Two days later, news arrived that Cheng Xu had achieved the rank of jieyuan.
All of Jiuru Lane was abuzz with excitement.
One must know that the best result the Cheng family had achieved in the imperial examinations was the Second Old Master of the main branch, Cheng Shao, who had been named bangyan in the jiaxu year of the twelfth year of Yongchang. But when Cheng Shao was appointed bangyan, he was already thirty-seven years old.
A seventeen-year-old jieyuan scholar had infinite possibilities.
On her way to the main room of Hanqiu Lodge, Zhou Shaojin overheard servant women watering plants and trimming leaves discussing: “…Young Master Xu will definitely become zhuangyuan. After Second Old Master, we’ll be able to erect a ‘Zhuangyuan Scholar’ memorial archway in Jiuru Lane!”
“I don’t think the main branch will erect an archway even if Young Master Xu is appointed zhuangyuan!” someone said. “The main branch has never liked ostentatious displays. When Second Old Master was appointed bangyan back then, didn’t someone come to persuade Old Madam Guo to erect a ‘Bangyan Scholar’ archway, only to be refused by Old Madam Guo?”
“But is ‘Bangyan Scholar’ the same as ‘Zhuangyuan Scholar’? Last time it was a younger brother-in-law; this time it’s her own grandson, the eldest grandson of the main branch who will manage Jiuru Lane! Even if Old Madam Guo doesn’t agree, what about Madam Yuan?” someone retorted. “Besides, the past is the past, and now is now—in the past, Old Madam Guo was a widow with orphans, raising three sons alone. Look at now: three sons, all three having passed both levels of the examinations, the eldest son a powerful Cabinet minister, the second son a prestigious Hanlin Academy scholar. Tell me, if you were Old Madam Guo, what would you do?”
“Of course hold grand celebrations!” someone else joined the servant women’s discussion. “Doing nothing would be like traveling in brocade clothes at night—what’s the point?”
“Too bad you’re not Old Madam Guo!” someone laughed. “Even Madam Yuan can’t fathom Old Madam Guo’s thoughts. You might as well give up!”
That person felt somewhat indignant and said: “Can you guess Old Madam Guo’s thoughts then? How do you know Old Madam Guo won’t hold grand celebrations?”
The two began arguing back and forth.
Zhou Shaojin smiled and shook her head. Just as she was about to leave, she heard someone mediate: “Alright, alright, stop arguing! The main branch people haven’t done anything yet, and here we are—our own people fighting among ourselves. In my opinion, though Young Master Xu achieved jieyuan, he’s still far from being zhuangyuan…”
“What do you know!” someone else jumped out. “When I went to the market to buy things for the Grand Madam, I heard the storyteller at the teahouse say that if someone is handsome, when they go before the Golden Hall, they’ll at least be appointed tanhua. Our mansion’s Second Old Master of the main branch not only wrote excellent essays but was also very presentable. The Emperor originally wanted to appoint him tanhua, but the youngest participant in the examinations that year was the Ninth Old Master of the Li family from Lujiang, who was also quite handsome. So the Emperor appointed the Ninth Old Master of the Li family from Lujiang as tanhua, and our Second Old Master became bangyan.”
“Nonsense.” Everyone disbelieved. “Isn’t Fourth Master Chi of our main branch handsome? He also went before the Golden Hall. Why wasn’t he appointed tanhua?”
That person was speechless.
Everyone then began discussing Cheng Chi.
“Tell me, what’s going on with Fourth Master Chi? He sent away all the senior maids around him, only keeping Nan Ping and Ji Ying. That Nan Ping is even a widow waiting for her betrothed, and he doesn’t add anyone new. The young male servants around him are each one more handsome than the last…”
“Yes, yes! I heard from people in the main branch that Fourth Master Chi never visits pleasure quarters or opera houses, and doesn’t even have a bed-warming maid!”
“Really? Isn’t that Ji Ying Fourth Master Chi’s bed-warming maid? Last time when Second Master Yi tried to molest Ji Ying and got beaten by her, I saw that Ji Ying suffered no consequences at all…”
“I also think that Ji Ying must be Fourth Master Chi’s bed-warming maid. Look at her bearing—even the newly married Madam Nuo, a proper daughter of a fourth-rank prefect’s family, can’t compare to her! I think Fourth Master Chi doesn’t lack people around him—ordinary people just can’t catch his eye. Look at that Ji Ying, how beautiful she is. Our Second Master Yi’s eyes went straight when he saw her…”
Zhou Shaojin walked further and further away, the discussion growing fainter. She couldn’t help but smile.
Thinking that if Ji Ying heard these words, who knows how angry she would be!
She entered the main room with a smile in her eyes.
Grand Madam Mian was discussing something with a kitchen servant woman. Seeing Zhou Shaojin enter, she smiled and said: “So early in the morning, what happy event did you encounter? You’re smiling so widely you can’t close your mouth. Tell me so I can be happy too!”
The kitchen servant woman even more flatteringly smiled and said: “When Second Cousin smiles like this, she looks even more like a flower—so beautiful!”
Zhou Shaojin admitted that hearing others praise Cheng Chi made her heart very happy, but was it really that obvious?
She couldn’t help but touch her face and smiled: “This morning seems the same as usual. There’s nothing special?”
The kitchen servant woman then said: “Second Cousin must be happy because the young master is getting married!”
This servant woman really knew how to talk.
Zhou Shaojin smiled with pursed lips.
Grand Madam Mian then asked her: “Young Master Xu achieved jieyuan. Does the main branch have any plans?”
“I don’t know!” Zhou Shaojin smiled. “I live in Hanbi Mountain House. After Madam Yuan returned, Old Madam Guo handed over the household management of the main branch to Madam Yuan. Whatever plans Madam Yuan has, it seems she hasn’t discussed them with Old Madam yet. However, Old Madam’s intention is not to hold grand celebrations—just have the family gather together for a meal.”
Hearing this, Grand Madam Mian smiled with approval: “Old Madam has truly experienced life and is so composed. If it were me, I would definitely set up stages at the gate and put on several days of opera.”
Zhou Shaojin laughed.
A servant woman was peering around outside the door.
Zhou Shaojin recognized her as a servant woman who swept the outer courtyard. She smiled and asked: “Is there something?”
She walked in timidly, curtsied to Grand Madam Mian and Zhou Shaojin, and mumbled: “Grand Madam, Second Cousin, I heard someone say that Grand Madam Bai is ill, and the family is selling land, some of which is even ancestral property…”
In earlier years, Grand Madam Bai had been close to the fourth branch. The estrangement only happened in the past two years, and only after Cheng Lu went to Yuelu Academy. In others’ eyes, Grand Madam Bai was a widow with her son away from home, so naturally she would keep her doors tightly closed. That she had less contact with the fourth branch was normal. They hadn’t noticed that in reality, the fourth branch and Cheng Lu’s family no longer had any contact. When something happened in Cheng Lu’s family, the servant women would naturally come tell Grand Madam Mian about it upon hearing the news.
Both Grand Madam Mian and Zhou Shaojin were greatly shocked. The two looked at each other, speechless for a long while.
Cheng Lu’s family could be considered well-off. What illness had Grand Madam Bai contracted that they needed to sell land, including some ancestral property!
Grand Madam Mian said to the servant woman: “You can’t speak carelessly about this. Keep it to yourself for now. After I ask the Master about it, we’ll reach a conclusion.” She then had someone reward her with a handful of copper coins.
The servant woman left with profuse thanks.
Grand Madam Mian immediately sent someone to invite Cheng Mian in and told him about this matter.
Cheng Mian was obviously hearing of it for the first time and was very surprised. He immediately said: “I’ll have someone investigate right away.”
Although the two families had almost severed contact, one brush couldn’t write two “Cheng” characters. In the eyes of Jinling City residents, Cheng Lu was still a member of the Cheng family. If Cheng Lu’s mother was ill to the point of selling land and fields, even if Jiuru Lane didn’t provide money to help them through this difficulty, they couldn’t let the Cheng family’s ancestral property fall into others’ hands. They should buy the property Cheng Lu wanted to sell. Especially the fourth branch, which had been very close to Cheng Lu. If they showed no reaction at all, it would inevitably cause others to misunderstand them as being too callous.
Grand Madam Mian nodded. She sent Cheng Mian off with worry, thought things through in the room for a while, then kept Zhou Shaojin at Hanqiu Lodge while she went to see Old Madam Guan.
Zhou Shaojin felt somewhat uneasy in her heart.
In her previous life, Cheng Lu sold his property to the third branch after being expelled from the Cheng family and left Jinling City with his mother, Dong Shi.
In this life, since he was facing the predicament of being expelled and couldn’t enter officialdom in the future, he should treasure his ancestral property even more. How could he sell it?
What exactly had happened on Cheng Lu’s side?
She had always thought Dong Shi’s illness was Cheng Lu’s excuse. Could it be that Dong Shi was truly ill?
Or did Cheng Lu have some scheme?
She waited with difficulty until evening, when Cheng Mian entered with a stern face, bowed to Old Madam Guan and Grand Madam Mian, and said: “I’ve made clear inquiries. Grand Madam Bai is truly ill. Physician Zhou went to examine her. But Grand Madam Bai’s illness is very strange—sometimes better, sometimes worse. Physician Zhou also couldn’t say exactly what illness it was. Physician Zhou’s opinion is that it would be best to go to the capital and invite an imperial physician to examine her. Cheng Xiangqing returned three days ago and is now at home attending to her illness. The matter of selling land and fields is being handled entirely by Zhao Dahai, an attendant by Cheng Xiangqing’s side. Before I came, I went to see Cousin Chi and the old ancestor of the second branch. Cousin Chi said that if it truly came to this, he could provide five hundred taels of silver to help Cheng Xiangqing. The old ancestor of the second branch said he could buy Cheng Lu’s property…”
Hearing this, Old Madam Guan frowned.
Cheng Chi was willing to provide five hundred taels of silver, while the old ancestor of the second branch wanted to buy Cheng Lu’s property… The difference in character was immediately apparent.
She pondered and said: “Then you go pass a message to Cheng Xiangqing.” She then said to Grand Madam Mian, “You take some medicinal supplements to visit Grand Madam Bai. Consider it fulfilling the relationship between our two families.”
Cheng Mian and Grand Madam Mian both responded “Yes.” Old Madam Guan shook her head and sighed as Zhou Shaojin supported her into the inner room.
Zhou Shaojin comforted Old Madam Guan: “Don’t worry too much. Everyone is helping them. They’ll get through this difficulty!”
Old Madam Guan nodded despondently and said: “Perhaps it’s because I’m getting old. I increasingly believe that good is rewarded with good, evil with evil—it’s not that there’s no retribution, but that the time hasn’t come yet. People should still be kind to others.”
This was about Grand Madam Bai’s sudden illness, wasn’t it?
Zhou Shaojin said nothing, but remained very skeptical in her heart.
Returning to Hanbi Mountain House, she went to Tingli Lodge.
Cheng Chi was practicing calligraphy under lamplight. Hearing the commotion, he looked up and smiled: “Have you come because of Cheng Lu’s matter?”
In the dim yellow lamplight, the faint smile in his eyes was like warm sunlight on a winter day, intoxicating.
Zhou Shaojin’s heart caught, and only then did she nod.
Cheng Chi smiled and said: “Don’t worry about him. Dong Shi is pretending to be ill so that Cheng Lu has an excuse to sell ancestral property to bribe the education commissioner.”
Zhou Shaojin blinked and said: “Has it already come to this?”
Cheng Chi’s smile deepened, his voice even more gentle: “Don’t worry. No matter who he approaches, it won’t help.”
Zhou Shaojin naturally believed him. She was just somewhat confused, feeling this matter had come too suddenly.
Cheng Chi smiled: “It’s not sudden. For someone his age to make this decision shows he’s quite decisive and strategic.”
As if he himself were very old.
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but think this silently, pouted her lips, and said: “Then I’m leaving!”