My wife has a secret

Chapter 70 Something Different
Xu Qing was stunned and didn't know how to respond.

Who would have thought that under Shen Shuangxu's cold appearance, she actually had a heart that protected her food?
"I don't mean to steal your food. I can make it myself when I'm hungry."

Shen Shuangxu looked Xu Qing up and down, put the bowl back on the table, chewed gently, and took every bite carefully.

After a hearty meal, Shen Shuangxu's face showed a look of happiness.

After packing up, the two went upstairs and found the Tianzi Room at the innermost part of the inn.

Perhaps because they were worried that an official would move in, the "postman" and his family cleaned the upstairs and downstairs very thoroughly, and even covered the bedding with dust covers.

There was no need to clean up when Xu Qing came in, just simply make the bed.

"When will Mingzhu be back? Does it take so long to send someone off?"

Shen Shuangxu stood by the window, reached out to push open the paper window, and suddenly the sound of dripping rain was heard.

The raindrops hit the eaves, making a crisp sound.

"We can't come back tonight. It's easy to get lost when traveling on a rainy night... Don't worry about safety. If something happens to us here, the entire Tiger and Leopard Cavalry will suffer."

Xu Qing changed his mind and felt relieved.

Those cavalrymen in black clothes and armor looked like they were no pushovers. One of them was the nephew of the current empress dowager, and the other was the only daughter of the current prime minister, both of whom were extremely noble.

"I'm going next door. We'll meet downstairs at 5 a.m. tomorrow."

Xu Qing took a few steps toward the door, and the light in the room suddenly dimmed.

In an instant, a thunderstorm broke out outside the house, the sky became even darker, and the dark clouds pressed on the horizon like huge rocks, as if to swallow everything in darkness.

Xu Qing's arm was held by a slender hand and he couldn't move.

Xu Qing asked tentatively: "What's wrong?"

The only answer he got was endless silence.

The two of them remained in this position, stunned for a while.

Suddenly, a flash of lightning split the sky, tearing it in two.

Immediately afterwards, rumbling thunder sounded from deep in the clouds, echoing between heaven and earth like a huge drumbeat.

Xu Qing could feel Shen Shuangxu's hands getting stronger and stronger, almost tightly grasping her sleeves, and her body was shaking slightly.

Combining the before and after, Xu Qing discovered this woman's fatal weakness.

"Are you afraid of thunder?"

How could a person who enjoyed a long-standing reputation in the outside world and was most admired and valued by his aunt be afraid of thunder?
Shen Shuangxu raised her eyes to look at him, then turned her head away without answering.

Xu Qingquan took it as her consent, went forward to close the doors and windows, sat on the bed and took off his coat, shoes and socks.

"Anyway, the bed in the Tianzi room is big, so it's not difficult for two people to sleep in it. I'll just reluctantly share a bed with you."

……

The first night Xu Qing spent sleeping with his wife did not involve the ambiguity he had imagined.

Although they spent the night in the same bed, they were both wrapped in thick quilts and there was no skin contact at all.

The thunderstorm weakened in the second half of the night, and the deafening thunders never sounded again.

The next morning, Mingzhu knocked on the door.

After the two of them were dressed and packed, the group set out on their journey north again.

After getting back on the road, Xu Qing could feel that Shen Shuangxu's attitude towards him had become closer.

Of course, this closeness is only relative.

For example, she would not stay in the car all night to read the letters and documents, but would sleep when she felt tired, and then deal with the official documents after waking up. When faced with the dry food handed over by Xu Qing, she would eat it normally and no longer ignore it.

Xu Qing also came to a conclusion deep in her heart that even though the eldest wife, Shen, seemed to be decisive and resolute, she was still a fragile and sensitive little girl deep down in her heart.

I just don't know what Shen Shuangxu had gone through to become what he is today?

……

A few days later, a boat was sent to the capital.

The capital city undoubtedly has the largest inland port in the entire Grand Canal.

There is an endless stream of ships coming and going here, the shore is crowded with people, and all kinds of goods are carried ashore by laborers and piled on the ground.

As the ship bells rang, the workers nearby consciously stepped back, leaving a wide aisle.

"The merchant ship of Gongyixing is about to dock. All the idlers at Pier No. 3 should leave immediately."

A man in official uniform holding a small brocade blue flag waved at the dock, and the huge ship on the river changed its course and headed towards the empty space.

A worker nearby asked his companion curiously, "What is Gongyixing? Why have I never heard of it before?"

A shorter worker in front of him answered, "The owner of Gongyi Bank is the Qian family of Suzhou. They have money houses all over Jiangnan and are not short of money... Their business has never reached the north. If I hadn't worked in Yangzhou for two years, I wouldn't have known the name of Gongyi Bank."

When the workers heard that it was a ship from the wealthy area of ​​Jiangnan, their eyes widened.

Guys who often move goods at the docks know that usually only the ship owners in the south are the richest, and in addition to wages they also receive bonuses.

If you could meet a boss who is lucky enough to be generous, the income at one time would be enough to buy five steamed buns.

The huge ship docked and wooden ladders were laid down layer by layer along the gap in the deck.

But what shocked the workers was that the first person to get off the boat was not the captain, but two women who were supporting each other.

Both of them wore heavy hooded cloaks to cover their bodies and faces, making them look a little mysterious.

"The captain of Gong Yixing's ship is a woman?"

"It doesn't seem like it. How many girls work on ships these days?"

After a while, a middle-aged man with a slightly sturdy build quickly followed and caught up with the two women who got off the boat.

He said in a very respectful tone: "Please stay, the boss has told me that the return trip of this ship of goods coincides with the time when the two ladies return to Suzhou. May I ask what your plans are?"

The captain and his boatmen were all from Minqing and were employed by the Qian family. They did not know the true identities of the two women.

But he could sense that these two people must be of distinguished status and appearance, which was why they wore veils to cover their faces.

One of the women laughed sweetly under her hood, which made the captain's heart flutter.

But he immediately realized his mistake and lowered his head even deeper.

"Thank you for your boss's kindness. We don't need to go back for the time being. You can just arrange your own affairs in Gongyixing."

"Yes."

The captain nodded in agreement, then turned around and recruited the porters to load and unload the cargo.

After Qin Shuying had distanced herself from the crowd, she asked about Lu Wanhe's plans.

"This ferry has thirteen boat ports and hundreds of porters, but it is only the smallest ferry in the capital."

Lu Wanhe was slightly startled. This dock seemed very large to her, and merchant ships were coming and going one after another without stopping.

It’s just the smallest pier in Beijing?

　The next chapter officially begins the Capital Chapter
　　
　
(End of this chapter)