Zhоu Shаоjin wеnt оut еarly аnd rеturnеd lаtе each dау, helping Мadam Мiаn аt Jiа Shu Наll.
Howеver, the provincial ехaminаtion wаs а mаjоr evеnt, аnd fоr соnveniеnce, Chеng Хu had mоved back tо Duojia Хuan to stау. Nеws аbоut Сhеng Xu still reасhed hеr еаrs through thе discussiоns оf the servаnts.
"Мadаm Yuan persоnally waitеd оutsidе the еxaminatiоn hаll..."
"Тheу sау Yоung Маster Хu сamе out lоoking a whоle sizе thinnеr, but his sрirits werе vеrу gоod. Someоne from the Cheng fаmily schoоl asked Yоung Mаstеr Xu hоw he did in the exam, and Young Master Xu smiled and said they’d have to wait until the results were posted to know..."
"Young Master Xu took the essays he had been studying to Fourth Master Chi to review, and Fourth Master Chi was very satisfied! He even told Young Master Xu to rest properly at Algae Garden for a couple of days before the results are announced..."
"Madam Yuan went to the temple yesterday to burn incense for Young Master Xu and said she drew an extremely auspicious lot. Madam Yuan was overjoyed, saying that if her wish is fulfilled, she would gild the statue of the Bodhisattva..."
Hearing this, Madam Mian couldn’t help but frown slightly. Privately, she said to Zhou Shaojin, "It’s just the provincial examination. Madam Yuan seems a bit too restless. She’s not usually like this!"
She’s aiming for the top scholar!
Even second place wouldn’t satisfy her, so of course she’s anxious and uneasy!
Zhou Shaojin muttered to herself but didn’t join in such discussions. Instead, she took the account book Madam Mian had given her the day before and said, "Look, is this the correct number?"
Madam Mian glanced at it and smiled, "I didn’t expect our Shaojin to be so good with accounts too. This is exactly the number the steward gave me a few days ago."
Zhou Shaojin thought of how Cheng Chi handled the abacus and couldn’t help but feel embarrassed.
It had taken her half a day to sort out this account book.
She quickly brushed the matter aside and smiled, "Is there anything else you need me to do, Aunt?"
Madam Miao smiled and patted her hand, saying, "Do I really need you to do the work? Just watch how I handle things by my side. By the time your Cousin Yi gets married, I can step back and be a hands-off manager."
Cheng Yi and Gu Shiqigu’s wedding date was set for the tenth day of the third month next year.
Zhou Shaojin giggled.
Si’er ran in and, before even steadying herself, said, "Madam, Second Young Miss, wonderful news! Eldest Young Miss has been diagnosed with a pregnancy. The fetus is stable at three months, so they’ve just sent someone to deliver the news."
"Really?" Zhou Shaojin sprang to her feet, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face.
How wonderful!
In her previous life, her elder sister had only become pregnant two years after marrying, and she miscarried not long after.
This time, her elder sister became pregnant just two months after marrying... She had finally changed her sister’s fate. Her sister and brother-in-law would have no regrets now.
She grabbed Si’er’s hand and asked, "My sister is pregnant—how is her mother-in-law treating her? Is her pregnancy going well? Is there anything she particularly wants to eat? I’ll have someone buy it and send it over right away."
Si’er, held tightly, couldn’t help but smile and said, "Second Young Miss, I’ve served by the Old Madam’s side for so long, but this is the first time I’ve seen you so excited... I don’t know any of the things you’re asking about. The one who came to deliver the news is Chixiang, who serves by Eldest Young Miss’s side. She’s already tied up her hair now, so she must be married. The Old Madam is questioning her, and she’ll surely come to pay her respects to you later. You can ask her in detail then!"
Zhou Shaojin laughed at herself.
She was just too happy!
Her aunt hadn’t even spoken yet, and she was already chattering away.
She glanced somewhat sheepishly at Madam Mian, who stood smiling beside her.Madam Mian embraced her shoulders and said with a smile, "You sisters have always been close. After your sister married, there was no news of a pregnancy. I was so anxious that I wanted to send someone to ask, but I was afraid the Liao family would be displeased and that it might touch on your sister’s sorrow. Now everything is fine. Your sister has been diagnosed with a pregnancy, and from now on, she will surely have many descendants and a house full of children and grandchildren."
In Madam Mian’s view, a woman’s greatest fear was infertility; if she could conceive, she could naturally give birth.
But Zhou Shaojin was afraid that Madam Liao would treat her sister poorly.
In her impression, although Madam Liao and Madam Yuan were cousins, their personalities were completely different. Madam Yuan’s cruelty was on the surface, while Madam Liao’s cruelty was hidden in her heart.
Before her sister became pregnant, Madam Liao had always watched coldly; after the pregnancy, the matron she sent actually tried to impose strict rules on her sister. Her sister managed to deal with that matron, but then lost the child.
What followed was even worse.
If not for her brother-in-law’s kindness toward her sister, her sister might never have been able to give birth to her nephew, Liao Chengfang.
She wondered whether her sister was carrying a boy or a girl this time.
If it was a boy, would they still give him the name "Chengfang"?
When she met Chixiang, she asked very carefully.
Chixiang, dressed neatly and brightly, with a radiant complexion, smiled and said, "Madam Liao has practically enshrined the young mistress. The Liao family, both immediate and extended, are all crowded together, with everyone stepping aside for each other just to walk around. Yet, Madam Liao still managed to set up a small kitchen for the young mistress, dedicated solely to preparing her meals every day. The seventh wife of the Liao family made sarcastic remarks, saying that since it’s still unknown whether the young mistress will give birth to a boy or a girl, Madam Liao is celebrating too early. Madam Liao retorted bluntly: 'We are the ones without good fortune, giving birth to sons one after another. Those truly blessed have daughters first, then sons, so the daughter can be a mother’s warm little padded jacket, helping to care for her younger brothers.'
"The seventh wife of the Liao family has four sons and no daughters!" Chixiang explained, imitating Madam Liao’s manner by tilting her chin and looking at others sideways.
Everyone was amused and laughed heartily.
Old Madam Guan even took Chixiang’s hand and said, "That’s good, that’s good! Take good care of the young mistress, and I will have additional rewards for you." Then she rewarded her with a pair of gold bracelets.
Chixiang played along, thanking Old Madam Guan joyfully.
Seeing this, Madam Mian rewarded her with a pair of silver bracelets.
Zhou Shaojin was the most generous, giving Chixiang the pair of pearl hairpins that Madam Yuan had rewarded her with.
Chixiang laughed and said, "When I return this time, it will be extraordinary. If the young mistress has any further tasks, I’m afraid everyone in the entire household will be competing to carry out her orders."
This was exactly what Old Madam Guan had intended.
She chuckled and said, "In any case, you won’t be shortchanged."
Chixiang thanked her again.
Compared to her time in the Zhou family, she had become much livelier, which showed that her sister was indeed living well in the Liao family.
Zhou Shaojin then asked her, "Earlier, my sister mentioned going to the capital. I suppose she can’t go now, right? Will my brother-in-law go to the capital alone?"
Chixiang smiled and replied, "Madam Liao’s intention is to wait until the young mistress gives birth before making any decisions, but the young mistress says she cannot delay the young master’s career and wants my husband and me to accompany the young master to the capital. When I left, it hadn’t been decided yet!"
Young couples: a thousand miles of longing is never as good as holding one’s beloved close.
Indeed, in this world, gains and losses always go hand in hand.Zhou Shaojin felt somewhat troubled.
A young maid came in to announce, "Madam Nuo is here!"
Madam Nuo referred to Wu Baozhang, the eldest daughter of Jinling Prefect Wu Xiu and wife of Cheng Nuo from the fifth branch.
She had entered the household on the eighteenth day of the eighth month.
Since Old Madam Guo was a widow, she had not attended the wedding. The next day, when the bride was to meet relatives, Cheng Nuo brought Wu Baozhang to pay respects to Old Madam Guo, but Zhou Shaojin avoided them. To tell the truth, since Wu Baozhang married into the Cheng family, they had not yet met.
Madam Mian wondered, "What is she here for?"
The young maid smiled and said, "She said she made some rice cakes unique to her hometown, which are easy to digest, and brought some as a gesture of filial piety to the old madam and the senior madam."
This was indeed something she often did in her previous life.
Everywhere she went, she flaunted how virtuous and well-mannered she was.
In her previous life, Wu Baozhang had won many people's favor by being skilled at making various snacks.
Zhou Shaojin curled her lips, then a thought struck her.
When the maid brought Wu Baozhang in, and after everyone exchanged greetings and pleasantries, Zhou Shaojin smiled and asked Wu Baozhang, "Cousin-in-law Nuo, you haven’t even been married for a month. How did you think of making rice cakes and specially bringing them for Grandmother and Aunt to taste? We truly feel undeserving!"
Apart from wearing her hair up, Wu Baozhang, now married, showed no significant difference from before.
She smiled faintly. The vermilion mole between her eyebrows accentuated her face, making her appear even more dignified: "My mother-in-law is a kind and generous person. She treats me like her own daughter and hasn’t imposed strict rules on me. So I thought to myself, I can’t just sit around doing nothing. Coincidentally, someone from my hometown is coming to Jinling City tomorrow. Knowing I’ve married, they sent some rice from home. Seeing how fresh the rice was, I remembered how my grandmother loved rice cakes made from this kind of rice when I was young, so I tried making some. Please, everyone, have a taste and see if you like the flavor."
Zhou Shaojin, along with Old Madam Guan and Madam Mian, each took a bite and praised, "These rice cakes are delicious! How are they made? Could you share the recipe? I’d like to make some for everyone to try later."
Just as in her previous life, Wu Baozhang was unwilling to share her little craft with others.
She smiled and said, "If Second Cousin wants to learn, I would naturally teach you everything. However, making these pastries is quite laborious. For instance, just extracting the slurry for these rice cakes requires getting up in the middle of the night to grind the rice—it’s too much trouble. Why not just tell me whenever you crave them, and I’ll make them for you?"
Zhou Shaojin didn’t believe for a moment that Wu Baozhang would personally get up in the middle of the night to grind rice!
Nevertheless, since she said so, Zhou Shaojin feigned surprise and said, "I had no idea these rice cakes were so difficult to make! How could I trouble you just for my cravings?"
Wu Baozhang, who was worried about how to establish herself in the Cheng family, naturally insisted repeatedly that it was no trouble at all. Even if Zhou Shaojin didn’t want them, she would still make them for others.
Zhou Shaojin then smiled and said, "In that case, please make me ten catties’ worth of rice cakes! I’ll send some to my sister later."
Ten catties of rice would take a whole day just to grind.
Wu Baozhang felt slightly displeased, but since she had already made her offer—and it wasn’t as if she actually had to grind the rice herself—she agreed with a smile.
Seeing that Zhou Shaojin intended to send them to her pregnant sister, Zhou Chujin, Old Madam Guan and Madam Mian said nothing.Zhou Shaojin instructed Chunwan, "You go with Madam Wu later and watch how she grinds the rice and strains the slurry. Make sure to learn it properly, so we won’t have to trouble Madam Wu every time."
Wu Baozhang’s smile instantly stiffened.
Zhou Shaojin paid no mind to this.
Putting on an innocent and lively expression, she said to Wu Baozhang, "I’ve heard that Sister-in-law Wu is also very skilled at making flat noodles, cold jelly, and wontons—I’ve never tried any of them. Since Sister-in-law Wu’s rice cakes are so delicious, those snacks must be excellent too. Chunwan, you must flatter Madam Wu properly. Even if you can’t learn everything, you should at least master two or three dishes. If you succeed, I’ll reward you with a pair of hairpins."
※
Dear readers, here is today’s update.
O(∩_∩)O~
※ (To be continued ~^~)
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