Chapter 9: 9.第9章 节操碎一地，捡吗？【9】

“You are from the State of Qi?” Upon hearing this, Ji Mei immediately felt a hint of disappointment. Although crossing a mountain ridge meant entering Qi territory, they were still from different countries, unlike the well-known locals of Daliang.

“That’s right!” Zhu Jie replied with certainty.

“Then who else is in your family? What is your line of business?” Sister-in-law You could not wait any longer and went straight to the point.

“My mother passed away early, and my only concern is my elderly father! My father is not an easy man; he has always been in trade to raise me. Though the family business is large, it is a pity it consumed the latter half of his life. I had hoped to share his burdens sooner, but I never expected that on my very first trip out, I would lose my way!” As she spoke, Zhu Jie made sure to keep her head lowered, sighing repeatedly. However, while she sighed, she was also stealing glances at the people across from her.

“What kind of trade does your family do?” Upon hearing it was just a merchant, Mother Ji felt somewhat disappointed.

“Mountain goods and furs, I sell everything. It is a small-scale operation, though I do have eight branches and six silver shops in the State of Qi!” Noticing the disappointed expressions on their faces, Zhu Jie immediately upped her ante.

Sure enough, the moment her voice fell, the eyes of the three people opposite her lit up instantly. The smiles on their faces! They couldn't have been more fawning.

“Young Master, have a sweet potato!” Ji Mei even held out the largest, sweetest sweet potato with both hands as an offering to Zhu Jie.

After a round of questioning, Mother Ji suddenly seemed to remember something. She slapped her forehead and said, “Right, I forgot to ask, what is the Young Master's honorable surname?”

“This humble one is Zhu Jie!” She stood up seriously and performed a proper bow. The name Zhu Jie was quite good; just hearing the pronunciation, one couldn't tell if it was male or female, and she felt a small surge of pride in her heart.

Seeing her elegant and poised manner, Ji Mei’s face turned redder than a monkey's backside. She felt dizzy with infatuation and could do nothing but continue to fawn over her.

Just as Mother Ji was nodding in satisfaction and preparing to eat, she discovered to her horror that all the sweet potatoes on the table had been offered up by her daughter to her sweetheart!

“Ah! My sweet potatoes!” Mother Ji let out a startled cry, nearly flipping the table.

Zhu Jie, acting as if she knew nothing, said, “Oh my, why are they all gone?” She added with an innocent look, “I thought there were still some left on the stove!”

Mother Ji felt like crying but had no tears! In the blink of an eye, all the sweet potatoes for the three of them had been swept up by Zhu Jie. This person ate far too much!

While licking her sweet, sticky lips, Zhu Jie gave Ji Yi a triumphant wink. Unfortunately, Ji Yi was too focused on his own meal to even lift his head toward her.

During the meal, some were joyful while others were sorrowful. After finishing, Zhu Jie quietly pulled Ji Mei aside and whispered, “Miss, I wonder how you all wash up here?”

Wash up? Hearing her use such a term, Ji Mei couldn't help but freeze for a moment.

Zhu Jie quickly explained, “There was too much wind and snow yesterday. Perhaps because I was lying in the snowdrifts for too long, I feel uncomfortable all over and wish to have a proper bath.”

Hearing this, Ji Mei finally breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't a bad thing for a man to value cleanliness! She immediately said eagerly, “If Young Master wishes to bathe, I will go boil water and prepare everything right away!” With that, she scurried off in excitement.

Ji Mei practically sang her way through the chores, mobilizing the entire family to busy themselves for Zhu Jie. Indeed, she had been raised as a pampered young lady at home, so naturally, she never had to lift a finger.

This left Sister-in-law You and Ji Yi in a difficult spot. Ji Mei played the good person while the two of them did the heavy lifting. Sister-in-law You boiled the water, and Ji Yi set up the wash tub in his room, fetching trips of hot water for Zhu Jie.

The room was filled with warm steam, making one feel relaxed the moment they entered. Zhu Jie nodded in satisfaction. Just as she was preparing to wash, she saw that Ji Mei was actually still following behind her.

Looking at Ji Mei’s starstruck expression, Zhu Jie understood a thing or two. What young girl doesn't harbor romantic feelings? It was just that this girl seemed to have misjudged her!

A mischievous thought crossed Zhu Jie's mind; she suddenly wanted to tease this silly girl. *Hehe, it's time to settle yesterday's debt! You actually want to eat me? Aren't you afraid of chipping your teeth!*

Pretending to undress, Zhu Jie said, “Not only have I been rescued by your household, but I have also caused much disturbance. I truly feel bad about it. I have nothing to offer in return, save for a few banknotes, which I hope can serve as a small token of my gratitude!” As she spoke, she made a grand show of searching through her robes.