Аfter hearing Сhеng Jia's aсcount, Zhоu Shаоjin wаs stunnеd. It tоok her а long moment before shе sаid, "Is Wu Bаozhаng оut оf hеr mind? This is thе Сhеng fаmilу's wedding. Еven though the mаin brаnch аnd Nine Prosрerities Lаne havе sераrаtеd, wе still share thе sаme аnсеstors. Нow соuld she slandеr mе so rеcklessly withоut worrying abоut tаrnishing thе Chеng family's reрutаtiоn? She wаsn't likе this bеfоrе."
Еven whеn shе used tо do bаd things, she would dо them sесrеtly, digging рits bеhind оthеrs' backs. If yоu fell into one, she wоuld hypoсriticallу eхtеnd a hаnd to pull you up and help you.
This time, however, she charged in bare-armed, exposing her intentions to everyone's gaze.
Zhou Shaojin chided Cheng Jia, "And you, why stoop to her level? By calling her Cousin Nuo's concubine, aren't you ruining Cousin Nuo's reputation? You should have asked Madam Yuan to step in—since she caused this mess, she should clean it up herself. Otherwise, you could have gone to the Old Lady. She wouldn't dare ignore it, but you ended up dragging yourself into it."
Cheng Jia snorted and said, "I don't have your good temper. I wanted to give her a good scolding first. Anyway, I'm a married daughter now, and I hardly ever return to my maiden home. Even if I do go back, it'll be to Jinling. They can say whatever they want about me—I won't hear it, so their words are wasted."
Zhou Shaojin smiled and thanked her, "I know you did it all for my sake!"
"It's good that you understand!" Cheng Jia shot her a sidelong glance, first putting on an expression that said, "You're too useless, so I won't hold it against you," before her shoulders slumped in dejection. "That's why I was chased out by Madam Guo..."
Madam Guo, Cheng Chi's eldest maternal aunt.
Zhou Shaojin was surprised and asked, "Was Madam Guo there at the time?"
"Yes!" Cheng Jia replied listlessly. "She didn't say anything while I was speaking, but after I finished, she stepped forward. Smiling, she approached and said something like, 'You and I grew up together. When Wu Baozhang married into the family, I was busy preparing for my own wedding and only met her a couple of times. Before marriage, I was the only daughter of the third branch and married into a prestigious century-old family in Luoyang. I've been spoiled and sometimes speak without thinking. Please don't take it to heart.' Then she had someone drag me out of the banquet hall, while she herself took Wu Baozhang's arm and offered to introduce her to Madam Shen of the Jinling Shen family, saying that Madam Shen was a cousin of Aunt Wen's maiden family. Since Aunt Wen couldn't attend, Wu Baozhang, as the daughter-in-law, should at least pay her respects to Madam Shen... Cousin Zheng was at Tingxiang Courtyard helping the Old Lady entertain several elderly ladies. Cousin Xiao was assisting Madam Yuan in receiving the titled ladies, and Cousin Sheng was busy discussing the arrangements for tomorrow and the day after with the household stewards. I had nowhere to go, so I came here to you."
As she spoke, she chuckled quietly and added, "I ran into Cousin Xiao's husband, Brother-in-Law Yuan. He's quite amusing. He was also outside helping with the guests and joked with Li Jing, saying, 'In other families, sons-in-law and married daughters returning home are seated at the head table, but here we are, working ourselves to the bone. When the feast starts, we just grab a bowl of rice by the kitchen door. After the wedding, we'll have to ask the Old Lady for a big red envelope, or we'll be at a huge loss.'"
At family celebrations, sons-in-law and brothers-in-law are supposed to be seated at the head table.If one had to blame something, it could only be that the family's affairs relied too heavily on Cheng Chi. By the time Cheng Chi himself got married, there was actually no capable person to assist him.
Zhou Shaojin felt heartache for Cheng Chi and couldn't help but silently criticize Madam Yuan in her mind: Cheng Chi was also a scholar who had passed both imperial examinations. He could manage the Cheng family's affairs, so when Cheng Chi got married, couldn't she put in some effort to help him with the arrangements?
In the future, when Cheng Xu got married, she wouldn't ask Cheng Chi for help either.
Why always treat Cheng Chi as if he had nothing better to do!
It was also too disrespectful to Cheng Chi!
She asked, "Did many guests come to the house?"
"Many!" Cheng Jia nodded, "Just the outer courtyard alone had over a hundred tables set up. They said Grand Secretary Yuan, Grand Secretary Song, Grand Secretary Qu... and also the Chancellor of the Hanlin Academy, Lord Wu, Lord He from the Office of Transmission, and Lord Zhou, the Left Chief Inspector of the Surveillance Bureau, all came!" As she spoke, she giggled again, "Li Jing said it was almost like a grand court assembly. Apart from the grand secretaries, the officials from the Six Ministries and Three Courts each sat separately, each looking for their own superiors to speak with..."
Zhou Shaojin was astonished. Thinking of that scene, she also laughed along.
Cheng Jia then said, "Are you hungry? Do you want me to quietly get you some food?"
"No need!" Zhou Shaojin glanced at Zhenzhu, untied a pouch from her waist, opened it, and smiled, "Sister prepared some sugar cakes for me, saying that if I got hungry, I could eat a few pieces."
Cheng Jia giggled.
Zhenzhu and the others also smiled, but they all lowered their heads, pretending as if "I know nothing."
Zhou Shaojin asked, "Will there still be opera performances at home tomorrow and the day after?"
In her memory, after the relatives were acknowledged on the second day of the wedding, the wedding sheds would begin to be dismantled.
Cheng Jia nodded and smiled, "I heard from the stewardesses that there will be grand opera performances for three consecutive days."
This was too ostentatious!
Cheng Jia chattered away with Zhou Shaojin for a long time.
Although most of the time Cheng Jia was speaking and Zhou Shaojin was listening, with Cheng Jia's company, time passed particularly quickly. In what seemed like the blink of an eye, they heard Cui Huan calling for Cheng Jia through the window lattice of the bridal chamber: "Madam, the master is looking for you everywhere. He says it's getting late, and you should come back tomorrow."
Only then did Cheng Jia wink at Zhou Shaojin and say ambiguously, "I'll come see you tomorrow, and we can have a good heart-to-heart talk."
If it's a heart-to-heart talk, then just say it's a heart-to-heart talk. Was there any need to put on such an expression?
Zhou Shaojin, puzzled, had Zhenzhu see Cheng Jia out. Remembering that Cheng Jia had just mentioned many guests in the outer courtyard, she thought Cheng Chi wouldn't return so early. She instructed Zhenzhu to tidy up the peanuts, red dates, longans, and other things scattered on the bed. She had been worrying about the wedding night these past few days, and having gotten up before dawn to wash, bathe, and dress up, she felt very tired. She decided to lean against the bedside for a while and wait for Cheng Chi to return.
Zhenzhu and the others, having received instructions earlier from Old Madam Guo and Cheng Chi, smiled and agreed. They remade the bed for her, brought in a bowl of sweet soup, and then withdrew to the outer room, keeping watch in the resting chamber.
Zhou Shaojin leaned against the head of the bed and dozed off lightly, half-asleep.
After an unknown amount of time, she heard noises outside and the low voice of Cheng Chi: "Has the fourth madam gone to sleep?"
She immediately woke up, stood up, and quickly walked to the door, lifting the curtain.
Cheng Chi, his face slightly flushed, was standing there while Zhenzhu directed Yuanyuan and Manman to help him change his clothes.
For no apparent reason, Zhou Shaojin's face flushed bright red in an instant.
Cheng Chi immediately looked over.Zhou Shaojin was still wearing her bright red wedding gown. Though she had removed her hairpins and ornaments, her hair remained styled as it was when she arrived for the wedding, adorned with kingfisher feather flowers and gold hairpins inlaid with gemstones of various colors. Under the lamplight, her face glowed like a red lotus—delicate and exquisite, with eyes as dark as lacquer.
Cheng Chi couldn’t help but smile at her.
Zhou Shaojin’s face flushed even redder.
She wondered whether she should step forward to help him change his clothes, but worried it might not be proper.
While she hesitated, Cheng Chi already chuckled and said, “Go inside quickly. I’ll wash my face and join you shortly.”
Shaojin retreated shyly into the inner chamber.
All around was silent, save for the steady ticking of a Western clock, which only deepened the stillness.
Zhou Shaojin sat nervously on the new bed, her thoughts in disarray. So there was a Western clock in the bridal chamber. She wondered if it was a tall floor clock or one placed on a long table. It must be an imported item, right? In her previous life, she had glimpsed one from afar in the palace but never knew how such clocks were made, or how they could replace water clocks for keeping time...
Her hands twisted tightly together.
Cheng Chi entered, now changed into an ordinary sapphire-blue cotton robe from Huhang.
Zhou Shaojin immediately stood up.
Her tense demeanor made it seem as though he were about to do something to her.
Cheng Chi couldn’t hold back a laugh and asked gently, “Are you tired?”
Was Cheng Chi laughing at her for being too unreserved?
But she truly was overjoyed to see him...
Zhou Shaojin nodded, then realized it might be improper to complain of weariness on her wedding day, so she quickly shook her head.
Cheng Chi walked toward her.
Outside, the second watch drum sounded faintly.
Zhou Shaojin was surprised.
She had thought it was already the third watch.
How had he returned so early?
With so many guests outside, could he simply not attend to them?
As if reading her thoughts, Cheng Chi smiled and said, “Today, I’m the groom. I’m the one in charge. If I can’t even decide when to return to the bridal chamber, what kind of groom would I be?”
His arrogant tone made Zhou Shaojin laugh.
Cheng Chi then said, “Let’s rest soon! Tomorrow will be busy enough!” As he spoke, he moved the lamp originally placed by the bedside to the tea table by the window.
The large pomegranate depicted on the mother-of-pearl inlaid screen separating the bed and the heated brick bed seemed to split open, revealing its crimson seeds, blocking the light from the dragon-and-phoenix wedding candles and the lamp.
The inner chamber darkened.
Zhou Shaojin grew nervous again.
She uttered an “oh” and turned her back to Cheng Chi to remove her wedding gown.
Her hands trembled so much that it took a long while to undo just one button.
A warm presence approached her from behind.
Cheng Chi whispered in her ear, “Let me help you!”
“No!” Zhou Shaojin’s voice came out sharper than intended.
Even she was startled by the sound of it.
Cheng Chi understood immediately.
A flicker of pity passed through his eyes.
Then, feigning nonchalance, he chuckled and said, “Alright, then hurry up. I’m going to draw the bed curtains.”
The warmth beside her receded.
Suddenly, Zhou Shaojin’s eyes grew moist.
With a few rough movements, she clumsily removed her wedding gown, bit her lip, and gently lifted the curtains of the black lacquered bed inlaid with mother-of-pearl.
Inside the curtains, it was even darker.
It took her a moment to adjust to the dim light within the bed.
She saw Cheng Chi already lying on the outer side.
Carefully, she climbed onto the bed from the foot end, her fingers cold as she quietly lifted a corner of the quilt and lay down on the inner side.
A long arm reached out.
Zhou Shaojin was pulled into Cheng Chi’s embrace.
Through the thin fabric of her sleeves, she could feel his warm chest and sturdy arms.
She couldn’t stop trembling.Cheng Chi had originally intended to tease her a bit more, but he now realized that would be inappropriate.
She was genuinely afraid!
Not nervous or flustered, but truly frightened!
Cheng Chi held her tightly in his arms, kissed her forehead, and whispered softly, "Shao Jin, I promised your father that we would wait a few more years before consummating our marriage. You’re still too young..."
Zhou Shaojin widened her eyes in surprise.
In the dim light, they sparkled like precious gems.
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