Sооn, Nаnрing hurriеd оvеr with Qing Feng towаrd Zhоu Shаоjin.
"Sеcond Young Мiss," shе said uneаsily, "why hаvе уоu соme? What dо you need from me?"
Zhоu Shаojin glаncеd аt Qing Fеng.
Qing Fеng shot hеr аn indignаnt lооk befоre turning and leаving.
Zhоu Shaоjin tugged at Nanрing's sleevе and whispеrеd, "Мiss Nаnрing, I nееd to seе Unсle Сhi... Dоn't tеll me hе's not hеrе. If he werеn't, уou сouldn't have sеnt word back tо mе sо quicklу... Even if he wаs аwаy еаrliеr, hе must hаvе returnеd bу now. I hаve sоmething verу urgent, trulу urgеnt!" Вy thе еnd, hеr wоrds carried аn unconscious notе of pleаding.
Nanping fеll silent fоr а momеnt, hesitating before saying, "Then wait here for me a while."
Zhou Shaojin nodded repeatedly, deeply grateful.
Nanping went to announce her arrival.
Zhou Shaojin stood in the entrance hall, anxiously waiting.
When she had rushed over, she had been filled with fervor, but now, standing here waiting, she began to hesitate.
What if Uncle Chi refused to see her?
What if he ignored her when they met?
How could she possibly move Uncle Chi?
Zhou Shaojin twisted her fingers together.
Nanping hurried back.
"Second Young Miss," she said, her voice tinged with a surprise Zhou Shaojin couldn't understand, "Fourth Master says you are to go to the Pure Sound Pavilion."
Zhou Shaojin didn't know where the Pure Sound Pavilion was.
She followed Nanping.
They passed around an old cassia tree, half-withered yet sprouting new branches, and saw a pavilion.
Gray tiles, white walls, just one bay wide, with transparent glass panes set into the doors on all four sides, and bowl-sized bronze bells hanging from the eaves. A black lacquered plaque with gilded characters hung at the entrance, bearing the bold, flowing script of "Pure Sound Pavilion."
Zhou Shaojin let out a long sigh.
Finally, they had arrived.
They had walked for nearly the time it takes two incense sticks to burn, and her feet were beginning to ache.
This must be the innermost part of the Hill of Clustered Cassia Courtyard, right?
Nanping pushed open the door.
Zhou Shaojin saw Cheng Chi tidying up carving knives and other tools.
At a glance, she spotted the roughly shaped body of a qin.
No wonder Uncle Chi wasn't receiving visitors—he was making a qin.
Zhou Shaojin felt relieved, her mood inexplicably relaxing.
She stepped forward to greet Cheng Chi.
Cheng Chi smiled and said, "You're here! It's a bit messy in here; let's talk outside."
The pavilion was indeed cluttered—wood shavings, chips, curls, and lumber scattered everywhere, and Uncle Chi himself was covered in wood dust and chips.
Zhou Shaojin smiled and agreed, but her expression faltered slightly.
She saw Jiying.
Amid the disorderly pavilion, her striking, cold beauty shone like a bright pearl. Even if one didn't notice her at first, she would inevitably catch the eye after a moment.
But now she wore a black scorched-cloth vest, slumped exhaustedly on the dirty, cluttered floor, drenched in sweat, her expression weary and eyes filled with terror. It was as if she had endured some great calamity, leaving Zhou Shaojin utterly bewildered.
Cheng Chi merely smiled faintly, offering neither explanation nor clarification. He brushed off his lapels and walked straight out.
Zhou Shaojin had no choice but to pretend she hadn't seen anything and followed him out.
Lang Yue and Huaishan seemed to appear out of nowhere—one brewing tea, the other carrying a table and chairs. Soon, there was a seating area under the pavilion's corridor.
Cheng Chi pushed a cup of steaming tea toward her and said with a smile, "Biluochun tea picked before Qingming. Try it."
The aroma was crisp and refreshing, the liquor clear, leaving a lingering sweetness that moistened the throat.
It was excellent tea. But how could she possibly be in the mood for tea?Realizing that even if she had the ingenuity of Bi Gan, it likely wouldn't be enough to match Cheng Chi, she simply abandoned all pretense and spoke frankly: "Uncle Chi, this tea is excellent, but I'm preoccupied with the matter concerning the Liangguo Duke's residence... I came to see you precisely for this... Why on earth did Zhu Pengju send such expensive gifts to me, my sister, and Cousin Jia? You had Nanping bring me a message because you know something, don't you?"
She gazed at him intently, her eyes clear as spring water, her brows like distant mountains, her expression tinged with a hint of anticipation, as if she had no one else to rely on but him.
Cheng Chi's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
This silly girl!
When Zhu Pengju suddenly became excessively attentive, he had grown suspicious. However, on one hand, he couldn't be bothered to meddle in such matters, and on the other, he wasn't entirely clear about Zhu Pengju's intentions, so he had simply waited to see how things unfolded. Later, he guessed that Zhu Pengju must have taken a fancy to either Zhou Shaojin or Cheng Jia... He didn't care about Cheng Jia, but if it was Zhou Shaojin—someone with no one to rely on—who had, after all, stayed at the Cold Green Mountain House, then in the eyes of others, she would be considered part of their branch... If she truly had some girlish affection for Cheng Jiashan, he would at least have to offer her a few words of guidance... to avoid any situation that could become difficult to manage... Even if she were to marry into the Liangguo Duke's residence, she wouldn't be completely in the dark, falling into someone else's trap...
Who would have thought this child would be so naive? She didn't even think to follow his hint and investigate further. Instead, she boldly came to the Hill of Clustered Cassia Courtyard to ask him...
Just thinking about it made his teeth ache.
In all his life, this was the first time he had misjudged someone so badly.
A girl who appeared so clever turned out to be utterly clueless.
He had no choice but to have Nanping spell it out for her.
She did follow his hint and looked into the origin of the gifts, but in the end, she still came to him for advice, even threatening Qing Feng that if he didn't announce her, she would shout at the door... Who on earth taught her that?
How could someone with such a face, delicate as morning dew and bright as a pearl, be like this?
Cheng Chi sighed inwardly and couldn't help but glance at Zhou Shaojin again.
Her jet-black hair wasn't particularly thick, but it was smooth and glossy. Her large almond-shaped eyes, slightly upturned at the corners, gave her a naturally charming look. If not for their clear and innocent gaze, they might have been what others called "peach blossom eyes." Her nose was straight and delicate, her lips pink, small, and rosy, like flower petals. And to top it off, she had a petite, oval face that made her appear delicate and gentle... No wonder Cheng Jiashan and Cheng Xiangqing were both chasing after her.
If he were Cheng Jiashan or Cheng Xiangqing, he too might find it hard to resist such beauty!
Cheng Chi found himself momentarily distracted.Cheng Jiashan was not an imprudent child, yet for Zhou Shaojin's sake, he had brought Cheng Xiangqing into his own circle. Originally, he either intended to make Cheng Xiangqing lose face or to make him retreat in the face of difficulties. Who would have thought that Cheng Xiangqing was no simple character? Not only did Cheng Jiashan fail to embarrass him or make him back down, but after a long conversation with Cheng Xiangqing, he even changed his mind and began to regard Cheng Xiangqing as a friend, engaging in mutual exchanges... If Zhou Shaojin were to marry, leaving aside Cheng Jiashan—whose appearance, family background, and character were all well-matched—even Cheng Xiangqing might not be a bad choice. On the contrary, Zhu Pengju was limited by his status and position. Not only could he not help Zhou Zhen, but marrying into a family of high officials might also give the impression of social climbing, which could hinder Zhou Zhen's career prospects. He was hardly a suitable candidate. Even the Cheng family might be implicated.
But young girls usually don’t think deeply about such matters.
They only see that the Duke of Liang’s household is a family of generations of high officials, and marrying into it would bring an extraordinary noble title. For future generations, blessings would extend endlessly, everything would be taken care of, and there would be no worries—just waiting for a life of wealth and honor...
No one spoke. The wind blew, rustling the branches, and all around was silent.
Cheng Chi’s silence made Zhou Shaojin uneasy. She twisted her fingers and shifted restlessly.
The faint rustling sound, unusual for the Pure Sound Pavilion, brought Cheng Chi back to his senses.
He saw Zhou Shaojin’s intertwined fingers.
Slender, long, pale, with a faint red tinge at the tips, as if carved from the finest mutton-fat jade. How could she twist her fingers into such a tangled mess? Didn’t it hurt?
Or were her bones not yet fully formed, making them especially soft?
Cheng Chi had no experience dealing with young girls like Zhou Shaojin. The thought crossed his mind but was quickly dismissed. He smiled and said, "If Zhu Pengju had taken a liking to you..."
Before he could finish, Zhou Shaojin’s face turned ashen, her eyes filled with fear, like a startled rabbit. "No, no, he definitely hasn’t taken a liking to me... I saw him last time at the Three Branches Pavilion..." As she spoke, her body began to tremble uncontrollably.
Was being liked by Zhu Pengju really so terrifying?
Cheng Chi didn’t understand, but he could see that Zhou Shaojin was genuinely afraid. He softened his voice and said, "I was only saying if..."
"Not even if!" she interrupted him again. "I won’t marry him..." The mere thought of such a possibility made her panic. "My father said he’ll return in August. My father would never marry me off to him... Yes, I still have my father to decide for me. He would never marry me off to him..." She murmured, more to reassure herself than to speak to Cheng Chi.
Unless Zhou Zhen had lost his mind, he would never marry his daughter to Zhu Pengju. And from what Cheng Chi knew of Zhou Zhen, not only was he perfectly sane, but he was also deep-minded, shrewd, and formidable!
How was it that his daughter bore no resemblance to him at all?
What expression would Zhou Zhen wear if he knew what his daughter was really like?
Cheng Chi mused to himself but had no intention of frightening a young girl. He quickly said, "Alright, alright, alright. No ‘if,’ no ‘if’!"Hearing his assurance, Zhou Shaojin's emotions gradually calmed down.
Cheng Chi watched her and secretly shook his head. After a moment of thought, he said, "Although children's marriages are decided by their parents, no parent would want their child to marry poorly. Don't worry—you are, after all, a Cheng family girl. No matter how downcast the Cheng family becomes, they would never disregard your wishes and marry you off carelessly."
But her surname is Zhou, isn't it?
Zhou Shaojin grumbled inwardly, yet she had to admit that after all these years, whether it was the Cheng family, outsiders, or even herself, there were times when she felt she truly was a Cheng family girl!
However, the eldest branch would certainly not marry off their daughters recklessly.
She didn’t know about Cheng Zheng, but before Cheng Xiao married, she had met her husband Yuan Ming and had seen him several times intermittently. Only after both were satisfied did the marriage arrangement proceed. That was why, in the early years of their marriage when there was no news of children, Yuan Ming never clamored to take concubines or bring in other women—the two remained deeply affectionate. Even Cheng Sheng, when she first went to the capital, was said to outsiders to be accompanying her mother because she was grown, but in reality, it was because Cheng Jing had taken a liking to a potential match for Cheng Sheng and wanted her to spend some time with the other party to see if they would be mutually satisfied…
In her past life, she had somewhat admired Cheng Jing, considering him one of the best elders in the world—open-minded and reasonable. Even when she encountered misfortune in that life and grew somewhat self-destructive, she believed that if she had become Cheng Jing’s daughter-in-law, he would have treated her very well.
But if Cheng Pengju had taken a liking to Cheng Jia, would Madam Jiang of the third branch let go of such a prominent match?
The third branch was in business, wasn’t it?
And merchants always put "profit" first!
※
Sisters, apologies—something came up at work, so the update is a bit late. Here is the proofread draft. Sorry for any inconvenience!
Today’s update will also be delayed until around midnight. Thank you for your understanding!
※ (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote to recommend it or cast a monthly vote. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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