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Shen Chuwei helplessly shook her head, "Your Highness won’t allow me to buy."

If it had been allowed, she would have already expanded her scale, raising two more pigs and a flock of Dabai geese.

Lady Xu, the Concubine, expressed her incomprehension, "Why not allow it?"

Shen Chuwei gestured with her eyes, "Just smell the odor."

Full of doubt, Lady Xu took a few steps forward and almost vomited the moment she caught the scent.

So it was that smell!

"Not to speak out of turn, but as a distinguished Lady, there are better things to raise than chickens and ducks, aren’t there?"

Shen Chuwei spread her hands, "Now you understand why His Highness forbids it, right?"

Lady Xu was stunned, and then it dawned on her. She coughed lightly, "His Highness’s decision does make some sense. As a Lady, what don’t you have to eat?"

"That’s where you’re clueless! This is what I call preparing for a rainy day!" Shen Chuwei said proudly.

Lady Xu subconsciously thought, "Are you really short on silver?"

Shen Chuwei nodded, "You could say that."

"Wait here." Lady Xu ran out in a flash.

Shen Chuwei called out in confusion, "Lady Xu, where are you going?"

But Lady Xu had already disappeared.

Shen Chuwei withdrew her gaze and looked towards the dead chickens and ducks, feeling the pain intensely.

Come nightfall

Upon seeing Xiao Jinyan, Shen Chuwei shared her sorrow with him.

"Five chickens and ducks have died, and this concubine couldn’t save them." Shen Chuwei felt inconsolably sad, thinking how they had been fattened up not to be eaten by her, but to die from poisoning.

Xiao Jinyan said helplessly, "They were just chickens and ducks, and aren’t there still six of them left?"

"But this concubine has lost five," Shen Chuwei held up five fingers, indicating a significant number.

Xiao Jinyan cruelly stated the fact, "Even if they don’t die now, they would have been eaten by you eventually."

Shen Chuwei argued, "Is that the same? Chickens and ducks naturally meet death, either as light as a feather or as heavy as Mount Tai! If it fills our stomachs, that’s dying a worthy death. It’s both of us eating, not just this concubine alone."

On the last sentence, Shen Chuwei deliberately strengthened her tone.

Upon hearing ’both of us’, a smile flickered in Xiao Jinyan’s eyes. "This palace will send someone to find out who is so malicious as to poison innocent chickens and ducks."

Shen Chuwei nodded vigorously, "There has to be an explanation!"

Xiao Jinyan chuckled softly, "Can we rest now?"

"We can rest," Shen Chuwei took off her shoes and climbed into bed.

As soon as she was up, Xiao Jinyan embraced her in his arms.

Shen Chuwei’s body was very soft. Though appearing thin, her body had flesh where it should, soft to the touch, and very comfortable to hold.

Xiao Jinyan lowered his head and kissed her lips, exploring the path of memory.

Xiao Jinyan had always thought he wasn’t much interested in women, until he met Shen Chuwei. Especially after consummating their marriage, he found himself becoming addicted.

Before this, he would never have believed he could be so immersed in the pleasures of the bed, and only for her.

Seeing Xiao Jinyan like this, Shen Chuwei knew he must be wearing the sachet again. She groped around and, indeed, felt the sachet at his waist.

She couldn’t understand why he would carry around such an ugly sachet.

And that smiley face on it was super embarrassing!

Shen Chuwei thought about finding an opportunity to throw the sachet far away so that Xiao Jinyan wouldn’t be able to find it.

While Xiao Jinyan was lost in passion, she tried to seize the moment to pull it off, but he discovered her.

Her hand was caught by his large one and pressed back onto the bed. He towered over her, asking, "What are you thinking?""

Shen Chuwei, feeling guilty, shook her head, "This concubine was thinking of nothing."

Xiao Jinyan’s breathing grew heavy, "Then why were you distracted?"

Shen Chuwei asked curiously, "How did you know I was distracted?"

Xiao Jinyan was amused to the point of laughter, "Can’t you feel it?"

Shen Chuwei shook her head.

Xiao Jinyan stared at her for several seconds before letting her experience firsthand what being distracted felt like.

Shen Chuwei’s eyes opened wide, and she pushed Xiao Jinyan away, "What’s gotten into you?"

Xiao Jinyan asserted righteously, "You were just like that just now."

Shen Chuwei’s face flushed with embarrassment, "... Shall we continue? I promise not to be distracted."

Xiao Jinyan chuckled lowly, granting her wish.

In the latter half of the night, Shen Chuwei was struggling to keep up. She said very considerately, "Jinyan, it’s good for your health to manage your time properly."

Xiao Jinyan hummed in response, and then the conversation ended.

Shen Chuwei finally protested outright, "I want to take leave."

Xiao Jinyan asked, "What do you mean?"

Shen Chuwei inquired, "I’ll have a baby in the future, right?"

Xiao Jinyan nodded.

Shen Chuwei persisted, "After having a baby, I won’t be able to engage in strenuous activities, right?"

Xiao Jinyan nodded again.

Shen Chuwei continued, "I’d like to take the leave during the time when I’m with the baby."

Xiao Jinyan remained silent.

He understood some of what she meant, but he wasn’t foolish. To swap now with the time when she would have a baby, was that really a swap?

"No," he said.

Shen Chuwei protested, "You can reserve in advance, so why can’t I take leave?"

Xiao Jinyan huffed, "Don’t try to be slick."

Shen Chuwei pleaded with her soft, cottony voice, "I’m serious."

"Fine, you can swap," he said.

Before Xiao Jinyan could change his mind, Shen Chuwei immediately sealed the deal with, "It’s agreed!"

Xiao Jinyan nodded, "Mhm."

Only then did Shen Chuwei fall asleep in peace.

But later on, Shen Chuwei cried out, "I regret it!"

The next day, upon waking up, Shen Chuwei remembered that she had intended to take the sachet away last night but failed.

She sighed, deciding to wait until she had finished embroidering another one before attempting the swap again.

When Chun Xi came in, she heard Shen Chuwei’s sighs.

"Young Mistress, what’s wrong? You’re sighing first thing in the morning?"

"It’s nothing much, just bring me something to eat," Shen Chuwei requested.

Having spent so much time with Shen Chuwei, Chun Xi immediately understood what "bring me something to eat" implied—it was time for a splendid feast.

Shen Chuwei, having regained her energy, continued to embroider the sachet.

Lady Xu, flourishing her handkerchief, and Tao Chenghui, entered the Hehuan Hall.

Their voices arrived before they did.

"Lady Shen."

Shen Chuwei lifted her head and saw them approaching swiftly.

She asked Lady Xu, "Where did you run off to yesterday?"

Lady Xu took out a banknote from her bosom and presented it to Shen Chuwei, "Take a look."

Shen Chuwei, puzzled, picked it up and saw a five thousand tael banknote.

"I have mine too." Tao Chenghui also handed over a banknote to Shen Chuwei.

Shen Chuwei glanced at it, a banknote for ten thousand taels...

She lifted her head to look at the two of them, "What’s all this about?"

Lady Xu cheerfully explained, "Didn’t you say you needed money? This is for you."

Tao Chenghui added, "This is all I have on me for now, you take it first."

Shen Chuwei was completely shocked. Fifteen thousand taels of silver was no small sum.

"If I take all this, what about you two?"

Lady Xu waved it off, "I’m fine, my family will provide for me."

"Don’t worry about me, my family may lack for nothing else, but certainly not silver. If I tell my father, he will immediately give me a large sum," Tao Chenghui declared nonchalantly.

A bit embarrassed to accept, Shen Chuwei was pushed back and forth between them until she finally took it, thinking it might be useful in the future.

Lady Xu, righteously indignant, said, "By the way, that shameless woman came to pester His Highness again. Come on, let’s join the fray!"