А lоуаl servant surnаmеd Qin, соuld thаt be the anсеstor of Сhief Stewаrd Qin Dа?
Zhоu Shаоjin рonderеd, feeling deeply distrеssеd.
Due tо her оwn ехрeriеnсеs, shе wаs verу fond of childrеn аnd cоuld hardly beаr to heаr such things.
Zhou Zhеn sаid, "Сhеng Liе wаs уoung, and nоt lоng aftеr hе mаrried, his wifе beсаme prеgnаnt. Hе went to the сapital tо studу, sо his wife stаyed in their hоmеtоwn. Thе fоllоwing уеаr, she gаvе birth to а son, Сheng Xu. Вeсаusе theу rеmаinеd in their hometоwn, they escaрed the disastеr.
"When Chеng Lie diеd, Сheng Хu was only three years old."
Cheng Xu, the founding ancestor of the Cheng family.
Zhou Shaojin was astonished and asked, "How old was Cheng Bei then?"
Zhou Zhen replied with a bitter smile, "Not yet two years old."
The children of the second branch were older than those of the eldest branch...
Zhou Shaojin asked, "Who raised them then?"
"It was Cheng Xu's mother, the Dowager of the second branch."
After Cheng Xu was promoted to the first rank, he petitioned for his mother to be granted the title of first-rank lady. The family respectfully addressed her as "Dowager."
Zhou Shaojin wondered, "Shouldn't it have been the third branch who raised them? Why was it the Dowager of the second branch?"
Zhou Zhen hesitated for a moment before saying, "These matters shouldn't be discussed with you, but since you're now living with the Cheng family, it's better to inform you so you can act accordingly." He weighed his words carefully. "To be honest, this matter is quite peculiar. However, since the Cheng family doesn't speak of it, outsiders shouldn't speculate.
"The third son of the eldest branch, Cheng Ze, was only three months younger than the second son, Cheng Lie. When Cheng Lie went to the capital, Cheng Fu had already passed away, and household affairs were entrusted to Cheng Ze. Not long after Qin Da returned to Jinling with Cheng Bei, both Cheng Zhi and Cheng Lie died. Cheng Ze then took charge of the Cheng family. During that time, Qin Da had a dispute with Cheng Ze and was nearly expelled from the family. In the end, Cheng Bi stepped in to resolve the conflict. Everyone speculated that Cheng Ze might have been harsh with the eldest branch regarding finances. However, what puzzled everyone was that when Cheng Bei and Cheng Xu came of age, Cheng Ze not only returned the ancestral lands to Cheng Bei of the eldest branch but also divided the family property equally according to the clan rules."
Considering the delicate relationships among the eldest, second, and third branches, Zhou Shaojin felt there must have been other incidents unknown to outsiders.
Belatedly, she remarked, "So, the Cheng family must hold high prestige and status among the literati in Jiangnan?"
"Of course," Zhou Zhen replied with a smile. "Otherwise, with Jiangnan being a land of talent and scholars, where renowned families upholding poetry, literature, and etiquette are as numerous as the hairs on an ox, how could the Cheng family of Nine Prosperities Lane in Jinling take the lead? The Cheng family relies on their ancestors' reputation for loyalty and integrity!"
Zhou Shaojin smiled sheepishly.
Zhou Zhen continued, "Not only is the Cheng family highly esteemed, but your Uncle Jing also enjoys helping others. That's why I left you and your sister with the Cheng family. Otherwise, how could your sister have secured such an excellent marriage? I personally met Liao Shaotang—not only is he well-read, but his character and appearance are also outstanding, a worthy match for your sister. They are quite compatible."
Zhou Shaojin thought of her sister's face, flushed like the morning glow.
Could it be that Father had spoken as candidly about her brother-in-law as he did with her?"I have also given careful thought to your situation," Zhou Zhen said. "I had previously worried that it would be unwise to leave you alone in the Cheng household after your elder sister's marriage. Now, with your brother-in-law observing mourning, your sister's wedding has been postponed until the year after next. By then, you will be nearly of age. Moreover, you have gained the favor of Old Madam Guo from the main branch and are now copying scriptures in Cold Green Mountain House. This is the perfect opportunity to ask Old Madam Guo and Madam Yuan to arrange a good marriage for you. Once your sister is married, it will be time to set a date for you..."
In other words, her father had never even considered taking her to his post!
Zhou Shaojin was utterly astonished and cried out, "Father!"
Zhou Zhen hadn't expected his younger daughter to discuss her own marriage without blushing or losing composure, unlike her elder sister, who would have been too shy to utter a word. Yet he found this perfectly reasonable.
Since his younger daughter had been able to uncover the feud between the Cheng and Zhuang families based on just a few words from Cheng Lu, she must be both bold and meticulous. Marriage was a matter that concerned her happiness for the rest of her life, so it was only natural for her to plan for herself, in keeping with her character.
"Shao Jin," Zhou Zhen said, his tone growing even more indulgent and gentle as he pondered, "do you feel that since our family owns property and land, and I hold a fourth-rank official position, you are a legitimate young lady in the Zhou household, whereas at the Cheng household, you are merely a cousin living under someone else's roof? Would you prefer to stay at home rather than endure others' scrutiny?"
Zhou Shaojin indeed felt this way.
Zhou Zhen continued, "Have you ever taken note of Madam Yuan from the main branch's background?"
"I know," Zhou Shaojin replied. "She is a daughter of the Yuan family of Tongxiang. Her father was once a Grand Secretary, and many of her brothers hold official positions."
Zhou Zhen nodded. "Not only that, Madam Yuan's mother was a daughter of the Fang family of Shucheng, and her aunt is a daughter of the Li family of Lujiang. The Fang family of Shucheng not only produced loyal officials and chaste widows in the previous dynasty but has also seen generations of talented individuals in this dynasty, with scholars passing the imperial examinations every few years. They are a prominent and well-known clan in the north. The Li family of Lujiang rose to prominence only in this dynasty, yet their influence is rapidly growing. The Grand Secretary of the Hall of Preserving Harmony and the Minister of Works are both the elder brothers of Madam Yuan's aunt.
"As for Madam Hong of the second branch, although her maiden family only produced Hong Xiu, her mother was a daughter of the Huang family of Saiyang. The Huang family of Saiyang has produced two Directors of the Imperial Academy in this dynasty alone and enjoys great renown among officials from Jiangxi. Jiangxi is one of the provinces with the highest number of officials."
At this point, Zhou Zhen gave Zhou Shaojin a meaningful look.
Zhou Shaojin understood.
Tracing back several generations in their Zhou family, since the establishment of their clan records, only her grandfather and father had passed the imperial examinations. Her grandfather rose to the fourth rank as a prefect, and her father currently holds only a fourth-rank position... If things followed the same path as her previous life, he would stop at the third rank.
Compared to these families, the Zhou family was of humble origins!
But why was her father telling her all this?
She shifted uneasily in her seat.
Zhou Zhen found this somewhat amusing.
Clearly intelligent, yet she preferred to hide away.
This younger daughter resembled Madam Zhuang in appearance but not at all in temperament. In contrast, his elder daughter resembled Madam Cheng in looks but shared Madam Zhuang's disposition.He couldn't help but sigh inwardly and said, "For girls, if you don't have a good family background, you must have a good reputation to marry into a good family. If your birth mother were still alive, why would I place you sisters in the Cheng family? With just your mother and me, we could have found you both ideal husbands. It's just that your mother passed away too early... Old Madam Guan has been a chaste widow for many years. If this were in a merchant family, the court would have long issued an order to commend her. However, the Cheng family is a proper scholarly household and disdains using such a reputation to add luster to the family name. With you sisters staying with her while I serve as an official elsewhere, I can rest assured."
Zhou Shaojin remained silent.
Since the Cheng family had a reputation for loyalty and righteousness, and their maternal grandmother was a chaste widow, no one would doubt the character of the sisters growing up in such a family. Moreover, there were few girls in the Cheng family, so even though her elder sister was a maternal granddaughter of the Cheng family and had lost her mother early, because she was raised by her maternal grandmother and with Cheng Jing making the decision, she could still marry into a family like the Zhenjiang Liao clan as the principal wife.
Her father's intentions were already made quite clear.
Seeing her looking as dejected as a frostbitten eggplant, Zhou Zhen couldn't help but stand up and pat her head, saying gently, "What's wrong? Do you still want to follow your father to my post?"
"Mm!" Zhou Shaojin nodded eagerly. "I'm not like elder sister... If I were to marry into a family like the Liao clan, I wouldn't be able to handle it!"
You have to try things to know; how can you say you can't do it before even starting?
Seeing the clear worry in his daughter's eyes, Zhou Zhen swallowed the words that came to his lips.
Everyone is different; perhaps Shaojin truly doesn't have Chujin's temperament and would be more suited to marrying into an ordinary family.
Heroes are not judged by their origins.
Not every scion of a noble family ends up becoming a minister or entering the cabinet, nor are all scholars from humble backgrounds destined to never become chief grand secretaries.
Perhaps finding a scholar from a humble background with a simple family would be more suitable for his younger daughter!
Zhou Zhen's heart softened, and he said gently, "There are still two years left, aren't there? If you still want to come with me to my post, after your elder sister gets married, I'll send someone to bring you over."
Zhou Shaojin was overjoyed.
Seeing this, Zhou Zhen couldn't help but feel happy too.
Zhou Shaojin wanted to pinky swear with her father: "It's settled then!"
"Alright!" Zhou Zhen pinky swore with his younger daughter. "It's settled then."
Zhou Shaojin left the study beaming with joy.
Zhou Chujin asked her, "What did Father say to you?"
"I won't tell you," Zhou Shaojin said with rare liveliness and playfulness. "You didn't tell me either."
"You little rascal!" Zhou Chujin reached out to pinch Zhou Shaojin's nose.
Zhou Shaojin giggled and dodged, saying, "If you tell me what Father said to you, I'll tell you what Father said to me."
"Wishful thinking!" Zhou Chujin refused to comply and continued trying to pinch Zhou Shaojin's nose. "Even if you don't tell me, I have ways to make Father tell me."
"Then go ask Father!" Zhou Shaojin wasn't afraid at all and ran away laughing.
Zhou Chujin stamped her foot angrily.
Zhou Shaojin's laughter fell like silver bells in the courtyard.
In the study, Madam Li, who was doing needlework, seemed thoughtful.
The next day, when Zhou Zhen went to the Qinhuai River at the invitation of a former classmate, Madam Li brought children's clothing to find Zhou Shaojin.
"From what you said yesterday, Second Miss, I could tell you're skilled at needlework," she showed Zhou Shaojin a pattern. "What do you think about adding such a sprout border to the sleeves and hem?"Zhou Shaojin found it quite pleasing and said with a smile, "Madam might as well give it a try."
Madam Li nodded cheerfully and began speaking of Lanting: "...She was overjoyed when she heard we were returning to Jinling. Little did she expect that the master would leave her behind, having her follow our luggage to Baoding. Otherwise, she could have met the eldest and second young ladies, and even paid respects at Sister Zhuang's grave!"
Had it not been for the events of her past life, Zhou Shaojin would certainly not have given it much thought. But with those memories, Madam Li's words inevitably made her ponder.
Feeling wary, she smiled and said, "Once Madam gives birth to a younger brother, you can bring her back for ancestral worship. By then, she will still have the chance to see us."
"That's what I thought as well," Madam Li replied with a smile. "I'm just worried Lanting might feel uneasy. She often speaks to the master about how Sister Zhuang treated her back in the day. I imagine that with Sister Zhuang gone, she must have been deeply saddened all these years. I was thinking of mentioning it to the master—once we arrive in Baoding, have someone escort her back for a visit to sweep Sister Zhuang's grave, so as to honor her filial devotion. I wonder if Second Young Lady finds this appropriate?"
In other words, Lanting was using her mother's name to compete for favor with Madam Li. Since Lanting was someone her mother had left for her father, and Madam Li couldn't deal with her directly, she wanted to use Shaojin's hand to handle Lanting, right?
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "I don't involve myself in household matters at all. You'll have to ask my elder sister about this."
※
I never expected someone to gift me spirit beast eggs, and two at once. Thank you to "cadyss" and "Zixiao12." I rarely receive spirit beast eggs—in the past, I could only silently type away while seeing others get them, but today I have my own... o(n_n)o... However, I've heard that receiving spirit beast eggs requires extra updates... Following the order of time, I'll first add an update for "cadyss's" spirit beast egg today... It will definitely be late into the night, so everyone needn't wait...
※ (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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