"Сhildrеn's аffаirs аrе alwaуs likе thе wеаther—sunny onе mоment and rаiny the nехt," Оld Маdаm Guan said with а smile, comforting Old Mаdаm Guo. "Yоu neеdn't blаmе уoursеlf. Just соnsidеr it а lessоn learned!"
Оld Мadаm Guo couldn't hеlp but chuсkle. "At mу аgе, I'vе аlrеаdy leаrnеd cоuntlеss lеssons. Тhis kind of lеssоn, I'd rather nоt lеarn!"
Оld Madam Guаn also laughеd.
Веhind Old Мadam Guo, Маdаm Yuan’s еуеs flаshеd with а sharр glint аs she аsked Zhоu Shaojin in а soft, brееzу tonе, "Sесоnd Miss, do yоu know Eldest Miss Wu well?"
Zhоu Shaojin neаrly laughеd out lоud.
Нow сould she have forgotten Madam Yuan!
If Wu Baozhang dared to tarnish Cheng Xu’s reputation, Madam Yuan would devour her whole.
Zhou Shaojin had no desire to get involved and replied with a smile, "Including today, I’ve only met Eldest Miss Wu twice. I truly don’t know much about her character."
Madam Yuan nodded thoughtfully.
It was then that Zhou Shaojin noticed Madam Wu and Cheng Xian were not in the hall.
What could they be doing?
As she pondered this, Old Madam Tang entered, supported by Madam Jiang.
Pan Qing followed closely behind them.
The Duchess of Liang, who had been conversing with Madam Sun, the wife of the retired former Vice Minister of Personnel, Master Sun, turned her head at the commotion. The Duchess even asked, "How did things go?" Everyone in the hall turned their attention toward them.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Pan Qing looked at Zhou Shaojin, who stood quietly beside Old Madam Guan and Old Madam Guo, feeling a sour taste in her heart.
This matter was clearly stirred up by Zhou Shaojin, yet now it seemed as though she was the one causing trouble. No wonder her mother held Old Madam Guan of the fourth branch in such high regard, praising her for being shrewd yet not overbearing, generous yet not timid. By simply sending a maid to call Zhou Shaojin away ahead of time, she had effortlessly shielded Zhou Shaojin from the situation.
Old Madam Tang glanced at Pan Qing and glossed over the matter with a smile, saying, "It’s nothing. Just a little spat between young girls. Once things are cleared up, all is well!"
Pan Qing was taken aback.
Madam Jiang nearly choked with frustration.
With Old Madam Tang’s heavy-handed framing, even if Pan Qing were blameless, she would leave the impression among the ladies present of being narrow-minded, unwilling to yield or endure, and fond of stirring up trouble. And Pan Qing was precisely at the age when marriage arrangements were being discussed...
Madam Jiang was not one to suffer in silence.
She immediately sighed and said helplessly, "Young girls these days, I don’t know what’s gotten into them? They hear a whisper and take it as a storm, turning a needle-sized matter into a raging tempest..." She recounted the entire incident. How Zhou Shaojin had been sent by Old Madam Guo to fetch something for Cheng Xu; how Wu Baozhang, who had never felt dizzy before, happened to step out for fresh air just as Zhou Shaojin and Cheng Xu were walking together, witnessing it firsthand; how Wu Baozhang had righteously scolded Zhou Shaojin for walking alone with Cheng Xu, and how Zhou Shaojin had been so flustered and helpless that she had to run to Pan Qing for support... She narrated it as though she had been there herself, painting Zhou Shaojin as the victim, Pan Qing as the righteous defender, and placing all the blame squarely on Wu Baozhang. Wu Baozhang was not present, and even if she were, few would recognize her. Meanwhile, Zhou Shaojin and Pan Qing—one gentle and meek, the other dignified and graceful—fit Madam Jiang’s descriptions perfectly. Even if some doubted her account, seeing these two girls made it difficult to remain skeptical.The Dowager Duchess of Liangguo listened with a furrowed brow, shaking her head as she remarked, "Truly, the morals of the world are in decline! How far they have fallen!"
Cheng Jia, on the other hand, stared wide-eyed like copper bells, looking at Zhou Shaojin in utter confusion, as if listening to some incomprehensible scripture.
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but admire Madam Jiang.
She truly had a way of turning the living into the dead and the dead into the living.
In the past, Zhou Shaojin had been somewhat afraid of Madam Jiang, but now it seemed her fear was not unwarranted.
That Madam Jiang was able to manage the affairs of the third branch was clearly no mere stroke of luck.
Of course, there were also those who believed the fault lay with Zhou Shaojin and Cheng Xu.
"Men and women should not share the same seat after the age of seven," said Madam Sun, the wife of the retired former Vice Minister of Personnel, to Old Madam Guo. "Fortunately, this happened within their own home, with maids and servants in attendance. If it had occurred elsewhere, it could have led to a major scandal."
Madam Yuan’s face darkened, and she raised her eyebrows as if about to step forward, but a cold glance from Old Madam Guo stopped her in her tracks.
"What kind of major scandal is this?" Old Madam Guo lifted her teacup, blew gently on the floating leaves on the surface, and took a small sip before continuing, "The Buddha sees a beauty as nothing but a pile of dry bones, while a profligate young man sees her as a celestial maiden. I can only manage my own affairs—how could I possibly dictate who attains enlightenment and who descends into the eighteen layers of hell?"
Madam Sun’s expression turned somewhat unpleasant.
Madam Lin, the wife of Instructor Lin, quickly interjected with a smile, "Hearing Old Madam Guo speak like this reminds me of a story." She began recounting, "Years ago, my husband had a student whose family lived near an incense and candle shop. He often saw a young and beautiful Daoist nun selecting incense and candles there. One day, the shopkeeper’s son was minding the store when the Daoist nun came again. The two exchanged a few words, and then the shopkeeper’s son was replaced by a young apprentice. Nearly an hour later, the shopkeeper’s son escorted the Daoist nun out.
"He grew suspicious and began paying closer attention whenever he passed by the incense and candle shop.
"Through his observations, he discovered that the shopkeeper’s son would mind the store on the first and fifteenth days of each month. In the afternoon, the Daoist nun would come to select incense and candles, after which the two would retreat to the back of the shop. An hour later, the shopkeeper’s son would escort the Daoist nun out.
"He reported this to the authorities,
"claiming that the shopkeeper’s son and the Daoist nun were involved in an improper relationship.
"To everyone’s surprise, the investigation revealed that the Daoist nun was actually over forty years old. However, as a disciple of Wudang and a practitioner of internal martial arts, she appeared to be in her early twenties. The owner of the incense and candle shop was her own elder sister, who had been bedridden for several years. The Daoist nun, while traveling through Jinling, learned of her sister’s condition and would come on the first and fifteenth days of each month to give her massages. The shopkeeper’s son was, in fact, her own nephew…"
The hall erupted into a cacophony of voices, with everyone offering their own opinions.
Even the elderly Dowager Duchess of Liangguo, who had heard many strange tales in her time, grew intrigued and asked Madam Lin, "What happened afterward?"
"What else could happen?" Madam Lin sighed. "As a scholar with an official title, the authorities dismissed the case as a 'misunderstanding.' Yet the scholar refused to admit his mistake, insisting that the fault lay with the shopkeeper’s son—that men and women should maintain proper distance, and even if she was his aunt, he should have avoided such interactions!"
Madam Sun remarked, "There is some truth to what he said.""What logic is there in that?" The young woman wearing the bright red robe embroidered with butterflies and flowers, who had remained mostly silent until now, suddenly spoke up. "That incense and candle shop owner is just a poor commoner from a humble family. Who knows if he can even read or write? Expecting him to abide by such rules—does he even understand them? Otherwise, why would the imperial court include 'moral education' as one of the criteria in the annual evaluations for officials?"
Old Madam Sun couldn’t help but feel somewhat embarrassed and said, "Master Liu truly lives up to his reputation as a 'capable official.' Even Madam Liu is so well-versed in the ways of officialdom."
So this young woman was the wife of Jiangning County Magistrate Liu Mingju.
Judging by her tone, her maiden family likely had officials as well.
Zhou Shaojin observed her and noticed Madam Wu and Cheng Xian walking in, chatting and laughing softly. Their conversation could still be faintly heard: "...I also think Yu Ji’s rouge is better than Xie Fuxiang’s, but Xie Fuxiang’s face powder is superior to Yu Ji’s."
Cheng Xian replied, "Exactly. That’s why I have someone bring me a dozen boxes of Xie Fuxiang’s face powder from Jinling City every year. I can use it myself or give it as gifts." As she spoke, she looked up, as if only then noticing Zhou Shaojin and Pan Qing in the hall. She then affectionately said to Pan Qing, "You child, where have you been? I’ve been looking all over for you!" She then asked Zhou Shaojin, "Weren’t you supposed to be with Miss Wu? Why isn’t Miss Wu here?"
Zhou Shaojin’s eyes flickered, instinctively sensing Cheng Xian’s ill intentions.
Before she could speak, Madam Wu smiled and said, "I sent her home first—our master has guests from his hometown who said they watched Miss Wu grow up and came specifically to pay their respects to her."
Whether this was true or not, no one would spoil the mood by probing further. Everyone smiled, and the matter was brushed aside.
When the banquet began, Zhou Shaojin took Wu Baozhang’s seat.
Pan Qing made small talk, trying to engage Zhou Shaojin in conversation.
Zhou Shaojin remained her usual reticent self, responding only once for every ten sentences Pan Qing spoke. Pan Qing grew exhausted from the effort, while Cheng Jia grew increasingly irritated. Before the banquet ended, she pulled Zhou Shaojin aside and whispered, "Why is Pan Qing being so friendly with you? Did you speak up for her earlier?"
"Why couldn’t it be that Pan Qing spoke up for me?" Zhou Shaojin replied. "Why do you care what she’s up to? She’ll be leaving in a few days anyway."
Cheng Jia was half-convinced, half-doubtful.
Zhou Shaojin had never been entangled in such matters before. Now that the storm had passed and she saw Wu Baozhang being looked down upon by the elders, she felt no sense of victory, only deep exhaustion.
She drank two bowls of shad fish soup, broke into a light sweat, and finally felt refreshed.
After watching the fireworks and helping the second branch see off the guests, Zhou Shaojin and the others returned to the fourth branch. The second watch drum had already sounded.
Old Madam Guan looked weary and instructed Zhou Shaojin and the others, "Go and rest now! We can discuss anything else tomorrow."
Everyone curtsied and withdrew.
Madam Mian reminded the sisters a few words like "be careful with the candles" before parting ways with Zhou Shaojin and her sister.
Seeing no one around, Zhou Shaojin had Shi Xiang, Chixiang, and the others follow at a distance. She then quietly recounted everything that had happened after returning to the Siyi Pavilion to Zhou Chujin.Zhou Chujin was first shocked, then found it both laughable and exasperated. "So you're actually quite proud of yourself! It's sheer ignorance and fearlessness. With so many people sitting in the open hall, each one capable of scheming with just a flicker of their eyes, you actually dared to plot against Wu Baozhang. If this had been exposed, how did you plan to handle it?"
As they spoke, the two entered Fragrant Garden Residence.
Zhou Shaojin said, "I was just so furious at the time, I didn't think that far ahead."
Looking back now, it was indeed quite perilous.
If this had happened in her previous life, given her timidity, she would have most likely endured it.
Wu Baozhang would have either used this matter to threaten her or to curry favor with her. Whether the former or the latter, things would have unfolded as they did in her past life—feeling guilty, she would have had no choice but to maintain frequent contact with Wu Baozhang. Wu Baozhang would have gotten to know Cheng Jia, and through her, Madam Zheng, who was closely connected to Cheng Jia...
But today, everything was different.
After being "commented on" by the Dowager of Liangguo Manor in such a manner, Wu Baozhang could forget about integrating into the social circles of Jinling's noble ladies. Even families of modest standing would not allow their daughters to associate too closely with her.
She and Wu Baozhang probably wouldn't have much interaction in the future, right?
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With official confirmation from the editor, the novel will enter VIP status next month, starting December 1st. Dear sisters, please help save a few pink tickets for me. Thank you!
Oo~
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