Тhаt An Da trulу hаd sоmе skill. Аfter taking a рill, Snоwball stoрped hаving diаrrhеа within аn hоur, and by еarly the next morning, it соuld alrеadу stаnd uр shаkily.
Zhоu Shаоjin wаs оverjоyed and реrsonаlly fed Snowbаll a few mоuthfuls of ricе sоuр.
Snоwbаll bаrkеd and affесtionаtеlу rubbed аgainst Zhоu Shаojin's skirt.
Zhou Shаоjin piсked it up and рlaced it in а bаmbоo bаsket.
Snowball оbеdiеntly lау in thе bаskеt, gаzing at Zhоu Shаojin with its рitch-blаck, round еyеs, mеlting Zhоu Shaоjin's hеаrt сompletеly.
Shi Xiang, who cаme in to cоllect thе bowls, sаw this sсenе and smiled, saying, "It's no wonder Second Miss went to such great lengths to save it. It knows how to be grateful and repay kindness."
Zhou Shaojin nodded, picked up her embroidery hoop, and sat by Snowball's bamboo basket to embroider a forehead scarf. "That's why some say dogs are the most loyal and steadfast creatures!"
Shi Xiang replied with a smile, "Indeed," and couldn't resist patting Snowball's head before carrying the bowls and dishes out.
At lunchtime, Zhou Shaojin and Shi Xiang fed Snowball another pill.
Jiying came over.
She asked Zhou Shaojin, "Is Snowball feeling better? I've asked around for a few more people who know how to treat dogs, so don't worry. Snowball will definitely recover."
Zhou Shaojin thanked her and said, "It can already stand up. After taking another pill today, it should be able to walk by tomorrow."
"That's good to hear!" Jiying felt as though a heavy stone had been lifted from her heart. "It's getting late. You should hurry to Cold Green Mountain House. I'll keep an eye on things here."
Zhou Shaojin had no better option, so she gave Jiying some instructions and then left for Cold Green Mountain House.
Worried about Snowball, Zhou Shaojin's handwriting was somewhat messy at first. After writing two pages, her mind gradually settled, and she rewrote those two pages. As a result, she spent the entire afternoon copying only half of the originally planned scriptures.
Biyu asked her with concern what was wrong, but she only said she hadn't slept well and returned half an hour earlier than usual.
Jiying sat on the luohan bed with Snowball in her arms, grooming its fur while reading a book.
This continued for three days in a row.
Zhou Shaojin was quite surprised.
She had thought Jiying was only helping out occasionally out of guilt after seeing Snowball fall ill, never expecting her to come every afternoon.
Counting the days, Uncle Chi should have returned by now.
Wasn't she afraid Uncle Chi would blame her?
Those socks were clearly made by me. With Nanping's discerning eye, she should have recognized them at a glance. Or perhaps Jiying had already given up, deciding to break the pot and fall out with Nanping?
On the fourth day, Zhou Shaojin asked Jiying, "Don't you have things to attend to in your room? You come here every day—has Miss Nanping said anything about it?"
This was a clear attempt to send her away!
Jiying felt quite uncomfortable and said, "Don't worry. Once Snowball recovers, I won't bother you anymore."
When Zhou Shaojin had argued with Jiying before, it was because she had a grudge in her heart. Now, after some time had passed and Jiying had given her such an adorable and well-behaved Snowball, that resentment had dissipated.
She couldn't help but say, "I'm not trying to send you away. I'm just worried you might have a hard time explaining yourself to Uncle Chi."
"It's fine," Jiying replied, relieved and unconcerned. "With Nanping around, your Uncle Chi won't lack for attendants."
She still wore her usual cold and aloof expression, but for some reason, Zhou Shaojin felt she seemed a bit lonely.Or those with exceptionally striking looks often face this, unlike those with ordinary appearances who blend in more easily with the crowd.
In her previous life, Zhou Shaojin had also suffered such hardships.
Her heart softened. She asked, "How did your bet with Nanping turn out? With her discerning eye, I doubt you could have hidden it from her."
Jiying waved her hand dismissively and said, "I'll just admit defeat. What can she do to me? At most, she’ll make me serve tea, pour water, or even warm your Uncle Chi’s feet for him. If I steel myself, there’s nothing I can’t do!"
Even warming feet?
Judging by Jiying’s proud demeanor, it was clear she viewed such tasks as a profound humiliation, much like Shaojin had in her past life.
Zhou Shaojin hesitated and said, "How about... you still learn the cross-stitch technique with me? Miss Nanping only asked you to make four pairs of socks, and she didn’t specify how they should be made. As long as Uncle Chi thinks you’ve done well, Miss Nanping can’t very well say you did poorly, right?"
Jiying was taken aback. She stared at Shaojin for a long moment before saying, "You... you’re still willing to teach me needlework?"
"Why wouldn’t I be?" Zhou Shaojin smiled. "Didn’t you give me Snowball? I can help you too."
Jiying remained silent for a while.
Zhou Shaojin finally voiced the thoughts she had kept to herself for many days: "You seem so clever to me, not like someone incapable of learning needlework. Is it that... you don’t really like learning it?"
"Don’t really like learning it..." Jiying was stunned. "Are you saying that I... I don’t want to be a maid?"
"Yes!" Zhou Shaojin said sincerely. "Even the slowest bird can reach the forest early if it starts flying sooner. You’re so smart—if you truly put your mind to it, there’s nothing you couldn’t learn. The reason you haven’t, I think, is because you’re unwilling to learn."
Jiying’s expression grew complex and inscrutable, and she fell silent again for a long time.
Zhou Shaojin felt this matter might be related to Jiying’s background. But since Jiying didn’t bring it up, she couldn’t pry. She could only offer vague advice: "Unless you stop being a maid, you’ll have to learn these things sooner or later. Why make things so hard for yourself?" Remembering how disheveled and defeated Jiying had looked when she saw her at the Pure Sound Pavilion, she suspected Uncle Chi might not treat her particularly well either. After a moment’s thought, she added, "Right now, Nanping is in charge of Uncle Chi’s household. Though she seems to have some friction with you, I don’t think she’s a petty person. But she won’t stay in Uncle Chi’s household forever. When she eventually marries and leaves, if you’re still like this and can’t take on the duties of a senior maid, won’t you end up being ordered around by those junior to you? You really ought to plan for your own future."
Jiying said nothing.
Zhou Shaojin sighed inwardly.
Every family has its own troubles.
Some things can only be figured out by oneself.
She said no more and continued embroidering her forehead scarf.
By the time she had embroidered nearly half a flower, Jiying suddenly spoke up. "Second Young Miss, the truth is... my father lost a bet to Cheng Zichuan, and I was forced to become his maid."
"Ah!" Zhou Shaojin’s hand trembled, and the embroidery needle pricked her finger, drawing a bead of blood.
She hurriedly put her finger in her mouth to suck on it before saying, "Wh-what exactly happened? I don’t think Uncle Chi... is the kind of person you’re describing, is he?"Jiying snorted coldly and said, "Your Uncle Chi isn't that kind of person? Then what kind of person is he?" After speaking, she abruptly stopped the topic and continued, "Anyway, it's a long story. In the end, my father lost a bet. According to the agreement my father made with Cheng Zichuan earlier, my second brother was supposed to serve as Cheng Zichuan's servant for ten years. But at that time, my second brother was already married, and my second sister-in-law was pregnant. Ten years... by the time my second brother returned, their child would already be old enough to run errands. Besides, my second sister-in-law is my best friend, so I couldn't bear to see her and my second brother separated... So I persuaded my father to let me enter the mansion and serve Cheng Zichuan as a maid."
"Ten years?" Zhou Shaojin widened her eyes. "You entered the mansion at eighteen and stayed for ten years. Wouldn't that mean..."
Twenty-eight years old!
She'd be an old maid!
Zhou Shaojin was speechless.
"Yes!" Jiying said wistfully. "Ten years... Who knows what I'll be like when I return?"
Zhou Shaojin fell silent.
Why did Uncle Chi make such a bet with Jiying's father?
Jiying's father lost, and he even insisted that Jiying enter the mansion to fulfill the agreement... Could there be something strange about this?
A thought struck Zhou Shaojin, and she asked, "Why did Uncle Chi make a bet with your father?"
Jiying hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back.
Zhou Shaojin felt relieved.
If it were Uncle Chi's fault, why would Jiying remain silent?
She knew it—Uncle Chi wasn't the kind of person to bully a girl.
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but say, "This matter can't be entirely blamed on Uncle Chi, right? It takes two to tango, especially with something like a bet. If one party didn't agree, how could the bet have happened in the first place?"
"That's why I don't blame Cheng Zichuan either!" Jiying said indignantly. "Which of the tasks he assigned me have I not completed? It's just that I'm annoyed with Nanping, always nagging in my ear about what a maid should and shouldn't do, where I've made a mistake, where I've done something wrong... as if I'm not loyal unless I worship Cheng Zichuan..."
Nanping really did seem to have the kind of personality Jiying described.
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but chuckle.
"Right? Right?" Jiying immediately raised her voice as if she had found an ally. "You think so too, don't you? I'm not wronging her, am I?"
If she agreed with Jiying, wouldn't Jiying be even more determined to oppose Nanping? Then Uncle Chi's household would never have peace.
Zhou Shaojin said, "But you're not entirely blameless either. It's just asking you to do some needlework for Uncle Chi, and you refuse to learn. Since you've entered the mansion, you should act like a maid. Otherwise, even without Nanping, you'd still face criticism from others."
Jiying grumbled twice and said, "I just don't want to learn. When Cheng Zichuan made the bet with my father, it was for my second brother to enter the mansion as a servant. I should just do a servant's work—why treat me like a maid? If he lacks maids, why did he still want my second brother to enter the mansion as a servant?"
Zhou Shaojin pursed her lips and smiled. "Then can you help Uncle Chi lead horses, drive carriages, bathe him, keep watch at night, or clean and ask for directions?"
Upon hearing this, Jiying widened her eyes and glared at Zhou Shaojin, barely managing to squeeze out the words "I can't" through gritted teeth.
Zhou Shaojin laughed heartily and casually handed two pieces of scrap cloth to Jiying. "Then you'd better learn needlework properly with me, right?"Jiying gritted her teeth and impatiently asked Zhou Shaojin, "Where's the thimble? Give me a needle!"
Zhou Shaojin not only found her a needle but also threaded it with a smile before handing it to her.
Jiying then resentfully followed Zhou Shaojin's lead in learning needlework.
Zhou Shaojin immediately noticed the change in Jiying.
Not only did she quickly master the cross-stitch technique, but she could also extrapolate from it. With just a slight hint from Zhou Shaojin, she knew exactly where her problem lay. In just half a day, her stitches were at least aligned in a straight line, leaving only the issue of achieving consistent stitch work.
Zhou Shaojin encouraged her, "You're much better than I was back then—it took me nearly three months to learn the cross-stitch technique!"
※
Sisters, here's today's update.
Thank you to janeuwoo for the spirit beast egg. I couldn't make it in time today, but I'll make up for it with an extra update tomorrow.
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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