Dеаr brоthеrs аnd sisters, yestеrdаy's chаpter wаs writtеn tоо rоughlу, so I've mаde major revisions. Chарters 249 аnd 250 might not соnnесt smoоthlу, sо рlеasе refresh to rеаd the uрdated versiоn.
o(n_n)o~
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Uрon heаring this, Сhеng Сhi frоwnеd аnd asked, "Whеn did thаt haрреn?"
Zhou Shаojin lоwеred her hеаd and rеplied, "It was оn March 24th twо уеars аgo. I fell by thе lаkе, and whеn I wоkе uр аnd оpеnеd my еyеs, I had returnеd to whеn I wаs twеlve уеаrs оld..."
Cheng Chi nоdded.
This matched whаt Huaishan hаd said.
Hе glanсеd at Zhоu Shaojin and asked, "Then why did you get involved in the affairs of the Lin and Mu families? Are you connected to the Lin family or the Mu family?"
Everything had started because of this, and Zhou Shaojin knew it was a topic she couldn’t avoid.
She couldn’t help but whisper softly, "Lin Shisheng was my husband in my previous life!"
Cheng Chi raised an eyebrow and asked, "Your ex-husband?"
In a way, yes...
Zhou Shaojin’s face flushed bright red.
But Cheng Chi continued, "Did you steal the marriage arrangement of the Mu family’s eldest daughter, and then, because of the Mu family’s troubles, she ended up as a courtesan? Do you feel guilty and want to help them?"
"How could that be!" Zhou Shaojin jumped in agitation upon hearing this. "Am I that kind of person? How could I steal someone else’s marriage? The Mu family’s eldest daughter was engaged to Lin Shisheng since childhood. If not for this misfortune, they would have married long ago. But Lin Shisheng never forgot the Mu family’s eldest daughter and later found an opportunity to take her as his concubine... I just wanted to help them!"
Is this how one helps?
In her previous life, her own husband took his childhood sweetheart as a concubine, and as the legitimate wife, she not only felt no jealousy or bitterness but even tried to help her husband marry his concubine... Moreover, the Zhou family came from a proper scholarly background, so how could they have formed a marriage alliance with Lin Shisheng, who came from a military family? And she even married far away to the capital!
Cheng Chi glanced at Zhou Shaojin with a half-smile and said, "You were a fake couple, weren’t you?"
"No!" Zhou Shaojin instinctively retorted. "We were not a fake couple!"
Cheng Chi didn’t believe a word of it and asked, "How did you end up marrying into the capital?"
Zhou Shaojin hesitated for a moment before whispering, "My brother-in-law acted as the matchmaker."
It wasn’t Old Madam Guan or Zhou Zhen who acted as the matchmaker, but Liao Shaotang.
This in itself was a thought-provoking matter.
Cheng Chi thought of Zhou Shaojin’s reaction when he had pulled her earlier, as well as her resistance when he mentioned Cheng Xu... His expression turned serious as he solemnly asked, "Shao Jin, in the previous life you mentioned, did Cheng Xu do something to wrong you?"
Only this could explain why she left the Cheng family and why she married far away!
Zhou Shaojin’s expression stiffened slightly.
Uncle Chi... He had finally noticed!
But how could she speak of such humiliating matters in front of Uncle Chi?
Her hands clenched tightly into fists, and her body couldn’t help but tremble.
Seeing this, Cheng Chi felt deeply distressed.
What had happened was in the past, so why bring it up repeatedly and cause her pain?
He couldn’t help but step forward and gently stroke Zhou Shaojin’s head, speaking softly, "If it makes you uncomfortable, don’t think about it anymore. Didn’t you say it was a matter of your previous life? In this life, you’re doing well, so don’t dwell on those unhappy things from the past. Alright?"
Zhou Shaojin looked at Cheng Chi with almost grateful eyes.She truly didn't want to bring up the past again.
The one who committed the mistakes and deserved punishment remained unaware, while she, the victim, continued to suffer endlessly!
She obediently nodded.
Cheng Chi watched her and sighed quietly in his heart.
Even if it was a matter of her past life, the pain she had once felt would not simply vanish with the passage of time. It was merely hidden away in a corner.
This little girl was so obedient it broke his heart!
He just didn't know what Cheng Xu had actually done in her past life.
Had he already fallen beyond redemption?
Since she had no one to rely on, he would have to clarify some matters himself.
Cheng Chi pointed to the nearby luohan bed and said, "Shao Jin, you still haven't told me why the Cheng family was raided. Shall we sit down and talk?"
Zhou Shaojin quickly nodded.
The two of them sat down on either side of the luohan bed.
Zhou Shaojin carefully recounted the situation at that time to Cheng Chi.
Cheng Chi noticed that in the past life she described, Zhou Shaojin had lived alone at the Lin family's estate in Daxing.
He said, "Then it would be best to ask your brother-in-law, Liao Shaotang, about this matter? But Liao Shaotang has no ability to foresee the future. He has no idea what will happen later..."
Zhou Shaojin flushed with embarrassment.
She had spoken, but it was as if she hadn't said anything at all.
Cheng Chi asked in detail: when Zhou Chujin arrived at the estate, when she left, how long she stayed, what they talked about, when Lin Shisheng found out, when he sent her the message... He inquired about every detail meticulously.
Zhou Shaojin knew Cheng Chi was trying to find some clues from her answers, so she responded with great care.
After listening, Cheng Chi fell into deep thought.
Zhou Shaojin sat beside him, not daring to breathe too loudly. Only when his expression softened did she cautiously say, "Uncle Chi, there's one more thing... In my past life, it was Huang Li who became the Minister of Rites, and Mu Daren's matter wasn't discovered until the end of this year... Now that Uncle Jing has become the Minister of Rites, Mu Daren's matter has erupted early... I, I don't know if things will still unfold exactly as they did in my past life."
This was something Cheng Chi hadn't considered.
He was still half-convinced, half-doubting, feeling that Zhou Shaojin likely had the ability to foresee the future rather than having truly lived her life over again.
Cheng Chi remained silent for a moment before asking, "Then do you know when my mother passed away?"
For some reason, even though Cheng Chi's expression remained unchanged, Zhou Shaojin could sense the sorrow in his heart.
She carefully replied, "It seems to be in the year of Bingwu... Moreover, the old madam and the Second Old Master of the main branch passed away one after the other... I was in the capital at the time. I first heard the news of the Second Old Master's passing, then the news of the old madam's passing... The old madam likely passed before the Second Old Master..."
"Heard about it?" Cheng Chi's expression darkened. "After you married into the capital, did you have no contact with my mother or me?"
Given his and his mother's personalities, if Zhou Shaojin had truly been wronged by Cheng Xu, they would have done their utmost to compensate her, even having his second brother adopt her as a goddaughter to support her.
But from the way she spoke, it seemed he and his mother had paid her no attention at all... What exactly had happened in the past life as Zhou Shaojin saw it?
He couldn't help but ask, "What was I doing at that time?"Zhou Shaojin hesitated for a moment and said, "When I was in Nine Prosperities Lane, I didn't know Uncle Chi. The last time I heard news of you was in the Renyin year, which was the twenty-fifth year of Zhide..."
That was three years after her marriage, yet Cheng Xu remained persistently entangled. Every year on her birthday, he would kneel at the entrance of her sister's house. It was only after Uncle Chi appeared that he was dragged away.
After that, Cheng Xu never showed up again.
Oh, right. She had forgotten one more thing.
Zhou Shaojin hurriedly added, "Then, in the second year of Tianshun, you stormed the execution ground and only managed to rescue Cheng Xu..."
Cheng Chi was deeply shaken.
He re-examined Zhou Shaojin's words.
According to his plan, he would hand over all the Cheng family's affairs this year, leave Nine Prosperities Lane two years later, and after another three years, completely sever ties with the Cheng family... That year would precisely be the twenty-fifth year of Zhide.
He knew this idea was too shocking and unconventional. Apart from himself, he hadn't even told Huaishan or Qin Ziping, so Zhou Shaojin couldn't possibly know about it.
And then there was the matter of storming the execution ground.
According to Zhou Shaojin, the Cheng family was executed to the last member six years after his retirement. By then, he would have at most a few trusted followers like Huaishan and Nanny Shang by his side. Even if he intended to storm the execution ground, he estimated he could rescue only one or two people at most. In such a situation, given his character, he would indeed prioritize Cheng Xu, as the legitimate eldest son and grandson.
In other words, everything Zhou Shaojin said was true.
She had indeed lived her life over again.
And Cheng Xu—it was likely not as simple as merely bullying Zhou Shaojin.
Zhou Shaojin must have had a falling out with the Cheng family!
But now was not the time to delve into these matters.
He had already asked the young girl many questions that left her too embarrassed to know how to respond.
It would be better to inquire slowly when the opportunity arose later.
No matter what, he couldn't let her be bullied by Cheng Xu as she was in her previous life.
Cheng Chi asked Zhou Shaojin, "When did the Second Branch's Old Ancestor pass away?"
His tone had shifted from lighthearted teasing to solemnity.
Zhou Shaojin immediately sensed the change.
Unable to conceal the turmoil in her heart, she hurriedly replied, "In the Guimao year, which was the twenty-sixth year of Zhide."
So, Mother did outlive that old man after all!
A wordless sorrow surged within Cheng Chi.
He asked Zhou Shaojin, "Who else knows about the rebirth?"
"Only you know!" Zhou Shaojin replied with a bitter smile. "My sister doesn't believe me, and I was afraid of frightening her."
Cheng Chi said, "She is a delicate young lady from the inner chambers and a scholar, so naturally, she cannot accept such supernatural and bizarre matters."
But Uncle Chi, how did you accept it so readily?
Zhou Shaojin very much wanted to ask, but as the words reached her lips, she feared ruining the atmosphere between them. She swallowed the question, deciding to find a better opportunity to ask Uncle Chi properly later.
This matter was even more complicated than she had imagined!
Cheng Chi paced back and forth in the room.
Zhou Shaojin didn't know much, but every piece of information she shared struck at the heart of the matter. Moreover, judging by her tone, she had changed many things after her rebirth, and these changes had altered the outcomes of her previous life. Many developments were likely unknown even to her, including how things had shifted and evolved. This required him and her to sit down and carefully analyze everything. And after Zhou Chujin married, Zhou Shaojin might follow Madam Li to Baoding Prefecture...
In an instant, Cheng Chi made a decision.Before he could even ask Zhou Shaojin for her thoughts, Nanny Shang’s voice, tinged with urgency, came from outside the door: “Fourth Master, Miss Biyu from Old Madam Guo’s side has arrived. She says Old Madam Guo knows Second Young Miss has come and has sent her to invite Second Young Miss over for a chat…”
Who had been gossiping in front of his mother?
Cheng Chi’s expression darkened.
Zhou Shaojin felt ashamed and dared not look at Cheng Chi.
When she had come, she had instructed Chunwan that if she hadn’t returned to Fragrant Garden Residence within half an hour, Chunwan should go to Old Madam Guo at Cold Green Mountain House to find her.
Though mothers always side with their sons, as long as Old Madam Guo didn’t know what had happened, she might still find an opportunity!
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Thank you to Qin Ruofan for the spirit beast egg!
PS: Today’s update is a bit late, and the timing isn’t certain, but I’ll try to update around twelve o’clock.
o(n_n)o~
※ (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to…)
!!
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