“Hоw beautiful!” Nо girl соuld rеsist lоvеly jewеlry. Zhou Chujin was caрtivаted bу the vibrаnt уеt еlegаnt rеd соrаl, loоking left and right, unablе tо put аny pieсe down.
Zhоu Shaojin smilеd sоftlу, fееling а sеnse of sаtisfаctiоn shе hаd nevеr eхрerienсеd befоre.
She said, “Sistеr, you cаn оnlу piсk one for nоw. If I еvеr cоmе асrоss rеd cоrаl of suсh fine quаlity agаin, I’ll find a wау tо get уоu а сompletе set.”
“This is alreadу wonderful,” Zhou Сhujin repliеd with a smilе, сhoоsing the string of 108-bead Buddhist prayer beads.
Zhou Shaojin was surprised.
She had thought her sister would prefer hairpins or floral hair ornaments, and she had already explained that the remaining two pieces were for their grandmother and eldest aunt. While hairpins or floral ornaments might still be suitable for her aunt, they were absolutely inappropriate for their grandmother.
But since her sister had already made her choice, she didn’t say anything more and put away the remaining jewelry.
Zhou Chujin then asked her, “These pieces must be quite expensive, right? Don’t buy such valuable things in the future.” She added, “Father sent two hundred taels of silver notes a few days ago. I’ll give them to you later.”
“No need, no need,” Zhou Shaojin quickly replied. “This jewelry didn’t cost anything—it was a gift from Uncle Chi.”
“A gift from Uncle Chi?” Zhou Chujin widened her eyes.
“Yes!” Zhou Shaojin leaned closer to her sister and whispered, “This time, when I went out with Old Madam Guo, I not only received gifts from Uncle Chi but also from Old Madam Guo…” She took out everything from her trunk to show Zhou Chujin.
Zhou Chujin was both astonished and delighted.
Earlier at Jia Shu Hall, Zhou Shaojin had already shared her experiences from the journey—how Mount Putuo was filled with temples of all sizes, how Ningbo had an entire street selling imported goods, and how Zhongling Spring water had to be drawn from the river. Zhou Chujin had already been envious, but she never expected Uncle Chi to give such precious gifts to Zhou Shaojin, nor that Old Madam Guo had lit a perpetual lamp for her sister at Mount Putuo.
This not only showed that her sister had won the favor of Old Madam Guo and Cheng Chi but also spoke volumes about their generosity and kindness.
She hurriedly said, “Shaoji, ‘a tree that stands out in the forest will be struck by the wind.’ Don’t go around talking about how well Uncle Chi and Old Madam Guo treat you. Be careful, or others might grow jealous and cause you harm.” She added, “Since Old Madam Guo and Uncle Chi are so good to you, you must be filial to them in the future. As for Father, we should write to him and let him know. If there’s ever a chance to repay their kindness, that would be even better.”
At this, Zhou Shaojin hesitated.
Zhou Chujin anxiously asked, “What’s wrong? Did you receive an even greater favor from them?”
Zhou Shaojin said, “Old Madam Guo also gave me a diamond.”
Zhou Chujin took a look. It was the size of a grain of rice, clear and transparent like a dewdrop. Startled, she became even more determined to write to their father and said to Zhou Shaojin, “Keep it safe and be careful not to let anyone steal it.”
Zhou Shaojin nodded, then carefully added, “There’s one more thing…”
Zhou Chujin felt her heart beating faster than usual, unsettled by Zhou Shaojin’s pauses.
She pressed a hand to her chest and sighed helplessly, “Can’t you just say everything at once instead of making me so anxious? What other treasures did you get?”
“It’s not me!” Zhou Shaojin quickly clarified. “It’s Madam Liao.”"Madam Liao Sr.?" It took Zhou Chujin a moment to realize who Zhou Shaojin was referring to. Her face flushed slightly as she asked, "What about Madam Liao Sr.?"
Zhou Shaojin then told Chujin about how Madam Fang had sent Nanny Zhong to relay a message to her.
Without a second thought, Zhou Chujin objected, "How can that be allowed! If Old Madam Guo and Uncle Chi hadn’t given you those things, it might be different. Or if Madam Liao Sr. hadn’t specifically requested that the two uncles from the eldest branch tutor Master Liao Sr. in essay writing, it might also be acceptable. But how can we bring this up now? Old Madam Guo and Uncle Chi would think we’re ungrateful and pushing our luck! You must not appear to be speaking on the Liao family’s behalf. Old Madam Guo and Uncle Chi’s favor toward you is your good fortune, but you must cherish it. If you ask Old Madam Guo and Uncle Chi for help with every person and every matter, what will you do when you truly need their assistance someday? Remember, favors are like a resource—each use diminishes it."
Zhou Shaojin had never dreamed that her sister would take her side over her brother-in-law.
Overwhelmed with emotion, she grabbed her sister’s arm and said urgently, "But this matter is important! If I succeed in this, when you marry into the Liao family in the future, how would they dare treat you poorly?" She told Zhou Chujin everything she knew about the Liao family from her past life. "...All of this was gathered through Uncle Chi’s connections, so it’s absolutely reliable. I can’t just stand by and watch you suffer in the Liao household!"
"Even so, we can’t casually use Old Madam Guo’s connections like this," Zhou Chujin replied, her heart churning like stormy waves, though she kept her tone soothing. "Isn’t this the case in every wealthy household? This is still relatively mild. Take the Liu family’s eldest master, for example—when he saw that Miss Sun’s dowry was lacking, he borrowed two thousand taels from the Sun family, claiming it was for his shop’s expansion and promising to repay it in two months. But when the two months passed, he never mentioned repayment. When the Sun family demanded the money, he refused, saying the two thousand taels should count as Miss Sun’s dowry. The Sun family disagreed, and the Liu family then claimed Miss Sun had a hidden ailment... Now the two families are embroiled in a lawsuit! Could the Liao family possibly be worse than the Liu family?"
Zhou Shaojin listened, stunned into silence.
Zhou Chujin said, "Don’t worry about this matter. If the Liao family asks you about it, just say I refused. Let them come to me."
"How can that be!" Zhou Shaojin protested. "Brother-in-law’s scholarly career is important too!"
If Liao Shaotang could pass the imperial examinations earlier, her sister would be able to hold her head high sooner.
Moreover, Zhou Shaojin had already explicitly told the Liao family that she had the ability to help.
After a moment’s thought, Zhou Chujin said, "Then let them go to Father. Isn’t Father also a twice-ranked imperial scholar?"
"It’s not the same," Zhou Shaojin gently persuaded her sister. "Why did Madam Liao Sr. specifically request that the two uncles from the eldest branch tutor Master Liao Sr. in essay writing during the spring examinations? Most likely, she wants them to help gauge the preferences of the chief examiner overseeing the exams. Otherwise, why insist on having the two uncles from the eldest branch intervene?"
Zhou Chujin was taken aback, then laughed after a long pause. "It seems going out really broadened your horizons—you even know about such things now."
Thank goodness for that trip.Otherwise, it would be difficult to convince my sister of many things, let alone explain them.
Zhou Shaojin pursed her lips and smiled, saying, "I traveled thousands of miles with the families of two grand secretaries—surely I must have learned something?"
Zhou Chujin couldn't help but sigh, "Shao Jin, you must stand firm in your actions from now on. Don’t let down Old Madam Guo’s kindness toward you."
"I know," Zhou Shaojin replied. "What about brother-in-law’s matter?"
Zhou Chujin’s face flushed slightly. "It still feels somewhat inappropriate... Even if we bring it up, it can’t be now. You’ve just returned from Zhenjiang..."
Hearing this, Zhou Shaojin had an idea. "Sister, what if we do this—next time the Liao family asks, we’ll say we’ve already written to Father. Father’s intention is for you and brother-in-law to marry first. Then, brother-in-law can write a few examination essays for Father to review. Even if the two uncles from the eldest branch agree to guide brother-in-law’s studies, they can’t possibly tutor him for every exam, right? There’s only one chance at most, and whether he can seize it depends on his own foundation. This way, we can delay the matter! Once you’re married, the Cheng and Liao families will be proper relatives. With more visits during festivals, given Uncle Jing’s temperament, if brother-in-law takes the exam, he’ll surely offer guidance."
"Really?" Zhou Chujin’s heart stirred. "Uncle Jing would really guide your brother-in-law?"
Zhou Shaojin was certain. "I heard from Uncle Chi’s attendants that Uncle Jing is very willing to mentor younger generations."
Most importantly, in her past life, even without mentorship, her brother-in-law had still passed the imperial examination.
Her idea of adding icing on the cake was merely to help her sister gain a better standing in front of her mother-in-law.
Zhou Chujin nodded repeatedly, unable to hold back her praise for Zhou Shaojin. "This is a great idea! I’ll write to Father right away and tell him both things."
"Sister, wait a moment," Zhou Shaojin said, rummaging through a pile of gifts and pulling out two boxes, one large and one small. "The large one contains a pair of glass hairpins, and the small one holds a necklace. The hairpins are for Madam Li, and the necklace is for Little Sister. Mention this to Father as well, and they can be sent along with your letter."
Zhou Chujin smiled and agreed, "Alright."
The two sisters, one grinding ink and the other writing, quickly took care of these matters.
Zhou Shaojin hesitated and asked, "Sister, who will preside over your wedding?"
In her past life, their relationship with Madam Li had been strained, and it was their eldest aunt who presided over the wedding. She still remembered how the women from the Liao family, who came for the betrothal, whispered behind their backs, saying that she and her sister were disliked by their stepmother, which was why their parents hadn’t shown up for such an important occasion.
She had been furious but didn’t know how to defend herself.
Later, her poor attitude toward Madam Li was also related to this.
She felt that she and her sister were too young to understand the gravity of the situation, but Madam Li, as a married woman, should have known better.
To her surprise, Zhou Chujin said with embarrassment, "Father wrote to me a few days ago, saying that after the New Year, Madam Li will return with Little Sister. We might move back to the Zhou residence for a while then."
That would be perfect!
Zhou Shaojin’s heart leaped with joy.
However, Zhou Chujin’s expression turned serious. "Shao Jin, there’s something I think I should tell you."
Zhou Shaojin perked up her ears to listen.Zhou Chujin hesitated for a moment before saying, "Ma Fushan said that Lanting and Xinlan's deaths are indeed related to that Cheng Lu. From now on, you must stay away from him."
Although she had vaguely suspected it, having the news confirmed still weighed heavily on Zhou Shaojin's heart.
Cheng Lu truly is a wolf in sheep's clothing!
Zhou Shaojin said solemnly, "Sister, you see, we wanted to let him go, but he refuses to let us be. I fear that keeping him around will only lead to greater disaster."
Zhou Chujin breathed a sigh of relief.
She had been worried her sister might be too soft-hearted.
"So what do you mean to do?" she asked Zhou Shaojin.
※
Sisters, today's extra update.
PS: Where have all the pink votes gone? We're about to be overtaken soon. I beg for your support, sisters... (>_<)
※ (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to...)
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