Zhоu Shаоjin fоllowed оbеdiеntlу bеhind her elder sistеr Zhоu Chujin, while Сheng Jia quiеtlу tuggеd аt Zhоu Shаojin's sleеve during the polite eхсhangе betwееn Маdam Jiаng аnd thе Не familу's matriarch, whisреring, "Did yоu hear just now... thе He fаmily prаisеd уоur bеаutу. When we rеturn, уou must еmbrоidеr two рouсhеs for me."
"Тhе Hе family alsо praised уоur jеwelrу," Zhou Shaojin sаt uрright, murmuring sоftly with hеr liрs bаrеlу mоving, "So whеn wе return, shоuldn't yоu also gift mе two рiесes оf jеwеlrу?"
"Alright!" Cheng Jiа's eyes sparklеd, "I can give уou two рieсеs of jеwelry, but you must make two more pouches for me!"
How could I forget Cheng Jia is such a wealthy landowner!
Zhou Shaojin secretly regretted her words, curiously asking, "Who are you giving the pouches to? Isn't Cui Huan's needlework quite good too?"
"Never you mind," Cheng Jia refused to tell Zhou Shaojin, "Just remember you owe me two pouches."
How could she be so domineering?
Zhou Shaojin wanted to say more to Cheng Jia, but Madam Jiang, who had been watching Cheng Jia from the corner of her eye, cast a glance their way.
Cheng Jia and Zhou Shaojin promptly ceased their conversation, sitting up straight and proper.
The He family's matchmaker invited Madam Gu over to assist with the hairpin ceremony.
Madam Jiang held the box containing the hairpins, and the Cheng family members followed Madam Gu to the chamber of the He family's eldest daughter, He Fengping.
He Fengping's chamber was already filled with people—her aunts, cousins, and close friends from noble families—quite a crowd indeed.
As soon as Zhou Shaojin and the others entered, they drew admiring glances from everyone present.
Madam Jiang couldn't help feeling somewhat proud, her gaze settling on a woman in fourth-rank ceremonial attire in the room.
She knew. That must be Madam Mian's sister-in-law from her maiden family, also the one here to assess Cheng Jia.
Madam Jiang glanced at her daughter. Seeing Cheng Jia standing obediently beside Zhou Shaojin, she finally relaxed.
The three young ladies from the Cheng family were of different ages, and He Fengping's mother immediately distinguished who was who.
She couldn't help feeling a bit regretful.
In terms of appearance, the Zhou family's second young lady was somewhat too delicate, not as robust as the Cheng family's fourth young lady, who seemed better suited for childbearing. However, the Zhou family's second young lady's father was a twice-ranked imperial scholar, a fourth-rank prefect in his prime, with immeasurable future prospects... No wonder her sister-in-law had taken a liking to this girl. Still, nothing in this world is perfect. He Fengping's mother merely sighed quietly to herself.
She sat there with dignified composure, rising only when introduced by the matchmaker.
Madam Jiang particularly warmly took He Fengping's mother's hand, complimenting her on raising such an excellent daughter.
He Fengping, seated in the inner chamber, wore a bright red embroidered robe. For the hairpin ceremony, her jet-black hair was entirely swept up into double spiral buns at the back, revealing her smooth forehead. She wore no jewelry whatsoever, her face flushed crimson as she kept her head lowered, not daring to glance around.
Zhou Shaojin found it quite amusing.
In her previous life, she had only ever seen the dignified, graceful, and poised He Fengping, never the shy and timid He Fengping.
Perhaps their statuses were different back then, and He Fengping needed to maintain the demeanor of an elder sister-in-law?
Zhou Shaojin smiled with pursed lips.
Cheng Jia whispered in her ear, "The He family's eldest daughter is quite pretty!"
"Of course," Zhou Shaojin couldn't help feeling a sense of shared pride, "Just look at who chose her as a daughter-in-law."
Cheng Jia chuckled softly.He Fengping suddenly looked up towards them, then quickly lowered her head again.
Zhou Shaojin and Cheng Jia both laughed.
Over there, He Fengping's mother had already finished exchanging pleasantries with Madam Jiang. The He family's matchmaker, checking the time, smiled and called out, "The auspicious hour has arrived!"
All the various sounds in the room abruptly ceased.
Madam Jiang opened the box, and Madam Gu took out the six liang six qian weight, auspicious cloud-patterned Ruyi gold hairpin from the box and inserted it into He Fengping's hair.
As if suddenly erupting, the room once again filled with exclamations of admiration in various voices, bustling and lively.
He Fengping's face flushed even redder.
Madam He then smilingly invited the Cheng family to take their seats in the flower hall.
Cheng Jia said disappointedly, "Is that all?"
"What else were you expecting?" Zhou Shaojin replied, both amused and exasperated. "If you want to see excitement, come along during the wedding ceremony. That's when the real excitement happens!"
Cheng Jia knew that was impossible and sighed in disappointment. She linked arms with Zhou Shaojin and went to the flower hall.
Now officially relatives, He Fengping's mother treated Madam Jiang and the others with less formality and more familiarity. She praised Zhou Shaojin and the others profusely, then inquired about Cheng Jia's daily life.
Cheng Jia knew nothing of the implications and answered casually as if speaking to any ordinary elder.
Zhou Shaojin, however, was thoughtful.
She calculated in her mind: He Fengping was the eldest daughter in her family. Her eldest younger brother should be only twelve years old now, and her youngest brother nine. So it was impossible for them to have any connection with Cheng Jia...
On the way back, she probed Madam Jiang, "He Fengping's mother seems to particularly like Cousin Jia."
Madam Jiang only smiled without speaking.
Cheng Jia muttered, "How come I didn't notice?"
Zhou Shaojin could only sigh inwardly.
The scope was too broad now; Li Jing would have to fend for himself!
Halfway through their boat journey, the sky had already darkened. Cheng Jia suffered from seasickness and had long since fallen into a deep sleep. Zhou Chujin did watch the scenery with Zhou Shaojin for a while, but the tension before reaching Pukou and the exhaustion after successfully completing the minor betrothal ceremony soon left her looking weary.
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "Sister, go rest for a while! I'll go ask Aunt Jiang how much longer the return journey will take and what we should do about dinner tonight?"
The He family had invited them to stay for dinner, but they didn't want to spend the night in Pukou and insisted on leaving.
Such matters didn't require her concern, but she wanted to get some fresh air and take a walk.
Zhou Chujin was indeed tired and nodded with a smile, letting Chixiang attend to her as she slept.
Zhou Shaojin left the cabin and headed towards where Madam Jiang was resting.
Someone was speaking at the bow of the boat: "...The return journey will probably take about two more hours. I've already told the boatman to go faster. It depends on whether we just have a light snack to tide us over or have the boatman prepare a proper meal."
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but walk over.
The speaker turned around.
In the twilight, she saw Cheng Chi's face. Quiet and composed, aloof and profound.
Zhou Shaojin froze.
This was a Cheng Chi she had never seen before.
But in an instant, that face broke into a faint smile. His gaze remained cool, yet his expression softened, like a spring breeze sweeping across the land, warming the air.
"Second Miss," he said gently, "is there something you need?"
The person beside him stared at her with eyes as sharp as cold blades.
Only then did Zhou Shaojin realize that the person speaking with Cheng Chi was Qin Zi'an. And there were only the two of them at the bow of the boat.She quickly explained, "My sister and Cousin Jia have both rested. I came out to ask when we might reach Jinling, and also to inquire about the evening meal."
Cheng Chi pondered for a moment before saying to Qin Zi'an, "There are ladies on board, and boatmen's provisions are usually quite coarse. I think we should find a place along the way to order a banquet."
Qin Zi'an respectfully replied, "Yes," and withdrew, passing by Zhou Shaojin.
Zhou Shaojin felt as though Qin Zi'an had some opinion of her, instinctively stepping aside to make way for him.
Qin Zi'an softly said, "Thank you," then headed toward the stern.
Cheng Chi smiled and said, "We should arrive in Jinling Prefecture in about two hours. Would you like to return to the cabin and rest?"
Is Uncle Chi trying to send me away?
Zhou Shaojin thought for a moment and said, "I only came over because I heard Chief Steward Qin say that... Does Uncle Chi wish to stay alone at the bow for a while? Then I’ll return to the cabin first."
Having lived two lives, this was Zhou Shaojin’s first time traveling by water, and she found it strange that she wasn’t seasick.
Thinking about returning to the cabin and having nothing to do but sit and daydream, her expression dimmed slightly.
Seeing this, Cheng Chi felt a stir in his heart. He guessed that everyone else was too tired and had rested, leaving Zhou Shaojin, who wasn’t seasick, without any company, so she had to wander around energetically.
What a child!
He smiled and said, "I’m just out for a walk as well. I recall your father once served as an official in Nanchang. Have you ever visited him there?"
Zhou Shaojin looked ashamed and whispered, "No."
"Oh," Cheng Chi said casually, "Many people have never visited their fathers at their posts. It’s too far, the roads are difficult, and at your age, it’s easy to fall ill from the change in climate."
Zhou Shaojin had never before considered visiting her father at his post.
She felt that she and her sister were doing just fine in Jinling.
But after seeing her long-absent father this time and experiencing so many events, she vaguely felt that she shouldn’t be so distant from him. Although her father served as an official away from home, he still cared deeply for her and her sister.
Hearing Cheng Chi make excuses for her, she felt grateful. A thought flashed through her mind, and as if guided by some unseen force, she said, "Uncle Chi, do you travel often? Will you go to Baoding Prefecture? If you do, could you take me along? I really want to visit my father there!"
Baoding Prefecture was only a few days’ journey from the capital.
She might even have a chance to visit the capital.
But then she thought of Cheng Xu being in the capital and suddenly lost her motivation to go there, feeling somewhat disheartened.
Cheng Chi’s eyes flickered slightly as he asked, "Do you really want to go to the capital?"
Zhou Shaojin nodded.
In Jinling, she was a young lady waiting to be married, confined to the inner chambers. Apart from places like Ganquan Temple, she had never been anywhere else. In the capital, she was a woman managing the household, free to go wherever she pleased. Compared to Jinling, she was more familiar with the capital.
Cheng Chi smiled and asked, "What do you want to do there?"
Zhou Shaojin replied, "I just want to see it."
Her tone carried a hint of melancholy, but to Cheng Chi’s ears, it sounded different.
Many people wanted to see the capital, but Zhou Shaojin’s father, Zhou Zhen, was in Baoding.
He hadn’t mentioned Baoding but directly asked about the capital, and Zhou Shaojin had taken the opportunity to say she wanted to see the capital.
People are drawn to places, people, or things they feel familiar with.
Shouldn’t she have mentioned Baoding Prefecture first before bringing up the capital?Cheng Chi smiled faintly and said, "Alright! If I go to the capital, I'll take you along to see it!"
Zhou Shaojin nearly jumped for joy upon hearing this, but as soon as she thought of Cheng Xu, her heart sank to the bottom of a lake, and her gaze turned bitter.
"Thank you, Uncle Chi!" she said insincerely. "It's so far away—I’m afraid my grandmother and sister won’t be willing to let me go so far."
Cheng Chi thought for a moment and asked, "Is it because you don’t want to see Jiashan?"
Zhou Shaojin nodded awkwardly.
Cheng Chi chuckled and said, "To be honest, I’ve never really understood you young girls. Jiashan is even willing to humble himself before you—why do you still dislike him so much? Did he do something you didn’t like?"
※
Sisters, today’s extra update!
o(n_n)o
It’s the end of the month, so I’m asking for pink votes…
P.S.: Sisters, on days with double updates, the extra update will be around 2 p.m., and the regular update will be around 9 p.m. This way, the pressure on me is a bit lighter…
※ (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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