Chapter Twenty-Five Buying Firewood

  "Is Grandma Dairen working too?" Rong Sheng blinked his eyes, thinking he had misheard. "Why are you drying so many radish strips?"

  That rack is unusually large, it's going to take a lot of radishes to fill it up, Rong Sheng can't help but feel anxious just looking at it.

  "The young lady's body is not good, and she doesn't want to let her do chores." Qiuju took the empty cover screen from Rongsheng and sighed slightly, "But everyone is busy, and the young lady's knife skills are the best. If it were me or Xikui, that frame wouldn't be full in two days... In winter when there's no vegetables to eat, we rely on these radish strips for pickling." Boasting, "The young lady's dried vegetable dish is delicious!" Wiping off the debris from the cover screen, Qiuju lifted her head and saw Rongsheng staring blankly at something behind her, so she turned around, "General... General Shen has returned." At some point, Shen Zhongzhe was standing behind them.

  Although he was handsome in appearance, Autumn Chrysanthemum was secretly afraid of this cold-faced general with an aura of invisible intimidation.

  "Where did the general go early this morning?" He came back to his senses and jumped down from the ladder.

  "Is it here?" Just as he was saying this, a woodcutter wearing a gray linen shirt walked in with a large bundle of firewood on his back. "Where should I put the firewood?"

  Shen Zhong looked at Qiu Ju.

  "Has...Grandpa gone to buy firewood?" Rong Sheng was somewhat taken aback.

  "The slave is going to call the young lady." Coming back to her senses, she saw that there were still people continuously delivering firewood at the door, and Qiuju's voice was filled with joy.

  With so much firewood, she won't have to get up early and go up the mountain to collect firewood again!

  Save effort and pick more mushrooms.

  Just as he turned around, Shen Zhongge called out to him, "No need!" He didn't want Zhen Shiniang to face these rough woodcutters. "You just tell them where the firewood is and let Rongsheng take care of it." Turning back to instruct Rongsheng, "Make sure to collect the firewood properly and pay the silver." After finishing speaking, he stepped into the house.

  Zhen Shiniang was sitting on the kitchen floor cutting radishes. In a short while, she had already cut a large bowlful.

  "Are you going to eat this radish for the whole winter?" Just as she was concentrating on cutting, a cold voice suddenly came from behind her. Zhen Shiniang shivered and almost cut her hand. She looked up in shock, and Shen Zhongjie was frowning at her.

  Why does this person look like a cat?

  He walks without making a sound, and will scare you into getting heart disease sooner or later!

  Having been frightened by him twice already, Zhen Shi'niang grumbled to herself and put down the knife, standing up, "The general is back, I'll go prepare dinner."

  She was already anaemic and had low blood pressure, so after sitting for a long time, she usually stood up slowly. But today, being startled by Shen Zhongjie and suddenly standing up made her feel dizzy.

  Seeing her staggering, Shen Zhongke supported her with one hand.

  Her head spinning, Zhen Shi-yin grabbed onto something and leaned against it without thinking what it was. She hadn't eaten breakfast yet and had been working hard all morning, and in just a short while she broke out into a cold sweat.

  "If you can't even take care of yourself, then don't bother with these things." Shen Zhong's voice was unusually soft.

  "Miss, miss..." Just as Zhen Shining caught her breath, Qiuju's excited voice came from outside, "The general has bought back all the firewood from the collection!" The woodpile in the west corner was already full, and a small pile had been set up in the backyard, enough for them to burn for a year.

  As she spoke, Qiu Ju raised her head and saw Zhen Shi Nang leaning against Shen Zhong Ge's chest, with Shen Zhong Ge gently stroking her pale purple chin. Qiu Ju's face suddenly flushed red, "I didn't see anything!" She quickly turned her back on them.

  This silly girl.

  Being teased by Qiu Ju, Zhen Shi Niang came back to her senses and found herself leaning ambiguously against Shen Zhong Ge's chest. She suddenly struggled free from him, "......Sorry, I didn't mean to."

  They are husband and wife, she can't stand firm, he helps her a bit, it's normal, why is she so scared?

  Seeing her shrink away like a frightened rabbit, Shen Zhong's eyes flashed with a hint of annoyance. His face darkened as he turned and entered the bathroom.

  Wiping away the fine sweat on her forehead, Zhen Shiniang made an effort to calm down and called out to Qiuju, "......Bring the teapot from the stove into General."

  Qiu Ju ran over with a smile and replied lightly, "Yes!" The eyes looking at Zhen Shi Niang all had a hint of pride.

  Looking at her appearance of owing a beating, Zhen Shiniang gave her a white eye and turned to collect the dishes.

  Born as a vagabond, Qiu Ju didn't understand the strict rules of the Shen family's mansion like Xi Que did. Her fear of Shen Zhong Shuai came from the aura he occasionally emitted, but seeing him buy so much firewood early in the morning made her think he wasn't that scary after all. He was just like her mistress, cold on the outside and warm on the inside. She poured him hot water and stood in the middle of the room, secretly admiring his handsome back, thinking to herself that her mistress was really lucky. She said casually, "I never thought you were a famous general, Miss never mentioned it, I thought..."

  Zhen Shiniang and Xi Que never mentioned Wu Ge or Wen Ge's father to her, so for two years, Qiu Ju had thought that the young mistress of the house was a widow. The words were on the tip of her tongue when she suddenly remembered it wasn't auspicious to say such things, and hastily swallowed them back.

  I've had the feeling that someone was watching me from behind, Shen Zhongge hated it when the little maid didn't follow the rules, and was just about to chase her away. After hearing this, his heart skipped a beat, and he blurted out, "......hasn't Madame ever mentioned having a husband? Why do you think that?"

  Does she still think she's a young unmarried woman?

  For some reason, as soon as he thought of this, Shen Zhong's eyes flashed with the scene of Zhen Shiniang laughing and chatting with a big man early in the morning, and the anger that had just dissipated suddenly surged up again.

  What's wrong?

  The son is so big now, who would believe if you say there's no husband?

  Qiu Ju blinked her eyes, just about to retort back, but then remembered that Zhen Shi Niang had specifically instructed her not to mention Jian Wen and Jian Wu's affair, and was so frightened that she stuck out her tongue, thinking it was lucky she hadn't said anything, or else Miss would have skinned her alive.

  "What's wrong?" Seeing her not speaking, Shen Zhongge stopped his splashing action and turned around.

  "The slave only knew that the young lady had a husband, but didn't know it was you... still thought... thought..." Qiuju's voice trailed off, her eyes stealing glances at Shen Zhongge's expression, "The young lady is... the one who killed her husband."

  She felt the temperature around her suddenly drop, and that eerie aura that frightened her came rushing back. Autumn Chrysanthemum unconsciously took a step back, just about to turn and run, when Shen Zhongge asked again, "...... When did you come here? When did your mother get blood deficiency? How did she get it?" He was very puzzled, she had obviously lived a hard life, so why did she still keep maids?

  With one less mouth to feed at home, life would be much easier, doesn't she understand this?

  "I was a stray, two years ago I fainted from hunger at the gate and was saved by Miss, couldn't bear my begging, so I stayed...". Just as she said that, she heard the joyful magpie calling outside, Autumn Chrysanthemum responded with a sound and ran out.

  Slowly standing up straight, Shen Zhongge gazed thoughtfully towards the slender figure busily cooking in the kitchen, a hint of confusion flashing across his eyes.

  Just out of sympathy, she took in an orphaned girl who had nothing to do with her, making her already hard life even harder. It turned out that she also had such a kind side.

  How come he didn't discover it before?