Madam Ji Wu was overjoyed, but then gave Ji Yao a very serious look and asked him, “Have you thought it through? If you change your mind halfway… Never mind your cousin Jin Chao… this old woman won’t let you off.”

Ji Yao smiled bitterly: “Grandmother, how is it that Jin Chao is your dear granddaughter, and I’m not your dear grandson?”

When had he ever gone back on something he’d decided?

Madam Ji Wu was simply anxious out of concern.

Madam Ji Wu smiled: “Of course I know you.” Her eyes crinkled with joy, and her spirits seemed much improved. She called in Madam Song and said they would visit the wife of Baron Yongyang tomorrow. “Their family was originally neighbors with the Gu family, and they have a good relationship. The Baron’s wife has an unusual status and position. If I ask her to be your matchmaker, what do you think?”

Ji Yao thought for a moment and said: “The wife of Minister Xu, who acted as a matchmaker for Fourth Brother, is still in the residence. Why not invite her to go…”

Madam Ji Wu smiled directly at her grandson until Ji Yao felt embarrassed and turned his gaze away.

“How can you be in such a hurry? It’s not like someone else will snatch her away!” Madam Ji Wu had never seen her well-behaved and sensible second grandson so eager before and found it rather amusing. Proposing marriage to Chen Xuan was one thing, but proposing to Chao’er was another matter entirely. This couldn’t be rushed.

Ji Yao also felt he was being too hasty and coughed once: “…Then I’ll trouble Grandmother with this matter.”

He bowed, preparing to withdraw.

Madam Ji Wu said: “Say a word to your mother. She has never approved of this matter, as you know.”

Ji Yao’s footsteps paused, but he didn’t look back. He felt that even if he cultivated for ten more years, he still wouldn’t match his grandmother. She understood everything clearly in her heart but deliberately said nothing. She just waited and watched, penetrating others’ thoughts.

Madam Ji Wu took a sip of tea, her mind already calculating what betrothal gifts to prepare. Fortunately, many of Chao’er’s things were already at her place, so the dowry wouldn’t need to be moved back and forth! The thought made her smile with joy—in the future, Chao’er would stay with her at the Ji family home.

By this time, the banquet guests were beginning to leave.

An Songhuai and Chen Xuanqing were returning to the Imperial Academy and came to bid farewell to Madam Ji Wu. She gave them one hundred taels of silver as a parting gift.

An Songhuai looked around but couldn’t see Gu Jin Chao anywhere. Feeling quite disappointed and reluctant to leave, he was pulled away by Chen Xuanqing, who quickly walked out of the east wing courtyard.

An Songhuai complained: “What’s the hurry… it’s not like something’s chasing you to bite you!” He had originally planned to see Gu Jin Chao once more. After he passed the spring imperial examinations the next year, he would formally marry the legitimate third daughter of the Marquis of Jiangyin. By then, they would go their separate ways.

Chen Xuanqing knew what An Songhuai was thinking; his expression was obvious even to a blind person. Every time he saw Gu Jin Chao, his feelings were quite complicated… Chen Xuanqing knew that Gu Jin Chao had special feelings for him. The scar on his hand was left by her bite, though when others asked about it, he always said it was from a cat he kept. He still remembered that girl in the study who bit her lip and glared at him angrily, so vividly beautiful. Yet her persistent, unreasonable entanglement made him feel quite annoyed.

Now that Gu Jin Chao seemed to no longer pursue him, he felt relieved.

Chen Xuanqing straightened his clothes: “It may not matter to you, but I have to report to the Imperial Academy early tomorrow morning. If you don’t want to leave, you can stay here by yourself.” He strode toward the screen wall, and after An Songhuai muttered something about bookworms, he followed.

Jin Chao returned to Daxing on the third day.

Qing Pu distributed the melon seeds, walnuts, and dried sweet potatoes they had brought back to the maids as snacks. Gu Jin Chao was checking the items her grandmother had given her. Every time she returned from Tongzhou, her grandmother would always give her piles of things to take back, but this time there was much less.

She selected a box of pine nut amber candy and several boxes of soft sweet pastries to send to Madam Feng later.

Shortly after, Gu Yi and Gu Xi came to find her. Gu Jin Chao had brought them several boxes of dried fruits and pastries, as well as some pineapple dried fruit and durian pastries rarely seen in Yanjing. Gu Xi held her hand while talking, “…Grandmother said Third Sister should learn proper etiquette from her. Third Sister often goes to Grandmother’s place now. I heard Second Sister is reciting Buddhist scriptures with Grandmother and has copied many… Do I need to learn etiquette and recite Buddhist scriptures too?”

Gu Xi looked up at her, her eyes blinking. “Third Sister comes back exhausted every day. Xi’er is afraid of getting tired…”

Gu Yi was very cautious and quickly said to Gu Jin Chao: “Elder Sister, please don’t misunderstand. I’m just helping Grandmother with small tasks, it’s not tiring at all.”

Gu Jin Chao had heard about this from Madam Xu. Gu Yi was now learning proper etiquette from Madam Feng. Madam Feng complained that since she was raised by a nanny, her manners weren’t as good as Gu Jin Chao’s and Gu Lan’s, so she punished her especially harshly. She would make her stand for several hours at a time. In reality, all the Gu sisters walked and sat with the same proper posture. Madam Feng’s criticism of Yi’er’s etiquette was simply because she didn’t value the concubine-born daughters.

Besides, with Gu Lan standing by, she would certainly fan the flames.

Gu Jin Chao held Gu Yi’s hand, feeling how ice-cold it was, and asked Madam Tong to bring a hand warmer: “If Grandmother makes you stand too long, take the opportunity when someone comes to help serve tea and water, or massage Grandmother’s legs… She won’t make things difficult for you.”

Gu Yi lowered her head, her eyes reddening. She somewhat missed Concubine Du, who was far away in Shi’an. Although she didn’t like Concubine Du’s temperament, she was her birth mother who made her cloaks and winter clothes every autumn and winter, and even Zhaojun sets. When Madam Ji was alive, she had been very good to her. Knowing that she easily caught colds when the weather turned cold, she had given her own white fox fur cloak to her.

Now, only her eldest sister made these things for her.

Feeling Gu Jin Chao’s warm palm, she felt a sting in her nose. But she quickly inhaled and smiled: “Elder Sister, it’s nothing.”

Gu Jin Chao said: “You’ll be paying respects to Grandmother soon. I’ll go with you.”

Madam Feng was delighted to hear of her return. After looking at the pastries Gu Jin Chao brought her, she smiled and said: “Chao’er has Grandmother in her heart!” She held her hand, having her sit beside her.

Though Madam Feng didn’t say anything about her visit to the Ji family in Tongzhou, she was certainly somewhat concerned in her heart, given the rift between the ancestral home and the Ji family.

Gu Jin Chao smiled and told Madam Feng: “I heard that Lan’er is now reciting Buddhist scriptures with you and has copied many sutras. Reciting Buddhist scriptures makes one calm and peaceful, which is perfect for tempering Lan’er’s disposition. While I was away, fortunately, she was taking care of you. I wonder if Lan’er has been taking good care of you?”

Madam Feng smiled and shook her head: “She is reciting Buddhist scriptures with me, but it’s only been a few days, which isn’t much. But she is attentive in serving me and runs quickly when I ask her to do something…”

Gu Lan was very good at pleasing elders, as Gu Jin Chao had long observed.

Gu Lan, who was in the study, heard that Gu Jin Chao had returned and came over to pay her respects.

Gu Jin Chao noticed that she was using that box of rose cream. Using rose cream would leave a faint sweet fragrance on the body and soften the color of the lips.

“Elder Sister has been gone for more than ten days. I’ve been thinking of you day and night. I feared you might like the prosperity of Baodi so much that you wouldn’t return.” Gu Lan smiled gently, “Your birthday is on the twenty-eighth, and I’ve prepared a birthday gift for you.”

Gu Lan was still as honey-mouthed and venom-hearted as ever.

After not hearing it for half a month, Gu Jin Chao felt a sense of familiarity. She smiled and said calmly: “No matter how prosperous Baodi is, it still belongs to Baodi. After all, I am a daughter of the Gu family. How could I not return? Lan’er is overthinking.”

Madam Feng drank her tea, pretending not to understand. The discord between Gu Jin Chao and Gu Lan was a good thing for her. She never wanted to interfere.

But Gu Jin Chao said with a smile: “However since Lan’er said she would give me a birthday gift, she mustn’t break her promise! I see the rose cream you’re using is very nice. The rose water is expensive, and making it into cream is even more precious. I can’t even bear to buy a box for myself!”

Hearing this, Madam Feng’s eyelids twitched. She now noticed that Gu Lan’s complexion was better than before.

A box of rose cream would cost at least eight taels of silver, but Gu Lan’s monthly allowance was only ten taels. Where did she get the cream from?

Naturally, Madam Feng wouldn’t think of Yao Wenxiu. She assumed that Madam Song had supplemented Gu Lan’s daily expenses.

This made her feel uncomfortable. Gu Qian’s monthly allowance was only fifteen taels, yet Gu Lan was using eight-tael rose cream. And it was supplemented by Madam Song—were they raising the Gu family’s daughters, or was the Gu family helping to raise the Song family’s daughter?

Gu Lan’s face changed slightly. She used rose cream daily and had grown accustomed to the scent. Since Madam Feng hadn’t said anything, she used it without any misgivings. Originally, Yao Wenxiu had sent her a box, and after finding it very suitable, she had used the silver given by Madam Song to buy more.

How did Gu Jin Chao know?

Gu Lan immediately smiled and said: “If Elder Sister wants it, of course, your younger sister will give it to you. But unfortunately, I only have one box…”

Madam Feng suddenly said: “Lan’er, stop chattering and put away these pastries first.”

Gu Lan’s face reddened, knowing that Madam Feng was closing the matter and didn’t want to pursue it further. But she still felt uncomfortable. She curtseyed and took the boxes of pastries to store them in the side room.

Gu Jin Chao continued to tell Madam Feng amusing stories from her journey, making Madam Feng laugh heartily.

When it grew dark, Gu Jin Chao returned to Yan Xiu Hall to rest. Bai Yun lit the pine oil lamp and showed Jin Chao the account books that Cao Ziheng had sent over the previous month. Madam Xu was still in Shi’an, so Bai Yun had kept these for her first and told her: “Madam Xu said she will return with the eldest young master in two days. The eldest young master misses you very much and has been looking forward to seeing you for many days…”

Gu Jin Chao smiled, wondering how much taller Rong’er had grown after not seeing him for several months.

Last month’s surplus was nine hundred taels. Indeed, cutting out some unnecessary shops had increased the income. Jin Chao did not record this silver in her mother’s dowry accounts. She kept it in mind and counted it all into her private treasury, using it as circulating capital for the gold and silver shops.

She always had to guard against Madam Feng, in case one day she had the sudden urge to help manage her mother’s dowry and caught her unprepared.