TIPS – Chapter 74

Song Jingwei rubbed his belly, which had grown noticeably larger than last month, and let out a deep breath. His appetite was still quite big, but he was now mindful of his food intake, trying to keep himself about eighty percent full.

Wearing slightly thicker clothes in the cold weather helped to conceal his stomach. There was a slight difference between men and women when it came to pregnancy—women’s bellies were generally larger, whereas men’s were relatively smaller.

On the morning of the 28th, Yuan Qingsui, whom he hadn’t seen for some time, arrived. He still looked like an injured man, but this time, he wasn’t alone. Behind him stood a tall, strong young man with a rough, bandit-like aura. This must be the cousin he had mentioned before—the one who worked on boats.

“Qingsui, long time no see,” Song Jingwei greeted him, politely inviting the two inside. Since tea was already brewing, the three of them sat around the tea table, chatting while pouring tea.

“How have you been, Jingwei?” Yuan Qingsui sized him up, noticing that he had put on weight, which made him curious.

“I’ve been well. You can tell just by looking at me,” Song Jingwei replied with a helpless smile. He casually placed a washed teacup in front of them and poured hot tea. “Please, have some.”

“Ah, I have yet to introduce you,” Yuan Qingsui said. “This is my cousin, Yuan Guanlin. He just turned twenty this year. He has been working on boats since he was sixteen, so it’s been four years now.”

Song Jingwei examined Yuan Guanlin closely—he was only twenty, yet his exposure to the wind and sun on the water had made him appear mature and steady beyond his years.

“Guanlin, this is the friend I told you about—his name is Song Jingwei,” Yuan Qingsui introduced, pointing to the fields outside. “Those farmlands all belong to him. He’s planning to plant a tea garden, and by next year, it should yield a harvest.”

Introducing them at this stage might have been a bit early since the tea garden was still uncertain, and the earliest possible harvest wouldn’t come until the latter half of next year. But Yuan Qingsui had a small personal agenda—he wanted them to get acquainted early so that their future business dealings would go smoothly. In this, he was firmly on Song Jingwei’s side because his cousin was not the easiest person to get along with.

“Young Master Yuan Guanlin, nice to meet you,” Song Jingwei greeted.

“So you’re the one my cousin spoke of—the talented man?” Yuan Guanlin scrutinized him up and down but couldn’t see anything particularly special. However, for this rural fellow to have quickly built a connection with his cousin, he must not be someone simple.

“I wouldn’t say talented—it’s just a means of survival,” Song Jingwei responded calmly. Yuan Guanlin didn’t seem to be the type who appreciated pleasantries. Given his background in boating, even his way of speaking carried a bandit-like roughness.

“Well, at least you have real skills,” Yuan Guanlin remarked, still eyeing him carefully.

Sensing the awkward tension between them, Yuan Qingsui found it strange. He knew his cousin had a rough, domineering nature and rarely treated people kindly. But since he respected Yuan Qingsui, he usually wouldn’t be so blunt toward someone introduced by him.

“Guanlin, you might be misunderstanding something. Jingwei and I became friends because we admire each other, not because of any ulterior motives,” Yuan Qingsui said, smiling bitterly at his cousin’s attitude.

“No misunderstanding—I was just testing him. He’s not afraid of me,” Yuan Guanlin suddenly grinned, breaking the tension.

“…You,” Yuan Qingsui sighed, realizing he had been played by his cousin yet again.

“Well, since he’s your friend, I won’t make things difficult for him,” Yuan Guanlin said seriously. “If he wants to do business with me, we’ll do it under my rules. If he can’t accept them, he’d best give up on the idea now.”

“What are your rules?” Song Jingwei asked.

Yuan Guanlin replied, “First, I don’t accept people ordering me around. Once you give me the goods, they’re mine to handle. You just wait for the money and don’t interfere. Second, I don’t negotiate prices—I take a 20% cut from whatever I sell.”

“Twenty percent is a bit high,” Song Jingwei interrupted in a calm tone.

“Heh! It’s worth it,” Yuan Guanlin sneered. “I’m the one transporting, distributing, and selling the goods at a high price. I also bear the risks along the way. If you were to sell it yourself, do you even know where to get the best price? Do you know how to sell it effectively?”

Yuan Qingsui knew his cousin’s capabilities, so he turned to Song Jingwei and said, “Guanlin isn’t wrong. After years of working on the water, he has built up experience. If you entrust your goods to him, you won’t have to worry about getting a good price.”

Song Jingwei understood the logic. He was only trying to negotiate to see if there was any room for bargaining. Since Yuan Guanlin was firm on his terms, there wasn’t much he could do.

“Fine, you can take twenty percent,” Song Jingwei agreed. “But you must guarantee that my goods reach their destination safely.” If an accident happened along the way, Yuan Guanlin would have to bear the loss. However, he chose his words carefully to avoid offending him.

“You can rest assured—I’ve been sailing for four years and have never lost a shipment,” Yuan Guanlin said confidently. He picked up his teacup and downed the tea in one gulp.

Just then, Shen Junxi entered the room, carrying a chill from outside. Stepping inside, he realized that Song Jingwei had guests. One was Yuan Qingsui, whom he recognized, but the other was a stranger. Pausing at the entrance, he suddenly felt unsure—should he quietly leave or walk in?

“Come and sit,” Song Jingwei said as he looked up and saw him.

“Mm.” Shen Junxi stepped forward lightly and sat beside his wife, first nodding in greeting to Yuan Qingsui using sign language.

“Young Master Shen, hello,” Yuan Qingsui said with a smile.

Song Jingwei didn’t introduce anything to Yuan Guanlin. He naturally poured Shen Junxi a cup of hot tea before saying, “Has Wu Xi returned?” Wu Xi had taken leave that morning to go to town for some shopping, so Shen Junxi had been covering for him.

“Mm.” Shen Junxi gazed at him warmly and nodded.

Yuan Qingsui leaned in to quietly explain to his cousin, “This is Young Master Shen, Jingwei’s partner.”

“…” Yuan Guanlin raised an eyebrow in surprise, his expression a mix of shock and a hint of distaste. “Partner? Isn’t that just his husband?” So he had been talking business for so long, only to find out that the other party was actually a married ‘woman’—”Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” he complained to Yuan Qingsui.

“Uh, what does it matter?” Yuan Qingsui was confused. He made friends without such restrictions—if they got along, that was enough for him.

“Hmph…” Yuan Guanlin turned directly to Song Jingwei and said, “Let me tell you, I never do business with women.”

Song Jingwei’s expression remained unchanged, though his gaze grew colder. “What exactly do you mean by that?” he asked.

“I mean I’m not doing business with you. Find someone else.” Yuan Guanlin didn’t even glance at the tea that had been poured for him. He stood up, ready to leave.

Yuan Qingsui spoke up. “Guanlin, you—”

“I’m leaving. You can do as you like,” Yuan Guanlin said nonchalantly before swaggering out the door.

“This troublesome kid…” Yuan Qingsui sighed in frustration, a mix of anger and helplessness, but mostly embarrassment. “Jingwei, I’m really sorry. I didn’t expect him to act like this.” He had never heard that his cousin disliked men who were married.

“It’s fine. This isn’t your fault.” Business was business—if they could work together, great; if not, they could part ways. Although losing this opportunity was a pity, Song Jingwei didn’t dwell on it.

“Mm, don’t worry about it. He’s just being stubborn for now. I’ll talk to him.” Yuan Qingsui refused to believe he couldn’t convince his cousin. “There’s plenty of time, so no rush.”

“You’re working hard for me, and I have nothing to repay you with right now.” Song Jingwei smiled. “Why don’t you stay and have a meal with us?”

Yuan Qingsui had visited a few times but had never stayed for a meal. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Then I’ll accept your hospitality. Let’s have a drink.”

“No drinking,” Song Jingwei said, motioning toward Yuan Qingsui’s injured arm. “Your hand hasn’t healed yet.”

“…” Yuan Qingsui, though a scholarly general, was used to drinking in the military camp. It had been a while since he last had alcohol, and he missed it.

Shen Junxi, hearing this, finally felt relieved. He absolutely did not want his wife drinking.

At noon, to properly host Yuan Qingsui, Yang Shi slaughtered a chicken and stewed a pork knuckle, making the meal especially delicious. During the meal, Shen Dongming kept trying to drink, but every time he was about to say something, Yang Shi’s sharp gaze shut him up. In the end, he could only lower his eyebrows and sulk.

These days, he had to quit both smoking and drinking—he couldn’t even have a drink while entertaining guests. It was truly pitiful.

Yuan Qingsui, on the other hand, was more restrained. He smiled and said, “Uncle, let’s just drink tea instead.” If there was no alcohol, tea would do.

“…” Shen Dongming took a big gulp of strong tea and smacked his lips. How could this taste anything like alcohol? It wasn’t the same at all!

Everyone laughed at his miserable, craving expression.

After sending off the guest, Shen Junxi helped Yang Shi clean up the table, lost in thought. A little later, he went back to the room to accompany his wife for an afternoon nap.

Seeing his distraction, Song Jingwei asked, “You’ve been zoning out all afternoon. What’s on your mind?”

Shen Junxi signed hesitantly, “What were you discussing this morning? Was it about business?”

Song Jingwei glanced at him sideways and said lazily, “We were discussing sales channels. That tall, strong man is a boat merchant, but the deal fell through.”

“Why did it fall through?” Shen Junxi hesitated before signing again, “Was it because of me?”

“Pfft…” Song Jingwei chuckled. “What does it have to do with you? He doesn’t even know you.” From beginning to end, Shen Junxi had nothing to do with it.

“…” Shen Junxi lowered his gaze silently. How could it have nothing to do with him? He had figured it out. That man had probably already agreed to do business, but after finding out his wife was a married man, he changed his mind.

After a moment of thought, Song Jingwei said, “He refused the deal because he looks down on me, but I didn’t end up in this position because of you.”

That was why, no matter what happened, Song Jingwei had never blamed Shen Junxi. Maybe, in the beginning, he had felt some resentment, but now he was certain that Shen Junxi was innocent.

And because Shen Junxi was innocent—because he was so persistent and cautious toward him—Song Jingwei had gradually let down his guard, day by day.

At least by now, he could no longer bring himself to say those cruel, hurtful words from the past.

“…” A single “It’s not because of you” didn’t make Shen Junxi feel any better. Instead, his face turned pale.

“What’s wrong?” Seeing his pale complexion, Song Jingwei asked, “Can you toughen up a little? I’m not blaming you.” Dealing with someone who panicked so easily left Song Jingwei at a loss, as if he had to carefully choose every word to avoid hurting him.

When Shen Junxi looked up at him, Song Jingwei emphasized, “Listen to me clearly—I have never blamed you, understand?”

Song Jingwei said he had never blamed him.

Those words felt like salvation to Shen Junxi. He looked at him with an earnest, searching gaze, as if asking, “Is this really true?” The reason he had always been so anxious was because he carried a deep sense of guilt toward Song Jingwei. He always felt that Song Jingwei had ended up like this because of him.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but it wasn’t voluntary on your part either, so there’s nothing to blame you for,” Song Jingwei said with certainty. Based on what he knew of the young man’s character, he would never willingly do something like that.

“Mm.” Getting such a reassuring answer, Shen Junxi nodded gratefully. Then, with a small smile, he signed, “But I really like my wife.”

Even if what happened back then was forced upon him, once he woke up and saw his wife, he immediately liked him.

“Pfft, you fall in love way too fast.” Song Jingwei teased him, slightly exasperated. He didn’t understand why Shen Junxi liked him. If only he didn’t—it would save them both from this struggle. Then he wouldn’t have to constantly comfort his fragile heart, always considering whether his every move might hurt him.

“It’s not too fast.” Shen Junxi signed seriously, “My wife and I even have a baby now.”

Even though it happened in a confused state, it was still the truth. That evening, he could vaguely remember a little—he remembered the warmth of their skin touching, remembered how his wife clung to him… Thinking of this, he lowered his gaze in embarrassment, though his expression remained composed.

“…”

Seeing the young man’s flushed face, Song Jingwei could roughly guess what he was thinking. Since he had no memory of it, he didn’t feel shy—just a little annoyed that he was the one who ended up pregnant.

If Shen Junxi were the one pregnant instead, things would be even messier. One wrong move, and he would become the scumbag who abandoned his “wife.”

So… should he be glad that he was the one who got pregnant?

Song Jingwei shuddered at the thought. He said to the young man, “I’m going to sleep. Go do whatever you need to do.” He bent down to take off his shoes, but the bulge in his stomach made it difficult.

Shen Junxi immediately stepped in, kneeling to remove his cotton shoes for him.

Song Jingwei climbed into bed silently. Before he could even adjust himself, the young man had already tucked him in, carefully smoothing the covers. If this were mosquito season, Song Jingwei had no doubt that Shen Junxi would sit inside the mosquito net and kill every last one before leaving.

Thinking of that, he gave Shen Junxi a slightly complicated look.

After finishing everything and double-checking that nothing was amiss, Shen Junxi hesitated, unwilling to leave. He wanted to wait for his wife to tell him to go. But after waiting for a long time, Song Jingwei remained silent.

Did he fall asleep so quickly?

Curious, Shen Junxi glanced over—only to lock eyes with his wife.

Startled, he quickly averted his gaze, staring at the wall instead. He counted to five in his heart before sneaking another peek. Song Jingwei was still looking at him.

The intense gaze made Shen Junxi anxious. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Hm?”

Seeing the young man’s puzzled expression, Song Jingwei shook his head and said, “Nothing, I’m going to sleep now.” He closed his eyes and, true to his words, fell asleep almost instantly.

“…”

Shen Junxi quietly sat on the edge of the bed, placing his hand lightly on the blanket. Simply accompanying his wife and baby during their nap felt like happiness.

On the morning of the last day of November, Song Jingwei received an invitation. The sender was Yuan Guanlin.

The message inside invited him to board a ship for a drink and discussion. Yuan Guanlin’s wording was a bit cruder than that—more like a challenge: “If you’ve got the guts, come aboard. If this drink goes well, we can talk business.”

It was likely thanks to Yuan Qingsui’s efforts that his bandit-like cousin had finally been persuaded.

Song Jingwei quietly put the letter away, making sure Shen Junxi didn’t see it. He gazed at the overcast sky outside, hesitating about whether to go.

Yuan Guanlin certainly looked and acted like a bandit, but Song Jingwei saw potential in him—he was a man of his word, loyal, and full of spirit. If he could successfully close this deal, his future business prospects would be much more secure.

Under his usual way of thinking, he wouldn’t hesitate at all—he would go for sure and wouldn’t stop until he got what he wanted.