"Yоu rеаlly won't gо?" Zhоu Zhеn tеаsed his youngеr dаughter.
"Reаlly won't!" Zhоu Shаоjin wаs vеrу firm. "You takе elder sister!"
Zhou Chujin aсtuаlly did wаnt to gо а bit, but sinсе Zhou Shаоjin rеfusеd, shе hesitаted a momеnt аnd alsо decided nоt to go.
"Sistеr," Zhou Shaоjin еаrnеstlу urgеd Zhоu Chujin to gо оut for а wаlk, "Fаther rаrelу rеturns home. Suсh аn oрportunity mаy never соmе agаin. I genuinely dislikе trаvеling so fаr. Yоu аnd Fаthеr shоuld go оut аnd havе a gоod time! If уou'rе wоrriеd, I'll go tеll Fаthеr tо bring Madam аlong too. Then уou should feеl at eаse, right?"
"Whаt fun is thеre bеing with her?" Zhou Chujin muttered.
"She's pregnant, so she definitely won't follow Father around. She'll rest in the room while you and Father look around everywhere. You won't have to worry about me either." Zhou Shaojin personally helped Zhou Chujin pack for the outing. Unable to resist her, and truly wanting to go out with her father, Zhou Chujin brought Madam Li along, instructed Zhou Shaojin a thousand times, and only then reluctantly boarded the carriage.
Zhou Shaojin waved vigorously at her sister. Only after the carriage had driven out the main gate did she turn back to the main room.
Chunwan said, "Miss, are we really staying home to do needlework?"
"Of course it's true!" Zhou Shaojin teased Chunwan, taking out translucent paper and spreading it on the writing desk.
She had promised to draw swaddling cloth patterns for Cheng Xiao's unborn child. Counting the days, Cheng Xiao should give birth in another month. She needed to start drawing the patterns early so the sewing room could begin stitching sooner.
Chunwan was somewhat skeptical, but Zhou Shaojin sat at home without moving the entire day until lamp-lighting time. Only when Zhou Chujin returned with Zhou Zhen did she rub her shoulders and put down her brush.
Zhou Zhen had taken Zhou Chujin to Jiming Temple located at the northern foot of Jiming Mountain.
"It was magnificent!" Zhou Chujin seemed excited. "They say it's even bigger than Bao'en Temple... You should have gone to see it... I also saw a statue of Guanyin facing north. The couplet on the shrine read, 'Ask why the Bodhisattva sits backward, sigh that sentient beings refuse to turn around'... Uncle Wang, who went with Father, said besides Jiming Temple, only Longxing Temple in Zhengding has a Guanyin statue similar to this one..."
She told her younger sister about her experiences visiting Jiming Mountain.
Zhou Shaojin listened with a smile, feeling she had also gained much today—she had finished drawing the playing-infants pattern for Cheng Xiao's child's swaddling cloth. When she returned, she could give it to Madam Yuan.
Madam Li, however, found it rather dull.
While Zhou Zhen composed poetry with friends and admired the scenery, she could only wait sitting in the temple's side room.
Zhou Chujin at least could follow along and look around.
Fortunately, starting the next day, Zhou Zhen no longer went out with friends but instead took Madam Li, Zhou Chujin, and Zhou Shaojin to visit several friends.
Only then did Zhou Shaojin learn that her father still had several close friends in Jinling City.
A few days passed like this until the sixth.
Zhou Zhen first went to Nine Prosperities Lane to bid farewell, then at noon the family gathered for a meal together. In the afternoon, they began packing their belongings.
Zhou Shaojin gazed at the Malus halliana her mother had personally planted before the steps, feeling quite reluctant to leave.
Zhou Chujin's heart was also filled with the sorrow of parting. She put her arm around her younger sister's shoulders and followed her gaze to that luxuriant Malus halliana, remaining silent for a long time.In the evening, Zhou Zhen called his two daughters to the study, wanting to say something. Looking at his sensible eldest daughter and well-behaved younger daughter, he found himself at a loss for words. He personally brewed a pot of tea and invited Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin to taste it.
On the seventh day of the lunar month, before dawn broke, the lamps in the Zhou ancestral home were lit one by one.
Li Changgui directed the maids and servants to move the trunks and boxes of Zhou Zhen and his wife, while Ma Fushan inspected Zhou Zhen’s carriage in the stable. Madam Ma Fushan helped the Zhou sisters pack their belongings.
Provisions had long been prepared. After Zhou Zhen finished his breakfast, Cheng Mian and Cheng Lu arrived.
They had come to see Zhou Zhen off.
The three of them stood in the courtyard and chatted for a while. Several of Zhou Zhen’s friends also arrived.
Amidst laughter and conversation, the time for departure arrived.
The carriage stopped at the main gate. Ma Fushan came to invite Zhou Zhen to board.
Zhou Chujin and Zhou Shaojin helped Madam Li into the carriage. After exchanging a few pleasantries with those seeing him off, Zhou Zhen boarded Madam Li’s carriage. Cheng Mian, Zhou Shaojin, and the others then took sedan chairs to escort them out of the city.
After bidding farewell to his friends, Zhou Zhen instructed his two daughters, "If anything happens, write to me. If you run short of money, tell Ma Fushan. Never let yourselves suffer. Once I’ve settled there, if time permits, you can come stay with me for a while."
Zhou Chujin and Zhou Shaojin couldn’t hold back their tears.
Madam Li quickly consoled them, "Young ladies, please don’t cry and ruin your makeup. You can come visit Baoding Prefecture in a few days."
The Zhou sisters nodded, watching their father and stepmother’s carriage gradually fade into the distance. Only then did they return to Jinling City with Cheng Mian, Cheng Lu, and several of Zhou Zhen’s friends.
Cheng Lu held the title of a provincial scholar and managed the Cheng clan school, earning him some renown in Jinling. Zhou Zhen’s friends were also scholars; two were quite familiar with Cheng Lu, while the others had either met him briefly or only heard of him. However, thanks to their connection through Zhou Zhen, they quickly became acquainted. Cheng Lu invited them to Jiangdong Tower for drinks.
None of them declined, readily accepting the invitation.
Cheng Mian needed to escort the Zhou sisters back to Nine Prosperities Lane and apologized with a smile, "...I’ll treat you all another day."
The others wouldn’t hear of it, urging him to hurry back, "...We’ll wait for you before opening the wine."
Cheng Mian had no choice but to agree to rush to Jiangdong Tower after seeing the Zhou sisters home, finally managing to extricate himself.
Zhou Shaojin pursed her lips and smiled.
Cheng Mian smiled and patted her head.
Upon returning to Fragrant Garden Residence, before they could even change their clothes, Old Madam Guan, who had heard the news, arrived, supported by Madam Mian.
"You’re finally back!" The elderly woman took the sisters’ hands, looking them over repeatedly, and kept asking, "Is the new lady treating you kindly? Are you used to living in the Zhou residence? What dishes does the kitchen usually prepare? Did you have breakfast this morning..." as if they had been away for ten or eight years or had been mistreated by a stepmother.
Zhou Shaojin felt a warmth in her heart. She hugged Old Madam Guan’s arm playfully and said, "We’re perfectly fine, we just missed our grandmother and aunt very much."
"Look at this little girl, always knowing how to sweet-talk!" Madam Mian laughed, unable to suppress the corners of her mouth from curling upward.No wonder in her past life, Madam Fan Liu always taught her to speak sweetly. Unfortunately, back then she thought that was groveling and didn’t listen to a single word. In this life, after heeding Madam Fan Liu’s advice, she indeed managed to cheer up Madam Mian. When Madam Mian was happy, those serving around her also became more lighthearted, and the atmosphere improved as well. They also treated the sisters more warmly and attentively.
It seems sometimes it’s still good to speak sweetly.
Zhou Shaojin smiled and personally brewed a cup of Yunlin tea for Old Madam Guan and Madam Mian.
Old Madam Guan took a sip and said, “Not bad. I didn’t expect that after just a few days apart, our Shaojin has learned how to brew tea.”
“I learned it from Father,” Zhou Shaojin replied with a curved smile in her eyes. “Father also had me bring back several packets, saying they were for Grandmother, Aunt, Uncle, and Cousins. I’ve already packed them and will have someone deliver them later.”
Old Madam Guan nodded with a beaming smile.
Cheng Jia arrived.
“You’ve been gone for days,” she complained, “and didn’t even think to invite me over to your house!”
Zhou Shaojin didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “I’ve been accompanying my father visiting various places every day. When would I have had time to invite you over? If you really want to go, my sister and I will return home on the first day of the tenth month to pay respects to our ancestors. You can come with us then.”
“You have to keep your word!” She wanted to pinky swear with Zhou Shaojin.
Old Madam Guan and the others burst into laughter, making Cheng Jia blush.
Seeing that they still had unpacking to do, Old Madam Guan and Madam Mian sat for a while longer before leaving, inviting them to have dinner at Jia Shu Hall in the evening and adding, “Jia girl, don’t leave either. Come along with them later.”
Cheng Jia happily agreed and accompanied Zhou Shaojin and her sister to see Old Madam Guan and Madam Mian off at the entrance of Fragrant Garden Residence.
Zhou Chujin left the room full of trunks and boxes unattended to supervise the servants moving the flowers.
Cheng Jia asked curiously, “What are these? Did you bring them from the Zhou family? You won’t be staying here long—trees die when moved, but people thrive. Why bother moving flowers here?”
That was why, over all these years, Zhou Shaojin had never properly arranged her living quarters in Fragrant Garden Residence.
“They were left by my mother,” she suddenly had an idea and said, “After my sister gets married, she’ll take them to the Liao family.”
Zhou Chujin was greatly surprised. “How can that be…”
Zhou Shaojin interrupted her sister before she could finish. “Why can’t it be? These flowers will surely fare better under your care than mine.”
Although she was better at tending flowers than her sister, her sister was more devoted.
She tightly grasped her sister’s hand and said, “Let’s settle it like this. After I get married in the future, these flowers should be ready for dividing into separate pots. Just remember to give me a few then.”
“Shao Jin!” Zhou Chujin’s eyes turned slightly red.
Cheng Jia, however, exclaimed beside them, “Zhou Shaojin, you’re amazing… talking about marriage without even blushing!”
Zhou Shaojin was speechless.
The next day, she took two packets of tea and a painting of frolicking infants she had drawn for Cheng Xiao’s child’s swaddling clothes to Cold Green Mountain House.
Old Madam Guo smiled and had Feicui accept the tea, then asked about her daily life during these days.
Zhou Shaojin respectfully answered each question one by one.
Zhenzhu ran in and said, “Old Madam, the Eldest Young Master has returned!”
Both Zhou Shaojin and Old Madam Guo were very surprised.
Old Madam Guo hurriedly asked, “What happened? Why has he returned so soon? Wasn’t he supposed to come back only on the tenth day of the eighth month?”"I don't know," Zhenzhu said with a smile. "I saw the young master looking cheerful and even more spirited than when he left. I suppose nothing happened over there, so he returned early!"
Old Madam Guo nodded suspiciously.
Zhou Shaojin retreated to the Buddhist hall.
Biyu brought tea and snacks to serve her.
Seeing a painting spread out on her table, Biyu tilted her head to look. "This is... a painting of children at play. It's really well done... each child is holding a jade pendant... and the pendants seem to have patterns..."
Zhou Shaojin smiled. "It's a pattern of 'immediate promotion to nobility.' For good fortune."
"It's truly lovely!" Biyu praised several times.
Zhou Shaojin then asked Biyu, "Is the old madam speaking with Cousin Xu right now?"
Biyu nodded with a smile.
Zhou Shaojin hurriedly folded the pattern and handed it to Biyu. "Please give this to Madam Yuan for me. I'll head back first." Then, ignoring Biyu's attempts to persuade her to stay, she hastily left Cold Green Mountain House.
※
Sisters, today's update.
o(n_n)o
PS: Today's extra update for the spirit beast egg is a bit late. You can read it tomorrow morning!
※ (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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