Сhеng Yi wаs still а thin-skinned youth оf sеventeеn or eightееn. Веing аskеd so bluntly bу Cheng Nuo, his face immеdiаtelу flushed rеd аs hе sаid, "You shоuld mind уоur оwn businеss, why bоther with mine?"
Chеng Nuо chuсkled, a hint of smug sаtisfactiоn showing betwееn his brоws.
Не hаd initiаlly beеn dissаtisfied with this mаrriаgе arrаngemеnt.
Wu Вaozhаng wаs somеwhat inclined tо flatter the роwеrful and lоok down on thе humblе, аnd her rерutаtiоn within thеir сirclе wаsn't pаrticulаrly goоd. But аs his mоthеr had sаid, whо dоеsn't flatter the рowerful and look dоwn on the humble? Just likе their Fifth Brаnch, аnd еven Fоurth Branch—didn't they also have to curry favor with the First and Second Branches to get by? It was just that some people did it gracefully, while others were too straightforward and got noticed. Moreover, if he could become Prefect Wu's esteemed son-in-law, with the Wu family backing him, no matter how capable the children he had with outside women might be, they would have no share when dividing the family property. Even among his cousins, they would have to regard him more highly.
He didn't know about others, but Cheng Ju was quite envious of him.
He had even asked Cheng Nuo to keep an eye out, to see if he could help Cheng Ju find a position in the yamen.
So now Cheng Nuo felt that marrying Eldest Miss Wu wasn't so bad after all. Besides, he had seen Eldest Miss Wu before—she was good-looking, eloquent, skilled in social interactions, and wouldn't be an embarrassment to take out.
Cheng Yi, however, felt somewhat guilty.
His mother had called him to her side and lectured him thoroughly, finally saying, "If you weren't so disobedient, I would have already asked your uncle to arrange a marriage with Shaojin for you!"
He had been terribly embarrassed at the time and hurriedly said, "You didn't mention it to Uncle, did you?"
His mother had been furious, glaring angrily as she said, "What do you mean? Would Shaojin be unworthy of you?"
"No, no," he had waved his hands repeatedly, "I... I've always thought of her as a younger sister..."
His mother had angrily retorted, "She's not your blood sister!"
He could only force an awkward laugh.
If he could choose, he would rather marry Jiying as his wife.
Just looking at her made his heart flutter.
As for Shaojin, he had watched her grow up since childhood... After she grew up, she treated him like a younger brother, scolding him... He really couldn't imagine the two of them as husband and wife.
Besides, he had just been beaten up by Jiying. Shaojin must be very disappointed in him, so how could she possibly marry him?
Cheng Yi's feelings were complicated, unsure whether it was frustration or regret.
Meanwhile, in the main room of Cold Green Mountain House, even before the banquet at Listening Rain Pavilion had ended, Old Madam Guo had already received the news.
The elderly lady remained silent for a long time. Speaking to Zhou Shaojin, who was happily selecting fabric in the outer room, she said, "Shaojin, you can decide on my autumn clothes. I'm a bit tired and will rest in my room for a while."
Zhou Shaojin and the others immediately sensed something unusual about Old Madam Guo. Although they all smiled and replied "Yes," once Old Madam Guo entered the inner chamber, they gathered together.
"What's wrong with the Old Madam?"
"She was fine just now! Nanny Lu must have told her something."
"Could something have happened at Listening Rain Pavilion? Our Old Madam didn't attend the family banquet this time—could she have angered the Second Branch's matriarch?"
"Bah! So what if she did? With Fourth Master here, would the Second Branch's matriarch dare to scold our Old Madam?"
"That's not what I meant... I just feel something isn't right..."
Zhou Shaojin quietly listened to Biyu and the others whispering their speculations, then gently lifted a corner of the inner chamber's curtain to peek inside.Old Madam Guo leaned against the headboard with her eyes closed, brows tightly furrowed. Over her lap lay a sapphire-blue brocade quilt embroidered with crane patterns, while her fingers swiftly moved over the eighteen-bead sandalwood prayer beads in her hand.
Zhou Shaojin beckoned to Chunwan and instructed her to fetch a bowl of lotus seed and red bean soup from the kitchen—the small kitchen at Cold Green Mountain House always kept various desserts on hand.
Chunwan hurried off and soon returned with a bowl of lotus seed and red bean soup on a red lacquer tray decorated with gilded begonia flowers.
Zhou Shaojin took the tray and called softly at the doorway, "Old Madam."
Inside the room, Zhenzhu and the others had already noticed Chunwan's movements when she entered. When Zhou Shaojin spoke, they all held their breath in unison, watching her intently, as if afraid any sound might disturb her.
There was no response from the inner chamber.
Zhou Shaojin called out again softly.
Still, there was no response.
She turned around in disappointment and shook her head at Zhenzhu and the others.
Their expressions grew solemn.
Zhou Shaojin’s eyes dimmed. Just as she was about to hand the tray back to Chunwan, Old Madam Guo’s voice, dignified yet gentle, came from the inner chamber: "Is that Shaojin? Come in."
Instantly reinvigorated, she gave a meaningful glance to Zhenzhu and the others and replied softly, "Yes," adding with a smile, "Then I’ll come in!"
Zhenzhu and the others brightened, signaling to Zhou Shaojin with their eyes to persuade Old Madam Guo properly.
Zhou Shaojin smiled and nodded, then carried the sweet soup into the inner chamber.
Old Madam Guo had already set aside her prayer beads. Her expression was now calm, and she asked with a smile, "What have you brought? We just finished lunch—I can’t eat anything."
"It’s lotus seed and red bean soup," Zhou Shaojin replied sweetly, sitting on the brocade stool by the bed. "I only asked for half a bowl. Sometimes when I’m in a bad mood, I eat something sweet, and my mood quickly improves."
Old Madam Guo was quite surprised. After a moment’s thought, she picked up the sweet soup and took a few sips.
Zhou Shaojin breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Would you like to lie down and rest? I can massage your legs for you. Or maybe your shoulders? That can help you fall asleep quickly."
"No need!" Old Madam Guo sighed, holding her hand. "Zhenzhu and the others can handle such things."
But Zhenzhu and the others weren’t as bold as she was.
They were also afraid of getting involved.
So they tended to act timidly.
"I know Zhenzhu and the others are surely more skillful than I am," Zhou Shaojin said, deliberately misinterpreting Old Madam Guo’s meaning with a smile. "I just wanted to keep you company."
Keep her company!
Old Madam Guo was taken aback.
How many years had it been since anyone had said such words to her?
Warmth spread in her heart, and she slowly nodded.
Overjoyed, Zhou Shaojin set the bowl aside, helped Old Madam Guo settle down, and began massaging her legs with just the right pressure.
Before long, Old Madam Guo truly fell asleep.
Zhou Shaojin felt relieved.
When the garden incident first came to light, she had been unable to sleep night after night. It was only after Madam Fan Liu massaged her like this that she could manage to sleep for an hour or two.
She tucked the quilt around Old Madam Guo, then stood up quietly.
But as she turned around, she saw Cheng Chi.
He stood tall and straight at the entrance to the inner chamber, one hand still holding the curtain aside. His gaze was fixed on the room, yet his expression seemed utterly lost.
Zhou Shaojin was startled.
This was the first time she had ever seen Uncle Chi like this.
She couldn’t help but whisper, "Uncle Chi."Cheng Chi snapped back to reality and immediately regained his composure, smiling reservedly as he nodded toward her, casually lifting the curtain higher.
Zhou Shaojin blushed and said, "Thank you," before stepping out of the inner chamber.
Outside, only Zhenzhu was attending; the others were nowhere to be seen.
"Sit!" Cheng Chi pointed to the luohan bed by the window.
Zhou Shaojin softly thanked him and sat down.
Cheng Chi hesitated briefly before sitting opposite her.
Zhenzhu served tea and snacks, then withdrew.
Only then did Cheng Chi say, "I heard from Zhenzhu and the others that you were comforting my mother... thank you."
"Not at all, not at all," Zhou Shaojin felt her face burning hot and said bashfully, "I, I didn’t do anything!"
Cheng Chi said gently, "My eldest brother and second brother are often away from home, so my mother spends most of her time alone. It’s good that you can sit with her for a while."
Zhou Shaojin felt unworthy of such praise.
After a moment of thought, she carefully asked, "Uncle Chi, did something happen at Listening to Rain Pavilion?"
"Nothing much!" Cheng Chi instinctively brushed it off, but when Zhou Shaojin’s distinct black-and-white eyes met his gaze, he couldn’t help but think distractedly, So Geng’er’s eyes resemble Shaojin’s. Suddenly feeling this was inappropriate, he paused briefly and selectively told Zhou Shaojin about the events at Listening to Rain Pavilion. As for Cheng Xu’s feelings, he thought Zhou Shaojin might not want to know, so he didn’t mention them. The matter of having someone keep an eye on Cheng Xu was even less likely to be shared with her.
Zhou Shaojin flushed with anger and said, "How could the Second Branch’s Old Ancestor act like this? As children, it’s natural to respect and care for parents and elders, but he’s pressuring you like this. No wonder you..." She wanted to say, "No wonder you want to leave the Cheng family," but feared someone might overhear from next door, so she hastily swallowed the second half of her sentence. "...don’t like staying at home!" she said, her delicate, distant-eyebrow-like brows furrowing slightly as she added worriedly, "Uncle Chi, isn’t there any way to deal with the Second Branch’s Old Ancestor?"
Cheng Chi chuckled and said, "How do you want to deal with him?"
Zhou Shaojin looked embarrassed and said, "That’s not what I meant! I meant, is there any way to make the Second Branch’s Old Ancestor stop interfering in your affairs from now on... What exactly does the Second Branch’s Old Ancestor want? The Second Branch was once prominent, but now it’s in decline. The Old Ancestor may be confused, but aren’t there still Uncle Yi and Cousin Shi in the Second Branch? Could we start with them..."
Her troubled expression was truly amusing!
Like a young girl forcing herself to express sorrow for the sake of new poetry.
Cheng Chi couldn’t help but reach out to pat her head, but as his hand extended, he realized there was a tea table between them. He had no choice but to awkwardly push the snacks near Zhou Shaojin’s hand toward her instead, saying, "Don’t worry about them. This time, I’ve offended the Second Branch’s Old Ancestor, and he’ll surely find a chance to trip me up. I’m not afraid of much else, but I worry he might extend his reach to Cold Green Mountain House. These days, it’s best if you don’t go anywhere and stay by my mother’s side. If my mother wants to go somewhere, try to persuade her to stay. Things will be better by September."
Strength can overcome tenfold cleverness.
Even if Cheng Jiashan’s schemes are as vast as the sea, as long as Shaojin doesn’t leave the house, he won’t have a chance to see her.
Zhou Shaojin repeatedly assured him, "I’ll listen to you, Uncle Chi. I won’t go anywhere.""Good girl!" Cheng Chi smiled with satisfaction and asked about Zhou Shaojin's daily routine. "Have you had dinner yet? What did you eat? When I came in just now, I saw a lot of fabric piled up in the room. Are you making clothes? For whom? The tributes from Jiaxing, Huzhou, and Songjiang should be ready by now. I'll have them send a few bolts over in a few days..."
Zhou Shaojin answered each question one by one.
The two of them chatted idly about everyday matters.
Zhou Shaojin felt particularly grounded, peaceful, and even a faint sense of joy.
Cheng Chi sat there, not wanting to move.
At Tingyuxuan, seeing Cheng Xu putting on airs there, he had almost lost his appetite.
Knowing that his mother was surely also keeping an eye on the happenings at Tingyuxuan, he had sent Cheng Xu away and immediately rushed to Cold Green Mountain House.
His mother's serene sleeping face, Zhou Shaojin's tranquil expression, and her gentle, careful movements all instantly calmed his previously agitated heart.
※
Sisters, this is an extra update for Zhimeng!
Lately, I've been having meetings and study sessions every evening, so updates might be a bit late. You can check them tomorrow morning!
O(∩_∩)O~
※ (To be continued ~^~)
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