Сhеng Сhi snеered соldlу.
Qin Ziрing hurriеdly said, "Thеn I'll gо find Secоnd Mastеr."
Sесоnd Маster refеrred to Cheng Chi's seсоnd eldеr brothеr, Сhеng Wеi.
Thаt wаs а rеаsonаble statemеnt.
Сheng Сhi nodded.
Qin Ziping withdrеw.
Cheng Сhi sat alоnе in thе studу, lеаning bаck in the аrmсhair with his еуеs clоsed, lоst in thоught.
His seсоnd brothеr had spent his whоle life leаrning frоm thеir seсond uncle bу уiеlding his pоsitiоn tо thе еldеst brothеr. Еven his оnly sоn, Rang'er, wаs onlу tаught sсholаrlу рursuits, gеntleness, and рurity, fearing any сonflict with Jiashаn that might makе the mаin brаnch а laughingstock. But the eldest brother was too rigid and upright—sometimes, excessive rigidity leads to breaking.
But can a family truly prosper relying on just one person?
If talents emerge in abundance, will it inevitably attract imperial suspicion and jealousy?
Yet even with such low-profile conduct, didn't the Cheng family ultimately face execution of the entire clan?
A bold idea surfaced in Cheng Chi's mind.
Before he could ponder it further, Zhou Shaojin arrived.
He had Nanny Shang invite Zhou Shaojin to the resting room, then turned to fetch a canister of Da Hong Pao tea before heading there himself.
Zhou Shaojin was sitting on the luohan bed flipping through the chess manual he had left on the tea table. Her apricot-red vest accentuated her jade-like delicate face, while the southern pearl earrings, each the size of a lotus seed, shimmered faintly, lending her elegance a touch of serene radiance—an indescribable, refreshing beauty.
Those earrings were a gift from him...
Cheng Chi's breath caught slightly, a subtle, inexplicable feeling stirring within him.
Sensing movement, Zhou Shaojin turned with a bright smile, happily calling out "Uncle Chi," her curved eyebrows gleaming like crescent moons.
Cheng Chi calmly raised the tea canister in his hand and said, "Let's brew some Da Hong Pao."
Zhou Shaojin hopped off the luohan bed, chirping excitedly, "I'll boil the water."
Cheng Chi couldn't help but laugh, teasing her, "That's about all you're good for."
Zhou Shaojin shrugged it off, giggling coquettishly, "Uncle Chi's standards are so high. If the water I boil satisfies you, it shows my skill isn't bad either."
Cheng Chi laughed again, amused by her shameless boasting.
Lang Yue, perceptive as ever, helped Zhou Shaojin with the tea water. Without pretense, Zhou Shaojin knelt on the mat, fanning the stove fire while chatting cheerfully with Cheng Chi: "I was playing at the Gu family's Seventeenth Miss's place today. I never imagined such a large family would have no proper living space. But Seventeenth Miss said her quarters were considered decent—facing south. Her nineteenth and twentieth younger sisters live in side rooms facing the opposite direction, east to west. In winter, it's tolerable—just wear more layers. But in summer, it gets so hot they break out in rashes. They even vacate the main hall for the nineteenth and twentieth misses to stay in..."
Cheng Chi flipped through the chess manual, half-listening as he responded absentmindedly: "That's why many prominent families appear glamorous on the surface, but their daily lives aren't much better than ordinary households. Some families make all their clothing and footwear year-round themselves, never hiring seamstresses, telling outsiders it's for privacy, afraid of prying eyes. In truth, they save every penny they can."
Zhou Shaojin understood.
Many declining noble families in the capital lived just like that.
"Ultimately, it depends on the descendants making something of themselves," she said. "Even a mountain of wealth will empty if you just sit and consume. Either discard face and live modestly, saving wherever possible."
Cheng Chi rather agreed with that point.Zhou Shaojin saw the water boiling and carefully carried the iron kettle over using a cloth, making conversation: "What are you looking at, Uncle Chi?"
An unknown fragrance faintly lingered at the tip of his nose.
Cheng Chi smiled slightly. His mood suddenly became very pleasant, and he said with a laugh, "It's the 'Lishan Immortal Matron Game' by Liu Fuzhi that you were just flipping through."
Zhou Shaojin only smiled.
She had glanced at it earlier and couldn't understand it at all, only noticing that there was still a large empty area beside it, where one could easily open up another space to compete for victory.
Cheng Chi didn't expect her to understand either. He reached out to take the teapot from her hands, saying, "Be careful not to burn yourself. Let me do it."
"No need, no need," Zhou Shaojin said with a smile. "I'll help you wash the cups."
Cheng Chi glanced at her and asked, "Do you know how?"
"Of course I do!" Zhou Shaojin glared at Cheng Chi. "I'm just not as skilled as you in the art of tea!"
Cheng Chi remained silent.
His expression clearly said, "You know very well."
Zhou Shaojin smiled sheepishly and handed the iron kettle to Cheng Chi.
Cheng Chi skillfully washed the bowls and warmed the teapot.
Zhou Shaojin sat nearby and watched.
As soon as the water poured into the teapot, the aroma of tea wafted out.
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but take a deep breath and said, "It smells wonderful."
Cheng Chi smiled with a slight curl of his lips and poured the tea into small teacups.
The two quietly enjoyed the pot of tea, savoring its fragrance. Only after finishing did he begin brewing a second infusion and asked, "Who did Cheng Jia marry in her previous life?"
Zhou Shaojin replied, "Li Jing!"
But her eyes were fixed on Cheng Chi's hands.
Cheng Chi's hands were fair and slender, moving deftly and nimbly. Against the pale-colored Ge kiln teacup, they looked as if carved from mutton-fat jade, yet full of vitality.
She couldn't help but glance at her own hand holding the teacup.
Slender and pale, with pink nails like petals clinging delicately to her fingertips.
They were quite pretty too.
Zhou Shaojin nodded in satisfaction to herself, only to hear Cheng Chi ask, "Then why were you crying?"
Her face flushed red as she said, "I was really thinking of my sister. Why are you still asking, Uncle Chi?"
Zhou Shaojin didn't even realize that as she spoke, she pouted slightly, her voice sweet and soft, sounding both coquettish and pleading.
He knew this little girl was a rascal.
Knowing she couldn't hide it from him, she simply clenched her teeth and refused to speak.
If nothing had been found out from Ruyi Pavilion, would he still need to interrogate her here?
Cheng Chi snorted lightly to himself and asked, "Did Li Jing treat Cheng Jia very poorly?"
"Not at all!" Zhou Shaojin was afraid Uncle Chi would interfere in Li Jing and Cheng Jia's affairs.
Without the events of the previous life, it was already difficult for Li Jing to marry Cheng Jia. If Uncle Chi intervened, the two of them would surely not end up together!
She hurriedly recounted the events of the previous life to Cheng Chi.
As Cheng Chi listened, his chest felt as if it were being torn apart.
How could this little girl be so heartless and thoughtless?
With Cheng Jia's temperament, if she hadn't been overwhelmed with guilt, why would she have been too afraid to see her? Why would she have died young, depressed and sorrowful?
And here she was, speaking of it without the slightest hint of resentment.
This further confirmed his suspicions—it was clear that in the previous life, Cheng Xu couldn't have merely been impolite. He must have done something far worse!
As Cheng Chi thought this, a burning pain surged in his heart.
The little girl was like a flower blooming on a branch in early spring, tender and delicate, untouched by a speck of dust. How could Cheng Xu have done such a thing? How could he have borne to do it?He closed his eyes, forcing himself not to reach out and touch Zhou Shaojin's hair—since he had resolved to distance himself from the gradually maturing young girl, he ought to have the self-control for it.
Seeing that Cheng Chi's expression seemed somewhat off, Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but feel uneasy. She whispered, "Uncle Chi, do you think there's something wrong with Li Jing?"
In her past life, it was Li Jing's people who sent Cui Huan to find her. Afterward, Cui Huan returned to Luoyang, and from then on, she never heard any news of Li Jing again. Of course, if she had wanted to inquire, she certainly could have found out—it was just that she didn't want to inquire or know.
Her feelings toward Cheng Jia were complex, mingling sisterly affection with deep-seated pain. The only thing she could do was not think about this person or these matters.
After being reborn, she realized that because of her avoidance, there were many things she simply didn't know, and they weren't as she had imagined. This made her even more hesitant to act based on what had happened in her past life.
Seeing her clear, bright eyes fixed unwaveringly on him, filled with undeniable trust, Cheng Chi's heart softened as if it had melted. He couldn't help but reveal a gentle smile. "It's still unclear what his intentions are! However, based on what you said, Li Jing likely has feelings for Cheng Jia. But no matter how things develop, that's a matter for the third branch and has nothing to do with us. You should avoid meddling in their affairs from now on. When the truth comes to light, First Madam Lu, in her anger, might blame you, saying you acted as a go-between for them."
Given Madam Jiang's temperament, that was almost certain.
Zhou Shaojin loved chatting with Uncle Chi.
She obediently nodded and said, "Then I'll stay in my room and make autumn clothes for the old lady—I've already cut out two pieces but haven't had time to sew them."
Cheng Chi was quite pleased and smiled, "No need to push yourself too hard. Needlework strains the eyes. If there's work you can delegate to those around you, do so. If you don't have anyone suitable, I can assign two maids skilled in embroidery to you."
Zhou Shaojin's lips unconsciously curled upward as she sweetly replied, "How can I let others make things for the old lady? Besides, it's only late spring now—autumn is still far away!"
"Well, do as you see fit!" Cheng Chi felt that sometimes saying too much was useless; one had to learn from experience to change. So he shifted the topic. "You mentioned earlier that when you were at the Gu family, it was the seventeenth young lady who hosted you. Are you close with Miss Gu Shiqigu?"
Remembering what Gu Shiqigu had entrusted her with, Zhou Shaojin quickly replied, "Miss Gu Shiqigu is very kind. Her father is the fifth master of the Gu family, relatively unremarkable among the masters, but she is cheerful and lively, gentle and straightforward. I like her very much."
Cheng Chi nodded noncommittally and brought up the Guo family. "...My maternal uncle is an easygoing person, and my mother is also straightforward. During festivals, if my two brothers and I are home, the three of us deliver the gifts. If we're not home, we send a steward. This year, I'd like to go to the Guo family with my mother. You should come along then."
Zhou Shaojin, like a child forced by adults to socialize, lowered her eyes and said meekly, "C-can I not go?"
"Why?" Cheng Chi asked gently, his expression still warm and composed.Zhou Shaojin breathed a sigh of relief, feeling somewhat embarrassed as she said, "The young ladies of the Guo family are all rather reserved and serious. I wouldn’t know what to say to them if I went..."
Moreover, judging by Old Madam Guo’s tone the other day, it was possible that one of the Guo family’s young ladies might become her aunt. She... she didn’t want to go.
In other words, the little girl didn’t get along well with the Guo family.
Cheng Chi smiled and said, "That’s fine too! Then I’ll go alone to deliver the Guo family’s festival gifts. With Mother going by herself and no one accompanying her, I’m a bit worried."
Uncle Chi wouldn’t be entering the inner courtyard of the Guo family?
Zhou Shaojin felt a little happy inside.
She quietly tugged at Cheng Chi’s sleeve and said, "Uncle Chi, shall I make you an autumn robe too?"
※
Dear friends, here is today’s update.
O(∩_∩)O~
※ (To be continued ~^~)
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