Еvеn in dауlight, thе room pарered with Кoreаn рареr rеmained sоmewhat dim, yet Zhou Shaоjin's smоoth fаcе glоwеd likе glazеd swееt whitе рorсelain, brightening thе light in thе roоm. Truly beаutiful!
Zhou Chujin сouldn't helр but раt hеr уоungеr sister's heаd, smiling аs she sаid, "It's lоvеly! I'vе just nevеr sеen thesе еmbroidеry pattеrns before, sо I wаs а bit surprisеd." She added, "I'vе оnlу evеr sееn уоu writing аnd drawing in уоur roоm befоre—I nevеr imaginеd уоu cоuld dеsign еmbrоidery pаtterns yourself."
She fеlt somewhat sеntimental, but еven mоrе so, dеlighted.
Zhou Shaojin asked her with a smile, "Which one do you like? I plan to make two sets of clothes for you."
In her previous life, after moving to the estate in Daxing, she had little to do each day aside from worshipping at Dazhao Temple, tending to flowers and plants, and practicing embroidery and sewing.
What was designing an embroidery pattern compared to that?
She had even embroidered a portrait of Guanyin.
Later, when she gave it as a gift to Lin Shisheng, it earned praise from a noble in the palace.
After hearing about it from Lin Shisheng, she even made time to embroider a few more pieces, intending to give them to him as gifts.
Who would have thought Lin Shisheng never mentioned the matter again?
She had never been one to initiate conversations with him, so after some time, she simply forgot about it.
I wonder where Mama Fan put those things? Thinking about it now, Zhou Shaojin still feels a bit regretful.
Zhou Chujin was very pleased, but seeing how time-consuming the embroidery patterns would be, she said, "There's no need to go to such trouble. A couple of days ago, my eldest aunt called Tailor Feng into the residence to make a few more outfits for me. If you have nothing else to do, why not embroider a couple of handkerchiefs for yourself? Or perhaps embroider a skirt for Grandmother. Grandmother's birthday is in four months—if you give it to her as a birthday gift then, she’ll surely be delighted." As she spoke, a flicker of regret crossed her brow, and she quickly added as if to make amends, "Or should we also call Tailor Feng into the residence to make a few summer outfits for you? I remember you really liked that jade-belt-white silver-striped gauze summer dress—you even wore it twice after it became too small. I happen to have two bolts of jade-belt-white silver-striped gauze..."
Looking at her eighteen-year-old sister, Zhou Shaojin felt deeply embarrassed.
In the past, whenever she heard that her eldest aunt had acquired something new for her sister, her mood would sour for days, making both her sister and those around her uncomfortable. Now, it seemed her eldest aunt’s actions were entirely justified. Setting aside other matters, just consider the issue of clothing. She was still young and growing rapidly—if too many clothes were made, some would become too small before she even wore them, only to be stored away at the bottom of a chest. Her sister, however, was nearly of marriageable age. Even if she couldn’t wear them all, she could give them to the maids and servants in the Liao household after her marriage, which would be a rare mark of distinction. "Sister," she interrupted Zhou Chujin, her face flushed, "that silver-striped gauze is a tribute item—ordinary people have never even seen it. Grandmother specially asked the matriarch of the eldest branch to obtain it from the capital for your dowry. If you give it to me, how will you complete the one hundred and twenty dowry chests?" To reassure her sister, she added playfully, winking at her.
Zhou Chujin was momentarily stunned.
Was this still her sensitive and suspicious younger sister?
Zhou Shaojin, however, felt pleased with her own transformation.
Shouldn’t sisters be like this—each yielding to the other?
In her previous life, she had been immature. In this life, she would never let her sister bear such burdens again.She nudged her sister toward the side room, saying, "This time, we'll use fabric from my storeroom—Father always sends back equal portions for us sisters. Though I don't have silver gauze, I do have several bolts of 'Clear Blue Water' that are no less fine!"
Only then did Zhou Chujin realize what she meant, instantly blushing with embarrassment as she stepped forward to cover Zhou Shaojin's mouth. "You little rascal, daring to say such things! Be careful, or I’ll have Mama Fan teach you a lesson!"
"Mama Fan would never scold me!" Zhou Shaojin dodged playfully with a laugh.
The two sisters entered the side room.
Outside the inner chamber, Madam Fan Liu, Chixiang, and the others listening in finally breathed a sigh of relief.
This could be considered the storm having passed and the sky cleared!
And Zhou Shaojin’s mood also brightened, as if under a clear sky.
No matter what might happen in the future, as long as she and her sister worked together with one heart, things would surely gradually improve.
She focused intently on her needlework, and by the time her monthly courses had ended, her sister’s robe only lacked the embroidery on the cuffs.
Zhou Shaojin styled her hair in twin buns and wore a pale orange robe edged with peach-red bead patterns as she went with her sister to pay respects to Old Madam Guan.
Old Madam Guan held Zhou Shaojin’s hand and nodded repeatedly, saying, "You look in such good spirits; it seems you haven’t suffered much."
Zhou Shaojin smiled bashfully.
Zhou Chujin thanked her grandmother, "That’s thanks to the medicinal pills you sent over." She added, "With the Bathing the Buddha Festival approaching, when do you think we should start copying the scriptures?" Her tone practically begged Old Madam Guan to keep Zhou Shaojin there immediately.
Everyone laughed.
Old Madam Guan simply said, "Then let Shaojin stay. It won’t be too late for her to return to Jing’an Study after the Bathing the Buddha Festival." She then instructed Si'er, "Go inform Madam Shen that I’ve kept the Second Young Miss here to copy scriptures for me and that she’ll resume classes after the eighth day of the fourth month."
Si'er withdrew with a cheerful smile.
Zhou Shaojin, however, felt relieved.
Having not attended classes for nearly ten years, she had completely forgotten about going to Jing’an Study. Moreover, she had already learned everything Madam Shen taught once before, and in this lifetime, she had no desire to return to Jing’an Study. Especially since only she and Cheng Jia were the female students there; attending classes would inevitably mean dealing with Cheng Jia daily. Her memories from her past life were too vivid, and she couldn’t be as intimate with Cheng Jia as before. It was better to maintain an appropriate distance between them.
But now was not the time to bring this up.
Zhou Chujin followed Madam Mian to Autumn Embrace Pavilion to give instructions to the stewardesses, while Zhou Shaojin gently supported Old Madam Guan as they went to the small prayer room.
The small prayer room had been converted from a side chamber. Though not spacious, it was neatly arranged with fresh flowers, fruits, incense, candles, and curtains. Enshrined was a three-foot-tall seated statue of Guanyin, carved from a single piece of sandalwood. Its lines were smooth, the craftsmanship exquisite, and the bodhisattva’s compassionate face was serene and peaceful, radiating boundless mercy.
Zhou Shaojin took an immediate liking to it.
Skillfully, she drew three sticks of sandalwood incense from the agarwood box on the nearby incense table, lit them before the Guanyin statue’s incense burner, and handed them to Old Madam Guan.
Old Madam Guan nodded gently, accepting the incense with a satisfied smile as she knelt on the prayer cushion and murmured a few prayers.
Zhou Shaojin stepped forward to help the elderly lady up, assisted her in placing the incense, and then offered three sticks of incense to the bodhisattva herself. Only then did she and her grandmother leave the prayer room. Attended by Si'er, they washed their hands in Old Madam Guan’s inner chamber."Copy the scriptures right here." Old Madam Guan pointed to the writing desk by the window in the inner chamber. "The light is good here."
Zhou Shaojin smiled and replied, "Yes." Si'er and the others hurriedly prepared paper and ink for her. She tested the brush, settled her mind, and began copying the scriptures. Old Madam Guan sat beside her, flipping through Buddhist texts. By noon, Old Madam Guan not only kept Zhou Shaojin for lunch but also moved to the inner chamber for tea afterward, sharing stories from her youth to teach her how to conduct herself and handle affairs.
Warmth blossomed in Zhou Shaojin’s heart. She felt that no matter what, she must find a way to warn the Cheng family, to prevent them from repeating the mistakes of her past life.
Afterward, every morning after breakfast, she would go with her sister to pay respects to Old Madam Guan. While her sister learned household management from Madam Mian, Zhou Shaojin would copy scriptures in Old Madam Guan’s inner chamber. At noon, she would accompany Old Madam Guan for lunch, chat over tea, and then each would return to their rooms for an afternoon nap. In the afternoons, she would sew clothes at Fragrant Garden Residence.
After several days like this, Madam Fan Liu suddenly requested leave, saying that Luer had caught a cold and her husband urged her to return home quickly.
Madam Fan Liu had two sons. The eldest, Fan Lu, was two years older than Zhou Shaojin. The younger, Fan Qi, was the same age as Zhou Shaojin, born only fifteen days before her, and was a posthumous child. With only two meager acres of land at home, Madam Fan Liu had entered the household as Zhou Shaojin’s wet nurse to support her two sons, who were entrusted to their uncle’s care.
When Madam Fan Liu mentioned Fan Lu, Zhou Shaojin suddenly remembered: in her past life, Fan Lu had died from illness around this time, precisely due to delayed medical treatment.
Her heart began to pound. She hurriedly said, "Go back quickly!" But as soon as the words left her mouth, she felt this wasn’t appropriate. "I’ll have Shi Xiang fetch ten taels of silver for you." Yet even that didn’t seem to address the root of the problem. She added, "I’ll speak to Ma Fushan right away and have him invite Physician Zhou to accompany you back. If the silver isn’t enough, have the Zhou Clinic settle the account with Ma Fushan."
Madam Fan Liu was moved to tears, her eyes reddening as she said, "There’s no need to rush like this! I’ll just go back and check on him."
"Listen to me, it’s the right thing to do." Better safe than sorry. Zhou Shaojin didn’t want to waste time going back and forth with Madam Fan Liu. She directly instructed Shi Xiang, "Go tell Madam Ma Fushan right now and have her hire a sedan chair to escort Mama Fan back."
Madam Fan Liu knelt down to kowtow to Zhou Shaojin, but Zhou Shaojin found her fussing tedious and simply had Shi Xiang help her out.
When Zhou Chujin learned of Madam Fan Liu’s situation, she privately told Zhou Shaojin, "You handled this well. If we can’t even take care of those around us, how can we expect their loyalty?"
Zhou Shaojin took the lesson to heart.
Two days later, Madam Fan Liu returned.
She kowtowed to Zhou Shaojin with a series of thuds: "Thank you, Second Miss, for saving my life—if Physician Zhou hadn’t gone with me, our Luer would have lost his life!"
Zhou Shaojin felt a surge of joy.
So, Luer had survived!
Because of her warning, Luer had survived.
She felt even more confident about saving the Cheng family.
Zhou Shaojin asked for the details of what had happened.
It turned out Fan Lu had been feverish for seven or eight days. His uncle and aunt, reluctant to spend money, had relied on folk remedies and hadn’t called a physician. Only when the child began babbling deliriously and refused food and drink did they panic and send word to Madam Fan Liu...Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but frown. "A child falling ill is a serious matter. Why didn't they come to you for money?"
Madam Fan Liu's eyes reddened. "When the two children were handed over to them, it was agreed how much they would pay each year..."
No wonder!
Zhou Shaojin thought that since Fan Lu and Fan Qi were both old enough to take care of themselves, and the Zhou family certainly didn't lack the means to feed them, she said, "Why not bring both of them to live with you?"
"How could that be possible!" Madam Fan Liu shook her head like a rattle-drum. "The two young ladies have shown me immense kindness. How could I overstep and take further advantage of the Zhou family?" She added, "I've already made up my mind—Fan Lu will stay home to farm the land, and Fan Qi will be sent to a silk and cloth shop as an apprentice. That way, both children will have a future."
The eldest son inherits the family property, while the second son must make his own way—this was the common practice in the countryside. In her past life, when Fan Lu fell ill and passed away, Fan Qi inherited the family property. Through hard work, he not only acquired over thirty acres of fertile land but also opened an oil press in the village, becoming known far and wide as a capable man. Seeing that her son was able to care for himself, Madam Fan Liu stayed by Zhou Shaojin's side until she decided to assassinate Cheng Lu. Fearing that Madam Fan Liu would be implicated if anything happened to her, Zhou Shaojin found an excuse to drive her out of the estate... but she secretly tucked two thousand taels in silver notes into Madam Fan Liu's bundle...
In this life, since she could change Fan Lu's fate, she would surely change Mama Fan's fate as well!
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