Received A Wife From The Civil Affairs Bureau Ch.17

Maybe it was because Shen Yumo was sleeping in the room right next to her, but Jiang Ziquan was too excited to sleep. She felt like a cat was scratching her heart and even after counting more than two thousand sheep, she didn’t feel tired at all. Finally, after what seemed like a long time, she was able to fall asleep. 

When she woke up in the morning, it was still really early. She wearily looked at the time, she still had time before 6:30. 

She laid in bed for a little longer, and then hurriedly put on some cotton pajamas, feeling thirsty as she walked out. 

Shen Yumo was making some porridge and had wanted to make an omelette as well by giving up after searching the entire kitchen for eggs. 

Jiang Ziquan didn’t wear any slippers and she even deliberately tiptoed across the floor. When she saw that the room next door was still tightly shut, she believed that the other party was still fast asleep and crept her way into the kitchen for some water. Before she even entered, she could smell the light fragrance from the porridge. 

Shen Yumo was preparing breakfast. 

The morning sun hit Shen Yumo’s side profile, allowing one to see her dimples faintly. Her long black here was tied up simply with a rubber band and there was some hair scattered across her face. Her sleeves were rolled up, revealing a dainty white arm. 

Every moment she made was full of grace and elegance, leaving Jiang Ziquan dumbfound. 

Shen Yumo seemed to notice Jiang Ziquan’s eyes on her and looked up. She then glanced at her up and down and then lowered her head: “Go get dressed and then come and eat something. 

Jiang Ziquan heard her words, but her mind was still groggy after waking up, so the words didn’t soak in. 

Walking over, Jiang Ziquan sat on the counter, right in front of Shen Yumo. She smiled, “So Teacher Shen knows how to cook.”

Shen Yumo looked up and then immediately lowered her head again and whispered, “I only know how to make a few simple dishes.”

“Oh,” Jiang Ziquan nodded and then suddenly remembered that she didn’t have many ingredients. And looking at Shen Yumo’s current state, she probably didn’t go out to buy any food. She then moved closer to see how Shen Yumo was able to make any from the sparse ingredients she did have. 

“Do you have any eggs? The only thing I found was some rice.”  Shen Yumo asked with a frown.

“Uh, I don’t think there are any.” Jiang Ziquan blinked twice. Not to mention eggs, she didn’t even know that there was still some rice left in her apartment. She smiled embarrassingly. 

Oh, thinking about it, her mother seemed to have brought over some cooking utensils a week ago. Did that mean the rice was delivered then? For the first time, she felt that her mother had great foresight. Otherwise, she would’ve been seen as a good-for-nothing who couldn’t even take care of themself. 

“I still think you should change your clothes, or you’ll catch a cold.” Shen Yumo continued, looking somewhat uncomfortable. 

“But you’re sweating.” Jiang Ziquan didn’t care and waved her hand. The heater was on and it didn’t feel cold at all. Furthermore, she liked watching Shen Yumo cook because to her it was pure enjoyment. 

Shen Yumo glanced at her again. Jiang Ziquan licked her lips, feeling parched. She walked towards the refrigerator and picked up a bottle of Coke and at the same, stole a look at Shen Yumo. 

Wait, when did she become so afraid of being caught? In an aggressive manner, she opened the bottle and drank, but almost choked in the process. 

Shen Yumo: “….”

Shen Yumo originally wanted to scold Jiang Ziquan about the lipstick print from yesterday. However, this abrupt interruption caused her to forget.

Jiang Ziquan went to the bathroom to clean up and then looked down at her pajamas. I think this looks pretty good on me, it’s pretty tempting.

Wait, tempting? 

Could it be that Shen Yumo was being shy just now? 

Once Jiang Ziquan thought about it, she did remember that Shen Yumo’s was blushing. However, didn’t she only reveal a bit of skin? Isn’t this being just a little too pure? She combed her fingers through her hair. Maybe it’s because no one can compare to my beautiful face. Thinking like this, she became a little giddy and even started humming a little. 

Not wanting to make Shen Yumo wait too long, Jiang Ziquan quickly washed her hair and then tied it up. 

When Shen Yumo saw that Jiang Ziquan was still wearing those pajamas and now even more skin was exposed, her expression became even more uncomfortable. 

Jiang Ziquan always makes sure to pay attention to any changes in Shen Yumo’s expressions and could see that subtle change, so it confirmed her previous thoughts. It was good to know that Teacher Shen was not thoroughly cold on the inside. In fact, it really didn’t take much to get her blushing, so one could say that Teacher Shen had rather low requirements. 

Jiang Ziquan purposely twisted her waist and revealed her two long slender thighs as she walked over like a model strutting out on the catwalk. 

Shen Yumo ignored her and carefully scooped out the porridge in a small bowl and placed it in front of Jiang Ziquan. She arranged everything neatly and even though the chopsticks were made out of metal, she didn’t even make a sound when she laid them next to the bowl. 

Jiang Ziquan felt that Shen Yumo was being too conservative. Although she felt like an emperor being served, she felt quite uncomfortable. She stole a glance at Shen Yumo, who was drinking her porridge quietly. Seeing her like this, Jiang Ziquan was afraid that her wife might be a little bit masochistic. 

“Do you not like the food?” Shen Yumo couldn’t help asking as she watched Jiang Ziquan stir her bowl without eating. 

“N-No!” In order to show how much she loved drinking porridge, Jiang Ziquan quickly took a big sip and almost burned herself to death from the sudden heat. However, under Shen Yumo’s gaze she couldn’t spit it out. 

A beauty’s looks can be misleading because Jiang Ziquan’s IQ seemed to get lower and lower by the second. 

Jiang Ziquan slowed down and this time took a small sip. It tasted delicious: “Maybe it’s because I’ve been only eating meat recently, I really think this porridge tastes amazing.”

Not just recently, Jiang Ziquan had always been a carnivore and a spicy food glutton. So for her to suddenly drink a light rice porridge, she naturally felt it was delicious and she even felt refreshed. 

“Then how are you still so thin?” Shen Yumo asked. Obviously she knew that Jiang Ziquan was not fat, but after seeing her in pajamas she could conclude that Jiang Ziquan was actually even skinnier than she had thought. 

With a mouth full of porridge, Jiang Ziquan looked down at her waist then looked at When Yumo’s waist. They looked about the same. Maybe it’s because she’s been too busy lately and lost some weight. 

“It’s probably from working too much.”

Shen Yumo nodded, indicating she understood. 

Ding~ Dong~ 

The doorbell rang and Jiang Ziquan guessed that it must be Tang Jiu. She wanted to get up and opened the door, but Shen Yumo grabbed her arm, causing Jiang Ziquan to tilt her head to look back at her in surprise. 

“I’ll go.” Shen Yumo set down her chopsticks and said in a serious tone: “It’s not convenient for you to go.”

“Huh?” Jiang Ziquan blinked twice and then watched as Shen Yumo walked to the door. 

Tang Jiu was shivering outside, jumping up and down as he rubbed his hands together. His boss really was something, making him work even during this holiday season. He really couldn’t help but feel a little angry. 

“Hello.”

The words Tang Jiu had prepared died in his throat. He had never expected to see Teacher Shen greeting him at the door. He scratched his head awkwardly. For a rough man like him, seeing a tender woman like Shen Yumo always made him feel a bit at a loss, so he quickly glanced inside, searching for his boss. 

“Miss Jiang is indisposed right now.”

“Ah, is that so. Um, do you remember me? I’m Tang Jiu.” Tang Jiu stiffened for a moment and then continued. 

“I do, you are one of the staff from the hot pot restaurant.” Shen Yumo replied with a smile.

“Uh, right, the boss wanted me to deliver some breakfast.” Saying so, Tang Jiu handed over two portions of good and then said, “Alright, I’ll be leaving now.”

“Ok, thank you.” Shen Yumo accepted the delivery and then closed the door. 

Tang Jiu looked back one more time as he walked away. Thinking about the situation just now, where the usually quiet Teacher Shen greeted him at the door but his energetic and bad-tempered boss was nowhere to be seen. Tang Jiu suddenly felt like he just realized something horrifying. He remembered the words Shen Yumo had said just now and he whispered to himself, “So boss is actually the bottom, wow.”

Jiang Ziquan naturally didn’t know her friend had these thoughts and served herself another bowl. What can she say? Teacher Shen’s cooking was just too good. 

Seeing Shen Yumo bringing in the food, Jiang Ziquan said, “I can still eat some more, especially the buns in that bag. What about you?”

Shen Yumo shook her head, but walked into the kitchen and placed the buns onto a plate and then placed the rest of the porridge into a thermos.

Jiang Ziquan sniffled, feeling a little cold now. 

Shen Yumo placed the thermos in front of Jiang Ziquan and said, “You can heat it up later and eat it for dinner tonight.”

“Ok.”

Jiang Ziquan replied blankly, her wife had even prepared enough for her dinner. How thoughtful. 

After she finished, Jiang Ziquan slumped into her chair, patting her belly in satisfaction. Shen Yumo saw that it was almost time for school and stood up to wash her bowl before leaving. 

Jiang Ziquan watched as Shen Yumo washed the dishes while digesting her food. She decided not to cause any more trouble and just watched quietly. 

Since the school wasn’t too far, she didn’t need to send Shen Yumo off. She might as well try to catch up on some sleep instead. 

Before she could crash into her bed, her mother called and because she remembered the fact that it was her mother who had brought over all the cooking utensils and supplies, she happily picked up the call. 

“Hey Mom, what’s up?”

“I’m going to be a grandma.” An excited voice replied from the other end. 

“Ah?” Jiang Ziquan scratched her head, feeling somewhat confused. Most people would be too if they received such sudden news. 

However, it was true. Jiang Zitao’s wife, Chen Lanyi has been pregnant for more than a month now. 

About to be an aunt for the first time, Jiang Ziquan felt dazed and quickly changed into her clothes and ran as fast as she could to the hospital. On the way she thought, Aren’t they a little too fast? They just got married. 

In the hospital ward, the parents from both sides were present and beaming. Although Chen Lanyi looked a little pale lying on the bed, she was smiling. 

“Why didn’t you tell us you were pregnant? And you, why aren’t you taking better care of your wife.” Although Liu Yun scolded her son, her eyes were full of smiles. After all, this will be her first grandchild. 

“I-I…”Jiang Zitao had just received the news and his head still hasn’t spun around to the reality of things. He looked around in a daze and at this time, his sister, Jiang Ziquan, rushed him. 

“Brother, sister-in-law, you two really are too fast.” Jiang Ziquan hurried over and gasped for breath. 

“Then you should hurry up and get a child of your own.”

“I-” Jiang Ziquan scratched her head in embarrassment: “I don’t want any yet.”

“Hahaha!”

Everyone laughed at Jiang Ziquan’s expense and she pouted, grabbing a cup of water to quench her burning throat. 

Taking a sip, Jiang Ziquan looked at Chen Lanyi’s flat stomach. It was quite surreal to think that there was a life growing inside there. She had always been indifferent at the thought of children, but for some reason, she felt a little differently this time. 

Suddenly, Jiang Ziquan grew curious and pulled Jiang Zitao outside. Then she asked, “Brother, tell me, did you guys….last night….?”

Jiang Zitao playfully punched her shoulder but then explained, “Last night we had a guest over and then Lanyi said that her stomach felt uncomfortable. At first, I thought it was, you know, that time of the month, but she said she felt sick today so I brought her over.” 

Although somewhat dense, Jiang Zitao blushed and fidgeted slightly, “This kid was probably made on the day when we got our certificate. 

Jiang Ziquan’s eyes widened, how did her brother pinpoint the exact day? As if understanding her surprise, her brother leaned closer and whispered, “ I didn’t use a condom that day and the dates match up. Plus, we felt that it was the right time to try.” He smiled, barely containing his joy. 

Jiang Ziquan frowned, why did it feel like her brother was trying to show off now?

“I’m going to go accompany Yi Yi, see you later.”

“You’re disgusting, you know!” Jiang Ziquan shivered, goosebumps forming as she saw the lovestruck look in his eyes. She got up to go back inside and talk with her sister-in-law but was blocked by her mother. Her dad also wanted to enter but was stopped. 

“What’s wrong?” Jiang Ziquan asked. Although her mother liked to play the role of a ‘kind’ mother, whenever they got into trouble, her mother would turn into a big scary tiger. 

Mother Jiang looked at her as if Jiang Ziquan failed to meet her expectations and whispered, “I know I used to nag you about finding someone, but now that you’re married, what are you still so immature? Your brother is going to have a baby soon, but look at you.”

Jiang Ziquan pouted and looked at her mother, eyes full of grievance. She really was trying her hardest to pursue Shen Yumo every day. 

“Have you been short on money recently?”

“How did you know? Were you stalking me?” Jiang Ziquan’s eyes widened in mock horror.

Mother Jiang rolled her eyes and said, “ I remember you telling me you wanted to get a new car, and yet you still haven’t bought one yet. I can also tell that you haven’t bought any new clothes lately either. The words ‘I’m poor’ is practically written all over your face.” Mother Jiang nodded her head, this child of hers that she carried for ten months couldn’t hide anything for her. With just a glance, she could tell whether her daughter was having a tough time or not. 

Jiang Ziquan looked down at her clothes. Her mother really is scary, it’s such a pity she’s not in the private investigation business. 

Her mother handed her a card, but Jiang Ziquan was unwilling to take it. The last time she asked for money from her family was over two years ago. 

She’s already twenty-eight, even if she had thicker skin, she would still be embarrassed. 

“Also, is Yumo living with you yet?” Mrs. Jiang understood her daughter’s reluctance and changed the subject as she stuffed the card into Jiang Ziquan’s pocket. 

With such forcefulness, Jiang Ziquan could only accept her mother’s money, “Yes.”

Seeing her mother grow excited, she hurriedly said, “Mom, don’t go bother Shen Yumo, please.”

Mother Jiang pinched Jiang Ziquan’s arm, “Do you really think your mother is like that?”

Jiang Ziquan rubbed her arm, still not convinced, and grabbed her mother’s hand, “Please don’t provoke the person I fell in love with at first sight.”

Mrs. Jiang couldn’t beat the fiercely protective Jiang Ziquan and could only wave her hand, “I know, I know. Don’t worry, I won’t do anything.”

Feeling assured, Jiang Ziquan murmured to herself, looks like I need to go home every now and then. Ahhh, how annoying. She irritably ruffled her hair. 

Jiang Ziquan had nothing else to do and so she decided to return to her restaurant to say thank you to Tang Jiu and encourage the employees. 

Meanwhile, after learning the ‘shocking’ news from this morning, Tang Jiu didn’t know what to do. So he could only wait at the restaurant for the boss to confirm his findings. 

And he really wanted to share the gossip he learned, and so when he saw a few waiters, he ran over to them. 

“Is something the matter Brother Tang?”

Tang Jiu waved his hands, then gritted his teeth, Although he wanted so badly to share the information, he didn’t dare to say anything without his boss’ permission. He looked at the waters, his expression grim. He really didn’t like the feeling of eating popcorn alone with no one to share with. [1]

One of the waiters jabbed his elbow in the person next to him and whispered, “Did Brother Tang take the wrong medicine today?”

Tang Jiu heard him, but could only throw them a sorrowful look. He comforted himself by thinking that these idiots wouldn’t be able to understand something so shocking. Feeling better, he waited for his boss. 

Seeing Jiang Ziquan come over, he immediately offered his boss a cup of hot water and opened his mouth, 

“Boss, are you tired?”

Jiang Ziquan twisted her body, feeling a little stiff. She didn’t sleep well and was busy running around earlier, so she honestly said, “Yeah, a little bit.”

This confirmed Tang Jiu’s guess. The boss is even rubbing her waist, she must’ve been tormented all night. One would’ve never thought that Teacher Shen had that kind of ability. 

Jiang Ziquan knocked him on his head, “What’s with that expression on your face?”

“Boss, Brother Tang is being weird today.” The waiter beside him said with a grin, adding his interesting tidbit. 

Jiang Ziquan guessed that maybe Tang Jiu was tired out from the work these last few days and said, “This month, everyone will receive an extra bonus.”

“Thanks, boss! I will continue to work hard!” Tang Jiu was overjoyed. He rubbed his hands together, it seems that Teacher Shen did quite a number on his boss. She was able to make the boss happy and he was able to get a raise. In the future, as long as he served his boss’ wife well, then the money will come flowing as well. 

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T/N notes: 

[1] Eating popcorn alone: to be privy to exciting news but unable to share.

I’m guessing Jiang Ziquan’s pajamas looked like this:

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