Chun Wan whispered to Xiao Tan, “I’m going to find Fourth Master!”
Xiao Tan nodded repeatedly.
With such an incident occurring, naturally they had to find Fourth Master!
What did the Yuan family matter? The son of a retired official from the same examination year—would Grand Secretary Yuan really not give face to the Cheng family? If Old Madam found out about this, she’d probably die of anger!
However, that Li Shi was also to blame—how could she allow someone like Madam Huang to move about freely in the inner residence?
She was supposed to be a mother figure.
Second Miss only entertained Madam Huang out of respect for her position.
Yesterday Madam Huang had even criticized them for not covering the jade stone bonsai with a cover.
They weren’t some poor, humble household that needed to display their good things to show off and support their reputation.
If Second Miss displayed all her things, they would have to worry about thieves every day!
The more Xiao Tan thought about it, the more stifled she felt.
Second Miss was such a precious treasure—how could she live this kind of life?
She needed to discuss with Nanny Shang and find a way to let Old Madam know, so she could bring Second Miss back. After all, Young Master Xu couldn’t stay at home forever—sooner or later he would go to the capital to study under Grand Master Jing. Then Second Miss could return to the Cold Jade Mountain Studio.
To think Second Miss could even tolerate staying in such a place.
While Xiao Tan was lost in various thoughts, Chun Wan had already reached the door of the guest room. Just as the little maid was about to lift the curtain and go in to report, there was a loud “bang” from inside the room. Through the gap in the lifted curtain, Chun Wan saw Cheng Chi’s chopsticks slap down on the table as he said sternly, “How does that Li Shi manage the household? Are there no servants around her? Allowing that person surnamed Huang to jump around in the house causing trouble…”
The little maid was so frightened her face turned white. With a “swish” she dropped the curtain, also cutting off Cheng Chi’s voice. The little maid said tearfully, “Sister Chun Wan, I, I don’t dare to go in…”
Chun Wan quickly comforted her softly and said, “Then you go about your business. I’ll wait here.”
The little maid ran off in a flash and told her godmother what Cheng Chi had said.
The godmother immediately went to tell Nanny Li.
When Li Shi heard this, she felt extremely wronged and burst into tears, collapsing onto the dressing table: “I only thought that Madam Huang wanted to curry favor with Second Miss—how could I have imagined she would be so bold as to relay messages between both sides? On the road, when Second Miss mentioned this matter, I felt something was wrong, but we had already gone out, so we couldn’t just leave immediately, could we? Now that such a thing has happened, I also feel ashamed. I didn’t even dare tell the Master just now. I don’t know if Fourth Master Chi will think I’m an ignorant, foolish woman. If he questions the Master about this, I’ll have no face left to live!”
Nanny Li became anxious upon hearing this and said, “With the New Year approaching, why is Madam saying such things? If anything happened to you, what would Third Miss do?”
Only then did Li Shi slowly stop her crying.
Nanny Li spent a good while consoling her.
In his room, Cheng Chi paced back and forth in frustration several times before the fire in his heart finally subsided. He instructed Huai Shan, “Have that little maid come in.”
Huai Shan said with lowered eyelids, “That little maid has already left.”
Upon hearing this, Cheng Chi’s anger flared up again. “Then what did she come here for?”
Huai Shan really wanted to say: She probably came on behalf of Second Miss Zhou to report this matter, but seeing that you already knew everything, she quietly left. Even I heard that little maid leave—you’ve always had keener hearing and sharper vision than me, so how could you not have heard her leave?
But he didn’t dare ask this.
He could see that Cheng Chi was still holding back his anger with no outlet. Whoever approached him now would be unlucky.
“I’ll go call that maid back right away,” Huai Shan said quickly.
Cheng Chi made a sound of acknowledgment, his tone slightly mellowing.
Huai Shan breathed a sigh of relief and hurried to call for Chun Wan.
Chun Wan was called over by Huai Shan halfway, so naturally she felt quite uneasy.
She stood somewhat timidly before Cheng Chi, not daring to move.
Seeing her like this, Cheng Chi sighed before opening his mouth to speak: “Go tell your Second Miss this: first, she encountered that Scholar Chang at the gate, then Madam Huang instigated Li Shi to take your Second Miss to offer incense at the Great Compassion Pavilion, and when they encountered Young Master Miao with ill intentions, it was again that scholar surnamed Chang who appeared to resolve the situation. I’m afraid this person surnamed Chang also has no good intentions. Tell her not to go anywhere these next few days and to stay home properly. I will help her resolve these matters.”
Chun Wan was overjoyed. She knelt down and kowtowed three times to Cheng Chi, saying “Thank you, Fourth Master.”
Cheng Chi raised his hand slightly, indicating she could withdraw.
Chun Wan returned to Zhou Shaojin’s quarters in high spirits, thinking to herself: No wonder Second Miss isn’t worried—Fourth Master turns out to be someone with a cold exterior but warm heart. Before she even opened her mouth, he agreed to step forward on Second Miss’s behalf. She bounced happily into the east room that had been converted into a study.
Zhou Shaojin was drawing embroidery patterns.
Seeing Chun Wan’s expression, Xiao Tan knew things had gone smoothly. She smiled and pointed at Zhou Shaojin, gently shaking her head, indicating that Chun Wan should speak outside if she had something to say.
Chun Wan called Ji Xiang to attend in the room and spoke quietly with Xiao Tan in the covered corridor.
After hearing Chun Wan’s words, Xiao Tan smiled with no small amount of satisfaction: “I knew Fourth Master wouldn’t ignore this. Look, Sister Ji Ying beat Young Master Xu so badly, yet Fourth Master still stayed as a guest at the Zhou residence. This shows Fourth Master also thinks Second Miss is pitiful.”
Chun Wan sighed. That evening when she was making Zhou Shaojin’s bed, she told Zhou Shaojin what Cheng Chi had said.
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, “Watching you all sneaking in and out, I suspected you went to find Uncle Chi. Don’t worry—even if Uncle Chi hadn’t said anything, I wouldn’t have gone anywhere casually.”
As she spoke, her mood became melancholy.
Since Uncle Chi had moved in, it was impossible to hide things from him.
She had lost such great face in front of Uncle Chi, and now she was too embarrassed to ask Uncle Chi to help her resolve the matter with the Miao family.
It was good that Chun Wan had gone to speak with Uncle Chi.
It saved her the awkwardness.
In the end, others were only bullying her because of her low family status.
If she were a young miss of the Cheng family of Nine-Ru Lane, even if she had the looks of a legendary beauty, who would dare act this way before her?
At this moment, she suddenly understood her maternal grandfather Old Master Zhuang’s feelings very well.
Sometimes when a girl was too beautiful, it also depended on what kind of family she was in. In a family like Nine-Ru Lane, it meant outstanding beauty. In the Zhuang family, it meant a beauty that brought disaster.
When Mother had made up her mind to marry Father, this was probably also one of the reasons.
Zhou Shaojin didn’t sleep very well that night. When she got up the next morning, her spirits were quite low.
Li Shi didn’t even dare to ask. Zhou Zhen simply said, “I’ve already sent a letter to the Miao family. Don’t worry—I won’t marry you off to just anyone.”
Seeing that her father had misunderstood, Zhou Shaojin didn’t explain. She just smiled and nodded.
A little maid came in to report: “Master, Madam, Second Miss, Scholar Chang requests an audience.”
Zhou Zhen frowned.
Li Shi’s expression grew tense.
Cheng Chi had not avoided the Zhou family’s maids when speaking.
The words he had said to Chun Wan quickly reached Li Shi’s ears.
Li Shi was still somewhat puzzled in her heart when Scholar Chang came requesting an audience.
She couldn’t help but call out “Master,” dismissed the servants in the room, and stammered as she told Zhou Zhen what Cheng Chi had said.
Zhou Zhen’s expression remained calm as he said, “I understand. I’ll send that person surnamed Chang away.”
Only then did the heavy stone in Li Shi’s heart finally settle.
Scholar Chang thought that since he had resolved the situation for Zhou Shaojin, Zhou Zhen should at least be more enthusiastic toward him. Who knew that Zhou Zhen was still as politely distant as always, which left many of his prepared words stuck in his heart with no way to express them.
Had he revealed himself somewhere?
Scholar Chang couldn’t help but reflect.
Because he knew Young Master Miao’s character, he had deliberately invited Young Master Miao to the Great Compassion Pavilion. Even Young Master Miao hadn’t noticed anything amiss—he’d been beaten by Minister Miao and was still lying in bed clamoring that if he couldn’t marry Second Miss Zhou, he wouldn’t want to live.
Minister Miao was furious.
But Scholar Chang was afraid that Minister Miao’s mother, who was protective of her family and doted on her grandson, would cry and make a scene, forcing Minister Miao to come propose marriage for Young Master Miao.
That’s why he had come one step ahead, wanting to casually reveal to Zhou Zhen just how unruly Young Master Miao was.
What should he do now?
Scholar Chang thought that haste makes waste, so he restrained himself, exchanged a few pleasantries with Zhou Zhen, and then rose to take his leave.
Zhou Zhen didn’t see him out either. He frowned, thinking about his daughter’s situation.
Since that Young Master Miao had seen Zhou Shaojin, Zhou Shaojin’s reputation for beauty would probably be impossible to hide. In the future, people coming to the door under various pretexts to view her or propose marriage would only increase. But Baoding was too small a place—aside from the Fan family, he didn’t think highly of any other family. Yet he was reluctant to leave his delicate daughter in Baoding to suffer. But if he were to find Zhou Shaojin a good match, he really didn’t have any good candidates…
If only the matter with Cheng Xu hadn’t happened.
With the Cheng family’s reputation, even if Zhou Shaojin couldn’t marry into a family like the Liao family of Zhenjiang, finding a scholarly family with few members would still be quite easy.
This thought only flashed through his mind briefly.
He quickly suppressed this slight regret and carefully pondered the families he knew that had sons of marriageable age for Zhou Shaojin.
However, Cheng Chi thought it over again and again, and had a little maid invite Zhou Shaojin to come speak with him.
Zhou Shaojin put down her half-finished needlework, changed her clothes, and hurried over.
The two sat down on the heated platform.
Cheng Chi asked her, “Would you be willing to come with me to live in the capital for a while?”
Zhou Shaojin was astonished.
Cheng Chi said, “I’ll probably be staying in the capital for the next two years. You said the Cheng family would be raided—I think this isn’t something that happens overnight, but rather a matter of constant dripping wearing away stone. I want to investigate starting from my father’s generation, and staying in Jinling might be inconvenient. With the family in this state, I’m really quite worried. Fortunately, the capital is very close to Baoding Prefecture. If you miss your father, you can come back for a short stay anytime.”
Zhou Shaojin’s face flushed crimson.
How utterly humiliating to have lost face before Uncle Chi like this.
But to go live in the capital with Uncle Chi… her heart immediately began to beat joyfully beyond her control.
But when she thought of Cheng Xu, thought of Apricot Grove Lane, it was like having a bucket of cold water poured over her. Her emotions slowly deflated as she said softly, “I’d better stay in Baoding Prefecture…”
Regarding Zhou Shaojin’s emotions and desires, how could Cheng Chi not see what she was thinking?
Cheng Chi’s feelings were complicated.
He knew this little girl definitely wanted to follow him, but he shouldn’t be managing her affairs. Yet when he thought about how even people like Young Master Miao and Scholar Chang dared to set their designs on this little girl, an uncontrollable fire burned in his heart—a fire that made him restless and gave him no peace.
Cheng Chi said, “We won’t live in Apricot Grove Lane. I’ve newly purchased a residence in Elm Money Lane near Chaoyang Gate. We’ll live there.”