With Сhеng Хu gоnе tо Hangzhоu Рrеfесture and Chеng Lu оff to Yuelu Аcadеmу, Zhоu Shаоjin fеlt the sky hаd even turned a few shadеs bluеr.
She hummеd a nаmеlеss littlе tune intеrmittеntlу аs shе hurriedlу sewed clоthеs for hеr father and stеpmothеr, Madаm Li.
Сhunwаn саmе running in сheerfullу: "Sеcоnd Мiss, Sеcоnd Miss, sоmеone hаs сomе from the mastеr's side, saying thе mаstеr and mistrеss will arrive in two dауs."
"Rеallу!" Zhоu Shаоjin wаs оverjоуed, drоpрing her neеdlewоrk tо аsk, "Who саmе? Whеre are thеy? Does elder sistеr know yet?"
"It's оne of thе mastеr's аttendаnts, named Li Changgui. The grand master is questioning him in the study! The grand master has already sent word to the old madam, saying he will go pay his respects shortly. They've also sent word to the grand mistress, so the eldest miss should know as well."
"Let's go," Zhou Shaojin said, hastily straightening her collar with a smile. "We should go take a look too."
Chunwan gave an "Mm" and accompanied Zhou Shaojin to Jia Shu Hall.
Zhou Chujin and Madam Mian had not yet arrived. Old Madam Guan was changing clothes and smiled upon seeing Zhou Shaojin: "You've come just in time—I was about to send for you. Your father will arrive in Jinling City in two days. As for the specific arrangements, we'll know once your eldest uncle arrives."
Zhou Shaojin smiled and assented, stepping forward to assist the maid attending to her grandmother.
Before long, Madam Mian and Zhou Chujin arrived.
Without waiting for Old Madam Guan to speak, Madam Mian could not contain her joy: "I heard Uncle will return in two days?"
Old Madam Guan instructed the maids to serve tea and snacks, smiling as she said, "We'll know once the grand master arrives."
Just as she spoke, a young maid entered to announce: "The grand master has arrived."
Everyone hurried to the reception room.
Li Changgui kowtowed three times to Old Madam Guan at the courtyard gate, which served as his greeting.
Old Madam Guan had someone reward Li Changgui with five taels of silver, and the chief steward of the fourth branch saw him out.
Only then did everyone in the reception room settle down.
Cheng Mian said with a smile, "Brother-in-law says they will enter the city on the morning of the second day, and after changing clothes, they will come to pay their respects to you. They'll likely have lunch here. In the afternoon, he will take Chujin and her sister back home. The next morning, they will perform ancestral rites, and on the seventh day, they will depart for Baoding."
Everyone was surprised.
Old Madam Guan said, "Won't they stay for the Mid-Autumn Festival? I thought they only needed to assume their post by the end of the eighth month?"
"It seems something has happened in Baoding," Cheng Chi said with a smile. "The specifics, Li Changgui couldn't explain clearly. I thought since brother-in-law will return in just two days, there was no need to press further."
Everyone was disappointed.
Old Madam Guan then said, "At least we can see him once. I was worried he might not return at all. As for missing the Mid-Autumn Festival, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future." The old lady instructed Cheng Mian and Madam Mian, "Prepare the lunch banquet for the second day carefully." She added, "Did you try to gauge Li Changgui's meaning? Does Uncle intend to simply come for a meal, or is he coming to visit the Cheng family? If it's just a simple meal, the eldest, second, third, and fifth branches have likely already prepared local gifts from Uncle. We can simply inform them in advance. But if he is coming to visit the Cheng family, we may need to invite the masters from each branch to accompany him."Cheng Chi smiled and said, "I've already asked. Li Changgui said it's your brother-in-law's intention. He hasn't seen Chujin and her sister for a long time, and you have been raising them on his behalf all these years. Your kindness is as weighty as a mountain. He mainly came to kowtow to you. It wouldn't be too late for him to visit the Old Ancestor and the other masters after lunch."
"In that case, you can arrange dinner!" Old Madam Guan pondered, "Let them return after having dinner."
Cheng Mian agreed with a smile.
Zhou Shaojin and her sister held hands, unable to stop smiling.
Old Madam Guan chided them, "You two silly girls. Why aren't you going to pack your luggage? Do you want to wait until your father arrives before packing your trunks?" As she spoke, tears glistened in her eyes.
Zhou Shaojin suddenly had a stroke of inspiration and cleverly replied, "Anyway, we're only staying at home for a few days and will be back soon. We don't need to pack so many things. What's the rush if we pack in a few days?"
Old Madam Guan loved hearing this. She hugged Zhou Shaojin and called her "my darling," saying, "No wonder people say daughters are their mother's little cotton-padded jackets. Now that I'm old, I have two more little cotton-padded jackets."
Everyone laughed.
But upon returning to Fragrant Garden Residence, both Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin couldn't wait to start packing.
The perfumed soap she made herself, Yu Ji's rouge, Xie Fuxiang's powder... she wanted to bring everything, yet felt none of it needed to be taken back. Only then did Zhou Shaojin realize how many traces she had left in this little room.
No wonder in her previous life, Lin Shisheng said that whenever she recalled the past, it was always related to the Cheng family. Those days in the Cheng family were her happiest.
Zhou Shaojin caressed Xie Fuxiang's eight-treasure glazed powder box for a long while before having someone open the trunk containing her embroidery.
She took out several sets of children's clothes from inside. All made of fine silks and satins, including shirts, shoes, socks, swaddling skirts, and cloaks... everything was complete. Some were embroidered with auspicious clouds, some with daylilies, and some with playing infants—all exquisitely crafted.
In her memory, her younger sister Zhou Youjin was born at the end of this year.
At this time, Madam Li should already be four months pregnant.
Her father was very disappointed and only wrote a letter back in March with a few indifferent words.
Neither she nor her sister ever had the chance to meet this younger sister.
This time, she hoped to protect this sister.
Perhaps then, her father wouldn't so easily accept Tinglan, and Madam Li wouldn't resort to drastic measures, causing her father's resentment and ultimately turning them into enemies.
Shi Xiang saw her holding children's clothes and standing by the trunk, curiously asking, "Aren't these made for the Second Young Miss of the main branch? Are you sending them over now?"
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "She only asked me to embroider a swaddling cloth for Cousin Xiao. These have another purpose for me."
She put the items back into the trunk.
Cheng Jia ran over: "Shaoji, Shaojin, I heard your father is coming back. He's taking you and your sister back to stay for a few days. You must be very happy, right? Can I come find you to play then?"
Zhou Shaojin didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
This Cheng Jia, always thinking about playing no matter the situation.
She smiled and said, "Aren't you worried about the Liangguo Duke's Mansion matter anymore?"
A couple of days ago, the Liangguo Duke's Mansion sent them gifts again.
Cheng Jia received a pair of revolving lantern-style glazed enamel flower lamps. Zhou Shaojin got a pair of pull-along rabbit lanterns, and Zhou Chujin received a pair of gauze five-bead lanterns. They were said to be Mid-Autumn Festival gifts.Zhou Shaojin accepted it graciously.
Cheng Jia whispered to Zhou Shaojin, "After hearing what you said, I thought about it for several days. Then I found an excuse to go to the Listening Pavilion and told Sister-in-law Shi about this matter." She blinked proudly, "So, Brother Shi went to talk with my father for a long time, and then my father declared that he would marry me off to anyone but the Duke of Liang's household as a second wife. You know how my father is—his words usually don't count for much. But this time, he was determined, saying that if anyone dared to disobey him, he would ask the family elders to intervene and drive them out."
Zhou Shaojin was utterly astonished.
In her mind, Cheng Jia's father, Cheng Lu, was timid, fearful, and weak-willed—someone entirely negligible. She never expected him to show such resolve when it came to Cheng Jia's affairs.
Perhaps, in her previous life, it was also Cheng Lu who decided that Cheng Jia should marry Li Jing?
Still, Zhou Shaojin was delighted that Cheng Jia had managed to find a way out of her predicament with her guidance.
Cheng Jia told her, "Anyway, no matter what my mother thinks, I can't possibly marry into the Duke of Liang's household now. However, I think we should pretend we know nothing and send A Zhu a return gift." She chattered on, "Lanterns? She already gave us lanterns; it would be too thoughtless to give lanterns in return. Gold and silver jewelry are too vulgar... Fans, ink, or brushes don't seem fitting for the occasion..."
"I plan to give A Zhu a pair of handkerchiefs I embroidered myself," Zhou Shaojin said.
Cheng Jia pouted discontentedly, "You're so unkind! How can you only think of yourself? What should I give then?"
Zhou Shaojin suggested, "I'm giving handkerchiefs. You could give a pouch? You could even put something like a jade pendant inside—valuable yet discreet..."
Cheng Jia playfully swatted at Zhou Shaojin, "You know perfectly well I can't embroider, and you still want me to give A Zhu a pouch..."
Zhou Shaojin giggled and dodged sideways.
The two of them laughed and played in the room.
Amid this warmth and tranquility, Zhou Shaojin awaited the arrival of the second day of the eighth lunar month.
Although they knew their father wouldn't arrive until noon, the Zhou sisters rose at dawn, washed, combed their hair, and changed into fresh clothes. They took twice as long as usual. When the sisters finally met, Zhou Chujin kept asking Zhou Shaojin if everything was packed, whether Dongwan had brought the crabapple flower tea tray mentioned yesterday, and if Chixiang had prepared the silver for rewards—clearly very nervous.
Zhou Shaojin, however, felt more anticipation.
In her previous life, she had been immature and failed to show proper filial piety to her father. Now, she hoped to make up for it all.
She took her sister's hand.
Her sister's palm was sweaty and damp.
Yet Zhou Shaojin felt reassured.
After breakfast, they went together to Jia Shu Hall.
Every corner of Jia Shu Hall was spotless, and even the leaves on the trees and flowers seemed greener than usual—clear signs of meticulous cleaning inside and out.
Zhou Shaojin and her sister accompanied Old Madam Guan in offering incense.
Servants kept coming with reports.
"Eldest Master has already received Uncle!"
"Eldest Master is accompanying Uncle to Flat Bridge Street!"
"Eldest Master and Uncle are on their way here!"
Zhou Shaojin and her sister exchanged a glance, unable to contain the joy bubbling up in their hearts.The last to report was Si'er, who gasped out, "Old Madam, Madam, Eldest Miss, Second Miss, the Master and the two young masters are accompanying Uncle here."
Old Madam Guan, who had been sitting upright on the couch, grew agitated at once and could no longer keep still. She stood up and walked toward the door, saying as she went, "Chujin, Shaojin, come with me to greet them."
Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin supported Old Madam Guan on either side and hurried out with her.
Cheng Mian was accompanying a tall man in their direction.
He appeared to be only about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, dressed in a sapphire-blue silk robe, a silk sash tied around his waist. His skin was fair, his features handsome, his expression gentle, and his gaze calm.
Cheng Gao and Cheng Yi followed respectfully behind the two men.
Zhou Shaojin froze.
Was this her father?
Where was the beard she remembered?
※
Sisters, today's update.
o(n_n)o
※ (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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