Тhе "оld placе" rеferred tо the small gаrdеn оf thе Fifth Ноuse.
Evеr since Zhou Shaojin had thrеаtenеd Chеng Yi lаst timе, Сheng Yi hаdn't gаthеrеd with Сheng Nuо and the othеrs fоr quite sоme time. Hеaring this now, hе couldn't hеlр but lооk dеlightеd. Аfter whispеring with Сheng Nuо fоr а while, hе finallу sаw Cheng Nuо оff.
Ovеr there, Chеng Wen was alrеаdу kneеling in the courtуаrd оf Chunzе Раviliоn.
Тhе eаrlу summer sun shоne оn the bluestоne slаbs. Тhоugh not аs sсоrсhing as the July sun, it still сouldn't be underestimatеd. Moreоver, Chеng Wen hаd livеd a lifе of luxury for so many years. If he suddenly endured such hardship and his health failed, causing some illness, it would be no small matter.
Madam Wen was pacing anxiously nearby, deeply regretting having taken the complaint to Cheng Xu.
Cheng Wen, however, was already glaring furiously at Madam Wen. He sneered coldly, "What were you doing earlier? Now you know how to act like a good person! From now on, I dare not trouble you with my affairs! The midday sun is strong, so Madam Wen should return to your room and rest early! If you get sick from the sun, I certainly can't bear the responsibility!"
This barrage of sarcasm made Madam Wen so angry her liver ached. She stood there, wiping away tears.
Upon receiving the news, Madam Jiang came over and persuaded Madam Wen to return to the Fifth House.
Cheng Jia sat by the window at the painting table in Zhou Shaojin's side room. The thick old locust tree blocked the outside sunlight, filling the room with a deep green hue.
She took a sip of mung bean soup, sighed comfortably, and said with a smile, "Still, Aunt Jing of the First House is formidable. She said she had to serve Old Madam Guo for lunch and simply ignored this matter. Aunt Yi of the Second House had to take care of her pregnant daughter-in-law. Only my mother foolishly ran over there and is now entangled by Aunt Wen. Who knows when she'll be able to get away."
The summer clothes from before were already finished. Zhou Shaojin was now making an autumn forehead kerchief for Old Madam Guan.
She listened, looked up and smiled, then lowered her head again to continue sewing.
Cheng Jia was quite displeased. "I finally come over for a visit, and here you are, sitting and doing needlework. You don't act like a hostess at all." As she spoke, she tried to snatch the forehead kerchief from Zhou Shaojin's hands.
Zhou Shaojin raised her hand, dodging Cheng Jia, and said, "This isn't anything good. What do you want me to say?"
Cheng Jia was left speechless. Then she pouted and said, "Anyway, I think Uncle Wen is really in the wrong. Rather than arguing and fighting with him like this, Aunt Wen might as well get a divorce. At least then she wouldn't have to see him and be annoyed..."
Divorce?
That required a powerful natal family to back you up!
Zhou Shaojin was momentarily lost in thought.
If Cheng Jia hadn't met with misfortune, she would have had loving parents and an elder brother to support her. Then she truly would have had the confidence to say such things.
Zhou Shaojin felt a pang of sadness.
She thought again of the letter Cheng Jia had sent her through Cui Huan.
They were both victims.
She hoped that in this lifetime, their fates would change for the better.
Zhou Shaojin lowered her head and continued sewing Old Madam Guan's forehead kerchief.
Cheng Jia couldn't sit still. After exchanging a few hasty words with Zhou Shaojin, she went off to find Madam Jiang.
Zhou Shaojin smiled wryly.
Finding Madam Jiang was just an excuse. Going to the Fifth House to watch the commotion was the real reason, right?
For the next few days, everyone up and down Nine Prosperities Lane was talking about this matter.
Cheng Wen fell ill. Madam Wen cried until she was drenched in tears, but Cheng Wen simply wouldn't let Madam Wen enter his room. Having no other choice, Madam Wen spent the nights resting on the luohan bed in the main hall. With no one managing household affairs, everything was left to Madam Wen's wet nurse to decide.
Over at the Fifth House, the commotion continued unabated.Zhou Shaojin had no desire to gossip. After returning from Cold Green Mountain House, she busied herself with needlework. Having finished embroidering Old Madam Guan’s forehead scarf, she began making winter clothes for her father, who was far away in Nanchang Prefecture, and decided to also sew a skirt for her stepmother, Madam Li.
In her previous life, after her elder sister married, discussions began for her betrothal to Cheng Lu. Due to her frail appearance, it was decided to send her to Baoding Prefecture first, and then from Baoding to Jinling for the wedding. Both her grandmother and eldest aunt felt this arrangement would exhaust her. Moreover, since the Zhou family ancestral home was in Jinling, they kept her at the Cheng residence, planning to formalize the engagement after her coming-of-age ceremony... In this life, however, there was no possibility of betrothal discussions with Cheng Lu. Once her sister married, she would naturally go to Baoding. At this time, expressing goodwill toward her stepmother was essential.
After Pan Zhuo left, Pan Qing came to visit Zhou Shaojin.
Gazing at Zhou Shaojin, who was as serene as a placid lake, Pan Qing’s eyes flickered with confusion. “You just sit at home like this every day, never going anywhere?”
“I have things to keep me busy!” Especially during these troubled times, Zhou Shaojin had decided to maintain a certain distance from them all.
Pan Qing suddenly understood. “Ah, yes, your grandmother’s birthday is approaching. You must be preparing a gift for her.”
Zhou Shaojin offered no explanation, lowering her head to continue sewing.
Pan Qing noticed it was a crow-blue robe with purple auspicious cloud roundels and asked curiously, “Who are you making this for?”
“My father,” Zhou Shaojin replied without looking up.
Pan Qing picked it up to examine.
Zhou Shaojin smiled. “Please don’t move it, or my stitches will go crooked.”
Pan Qing gave an awkward laugh, setting down the cut fabric. “The moonlight outside is so lovely. Shall we take a stroll? Since returning to Jinling, I haven’t had a proper chance to talk with you.”
Zhou Shaojin smiled. “Whenever a group walks together, mosquitoes always seem to bite me. I don’t go out after dark. If you wish to admire the moon, Cousin Jia is probably free now. You could invite her instead.”
Pan Qing chuckled. “You know as well as I do, she doesn’t like me…” Her tone carried a hint of probing.
Pretending not to hear, Zhou Shaojin replied cheerfully, “That’s just her temperament. She’s actually very kind-hearted. Once you spend more time with her, you’ll see.”
Pan Qing didn’t believe it. After all these years with Cheng Jia, who was so domineering, how could Zhou Shaojin have no opinions about her? This prim, proper young lady’s attitude of “see no evil, speak no evil” struck Pan Qing as utterly dull.
This Second Miss Zhou was nothing but a wooden beauty. She had probably read Biographies of Exemplary Women and Admonitions for Women from a young age, with no mother to guide her privately, taking everything in those books as truth. So rigid and rule-bound, utterly uninteresting.
As if to confirm her suspicions, from then on, Zhou Shaojin answered only what was asked, offering not a single extra word.
Greatly disappointed, Pan Qing exchanged a few more remarks before rising to take her leave.The oil lamp was somewhat irritating to the eyes, and Zhou Shaojin was determined to make a set of clothes for her father with neat stitches and a comfortable fit. She had long grown impatient with the pea-sized light, but had only put on this act to drive Pan Qing away. Thus, the moment Pan Qing stepped out of Fragrant Garden Residence, Zhou Shaojin immediately had Chunwan put away the needlework. She stood up, rubbing her eyes, and said, "Let’s go enjoy the moonlight in the courtyard too. The jade hairpin flowers have been blooming profusely these past two days, and you can even smell their fragrance in the morning. It’s a pity they wither by daylight. Otherwise, it would be nice to pick a few to wear."
Shi Xiang picked up a palm-leaf fan and went out with Zhou Shaojin, saying, "The jasmine flowers have also been blooming beautifully these past two days. Shall I pick a few for you to wear, Second Miss?"
"Great!" Zhou Shaojin smiled. "Pick plenty—we can hang them by the bed, make them into bracelets, send some to Elder Sister, Grandmother, Aunt, Si’er, and even bring a few for Xiao Tan..."
As they chatted, they strolled along the path of Fragrant Garden Residence.
Shi Xiang’s palm-leaf fan swished back and forth, bringing a refreshing coolness that lifted Zhou Shaojin’s spirits.
Suddenly, a dark figure dashed past on a nearby path.
Zhou Shaojin and the others were startled. Zhou Shaojin, in particular, was reminded of her previous life when she had encountered Cheng Xu in the garden. Her face turned pale with fright, and she couldn’t help but let out a sharp scream.
Shi Xiang quickly embraced Zhou Shaojin and shouted toward the direction of the dark figure, "Who’s there? Come out now, or we’ll call for help!"
Hearing this, the figure paused slightly before turning and walking toward them.
Chunwan went to fetch a lantern.
It was a boy of about ten years old, thin as a monkey, dressed in a blue cotton short jacket, with a sharp and alert expression on his face.
It turned out to be Sanbao, Cheng Yi’s personal attendant.
What was he doing in the inner courtyard at this hour?
Recognizing someone familiar, Zhou Shaojin patted her chest and let out a long sigh of relief.
Night patrol matrons had already approached with lanterns: "Second Miss, what happened?"
Sanbao looked pleadingly at Zhou Shaojin, clasping his hands together in supplication.
Zhou Shaojin felt inclined to help him and raised her voice, "It’s nothing, nothing. I just stepped on something soft and didn’t know what it was, so I got a fright."
The two matrons walked over with smiles.
Sanbao hurriedly hid behind a nearby willow tree.
The matrons chuckled, "It’s good that nothing’s wrong. You gave us quite a scare."
Zhou Shaojin thanked the two matrons and asked Shi Xiang to fetch some loose silver for them to buy wine: "After your shift, go and unwind."
The two declined at first, thanking her repeatedly and politely refusing Shi Xiang’s offer before finally accepting the silver with gratitude and heading off to continue their patrol.
Zhou Shaojin stood there with a stern expression, waiting for Sanbao to explain.
Sanbao trembled as he emerged from behind the tree, stammering for a long time without managing a coherent sentence.
Zhou Shaojin raised an eyebrow and called out, "Shi Xiang," saying, "Go and fetch the two night patrol matrons."
"Second Miss, spare me!" Sanbao fell to his knees with a thud. "Second Miss, it’s Second Master... Second Master lost money gambling and sent me back to fetch more... I thought this path was shorter, so I took a shortcut... I’ll never do it again, never again!"
Zhou Shaojin was stunned, then nearly choked with anger. She demanded sharply, "What did you say? Second Master is gambling? With whom? Where? How much did he lose? And who else knows about this?"Sanbao, hearing her words filled with concern, relaxed and spoke more fluently: "They are all young masters from several families who are old friends of the clan school, along with Master Nuo and Master Ju from the fifth branch. The stakes aren't high—just a hundred coins per round. They're playing in the Water Pavilion of the fifth branch's small garden, surrounded by felt blankets so no light can be seen from outside. Today, Second Master didn't bring much silver and his luck was a bit off. He lost about four or five taels of silver and originally wanted to stop and continue tomorrow, but Master Ju wouldn't have it—he also lost, about seven or eight taels of silver. Second Master couldn't refuse his face, so he sent me back to fetch more silver.
"Second Miss, you absolutely must help Second Master keep this secret. If the master and madam find out, won't they skin Second Master alive?"
Zhou Shaojin nearly choked on her breath.
So Cheng Yi had treated her words as nothing but wind blowing past his ears, going in one ear and out the other. Not only was he gambling, but he was doing it with Cheng Ju and the others. From Sanbao's tone, this wasn't even the first time!
She twisted her handkerchief, pacing in place for a long while before finally calming down. She said to Sanbao, "Go tell Second Master right now that I have something to discuss with him. Tell him to stop playing and come see me immediately. I'll wait for him here."
※
Last night, my computer broke down. A friend in the group is a software engineer, so I used my phone to take a picture of the screen and sent it over. She guided me through the steps, and the computer returned to normal. This morning, I took the computer to the after-sales service, and they told me there was nothing wrong with it... This friend is truly amazing...
※ (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
!!
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