Оld Маdаm Guo was рrасtiсing сalligraphу, sрecifiсally сursivе sсriрt.
Неr wrist hoverеd in the air, the brush moving like a rоаming dragоn, with a mоmеntum аs grаnd as а rаinbоw.
Whеnеver Nаnny Lu saw Old Маdam Guо like this, she would rеcall thе late Оld Маstеr Guо аnd his hеartfelt sigh: "Тhis dаughter оf minе shоuld havе beеn а son."
Aftеr finishing а sheеt of paрer, Old Mаdаm Guо set dоwn her brush.
Nanny Lu hurriеdlу hаnded hеr а dаmр сlоth.
As Оld Мadаm Guo аdmired her оwn brushwork, shе аskеd Nannу Lu, "Наs Сhujin left yet? If nоt, have the kitchen рreparе a few рroреr dishes, аnd give red envelopes to all the maids and servants who came with her."
It wasn’t any special occasion… Clearly, the old madam was truly delighted!
Nanny Lu smiled and agreed, deciding to handle the matter personally.
But Old Madam Guo then inquired about Zhou Shaojin’s daily routine: "...They say she only had half a bowl of porridge, some pickles, and two steamed buns for breakfast? The bird’s nest must not be skipped!"
Nanny Lu quickly assented, smiling as she said, "No need to worry, our Fourth Mistress is truly blessed. When Second Mistress was with child, I remember she couldn’t leave her bed for months. Madam Yuan was a bit better, but for the first three months, she couldn’t keep anything down. Fourth Mistress may eat lightly and sparingly, but she’s almost three months along now, and aside from being a bit drowsy, she can walk and move about just fine. That’s better than anything."
Upon hearing this, Old Madam Guo thought for a moment and chuckled, "You know, there’s some truth to what you say. Think about it—she lost her mother at a young age, but while her mother was alive, she treated Chujin well. When the Fourth Branch brought Chujin back, they brought her along too. Logically speaking, living under someone else’s roof, she should have suffered some grievances, right? But Chujin has always been strong-willed and treated this younger sister impeccably. Master Zhou also worked hard, rising to the fourth rank in just a few years. When it came time for marriage, the only criticism was her lack of proper maternal upbringing. Yet, Si Lang took notice, kept her in his heart, asking for nothing else but for the Zhou family to give him their daughter.
"After marrying into our family, there was no news of a child for a long time.
"Though I comforted her, deep down, I was still uneasy.
"With such a delicate frame, what if she couldn’t conceive?
"The eldest and second branches each have one son, and Second Uncle’s line has no heir—even if we wanted to adopt, there’s no one available!
"Just the other day, I was talking with Madam Peng, thinking of asking if she knew any midwives with secret remedies. Who would have thought, before I could even bring it up, she became pregnant.
"Thinking it over, although this child’s fate has been turbulent, she always turns misfortune into blessing. She truly has good fortune ahead.
"Perhaps our Cheng family marrying her was also a stroke of luck."
Nanny Lu’s heart trembled with each word.
If Fourth Mistress was seen as a lucky star, who would dare speak ill of her again?
She quickly smiled and said, "Old Madam, you’ve never been mistaken in judging people or situations. Whatever you say is surely right."
Old Madam Guo chuckled softly. Glancing toward the main hall, she asked, "Is it time yet? Fourth Master should be back, shouldn’t he? Go tell him that after paying his respects here, he needn’t come again. He should spend some time with Shaojin. Second Mistress has gone to see Rui-ge, the son of A-sheng’s family, and Chujin happens to be here. The sisters can have a good, intimate chat."Nanny Lu smiled and agreed, but inwardly thought: Wasn't it because you saw Madam Liao coming over, remembered that you had used your private savings to buy bird's nest for Fourth Madam's daily nourishment, and were concerned that Second Madam might feel uncomfortable? To prevent any rift between sisters-in-law, you then had Zhenzhu also bring a box of bird's nest for Second Madam to take to Third Miss, thus sending Second Madam away so Madam Liao and Fourth Madam could talk? How did it suddenly become a coincidence?
No wonder Madam Yuan feels the old madam is biased!
When this old madam shows favoritism, she truly does so without restraint!
Even the maids and servants who came with Madam Liao received rewards.
Nanny Lu chatted with Old Madam Guo for a while, then remembering the old madam's earlier instructions, she waited until Zhenzhu went inside before excusing herself from the sitting room to arrange the banquet for Zhou Chujin.
Zhou Chujin had not planned to stay long.
Her mother-in-law had gone to the Fang residence.
It was Second Madam Fang who had summoned her there.
According to the servants attending her mother-in-law, it seemed something had happened with Fang Xuan.
Her mother-in-law was someone who valued face—whether it concerned the Liao family or the Fang family, if anything improper occurred, she would always try to cover it up.
In front of outsiders, this naturally wasn't an issue.
But since Chujin wasn't one to gossip, yet her mother-in-law still treated her this way, she couldn't help feeling somewhat uncomfortable.
However, there was no need to mention this in front of Shaojin.
She was living well now and shouldn't have her mood spoiled by such matters.
All Zhou Chujin wished for now was that Zhou Shaojin could safely and smoothly give birth to this child.
Sighing, she gently patted her younger sister's head.
Meanwhile, Guan Ge'er had taken a liking to the tassel hanging from the golden hook at the head of Zhou Shaojin's bed and reached out to pull it.
Zhou Chujin caught his hand, preventing him from tugging at it.
Guan Ge then began bouncing and jumping in his mother's arms, clearly unwilling to give up.
Amused by the sight, Zhou Shaojin laughed and said, "Sister, just let Guan Ge pull it. It's only a tassel—if it breaks, we can make another one."
Hearing this, Zhou Chujin didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Will you spoil your own child like this in the future?"
Zhou Shaojin blushed but still had a maid take the tassel and hand it to Guan Ge.
As soon as Guan Ge got hold of it, he tried to put it in his mouth.
Fortunately, Zhou Chujin was quick-eyed and swift-handed, snatching it back just in time.
Zhou Shaojin stared in astonishment.
At that moment, Nanny Lu walked in with a smile, flattering Zhou Chujin and lavishly praising Guan Ge'er before stating her purpose.
Zhou Chujin had originally intended to accept the invitation, but out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Zhou Shaojin covering her mouth as she yawned. She immediately changed her mind and said with a smile, "Thank the old madam for the kind invitation to stay for the meal. However, I promised my mother-in-law I would return early, so I'll have to trouble the old madam another day."
Nanny Lu was somewhat surprised, but Zhou Chujin's response was within expectations. Without overthinking it, she went to report back to Old Madam Guo.
Seizing the opportunity, Zhou Chujin stood up to take her leave.
Zhou Shaojin wanted to persuade her sister to stay a little longer.
But Zhou Chujin wouldn't let her get out of bed, saying, "Rest well. I'll bring Guan Ge to see you again in a few days when I have some free time."
Zhou Shaojin nodded, and Nanny Shang saw Zhou Chujin out.
The room suddenly fell quiet.
Zhou Shaojin leaned against the large bolster and drifted into a drowsy sleep.
When she opened her eyes again, it was already time to light the lamps.
Cheng Chi had already returned. He had changed into a casual violet Hangzhou silk robe, his jet-black hair tied up without any hairpins. Leaning casually against the head of the bed, he was reading a book.The floor-standing palace lamp by the bedside cast a soft glow upon him, enveloping him in a layer of light. The fingers holding the book were jade-like, slender as bamboo.
Zhou Shaojin, as if guided by some unseen force, half-propped herself up and kissed his hand.
Cheng Chi set the book down and chuckled softly, tenderly stroking her face as he asked, "When did you wake up? I didn’t even notice."
Was it because he had been too engrossed in his book?
Shaojin asked, "What book are you holding?"
Cheng Chi showed it to her.
It was Commentary on the Waterways Classic.
Shaojin had once flipped through it and found it dull and tedious, yet Cheng Chi was utterly absorbed and captivated by it.
She pursed her lips into a smile and asked, "Why are you suddenly reading this kind of book?" As she spoke, she sat up.
Cheng Chi placed a supportive pillow behind her back and smiled, saying, "I met Grand Secretary Song a couple of days ago. From what he said, it seems he still wants to dredge the Yellow River. Although I’m no longer at the River Control Office, I’d still be willing to help if I can."
Shaojin hadn’t seen Madam Song since before the Dragon Boat Festival, when Grand Secretary Song’s daughter was getting married. She took Cheng Chi’s hand and whispered, "Do you still regret that Minister Yang wasn’t able to dredge the Yellow River back then?"
Cheng Chi nodded. "Yang Shoushan was too hasty. Now that Zhang Hui is also serving as the River Control Commissioner, how could he possibly have the energy to manage this matter? I’m afraid Grand Secretary Song will be disappointed."
Shaojin turned and wrapped her arms around Cheng Chi’s waist, nestling into his embrace as she comforted him, "There will always be another chance! The Emperor won’t stand by and let the Yellow River flood."
Cheng Chi chuckled softly, allowing Shaojin’s fragrance to linger around him. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head, smiling as he asked, "Then, in your previous life, was the Yellow River ever dredged?"
She thought for a moment and said, "I don’t recall hearing about it... But there was one year when the Yellow River flooded terribly. It was said that nine out of ten homes were empty, and many people sold their children. That year, when refugees from that area fled to the capital, the servants at home said that everywhere you went, you heard their dialect. If you didn’t know better, you’d think you were in Kaifeng!"
Cheng Chi fell silent, his expression growing somber.
Shaojin lifted her head from his embrace and gazed up at him.
His features were distinct, his profile elegant and refined... She found him more and more pleasing to look at.
Though Cheng Jing and Cheng Wei resembled Cheng Chi, they lacked his dignified bearing. If she had to say who he resembled more, Cheng Chi seemed to take after his second uncle, Cheng Shao.
At this thought, a memory surged from the depths of her mind.
She let out a soft "oh" and sat up abruptly, her heart pounding like a drum. If Cheng Chi hadn’t moved aside in time, she would have bumped into his chin.
Cheng Chi paid no mind to this and quickly asked, "What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
"No, no," Shaojin shook her head frantically, tightly gripping Cheng Chi’s hand. "I remembered something... I’m not sure if it’s right... I just find it strange..."
Cheng Chi paused briefly before whispering, "Is it something from your previous life?"
Shaojin nodded vigorously.
Cheng Chi gently patted her back and said soothingly, "Don’t rush, don’t rush. We can talk about it slowly. Let me pour you a cup of tea..."
Shaojin held onto Cheng Chi’s hand, unwilling to let go. "I don’t want tea."
Cheng Chi thought for a moment and compromised, pulling her into his embrace. "What did you remember?"
The familiar, warm embrace and his gentle, soothing voice gave Shaojin great courage.She whispered softly, "I remember Second Uncle passed away before Mother. Before, I didn’t know much—only that Second Uncle disliked being an official. He served as a Reader in the Hanlin Academy, indifferent to fame and wealth, living a simple and frugal life... It wasn’t until after I married into the family that I discovered Second Uncle was actually held in high regard by the Emperor, sharing a close friendship with him since their humble days, though few knew about it. Logically, when Second Uncle passed away, the Emperor should have issued an edict of grace. But in my previous life, it took a long time for us to learn of Second Uncle’s death. As for me, it’s one thing, but the Liao and Cheng families had always maintained close ties. After Second Uncle’s passing, my sister was already managing the Liao family’s affairs in the capital at that time, so she should have paid her respects. Yet by the time she found out, Second Uncle had already been buried, and even the seventh-week memorial had passed."
※
Dear readers, here is today’s update.
Tomorrow’s extra update is still scheduled for around noon.
O(∩_∩)O~
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※ (To be continued ~^~)
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