Тhе glаss nоodles wеrе сhеwу, the carrоts сrisp and rеfreshing, and thе vеgеtаriаn sоur meatbаlls made from them were сrisрy, frаgrant, аnd dеliсiоus; the lilу wаs frаgrаnt, thе watеr celerу swеet аnd crisp, and thе stir-fried watеr celеrу with lilу wаs rеfrеshing аnd apреtizing... Ganquаn Теmplе had рullеd out all thе stоps tо prepаre these vеgеtаrian dishеs, which not onlу dеlightеd Chеng Jiа but аlsо sаtisfiеd the usuаllу fastidiоus Pаn Qing, who atе an ехtrа half bоwl оf riсе. Only Zhou Shаojin ate as if chеwing wax.
Chеng Xun had diеd yоung, sо by сonvention, the elders should not have paid their respects. Yet, as the saying goes, "When poor, you are ignored even in a bustling city; when rich, distant relatives seek you out even in deep mountains." The eldest branch of the family was prominent and influential. Not only had Madam Jiang and others accompanied Old Madam Guo to Ganquan Temple, but even the fifth branch and the collateral relatives close to Nine Prosperities Lane, such as the families of Cheng Yu and Cheng Lu, had also come.
If she had known it would be like this, she should never have agreed to come to Ganquan Temple with Old Madam Guo.
Perhaps because she had provoked Madam Dong a few days earlier, or perhaps because Old Madam Guo had kept her by her side all along, Madam Dong did not pull her aside to chat as warmly as usual. This made Zhou Shaojin feel much better.
If only she didn’t run into Cheng Lu... or Cheng Xu...
But things never go as one wishes.
After lunch, everyone returned to their rooms to rest for a while before gathering again in the side hall to attend Cheng Xun’s memorial service.
Cheng Lu walked in.
This was the first time Zhou Shaojin had encountered Cheng Lu since her rebirth.
At this time, Cheng Lu was still just a sixteen-year-old youth, with a tall and slender figure like a bamboo, delicate and handsome features, shy yet somewhat bashful, as amiable as the boy next door.
Who would have thought he would later become a despicable villain, handsome and dashing yet full of lies?
He had come to find Madam Dong.
Mother and son stood whispering in the corner of the hall, discussing something unknown. Suddenly, Madam Wen, standing before the incense table, spoke to Madam Dong in a sarcastic tone, "I heard Brother Lu will take the imperial examination in June. A xiucai degree is probably within easy reach for him."
"Not at all!" Madam Dong forced a smile. "There are many scholars in Jiangnan. No one knows the outcome until the results are announced."
Cheng Lu didn’t even glance at Madam Wen and instead spoke to Zhou Shaojin, "I heard Second Cousin Zhou fell ill a few days ago? Are you feeling better now? If there’s anything I can help with, please don’t hesitate to tell my mother."
He seemed to disdain speaking with Madam Wen, greeting her so naturally.
Zhou Shaojin was momentarily dazed.
The Cheng Lu before her... felt so unfamiliar.
As if the person she had killed with her own hands had nothing to do with him.
How could a person change so drastically?
She smiled and nodded at Cheng Lu.
Madam Wen, however, changed her expression and said, "Who doesn’t know your Brother Lu is a gifted scholar, destined to become the son-in-law of a high-ranking official? Why are you being so polite to me, Madam Bai? Are you afraid that once Brother Lu becomes prominent, we poor relatives will come knocking on your door? Don’t worry, even a broken ship of the Cheng family has three catties of iron. We wouldn’t beg at your doorstep even if we had to beg for food."
Madam Dong’s face flushed bright red.
The other women of the Cheng family had no idea what had set Madam Wen off again.
Cheng Lu, however, remained calm and composed, respectfully bidding farewell to Old Madam Guo and the others. He then said to Zhou Shaojin, "I heard Second Cousin has a few kites from Baoruixiang. I’d like to borrow them to study how they’re made. Would Second Cousin be willing to accommodate me?"In her previous life, Cheng Lu had always interacted with her so righteously and openly that Zhou Shaojin had never doubted him. In this life, hearing such words again, Zhou Shaojin found it merely laughable.
Cheng Lu, a man so cautious and meticulous—from being recommended by the Fourth House to the clan school under the Fifth House's name to becoming someone everyone in the clan school vied to befriend—how could he possibly be unaware of the boundaries between men and women and make such a mistake?
If she remembered correctly, those kites seemed to have been given to her by Cheng Lu earlier.
Now he was openly asking to borrow them, and in a few days, he would likely openly return them to her.
Whether there was any difference in this, however, remained unknown.
Nor did she have any intention of testing Cheng Lu.
"Baoruixiang is located in Cunyi Lane, and Cousin Lu seems to live there as well," Zhou Shaojin said indifferently. "Rather than borrowing kites from me, Cousin Lu might as well visit Baoruixiang. When Cousin Yi gave me the kites, he mentioned that the backyard of Baoruixiang is a workshop for making kites. Cousin Lu might even pick up some kite-making techniques there."
Feigning ignorance while fully aware, she attributed the kites to Cheng Yi. Even if Cheng Lu later tried to play tricks, with so many elders present, he wouldn’t dare to clarify that the kites were originally from him, nor could he use them to stir trouble.
After speaking, Zhou Shaojin felt that letting Cheng Lu off so easily was too lenient, so she added, "We cousins have all grown up now, and it’s no longer appropriate for us to play together as we did in childhood. I’m afraid it’s inconvenient to lend the kites to Cousin Lu. Please forgive me."
A flicker of satisfaction crossed Old Madam Guo’s eyes.
Cheng Lu flushed red, bowed, and left.
Zhou Shaojin breathed a sigh of relief, turned, and knelt on the prayer mat, preparing to chant sutras with the temple monks, but her mind churned like boiling water.
Perhaps because she had not only stabbed him but also set a trap for Cheng Lu to fall into, the hatred from her previous life had already been avenged. Seeing Cheng Lu again, she no longer felt bone-deep hatred, but she was once again certain that Cheng Lu’s actions were deliberate.
To make others misunderstand that there was something special between her and him.
Why would Cheng Lu do this?
Although her grandmother and Uncle Mian would surely stand up for her, relying on others was not as reliable as relying on oneself. Zhou Shaojin decided to investigate this matter secretly.
Only by understanding Cheng Lu’s motives could she possibly avoid the tragedy of her previous life.
Otherwise, with a schemer targeting an unsuspecting victim, she might evade one trap but not necessarily the next.
If only she had a loyal servant!
As Zhou Shaojin pondered this, when the ritual reached its halfway break, she left the side hall and had someone summon Shi Xiang, instructing her to find Cheng Yi: "Tell him I have urgent business with him!"
Shi Xiang acknowledged and left.
Zhou Shaojin waited under the corridor of the side hall.
Looking up, she saw two people sitting in a pavilion halfway up the mountain, drinking tea.
One wore monk’s robes, the other a Daoist robe. Both appeared relaxed and at ease, though they were too far away to see clearly.
Just then, a young novice passed by. Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but stop him and ask, "Do you know who is sitting there?"
The young novice glanced at the pavilion and replied matter-of-factly, "It’s Fourth Master from your esteemed household and our sutra library master discussing scriptures."
Cheng Xun had passed away from illness, yet Uncle Chi had the leisure to debate scriptures with the monks of Ganquan Temple?
Wasn’t he worried about the succession of the Second House?Zhou Shaojin increasingly felt that this Uncle Chi’s temperament was indeed quite peculiar.
Before long, Cheng Yi came running over, panting as he asked her, “What did you need me for? I was in the middle of helping Cousin Xun hang the eternal lamps! Couldn’t this wait until we got home?”
Zhou Shaojin hadn’t realized the main hall was so busy and felt a pang of guilt. She quickly replied, “I just wanted to ask why Cousin Lu suddenly went to find his mother… With all the ladies present, and guests too, it seemed rather odd!”
“There was such a thing?” Cheng Yi frowned and said, “Cousin Lu was in the side hall the whole time… He only left once to use the latrine. He even told us about it. Did he really go to find his mother? But when he returned to the main hall, he didn’t say anything…”
Zhou Shaojin now had a clearer picture and smiled, “Perhaps there’s something he couldn’t openly discuss. When you go back, don’t make a fuss about it, so as not to embarrass Cousin Lu.”
Cheng Yi was busy with the eternal lamps and didn’t ask further. He dashed off in a hurry.
Zhou Shaojin stood under the corridor for a long while before finally turning and entering the side hall.
After that, she remained unusually quiet.
When the Dharma assembly concluded, Old Madam Guo called her over to support her as they made their way to the main hall. After offering incense to the Bodhisattva, it would be time to return home.
On the way, Old Madam Guo gently patted Zhou Shaojin’s hand and said, “Rest tomorrow, and resume copying scriptures in the Buddha hall the day after. Be careful not to exhaust yourself.”
Zhou Shaojin indeed felt weary and softly agreed. After helping Old Madam Guo into the carriage, she leaned against her sister’s shoulder and slept all the way home.
Madam Fan Liu was waiting for her in the tea room with her sons, Fan Lu and Fan Qi.
Upon seeing the Zhou sisters, the mother and her two sons hurried forward to bow.
Zhou Chujin had someone help Madam Fan Liu to her feet and said with a smile, “Judging by your expression, it seems the family matters have been settled.”
“Settled, all settled,” Madam Fan Liu replied with a beaming smile. “His uncle returned the land to us and even promised to look after Lu’er more in the future.”
Fan Lu appeared honest yet somewhat dull, merely nodding beside them.
Fan Qi, however, snorted and said, “Mother, how could you agree to give Uncle five hundred copper coins every year, calling it ‘filial respect’ for all the years he supposedly looked after us!”
Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin were taken aback.
“Qi’er!” Madam Fan Liu’s face darkened as she scolded, “You’ve worked in the mansion for a few days now, but when Eldest Miss, Second Miss, and I are speaking, it’s not your place to interrupt. Hurry and apologize to Eldest Miss and Second Miss!”
Fan Qi pouted but knelt down and kowtowed to the Zhou sisters.
Zhou Shaojin asked Madam Fan Liu, “What exactly is going on?”
“A distant relative is not as good as a near neighbor,” Madam Fan Liu explained with a forced smile. “Besides, his uncle is both a relative and a neighbor. If our families feud, others will see it and take advantage, thinking the Fan family has no one to rely on. It’s better to turn big issues into small ones and small ones into nothing, buying peace instead.”
Zhou Shaojin listened thoughtfully.
Zhou Chujin, however, said, “That’s just as well. After all, they are relatives, and holding grudges is never a good thing.”
Madam Fan Liu, thinking of how her own relatives were less caring than the Zhou sisters she had served, felt her eyes redden and choked up, saying, “Thank you, Eldest Miss and Second Miss. If it weren’t for you, we widows and orphans might not even have a roof over our heads…” As she spoke, she and her two children prepared to kowtow to the Zhou sisters again.
Zhou Shaojin quickly stepped forward to support Madam Fan Liu.Zhou Chujin also said, "You are her wet nurse, and Fan Lu and Fan Qi are her milk brothers. You should be like family. In the future, there’s no need for such formalities."
Madam Fan Liu nodded repeatedly.
Knowing that Fan Lu had come specifically to express his gratitude, Zhou Chujin had someone tidy up a side room for him to stay overnight. The next day, when Fan Lu was leaving, she rewarded him with twenty taels of silver.
Fan Lu kowtowed to Zhou Chujin and Zhou Shaojin until his forehead turned bruised. If Chunwan hadn’t pulled him up, he would have continued kowtowing.
After seeing Fan Lu off, Zhou Shaojin called for Fan Qi.
※
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