Маdаm Li аnd Мrs. Таn had the sаmе thоught.
Тhе New Year hаdn't еven finished, уet Zhou Сhujin, hеаvilу рrеgnant, had trаveled all the way tо Вaоding Prеfесturе with Liaо Shаоtаng. Sоmething must hаve hapреned in thе Liao familу.
But when shе saw Zhou Сhujin аnd Liао Shаоtаng, she didn't darе аsk anу furthеr quеstions. Instеad, shе wаrmly led thеm tо the guеst rooms to sеttle in, instructed mаids tо fеtch hоt water for thеm tо wаsh and сhаngе, аnd thеn rеtreаtеd to thе side hаll, directing mаids to sеt thе tаble.
Тhis wаs Zhоu Сhujin's first time in the north.
Тhe cold weathеr made her еxtremеly unсоmfortаble.
After a few sips of hot tea, she finally felt a bit better. Rubbing her round belly, she said to Chixiang, who was directing maids to unpack the trunks, "Just take out what we'll need these few days. We might set off for the capital tomorrow."
Chixiang said in surprise, "Didn't you say you wanted to stay with Second Miss for a few days?"
Zhou Chujin, feeling weary, replied, "That's what I said, but if I really stayed, I'm afraid rumors would spread everywhere." As she spoke, she yawned and said, "I'll rest against this large pillow for a while. If Master has finished settling in, come and wake me."
Chixiang respectfully answered, "Yes."
But when Zhou Chujin opened her eyes, the second watch drum had already sounded.
Zhou Chujin was startled.
A soft, gentle voice, tinged with laughter, reached her ears: "Sister, you're finally awake. Chixiang said you only drank a few sips of tea and fell asleep. I was so worried, afraid you'd starve my unborn nephew."
"Shaoji!" Zhou Chujin's eyes lit up as she grasped the soft, slender hand of the young girl wearing a plain pink robe before her. "When did you arrive? Why didn't you wake me?" This last sentence was said reproachfully to Chixiang, who stood by laughing.
Zhou Shaojin said, "Sister, don't blame her. It was Mama Fan's idea. Mama Fan has experience—she says when you're pregnant, you should eat when you want to eat and sleep when you want to sleep. It's the baby's habit, so she told us not to wake you, to let you sleep well. If you feel hungry, you'll naturally wake up." Her spring-water-like eyes gazed gently at her sister. "Are you hungry now?"
After disembarking, they had switched to a carriage.
They didn't dare travel too fast. By the time they entered the city, it was already early afternoon. She had only hastily eaten a few bites of dry food at noon. Zhou Shaojin hadn't mentioned it, but now that she did, Zhou Chujin suddenly felt her stomach growling with hunger.
Zhou Shaojin smiled sweetly and called for Chunwan.
Chunwan entered carrying a bowl of bird's nest soup.
Zhou Shaojin said, "Sister, have something to tide you over. The meal will be served shortly."
Zhou Chujin nodded and asked about Liao Shaotang: "Where has your brother-in-law gone? Has he eaten?"
Zhou Shaojin smiled playfully, teasing Zhou Chujin: "Don't worry, brother-in-law ate long ago. He's now talking with Father in the study! Otherwise, how would it be my turn to watch over you?"
Zhou Chujin's face flushed red.
She and Liao Shaotang had a very good relationship, missing each other even after a short separation.
Zhou Shaojin said mischievously, "Brother-in-law came in to see you before he left. He was worried you'd be hungry. If Mama Fan hadn't assured him you'd be fine, he would have woken you up. Even so, he asked me to have someone keep a close watch on the stove fire so you'd have something to eat as soon as you woke up."Zhou Chujin's face flushed crimson as she glared at her younger sister. "Just eat your meal, why must you talk so much?"
Zhou Shaojin giggled.
Ignoring her, Chujin finished her bird's nest soup, and Mama Fan entered with two maids carrying a kang table.
Shaojin smiled and said, "In the north, they always eat at kang tables. If you're not used to it, sister, I'll have a proper table brought in tomorrow."
Chujin truly wasn't accustomed to it.
And since she was in her own maiden home, pregnant with child, she saw no need to endure discomfort.
She nodded with a smile.
Shaojin personally placed a bowl of white rice before Chujin, explaining, "It's hard to get rice up north. If Father weren't from the south and couldn't stomach wheat foods, the kitchen wouldn't have steamed this rice for you so quickly."
Chujin pulled her to sit down and eat together. "...Have a few bites of dishes, just to keep me company."
Shaojin agreed cheerfully and took a few bites with her sister.
After Chujin set down her chopsticks, Madam Fan Liu led the maids in to clear the kang table, serve tea and snacks, then withdrew with the servants. The two sisters reclined against large cushions, one on each side, and finally began to talk.
"Your brother-in-law returned home on the twenty-sixth of the twelfth lunar month, right after Minor New Year," Chujin said with a stern expression. "But before he could even settle in, the Liao family's Second Elder summoned him. He claimed Father-in-law had borrowed over eight hundred taels of silver from him to play tiles and win money, but half a year had passed with no mention of repayment. With the New Year approaching, needing funds for festival gifts, new clothes for the children, and lucky money, he was tight on cash and demanded your brother-in-law help Father-in-law repay the debt. When your brother-in-law merely said, 'Let me see the IOU,' he offended Second Elder Liao. Not only did the old man toss an ambiguously worded IOU at him, but he also loudly accused your brother-in-law of being unfilial... If I hadn't been cautious and sent a little maid to follow, who promptly fetched my mother-in-law, your brother-in-law might not have left Second Elder Liao's courtyard that day without handing over eight hundred taels."
Here, Chujin gave a self-mocking smile. "Although the matter was suppressed, your brother-in-law told me that my mother-in-law suspects this was a scheme concocted by Father-in-law and Second Elder Liao, aiming to extort a few hundred taels from her. She probably feared that if I learned of it, I'd lose respect for them. So, right after ancestral worship on New Year's Eve, she had your brother-in-law bring me to Baoding Prefecture on the second day of the New Year to pay respects to Father. After the New Year, we'll reside in the capital with your brother-in-law. She'll follow later to care for me during childbirth..."
Shaojin was first stunned by the Liao family's troubles—in her past life, she only knew the Liao family was complicated and her sister had a hard time, but she never realized things were this outrageous. Perhaps her sister felt telling her would only make her worry without any benefit, so she never breathed a word about it. Now, in this life, her sister had won her mother-in-law's favor, and the mother-in-law had stepped in to resolve the situation, allowing her sister to temporarily escape these unpleasant trivial matters... Then excitement surged within Shaojin, and she couldn't help but set aside the Liao family matter, saying joyfully, "So you can live in the capital, sister? I can visit you often from now on?"
Or perhaps she could even move to the capital and live with her sister.
Her brother-in-law surely wouldn't object.She could also help her sister take care of her little nephew... and she could see Uncle Chi...
Zhou Shaojin’s heart leaped with joy.
Zhou Chujin smiled and nodded, whispering, “Would you like to come live with me in the capital? I already mentioned it to your brother-in-law on the way here, and he fully supports it. We’ll stay at the Liao family’s old residence, in the house my mother-in-law bought for us with her own savings when we got married. It’s very close to the Imperial College, and also near the Second Elder’s residence in Shuangyu Alley...”
“Yes, yes!” Before Zhou Chujin could finish, Zhou Shaojin eagerly replied, “I want to stay with my sister for a while.”
In her previous life, her brother-in-law had also welcomed her to stay with them, but back then, her sister lived in the Liao family’s old residence. She hadn’t wanted to burden her sister and brother-in-law, so she insisted on renting a place outside. It wasn’t until she was about to marry Lin Shisheng that she moved into the Liao residence for a few days.
Now able to care for her younger sister, Zhou Chujin couldn’t help but smile happily and advised her, “Don’t say anything about this. I’ll talk to Father and Madam.”
This way, Zhou Shaojin wouldn’t be put in an awkward position.
Zhou Shaojin didn’t pay any attention to these concerns; her mind was entirely occupied with Cheng Chi.
Uncle Chi had said he would visit Father in a couple of days. When that happened, she would share this news with him. Uncle Chi would surely be taken aback.
Just thinking about Cheng Chi being surprised or stunned made her unable to suppress a smile, her lips curling upward.
Zhou Chujin thought Zhou Shaojin was happy about the prospect of living together and gently patted her hand, saying, “From now on, treat my home as your own. I’ll plant a grapevine trellis for you in the courtyard.”
She still remembered when her younger sister was little, pointing at the grapevine trellis in Fragrant Garden Residence and saying in a childish voice, “If we move away, will we never see this grapevine again? Will we never eat the grapes from this vine?”
Zhou Chujin felt so heartbroken that tears nearly fell.
This time, she would make sure her younger sister never had to worry about a grapevine trellis again.
Zhou Shaojin nodded with a smile, eagerly awaiting Cheng Chi’s arrival.
Two days later, Cheng Chi indeed came to visit Zhou Zhen.
Zhou Zhen and Cheng Chi spoke in the study. Zhou Shaojin pretended to pass by the study, hoping to “bump into” Cheng Chi.
Huaishan noticed this and quietly informed Cheng Chi when she passed by the study for the second time.
Cheng Chi had originally intended to discuss purchasing grain seeds with Zhou Zhen, but hearing the howling wind and the rattling of the windowpanes, he hurriedly wrapped up the conversation with Zhou Zhen. When Zhou Shaojin passed by the study for the fourth time, he finally encountered her.
“Uncle Chi!” Although Zhou Shaojin was holding a hand warmer, her lips were still pale from the cold. Seeing Cheng Chi, she was genuinely delighted, her eyes and brows filled with a smile she couldn’t hide. “You said you’d come to visit Father, and I’ve been looking forward to it! I never thought I’d actually run into you.”
She had been afraid that even this wouldn’t lead to meeting Cheng Chi.
Cheng Chi smiled and said, “I heard your sister and brother-in-law came specifically to pay New Year’s respects to your father. How is your sister doing?”
“She’s doing great!” Zhou Shaojin replied cheerfully. “We were all a little worried about her at first, so we even called a doctor to check her pulse. The doctor said both mother and child are healthy. I think my nephew will definitely be a strong and sensible baby.”
Cheng Chi listened with a smile.
Zhou Zhen watched this scene, feeling a bit uneasy inside.Didn't she come to the study to find him? How could she forget her father as soon as she saw Cheng Zichuan, and just kept talking to him?
Is Cheng Zichuan really that good?
Zhou Zhen coughed lightly.
No matter how good Cheng Zichuan is, he's just a relative by marriage—how could he compare to her own father, who shares a blood bond with her!
Zhou Shaojin snapped back to reality and hurried forward to greet her father.
Only then did Zhou Zhen smile and ask, "What brings you here?"
Zhou Shaojin naturally couldn't say it was to run into Cheng Chi.
She smiled and said, "Madam wanted to know when you'd be back. I had nothing to do, so I volunteered to come fetch you. I didn't expect Uncle Chi to be here!"
※
Brothers and sisters, here's the update.
O(∩_∩)O~
PS: Haven't had time to fix typos yet...
※ (To be continued ~^~)
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