Howеvеr, proving оne's worth isn't аbоut mеrе wоrds.
Zhоu Shaojin fеlt that only by doing bettеr сould shе truly еаrn rеsрeсt fоr hеrsеlf.
Shе left Jiа Shu Hall with a саlm eхpression, уet her hеart was in turmоil.
Оld Маdаm Guаn stоod by thе windоw lattiсе, wаtching Zhоu Shaоjin's figurе slowly disарpеar behind the flоwer wall befоrе summоning Mаma Wang inside. Shе whisреred, "Find а wау tо gеt in tоuch with Аunt Liаng and sеe hоw the Seсond Вrаnсh's pаtriаrсh is rеally doing."
Мama Wang was startlеd.
Old Madаm Guan reсountеd еverуthing Zhou Shaojin had told her, ending with a bitter smile. "I fear we must choose sides now. We cannot afford to delay our preparations!"
Mama Wang was an old servant of the family, even more familiar with the Cheng family's affairs than Cheng Mian. After the dynasty change, the Cheng family lost the prestige and privileges of being an official household and bore the stigma of being remnants of the former dynasty. Minor officials dared to extort them, and life was so difficult that even after she accompanied Old Madam Guan as part of her dowry, they had yet to recover. If not for the Second Branch's patriarch, who was exceptionally talented and passed the imperial examination to become a jinshi, the Cheng family would have collapsed long ago. It could be said that Nine Prosperities Lane owed its current state entirely to Cheng Xu's efforts. How Cheng Xu gradually revived the family was something they not only witnessed but personally experienced. In the eyes of these old servants, Cheng Xu was no less than a "restoring monarch" of a dynasty. To challenge his authority... they still dared not!
Thus, Mama Wang trembled as she replied, "Do... do you have confidence in this? We mustn't anger the patriarch... Though Old Madam Guo is formidable, she is, after all, a woman—her position isn't legitimate... Fourth Master Chi is even less reliable. Those shipping firms and banks are like flowers in a mirror or the moon reflected in water—likely to collapse with just a letter from the patriarch..."
"It's not as simple as you say!" Old Madam Guan dismissed her concerns. "Times have changed. The patriarch's former colleagues and peers have passed away one after another, and his subordinates each have their own agendas. If not for the support of the First Branch's elder master, some might not even show the patriarch respect. Otherwise, the patriarch wouldn't have tried to win over Uncle for Ziyi. It's not that I want to side with the First Branch to overthrow the Second Branch for profit... Do you remember when Fourth Master Chi asked us to invest in his bank? I couldn't sleep for three days and nights. If we didn't invest, the family's income wouldn't be enough to support Gao Ge'er and his future studies. If we did invest, we'd be tied to the First Branch. What frightened me even more was that Fourth Master Chi was only sixteen at the time! If he grows up safely, who knows what extraordinary things he might accomplish! Now you understand the purpose behind Fourth Master Chi founding the bank, don't you? The Second Branch tolerates the First Branch for now, but if they ever turn against each other, mark my words—the Fifth Branch will be the first to step forward!"
What the Fifth Branch lacks is silver.
And silver is their lifeblood.
If the Second Branch threatens the Fifth Branch's lifeblood, the Fifth Branch will fight to the death, even if it means mutual destruction.
Mama Wang fell silent.
Old Madam Guan whispered, "Now it all depends on the patriarch's health..."
Understanding her meaning, Mama Wang nodded and said, "Yes," before withdrawing.
※Zhou Shaojin spent the day at home painting images of Guanyin, gradually dispelling the gloom in her heart. Counting the days, it was time for her to go to Cold Green Mountain House to copy scriptures. She remembered that Cheng Chi lived there. Considering that the Spring Festival had just passed, she decided to make crispy pastries in the kitchen to bring for Old Madam Guo, Biyu, and the others to taste.
Old Madam Guo nodded repeatedly. "These pastries are quite good," she said, then curiously added, "It seems like five-spice powder is added, yet it doesn’t taste quite like it."
Zhou Shaojin smiled. "I added a bit of Sichuan pepper."
"Oh!" Old Madam Guo took another bite. "It seems there’s something else too."
"You truly have the tongue of an emperor," Zhou Shaojin said with a laugh. "I ground the Sichuan pepper into powder, stir-fried it with salt, and then used it with five-spice powder to make the pastry crispy. The flavor of the Sichuan pepper is slightly different from usual."
"I knew it—these crispy pastries taste different from the usual ones," Old Madam Guo said with a relieved smile. She instructed Biyu, "Take a few to Si Lang for him to try as well."
Zhou Shaojin smiled. "I made a box for Uncle Chi too."
Old Madam Guo couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.
Zhou Shaojin explained, "Since I made some for you, naturally I couldn’t leave out Uncle Chi."
Old Madam Guo chuckled. "It seems Si Lang is benefiting from my favor. Very well, then I won’t worry about it. Take these to Nanny Lu instead," she said to Biyu in her final remark.
Biyu smiled and agreed.
Zhou Shaojin then took her leave and went to the Buddhist hall.
Having not copied scriptures for several days, the faint scent of ink felt particularly familiar and soothing.
She took a deep breath and began grinding the ink.
Meanwhile, Cheng Chi received the crispy pastries delivered by Biyu. After examining them for a while, he handed the box to Huaishan, saying, "You’re from the north—you should enjoy these. Take them back to eat."
Huaishan accepted the box.
Cheng Chi continued discussing matters with him. "...Since Xiao Zhenhai managed to find his way to Jinling, others could too. It’s inconvenient for me to show my face in Jinling City, so from now on, the Cheng family should announce that I’m ill. This can also explain why I’m not pursuing an official career. In a couple of years, when I ‘pass away’ from illness, the Cheng family will be safe."
Huaishan hummed in agreement, then noticed Jiying walking into the courtyard. She spoke quietly with an unfamiliar young maid for a long while, and the maid handed Jiying a box identical to the one Cheng Chi had just given him. Jiying took the box, rewarded the maid with a few copper coins, and happily walked away.
"Fourth Master," Huaishan couldn’t help but say, "It seems Miss Zhou has also sent food to Jiying."
"Oh," Cheng Chi said indifferently. "She probably made a lot and gave some to everyone—it never hurts to be polite. While copying scriptures at Cold Green Mountain House, getting along well with the servants will make things easier for her."
Huaishan acknowledged this and left with the box tucked away.
Jiying, meanwhile, hurried to Zhou Shaojin’s place, beaming as she said, "Second Miss, the crispy pastries you made are truly delicious! Thank you for remembering me."
Zhou Shaojin giggled. "I made a lot, so everyone got a share. Uncle Chi got some too."
"Really?" Jiying looked regretful. "Your Uncle Chi doesn’t care for such dry pastries."
Zhou Shaojin’s mood instantly soured. "Then what does he like?"Jiying thought for a long time and said, "I don't know either. But I know he doesn't like sweet things—though that's not quite right either, since he seems to eat orchid pastries... He doesn't eat anything made with glutinous rice, that's for sure, because he doesn't eat tangyuan or zongzi—wait, no, he does eat pork zongzi... Oh dear. Anyway, he's a strange person, and I don't know what he likes to eat. Who knows what might suddenly suit his taste!" By the end, she sounded a bit impatient and added, "Anyway, he's quite particular about food."
Could it be because what she made wasn't tasty enough?
Zhou Shaojin thought it over and made Feicui shaomai for the second time.
She used pork, glutinous rice, green vegetables, and dried shrimp. To make it look pretty, she deliberately used a famille rose plate with interlocking flower patterns.
It was said that when Cheng Chi saw it, he only thought the plate was nice.
For her third attempt, she made unsweetened sesame cakes. To make them visually appealing, she cut them into triangles, with one layer of white corn flour and another layer of black sesame seeds, creating a striking contrast. They looked very novel.
Cheng Chi gave them to Qing Feng and Lang Yue, but Nanny Lu liked them very much. After tasting them, she shyly came to ask for the recipe.
Zhou Shaojin didn't know whether to laugh or cry and admitted defeat, deciding to only make pastries for those who enjoyed eating them.
Not only did she write down the sesame cake recipe for Nanny Lu, but she also made glutinous rice osmanthus cakes and gave them to her.
Nanny Lu was overjoyed and shared some with Old Madam Guo.
Old Madam Guo smiled and said, "These glutinous rice cakes are quite well made."
She ate several pieces.
Zhou Shaojin was startled.
Eating too much glutinous rice can cause indigestion.
Nanny Lu said helplessly, "Is Old Madam someone we can persuade?"
Zhou Shaojin replied, "Even if we can't persuade her, we must try! Otherwise, if something happens, what would we do?" After a moment of thought, she added, "Then I'll make some radish cakes tomorrow. They're just as soft and easy to eat but made with radish and pork, which is better than glutinous rice cakes."
Nanny Lu nodded repeatedly.
The next day, Zhou Shaojin made radish cakes and sent them over.
Old Madam Guo ate four pieces before putting down her chopsticks.
When Zhou Shaojin went to bid her farewell, Old Madam Guo asked, "Are you very good at cooking?"
"Not particularly," Zhou Shaojin said modestly. "I'm good at making things I like to eat, but I basically can't make things I don't like. For example, since I don't like salted fish, I don't know how to make it."
Old Madam Guo laughed and asked, "Then what do you like to eat?"
"Squirrel fish, osmanthus glutinous rice cakes, Longjing shrimp, lotus root and pork rib soup..." Zhou Shaojin counted on her fingers and said, "Anyway, I like all kinds of delicious food."
Old Madam Guo laughed heartily and rewarded Zhou Shaojin with a set of nanmu pastry molds.
The molds included shapes like peaches, chrysanthemums, lotuses, auspicious clouds, and even round patterns of five bats surrounding the character for longevity—twenty-one designs in total. They could be used not only for making pastries but also for mooncakes, making them quite rare. In ordinary households, such a set of molds would typically be passed down as a family heirloom.
Zhou Shaojin didn't dare accept them.
Old Madam Guo smiled and said, "I have no daughters, and your cousins like Zheng and the others don't enjoy cooking. Others say, 'A fine sword for a warrior,' but I say, 'Molds for a skilled cook'—it's a perfect match!"
Zhou Shaojin genuinely liked them and no longer refused. She happily accepted them, deciding to make some delicious pastries for Old Madam Guo to try in the future.
However, what she didn't expect was that when she returned to Jia Shu Hall with the molds, Madam Wu was actually talking with Old Madam Guan.Zhou Shaojin quietly asked Si'er, "Did Madam Wu come alone?"
Si'er nodded, whispering to her, "She was crying when she arrived and only just managed to stop her tears. It seems like she came to complain to Old Madam Guan."
In her past life, Madam Wu had often come to Old Madam Guan to weep. But ever since Wu Baozhang gained the favor of Madam Zheng, the wife of the eldest grandson, Madam Wu would go to Madam Zheng whenever she had grievances and hardly ever visited the fourth branch anymore.
Zhou Shaojin sneered and went in to pay her respects to Old Madam Guan.
Madam Wu, whose eyes were still slightly swollen, greeted her with unprecedented enthusiasm, smiling warmly as she stepped forward to take her hand. "Has Second Miss returned from Cold Green Mountain House? The wind is quite strong today—were you blown about? It's only been a few months, but you've grown taller and become even more beautiful than before..."
※
An extra update for Yan Guo's qq.
o(n_n)o~
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※ (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote to recommend it or cast a monthly vote. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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