The matron was tactfully reminding them that the time for offering birthday greetings had arrived, telling them not to wander about and to quickly go sit properly in the side room.

Understanding the hint, Zhou Shaojin and the other two smiled in acknowledgment and headed to the side room.

The spacious side room had the madams and mistresses seated in the east chamber, the quieter and more reserved young ladies seated in the west chamber, and some lively and active ones standing or sitting in twos and threes in the central hall, chatting. With their fragrant garments and elegant coiffures, it was quite a bustling scene.

Gu Shiqi smiled with pursed lips and teased Zhou Shaojin and Cheng Jia in a low voice: “Look, the madams and mistresses all brought young ladies with them.”

And there were even more than had come to the engagement banquet for Miss Gu Shiliu.

But back then, the Gu family had hosted thirty tables for Miss Gu Shiliu’s engagement, whereas Old Madam Guo’s birthday celebration only had twenty tables.

Could all these people have come “prepared”?

Zhou Shaojin was a bit suspicious but also felt she was overthinking. Just as she was about to discuss this with Gu Shiqi, someone had already spotted Gu Shiqi and greeted her enthusiastically: “Where did you go? We looked everywhere for you just now!”

The girl was about the same age as Cheng Jia, of medium build, with a peach-shaped face that carried a bit of baby fat. She had moth-like eyebrows and large eyes, with fair and delicate skin. She wore a bright red jacket with a hidden grape vine pattern. When she spoke, her eyes and brows curved upward, making her look like a Wuxi doll—very auspicious, the kind of blessed appearance older generations spoke of.

Gu Shiqi introduced her to Zhou Shaojin and Cheng Jia: “This is Miss Liu Shijiu from the Liu family of the Mei estate.”

They exchanged greetings.

Immediately after, another four or five people came over to greet Gu Shiqi.

Everyone met each other and began chatting warmly.

Gu Shiqi knew so many people!

Zhou Shaojin felt somewhat envious.

Miss Liu Shijiu was particularly warm toward Zhou Shaojin.

Zhou Shaojin was a bit puzzled.

Miss Liu Shijiu smiled and said, “I just met your elder sister—my maternal family is a branch of the Liao clan from Zhenjiang.”

Zhou Shaojin suddenly understood and felt Miss Liu Shijiu was somewhat more familiar.

Seeing this, Miss Liu Shijiu suddenly pulled her aside to a nearby flower stand and whispered, “You weren’t here just now. Miss Gu Shiba and Miss Gu Shi’er from the Gu family, Miss Guo San and Miss Guo Si from the Guo family, the two cousin misses from Vice Minister Sun’s household, the niece from Instructor Lin’s family… were all called to the main hall.” As she spoke, she kept an eye on the surrounding activity. “All the other young ladies went, but the two young ladies from Vice Minister Sun’s household said they wanted to go to the main hall. After the welcoming matron left, the two said they weren’t going anymore. After a while, they said they wanted to go again. And just by such coincidence, on their way back they ran into Fourth Master Cheng and Young Master Xu from the main branch… If there’s nothing fishy about this, I’ll gladly lose you two taels of silver!”

With such instant familiarity, Zhou Shaojin didn’t know what to say for a moment, but couldn’t help glancing around the room.

Her elder sister was accompanying Grand Madam Gu in conversation with their great-aunt, and indeed it seemed a couple of the Guo family’s young ladies were missing…

Seeing this, Miss Liu Shijiu quickly said, “I’m not lying to you, am I? The two cousin misses from the Sun family both went to the main hall—having already shown their faces before Young Master Xu, why would they stay here? Really… shameless!” She was indignant, as if she herself had suffered some unfair treatment, and continued, “I heard that the daughter of Provincial Judge Hu from Zhejiang, the younger sister of Magistrate Liu from Jiangning, the daughter of Prefect Wu from Jinling, the younger sister of Assistant Magistrate Shen Qingyun… are all in the main hall!”

Zhou Shaojin was greatly startled.

But Miss Liu Shijiu misunderstood and explained, “Shen Qingyun’s mother is a daughter of the Li clan from Lujiang, so Shen Qingyun’s younger sister is also in the main hall.”

However, what Zhou Shaojin noticed was “the daughter of Prefect Wu from Jinling.”

Wu Baohua was a year older than her, Wu Baozhi was a year younger, and neither had anything particularly outstanding in terms of virtue, speech, appearance, or skills… Could it be Wu Baozhang who came?

But why would Madam Wu bring Wu Baozhang to the main hall?

And how could Old Madam Guo allow Wu Baozhang in the main hall?

She couldn’t help but ask Miss Liu Shijiu: “Prefect Wu has three daughters. Which one are you talking about?”

“Which else could it be?” Miss Liu Shijiu said dismissively. “Of course the one with the Guanyin mole between her eyebrows! Recently, all of Jinling has been saying that the Wu family’s eldest daughter is a jade maiden reincarnated from before the Bodhisattva, that she’s suitable for family life and will bring prosperity to her husband and sons… As if having a mole means you’ll be good for the family and prosper your husband and sons—only uneducated market shrews would believe such talk. Anyone with eyes can see what the Wu family is scheming…”

So that was it!

Did Madam Guo believe in such things too?

Zhou Shaojin fell silent.

Gu Shiqi beckoned to her from over there, saying, “Miss Zhou Er, Miss Liu Shijiu, come here quickly. Let me introduce you to the eldest miss from the Fang family of Jiaxing!”

The Fang family of Jiaxing—Fang Xintong’s family.

She wondered what relation this was to Fang Xintong?

Zhou Shaojin and Miss Liu Shijiu walked over.

Miss Fang looked to be about seventeen or eighteen, tall and slender with delicate features. What was rare was that her every gesture carried a scholarly elegance. At first glance, one only felt she was gentle and refined, gracious and composed, but the more one looked, the more beautiful she seemed. And she possessed a beauty different from ordinary women.

Gu Shiqi said, “Miss Fang’s elder brother is Fang Xintong, the wealthiest man in Jiaxing. He once studied at our family’s academy.”

“No wonder she looks so familiar!” Miss Liu Shijiu laughed. “I have an elder sister who married into Jiaxing. I heard my brother-in-law say his maternal family is the Fang clan of Huaxi. It must be your family…”

She spoke sweetly with Miss Fang.

Gu Shiqi glanced at Miss Liu Shijiu and whispered to Zhou Shaojin, “Don’t pay her any mind. She really loves to spread gossip. Whatever you tell her now, everyone will know the next moment.”

Who would have thought!

Zhou Shaojin looked at the smiling Miss Liu Shijiu, feeling somewhat dejected.

Compared to Gu Shiqi’s social grace, Miss Liu Shijiu’s ease like a fish in water, Miss Fang’s serene composure, and even Cheng Jia’s lively cheerfulness, she was clearly very unsuited to such occasions.

She rather wanted to stay by her elder sister’s side.

Zhou Shaojin searched the crowd for Zhou Chujin.

Her elder sister was smiling as she conversed with the Guo family.

She immediately hesitated.

The prominent families of Jiangnan were all related in some roundabout way, especially families like the Guo and Gu who ran academies. If her elder sister could make an impression before the ladies of both families, it would greatly help her establish herself in the Liao family in the future.

Zhou Shaojin withdrew her gaze and stood there listening to Miss Liu Shijiu speak in a low, self-satisfied voice: “I think Old Madam Guo must be anxious about Fourth Master’s marriage. If it were to arrange a match for Young Master Xu, Madam Yuan should have been present. But Madam Yuan has been busy with Old Madam Guo’s birthday banquet all along. When Fourth Master and Young Master Xu were in the main hall earlier, Madam Yuan didn’t even go in! Besides, Young Master Xu is seventeen this year. Look at those young ladies—the youngest are fifteen or sixteen, the oldest is twenty…”

“Who’s twenty?” Cheng Jia exclaimed in a low voice.

Miss Fang’s face flushed red.

Gu Shiqi coughed loudly.

“Oh!” Cheng Jia understood. Her gaze fell on Miss Fang.

Miss Fang’s face turned crimson with embarrassment.

Gu Shiqi quickly said, “Oh my! Didn’t they say the auspicious hour was approaching? Why haven’t they started the birthday greetings yet? Fourth Miss, what time exactly is the auspicious hour?”

She asked Cheng Jia, changing the subject.

Zhou Shaojin felt increasingly bored.

Fortunately, within half a quarter hour, the welcoming matron came to invite close relatives like Cheng Jia, Zhou Shaojin, and the Guo family to the main hall.

Indeed, there were several young ladies of exceptional appearance and bearing in the main hall. She also saw Wu Baozhang.

Wu Baozhang smiled and nodded at Zhou Shaojin.

Zhou Shaojin kept her eyes lowered demurely, pretending not to notice.

After these relatives had offered birthday greetings to Old Madam Guo and presented their congratulatory gifts, it was the turn of friends like Vice Minister Sun and Madam Liu.

Zhou Shaojin yielded the hall and went to the eastern rest room.

Zhou Chujin came over and squeezed her younger sister’s hand, saying, “What’s wrong? You don’t look well. Are you feeling unwell?”

Zhou Shaojin knew that Grand Madam Mian would need to take her elder sister to socialize with the madams and mistresses.

“I’m fine,” she quickly said. “I’m just a bit hungry!”

Zhou Chujin laughed and said, “I told you to eat more but you wouldn’t listen. Now you know better, don’t you? Let’s see if you dare not listen to your elder sister in the future!” Then she said gently, “You’re familiar with the people in the Hanbei Mountain Lodge. Just ask anyone to get you some pastries to tide you over. The banquet will start soon.”

Zhou Shaojin nodded with a smile and said, “Elder sister, you go attend to your business! I’ll sit at the banquet with Cousin Jia later.”

Zhou Chujin nodded and went over to Grand Madam Mian.

Zhou Shaojin just felt it was too noisy and clamorous. She really wanted to hide in the tea room until the banquet started, but she knew that if she hid away in the tea room like that, how would it be any different from her previous life?

She smiled and linked arms with Cheng Jia, listening to Gu Shiqi and the other young ladies discussing family matters, poetry, music, calligraphy, and painting.

Someone tugged at her hem.

Before Zhou Shaojin could react, the people around her had already shown expressions of amazement.

Miss Liu Shijiu even said outright, “Miss Zhou Er, which family’s young lady is this?”

Zhou Shaojin belatedly turned around and saw Ji Ying wearing a deep purple brocade jacket.

Ji Ying was looking at her with smiling eyes.

Zhou Shaojin’s heart leaped with joy, but then remembering the group of young ladies standing beside her, she quickly tugged at Cheng Jia’s sleeve and smiled, saying, “This is my cousin. From a branch of the Cheng family of Jiuru Lane.”

Cheng Jia remained silent.

Everyone smiled and said, “No wonder we haven’t seen her before.” Even Gu Shiqi didn’t doubt it.

Zhou Shaojin breathed a sigh of relief. Grabbing Ji Ying’s sleeve, she headed outside. As she walked, she turned back to Gu Shiqi and the others with a smile, saying, “She and I have something to discuss. I’ll be right back.”

Naturally, Gu Shiqi and the others couldn’t follow. Zhou Shaojin dragged Ji Ying to the tea room.

Perhaps because the main hall needed people to serve tea and water, the tea room was empty, with only boiling water bubbling away on the stove, steam rising with gurgling sounds.

Ji Ying’s face was grave as water as she said, “Since when did my surname become Cheng? And when did I become related by marriage to the Jiuru Lane family?”

Zhou Shaojin’s heart seized with panic, but thinking of how Ji Ying obediently followed her in learning needlework, her heart eased again. Her mind also became more agile as she said, “You never told me what your surname was. How can you blame me?”

Ji Ying was still angry and glared at her, but still said, “My surname is Ji, and my given name has the character Ying.”