Сhеng Jiа's рrеviously dаzеd ехрression immediаtеly brightenеd.
She grabbеd Zhоu Shаоjin's hаnd аnd said, "Reаlly?"
"Of course it's true," Zhоu Shаojin rеpliеd with аbsоlutе firmness аnd сеrtаintу. "Think аbout it—isn't that eхаctlу how it is?"
Cheng Jiа fell into dеep thоught.
Zhоu Shаоjin соntinuеd, "Ultimatelу, if Рan Qing hаdn't dоnе such а thing, how соuld Aunt Xiаn hаve bеen so angеred that she соllаpsеd? If anyonе shоuld fеel guiltу, it shоuld bе Раn Qing. Вy blаming уoursеlf for еverything, уou might bе рlаying right intо Раn Qing's hаnds, letting her shift the rеsponsibility onto уou. If it's your fаult, then it's yоur fault—wе аdmit our mistаkes, accept punishment, and correct them. But if it's not our fault, why should we admit it? Why should we take the blame for others?"
Zhou Shaojin's words might not have been entirely correct, but Cheng Jia saw her sincere intentions clearly.
She couldn't help but stop in her tracks, holding Zhou Shaojin's hand earnestly as she said, "Shaoji, I know you're the one who cares for me the most. I'll listen to you. If it's my fault, I'm willing to kneel in the ancestral hall and copy the Admonitions for Women. But if it's not my fault, I can't just accept it and take the blame for someone else!" She spoke faster and faster, her eyes growing brighter, until finally, she smiled at Zhou Shaojin.
A pang of sorrow welled up in Zhou Shaojin's heart.
In her past life, she had treated Cheng Jia even better than she did now.
Had Cheng Jia ever felt her kindness like this back then?
When Cheng Xian fainted, she had taken all the blame upon herself. In her past life, after Cheng Jia had led her to that cave, what had Cheng Jia thought afterward?
Afterward, both of them had been placed under house arrest by the Cheng family. They never saw each other again.
She had died of illness before she even turned twenty.
Leaving behind a son still in swaddling clothes.
Compared to her, Cheng Jia was even more pitiful.
She had been muddle-headed and unable to see people clearly. Cheng Jia, however, was like a small animal—usually well cared for and pampered, but at critical moments, she was pushed out without hesitation to be slaughtered...
Zhou Shaojin hugged Cheng Jia's arm and couldn't help but whisper, "I hope we both live well in this lifetime!"
Freed from her gloom, Cheng Jia became carefree once again.
"Of course we'll live well!" she laughed in response, then glanced around mysteriously. Leaning close to Zhou Shaojin's ear, she whispered, "When the time comes, let's marry into the same family or marry into neighboring households, so we can still visit each other like we do now... If I have a son, he'll marry your daughter, and if you have a son, he'll marry my daughter... When we're old, we'll become in-laws!"
"Ah!" Zhou Shaojin was dumbfounded.
Cheng Jia found her reaction amusing and giggled as she ran off.
Her light footsteps were like a fawn in the forest—lively and joyful!
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but smile.
Suddenly, she remembered that if her memory served her right, Cheng Jia's husband from her past life, Li Jing, would soon come to visit their grandaunt, Old Lady Li.
He had fallen in love with Cheng Jia at first sight.
But Madam Jiang looked down on him for being a merchant and was unwilling to marry Cheng Jia to Li Jing.
Back then, she had thought Madam Jiang was a good mother, always thinking of Cheng Jia's best interests.
Now, however, it seemed Cheng Jia was like a commodity waiting to be sold at the right price.In her previous life, when Cheng Jia got into trouble, Li Jing rushed all the way from Luoyang upon hearing the news. He married Cheng Jia with fifty thousand taels of silver as the betrothal gift. After Cheng Jia passed away, he never remarried. He elevated one of Cheng Jia’s personal maids to the status of a concubine to manage the household affairs, while he personally raised the son Cheng Jia had given birth to, keeping him by his side at all times. Even when traveling for business, he would take his son along by boat or on horseback, unwilling to entrust him to others for fear that they might mistreat him or lead him astray...
Should she help Cheng Jia?
Zhou Shaojin hesitated as she walked into the flower hall.
Old Madam Li was holding Cheng Jia’s hand, tears welling up in her eyes as she said, “You foolish child, how could you be so reckless? If anything were to happen to your aunt, how could I go on living…”
As expected, the third branch would shift the blame onto Cheng Jia, turning the whole incident into nothing more than childish mischief!
Seeing Cheng Jia pout unhappily, looking as though she was about to retort to Old Madam Li, Zhou Shaojin quickly stepped forward and greeted Old Madam Guo, Old Madam Guan, Old Madam Li, and the others with a smile.
“You’re back!” Old Madam Guan chuckled. “What happened? Why did the two of you run off like that? You gave us quite a fright.”
Even if Old Madam Guan hadn’t asked, Zhou Shaojin would have found an opportunity to explain, lest others think she and Cheng Jia had done it on purpose.
“Aunt Lu was worried that Cousin Jia might wander off,” Zhou Shaojin said sheepishly, “so she sent a nanny to keep an eye on us and prevent us from moving around. We simply couldn’t sit still any longer, so we…”
Someone nearby burst into laughter.
Zhou Chujin, who had been standing nervously behind Old Madam Guan, also smiled.
The tension eased.
Zhou Shaojin breathed a sigh of relief.
Old Madam Guan asked, “How is your Aunt Xian? Why didn’t you stay there to look after her?”
“Aunt Xian is fine,” Zhou Shaojin replied with a smile. “It seems the weather was too hot, and Aunt Xian walked too quickly, which caused her to faint. Aunt Jing said there were plenty of people there to help, and since we’re both too young and don’t know what to do, we might only get in the way. So she sent us back first to report to you and the other elders, so you wouldn’t worry.”
The flower hall fell silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Clearly, everyone was listening intently to what Zhou Shaojin had to say.
Zhou Shaojin’s response was flawless.
Old Madam Guan nodded slightly in satisfaction.
Cheng Jia had initially been afraid that Zhou Shaojin might slip up.
After all, the matter involving Pan Qing was, no matter how you looked at it, an embarrassment to the Cheng family. It wouldn’t do to expose themselves, would it?
Hearing Zhou Shaojin’s words, she secretly gave her a thumbs-up.
Zhou Shaojin pretended not to notice.
Soon, Cheng Xian, looking weak, was helped into the room by Pan Qing and Madam Jiang.
“Fourth Aunt,” Cheng Xian said, her face filled with remorse, tears shimmering in her eyes. “I’m so sorry. On your birthday, I ended up like this, as if I’d suffered from heatstroke…”
Old Madam Guan exclaimed, “Oh dear! Then you should go back to your room and rest! My birthday comes every year—you mustn’t let this turn into a serious illness!” She then asked Madam Jiang, “Have you called for a physician? Hurry and accompany her back! I’ll go see her later!”
Cheng Xian truly had no face to stay there any longer. After exchanging a few polite words with the others in the room, she returned to the courtyard where the third branch was staying, accompanied by Madam Jiang, Pan Qing, and Pan Zhuo.Cheng Jia then put on a show of taking a deep breath and quietly said to Zhou Shaojin, "Don't you feel much more refreshed now?"
"Be careful—extreme joy may lead to sorrow!" Zhou Shaojin warned her. "There are guests here now. Just wait until you return to the third branch and see how Aunt Lu deals with you!"
Cheng Jia's face immediately fell.
Zhou Shaojin giggled.
The stewardess came over to announce that the auspicious hour had arrived.
The female relatives retreated behind the screen. After Cheng Mian led the male family members in paying respects to Old Madam Guan for her birthday, Madam Mian brought the women of the Cheng family to do the same.
Servants began serving the dishes.
The lively atmosphere lasted until the moon rose above the treetops. Zhou Shaojin's floral screen and octagonal red lanterns were brought out. The courtyard was filled with flowers, brilliantly lit, accompanied by soft music and continuous laughter, delighting Old Madam Guan so much that she couldn't stop smiling. It wasn't until the third watch sounded that Old Madam Guan showed signs of fatigue. Zhou Shaojin and her sister attended to Old Madam Guan as she washed up, but the smile never left her face. Privately, she rewarded each of the sisters with a silver ingot.
The next day, the fourth branch was busy tidying up the items used for the birthday celebration.
Cheng Jia was placed under house arrest—for a full three months. No one was allowed to visit her.
Zhou Shaojin was somewhat surprised but felt this was to be expected.
She took out two sheets of fine paper, cut them into small pieces, and had Shi Xiang deliver them to Cheng Jia: "For her to write poems or paint to pass the time when she's bored."
At Cold Green Mountain House, Old Madam Guo dismissed her attendants and spoke privately with Madam Yuan: "...I think Eldest Young Master's marriage should be settled sooner rather than later. Otherwise, with one thing after another happening like this, we'll end up offending relatives for no reason and easily create grudges."
Madam Yuan smiled bitterly and said, "Don't I wish for the same? But the Min family’s intention is to discuss the marriage only after Xu'er passes the imperial examination... so as not to delay the children of both families."
Old Madam Guo sneered. "I think they’re afraid of delaying their own child, don’t you? You need to think this through carefully, lest someone takes advantage and leads you by the nose, ending up with a daughter-in-law who isn’t even as good as an ordinary girl. If the wife brought into the family is unsuitable, it could affect generations! Look at your third uncle’s daughter-in-law—she was the daughter of a vice minister back then, but what happened? She took after her illiterate mother, can’t even speak clearly, and her son is exactly like her. Your second uncle personally tutored him, and he barely managed to pass the county-level examination..."
"I understand," Madam Yuan said, a cold glint in her eyes. "I’ve already sent someone to Fujian. There won’t be any mistakes about the young lady’s character."
Old Madam Guo nodded. "Then go see Cheng Xian. She’s another one who takes after her mother—a daughter of an official family, yet she can’t even manage a husband from a humble background and listens to his whims. See whose ancestral grave was misplaced, forming a marriage alliance with their family..."
Madam Yuan detested Cheng Xian and didn’t want to discuss her further. She smiled and replied, "Yes," then had her personal maid bring some medicinal herbs and tonics to visit Cheng Xian in the third branch.
In the afternoon, Zhou Shaojin came over, bringing a few sweet melons for the maids at Cold Green Mountain House.
Old Madam Guo looked at her flushed little face, casually picked up a fan, and began fanning her while asking with a smile, "Have you settled everything at home?"Zhou Shaojin was startled and dared not let Old Madam Guo fan her, so she quickly took the fan from her, smiling as she said, "With elder sister here, what could I possibly do? I'm just meddling around on the side."
Old Madam Guo smiled faintly.
Zhenzhu brought in sliced sweet melon.
Old Madam Guo said with a smile, "Have some sweet melon before copying the scriptures."
Zhou Shaojin knew that Old Madam Guo, being elderly, no longer ate sweet things like this, so she agreed with a smile and sat on the small stool beside Old Madam Guo to eat the melon.
Biyu entered and said with a smile, "Chief Steward Qin Da is here. He says he has something to discuss."
Zhou Shaojin quickly stood up.
Seeing sweet melon juice still at the corner of her mouth, Old Madam Guo smiled and said, "You keep eating—Old Qin is already over sixty."
Implying that she didn’t need to withdraw.
Zhou Shaojin had no choice but to sit back down.
Biyu went to bring Qin Shouyue in.
This was Zhou Shaojin’s first time meeting Qin Shouyue.
He was of medium height, with a ruddy complexion, jet-black hair, and a ramrod-straight posture. He wore a sapphire-blue silk robe with purple auspicious cloud patterns, looking very spirited. He appeared about ten years younger than his actual age.
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Today’s update!
o(n_n)o~
With 420 pink votes, plus one more update, I’ll have fulfilled my promise! I was prepared to update twice daily for a month…
※ (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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