It was precisely because he was thinking of her and their son that Cheng Chi, like a cunning rabbit with multiple burrows, had asked Chief Steward Qin to repair the old mansion.
Zhou Shaojin muttered this in her heart but couldn’t really say anything to Ji Ying. Her somewhat embarrassed expression fell into Ji Ying’s eyes and became helplessness.
Ji Ying had always liked Zhou Shaojin very much and naturally didn’t want to make things difficult for her. Regretting her quick tongue somewhat, she immediately suppressed her dissatisfaction with Cheng Chi and talked about coming to the capital: “Anyway, if you have anything in the future, remember to tell me. Qin Ziping is about to be transferred to Shuntian Prefecture as a constable. The elders bought us a small two-courtyard residence near Xizhimen. My affairs are mostly finished. From now on, I can only stay home with children and do needlework. If you don’t come visit me, I’m afraid I won’t have anyone to talk to… You must come play at my place often.”
Here at Chaoyangmen, with Old Madam Guo present, there was a distinction between master and servant. The Qin family had served the Cheng family as servants for so many years—when these younger generation members saw Old Madam Guo, it would be unreasonable not to perform a grand bow. But being so respectful every time made Ji Ying feel uncomfortable.
Zhou Shaojin understood her thinking. She smiled and agreed cheerfully.
Since there were still guests in the flower hall and Tingxiang Courtyard, after chatting with Ji Ying for a few sentences, Zhou Shaojin had to get up to attend to the visitors.
“I’ll stay here to look after Yun Ge’er for you.” Ji Ying didn’t know any of those people and treasured Yun Ge’er, so she was unwilling to go over.
Zhou Shaojin said: “When he wakes up later, he’ll still need to be carried over to show Old Madam and Academician Wu.”
“Then let him ‘sleep’ longer.” Ji Ying said dismissively. “Outside it’s loud with gongs and drums—aren’t you afraid of frightening our Yun Ge’er?”
“He’s never been afraid of such things.” Zhou Shaojin mentioned that during the Bathing Festival some days ago when she took him out, they passed a temple holding a religious ceremony. With crowds of people, he twisted his body wanting to go watch the excitement, and even got angry when not allowed.
“Then all the more reason I should look after him.” Ji Ying just loved Yun Ge’er. “Today is his birthday. Children don’t understand propriety—if he makes a fuss, how undignified!”
She had even said such words.
Zhou Shaojin just laughed.
Looking at the seven or eight maids and servants attending Yun Ge’er, she agreed: “Then it’s settled—if he starts fussing, you quickly send someone to find me. This child can be a bit stubborn sometimes.”
“I know, I know.” Ji Ying hurried to send her away, looking afraid she would change her mind. Did she really think that with her abilities, she couldn’t coax one child?
Zhou Shaojin shook her head with a smile and went to Tingxiang Courtyard, only saying that Yun Ge’er had gotten up too early today and was still sleeping now, impossible to wake up no matter what.
Those old madams and ladies, afraid of disturbing Yun Ge’er, all told her not to hover there and to quickly return to look after Yun Ge’er.
Zhou Shaojin now knew how to speak properly and smiled: “Yun Ge’er is sleeping. I might as well stay here and keep you all company.”
Old Madam Guo and the others chuckled. Madam Pengcheng waved her hand directly at her, saying: “Go busy yourself. You don’t need to worry about your mother-in-law here. We old things can just chat privately.”
The other old madams also told her to “just go busy yourself.”
After arranging the tea and refreshments at Tingxiang Courtyard, Zhou Shaojin finally went to the water pavilion.
The opera troupe invited today was “Yongchang Troupe,” which had performed for the Empress Dowager and Empress in the palace a few days ago—recommended by Madam Pengcheng. The young actor Xiao Lianhua who played female roles was said to be the capital’s most famous performer. Whether in appearance or vocal skill, everything was superb. They were performing “Strolling in the Garden,” and the madams and ladies in attendance were so entranced that no one noticed Zhou Shaojin’s absence.
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. Thinking of how Madam Pengcheng had somewhat cautiously asked her about when the Cheng family would start running a clan school, she felt somewhat ashamed. She thought that after Cheng Shao’s wedding, this matter should be urged—Cheng Chi should step forward to discuss with Cheng Shao how to proceed.
Yun Ge’er didn’t “wake up” until the hour of Shen in the afternoon. Ji Ying carried him to the water pavilion to find Zhou Shaojin. Everyone played with the child for a while, then the evening banquet began. Yun Ge’er stretched out his arms calling “Auntie,” wanting Ji Ying to hold him.
Zhou Shaojin was quite astonished.
Ordinarily Yun Ge’er smiled at everyone, but when lamplight time came and it was time to return to their room, except for Zhou Shaojin, Cheng Chi, and Old Madam Guo, even his wet nurse wouldn’t do.
Ji Ying happily held Yun Ge’er.
Zhou Shaojin curiously asked those serving Yun Ge’er: “What happened?”
Yun Ge’er’s wet nurse said somewhat nervously: “This afternoon Third Madam Qin held Young Master Yun to look at the swallow’s nest in the hall, and dug up earth in the back garden to let Yun Ge’er feed the swallows…”
Zhou Shaojin broke out in a cold sweat.
She knew Yun Ge’er wouldn’t like Ji Ying without reason.
But Yun Ge’er was a boy—being a bit mischievous shouldn’t matter, right?
Zhou Chujin, however, seeing that Yun Ge’er was actually playing so well with Ji Ying whom he’d just met, came over curiously to ask what was going on.
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t tell her sister what Ji Ying had done, so she deflected with vague words and asked about Zhou Chujin’s return to Zhenjiang: “…I’ve prepared some things. When the time comes, help me take them to Jinling for Grandmother and the others.”
Coming from Jinling to the capital wasn’t easy. For Yun Ge’er’s first birthday celebration this time, Zhou Shaojin had only written a letter without inviting them, yet they had sent someone with gifts.
Zhou Chujin nodded and pulled Zhou Shaojin aside to talk: “I heard from your brother-in-law that Cheng Shi and Cheng Zheng both came and introduced themselves as Cheng family members in front of others… What’s going on with them?”
“Don’t even mention them.” Zhou Shaojin smiled bitterly. “Even Madam Hong from the Hong family, who is Cheng Shi’s aunt, came. Fourth Master said we might as well take this opportunity to straighten out the relationships—relatives are relatives, acquaintances are acquaintances. So we just pretended not to know Cheng Shi and Cheng Zheng came over. When we went out to offer toasts and encountered them, we just acted surprised as if they came uninvited, letting everyone know. As for them insisting on hanging around Chaoyangmen, Fourth Master is an elder, so he just lets them hang around. But asking us to speak up for them—that’s impossible. Everyone in the capital is shrewd. After a few times, they’ll understand in their hearts. The Hong family is a bit troublesome though. Their words hint that Second Branch’s Cheng Xu has gone senile. That Hong Guozhen at the Censorate also shows a few degrees of familiarity with Fourth Master everywhere, making Fourth Master think the Hong family isn’t simple and might associate with them. This time when Madam Hong came, she was arranged to sit at the same table as Madam Song and the others.”
“Still, Hong Guozhen’s grandfather was a Left Censor-in-Chief at the Censorate. Fourth Master is also at the Censorate now—you see each other constantly. With the Hong family willing to be accommodating, Fourth Master really can’t show them a cold face.” Zhou Chujin was still somewhat worried. “But you can’t get too close either, to avoid creating problems.”
“Fourth Master said the same thing.” Zhou Shaojin smiled. “Originally we ignored them. Now we acknowledge them, but just treat it as ordinary colleague interactions. Fourth Master isn’t the type to suffer insults in silence.”
Zhou Chujin thought about how Liao Shaotang had told her that Cheng Chi at the Censorate was low-key, reserved, and didn’t speak much, but his conduct showed great responsibility. His reputation was excellent—a mere fourth-rank Left Assistant Censor-in-Chief sometimes spoke with more authority than the second-rank Left and Right Censors-in-Chief… She just smiled and said no more.
After Yun Ge’er’s first birthday celebration was completed and everything at Zhou Shaojin’s end was tidied up, Ma Ci was sent over to collect the things Zhou Shaojin was sending to Jinling.
Ma Ci was now the chief steward of Yushu Alley. Compared to when he first came to the capital, he appeared even more steady and composed. Wearing silk robes and a jade pendant, his gaze was sharp and perceptive. Without knowing his background, one might think he was the head manager of some shop in the capital.
Zhou Shaojin asked him a few questions, then had Ji Xiang call in Fan Qi to accompany Ma Ci to move things.
Fan Qi had done well these years too. First following Steward Xiang, later following Qin Ziji. Though he hadn’t become a steward in the Cheng household, all of Zhou Shaojin’s dowry had been entrusted to him. His older brother Fan Lu honestly farmed at home, using the silver Fan Qi brought back to buy land for him—altogether about a hundred mu now. Nanny Fan had declared that while Fan Lu would help farm this land and keep the grain, once Fan Qi married, the brothers would settle accounts clearly—Fan Lu must pay his share of rent, not a penny less. She had also asked Zhou Shaojin if possible to help arrange marriages for both Fan Lu and Fan Qi, the implication being she wanted both sons to marry maids from Zhou Shaojin’s household.
Zhou Shaojin was happy to see this happen, but both were still young, so there was no rush.
After seeing off Zhou Chujin, Zhou Shaojin began wholeheartedly preparing to attend Cheng Shao’s wedding.
Who knew that at this time, Chaoyangmen would receive news of the death of Song Jingran’s father, Old Master Song.
“What should we do?” Zhou Shaojin hurriedly changed clothes, saying to Cheng Chi: “Before Yun Ge’er’s first birthday celebration, when I held Yun Ge’er to visit him, the old gentleman was perfectly fine. How could he be gone just like that?”
“The weather is too hot.” Cheng Chi’s expression was also somewhat poor. “With ice he feels cold, without ice he feels hot. People with poor health find it very hard to endure.” He instructed Zhou Shaojin: “Yun Ge’er is still too young. Don’t take him over—just let him play at home.”
Zhou Shaojin nodded. Thinking of the first time she met Old Master Song and how he and Cheng Chi calculated water levels on the boat, forgetting food and sleep, tears couldn’t help but fall.
Cheng Chi sighed and helped Zhou Shaojin into the sedan chair to go to Song Jingran’s home.
The Song household had already removed the red decorations and hung white ones.
Because Cheng Chi’s relationship with Old Master Song was exceptional, after Old Master Song’s death, the Song family didn’t wait for the three-day small laying-out period but immediately sent word to Cheng Chi. When they arrived, not many people had come to pay condolences yet, but at the entrance they encountered Song Jingran returning from the palace.
Having had to face the Emperor, Song Jingran was still wearing official robes, but his expression was haggard and his complexion very poor.
Seeing Cheng Chi, he beckoned him over, gesturing for him to follow while saying: “I just went to see the Emperor. The Emperor wanted to refuse my mourning leave, but I politely declined. Starting tomorrow I’ll begin my mourning period. Previously the Emperor wanted me to teach the Imperial Grandson mathematics. This time the Emperor brought it up again, and I recommended you. The imperial edict will probably come down in a couple days…”
“Lecture to the Imperial Grandson?” Cheng Chi was astonished.
Song Jingran didn’t speak, silently leading Cheng Chi directly to the study in the outer courtyard. After servants brought tea and refreshments then withdrew, leaving no one else in the room, only then did he say: “Zichuan, once I leave for two years, in court—never mind two years, even in two days there’s a new change. Yang Shoushan has been demoted to commoner status, never to be employed again. Zhang Hui has weathered official ups and downs for long and likes to assess situations. Now I only have you to rely on…”