Received A Wife From The Civil Affairs Bureau Ch.20

When Jiang Ziquan returned home and after Shen Yumo left, she didn’t bother unpacking her things and went straight to sleep. After all, she had been too exhausted by this business trip and her body was begging for rest. 

After about three or four hours of sleep, Tang Jiu woke her up with a phone call. He wanted her to come into the store

Feeling extremely exhausted, Jiang Ziquan rubbed her temples and said weakly as she walked in, “You used to be the previous boss, how come you can’t do anything without me? You’re going to work me to death.” 

Tang Jiu smirked, he himself felt like he had been worked to death. For half of a month, he had done the work of two people and it was during the busy holiday season. If this continued any longer, his body wouldn’t be able to hold out and since this wasn’t even his store anymore, he didn’t want to continue working like his life depended on it: “Boss, I’m tired too.”

Jiang Ziquan gave him a glare and then looked over the accounts from the last few weeks. The words and numbers on the page looked blurry to her, she was starting to see double images and her chest felt a little stuffy. 

“Boss, are you okay?” Tang Jiu saw her pale face and purple lips and felt a little worried.  

“I’m fine.” Those two words had barely fallen out of mouth before Jiang Ziquan’s head dropped and she fainted. 

Tang Jiu, shocked by the sudden development, hurriedly sent Jiang Ziquan to the hospital.

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Jiang Ziquan opened her eyes in confusion. The smell of disinfectant chemicals filled her nose and she blocked the harsh sunlight shining on her face with her arm. The last thing she remembered was falling to the ground at her restaurant. 

“You’re awake?” Lin Cuo walked into the room, carrying breakfast. She felt relieved seeing Jiang Ziquan had finally woken up.

“En. What happened to me?”

“What else could have happened? You almost died.” Lin Cuo gave her an irritated glare and poured her a bowl of porridge, “In other words, because you’ve been so busy recently, you overworked yourself. Your body was unable to keep up. I knew this was going to happen. What did I tell you? To rest up and yet you still insisted on going to your restaurant.”

“Here, you should eat something.”

Frightened by the scary expression on Lin Cuo’s face, Jiang Ziquan didn’t dare to say anything and obediently drank the porridge. It’s sweet. 

“Who made this? It couldn’t be my mother, right?” Jiang Ziquan shrank back. If her mother was here and learned she had overworked herself, her mother would probably try to kill her. 

“Relax, Auntie and Uncle don’t know about anything, This was made by your wife.” Seeing that she liked it, Lin Cuo poured her another bowl. 

“Yumo made it?” Thinking of her, Jiang Ziquan immediately perked up. 

“Yes, yesterday I had something to do, so I asked her to visit you instead. In the morning, she dropped off some porridge and then went to work.”

Jiang Ziquan nodded, however, she had no memories of last night. Yet her heart felt as sweet as honey and she couldn’t help but take a few more sips. 

“She will come by again in the afternoon.”

Hearing this, Jiang Ziquan became even more excited. Then Lin Cuo left, leaving her with some magazines and books to relieve her boredom. 

Shen Yumo came later in the afternoon, bringing some fruits. When she entered the ward, she saw Jiang Ziquan lying on her side, reading a magazine. Her nose would twitch from time to time, but otherwise, she was like a statute as she laid there. During Christmas, she had noticed that Jiang Ziquan had gotten thinner and after coming back from her business trip, she had become even thinner.

Yesterday, due to Lin Cuo’s insistence, she had worn a thick coat so Shen Yumo couldn’t tell she was skinnier. However, now that she was wearing a hospital gown, one can see that she had become skinnier and frailer. It seems like she has suffered a lot. 

“Feeling better?”

Jiang Ziquan’s looked up and tilted her sore neck. She was having fun staying in the hospital and actually did mean it when she said, “Much better.” 

“Thank you for taking care of me yesterday.”

Shen Yumo shook her head and pointed at the fruit in her bag, “No need to thank me. What do you want to eat?”

“En. A pear please.”

Shen Yumo nodded and took out a small knife. She peeled it carefully and cut it up into tiny pieces. Beside her, Jiang Ziquan watched her with a smile on her face. 

“What are you reading?” Feeling uncomfortable from the staring, Shen Yumo asked. 

“《Honey Trap》, have you read some of their issues before?” Seeing that she was interested, Jiang Ziquan handed it over to her. Then thinking that Shen Yumo might think she is a fickle woman, hurriedly explained, “I only read their magazine when I wanted to relax or find inspiration for my designs.”

Although she gave a reason, it wasn’t a very good one.

Shen Yumo flipped through it. Inside, there were pictures of all kinds of beauties. There were men and women, and they were all extremely beautiful. Page after page was filled with long, pale legs and faces that could bewitch even the densest person. 

“So you know any of them?” Jiang Ziquan grabbed a small piece of pear and asked. She wanted to see what Shen Yumo’s type is.  

“En, this one.” Shen Yumo rarely cared about the people in the entertainment industry, whether they be models or actors, but as a teacher, she naturally has heard her students talk about their favorites: “The students really like this one.”

“Su Yan?” Jiang Ziquan whispered. This Su Yan debuted young, and is cold and expressionless, but had a pretty face. The students actually had pretty good taste.

“Do you know her?”

“Not really, she is younger than me after all. I only know that she is pretty.” Jiang Ziquan replied seriously.

“It looks like it’s snowing outside.” Shen Yumo glanced up and changed the subject. Slowly, a few snowflakes floated down outside the window. 

Jiang Ziquan squinted and also looked outside, and longingly said, “When I’m better, I will enjoy the snow with some good wine and meat.”

Shen Yumo blinked and said, “You have to take care of your body. It’s better if you don’t drink any wine for now.”

Jiang Ziquan looked back innocently, grabbed another piece of pear and said, “Ok.”

Knock. Knock. 

“I will go see who it is.” Shen Yumo stood up and opened the door, surprised at the person in front of her. 

“Ah, Teacher Shen, you’re here. Then there is nothing we need to worry about.” Jiang Zitao said with a chuckle, supporting Chen Lanyi with a hand on her waist. 

Shen Yumo stepped to the side, “Mr. Jiang, please come in.”

Jiang Zitao felt displeased by the title, “You should call me brother and you can call Yi Yi sister-in-law.” 

Shen Yumo smiled embarrassingly. 

Jiang Ziquan glared at him, 

“Why are you here?”

Jiang Zitao grabbed a chair for his wife then for himself. He grabbed an orange and started to peel it. 

“We were here to get a prenatal visit and wanted you to come along but you weren’t available. Then after threatening Tang Jiu, he confessed that you were hospitalized so we came to see you.” Chen Lanyi touched her belly and smiled affectionately. She already had an aura of motherhood surrounding her. 

Jiang Ziquan and Shen Yumo both looked at her belly. It was still early so her stomach still hadn’t changed yet. 

“I thought you were suffering from boredom but it looks like you’re living it up. There are fruits to eat, handsome guys and beautiful women to admire. As your brother, I’m feeling somewhat envious.” Jiang Zitao picked up the magazine and flipped through it. Although he felt that his sister’s IQ has been lacking lately. Did she not understand what image she was projecting by looking at other handsome men and women in front of her wife?

Jiang Ziquan still didn’t understand even after Jiang Zitao’s hint. After working so hard for so long, she didn’t even have enough strength to argue with him: “Is everything fine with my niece?”

“It might be a boy and the doctors said that everything was fine.” Chen Lanyi explained. Everyone in the Jiang family wanted a girl, but only she wanted it to be a boy. 

“I like girls better.” Jiang Ziquan continued. Ever since she had fallen for Shen Yumo, in her heart, she started to prefer the soft and delicate women to the rough and coarse males.

“If you want a girl, go ask your wife to give you one.” Jiang Zitao won’t stand to see his wife bullied and ignored Shen Yumo’s shy temperament as he teased them. 

When Jiang Ziquan heard those words, she blushed and looked over at Shen Yumo. Shen Yumo had also blushed and lowered her head, a perfect picture of a wife being bullied. 

Chen Lanyi tugged on Jiang Zitao’s clothes and Jiang Zitao also lowered his head in embarrassment. They got up.

“Mom also knows by the way.” As he left, Jiang Zitao dropped a huge bomb.

“??!!!” Jiang Ziquan froze. She had to get discharged within a few days or else if her mother came over, she would be nagged to death!!

Shen Yumo followed them and closed the door after them, her face still burning red. 

“I remember there should be a bookstore near the school, the one with a lot of magazines. When you pass by tomorrow, can you buy a few magazines for me?” To not let Shen Yumo die from embarrassment, Jiang Ziquan changed the subject as she fidgeted with the magazine in her hands. 

“What kind?” Shen Yumo asked, her blush slowly fading. 

“Just tell them to give you the best ones. If you can, buy several.” Jiang Ziquan used to spend all her pocket money at that store, buying anything and everything. She felt a bit nostalgic and she might as well buy some more magazines to fend off her boredom. 

In the evening, Shen Yumo helped Jiang Ziquan eat her dinner and the two made small talk afterward. However, it was mainly Jiang Ziquan flapping her mouth while Shen Yumo listened. 

The second day, Shen Yumo brought over a few magazines. 

Jiang Ziquan looked through one and found one that was wrapped up delicately. Opening it, there was a thick black cover on the front, she gulped, “This…one is?”

Shen Yumo stopped her fruit cutting and explained, “The boss gave it to me and said that it would be very suitable. He strongly recommended it to me. What’s wrong, do you not like it?”

Jiang Ziquan smiled: “Did he tell you why he recommended it?”

Earlier…..

“Teacher Shen, you want to read these types of…things?” The boss was shocked to see Shen Yumo and froze. 

“Yes, do you recommend anything else?” Shen Yumo nodded. There were two bookstores near the school, this one had more magazines and this was the first time she had visited this store. She had grabbed all the bestselling ones and placed them on the counter.

The boss grabbed a box and took out this delicately wrapped book, “Teacher Shen, this magazine is somewhat more in-depth, I think you should read it.”

Shen Yumo briefly recounted the situation. 

“It really is more in-depth, but Teacher Shen, I recommend you don’t buy this kind of book for other people.” Jiang Ziquan said seriously. 

Shen Yumo glanced at her suspiciously and stopped her movements: “Why?”

Jiang Ziquan’s gaze wavered a bit and she said, “If I can’t understand it, what if someone else does? Wouldn’t that make me lose face?”

Shen Yumo looked at her nervous expression and nodded. Seeing how currently Jiang Ziquan was a sick patient, she will humor her a little. Anyhow, if she wanted to give a person a book, she would give them masterpieces or something. Giving them random magazines didn’t seem to be proper. 

Meanwhile, Jiang Ziquan was laughing like crazy in her heart. This was a porn magazine! Yet, Teacher Shen had bought them so seriously! If she wished she was there to see it. Speaking of, a few years back, when she was still in school, a few good male friends of hers had shown it to her and although she is said to have thick skin, she was blushing red for a few days. 

A few days later, she secretly bought several copies. 

The best selling books at that store were these types of magazines and seeing Shen Yumo buy so many at once, the boss naturally had to bring out ‘The shop’s treasure’ and recommend it. It was the only 18+ magazine in the store, but seeing as how Shen Yumo is an adult, and not a minor who might be corrupted by this stuff, he had given it to her.

Jiang Ziquan looked at the serious Shen Yumo next to her. If Shen Yumo knew that she had bought such a book for her, would she slice her throat open on the spot? She shrank back a bit. She also hoped that Shen Yumo wouldn’t think she was a pervert. 

Shen Yumo felt that the wrapping was quite complicated in that particular book. It was a total of three layers. As for the other magazines, she did flip through the others as well. Seeing the people inside wearing scandalous clothing and exposing more skin than necessary, her face burned a deep shade of red. She remembered that Xu Yan had confiscated a few books like these from the students. What did she say then? 

“What is wrong with kids nowadays? They haven’t even turned 18 and yet every day they read through these lowbrow books and magazines like it’s their textbooks.” At that time Xu Yan had looked serious and was worried about a group of young people being corrupted. Every time she saw one, Xu Yan would confiscate it. 

Shen Yumo, on the other hand, generally did not confiscate the students’ things. So, of course, she didn’t know what was inside them till now. She took another glance at Jiang Ziquan reading the magazine. Although some of the images were mind-boggling and caused one’s eyes to bulge out, she didn’t feel like there was anything that was classified as 18+. However, she felt a little conflicted. Did Jiang Ziquan really use them for inspiration? Then again, those who are serious about art or design often liked things that normal people would think are odd. 

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T/N notes:

Only Jiang Ziquan would be able to get her wife to buy porn mags. I recommend if you want to have a steady marriage or relationship that you don’t try that with your significant other.

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