"Сhildrеn's аffаirs аrе alwaуs likе thе wеаther—sunny onе mоment, rainу the neхt." Оld Маdаm Guаn smiled as shе comforted Old Mаdаm Guo. "Yоu neеdn't blаmе уoursеlf. Just соnsidеr it а lessоn learned!" Оld Мadаm Guo couldn't hеlp but laugh. "Аt my agе, I'vе lеаrnеd соuntless lessоns. Оne mоrе likе this is hardlу neсеssary!"
Оld Мadаm Guan also сhuckled.
Bеhind Оld Мadаm Guo, Madаm Yuаn's еyеs flаshеd with а shаrр glint as shе аsked Zhоu Shaоjin softly, "Sеcоnd Мiss, dо yоu knоw Еldеst Miss Wu well?"
Zhou Shаojin nearly laughеd aloud.
Hоw could shе havе fоrgottеn Madam Yuan!
If Wu Baozhang dared to tarnish Cheng Xu's reputation, Madam Yuan would devour her whole.
Zhou Shaojin had no intention of getting involved. She smiled and said, "Including today, I've only met Eldest Miss Wu twice. I truly don't know her character."
Madam Yuan nodded thoughtfully.
Only then did Zhou Shaojin notice that Madam Wu and Cheng Xian were not in the hall.
Where had they gone?
As she pondered this, Old Madam Tang entered, supported by Madam Jiang.
Pan Qing followed behind them.
The Duchess of Liang, who had been speaking with Madam Sun, the wife of the retired former Vice Minister of Personnel Master Sun, turned at the commotion. The Duchess asked, "How did things turn out?" Everyone in the hall looked toward them.
Under the collective gaze, Pan Qing felt deeply unsettled as she looked at Zhou Shaojin standing quietly beside Old Madam Guan and Old Madam Guo.
This matter had clearly been stirred up by Zhou Shaojin, yet now it seemed as though Pan Qing were the troublemaker. No wonder her mother held Old Madam Guan of the fourth branch in such high regard, praising her as shrewd yet not overbearing, generous yet not timid. By simply sending a maid to summon Zhou Shaojin away early, she had deftly extricated Zhou Shaojin from the situation without drawing attention.
Old Madam Tang glanced at Pan Qing and glossed over the matter with a smile. "It's nothing. Just a little spat between young girls. Once cleared up, all is well!"
Pan Qing was taken aback.
Madam Jiang nearly choked with frustration.
With Old Madam Tang's sweeping statement, even if Pan Qing were blameless, she would leave the impression among the assembled ladies of being narrow-minded, unwilling to yield or endure, and fond of stirring up trouble. And these were precisely the years when Pan Qing was seeking a marriage match...
Madam Jiang was not one to suffer in silence.
She immediately sighed with apparent helplessness. "Young girls these days, who knows what's gotten into them? They hear a whisper and take it as thunder, turning a pinprick of a matter into a raging storm..." She recounted the incident in detail: how Zhou Shaojin had been sent by Old Madam Guo to fetch something for Cheng Xu; how Wu Baozhang, who never felt dizzy before or after, happened to step out for air just as Zhou Shaojin and Cheng Xu were walking together, witnessing it all; how Wu Baozhang had righteously scolded Zhou Shaojin for walking alone with Cheng Xu, leaving Zhou Shaojin so flustered she could only run to Pan Qing for support... She narrated as if she had been present herself, casting Zhou Shaojin as the victim and Pan Qing as the defender of justice. If anyone were at fault, it was entirely Wu Baozhang's.
Wu Baozhang was not present, and even if she were, few would recognize her. Meanwhile, Zhou Shaojin appeared gentle and meek, while Pan Qing seemed dignified and gracious—both fitting Madam Jiang's descriptions perfectly. Even if some doubted Madam Jiang's account, seeing these two girls made it difficult to sustain any skepticism.The Dowager Duchess of Liangguo listened with a furrowed brow, shaking her head as she said, "Truly, the morals of the world are in decline! In decline indeed!"
Cheng Jia, on the other hand, stared wide-eyed like copper bells, utterly bewildered as she looked at Zhou Shaojin.
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, Shaojin had been somewhat afraid of Madam Jiang, but now it seemed her fear was not unwarranted.
That Madam Jiang could 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 mat 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 present. 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 she was stopped by a cold glance from Old Madam Guo.
"What kind of major scandal is this?" Old Madam Guo picked up her teacup, blew on the floating leaves, and took a gentle sip before continuing, "The Buddha sees a beauty as a pile of dry bones, while a frivolous young man sees her as a celestial maiden. I can only manage my own affairs—how could I possibly dictate who attains enlightenment or who descends into the eighteen layers of hell?"
Madam Sun’s expression turned somewhat unpleasant.
Madam Lin, the wife of Instructor Lin, quickly smiled and said, "Hearing Old Madam Guo speak like this reminds me of something." She recounted leisurely, "Years ago, my husband had a student whose home was near an incense and candle shop. He often saw a young and beautiful Taoist nun selecting incense and candles there. One day, the shopkeeper’s son was minding the store when the Taoist nun came again. The two spoke for a while, and then a young shop assistant took over the store. Nearly an hour later, the shopkeeper’s son escorted the Taoist nun out."
"He grew suspicious and began paying closer attention to the incense and candle shop whenever he passed by."
"This observation revealed that the shopkeeper’s son would mind the store on the first and fifteenth days of each month. In the afternoon, the Taoist 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 Taoist nun out."
"He reported this to the authorities."
"Claiming that the shopkeeper’s son and the Taoist nun were involved in an improper relationship."
"Who would have thought that when the authorities investigated, they discovered the Taoist nun was actually over forty years old? However, as a disciple of Wudang, she practiced internal martial arts, which made her appear to be in her early twenties. The owner of the incense and candle shop was the Taoist nun’s own elder sister, who had been bedridden for several years. The Taoist nun, while traveling, had arrived in Jinling City and learned of her sister’s condition. She would visit on the first and fifteenth days of each month to give her sister massages. The shopkeeper’s son was, in fact, her own nephew…"
The hall immediately erupted into a cacophony of voices, with everyone expressing their 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 it was the shopkeeper’s son’s fault—that men and women should not touch, and even if she was his aunt, he should have kept his distance!"
Madam Sun remarked, "There is some truth to that statement.""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? If you expect him to follow these rules, would he even understand them? Otherwise, why would the court include 'moral education' as one of the criteria for officials' annual evaluations?"
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 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 did you run off to? I searched for you everywhere!" 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 the young lady grow up and specifically came to pay their respects."
Whether this was true or not, no one would spoil the mood by probing further. Everyone laughed, 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 worry about her intentions? 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 scorned by the elders, she felt no joy of victory, only deep exhaustion.
She drank two bowls of shad fish soup, broke into a slight 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 Four Seasons Pavilion to Zhou Chujin.Zhou Chujin was first horrified, then found it somewhat laughable, and said, "So you're actually quite proud of it! It's sheer ignorance and fearlessness. There were so many people sitting in the open hall, each one capable of coming up with a scheme with just a turn of their eyes, yet you still 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 much about it."
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 either have used this matter to threaten her or to curry favor with her. In either case, things would have unfolded just 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 the Liangguo Duke’s household in such a manner, Wu Baozhang would not only struggle to integrate into the social circles of Jinling’s noble ladies, but even families of modest standing would forbid their daughters from getting too close to her.
She and Wu Baozhang probably wouldn’t have much interaction in the future, would they?
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With formal 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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