Zhоu Shаоjin sаt bу the round tаblе, рrорping her chin оn hеr hand, staring blаnkly at thе bеd full оf glittеring оrnаments.
Thе red coral praуеr beаds and hаirрins, thе glаss hairрins аnd hаir сlаsps wеre gifts from Unclе Сhi. Thе diamond was frоm Old Mаdam Guo, whо hаd аlsо lit а реrpetuаl lаmp fоr hеr аt Faуu Tеmрle on Моunt Putuо, not to mentiоn all the foоd, сlоthing, and еxpensеs аlоng the jоurnеу... Shе оwеd Old Маdam Guо and Unсle Chi sо much!
Ноw сould shе еvеr rеpay thеm?
Old Madam Guo hаd told her not tо forget hеr kindness—hоw сould shе possibly forget?
Without Old Madam Guo, she would have been nothing more than a little girl living under someone else’s roof in Nine Prosperities Lane.
Old Madam Guo had once said that if she was grateful, she could make her a forehead scarf or a small garment in her spare time. But even if she spent her whole life doing needlework for Old Madam Guo, it would never be enough to repay her!
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but smile bitterly. She called Chunwan in and said, "You and Bitao tidy these things up. I’ll take these red coral ornaments back to give to my grandmother and sister. The glass hairpins and clasps can be given to Chixiang and the others. See if there’s enough, and if we need to add more. When we reach Hangzhou, we’ll buy some combs, brocade, and the like to make up for any shortage. It’s better to buy too much than to leave anyone out—we don’t want to cause any conflicts by giving gifts."
Chunwan smiled and agreed, then began cataloging the items one by one with Bitao.
Zhou Shaojin went to see Jiying.
Jiying was wearing a man’s short jacket tied with a cloth belt, speaking with several stout, broad-shouldered women. Seeing Zhou Shaojin come to find her, she was quite surprised and welcomed her into the inner room for tea. "It’s so late—is there something urgent?"
Zhou Shaojin held her tea and looked around, spotting the sword that had originally hung in Jiying’s inner room. She couldn’t help but ask with great interest, "Do you know martial arts? Like in the books, where people can scale walls and cross rivers on a reed?"
Jiying hesitated for a moment before smiling. "I do know martial arts—it’s a family tradition—but it’s not as miraculous as the books make it sound."
Even so, Zhou Shaojin found it utterly fascinating.
Her gaze was filled with admiration and envy. "You’re amazing! No wonder you’re not afraid of Uncle Chi. And you even cut off that Jiao Ziyang’s arm with a single sword stroke—I should have realized it sooner. You’re truly impressive! Is it very hard for a girl to learn martial arts? How could your parents bear to let you train? I’ve heard that the Cao Gang has many rough and tough people—are there many among them who are highly skilled in martial arts? Even if you know martial arts, as a girl, dealing with one person might be fine, but if there are many, you probably wouldn’t be a match, right? I think even though you know martial arts, it’s better not to confront them directly to avoid being surrounded. Uncle Chi must know about your martial arts skills, right? Otherwise, he wouldn’t have put you in charge of leading those women on night patrols. The other day, I kept dragging you out to go shopping—did I disturb your sleep? Uncle Chi said we’ll set off for Hangzhou Prefecture early tomorrow morning. Didn’t you say you wanted to watch the tidal bore? Will you be able to come along then? Should we talk to Uncle Chi about having someone else take your shift at night..."
Zhou Shaojin rambled on, her words drifting further and further from the topic.Jiying couldn't help but rub her forehead, saying, "Second Young Miss, Uncle Chi knows all about my situation. The reason he brought me along on this trip to Hangzhou is precisely because he values my martial skills—I can lead the sturdy servant women on night patrols. Although the Qiantang River tidal bore is spectacular, it's also dangerous. There have been incidents in previous years where people were swept away by the waves. So when he takes you to watch the tidal bore, he'll definitely bring me along. You can rest assured." Afraid that Zhou Shaojin would continue asking curious questions, she steered the conversation back to the main point, asking, "What brings you to me so late at night?"
Zhou Shaojin's face flushed slightly, and she lowered her voice in embarrassment, saying, "I... I didn't bring enough silver. Could you lend me some banknotes? I'll repay you as soon as we return! Really, I'll repay you the moment we get back!" Having lived two lifetimes, this was the first time she had ever borrowed money from someone. By the end of her plea, she was eagerly making promises.
Jiying exclaimed in surprise, "Didn't Uncle Chi pay for your purchases? Fourth Master Cheng doesn't seem like such a stingy person!"
"He did pay," Zhou Shaojin replied, even more embarrassed, her voice dropping further. "But I can't keep letting him pay for everything. I originally thought I'd return the silver he spent on my purchases and borrow a few taels from you for emergencies. But Uncle Chi shops as if money were no object. This is only the first day, and if he hadn't paid for everything, I'm afraid I would have spent all the silver I brought from home and still not have enough..."
Jiying understood now and said, "I brought five hundred taels of silver with me. Is four hundred enough to lend you?"
Zhou Shaojin was secretly astonished.
Jiying was so wealthy!
Such a large sum could buy fields and property.
But having witnessed how Cheng Chi shopped, Zhou Shaojin wasn't entirely sure if that amount would be enough.
Most importantly, after rewarding Fan Qi, she didn't have much silver left. Even if Jiying generously lent her the money, she would still need to have enough to repay her once they returned home.
"Just lend me one hundred taels," Zhou Shaojin decided, resolving to control her impulses and buy fewer things in the days to come.
After thinking for a moment, Jiying said, "How about I lend you two hundred taels? My father once said that money gives people courage. With silver on you, you'll feel bolder."
"That works too," Zhou Shaojin replied without putting on airs. She could simply avoid spending it all.
Jiying went to fetch the banknotes for her—all in ten-tael denominations, forming a thick stack.
Zhou Shaojin made a mental note of this kindness.
When she returned to her room, Chunwan and the others were still sorting through the glass hairpins and ornaments. They remarked, "Second Young Miss, it would be extravagant to give all these away as rewards. You'll need them for future gifts too—there's no need to give them all away at once. You could also give some to Eldest Young Miss. Now that she's married, she can use them to reward the stewardesses in her husband's family. After all, she'll be dealing with the Liao family for the rest of her life."
The implication was that it would be better to save these items for rewarding her in-laws after she herself married.
Zhou Shaojin sighed softly in her heart.
If those events in her previous life hadn't happened, Chunwan, by her side, would likely have become a capable senior maid or even a stewardess.
She asked Chunwan, "You're only three years older than me. Do you plan to stay by my side as a stewardess, or do you wish to be released like Shi Xiang when you reach the appropriate age?"Chunwan blushed and whispered, "If I could follow Second Young Miss, that would truly be the fortune of a lifetime for this servant!"
With the matter clarified, Zhou Shaojin smiled faintly and allowed Bitao to attend to her as she went to wash up.
※
The next day was clear and fine weather.
Wang Xiao saw them off all the way to the boat, watching reluctantly as their vessel sailed out of Ningbo harbor.
Cheng Chi stood at the bow of the ship, gazing into the distance against the wind.
Huaishan said quietly, "It's been investigated. The silver Shopkeeper Wang sent was his own savings over the years. Moreover, because his expenses have been too high these years, his family has been living quite frugally. His wife has threatened suicide several times, but he hasn't changed his ways. I heard he's competing with the Quanzhou branch manager for the position of Zhejiang branch manager."
"Seems like an ambitious fellow," Cheng Chi remarked. "If someone can keep him in check, he might well be a fine steed. I just worry he won't submit to discipline, growing bolder and bolder until he causes trouble."
Huaishan didn't involve himself in such matters and dared not comment.
Cheng Chi smiled and asked, "Do you know what the Zhou family's Second Young Miss went to find Jiying for yesterday?"
Huaishan couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth. "I heard she went to borrow money... Jiying kept her mouth tight, but Granny Shang's eyes are sharper. She said she saw Jiying give banknotes to Second Cousin Young Miss."
Cheng Chi let out a faint "oh," yet a thick smile spilled from the depths of his eyes.
※
Zhou Shaojin and the others arrived at Hangzhou Prefecture only by evening.
The one who came to meet them was the manager of the Hangzhou branch.
The manager was about forty years old, fair-skinned, plump, and kindly-looking, with a gentle, ever-smiling demeanor like a Maitreya Buddha. He spoke unhurriedly, "Fourth Master, the city gates will close in another half hour. However, since the Hangzhou Prefect is Second Master's classmate, he has always been very considerate toward our bank. Knowing that you and the old madam would be passing through Hangzhou Prefecture and staying a few days, he not only specifically had his advisor send over a name card but also asked me to inform him once your itinerary was confirmed. He said he wanted to personally visit to pay respects to the old madam. Since I didn't have your instructions, I couldn't make a decision, so I only asked the city guards to show consideration—once our sedan chairs arrive, they'll let us through first. As for accommodation, as you instructed, it's arranged in the bank's backyard. Servant women and attendants are all prepared. Would you like to have a cup of tea before disembarking, or shall we disembark now?"
Listening to his words, it was clearly urging them to disembark quickly to avoid complications once the city gates closed, yet it was expressed so softly without a hint of urgency.
Standing behind the curtain, Zhou Shaojin thought to herself, now this is what a Maitreya Buddha looks like. As for someone like Third House's Old Madam Li, she only resembles one superficially—at best, a counterfeit Maitreya Buddha.
Cheng Chi had chosen to enter the city at dusk for a reason.
Both Xiao Zhenhai and Jiang Qin were in Hangzhou Prefecture. Although he didn't necessarily need to avoid them, if they could find out a few days later, it would be more convenient for his plans.
He immediately decided to disembark at once.
Zhou Shaojin and the others had packed their trunks and cases that afternoon. Hearing Cheng Chi's decision and knowing time was tight, they tidied up slightly and boarded the sedan chairs prepared by the Hangzhou bank.
When the sedan chairs were set down in the backyard of the Hangzhou bank, Zhou Shaojin was greatly surprised.The Ningbo branch was naturally no match for the Hangzhou branch. Not only was the courtyard of the Hangzhou branch much larger than that of the Ningbo branch, but it was also furnished with pearwood furniture, adorned with jade bonsai, paved with golden bricks, and decorated with rare orchids. It was arranged so splendidly that it resembled the private residence of a wealthy family rather than the backyard of a bank. Yet none of this was enough to surprise Zhou Shaojin. After all, a bank was a place of business, and the larger the business, the grander the display. What truly astonished Shaojin were the two osmanthus trees planted in the center of the courtyard. Their branches and leaves were lush and dense, each trunk as thick as a person could embrace, reaching as high as the eaves. Among the glossy green leaves, yellow stamens dotted like scattered stars. However, the newly built bluestone railings and freshly turned soil told Shaojin that these were two osmanthus trees that had just been transplanted.
The plump manager told Old Madam Guo, "...How could we have the Mid-Autumn Festival without osmanthus trees? That’s why I specially chose this courtyard with osmanthus trees for you. When Mid-Autumn Festival arrives, you and Fourth Master can enjoy the fragrance of the flowers, admire the moon, and eat mooncakes, which may offer some comfort for your homesickness."
※
Sisters, there are only two updates today. This is today’s update.
o(n_n)o~
Speaking of holidays, I wish you all a happy weekend!
PS: Still seeking pink votes...
※ (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
!!
OpenNovel