Chapter 573 – The Profligate Feng Zhen (6)
Ah—
Feng Zhen took a hot shower and changed into soft, breathable clothes—his skin was delicate after years of using Cold Food Powder, and the slightest friction left noticeable red marks, causing him pain, so he could only wear tattered old garments.
Having bathed, with his long hair still damp, he sat down to enjoy a cup of wine brewed by Jiang Pengji.
One sip in, and the warmth spread through his limbs, making him feel absolutely marvelous, the slight intoxication soaring straight to his head.
“Such strong liquor exists in the world? Delightful!”
At first, he felt a bit out of place, but soon he found it to be exceedingly enjoyable; the mild tipsiness made him feel light all over.
Refreshing—
It felt even better than Cold Food Powder.
Jiang Pengji’s eyelid twitched slightly, and the audience in the live stream began to express concern.
【Books Have Their Own Beauty】: Anchor, are you sure this guy has quit the Cold Food Powder enough? Why not quit drinking too?
【Wanderer of the Jianghu】: Not only should he quit drinking, but also gambling and womanizing. The live stream should spread positive energy; someone like Feng Zhen, who indulges in pleasures, needs reform. Just let him become a monk; void all desires.
【Grounded Peanuts】: Hahaha, though we should sympathize, I really can’t help but feel sorry for Feng Zhen.
【Little Angel】: If he hadn’t met the anchor, Feng Zhen could do whatever he wanted and gamble his life away. Now… sigh, he’s not in control of himself… Meeting the anchor may be Feng Zhen’s greatest calamity in this lifetime.
Jiang Pengji said, “Alcohol is harmful to the liver, it’s best not to drink too much. A half bottle is enough for today.”
She poured the remaining half of the wine into her bowl and tilted her neck back to finish it all.
“My wine—”
Just as he reached out to stop her, there were only a few drops left in her bowl; she was too quick for Feng Zhen to react.
Jiang Pengji coldly scoffed, “That was mine.”
Feng Zhen gritted his teeth, “Why are you such a terrible person!”
He still hadn’t drunk enough.
Jiang Pengji asked, “Want to drink more? Endure through this craving.”
Feng Zhen: “…”
I have a saying, ‘You’re exceptionally annoying; does your father know?’ I don’t know if I should say it.
Liu Xi, come back here!
As Jiang Pengji said, the early stages of quitting the powder were very painful, with frequent cravings. Once he got past that period, it would be smooth sailing.
From initially having cravings every day or two, which lasted half a day, he gradually transitioned to cravings every three to five days, lasting only half an hour.
Two months later, Feng Zhen’s vitality gradually improved; his cheeks gained some healthy color, the bluish tint of his lips faded away, even his thin cheeks filled out a bit. He hadn’t fully quit the Cold Food Powder, but during cravings, he no longer needed Jiang Pengji to keep watch over him. He could endure the withdrawal symptoms relying on his own willpower, resisting the urge to use the Cold Food Powder—this was a significant improvement.
Of course, according to the audience’s comments, perhaps the allure of fine wine was far greater than that of Cold Food Powder for Feng Zhen.
The benefits of quitting the powder were undeniably clear, and Feng Zhen felt it the most.
Previously, his mind was like glass covered in hard-to-remove grime; now, the dirt had been scrubbed away, allowing sunlight to penetrate the glass without obstruction.
His thoughts were clearer than ever, and his thought process was significantly faster; even his memory had improved considerably.
You see, when he was using the Cold Food Powder, his mind would become sluggish, his memory weak, and he would often forget unimportant things right after hearing them.
Seeing that he was recovering well, Jiang Pengji directly grabbed him and brought him to the Administrative Hall, assigning Dian Yin as his temporary guard. Even if Dian Yin had to follow him into the restroom, he wasn’t allowed to leave casually… this made Feng Zhen want to explode.
Jiang Pengji said, “Isn’t it to prevent you from having sudden cravings? I feel more at ease with Dian Yin watching.”
Feng Zhen retorted, “Who would believe that?”
You really care about him?
All the Cold Food Powder he had on him had been cleared out; there was no way to use it. Whenever he felt a craving for alcohol or wanted to sneak off for some fun, Dian Yin would just appear with a cold stare, silently watching him, saying nothing. Even Feng Zhen, who had a thick skin, felt embarrassed to continue flirting with a girl.
Is this called care?
Over time, he’d be scared stiff!
Jiang Pengji said seriously, “Autumn harvest just ended, and we’re about to be busy preparing for winter in Fengyi County; everything from the livelihoods of the common people to military training— there’s a lot to take care of. What do you think others will think if you’re just having fun? Once we finish this round of work, feel free to have your fun. I’ll reimburse all the expenses for wine, women, and anything else. Deal?”
Is it really that good?
Feng Zhen doubted it, but Jiang Pengji was so sincere that he couldn’t help but choose to believe her.
Feng Jin clicked his tongue; the Lord’s ability to paint a grand future had improved even further, and Feng Zhen knew nothing of the horrors of working overtime.
However, he had secretly witnessed Feng Zhen during his cravings; would he be able to handle official matters without making mistakes, given that he hadn’t fully quit yet?
Jiang Pengji said, “It’s fine; don’t look at him being sickly, he actually has excess energy. If he were to be idle, he wouldn’t know what kind of thoughts he’d have. When the cravings come, it can be dangerous. Let him work in the Administrative Hall to tire himself out, ensuring he’ll have no energy to think about Cold Food Powder. To put it plainly, his cravings before were due to idleness; once he’s occupied, the situation will improve.”
She earnestly made up this nonsense, but Feng Jin couldn’t agree.
How could he not know that a heavy workload could help someone quit?
Clearly, his Lord was just spinning tales.
By late November, Gu Xin’s confidant arrived in Xiangyang with a merchant convoy, bringing far more than before.
“This slave greets the master.”
It was the first time the confidant met Jiang Pengji, but the respect on his face was genuine.
“How did this plan go?”
Jiang Pengji discussed details with this confidant in her study, clearing out nearby guards and maids; she even temporarily closed the live stream.
Gu Xin’s confidant was the steward of Beijiang Ju Bao Zhai; he said, “Everything proceeded smoothly, all ‘Heavenly Palace Glazes’ have been sold to the Northern Frontier Merchants’ Alliance at a thirty percent price, and the funds and treasures have all been logged here for you to review.”
Jiang Pengji took the thick ledger from him; it was indeed recorded in minute detail, without a single discrepancy.
“You’ve worked hard this time. I plan to allocate two hundred thousand to reward the merchant convoy.”
Though only thirty percent, the returns were terrifying.
Selling twenty sets of glass jewelry at normal prices totaled one hundred eighty-three thousand; the remaining two thousand sets sold to the Northern Frontier Merchants’ Alliance at thirty percent totaled one million seven hundred thirty-six thousand.
The total came to one million nine hundred nineteen thousand, which converted to an equivalent amount of gold, silver, and jewels, with little fluctuation.
The steward even used tens of thousands to buy a large quantity of sheepskin and wool, nearly depleting the Northern Frontier farmers’ stockpiles.
The steward smiled and said, “This is what we should do, Master.”
Jiang Pengji smiled, putting away the ledger, and said gently, “No, it’s the reward that you deserve.”
