Really?

Zhou Shaojin recalled the rice paper and ledgers spread out on the desk in the open hall on the right side, feeling somewhat unconvinced.

However, since Cheng Chi had already said it didn’t matter, it wouldn’t be appropriate for her to insist on waiting in the side corridor—that would seem rather petty. After all, she already owed Uncle Chi so much; she didn’t care about adding this to the list. She would just have to find opportunities to repay Uncle Chi in the future.

Zhou Shaojin asked Cheng Chi, “Did something really go wrong with the goods from Huai’an?”

“Yes.” Cheng Chi replied, “A boat capsized, but fortunately there were no casualties. We lost several thousand taels of silver and need to discuss compensation with the cargo owner.”

Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but recite “Amitabha” and said, “Silver can always be earned back; it’s good that no lives were lost.”

Cheng Chi nodded.

Thinking to himself: With me saying this, you shouldn’t come looking for me again, right?

Ji Ying came over.

She wore a grape-purple vest over her clothes, her hair done up in a bun. Her expression was cold, yet her manner was respectful as she bowed to Cheng Chi.

Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help grumbling inwardly.

This Ji Ying… why does she always wear such dark-colored clothing every time I see her? Doesn’t she feel hot?

While silently criticizing, she heard Cheng Chi instruct Ji Ying, “You escort Second Miss Zhou back to Wanxiang Residence.”

Ji Ying obediently responded “Yes,” made a gesture of “please” toward Zhou Shaojin, and led the way out.

Zhou Shaojin hastily bowed to Cheng Chi and hurried after her.

Cheng Chi shook his head and walked back to the open hall on the right. Sitting down at the large desk, he gently stroked the ledgers on the desk, lost in thought.

Huai Shan silently entered and reported, “Fourth Master, shall we depart tomorrow?”

“Let’s leave the day after tomorrow!” Cheng Chi said, his voice somewhat low and languid. “Tomorrow I’ll go meet with the second master of the Guangdong Thirteen Hongs. He’s already sent me invitations twice, saying he has urgent business with me. I originally thought he was approaching me about Third Branch’s Cheng Shi’s affairs and didn’t want to get involved—if they want to do business with the Third Branch, let them. The world is so vast, who can monopolize everything? But he brought out the great merchant boss Shang from the Guangdong Guild Hall, saying he and Boss Shang want to invite me to dinner together. I suspect it might be about the canal transport matter, so I’ll go hear what they have to say.”

“The canal transport matter?” Huai Shan frowned. “What do they want?”

“What else could it be?” Cheng Chi smiled dismissively. “If the court dredges the Tongshun River, goods traveling north and south can go directly through the Grand Canal without having to go from Guangdong along Fujian to Zhejiang and then to Tianjin. Their Guangdong Thirteen Ships fleet would likely disband. The second master of the Thirteen Hongs coming to my Jinling this time is probably mostly for this matter.”

“You mean, Wan Tong?” Huai Shan said with some uncertainty.

“Yes.” Cheng Chi gathered together all the ledgers spread before him and said, “Persuade Wan Tong, and you persuade the Imperial Grand Heir. Persuade the Imperial Grand Heir, and you persuade the Emperor. He can still calculate this account.”

“Are you planning to get involved in this matter?” Huai Shan said haltingly. “If goods traveling north and south can use the Grand Canal in the future, the common people along both banks will benefit. The grain supplies to the Nine Border Garrisons could also suffer fewer losses…”

Cheng Chi laughed. “Oh my, since when did you start caring about court affairs?”

Huai Shan’s usually expressionless face suddenly flushed red.

Cheng Chi didn’t continue teasing him and said, “I’m just going to take a look.” As he spoke, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly, revealing a somewhat mocking smile as he said languidly, “The affairs of this world have nothing to do with me. I just need to turn a blind eye and whitewash Jiuru Lane into an image of peace and prosperity. As for who lives or dies, who’s good or bad—what does it have to do with me?”

Huai Shan lowered his head, not daring to respond.

Cheng Chi gazed at a cluster of square bamboo in the corner of the courtyard outside the window, a trace of loneliness flashing in his eyes.

※※※

Zhou Shaojin and Ji Ying left Xiuqi Hall and could no longer see Cheng Xu and the others.

She breathed a sigh of relief, bringing Shi Xiang with her, and headed with Ji Ying toward the Fourth Branch.

Halfway there, they encountered Cheng Xu.

Cheng Xu was drenched in sweat, fanning himself frantically with a paper fan. Da Su and Huanxi stood before him with lowered heads, not daring to breathe.

Seeing Zhou Shaojin, Cheng Xu’s eyes lit up. He quickly said, “Second Cousin Zhou, what are you doing here?” His voice carried undisguised joy. But when his gaze fell on Ji Ying, his eyes filled with confusion as he said, “Miss Ji Ying, why are you with Second Cousin Zhou?”

“First Master Xu!” Ji Ying gave a slight bow, her cold and beautiful face completely expressionless. “Fourth Master ordered me to escort Second Miss Zhou back to Wanxiang Residence.”

“You.” Cheng Xu stared at Zhou Shaojin in astonishment. “You were just at Xiaoshan Conggui Courtyard?”

Zhou Shaojin’s heart tightened. Just as she was about to speak, Ji Ying had already said, “First Master Xu, excuse me, please let us pass. I still need to return and report back to our Fourth Master. If you have questions, either make another trip to Xiaoshan Conggui Courtyard, or wait until after I’ve escorted Second Miss Zhou back to Wanxiang Residence and then you can chat with Second Miss Zhou in detail. However, it’s inconvenient for me to linger here.”

Was this the attitude and speech a maid should have?

Cheng Xu, Zhou Shaojin, and the others were all stunned.

But Ji Ying had already pulled Zhou Shaojin past Cheng Xu, brushing shoulders with him.

“Wait!” Da Su blocked Ji Ying’s path.

Ji Ying sneered coldly. “Qin Da Su, don’t forget that I serve Fourth Master. Are you trying to defy your superiors?”

Only then did Zhou Shaojin learn that Da Su’s surname was “Qin.”

Did he have any relationship with the “Chief Qin” her father had mentioned?

And that steward she’d encountered during the Fifth Branch’s fire also had the surname “Qin”… The chief steward of Jiuru Lane also had the surname “Qin.”

Zhou Shaojin felt dizzy and confused.

The more she learned about the Cheng family’s affairs, the more she felt the Cheng family was unfathomable and inscrutable.

Hearing Ji Ying say this, Qin Da Su’s face showed hesitation.

Ji Ying snorted coldly. Without even glancing at Da Su, she pulled Zhou Shaojin and strode forward.

Shi Xiang hurriedly followed.

Behind them came Cheng Xu’s voice: “Wait!”

Not only did Ji Ying not stop, she walked even faster.

Zhou Shaojin and Shi Xiang jogged to barely keep up with her pace.

Looking back again, Cheng Xu and the others had already been left far behind. Da Su was blocking Cheng Xu and saying something, and Cheng Xu’s expression looked very unpleasant.

In two lifetimes, this was the first time Zhou Shaojin had so cleanly and efficiently shaken off Cheng Xu. She couldn’t help feeling pleased and thanked Ji Ying.

Ji Ying replied indifferently, “I’m merely carrying out Fourth Master’s orders!”

“But I still must thank you.” Zhou Shaojin said while running and gasping for breath. “Even if you were following Uncle Chi’s orders, if you had stood aside and let Cousin Xu stop me to talk, it wouldn’t have gone against Uncle Chi’s intentions!”

Ji Ying glanced at her coldly without speaking and continued walking forward.

Zhou Shaojin felt Ji Ying walked so fast she could barely keep up, but thinking that Cheng Xu was right behind them, she felt that walking faster was good—she could return to Wanxiang Residence sooner.

After walking for about the time it takes to drink two cups of tea, Zhou Shaojin was panting heavily.

Ji Ying suddenly stopped.

Zhou Shaojin asked curiously, “Why did you stop?”

Ji Ying stared at Zhou Shaojin for a moment, then abruptly walked forward again.

This time, she walked more slowly.

Zhou Shaojin had been walking too fast earlier. Although still somewhat tired, she wasn’t jogging along like before.

She asked Ji Ying, “How old were you when you entered the manor to serve? Are you hereditary servants of the Cheng family? What do your parents do? Do you have brothers or sisters?”

Ji Ying was silent for a while before saying, “I was eighteen when I entered the manor to serve. My parents farm at home. I have two older brothers, no younger brothers or sisters.”

“You didn’t enter service until you were eighteen?” Zhou Shaojin was somewhat dumbfounded. “How could your family bear to send you into service? You’re so beautiful, you could have married…”

Since she wasn’t a hereditary servant, usually only families too poor to support their children would sell them to other households as servants or maids. Someone like Ji Ying could completely have married into a family with some means and would equally have been free from worry about food and clothing.

Could it be that Ji Ying entering the manor wasn’t merely to be a maid for Uncle Chi?

Zhou Shaojin was startled by her own thought.

Ji Ying looked at her with a half-smile and said, “You think I’m beautiful?”

“Yes!” Zhou Shaojin didn’t know what she’d said wrong. “Hasn’t anyone told you you’re beautiful?”

A trace of confusion flashed through Ji Ying’s eyes. After a long while she said, “Yes! Someone has told me I’m beautiful.”

Then why would she doubt it?

Zhou Shaojin felt that Ji Ying, like Jiuru Lane itself, was full of mysteries everywhere.

Since she couldn’t see through it, she might as well not puzzle over it for now. When the time came, she would naturally understand.

Zhou Shaojin had studied Buddhist teachings for several years, and her mindset had become much more open than before.

They traveled the rest of the way to Wanxiang Residence in silence.

Zhou Chujin was waiting eagerly at the entrance.

She quickly pulled Zhou Shaojin over and looked her up and down. Seeing she was fine, she chided, “You were just delivering tea leaves. Why did you only return at this hour?”

Zhou Shaojin grinned and introduced Ji Ying to her sister.

Hearing that she was a senior maid serving Cheng Chi and that she had escorted Zhou Shaojin back, Zhou Chujin politely invited her to have some tea before leaving.

“Thank you, Eldest Miss.” Unlike her coldness toward Cheng Xu, the corners of Ji Ying’s mouth carried a slight smile. Her cold and beautiful face melted like ice and snow, revealing her dazzlingly gorgeous true appearance. “Fourth Master is still waiting for my report. I’ll come visit Eldest Miss another time.”

Zhou Chujin didn’t insist. She personally escorted Ji Ying to the entrance and only after her figure disappeared from sight did she put her arm around Zhou Shaojin’s shoulder and head inside, saying, “Is she really a senior maid serving Uncle Chi? Not only is she beautiful, but her bearing—where does she seem like a maid? I was too embarrassed to give her a reward!”

Zhou Shaojin suddenly understood. “That’s why! I was wondering how Sister could have forgotten this. I originally wanted to remind Sister, but Ji Ying left too quickly and I didn’t have time. It’s good I didn’t say anything, or the embarrassment would have been enormous.”

The same thought floated unbidden into both sisters’ minds.

Could this Ji Ying have been given to Uncle Chi as a chamber maid?

What a waste!

She could completely have properly married someone else as a wife.

Both sighed inwardly.

Returning to the room, Zhou Chujin asked her sister in a low voice, “Did something happen? Cousin Xu came by just now. He personally delivered local products, saying he brought them back from Hangzhou. And you were escorted back by Uncle Chi’s maid…”

Zhou Shaojin recounted the whole sequence of events.

Zhou Chujin said, “Father really! Why did he have you pass along a message? And you too—you could have just told Old Madam Guo, why did you run to Xiaoshan Conggui Courtyard…”