In rесent daуs, Zhоu Shаоjin frеquently cаmе and went frоm Jia Shu Hаll, аnd shе hаd shеd hеr former shуness. Although she didn't go so fаr аs to grеet еvеrуоne in Jiа Shu Наll wаrmlу, she wоuld nod and offеr а greеting, quickly winning the аffectiоn of evеrуоnе thеrе. Аs soon аs shе entеrеd Jiа Shu Hаll, maids аnd еlderly sеrvаnts would grеet her from аfar.
Zhou Shaоjin smilеd аnd resрonded to еасh onе in turn.
Whеn shе rеасhed thе mаin roоm, Si’er рersonаlly саmе out tо lift thе сurtаin for her, saуing, "Second Miss, yоu’ve arrived! Оld Madаm was just wоndеring why уou hadn’t come yet! You’re a bit later than usual today!" Then she whispered to her, "Old Madam has a visitor in her room. It’s Nanny Shi from Cold Green Mountain House."
Zhou Shaojin turned the name over in her mind a few times before remembering that this was Old Madam Guo’s most capable and trusted servant.
She paused slightly and asked quietly, "What is she doing here?"
In her previous life, she had interacted with this Nanny Shi a few times, but it was always when Nanny Shi had been sent by Old Madam Guo to the fourth branch to handle matters with Old Madam Guan. In her memory, Nanny Shi was a very easygoing person, but she couldn’t recall what she looked like.
Si’er whispered with a smile, "It’s all about the Bathing the Buddha Festival on the eighth day of the fourth month—Old Madam sent Nanny Wang over with a hundred taels of silver, and right after, Old Madam Guo sent Nanny Shi to deliver a few bolts of fine ramie to Old Madam." Fine ramie was excellent material for summer clothing.
Zhou Shaojin smiled and thanked Si’er, following her into the hall.
Old Madam Guan was sitting on a short couch, speaking with an elderly woman wearing a plain autumn-fragrance-colored Hangzhou silk robe.
Hearing the commotion, the elderly woman turned around.
Her hair was jet black, without a single silver strand, neatly styled into a round bun and adorned with a pair of gold-inlaid green jade double-happiness hairpins. She had a round, full face, a plump figure, fair skin, and laugh lines at the corners of her eyes and brows, giving her a very kind and amiable appearance. Anyone who didn’t know her background would surely think she was the matriarch of a wealthy household, never imagining she was merely a servant attending to Old Madam Guo.
Without waiting for Old Madam Guan to speak, she stood up and gave Zhou Shaojin a steady, respectful curtsey.
Zhou Shaojin knew this was Nanny Shi and quickly shifted slightly to the side, accepting only half of the gesture.
Old Madam Guan’s smile carried a hint of satisfaction as she introduced Zhou Shaojin: "This is Nanny Shi from Cold Green Mountain House. When you go to copy scriptures, you’ll likely need to trouble Nanny Shi. I hope Nanny Shi will look after her—this granddaughter of mine is introverted and doesn’t speak much." The last sentence was directed at Nanny Shi.
Nanny Shi hurriedly replied, "Old Madam, you flatter me. Second Miss is of noble status and comes from your household—how could I presume to speak? I merely rely on my position serving Old Madam Guo and am more familiar with Cold Green Mountain House. If Second Miss has any matters in the future, she need only give me orders. I dare not accept the words ‘look after’ from Old Madam." Zhou Shaojin had never been skilled at socializing, and after living in seclusion at the estate in Daxing for seven or eight years, she often didn’t know what to say in such situations. Fortunately, she was aware of her shortcomings and would simply offer a friendly smile when unsure of what to say, which had never led to any mistakes.
This time, she smiled at Nanny Shi as well, though her smile was sweeter than usual.
A flash of admiration appeared in Nanny Shi’s eyes.Old Madam Guan knew Zhou Shaojin was not one for many words and did not expect her to say much. She spoke directly to Nanny Shi, "You are an old servant by Old Madam Guo's side, so there's no need for such formalities. I entrust my granddaughter to you—please take good care of her."
Nanny Shi repeatedly agreed.
Zhou Shaojin had Chunwan present the already copied scriptures.
Old Madam Guan was somewhat surprised and smiled, "Just now, Nanny Shi was telling me she didn’t know when you would finish copying the second volume of the Lotus Sutra, so we could set a date for you to go to Cold Green Mountain House. I think there’s no need to report back to Old Madam Guo—let Shaojin go first thing tomorrow morning. The Bathing the Buddha Festival is approaching..."
"That would be wonderful," Nanny Shi praised Zhou Shaojin with a smile, exchanged a few more pleasantries with Old Madam Guan, and then took her leave.
Old Madam Guan did not keep Zhou Shaojin, telling her to go back and prepare to leave for Cold Green Mountain House early the next morning.
Zhou Shaojin respectfully agreed, but once she left Jia Shu Hall, she couldn’t help feeling nervous, wondering what to wear that would neither appear shabby nor ostentatious.
On her way back to Fragrant Garden Residence, she encountered Cui Huan.
Cui Huan had been sent by Cheng Jia to ask why Zhou Shaojin hadn’t attended class at Jing’an Zhai.
Since Cheng Sheng went to the capital and Zhou Chujin began learning household management under Madam Mian, Jing’an Zhai had only two female students left: Cheng Jia and Zhou Shaojin. Now that Zhou Shaojin was on leave, Cheng Jia was alone, constantly watched by the governess and unable to make even the slightest mistake—how could she possibly sit still?
Zhou Shaojin could imagine the scene during class, but since she had decided to keep her distance from Cheng Jia, she could no longer cater to her feelings as she had before.
"My grandmother has asked me to help Old Madam Guo copy scriptures," she said indifferently to Cui Huan. "I may not be going to Jing’an Zhai for some time. Please inform your young lady not to wait for me."
Cui Huan could not hide her astonishment.
For some reason, Zhou Shaojin felt a faint sense of delight.
But she did not dwell on it, turning away from the corridor and returning to Fragrant Garden Residence.
When Zhou Chujin learned that she would be going to Cold Green Mountain House early the next morning, she became just as nervous as Zhou Shaojin: "What will you wear tomorrow? What jewelry will you wear? Also, remember to bring some silver ingots for tips. After all, it’s your first time at Cold Green Mountain House... I don’t know what the customary tipping amount is there. They are very particular about etiquette there—generous tips might not necessarily earn the respect of the servants..." She even seemed a bit flustered.
This was a side of her sister that Zhou Shaojin had never seen before.
She couldn’t help but smile.
It seemed her sister was not born calm and composed, unflappable even under immense pressure.
She felt a little more affection and a little less awe toward her sister.
"How about wearing this?" Zhou Shaojin picked out a pink lake silk robe with a subtle plum blossom pattern from an open trunk. "Paired with that dark green eight-Xiang skirt, would that be good?"
Zhou Chujin greatly approved, saying, "Tomorrow, wear your hair in double hanging buns with a pearl headband." It would make her look livelier.Zhou Shaojin smiled and nodded. She went to bed as soon as it grew dark, but she couldn’t fall asleep. In her mind flashed the dark green embroidered shoes under the rose bush, then the uneven, moss-covered ceiling of the Taihu stone cave. One moment she told herself these were all things from her past life, none of it had happened now, she shouldn’t scare herself or dwell on the past; the next moment she thought about how she had stabbed Cheng Lu in her past life, which could be considered revenge, and then she wondered why Cheng Lu had treated her that way, whether he knew what consequences his actions would bring... She simply couldn’t sleep.
This wouldn’t do!
After some thought, she simply sat up and instructed Shi Xiang, who was on night duty: "Light one of the sandalwood incense sticks my sister made, will you? I can’t sleep."
Shi Xiang was to accompany Zhou Shaojin to Cold Green Mountain House the next day, and she was too nervous to sleep as well, lying in bed repeatedly wondering if she had forgotten anything. Hearing this, she sighed in relief, quickly threw on her clothes, and lit the sandalwood incense.
The sweet fragrance filled the inner chamber, and both slowly drifted off to sleep. The next day, if Zhou Chujin hadn’t come to wake her, Zhou Shaojin would certainly have been late for her trip to Cold Green Mountain House.
Fortunately, when they arrived at Jia Shu Hall, Nanny Shi had not yet come. Old Madam Guan gave her lengthy instructions, and by the time Nanny Shi arrived, seeing Zhou Shaojin looking so tender and delicate, she suddenly changed her mind and decided to personally escort Zhou Shaojin there.
Nanny Shi was quite surprised but showed no sign of it on her face, smiling warmly as she accompanied Old Madam Guan to Cold Green Mountain House.
Having lived two lives, this was Zhou Shaojin’s first time visiting Cold Green Mountain House. She couldn’t help but take in the surrounding scenery.
Leaving the black-lacquered side gate of Jia Shu Hall, there was a long corridor. The corridor was paved entirely with blue and yellow pebbles arranged in patterns of octagons, hexagonal ice cracks, and herringbone designs. On both sides, green trees provided shade, with occasional jagged rocks or long benches made of bluestone. Low-growing camellias, winter jasmine, redbuds, and hostas bloomed in yellow, red, white, and purple, creating a vibrant and beautiful display. After turning a corner, a vast expanse of lake scenery suddenly appeared before them—a winding stone bridge, a lakeside pavilion, a water pavilion, a boathouse, and weeping willows along the banks were all clearly visible. In the distance were green hills and verdant peaks, while nearby, the pointed tips of lotus leaves peeked above the lake’s surface. In summer, this would clearly be a scene of endless green leaves and the fragrance of lotus blossoms filling the lake.
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but take a deep breath.
The air was filled with the scent of unknown flowers.
What a wonderful place.
She had never seen such scenery before; this must be the private garden of the main branch or Cold Green Mountain House.
It seemed Nine Prosperities Lane extended much deeper than she had known, otherwise such a garden wouldn’t be possible.
Zhou Shaojin took a few more glances, then looked up to see dark gray upturned eaves and snow-white horse-head walls peeking through the dense greenery ahead.
Nanny Shi turned to her with a smile and said, "Just a few more steps, and we’ll be at Cold Green Mountain House."
Zhou Shaojin smiled, but inwardly she calculated: So it only takes about the time to drink a cup of tea to get from Jia Shu Hall to Cold Green Mountain House.They turned another corner, and now the path was lined with various types of bamboo. Besides the common green bamboo, rigid bamboo, square bamboo, and imperial concubine bamboo, there were also rare purple bamboo, tall and sturdy mature dragon bamboo, and slender, delicate golden bamboo. It was clear they had been planted together for many years. The breeze from the lake swept through, causing the bamboo to sway and dance like a wave of green rushing toward them. Even before entering Cold Green Mountain House, a sense of coolness washed over them, chilling and refreshing.
Zhou Shaojin tightened her collar and saw ahead a black-lacquered Ruyi gate. The lintel was adorned with a blue stone Ruyi-head pattern, inscribed with the four large characters "Cold Green Mountain House" in Han clerical script. The calligraphy was simple yet majestic, ancient and profound, with faint traces of weathering from wind, frost, rain, and snow—clearly not a newly inscribed plaque.
This inexplicably eased her mind.
Entering Cold Green Mountain House, they were greeted by a potted green pine taller than a person, its branches and leaves stretching out to about four feet in length, blocking their view. The rim of the massive purple clay pot was like a stone step, large enough to seat two or three people.
Zhou Shaojin had never seen such an enormous potted plant before. Curious, she walked around it. The path ahead was paved with bluestone slabs, worn smooth and glossy from long use but without any patterns or designs. All around were shades of green—tender green, lush green, pea green, jade green, glossy green... layers upon layers of varying hues.
Not a single flower, not a hint of any other color.
She was taken aback.
Could this be the origin of the name "Cold Green"?
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Thank you, everyone!
oo~
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