The concubine was charming and alluring, and the ruthless prince coaxed her day and night.

Chapter 126 Happiness is Contagious

"good to eat!"

Xu Jiaojiao couldn't help but sigh with emotion, and then, just like Prince Chen, she started slurping loudly.

Zhao Yunzheng was somewhat taken aback to see Xu Jiaojiao eating so recklessly.

In the past, Xu Jiaojiao would eat in front of him with tiny, delicate bites, almost like a little bird.

If all the noble ladies in Kyoto weren't this outrageous, he wouldn't have failed to notice that Xu Jiaojiao had been putting on airs in front of him all along.

Now it seems, this is Xu Jiaojiao's true nature...

Zhao Yunzheng didn't feel angry; instead, he felt a sense of relief.

Rather than constantly trying to please him and deliberately putting on an act, he truly hoped that Xu Jiaojiao could be herself.

"Try the dried radish later, eat it with noodles, I can eat three big bowls."

Prince Chen recommended the dried radish to Xu Jiaojiao for the second time, making Xu Jiaojiao look forward to the dried radish that had not yet been served.

No sooner had she finished speaking than the proprietress brought over dried radish and peanuts: "Esteemed guests, please enjoy your dried radish and peanuts!"

Unlike the white, jade-like dried radish we usually eat, this dried radish is coated with a layer of bright red chili powder.

Under the expectant gaze of Prince Chen, Xu Jiaojiao picked up a piece and put it in her mouth.

A slight spiciness spreads across the tip of the tongue, followed by the crisp sweetness of the dried radish itself, making it truly refreshing.

Xu Jiaojiao's eyes lit up again: "Delicious!"

Upon receiving an affirmative response, Zhao Yunzheng's face visibly brightened with a smile: "If you like it, eat more."

Because of morning sickness, Xu Jiaojiao had a poor appetite and didn't eat much. This crispy and spicy pickled radish was a rare treat that whetted her appetite, and she finished the whole bowl of scallion oil noodles and still wanted more.

As he had said, Prince Chen ate three large bowls of scallion oil noodles with the dried radish in one go.

After eating and drinking their fill, the two sat contentedly with their eyes half-closed, chins propped up on their hands, watching the pedestrians come and go on the street.

Xu Jiaojiao stared at the boss and his wife for a long time, and couldn't help but murmur, "Your Highness, have you noticed that the only person serving noodles to the guests is the boss's wife? The boss never comes out to serve noodles, even when he's not kneading the dough."

Zhao Yunzheng's brow twitched almost imperceptibly.

He couldn't help but glance at the boss and his wife: "Jiaojiao, are you trying to say that this boss is selfish and treats his wife badly?"

Xu Jiaojiao shook her head like a rattle-drum: "No, I can see that the boss and his wife are very loving and the boss dotes on his wife. It is precisely because I can see that I am puzzled."

Zhao Yunzheng couldn't help but smile: "You have a good eye for people."

Xu Jiaojiao was slightly taken aback.

So she guessed right?

Prince Chen looked at the couple who were still working hard at the stall, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "It's not that the owner didn't want to help his wife serve the noodles, but rather that he was missing a leg and had difficulty moving around."

Xu Jiaojiao's pupils dilated, and she immediately focused her attention to look closely. Sure enough, she found that the boss was not kneading the dough while standing, but was sitting on a specially made high shelf to knead the dough.

"This……"

Thinking about how difficult it was for ordinary people to make a living in this era, Xu Jiaojiao felt a lot of pity for the couple.

She murmured softly, "Although the world is unjust, their self-reliance and resilience deserve our respect."

Prince Chen's gaze was somewhat vacant, as if he were recalling the past.

"This boss was originally a soldier in the Zhenbei Army. He lost a leg to the Qiang Wu people on the battlefield and almost lost his life in the northern border."

Zhao Yunzheng exhaled a breath of stale air and slowly recounted the past: "He was very tenacious, and behind this tenacity was his reluctance to part with his wife."

When I first saw him, he was lying on the board, barely alive and delirious. I thought he wouldn't survive. But to my surprise, a month later, I saw him helping the medic bandage other wounded soldiers. Keep in mind, he himself was a wounded soldier.

Xu Jiaojiao was also surprised.

The pain of a broken leg is no small matter. In this era of poor medical care, massive bleeding and infection alone could kill a person. Unexpectedly, this boss survived.

Xu Jiaojiao exclaimed, "To recover to this extent in just one month, the boss is truly an extraordinary person."

Zhao Yunzheng shook his head: "No, he hasn't recovered well."

Under Xu Jiaojiao's astonished gaze, he continued, "Just as you thought, when I saw him bandaging the wounded for the military doctor, I was shocked by the speed at which his wounds healed. I couldn't help but ask the military doctor in private why his wounds could heal so quickly."

But the army doctor told me that his wound was not healing well. The reason he forced himself to get up and help was because he didn't want to lie there like a corpse, at the mercy of others and leave it to fate.

The military doctor also advised him to take good care of his injuries.

But he told the medic that only by disguising himself as a normal person could he feel alive; he had to live because his beloved wife was waiting for him to return home.

At this point, Zhao Yunzheng paused slightly, then a touch of emotion appeared in his eyes: "At first, I didn't understand. I thought she was just a woman and not worth him risking his life for."

Years later, I stumbled upon the noodle stall and saw the couple supporting each other and deeply in love. Only then did I understand his initial persistence.

Xu Jiaojiao looked up at the boss and his wife.

There were no more customers at the stall, so the two relaxed and sat side by side in front of it, chatting and laughing.

It was unclear what the two were talking about, but the proprietress smiled broadly, her eyes crinkling with happiness, while the proprietress stared intently at her, a happy smile also playing on her lips.

As she watched, Xu Jiaojiao's eyes suddenly welled up with tears. She felt both envious and touched, and her heart was filled with warmth and contentment.

It turns out, happiness is contagious...

Suddenly, Xu Jiaojiao felt a warm, large hand caress her cheek.

The man gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes: "What are you thinking about?"

Xu Jiaojiao came to her senses.

She sniffed, gently rubbed against Prince Chen's palm, and murmured softly, "I only prayed in my heart that my prince and I could be just as happy."

Zhao Yunzheng was deeply shaken: "Yes..."

Seeing that it was getting late, Zhao Yunzheng threw down a piece of silver and left with Xu Jiaojiao in his hand.

Before leaving, he glanced at the stall owner and his wife one last time.

Time has passed, and many years have gone by. The boss may have long forgotten him, but he can never forget this kindness.

Just as he suspected, the boss had no idea that Zhao Yunzheng had been silently watching him for years, nor would he ever imagine that someone as ordinary as him would be remembered by someone in a higher position. He simply lived on, determined to stay with the woman he loved forever…

After leaving the noodle stall, Prince Chen did not take Xu Jiaojiao back to the Bamboo Courtyard, but instead took her to the village's clothing shop...