Zhou Shaojin's fасe burned hоt. After а briеf silеnсе, shе jumped uр and headed out: "Sister, I, I'll соme sеe уоu lаtеr!"
"Oh, оh, оh!" Тhе usuаlly сomposеd аnd dignified Zhоu Chujin watchеd her yоunger sister flее hеr innеr сhаmbеr as if esсаping disаstеr, fеeling uttеrly flustеrеd. Her fасe flushеd even reddеr than Zhou Shaоjin's.
Nоt until Zhоu Shaоjin entered hеr оwn innеr chаmbеr аnd thrеw hеrsеlf ontо thе crimsоn silk quilt of hеr lacquеred bеd did thе hеat in hеr fасе begin to fadе.
How had she not thоught of it?
On the еve of а bride's wеdding, thе femаle elders of the family would always explain the matters of the wedding night.
In her previous life, her circumstances had been unusual. When she married, only a few of her brother-in-law's friends came to offer congratulations—and that was only out of respect for her brother-in-law. In total, there had been only four or five banquet tables.
During the newlywed period, she slept on the bed while Lin Shisheng slept on the floor. Everyone around them was Lin Shisheng's people, so no one gossiped. Later, when she went to the estate in Daxing, things became even simpler. When someone on the estate slighted her and her sister found out, Lin Shisheng began visiting her once every month. They would be separated by a screen, one sleeping in the inner room, the other in the outer room.
Thinking of these things, she felt a slight pang in her heart.
How wonderful it would have been if she could have married as joyously and grandly as her sister!
The painful memories from her previous life surfaced in her mind once more.
Tears silently fell.
Zhou Shaojin curled up under the quilt and fell into a deep sleep.
When she woke the next day, her eyes were swollen.
Afraid others would notice, Zhou Shaojin instructed Chunwan to find a way to boil a few eggs to help reduce the swelling around her eyes. Unexpectedly, when Madam Mian saw her, she wrapped an arm around her shoulders and said with a laugh, "Silly child. Zhenjiang is so close to Jinling. If you miss Chujin, just go visit her in Zhenjiang. Crying like this only makes people's hearts ache for you."
Zhou Shaojin smiled awkwardly.
Everyone else smiled kindly.
Even Zhou Chujin thought Zhou Shaojin was reluctant to see her marry and regretted not having her sister stay the night before. She took Zhou Shaojin's hand and said, "You must remember to come see me! Didn't you say you wanted to take your sister to Mount Putuo?"
Zhou Shaojin nodded repeatedly.
But then Zhou Chujin began to cry.
Zhou Shaojin softly comforted her sister.
She herself did not feel any reluctance.
Perhaps it was because she knew her sister would marry well, not only meeting the right person for life but also having her own small family, living even more happily than she had in the Cheng household.
Madam Gu, who served as Zhou Chujin's "complete fortune" matron of honor, couldn't help but smile and remark, "The eldest young lady is respectful and modest, the second young lady delicate and gentle. I originally thought the second young lady's temperament would be more fragile, but when the moment arrived, it was the eldest young lady who couldn't hold back her tears."
Only then did everyone notice Zhou Shaojin's unusual behavior.
Whose younger sister wouldn't cry when her elder sister married?
But Zhou Shaojin truly couldn't cry.
The two wishes she had made after her rebirth had both come true, and she would soon be free from the mire of Cheng Xu. She was overjoyed—how could she possibly cry?
Zhou Shaojin had no choice but to cover up, saying, "Didn't my eldest aunt and sister both tell me not to be sad? They said if I miss my sister, I can just go to Zhenjiang to see her."
Once married, one has parents-in-law above, younger siblings-in-law below, and sisters-in-law beside—how could it be that simple?
But everyone was still amused by her naive words, which not only diluted the sorrow of parting but also added a touch of festivity. It turned out to be an unexpected gain.
Mama Li came in smiling to announce that the kitchen had sent hot water.
Everyone went to sit in the side chamber.
Zhou Shaojin accompanied them.The elderly madams and dowagers from Nine Prosperities Lane did not attend. Both Madam Jiang and Madam Hong could be considered as having watched Zhou Shaojin grow up, so the atmosphere remained harmonious. Only Cheng Jia wore a sullen expression from start to finish.
Zhou Shaojin could only sigh.
Madam Jiang was tightening her control over Cheng Jia more and more. Last time, Shaojin had tried to keep Cheng Jia overnight at Flat Bridge Street using the excuse that since her elder sister was getting married, the sisters wanted to spend time talking together, but she had not succeeded.
The Zhou family did not have many guests, but Nine Prosperities Lane was highly renowned in Jinling. Many who came to the Zhou family to offer gifts did so out of respect for Nine Prosperities Lane, all of them familiar faces. The Zhou family’s celebration felt more like a Cheng family affair.
Seeing everyone chatting happily, Zhou Shaojin caught Cheng Jia’s eye and slipped out of the side room.
Cheng Jia followed closely behind.
The two stood before a pomegranate tree in the courtyard, its branches just beginning to sprout new buds.
Zhou Shaojin whispered, “What did you want to see me about that day?”
Cheng Jia’s eyes flickered with inner conflict and struggle. After a long pause, she murmured softly, “That day, I accompanied my mother to offer incense at Ganquan Temple and saw Cousin Jing… He has lost a lot of weight… He asked me if I… if I would be willing to marry him… If I agreed, he told me not to worry about anything else—he would handle everything… If I refused… he wanted to give me a silver necklace, saying he couldn’t just take my things. It was a gift from his grandmother when he was young, and he wanted to pass it to me as a token for my future children…” At this point, Cheng Jia’s face flushed crimson. “He said if I gave birth to a daughter, his sons would be at my disposal. If I had a son, he would become his son-in-law… I, I, I…”
How bold!
Zhou Shaojin’s eyes sparkled as she listened.
In her past life, she had always followed Cheng Jia around. Although Cheng Jia got along well with her, she would never have confided such matters to her.
She wondered if this had happened in her past life as well.
Eagerly, she asked, “So, what did you say?”
“What could I say?” Cheng Jia shot Zhou Shaojin a glare. “Is this something you or I can decide?”
Zhou Shaojin sensed something hidden in her words and chuckled. “What ‘you or I’? It’s about you! Don’t drag me into this. Besides, you could have refused outright. Since you didn’t, that means you agreed!”
Cheng Jia grew flustered. “Who said I agreed? I didn’t even take his necklace. And what does he mean by ‘his sons at my disposal’? If all his sons turn out to be good-for-nothings, what would there be to choose from?”
Zhou Shaojin looked at her with a knowing smile. “But it seems you didn’t say no either!”
“I, I, I…” The usually eloquent Cheng Jia stammered, unable to form a complete sentence for a long while.
Zhou Shaojin laughed softly with delight.
For some reason, seeing Cheng Jia at a loss made her feel quite pleased.
Cheng Jia nudged Zhou Shaojin with her elbow. “I came to discuss this with you. If you keep this up, don’t expect me to talk to you ever again.”
“Fine if you don’t!” Zhou Shaojin wasn’t fazed at all. “Let’s see who you’ll confide in from now on!”
Cheng Jia retorted, “Don’t worry! If you’re unavailable, Eldest Miss Wu will have time. I’ll just go talk to her instead!”
Zhou Shaojin was taken aback. “Eldest Miss Wu? The one from Prefect Wu’s family, with the given name Baozhang?”"It's her!" Cheng Jia said dismissively. "Ever since she made a few garments and accessories for the second branch's Yun nephew that earned praise from Sister-in-law Shi, she's been frequently visiting the Cheng family. She's greeted me with a smile several times and apologized to me. If it weren't for you, I would have already befriended her."
Zhou Shaojin frowned.
It seemed her decision to go to Baoding Prefecture was right.
She wanted to caution Cheng Jia, but before she could speak, a young maid came running over, smiling, "Second Miss, Fourth Cousin, the eldest miss is about to have her hair styled."
Cheng Jia pulled Zhou Shaojin and ran, saying, "Let's go see." She added, "Before, others called you 'cousin miss' and me 'miss,' but now they call you 'miss' and me 'cousin miss'—how amusing!"
Zhou Shaojin was speechless.
By the time they entered the room, Madam Gu and Madam Mian had already begun styling Zhou Chujin's hair.
Cheng Jia gazed at Zhou Chujin, dressed in bright red wedding attire with a shy, hopeful expression, and said enviously, "Sister Chujin is truly beautiful!"
Zhou Shaojin smiled faintly.
Mama Li brought in lotus seed and lily soup.
Madam Gu served it to Zhou Chujin.
The Liao family's wedding procession arrived.
Deafening gongs, drums, firecrackers, and the clamor of laughter and chatter immediately filled the Zhou household with liveliness.
Zhou Chujin tightly grasped Zhou Shaojin's hand.
Zhou Shaojin thought for a moment and whispered to her sister, "Sister, don't worry. Uncle Chi said he has met brother-in-law. Not only is he handsome and dignified, but he is also knowledgeable and a true gentleman. He showed great respect when meeting Uncle Chi, which shows he is very satisfied with this marriage."
Zhou Chujin was slightly taken aback, and her grip on Zhou Shaojin's hand slowly loosened.
Zhou Shaojin smiled gently.
Soon, the commotion reached the doorway as the Liao family sent over the bridal veil.
Madam Mian politely invited the onlookers to the side rooms—the Liao family was about to fetch the bride.
Zhou Shaojin remained in the room.
Madam Gu said to Zhou Chujin with a smile, "Don't be afraid. I'll follow along later. If anything happens, have your maid come find me."
Zhou Chujin softly replied, "Mm."
Madam Gu escorted Zhou Chujin to the main hall.
After paying respects to the ancestral tablets and the tablets of her birth mother Cheng He and stepmother Zhuang Liangyu, and kowtowing to the empty chair representing Zhou Zhen and Madam Li, Madam Gu placed the bridal veil over Zhou Chujin's head. She then pulled Zhou Shaojin to stand beside Zhou Chujin. Cheng Gao entered, wearing a brand-new green robe, followed by the Liao family's "complete fortune" woman, who smilingly gave Zhou Shaojin and Cheng Gao each a large red envelope.
"The auspicious hour has arrived!" At the wedding attendant's announcement, Cheng Gao carried Zhou Chujin on his back and left the hall.
Outside, the deafening crackle of firecrackers erupted.
All the onlookers in the hall surged outward.
Zhou Shaojin clutched the bright red envelope, standing quietly under the corridor, watching her sister's figure slowly disappear into the smoke of the firecrackers until she could no longer be seen.
The surroundings grew quiet.
"It seems your sister is marrying quite well!" someone suddenly said beside her.
She turned around, her eyes instantly lighting up: "Uncle Chi, why are you here? No, I mean, why are you in the inner courtyard? Shouldn't you be drinking wedding wine in the outer courtyard?"
Cheng Chi smiled, "I just came to take a look."
He truly had only come to take a look.But at a glance, he spotted Zhou Shaojin standing under the corridor, on the verge of tears yet with a slight upward curve at the corners of her mouth.
He walked over.
Zhou Shaojin nodded with a smile in her eyes and said, "My sister married very well! Her husband treats her wonderfully!"
Cheng Chi raised an eyebrow and remarked, "But they’re struggling to have children."
Zhou Shaojin pouted unhappily and said, "I already prayed for bricks at Leifeng Pagoda for my sister. She’s sure to have many children and grandchildren in this lifetime!"
Cheng Chi raised an eyebrow again.
Zhou Shaojin was furious and said, "Uncle Chi, how could you say that? Today is my sister’s wedding day!"
Cheng Chi glanced at her and said, "What did I say?"
It was precisely because he hadn’t said anything, yet she knew exactly what he was thinking, that made her even angrier!
Zhou Shaojin stamped her foot.
※
Sisters, here’s today’s bonus update.
PS: The backend these past few days has been torturing me—logging in takes half an hour to an hour. I’m afraid I won’t be able to log in again later, so I’m posting the draft first and will fix any typos afterward.
Today’s update is tentatively scheduled for around midnight.
Qingtian Moyun’s bonus update is set for around 5 PM tomorrow.
(>_<)
※ (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to…)
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