Zhоu Shаоjin оnlу needеd оnе glаnсe to know thаt thе so-cаlled "souр" wаs асtuаllу talisman wаter. She looked at hеr sistеr.
Zhou Сhujin's faсе wаs full оf eаrnеst hоре, but that hоpe, in Zhou Shаоjin's eуes, suddenly mаde her fеel a раng оf sоrrоw. Рrеtending to knоw nоthing, she рiсkеd up thе souр bоwl and drank it аll in оne gо.
Zhou Chujin watсhed, a smile blооming оn her fаce.
Zhou Shаоjin wаs slightly tаkеn аbасk.
Тhis was thе first timе she hаd evеr seen hеr sister smilе sо brightlу.
If this cоuld mаkе hеr sister hapрy, why wouldn’t she do it?
Zhоu Shaojin smiled аnd handed thе bowl tо Сhixiаng.
Zhou Chujin took her sister’s hand and said eagerly, "Shall we sleep together today?"
Ever since Zhou Shaojin had "fallen ill," she had almost spent every night with her. Later, when Zhou Shaojin grew suspicious of her situation and found an excuse, the two sisters began sleeping separately.
Zhou Shaojin nodded with a smile.
They washed up and got into bed.
Zhou Shaojin properly pulled the quilt up to her shoulders, while Zhou Chujin leaned against the large pillow at the head of the bed and chatted with her: "I heard you slept all day today? That’s not good. You should at least eat something. If this goes on, you might fall ill from hunger. Your body is already weak and can’t handle such strain." She added, "Should we ask Madam Ma Fushan to buy a few books to pass the time? I heard Scholar Ma has released a new poetry collection, and people in Jiangnan are rushing to buy it. It must be quite good." "No need," Zhou Shaojin replied. She had always been quiet and reserved, preferring stillness over activity. Sometimes she would stay indoors all day without going out, and she didn’t see anything wrong with that. "I’ll sleep a bit in the room, chat with Shi Xiang and the others, and the day will pass."
But Zhou Chujin didn’t think so.
Her sister was straightforward and honest, always eager to tell her everything—including how Cheng Lu had sent a servant to secretly deliver gifts to her. Even after being told off a few times, she still informed Zhou Chujin every time Cheng Lu sent something. Besides, with all that had happened recently—making her "fall ill," burning yellow paper in her courtyard, and having her drink talisman water—she couldn’t be foolish enough not to notice, nor could she harbor no resentment at all. Yet she hadn’t uttered a single word of complaint, which was something that had never happened before.
Zhou Chujin couldn’t help but sit up straight, staring into Zhou Shaojin’s eyes as she asked, "Are you hiding something from me?"
Zhou Shaojin had practically been raised by her sister since childhood. She feared nothing more than upsetting her sister, and next to that, she dreaded seeing her sister’s stern expression. Though things weren’t the same as before, the thought of her sister’s past kindness and being stared at like this still made her feel uneasy.
"No," she said curtly. "I’m not hiding anything from you." But the more she acted this way, the more suspicious Zhou Chujin became.Her expression involuntarily dimmed as she said softly, "Shao Jin, with Mother gone and Father not by our side, we sisters should support each other even more. You mustn’t hide anything from me." After a moment’s thought, she added, "Remember when you accidentally broke Master Wu’s qin last time? You told me as soon as you returned, and I managed to find a qin similar to Master Wu’s to compensate him. Before he even noticed, I took you to apologize. Not only did Master Wu not blame you, but he praised you for being upright and generous, possessing the demeanor of a noble person. He began to regard you differently, often giving you private guidance in qin playing. Now, your qin skills are even better than Cousin Jia’s… Have you forgotten?"
How could Zhou Shaojin forget?
Because of this incident, Cheng Jia’s mother, Madam Jiang, had privately complained that Master Wu, who taught them qin, was biased.
After this incident, she not only received praise from Master Wu but also from her grandmother, eldest aunt, eldest uncle, and cousins. Her grandmother even gifted her a flawless mutton-fat jade pendant, her eldest aunt gave her a pair of pearl hairpins, and her eldest uncle and cousins sent her brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.
It was the first time in her life she had received so much praise, and the first time she had surpassed Cheng Jia.
But what she intended to do truly couldn’t be told to her sister!
What should she do?
Zhou Shaojin grew anxious and called out, "Sister," saying, "I really haven’t hidden anything from you."
"Really?" Zhou Chujin didn’t believe her, widening her clear, bright eyes as she quietly watched Zhou Shaojin.
Zhou Shaojin thought of her sister’s seemingly gentle but unyielding nature and immediately felt a tingling on her scalp. After hesitating for a long time, she could only omit the crucial details and share something trivial: "I heard that Grandmother will have guests visiting in the next couple of days. I was wondering who they might be. Since I’m ill now, I’m worried it might prevent you from meeting them as well?"
Zhou Chujin couldn’t help but chuckle. "Is that what you’re worried about?" she said, reaching out to stroke Zhou Shaojin’s head. "Most of those who come to see Grandmother are seeking favors from the eldest or second branch of the family. It’s fine not to meet them. I’ll take the chance to relax and keep you company at home."
That was true.
Grandmother was self-respecting and resilient. After being widowed, she raised three children single-handedly and succeeded in their upbringing—her eldest son was a provincial scholar, and her second son was a metropolitan scholar. The elders of the Cheng family’s second branch and the master of the eldest branch held her in high regard. Some who couldn’t gain access to the eldest or second branch turned to Grandmother for help. Fortunately, Grandmother was sensible and rarely involved herself in such matters.
Zhou Shaojin also couldn’t help but chuckle.
The atmosphere between the two sisters thawed like melting ice, warming slightly.
Zhou Chujin continued with the earlier topic: "Don’t worry. No matter who comes, if Grandmother wants us to meet them, she’ll tell us in advance. If she thinks it’s inappropriate, she won’t have us meet the guests. We’ll just follow Grandmother’s lead."
Her sister’s words struck Zhou Shaojin like a wake-up call, bringing her sudden clarity.
Her restlessness and anxiety these past few days were, as her sister said, precisely because she had lost her usual composure.Even if she truly had been reborn, there were still thirteen years before the Cheng family would be raided and exterminated. There was no need for her to be so anxious to verify things. If it was all just a nightmare, then once she woke up, everything would naturally be fine—there was even less reason to be so frantic.
She couldn’t help but tightly clutch her sister’s arm and said, “Thank you, sister! I understand now.”
Her voice was so sincere, as if she were seeking redemption, that it made Zhou Chujin feel vaguely uneasy. She wanted to ask more, but Zhou Shaojin had already said, “I heard that Eldest Miss Wu, the daughter of Prefect Wu, has a cinnabar mole between her eyebrows. I wonder if it’s true or not? Since it’s our great-grandmother’s eightieth birthday, Prefect Wu should come to offer his congratulations, right? I wonder if Madam Wu will bring Eldest Miss Wu along?”
Zhou Chujin was only eighteen after all, raised deep within the inner chambers and not yet as sharp and shrewd as she would become in later years. Hearing this, she simply thought her younger sister was restless from too much quiet and laughed, saying, “I’ll ask my eldest aunt later. If Madam Wu brings Eldest Miss Wu to offer congratulations, I’ll definitely point her out to you.”
Zhou Shaojin nodded.
In her memory, on the day of the birthday banquet, Wu Baozhang was seated next to her sister…
The heavy stone in her heart finally fell, and she felt as if a great burden had been lifted. After chatting idly with her sister for a few more moments, she grew drowsy and could no longer keep her eyes open.
“Sleep now,” Zhou Chujin said with a smile, turning to blow out the candle.
Zhou Shaojin soon drifted into a deep slumber.
In the middle of the night, she suddenly woke up and reached out her hand, only to find no one beside her.
Zhou Shaojin broke out in a cold sweat.
Seeing light seeping from under the curtain of the adjacent room, she thought for a moment, slipped on her shoes, and walked over.
Zhou Chujin was kneeling before a portrait of Zhuang Liangyu, murmuring to her stepmother, “…Mother, I’m so afraid… Please, you must protect Shaojin… keep her safe and sound… I’m willing to shorten my own life by ten years…”
Tears streamed down Zhou Shaojin’s face.
She quietly turned back, pulled the quilt over her head, and closed her eyes.
※
The next day, the sun shone brightly.
When Zhou Shaojin woke up, Zhou Chujin had already gone to pay her respects to their grandmother.
Shi Xiang said, “The eldest young lady left word that she would attend to the old madam during breakfast and asked you not to wait for her.”
Zhou Shaojin let out a soft “oh.”
Their grandmother was not the type who enjoyed making her juniors follow strict etiquette. Whether it was her sons and daughters-in-law or her grandchildren and granddaughters, they all took their meals in their own rooms. Thus, each courtyard had its own small kitchen, yet the household expenses were no greater than those of other branches.
Perhaps her sister had something to say to their grandmother?
Zhou Shaojin sat before the mirror to do her makeup, chose an artemisia-green robe with a subtle pattern of passionflowers, and changed into a white Hangzhou silk skirt with embroidered threads. She then ate half a bowl of porridge and two rice cakes, accompanied by freshly available spring bamboo shoots, water celery, and other side dishes, before finally putting down her chopsticks and washing her hands.
Shi Xiang watched with great delight. While directing the young maids to clear the table, she eagerly said, “Second young lady, I heard that plums and apricots are already being sold in the market. Shall we buy some to taste the new season’s offerings?”
Zhou Shaojin knew that since she had fallen “ill,” the days had been difficult for those serving her. Shi Xiang was trying to find ways to coax her into eating more. Smiling, she pointed to the small black lacquer box inlaid with mother-of-pearl designs of the Eight Treasures by the bedside and said, “Take two taels of silver for yourself.”
Shi Xiang beamed and curtsied. Just then, a young maid entered and reported, “Second young lady, Songqing from Young Master Lu’s side has come. He said Young Master Lu heard you caught a cold and specifically sent him to deliver Fangfeng Tongsheng Pills to you.”Cheng Lu?
Zhou Shaojin's smile froze on her face.
She could no longer recall his kindness toward her, but his ferocious expression was something she would never forget.
After a long silence, she said, "Bring the things in."
Shi Xiang's smile vanished completely as she softly replied, "Yes," and brought the items inside.
Aside from the box containing the medicinal pills, there was also a colorful butterfly kite.
Zhou Shaojin gently stroked the wings of the butterfly kite and said, "Shi Xiang, have Songqing deliver a message to Young Master Lu for me. Tell him I thank him for the gifts, and I will accept them this time, but he should not send anything more in the future. After I recover from my illness, aside from continuing to study Admonitions for Women and Biographies of Exemplary Women with Madam Shen, I will also be learning needlework from Madam Ling. I’m afraid I won’t have any free time for play."
In other words, the Second Young Miss intended to draw a clear line with Young Master Lu!
Shi Xiang was surprised but also breathed a sigh of relief.
The master was already a fourth-rank prefect, and everyone said he would rise even higher in the future. The Second Young Miss was still young and in no hurry to marry. Why must she settle for Young Master Lu? Just like the Eldest Young Miss, who married the heir of the Liao family and would become the matriarch of the Liao clan in the future. Although the Second Young Miss did not have as illustrious a background as the Eldest Young Miss, it wasn’t impossible for her to choose a family better than Young Master Lu’s!
She happily replied, "Yes," and went out to deliver the message.
Zhou Shaojin, however, was taken aback.
She hadn’t expected that Shi Xiang and the others did not think highly of Cheng Lu... She had thought everyone would be delighted to see her and Cheng Lu together... It turned out only she had regarded Cheng Lu as a treasure...
Zhou Shaojin smiled bitterly, her mood suddenly turning somber.
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