TTTQF Chapter 96

The Wedding Date Approaches

"You're really not going to sleep in another room?"

Jiang Miao, feeling quite puzzled, looks at Pei Che, who is reclining on the small couch by the window reading a book.

"No one has slept in the other room for a long time, so there must be a lot of dust." Pei Che casually makes up an excuse without raising his head.

"If you keep talking like that, Steward Wu will cry. I saw him personally bring people to clean the rooms earlier." Jiang Miao rolls his eyes. "I don’t know who said last time that the reason we’re all squeezed into one room is because there aren’t enough rooms. Now that there are enough rooms, why are we still four people in one room?"

Pei Che pretends not to hear. His recent experience has taught him that if a man with a family wants his life to go more smoothly, he must learn to act deaf and mute to avoid many conflicts.

Sure enough, Pei Che’s silence makes Jiang Miao too lazy to continue arguing; after all, it doesn’t matter where they sleep. He arranges the bedding, then grabs a thin blanket and a pillow from the cabinet and places them on the small couch.

The so-called small couch is actually two meters long and one meter wide, a bit like the bed Jiang Miao has in his school dormitory. It’s certainly not very comfortable to sleep on, and Jiang Miao himself wouldn’t choose to sleep on it if there were available rooms.

"Why haven’t they returned yet?" Pei Che puts down his book and looks outside. A full moon hangs in the sky, its silvery light casting a glow on the ground and illuminating the surroundings.

"How would I know? Maybe they’re playing in the garden," Jiang Miao casually guesses. He sits at the table, looking at the account book spread out before him, and uses a small charcoal pencil to tally today’s accounts.

Since this is his own business and he is usually at the shop, Jiang Miao doesn’t record every transaction in the account book. Instead, he only tallies the total income for each morning and afternoon, then calculates the daily turnover based on expenses.

"I’ll go check outside," Pei Che says as he gets up and walks out, returning shortly after.

Jiang Miao closes the account book and looks behind Pei Che, noticing that the two younger ones haven’t come in with him. He is a bit puzzled. "Aren’t you looking for them? Where are they?"

"They’re catching fireflies in the garden. Steward Wu and a few people are watching them."

"Great, so the bath was a waste," Jiang Miao says with some resignation. "When they come back, I’ll have to fetch water and clean them up again. By the way, what’s that on your hand?"

Jiang Miao then notices that Pei Che is holding a cloth-wrapped package. The contents look quite thin, but from its length, it doesn’t seem like a book.

Pei Che smiles, walks over, places the package on the table, and then unwraps it.

What is revealed is a flat wooden box made of fragrant camphor wood, with some squares painted on it and a large "米" (rice) character grid in the center at the top. Jiang Miao’s breath catches in his throat as he starts to make some guesses.

He holds his breath, pulls off the cloth wrapping from outside, then opens the central latch of the box and lifts the lid. Inside, red and black chess pieces each occupy their own side, with the generals and commanders facing off in the center. Just seeing these pieces, Jiang Miao seems to recall the intense matches from the past vividly.

“How did you…” Jiang Miao holds the folded chessboard, his eyes sparkling as he looks at Pei Che, unable to find the right words. He remembers mentioning it to Pei Che only once at the beginning.

“Do you like it?” Pei Che also looks at him. “I remember you said you were best at chess, so I thought I’d give you a set. But when I had someone look around, I found that no one sold the chess set you mentioned.” Pei Che had spent a long time searching and then decided to have it custom-made based on his own designs, so it takes several months before he gets the chess set.

“I like it!” Jiang Miao nods vigorously, his face flushed with excitement. It feels great to have someone remember and care about something he had mentioned!

Pei Che smiles more gently and extends an invitation. “How about we have a game together?”

Jiang Miao quickly agrees. He hasn’t played chess with anyone for a long time, whether in ancient or modern times. Before he transmigrated, he was busy with life, and gatherings with friends were mostly for eating and drinking. Chess seems like a pastime only for those with leisurely lives.

When he was in the Plum Garden before, Jiang Miao drew the chessboard and pieces and introduced the rules. He repeats them now, worried that Pei Che might have forgotten. Pei Che actually remembers very clearly but doesn’t interrupt Jiang Miao. Instead, he listens attentively as Jiang Miao speaks with a cheerful tone.

“Ha ha, General!” Jiang Miao places a cannon behind the horse with a snap, looking at Pei Che with satisfaction.

Pei Che observes for a long time but finds that no matter how he moves, he can’t turn the tide. He sighs, “I’m outmatched. I concede defeat.”

Jiang Miao pretends to be modest and cups his hands, “You’re too kind. For your first game, being able to capture so many of my pieces is already impressive.”

Pei Che says, “You flatter me. I am indeed less skilled in chess. I will practice more and seek your advice in the future.”

As soon as he says that, Jiang Miao feels a sense of urgency. Practicing more and still winning? It’s not that Jiang Miao is diminishing his own prestige, but this guy is too quick-witted—he picks up everything fast.

"Then let’s play a few more games today; it’s still early!" Jiang Miao grabs Pei Che’s arm, not letting him get up. He wants to win a few more games before this guy masters the game.

By the time they get to the third game, Xiao Shitou and Pei Mu return. Steward Wu is very reliable; he has them cleaned up and changed clothes before bringing them back.

"Brother, what are you two doing?" Xiao Shitou asks.

"Huh?" Pei Mu also speaks up. Recently, he has been making some vague sounds. It seems that he will be able to speak clearly soon.

"We’re playing chess. You two go ahead and sleep," Jiang Miao says, his eyes fixed on the game. Pei Che is pressing hard, and he has to stay alert.

The two little ones don’t want to leave, so they stand by the side watching the game. Although they don’t fully understand it, they watch with great interest.

After four rounds, Jiang Miao decides to quit while he is ahead, securing a clean victory to clear his previous embarrassment.

After turning off the lights, Jiang Miao falls asleep with the joy of victory, completely different from the insomnia and dreams he has experienced in the past few days. Pei Che, lying on the small couch, quietly listens to the three shallow breaths and soon falls asleep himself.

Before dawn, Pei Che takes the food box Jiang Miao has prepared for him and returns to the Imperial Academy. When he arrives, it is just in time for breakfast.

When Han Qin and the others arrive at Jingcui Garden, they find Pei Che already there, with a food box on the table.

"Ah Che, so early?"

"Ah Miao was worried I’d be late, so he had me get up as soon as the morning bell rang," Pei Che says with a helpless expression, but his tone hints at showing off.

"You… live in the same room?" Han Qin squints at him, his romantic peach blossom eyes giving off a somewhat lecherous vibe.

"Nonsense. Couldn't he wake me up just because he was staying next door?" Pei Che says seriously.

Han Qin feels a bit bored after hearing that. He plops down next to Pei Che and whispers, "Ah Che, are you… not very good at it?"

Pei Che replies flatly, "If you say one more word, you can forget about the breakfast I brought."

Han Qin quickly stops talking. He turns his head and sees that He Chen and Su Jin have already opened the food box and are taking out the items, so he quickly joins the battle.

The food box has three layers. Jiang Miao has prepared four portions of each item from the shop, making it easy to carry. The novel and delicious breakfast items receive unanimous approval from everyone. Each item is tasty, and although some are cold, it does not affect their flavor at all.

"Ah Che, how do you think Brother Jiang came up with all these delicious dishes?" Han Qin asks. Many of the items, like the three-in-one snacks, fried dough sticks, and tea eggs, are things they have never tried before.

"It’s just that we’re not well-informed. Ah Miao says that Daliang is vast and rich in resources, with each place having its own specialty. What seems new and unusual to us might be common to others, and what we consider ordinary might be something others have never heard of."

"True. Just like the meat dumplings last time. We hadn’t tried them before, but they were common in Li Siye's hometown. I heard he even sent someone to buy dumplings from there again; he really can’t get enough of them!"

"Being away from home is hard. I guess the dumplings remind him of his hometown."

After Pei Che finishes speaking, Han Qin suddenly thinks of something: "Li Siye likes meat dumplings because he misses his hometown. Su Jin also likes them. Could it be that your ancestors came from the southern regions too?"

Su Jin, who has been focused on eating, is momentarily stunned by the question but nods once he realizes what is being asked. The elders of the Hou family have indeed come from the south, and besides him, the others also like the southern cuisine.

"Indeed," Han Qin says. The Han family is from the northern regions, but his taste is quite diverse; as long as it is delicious, he likes it.

...

It has been several days since Pei Che last returned. During these days, everyone in the Jiang household has been extremely busy, especially Steward Wu, who has lost weight over a short period. With the wedding of Jiang Miao and Pei Che just five days away, they need to prepare to entertain the guests who will come to celebrate. To ensure everything goes smoothly, they have to stay on their toes.

Jiang Miao goes back to Jiangjiawan to fetch his family and bring them to the carriage. Such a significant event can’t have only his uncle and aunt by his side.

As for others, such as the clan leader and some other people from the clan, Jiang Miao hesitates but decides not to invite them. Second Uncle Jiang also supports this decision.

Jiang's second uncle and Jiang's second aunt, who have visited here before, appear calm. The other four, however, are amazed as soon as they enter the Jiang residence, their mouths agape and faces showing clear surprise.

Instead of going to the shop, Jiang Yu stays at the Jiang residence to reunite with her relatives. Since she started earning money, Jiang Yu has become more confident. Although she still struggles with speaking, her smile is brighter than before.

The three younger sisters watch Jiang Yu with envy, but they also understand that the reason their eldest cousin can stay in Liangjing City and earn money is because their parents are worried that people in the village would say hurtful things and upset her.

Previously, Brother Miao actually asked if they wanted to come to the city, but their parents refused, fearing that they might cause trouble for Brother Miao.

"Uncle and Aunt, this is the room we’ve prepared for you and a few of the sisters. Xin'er can share a room with Xiao Shitou; they can keep each other company," Jiang Miao says, leading them to a quieter courtyard in the back. This area is more secluded and suitable for the girls, and Jiang Yu also stays here.

"No need to prepare so many rooms; it’s fine for them to share one," Uncle Jiang says.

"Everything is cleaned and ready. Let the sisters move in, and there are some things prepared in the rooms for you to check. You must be tired from the journey. Rest for now, and I’ll come to call you for dinner later," Jiang Miao says.

Uncle Jiang and Aunt Jiang watch Jiang Miao’s departing figure, then turn to instruct the children not to touch things in the rooms to avoid any disrespect or embarrassment for Jiang Miao.

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