Chapter 350: Chapter 139: The Xie Family 3
Chen Wanqing and her companions couldn’t refuse, so they had no choice but to accept.
They were suddenly grateful they had come prepared and brought a generous gift for their visit.
Otherwise, they would be deeply indebted to them after perusing their books and eating their food.
Zhao Jing and De’an were both eager to see the books left behind by the scholar, while Chen Wanqing, finding herself with nothing to do, went down to the first floor.
"I’ll come up and get you when it’s time. You two just focus on your reading."
Zhao Jing looked up at Chen Wanqing. "Don’t wander off. If anything happens, just call for us."
Chen Wanqing smiled. "Alright, I’ll keep that in mind."
An elderly man with graying hair was on the first floor. Chen Wanqing went over and greeted him once more.
This was Mr. Xie’s paternal sixth uncle. Since he had been deaf from a young age and loved books, Mr. Xie’s grandfather had arranged for his youngest son to watch over the Book Collection Building. It was a pleasant diversion that kept him from spending his days with nothing to do, wallowing in self-pity.
Mr. Xie was deaf, but he had a very kind disposition.
He gave Chen Wanqing a slight nod and gestured with his hand, indicating that she could browse as she pleased.
With his assent, Chen Wanqing made her way to the bookshelves and began patiently searching for a book to her liking.
The first thing she saw was a gazetteer of mountains and rivers.
She loved travelogues and learning about the customs of different places, so a gazetteer of mountains and rivers was naturally to her liking.
She was immediately engrossed. It wasn’t until her legs started to go numb that she glanced outside at the sun and realized it was almost Noon.
Just as Chen Wanqing was about to return the book to its shelf, she heard the sound of light footsteps outside.
Mr. Xie appeared in the doorway, and his eyes met Chen Wanqing’s.
He called out, "Mr. Chen, you must be hungry. Why don’t we go and have a meal together?"
Chen Wanqing smiled in reply. "We’ll be troubling your wife, then. If you’ll just wait a moment, Mr. Xie, I’ll go upstairs to call my husband and my brother."
De’an, who was already coming down the stairs, missed the hidden meaning in his sister’s words. He bounded down the last few steps. "Is it time to eat? Time flies."
Zhao Jing, however, descended the stairs at a slow pace.
Looking closely, one could see he was preoccupied, and his breathing was a little unsteady.
No one noticed this small detail. Mr. Xie led De’an out first.
Zhao Jing, however, used the cover of his sleeve to firmly grasp Chen Wanqing’s fingers.
"What did you call me just now?"
Chen Wanqing deflected, looking away. "I called you Jing. What else would I have called you?"
"You’re lying. That’s clearly not what you said just now."
"What did I say?"
"You know what you said. Say it again."
Chen Wanqing was mortified, and her face grew hot.
’In that instant, she didn’t know what had come over her. It was as if she’d wanted to protect Jing’s honor, or perhaps warn any other men that she was married. The word "husband" had slipped out without a second thought.’
She had barely managed to suppress her flush of embarrassment. If Jing hadn’t asked, it might have passed. But with his question, the feeling came rushing back like a tidal wave.
Zhao Jing was still pestering her. "Are you really not going to say it?"
"I don’t know what you’re talking about."
"If you’re going to feign ignorance, I can’t force you. I’ll just have to wait for later."
’When is "later"?’
’Probably tonight.’
’The thought of how Jing seemed to become a completely different person once his clothes were off and they were in bed made Chen Wanqing feel a little timid.’
’He was already quite a handful on a normal day. Now that he had an excuse, he would probably be even more unrestrained.’
’The thought that he wouldn’t rest until he achieved his goal made her scalp tingle.’
’But she really couldn’t bring herself to say it right now. After all, it was the middle of the day...’
In the end, Chen Wanqing never uttered the word "husband," but the matter weighed on her mind, leaving her somewhat absentminded when Mrs. Xie brought her daughter and daughter-in-law to entertain her.
After nearly bringing her teacup to her nose yet again, Chen Wanqing finally snapped back to her senses.
’This is so rude.’
’And so disrespectful to my hosts.’
Mrs. Xie looked at Chen Wanqing’s face again and again. No matter how she looked at her, she found it hard to believe that such a young and beautiful woman had created Moonlight Fragrance, bringing their family so much profit and attracting such a large stream of customers.
"Forgive my forwardness, Mr. Chen, but may I ask your age?"
Chen Wanqing smiled and said, "It’s not forward at all. I’m nineteen this year, and in a few more months, I’ll be twenty."
Mrs. Xie was astonished. "Is that really so?"
Then she shook her head and chuckled. "You don’t look that old, Mr. Chen."
’Observing this Mr. Chen, she seemed shrewd and capable, and was always put together, which gave her a certain mature air.’
’But then, looking at her features and the little gestures that accompanied her words and actions, one would think this young woman must have had a smooth and easy life, which made her seem rather young.’
’Overall, though, her age wasn’t far from what she’d guessed. This girl was truly and genuinely capable.’
"To think that at your age, Mr. Chen, I only knew how to pick flowers and chase butterflies, and squabble with my sisters and sisters-in-law. For you to possess such ability at such a young age is truly worthy of admiration."
Once the floodgates opened, Mrs. Xie’s daughter and daughter-in-law also began to chatter away.
"I wonder where you learned to make incense, Mr. Chen?"
"I heard you developed Moonlight Fragrance yourself, Mr. Chen. You’re incredibly talented."
"Where is Qingshui County? Is it far from the Prefecture? Our family has a branch shop in Qingshui County, but we’ve never been there."
"I heard your husband achieved the Triple First! Allow me to congratulate you, Mr. Chen."
