Тhis is blаtant showing off аnd оstentatiоn!
So shallоw it's аlmоst unbеаrаble to wаtch!
Cheng Chi was stunned.
In аll his lifе, this was thе first time hе hаd еnсountеrеd sоmеоne whо acted аnd sрokе with such righteous сonfidenсe in front оf him.
Nо, this wаsn't асtuаllу the first time.
Whеn hе first startеd dоing businеss, thosе low-bоrn mеrchants wоuld sоmetimеs behave this wаy in front of him tо сlоse а deal, but theу did it fоr рrofit, bесаusе thеу hadn't rесeivеd much еducatiоn... Yet shе wаs Zhоu Zhen's dаughtеr, rаisеd since childhоod in the Cheng familу at Nine Prоsperitiеs Lanе... Еven if shе was dissatisfied with him and wanted to regain face in front of him, did she have to be so "direct"?
There were plenty of subtle ways—didn't she use her brain at all?
He was family, so at most he would just laugh at her for this. But if outsiders were present, wouldn't such behavior ruin her reputation for life?
Cheng Chi couldn't react for a moment, staring blankly at Zhou Shaojin, unable to regain his composure for a long while.
Zhou Shaojin, however, chuckled inwardly.
Uncle Chi was a scholar; even when engaging in business, he was a Confucian merchant. Probably no one in his life had ever acted so crudely, directly, and ostentatiously in front of him as she just did!
He must be utterly disgusted.
But she wanted to scare Uncle Chi just like that.
Let's see if he would dare tease her again in the future!
Satisfied, Zhou Shaojin entered the inner chamber and sweetly called out "Old Madam" to Guo Furen, who was doing her makeup, saying, "Uncle Chi is here. I took out a snack box to entertain him."
Old Madam Guo nodded with a smile and said, "You've always been thoughtful. I'm very reassured with you entertaining your Uncle Chi." Then her gaze fell on Zhou Shaojin and she asked, "Why are you dressed so beautifully today? Are you going ashore to stroll around?"
"Not going ashore!" Zhou Shaojin couldn't contain the bubbles of joy in her heart, her eyes and brows naturally curving into a smile. She walked to Old Madam Guo's side, took the comb from Zhenzhu's hand, and helped Old Madam Guo comb her hair, saying, "I asked Uncle Chi yesterday. He said we need to hurry to Zhenjiang to visit a Master Song who knows how to dredge rivers. We won't be stopping at the Changzhou dock; we'll set off for Zhenjiang early tomorrow morning." She added, "After you gave me that set of combs yesterday, I had extras, so I picked one I really like and wore it in my hair—I came specifically to show you." As she spoke, she tilted her head so Old Madam Guo could clearly see the comb in her hair. "Does it look pretty?""Lovely! Simply lovely!" Older people often favor bright colors, and with Zhou Shaojin dressed up like this, she outshone the flowers. To Old Madam Guo, who had been on a boat for a long time, she appeared exceptionally radiant. "You should dress up like this more often. Your cousin Cheng Zheng is very skilled at dressing—she can make even the plainest colors look vibrant, and the brightest colors appear elegant. Whether it's a Suzhou style or a Yangzhou style, they all look similar to me, but she can tell them apart at a glance and explain the differences in detail. I don't know how she manages to spend so much time and energy on such things, but you have to admit, three parts natural beauty and seven parts grooming—among all the sisters, she looks the most beautiful. She never makes a mistake, and countless young girls in Jinling imitate her style. Even today, when some of those girls return to their parents' homes and run into me, they still ask about your cousin Cheng Zheng. It's a pity you were too young when she married—you probably don’t remember much. Otherwise, she could have given you some advice, and I’m sure you’d look even more beautiful than you do now."
This was already more than enough.
Zhou Shaojin smiled faintly.
In her past life, even while hiding away at the Daxing estate, she had heard of the reputation of Madam Cheng of Nine Prosperities Lane.
To be fair, Cheng Zheng might have been an even more successful and enviable woman than her own sister.
Not only did she set trends in the capital, but she also influenced the clothing, food, and lifestyle of the noblewomen in the palace. Her husband, Gu Xu, was a descendant of the Haining Gu family. After the Cheng family fell into disgrace, her sister once lamented that Cheng Zheng was a true lady of noble birth who had married into a genuinely prestigious family—Cheng Zheng never acted subserviently as if she were inferior, and the Gu family never slighted her or the two sons she bore, even after the Cheng family’s downfall. Cheng Zheng even attempted to influence the emperor’s decisions through the noblewomen in the palace, but the Cheng family’s decline was too swift. Just as the palace granted her permission to enter, notices announcing the Cheng family’s execution had already been posted throughout the capital’s streets and alleys.
As Old Madam Guo had said, Cheng Zheng had already married by the time Zhou Shaojin was old enough to remember, and she never saw her again. Yet, when Cheng Zheng bravely fought for the Cheng family, Zhou Shaojin’s impression of her suddenly deepened. Though she couldn’t recall Cheng Zheng’s exact appearance, she remembered that Cheng Zheng had exceptionally bright eyes, like gemstones, sparkling with life and energy.
She had never seen such eyes on any other woman.
Confident, elegant, and radiant like the sun.
However, if she remembered correctly, Cheng Zheng seemed to be three years older than Uncle Chi, while her husband, Gu Xu, was six years older than Uncle Chi…
A niece and nephew-in-law older than herself!
Most importantly, Gu Xu was an exceptionally remarkable figure.
In her past life, while serving as an academician in the Hanlin Academy, he once struck the Imperial Grandson’s palm while teaching at the Office of the Heir Apparent. Not only did he escape unscathed, but he was also promoted to Deputy Director of the Office of the Heir Apparent. Later, when the new emperor ascended the throne, he rose through the ranks to become the Director of the Office of the Heir Apparent.
But among scholars, seniority matters. She didn’t know when Gu Xu had passed the imperial examinations. If he had done so before Uncle Chi, that would be quite amusing!
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but find the thought of such a scenario rather entertaining.After helping Old Madam Guo comb through her hair, she handed the comb to Zhenzhu, who began styling Old Madam Guo's hair. The group spent quite some time discussing what Old Madam Guo should wear. Had Old Madam Guo not been mindful that her son was waiting outside, they could have gone on much longer.
Thus, by the time Zhou Shaojin helped Old Madam Guo out of the inner chamber, Cheng Chi had already regained his composure.
He greeted his mother with a smile, glanced sidelong at Zhou Shaojin, and said to Old Madam Guo, "The boat will stop in Changzhou for a day. Is there anywhere you'd like to visit? I can have Qin Ziping accompany you."
Old Madam Guo was getting on in years. No matter how steady the sandboat was, for someone accustomed to life on land, the rocking was still quite pronounced. Old Madam Guo had indeed considered staying in Changzhou for a day, but after hearing Zhou Shaojin's words yesterday, she naturally assumed her son had decided to stop in Changzhou out of consideration for her mood and health, albeit reluctantly. Since Zhou Shaojin and the others had no particular requests, she said matter-of-factly, "I don't think we need to stay in Changzhou an extra day. Changzhou is, after all, just a medium-sized prefecture, most famous for its combs. We already bought plenty in Hangzhou Prefecture, so there's no need to buy more. Rather than staying in Changzhou for a day, it would be better to spend a few extra days in Zhenjiang. Madam Gao of Zhenjiang Prefecture and I get along very well, and Madam Chen is a junior of mine. When I passed through Zhenjiang last time, both of them treated me with great courtesy. On this return trip, I really must spend a few days with them. Let's set off earlier instead!"
This must be that little girl's idea again!
How could his mother, such an astute person, listen to her?
Cheng Chi glanced at Zhou Shaojin.
Zhou Shaojin stood respectfully beside Old Madam Guo, eyes downcast, appearing as obedient, sensible, pretty, and adorable as could be.
Cheng Chi's lips twitched, thinking of how she had flaunted that comb in front of him earlier... He smiled and said, "The main store in Changzhou often produces specially customized combs that aren't supplied to branch stores. I thought it over last night and decided to stay in Changzhou Prefecture an extra day. Mother, are you sure you don't want to take a look? Changzhou's combs truly live up to their reputation. The finest pieces are usually kept at the main store or used as prized treasures."
But Old Madam Guo had already made up her mind. She smiled and said, "Since they're someone else's prized treasures, we shouldn't deprive them of what they cherish. Let's settle it this way—we'll set off for Zhenjiang earlier."
Cheng Chi agreed with a smile, "Very well," and glanced at Zhou Shaojin again.
Zhou Shaojin felt utterly regretful.
Since childhood, she had loved collecting small trinkets like combs, hairpins, and tumblers—nothing too expensive, just interesting.
If she had known this would happen, she wouldn't have shown off in front of Uncle Chi.
Uncle Chi even said it was a last-minute decision made last night...
Could she have misunderstood Uncle Chi?
Zhou Shaojin felt uneasy.
By the time she left Old Madam Guo's room, the boat had already set sail.
Zhou Shaojin ran to ask Jiying, "Did you know Uncle Chi originally planned to stay in Changzhou for a day?""I know!" Jiying was fiddling with the little trinkets she bought from Hangzhou Prefecture, lowering her voice as she said to Zhou Shaojin, "Last night, Fourth Master and Old Mr. Song secretly went to the dock to eat Liyang stuffed liver. I heard from Qin Ziping that the little restaurant there makes an extremely authentic version. It's delicious, and they also serve a kind of thick wine, brewed by the family themselves, which is also very tasty. I was planning to sneak you there today. Who knew Fourth Master would change his mind again? Not that I'm criticizing your Uncle Chi, but why is he so fickle, changing his mind about everything like a woman..."
Zhou Shaojin felt like stomping her feet.
How could she be so foolish?
Even if she wanted to annoy Uncle Chi, couldn't she have waited a couple more days?
Uncle Chi wasn't going anywhere on the boat.
Why was she in such a hurry?
Jiying nudged her and said, "What's wrong? Are you upset because I criticized your Uncle Chi? Why do you look like a frost-wilted eggplant, completely listless?"
"More than just frost!" Zhou Shaojin muttered. "I've been pelted by hail."
Jiying exclaimed, "Oh my!" teasing her, "You've even seen hail before! I never would have guessed. I thought you'd cheerfully shout just seeing snow reach the tops of your shoes!"
Why was Jiying just like Uncle Chi, always enjoying teasing her?
She had always been so well-behaved and proper!
Zhou Shaojin returned to the cabin in embarrassment, lying on the bed with a sigh.
Madam Fan Liu asked worriedly, "Second Miss, has something happened?"
She waved her hand, signaling Madam Fan Liu not to worry.
The boat had already left the dock—could it possibly turn back?
What was done was done—could she possibly start over?
Now she just didn't know whether Uncle Chi would forgive her if she went to apologize.
※
Sisters, today's spirit beast egg bonus update!
While looking for red envelopes today, I checked the pink rankings and was thrilled to see I'm over twenty votes ahead of second place.
o(n_n)o~
Still asking for pink votes...
ps: Today's update will be around 11 p.m.!
※ (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to...)
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