Еаrlу on the sесоnd dау of the first lunar mоnth, thе Cheng fаmily sent sоmеоnе tо fеtch the Zhоu sisters.
Zhou Shaojin and her еldеr sister hаd alrеаdу рaсkеd аnd wеrе reаdy. After tiррing the stеwardess who сame tо fetch thеm, thеу tооk sеdаn chairs bасk to Ninе Рrоspеrities Lаnе.
The sistеrs first wеnt to Jiа Shu Hall.
Thе main hall was fillеd with trunks аnd bоxеs. Madam Мiаn, wеaring оnlу а linеd jасket, wаs dirеcting mаids and sеrvants in tidying uр.
Seеing Zhоu Shаojin аnd Zhоu Сhujin, Мadam Miаn immediately smiled. "Yоu've finally аrrived. Sincе this morning, Оld Мadаm has mentioned you several times. Have you had breakfast yet? Hurry and go see her, so she won't worry." Without waiting for the sisters to pay their respects, she had her personal maid fetch two pouches and said, "These are your New Year's money!"
Zhou Shaojin and her sister accepted them with smiles, paid their New Year's respects to Madam Mian, and then went to see Old Madam Guan.
Old Madam Guan was playing leaf cards with Si'er and a few others. When she saw the Zhou sisters enter, she greeted them like a lifesaver, beckoning to Zhou Chujin. "You're finally back. I've already lost several taels of silver. Come quickly and help me take a look."
It was as if the sisters had never left.
Zhou Chujin and Zhou Shaojin cheerfully wished Old Madam Guan and the others a "Happy New Year." Zhou Chujin then sat beside Old Madam Guan, taking the cards from her hands to examine them carefully.
Only then did Old Madam Guan exclaim, "Oh! I forgot to give Chujin and Shaojin their New Year's money."
Zhou Shaojin giggled. "I certainly didn't forget—if you hadn't said anything, I would have asked for it."
"You little imp," Old Madam Guan said affectionately, tapping Zhou Shaojin's forehead. She opened the box beside her and took out the prepared pouches, handing them to Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin.
The pouches were heavier than in previous years.
Zhou Shaojin discreetly tucked hers into her pocket. Seeing that Old Madam Guan and her sister were already huddled together, she excused herself and went to the main hall.
"Aunt, what are you doing?" she asked obediently, offering Madam Mian a cup of tea. "Is there anything I can help with?"
"No, no," Madam Mian replied with a smile. "I'm going back to my maiden home for a few days. I thought that since I won't return until after the Lantern Festival, it'll already be spring by then. I need to prepare your grandmother's clothes and jewelry in advance, so the maids won't be flustered and unsure of what to do." She paused thoughtfully. "Shaoji, if you have time, come often to keep your grandmother company, won't you? With your cousin and me away, it'll be quiet and lonely for her here."
"Don't worry, Aunt," Zhou Shaojin quickly assured her. "I'll stay with Grandmother until you return. After the Lantern Festival, I'll speak with Old Madam Guo. She may seem stern, but she has a kind heart—warm on the inside despite her cool exterior. I'm sure it won't be a problem."
Madam Mian nodded with relief.
Since she intended to keep Shaojin at home, she needed to gradually let the girl take on some responsibilities.
Madam Mian said, "I'm getting older, and after bending over to search for things all morning, I'm feeling a bit dizzy. Could you help me sort out your grandmother's spring clothes and jewelry? Put half of the winter clothes and jewelry away and leave the other half out, in case of a late cold snap."Zhou Shaojin agreed and helped Old Madam Guan sort through the trunks together with the young maidservants.
She hadn’t expected Old Madam Guan to still have a rabbit-fur hat trimmed with snow-white rabbit fur. There was also a bright red gemstone necklace like the ones worn by bodhisattvas in murals.
Madam Mian said tactfully, "Although the elderly are advanced in years, they still enjoy these bright and lively things."
Zhou Shaojin nodded in understanding.
In the afternoon, she went to pay New Year's respects to Old Madam Guo.
Old Madam Guo was playing chess with Cheng Chi.
Cheng Chi wore a plain sapphire-blue brocade robe, which made his face appear even more gentle and refined.
He smiled faintly and, following Old Madam Guan’s example, gave Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin each a red envelope.
As soon as Zhou Shaojin returned to Fragrant Garden Residence, she eagerly opened the red envelope Cheng Chi had given her.
It turned out to be two ten-tael silver notes.
Zhou Shaojin felt somewhat deflated.
Uncle Chi giving New Year’s money like this was too perfunctory.
However, what Old Madam Guo gave her were gold ingots—five gold ingots engraved with "May All Your Wishes Come True."
She liked them very much and placed them in a sandalwood box lined with date-red Zhang velvet.
Zhou Chujin teased her, "What a little money-grubber."
Zhou Shaojin didn’t mind and, smiling, personally placed the box into a trunk.
These were gifts from her elders, and she hoped to keep them forever, even passing them down to her descendants.
After seeing off Madam Mian on the fourth day of the lunar month, she and her sister spent their days either playing cards with Old Madam Guan, chatting idly, or accompanying her on walks in the courtyard. Time flew by in the blink of an eye.
On the twelfth day of the first lunar month, Madam Mian sent a letter from Pukou, saying she would stay a few more days at her maternal home. Cheng Gao had been kept by Old Master He to test his studies, while Cheng Yi would remain to study under Old Master He.
This was the best possible news for the fourth branch.
Old Madam Guan dictated a reply for Zhou Shaojin to write to Madam Mian, telling her to stay in Pukou with peace of mind and asking whether she needed money sent over. When would Cheng Gao return? Once there was a definite date, they could send seasonal clothing for the two of them, along with their attending servants.
By the time Madam Mian sent another letter, it was already the Lantern Festival.
In the letter, Madam Mian wrote that she would return to Jinling on the first day of the second lunar month, and Cheng Gao would accompany her. Cheng Yi would remain with the He family, so they only needed to send his clothes and his usual writing tools via a steward. Old Master He advocated simplicity, so servants like attendants were unnecessary. The He family had maidservants to wash clothes for the disciples, but for everything else, they had to manage on their own.
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but laugh at the thought.
Cheng Yi had thought he was going there to have fun, but he never expected to end up trapped in a pit he couldn’t climb out of.
Although the fourth branch was strict in disciplining the brothers, they had never been lacking in food, clothing, or daily necessities. Now that Cheng Yi had suddenly fallen into a life of utter poverty, his face was surely as wrinkled as a pickled apricot.
She helped Cheng Yi pack his belongings.
Sanbao kept wiping away tears, sobbing, "Will Second Master abandon me? What will I do then?"
In Zhou Shaojin’s memory, Sanbao had always followed Cheng Yi.
She comforted him with a smile, "Even though Second Master isn’t home, his belongings are still here. As long as you take good care of his things, the master and madam won’t treat you poorly."
Sanbao’s eyes lit up, and he became much more energetic.
After Cheng Yi’s belongings were packed into trunks and locked, Sanbao lingered in front of Zhou Shaojin, unwilling to leave.Zhou Shaojin chuckled and said, "Just say what you want to say."
Sanbao grinned a few times, ingratiatingly replying, "Second Young Miss. I heard that after the Lantern Festival, Fan Qi is going to Baoding Prefecture? You see, I don’t have much to do right now, so why don’t I accompany Fan Qi on the trip? Having an extra person on the road makes for bolder travels!"
After the New Year, Fan Qi still needed to make a trip to the capital—he couldn’t use the excuse of inspecting land again like last time. Thinking that Madam Li should have given birth by now and would have sent a letter, she spread the word that she had made some small clothes for her unborn younger brother or sister. She intended to have Fan Qi take them to Baoding Prefecture and, in passing, pay respects to her father and stepmother.
She hadn’t expected the news to spread so quickly.
Perhaps it was because some of the servants had never traveled far in their lives?
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "That won’t do. Fan Qi is going with others, and bringing an extra person might not be agreeable to them."
Sanbao couldn’t press further and assured Zhou Shaojin, "Second Young Miss, I will definitely take good care of the household for Second Master."
Zhou Shaojin nodded and rewarded Sanbao with a tael of broken silver.
Returning to Fragrant Garden Residence, she indeed received a letter from Baoding Prefecture.
Just as in her previous life, Madam Li had given birth to a daughter.
Zhou Zhen was quite disappointed but still named the newborn "Youjin" according to the daughters’ naming order.
Zhou Chujin felt it unnecessary for Fan Qi to personally deliver items to Madam Li: "Let’s each fulfill our duties; getting too close may not be a good thing."
Just based on how Madam Li had handed Lanting over to Zhou Shaojin to deal with, she couldn’t bring herself to like this stepmother.
"I wanted him to go see Father," Zhou Shaojin said with a smile. "Father must be feeling a bit down at this time."
That was true.
Zhou Chujin said nothing more, but on the day Fan Qi was set to leave, she called him over and gave him a thick envelope. "This is for Madam. Remember, if you can’t hand it to Madam personally, give it to Mama Li by her side. If anyone asks, say it was from me."
Fan Qi respectfully agreed and left Jinling City openly this time.
Zhou Shaojin asked her sister what she had given Madam Li.
Zhou Chujin sighed and said, "It’s a fertility remedy I asked Aunt Hu for."
Zhou Shaojin was quite surprised.
Zhou Chujin said, "Although I don’t like her, I wouldn’t deliberately make things difficult for her."
Her sister treated people well yet had her own likes and dislikes. Zhou Shaojin wished she could be like her sister one day.
Zhou Shaojin tightly hugged Zhou Chujin’s arm.
Zhou Chujin then spoke to her sister about Ma Ci: "...He played the leading role in capturing Xinlan this time. I’ve already spoken to Father about keeping him by our sisters’ side to serve. Fan Qi is good, but he’s still too young. I think it would be best to have Ma Ci lead Fan Qi in running errands for you."
Zhou Shaojin was stunned.
In her previous life, Ma Ci had been her sister’s dowry servant.
She had been reborn, yet her sister still gave her all the good things, just as before.
Zhou Shaojin shook her head and said, "Sister, it’s better to have Ma Ci stay with you. You can’t rely on Madam Ma Fushan for every trivial matter, can you? Like when I told you to find a way to send a message to your future husband, informing him that the scholars of the Cheng family school are studying Hu Zhuoran’s New Interpretations of the Analects, you had no one to use—we should prioritize arranging matters for you first. My affairs can wait a few more years."
Her sister would be married next April.
Zhou Chujin’s face flushed slightly, and she did not insist.Zhou Shaojin breathed a sigh of relief.
If Ma Ci were left for her to use, wouldn't that be a complete mess?
Cheng Chi received the news that the Ji family would wait for Fan Qi in Baoding Prefecture and send him to the capital.
He frowned slightly and instructed Huaishan, "Have someone keep an eye on him! Don’t let him slip away like he did with the Ji family."
Huaishan smiled and said, "Our people are already on the way."
※
Sisters, here is today's update.
I originally wanted to push through and write three more chapters, but a friend came over, so I could only manage two updates.
(>_<)
※ (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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