Chapter 177: Brewing Tea
After Madam Feng took Cheng Baozhi to have their birth characters matched, she felt somewhat at ease. As long as their eight characters aligned, she could justify the matter and wouldn’t have to worry about Gu Dezhao’s refusal.
Cheng Baozhi brought over an embroidered stool and sat beside her, massaging her legs.
Though she lacked the refined manners and dress sense of a noble young lady, she was quite skilled at serving others.
Half-closing her eyes, Madam Feng listened as Cheng Baozhi whispered to her, “...I never knew my mother. My stepmother gave birth to a younger brother and paid even less attention to us sisters. The eldest and second sisters married long ago, and it was only Third Sister who looked after me. Before Father became a county magistrate, my stepmother would have new jewelry made for my younger sisters every year—all of pure gold. Third Sister and I, at best, got plain silver hairpins... Since childhood, I’ve often thought how wonderful it would be to have a birth mother. Third Sister told me you resemble Mother greatly, and now that I’ve met you, I truly feel such warmth...”
Madam Feng chuckled inwardly—she could never have given birth to such a shabby young lady.
But these were minor matters. Cheng Baozhi’s lack of fashion sense and ignorance of household management could be taught. What mattered was her background and obedience. Her father, after all, was a scholar with a clean reputation, and she was the only one in the Gu family connected to Madam Feng by blood—an excellent candidate.
Besides, Gu Dezhao was only taking a second wife, not a clan matriarch. Obedience and the ability to serve were what mattered most.
Madam Feng asked her slowly, “I heard you’ve been visiting Lian jie er often lately?”
Cheng Baozhi replied, “I do share a few words with Lian jie er, so I visit frequently.”
That Gu Lian enjoyed talking to Cheng Baozhi was something Madam Feng didn’t believe. She said nothing more and leaned back against the large bolster.
Soon, maids filed in, carrying lotus seed porridge, pickled cucumbers, lotus seed pastries, and almond cakes, arranging them neatly on the heated bed table. Cheng Baozhi continued to attend to Madam Feng’s meal.
As the sky gradually brightened, those coming to pay their respects began to arrive one after another.
Gu Jinzhao always came early.
Cheng Baozhi watched her the moment she entered. Gu Jinzhao wore a water-blue figured silk jacket, a white drawn-thread skirt, and a pink-purple waistband, from which hung a scented sachet with interlocking branches, adorned with blue and purple tassels. Her slender figure was crowned with a small updo, dotted with fingernail-sized white jade plum blossoms. On her wrists, she wore a pair of emerald-green bangles.
Such fine jade, so vividly green—Cheng Baozhi had never seen anything like it.
Her gaze lingered on those bangles.
Gu Jinzhao was still in mourning and couldn’t dress too lavishly. How many more treasures like this did she have?
Cheng Baozhi touched the single gold bangle on her own wrist and subtly tucked her arm further into her sleeve.
After exchanging a few words with Gu Jinzhao, Madam Feng instructed her, “...Lian jie er and the others will be here soon. The lot of you can help me copy scriptures here. We haven’t even started the hundred volumes due in February. I’ll have the maids prepare more snacks for you...” She then turned to Cheng Baozhi, “You’ll be helping me copy scriptures in the future too. Take this time to observe how they do it.”
Cheng Baozhi smiled in agreement.
Madam Feng had stools moved to the waterside pavilion in the front courtyard. Maids brought out half a stack of Chengxintang paper, arranging brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones neatly. Several compartmented boxes of snacks were also set out.Cheng Baozhi had learned a few characters from her father, but she had barely even held a brush, let alone copied scriptures—she couldn’t even recognize all the characters! She sat in the waterside pavilion watching Gu Jinzhao copy scriptures while picking out her favorite snacks from the compartmented box.
Gu Lian and Gu Lan arrived one after another.
Cheng Baozhi immediately pulled Gu Lian into conversation.
Jinchao paused her brush and glanced toward the direction of the stone path. Copying scriptures… that had always been done in Madam Feng’s study. Despite the lingering spring chill, Madam Feng had them copying scriptures in the courtyard—didn’t she worry they’d freeze?
A stone path from the pavilion led to the polished stone walkway. Every morning, when her father came to pay respects to Madam Feng, he would pass by this way and easily spot them copying scriptures here. With Gu Jinzhao present, her father would undoubtedly stop by to say a few words and examine her calligraphy.
What was Madam Feng scheming?
Cheng Baozhi showed Gu Lian her freshly dyed nails, smiling. “…I had Peihuan remove them last night—they turned out so well! Others use balsam flowers and alum to dye their nails, but the result always lacks luster. Whatever you added to the flower juice, Lian jie er, the shine is remarkable…”
Gu Lian had just replied, “…It’s nothing more than mixing pearl powder into the alum.”
But Jinchao caught the faint sound of footsteps. When she looked up, no one was approaching—only the flash of a tea-colored straight robe and a rustle in the holly bushes beside the stone path. Her father must have seen Cheng Baozhi here and deliberately avoided them…
Once she realized this, Gu Jinzhao smiled faintly, refocused, and continued copying the scriptures.
Cheng Baozhi and Gu Lian were deep in conversation when Cheng Baozhi picked up her teacup, only to find it empty. Though Peihuan stood nearby to attend to her, Cheng Baozhi didn’t even glance her way. Instead, she casually handed the cup to Gu Jinzhao and said, “Fetch me another cup of tea, would you?”
She didn’t even turn her head, continuing to ask Gu Lian about the balsam flower juice as if she’d just handed the task to some random maid.
Gu Lian’s expression shifted slightly. She exchanged a glance with Gu Lan but said nothing.
The maids serving in the pavilion were all Madam Feng’s people. They understood the situation perfectly. Recently, this Miss Cheng had gained Madam Feng’s favor, and none dared offend her. They held their breath, not daring to reach for the teacup either.
Gu Jinzhao was utterly stunned. Aside from Madam Feng, no one in the Gu household would dare order her around like this. Was Cheng Baozhi simply too engrossed in conversation, or was she already eager to establish authority over her?
Under normal circumstances, she would have retaliated immediately.
But remembering the glimpse of the tea-colored straight robe by the holly bushes, Jinchao set down her brush, leisurely took the teacup, and went to prepare tea for Cheng Baozhi.
Qingpu nearly gaped in disbelief. Their young mistress appeared smiling and agreeable, but her temperament was anything but submissive. For Cheng Baozhi to demand she serve tea—and in front of all these maids and young ladies—how could she let it slide so easily?
Gu Lan was even more astonished. Had Madam Feng said something to Gu Jinzhao to make her obey Cheng Baozhi without protest?
Or was she planning to poison the tea and rid herself of Cheng Baozhi once and for all—sparing them all the nuisance?
Gu Jinzhao returned with a steaming cup of tea and placed it beside Cheng Baozhi.Cheng Baozhi picked up the cup and took a sip, then quickly set it down again, her voice involuntarily rising a bit: "Chaojie, how can you not even brew tea properly! This water is far too hot..."
Gu Jinchao thought to herself, of course it's hot. If she dared to drink the tea she handed over, it would naturally be scalding.
She softened her voice: "Auntie, I'm not used to brewing tea, please forgive me. Should I fetch you another cup?"
Seeing her yielding attitude, Cheng Baozhi thought to herself that Madam Feng's description of Gu Jinchao as soft on the outside but tough inside wasn't entirely accurate—she was clearly submitting before her. Noticing all the maids in the pavilion watching, with Gu Lian and Gu Lan remaining silent, she smiled and said: "Never mind! Chaojie, you're delicate and precious, naturally unaccustomed to such tasks. But remember to learn properly next time, lest you can't even serve people properly in the future!"
Her tone made it sound as though she would be the one Gu Jinchao would serve in the future.
Gu Jinchao nearly laughed inwardly, but her expression grew even more dejected. Biting her lip, she said: "Thank you for your guidance, Auntie."
Cheng Baozhi then turned to Gu Lian: "Serving others isn't a simple matter. Our Chaojie excels at embroidery and is literate, yet she can't even brew a proper cup of tea?"
Gu Lian burst into laughter, though no one else dared to join.
Standing beneath the holly tree, Gu Dezhao felt his anger flare at the sound of Gu Lian's laughter.
What kind of person was Cheng Baozhi, ordering his Chaojie around when there were so many maids in the pavilion? Even pouring tea—he couldn't bear to make her do such things! And not only did she make her pour tea, she even criticized her for doing it poorly, inviting others to mock her. Asking Chaojie to learn to serve others? Chaojie was his legitimate eldest daughter—who dared to make her serve anyone!
Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Gu Dezhao slowly walked over, smiling as he said: "Chaojie, serving others without even telling your father?"
Everyone was startled to see Gu Dezhao emerge from the stone path.
Why had the Fourth Master Gu suddenly appeared?
Hearing his words, Cheng Baozhi's face paled. Had he overheard what she had just said?
She looked up at Gu Dezhao, only to find his expression icy and dark, his gaze not even meeting hers.
Gu Jinchao stood and curtsied, greeting him with "Father," then added: "...Auntie only asked me to help brew some tea."
Gu Dezhao smiled coldly at Cheng Baozhi: "Cousin Cheng, with so many maids here, you couldn't find anyone else to brew tea for you except Chaojie? And not only that, you even complained about her poor service?"
Biting her lip, Cheng Baozhi flushed with embarrassment at being humiliated before the man she admired. She stammered: "I—I was just being affectionate with Chaojie, so I didn't mind such things. Fourth Cousin, don't misunderstand—Chaojie only made the tea too hot, so I said those words. I absolutely meant nothing else..."
Gu Dezhao recalled Chaojie's words—Madam Feng wanted to arrange a marriage between him and Cheng Baozhi. This was merely Chaojie's so-called aunt, a distant relative at best, yet she dared to order Chaojie to serve her. If she truly became Chaojie's stepmother, what then?
Such a person would never set foot in the Gu family unless he was dead!Gu Dezhao sneered, "What kind of talk is this, Cousin Baozhi? How could you possibly have any ulterior motives? Would you even dare? You're merely a relative of the Gu family, relying on my mother's goodwill to eat and live here. You don't even count as a proper master of the Gu household! Of course, I believe you have no other intentions."
Cheng Baozhi's face turned deathly pale, as if she had been slapped out of a daze.
What status did she hold... She was just a dependent relative living off the Gu family!
Gu Dezhao doted on his eldest daughter and surely had a poor impression of her now...
She wanted to say more, but Gu Dezhao took Jinchao's hand and said, "Chaojie, your father happens to be free from official duties today... Come keep me company for a game of chess!" With that, he led her away from the waterside pavilion without so much as a backward glance at Cheng Baozhi.
Jinchao felt her father's hand was unusually warm. Walking ahead of her, his anger had yet to subside, his face taut with tension.
She exhaled softly, feeling a flicker of warmth in her heart.
With such a conflict arising between Cheng Baozhi and her father, Madam Feng would certainly find it difficult to handle. Jinchao wondered what she would do next...
OpenNovel