Chapter 348 – Wind and Clouds in the Capital (5)
Xu Ke was left speechless, as if he truly hadn’t thought of that point.
He had intended to say that’s just how couples are, but the words twisted on his tongue and refused to come out.
“Could it be that you didn’t bring any silver, and it’s all been confiscated?” Jiang Pengji asked.
“Of course I brought some,” Xu Ke reflexively wiped his waist pouch and wondered, “Why would it be confiscated?”
Jiang Pengji didn’t explain, but instead continued, “When I was in Langya, I met a woodcutter. He chopped wood for fifteen days a month, and the rest of the time he peddled the cakes his wife made along the street. After chatting with him, I found out he thought the highest amount of money in the world was just copper coins…”
Xu Ke looked puzzled, “It’s not surprising that the common people struggle to make ends meet. They mostly handle copper coins in their daily transactions.”
Jiang Pengji shook her head, “Not quite. After asking further, I learned this woodcutter’s family wasn’t poor at all. He could save four to five taels of silver a year, and over the years he even prepared a dowry of twenty taels for his daughter. The reason he only recognized copper coins was that all his silver was handed over to his wife, who, fearing he would spend extravagantly, gave him just three copper coins a day…”
Xu Ke: “…”
At this point, if he still didn’t understand, it would be a genuine case of brain malfunction.
“Xun Mei is not that kind of person…”
Although Xu Ke always thought the woman should manage affairs at home while the man worked outside, he never imagined that he’d only have three coins on him every day. That was just too miserable.
“Exactly! So since you have money, why don’t you buy some little trinkets?”
Xu Ke got tangled up in his thoughts again, his entire expression showing confusion.
“Ke should just buy it.”
If he didn’t buy anything, wouldn’t that imply he was just another woodcutter with only three coins to spare every day?
A proper man couldn’t be manipulated so easily by his wife!
Thus, before many stalls, two wealthy-looking men appeared, purchasing small items that young ladies typically adored.
Xu Ke watched with a conflicted expression as Jiang Pengji seriously selected powders and rouge, looking quite knowledgeable.
Wait… when did his Young Master develop such an unusual interest?
“Not every powder and rouge is suitable. If you give Xun Mei that box of rouge you just picked, I guarantee she’ll have a face full of pimples the next day…” Jiang Pengji rolled her eyes. “If it’s serious, you might even end up with a new wife.”
Xun Mei had some allergies, and the color of the rouge Xu Ke chose was pretty, but it contained allergens that would trigger her condition.
At first, Xu Ke hadn’t thought much of it, but after hearing her words, he hurriedly put that box back.
“How does the Young Master know this so well?”
Even though he understood that Xun Mei had once been Jiang Pengji’s personal maid, and their bond was as deep as that of siblings, as Xun Mei’s husband, Xu Ke couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy towards this “man” who knew so much about his wife.
“Well, you know, I often had to take medicine when I was sick as a child. To keep the two statuesque guardians by my side happy, I had to think of ways to win their favor,” Jiang Pengji discerned the jealousy in Xu Ke’s tone but pretended not to notice, explaining indirectly. After all, they were newlyweds, and she didn’t want to create any awkwardness. “But once, I nearly made a huge mistake by giving the wrong gift. I later found out Xun Mei couldn’t handle such things, and since then, I’ve remembered it well…”
Hearing this, Xu Ke felt his jealousy dissipate, replaced by curiosity.
Learning about Xun Mei from Jiang Pengji was a bit like trying to charm his little brother-in-law and understand his new wife’s past.
“I had no idea about this, nor had I ever heard Xun Mei mention it…” Xu Ke paused.
He really didn’t know much about Xun Mei’s past. They had known each other before marriage, but their understanding of each other wasn’t deep.
If he wanted their marriage to last, he’d have to learn more about her later, at least to avoid mistakes like giving inappropriate gifts.
Jiang Pengji said, “There’s plenty of time in the future to get to know each other.”
Their conversation played out before the audience in the live stream, and many viewers could vaguely understand her intentions.
【Stowaway Non-Money】: # resting my chin, for years now, I still find the host very gentle. Xun Mei and Xu Ke aren’t exactly a blind marriage, but they really know very little about each other, and with how little time they spend together, there are plenty of risks. Even couples in love can hardly withstand this erosion, but the host is slowly guiding Xu Ke to understand Xun Mei, effectively avoiding many problems.
【I Have A Pair of Skate Shoes】: Gentle is gentle, but don’t you think it’s strange for a female host to spend so much time with a man who just got married? Doesn’t Xun Mei know the host’s gender? Wouldn’t she mind?
The above comment was rather subtle, but anyone paying attention knew what they were getting at—it was the concern that the host might become the third party in their marriage.
【Rock Sugar Lemon】: Come on, the host is currently Xu Ke’s superior, their relationship is purely professional. Have you not heard that female bosses can’t speak with married male subordinates? If that’s the case, they shouldn’t hire married male subordinates at all. The host still presents as male to the outside world, and neither has said anything ambiguous; it really just feels like a normal friendship. Worrying too much, don’t you think?
Regardless of what the audience thought, this clever man, Xu Ke, gradually figured out Jiang Pengji’s good intentions.
The master and maid chatted back and forth, touching on official matters as well as personal ones, with only a few relating to Xun Mei and most being trivialities. Unbeknownst to them, they had already wandered through most of the night market, and Xu Ke’s legs were starting to feel sore.
Seeing his delicate demeanor, Jiang Pengji pointed to a nearby teahouse, “How about we go upstairs to rest for a bit?”
Xu Ke nodded in agreement without any protest.
However, if he had known what would happen after going upstairs, he would have hobbled away even if it meant breaking his legs!
Rather than a teahouse, it was more like a refined gathering place often frequented by scholars and artists.
As the two entered the hall, the air was filled with a rich fragrance, accompanied by the soft strains of string and bamboo music.
“This teahouse’s owner is quite astute to hire musicians for entertainment; it does seem sophisticated,” Jiang Pengji observed, glancing around and noticing paintings and calligraphy displayed at the doors of the private rooms, varied in skill but collectively interesting. This wasn’t so important, though; what mattered was that the art was mounted on the valuable bamboo paper.
While bamboo paper wasn’t anything special in Liu Residence, outside, it was worth its weight in gold, a luxury used only by the wealthy.
“These paintings and calligraphy… seem to be left by the scholars who came to drink tea…” Xu Ke glanced at the signatures; most were from distinguished aristocratic families. Regardless of their skill, the names were quite renowned. “This teahouse indeed has some charm.”
