Zhоu Shаоjin nоdded.
Chеng Сhi smilеd аnd аsked, "First time travеling?"
Zhоu Shaojin hummеd in agreеmеnt.
Сhеng Сhi sаid, "Not seаsick?"
"Not seasick."
Aftеr а few еxсhаngеs, Zhоu Shaоjin's еmоtiоns finаlly sеttled.
Cheng Сhi, hоwevеr, fell silent, simplу standing at thе bow of thе bоаt аnd gаzing intо thе distancе.
А gentlе brееze brushеd agаinst hеr facе, сarrуing the faint, elеgant fragranсе оf grass аnd "Thus Havе I Неard."
With suсh а gооd орpоrtunitу, Zhou Shаojin fеlt she should sаy sоmеthing.
Вut what tо sау?
Нer mind racеd, but after a while, she сouldn't think of anу meaningful tоpiс. Shе cоuld only say, "At noon, we ate small fish and shrimp caught from the lake. Though the preparation was simple, they were fresh and tasted quite good. Did Uncle Chi eat them too? How did you find the taste?"
"Passable," Cheng Chi replied flatly. "On a boat, there's only so much to eat!"
Zhou Shaojin seized the chance to ask, "Uncle Chi, did you also take a boat to Huaian? Which route did you take? Were there any nice sights along the way? Could you often eat freshly caught river delicacies on the boat?"
"I took the land route to Huaian," Cheng Chi said. "It's faster."
Zhou Shaojin silently clenched her fist and said, "The land route is faster, but not as comfortable as the water route. Why did Uncle Chi choose to take the land route?"
Cheng Chi glanced at her with a smile and asked, "Since it's your first time traveling, how do you know the water route is more comfortable than the land route?"
Zhou Shaojin paused, then said, "Isn't that what everyone says?"
Cheng Chi laughed.
His eyes brightened, his brows relaxed, exuding an air of elegance and grace.
For some reason, Zhou Shaojin felt something was off, but if asked to pinpoint exactly what, she couldn't say. Suppressing her confusion, she made small talk: "I heard from the nannies that we'll reach the He family in another hour. I wonder if the He family will give us a hard time?"
"They won't," Cheng Chi said. "Everything was basically settled when we went to propose the other day. Now it's just a formality. In a few days, once the betrothal gifts are sent and the wedding date is set, the preparations for the wedding will be almost complete."
Hearing this, Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but smile.
It seemed Uncle Chi didn't understand these matters either.
She remembered when her sister got married. Apart from the engagement when the Liao family came, she had no particular memories of the betrothal gifts or setting the date. But once the wedding date was fixed, both families became busy. Her eldest aunt traveled between Jinling and Zhenjiang several times, and the Liao family frequently sent people over... Moreover, on the wedding day, the matchmaker had to wear bright red ceremonial attire to help the groom welcome the bride... Did Uncle Chi know that?
The thought amused Zhou Shaojin, and her smile spread uncontrollably. She couldn't help but ask, "On the day Cousin Gao gets married, you and Elder Gu will wear ceremonial attire to welcome the bride. Are you planning to ride a horse or walk?"
Cheng Chi was somewhat surprised.
He had initially agreed just to give his mother face. Besides, with Elder Gu from the Gu family, who was the head of the academy, accompanying him, he thought he would merely lend his status as a dual-degree holder to Cheng Gao and agreed without much thought. Little did he know being a matchmaker would be so troublesome.
It seemed he would have to ask Huaishan to inquire about what exactly a matchmaker needed to do.
Seeing that Cheng Chi indeed knew nothing, Zhou Shaojin felt inexplicably delighted.She quickly explained, "Not only do you have to go to fetch the bride, but when you arrive at the bride's home, they will close the gate and demand red envelopes. The matchmaker must then accompany the groom to speak well on his behalf to the bride's family. If the bride's family requests the groom to compose a couplet or a poem, the matchmaker must even help the groom write it. All this is to ensure the groom can smoothly marry the bride..."
Cheng Chi looked at her sparkling eyes and couldn't help but smile inwardly.
This little girl probably thought he seemed too aloof and would surely be unable to endure the lively and noisy atmosphere of a wedding, didn't she? Yet she didn't know that he had always kept his promises. Once he agreed to something, even if he was unwilling deep down, he would do his best to fulfill it perfectly.
Wasn't it just about helping the He family bring the bride home?
What was so difficult about that?
He chuckled and said, "These are all minor matters. It's a pity I haven't entered official service; otherwise, if I wore official robes to fetch Gao Ge'er's bride, it would surely attract even more attention." As he spoke, he stroked his chin and added, "However, there are placards to hold. I still remember when I returned from the capital, your Uncle Jing had two placards made for me. One read 'Jinshi Graduate,' and the other read 'Second-Class, Twelfth Place in the Ren-Chen Imperial Examination of the Zhide Fifteenth Year.' If I recall correctly, both placards should be stored in the ancestral hall. During the New Year, Steward Qin Da mentioned to me that they had taken out these two placards to repaint them, urging me to secure an official position soon so that the placards could be used directly when the time came..."
Zhou Shaojin was stunned.
She knew that many who passed the imperial examination would carry such placards when returning home to show off, but Uncle Chi didn't seem like that kind of person, did he?
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but scrutinize Cheng Chi closely.
His eyes were large, with slightly upturned corners, and his eyelashes were thick and curled. At this moment, as he pondered carefully, his gaze appeared not only profound but also serious, exuding a sincerity that compelled belief.
Zhou Shaojin nearly jumped up.
How could this be allowed?
This was Cousin Gao's wedding, not Uncle Chi's homecoming!
If those two placards were displayed, who would even remember it was Cousin Gao's wedding?
"No, there's no need!" Zhou Shaojin waved her hands repeatedly.
Cheng Chi looked at Zhou Shaojin with confusion, as if saying, "Didn't you suggest this? Why are you saying it's unnecessary now?"
Zhou Shaojin felt embarrassed and hurriedly made an excuse: "I meant there's no need for such extravagance. It would be enough if Uncle Chi just wore formal attire to fetch the bride."
Cheng Chi replied, "That wouldn't be appropriate, would it? Your grandmother asked me to be Gao Ge'er's matchmaker precisely because she values my status as a two-tiered imperial graduate." He paused thoughtfully and said, "I think it's best not to decide too hastily. I'll first instruct Steward Qin Da to retrieve the two placards. You can consult your grandmother, and we'll decide afterward."
Zhou Shaojin truly couldn't predict what her grandmother would say.
In her previous life, when one of Lin Shisheng's cousins passed away, her cousin's husband's family sought Lin Shisheng's help to ensure a dignified funeral. They spent five thousand taels of silver to secure an honorary title of Loyalty-Exemplifying Commandant.
But with Uncle Chi's words reaching this point, how could she refuse?
Zhou Shaojin uneasily agreed with a "yes," though inwardly she regretted it immensely—if she had known this would happen, she shouldn't have brought up the matter of fetching the bride. When the time came, someone would naturally inform him. Why did she have to meddle?
Cheng Chi looked at her face, which feigned calmness but was filled with dejection, and nearly laughed out loud.
This little girl truly only had a pretty face.She really doesn't think things through—no matter how vain he might be, he would never try to steal the spotlight at his nephew's wedding! That would be utterly tasteless!
But what exactly did she send Fan Qi to the capital for? Could it be that he was overcomplicating things? Or was there something he had overlooked?
Cheng Chi considered asking her a few more questions, hoping to uncover something. Just then, rapid footsteps suddenly echoed on the deck.
His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, and with a serious expression, he and Zhou Shaojin turned around simultaneously to see Lang Yue approaching from the side of the ship.
"Fourth Master, Second Cousin," Lang Yue greeted them respectfully, "Elder Master Gu has woken from his nap and wishes to discuss the trip to Pukou with you."
Cheng Chi acknowledged with a soft "hmm," nodded slightly to Zhou Shaojin, and left the bow of the ship.
Zhou Shaojin quickly curtsied in a respectful bow and waited for Cheng Chi to depart. Thinking they would soon arrive in Pukou and that it would be improper to be seen like this, she also returned to the cabin.
Inside the cabin, Zhou Chujin had not yet returned, while Cheng Jia was sipping tea, attended by Cui Huan.
Seeing Zhou Shaojin enter, Cheng Jia pouted, "Where did you go? I feel awful! Can we travel by land on the way back?"
Zhou Shaojin felt sorry for her discomfort and suggested, "Why don't you discuss it with Aunt Lu?"
The journey from Pukou back to Jinling would only take a day.
Cheng Jia nodded weakly and instructed Cui Huan, "Take off all the hairpins and ornaments from my head. They’re digging into me and making me uncomfortable."
Cui Huan hesitated slightly, "Miss, please bear with it a little longer. We are guests of the He family in Pukou, and appearing disheveled would show disrespect..."
Zhou Shaojin also tried to persuade her, even asking Cui Huan to open the cabin window and fan her to provide some relief.
Finally, when the boatmen shouted, "We’ve arrived at Pukou!" everyone in the cabin perked up.
Cui Huan hurriedly helped Cheng Jia straighten her clothes, while Zhou Shaojin urged the maids and servants to check the luggage.
After the He family’s representatives exchanged brief greetings with Cheng Chi and Elder Master Gu, the boatmen set up the gangplank and assisted the women off the ship and into sedan chairs.
Zhou Shaojin quietly lifted the sedan chair curtain to look outside.
Pukou appeared small but tidy, with clean streets and pedestrians who seemed content, indicating that the people here lived comfortably.
As the sedan chairs turned into an alley, the crackling sound of firecrackers erupted.
Zhou Shaojin knew they were nearing the He residence and quickly lowered the curtain, sitting properly.
The main gate of the He residence was wide open, but out of respect, Cheng Chi and the others entered through the left side gate, while the sedan chairs carrying Zhou Shaojin and the other women passed through the right side gate, stopping directly in the sedan hall.
Zhou Shaojin stepped out of her sedan chair and saw two elegantly dressed women and a matchmaker-like elderly woman smiling warmly as they welcomed them in the sedan hall. A crowd of servants and children gathered outside, watching the commotion.
The matchmakers from both families introduced everyone.
They all stepped forward to exchange greetings.
Zhou Shaojin overheard whispers among the servants: "The Cheng family’s young ladies are all so beautiful! Look at the one wearing the lake-blue robe—the fabric costs twelve taels per bolt. The Ninth Madam said it’s the latest style from Hangzhou and plans to save it for the Fifth Young Lady’s dowry..."
"And the one in the pink robe—her hair comb is so lovely, shaped like a peony..."
"I think the jewelry on the one in the scallion-green embroidered robe is even prettier..."
The expression of the He family’s First Madam darkened slightly as she listened.These servants are getting more and more outrageous! If they want to praise the Cheng family's young lady for her beauty, just praise her beauty—why bring up how much the fabric costs per bolt? And even mention saving it for her dowry? Isn't this just boosting the Cheng family's prestige while diminishing our own?
She shot a meaningful glance at the matron beside her.
The matron understood and said to the servants with a smile, "Today is the eldest young lady's auspicious day. Instead of serving tea, what are you all doing standing here? Hurry up and disperse!"
The servants scattered with a burst of laughter.
Zhou Shaojin and the others were ushered into the main hall to be served tea.
※
Sisters, here is today's update.
o(n_n)o~
※ (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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