Received A Wife From The Civil Affairs Bureau Ch.22

As scheduled previously, Jiang Ziquan went back to Shen Yumo’s place the next day. Due to the snow from yesterday evening, the streets of Beijin looked like they’ve been covered in white clouds. Every now and then, there were a few pedestrians, but they were workers who were clearing the roads or regular citizens sweeping the snow off the steps of their buildings.

The snow was somewhat thick, so Jiang Ziquan slowed down her driving. The already long trip was prolonged and she spent over two hours driving. After such a long drive, Jiang Ziquan felt a headache coming. 

Shen Yumo had spotted that familiar license plate from afar and frowned. She stopped sweeping the snow and walked over to the car with the broom, gently tapping on the window. 

Seeing Shen Yumo, Jiang Ziquan quickly extinguish the cigarette she was smoking. After driving for two hours, she had felt a little tired and wanted to take a quick smoke break. She quickly rolled down the window and greeted awkwardly, “Teacher Shen.”

The strong smell of cigarettes rushed directly out of the window and into her nose. Shen Yumo could tell she was smoking, but she’s never smoked in front of her, so she only frowned and asked, “Why are you here so early?”

Jiang Ziquan opened the door and carefully stepped out. The bitter cold air caused her to tremble a little and she joked, “These last few days I’ve slept so much in the hospital, that I don’t feel like sleeping anymore and woke up early.”

Shen Yumo was unconvinced as she stared at her and united the white scarf around her neck. Standing on her tiptoes, she fastened it around Jiang Ziquan’s neck gently, “Be careful or you might catch a cold. Go inside and warm up.”

Jiang Ziquan breathed in the fragrant smell of the scarf. It also still retained Shen Yumo’s heat and it felt warm wrapped around her neck.

“Are you done sweeping? If not, I can help you.”

Shen Yumo shook her head and placed the broom in the garage, “This area is pretty much clean already.”

Jiang Ziquan glanced at the area she was pointing at. The area around the garage that belonged to the Shen Family no longer had any snow lying on the ground. Meanwhile, the woman next door was still working hard. It seems like Teacher Shen had also gotten up as early as her. She couldn’t help but admire Shen Yumo for keeping up with her strict schedule of going to bed early and waking up early. 

Jiang Ziquan huddled closer to the Shen Yumo beside her. Suddenly, she spotted a pile of snow lying on a deck chair nearby. In this community, there weren’t many kids, so the big pile of snow hadn’t been ruined yet, unlike near downtown where the kids would quickly have made use of it. She blinked a few times and smiled mischievously. She scooped up a handful of snow and purposely ran in front of Shen Yumo. 

“What’s wrong?” Shen Yumo had felt Jiang Ziquan rushed past, running in front of her happily. She thought that Jiang Ziquan had something to say to her and stopped in her tracks. 

Jiang Ziquan stifled her laughter and using her slender pale hands, she gently smacked the snow into Shen Yumo’s face. 

“Hahahaha!” 

To have succeeded so easily, Jiang Ziquan felt a sense of accomplishment. Her eyes squinted as she laughed with a big smile. 

Shen Yumo blinked. The cool feeling of snow seeped into her skin. Fortunately, Jiang Ziquan hadn’t scooped up too much snow and it was only enough to cover the right side of her face. Some crumbled off but a few stuck against her skin and even on her long eyelashes. As she blinked, the snow flaked off a bit more.

Shen Yumo’s face was naturally pale and delicate, but now even looked more tender and fragile as it became a shade whiter. However, this time, she felt slightly annoyed and frustrated. She knew that Jiang Ziquan was the type to not take things seriously, but she at least thought of her as a mature person. She fixed her gaze and mumbled with a displeased face, “Childish.” 

“Pfft-” Being told she was ‘childish’ with such a serious expression caused Jiang Ziquan to burst out laughing. She raised her hand to wipe off the snow that Shen Yumo hadn’t wiped off but then felt her hands were too cold. She pulled off the scarf Shen Yumo had given to her earlier and wiped Shen Yumo’s face, “Yes, because I’m so childish, Teacher Shen’s teaching skills can be put to good use.” [1]

Shen Yumo understood that Jiang Ziquan was using her teacher identity as a joke, so she ignored her. She walked away, feeling angry and annoyed, “But you are not my student.” 

Jiang Ziquan didn’t care for the technicalities and carefully removed the snow from the scarf. She trotted behind her and said with a teasing smile, “Why not? Or do you want me to formally ask you to be my teacher?” 

Shen Yumo ignored her and touched the right side of her face. The snow had melted, so it was natural for her face to feel warm and right now it felt really warm. Beside her, Jiang Ziquan hadn’t noticed and had her head bowed, still playing with the white scarf.  

“A-are we taking the elevator?” Shen Yumo stuck her hands inside her pockets, her expression somewhat awkward. 

“Huh?” Jiang Ziquan looked up and saw the elevator in front of her. Then she thought about the hug yesterday and subtly peeked over at the expressionless Shen Yumo. She felt her own face redden and fidgeted with her clothes, “En.”

Shen Yumo pressed the button for her floor. 

Mrs. Shen opened the door to see the varying shades of red on both of their faces and she connected the dots. She felt very happy at the thought and quickly grabbed Jiang Ziquan’s hand, “Ziquan, quickly come inside, or you’ll freeze out there.”

“Ah, ok.” Jiang Ziquan nodded and entered the house. She changed her shoes but played with the scarf around her neck. She didn’t want to take it off. 

Shen Yumo directly took the scarf off for her and then seeing her confused face, explained, “Snow has fallen on it, so some of it is drenched now.”

Jiang Ziquan reluctantly let her take the scarf off and watched unwillingly as Shen Yumo placed it to the side.

“Have you eaten yet? Can I warm up something for you?” Mrs. Shen was ready to rush into the kitchen and whip up an entire banquet for Jiang Ziquan. 

“No need.” Jiang Ziquan waved her hands. Before she arrived, she had bought breakfast along the way and she felt that it would be embarrassing to eat alone.

“Then accompany me for a few drinks.” Mr. Shen dragged Jiang Ziquan with him to the table, “When you go back, you can have Yumo drive you.”

“Dad, she was just discharged from the hospital.” Shen Yumo had changed her clothes and walked into this scene. Seeing Jiang Ziquan’s excited face, she couldn’t help but frown and tried to persuade both of them. 

Jiang Ziquan looked between the two but still felt like it was ok to drink a little. After all, she hadn’t drunk in such a long time, “I’ll drink a little.” 

Since she wouldn’t listen to her, Shen Yumo went back to her room to finish packing. 

Jiang Ziquan pinched the bridge of her nose and worried that Shen Yumo was angry at her. She was at a loss as she looked at Mr. Shen. 

Shen Shizong sipped his wine and felt rather amused and satisfied seeing Jiang Ziquan like this. He pushed a glass in front of her and said, “Yumo’s personality has always been that strict. Don’t mind her, she doesn’t like it when anyone drinks.” 

Jiang Ziquan hurriedly accepted the drink and nodded. She took a sniff. The smell was very strong, meaning the alcohol content must be very high. She tried a small sip, just wanting to have a taste. It was very spicy and went down harshly but she could tell it was good wine. She downed the rest of the glass. Expression a little grim, she coughed a few times and then ate a few peanuts to suppress the taste, “This wine of yours is very strong.”  

Under the guidance of her father, Jiang Ziquan’s tolerance was quite high, but this was the first time she had encountered such strong wine. 

Mr. Shen chuckled and took a small sip and poured another glass, “This wine was brewed by Yumo’s grandfather. It’s called Mingzui, it’s alcohol content is a bit high but it leaves a mellow aftertaste once you drink a bit of it.”

“Mingzui?” Jiang Ziquan’s curiosity has been piqued and she picked up the cup to sniff it again. A pure fragrance wafted towards her and the clear wine was like looking into a mirror, it reflected her face. She couldn’t help but drink a little more and then closed her eyes. It wasn’t as spicy as the first glass but now had a light and mellow fragrance. It warmed up her entire body instantly. It definitely deserves to be praised as a good wine. 

Shen Shizong saw her flushed face and did not offer her another glass. Jiang Ziquan was the first person he has seen who was able to taste that mellow aroma only after two glasses and without blacking out. The wine of his father-in-law was by no means ordinary. 

Meanwhile, Shen Yumo had finished packing, but she still felt hesitant about the entire ordeal. She wasn’t used to staying in other people’s homes and furthermore, she and Jiang Ziquan are in that kind of relationship. However, she was no longer that naive and innocent girl and she understood that Jiang Ziquan liked her. This was her way of giving Jiang Ziquan a chance to prove herself. She owed the Jiang family this much at least. 

Jiang Ziquan came in and squatted down next to her. Her hands brushed over Shen Yumo’s suitcase, still worried that Shen Yumo might still be angry and whispered, “Are you ready?”

Hearing those words, Shen Yumo looked up and saw Jiang Ziquan’s face. Her face was glowing red and she asked, “Ready. You didn’t drink much, did you?”

Jiang Ziquan waved her hand to show she was okay. She sniffed herself a bit, there shouldn’t be any smell on me from only two glasses. 

When the snow stopped, Jiang Ziquan and Shen Yumo returned home. Seeing that Jiang Ziquan liked her scarf, Shen Yumo brought it with her. 

Jiang Ziquan patted her scarf then looked at a similar black version of it on Shen Yumo’s neck. Embarrassed, she was thinking, Yumo must have wanted us to wear couples’ clothing! [2]

Shen Yumo drove even slower than Jiang Ziquan and after waking up early and drinking alcohol, Jiang Ziquan quickly fell asleep. 

Afraid that she would get cold, Shen Yumo covered her with a small blanket that was lying on the backseat. Jiang Ziquan seemed to notice as her eyelashes twitched twice but then her entire body curled up into the blanket. Muttering, she looked like a cute little kitten. 

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“Ziquan.”

“Ziquan.”

Jiang Ziquan turned her head confusedly. Yumo’s voice is so soft and gentle in my dreams. Jiang Ziquan was smiling as she curled up further into the blanket. 

Shen Yumo felt it was funny, just how good was the dream if she is smiling like this?

“Wake up.” With no choice, Shen Yumo had to push against Jiang Ziquan’s shoulder and the other hand fixed her hair. 

Jiang Ziquan, who was abruptly woken up, saw ShenYumo’s pretty face. With her face so close to hers, she said with eyes half-closed, “Even in a dream, you always look perfect.” 

Like a cat, she rubbed against her blanket. 

After a while, she felt that something was wrong and snapped open her eyes. She looked over to see Shen Yumo with her head down and her face flushed. She felt she had done something stupid again and said, “Yumo?” 

After recalling what happened earlier, she suddenly didn’t feel tired anymore and hurriedly crawled out of the blanket, unbuckled her seat belt and got out of the car like an obedient student. 

“You can drive the car into the garage, I’ll take the luggage upstairs. 

“Don’t,” Jiang Ziquan made a beeline to the trunk and quickly picked up a suitcase, “Let me go since I have the key.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Yumo did not argue and said, “Then take your time.”

“Ok.”

Shen Yumo had only brought two suitcases and Jiang Ziquan wanted to drag it up the stairs. However, she decided not to fight against her sore arms and walked into the elevator instead. She set the suitcases into the master bedroom where Shen Yumo stayed last time. 

Jiang Ziquan hurriedly turned on the heat. The apartment was as cold as the snow outside. She poured a cup of hot water and warmed herself up. 

When Shen Yumo knocked on the door, Jiang Ziquan welcomed her in with a cup of hot water, “It’s too cold inside right now, so drink some water to warm up your body first.”

Shen Yumo did not take off her coat and accepted the water, taking a sip. 

Since it was too cold inside, Jiang Ziquan dragged Shen Yumo to stand beside the heater and wait for the room to warm up. 

 Jiang Ziquan then went to get the spare key and handed it to her, “My parents and brother both have one, but if your parents want, I can make two more copies.”

“Okay, I understand.”

Shen Yumo clipped the key onto her key ring and glanced at the frog keychain Jiang Ziquan gave her last time handing it on. She had thought it looked cute so she had left it hanging there. 

When Jiang Ziquan also saw that ugly little frog, she felt a bit happy. At least Shen Yumo had liked her present. She reached out and squeezed it, “Have you guessed what this gift means?”

“No, I haven’t.” Shen Yumo thought that Jiang Ziquan would tell her, so she stared expectantly at Jiang Ziquan. 

Jiang Ziquan grunted, and then squeezed it a few more times, keeping her listener in suspense as she said, “As a grade three teacher, you probably say it often. Once you’ve said it again, you will know.”

Shen Yumo gave her a doubtful look and Jiang Ziquan smiled as she sat down with her legs crossed. 

Shen Yumo felt annoyed and didn’t feel like chatting with her. So she stood up and walked to her bedroom. 

The room was still the same as last time, with the addition of a large bookcase, which was probably specially prepared for her. Overall, the room was clean since no one else had lived there. She opened her suitcase, hung up her clothes and then hung up a few scrolls with the eight trigrams on it. [3]

Jiang Ziquan had changed into slippers and carried a box in. Seeing the scrolls she asked curiously, “Why does your house have so many Taoist symbols hanging around? Does your family still believe in this?”

Shen Yumo was a graduate from Huada University, the first teacher’s college in China. Those who graduated from there were realists and believers of science, not Taoism.

“My grandfather still believes in these things, so I hang up a few of these for protection that they bring. He claims they work.” Shen Yumo understood what Jiang Ziquan meant, but she didn’t dare not listen to her grandfather’s words. He was accurate about too many things. She climbed down from the bed and pointed at the box, “What is that?”

Jiang Ziquan shook the box and smiled, “Teacher Shen, don’t you recognize these things? These are yours, not mine, how am I supposed to know what’s inside?”

Shen Yumo approached her with suspicion, but looking at the packaging, this was indeed something she used during the moving. She grabbed a pair of scissors and cut it open. She felt surprised as she said, “Why is this here?” 

Seeing Shen Yumo’s happy expression, Jiang Ziquan also felt happy. She peeked inside and saw a few greeting cards, which should be the gifts from her students, “When you moved last time, don’t you remember you left some things behind? I know the moving company and contacted them. Then I thought that maybe you’ve forgotten something and asked them to go back and find them and then give them to me.”  

Because Shen Yumo was in a hurry at that time, she accidentally left that box behind. So naturally, she was happy that she had recovered it. However, hearing Jiang Ziquan’s words, she felt something was suspicious as several glaring errors popped into her mind. First, why did she contact the people from the moving company and second, why didn’t she give her the box earlier? 

Jiang Ziquan felt the hairs on her neck stand up as Shen Yumo stared at her. At that time, she had wanted to collect a few of Shen Yumo’s things and claim it as her own. In her opinion, it was normal to want something that belonged to the person you liked. As to why she didn’t tell her earlier, Jiang Ziquan really did forget about it because she was so busy. 

“If there’s anything you need, just tell me. I can go shopping in the evening, and if you don’t want it, you can just throw it away.” Jiang Ziquan said it in an imposing tone. After all, she did earn enough money to afford to squander a little. 

Shen Yumo nodded. Although the decoration didn’t change much, the materials were new. Even she was able to tell the difference and it was impossible for Jiang Ziquan to have changed it out after coming back from her business trip. So that meant Jiang Ziquan had long since started preparing for this, maybe even right after she had left last time. Maybe Jiang Ziquan had wanted her to move in earlier, but because Shen Yumo said she wanted to live on campus, Jiang Ziquan did not mention it again. She looked at Jiang Ziquan, who was helping her put her books into the bookcase and felt a little awkward. Sometimes she felt that Jiang Ziquan was too good of a person. 

When Jiang Ziquan saw her looking, she stopped her movements and smiled with her head tilted as she looked back at her. 

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T/N notes:

[1] technically an idiom that directly translates into ‘favorable position for the use of one’s skills’ In this context means that since Shen Yumo is a teacher and Jiang Ziquan is childish, Shen Yumo is in a good position to use her skills as a teacher. 

[2] Couples’ clothing: Wearing matching outfits or clothing that screams ‘Hey, we’re a couple!’ and is the lamest thing in history. Ok, maybe I’m being bitter because I’m single, but come on don’t you feel annoyed when couples flaunt that stuff in your face?

[3] eight trigrams: are eight symbols used in Taoist cosmology to represent the fundamental principles of reality, seen as a range of eight interrelated concepts. (However, when I hear this I think….EIGHT TRIGRAMS, SIXTY-FOUR PALMS! Can you guess which anime that’s from?)

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