Chapter 168: Learned to be Jealous!

At the third quarter of the mao hour, the sky was still dark, and Ding Suian returned home to Suimian Street.

In the bedroom, Zhao Yan was curled up like a baby, sleeping soundly.

Hearing the commotion, she hazily opened her long, narrow fox eyes, rubbed the corners of her eyes, and said foolishly, “Husband, you’re back? Do you want some?”

Want some what? I don’t want any of your nonsense! I’ve been fighting for my life all night, I’m exhausted!

“I can’t!”

“Oh~”

Zhao Yan rolled over to the inside. After Ding Suian took off his clothes and lay down, she rolled back, closed her eyes, and nuzzled into his chest to find the most comfortable position. She draped an arm and a leg over him, then satisfied, twitched her little nose and mumbled, “Husband went to find Big Sister again; you smell like her~”

More than an hour later, the sky was bright.

“Husband~ Husband! Hus-hus-hus-hus-band-band-band-band~”

After Zhao Yan got up and got ready, she pestered Ding Suian for a long time. She shouted in his ear, pinched his nose, and tickled him, but he still slept like a pig. Finally, having no other choice, she gave up.

Outside, Ah Ji, who was temporarily staying with the Ding Family, had already gotten up.

The two of them had AZhi harness the carriage and went out together.

“Ah Yan, when you were in Yunzhou, didn’t you say you and your handsome husband were inseparable every day? Why isn’t he accompanying you out today?”

On the way, Ah Ji asked casually.

“He was tired out last night and is sleeping in, not wanting to get up.”

“What made him so tired?”

“He got tired from sleeping with Big Sister.”

“Tired from sleeping with another woman? Aren’t you jealous?”

“Jealous?”

Zhao Yan, who was peeking at the street scene through the carriage window, turned back and asked, confused, “Why would I be jealous?”

“That’s where you don’t understand.”

Ah Ji crawled forward two steps and, with the air of an expert, lectured, “Humans are different from beasts. Beasts honor the strong, and female beasts don’t get jealous. But you are a human now; you must learn to be jealous.”

“Why? Isn’t it good if more people like my husband?”

Zhao Yan blinked her long, narrow, alluring eyes, seemingly not understanding the logic in Ah Ji’s words. The latter continued, “You don’t understand! If a woman is too docile, it’s boring. Occasionally get jealous and throw a little tantrum so he’ll coax you with sweet words.”

Zhao Yan was skeptical, “Won’t Husband find me annoying?”

“Sigh! Just make a little scene, let him kiss and hug you, and say sweet things to coax you! This is the little fun between men and women; it makes it look like you care for him and cherish him. Men love this. Usually, act pitiful when needed, be sensible when needed, and be wild when needed.”

“Hmm, being a human has so many tricks?”

“Heh, I’ll teach you slowly, and I guarantee you’ll have him so infatuated that he won’t find any other woman interesting~”

Not long after, the carriage stopped in a quiet alley in Huaining Ward.

Ah Ji came to Central Heaven to open a flower pavilion, so naturally, she had to find a suitable place.

Yesterday, Zhao Yan had accompanied Ah Ji to find a small courtyard they liked. It was said that the landlord was a commander in the Wuwei Army camp.

But today, when they came to sign the contract and pay the rent, a change occurred.

“Didn’t we agree yesterday? The rent was 180 taels a year; why has it suddenly risen to 240 taels?”

As the host, Zhao Yan felt that the other party was raising the price arbitrarily, which made her feel she had lost Face in front of her sister, and she was very angry.

The fat woman leaned against the door, squinting at Zhao Yan, “This is the price. Take it or leave it.”

“You went back on your word!”

Zhao Yan remembered the idiom ‘eating one’s words makes one fat’ that Ding Suian had mentioned, but she couldn’t recall how to say it at the moment. She puffed out her chest and put her hands on her hips, saying, “No wonder you’re so fat! You must have treated your own words as farts and eaten them back, which is why you’ve bloated up!”

The woman was likely struck in a sore spot. She shrieked and, with two maids, rushed forward to beat Zhao Yan.

Fortunately, Zhisheng, acting as the carriage driver, stepped forward to block them. To resolve the conflict, he explained earnestly, “My mistress’s words were spoken in anger. A person does not bloat up because they go back on their word. The reason for your obesity, Benefactor, is overeating and lack of exercise, being fond of ease and hating labor. In the future, eat less and do more…”

“Bald donkey! How dare you insult me!”

Unfortunately, the woman didn’t let AZhi finish his sentence before she extended her ten fingers and scratched at him.

Just as things were getting lively, they saw a middle-aged man running over with several Soldiers in long, quick strides.

The fat woman, who was chasing and tearing at AZhi, saw them from afar and immediately shouted, “Husband, you’ve come just in time! These three bumpkins insulted me! Husband, hurry and tie them up and send them to the magistrate’s office. If they don’t pay three or five hundred taels, this matter isn’t over!”

The reason she raised the price arbitrarily was that none of the three had a Central Heaven accent.

Seeing that the other party had brought help, Ah Ji tugged on Zhao Yan’s sleeve and whispered, “Run or fight?”

Zhao Yan still had beastly instincts in her bones; her first reaction to such things was excitement. However, to win, she would need to partially transform into her true form to regain her agility and sharp claws.

But at this moment, due to the noise, quite a few neighbors had walked out of their homes to look over. She couldn’t… kill them all, could she?

After thinking about it, Zhao Yan gave up on this plan and whispered, “That won’t do. Husband doesn’t let me kill people at will~”

By now, the man had brought his people to them. Ah Ji couldn’t help but roll her eyes and say, “Husband this, husband that, why do you listen to him so much! Then let’s just take the beating!”

After saying this, Ah Ji crouched down, covering her head, and shouted, “Master, hit lightly. This little woman is weak and cannot withstand a beating~”

“.”

Even begging for mercy had a whiff of seductiveness. Zhao Yan looked at Ah Ji with disdain, then crouched down, covering her head as well, “Don’t hit the Face when fighting~ If you dare hit my Face, I’ll get angry!”

But after waiting for a long time, not only did they not receive the expected blows, but they instead received an exceptionally gentle inquiry, “May I ask… is the Mistress a family member of the Vermilion Bird Army Elite Cavalry, Head Ding?”

Zhao Yan was still holding her head and looked up, “Yes! Do you know my husband?”

“Oh my! It really is someone from Head Ding’s residence!”

The middle-aged man clasped his hands, and his waist instantly bent at a ninety-degree angle.

The fat woman nearby didn’t understand the situation and hurried forward to pull her husband up, “Are you crazy! You weren’t even this respectful when meeting my father during the holidays! How can you show such great courtesy to this little hussy.”

“Slap~” Before the woman could finish speaking, she received a slap on the Face. She spun around and barely managed to stand steady by holding onto the wall.

Her Face, with trembling fat, was full of disbelief. “Master~” The woman was both aggrieved and angry, not understanding why her husband had hit her.

The man couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to her. When he turned to look at Zhao Yan, he had already put on a sickening smile, “I heard that the Mistress wants to rent my vacant house; this is an honor for me, Yuan Erxing!”

“Do you really know my husband?”

Zhao Yan stood up, tilting her head with a slightly bewildered look.

“I, Yuan Erxing, Commander of the Wuwei Army Camp C, have long admired Head Ding but have had no chance to meet him. Head Ding is young and promising, and his name for loyalty and bravery has spread throughout Great Wu. That the Mistress has taken a liking to my house is an honor for my whole family. As for the rent, forget it! I, Yuan Erxing, will let the Mistress use it for free!”

“Really!”

Zhao Yan’s eyes were full of disbelief, and she couldn’t help but look at Ah Ji triumphantly. Although she felt it was a bit strange, she had been boasting about her husband for months, and it had truly made her gain Face in front of her sister!

A while later, after agreeing to go to the housing office to register tomorrow, Zhao Yan and Ah Ji returned by carriage.

Yuan Erxing dragged his wife all the way to the alley entrance. Even after the carriage had gone far away, he still stood there bowing and scraping.

The fat woman, who was full of anger and confusion, plus having received a slap, snapped, “Yuan! You’d better give me a reasonable explanation!”

“Explanation my ass! It’s fortunate you didn’t hurt her just now! Do you know who her husband is?”

“Isn’t he just a small Dutou? You’re a commander, why are you afraid of him?”

“He was just appointed as the Commander of the Main Army Division this morning, in charge of enforcing military discipline! My official hat was almost ruined by you!”

“Ah?” The woman was shocked. Then, looking at the carriage gradually moving away, she felt a bit of heartache over the rent, “Even if we don’t provoke him, there’s no need to rent the house to her for free, right?”

“Stupid!” Yuan Erxing had already straightened his waist again and said with a smile, “This time, since he is enforcing military discipline, some people will be dismissed and punished. When there’s a vacancy, if Head Ding recommends me in front of Princess Xingguo… Hehe.”

“Can he talk to Princess Xingguo?”

“Guess why news of him taking the position of Commander of the Main Army Division spread so quickly?”

“Why?”

“That’s because Princess Xingguo told others that this is a young man she values! No one is allowed to touch him! This young Head Ding has made great contributions one after another and has already gained the favor of Princess Xingguo!”

The carriage wheels rumbled along the stone road. Inside the carriage, Zhao Yan had long since lost the cowardly appearance of crouching with her head covered.

Her little body was held exceptionally straight, her chin slightly lifted, and her long, narrow fox eyes were shining. From the hem of her skirt, a small piece of fiery red tail poked out, swaying incessantly.

She was like this; once excited, her tail couldn’t be hidden.

“Ah Ji, Ah Ji, did you see that?” She tugged at Ah Ji’s sleeve, her voice chirping with excitement, “That woman was so fierce at first, but the moment her husband heard my husband’s name, his waist almost bent to the ground! And he even gave us the house for free!”

“Who was it just now that said ‘don’t hit the Face’ and crouched down faster than me!” Ah Ji deliberately pouted, sourly undermining her.

“That’s because my husband taught me to be kind to others. As a girl, one shouldn’t resort to fighting and killing at every turn~”

Zhao Yan folded her hands at her side, pretending to be weak.

“Pfft~”

“What are you pfft-ing at? My husband can kill a tiger demon with one punch, tuck me in at night, and recite poetry and write lyrics.”

Ah Ji chuckled and asked in return, “Then why didn’t he write one for you? Instead, he wrote it for Zhao Ning?”

“.”

Zhao Yan’s little Face darkened instantly, and her cheeks slowly puffed up. However, she knew Ah Ji was intentionally trying to make her jealous, so she changed her perspective and continued, “So what? It’s because my husband is good-looking that Zhao Ning went to seduce him! He is better looking than all the men in your Southern Zhao!”

“Tsk tsk tsk~ What do you mean ‘your’ Southern Zhao? You yourself are from Southern Zhao; do you have any shame saying that?”

Before Zhao Yan could retort, Ah Ji suddenly leaned forward, staring at Zhao Yan’s charming little Face. Zhao Yan felt uncomfortable being looked at and asked, “What are you looking at me for?”

“Haha~ Ah Yan, when I mentioned just now that your handsome husband wrote lyrics for Zhao Ning, weren’t you feeling sour and stuffed in your heart, just like the fat chicken you finally caught had been snatched away by someone else?”

“Uh, yeah, how did you know?”

“That means you’re jealous!”

“I’m jealous?”

Zhao Yan’s bright, shining fox eyes blinked and blinked. Not only was she not embarrassed, but the fluffy tail under her skirt suddenly shot up.

She suddenly crawled on her hands and feet to the front of the carriage, lifted a slit in the curtain, poked out only a small head, and shouted excitedly to Zhisheng, who was driving the carriage in front, “AZhi, AZhi, I’ve learned to be jealous!”

She seemed very proud.