Jiуing wаs рuzzlеd аnd аskеd, "What's wrong with hеr?"
Zhоu Shаоjin fеlt embarrassеd аnd said, "Prоbably bесаusе shе сan't go tо Putuo Mountain with us!"
Jiying nоddеd, not giving thе mattеr muсh thоught.
Еven mаrtiаl аrts siblings trаining tоgethеr had to distinguish betwееn ranks, lеt alone Сheng Jia аnd Zhou Shaоjin, whо wеrе mеrеlу relativеs bу marriаgе.
Shе askеd Zhou Shаоjin, "Can уоu finish cоpying the sсriptures this month?"
"Yеs!" Zhоu Shаojin fеlt somewhat аshаmеd. She соuld hаvе finishеd сoруing them аs eаrly as Мarсh, but shе dеliberаtеlу slоwed down her рrogress in hopes оf running into Cheng Сhi. Now, she hаd to rush tо сatсh up—wasn't this like lifting a stone only to drop it on her own foot?
She spent ten days finally finishing the remaining Śūraṅgama Sūtra. Not only that, she also copied a volume of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Mahā Mantra Sūtra for herself, intending to offer it to Guanyin Bodhisattva.
Old Madam Guo was delighted when she found out. Holding Zhou Shaojin's hand, she repeatedly said she had worked hard and added, "Your Uncle Chi is the one who truly understands. After seeing the scriptures you copied, he knew roughly when you would finish. We’ll set off on the date he decided."
Zhou Shaojin’s ears burned with embarrassment.
Could Uncle Chi have noticed something?
She didn’t dare dwell on it and invited Jiying over to help her pack.
"Bring several cloaks. The temperature on the river is unpredictable. Don’t think it’s summer—it gets quite chilly at night, and many places are beautiful in the evening, perfect for enjoying the scenery from the boat," she rambled on. "Also, bring plenty of undergarments. Even though you’ll be on a boat, there’s limited usable water. Washing clothes makes them even harder to dry... Do you have any fine cloth clothes? They’re best for wearing on the boat—sturdy and easy to wash..."
Chunwan and Bitao listened carefully and packed according to Jiying’s instructions.
Meanwhile, Zhou Shaojin called Shi Xiang aside and handed her a pouch, saying, "I don’t know if I’ll be back by the day you leave the manor. This pouch contains ten ten-tael silver notes. Take them for your own security. If I make it back, everything will be fine. If I don’t, I’ll definitely come for a celebratory drink at your wedding."
Shi Xiang knelt and kowtowed to her.
Zhou Shaojin, Zhou Chujin, and even Old Madam Guo and Old Madam Guan had all given her generous gifts, enough for her to have a splendid wedding.
Chixiang couldn’t help but feel sentimental.
As sisters, once Shi Xiang left, who knew when they would meet again?
After celebrating Old Madam Guan’s birthday, the evening breeze carried a slight chill. Zhou Shaojin bid farewell to her grandmother, eldest aunt, elder sister, and others, then set off for Putuo Mountain with Old Madam Guo. Accompanying them, besides those who usually attended to Zhou Shaojin and Old Madam Guo, were Cheng Chi and his entourage: Jiying, Huaishan, Qin Ziping, and several guards.
On the day of departure, the weather was clear and bright, with a spotless blue sky. Members from several households came to see them off, and Zhou Chujin held her younger sister’s hand all the way to the gangplank before letting go.
They first took a painted pleasure boat to Zhenjiang, then transferred to a sand ship to Hangzhou.
Through the boat’s glazed windows, Zhou Shaojin watched the people on the shore grow smaller and smaller, eventually turning into tiny black dots. Her previously excited and hopeful heart inexplicably filled with a touch of melancholy.Madam Fan Liu, who was accompanying her, quickly comforted her, "It's fine, it's fine. We're with Old Madam Guo, and we have the elder master's visiting card. With Fourth Master Chi traveling with us, nothing will go wrong."
Zhou Shaojin nodded.
Biyu entered with unsteady steps and said, "Second Cousin. The old madam sent me to check on you. Are you all right?"
"I'm quite well," Zhou Shaojin replied with a smile, gathering her thoughts and inviting Biyu to come in and sit. "How is the old madam?"
"She's also well," Biyu said with a smile. "The old madam said she wants to rest for a while and asked you to do as you please, Second Cousin. We'll gather again for the evening meal later."
The journey to Zhenjiang would take a day and a night.
Zhou Shaojin acknowledged this and pushed open the window of the painted boat to look outside.
They had not been away from the shore for long. Many boat-dwelling families lived along both banks, and many of them stood on their boats, pointing and whispering about their painted boat.
Zhou Shaojin chuckled wryly.
She remembered how, when they had returned from Pukou and were at the northern bridgehead, they had also pointed at others' painted boats with envious admiration. Yet in just a few days, the situation had reversed, and now others were admiring the painted boat she was riding in.
After the midday meal, she closed the window and instructed Bitao, "I'll rest for a while too. Have a little maid keep an eye on the old madam's side. If the old madam wakes up, quickly call me."
Bitao was the same age as Zhou Shaojin, half a head taller than her, with slender eyes and eyebrows, fair skin, and a gentle, honest appearance.
She had just begun serving Zhou Shaojin when she got the chance to accompany her to Putuo Temple for incense offerings. Even now, thinking about it felt like a dream. She respectfully acknowledged the instruction and went to relay the message.
Zhou Shaojin slept until the sun set in the west.
Seeing the room filled with the glow of the evening light, she jumped up and complained to Chunwan, who was on duty, "What time is it? Why didn't you wake me? Has the old madam woken up?"
Chunwan smiled and said, "It's just past 4 p.m. The old madam woke up long ago. When she noticed Bitao peeking around, she specifically sent Nanny Shi over to tell us not to wake you and to wait until you woke up naturally to have the evening meal together."
How could that be!
Zhou Shaojin hurriedly freshened up and went to the cabin in the middle of the boat—Old Madam Guo stayed in the middle, Cheng Chi stayed at the bow, and she stayed at the stern.
Old Madam Guo was talking with Nanny Shi when she saw Zhou Shaojin wearing a plain pink Hangzhou silk vest, her dark hair loosely tied into a bun with a row of jasmine flowers tucked beside it. She looked fresh and lovely, bright and pure.
"Oh my, where did these jasmine flowers come from? They still have dewdrops on them," Old Madam Guo said, squinting her eyes as she looked Zhou Shaojin up and down. "How beautiful!"
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "My sister picked them early in the morning and told me to place them by my pillow. I thought there were quite a lot, so I had Chunwan soak them in a bowl. I didn’t expect them all to bloom by the afternoon, so I picked a few to wear." As she spoke, she instructed Chunwan, "Bring that bowl over. Let’s string two bracelets for the old madam and Nanny Shi to wear."
She remembered that there wasn’t a single flower in Cold Green Mountain House and didn’t dare to casually bring flowers as a gift.
Seeing Old Madam Guo smiling without saying a word, Chunwan hurried to fetch the bowl of soaked jasmine flowers.
Nanny Shi, meanwhile, stretched out her hand toward Zhou Shaojin and said with a laugh, "My dear Second Cousin, look at me—am I someone who wears flowers? Just string two bracelets for the old madam. When our old madam was young, she loved fragrant white flowers the most..."
Why had she stopped liking them afterward?
Zhou Shaojin didn’t dare to ask.Old Madam Guo didn't say anything either.
Chunwan was quite quick-witted—not only did she bring in a bowl, but she also brought a needle with thread.
Zhou Shaojin strung together a cluster of jasmine flowers.
Old Madam Guo thought for a moment and said, "Hang it on my clothes, shall we? At my age, wearing it on my hand would only make the young maids laugh."
"There's no one else in this room!" Nanny Shi chuckled. "Why bother with such formalities?"
But Zhou Shaojin understood.
Just like her—having lived two lifetimes, she still wasn't used to wearing brightly colored clothes, always feeling uncomfortable, as if they weren't her own.
She smiled and helped Old Madam Guo hang the jasmine flowers on her lapel.
Nanny Shi then said to Zhou Shaojin, "There's still over half an hour until dinner. Why don't we keep Old Madam company by playing a few rounds of leaf cards?"
Zhou Shaojin immediately broke into a sweat. "I don't know how!"
"It's very simple," Nanny Shi said enthusiastically. "I'll have Feicui teach you."
Biyu was very good at leaf cards and often played with Old Madam Guo, so she would be joining the game.
Zhou Shaojin whispered, "I really don't know how!"
"It's just to pass the time," Old Madam Guo said with a smile. "It's not about winning or losing."
The problem was, even if it wasn't about winning or losing, she still didn't know how to play!
But the table was already set, and the cards were laid out. She couldn't bring herself to refuse, so she reluctantly sat down at the table, hoping Feicui could help her get through the next half hour.
Just as dinner was almost ready, Cheng Chi went to invite Old Madam Guo to eat and saw Zhou Shaojin sitting at the card table, pale-faced and sweating profusely, staring intently at the cards in her hand, shuffling them back and forth but unable to pick one out for the longest time.
Anyone who didn't know better would have thought she was trying to choose an auspicious time to be reborn!
Cheng Chi shook his head dismissively in his mind but couldn't help walking over. He pulled out a card and tossed it onto the table.
Zhou Shaojin hurriedly said, "No, no! That's a six of bamboos."
"What's wrong with a six of bamboos?" Cheng Chi said calmly. "There are already two fives of bamboos, four sevens of bamboos, and one six of bamboos below. Who would want it?"
"Oh!" Zhou Shaojin nervously watched Old Madam Guo, Nanny Shi, and Biyu.
Sure enough, none of them made a move.
Biyu, sitting to her right, drew a card and then played a six of coins.
"Take it!" Cheng Chi said. "Play a seven of coins."
Zhou Shaojin hesitated for a moment.
She had a five of coins, two sixes of coins, and a seven of coins.
Playing a six of coins would still make a sequence.
Seeing her hesitate, Cheng Chi glanced at her.
Her heart trembled, and she quickly played the two sixes of coins from her hand, then tossed out the seven of coins.
Old Madam Guo, sitting across from her, picked it up and played a nine of coins.
"Take it!" Cheng Chi called out again.
Zhou Shaojin no longer understood why she was playing this way. Without thinking, she tossed out the pair of nines of coins.
Cheng Chi said, "Play a three of bamboos."
She obediently played the three of bamboos.
Nanny Shi glanced at Cheng Chi out of the corner of her eye, hesitated over her cards for a few moments, picked up the three of bamboos, and played a two of bamboos.
"Win!" Cheng Chi said.
Just like that, she won!
Zhou Shaojin carefully examined the cards in her hand.
She really had won!
Zhou Shaojin put down her cards.
Old Madam Guo, unwilling to give up, glanced at Zhou Shaojin's cards and muttered, "When Shaojin picked up the card, I was already waiting to win... How did she end up winning first?""Winning and losing are part of the game," Cheng Chi said with a smile, instructing Biyu to clear the card table. "It's time for dinner. I specifically asked the boatman to prepare some river eel. Try it and see how it differs from what we usually eat."
Old Madam Guo brightened up and, with Cheng Chi gently supporting her arm, moved to the adjacent dining room.
The dishes were already laid out, covering a large table. Besides steamed river eel, there were mouthwatering chicken, marinated duck feet, squirrel-shaped fish, and other dishes characteristic of the Jiangnan region—a far cry from the simple fare they had during their last trip to Pukou.
Old Madam Guo invited Zhou Shaojin and Cheng Chi to sit down for dinner. "...There are no outsiders here, and as an elder, there's no need to stand on ceremony."
Zhou Shaojin thought this made sense.
With only the three of them as masters on the boat, insisting on separate seating would mean each of them staying confined to their cabins.
She expressed her thanks and sat down with a smile in the seat below Old Madam Guo.
※
Sisters, here is today's update.
PS: Tomorrow, my parents are returning to our hometown for the New Year, bringing along my three-and-a-half-year-old niece. I have to pick them up at the train station, so the update will be delayed until around five in the afternoon. I apologize for any inconvenience.
O(∩_∩)O~
※ (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please vote to recommend it or cast a monthly vote. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
!!
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