the cloak that looked like a head. The cloak stopped moving, the hand retreated inside, replaced by the head.

Chu Xiuming didn’t press her head back inside, he even slowed down the horse.

Chu Xiuyuan looked at Chu Xiuming, then at Shen Jin. So that piece of meat jerky was a bribe?

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T/N:

Coil buttons (盘扣) – aren’t they pretty?