Chapter 8: Home-style Tofu (Part 8)
Jing Qian’s complexion was rather unpleasant—pale with a hint of darkness. The moment he caught sight of her, the pale areas grew paler, and the dark areas darker. This was truly out of character for someone who usually kept his emotions well-hidden.
Leng Yue glanced at the person standing beside Jing Qian. Anyone capable of provoking Jing Qian to such an extent was undoubtedly no ordinary individual.
Noting that Jing Qian was impeccably dressed in his official robes, Leng Yue dismounted her horse and stood still, cupping her hands in a formal salute. With a steady voice, she greeted, "Good morning, Lord Jing."
Jing Qian gave her a deep look, nodded slightly, and replied with polite detachment, "Good morning, Constable Leng." Afterward, he turned hurriedly to Xiao Yunde and said, "Let’s catch up another day," before walking off on his own.
As Leng Yue withdrew her gaze from Jing Qian’s retreating figure, Xiao Yunde unfolded the folding fan he had been clutching in his hand, revealing an intricate painting of flowers and birds. He fanned himself with a motion so gentle it barely stirred the air, all the while observing Leng Yue with a gaze akin to someone admiring fine porcelain—slowly scanning her from head to toe and back again.
"I wasn’t aware there were women serving in the capital’s government offices."
Leng Yue returned his gaze, scrutinizing him as if examining a corpse. She replied with an air of nonchalance, "No worries. The capital is vast—it’s not shameful to be inexperienced."
Xiao Yunde’s face darkened with irritation, and he stopped fanning himself. "Do you even know who I am?"
"If you have to ask others who you are, that’s truly embarrassing."
Leng Yue faintly heard Xiao Yunde grit his teeth with an audible creak.
With a sharp snap, Xiao Yunde closed his fan and took another look at the young woman in red before him, who appeared to be no more than seventeen or eighteen. She had willow-leaf eyebrows, phoenix eyes, snow-white skin, and crimson lips—her figure delicate where it ought to be and full where it should be. She possessed all the features of a beauty, yet exuded the unyielding spirit of a hardened warrior.
As if recalling something, Xiao Yunde lightly tapped the fan against his palm, his narrow eyes narrowing even further into slits.
"You’re Jing Yi’s newlywed wife, aren’t you?"
Xiao Yunde’s eyes bore some resemblance to Jing Yi’s, but when narrowed like this, the similarity faded. Leng Yue was certain that when Jing Yi narrowed his eyes, the corners didn’t crinkle into as many folds as steamed soup dumplings.
Leng Yue responded firmly, "No." Xiao Yunde was taken aback. "You’re not his wife?"
Leng Yue replied with equal certainty, "I am."
Xiao Yunde felt that the midday sun was unusually scorching today; standing outside for just a short while had left his mind dizzy—so much so that he couldn’t even comprehend the words of a young girl. "So... are you, or are you not?"
"I am, but I’m not." Leng Yue lifted her slightly pointed chin, a faint, almost imperceptible smile tugging at the corners of her lips, as if stating something immensely proud. "I am his wife, but I’m not newlywed. We’ve been married for two days already."
Xiao Yunde was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter.
Leng Yue had always believed that even the ugliest person would look better when smiling, but Xiao Yunde was an exception. He was tolerable when not smiling, but once he did, it became unbearable.
His face remained the same, yet there was an indescribable discomfort about it—enough to make one wish to take a hot towel and smooth away that smile in one swift motion.After laughing heartily, Xiao Yunde stepped aside and gestured toward the courtyard entrance with a welcoming posture. "Constable Leng, please come in."
Leng Yue remained where she stood. "I came to discuss a business deal with you, Boss Xiao."
She had hundreds of clues indicating the man before her was Xiao Yunde, but since he hadn't introduced himself, she pretended not to know.
"I'm aware," Xiao Yunde replied with that uncomfortable-looking smile, raising his fan to point in the direction Jing Qian had departed. "Jing Yi drove his own third brother away for this business deal, yet insisted on waiting for your arrival before discussing it. I'm genuinely curious what kind of business you two wish to negotiate."
Jing Yi?
Jing Yi was here!
Clearly, Jing Yi had not only arrived but had come before her. Not only had he arrived earlier, he had even anticipated her excuse about inspecting the porcelain kiln.
She had thought as much—who else but Jing Yi could provoke Jing Qian to such a state...
Jing Yi's appearance was unexpected, and Leng Yue felt somewhat frantic inside, but she couldn't show it to Xiao Yunde. So she responded nonchalantly, "Then I'll trouble you to lead the way."
"Please."
When Xiao Yunde brought Leng Yue into the side hall, Jing Yi was sitting in the main seat noisily cracking melon seeds from a plate, the sound resembling a rodent infestation. At first glance, this clashed sharply with the solemn deep red official robes he wore.
Leng Yue was baffled. Jing Qian had worn official robes, so why was he dressed the same way?
Seeing the two enter together, Jing Yi also froze momentarily. After recovering, he set the plate of seeds back on the table, brushed off the crumbs covering his robes, and stood up. He subtly moved closer to Leng Yue, positioning himself between her and Xiao Yunde, whose gaze kept lingering on her. Bowing slightly, he looked at Leng Yue with a warm smile. "You've already met?"
Not until being stared at by Xiao Yunde did she realize how comfortable it felt to be looked at by Jing Yi.
Leng Yue shifted half a step closer to Jing Yi.
Somehow, Jing Yi standing beside her in those robes had a strangely calming effect.
Leng Yue turned to Xiao Yunde, whose smile now seemed slightly different, and said politely, "If I guess correctly, this must be Boss Xiao Yunde?"
Xiao Yunde nodded with a smile. "Indeed."
"You are Jing Yi's..." Leng Yue paused, glancing at the pronounced crow's feet that became more visible when Xiao Yunde smiled. "Paternal uncle?"
Xiao Yunde's smile stiffened, while Jing Yi's eyes sparkled with amusement, though he hurriedly corrected, "Cousin—he's my cousin... Boss Xiao just looks older than his generation would suggest."
Leng Yue curled her lips in agreement. "No wonder I've heard people say Boss Xiao has excellent facial features."
Xiao Yunde suppressed a breath, nearly snapping the fan in his hand.
"What business exactly do you two want to discuss with me?"
Standing close to Jing Yi, Leng Yue flashed a brilliantly fiery smile.
Xiao Yunde couldn't determine whether it was a heat-induced illusion, but he felt this frosty beauty had inexplicably gained warmth from the moment she stood beside Jing Yi—a warmth that seemed to radiate from within, stirring an itch in his heart.
If his own woman had even half this allure...
Xiao Yunde's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed.
How could Jing Yi remain so composed as if he noticed nothing at all?Leng Yue chuckled as she spoke, "Cousin... brother, besides porcelain, do you engage in any other businesses?"
Xiao Yunde was momentarily stunned before replying, "No... no other businesses."
"Then why did you ask what business we wanted to discuss?"
"..."
Xiao Yunde took a deep breath to calm the frustration that nearly choked him. Looking at the two who shared an uncanny resemblance to a married couple in their laughter, he twitched his stiff lips and said, "Do you want to buy porcelain?"
Xiao Yunde wouldn't tell them, but he was aware of one fact: the products from his kiln were far from high-quality. So much so that when his father arranged for gifts to be packed, he specifically instructed Xiao Yunde to use the finest rosewood boxes.
It was said that most households who received his porcelain would discard the ceramics and keep the boxes.
He wasn't familiar with Jing Yi, but he had heard through the grapevine that among the four Jing brothers, Jing Yi was the most particular about food, clothing, and daily necessities. Even porcelain from renowned southern kilns presented to the imperial palace could be criticized by him. Would he come here to buy porcelain?
Jing Yi smiled politely. Though dressed in official robes, he carried the elegant demeanor of a scholarly merchant. "Besides porcelain, what other items does your kiln produce, cousin?"
Xiao Yunde frowned. "Nothing else, only porcelain."
"Then if we're not buying porcelain, what else could we possibly buy?"
"..."
Xiao Yunde felt that Hua Mei from the capital's top brothel, Sparrow Nest Brothel, was right. Whether you believe in it or not, you should check the almanac every morning upon waking.
What if it turns out to be accurate?
"Then you..." Xiao Yunde mustered half a lifetime's worth of wisdom before saying, "...go pick from the warehouse yourselves."
Leng Yue slightly furrowed her brows. "We don't want old stock."
"There's no such thing as old stock here. Everything was freshly fired from the kiln in the past couple of days."
Xiao Yunde wasn't lying. Although the items from his kiln were mediocre, his father Prince Yu had numerous relatives, friends, and colleagues. The daily output from the kiln could always be given away as gifts.
Leng Yue wore an expression of clear displeasure. "We specifically want fresh ones—straight out of the kiln, still steaming hot. Otherwise, why would we bother coming all the way to the porcelain kiln?"
Xiao Yunde's expression turned complicated, as Leng Yue's words vaguely made him feel like a sesame pancake vendor. He was already losing interest in discussing any business matters with these two.
Xiao Yunde weakly waved his fan. "The kiln... is out back. Take as much as you want. Consider it my welcoming gift to Constable Leng."
Leng Yue's cheeks flushed slightly. If one ignored the tiger-patterned sword at her waist, her smile resembled that of a demure wife. "Thank you, cousin!"
Xiao Yunde's complicated expression softened at her cheerful "cousin." He squinted again, a slight smile curling his lips. "We're family, no need for formalities. Constable Leng, you're welcome to come take more anytime you like."
Leng Yue batted her eyelashes. "Can we take the porcelain boxes too?"
"..."
After stiffly nodding, Xiao Yunde silently led the two toward the rear kiln.
Jing Yi intentionally slowed his pace, creating some distance from Xiao Yunde, and whispered to Leng Yue, "Does he have... boxes with people in them here?"
"I don't know."
"Then why did you ask him for boxes?"Leng Yue shot him a sidelong glance. "Such a fine box—you could take it home and use it to store anything."
"...My lady speaks wisely."
Xiao Yunde, walking ahead, hadn't overheard a word, so when they reached their destination, he was still in high enough spirits to pause and turn back to Leng Yue. "Constable Leng, your timing is perfect. This batch, filled just last night, was personally fired by my most skilled master craftsman. If not for his grandson suddenly taking leave, even offering the entire Jing family fortune might not have been enough to secure his services."
Jing Yi raised an eyebrow slightly but said nothing.
He wasn't certain how much wealth the Jing family possessed, but he knew full well that if these words ever reached Old Master's ears, Xiao Yunde's life in the coming years would become... vividly entertaining and richly colorful.
Most of the time, Jing Yi was the type to relish stirring up trouble.
While Jing Yi quietly contemplated how to deliver these words to Old Master for maximum effect, Leng Yue calmly inquired, "Did this senior kiln worker only arrive yesterday?"
"Yesterday... no, the day before... Actually, it was the day of your wedding. He showed up at noon himself, carrying his bundle, saying his grandson had an emergency and had to return to their hometown for a few days, so he volunteered to fill in here."
As Xiao Yunde spoke, his expression held a hint of smugness that Jing Yi found rather displeasing. So Jing Yi smiled faintly. "Speaking of weddings, Cousin, you and your wife have been married for four months now, haven't you? Before coming here, I stopped by Prince Yu's residence to pay my respects. I heard from the Princess that your wife is already six months pregnant. Congratulations!"
Xiao Yunde's face darkened drastically, his emotions indescribably complex—though not nearly as complex as the look Leng Yue was giving him.
Leng Yue cupped her hands toward Xiao Yunde in a martial arts salute. "Cousin, you are truly blessed."
"..."
Xiao Yunde stood silently in place, gripping his fan tightly, then forced out through clenched teeth, "I just remembered some unfinished business... Make yourselves at home."
With that, he vanished from their sight in hurried strides.
Leng Yue felt something was off. She tilted her head to look at Jing Yi, who wore an expression of pure satisfaction. "Why do I get the feeling he had no idea his wife was pregnant?"
Jing Yi shrugged cheerfully. "He didn't."
Leng Yue narrowed her phoenix eyes, leaning half a step closer to Jing Yi, enunciating each word clearly: "Then how did you know?"
OpenNovel