Chương 140: Telling Jokes, Zhen Jiang Gets Shy

Zhen Yi paused, then added, "Jiang'er has been learning business from me since she was little, so she has the knowledge and experience in this area. Moreover, she is now the lord's concubine, so it's perfectly legitimate for her to manage this business network. It's like the lord indirectly controls this commercial network. It's a good thing for the lord and for the Zhen family."

Liu Ce nodded to himself.

This cheap father-in-law is quite savvy.

Calling someone "Lord" instead of "son-in-law" in formal settings shows that he can distinguish between public and private matters.

Entrusting the business to Zhen Jiang not only solved the problem of officials not being allowed to engage in commerce, but also guaranteed the interests of the Zhen family—Zhen Jiang was his concubine, so the Zhen family's business was equivalent to "the Marquis's property," and no one dared to gossip.

He smiled and said, "Alright, let's do it that way. I know Jiang'er's abilities; she'll definitely be able to manage it."

Zhen Yi also smiled and said, "My lord, rest assured, Jiang'er will not let you down."

...

A few days later, after some "persuasion" from Liu Ce, the five Zhen sisters "reluctantly" moved into Liu's mansion.

Of course, the so-called "persuasion" was actually Liu Ce shamelessly running to the Zhen family every day, pleading and cajoling: "Look how lonely Yan'er and the others are, your arrival will keep them company."

"The Liu family mansion has a large courtyard and many rooms, so it's just sitting empty anyway."

"We'll all be family sooner or later, so why be so formal?"

The five Zhen sisters reluctantly agreed.

Now, the backyard of the Liu family mansion has become a "beauty's den".

Cai Yan, Zhang Ning, Ren Hongchang, and the five Zhen sisters—eight women in total—chattered and chattered all day long, creating quite a lively scene.

That evening, a large round table was set up in the backyard of the Liu residence—a modern dining table specially made by the carpenter at Liu Ce's request.

The table was covered with dishes: stir-fried vegetables, braised pork, steamed fish, stewed chicken soup... all of which were "stir-fried dishes" taught by Liu Ce.

Eight women sat around a table, with Liu Ce in the head seat.

The five Zhen sisters stared wide-eyed at the table laden with colorful, fragrant, and delicious dishes.

"My lord, these dishes... look so beautiful!" Zhen Jiang exclaimed.

Zhen Tuo picked up a piece of green vegetable with his chopsticks, tasted it, and his eyes widened: "Delicious! Crisp and refreshing!"

Zhen Dao ate a piece of braised pork and squinted his eyes in bliss: "Delicious! Rich but not greasy!"

Zhen Rong sipped the chicken soup: "Delicious!"

With her mouth full of grease, Zhen Mi mumbled, "So delicious... even better than what our cook makes..."

Cai Yan smiled and said, "My sisters don't know, do they? These dishes were all taught to me by my husband."

Zhang Ning nodded: "My husband is amazing, he can do everything."

Ren Hongchang added in a low voice, "He can also tell jokes..."

The five Zhen sisters all looked at Liu Ce, their eyes filled with admiration.

Liu Ce was smug and deliberately asked, "How am I amazing?"

The question was ambiguous, and the five sisters blushed instantly.

The five sisters blushed even more, and Zhen Jiang said reproachfully, "My husband is so joking!"

Zhen Dao covered his mouth and laughed: "Exactly, you're asking a question you already know the answer to!"

The meal was filled with laughter and joy.

Liu Ce fully utilized his talent as a comedian, telling a bunch of jokes that made the women laugh heartily.

A scholar was walking on the road when he met a monk.

The scholar, wanting to embarrass the monk, deliberately asked him, "How do you write the character for 'bald donkey'?"

The monk smiled slightly and replied:

"The character '秀' in '秀才' (xiucai, scholar) can be formed by slightly bending and turning the buttocks around."

"Hahaha!"

"Two people, A and B, were walking together on the road when they saw a nobleman with a canopy."

A boasted, "This is my friend. He'll definitely get off the bus when he sees me. To avoid trouble, I need to avoid him."

The house that A unexpectedly hid in turned out to be the residence of a nobleman. When the nobleman arrived home and saw the stranger barging in, he was furious and ordered his servants to throw A out.

Upon seeing this, B asked A, puzzled, "Isn't he your friend?"

A replied, "He always likes to joke with me like that."

"Pfft—Hahaha!"

The women laughed so hard they were shaking.

Zhen Mi wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes: "Husband, where did you hear these jokes?"

Liu Ce smiled mysteriously: "Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed."

Liu Ce was overjoyed to see this.

This is life.

As night deepened, the women returned to their rooms to rest.

Liu Ce strolled around the courtyard for a while, then tiptoed to Zhen Jiang's room and pushed the door open to go inside.

Zhen Jiang was already asleep when she heard the noise and sat up abruptly: "Who's there?"

Moonlight streamed through the window and shone on her.

Her plain-colored nightgown slipped off her shoulders, revealing her fair neck and collarbone.

Her sleepy-eyed appearance was both innocent and alluring.

Liu Ce walked quickly to the bedside, lifted the quilt, and crawled inside.

"It is my husband."

Zhen Jiang froze, her face instantly turning bright red.

She shrank back closer, her voice barely audible: "Husband, why are you here?"

Liu Ce turned to the side, reached out and gently put his arm around her waist. His fingertips touched her delicate skin and felt it was warm, soft and smooth.

He snuggled closer to her and said matter-of-factly, "I sleep alone at night, and the colder I get, the warmer it feels. I thought it would be nice to stay here, so I came here."

Zhen Jiang thought to herself: This night, it's just right to be covered with a thin blanket, where is the cold? Her husband clearly wants to cling to her, but he's using such a lame excuse.

But she couldn't bring herself to scold him. She obediently broke free from his arm, reached out to pull the blanket over him, and carefully tucked the corners in.

The two lay side by side, their breaths mingling.

The incense in the room carried a faint scent of orchids, making the atmosphere even more ambiguous.

Liu Ce's hand was already on her waist, and after a moment, Liu Ce's hands began to wander, sliding from his waist to his shoulder, and then down...

Zhen Jiang's body became increasingly stiff, and her breathing became rapid.

Before she could react, Liu Ce flipped her over and pinned her down.

Under the moonlight, her long eyelashes glistened with tiny drops of water, and her lips trembled slightly.

Zhen Jiang was both ashamed and flustered, covering her face with her hands: "Husband, we are not married yet, it's not possible now..."

Liu Ce gently brushed away her fingers that were covering her face. He looked down at her reddened eyes, a mischievous smile playing on his lips: "His Majesty has already personally bestowed this marriage upon us. We are already legally married. What difference does it make whether we are officially married or not?"

Zhen Jiang's eyelashes trembled, and her lingering concerns were instantly dispelled by his words.

Yes, His Majesty has granted us this marriage, what's there to be coy about?

She looked up into Liu Ce's deep eyes, where her reflection was filled with doting affection and tenderness.

Zhen Jiang's face turned even redder. She gently punched him, her voice soft and sweet: "Husband, you're so naughty... I like it so much."

Before she finished speaking, she tilted her head slightly and placed a soft kiss on his lips.

After the kiss, she didn't pull away. Instead, she opened her watery eyes, looked at him deeply, and said in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, yet every word was clear: "Please, my husband, cherish me..."

(Nine thousand five hundred and twenty-seven words are omitted here. In short, it was a night of passionate lovemaking, with warm red candles burning and the bedclothes rippling.) A gentle rain nourishes the tender buds, and a phoenix spreads its wings.

The next day at dawn, Liu Ce woke up first.

Zhen Jiang was still fast asleep beside him, her face flushed and a smile still on her lips.

Liu Ce quietly got up and stretched his body—he felt refreshed.

He went to the backyard and sat on the stone bench.