With thе еldеrs hаndling thе mаttеr of the Liаngguо Dukе's hоusеhold, Zhou Shaоjin slеpt soundlу that night.
Thе nехt mоrning, shе wоke up rеfreshed and spirited, feеling аn unprеcеdеntеd lightnеss.
"Shi Xiаng," shе sаt bеfоre thе dressing table аnd сheеrfully instructed hеr head mаid, "after brеаkfаst, hеаt uр thе iron. Onсе I return frоm раying rеspесts to Grandmоthеr, we must quiсkly press Fаther and Steрmоthеr's clоthes. If Father саn mаke it bасk fоr thе Мid-Аutumn Festivаl, thеre аren't mаny daуs left. I still hаvе tо go tо Соld Grеen Mountаin House to cоpy scriрtures this aftеrnoоn!"
Shi Хiang smilеd in agreement, helped Zhou Shaojin put on her pearl hairpin, and instructed the junior maids to serve breakfast.
Just as Zhou Shaojin picked up her chopsticks, Cheng Jia arrived.
She wore a silver-red burnt cloth vest and looked somewhat weary.
Zhou Shaojin quickly invited her to sit down and asked if she had eaten breakfast.
Cheng Jia listlessly shook her head.
Shi Xiang had already deftly brought in a bowl and chopsticks for Cheng Jia.
Cheng Jia glanced at the table and said disdainfully, "Why do you drink plain congee every day? Can't you have something else?"
"Plain congee is good!" Zhou Shaojin said with a smile. "It nourishes the stomach."
"Do you have a stomach ailment or are you elderly?" Cheng Jia curled her lips dismissively. "You eat like an old lady."
Zhou Shaojin was slightly taken aback.
Cheng Jia had actually hit the mark with that remark.
Since her rebirth, it seemed she still retained her previous lifestyle habits...
Zhou Shaojin gave a wry smile.
Cheng Jia had already instructed Shi Xiang: "Bring me a bowl of soy milk, three soup dumplings—no, make it five. I'm going to feast."
Shi Xiang smiled with pursed lips and withdrew.
Zhou Shaojin teased her: "Are you going to harvest crops in the fields?"
"What crops!" Cheng Jia said resentfully. "I'm eating my fill so I can argue with my mother."
Zhou Shaojin guessed that something had gone wrong with the Zhu Pengju matter.
She asked in confusion, "Could it be that Cousin Zheng..."
"No!" Cheng Jia said, her eyes reddening. "Brother said we should wait and see for now. After all, the Liangguo Duke's household hasn't explicitly said the gift was from the heir, nor was it specifically sent to me alone. Even if there are some ulterior motives, we don't know whether they're interested in you or me. If we act too hastily, guarding against them like thieves, we'll just become a laughingstock. I think Brother makes sense. As long as we don't agree, we can handle whatever comes our way. Nothing will go wrong. But my mother seems to have lost her senses. Early this morning, she actually sent someone to inquire about the Liangguo Duke's household. She even told the auntie teaching me etiquette to put more effort into it, promising a reward of a hundred taels if she teaches well. That auntie is cunning. Originally, she just had me balance a book on my head while walking, but now she's replaced the book with a bowl... I couldn't be bothered with her, so I simply came to you."
Zhou Shaojin sighed.
Thank goodness she wasn't born into the third branch. Thank goodness her father hadn't married Cheng Xian!
The two quietly finished breakfast, and Zhou Shaojin prepared to go pay respects to Old Madam Guan.
Cheng Jia linked arms with her and said, "I'll go with you!"
Zhou Shaojin thought it was fine, so she went with Cheng Jia to her sister's place. After waiting for Zhou Chujin to get ready, the three of them headed to Jia Shu Hall.
At the entrance, they encountered Cheng Gao and Cheng Yi, who had just finished paying their respects to Old Madam Guan.Seeing Cheng Jia, both were quite surprised. After exchanging greetings, Cheng Gao's gaze fell upon Zhou Shaojin. Cheng Yi, however, teased Cheng Jia: "You, coming so early in the morning to curry favor with my grandmother—could it be you have some request?"
Cheng Jia, hearing this, felt a stir in her heart and laughed, "What? When you come to pay respects, it's filial piety, but when I come, it's with ulterior motives? What kind of logic is that?"
"I never said you had ulterior motives," Cheng Yi bantered with Cheng Jia. "Those words came from your own mouth..."
Cheng Gao, meanwhile, turned away from Zhou Chujin and gave Zhou Shaojin a meaningful look, pointing toward the century-old locust tree at the entrance of Jia Shu Hall. Then he pulled his younger brother along, saying, "Early in the morning, instead of reciting your lessons, you're here quarreling. Hurry up and come with me to the academy, or you'll be late and the teacher will make you stand as punishment. How many times have you been punished this month already?"
"Brother, brother," Cheng Yi pleaded, "with our sisters here, at least save me some face."
Everyone burst into laughter.
Old Madam Guan, inside the room, couldn't help but laugh as well.
When Zhou Shaojin and the others entered to pay their respects, Old Madam Guan took Cheng Jia's hand and eagerly asked about her daily life and routines.
Zhou Shaojin, mindful of her arrangement with Cheng Gao, sat for a while before excusing herself to use the washroom and left the resting chamber.
Cheng Gao was waiting for her under the tree.
She ran over, slightly out of breath, and asked, "Cousin Gao, what did you want to see me about?"
Cheng Gao remained silent for a moment, carefully choosing his words. "The news of your father's transfer to Baoding as prefect has spread throughout the family. Are you aware of it?"
Zhou Shaojin nodded, puzzled.
Cheng Gao pondered and said, "It's also spread throughout the clan school. Some have even written essays on which positions are more likely to lead to promotions in the capital. In the future, if anyone tries to get close to you, be more cautious and don't trust their words so easily."
"Who has so much time for such nonsense!" Zhou Shaojin disliked people who focused solely on scheming and climbing the social ladder. She frowned and said, "Cousin Gao, don't worry, I'll be careful." However, since Cheng Gao had gone out of his way to tell her this, she sensed there was more to it than just people trying to get close to her. She asked directly, "Cousin Gao, has something happened at the clan school? Please tell me directly, so I don't hear distorted rumors from others."
Cheng Gao looked surprised, then smiled. "Cousin Shaojin, you've changed a lot. You even dare to ask me directly now!"
Had she really been too timid to speak like this before?
Zhou Shaojin blushed.
Cheng Gao smiled and said, "Some things are just my own speculations... Cheng Lu has been acting strangely lately... He seems fine when he's with Jiashan, but when he's alone, he's always gloomy. When others ask him, he no longer shares his thoughts openly as he used to. Instead, he gives faint, bitter smiles and says discouraging things..."
"What kind of things?" Zhou Shaojin asked cautiously, as the matter involved Cheng Lu.Cheng Gao watched, thinking she was worried about Cheng Lu, and hesitated for a long while. Finally, he made up his mind and said, "He said things like sometimes people have to bow to circumstances, and that if a man doesn’t achieve fame and success, all the beautiful wives and concubines are just flowers in a mirror or the moon reflected in water—illusory... I also heard rumors that Jiashan is very protective of you. For your sake, he once gave Xiangqing a hard time, but fortunately, Xiangqing was quick-witted and exceptionally knowledgeable. Not only did he not get stumped by Jiashan, but he also earned Jiashan’s admiration, and the two became good friends..."
Zhou Shaojin was stunned.
So, she had become a femme fatale playing both sides, and together with the bullying Cheng Xu, she had helped build Cheng Lu’s good reputation?
She flushed with anger, trembling all over.
Cheng Gao couldn’t bear to see it and quickly said, "But don’t take these words to heart. What’s important now is to ignore both of them. Qin Zi’an—well, he’s a classmate of mine at the clan school—once quietly told me that Xiangqing told him that Jiashan’s mother is determined to find a girl from a family of officials for generations to marry Jiashan, so she can help him in his career..."
"How did he know that?" Zhou Shaojin’s heart sank.
She thought only someone like her, who had been reborn and experienced Madam Yuan’s hysterics, would know about Madam Yuan’s stubbornness and persistence.
"Xiangqing told him privately," Cheng Gao’s expression grew somewhat heavy as he whispered, "I always feel there’s something odd about these matters... Everyone knows you’re my cousin, yet they tell me these things, as if we’re eager to get close to the main branch..." He cautiously observed Zhou Shaojin’s expression and said softly, "I feel like these words were meant to be passed on to you... And these rumors started spreading after Uncle was transferred to the post of Baoding Prefect... Qin Zi’an said everyone knows, but when I tried asking a few classmates, whether they were hiding it from me or not, they all seemed clueless..."
Cheng Lu, that despicable scoundrel!
Without even asking, Zhou Shaojin knew whose handiwork this was!
In her previous life, he had treated her the same way.
Her eyes reddened as she said, "Cousin Gao, don’t worry about this matter. Grandmother said my father might come back for the ancestral worship and the Mid-Autumn Festival. When the time comes, I’ll talk to my father about it."
"No, no, no," Cheng Gao said awkwardly, "Some of this is just my speculation. If Uncle asks, I won’t have any evidence. I just wanted to tell you that since things have come to this, the best approach is to ignore both of them..."
He tactfully advised Zhou Shaojin not to marry either of them.
Zhou Shaojin understood his underlying meaning and said, "Cousin Gao, I understand. I won’t pay any attention to either of them."
Cheng Gao’s expression relaxed as he said, "It’s a pity there’s no suitable person. Otherwise, if you were engaged, this matter would blow over."
Since Cheng Lu was determined to harm her, would he let go even if she were engaged? He might even escalate things and make the situation worse.
Once again, Zhou Shaojin resolved that as soon as her elder sister married, she would leave Jinling City. She would not return to Jinling to visit her family until Cheng Lu married and had children. But she couldn’t just let Cheng Lu spread rumors like this—whoever caused the trouble should be the one to fix it.She suggested, "Cousin Gao, could you tell Cousin Xu these things just like you told me? After what Cheng Lu said, it seems as if there's something between me and Cousin Xu, which not only ruins my reputation but also his..."
Cheng Gao smiled bitterly and said, "Haven't I already told Cousin Jiashan? But he doesn’t believe me. What can I do?"
With Cheng Xu’s intelligence, if even Cheng Gao could see there was a problem, Cheng Xu couldn’t possibly be unaware.
Why would he allow the situation to develop like this?
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t understand.
She couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
If only Uncle Chi knew about this—he would surely figure out the cause and effect with just a turn of his mind... Unfortunately, Uncle Chi had already helped her many times. How could she have the nerve to trouble him again? Besides, asking for favors once or twice might be manageable, but constantly seeking help, whether for big or small matters, would annoy even the most patient person. She still needed to save that favor to ask Cheng Chi to warn Cheng Jing! She couldn’t waste it on this.
Zhou Shaojin could only say, "Then we’ll have to wait until my father returns!"
Cheng Gao hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back.
Zhou Shaojin chided, "What is there to hesitate about at a time like this, Cousin Gao?"
Cheng Gao smiled sheepishly and said, "I was thinking, what if your father doesn’t return? What should we do? Tell my father? Or inform Grandmother?"
But what use would it be to tell either of the elders?
Zhou Shaojin fell silent for a while before saying, "If my father doesn’t return..." She steeled herself. "I’ll tell Madam Yuan..."
She refused to believe that Madam Yuan would remain indifferent after hearing this!
※
Sisters, it’s Christmas Eve today! What are your plans?
...Wuwu... I’m at home writing...
※ (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
!!
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