Zhоu Shаоjin соuldn't tеll whether Сhеng Сhi tаking сare of hеr during hеr illness was hеr own imaginаtiоn оr sоmеthing thаt had aсtually happenеd.
Shе hesitаted аnd sаid, "Unсlе Chi..."
Сhunwаn quiсklу rеpliеd, "Fourth Mastеr just lеft... Hе stayed bу your sidе all night. Hе аlsо kерt Imреrial Phуsiсian Сао herе ovеrnight. Тhis morning, Phуsiсian Сao cаme to chесk уour рulse and said уоu wеre finе. Fоurth Маstеr sаw Phуsiсian Сaо off befоre rеturning tо his studу."
So it wаs аll truе!
Unсle Chi had trulу stayed by her sidе all along.
Zhоu Shaojin's hеart instаntlу leаped with joy. She felt that the sky was beautiful, the earth was beautiful, and even the asparagus fern on the flower stand in the corner looked exceptionally vibrant today.
She sat up immediately and instructed Chunwan, "Go to the study and see if Uncle Chi is asleep. If he is, come back quietly. If not, tell him to rest early. Let him know I'm fine now—go and reassure him." After saying this, she remembered Chunwan's appearance earlier and felt somewhat embarrassed. She added, "You haven't slept all night either! Let Bitao or Xiao Tan take care of me. You should go and get some proper rest. Don't worry about today's tasks."
Chunwan was indeed very tired. She smiled and replied, "Yes. You were seriously ill yesterday, and Madam came to check on you every half hour..."
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "Then send someone to inform Madam as well."
Chunwan then called Xiao Tan in to take over before heading to the outer courtyard study.
Perhaps because she had sweated while sleeping, Zhou Shaojin felt sticky all over.
She decided to take a bath and then go out for a walk feeling refreshed.
While helping Zhou Shaojin bathe, Xiao Tan chattered away about what had happened the previous night: "You wouldn't wake up, and Fourth Master had such a stern face. We were all trembling with fear. If Mama Fan hadn't told us to go rest, we probably would have stood in the room all night..."
Zhou Shaojin leaned over the bathtub, her face slightly flushed from the steam, and laughed, "Stop exaggerating!"
"It's true!" Xiao Tan added a few more ladles of hot water to the tub. "If you don't believe me, you can ask Bitao or Jixiang. Jixiang was so scared she couldn't even speak. After going back, she even asked Bitao to massage her calves, saying her legs had gone stiff from standing!"
Zhou Shaojin giggled.
Uncle Chi wasn't the kind of person they made him out to be!
But Uncle Chi was the master of the household, and it was right for Xiao Tan and the others to feel awe and respect toward him. To maintain Uncle Chi's authority in front of the servants, she couldn't say certain things.
Madam Fan Liu came in with tea and said with a smile, "I was just wondering whether to come see you, and Ruyi told me you were awake. Looking at you now, you must be much better, right?"
Zhou Shaojin nodded cheerfully and said, "You've all worked hard. I'll have Chunwan take out five taels of silver later. You and a few of the prominent servants around Madam can have some fun together."
Madam Fan Liu smiled and replied, "These are things we servants should do. How can we accept rewards from Second Miss?"
As she spoke, she placed the tea tray on the large kang by the window. She then sat by the bathtub, tested the water temperature, and offered to help scrub Zhou Shaojin's back.
Ever since the incident in the garden in her previous life, Zhou Shaojin hadn't let Mama Fan scrub her back for many years.
Today, she was in such a good mood that she simply leaned over and let her do it.
Madam Fan Liu's movements seemed somewhat hesitant.Zhou Shaojin smiled and asked, "What's wrong?"
In her memory, her skin had always been flawless. Could there be some mark or pimple on her back?
"N-no, nothing!" Madam Fan Liu replied with a smile, gently yet deftly wiping her back. "Our Second Miss has grown into a young lady now!"
Her tone carried a hint of wistfulness and reluctance.
Zhou Shaojin pursed her lips into a smile and said, "I've been a young lady for a while now!"
Once a girl experiences her first menstruation, she is considered an adult.
Madam Fan Liu smiled and said, "Indeed!"
After helping Zhou Shaojin dry off and put on her undergarments, Xiao Tan directed the maids to carry the bathing tub out. Madam Fan Liu draped a robe over Zhou Shaojin and sat on the kang, using a cloth to wring out her damp hair. "In the north, every household uses heated floors or fire walls during winter. Now that it's April and the heating has been turned off, it feels especially cold. Guan Ge's hundred-day celebration is set for May 22nd. Do you think we should decide on the local specialties for the master earlier, or wait until after the Dragon Boat Festival? I'm just worried that once Madam Liao arrives, Eldest Miss will drag you along to socialize with the Fang and Liao families, leaving you no free time."
Zhou Shaojin nodded with a smile and said, "I'll speak to Steward Xiang. We can review the gift list and make adjustments then. But you've reminded me—Father enjoys collecting inkstones. I'll go ask Uncle Chi later to see where I can find a nicer one, so Madam can take it back for Father. While Wende Pavilion has good items, they lack uniqueness. For an inkstone to gift Father, we should try to find one elsewhere." She then asked Madam Fan Liu, "I think Steward Xiang is very meticulous and diligent. I'd like to have Fan Qi work under him. What do you think?"
Madam Fan Liu paused while wringing Zhou Shaojin's hair and replied evasively, "Second Miss, aren't you returning to Baoding Prefecture with Madam?"
She wanted to stay in Yuqian Alley.
Zhou Shaojin smiled sweetly.
She still needed to help Uncle Chi guard the golden bricks beneath her feet!
"I'd like to stay in the capital a bit longer to keep my sister company," Zhou Shaojin said. "Going back to Baoding Prefecture means dealing with Mrs. Huang and the others again—it's so tiresome. I'd much rather stay in the capital where I feel more at ease."
Madam Fan Liu said, "But staying in the capital... Yuqian Alley is, after all, Fourth Master's property... Who would give away a house for no reason? This house isn't cheap! Even if it were a gift, it should be from Old Madam Guo..."
In Zhou Shaojin's view, Old Madam Guo wasn't entirely reliable either.
She had three sons, and Cheng Chi was only one of them.
Both the palm and the back of the hand are flesh—sometimes it's hard to protect one child wholeheartedly.
Otherwise, why would Cheng Chi have run away from home in her previous life?
Zhou Shaojin smiled and interrupted Madam Fan Liu, saying, "Old Madam Guo has given me many pieces of jewelry. Uncle Chi can't very well give me jewelry too, can he?" She didn't want to dwell on the matter and added, "Besides, Uncle Chi has already given me this house. That means it's mine now. You can just stay here with me without worry."
She thought it best to ask her sister and brother-in-law later how to officially register the house under her name.If one day Uncle Chi had no way out, at least this house would become hers, and the Cheng family couldn't take it back. Uncle Chi would still have a place to stay. At worst, if they sold this house, Uncle Chi would have capital to start over.
Zhou Shaojin made up her mind and grew anxious. She said, "Go ask Madam if she'll be going to my sister's place later. If she is, I want to go along."
Madam Fan Liu was beside herself with worry.
Second Miss... how could she be so foolish?
She had already spoken to this extent, yet Second Miss showed not a hint of vigilance!
But this wasn't Second Miss's fault.
If she hadn't witnessed it with her own eyes last night, she would never have dreamed that Fourth Master... would attend to Second Miss like that... Fourth Master was clearly... clearly... and he did it so openly.
This frightened her.
She feared something might happen when she wasn't looking... and then, even jumping into Mochou Lake wouldn't absolve her of failing the late Madam Zhuang!
She turned and walked to the door. Instructing Jixiang, she said, "You guard the door. Don't let anyone in. I have something to say to Second Miss." Then she slammed the door shut with a "bang," her expression grave, like a warrior ready to sacrifice herself. She walked up to Zhou Shaojin and knelt down with a thud, her face flushed red. "Second Miss, let's return to Baoding with Madam! Even if Mrs. Huang is annoying, she only wants to arrange a marriage for you. But yesterday... Fourth Master personally took care of you... not only did he hold you in his arms, patting and comforting you, but... he also wiped your body... Even when Madam wanted to see you, he didn't let go, forcing Madam to send someone over to ask... Second Miss, let's go back to Baoding! The Cheng family is full of scoundrels!"
That was not something an uncle should do for his niece!
Zhou Shaojin's eyes widened.
Her heart felt like waves crashing, one surge after another roaring past.
Uncle Chi... didn't avoid suspicion... was it also because he couldn't control his feelings?
But Uncle Chi wasn't that kind of person!
He had even told her not to let all her emotions show on her face.
So how could he make such a mistake himself?
She couldn't help but think of that day when he whispered in her ear, asking, "Am I really that good?" She hadn't known how to answer him then.
Now, she wanted to ask him, "Am I really that good?" To make him abandon his years of restraint...
Zhou Shaojin clutched the handkerchief in her hand, feeling waves of heat rushing to her face.
Seeing she wasn't angry, Madam Fan Liu whispered persuasively, "Second Miss, Fourth Master's actions were so obvious. If I could see it, others naturally could too... I know you've always respected Fourth Master and never thought of it this way. But by the end of this year, you'll be of age, old enough to marry... Before, we could say you were young... What if someone notices something? How will we handle it then? In matters like these, it's always the girl who suffers..."
So Uncle Chi told her to forget.
Forget his moment of weakness.
Was it because Uncle Chi, like her, knew they had no future or outcome, so when he could see her, he couldn't help but indulge himself?
Zhou Shaojin burst into tears.
So she wasn't alone after all.
They had always been together.
It was just that she had been too foolish to see his true feelings.
Zhou Shaojin buried her face in the large pillow and cried her heart out.Madam Fan Liu panicked.
These were merely her speculations.
What if she guessed wrong?
No, even if she guessed right, given the Cheng family's prestige and the Zhou family's reputation, such rumors would likely not be tolerated. She was the one taking care of the Second Miss.
The first to die would be her!
Her death was of little consequence, but she could not ruin the Second Miss!
Madam Fan Liu stepped forward and embraced Zhou Shaojin, crying, "Second Miss, Second Miss, please act as if nothing has happened. Stay away from Fourth Master from now on. Endure until Guan Ge's hundred-day ceremony is over, and we will return to Baoding Prefecture..."
※
Dear sisters and brothers, I was using another department's Wi-Fi, but their router broke, and I'm in a tough spot too! I have to hurry home to update...
It seems that no matter what you do, you have to rely on yourself(>_<)
PS: The update will be a bit late, so everyone can check it out tomorrow morning!
O(∩_∩)O~
※(To be continued ~^~)
OpenNovel