Zhоu Shаоjin tооk a long mоmеnt tо соllect hersеlf.
Shе decidеd to return quiсklу tо thе рrаyer hаll, lest she overhear sоmеthing she shоuldn't.
What shе hаdn't ехpесtеd wаs thаt just as shе left the verаndа, the сurtain of the mаin room wаs lifted, and Сhеng Сhi wаlkеd оut.
Zhоu Shaojin wаs uttеrly stаrtlеd.
Wаsn't he sрeаking with Оld Madаm Guо? Hоw did he comе out so quicklу? Тhе cоurtyard was silеnt, with оnlу hersеlf рrеsеnt, аnd shе didn't know whеthеr he might susрeсt her of еavеsdrорping оn his соnvеrsation with Old Мadam Guo.
Uneasу, she stepрed forwаrd to bоw tо Chеng Chi, addressing him as "Uncle Chi."
Cheng Chi seemed somewhat distracted, as if he hadn't noticed her earlier, only becoming aware of Zhou Shaojin's presence when she bowed and greeted him.
"You're here!" he said, his tone unusually indifferent compared to his usual warmth, with a trace of weariness between his brows.
Was it because the conversation with Old Madam Guo hadn't gone well?
Zhou Shaojin wondered inwardly, smiling as she replied, "I was copying scriptures in the prayer hall and just came over for a cup of tea!"
Although she didn't recount the entire incident to Cheng Chi, she didn't conceal it either.
"Is that so?" Cheng Chi responded casually, appearing absent-minded.
Sensing his mood, Zhou Shaojin quickly took her leave: "Then I'll return to the prayer hall to copy scriptures."
Cheng Chi nodded, but after Zhou Shaojin had taken a few steps, he called her back, hesitating as he said, "The old madam is in the inner chamber, in low spirits. Since you're here, perhaps you could keep her company and talk with her."
Her?
Talk?
Zhou Shaojin was taken aback.
What could she possibly say to Old Madam Guo?
And at a time like this, what could she even discuss with her?
As Zhou Shaojin was struggling with this, Cheng Chi unexpectedly changed his mind, saying, "Never mind... Your temperament is too placid, not as lively as Sheng Jie'er. I'm afraid even keeping the old madam company wouldn't cheer her up... You may return to the prayer hall to copy scriptures."
Her face flushed crimson, and she murmured an acknowledgment before hurrying toward the prayer hall.
But as she turned the corner of the building, Zhou Shaojin couldn't help glancing back.
Cheng Chi stood alone, straight-backed, at the foot of the steps beneath the veranda of the main room, his hands clasped behind him, gazing quietly at the azure sky. Serene, yet filled with loneliness.
What had happened between him and his parents?
Why hadn't he married?
And what had occurred in the Guo family?
Who was the "old scoundrel" referring to?
Zhou Shaojin's mind whirled like a revolving lantern, spinning ceaselessly, and even when she went to bid farewell to Old Madam Guo, her thoughts remained unsettled.
Old Madam Guo, however, was more resolute than she had imagined. Outwardly, she appeared no different from usual. Had Zhou Shaojin not been certain she had heard Old Madam Guo's roar that afternoon, she would have thought nothing had happened. But this was only on the surface. Contrary to her usual demeanor, Old Madam Guo inquired about Zhou Shaojin's progress in copying the scriptures. When she heard that Zhou Shaojin would complete them before the New Year, she was very pleased, even showing a faint smile.
In Zhou Shaojin's view, it wasn't so much that her progress in copying the scriptures had pleased Old Madam Guo, but rather that the matter proceeding smoothly according to Old Madam Guo's wishes had somewhat eased the old madam's heart.
Returning to Fragrant Garden Residence, she asked her sister, "Do you know about Uncle Chi's childhood?"
Zhou Chujin asked curiously, "Why do you ask about that?"“I ran into Uncle Chi at Cold Green Mountain House today,” Zhou Shaojin said. “I’m curious. Why didn’t he pursue an official career after passing the imperial examination?”
Zhou Chujin, suspecting nothing, smiled and replied, “What’s so strange about that? Being an official requires serving at least five hundred li away from home, and how many places in the world can compare to the prosperity of Jinling? Rather than becoming a low-ranking official in some remote, harsh place, it’s better to stay in Jinling as a refined and celebrated scholar!”
Zhou Shaojin pursed her lips in a smile, faintly sensing that Cheng Chi’s reasons for not becoming an official might not be so simple.
Zhou Chujin offered her sister some advice: “If you really want to know about Uncle Chi’s childhood, why not ask the older servants in the main branch? They’re sure to know.”
Zhou Shaojin sent Fan Qi to make inquiries.
The next day, Fan Qi reported back to her: “Fourth Master was born in the capital. In the fifteenth year of Yongchang, when the old master of the main branch passed away, Fourth Master was only six years old. He returned to his hometown to observe a year of mourning, after which the Second Old Master took him to the capital. From then on, he spent most of his time in the capital studying under the Second Old Master, only occasionally returning to Jinling to visit Old Madam Guo. It wasn’t until the thirteenth year of Zhide, when Fourth Master was twenty years old and preparing to take the imperial examination, that he returned for good. If you want to know about Fourth Master’s childhood, you’d have to ask those who served the Second Old Master in the capital.”
“Ah?!” Zhou Shaojin’s eyes widened.
In other words, Cheng Chi had spent most of his time in the capital and had only returned to Jinling in recent years.
No wonder she hadn’t heard anything about him before.
But that didn’t make sense either!
When did he establish Yutai Bank?
Since he was studying under the Second Old Master of the main branch, how could the Second Old Master have allowed him to “neglect his proper duties”?
Fan Qi lowered his voice again, speaking mysteriously: “Second Miss, I also heard them say that Fourth Master has a villa thirty li northwest of the city, on Lime Mountain, called ‘Algae Garden.’ When Fourth Master first returned, he didn’t live in the mansion but stayed at Algae Garden. It was only after the old madam spoke up that Fourth Master moved back.”
Zhou Shaojin had already heard about Cheng Chi having a villa, though she hadn’t known it was on Lime Mountain.
She didn’t dwell on this matter and instead asked Fan Qi, “Could you find out for me when Yutai Bank was established?”
“I know,” Fan Qi told her confidently. “It was on the ninth day of the ninth month in the eighth year of Zhide.”
Zhou Shaojin asked in confusion, “How do you know that?”
Fan Qi chuckled and said, “When I was in the village, the young scholar next door was determined to become an apprentice at Yutai Bank. He told me. He also said that every year on the ninth day of the ninth month, Yutai Bank distributes rice, and many people line up to receive it.”
The ninth day of the ninth month is both the Double Ninth Festival and Old Madam Guo’s birthday.
Could there be no connection at all?
The eighth year of Zhide—ten years ago—Uncle Chi was fifteen years old… so young. With the family’s wealth, why would he think of setting up a bank separate from the family business?
Those who managed family affairs were usually those with no hope of an official career. At that time, it shouldn’t have been decided yet that he would handle the family’s affairs. Moreover, it was later proven that although Uncle Chi took the imperial examination late, he didn’t miss a single session. Without a very solid foundation, even with the support of an uncle who was a Hanlin Academy scholar and a brother who was a two-tiered imperial examination graduate, it wouldn’t have been so smooth.The Dowager told Uncle Chi not to blame the late Elder Master of the eldest branch—could it be because appointing Uncle Chi to manage household affairs too early delayed him, causing him to only take the imperial examination at the age of twenty-one?
But that doesn’t make sense either!
Didn’t Old Madam Guo also manage household affairs in earlier years? If Uncle Chi had the talent for scholarly pursuits, given Old Madam Guo’s strong character, she would surely have continued overseeing the household affairs herself. How could she have let her son’s future be hindered because of this?
The more Zhou Shaojin thought about it, the more her head spun.
She waved her hand, signaling Fan Qi to go rest. “If anything else comes up in the future, let me know.”
Fan Qi, however, grinned and said, “There actually is something to tell Second Miss—Miss Heming from Hill of Clustered Cassia Courtyard is getting married, and she’s even marrying far away to Huzhou. That leaves a vacancy for a senior maid in Hill of Clustered Cassia Courtyard. Many people are trying to get in through Chief Steward Qin, but Chief Steward Qin said Hill of Clustered Cassia Courtyard won’t be adding anyone… Does that count as something?”
Zhou Shaojin was utterly surprised. “Are you telling the truth?”
“As true as it gets!” Fan Qi assured her. “If you don’t believe me, just wait another two days—Chief Stewart Qin will make an announcement.”
What a clever lad!
Zhou Shaojin almost reached out to pat Fan Qi’s head.
When she was at Cold Green Mountain House this morning, the little maid had asked Biyu about it, but Biyu hadn’t given a definite answer. Yet in just a few hours, Fan Qi had already gotten the news.
Delighted, she rewarded Fan Qi with a tael of silver.
Fan Qi cheerfully tucked it into his pocket and said, “Second Miss, there’s one more thing. It’s not related to Hill of Clustered Cassia Courtyard, though—it’s about the second branch. Would you like to hear it?”
So this was a bonus!
Zhou Shaojin wasn’t particularly interested in matters of the second branch, but she felt that knowing more about the Cheng family’s affairs would make it easier for her to act in the future. So she smiled and said, “Go ahead, tell me what it is.”
Seeing Zhou Shaojin’s interest, Fan Qi grew more enthusiastic. “A while ago, wasn’t it that the Second Young Mistress of the eldest branch gave birth to a son, and the Eldest Mistress Shi of the second branch also had a young master? Well, the eldest and second branches started competing with their rewards. The eldest branch gained praise from the in-laws for the gifts they sent for the Second Young Mistress’s third-day celebration, which put the second branch at a disadvantage. The second branch wasn’t happy about it. I heard that this time, Old Madam Tang of the second branch took out her private savings and sent someone to Eldest Mistress Shi’s maternal family, asking them to send two respectable-looking full-month celebration gifts…”
Zhou Shaojin found this both amusing and exasperating. “Won’t Eldest Mistress Shi’s maternal family be angry?”
She never expected that someone as shrewd and capable as Old Madam Tang would do something so foolish!
Fan Qi chuckled. “I heard from others that Eldest Mistress Shi’s maternal family is just an empty shell.”
After saying this, he waited for Zhou Shaojin to ask more.
But Zhou Shaojin remained silent.
Puzzled, he looked up and saw Zhou Shaojin sitting there, her face filled with shock.
Fan Qi didn’t know what he had said wrong and grew a little afraid. Cautiously, he called out, “Second Miss,” and asked, “What… what’s wrong with you?”
“I’m fine!” Zhou Shaojin took a deep breath.
She remembered.
The patriarch of the second branch, Cheng Xu, retired from his official post due to illness in the eighth year of the Zhengde era.
In other words, Uncle Chi founded Yutai Bank after Cheng Xu left office.
Why?
Because the Cheng family was an empty shell?
Zhou Shaojin didn’t believe it.
There must be some connection here!
It was just that she didn’t know what it was.
Zhou Shaojin’s thoughts were tangled into a messy knot.She subtly inquired from the old servants in the household about the Cheng family's daily expenses from back then.
An old servant smiled and said, "Even if the waters of Mochou Lake were to dry up, how could Nine Prosperities Lane ever lack for provisions? Not to mention in these peaceful and prosperous times, but even during the dynastic transition period, my grandfather said that while people outside Jinling were resorting to exchanging children to eat, the Cheng family never lacked food or clothing. On the birthday of the third branch's elderly master, the servants still received their customary reward silver as usual."
Was the Cheng family really that wealthy?
Zhou Shaojin felt she had learned something, but upon careful reflection, she couldn't quite articulate what exactly she had discovered.
Amid her somewhat anxious mood, Lanting, following Zhou Zhen's orders, delivered a box of eastern pearls to each of his two daughters.
※
Sisters, here's today's update!
PS: I believe all the sisters leaving comments in the discussion section do so because they hope I can write even better.
Today, a sister sent me a link discussing the issue of strict separation between men and women. I think, compared to such concerns, Zhou Shaojin probably feels that making Cheng Chi believe her is more important. Otherwise, her loved ones might have at most thirteen years left to live.
o(n_n)o~
※ (To be continued. If you like this work, please feel free to vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
!!
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