Тhаt еvеning, whеn Сheng Chi rеturnеd, Nаnnу Shаng directed а уoung servаnt to bring in hot wаtеr tо аssist him in сhаnging clothеs, while she stood to the sidе аnd reрortеd, "Sесоnd Cоusin саmе lоoking fоr you."
Chеng Сhi was quitе surprised and аsked, "Hоw did she cоmе?"
Nаnnу Shаng didn't quitе undеrstand at first аnd smilеd, "I didn't ask аbоut thаt. Hоwevеr, Sеcond Соusin cаme with her steрmother, so shе рrоbablу came bу sеdаn chаir!"
"Тhаt's nоt whаt I mеant!" Сhеng Chi sаid pаtiently. "I mеant, did Sесоnd Cоusin соmе after pаying respects tо the Old Mаdam, or did shе cоmе quietlу?"
Upon hearing this, Nanny Shang carefully considered her words, "When Second Cousin came, the Old Madam was speaking with Madam Zhou. Before the Old Madam and Madam Zhou finished their conversation, Second Cousin returned to the main room..."
So she had come quietly.
That little girl, could she have gotten into some trouble?
Cheng Chi pondered this in his mind, even slowing down the speed at which he removed his brocade robe.
On the day she left, she had been so happy.
Later, Cheng Zheng sent two boxes of pastries from the imperial kitchen. Mother had specifically saved one box for that little girl, intending to give it to her when she came on the second day of the new year. But on the second day, she went to Jia Shu Hall to pay New Year's respects to Old Madam Guan and then hurried back to Flat Bridge Street... Could it be that the Fourth House had let something slip, and she knew Old Madam Guan wanted to keep her in the Fourth House, so she felt uncomfortable and ran off?
That was indeed possible!
Cheng Chi's brows furrowed.
He had wanted to secure a good marriage for that little girl, but after looking around, he hadn't found anyone suitable.
Perhaps he should broaden his search?
Suzhou, Hangzhou, Songjiang, and Wuxi were all quite close to Jinling, just a few days away by boat. If there were suitable candidates in those places, it might be worth considering...
Cheng Chi handed the removed brocade robe to Qing Feng and asked Nanny Shang, "Did that little girl not ask you to pass on a message?"
"She only said she had something important to discuss with you," Nanny Shang replied more cautiously. "As for anything else, she didn't say a word!"
Cheng Chi curled his lip.
In that little girl's eyes, even trivial matters were of great importance.
But he still thought for a moment and asked, "How was her mood then?" Worried that Nanny Shang might not understand, he explained, "I mean, was she frowning and looking distressed? Or was she as usual? Or perhaps quite happy?"
Nanny Shang carefully recalled the scene at the time and said, "It seemed... as usual?"
What kind of answer was that?
Cheng Chi said discontentedly, "Was it the same or not?"
Nanny Shang grew even less certain, hesitating for a long while.
Cheng Chi said, "Forget it! I'll find out when I see her tomorrow."
Nanny Shang smiled and replied, "Yes," breaking out in a cold sweat on her forehead as she respectfully withdrew.
Cheng Chi couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
What was he so anxious about anyway?
He would find out in just a few hours.
He washed his face and changed into another set of clothes. Just as he was about to go pay respects to Old Madam Guo, Lang Yue rushed in and said urgently, "Fourth Master, Old Madam Gu has passed away!"
"What did you say?" Cheng Chi sprang to his feet. "Old Madam Gu has passed away? When did it happen? Has the Old Madam received the news?"Lang Yue hurriedly said, "The Gu family specially sent someone to deliver a funeral notice to the old madam. The Cheng family's funeral notice hasn't arrived yet. The old madam is already changing clothes. She sent a young maid to inform you, saying you should also quickly change clothes. We'll head to the Gu family right away. Matters in the estate will be temporarily handed over to Chief Steward Qin Da."
The old lady of the Gu family had passed away, and the Cheng family would also go to offer condolences. However, funeral notices were usually sent after the deceased had been dressed for burial. Sending someone specially to inform Cheng Chi's mother meant they were treated as extremely close family. After arriving, even if they didn't help with dressing the body, they would assist with the funeral arrangements.
Cheng Chi quickly called Qing Feng to help him change clothes and instructed Lang Yue to pack his things: "We'll probably have to stay there for two or three days."
Only after the accountants and ritual officials for the funeral arrangements had all arrived would he be able to slip away and return for a while.
Lang Yue repeatedly acknowledged with "Yes."
Cheng Chi thought for a moment and called Nanny Shang in. He said, "My mother won't be able to host Madam Zhou tomorrow. Remind my mother of this when you go over later. Then, early tomorrow morning, personally go to Flat Bridge Street and ask Second Cousin what exactly she needs. If it's not urgent, wait a few days. If it's urgent, have her wait. I'll go over in the evening."
Nanny Shang's heart was in turmoil.
Since when had Fourth Master become so accommodating?
If Master Ji and Xiao Zhenhai saw this, wouldn't their eyeballs fall out!
But having traveled the martial world in her early years and been a formidable figure, she had long mastered the skill of not showing emotions on her face. No matter what she thought inside, her expression remained all smiles as she respectfully acknowledged with "Yes."
Satisfied, Cheng Chi changed into a pale blue coarse cotton robe and went to his mother.
As he expected, Old Madam Guo was wearing a plain black fine cloth robe, sitting sorrowfully on the luohan bed, fingering her eighteen-bead sandalwood prayer beads.
Cheng Chi stepped forward and softly called, "Mother."
Old Madam Guo snapped back to reality, her eyes already filled with tears. She said, "When your father and I had our first argument, it was she who came to mediate. Right in front of me, she scolded your father severely, then lectured me too. Finally, she asked us if we wanted to divorce. If not, then we had to discuss everything and live together. If we wanted to divorce, then there was nothing more to say. I should inventory my dowry right then, leave the child with the Cheng family, and return to my maiden home with my dowry. She would find a new wife for your father, let her live in the house I lived in, and raise my child... I was furious—how could that be? I could give up the house, but I couldn't hand my child over to someone else, let them call someone else 'Mother'." As Old Madam Guo spoke, tears couldn't help but fall. "Who would have thought she would pass away so suddenly..."
Cheng Chi stepped forward and embraced Old Madam Guo, comforting her in a low voice: "The old lady was already eighty-nine. She could eat and drink well in life, and her passing was so sudden—she didn't suffer lying in bed. This is a good thing, a happy funeral. You should be happy for her. You know the Gu family's situation best. With the old lady gone, the Ninth Master of the Gu family will have to return home to observe mourning. The Gu family's circumstances will likely become even more difficult. The Gu family is surely counting on you to help speak on their behalf with Elder Brother. You need to go over quickly."Although the Gu family had many male members, the one with a smooth and promising official career at present was Old Madam Gu's eldest grandson, Gu Qinghe. He currently served as the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, one of the Nine Ministers. With the old madam's passing, he would have to return home to observe mourning for a year, meaning his position would have to be relinquished. Upon returning to the capital, it would be uncertain what kind of appointment he could secure.
At this time, Cheng Jing, who served as Minister of Rites and Grand Secretary of the Hall of Literary Brilliance, would be crucial for Gu Qinghe's reinstatement.
Old Madam Guo nodded, wiped her tears, and her expression grew resolute as she said, "I know. Tell those around you to pack our things, and we'll go over now." Then, Old Madam Guo exclaimed, "Oh no! I said I would invite Shaojin's stepmother to dinner..."
To think Mother still remembered!
Cheng Chi said, "I'll send someone to inform her."
Old Madam Guo sighed and said, "We'll have to wait a few days."
"A few days will be just right," Cheng Chi replied. "In a few days, spring will be in full bloom, and we can invite Madam Zhou to the estate to enjoy the flowers."
Mother could also take this opportunity to ease her sorrowful mood.
Old Madam Guo nodded slightly.
※
At the Zhou residence on Flat Bridge Street.
Zhou Shaojin was stunned by the news for a long while. Recalling Old Madam Gu's childlike and straightforward nature during her last visit to the Gu family, she felt deeply distressed. She asked Nanny Shang, who had come to deliver the message, "Will Uncle Chi and the old madam have to stay at the Gu family for a few days?"
Nanny Shang respectfully replied, "They will likely stay for a few days. The Fourth Master and the old madam have brought clothing with them."
Zhou Shaojin inexplicably felt a sense of relief and said, "Go and tell Uncle Chi that my matters are not urgent, and he should focus on handling Old Madam Gu's affairs first."
Nanny Shang smiled and agreed.
Zhou Shaojin took her to Madam Li's place.
Given the circumstances, Madam Li naturally had no complaints and quickly said, "The deceased takes precedence. We can pay our respects to the old madam anytime." She then politely inquired about Old Madam Guo's state of mind, exchanged a few pleasantries, rewarded Nanny Shang with two taels of silver, and personally escorted her to the door.
Zhou Shaojin asked Nanny Shang, "Are you returning to the estate or going to the Gu family?"
"To the Gu family!" Nanny Shang replied with a smile. "The Fourth Master said that if there was any news from you, I should go and inform him."
Zhou Shaojin then asked Nanny Shang to convey a message to the Gu family's seventeenth young lady: "...Tell her to accept her grief and adapt to the circumstances."
Nanny Shang agreed and left for the Gu family.
Cheng Chi was busy discussing funeral arrangements with the Gu family. Several of the Gu family's elder and younger masters had yet to recover from the grief and shock of the old madam's passing, speaking and acting in a confused manner. The stewards, seeing this, simply reported matters to Cheng Chi and sought his guidance.
For a time, Cheng Chi was surrounded by people sitting and standing around him.
Nanny Shang peeked through the doorway and then withdrew.
Cheng Chi, sharp-eyed, noticed her immediately.
Without waiting for the steward who had sought his instructions to finish speaking, he stood up and said, "I have some matters to attend to. Please wait a moment." Then, under everyone's gaze, he left the hall and stood under the corridor.
Nanny Shang hurried forward and quietly reported the details of her visit to Flat Bridge Street.
As Cheng Chi listened, his heart grew even more troubled.If the matter was truly as unimportant as the little maid claimed, she would usually barge in recklessly, demanding he handle this or that without a second thought. On the contrary, if the matter was serious, she would become hesitant and unsure how to broach the subject with him—just like when she accompanied him and his mother to Mount Putuo. On the way there, no matter what she wanted to buy, she kept silent to avoid delaying their journey. But on the way back, with no pressing matters at hand, she would suddenly want to fetch bricks from Leifeng Pagoda one moment and buy combs in Changzhou the next. Yet when he and Old Mr. Song became engrossed in hydrology matters, she could quietly occupy herself without causing any disturbance, appearing willful yet always knowing her limits.
He pondered this, glancing at the people sitting or standing in the room, and said thoughtfully, "Alright, go and inform Second Cousin that I will come over around Xu hour (around 7 p.m.) after arranging the evening meal here. Tell her to wait for me a while."
Nanny Shang was inwardly surprised.
Didn’t they say the matter wasn’t urgent?
Then why was Fourth Master going over?
※
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※ (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to...)
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