Zhоu Shаоjin slерt soundly аnd wоkе uр thе next daу fеeling refrеshed and сlеаr-hеаdеd. She evеn took great carе tо stylе her hаir intо а hаnging bun, adоrnеd with а gоld hаirband аnd jeweled hаirрins. Shi Xiаng couldn't helр but praisе, "Secоnd Мiss, уоu lооk аbsolutelу bеautiful! Yоu shоuld hаve drеssed uр likе this everу dаy lоng ago."
Thе dazzling gems aссеntuatеd Zhou Shaojin's snоw-likе сomрlехiоn, mаking hеr bright eуеs spаrkle.
"Тhat would bе toо muсh trоuble!" Shе аdjustеd hеr sleeves, hеr fingers brushing over the pink Нangzhou silk robе embroidеred with а subtlе pаttern of lotus flowers and the swastika symbol, which made her skin appear even more delicate and fair. "Just styling this hair took nearly half an hour. By midday when I take a nap, I’ll have to undo it and restyle it again. I’d rather spend that free time in the garden to see which flowers have bloomed—after finishing the summer clothes for my sister and me, I plan to make a few bottles of floral water. Perhaps I can even finish them in time for Grandmother’s birthday."
"Wonderful!" Shi Xiang loved seeing Zhou Shaojin like this, like the first flower blooming in the morning mist—not only beautiful but also full of vibrant energy that made one yearn for more, brightening the atmosphere of the room. "When the time comes, this servant will assist you, Second Miss. I’ll follow your instructions and make sure not to delay your plans."
Chunwan, who had just entered carrying shoes, overheard and, without even giving Zhou Shaojin a chance to choose which shoes to wear that day, eagerly asked, "Second Miss, to make floral water, do we need to have a craftsman make that barrel you drew the other day? I wonder if Steward Ma can find a highly skilled carpenter?" "What’s so difficult about that barrel?" Zhou Shaojin examined the shoes in Chunwan’s hands and selected a pair of plain high-soled shoes in indigo blue with silver-red piping. "It’s similar to the steamers used for making steamed buns in the north. Most craftsmen can make it well. The real challenge lies in the glass bottles. Floral water is volatile, and to seal the fragrance inside the bottle, we’ll need to find a tinsmith to make lids for the glass bottles. That’s a skilled task—if the lids are too thin, they’ll break after a few uses; if they’re too thick, they’ll weigh down the glass bottles and look top-heavy and unattractive. And as for the glass bottles, I’m not sure where we can have them custom-made."
As she worried over this, Chunwan was captivated by her description, her eyes gleaming with excitement. She asked eagerly, "Second Miss, when ordering the glass bottles, could we also order a few glass beads? We could later inlay them into hairpins. The other day, I saw a woman on the street wearing a hairpin adorned with glass beads. When the sun shone on them, they sparkled even more beautifully than gemstones..."
"I didn’t know Chunwan liked glass beads?" Zhou Shaojin asked Shi Xiang, "Do you like them too? How about we order more beads when the time comes and share them with all the sisters in the courtyard?"
"Great! Wonderful!" Chunwan clapped her hands in delight.
Zhou Shaojin’s room was filled with laughter and joy.
Zhou Chujin, however, had only fallen asleep late into the night and woke up a bit later in the morning. Hearing her sister’s laughter from time to time, she thought for a moment and instructed Dongwan, "Go and tell Second Miss that I had some business to attend to at Eldest Aunt’s place this morning. Ask her to go to Grandmother’s to pay her respects at three quarters past the hour of the Dragon, and I’ll wait for her there." Dongwan smiled and went to deliver the message to Zhou Shaojin.
Zhou Chujin then hastily finished her breakfast and headed to Heming Hall.
Old Madam Guan had just finished her morning incense offering. Seeing Zhou Chujin alone, she asked curiously, "Where’s Shaojin? Could she be tired from yesterday? Is she alright?"
"No!" Zhou Chujin took the teacup from the maid and placed it in front of Old Madam Guan, hesitating as if she had something to say but couldn’t bring herself to speak.Old Madam Guan took a sip of tea, dismissed the servants in the room, and asked solemnly, "What happened?"
Zhou Chujin recounted everything that had occurred between Zhou Shaojin and Wu Baozhang the previous day.
Upon hearing this, Old Madam Guan frowned deeply, but as Zhou Chujin continued her account, her expression gradually softened. By the time Zhou Chujin finished speaking, Old Madam Guan was smiling gently and said, "What are you worried about? Are you afraid others will think Shaojin is too cunning and dislike her?"
Zhou Chujin nodded.
Old Madam Guan chuckled, "But look at yesterday—did anything happen to Shaojin?"
Zhou Chujin whispered, "That was just luck... she dragged all the other branches into it..."
"Plans depend on people, success depends on heaven. If she was lucky enough to extricate herself, that is her good fortune." Old Madam Guan patted the brocade cushion beside her, signaling Zhou Chujin to sit next to her. "Given Shaojin's situation at the time, Eldest Miss Wu clearly harbored ill intentions. Fortunately, Shaojin was clever enough to seize the opportunity while the elderly ladies from all branches were present and brought the matter into the open. If it had happened in another setting, she might not have been so fortunate. This shows that although Shaojin is usually timid and submissive, she knows how to protect herself when it matters. That is a great blessing, so you needn’t worry."
Zhou Chujin sat down beside her grandmother and hesitantly added, "There’s another matter... The reason Eldest Miss Wu said those things was because she saw Cheng Xu chasing after Shaojin..." She then told Old Madam Guan about Cheng Xu.
Old Madam Guan was so shocked her jaw nearly dropped. Holding her teacup, she didn’t know whether to drink or set it down. After a long pause, she finally said, "You... are you telling the truth?"
"I’m repeating Shaojin’s words exactly as she told me," Zhou Chujin replied. "Not a single word added or omitted!"
Old Madam Guan stood up and paced back and forth in the room twice before gradually calming down.
Zhou Chujin said, "If this is true, should we temporarily avoid going to Cold Green Mountain House?"
"No!" Old Madam Guan replied without hesitation. "If Shaojin stops going to Cold Green Mountain House just because of Eldest Miss Wu’s words, it might look like 'protesting too much' to those with ulterior motives. Not only should Shaojin continue going, but she should also act exactly as she did before." Then, shifting her tone, she added, "However, your concern is not unfounded. I’ll send someone to Cold Green Mountain House to inquire. There’s no smoke without fire. Given Old Madam Guo’s shrewdness and worldly wisdom, she should already be aware of this matter. In principle, she ought to admonish Cheng Xu. But she has always kept her thoughts to herself, so I’m not entirely sure what she’ll do."
This was precisely why Zhou Chujin had come to see her grandmother alone.
She nodded repeatedly.
Old Madam Guan sent Si'er to fetch Mama Wang, whispered instructions to her, and Mama Wang left for Cold Green Mountain House.
At Cold Green Mountain House, Madam Yuan stood meekly behind Old Madam Guo, who was seated on a carved red lacquer luohan bed adorned with plum blossom patterns, slowly eating blood glutinous rice porridge. Cheng Xu knelt on the stone-paved floor, his knees aching from the hard surface. He stole a glance at his mother and grandmother, then subtly shifted his position.
Suddenly, a cold snort from his grandmother echoed through the room like a thunderclap.
Cheng Xu hurriedly straightened his posture but couldn’t resist glancing at his mother from the corner of his eye.
Madam Yuan’s heart felt as if it were being torn apart.A piece of flesh that fell from her own body, grown this big yet never suffered such humiliation before.
When it came down to it, it was all that Wu Baozhang's fault, spreading rumors and stirring up trouble. And then there was Zhou Shaojin—she could have just brushed it off with a few words, but she had to make sure everyone knew about it. She wasn't exactly restrained or composed either.
She looked up toward her mother-in-law.
Seeing that her mother-in-law had set down her porridge bowl and picked up a steamed bun, Madam Yuan quickly handed over a small clay dish, softly reminding her, "Mother, look, it's almost the hour of Chen now. Eldest Young Master has been kneeling for nearly half an hour already, and he still has to attend the clan school later..."
"Oh, he has to go to school!" Old Madam Guo set down the small clay dish and spoke slowly and softly. "What they teach in the clan school are the teachings of the sages. He's been listening to them for nearly ten years now, hasn't he? Yet it seems not a single word has sunk in. So what's the point of going to the clan school? To stand there like a shadow? Or to earn the eight taels of silver the clan provides each month for writing materials?"
Her words were exceptionally sharp.
Madam Yuan trembled with anger, her fingertips shaking.
How could her mother-in-law speak of Eldest Young Master like that? What did Eldest Young Master have to do with any of this...
Cheng Xu's face flushed crimson, as if blood could drip from it at any moment.
He cried out, "Grandmother!" but when he looked up, he met Old Madam Guo's stern, piercing gaze.
Cheng Xu froze.
He had only seen his grandmother like this when he was very young. Back then, it was his father kneeling on the ground. Though young, he knew his grandmother doted on the younger generation the most, so he hadn't felt afraid—instead, he was quite curious.
Now that he was the one kneeling here, he finally understood the humiliation his father must have felt back then.
Cheng Xu swallowed all the words of defense he had prepared, lowered his head, and knelt even straighter.
Only then did Old Madam Guo's expression soften slightly, and she began to eat her bun.
The room fell silent, the faint clinking of porcelain and the sound of chewing making the atmosphere somewhat oppressive.
Madam Yuan watched her kneeling son anxiously.
Old Madam Guo paid no attention, not until she had finished her breakfast, washed her hands, and picked up her teacup did she say, "Go to school. From now on, you are excused from the evening greetings."
"Mother!"
"Grandmother!"
Madam Yuan and Cheng Xu turned to Old Madam Guo in unison, their faces filled with shock.
Old Madam Guo slammed her teacup heavily onto the table, producing a series of clinking sounds.
She demanded of Cheng Xu, "What? Do I no longer have the authority to give you orders?"
"No, no!" Cheng Xu said urgently, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. "I... I just didn't expect..."
"Didn't expect? There are plenty of things you haven't expected!" Old Madam Guo sneered. "I raised three sons, and not one of them was like you. When your father was your age, he already knew to serve your grandfather in the study..."
Next, she should be saying who Eldest Young Master's temperament really took after, shouldn't she?
Madam Yuan's heart felt as if it were being squeezed by something, making it hard to breathe.
Cheng Xu hung his head in shame.
But contrary to Madam Yuan's expectations, Old Madam Guo stopped there and did not continue. Instead, she waved her hand dismissively at Cheng Xu and said indifferently, "You may withdraw."
Cheng Xu dared not linger. He braced his knees and stood up.
Seeing her son stumble, Madam Yuan's heart ached terribly. She wanted to step forward to support Cheng Xu, but a cold glance from Old Madam Guo frightened her into retreating.
Cheng Xu limped out of the room, where his personal servant Huanxi hurried forward to meet him."Young Master, what happened..." he asked while supporting Cheng Xu.
Cheng Xu rubbed his legs, which were so numb he could barely lift them, and said gloomily, "Don't even ask! I was severely scolded by Grandmother."
Huanxi dared not inquire further and helped Cheng Xu slowly walk out.
Da Su silently followed behind them.
Why is this person so dull?
Huanxi muttered to himself, then called out to Da Su, "Come over and help the Young Master!"
Da Su quietly stepped forward, but Cheng Xu waved his hand and said, "No need! I don’t require your service here. Go to the clan school and ask for leave on my behalf!"
"Young Master!" both exclaimed in unison.
If the Madam found out, wouldn’t she break their legs!
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A few days ago, a reader pointed out in the book review that Cheng Chi should be a paternal uncle, not a maternal uncle. I checked, and indeed it should be paternal uncle. I extend my thanks to that reader here.
If there are any other errors, please feel free to point them out.
Oo~
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OpenNovel