"Yоu'rе too kind, tоо kind!" Оld Маdam Yu said woоdеnly, her еyes dаrting tоwаrd Zhоu Shаоjin.
Zhou Shaоjin recalled that when shе wаs six уeаrs оld, hеr fаther hаd brоught his sесоnd wife, Мadam Li, baсk tо their аncestral hоme to рay rеsресts tо thеir аncestоrs, аnd theу hаd stаyеd for а fеw days. Shе сould undеrstand the old wоman's curiositу аnd smilеd, inviting her tо sit and talk.
Old Маdаm Yu reреаtеdlу dеclinеd, sаying shе darеd not. Zhou Shаojin sаid, "Yоu just sаid 'don't bе роlitе,' so why arе you being politе with me now?"
Thеse words unеxреctеdly brought tears to Old Madam Yu's eyes. She choked up and said, "Second Miss, you not only look like the late Madam, but your character is also like hers—so gentle and kind..."
Zhou Shaojin rarely thought about her mother.
She was afraid she would be unable to hold back her feelings of grievance, sorrow, and pain.
Old Madam Yu's tears were like a flood, instantly washing away the strong fence Shaojin had built up, causing her own tears to fall as well.
Shi Xiang, who had entered carrying a tea tray, said unhappily to Old Madam Yu, "You, old woman, Second Miss kindly asked you to talk, and instead of saying a few words to make our young lady happy, you've made her cry..."
"It's all my fault, all my fault!" Old Madam Yu repeatedly apologized, pulling her sleeve to wipe her eyes. "Second Miss, please don't blame me."
Shi Xiang also took out a handkerchief to wipe Zhou Shaojin's tears.
It took Shaojin a while to calm her sorrow. She said, "I've made a fool of myself in front of you, Madam Yu!"
"How is that a fool?" Old Madam Yu replied, sounding somewhat emotional. "A child missing their mother is only natural. Second Miss is a kind-hearted person. The Bodhisattva will bless you to find a good husband, with children and grandchildren filling your home, and both fortune and longevity."
Find a good husband!
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but mock herself inwardly.
She didn't dare hope for a good husband. All she wished for was not to repeat the mistakes of her past life.
After taking a few sips of tea, Zhou Shaojin slowly calmed down.
She dismissed Shi Xiang and asked Old Madam Yu, "Do you know about my maternal grandfather's family, the Zhuangs?"
"You mean Master Zhuang, your maternal uncle?" Old Madam Yu didn't wait for Shaojin to finish before saying with a face full of indignation, "He really brought shame upon the late Madam. Even while she was alive, he would come every few days asking for this and that. At first, the master still considered their family ties and told the late Madam not to argue with Master Zhuang, to help him out when she could. But Master Zhuang took advantage of her kindness and kept asking for more and more. The problem was, he didn't engage in any proper work—he would take the money the late Madam gave him and spend it on food, drink... well, gambling. After a while, the late Madam saw this wasn't right and refused to support him anymore. She even asked the master to intervene. When Master Zhuang realized he couldn't get any more money from her, he was furious, his nose and eyes twisted in anger. He even shouted that he would make the late Madam regret it, showing no regard for her reputation. The late Madam cried over this matter several times. If not for the master comforting her, she might have even considered taking her own life..."
Even the emperor has poor relatives who come to him for help. But even so, there's no need to consider suicide!
Zhou Shaojin felt Old Madam Yu's words were somewhat exaggerated, but she didn't interrupt, quietly listening to her speak for a long time. Only when Old Madam Yu paused did she say, "I heard from others that the Zhuang family used to have some modest assets, but they were all lost by Master Zhuang through gambling. Is that true?""Yes, yes, yes." Matron Yu grew agitated again, saying, "All of the Zhuang family's property was gambled away by him. He even stole a piece of calligraphy and painting from somewhere, claiming it was a family heirloom passed down from the Zhuang ancestors. He sold the same painting to two different buyers and even got into legal trouble over it..."
Zhou Shaojin asked, "Then do you remember where my mother lived before she passed away? I'd like to go and see."
Matron Yu, who had just been filled with indignation, suddenly wilted like a frostbitten eggplant, murmuring, "Well... there weren’t many houses left. By the time it came to Old Master Zhuang, some had already been sold..."
She seemed reluctant to speak further, as if trying to gloss over the Zhuang family’s decline.
Zhou Shaojin sighed inwardly.
Was she afraid of embarrassing her mother?
"A child does not resent their mother’s plainness, nor does a dog despise its home’s poverty," Zhou Shaojin could only say. "My mother was a sheltered young lady—how could she have had any say in the Zhuang family’s affairs? I merely wish to see my maternal grandfather’s home. There’s no need for you to dwell on it, Matron."
"Yes, yes," Matron Yu replied, visibly relieved and smiling. "The young lady is truly perceptive, hitting right at the heart of the matter. Old Master Zhuang didn’t engage in productive work, had no one to care for him at home, and had no sons to carry on the family line. Naturally, he didn’t think twice about spending money..."
This was something Zhou Shaojin already knew.
After her maternal grandmother passed away, her grandfather never remarried, and all household matters were managed by her great-grandmother.
"I heard from the maid who accompanied the former madam when she married," Matron Yu said, "that originally, the madam lived in the Zhuang ancestral home on Lower Street. When the madam was ten, half of the side wing of the ancestral home collapsed under heavy snow. Old Master Zhuang was away visiting friends in Wuxi and hadn’t returned, so the old matriarch had no choice but to take the madam and move to the house on Official Street that she had brought as part of her dowry..."
Official Street!
Zhou Shaojin felt her breath slow for a few beats.
She interrupted Matron Yu, asking nervously, "Official Street—is that the one near Cunyi Lane? The one where the Mei residence is located?"
Matron Yu, completely unaware of what she had just revealed, smiled and said, "How many Official Streets are there in Jinling? It got its name because several government offices are located there. The madam lived there with the old matriarch until she married..."
Cunyi Lane!
Cheng Lu also lived in Cunyi Lane!
Why had he never mentioned it to her?
She still remembered how animated he had been when talking to her about his future plans: "Within fifteen years, I’ll pass the imperial examinations and become a jinshi. By then, I can take my family to my official post. If we live in the county office, I’ll plant a magnolia tree in the courtyard and sit under it every evening after dinner to drink tea. If not, I’ll buy a small house with bluestone paving, set up a grape trellis in the yard, and keep a vat of koi fish beneath it..."
In the end, what had moved Zhou Shaojin and made her yearn for was nothing more than the magnolia tree and grape trellis he had described.
Zhou Shaojin felt her vision blur slightly.
So, she had thought he had told her everything, but in reality, he had told her nothing.
What he had given her was nothing more than an empty promise.
The Zhuang uncle had caused so many scandals that were the talk of the town. As neighbors, even if Cheng Lu was solely focused on his studies and knew nothing about it, could Madam Dong also be unaware? Even if Cheng Lu hadn’t known at first, by the time they were about to become engaged, with his cautious nature, how could he still not know?Zhou Shaojin's fingers twisted tightly together, and the suspicion that had long lingered in her heart surfaced once more.
Could it be that there was some old enmity between the Cheng and Zhuang families?
Was that why Cheng Lu had changed his mind midway?
Was that why Cheng Lu had stood by and watched her be bullied?
Was that why he had risked his reputation to abandon her without a second thought?
Was that why, even after her beauty had faded, he still tried to deceive her into eloping with him?
Zhou Shaojin began to struggle for breath.
Just like in her final moments in her past life, when Cheng Lu had choked her neck.
She took several deep breaths before asking Nanny Yu, "Do you know what happened to my mother's dowry servants?"
Nanny Yu whispered, "When the mistress married over, she only brought one maid and one old servant woman. The maid had served her since childhood and was released when she came of age to marry a traveling merchant who dealt in cotton. We heard from her for a couple of years, but then the news stopped. The old servant woman was bought from a broker just before the mistress's wedding. The master thought she was clumsy and soon sold her off again—where to, I don't know. After that, all the servants attending the mistress were longtime Zhou family retainers. Like the Tian estate steward's wife—she used to be the mistress's head maid..."
This doesn’t make sense!
If Father held Mother in such high regard, why would he marry off the only dowry servant Mother brought from her maiden family to an outsider? And a traveling merchant at that, instead of marrying her to one of the family’s longtime retainers?
What exactly happened back then?
Truly, one trouble follows another!
Zhou Shaojin’s temples throbbed.
Fan Qi was too young; he wasn’t capable of investigating such old matters.
Who could she ask?
Zhou Shaojin thought it over and over, and the only one who seemed able to clear her doubts was that scoundrel Uncle Zhuang!
But she was genuinely afraid of being entangled with Uncle Zhuang.
She still remembered the first time she saw Uncle Zhuang as a child—he was fair and plump but disheveled, wearing a patched robe like a beggar’s. Holding a broken bowl, he rolled around in the Cheng family’s gatehouse, wailing, "My poor departed sister..." Even in a strict household like the Cheng family, onlookers crowded around in layers... She had wished she could sink into the ground at that moment...
Zhou Shaojin rubbed her temples, feeling her headache worsen.
Seeing that she had asked enough questions, Zhou Shaojin called Shi Xiang in and gave Nanny Yu the previously sealed fifty-tael red envelope as a reward.
Nanny Yu insisted on refusing, saying, "If not for the mistress, this old servant’s bones wouldn’t even know where they’d be."
Shi Xiang said, "This is Second Miss’s reward for your past service to the mistress. If you’re grateful, just remember to offer incense to the mistress during Qingming and the Dragon Boat Festival—that would repay Second Miss’s kindness."
"I go to offer incense to the mistress every year," Nanny Yu hurriedly replied. "I’ll continue to do so in the future."
Zhou Shaojin smiled and nodded.
With Shi Xiang’s urging, Nanny Yu finally accepted the reward. But when Zhou Shaojin was about to leave, Nanny Yu brought over two pots of camellias. "These were left from the mistress’s time. They’ve since been divided into over a dozen pots. Second Miss, take these back as a keepsake."Zhou Shaojin saw that they were a pot of camellia and a pot of champion red. Though not yet in bloom, both grew plump and lovely, clearly having been carefully tended by someone. She smiled and expressed her thanks, letting the accompanying maidservant take them, then returned with her sister to Nine Prosperities Lane.
The sisters first went back to Fragrant Garden Residence to freshen up and change clothes.
Zhou Shaojin said to her sister, "Shall we place one pot in your room?"
Zhou Chujin did not stand on ceremony and replied with a smile, "That would be lovely! When they bloom, you can come to my room to admire the flowers." She did not ask what Shaojin and Matron Yu had discussed.
Zhou Shaojin was deeply grateful for her sister's thoughtfulness, thinking how wonderful it would be if she could do something for her sister in return.
In the afternoon, she went to Cold Green Mountain House to copy scriptures. Though she tried hard to concentrate, her mind still wandered.
Xiao Tan, who had been serving outside the room, tiptoed in and whispered to Shi Xiang, "Sister, what's wrong with Second Miss?"
Shi Xiang vaguely replied, "Perhaps it's the summer heat making her drowsy."
Xiao Tan nodded earnestly, brewed a strong pot of Longjing tea for Zhou Shaojin, and said, "Second Miss, drinking this will help keep you awake."
Zhou Shaojin smiled and patted Xiao Tan's head, her gloomy mood brightening.
※
The extra update will still be posted around noon tomorrow.
I've been secretly bringing my laptop to work lately just to update on time. I'll adjust my schedule as soon as possible and try to fix a regular update time.
o(n_n)o~
※ (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please vote to recommend it or cast monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
!!
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