Маdam Li naturаllу аgrееd wholeheаrtеdly. Not оnly did she givе Zhоu Shаоjin оvеr a dozеn silver ingots to reward thosе аround Сheng Сhi, but shе аlsо handеd hеr twо сеdarwоod boxеs, sаying, "Insidе these boхes arе two cеnturу-оld ginsеng rооts. Тake thеm with уou whеn уоu go lаter аnd givе them to уоur Unclе Chi. I know that уour Uncle Сhi hеlрed mу elder brothеr nоt fоr this reаsоn, аnd thеsе smаll items аrе hardlу enоugh to eхprеss thе Li fаmily's grаtitudе tоwаrd him. But this is a tokеn of the Li family's sincеrity. I am merеly borrоwing flowеrs tо offеr to Buddha, so please ask your Uncle Chi to accept them no matter what."
Zhou Shaojin did not know why Cheng Chi had helped Madam Li's brother.
Naturally, the gifts from the Li family would be left to Uncle Chi to handle.
She was merely helping to deliver them.
Zhou Shaojin agreed and, accompanied by Nanny Shang, took a sedan chair to Chaoyang Gate.
Cheng Chi had not seen Zhou Shaojin for several days either. Hearing that she was coming, he declined social engagements and waited for her at home.
Feeling bashful, Zhou Shaojin dared not admit that she had missed the person before her intensely, and that all talk of thanks was merely an excuse—she simply wanted to see him. Thus, when she encountered Cheng Chi, she felt somewhat flustered. She thrust the cedarwood boxes entrusted to her by Madam Li into Cheng Chi's hands and said, "These were given by the mistress for me to bring over. She said it's to thank you for introducing Liu Yong to Uncle Li!"
Cheng Chi saw her shy and timid demeanor, her lovely face like a flower, her clear and bright eyes half-lowered as she stared at her feet. He could not help but curl the corners of his mouth, a playful impulse rising in his heart. Slowly leaning down, he blew warm breath toward her ear and said, "What does Elder Master Li have to do with me? I merely wanted to hear a kind word from my Shaojin... Who knew that upon meeting, she wouldn't even offer a single greeting, just stiffly shoved two boxes at me... I waited at home all day for nothing..."
That familiar scent, that unfamiliar tenderness, made Zhou Shaojin's face flush crimson. Her lips parted and closed, unsure of what to say. After a long while, she lifted her gaze, only to see the amusement in Cheng Chi's eyes.
Furious, Zhou Shaojin pushed him away.
Cheng Chi smiled gently, yet felt a twinge of loss in his heart.
His little girl had finally learned to push him away. But he wondered if, in the future, she would give him the cold shoulder at the slightest displeasure?
However, compared to momentary pleasure, it was better for Zhou Shaojin to express her emotions smoothly—they would have a long time together in the future. He could not always guess her thoughts, nor could she always wait for him to rescue her. Appropriate refusal and appropriate affirmation would make their relationship last longer.
He took two steps back and took Zhou Shaojin's hand, saying, "You came at just the right time. A few days ago, I painted a golden pheasant picture, thinking of giving it to Guan Ge'er for his hundred-day celebration. Would you help me see how it looks?"
Zhou Shaojin was led by him to the large writing desk.
On a modest-sized sheet of Xuan paper were painted two blooming peonies. A golden pheasant stretched its head out from beneath the peonies, looking up at the pair of colorful butterflies fluttering in the upper right corner. Its posture was charmingly naive, playful, and adorable.
Zhou Shaojin had not expected Cheng Chi's painting to be so skillful as well.
She stood there dazed for a moment before snapping back to reality and said, "Uncle Chi, I've heard that people who excel in martial arts usually spend a great deal of time practicing. How do you still find time to study, paint, and even pass the imperial examinations to become a Jinshi..."
Zhou Shaojin blinked her eyes as she looked at Cheng Chi.
This was even more heartwarming than directly praising his painting skills.
Cheng Chi chuckled and said, "If you truly want to do something, you can always find the time for it."But even if one had the time, could they achieve such skill without innate talent?
Zhou Shaojin gazed at Cheng Chi with undisguised admiration in her eyes.
Cheng Chi’s mood brightened even further. “Then let’s send this painting over when the time comes,” he said.
Shaojin nodded with a smile. Noticing brushes, paste, and other materials placed beside the large desk, she hesitated and asked, “Uncle Chi, are you… planning to mount the calligraphy and paintings yourself?”
As the saying goes, “Three parts lie in the artwork, seven parts in the mounting.” Choosing the right scroll for the right painting, deciding between silk or paper backing—all were profound skills. Top-tier mounting masters were often priceless and hard to come by, sometimes requiring a wait of over half a year before one’s artwork could be attended to.
Cheng Chi chuckled. “Since I painted it myself, there’s no need for such trouble. I’ll mount it on my own!”
But surely one wouldn’t dare take on such a task without some skill?
Otherwise, if the mounting wasn’t done properly and the painting deteriorated within a year, what would be the point?
At this thought, Shaojin couldn’t help but feel eager. “Uncle Chi, shall I help you with the mounting?”
Cheng Chi was somewhat surprised, but as he looked at Shaojin’s brightened face, glowing with excitement, he suddenly thought this might not be a bad idea—in the future, whenever he painted, they could mount the works together. Moreover, he had a deep fondness for epigraphy and ancient artifacts. Shaojin was meticulous; if she took an interest in mounting, they could even restore rare ancient texts together.
With these thoughts, Cheng Chi’s enthusiasm grew as well.
Together, they selected materials, spread paste, trimmed edges, and mounted the painting… Cheng Chi explained the key points to Shaojin while instructing her on how to hold the knife and press the paper. At one point, he even wrapped his arms around her, guiding her hands with his own as she practiced mounting paper using discarded scraps.
Shaojin’s face burned with warmth, yet the breath against her back felt so pure, and his body temperature so comforting, that it was as if she had drunk a cup of aged pear blossom wine—her head grew slightly dizzy, and heat rushed to her cheeks.
Meanwhile, Cheng Chi gazed at Shaojin’s lowered eyelids, her face appearing exceptionally gentle and serene, and he couldn’t help but wish to scoop her up, kiss her twice, and press her tightly against himself.
How could there be such an obedient and sensible young girl?
He restrained himself from kissing her and instead released her with a smile, stepping aside to continue mounting his own painting of a golden pheasant while letting Shaojin practice mounting on her own.
Outside the window, green bamboo swayed gently, casting deep, tranquil shadows that gave the impression of time standing still—a serene and peaceful moment.
Shaojin stole a glance at Cheng Chi.
He was intently mounting the calligraphy and painting.
His moon-white Songjiang fine cloth sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing his fair and sturdy arms, which made his slender fingers appear even more steady and powerful.
Shaojin’s eyelids reddened slightly, and her emotions grew subtly complex.
Uncle Chi always found excuses to “tease” her—why was he… so quiet today?
Was he preoccupied with something, or had she pushed him away earlier, leaving him somewhat embarrassed?
Shaojin felt conflicted.
Part of her wished Cheng Chi would treat her as he always had, while another part hoped they could continue to accompany each other quietly, just like this… Distracted, she wrinkled the paper while mounting it.
Shaojin was utterly embarrassed, not daring to lift her eyes to look at Cheng Chi.Cheng Chi affectionately came over, embraced her, and kissed her rosy cheek, saying warmly, "Not bad, not bad. At least you managed to mount the paper. Much better than I expected!" As he spoke, he casually cut a piece of rice paper for her and said, "Practice a bit more. I’m counting on you to mount my calligraphy and paintings later, so I can save some money!"
Uncle Chi was starting to talk nonsense to her again.
Zhou Shaojin pouted and said, "Does Uncle Chi really lack that little bit of money? You’re just trying to make me do the hard work!"
Cheng Chi teased her, "Not bad! You’ve finally learned to do the math. You know I’m making you do the hard work now!"
Zhou Shaojin bantered back, "When have I ever not known how to do the math? I was just letting you off before, so as not to ruin the goodwill between relatives!"
"And now you’re not afraid of ruining the goodwill?" Cheng Chi laughed. "It seems Confucius was right: 'Only women and small-minded people are difficult to deal with. If you get close to them, they become disrespectful; if you keep your distance, they resent you.'"
He made it sound as if she were arrogant and domineering.
Zhou Shaojin quietly hid the paper-cutting knife under the pile of rice paper.
Cheng Chi pretended not to notice. After a while, he looked around and asked, "Where did my paper knife go?"
Zhou Shaojin lowered her head, suppressing a smile.
Cheng Chi then instructed her, "Shao Jin, go to the small study in the inner residence and fetch another paper knife for me."
Zhou Shaojin widened her eyes.
Cheng Chi said with a straight face, "Hurry up! I need it right now! It might be on the shelves of the curio cabinet in the small study. If it’s not there, look in the drawers of the writing desk. If it’s still not there, it might be by the bedside in the inner chamber. I think I used it last night..."
Zhou Shaojin secretly glared at Cheng Chi and stomped out of the study in a huff.
Cheng Chi couldn’t help but chuckle silently.
Zhou Shaojin walked out of the bamboo grove.
The early summer sun was already warm enough to make one break into a light sweat.
Qing Feng and Lang Yue were standing at the entrance, talking about something.
Both of them had grown taller, with Qing Feng a head taller than Lang Yue. His features were distinct, and his expression appeared serious. Lang Yue had a round face and smiled before speaking, looking amiable and approachable.
Zhou Shaojin’s eyes sparkled with mischief. She called out with a smile, "Qing Feng! Uncle Chi can’t find his paper knife. Go and help find one for him!"
Qing Feng replied, "Yes," and turned to leave the courtyard.
Lang Yue greeted her with a smile, calling out, "Second Cousin," and stepped forward to bow.
She sat down at the stone table in the bamboo grove.
But before she could even settle, Lang Yue suddenly exclaimed, "Second Cousin, the stone stool is cold. Let me have someone fetch a cushion for you."
It would be best to make Cheng Chi wait there impatiently!
Zhou Shaojin giggled and said, "While you’re at it, brew me a cup of tea. I’ll wait here until Qing Feng brings the paper knife before going back in."
Lang Yue, unsuspecting, not only brought a cushion but also followed her instructions and brought a cup of tea. He chatted with Zhou Shaojin for a while about everyday matters.
Cheng Chi hadn’t actually intended for Zhou Shaojin to go looking for the paper knife. As soon as she left the study, he planned to pretend he had found it by accident. But when he looked up, Zhou Shaojin had already turned the corner out of the bamboo grove. By the time he walked over, he saw Zhou Shaojin cheerfully asking Qing Feng to find the paper knife for her.
Watching Zhou Shaojin’s joyful smile, he couldn’t help but smile as well. Shaking his head inwardly, he let her play her little game and turned back to the study.
A short while later, Zhou Shaojin returned, exclaiming, "It’s so hot!" as she handed the paper knife to Cheng Chi.Cheng Chi chuckled, reaching out to stroke her forehead, saying, "Where's the fever? Let me wipe your sweat for you!"
Zhou Shaojin knew she had given herself away and ran off laughing to the side.
Cheng Chi then found the paper cutter from the stack of rice paper, grinning as he said, "Oh my, how did another paper cutter end up in this room?"
Zhou Shaojin couldn't stop laughing.
Cheng Chi playfully caught her, giving her a thorough kiss before pressing her into the armchair in front of the large desk, saying, "Hurry up and learn how to mount the painting, or you won't get any dinner tonight!"
Zhou Shaojin's lips were flushed with color as she glared at him coquettishly.
Like a flower in a meticulous painting, dyed with hues, she suddenly came to life.
Cheng Chi's heart skipped a beat.
Perhaps all those tests and tender affections were meant to let her bloom just as she did in this moment?
He smiled faintly.
※
Dear readers, here's today's update.
The extra chapter will be up for you to read tomorrow morning!
O(∩_∩)O~
※ (To be continued ~^~)
OpenNovel