On the second morning after getting married, Zhou Jiajing woke up once again to the aroma of food.
He was still half-asleep, but unlike yesterday, he didn’t mistake it for a burglar breaking into the house. From dawn to night the day before, he’d been “assaulted” by delicious smells three times already. He was starting to accept the fact that whenever mealtime came around, this house would be filled with especially tempting fragrances.
His mind might have accepted it, but his stomach clearly hadn’t. It growled twice, right on cue.
Zhou Jiajing kept his eyes closed and sniffed lightly. There was a faint charred fragrance, mixed with the rich scent of eggs. The two blended together perfectly, making his mouth water.
What was she making this time?
He took a deep breath of the aroma and touched his completely empty stomach. He really wanted a taste.
Jiang Lianyue was making egg-stuffed flatbreads.
Yesterday in Fucheng Town, she’d seen someone selling flour, no grain tickets required, so she bought two jin.
She added a little water to the flour and mixed it into a batter. After heating oil in the pan, she poured the batter in a circle. Once bubbles formed in the center, she poked them open with chopsticks and poured in beaten egg through the holes. After frying for a bit longer, it was done.
The flour was high-quality Fortified Flour, the eggs were free-range eggs from the Jiang family, and the oil was peanut oil pressed from peanuts grown on their own land. Everything was top-tier. Even Jiang Lianyue couldn’t help swallowing as the fragrance rose from the pan.
She made four egg flatbreads in total. By the time the fourth was done, the first had cooled to just the right temperature to eat.
Unable to wait, Jiang Lianyue picked up the first flatbread, rolled it with lettuce, and took a bite while it was still warm. The crust had rested just long enough to be perfectly crisp without turning cold. The egg inside was tender and fragrant, and the lettuce was fresh and crunchy. The combination was so good that after finishing the first, she immediately reached for the second.
Outside, Jiang Lianyue ate happily. Inside, Zhou Jiajing suffered.
The aroma drifted into the room again and again. He tried to ignore it, but his saliva refused to cooperate, surging uncontrollably. There was no way he could sleep anymore. In the end, he had no choice but to get up and pour himself a cup of water.
Holding the enamel mug, a wave of tragic sorrow welled up inside him.
Why?
Why did his life feel so miserable after she arrived?
In the past, he’d felt that his career was on the rise and that his food, clothing, housing, and transportation were all better than average. Life has been very pleasant. But now, under the same roof, Jiang Lianyue was eating far better than he ever did. Compared to her, his life suddenly didn’t feel perfect at all.
For the first time, Zhou Jiajing wondered whether signing that marriage agreement with her the night before last had really been the right decision.
If he hadn’t signed it, he could eat her cooking openly and legitimately. Why would he be reduced to feeling this miserable?
Outside, after eating two egg flatbreads, Jiang Lianyue stared at the remaining two in the bowl, troubled.
Egg flatbreads didn’t taste good once cold. She was planning to go to Xiaoyi Town later to check on jasmine cultivation, and she wouldn’t be back by noon. With the weather so warm these days, they probably wouldn’t even be edible by evening.
After thinking it over, Jiang Lianyue went to knock on the study door.
“Zhou Jiajing, are you up?”
He’d gotten up early yesterday and had to go to work again today, he should be awake by now.
Zhou Jiajing was still questioning his decision from the night before when he heard her voice. Startled, it took him a moment to calm down before replying, “I’m up.”
He checked his clothes, still decent enough, then hurried to open the door.
Jiang Lianyue said, “Thanks for bringing me back yesterday. I made breakfast, consider it a thank-you for your help.”
She’d originally planned to buy him something as a gift, but since she’d made extra flatbreads, this worked as a first thank-you. She could always buy something else later when she went out.
Zhou Jiajing had been thinking about her food nonstop. Following the direction of her chin, he saw the two rolled flatbreads on the table. His heart leapt with joy, though he kept his expression composed and smiled politely.
“It was nothing. You don’t have to be so formal.”
“With this weather, they won’t keep going anyway,” Jiang Lianyue said. “Don’t stand during the ceremony.”
Zhou Jiajing discreetly observed her expression. Seeing that she clearly had a if you don’t eat them, I’ll give them to someone else attitude, he didn’t dare hesitate anymore. He nodded reservedly.
Jiang Lianyue left him and went back to her room to pack, planning to leave early and return early.
After washing up, Zhou Jiajing was about to sit down to eat when he saw Jiang Lianyue wearing a straw hat and carrying a bag.
“Heading out?”
Please don’t tell him she was going to Fucheng again, he wasn’t going there today.
She nodded. “I want to go to Xiaoyi Town.”
It wasn’t that she felt the need to report her whereabouts, but in Hengzhou she only knew him. Having someone know where she was going was safer.
Zhou Jiajing said, “I happen to be going to Xiaoyi Town today for an interview. Wait a bit, I’ll take you with me.”
Not having to take the bus and getting a ride instead was exactly what Jiang Lianyue wanted. She immediately sat down by the table.
Watching Zhou Jiajing skillfully pick up the egg flatbread and eat it, she asked curiously, “Is it good?”
She remembered the book mentioning that Zhou Jiajing had attended university in the capital. He’d surely eaten jianbing guozi before, she wondered what he thought of this simplified version.
Though he ate quickly, his manners were refined. After swallowing his bite, he said reservedly, “It’s… alright.”
Jiang Lianyue was actually quite satisfied with her performance today. His “alright” didn’t bother her, after all, tastes differed.
Zhou Jiajing secretly studied her and saw her nod indifferently. He didn’t say anything else, but unease crept into his heart.
Did that mean… he might not get to eat her cooking again in the future?
The thought made him regretful. Why had he acted so reserved in front of her?
He knew perfectly well she wasn’t the type to insist politely!
Thinking that he might never eat Jiang Lianyue’s cooking again, Zhou Jiajing suddenly felt the flatbread in his hand was precious. Without realizing it, he slowed down.
Jiang Lianyue didn’t urge him, sitting quietly beside him.
She was thinking about what to do if she saw jasmine flowers in Xiaoyi Town today.
At this time, private enterprises weren’t allowed, only collective and state-owned economies.
State-owned enterprises were obviously out of her reach. Collective enterprises were possible, but she was unfamiliar with Hengzhou. Where would she find people to set one up?
Go back to her natal home?
She rejected the idea herself before anyone else could.
Jiangxiang Village was quite far from Xiaoyi Town. Jasmine had to be fresh to make tea, and transportation was inconvenient. Just transporting it daily would be enough to make her lose sleep.
As Zhou Jiajing ate, he kept glancing at the woman beside him. Seeing her brows, perfectly shaped, neither too dark nor too light, knitted tightly together, and her left hand lifting slightly, he suddenly had the urge to smooth her frown away.
Startled by his own thoughts, Zhou Jiajing clenched his left hand hard and began coughing violently.
The earth-shaking coughing snapped Jiang Lianyue back to reality. Her gaze shifted from the void to his face.
His fair complexion had flushed an unhealthy red from coughing, making him look far more vivid than his usual cool, detached self.
He was already good-looking. With a bit more color, he was even more striking, so much so that Jiang Lianyue couldn’t help clicking her tongue inwardly.
Tsk. Such a handsome man, what a pity he belongs to someone else.
But this wasn’t the time for that. Worried he might cough himself into trouble and delay their trip to Xiaoyi Town, she poured him a cup of water.
Zhou Jiajing was coughing badly when an enamel mug and a fair, delicate hand suddenly appeared before him. Remembering why he was coughing in the first place, he was startled again, and coughed even harder.
Jiang Lianyue frowned and lifted her hand to pat his back.
When that soft, warm hand landed between his shoulders, Zhou Jiajing stiffened. He forgot to cough, and gradually calmed down.
The room fell quiet again.
After taking a few sips of water, Zhou Jiajing looked embarrassed.
Too humiliating. This was really too humiliating.
He, because of… well… that…
Once he’d recovered, Jiang Lianyue got up, found a military canteen, filled it with water, and placed it nearby.
Seeing this, warmth surged in Zhou Jiajing’s chest.
She might speak coldly, but her heart was kind. She’d patted his back and worried he might need water on the road.
When they were about to head out, Zhou Jiajing took the canteen into his own hands.
This water was for him, he couldn’t let a woman carry it.
Jiang Lianyue didn’t argue, looking completely unconcerned.
Seeing this, Zhou Jiajing became even more convinced that the water was meant for him. Otherwise, how could she let him take it so naturally?
Xiao Qin was already waiting at the factory gate with the tractor. When he saw Jiang Lianyue and Zhou Jiajing coming out together, he was surprised.
Zhou Jiajing said, “Jiang… Lianyue is going to Xiaoyi Town. It’s not safe for a female comrade to go alone. Since it’s on the way, we’ll give her a lift.”
Xiao Qin had no objections, and wouldn’t dare have any. He’d been assigned by the factory to assist Comrade Zhou. How could he voice an opinion?
Hearing Zhou Jiajing explain himself, Xiao Qin’s face flushed red as he waved his hands.
“I just thought the sun was strong. If I’d known my sister-in-law was coming too, I would’ve brought an umbrella.”
Zhou Jiajing looked up at the blazing sun and said, “Wait here.”
Then he turned and walked quickly toward the dormitory building.
Jiang Lianyue blinked, didn’t stop him, and smiled at Xiao Qin. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”
Xiao Qin’s dark face turned beet red. “No…no trouble at all.”
After a short while, Zhou Jiajing came back with an umbrella.
Once they were seated on the tractor, he opened it and held it overhead.
Xiao Qin said, “I’m used to the sun. No need to cover me.”
“I’m covering myself,” Zhou Jiajing replied.
That was what he said, but the umbrella in his hand quietly tilted toward Jiang Lianyue.
She was sitting to his right. Most of the shade already covered her, and with that tilt, she was completely shielded from the sun.
Noticing this, Jiang Lianyue shifted her gaze from the road ahead to the hand holding the umbrella beside her head, fair-skinned, fingers long and well-defined. A very beautiful hand.
She looked once… then again… and couldn’t help sighing inwardly.
A handsome man really is handsome everywhere.