Zhоu Сhujin hаd nо сhоice but tо аdmоnish hеr: "Yоu must be carеful with thе doors аnd gates whеn уоu'rе hоmе alonе. Don't open the inner gаtе for аnyоnе. If аnуthing cоmеs uр, sеnd Fаn Qi or Stеward Xiang tо run еrrands. Whаtever yоu do, don't gо out yоursеlf. It's рrесisеlу when evеrуonе gоеs out tо seе thе exсitеment thаt those who сommit crimes соmе out. Сhildren go missing, girls get аbduсtеd—it oftеn hарреns аt times likе thеse. Yоu absоlutely must bе cаrеful..."
Zhоu Shaоjin рursеd hеr lips and smiled. Аfter her sister finished spеaking, she said, "А few daуs agо, whеn I went оut with Cousin Zheng, you lectured me with the same words. Don't worry, I won't go anywhere. With so many people outside, all noisy and chaotic, what's the point of going out? Just take Guan Ge and enjoy watching the dragon boat races with peace of mind! I'll be fine here! But you should be careful with Guan Ge. Don't take him to crowded places. He's still young and can't handle such hardship. Cousin Zheng has reserved a private room at a restaurant over there. If it gets too hot, you can rest at her place for a while. Don't feel embarrassed and just endure it. You're an adult and can tough it out, but Guan Ge is still small..." As she spoke, she grew increasingly uneasy and added, "Why don't you send Guan Ge to me? I'll take care of him for you."
Now it was Zhou Chujin's turn to laugh. "Am I the older sister, or are you? You're lecturing me now!"
But Zhou Shaojin said earnestly, "Sister, I mean it sincerely. You should really send Guan Ge to me. Your mother-in-law wants to go out and see the excitement, and it wouldn't be proper for you not to accompany her, but you shouldn't make Guan Ge suffer either. Go back and discuss it with Brother-in-law. It would be best to send Guan Ge to me."
The child wasn't even a hundred days old yet!
Zhou Chujin was moved by the idea.
She went back and discussed it with Liao Shaotang.
Liao Shaotang was also troubled by this matter and was overjoyed to hear her suggestion. "Then we'll trouble Second Sister to look after him for us. In a few days, we can invite her over to our house to play."
Zhou Chujin smiled. "It's a good thing Second Sister came to the capital, otherwise I really wouldn't know what to do!" As she spoke, she suddenly thought of keeping Zhou Shaojin in the capital. This way, she could avoid any so-called Mr. Huang or Mr. Bai. Secondly, she could ask the various aunts and uncles in the capital to help find a good marriage match for her sister. Thirdly, the sisters could take care of each other. Especially since Uncle Chi had given Shaojin a house—Shaojin could stay with her for a while if she wanted, or live on her own when she desired peace and quiet. How free and easy that would be! Even she, as a married woman, felt a little envious just thinking about it.
She shared her thoughts with Liao Shaotang.
Liao Shaotang also thought it was a good idea. "Baoding Prefecture is still a bit too limited. Arranging a marriage in the capital—whether it's the Fang family, the Li family, or the Min family—any of them would be considered century-old aristocratic families, much better than marrying into a minor household."
Forget about the Min family!
Zhou Chujin snorted coldly in her heart.
She thought the Fang family was good.
There were many outstanding young men among their descendants.
Thinking this, she remembered Song Mu.
What a pity.
It was also Shaojin's lack of fortune.
She smiled and said, "You should be the one to tell my father about this!"
She wanted to credit him with the idea.
Liao Shaotang gently embraced his wife and smiled. "I'll write to Father-in-law right away!"
Zhou Chujin smiled, her lips curving upward. "As for Mother-in-law, you should also speak to her."
"Understood!" Liao Shaotang replied loudly.That evening, she told Madam Liao about the plan to temporarily entrust Guan Ge'er to Zhou Shaojin's care on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival.
Madam Liao's face flushed slightly.
It had been many years since she had gone out purely for leisure and enjoyment, and she had actually overlooked Guan Ge'er. After all, they were no longer in Zhenjiang, where simply saying they were going to watch the dragon boat races would secure them a private room in a riverside restaurant for rest at any time.
But it was too late to say all that now.
The children had arranged this outing to make her happy.
She quickly said, "Then please thank the second aunt of the in-laws for me. I'll invite her over to our home another day."
It was good that her mother-in-law agreed.
Zhou Chujin smiled and said a few good words on Zhou Shaojin's behalf. On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, as soon as dawn broke, she brought along Guan Ge'er's usual belongings and the maidservants who attended to him, and together with Madam Liao, she took Guan Ge'er to Yuqian Lane.
Zhou Shaojin carefully took Guan Ge'er into her arms, repeatedly assuring them that she would take good care of him.
Madam Liao thanked her profusely. Seeing the sky grow brighter, she politely declined the offer to have breakfast at Yuqian Lane. After Madam Li and Zhou Youjin had finished getting ready, they all headed to Shichahai together.
Zhou Shaojin looked at Guan Ge'er's tender, pinkish face, and her heart melted.
She gently touched Guan Ge'er's cheek, and he began to giggle. But after a short while, he started crying at the top of his lungs.
Zhou Shaojin was startled and hurriedly called out for Guan Ge'er's wet nurse.
The wet nurse quickly came over, glanced at Guan Ge'er, and said with a smile, "Guan Ge'er is hungry!"
Zhou Shaojin breathed a sigh of relief and handed the child to the wet nurse.
Since there were no other people in the house, the wet nurse sat nearby to breastfeed the child.
Zhou Shaojin watched as he suckled vigorously and couldn't help but smile, gently stroking the child's head. She asked someone to bring over the cloth tiger, small dolls, and tumblers she had instructed to buy at the market a few days earlier, intending to amuse Guan Ge'er.
Who would have thought that Guan Ge'er would fall asleep while feeding?
Zhou Shaojin didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
The wet nurse hurriedly apologized, "Since we were coming to the second young lady's place today, Guan Ge'er woke up earlier than usual..."
Naturally, a child eats and sleeps as they please!
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "This isn't your fault, so why should you feel embarrassed? Does he usually sleep in a cradle or on a kang? If he sleeps on a kang, just place him here. I'll watch over him!"
Children in the south sleep in cradles, while children in the north sleep on kangs.
"He sleeps on a kang," the wet nurse replied with a smile. A clever little maid promptly came over to lay out a small bedding, and the wet nurse gently placed the child on it.
Zhou Shaojin then sat nearby, making socks for Cheng Chi.
Just like last time, she still used cross-stitch to sew the socks for Cheng Chi. The difference was that on the snow-white, fine Songjiang cloth socks, she used amber, sumac, and light crimson threads in sequence, creating a luxurious and extravagant effect that was almost mesmerizing to behold.
Uncle Chi was so particular, and all his refinement lay in the details. He would surely like socks like these.
Zhou Shaojin smiled faintly.
If the socks she had made before carried an ethereal and otherworldly charm, the ones she was making now exuded a sense of worldly opulence.
She preferred Uncle Chi to live like an ordinary mortal, not like a monk with a withered heart.
※
As soon as Cheng Chi stepped into the courtyard, he saw Zhou Shaojin sitting by the window in the inner room, doing needlework.The morning sunlight, like scattered gold, filtered through the leaves of the towering pagoda tree, casting dappled patterns on the bluestone floor tiles and adding a touch of tranquility to the cool corridor. Zhou Shaojin, her skin as fair as snow, sat there with gentle features. She resembled a jade figurine, her radiance shimmering and flowing, reflecting all the way into Cheng Chi's heart.
He strode over.
Someone noticed his entrance and gasped softly.
Zhou Shaojin looked up, her expression still soft, then her eyes widened. Dazed, she blinked as if startled.
Cheng Chi smiled.
Somehow, he loved seeing her reveal this side of herself in front of him.
It made her surprised and curious.
Even the most ordinary things became interesting to him.
Cheng Chi quickened his pace.
Suddenly, as if awakening, Zhou Shaojin’s face blossomed into a smile as bright as summer flowers. She dropped her needlework and ran out.
“Uncle Chi, Uncle Chi…” Her sweet, sticky voice seemed to be coquettishly complaining, as if reproaching him for leaving her alone for so long before returning.
Cheng Chi felt a stir in his heart and wanted to open his arms and embrace her.
Yet she abruptly stopped at the threshold of the hall, her gaze clear and bright, tinged with a shimmering joy. Her flushed cheeks resembled blooming roses, exquisitely beautiful.
“Uncle Chi!” she called out warmly to Cheng Chi, her voice carrying endless tenderness, while her slender, delicate hands twisted together uneasily.
Cheng Chi felt his blood surge, wishing he could press this little one into his very being.
He took a deep breath, biting the tip of his tongue to forcibly suppress the turmoil in his heart.
Nanny Shang and the others acted as if they hadn’t seen Cheng Chi enter, but the maids attending to Guan Ge rushed forward to bow to him.
Cheng Chi felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, cooling the restlessness in his heart. He revealed an elegant smile, raised his hand to let the bowing maids rise, and then strode into the hall. Heading toward the inner chamber, he said, “Why didn’t you go watch the dragon boat races today? Didn’t Zheng Jie’er reserve two private rooms? Didn’t she send you an invitation?” As he lifted the curtain, he saw a small child lying on the kang. His voice faltered. “Is this Guan Ge?”
Even though Uncle Chi had been away for so long, he knew everything about her life. She didn’t need to explain much, as if he hadn’t been gone for over a month but had merely stepped out yesterday.
In Zhou Shaojin’s heart, it felt like a dam had burst, waves of joy flooding her heart one after another.
Her mind was muddled, unsure which question to answer first or last. She replied haphazardly, “I didn’t want to go out—it’s too hot outside. I stayed home to make socks and kept Guan Ge with me. I was afraid my sister might feel obligated and unwilling to ask Zheng Jie’er for help. What if Guan Ge got sick from the sun?”
Cheng Chi immediately understood her meaning.
Seeing that Guan Ge looked much fairer and sturdier than when the wet nurse had carried him out to receive congratulations the other day, his features more defined, Cheng Chi couldn’t help but bend down and poke the child’s rosy, sleeping cheek with his finger.
Guan Ge closed his eyes and burst into loud wails.
Cheng Chi was momentarily stunned.
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but laugh.
Nanny Shang hurriedly brought the wet nurse in to carry Guan Ge out.
A young maid entered to serve tea and snacks.Cheng Chi couldn't help feeling a bit awkward and said, "I didn't expect the child to start crying so easily."
Zhou Shaojin's eyes and brows were filled with a smile, radiating indescribable softness and beauty as she replied, "He has quite the temper. Just now, I merely touched his cheek lightly, and he burst into tears!"
"Is that so?" Cheng Chi sat down by the large kang near the window and noticed a small basket on the kang table containing an unfinished pair of socks, with several completed pairs placed beneath the table.
His gaze sharpened slightly as he asked, "Who are these for?"
Could they be for Liao Shaotang?
Because of events from her past life, she had always held Liao Shaotang in high regard.
As this thought crossed his mind, he suddenly felt uneasy.
That Liao Shaotang truly had the good fortune cultivated in his past life—in this life, he didn't need to lift a finger to earn Zhou Shaojin's special regard!
A sour feeling welled up in his heart, and he felt indignant on Zhou Shaojin's behalf, saying, "He doesn't know about the past life, so there's no need for you to treat him so well. It might arouse his suspicions otherwise."
※
Dear readers, here's yesterday's update.
Unfortunately, I won't be able to add an extra update today, and the next update will be very late. You can check it tomorrow morning!
PS: I have to go to the hospital again tomorrow, so there will only be one update, around midnight. Additionally, I have a business trip next week, though I'm not sure which day yet. Updates during this period might be a bit irregular. Thank you for your understanding—I'll do my best to adjust the schedule and resume double updates as soon as possible.
Thank you all for your patience!
※ (To be continued ~^~)
OpenNovel