Zhou Shaojin, however, didn’t think this was a joke.
She smiled and accepted the invitation, saying, “I’ll discuss it with my sister.”
Hong Rui left satisfied.
Zhou Shaojin tossed her own invitation into the wastepaper basket and took Zhou Chujin’s invitation to her sister.
Zhou Chujin looked at the invitation and asked her sister, “Are you planning to go?”
“No.” Zhou Shaojin said, “If I hadn’t accepted the invitation, Hong Rui would probably have gone on chattering endlessly, possibly even bringing Grand Madam Shi here. I just won’t go when the time comes.”
Zhou Chujin smiled, “Then I won’t go either.”
Zhou Shaojin said, “I’m planning to hide at Cold Jade Mountain Studio. Does Sister want to come with me?”
“No need.” Zhou Chujin smiled with pursed lips, winked at her, and said, “I also have somewhere to go!”
Zhou Shaojin was surprised.
Zhou Chujin told her, “The He family will be coming those days to discuss the dowry. I need to help eldest aunt entertain the He family.”
In Jiangnan wedding customs, the bride’s family provided household furnishings while the groom’s family prepared the property. Once the wedding date was set, families preparing to marry off daughters would come to the groom’s side to see the house, then furnish it completely according to the house’s size.
Zhou Shaojin smiled, “Then I’ll go help.”
“You’d better hide at Cold Jade Mountain Studio.” Zhou Chujin said meaningfully, “Grand Madam Shi is mainly inviting you. If your attitude is ambiguous, she’ll certainly try a second time.”
That’s right. If she went to help eldest aunt, Grand Madam Shi would think it was coincidence. But if she hid at Cold Jade Mountain Studio, it would clearly express her position.
Zhou Shaojin’s eyes brightened. “I wonder what Grandmother will say?”
Zhou Chujin reminded her, “If Grandmother was afraid of offending the Second Branch, why would she investigate the ancestral fields after hearing what you said!”
Only then did Zhou Shaojin relax.
On the day of Grand Madam Shi’s poetry gathering, after breakfast she went to Oriole Sound Pavilion to find Cheng Chi to play chess.
Cheng Chi set down his half-read book and asked her, “Five-in-a-row or connect-three?”
Zhou Shaojin’s cheeks flushed slightly as she said softly, “Could we play five-in-a-row?”
“Sure!” Cheng Chi agreed readily, instructing Qingfeng to fetch the board. He set it up in the covered corridor of Oriole Sound Pavilion, saying, “I’ll give you a two-stone handicap.”
Five stones in a row, with a two-stone handicap…
Zhou Shaojin was eager to try and happily agreed.
Cheng Chi smiled, “You’re not being modest at all.”
Zhou Shaojin giggled, “Uncle Chi is an elder. In front of an elder, why should I be modest!”
They had played go before—Uncle Chi surely knew their respective levels.
Cheng Chi smiled faintly.
In the first game, by the tenth move, Cheng Chi won.
Zhou Shaojin smiled sheepishly.
In the second game, she played more carefully. By the seventeenth move, Cheng Chi won.
Zhou Shaojin was greatly encouraged.
In the third game, she played even more carefully.
At the twelfth move, Qingfeng walked over and whispered a few words in Cheng Chi’s ear.
Cheng Chi nodded and continued playing chess with Zhou Shaojin.
Zhou Shaojin suspected it was someone from Grand Madam Shi’s side looking for her. But since she had come to avoid trouble, not only did Cheng Chi say nothing, even if his tone was unclear, she would pretend not to understand and stubbornly refuse to leave.
She continued playing chess with Cheng Chi.
Meanwhile, Old Madam Guo received the news and said with a smile, “Are the two of them just playing chess in the covered corridor?”
“Yes!” Biyu smiled. “They say Second Cousin Miss keeps losing.”
Old Madam Guo chuckled, “This shows Second Cousin Miss’s chess skills are quite good. Otherwise Fourth Son wouldn’t keep playing with her.” She added, “The covered corridor of Oriole Sound Pavilion’s main hall faces south with a passage to the east. It’s the coolest place in summer—a perfect spot for playing chess.” Then she instructed Biyu, “Take twenty taels of silver to the kitchen and have them prepare some refreshments to send to Fourth Master and Shaojin.”
Biyu crisply agreed, went to Feicui to weigh out the silver, and took it to the kitchen.
The kitchen didn’t dare accept it at first. Only after much persuasion from Biyu did they nervously accept the silver. They selected their specialties, made several varieties, and sent them over. Young maids also brought melons and fruits to serve on the side.
Cheng Chi leisurely enjoyed the refreshments.
Zhou Shaojin, absorbed in the chess game, reached out and took a plum, slowly nibbling on it.
The two leisurely played ten games.
Zhou Shaojin won one game.
Her eyes immediately curved with delight. Greatly encouraged, she swept the pieces aside and said, “Let’s play another round.”
But Cheng Chi lazily leaned back in his chair and said, “It’s getting late. Shouldn’t you return for lunch?”
Zhou Shaojin smiled reluctantly, stood up and said, “I have something to find Ji Ying about.”
Cheng Chi raised his eyebrows with a half-smile.
Zhou Shaojin’s face burned. Not daring to look at Cheng Chi, she quickly headed to the side rooms in back.
Ji Ying was bathing. Hearing she had arrived, she had a young maid invite her to the inner chamber for tea.
Zhou Shaojin said curiously, “In broad daylight, and it’s not even the height of summer—why are you bathing?”
The young maid didn’t know either.
As they were talking, Ji Jian came in with wet hair, saying vaguely, “I exercised this morning and worked up a sweat.” Then she said, “Weren’t you playing chess with Fourth Master? How did you end up here?”
Zhou Shaojin told Ji Ying about Grand Madam Shi inviting her to the poetry gathering.
Ji Ying laughed heartily, patting her shoulder and saying, “Don’t worry, don’t worry. Just stay here. No matter who comes, they won’t be able to take you away.”
Zhou Shaojin quickly thanked her.
Ji Ying asked her, “What do you like to eat? I’ll have the kitchen prepare it. After lunch, you can nap here, then go copy sutras in the afternoon.”
Zhou Shaojin nodded repeatedly and instructed Chun Wan, “Go see how things are at Grand Madam Shi’s side.”
Chun Wan turned and left the room.
Hearing she had arrived, Nan Ping came to greet her. Learning that Ji Ying was keeping Zhou Shaojin for the meal and that she had agreed, Nan Ping smiled and had the kitchen add a few more dishes, then left the space to Zhou Shaojin and Ji Ying.
The two had just sat down at the table when Chun Wan returned. She said, “Grand Madam Shi’s side just started the banquet. All the guests are young ladies from various families. This morning someone was sent to look for you everywhere. Later when they heard you were playing chess with Fourth Master, they stopped looking. But they left word with the maids at Wanxiang Residence that after you return, you must go over no matter what—there are several young ladies who want to be introduced to you.”
Zhou Shaojin said nothing.
This was what she had hoped for, but for some reason, when she heard Chun Wan say this, her feelings were very complex.
She thought of Cheng Chi’s slightly casual manner when playing chess with her.
Uncle Chi must have known from the start why she came to play chess with him.
That’s why he agreed so readily.
Then, like accompanying a troublesome child, he not only graciously didn’t expose her, but patiently went along with her act, quietly helping her out of her predicament.
Just like with Ji Ying.
Because he knew Jiao Ziyang wasn’t someone Ji Ying should entrust her life to, he said nothing when the Ji family changed the match, and didn’t even explain when Jiao Ziyang misunderstood that Ji Ying was his concubine, leaving Ji Ying with that misunderstanding. When Ji Ying caused trouble and returned to the Cheng family, he remained silent, saying nothing as he took her in, letting the Ji family use him as a shield. And the Second Branch—even when they schemed against him like this, he just smiled and said nothing.
Was this why Uncle Chi left Nine Blessings Lane in her previous life?
Some things couldn’t be said—saying them would show lack of sibling affection. Some things couldn’t be done—doing them would be disloyal and unfilial… Even though he was clearly unhappy, for Old Madam Guo’s sake, he spent an entire morning sitting there playing five-in-a-row with her, just to show Old Madam Guo that he was doing well at Cold Jade Mountain Studio and was very happy.
He must feel very stifled.
Just like herself in her previous life, only thinking about getting married quickly—once married, she could legitimately leave here and start a completely new life…
Zhou Shaojin’s heart ached faintly, and her joy at refusing Grand Madam Shi vanished.
Zhou Chujin, however, was very happy, saying, “Eldest Cousin Sister-in-law’s dowry is estimated at eight thousand taels of silver. I thought since she’s the eldest daughter with younger brothers, Madam He would economize somewhat. I didn’t expect such generosity. Clearly she’s very satisfied with Cousin Gao as a son-in-law…”
She talked for quite a while without any response. Turning her head, she discovered Zhou Shaojin sitting there with her elbow propped up, chin in hand, lost in thought.
Zhou Chujin smiled and patted her sister’s head, “What are you thinking about? Regretting missing the delicacies from North River Tower and Plum Blossom Tower?”
“How could that be?” Zhou Shaojin smiled. “I was thinking about how to repay Uncle Chi… He’s helped me so many times, but I can’t help him at all… I always feel I owe him…”
“Debts of gratitude are the hardest to repay.” Zhou Chujin sighed and comforted her, “There’s still a long time ahead. We can talk about it when there’s an opportunity.”
Zhou Shaojin nodded solemnly.
Zhou Chujin brought up Chi Xiang and Shi Xiang: “…Both are household-born servants. I asked Chi Xiang long ago, and she’s willing to follow me when I marry into the Liao family. But Shi Xiang is much older than you. I wanted to ask if you have any plans for Shi Xiang? If not, I’d like to send word to her parents to come over and settle Shi Xiang’s marriage.”
Zhou Shaojin said, “Then call her parents over! This matter would probably be more reliable handled by her own parents.”
In her previous life, Shi Xiang married a young man with the surname Shi from the same estate as her parents, and things had gone quite well.
In this life, it was best not to change good outcomes.
Zhou Chujin gave the instructions to have someone bring word for Shi Xiang’s parents to come.
Later when Shi Xiang got the news, she was moved to tears.
Her greatest worry had been being randomly assigned to someone by Zhou Shaojin. Now with her parents making decisions for her, at worst she wouldn’t be married to someone missing limbs.
This left Zhou Shaojin short one servant.
Chun Wan had always been capable. Zhou Chujin planned to promote Chun Wan to senior maid in Zhou Shaojin’s quarters once Shi Xiang was released, then select one from the current servants to fill Chun Wan’s position.
Zhou Shaojin directly chose the maid called Bitao.
In her previous life, after Shi Xiang left the household, her sister had selected Bitao to serve her. Later when trouble befell her, both Chun Wan and Bitao served her wholeheartedly. Without these two maids helping with everything, she probably wouldn’t have even been able to get a drink of water.
This was Zhou Shaojin’s wish, so Zhou Chujin didn’t interfere. She directly promoted Bitao to Zhou Shaojin’s quarters and had Chun Wan train her.
Seeing that both young misses treated people generously and amiably, the servants in Wanxiang Residence all felt they had prospects. Everyone did their work with smiles, appearing more spirited than people in other courtyards.