Zhou Shaojin naturally had no idea that she and Fan Qi had already caught Cheng Chi’s attention. During the Lantern Festival, she had originally planned to go out with Cheng Jia to enjoy the lanterns, but the Second Household’s Old Madam Tang was hosting a dinner for several widowed old madams, and Zhou Chujin needed to oversee the Fourth Household’s domestic affairs, so Zhou Shaojin had to accompany Old Madam Guan to the appointment instead.
Left alone, Cheng Jia also lost interest in visiting the lantern festival and simply accompanied her grandmother, Old Madam Li, to the Second Household.
The Second Household’s banquet was arranged at the Longevity Hall where Old Madam Tang resided. This was Zhou Shaojin’s first visit. Upon entering, she immediately saw two bronze-cast cranes taller than a person, surrounded by pine bonsai trees of various shapes, all with gnarled roots and also taller than a person.
The maid who came to greet her appeared to be around fifteen or sixteen years old, with a snow-white oval face and a mung bean-sized mole at the corner of her mouth. Seeing Zhou Shaojin take a few extra glances at those bonsai trees, she said with no small amount of pride: “This must be Second Young Miss’s first time seeing so many person-height bonsai trees placed together, right? These were all cultivated by our Old Madam.”
During last year’s Buddha Bathing Festival on the eighth day of the fourth month, this little maid had been serving at Old Madam Tang’s side. She seemed to be called something like “Yu’er,” and appeared to hold quite a respectable position before Old Madam Tang.
Seeing her look at people with slanted eyes, Zhou Shaojin felt displeased and smiled faintly: “This is indeed my first time seeing so many person-height bonsai trees placed together. Why not put them in the greenhouse? Bonsai trees are meant to be decorative accents—with them all piled together like this, I thought there was no place to put them. I was just thinking that the Second Household only has Cousin Shi’s family and yet they occupy both the Spring Pond Courtyard and the Paulownia Flower Tower in the outer compound, while our Fourth Household, besides Cousin Gao and Cousin Yi, also houses my sister and me, yet we don’t feel cramped at all…”
The implication was that the Second Household lacked proper etiquette and didn’t even know how bonsai should be displayed.
Yu’er felt both ashamed and angry, her face immediately flushing bright red.
Originally, only a few pots had been artfully arranged here, but when visitors all praised how well the bonsai were cultivated and how impressive they looked, Old Madam Tang had been very pleased. Yu’er had taken it upon herself to gradually move several more pots from the greenhouse over here, causing many visitors like Zhou Shaojin to take extra glances. Since Old Madam Tang hadn’t said anything, she had always been quite proud—never expecting to be disdained so thoroughly by Zhou Shaojin.
“Thank you, Second Young Miss, for teaching her a lesson.” Just as Zhou Shaojin finished speaking, a tall, slender maid lifted the door curtain and walked out, smiling brightly as she said, “I’ve told her several times already, but she just ignores it. Now she’s met an expert in landscape design—she knows better now, doesn’t she?”
That last sentence was directed at Yu’er.
Zhou Shaojin had also seen this maid a few times before.
She was Qing’er, the first-ranked senior maid at Old Madam Tang’s side.
Hearing Qing’er say this, Yu’er glanced at Zhou Shaojin.
Zhou Shaojin felt alarmed.
A flash of resentment actually showed in Yu’er’s eyes.
Zhou Shaojin grew even more displeased with the Second Household.
However, the Second Household and the First Household would eventually have a falling out anyway. Now that she was helping Old Madam Guo copy scriptures at Cold Jade Mountain Studio, even if she didn’t want to get involved, in others’ eyes she had already been labeled as belonging to the First Household. Since that was the case, even if she begged for mercy, the Second Household probably wouldn’t spare her and would only make the First Household lose face because of her lack of position.
After all, she was just an external granddaughter of the Fourth Household, surnamed Zhou not Cheng. At worst, she could just leave. Why should she have to endure even the sidelong glances of these little maids? Her father treasured her like a precious jewel—certainly not so these people could trample on her.
“I wouldn’t call myself an expert in landscape design.” Zhou Shaojin’s smile was warm, but her tone was not at all polite. “I just like tending to flowers and plants. When I see something that bothers me, I can’t help but take a few extra looks. I’ve given the two young ladies quite a laugh.”
Qing’er was somewhat surprised.
She had long heard that the Fourth Household’s Second Young Miss Zhou was timid by nature—she hadn’t expected the rumors to be inaccurate, causing her to misjudge the situation.
“Thank you for your guidance, Second Young Miss!” She immediately changed her attitude, stepping forward humbly to pay respects to Old Madam Guan, and smiled: “Our Old Madam is waiting for you inside! I’ll bring Yu’er to apologize to Second Young Miss properly later.”
Having heard this, Old Madam Guan chuckled and said: “These little maids are thoughtless and loose-tongued. Just go back and discipline them properly. If you have Yu’er apologize to Shaojin and make a scene in front of your Old Madam, I’m afraid her days won’t be easy. You’re all sisters in service—you should look out for her.”
Now that was truly the wisdom of age!
Zhou Shaojin was greatly impressed.
Qing’er hadn’t expected Old Madam Guan to say such things. Startled, she quickly smiled and said: “The Old Madam is truly magnanimous. Yu’er, hurry and thank the Old Madam and Second Young Miss.”
Yu’er proved to be quite capable—she immediately came forward with tears in her eyes to apologize to Zhou Shaojin and Old Madam Guan.
Old Madam Guan smiled warmly, supported by Zhou Shaojin as she entered the room.
But as soon as they entered, Old Madam Guan’s smile faded.
Zhou Shaojin’s heart skipped a beat. Qing’er had already announced loudly “The Old Madam of the Fourth Household has arrived,” so Zhou Shaojin could only hide her thoughts.
Although Old Madam Tang’s face was full of smiles, her pair of shrewd eyes still made her appear somewhat aggressive.
Seeing Zhou Shaojin supporting Old Madam Guan, she joked with a smile: “You’re so fortunate—you have a granddaughter, so wherever you go, someone accompanies you. Not like me—I can’t even find anyone to play cards with.”
Zhou Shaojin only smiled without speaking.
Old Madam Guan laughed and patted Zhou Shaojin’s hand, saying: “This granddaughter of mine is indeed very well-behaved. However, Eldest Madam Shi is also excellent.”
“Indeed, indeed.” Old Madam Tang smiled. “Setting aside everything else, just seeing those two great-grandsons makes my heart melt. Not to mention the Old Ancestor—he wishes the wet nurse would carry them over for him to see every single day.” As they spoke, they walked inside. “I heard that your Cousin Gao and Cousin Yi have both stayed in Pukou? Our family’s clan school is second to none in all of Jinling.”
The implication was that the Fourth Household was choosing a distant option over a nearby one.
“Cousin Gao is just accompanying his mother to visit relatives.” Old Madam Guan said as she sat down with the little maid’s assistance. “As you know, our Cousin Yi isn’t as obedient as his brother, so we left him there. Studying is secondary—mainly it’s to curb his temperament.”
Old Madam Tang nodded: “When children grow up, they can’t be kept at home like caged birds forever—they need to go out and see the world. I’ve told the Old Ancestor the same about our Shi—he should also be allowed to go out and socialize.”
Could it be they want to go to the capital? So that’s why she borrowed the Lantern Festival as an excuse to invite several old madams to dinner?
Zhou Shaojin was pondering this when Old Madam Guo arrived.
Her expression was proud and aloof. Accompanied by the two maids Biyu and Feicui, her very appearance gave people a feeling of radiance gracing their humble dwelling.
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
No matter the occasion, Old Madam Guo was always so dazzling!
She stepped forward to pay respects to Old Madam Guo.
Old Madam Guo smiled and took her hand, looking her up and down with a smile, and said to Old Madam Guan: “Is it because I haven’t seen Shaojin for several days, or is it because she’s grown a year older after the New Year? Why do I feel like she’s grown taller?”
Really?
Zhou Shaojin had always regretted in her previous life that she was shorter than her sister.
She looked down to examine her own clothing.
It didn’t seem shorter!
Zhou Shaojin felt somewhat deflated, then heard Old Madam Guan laugh: “She’s constantly before my eyes, so I haven’t noticed. You haven’t seen her for several days, so your observation should be more accurate than mine.”
Old Madam Guo smiled and nodded.
Old Madam Li arrived with Cheng Jia.
After everyone had exchanged greetings, all the old ladies sat down to chat.
Zhou Shaojin was fine, but Cheng Jia couldn’t sit still like a monkey. Old Madam Li, afraid she might feel wronged, sent her and Zhou Shaojin out for a walk: “…that way we can have a good chat in peace.”
Cheng Jia unceremoniously pulled Zhou Shaojin out of the hall.
Yu’er was moving those pine bonsai with several other maids.
Seeing Zhou Shaojin come out, she pretended not to see her and turned her head away.
Cheng Jia didn’t notice anything unusual and pulled Zhou Shaojin along while commenting on those bonsai: “…top-heavy and bottom-light doesn’t look good. That pot is even uglier—why didn’t they place a small stone by that protruding root? It would add the flavor of ‘leisurely seeing the southern mountain.’ And that pot—since they’ve placed a Taihu rock there, why not plant a few small grasses?”
Zhou Shaojin felt that giving them pointers would only benefit the Second Household, so she smiled and said: “Since when did you become interested in these things? After spring begins, the flowers at my place will need repotting. Do you want to come see?”
“Sure!” Both Cheng Jia and Zhou Shaojin loved flowers and plants. Cheng Jia liked telling others how to tend them, while Zhou Shaojin liked doing the work herself.
As the two were discussing flowers and plants, Grand Madam Hong of the Yi branch arrived.
After gently exchanging a few words with Zhou Shaojin and Cheng Jia, she went inside to attend to the old madams.
Cheng Jia smiled: “I wonder if Eldest Sister-in-law Shi will come? I want to see the two nephews she gave birth to—they’re both so adorable.”
Zhou Shaojin remained silent, thinking that if she were Old Madam Tang and wanted to ask the First Household for help introducing Cheng Shi to the scholars in the capital, she wouldn’t have Eldest Madam Shi come here holding two children to provoke Old Madam Guo.
Indeed, right up until the banquet ended, Eldest Madam Shi never appeared. Instead, it was Old Madam Guan who, on the way back, disdainfully smiled back toward the direction of the Second Household.
Zhou Shaojin thought for a moment and asked: “Does Old Madam Tang want Cousin Shi to study at the Imperial Academy?”
Old Madam Guan was silent for a moment, then said: “How did you know?”
“I guessed.” Zhou Shaojin smiled. “Although Cousin Shi could also go study at the Imperial Academy using the Old Ancestor’s calling card from the Second Household, Eldest Master Shi going to the Imperial Academy isn’t just for passing the examinations and gaining official rank—more importantly, he hopes to make friends who can help him. Uncle Jing from the First Household’s recommendation would be very important. When Old Madam Tang mentioned Cousin Yi earlier and you said nothing, I guessed whether Old Madam Tang was using the Lantern Festival banquet as an opportunity to bring this matter up with Old Madam Guo.”
Old Madam Guan looked astonished and was silent for quite a while before saying: “Shaojin, I always thought you didn’t understand these things. I never expected you could see this—you’re even better than your sister! When your sister was your age, she only knew who was good to me and who wasn’t, what I should do about the good ones and what I should do about the bad ones…”
Zhou Shaojin felt embarrassed.
That was because she had lived two lives and had more experience than others!
“So, did Old Madam Guo agree?” she quickly asked.