Since Old Madam Guo was interested in the wild vegetables in the garden, Nanny Lü and the others naturally wanted to please her. For a time, all the servants at Chaoyangmen, high and low, helped Old Madam Guo search for wild vegetables. When Cheng Chi returned from Xingling Alley to Tingxiang Courtyard to pay his respects to Old Madam Guo, he saw Old Madam Guo, Zhou Shaojin, and Gu Shiqi Gu making dumplings under the guidance of a pozi who specialized in capital cuisine.
Old Madam Guo and the others were all stunned to see Cheng Chi.
Zhou Shaojin even stood up and glanced at the long table where the chiming clock was placed.
It was only two quarters past the hour of you!
Cheng Xu’s wedding was set for the auspicious time at the hour of you.
The bride had only just entered the door, hadn’t she?
Didn’t that mean Cheng Chi had returned as soon as the bride entered?
Zhou Shaojin stared wide-eyed at Cheng Chi.
Old Madam Guo, however, only chuckled twice and said, “Fourth Master has returned!” She pointed to the crookedly wrapped dumplings beside her and said, “I haven’t wrapped dumplings with my own hands in so many years. Today you’re in for a treat—we picked wild shepherd’s purse. It was Shaojin who discovered it.”
Yesterday he had eaten dinner at Xingling Alley before returning, and came back too late. Zhou Shaojin was afraid he would get indigestion, so she didn’t give him any.
Today they discovered another patch of wild shepherd’s purse, so they picked some more.
Cheng Chi smiled and looked over. On the bamboo curtain were three rows of dumplings. Two rows couldn’t even stand upright, and only one row barely managed to stand up.
That row must have been wrapped by Shaojin.
In her previous life, she had lived in the capital for over ten years.
Cheng Chi smiled and rolled up his sleeves, saying, “Let me help you wrap dumplings too.”
“Don’t, don’t.” The weather was clear today, and Old Madam Guo had been active in the garden for half the day and was in good spirits. She teased, “If you want your wife to attend to you, just take your wife back with you. Don’t waste my rice and flour.”
These words made Zhou Shaojin’s ears turn red, and she didn’t know whether to stand or sit.
Gu Shiqi Gu covered her mouth and laughed.
Cheng Chi remained completely calm and composed, smiling and saying, “You think I’m in the way. I’ll study dumpling-wrapping properly with you. How can you chase me away like this!”
Old Madam Guo laughed heartily and had the maids clean her hands. Supported by Cheng Chi, she went to the adjacent sitting room. After the maids served tea and refreshments, she asked him, “Did the wedding go smoothly?”
“Very smoothly.” Cheng Chi smiled and said, “The bride has entered the door. The fourth branch’s dowry servants, one hundred and twenty-four sedan chairs of dowry items, six thick volumes of gift lists—it looks quite sincere.”
Old Madam Guo smiled dismissively and said, “The Min and Zhe regions like ten-mile red dowries when marrying off daughters. This dowry isn’t particularly generous—it’s just appropriate and doesn’t lose face for the Min family.”
Cheng Chi knew his mother was dissatisfied with his eldest sister-in-law, so she spoke particularly bluntly.
He smiled and peeled a tangerine for Old Madam Guo, saying tactfully, “Neither deaf nor mute makes no proper grandfather. As long as eldest sister-in-law is satisfied, that’s fine. This is the daughter-in-law she carefully selected.”
Old Madam Guo ate a segment of tangerine and found it very sweet. She wrapped it in her handkerchief and handed it to Zhenzhu, who was attending her, saying, “Send this to Shaojin—these tangerines are delicious!”
Zhenzhu acknowledged and went.
Only then did Old Madam Guo continue, “What time is the bride coming over tomorrow?”
Cheng Chi peeled another tangerine for Old Madam Guo and said, “After the hour of si tomorrow.”
The newlyweds had to worship the ancestors first. Only after worshipping the ancestors would the bride be considered a member of the Cheng family and could acknowledge relatives.
But so late… presumably Yuan Shi felt sorry for her son and daughter-in-law and deliberately let them get up late.
Old Madam Guo sneered coldly.
As if only she knew how to cherish her son.
“Then don’t go over there tomorrow either,” Old Madam Guo said somewhat domineeringly. “You’ve been busy with Xingling Alley matters these days. Now that your elder brother has married his wife, you should rest too!”
According to propriety, the newlyweds should come to Chaoyangmen to pay respects to Old Madam Guo, and as the host, Cheng Chi should accompany them. By keeping Cheng Chi back, without Cheng Chi’s accompaniment, it meant a few degrees less respect for the newlyweds.
Cheng Chi hadn’t planned to go anyway.
Attending Cheng Xu’s wedding was because he was part of this family—he did what he should do, but only that much.
He smiled and agreed, then discussed with Old Madam Guo the greeting gift for the newlyweds: “…I plan to give according to what eldest brother and sister-in-law gave Shaojin.”
Originally, he had planned to add twenty percent more, but since Yuan Shi excluded Shaojin so much and wasn’t even willing to maintain appearances, he had no reason to join her in mistreating his own wife.
Old Madam Guo had originally planned to give the newlyweds a set of ruby headdress ornaments, but when she learned that the Min family had refused Qu Yuan’s marriage proposal, she began to feel uncomfortable—a good matchmaker evaluates themselves. Even when arranging marriages, there’s self-assessment. Since Qu Yuan dared to pursue this idea, he must have had some confidence in forming an alliance with the Min family. It was just that through coincidence, the Min family didn’t agree. But whether the Min family ever had such thoughts was another matter. Now Yuan Shi acted as if she wanted to distance herself from Cheng Chi, and she felt very disappointed. She even felt that Cheng Jing’s path would only go this far, but having come this far was an acceptable answer to the Cheng family ancestors.
“Then I’ll give the bride a set of South Sea pearl headdress ornaments!” Old Madam Guo said indifferently. “I won’t compare with you uncles and such.”
According to propriety, Old Madam Guo’s greeting gift should be more valuable than Cheng Chi’s.
Cheng Chi had no intention of speaking up for the first branch. Mother and son discussed some trivial matters, and the conversation gradually turned to today’s vegetable picking. Only then did Old Madam Guo’s mood gradually improve, and supported by Cheng Chi, she left the sitting room.
Old Madam Guo, Zhou Shaojin, Gu Shiqi Gu, and Cheng Chi ate dumplings together.
Zhou Shaojin saw Gu Shiqi Gu back to Yuqian Alley.
The fourth branch’s people weren’t participating in tomorrow’s acknowledgment ceremony—they would set off back to Jinling in three days.
When Zhou Shaojin and the others went back, Old Madam Guan hadn’t returned yet. Nanny Shang was afraid Cheng Chi would be anxious waiting for her, so after settling Gu Shiqi Gu, she tactfully reminded her that Cheng Chi was still waiting for her… Although Zhou Shaojin blushed, she still hurried back to Chaoyangmen.
Cheng Chi had already bathed and changed and was reclining on the large kang by the window in the inner chamber looking at something. When Zhou Shaojin hurried into the inner chamber, he couldn’t help but smile and say, “Go change your clothes quickly—I have something good for you.”
After Zhou Shaojin washed up and came out, as soon as she approached, Cheng Chi pulled her onto his lap and pointed to the kang table, saying, “Look!”
“What is this?” Zhou Shaojin’s eyes widened.
“Huang Quan’s bird and flower painting.” Cheng Chi pointed to the colophon and seals beside it. “Aren’t you learning painting with Mother these days? I guessed you’d definitely like it.”
It was a lotus painting.
The colors were fresh and brilliant, elegant and expressive. The painted lotus had less purity but more magnificence, looking splendid and bright.
Zhou Shaojin really liked it.
Her eyes smiled into crescents.
Cheng Chi’s heart softened, and he ruffled her hair.
Zhou Shaojin’s heart stirred, and she pulled Cheng Chi’s hand: “You paint a Guanyin for me too!”
Cheng Chi was somewhat surprised.
A glimmer of cleverness flashed in Zhou Shaojin’s eyes. She said, “I know your paintings are good. I want to embroider a Guanyin image.”
Cheng Chi said oddly, “Why do you want to embroider a Guanyin image?”
“That’s such a strange question!” Zhou Shaojin pouted and said, “To embroider a bodhisattva image—do you need to ask why? Of course it’s for devotion!”
Cheng Chi knew Zhou Shaojin was Buddhist and didn’t suspect anything else. He immediately asked her which Guanyin image she wanted painted, and early the next morning began painting the Guanyin image with Zhou Shaojin.
By the time Cheng Xu brought Min Jia to kowtow to Cheng Chi and the others, Cheng Chi had already sketched an outline.
He took a cloth to clean his hands before asking Qingfeng, “Have they already gone to Old Madam’s place? And Madam?”
Qingfeng hastily said, “They’ve already entered Tingxiang Courtyard. Madam is attending to Old Madam!”
Only then did Cheng Chi nod, changed into clean clothes, and went to Old Madam Guo’s quarters.
Min Jia didn’t look much like a Fujian person.
She was tall with fair skin and a pair of phoenix eyes that sparkled charmingly when she glanced about. Her bearing was dignified and her manner refined—clearly a well-born young lady from an aristocratic family.
Zhou Shaojin looked at Cheng Xu sitting to the side with eyes on his nose and nose on his heart, and couldn’t help but secretly criticize in her heart. In the previous life, Cheng Xu had broken the engagement with the Min family without even knowing what Min Jia looked like. If he knew the bride was this beautiful, would he regret it?
This was the second time Min Jia had seen Zhou Shaojin.
She knew that the granddaughter of the fourth branch of the Cheng family had married Cheng Xu’s fourth uncle as his wife.
Compared to their last meeting, Zhou Shaojin looked even more beautiful, like a flower—you thought it had already bloomed, but actually it was just beginning to bud.
Speaking of beauty, probably not a single daughter-in-law or young lady in the Cheng family could compare to Zhou Shaojin.
Fortunately, she had no intention of competing with Zhou Shaojin in beauty—she only wanted to become the one with the most distinguished bearing.
She respectfully paid her respects to Old Madam Guo and Zhou Shaojin and served tea.
Old Madam Guo looked on with satisfaction, nodded, and gave greeting gifts.
Min Jia quietly observed Zhou Shaojin.
Seeing her natural expression, she inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief.
But when she saw Cheng Xu paying respects to Cheng Chi, her heart suddenly felt weighed down like a stone—without comparison, one couldn’t tell. Cheng Xu had been very stiff when paying respects to Zhou Shaojin. She had thought it was because of Zhou Shaojin’s background and age, but he was also somewhat stiff when paying respects to Cheng Chi… that was rather suspicious!
Min Jia’s eyes shifted.
She decided to find a way to inquire about this peculiarity.
After all, her father-in-law was advanced in years, and Cheng Xu was too immature. Cheng Chi, whose age fell right between her father-in-law and Cheng Xu, became very crucial.
Would he be like Second Uncle-Grandfather Cheng Shao, who, despite achieving fame and success, had no reluctance in handing over the Cheng family connections to his nephew after watching him grow up? Or would he have designs on wealth, glory, riches, or the honor of leaving his name in the annals? This was something no one could say for certain.
Min Jia personally handed the shoes and socks she had made for Old Madam Guo and Zhou Shaojin to Zhou Shaojin herself.
Zhou Shaojin smiled, turned, and handed them to Chun Wan.
Cheng Xu then said, “Grandmother, Fourth Uncle, Fourth… Aunt, there are still guests at home, so we won’t stay long. We’ll come visit you another day!”
Old Madam Guo smiled and nodded, saying, “Now that you’re married, you’re an adult. In the future, you can’t act willfully. Discuss matters more with your wife—she clearly looks intelligent.”
Cheng Xu meekly agreed.
Old Madam Guo then picked up her tea, having Cheng Chi see the guests out on her behalf.
Min Jia could barely hide the disappointment on her face.