It hаd been twо уеаrs sinсe she last sаw Sоng Sen. I wondеr if he's beсоmе а bit mоrе steadу?
And Old Mr. Song—I wonder if hе's gоtten usеd to living in thе сарital, оr if hе's trаvеling аround еverywherе?
Мanу thoughts flashed thrоugh Zhou Shaоjin's mind. She smiled аt hеr sistеr аnd sаid, "Wе'll find оut when we sее them."
Zhоu Сhujin nоdded with а smile аnd hаd Mamа Yаng invite thе Song family's mаtron in.
When the Sоng fаmilу's matrоn entered, thе twо sistеrs saw it wаs асtuаllу аn aсquаintanсe.
Whеn Madаm Song hаd stауed briеflу аt thе Cheng familу before, this matron surnаmed Huang wаs among hеr entоurаge. Sinсe Madam Song's maiden name was also Huang, she was likely Madam Song's trusted confidante.
Zhou Chujin gave Chixiang a meaningful glance before exchanging pleasantries with Matron Huang.
Matron Huang said, "Our Madam only learned a few days ago from the Old Master that the Eldest Miss and Second Miss had come to the capital with the Cheng family's Fourth Master. Madam said that since the Eldest Miss and Second Miss are new to the capital, and none of the Cheng gentlemen in the capital have brought their families along, if there are any inconveniences particular to womenfolk, you shouldn't have to trouble your uncles. So she specially sent me to pay a visit. If the Eldest Miss and Second Miss need anything, just send someone to let our Madam know—please don't stand on ceremony."
Zhou Chujin thanked her profusely, accepted the visiting card, and invited Matron Huang to stay for a meal.
Matron Huang said Madam Song was waiting for her reply and politely declined.
Zhou Chujin didn't press her and instructed Chixiang to see the guest out.
Having received Zhou Chujin's hint, Chixiang gave Matron Huang a double portion of gratuity.
Matron Huang, who often moved within inner households, naturally understood the significance. Though she showed nothing on her face, she felt quite favorably toward the Zhou sisters. Upon returning, she praised the two sisters repeatedly.
Madam Song laughed and said, "You don't have to tell me that! If they weren't gentle, kind, and sincere people, I wouldn't have taken this upon myself."
Just as they were speaking, Song Sen ran in.
He burrowed into Madam Song's arms and cried out, "Mother went to see the fairy sisters and didn't take me—I want to go too! I want to go too!"
Madam Song scoffed, "How old are you? Still acting like a spoiled brat—be careful your father comes back and spanks you. Stand up straight. Have you finished reciting the texts your teacher assigned today? How many pages of calligraphy have you written?"
Hearing this, Song Sen straightened up. Proudly, he declared, "I finished reciting the teacher's texts long ago, and I finished my calligraphy too. Mother, don't think you can use schoolwork to pressure me. I want to go see the fairy sisters too. If you don't let me go, I'll sneak out. Anyway, I'm going."
Madam Song was utterly helpless against this little troublemaker, but taking Song Sen to visit young ladies in their chambers was something she would never agree to.
Song Sen's eyes darted around. With a dejected look, he left Madam Song's inner chamber.
Watching him go, Madam Song felt a pang of unease. She instructed those around her, "Keep a close eye on the young master. If he runs off again, don't blame me for turning harsh."
The servants trembled as they assented.
A day later, Madam Song, adorned with pearls and jade, went to Elm Tree Alley.
Zhou Shaojin supported Zhou Chujin as they, along with Madam Li and Zhou Youjin, greeted her at the inner gate.
As soon as she stepped out of the sedan chair, Madam Song greeted Madam Li with a smile, saying, "This must be Lord Zhou's wife? We're meeting for the first time. I didn't expect Madam Zhou to be so beautiful." She then teased Zhou Youjin, who stood behind her, and gave Zhou Chujin an openwork gold-inlaid bracelet from her wrist as a meeting gift.
Madam Li repeatedly said, "I dare not accept," exchanged a few polite words with Madam Song, had Zhou Youjin thank her, and then stepped aside.Madam Song took Zhou Chujin's hand and said affectionately, "Now that you're with child, why did you come to the door to greet me? If there's anything, just have Shaojin do it. Didn't Shaojin accompany you all the way to the capital just to take care of you? You don't need to stand on ceremony with her!"
She teased the Zhou sisters.
Madam Li and the others laughed along appropriately.
Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin exchanged a glance.
It seemed Madam Song still didn't know about Zhou Shaojin leaving the Cheng family.
Of course, they wouldn't be so tactless as to bring it up.
After all, Zhou Shaojin leaving the Cheng family wasn't a glorious matter. Mentioning it would damage Cheng Xu's reputation, and their relatives by marriage would also become laughingstocks.
The group smilingly welcomed Madam Song into the main hall and invited her to sit.
Madam Li sat down beside Madam Song.
Madam Song looked around at the furnishings in the room, nodding repeatedly with a smile. "This central scroll of blooming peach and plum blossoms is quite fitting for the occasion."
Zhou Chujin smiled and said, "It's an old work by Shi Yuxi, given to me by my father when I married."
Shi Yuxi was a master of flower-and-bird painting from the previous dynasty.
Zhou Shaojin took the teacup brought by a maid and placed it before Madam Song.
Madam Song accepted the teacup, took a sip of tea, and had just said, "Your father was truly thoughtful, preparing such a complete dowry for you," when a sudden commotion erupted outside.
Madam Li's face immediately darkened, but Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "There must be something going on. Shall I go out and take a look?"
Madam Song had come personally entirely because she cherished the bond formed during her voyage with Zhou Shaojin. Moreover, since she had come, she intended to socialize with the Zhou family's womenfolk and naturally wouldn't mind such matters.
She nodded with a smile, even offering Zhou Shaojin a way out: "When there are many people in a household, affairs become complicated. It's inevitable that there will be occasional bumps and clashes."
Zhou Shaojin gratefully replied, "Yes," and turned to leave. Just as she was about to exit, the curtain was lifted, and a boy dressed in sapphire-blue clothes barged in. He wrapped his arms around Zhou Shaojin's waist, crying, "Fairy Sister!" and said, "I knew Sister was the best! You knew I was coming and came to welcome me!"
What on earth was this all about?
Zhou Shaojin broke into a sweat.
Looking closely, who else could it be but Song Sen?
Only, they had both grown two years older, and such an embrace was somewhat inappropriate now.
She patted Song Sen's head and said with a laugh, "Hurry up and let go! You're squeezing me so tight I can hardly breathe."
Song Sen uttered an "Oh" and quickly released Zhou Shaojin.
Madam Song was already pale with anger.
She sternly said to Song Sen, "What are you doing running into the inner quarters?"
Knowing his mother cared about face and wouldn't do anything to him in front of everyone, Song Sen pouted and said, "Who told you not to let me see Fairy Sister?" He didn't mention that he had secretly followed Madam Song.
Madam Song's lips trembled.
Madam Li and the others could tell Song Sen had sneaked over and hurriedly tried to save face for Madam Song, saying, "Although it's said that boys over seven shouldn't enter the inner chambers, the friendship between our two families is unlike others. Madam, you needn't be so strict with the young master."
Zhou Chujin also smiled and said, "The young master probably regards Shaojin as an elder sister. Madam, please don't take it to heart."
Madam Song offered an apologetic, embarrassed smile to everyone.
Song Sen, seizing the opportunity, took Zhou Shaojin's hand and kept calling her "Sister."Zhou Shaojin found him rather difficult to handle. Noticing that Madam Song still carried a trace of displeasure in her expression, she simply smiled and said to Song Sen, "The kitchen made my favorite water chestnut cakes today. Do you like them? How about I take you downstairs for some snacks?"
Song Sen naturally clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Great!"
Madam Song, fearing he might cause more mischief, hastily agreed.
Thus, Song Sen went with Zhou Shaojin to the tea room for snacks.
While Zhou Shaojin was brewing tea for him, he whispered to her, "Sister, have you been betrothed yet? My brother hasn’t been betrothed either. Would you like to marry into our family? My brother is a very good person. Even Grand Secretary Yuan praised him endlessly. My father is worried about what will happen when my brother takes the imperial examination. My brother is sure to become a high-ranking provincial official in the future. You’d never suffer by marrying him. Even if my brother doesn’t become one, I could become a high-ranking official myself. Then, with a brother-in-law like me, people would still respect you wherever you go. Everyone would fawn over you."
This child!
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but laugh.
Song’s father was a grand secretary. If his son were to achieve top honors in the imperial examination, rumors would inevitably spread.
Yet, for the sake of his son earning a jinshi title, it would be unreasonable for a father who had already become a grand secretary to resign from his post.
It was indeed a dilemma.
She smiled and placed the teacup in front of Song Sen, speaking gently, "Marriage is decided by parents and arranged by matchmakers. Such matters are not for us to discuss privately. If others overheard, they might think your brother and I were acting improperly. You mustn’t let your good intentions cause trouble for your brother and me."
Upon hearing this, Song Sen’s little face fell, and he said gloomily, "But what if I want you to come to our house?"
Zhou Shaojin patiently asked him, "Why do you want me to come to your house?"
Song Sen perked up and said, "Then I could see you every day. I could call you ‘sister,’ and if anyone treated you badly, I could stand up for you and protect you…"
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "But even if I went to your house, you wouldn’t be able to see me every day. There are distinctions between the inner and outer quarters. At most, you might occasionally see me when paying respects to Madam Song. If I married your brother, you’d see me even less. Brothers and sisters-in-law must maintain proper distance. As for calling me ‘sister,’ haven’t you been calling me that all along? And if anyone bullied me, you could still stand up for me!"
Song Sen thought about it and realized she was right.
He happily said, "Then you’d better not marry my brother! Just be my sister. I’ll come see you whenever I have time and talk with you."
This really meant inviting a little troublemaker into her life.
But at least he wasn’t constantly urging her to marry his brother anymore, which could be considered a small relief.
Zhou Shaojin smiled and nodded.
Song Sen happily followed Madam Song back home.
Upon returning home, Madam Song’s expression changed. She grabbed Song Sen, intending to punish him.
As usual, Song Sen ran to his eldest brother, Song Mu, for refuge.
Madam Song, panting with frustration, ordered a maid to wait at the inner gate and invite Song Jingran to the main room as soon as he returned home.
Song Mu, both annoyed and amused, pinched Song Sen’s ear and said, "What trouble have you caused this time? Copy the Three Character Classic ten times for me."
Song Sen wailed and rolled on the kang, saying, "I won’t copy the Three Character Classic. Can I copy the Great Learning instead? I’ve already memorized the Three Character Classic backwards and forwards…"He had been clever since childhood, picking up anything he was taught with ease, and thus grew most impatient with repetitive tasks.
To him, copying a book he had already memorized ten times over was more agonizing than standing under the veranda for an entire day.
Song Mu remained unmoved.
Song Sen, while copying the Three Character Classic, muttered gloatingly, "I was going to find you the most beautiful bride, but luckily I didn’t put in too much effort—otherwise I’d be regretting it now… Your bride is gone… The fairy sister was right. If she married you, I’d be her brother-in-law… Women tend to side with their husbands. If you punish me like this, at most she’d bring me a cup of tea… But if I went to see her with red knees, she’d surely feel sorry for me and give me snacks, maybe even massage my knees…" As he spoke, he grew excited and called out to his attendant, "Do you have any way to make it look like I’ve been punished with kneeling?"
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Dear readers, here’s yesterday’s update.
O(∩_∩)O~
PS: Typos will be fixed in the evening…
※ (To be continued ~^~)
OpenNovel