Sееing Zhоu Shаojin’s mix оf аngеr аnd аnnoyanсе, Cheng Сhi barelу mаnаgеd tо suрpress а laugh and said, “I need to tаlk tо yоu!”
Zhou Shаоjin quiсklу stoоd аt аttеntiоn resрectfully.
Sinсе Unclе Chi now knew аbout her rеbirth and beliеvеd whаt shе hаd sаid, whаtever hе wаnted tо disсuss with hеr was unlikеly tо bе trivial.
Chеng Сhi then quiеtly exрlained to hеr hоw hе had justifiеd her knowledgе оf Нuang Li аnd Сhеng Jing соmрeting fоr thе pоsition оf Minister оf Rites in frоnt оf Оld Mаdаm Guо.
Zhоu Shaojin’s mouth fеll open in astonishmеnt, at a loss fоr words.
Unclе Chi wаs sо goоd at spinning tales!
He could lie without even batting an eye, making things up on the spot.
She had spent over two years trying to figure out how to make Uncle Chi believe her and pass a message to Cheng Jing, yet Uncle Chi had managed to convince Old Madam Guo with just a few words.
Could this be considered a talent rivaling that of Su Qin and Zhang Yi?
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but say, “Uncle Chi, you’re truly amazing! You even managed to fool the old madam!”
Cheng Chi’s face darkened at her words.
Why did this little girl have to phrase it so unpleasantly?
He lowered his voice and scolded, “What do you mean by ‘fool’? This is ‘strategy’! Do you understand ‘strategy’? Do you want others to know about your rebirth? Aren’t you afraid of frightening my mother? Aren’t you afraid of being treated like a monster and drowned in a pond by ignorant people?”
Zhou Shaojin turned pale with fright and shook her head repeatedly.
But she also knew Uncle Chi was doing this for her own good… Uncle Chi had said not to tell anyone, and he had truly kept it from even Old Madam Guo.
She felt deeply grateful.
Seeing that she had learned her lesson, Cheng Chi felt a little better and said, “Be clever about this! If anyone brings it up, just say what I told you. Whatever you do, don’t slip up in front of my mother, understand?”
“Understood! Understood!” Zhou Shaojin quickly promised obediently, “I promised you I wouldn’t tell anyone, and I won’t tell anyone.” After a moment’s thought, she added, “I haven’t even told my sister.”
Cheng Chi’s expression softened slightly.
Zhou Shaojin breathed a sigh of relief.
Uncle Chi treated her well, and she didn’t want to upset him.
She asked Cheng Chi gently, “Would you like to come inside for a cup of tea? There were lots of firecrackers set off here earlier, and the smell of gunpowder is everywhere. It’s a bit overwhelming!”
Cheng Chi happened to want to discuss the matter of adoption with her and said, “No need for tea. Everyone in your household is busy with Zhou Chujin’s wedding—who would have time to boil water? But I still have something to say to you, so it’s fine to sit in the hall for a bit. The smell of gunpowder here really is too strong. The Liao family must be very pleased with this marriage. They’ve been setting off firecrackers nonstop, as if they grew them in their own fields. I never expected my elder brother to be such a good matchmaker!”
Zhou Shaojin smiled faintly and was about to walk with Cheng Chi toward the hall when Cheng Jia came running in and said, “Shao Jin, why are you standing here? You disappeared in the blink of an eye. Chujin’s bridal sedan is about to leave Flat Bridge Street. Aren’t you going to take a look…” Her voice trailed off abruptly. She exclaimed in surprise, “Uncle Chi,” and stood there with her hands at her sides, her big eyes curiously shifting from Zhou Shaojin to Cheng Chi before finally settling on Zhou Shaojin, her face clearly expressing, “Why is Uncle Chi here?”"Uncle Chi came to attend the wedding banquet," Zhou Shaojin said with a gentle smile. "We happened to meet here and exchanged a few words. Cousin Jia, did you come looking for me to tell me my sister’s bridal sedan is about to depart? I intentionally stayed here because I was afraid I’d cry if I saw my sister’s sedan leave!"
"What are you talking about?" Cheng Jia stepped forward and grabbed Zhou Shaojin’s hand. "You’ll regret it if you don’t watch!" Then, she turned to Cheng Chi with a sweet smile and said, "Uncle Chi, please wait here for a moment. My cousin and I will be right back." Without waiting for a reply, she pulled Zhou Shaojin away.
"Cousin Jia, Cousin Jia!" Zhou Shaojin protested anxiously. "I can’t just leave like this—Uncle Chi is still here!"
Cheng Jia replied, "We can have a steward come keep Uncle Chi company. Let’s hurry to the main gate! Just now, several ladies were already crying."
Fine!
Even if she didn’t follow Cheng Jia to watch the excitement, given Cheng Jia’s temperament, there was no way she’d be able to speak with Uncle Chi alone.
She’d just have to find another opportunity later to ask Uncle Chi if he had anything else to say to her!
Zhou Shaojin gave Cheng Chi an apologetic smile before being dragged away stumbling by Cheng Jia.
A flicker of displeasure crossed Cheng Chi’s eyes.
※
Cheng Jia was ultimately a step too late.
By the time she pulled Zhou Shaojin to the main gate, Zhou Chujin’s bridal sedan had already departed, leaving only scattered red paper scraps on the ground and the lingering scent of fireworks in the air.
Cheng Jia chided, "See? You missed it!"
But Zhou Shaojin murmured thoughtfully, "Some things, if you don’t witness them with your own eyes, you can pretend they never happened. Since I didn’t see my sister leave for her wedding, it’s as if she just went out visiting… and will return in a few days…"
"I give up on you!" Cheng Jia sighed helplessly. "If you want to deceive yourself like that, there’s nothing I can do. But when will Sister Chujin return for her home visit? I’d like to come see her then."
"A month from now," Zhou Shaojin replied as she walked with Cheng Jia toward the main hall. Along the way, maids and servants greeted them with bows. "You mentioned staying overnight at our house that day—did you want to talk to me about Li Jing?"
Cheng Jia blushed and whispered, "I also wanted to hear Cousin Chujin’s opinion. When Sister Chujin returns for her home visit, let me know. I’ll see if I can find a chance to spend some time with her!"
Because the two families lived far apart, the originally planned homecoming visit had been canceled, but at Madam Fang’s insistence, it was changed to a one-month return visit. Zhou Chujin would even stay at home for three days before going back.
Zhou Shaojin chuckled softly.
If Cheng Jia weren’t wavering in her heart, why would she go to such lengths—first wanting to hear her opinion, then wanting to hear her sister’s?
Cheng Jia flushed crimson and reached out to tickle Zhou Shaojin. "You little brat, making fun of me!"
Zhou Shaojin laughed, turning to avoid Cheng Jia’s hand, and hurried toward the main hall.
But the hall was already empty.
Zhou Shaojin felt deeply disappointed and asked a maid sweeping the floor, "Where is Fourth Master Cheng?"
The young maid had no idea who Fourth Master Cheng was and replied, "Second Miss, when I arrived, there was no one in this hall!"
Perhaps he had gone to the banquet.
Zhou Shaojin instructed the maid to go check where Cheng Chi was seated.
The maid hurried off to do so.
Cheng Jia said, "Why bother about where he’s sitting? Are you worried he won’t have a seat?""How could that be!" Zhou Shaojin said, "I instructed the stewards early on to keep an eye on Uncle Chi's whereabouts and save him a seat. I just feel it's not right for us to leave Uncle Chi alone in the hall like this."
Cheng Jia said dismissively, "Don't treat Fourth Uncle like he's made of glass, okay? He's so shrewd and capable—are you really worried he won't find a place to eat? If he truly couldn't, he'd be unworthy of his reputation as 'Fourth Master Cheng'!"
Hearing this, Zhou Shaojin recalled her first meeting with Cheng Chi... She hesitated and asked, "Is Uncle Chi's reputation really that prominent outside?"
"Oh, what am I to do with you?" Cheng Jia chided Zhou Shaojin. "You should at least go out and socialize a bit, instead of staying home all day, unaware of the people around you. Take my elder brother, for example—he's one of the Four Young Masters of Jinling. Cousin Shi from the second branch is the closed-door disciple of the great painter Master Shuangxi, skilled in painting flowers and birds, and quite renowned throughout Jiangnan. Someone once offered five hundred taels of silver just to commission a painting from him. Uncle Chi is famously known as the God of Wealth—who would ever want to offend money? Everyone in Jinling who encounters him respectfully addresses him as 'Fourth Master Cheng'! Why do you think the heir of the Duke of Liang's household is so close to Fourth Uncle? It's because that year, heavy rains destroyed many houses, and the Emperor ordered the Duke of Liang's household to assist the officials in maintaining Jinling's security. But the Duke of Liang diverted the manpower to repair his own residence instead, which was reported by the eunuch in charge at the time. If not for Uncle Chi stepping in to mediate for them, who knows what would have happened to the Duke of Liang's household?" At this point, she gritted her teeth. "Who would have thought they'd set their sights on marrying me? Just thinking about the Duke of Liang's household—living in luxury yet with an uncertain future—makes me feel sorry for A Zhu..."
Zhou Shaojin listened somewhat distractedly.
If Uncle Chi was really as Cheng Jia described, now that he knew about the Cheng family's future predicament, what would he do?
Would he seek Cheng Chi's help? Or would he quietly start devising countermeasures on his own?
※
After the guests had departed, the Zhou household gradually grew quiet.
Madam Li watched the servants clearing up the aftermath with a sense of desolation and sighed to Zhou Shaojin, "No wonder people are reluctant to marry off their daughters. Just this silence after the festivities is enough to make one feel heartache."
Indeed!
And who knows where Uncle Chi has gone off to.
He didn't even stay for the banquet.
Did he leave early for some reason? Or did something else happen?
Zhou Shaojin exchanged a few pleasantries with Madam Li, then excused herself, claiming exhaustion, and returned to her room.
Chunwan and the others were whispering under the lamplight. When they saw Zhou Shaojin enter, they all stood up with smiles. Bitao, growing bolder by the day, even laughed and said, "Second Miss, the Liao family is truly generous! They gave you two 'one-hundred-tael' silver notes."
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "That's wonderful! Go and have Chunwan withdraw five taels from my account and ask the kitchen to prepare a feast for all of you."
Everyone laughed and thanked her.
But Zhou Shaojin's thoughts lingered on Cheng Chi.
What exactly did he want to say to her?
What she feared most was that it might be about her rebirth—she couldn't even send someone to ask!
When he left, she wondered if she should have seen him off?
Uncle Chi had always been the unnoticed, quiet presence in the Cheng family. If he remained the same even as a guest at the Zhou household, it would truly be unworthy of the two-hundred-tael gift he had brought!Zhou Shaojin felt as if she were carrying a stone in her heart, unable to find any peace.
Meanwhile, Chunwan and the others, knowing that Madam Li would return to Baoding Prefecture after handling Zhou Chujin's post-wedding homecoming ceremony, began packing the trunks.
When Madam Li, having finished with Zhou Chujin's wedding arrangements, came to check on Zhou Shaojin, she was very surprised to see only a few trunks.
Zhou Zhen had been saving dowries for his two daughters every year, so there was no reason for Zhou Shaojin to have only these few trunks.
Zhou Shaojin smiled and explained, "I wasn't sure before whether I would stay with the Cheng family or go to Baoding Prefecture, so I didn't bring some things with me." Before she finished speaking, she couldn't help but laugh.
No wonder Uncle Chi thought she was foolish—she really was a bit foolish.
She could have taken the opportunity while packing her trunks at Nine Prosperities Lane to ask Uncle Chi what he wanted to discuss with her!
※
Dear readers, here is today's update.
PS: Whether I can log into the backend is entirely up to luck. I finished writing by 11 PM today, but I couldn't update or notify everyone... Σ( ° △ °|||)︴...
Tomorrow, I've decided to have someone check if it's a network issue. My laptop works fine at the office...
※ (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to...)
!!
OpenNovel