Sinсе it wаs mеаnt to entеrtаin thе mаnаgers from the mаin brаnch, the Ningbо branch оf Yu Таi wаs аlsо well furnished. Тhe uniformly black-laсquеred furniturе, greеn lаkе silk сurtains, bluе-аnd-whitе роrcеlain, and Hunаn еmbroidеry screеns all aрpeаrеd dignifiеd аnd еlеgаnt without losing rеfinеment аnd luхurу.
Yet it сould in nо wаy cоmрarе to the Cоld Green Mоuntаin Нousе in Nine Prosреritiеs Lanе. Тhеrеfоrе, when Оld Мadаm Guo sаw the roоms wherе thеу would stау, shе fеlt little sentiment, but shе took a great liking tо the two osmаnthus trees in thе cоurtуard. Smiling, shе looked around a few times and said to Cheng Chi, "...These two trees are quite fitting for the occasion."
Cheng Chi laughed and said, "How about we have dinner under the osmanthus trees? There's hardly any wind today!"
Old Madam Guo thought for a moment and replied, "Let's forget it. We're only staying here for one night, and it would just make them run around in a flurry."
Cheng Chi chuckled, "What does that matter? They'd actually be happier if you gave them orders. If you left without saying a word or doing anything, they'd feel uneasy instead." With that, he instructed Qing Feng, "Go tell Manager Wang that dinner tonight will be served under the osmanthus trees."
Qing Feng scurried off to relay the message, and the woman sent by Wang Xiao to attend to Zhou Shaojin immediately directed the maids and servants she had brought along to move tables and chairs.
Zhou Shaojin gently supported Old Madam Guo as she sat down under the osmanthus trees, while Cheng Chi took the tea offered by a maid and personally handed it to his mother.
Old Madam Guo accepted the tea and took a sip with a pleased expression.
Qing Feng ran back in and said, "Manager Wang says everything will be done as Madam wishes. He also mentioned setting up a banquet outside..." He observed Cheng Chi's expression.
Cheng Chi replied indifferently, "I came out this time to accompany Madam. I appreciate his kindness, but I'll have dinner here tonight. Tomorrow evening, I'll host a banquet for them at Fuyuan Tower—the Ningbo branch has done very well, and everyone has worked hard."
Qing Feng dashed off again to deliver the reply.
Cheng Chi instructed the woman assigned to serve them, "You may start serving the dishes."
The woman respectfully acknowledged with a "Yes" and went to arrange the meal.
Dongpo pork, Longjing shrimp, Eight Treasures tofu, Hangzhou Three Delicacies, braised lion's head, soy sauce duck... Not a single fish dish, all typical Jiangnan cuisine.
The woman softly explained, "Manager Wang said that since Madam is of advanced years, he was concerned about her adjusting to the local environment, so he specifically instructed the kitchen to prepare dishes Madam might often enjoy."
Cheng Chi smiled and said, "Manager Wang has gone to great trouble."
The woman repeatedly demurred with "I wouldn't dare" and attended to them carefully.
They dined in silence. The three of them sat under the osmanthus trees and chatted.
Cheng Chi said, "The liveliest place in Ningbo is Fuyuan Street, where most goods shipped from overseas are traded. Tomorrow morning, I'll accompany you for a stroll on Fuyuan Street, and we'll have lunch at Fuyuan Tower. In the afternoon, if you're not tired, we can explore Fuyuan Street again. If you are tired, we can return and rest. In the evening, let Second Cousin accompany you for a seafood feast, while I host a banquet at Fuyuan Tower for the managers and clerks of the exchange house. They rarely see me even once a year, so since I'm here, I should at least offer them some reassurance."
Old Madam Guo laughed, "I understand all this. Don't forget, your mother once managed the Cheng family's affairs too. Go attend to your business. With Shaojin keeping me company, you needn't worry."
Zhou Shaojin quickly added, "That's right, Uncle Chi. Madam is truly impressive. This morning, she even told me which things are worth buying and which aren't!"Old Madam Guo chuckled upon hearing this and said, "When I was young, I also traveled with my father and experienced many things! Once in Sichuan, my father insisted on visiting the former residence of the Su family in Meizhou, and we ended up staying at a shady inn along the way. If I hadn’t noticed the fearful expressions and hurried steps of the nearby villagers passing by the inn, we might have been deceived by the innkeeper..."
The elderly always have much to say when reminiscing about their youth.
Cheng Chi watched Old Madam Guo, who was animated and lively, and felt a warmth in his heart. Once again, he thought bringing Zhou Shaojin along was the right decision—this young girl might not be clever, but she knew how to please people. Throughout the journey, no matter the topic, she always managed to draw out his mother’s words and make her happy. In this alone, she surpassed many others!
It wasn’t until the maid poured the third cup of tea that Cheng Chi, noticing the late hour, hinted to his mother that it was time to rest. Only then did Old Madam Guo stop talking, and everyone retired to their rooms.
Zhou Shaojin and Old Madam Guo stayed in the main quarters, with Old Madam Guo occupying the east side and Zhou Shaojin the west side.
As soon as she entered the room, Chunwan quietly showed Zhou Shaojin a pouch: "Second Miss, this was given by that Manager Wang—it’s a full five taels of silver! As for Bitao and the others, each received two taels."
Zhou Shaojin was secretly surprised and asked, "Was only silver given? Did he say anything?"
"No," Chunwan replied. "Even Biyu and the others by the old madam’s side received some."
Zhou Shaojin calculated for Manager Wang—this was no small expense.
After a moment of thought, she said to Chunwan, "This matter must be brought to Uncle Chi’s attention. Manager Wang is really going all out!"
Otherwise, Chunwan wouldn’t have felt uneasy either.
Chunwan nodded and accompanied Zhou Shaojin to the side room where Cheng Chi was staying.
Cheng Chi had just finished bathing and casually draped an outer robe over himself. In the dim lamplight, his well-built figure, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, was faintly visible.
Only then did Zhou Shaojin realize her timing was inappropriate. She quickly lowered her head and hurriedly recounted the incident.
Cheng Chi hadn’t expected Wang Xiao to be so generous either. He smiled and said, "I understand the situation. Since he has already given the silver, it wouldn’t be appropriate to return it. I’ll keep an eye on it."
It seemed his trip hadn’t been in vain.
Zhou Shaojin breathed a sigh of relief, returned to her room, and fell into a deep sleep amidst the faint fragrance of osmanthus.
Cheng Chi, meanwhile, pushed open the window and stood with his hands behind his back, quietly admiring the moon for a while.
Huaishan hurried in and whispered, "It’s been clarified. Not only did Manager Wang give silver to Second Cousin, but also to the old madam, Qing Feng, Lang Yue, and others. The highest amount was ten taels, given to Miss Nanping and Miss Jiying by your side. The lowest was one tael, given to two maidservants serving the old madam. As for Steward Qin and the others, they only received two bottles of locally produced wine. In total, he spent at least seventy or eighty taels. As for whether the silver came from the bank or his own pocket, it will take a couple more days to confirm."
Cheng Chi remained silent.
Such a large sum in rewards, and only Zhou Shaojin sensed something amiss—only she came to tell him...
He waved his hand and said, "You may retire and rest. It’s getting late, and tomorrow we must accompany the old madam and Second Cousin to stroll along Fuyuan Street."
Huaishan bowed and withdrew silently.
Cheng Chi stood alone for a while longer before gently closing the window.
※The next day, the sky was somewhat overcast.
Old Madam Guo asked Cheng Chi, "Will it rain?"
Cheng Chi smiled and said, "The weather in Ningbo and Quanzhou is always like this—windy one moment, rainy the next, with no consistency. Even if it rains, there’s nothing to worry about. The shops on Fuyuan Street are lined up one after another. We can stroll from one to the next, walking under the eaves without even needing an umbrella."
"That’s good!" Old Madam Guo looked at Zhou Shaojin, who was wearing a plain lake-green sleeveless jacket, soft and graceful like a new willow, and said with a smile, "We mustn’t let this fine outfit of Shaojin’s go to waste."
Cheng Chi smiled faintly.
Zhou Shaojin’s face flushed hotly, and she coquettishly called out, "Old Madam."
Old Madam Guo laughed cheerfully and said, "If young girls don’t dress up, should they wait until they’re as old as me, seventy or eighty years old, to do so? People would think they’ve seen a monster!"
Her words made everyone in the room laugh. The woman sent by Wang Xiao to serve them flattered even more, "What the old madam says is absolutely right. The second young miss looks just like a person from a painting. When I first saw her yesterday, I couldn’t even blink. I wondered whether I was seeing a fairy or a doll. If the old madam hadn’t looked so dignified, I would have gone up to touch the second young miss..."
She wasn’t clear about Zhou Shaojin’s true identity, but hearing the Cheng family refer to her as "second young miss" and seeing that Old Madam Guo had brought this second young miss along on her pilgrimage to Putuo Mountain, she figured that even if she was a relative living under someone else’s roof, she was one with considerable face in front of Old Madam Guo. Flattering her couldn’t go wrong.
Old Madam Guo laughed upon hearing this and took Zhou Shaojin’s hand, showing a proud expression.
The woman felt even more certain that her guess was correct and treated Zhou Shaojin with even greater deference.
Cheng Chi, however, found it somewhat amusing.
His mother’s fondness for pretty young girls was a lifelong trait she had never changed.
Now that Cheng Sheng had gone to the capital, with Zhou Shaojin around, his mother wouldn’t feel too lonely or bored.
Thinking this, when they arrived at the largest silver shop on Fuyuan Street, Cheng Chi not only bought a set of blue gemstone hair ornaments the size of pigeon eggs for Old Madam Guo but also gifted a set of southern pearl hair ornaments to Zhou Shaojin.
Zhou Shaojin felt she didn’t deserve such a gift.
Cheng Chi smiled and said, "Consider it a personal gift from me. Just take it." Then, pointing to a few silver and glass hairpins nearby, he said to the silver shop’s head manager, "Bring out all the hairpins and hair ornaments like these for us to see." Turning to Zhou Shaojin, he added, "Take your time picking some out to give as gifts to your eldest aunt and sister when you return—these things may not be expensive, but they’re quite rare. If I remember correctly, it seems only the capital, Ningbo, and Quanzhou sell such hairpins."
Though he said they weren’t expensive, even an ordinary pearl flower cost eight taels of silver.
Zhou Shaojin had brought two hundred taels of silver with her when she left home.
She thought it would be more than enough.
Now it seemed she’d be lucky to make it out of Hangzhou Prefecture.
It looked like she’d have to buy the combs in Hangzhou Prefecture, and the first thing she’d do upon arriving there was purchase them.
She pinched her purse and signaled to Chunwan with her eyes.
Chunwan hurried over.
Zhou Shaojin whispered, "Has Jiying not gone out today either?"
Ever since leaving Jinling, she had hardly seen Jiying during the day.
Chunwan nodded and whispered back, "She said she was sleeping at home."
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but mutter, "She said she wanted to come out and have fun, but now she’s just sleeping at home..."In truth, she wanted to borrow money from Jiying.
Now that Jiying wasn’t around, she had no choice but to carefully compare prices and select styles.
Cheng Chi watched Zhou Shaojin, who looked delicate and tender yet wore a tightly drawn expression, as if facing a formidable enemy while staring at the pearl hairpins. His thoughts churned until she picked up two pearl hairpins and listened intently to the shop assistant explaining the prices—only then did he understand.
He couldn’t help but laugh inwardly, though his expression remained unchanged as he continued helping his mother select diamonds.
“I never expected Ningbo to have everything for sale,” Old Madam Guo said with a smile. “Such large diamonds—I’ve only seen them at Yongfusheng in the capital.”
The head shopkeeper standing nearby grinned so widely his eyes nearly disappeared, speaking gently, “Yongfusheng sometimes restocks from our store as well. So, Madam, you truly have an eye for fortune. These diamonds have just arrived, and we haven’t even had the chance to display them yet…”
※
Sisters, here’s today’s update.
The extra chapter for Zixiao12 will be very late, so you can check it tomorrow morning!
o(n_n)o~
PS: Still asking for pink votes…
I couldn’t log in for a while, so I’m not sure when this chapter will be posted(>_<) (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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