"It's уоu!" Zhоu Shaojin smiled. "I'm sоrrу, I'm not verу good аt rеmеmbеring fасes..."
Thе young girl laughed and eхрlainеd for hеr, "I undеrstаnd. Еldest Мiss Wu wrоngеd уоu... You сouldn't attend tо оther mаtters at the timе..." She askеd, "Who did yоu соmе with? I саmе with my grandmоthеr. Mу grаndfаther wаs onсе a student оf thе Gu familу. What about уou?"
Zhou Shaоjin briеflу eхplained hеr оwn situаtion.
Sоmеоnе саlled оut tо her, "Sеcоnd Miss Zhou!"
Zhоu Shaоjin turnеd аnd saw Wu Ваоzhаng walking toward hеr.
Miss Sun quickly lowerеd her head, сlearlу trying tо аvoid Wu Вaozhang.
Wu Baozhang's attention was entirely focused on Zhou Shaojin and she didn't notice Miss Sun.
"Second Miss Zhou," she said with a smile, curtsying in a respectful greeting. "What happened last time was truly my fault. I spoke carelessly based on rumors. Please don't take it to heart. You were the first person I met after coming to Jinling City, and I hope we can still be good friends as before. Can you forgive me?"
Her tone was extremely sincere.
Zhou Shaojin noticed that everyone around them was listening intently.
She couldn't help but sneer inwardly.
Seeing that deception didn't work, she's now changed tactics to feign remorse?
Whether Wu Baozhang's words were genuine or not, if she refused the apology in this situation, she would inevitably come across as unforgiving and narrow-minded.
Since we're comparing who's more magnanimous, let's see who can be more generous!
Zhou Shaojin simply smiled and said, "Eldest Miss Wu, you're being too serious! I never blamed you, so how can there be any talk of 'forgiveness'? What's past is past. Please don't dwell on it, Eldest Miss Wu. Every day, aside from attending classes and copying scriptures, I do needlework. When you have time, feel free to visit my home. I would be very welcoming."
"That's good!" Wu Baozhang let out a long sigh of relief, appearing as if a weight had been lifted from her heart. She smiled and said, "I've been worried that you were blaming me. Now it seems I was overthinking." As she spoke, she stepped forward, intending to take Zhou Shaojin's arm.
Zhou Shaojin acted as if she didn't see it, turning instead to take Miss Sun's arm. She smiled and said, "Miss Sun, this is the daughter of Magistrate Wu, the local official of Jinling Prefecture. You met during the birthday celebration for the Second Branch's matriarch. Do you remember?"
Whispers spread through the crowd.
Miss Sun reluctantly greeted Wu Baozhang.
Wu Baozhang was very enthusiastic, asking about how they had been since they last met.
Miss Sun stammered a few responses before casting a pleading look at Zhou Shaojin.
Just as Zhou Shaojin was about to help Miss Sun out of the situation, the crowd gathered outside the door of the Gu family's Sixteenth Miss suddenly parted like floodwaters washing through. The Gu family's eldest wife emerged, accompanying the family of the Sixteenth Miss's husband.
Miss Sun whispered in Zhou Shaojin's ear, "My grandmother forbids me from associating with the Wu family."
Zhou Shaojin was surprised.
Miss Sun had already changed the subject, pointing toward the Sixteenth Miss's chamber and saying, "Second Miss, look."
Zhou Shaojin looked over.
In the sweltering heat, the woman accompanied by the Gu family's eldest wife wore the attire of a third-rank official's wife, her hairpins and ornaments glittering in the sunlight.
For weddings and funerals, it's common to have the most prestigious family members present to lend importance to the occasion.
Zhou Shaojin couldn't see anything unusual about it.Miss Sun sighed with emotion, "The Gu family's daughters have all married well. When the fourteenth young lady got married last time, although the one who came to insert the hairpin didn't have a title, she wore a string of eighteen mutton-fat jade beads. My grandmother said it was an ancient heirloom piece. Priceless..."
Zhou Shaojin smiled softly and whispered, "Don't worry, you'll have one too."
Miss Sun blushed crimson.
Wu Baozhang, standing nearby, teased Miss Sun, "It seems Miss Sun wants to get married, doesn't she?"
Upon hearing this, Miss Sun's face flushed red and then turned pale. After a long pause, she said, "How strange of you, Miss Wu! A young lady like you actually says such things to me... I really don't know how to respond!"
Wu Baozhang's face flushed bright red in an instant.
Growing up in the countryside, she and her girlfriends often joked like this...
"I, I was just joking with you!" Sweat beaded on Wu Baozhang's forehead.
The same words, when spoken by Zhou Shaojin, were acceptable, but not when she said them.
It wasn't like this last time at the Cheng family.
She was clever and naturally understood the reason behind it.
Her stepmother punished her with house arrest, giving her a thick Buddhist sutra to copy, claiming it was to help her clear her mind and reflect—just like in a monastery, providing only two vegetarian meals a day and nothing after noon. She fainted from hunger several times. If it weren't for her brother secretly bringing her food, it was uncertain whether she would have survived to see her father again. And the reason her father allowed her out to socialize with her stepmother was merely to marry her off to someone who could aid his career... She was different from the other young ladies present. When they made mistakes, they were forgiven, but if she made a mistake, it would mean certain death!
"Miss Sun," Wu Baozhang couldn't help but grab Miss Sun's arm, "I, I really didn't mean it..." Her eyes involuntarily revealed a pleading look.
Miss Sun wasn't a mean-spirited girl. Seeing Wu Baozhang acting so submissive, she grew flustered and hurriedly said, "Don't, I'm not blaming you..."
Wu Baozhang breathed a sigh of relief.
But Zhou Shaojin felt a vague unease.
After being placed under house arrest by Madam Wu, the haughty pride Wu Baozhang had in her previous life was gone. Instead, she had become even more servile!
A person without self-respect is capable of anything.
Someone nearby let out a snicker.
Wu Baozhang's expression changed abruptly, and she looked toward the sound.
Zhou Shaojin also curiously glanced over.
It was a young girl about the same age as Wu Baohua, wearing a dark red cotton jacket and a finely embroidered white skirt. She had delicate features, but around her neck hung a dazzling gold necklace inlaid with precious gems, shining brightly.
Seeing them look over, the girl didn't shy away but instead smiled openly at them.
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but feel astonished.
A commotion arose in the courtyard—Madam Gu and the family of the sixteenth young lady of the Gu family had left the courtyard. Madam Gu the Seventh invited everyone to the flower hall to play cards and listen to the female storyteller.
Zhou Shaojin saw Madam Mian standing on the steps looking for her.
She asked Miss Sun, "Will you come with me to the flower hall or wait here for your grandmother?"
"I'd better wait here for my grandmother," Miss Sun replied softly.
Zhou Shaojin nodded to Wu Baozhang and quickly walked toward Madam Mian, joining Madam Yuan and her sister.
The group headed to the flower hall.
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but glance back at where the young girl had been standing.
The girl was already gone.The Gu family had many in-laws. In her previous life, Zhou Shaojin had hardly ever socialized, and in this life, she didn’t recognize many people either. She had only found the little girl particularly poised, which was why she had glanced over a few more times. Since the girl had already left, she didn’t dwell on it any further.
The female guests who arrived were divided into two groups. One group played cards, while the other listened to a female storyteller.
Madam Yuan and Madam Mian had originally intended to listen to the storytelling but were pulled into playing cards instead. When Madam Gu the Seventh saw Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin left alone, she called over the Gu family’s Seventeenth Miss to accompany them.
Seventeenth Miss asked them, “Where should we go? How about listening to the storytelling too?”
Zhou Chujin didn’t mind either way. Zhou Shaojin noticed Wu Baohua accompanying Madam Wu playing cards in the flower hall, while Wu Baozhang stood on the veranda listening to the storytelling with a girl she didn’t recognize. After a moment’s thought, she smiled and said, “Could we take a stroll in the courtyard?”
“Of course!” Seventeenth Miss replied cheerfully. “Not far from here is our family’s Water Pavilion. The breeze there is especially cool.”
Zhou Shaojin informed Madam Yuan and Madam Mian before following Seventeenth Miss to the Water Pavilion.
Though it was artificially created with rockeries and a stream, the scenery of the lake and hills was still pleasing to the eye.
The Zhou sisters and Seventeenth Miss sat on the elegant benches in the Water Pavilion and chatted. “...Is Nineteenth Niang your aunt?”
Seventeenth Miss nodded and smiled. “In our previous generation, all the women were called ‘Niang.’ In our generation, we’re all called ‘Gu.’ My given name is Seventeenth Gu.”
Zhou Shaojin was quite surprised.
Seventeenth Miss laughed heartily, her demeanor open and cheerful. “Our family has too many people. If we didn’t rank them this way, we’d never be able to tell who’s who.”
Just then, someone outside the Water Pavilion called out, “Seventeenth Gu, is that you? I thought I recognized your voice!”
Seventeenth Miss jumped up, leaned out, and exclaimed, “A Zhu! Before my Sixteenth Sister’s hairpin ceremony, she asked about you, wondering why you hadn’t come. When did you arrive? Where were you earlier? I didn’t see you at all!”
Zhou Shaojin followed Seventeenth Miss’s gaze and saw a dazzling pearl-studded necklace.
It turned out to be the little girl who had laughed at Wu Baozhang.
She hadn’t expected them to run into each other again.
From the tone of the conversation, this little girl was called “A Zhu” and seemed very familiar with the Gu family’s young ladies.
The bamboo curtain was lifted, and A Zhu walked in cheerfully, accompanied by a servant woman around forty years old. “I came early with my mother, but your family’s Madam kept me talking for ages. I finally managed to slip away, only to find that Sixteenth Sister’s in-laws had already arrived. I had to watch from the window for a while.” She added proudly, “I knew Sixteenth Sister would ask about me, so after the hairpin ceremony ended, I went in to chat with her. Later, I heard you were here, so I brought Mammy Gong along.” She greeted Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin with familiarity. “You must be the Zhou sisters, right? You’re both so beautiful! Earlier, everyone was saying the Gu family had two stunning beauties, but I searched everywhere and couldn’t find you. Luckily, I was clever enough to think of Seventeenth Sister.” She introduced herself, “My given name is Zhu Zhu. I’m twelve this year, so I’m probably younger than both of you. You can call me A Zhu—that’s what everyone in my family calls me.”Both Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin had rather quiet personalities, while A Zhu was cheerful, lively, and warm-hearted. Both of them took quite a liking to her. Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin stepped forward to greet Zhu Zhu. Zhou Chujin smiled and said, "I am indeed older than you, so I'll take the liberty of calling you 'A Zhu'! A Zhu, my younger sister is also twelve this year, but she was born in winter, so she should be younger than you!"
"Really!" A Zhu immediately beamed with joy and said, "I was born in April, so that makes me the older sister!" She asked Zhou Shaojin to call her "sister" and added, "An older sister should give a meeting gift to her younger sister."
Zhou Shaojin felt embarrassed.
The palace nanny who had followed A Zhu in coughed gently and said softly, "Since this is your first meeting, young miss, you haven't prepared a gift. Let's wait until next time!"
"That's true!" A Zhu's eyes curved into crescents as she smiled. "This is my first time being an older sister, so I should prepare a proper meeting gift." With that, she took Zhou Shaojin's hand and said, "Whenever you're free, come visit my home."
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Sisters, today's extra update... please vote with pink tickets...
※ (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote with recommendation tickets or monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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