Zhоu Shаоjin rеturnеd alonе tо Jiа Shu Наll.
A half-grown bоу dressed in а parrоt-grееn Lu silk rоbе stоod on thе steps at the entranсе, direсting sevеrаl уоung servаnts аs thеу mоved trunks аnd boxes.
Shе lоokеd closelу and reаlized the bоу wаs асtuаllу Sanbaо, whо servеd Сhеng Yi.
Zhou Shаojin wаs grеatly surрrisеd and sаid, "Sanbao, whу are yоu hеrе? Wherе is Cousin Yi? Werеn't уоu supроsеd tо rеturn tоmorrоw?"
"Sеcоnd Cоusin!" Sanbaо hurried fоrwаrd tо greеt hеr, strаightеned up, and sаid with a grin, "The He fаmily wasn't cоmfortablе letting Sесond Мaster return to Jinling City alone, so they specially sent their chief steward delivering festival gifts to accompany him. Second Master was thinking of Old Madam Guan, the Elder Master, Madam, the Young Master, and you two cousins, so he hired a carriage and rushed back. We just arrived. He went to pay respects to Old Madam Guan."
Zhou Shaojin was astonished and said, "You, you sneaked back?"
"No, no," Sanbao repeatedly waved his hands, "How could we do such a thing! We left a note for Madam He."
Zhou Shaojin broke into a sweat from anxiety and hurried toward the main room.
Just as she reached the steps, she heard Madam Mian's scolding voice: "You wretched thing! What kind of books have you been reading? How could you just run back like this! What will Madam He think? How dare you even say..."
Zhou Shaojin quickly lifted the curtain.
Madam Mian was chasing Cheng Yi with a feather duster!
Seeing Zhou Shaojin, Cheng Yi acted as if he had found a lifeline, darting behind her to hide, and complained to Madam Mian, "Haven't I just missed you and Grandmother after being away for so long? How could you hit me so hard? Look, you've made my arm red."
As he spoke, he started to roll up his sleeve.
Zhou Shaojin turned to avoid him.
But Cheng Yi grabbed her and said, "How can you be so disloyal! Back when Cheng Ju and the others laughed at you, I helped you beat them up!"
"You even got into fights!" Madam Mian was already furious, but she couldn't hit her son in front of Zhou Shaojin—if Zhou Shaojin and her son were to marry in the future, what face would her son have left in front of her? She pointed the feather duster at Cheng Yi but said to Zhou Shaojin, "Shaoji, step aside quickly. If I don't beat him hard enough for him to remember today, he won't know what he did wrong!"
But Cheng Yi pushed Zhou Shaojin toward his mother and cried out, "Mother, hit me! Just beat me to death! I rushed back overnight to see you, and this is how you treat me? Am I really your own son? Why don't you just throw me out on the street, so I won't have to see you like this and feel heartbroken!"
Madam Mian was at a loss for words.
She kept saying, "Shaoji, step aside quickly! Step aside quickly!"
Caught between the mother and son, Zhou Shaojin felt awkward and was pushed back and forth until she grew dizzy.
Old Madam Guan's authoritative voice rang out in the room: "What are you all doing? Can't you even keep quiet during the New Year?"
Madam Mian hurriedly put down the feather duster and respectfully called out, "Mother."
Cheng Yi ran over and hugged Old Madam Guan's arm: "Grandmother, Grandmother, I missed you so much! Have you been well these days? I heard you went to Ganquan Temple to offer incense recently and even lit a long-life lamp for me. Thank you, Grandmother! I knew you were the one who loves me most in this family.""What a mess!" Old Madam Guan frowned and glared at Cheng Yi, though the anger on her face had subsided somewhat.
Cheng Yi grinned cheekily and said, "Grandmother, I meant every word! I know I was wrong—I shouldn't have run back alone. But I'm already back, and the New Year is almost here. Could you please talk to my mother and ask her not to scold me? I promise I’ll change from now on, alright?" He whined like a spoiled child.
But Old Madam Guan replied, "So you do know you were wrong! I won’t say more. I’ve already sent a steward to Pukou to see if we can deliver the letter before the He family digs three feet into the ground looking for you. As for you—go kneel in the ancestral hall immediately."
"Grandmother!" Cheng Yi clung to Old Madam Guan’s hand, refusing to let go.
Old Madam Guan said, "If you don’t go now, fine—but when your father returns, it won’t be as simple as kneeling in the ancestral hall!"
Cheng Yi shuddered at her words and hurriedly said, "I’ll go, I’ll go!"
But even as he spoke, he kept winking at Zhou Shaojin, signaling for her to plead on his behalf.
Zhou Shaojin pretended not to see.
If Cheng Yi’s misbehavior went unpunished, he wouldn’t take it seriously and might repeat his mistakes in the future.
"Well, then... I’ll go change my clothes first..." Cheng Yi had no choice but to compromise.
Old Madam Guan nodded and instructed Si’er to accompany Cheng Yi to change.
Madam Mian began sobbing softly, saying, "How did I end up raising such a troublesome child!"
Old Madam Guan said, "At least one chili pepper is spicy, or else your tears would be useless."
The old lady was referring to Cheng Gao’s excellence, which spared Madam Mian any worry.
Madam Mian felt slightly better after hearing this.
By lamplight, Cheng Mian, who had received the news, harshly scolded Cheng Yi. With the New Year approaching and Cheng Yi already kneeling in the ancestral hall, there wasn’t much more he could say. He ordered the maids and servants, "No one is allowed to bring him food or drink. Let him go hungry until he learns his lesson. Only then can he get up."
Everyone fell silent in fear.
The next day, news of Cheng Yi’s return spread throughout Nine Prosperities Lane.
Cheng Ju and Cheng Nuo came to visit Cheng Yi, only to find he had been confined. Cheng Ju then urged Cheng Nuo to ask Zhou Shaojin for help. Zhou Shaojin couldn’t be bothered with them. When Cheng Yi was finally released from the ancestral hall, Cheng Ju complained about Zhou Shaojin in front of him, "Isn’t she supposed to be your cousin? You treat her so well, yet she didn’t show any concern for you. I asked her to visit you, and she refused."
Cheng Yi was furious, but he restrained his temper and defended Zhou Shaojin in front of Cheng Ju and the others, "It was my father and grandmother’s order. They said if anyone brought me food or drink, or visited me, I’d have to kneel until the Lantern Festival."
"That’s harsh!" Cheng Nuo exclaimed, then brought up recent gossip from Jinling City. "Have you heard? The marriage between the heir of the Duke of Liang and the eldest daughter of the Liu family is set for the fifteenth day of the fifth month next year. People say that Miss Liu is no pushover either. When she deals with her maids, it’s bloodless murder—no beating, no scolding, just making them kneel upright for days until a perfectly healthy person is crippled...""Really, truly!" Cheng Yi was hearing for the first time about the engagement between the Liangguo Duke's heir and the eldest daughter of the Liu family. He gossiped eagerly, "Isn't their eldest daughter the one who divorced her husband? Their family must have such traditions! If this is true, who would dare marry their daughters in the future!"
A few sixteen- or seventeen-year-old young men gathered together, chatting about the young ladies of Jinling City.
Cheng Ju sat nearby, his eyes darting around. He just hadn't found an opportunity to enter the inner courtyard of the fourth branch.
After seeing off Cheng Ju and the others, Cheng Yi rushed straight to Fragrant Garden Residence.
Zhou Shaojin was doing needlework.
After the reunion dinner at Jia Shu Hall, she would return to Flat Bridge Street with her sister. Then she would stay there until her sister's wedding.
Even if she could return, it wouldn't be until mid-spring.
She had only just selected the fabric for Old Madam Guo's spring vest.
Zhou Shaojin wanted to take advantage of these free days to finish the vest.
When spring arrived, Old Madam Guo would be able to wear it.
Unexpectedly, the door was pushed open with a bang as Cheng Yi stormed in angrily, saying, "When I was kneeling in the ancestral hall, why didn't you come to see me? What good would it do you if my knees were ruined from kneeling?"
Zhou Shaojin put down her needlework and coldly questioned him, "Didn't you say we would never have anything to do with each other again? What, you're not even fifty yet, and you've already forgotten your own words?"
Cheng Yi's face flushed red. Forcing composure, he stammered, "I, I've been away for almost a year, haven't I? Why are you so petty, still remembering this..."
Zhou Shaojin said, "Rest assured, I'll remember it for a lifetime. Don't expect me to help you in the future."
"You, you really are... the sting of a wasp's tail. I'll never speak to you again." With that, Cheng Yi left angrily.
Zhou Shaojin smiled faintly.
They were cousins, so naturally she wouldn't hold a grudge against him. But others might not be so forgiving. He needed to understand that such words shouldn't be spoken carelessly.
A few days later, the vest for Old Madam Guo was completed.
Zhou Shaojin also made some rice cakes and brought them to Cold Green Mountain House.
The rice cakes were for Biyu and the others.
Since only Cheng Chi was accompanying Old Madam Guo for the New Year, the first branch's celebrations were rather quiet. Fortunately, there were many servants in the first branch, and the rewards were generous. The servants wore smiles as they bustled about, creating some liveliness.
While helping Old Madam Guo try on the vest, Zhou Shaojin advised her, "I heard from the head gardener that it will snow this New Year. Besides the second branch's matriarch, you are the most senior. Please don't go out. Let Uncle Chi stay home with you to play cards or chess. Those who care will come to pay their respects; ignore those who don't. No one can criticize you for that. Does only your shoulder hurt when the weather changes? Do your legs hurt? If your legs ache, I can make you two knee pads. It won't take long—just two or three days at most."
Old Madam Guo chuckled and said, "My legs are fine, it's just that my shoulders sometimes can't bear the cold." Then she took a pouch from a small box nearby and handed it to Zhou Shaojin, saying, "You'll be going home tomorrow after the reunion dinner at Jia Shu Hall, right? This is your New Year's money. Take it."
Zhou Shaojin smiled and replied, "I'll accept it when I come to wish you a Happy New Year."Old Madam Guo smiled and said, "This year is special, isn't it? Next year, when you come to wish me a happy new year, I'll give you your lucky money then."
Yes indeed!
This year was unusual. She didn't even know if she could return to Nine Prosperities Lane.
She expressed her thanks and silently accepted the heavy red envelope.
Old Madam Guo then asked her softly, "Don't you want to go to Baoding with your father?"
Zhou Shaojin shook her head, then nodded.
Her feelings at that moment were extremely complicated!
She wanted to live with her father, to leave behind the grudges from her past life and start anew. But she hadn't yet told Cheng Jing about the matters concerning the Cheng family, and she couldn't just leave as if nothing had happened.
Old Madam Guo secretly shook her head and comforted her, "Don't be afraid! Baoding is quite a nice place. If you can't get used to it, you can always come back."
Zhou Shaojin smiled and took her leave of Old Madam Guo.
※
Alright, some readers have pointed out that they are male, so I shouldn't say "sisters." I'll change it to "sisters and brothers"... o(n_n)o~
PS: Regarding typos. Sometimes when time is tight, I'll make corrections after two or three hours or the next day. You can wait a bit or refresh the page.
Sorry for any inconvenience!
※ (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to...)
OpenNovel