Chapter 2486: My Wife Is a Pirate 16

That day, the two had just finished breakfast.

Bu Changji was helping Jin Chen cure the dried small fish inside the house.

This kind of small fish is plentiful; even dried, it sells for little, and while homemade soup from it is fresh, one can't finish it all, so curing it for snacks or as a side dish is just right.

Bu Changji's method was still taught step by step by Jin Chen, and it looked quite proper.

While they were busy, a strange voice came from outside the house—it sounded like a woman's, very warm and enthusiastic.

Bu Changji paused, cocked his ear to listen, and pushed the window open a crack.

Upon hearing that, he froze in place.

The person outside turned out to be a matchmaker.

The matchmaker was quite famous in the surrounding villages; it was said that the marriages she arranged brought generous betrothal gifts, and ordinary families could hardly persuade her to take on a case.

The matchmaker's voice was loud, full of her usual exaggeration and enthusiasm: "……You can see how much that family values you! Jin Chen, Auntie isn't boasting—among the ten‑li‑eight‑villages, you won't find another young man as capable and good‑looking as you! Plenty of fine girls are waiting eagerly for you!"

"It's just that your parents passed away early, so no one's arranging things for you."

"But Auntie, I live in the same hollow as you, so I'm kind of like a senior relative—I can't just watch you keep delaying like this…"

Jin Chen politely declined, "Thank you for your kindness, Auntie, but I really don't have that plan right now."

The matchmaker, however, wouldn't give up easily and kept urging: "Oh, at least hear the girl's conditions first! Let's set a meeting, go to the seaside for a stroll, catch some fish, and then see if we click—there's no rush."

Inside the house, Bu Changji listened even more closely than Jin Chen, his fingers unconsciously tightening around the dried fish.

The matchmaker went on boasting: "That girl's family owns two fishing boats!"

"She's also skilled at catching fish, has a straightforward personality, works efficiently, and her looks are top‑notch even in their hollow."

"Girls like that are in high demand!"

Bu Changji listened, his fingers unconsciously curling, and inexplicably he began comparing himself to the girl the matchmaker described.

What are two fishing boats? He commands plenty of large sea‑going ships that can brave stormy waves.

As for looks… he doesn't think he's lacking either.

As for fishing skill, he's a pirate captain who can take on huge sea‑creatures single‑handedly!

……Not a girl……would that not do?

Just as that thought surfaced, Bu Changji felt a sudden pang in his heart, an indescribable sourness welling up.

When Bu Changji suddenly realized what he'd just been thinking, he startled, his hand shaking—he almost knocked over the nearby jar of cured fish.

He hurriedly steadied the jar's rim, his heart pounding; to hide his fluster, he grabbed the nearby cool tea and took a big gulp—the icy liquid slid down his throat, but it couldn't calm the turmoil inside.

As for what the matchmaker said afterward outside, he didn't catch a single word.

Jin Chen remained polite but firm in his refusal: "I appreciate your kindness, Auntie, but… I already have someone I like."

The matchmaker was visibly startled, then hurriedly asked: "You have someone you like? Which family's girl is it? Auntie, I haven't heard anything about that."

Jin Chen spoke calmly: "Everyone around the hollow says I'm keeping Jiu Shi as my wife, and they're not wrong."

The matchmaker seemed choked by those words, and after a moment she stammered: "Really… really… is that the case……"

She seemed to want to keep urging, but Jin Chen had already politely seen her out.

Hearing the matchmaker's footsteps fade away, Bu Changji stood inside the house, his mind in turmoil, waves of heat flushing his face.

Jin Chen pushed the door open and entered, apparently wanting to explain what had just happened.

But Bu Changji rose to his feet, lowered his head, and started to walk out: "I… I'll go out for a walk……"

But his wrist was seized by Jin Chen.

Jin Chen's palm was hot, his grip unyielding; the warmth seeped through Bu Changji's skin, making his whole body feel slightly numb.

"Where are you going to walk, what's wrong?" Jin Chen asked, turning his head to look at him.

Bu Changji hesitated, then said: "……I need……to go think something through clearly……

Jin Chen watched his flustered yet forced‑calm expression, his eyes flickering as if he realized something, and the corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly before he let go.

"All right, go ahead." He said in a gentle tone.

Bu Changji felt as if pardoned, and almost fled the little house.

Jin Chen watched his back disappear at the courtyard gate, a smile flickering in his eyes.

His wife was about to open her apertures; facing her own feelings, what could be wrong?

He stood there in the house for a while, thought it over, then turned and left as well.

Going to town would take too long, so he decided to visit the two households in the same hollow that had sworn brotherhood with him, to borrow something.

——

Jin Chen borrowed the items, and then the hearty man of that household and his sworn husband teased him good‑naturedly.

Passing the awkward spot, he lifted his gaze to the distant desolate mudflat.

Upon that glance, his steps involuntarily halted.

Ling Gun Gun poked his head out while chewing on the dried fish, 【Oh, the pirates are up to something again, how strange.】

【Indeed strange.】 Jin Chen said.

The pirates each held a long wooden stick and a short iron hoe, heads down as they poked and prodded in the muddy flats and among the rocks.

They neither robbed nor harassed the villagers; all day they just couldn't get past this patch of mud—how could they still be called vicious pirates?

【Clearly like a bunch of homeless stupid crabs.】 Ling Gun Gun's blunt critique.

Jin Chen's brows furrowed slightly as he suddenly recalled that, in the original plot, the treasure vault of the villain Fang Yunyao had been stolen by the pirate chief Bu Changji.

Could it actually be right beneath the mudflat of Whitewave Hollow?

That won't do.

Jin Chen grew alert: that vault belonged to Prince Jing's Manor; reckoning it up, it was essentially his wife's property.

How could he let those pirates dig it up?

Jin Chen picked up a fairly sturdy wooden stick from the ground, tested its weight, then strode swiftly toward the mudflat.

A pirate was bending over, jabbing a stick hard into the soft, wet sand, trying to sense whether there was a hollow underneath.

As he kept jabbing, the light ahead suddenly dimmed, and a pair of shoes appeared in his view.

The pirate instinctively looked up.

He met Jin Chen's deep, dark eyes, devoid of any warmth.

"Ah!"

This pirate, of all people, was exactly the unlucky wretch from whom Jin Chen had effortlessly taken his sword that day.

He still vividly remembered Jin Chen's terrifying skill and oppressive presence; seeing him again now scared him witless, he plopped down on his butt, splattering mud all over himself, and scrambled backward on his hands and feet, as if he'd seen the Sea King of Hell.

Jin Chen looked down at him, his voice cold and low, "Didn't I tell you not to let me see you loitering around here again?"

His tone carried an undisguised threat.

The pirate: "???"

He almost wanted to cry but had no tears.

"Dage! It's you who came over and forced yourself on us! We were trying to avoid you, but we didn't have time!"

Jin Chen casually swung the wooden stick in his hand, striking the pirate's shin bone with moderate force.

"Ouch!"

The pirate felt a sharp pain in his calf, rendering half his body weak; he couldn't get up for a while, had no mind for treasure hunting, and could only grit his teeth and suck in cold air.

The commotion here immediately alerted the other pirates.

Everyone looked up and saw Jin Chen standing on the mudflat like a killing god, still holding a stick, while his wounded companion lay groaning on the ground.

"Run! That terrifying fisherman is back again!"

"Mom! Hurry and withdraw!"

The pirates shouted, abandoning any thought of the treasure vault, and fled in disarray in different directions.

Among them, a figure in gaudy old clothes, with his face smeared black and yellow, ran the fastest, his posture especially staggering and panicky, nearly tripping himself several times.

Jin Chen narrowed his eyes, watching that fleeing figure dart away faster than a rabbit, and snorted coldly in his mind.

This pirate chief, Bu Changji, certainly lived up to his reputation; setting aside other skills, his escape technique was quite agile.

"Host, let's also look for the treasure vault and find it before they do!", Ling Gun Gun proposed.

Jin Chen thought it fine, holding the stick, he slowly paced across the mudflat that the pirates had churned into a mess.

Before long, Jin Chen had spotted several spots that looked ordinary but actually concealed hidden mechanisms in the reef layout and sand traces.

He observed carefully and soon confirmed the approximate direction of the treasure vault's entrance.

The entrance was exquisitely designed, using natural reefs and wave‑wash traces as excellent camouflage; without insider knowledge or seasoned experience, it would be impossible to spot.

After thinking it over, he simply got to work, moving a few suitably sized rocks to reinforce the original concealment and make a few adjustments, rendering it even more hidden and hard to find.

Having done all that, Jin Chen nodded in satisfaction, "Not bad."

He would tell his wife about it when a suitable opportunity arose.

Jin Chen turned and headed home.