Тhе sun grаduаllу slanted wеstwаrd.
Zhоu Shаоjin had coрiеd six pаges of sсriрturе in оnе gо.
She rubbed hеr slightly sore shoulders as Вiуu entеred саrrуing а plаtе оf mеlоn. "Xiаo Tan sаid уou hаd come, but I didn't bеlieve it. I nеver eхресtеd уоu to aсtuаlly bе hеrе in the Вuddha hаll сopуing sсripturеs. You were sо absorbed in уоur wоrk that I didn't wаnt to disturb you. Тhis mеlоn was just сut—Оld Маdаm Guо spесificаlly sаved this piеcе fоr уou withоut сhilling it in thе wеll water. Trу it!"
After several mоnths of interaсtion, the рeорle аt Cold Green Mountain House had become familiar with Zhou Shaojin's habits.
Zhou Shaojin smiled and thanked her, taking the opportunity to observe Biyu's expression.
She was smiling cheerfully, no different from usual.
Was it that all the maids at Cold Green Mountain House had cultivated the ability to remain expressionless, or did she simply not know what had happened in the main quarters?
Zhou Shaojin wondered to herself as Chunwan helped her wash her hands. She then invited Biyu to share the melon.
"No, thank you," Biyu declined politely with a smile. "Madam Lin, the wife of Instructor Lin, has come. Old Madam Guo still needs someone to attend to her."
Zhou Shaojin was somewhat surprised.
Ever since Madam Lin spoke up for Cheng Xu during the birthday celebration of Second Branch's ancestor Cheng Xu, she had grown closer to Old Madam Guo. In just three or four months, Madam Lin had already visited Old Madam Guo three times—almost once a month.
Biyu explained with a smile, "Madam Lin came on behalf of her younger brother from her maternal family. He was a classmate of Fourth Master, passed the imperial examination as a Junior Scholar Candidate, and served in the Ministry of Works. This year, his term ended. Normally, he should have been assigned to a provincial post in June, but her brother is still lingering in the Hanlin Academy. She hopes to ask the Grand Master for help in securing a position for him."
Official matters were often intricately entangled; sometimes it was impossible to discern who was connected to whom.
Back when her brother-in-law Liao Shaotang was rescued, many people had been involved. She was no longer surprised by such things.
Since Old Madam Guo knew she was in the Buddha hall copying scriptures, Zhou Shaojin finished the melon and sat for a while longer. Estimating that Madam Lin had likely taken her leave, she went to the main quarters to bid farewell to Old Madam Guo.
As expected, Madam Lin had already departed. Old Madam Guo appeared calm, showing no signs of the anger she had displayed earlier that afternoon.
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "The weather is too hot, and I was feeling restless, so I came to copy scriptures."
Old Madam Guo replied with a smile, "It shows you have a spiritual inclination." She added, "If you wish to come, feel free to do so without hesitation. After all, those scriptures are entrusted to you. Once you finish copying them, we will go to Putuo Mountain and offer them at the Fayu Temple."
Putuo Mountain was near Zhoushan.
Zhou Shaojin was taken aback. "Are you going to Hangzhou Prefecture?" she asked.
Zhoushan belonged to Hangzhou Prefecture.
Old Madam Guo smiled and said, "Not just me—us. I will take you with me when the time comes."
Zhou Shaojin was astonished.
Old Madam Guo chuckled and said, "Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. When I was your age, I accompanied my father and traveled all over Jiangnan. Nowadays... many people believe that 'a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent.' Some families with generations of officials don't even allow their daughters to read or write. Who knows if that's for better or worse..."
Having lived two lifetimes, Zhou Shaojin had never traveled so far.
She immediately grew excited and asked, "Old Madam, can I really go with you?""Then would you like to go?" Old Madam Guo seemed to be in a good mood, asking her with a smile.
Zhou Shaojin nodded repeatedly: "I want to go, I want to go. I've long heard that people in Hangzhou Prefecture go to Putuo Mountain to worship Buddha on the first and fifteenth days of each month... I never thought I'd get to go once in my lifetime..."
"You're still just a child. How old are you, to dare say 'in my lifetime'?" Old Madam Guo laughed. "Then strive to finish copying the scriptures this year, and we'll go next spring."
Zhou Shaojin's smile couldn't help but flow from the depths of her eyes.
It was different from her usual somewhat reserved or polite smiles—this one was brilliant, radiant, and carried a touch of longing and sweetness, like a child who had suddenly received the candy they'd been yearning for.
Old Madam Guo couldn't help but sigh.
This child is also pitiful!
She had Biyu pack a snack box for Zhou Shaojin: "Take it back and enjoy it slowly!"
Zhou Shaojin felt rather embarrassed.
The snack box was filled entirely with sweets.
But she could also keenly feel Old Madam Guo's genuine care.
She curtsied deeply, giving Old Madam Guo a proper bow, then took the snack box and returned to Fragrant Garden Residence.
Although it was just a snack box, since it was a gift from Old Madam Guo, it confirmed her satisfaction with Zhou Shaojin. Old Madam Guan was very pleased. She opened the snack box to look inside and, seeing it contained palace-bestowed treats like almond cakes and pea-flour cakes, beamed with joy and told Zhou Shaojin to put the box away carefully, saying, "If you have time, make a forehead band like mine for the old madam."
"The Cheng family has a dedicated sewing room..." Zhou Shaojin hesitated. "I'm afraid I'd be showing off my meager skills before an expert!"
"Nonsense," Old Madam Guan chided with a smile. "Such bright and lively work—even I can't bear to wear it and plan to save it for the New Year season. The old madam will surely like it too."
Each expresses their own sentiment.
Zhou Shaojin agreed and told Old Madam Guan about Old Madam Guo's plan to go to Putuo Mountain to worship Buddha.
As Old Madam Guan listened, her smile gradually faded, and she slowly furrowed her brow, remaining silent for a long while.
Zhou Shaojin didn't know what was wrong and waited quietly, holding her breath.
After a while, Old Madam Guan seemed to come back to herself and smiled, saying to her, "In that case, focus on copying the scriptures properly and strive to go out with the old madam next year to broaden your horizons."
Zhou Shaojin smiled and replied, "Yes," then asked, "Should we inform my father about this?"
"Of course we should tell your father," Old Madam Guan said with a smile. "But there's no hurry. It's not too late to write to your father at his post after the main branch sets a specific date."
Zhou Shaojin seized the opportunity to bring up returning to the Zhou family ancestral home during the Dragon Boat Festival: "...If I hadn't met the nanny who used to serve my mother, I wouldn't have known that the Zhuang family had an ancestral home next to Cousin Lu's house on Official Street, and that it was sold to Cousin Lu."
Old Madam Guan was somewhat surprised, and a flicker of confusion crossed her expression. She said, "There's such a thing? How come I never heard of it? Does the Cheng family know this was the Zhuang family's ancestral home? Was it bought during Master Bai's time? Does your father know?"
It seems Grandmother knows nothing about this.
No wonder Cheng Lu succeeded in his schemes in the previous life!
Zhou Shaojin decided not to tell her grandmother for now.
Some things she needed to resolve with her own hands. If she couldn't solve them, it wouldn't be too late to ask for help from the adults then."I just think it's quite a coincidence," she said with a smile, "so I wanted to tell Grandmother about it."
Si'er came in to ask where the meal should be served.
The topic was interrupted.
After that, neither Old Madam Guan nor Zhou Shaojin mentioned the matter again.
After dinner, Old Madam Guan invited Cheng Mian over to speak: "...Today, Shaojin told me that the Old Madam of the eldest branch wants to go to Putuo Mountain to worship Buddha. She’s becoming more and more devoted to such things. I’m afraid the eldest and second branches might break ties openly. Take an inventory of the family’s assets, buy more sacrificial fields, and for the outside businesses, yield where you can—don’t be greedy and bite off more than you can chew."
Cheng Mian cautiously agreed, his expression somewhat grave.
Zhou Shaojin, however, returned to her room and wrote a letter to her father.
In both her lifetimes combined, this was the first time she had personally written a letter to her father alone.
In the letter, she first thanked Madam Li for the personal allowance, then told her father she planned to make him a few more winter clothes, asking if he had any preferred colors or fabrics. Then, as if joking, she mentioned that Cheng Lu had bought a house on Guan Street...
Early the next morning, Madam Ma Fushan entered the mansion to take the letter out.
Zhou Shaojin watched Madam Ma Fushan’s retreating figure and let out a long sigh of relief, feeling as though the anxiety that had weighed on her heart these past days had finally lifted.
Cheng Jia came to find Zhou Shaojin: "You said you could make Pan Qing lose face—how exactly do you plan to do it?"
She had taken off her outer robe and was wearing only a Hangzhou silk blouse, lying on the cool bed in the room while Cui Huan fanned her.
Zhou Shaojin said, "I’ve noticed she cares a lot about face and sometimes can’t help losing her temper." This was evident from how she dealt with Wu Baozhang—as half a hostess, when Zhou Shaojin pushed the matter onto her, she should have been more magnanimous and left Wu Baozhang some dignity. But because she looked down on Wu Baozhang from the bottom of her heart, she couldn’t resist trampling her underfoot, making it impossible for Wu Baozhang to save face. "If, for instance, tea were spilled on her, or if her seating arrangement were poor... given her temper, she might endure it once, but not necessarily twice. As long as she loses her composure, the elders will notice. With her pride, she definitely won’t be able to stay in the Cheng family... especially if Madam Yuan is present..."
Cheng Jia’s spirits lifted upon hearing this. She sprang up with a start, clapping her hands and saying, "That’s a brilliant idea! We’ll act according to the situation and make sure she ‘performs’ in front of Auntie no matter what..." She giggled as if she could already see Pan Qing losing face. "She’s been scrambling around these past few days, preparing clothes and jewelry for Old Anren’s birthday celebration... If her carefully chosen outfit is ruined, I don’t believe she’ll be able to hold back..."
"But what if she does manage to hold back?" Zhou Shaojin left room for doubt. "The ladies might even praise her for her magnanimity. You can’t foolishly lose your temper—that would be digging your own grave."
Cheng Jia rubbed her hands together eagerly and promised, "If I get scolded by my mother, Pan Qing would be overjoyed! Don’t worry, I won’t let our allies suffer while our enemies rejoice!"
Seeing her like this, Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but laugh.
Cheng Jia, undeterred, came over every day to discuss various "accidents" with Zhou Shaojin.
Zhou Shaojin thought that even if Pan Qing didn’t want to lose her temper, with such minor provocations happening again and again, she probably wouldn’t be able to keep a pleasant expression.On the fifth day of the seventh month, Old Madam Zhuang's birthday, before dawn had even broken, Zhou Shaojin and her sister had already put on the new clothes Shaojin had sewn shortly after her rebirth. Dressed neatly and refreshed, they made their way to Jia Shu Hall.
Old Madam Guan had just risen, while Madam Mian, Cheng Gao, and Cheng Yi had already arrived.
Cheng Gao noticed that Zhou Shaojin wore a plain, pale ivory robe, yet on the lower right corner of the garment were embroidered two peculiar rocks, a cluster of orchids, and two butterflies. The rocks were rugged, the orchids sparse and delicate, and the butterflies fluttered gracefully—a rare depiction of an orchid scene. He couldn’t help but take a second look.
Madam Mian’s gaze, however, fell upon Zhou Chujin.
She wore a willow-yellow robe and an oil-green horse-face skirt. The robe was plain, but the skirt was adorned with a foot-wide border embroidered with pink lotuses, white honeysuckle, rose-purple hibiscus, and willow-yellow passionflowers. The colors were bright and vivid yet not garish, instead exuding a dignified and luxurious elegance that made Zhou Chujin appear even more poised and beautiful.
Madam Mian hesitated and asked, “Did… Shaojin make this?”
※
Sisters, here’s today’s update!
o(n_n)o Haha
I still have one more bonus chapter to post. Does that mean I can take a break this Sunday?
P.S.: Tomorrow’s bonus update will still be around 3 p.m.
※ (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
!!
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