Whаt kind оf trаnsformatiоn hаd Zhоu Shаоjin undergone? Сhеng Chi cоuldn't help but sсrutinizе thе уоung girl bеfore him сarefully.
Her gazе wаs bright, her сomрlехiоn rosу, thе соrnеrs of hеr mouth slightly upturnеd, hеr demеanor gentlе and serеne, radiаting а sрring-likе brilliаnсе.
If one hаd tо saу hоw shе differеd from usuаl... Еver sincе hе had kissеd her, she had bеen somewhаt flustеrеd in his prеsence, likе а wеak wоmаn disрlауing timiditу befоrе a mаn far strоnger than hеr, onе whо сould dесidе hеr life or deаth. But now, she seemеd to have rеturned to hоw she wаs bеforе he kissed her, appearing very composed in front of him, as if nothing had happened between them. He was still that doting good uncle, and she was still that niece who trusted and relied on him.
Was this change for better or worse?
Cheng Chi secretly frowned.
If the little girl had taken his words to heart, believing that his actions toward her that day were merely a momentary "loss of self-control," and that it was best for both to forget it, then this situation might arise.
That would be somewhat troublesome.
He and she might return to square one.
But could it be that the little girl had suddenly come to a realization?
Yesterday, when he wiped her body, it was partly out of pity for her sudden illness, partly because he didn't trust leaving her care to others, and also partly because he wanted to take advantage of Zhou Dacheng and Zhou Chujin not being by Zhou Shaojin's side to test the reactions of the maidservants around her, gradually accustoming them to his attitude toward Shaojin, paving the way for their future.
Before the maidservants around her had shown any signs of change, the little girl herself seemed to have suddenly become a different person.
Even with Cheng Chi's vast wisdom, he couldn't immediately discern what exactly had changed.
It seemed he could only take things one step at a time!
For the first time in his life, Cheng Chi felt that things were slipping out of his control and direction, giving him an unfamiliar sense of helplessness.
But his temperament quickly pushed these confusions aside—rather than guessing here and there, it was better to seek verification immediately.
He smiled and shared a meal with Zhou Shaojin that was too late for breakfast but too early for lunch, then stood up and patted Zhou Shaojin's head, saying, "Go change your clothes, we're going to the temple fair!"
"Ah?!" Zhou Shaojin's eyes widened.
Clear and distinct. Pure and limpid.
What beautiful eyes indeed!
Cheng Chi laughed, "Today is the Bathing Buddha Festival, don't you want to go out?"
How could she have forgotten such a day?
Zhou Shaojin blushed with embarrassment, saying, "Don't we have to go early in the morning? The great masters at the temple have probably already given their sermons..."
Her implication was that it was already too late, they had missed the most important part, so what was the point of going?
Cheng Chi chuckled, "Do you go to the Bathing Buddha Festival to listen to those great masters' sermons? I thought you went for the temple fair! In the past, whenever Zheng Jie'er and Sheng Jie'er heard the great masters were about to preach, they would find excuses to slip out and play..." He saw Zhou Shaojin's eyes grow wider and wider, like a well-behaved child who always arrives late and leaves early suddenly discovering that someone skipping class was known by adults and wouldn't be punished. He suddenly felt it best not to let Cheng Zheng and Cheng Sheng influence his little girl, so he simply hugged Zhou Shaojin and whispered in her ear, "My Shaojin is still the most obedient. I'll take you to the temple fair!"
My Shaojin...
That cherished tone made Zhou Shaojin's face flush so red it seemed blood might drip from it, yet her heart felt as if she had secretly eaten honey—sweet, but also somewhat flustered.Cheng Chi had already taken a step back, smiling as he said, “Go change your clothes, then tell the mistress as well. We’ll take Third Miss along and go for a stroll at Daxiangguo Temple. In the evening, we’ll go to Fuchunjiang Restaurant for their squirrel fish—the owner is from Songjiang. Their chef excels at Hangzhou cuisine.”
Zhou Shaojin was still lost in her earlier shock. Her habitual obedience to Cheng Chi made her respond with a dazed “Oh,” and she obediently turned to leave.
After a few steps, she finally snapped back to reality.
Why did Uncle Chi hug her again!
Could it also have been an impulse?
If only he hadn’t hugged her.
Just talking to her like that… she liked it so much.
But if it wasn’t an impulse, Uncle Chi definitely wouldn’t have said such things to her either.
It seemed nothing in this world could be perfect… Hadn’t she shamelessly lingered there to share a meal with Uncle Chi too?
As Zhou Shaojin thought this, she couldn’t help feeling sweet inside. Her face flushed even more, and her steps quickened, soon leaving Jixiang behind.
“Second Miss, Second Miss!” Jixiang panted as she caught up. “Slow down…”
Zhou Shaojin pursed her lips into a smile, feeling so overjoyed that bubbles of happiness seemed to fizz inside her, almost bursting out uncontrollably.
“Hurry up!” she said, heading to Madam Li’s quarters.
When Madam Li heard that Cheng Chi still planned to take them out to the temple fair at this hour, and even to dine at a restaurant in the evening, she was surprised but also eager to join.
The Li family had long intended to marry their daughter into a higher social standing. While at her maiden home, she had been strictly disciplined. After marriage, she wed a local magistrate over a decade her senior, making her conduct even more proper and restrained. Even outings were mostly for social engagements; a casual excursion like this had never happened before.
After only a moment’s thought, she made her decision: “Wonderful! Let’s all go to the temple fair together, and we’ll bring Youjin along too.”
Zhou Shaojin smiled, her eyes curving like crescent moons.
She loved going out with the whole family like this.
How warm and intimate!
Soon, Zhou Shaojin and Madam Li were ready, and the carriages in the outer courtyard were prepared. They boarded and set off for Daxiangguo Temple.
Along the way, they encountered either leisurely strolling visitors or families returning from worship. Shops along the street had set up stalls at their entrances, with hawking assistants, bargaining young wives, elderly women seeking bargains, friends resting by the roadside to buy tea under makeshift awnings, and children selling magnolia and peony flowers. The entire street was packed yet bustling with energy.
Zhou Shaojin worried the carriage might not get through.
Unexpectedly, Nanny Shang slipped inside, holding several cups of lemon water and a small basket of assorted fruits.
Translucent ice cubes floated in the bright yellow liquid, looking refreshing at a glance.
Madam Li exclaimed, “What is this?”
Zhou Shaojin had seen it in her past life.
It was a popular beverage in the capital, made from lemons—sour and sweet, more refreshing and delicious than the southern sour plum soup.
And very expensive.
Sixty copper coins for just this small cup.
But for now, she couldn’t easily explain.Then Nanny Shang said with a smile, "When I was in Guangdong, I saw wealthy families entertaining guests like this. However, people in Jinling don’t really eat this, but in the capital, there are vendors selling it. Fourth Master asked me to buy some for Madam and the two young ladies to try, so they wouldn’t get restless trapped in the carriage and upset the third young lady."
Zhou Youjin was still a child, lacking patience and easily prone to crying and fussing.
Madam Li looked grateful, thanked Nanny Shang, and carefully took the lemon water to taste.
Her eyes immediately lit up, and she said, "It’s delicious!" Then she urged Zhou Shaojin, "You try it too! After drinking it, you’ll feel refreshed." She also fed Zhou Youjin a sip.
Zhou Youjin had been looking quite unhappy. After taking a sip of the lemon water, she seemed to like it and wanted to hold the cup herself to drink. Madam Li coaxed her for a while before finally settling her down, handing her over to the wet nurse. She then gave a fruit to Zhou Youjin to hold in her hand and said to Zhou Shaojin, who was sipping the lemon water slowly, "Fourth Master is truly thoughtful! If we had known earlier, we should have brought some snacks along. That way, we wouldn’t have made Fourth Master go to such expense."
Just as Nanny Shang was about to step down from the carriage, she heard this and smiled, saying, "Fourth Master specifically instructed that since we’re out, we should try the local specialties and stroll around to have fun. If we just stick to what we have at home, what’s the point of coming out?"
"That makes perfect sense!" No one had ever said such things to Madam Li before. She kept praising Cheng Chi and finally said with a laugh, "Such a wonderful person—I wonder who will have the good fortune to marry him!"
Zhou Shaojin’s face flushed red.
Madam Li thought it was just the heat and didn’t pay it much mind. She handed over the small basket of fruits and said, "Try these quickly, there are also freshly washed mulberries." She added, "The capital truly lives up to being the emperor’s domain—there’s nothing rare you can’t find here. Isn’t that lemon fruit from Guangdong? My elder brother is often away on business. I’ll ask him to find a way to bring some for us, so we can make lemon water at home too."
Zhou Shaojin smiled and agreed, "Alright," holding a handkerchief as she slowly ate the mulberries, wishing this road would never end.
※
Thanks to Cheng Chi sending over chilled drinks and fruits, the frequent stops and starts of the carriage didn’t dampen the good mood of Zhou Shaojin and the others. When they arrived at the Great Xiangguo Temple and saw the rows of stalls lining the front and sides, along with the bustling crowd of pilgrims, they were all quite startled, but their excitement grew. The young Zhou Youjin, unable to hide her feelings, squirmed in her wet nurse’s arms, eager to get down.
Cheng Chi walked over.
He was wearing a sapphire-blue Hangzhou silk robe, tied at the waist with a silk sash adorned with a pouch and a small seal. Standing tall and graceful, he stood out like a dragon among men, a crane among chickens. Zhou Shaojin spotted him at a glance.Cheng Chi said, "Zhang San, you follow the madam. Li Si, you follow the second young lady. Wang Wu, you follow the third young lady. Chen Liu, stay behind to guard the carriage. If anyone gets separated, there's no need to search for each other—since we're out to have fun, let's enjoy ourselves fully and not waste time looking for people. Just wait at the cool shed under the big locust tree in front of the Great Xiangguo Temple." He pointed to the east, "I've already reserved a private room. We'll head to Fuchun River around youchu (note: around 5 p.m.). Everyone must remember to gather at the big locust tree before youchu. We'll spend at least an hour at Fuchun River. If we're any later, we'll run into the curfew."
Everyone responded in agreement.
Madam Li was also pleased with this arrangement.
They began strolling through the market.
At first, a few of them could still come and go together, but eventually, Zhou Shaojin lingered at a stall selling Miao embroidery, while Madam Li wanted to check out a nearby stall selling peachwood combs and hairpins. They exchanged a brief farewell, saying they'd meet up later. When Zhou Shaojin, satisfied after buying several Miao embroidery patterns, went to look for Madam Li, she was no longer at the stall specializing in peachwood combs.
Zhou Shaojin stood on tiptoe, scanning the surroundings.
Suddenly, someone grabbed her hand.
She was terrified out of her wits, but when she looked up, she saw Cheng Chi's smiling face.
"You scared me to death!" Zhou Shaojin patted her chest.
She had thought to herself—wasn't Nanny Shang and a guard supposed to be with her? How could a stranger have grabbed her hand?
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but look around.
Nanny Shang and the guard named Li Si were nowhere to be seen.
Cheng Chi smiled and took her hand, saying, "I'll accompany you to the temple fair."
※
Dear readers, here's today's bonus update.
It's a bit late, so you can read it tomorrow morning!
O(∩_∩)O~
※ (To be continued ~^~)
OpenNovel