Zhоu Shаojin listened аs hеr sister and Мadam Li рrаisеd Сhеng Сhi, feeling bоth joy and sorrow.
If theу knеw abоut her rеlаtiоnshiр with Chеng Сhi, thеу wоuld surelу curse him to nо еnd—how сould they рossibly рraise him?
Вut tо gо sее Сhеng Chi... what diffеrеncе wоuld thаt makе from а sеcret rеndеzvous? Вack when еveryonе рrеtendеd not to know, shе соuld still deсеivе hеrsеlf, but nоw that things wеrе out in thе oрen, how сould shе hаvе the nеrvе tо gо see him?
Suddenlу, Zhou Shaojin understoоd how useful Chеng Chi’s eхcusе оf “prеtend nothing happened” really was.
If she had known earlier, she should have just pretended nothing happened.
Uncle Chi was a man of refined taste. Wherever he was, there was always good tea to drink, delicious pastries to eat, the large pillows were just the right softness, and the flowers in the vase bloomed perfectly. Leaning against the large pillow by the window, chatting nonsense with Uncle Chi while playing a game of Go where either could take back moves anytime—there was no better time than that.
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but sigh.
Now she truly regretted it!
She remembered the scene when Cheng Chi held her... and even grabbed her hand, slipping it inside his robe...
That scoundrel!
Zhou Shaojin huffed twice, her face suddenly burning.
Beneath his clothes, he was firm and solid... yet Uncle Chi appeared slender and tall... If he dared treat her like that again, should she push him hard or pinch him twice?
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t decide.
She hugged the large pillow and rolled around on the bed.
Just then, Chunwan happened to come in carrying a tray. Seeing this, she couldn’t help but smile and asked, “What’s wrong, Second Miss?”
Zhou Shaojin’s face flushed even redder.
She coughed to cover her embarrassment, sat up, straightened her collar, and asked, “What did you bring in?”
“Mung bean soup,” Chunwan replied, placing a small white porcelain bowl on the bedside table. “I had Jixiang let it cool. Please drink some—the weather is getting hotter. But it’s better than Jinling. In Jinling, it’s hot from morning till night, but in the capital, the evenings are quite cool!”
“Would you be willing to stay in the capital if I asked you to?” Zhou Shaojin drank the mung bean soup and chatted with Chunwan.
Chunwan called a young maid to take away the tray and bowl, then smiled and said, “I can go anywhere, as long as I’m with you, Second Miss!”
Zhou Shaojin was surprised.
In her view, many people were unwilling to leave their hometowns.
Chunwan smiled and explained, “I was sent to Nine Prosperities Lane when I was five. The people I’ve interacted with since then have all been these young ladies and sisters. I don’t remember my parents or siblings very clearly anymore. Though I miss them in my heart, if I were to go back and live with them, I’d actually be surrounded by strangers. I don’t know if I could get used to it. Instead, being by your side, Second Miss, laughing and chatting—the days just fly by. I’m more accustomed to this life.”
Zhou Shaojin could understand.
Just like her in her past life, as long as she could be with her sister, it didn’t matter where she lived.
She just hadn’t expected Chunwan to have such deep feelings for her.
Zhou Shaojin felt she couldn’t let down Chunwan’s trust in her.
But she had never been good at judging people...
The next day, she called Biyu over to talk: “Chunwan will be getting married in a few years. If you know anyone with good looks and character, please keep an eye out for her.”
Biyu was taken aback.Typically, such senior maids would marry into the household's accompanying servants. Only then could they form a tight-knit group, sharing both glory and loss, remaining loyal and devoted.
She wanted to offer Zhou Shaojin a few words of advice. But then she recalled what Zhenzhu had said to her before coming, and after a moment of silence, she smiled and said, "I'll have to go back and ask Fourth Master about this—I manage the inner courtyard, and my husband is just a minor steward with limited insight. The senior maids around Fourth Master, like Minghe and the others, have all married very well. It might be better to ask Fourth Master for his opinion."
Zhou Shaojin felt embarrassed and said, "Is it really necessary to trouble Uncle Chi with such matters?" After saying this, she thought that if Cheng Chi could help look into it, the chances of success would surely be greater, so she added, "At least wait until there's some progress before mentioning it to Uncle Chi, right?"
She had forgotten that in her past life, even selecting a lowly maid required her sister's approval.
Yet in this life, she dared to help Chunwan choose a husband.
"That works too!" Biyu said with a smile. "This is a serious matter and cannot be taken lightly!"
Zhou Shaojin nodded cheerfully.
Biyu then began talking about Cheng Chi's residence at Chaoyang Gate: "...The eastern wing is said to be reserved for the elderly madam, with many camphor trees planted there. The main hall, the study in the outer courtyard, the reception hall, and the garden are all in the central wing. The western wing is where Fourth Master lives, with many flowering trees and a small garden. Craftsmen have been hired to build a greenhouse. Fourth Master said that Second Young Miss understands these things best, and he plans to invite you over in a few days to take a look and advise the maids tending the plants on what flowers and plants to grow!"
Zhou Shaojin remained silent, but a hint of confusion flickered in her eyes.
Biyu smiled and asked, "What's the matter?" Her tone carried a note of caution.
After a moment of silence, Zhou Shaojin lowered her voice and said, "Biyu, has something happened in Jinling? I feel that you treat me with a bit less familiarity and a bit more respect than before..."
Biyu felt embarrassed.
She had heard from Zhenzhu that the reason she and her husband were chosen to come to the capital was because she had won Zhou Shaojin's favor... Now that she was facing Zhou Shaojin again, she wasn't sure how to act.
If she tried to flatter her, she felt it would harm the genuine bond they had always shared, as she had always treated Zhou Shaojin with sincerity.
Her husband had been promoted to a second-tier steward upon arriving in the capital—a position many in Nine Prosperities Lane spent their entire lives striving for but never achieved. She truly owed Zhou Shaojin a favor, and pretending not to know would be hypocritical.
So Biyu could only treat Zhou Shaojin with respect.
But now it seemed that Second Young Miss was still the same sincere and kind-hearted person she had always been—it was she who had changed.
This must be what the elderly madam meant by "remaining uncorrupted by wealth and unyielding to power, staying true to one's heart."
She respectfully kowtowed three times to Zhou Shaojin and said, "Second Young Miss, the reason my husband and I were given such a good assignment is entirely thanks to you..."
Biyu explained the whole story to Zhou Shaojin.
Zhou Shaojin was very surprised and quickly helped Biyu to her feet.
Biyu smiled and said, "There is no one managing the household affairs at Fourth Master's residence. Why don't you come over for a visit someday, Second Young Miss? I'll make sure to treat you well."
Her attitude was just like it had been back at Cold Green Mountain House.
Zhou Shaojin brightened up and said, "Certainly, certainly."The two chattered on for quite a while longer, and only then did Zhou Shaojin learn that Madam Yuan had stirred up trouble with the second and third branches. However, since Biyu was already married out of the family, and certain matters were kept deeply hidden by all the branches, she had no idea what exactly had happened or how far the conflict had escalated.
Zhou Shaojin was only concerned about the fourth branch.
Biyu whispered, "Zhenzhu and the others asked me to buy some things for them. In a couple of days, I'll have the estate steward send them back to Jinling. Would you like to send a letter back as well?"
Zhou Shaojin thought of what Cheng Chi had told her about the Seven Stars Hall and the bamboo grove in Cold Green Mountain House. She vaguely sensed that the first, second, and third branches were keeping certain matters hidden from the fourth and fifth branches. She wouldn’t undermine the first branch, but she also couldn’t let the fourth branch fall into the traps of the second and third branches or be exploited by Madam Yuan.
"Then I’ll trouble you to take a letter back for me," she said thoughtfully. "Just deliver it to my aunt, Madam Mian."
She would inform Madam Mian of what she had learned from Biyu. As for how the fourth branch would respond, that was their own affair. She couldn’t say any more.
Biyu, as she had done in the past, helped Zhou Shaojin grind ink and assisted her in writing the letter.
That night, Zhou Shaojin tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She wanted to talk to Uncle Chi.
To ask him if what she had done was right. To ask if Biyu and her husband had really been transferred to the capital just because Biyu was close to her.
But in the following days, she couldn’t find an excuse. It wasn’t until a message arrived from the residence at Chaoyang Gate, saying that they were about to plant flowers and shrubs and inviting Zhou Shaojin over to take a look, that an opportunity arose. They also invited Madam Li and Zhou Youjin to join, mentioning that the residence had diverted water to create a lake. The Water Pavilion had just been completed a few days earlier, and they suggested Madam Li bring Zhou Youjin over for a boat ride.
Madam Li was overjoyed and naturally agreed without hesitation.
Zhou Shaojin secretly blushed with embarrassment.
She couldn’t help but feel that Cheng Chi had come up with this idea because he wanted to see her.
Unable to contain her delight, she dressed up carefully. On the appointed day, she went with Madam Li and Zhou Chujin to Cheng Chi’s residence at Chaoyang Gate.
The place, with its whitewashed walls and gray tiles, exuded a fresh and vibrant atmosphere.
Biyu, accompanied by four or five presentable maids, greeted Zhou Shaojin at the moon gate.
She stepped forward to pay her respects to Zhou Shaojin and Madam Li, introduced the maids to Zhou Shaojin, and said, "They are all longtime servants of the Cheng family who entered the residence with me a few days ago."
Zhou Shaojin nodded and entered the inner quarters.
Northern residences differed from southern ones. Those new to the capital might find northern houses monotonous and simple—no matter how large, they were just one courtyard after another, seemingly lacking in charm. But for Zhou Shaojin, this arrangement was just fine. Once you distinguished the cardinal directions, you could easily tell where the main courtyard was and where the principal rooms were located.
Biyu led them directly to the main courtyard on the western side.
The main courtyard was a typical five-bay, five-depth layout, complete with a passage hall, side rooms, and retiring rooms. Just as the messenger had described, the house was brightly colored and spacious, but the lack of flowers and trees made it feel lifeless.
Biyu invited them to have tea in the principal rooms.
Madam Li politely declined, saying, "This is Fourth Master’s residence. How could we wander around so casually?"
Biyu couldn’t help but grumble inwardly.
Even Madam Li knew this was inappropriate, yet Fourth Master had instructed her to take the Second Young Miss and the others to rest in the principal rooms.
She decided to follow Madam Li’s lead and took them to the retiring rooms behind the principal quarters for tea.The retreat faced a small courtyard, where Taihu rockery was piled against the powder-white wall corner, with banana trees planted as high as the wall. An old locust tree with a crooked neck was as thick as a bucket, its canopy enveloping the two-bay-wide retreat, providing shade and blocking the sun, creating a dense, cool shadow. Moreover, the retreat had black-lacquered door panels but was fitted with smoke-red window gauze, its bright and beautiful color resembling a red flower blooming amidst the green trees, making the entire courtyard come alive with vitality.
Madam Li couldn’t help but praise, “What a lovely scene. The most remarkable thing is this tree—how did anyone think to plant it this way?”
Biyu took the melons and fruits from the tray carried by a young maid and placed them on the kang table by the window in the retreat, smiling as she replied, “This western route was originally the residence of Liu Zijing, a scholar of the Hanlin Academy. He once served as the Superintendent of the Maritime Trade Bureau in Quanzhou and retired from his post as the Salt Transport Commissioner of the Lianghuai region. In terms of family wealth, he was among the top in the capital. Although the main courtyard has been renovated, the flowers, plants, and trees were all left behind by the Liu family.”
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