Ноw could Unclе Сhi be so nоnchalаnt аbоut it?
Zhоu Shаоjin uncerеmoniously took a sеаt.
Hе had оnсе sаid that оn thе rеturn jоurnеy, hе would visit eaсh рrefеcture onе by onе. He wаntеd tо саlсulаte somеthing аbout wаtеr flоw with that Оld Mr. Sоng, аnd she thought thаt wаs impоrtant business, so shе patientlу stауed quiеt in the cabin. Nоw thаt thеy hаd аrrivеd in Сhаngzhоu, if he didn’t rеmеmber thе mattеr of the сombs, it wоuld bе оne thing. Вut hе сlеarly remеmbered the combs, sо how could hе forget thаt she still wаntеd to buу some? Breaking his promise like this was just too much!
Zhou Shaojin got straight to the point: "Uncle Chi, I want to buy combs. Could you ask Steward Qin to bring back a few sets for me?"
Cheng Chi nearly stumbled.
Usually, when asking someone for a favor, shouldn’t one exchange pleasantries first before getting to the main point?
How could she just blurt it out like that?
And in such a commanding tone, too.
What did she plan to do if he refused?
Cheng Chi frowned slightly and said, "I asked you before, didn’t you say you had already bought combs? Why do you need more? Combs are just trivial things—what do you need so many for? Besides, you’ve already bought so many glass ornaments; that should be enough for you to give as gifts. Let me tell you, giving gifts is an art. If everyone gets one, they won’t be special anymore. Are you planning to hand them out like rewards to anyone you see?"
Zhou Shaojin widened her eyes.
What did Uncle Chi mean by that?
Was he criticizing her for buying too much?
She wasn’t using his money... no, wait—this time she wasn’t planning to use his money either!
Besides, in both her lifetimes, she had always bought whatever she wanted... though, come to think of it, her elder sister had said something similar to her in her previous life...
She couldn’t help feeling a bit aggrieved and said, "I only want to buy one set of combs, for Grandmother. You know how deeply indebted I am to Grandmother for her kindness. Since I’ve finally come out on this trip, I can’t bring back gifts for everyone else and leave Grandmother out." At this point, she felt utterly exhausted and added, "I’m never going out again! Going out means having to bring back local specialties for people—it’s such a headache. And I’m not planning to give away all those glass ornaments either. Some of them I really like and intend to keep for myself—they’re cheap and pretty, and I won’t worry if I accidentally lose them. Others are meant for my sister to take to the Liao family—you have no idea about the affairs of the inner household. My sister is the eldest daughter who lost her mother. The reason the Liao family agreed to this marriage in the first place, aside from my sister’s character and appearance being suitable to serve as the matriarch, was because Uncle Jing personally acted as the matchmaker. Even so, the Liao family holds my sister to higher standards than others. For my sister to establish herself in the Liao family, she has to put in more effort than anyone else. Otherwise, why would my father prepare such a lavish dowry for her?"
Cheng Chi was at a loss for words.
Why did this girl always miss the point?
He was talking to her about buying combs, and she had gone off on a tangent about her sister.
What on earth was going on in that little head of hers?
Cheng Chi couldn’t help but cough lightly and said, "So you’d rather not go out at all than have to bring back gifts for others?"
Well, not exactly!
It would be nice if she could go out without having to worry about such things!
Zhou Shaojin flushed with embarrassment.
Uncle Chi must think her words were childish and pointless, right?
That wasn’t a good thing.
She still needed to ask Uncle Chi to pass messages to Cheng Jing in the future!But she absolutely couldn't admit it now. If she did, wouldn't Uncle Chi look down on her even more!
Zhou Shaojin glared at Cheng Chi and said, "Has Uncle Chi never complained before? I was just speaking casually. How could I give up eating for fear of choking and refuse to go out just to avoid buying gifts for the family?"
This little brat actually has a point!
Cheng Chi widened his eyes.
Zhou Shaojin immediately changed the subject, saying, "Uncle Chi, could you send Steward Qin to buy me a set of combs? At most... at most, I'll repay you properly in the future!"
She wouldn't argue with Uncle Chi over such matters. She needed his help, and in the end, she would surely be the one to lose.
Cheng Chi glanced sideways at Zhou Shaojin.
Repay him?
What could she possibly use to repay him?
How could this little brat even say such a thing!
What difference was there between this and drawing a pie in the sky!
He looked utterly disdainful of what she had said.
Zhou Shaojin's face burned with embarrassment as she forced an awkward smile.
What she had said... was indeed a bit exaggerated, but Uncle Chi shouldn't have mocked her like that!
He was her elder!
Why didn't he act like one at all?
He hadn't been like this when she first met him.
It seemed people really shouldn't get too close...
She could only lower her voice and say, "I mean it! How about I embroider a Guanyin Holding a Vase for you? You often travel and must entertain guests and give gifts. My embroidered Guanyin Holding a Vase is excellent, so lifelike. Back then..." Back then, she had received praise from noble ladies in the palace, but she couldn't tell Uncle Chi that. She quickly changed her words, saying, "Everyone who sees it says it's wonderful! If you don't believe me, I'll embroider one for you, and you'll see whether I'm lying or not!"
Cheng Chi didn't believe her at all.
Even if this little brat had started using an embroidery needle from birth, she was only thirteen this year. The top embroiderers had all spent over a decade or two honing their craft.
Besides, in earlier years, he had needed to give gifts to suit others' tastes. But ever since he achieved fame on the imperial examination, as long as he sent out his grand red and gold invitation, those people wouldn't even care what he gave them—even if he sent a few stacks of ordinary Xuan paper, they would assume there must be something special or particularly useful about it!
He said disdainfully, "I suppose the people who have seen your embroidery are all those around you, right? That's why they flatter you and say it's 'good,' isn't it?"
Zhou Shaojin was furious.
Was Uncle Chi saying those people were just currying favor with her?
"That's not true!" she said. "Some of them aren't even familiar with our family..."
"You young girls are all like this, never bothering to think carefully," Cheng Chi interrupted Zhou Shaojin dismissively, speaking lightly. "For women in the inner chambers, those who see your embroidery are either relatives or people you're familiar with or have dealings with, right? For something inconsequential, a casual compliment can liven up the atmosphere and flatter others—why wouldn't they do it? Especially when some things are obtained without any effort. A few words of praise can serve as payment. Who wouldn't do such a good deed? You say your embroidery is good, but has anyone ever specially asked you to embroider something for them?"
Zhou Shaojin was stunned.
There really hadn't been!Later, the several Guanyin embroidery pieces she helped Lin Shisheng with were all done on her own initiative... Although Lin Shisheng praised her, saying the embroidery was well done, he never again gave away anything she embroidered. She had always thought it was because those were items from the women's quarters, and it wouldn't be appropriate to gift them... Could it really be as Uncle Chi said? That everyone was just being polite when they praised her embroidery skills?
"That probably isn't the case, right?" Zhou Shaojin hesitated. "How about I embroider a few things, and Uncle Chi can take a look to see how they really are?"
It was enough to give the little girl a small blow; it wouldn't be good if she lost confidence in herself from now on.
Cheng Chi said, "I don't understand these things. If you really want to know, you can ask my mother. Although her needlework isn't particularly good, she has seen a lot and can still distinguish between good and bad."
Zhou Shaojin nodded repeatedly.
Only then did Cheng Chi get to the main topic, saying, "What a pity... I originally planned to take you to visit Gu Daguniang. She settled in Wuxi, but when Old Mr. Song spoke to me about water management, I became so engrossed that I actually forgot about this matter. I had originally planned to stay in Changzhou for a few days this time, but Old Mr. Song told me that Lord Shen, who oversaw the dredging of the Tongzhou River back then, lives in Zhenjiang. However, after the Mid-Autumn Festival every year, Lord Shen goes out to visit friends and doesn't return until the twelfth lunar month. Since we wanted to visit Lord Shen, we were afraid we might miss him, so we decided not to stay in Changzhou Prefecture..."
Zhou Shaojin's eyes widened.
Gu Daguniang—she was a master of the Jiangnan Gu family embroidery technique!
If she could receive guidance from her, her embroidery skills might improve to the next level.
After all this talk, he was still holding a grudge because she had told Old Madam Guo about Old Mr. Song's matter.
Wasn't she doing this for his own good?
Zhou Shaojin jumped up. "How could you do this? I just saw how constrained you were by your family and wanted to help you! If Lord Song could actively recruit talents and recommend you for an official position through court deliberation, think about how great it would be for you! If you wanted to enter officialdom, you could go with the flow, decline a few times before accepting, and even create an image of 'sacrificing personal ties for the sake of repaying a mentor's kindness.' If you didn't want to enter officialdom, you could refuse outright and create an image of 'not bowing to the powerful,' gaining fame through Lord Song's reputation..."
Cheng Chi didn't know what to say!
Did she think this was child's play? Those who become ministers and enter the cabinet all have their own methods. With her level of skill, she could only fool someone like Madam Song, who knows nothing. To think of using Lord Song's reputation to advance—she really dared to imagine!
Cheng Chi said, torn between laughter and tears, "Who told you all this? It's a complete mess! Who said I was so constrained by my family that I couldn't move? Just because I manage the family's affairs, does that mean I'm trapped in a quagmire? Just because I'm not an official, does that mean I'm forced into it?"
"Of course not!" Zhou Shaojin retorted. "I've seen people who enjoy managing family affairs. But you're different! Others are always happy, but you're rarely happy, often cold and indifferent. Even when the Second Branch's ancestor treats you that way, you don't get angry... You're so smart, yet you endure everything—there must be something holding you back..."
Cheng Chi's heart felt like the surging tide of the Qiantang River.
Was he really that obvious?Even a thirteen-year-old girl like Zhou Shaojin could see it?
Was it because of this that her mother felt particularly guilty, imposing a redemptive harshness upon herself?
"What does a little girl like you understand?" Cheng Chi's calm expression seemed somewhat forced as he said, "If I go off to become an official, what will happen to the family affairs? One can't just think of oneself, can they?"
"I know that!" Zhou Shaojin interrupted him naively, "But being forced to choose and choosing for yourself are very different, aren't they? Being forced means being controlled by others, while choosing for yourself means doing it willingly..."
※
Sisters, today's extra update is here!
I suddenly realized that, without even noticing, I've already repaid all the extra updates for December's pink votes... It really feels light to be free of debt!
^_^
Starting tomorrow, I can begin repaying the "debt" for the spirit beast egg extra updates!
ps: Updates will still be around 11 p.m. as usual.
※ (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to...)
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