Сhеng Сhi immediatеlу undеrstооd Zhou Shaojin's mеаning.
He wаs somewhаt surрrisеd.
In his viеw, fооd and desirе are human nature, nothing tо bе embаrrassеd аbоut.
Нe hаdn't ехреctеd her to be соncеrned even аbout her mоther-in-law.
Did this mеаn shе wоuld аlsо bе mindful of the sеrvаnts arоund hеr?
Сheng Сhi kissed hеr сheek аnd whisрerеd, "How abоut letting Mamа Fаn mаnagе matters arоund уоu, and hаving Nаnnу Shаng оvеrseе аffairs within уour rоoms?"
Zhou Shаojin thоught this аrrаngemеnt wаs quitе gоod.
Mamа Fan was not originallу a formidablе persоn; in her рrеvious lifе, she had no choice but to step forward and shield her from the storm. In this life, if she could take it easier, why not? Besides, Nanny Shang was no ordinary person—Si Lang must have his reasons for arranging things this way.
She nodded meekly.
Cheng Chi cupped her face and kissed her for a long while before murmuring, "You freshen up too, and we'll go see Mother."
Zhou Shaojin breathed a sigh of relief.
She had been afraid Cheng Chi would continue and stir up more trouble.
Before Cheng Chi could get out of bed, she hastily slipped on her shoes.
This provoked another hearty laugh from Cheng Chi.
After lingering in the room for quite some time, the two went to Old Madam Guo's quarters.
Old Madam Guo had received the news upon waking: Cheng Chi had returned and gone to the main chamber first.
A short absence feels sweeter than a honeymoon.
But the matter in Jining was significant.
She couldn't quite decide whether her son would first spend time with his wife before discussing Jining with her, or talk about Jining first and then join his wife... She dawdled while getting up and was sitting before the mirror having Chenxiang comb her hair when Zhenzhu walked in with a smile, saying, "Fourth Master and Fourth Mistress are here."
Old Madam Guo couldn't help but nod with a smile.
In such a short time, the two couldn't have done much.
Being able to pull themselves away from the comforts of intimacy showed they were people capable of great things.
Old Madam Guo quickly said, "Hurry and invite them in. The weather is so cold—be careful not to let them catch a chill."
Her tone couldn't help but brim with delight.
Zhenzhu smiled and assented, then went to usher Zhou Shaojin and Cheng Chi inside.
Seeing her son wearing a slightly worn indigo-blue cotton robe, his hair neatly combed and his face clean—dressed as he would be at home—Old Madam Guo knew he had already been attended to for washing up, which made her even happier. Then she looked at Zhou Shaojin: her hair styled in a bun, wearing a plain pink jacket and an oil-green eight-pleated skirt, standing gracefully beside her son, the pair looking like a perfect match. Old Madam Guo's joy overflowed onto her face. She pointed to the armchair beside her for her son to sit but beckoned Zhou Shaojin to sit next to her.
This placed Zhou Shaojin higher than Cheng Chi.
She felt slightly uncomfortable.
Old Madam Guo smiled and said, "We're family; no need to stand on ceremony." Then she asked Cheng Chi about the matter in Jining Prefecture: "What exactly happened? Your eldest brother says one thing, Grand Secretary Song another, and your second brother yet another."
Cheng Chi then recounted how he had been dispatched to Jining Prefecture on Grand Secretary Song's orders, how he had used force to suppress the officials who had incited the civil unrest, how the commander of the Jining Guard had been too timid and afraid to step forward, and how he had pressured the commander and the prefectural offices of Jining, Qingpu, and other areas to appease the laborers and punish the officials... Listening to this afterward, Old Madam Guo and Zhou Shaojin felt their hearts in their throats, let alone imagining the scene at the time.Old Madam Guo sighed, patting Zhou Shaojin's hand as she said, "Fortunately, you handled it appropriately. Your brother and Grand Secretary Song both had people speak on your behalf before the Emperor. You managed to get through this scare safely this time. In the future, if you encounter such matters again, you must not act recklessly. You must understand that in this world, no single person can decide everything. Even the Emperor is sometimes constrained by the Grand Secretariat, and the Grand Secretariat itself is sometimes constrained by the inner court. I don’t need to explain this further—you already understand. As an official, the most important thing is to know how to balance these relationships. Otherwise, you won’t be able to move an inch. Even if you wish to do something for the people, you’ll find yourself powerless despite your intentions."
Cheng Chi listened respectfully to her teachings.
Seeing the atmosphere suddenly turn serious, Old Madam Guo smiled and said, "Alright, alright. I’m old and outdated. The future belongs to you young people. If what I say makes sense, listen to it. If it doesn’t, just treat it as an old woman’s idle complaints, and don’t take it to heart."
Zhou Shaojin was deeply impressed.
Despite her age, the old madam’s thinking was clear, even more active than that of many young people.
She couldn’t help but think of her former mother-in-law, Lin Shisheng’s mother.
Lin’s mother paid no attention to matters outside the household, but within the inner quarters, everything had to be done according to her wishes. Once, Zhou Shaojin wanted to eat Longjing shrimp, and the cook managed to prepare it. When Lin’s mother found out, she frowned and scolded her, "How strange. Don’t always think about such unrefined things."
In Lin’s mother’s mind, only Beijing cuisine represented the proper way of the world.
Thinking of this, Zhou Shaojin’s heart suddenly sank.
In her previous life, Lin’s mother had passed away in the winter of the second year after she married into the Lin family.
That meant that around this time next year, Lin’s mother would fall ill and die.
And her death was entirely due to a minor cold.
She ought to inform Lin Shisheng.
But how could she tell him?
She didn’t want to have too much contact with the eldest daughter of the Mu family.
In her previous life, she had envied her for having both sons and daughters.
Although she knew her jealousy was unreasonable, it felt like a knot in her heart, making her uncomfortable whenever she thought about it.
That evening, she lay on top of Cheng Chi and spoke of this matter.
Since Cheng Chi knew of her reservations about intimacy, why would he ruin his own efforts for a moment of pleasure?
He wore only his inner trousers and had Zhou Shaojin stripped down to her bellyband and silk pants, holding her under the covers as they talked.
Zhou Shaojin’s body indeed softened.
Occasionally, he would take liberties, and she would only blush, her eyes misty with emotion as she gazed at him pitifully.
Cheng Chi drew in a sharp breath, finally understanding what it meant to "dig one’s own grave."
Once he had finally cooled down, Zhou Shaojin brought up the matter of the Lin family.
"Wealth and honor are determined by heaven," Cheng Chi said, somewhat distractedly, as he breathed in the fragrance of her neck and played with her slender fingers. "How long a person lives is determined by the King of Hell marking the ledger of life and death. How could you possibly interfere? You’ve already meddled in the Lin family’s affairs once before. Don’t get involved again."
Zhou Shaojin loved lying on top of Cheng Chi like this.
When he was clothed, his body didn’t seem particularly remarkable, but without clothes, he was quite sturdy, and his scent was pleasant... She wanted him to hold her as she slept.
Hearing Cheng Chi’s words, she tilted her head, finding a more comfortable position. Hesitantly, she said, "Is that really alright? After all, Lord Lin took me in..."Cheng Chi smiled and said, "He did take you in, but you also allowed the eldest daughter of the Mu family to become his wife in all but name. Think about it—who else besides you would respect that young lady of the Mu family so much? You’re even. It was just a transaction. Both parties were willing. If he had any ill intentions toward you, that would be his fault. The way he treated you was only right. Besides, the first thing you did after being reborn was to help the Mu family out of a tight spot. You brought the two of them together. Even if it were about repaying a favor, you’ve done enough for him. Think about it—if it weren’t for you, could he have smoothly married the eldest daughter of the Mu family? After the Mu family’s troubles, could their womenfolk have remained safe and sound? If you hadn’t helped him, where else could he have found someone as good as you to buy back the Mu family’s eldest daughter for him? And who else would have been content to be nothing more than a nominal wife to him?"
"Don’t worry about their family’s affairs anymore. If they realize you’re helping them, how would you explain it? What if they misunderstand you? How would you explain that?"
That’s right!
She could help Mu Shisheng for a while, but she couldn’t help him forever.
Yet, knowing that Mother Lin would die from a minor cold and doing nothing about it still weighed on her conscience.
But what Si Lang said also made sense.
How could she go against Si Lang?
Seeing her hesitation, Cheng Chi knew she was struggling with it. He sighed with a smile and ruffled her hair, saying, "When the time comes, just give them a warning. If they listen, fine; if they don’t, you can’t force it. Understand?"
"Understood, understood!" Zhou Shaojin replied happily, instinctively wrapping her snow-white arms around Cheng Chi’s neck and kissing his cheek.
Cheng Chi grumbled discontentedly, "Is this how you brush me off?"
"No!" Zhou Shaojin blushed, murmuring softly. Thinking that Cheng Chi was always the one taking the initiative between them, she gently kissed him again.
Her pink lips were like the first flower blooming on an early spring branch—delicate, tender, and tinged with a hint of shyness.
Cheng Chi’s blood surged with heat.
He smiled bitterly.
Sometimes, one really shouldn’t try to be a gentleman!
He tangled his lips with Zhou Shaojin’s, intimately exploring the secrets of her body.
Zhou Shaojin burned, trembled, convulsed, moaned, and wept softly… Her memories became fragmented, only recalling how she clung tightly to his neck, whispering in his ear, begging him, "Don’t do this… I’m uncomfortable… Take me, please… I beg you, don’t do this anymore…"
It felt as though she spent the entire night in the agony of unfulfilled longing.
Yet she didn’t even know what she was longing for.
When she woke the next day, Cheng Chi was no longer in bed.
But unlike usual, when even the heated bed felt somewhat cold and lonely, the curtains now held an indescribable warmth flowing within them.
She lay under the covers, perfectly still, the pillow beside her neatly squared as if untouched.
Zhou Shaojin thought of the wildness of the previous night.
Could it have been a dream?
She gritted her teeth, anxiously lowered her head, and pulled open her collar to look inside.
A pink lotus-patterned undergarment wrapped around her fullness.
Even the friction of her collar against her peaks caused a slight sting.
Zhou Shaojin’s face flushed hotly in an instant.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of marks blooming like flowers near her collarbone.
As if pricked by a needle, Zhou Shaojin hastily let go of her collar and tightly wrapped herself in the blanket.Si Lang... what a scoundrel!
Although he didn't actually do anything to her, those gestures and mannerisms... she truly had no idea there were so many variations... It would have been better if he had just taken her...
Zhou Shaojin bit her lip, gazing at the ceiling painted with blue-green lotus patterns. Her face flushed red, then turned pink. After a long while, she stomped her feet in frustration under the quilt, then threw off the covers and got out of bed. She began rummaging through the chests containing her dowry... when suddenly Chunwan's surprised voice came from behind: "Madam, what's wrong? What are you looking for? Why didn't you tell us when you got up?" As she spoke, she already draped a robe over Shaojin's shoulders, saying, "Madam, you should get back under the covers. Just tell me what you're looking for."
Zhou Shaojin's shoulders slumped.
She was looking for that erotic picture book she had misplaced somewhere... how could she possibly tell Chunwan about that!
※
Dear readers, today's update!
Tomorrow's update will still be around twelve o'clock!
PS: Perhaps the current monthly vote rules have changed, as new monthly votes occasionally appear. Sisters, please check your monthly votes. If any new ones appear, today is the last day of July—feel free to cast them for "Jinling Spring"!
O(∩_∩)O~
Thank you!
※ (To be continued ~^~)
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