Senior Sister Is Coming
Night had fallen, and everyone in the manor was fast asleep; the courtyard was quiet. Shen Jingchuan tiptoed open Bai Ruoli's door and slipped inside.
Since getting married and going into seclusion to cultivate, he hasn't spent much time with Bai Ruoli.
I just drove Meng Ke home, and we were stuck together like glue the whole way. I was still fuming and had nowhere to vent my anger. Now, thinking about her stunningly beautiful face and alluring figure, I felt even hotter.
Hearing the noise, Qinghe sat up from the edge of the bed. The room was dimly lit by a nightlight, and in the dim light she recognized Shen Jingchuan. She quickly stood up and said, "Young Master has arrived. Would you like some water to wash up?"
Shen Jingchuan waved to her. Qinghe blushed slightly, said nothing, turned around and sat back on her small bed, lying down facing inward.
Shen Jingchuan lifted the curtain and walked straight into the inner room.
He took off his clothes, got into bed, and hugged her. After reviewing the material twice, he truly felt the benefits of reaching the Qi Refining Second Layer. His physical strength and energy were much stronger than before, and he showed no signs of fatigue.
Bai Ruoli couldn't take it anymore and begged for mercy in a soft voice before he finally stopped and fell into a deep sleep with the beautiful woman in his arms.
Shen Jingchuan woke up the next morning. Bai Ruoli was delicate and not as resilient as Lin Qingyao. She was exhausted from the previous night and was still asleep.
He didn't wake her, but gently kissed her cheek and tiptoed out of the room.
Hearing the noise, Qinghe quickly came in to help him get up and wash.
Shen Jingchuan walked to the front yard, where Lin Qingyao had just finished practicing her sword stance and was covered in sweat. Seeing him approach, she sheathed her sword, stepped forward, and called out in a clear voice, "Husband."
The two went into the house together. Lin Qingyao took out a letter and handed it to him. At this time Ju'er and Yue'er came over to help her go to the inner room to wash up and change clothes—she had been practicing swordsmanship all morning and felt sticky all over.
Shen Jingchuan picked up the envelope and saw that it was sent from the Capital. He opened it and read that it was written by his senior sister Yan Shuyao, who lived in the Capital.
Shen Jingchuan opened the letter. The contents were very concise, only saying that he would come to Yuxi Prefecture to see him, and that they would discuss the details when they met. The letter also specified the expected date of arrival.
Shen Jingchuan thought for a moment, and the date turned out to be today. He was a little puzzled, wondering why Yan Shuyao had made this special trip.
Just as she was pondering this, Lin Qingyao came out from the inner room after washing up and changing her clothes.
Shen Jingchuan looked up and asked her, "When did this letter arrive?"
"It arrived two days ago. I heard you were coming from the west courtyard last night, and I was planning to bring it to you tonight."
Lin Qingyao dried her wet hair, her tone flat:
"Later, I heard two stray cats fighting in the yard, screaming terribly, so I didn't dare go out."
Shen Jingchuan's face flushed slightly, and he subconsciously glanced at her expression. Seeing that she looked natural and that her words, though teasing, didn't reveal any real jealousy or resentment, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
He had grown up in modern society and had adhered to the concept of monogamy for over twenty years. Although he had come to this new world to adapt to local customs, he still couldn't feel completely at ease when his wife pointed it out to him. He couldn't help but feel a little guilty.
Hehehe, looks like I still have to get used to it slowly.
When Lin Qingyao received the letter, she immediately recognized the delicate and graceful handwriting, clearly written by a woman.
Lin Qingyao was trained in martial arts and had a straightforward personality. She also knew that it was common for women to have multiple wives and concubines in this world. As the legal wife, it was her duty to be magnanimous, tolerant, and not jealous or make a fuss.
But she truly loved Shen Jingchuan, so how could she not feel even a little jealous?
With a stunning beauty like Bai Ruoli, the most beautiful of the Eight Beauties of Great Qian, already at home, and now another woman from the Capital writing to her, she felt a pang of jealousy, and her words carried a hint of teasing sarcasm:
"My lord, whose talented daughter is this? Her handwriting is so delicate, and she even wrote you a letter."
Shen Jingchuan sensed the hint of jealousy in her words and quickly explained:
"As you know, I took Great Confucian Yan as my teacher in Chang'an. This is a letter from his daughter Yan Shuyao, saying she wants to come to our Yuxi Prefecture."
Lin Qingyao was stunned for a moment:
"We sent invitations when we got married, but the Yan Household didn't send anyone. Why are they here now?"
"I don't know either," Shen Jingchuan said. "The arrival date written on the letter is today."
Lin Qingyao immediately abandoned her teasing thoughts and said seriously:
"We'd better get ready quickly; we can't let them down."
After the meal, Shen Jingchuan planned to go outside the city to greet Yan Shuyao. He also thought it would be a good opportunity to visit Wild Goose Tomb in a long time and bring some supplies with him.
He said to Lin Qingyao, "I haven't been to Wild Goose Tomb for a long time; I need to go take a look."
Lin Qingyao agreed, then rolled her eyes at him.
"Perfect timing, I can also pick up your renowned and talented senior sister who's famous throughout the capital."
Shen Jingchuan thought to himself that he needed to work on his thicker skin, and awkwardly explained:
"Picking up the people was just a side trip; the main purpose was to check on the inn's operations."
He left the house, and behind him he could still hear Lin Qingyao's cheerful laughter.
Hearing her hearty laughter, Shen Jingchuan was completely relieved and rode his Big Black straight towards the direction of Wild Goose Tomb.
Along the way, many people were repairing the road, and the road surface was much smoother and easier to walk on than before.
Shen Jingchuan initially arranged for the able-bodied men of Azure Cloud Stronghold to undergo daily training, and since the remaining elderly, women, and children were idle anyway, he assigned them all to work.
On one side, they repaired the main road from Wild Goose Tomb to Yuxi Prefecture, and on the other side, they extended it towards Chang'an. They repaired as much as they could, so that no one could be idle.
People working on the road saw him and greeted him. Shen Jingchuan's horse was fast and didn't stop. He waved and galloped straight past.
When they reached the intersection near the mountain stronghold, Shen Jingchuan reined in his horse and turned into the ravine, unloading all the goods he had brought from his spatial storage.
He hadn't gone far when he encountered a patrolling sentry. He gave the sentry a few instructions, told him to go back to the mountain stronghold to report, and asked someone to come and take the things back. He then continued on his horse, heading straight for the inn opposite the Wild Goose Tomb.
Upon arriving at his destination, he went straight to the second floor and found a balcony overlooking the main road to sit down. The innkeeper quickly brought up hot tea, secretly wondering why his young master insisted on sitting outside drinking tea on such a cold day.
Shen Jingchuan didn't care about the chill. Now that he was at the Qi Refining Second Layer, ordinary cold and warm weather had almost no effect on him.
He held his teacup and looked across the river. The Wild Goose Tomb on the riverbank had been completely enclosed by a newly built pavilion. Hu Tieniu had done a good job.
The tea stalls by the official road were deserted due to the cold and windy weather; not a single person was drinking tea. The downstairs shop was also quiet and empty, without a single customer.