The matter of celebrating the New Year was thus settled.
That evening Cheng Jing had dinner at Chaoyang Gate and sat for a long time without mentioning returning home. Old Madam Guo, thinking the couple had quarreled, didn’t bring up Xingling Alley matters and kept Cheng Jing overnight.
Cheng Chi didn’t decline either. He directly settled down to sleep in Old Madam Guo’s canopied bed, calling it “attending to” Old Madam Guo.
Old Madam Guo smiled and shook her head, no longer managing Cheng Jing’s affairs.
Early the next morning, Chenxiang and the others helped Cheng Jing prepare for court. Zhou Shaojin sent Biyu to Cheng Wei’s place to discuss New Year matters.
As for Shuangyu Alley, Cheng Chi personally made a trip there.
After consulting with Chang Shi, Cheng Shao happily agreed.
Not only did Qiu Shi agree, she also brought Xie Shi over for a visit with great joy, asking with a beaming smile if there was anything they could help with, saying, “Now that we don’t need to prepare New Year’s Eve dinner, we have much less to do.”
Zhou Shaojin took Xie Shi’s hand and smiled. “No need, no need. You just need to bring your appetites to eat.”
Qiu Shi knew there were plenty of servants at Chaoyang Gate, so she didn’t stand on ceremony with Zhou Shaojin and brought Xie Shi over every few days to keep Old Madam Guo company.
In the afternoon, Chang Shi brought Abao and Aren over.
The two children rushed into Qiu Shi’s arms as soon as they entered. After greeting everyone properly, they ran off to play with Yun Ge’er.
Watching the two children with eyes full of smiles, Chang Shi said somewhat embarrassedly to Old Madam Guo, “These two children are too active.”
Old Madam Guo laughed heartily. “If children aren’t active, when they become adults and are active, it’ll be too late for regrets.” Then she said with emotion, “This is children’s true nature! Look, when they first arrived, even with the pastry plate placed right in front of them, they swallowed their saliva but didn’t reach for the pastries… You’ve taught them well! This is what our family’s children should be like.”
Chang Shi and Qiu Shi quickly said they “didn’t dare take credit.”
Old Madam Guo smiled. “What’s there not to dare! Good deeds bring good rewards. Since you can treat them this way, just wait to enjoy the blessings they’ll bring you in the future.”
Everyone chatted and laughed, drinking tea, eating pastries, and playing cards, enjoying themselves thoroughly until lamplight before dispersing.
Madam Yuan only learned of this matter when Cheng Jing returned home after leaving the office.
She was so angry her liver hurt for a long while, and she didn’t speak for quite some time.
What kind of primary wife doesn’t perform ancestor worship or prepare New Year’s Eve dinner?
Thinking of Zhou Shaojin’s soft and delicate willow-like figure… she immediately changed her mind.
Fine then, let her preside over this year’s worship and let her also taste what hardship is like.
“Mother didn’t blame me, did she? Did Second Sister-in-law say anything?” She simply leaned weakly against the large pillow and said to Cheng Jing, “Whenever I think of Jiashan, I really can’t muster any energy.”
She truly wasn’t ill. Pretending to be sick might seem somewhat false, so better to call it a “heart ailment.”
Cheng Jing sighed, his expression softening slightly. “Mother isn’t such a petty person. This year we’ll have to trouble Fourth Brother’s wife to help prepare the sacrificial offerings. When you see Fourth Sister-in-law, you should still thank her.”
“Naturally!” Madam Yuan sneered inwardly and lay contentedly in bed, continuing to feel unwell.
With Old Madam Guo helping make decisions and Fan Liushi and Nanny Shang helping out, Zhou Shaojin treated all the New Year preparations as something fun. Every day when Cheng Chi returned from the office, she would tell him everything she had done.
Cheng Chi had been quite busy during this period. He had originally been somewhat displeased with Madam Yuan’s hands-off approach, but seeing Zhou Shaojin enthusiastically discussing New Year matters, he felt this wasn’t so bad—his little girl would have to grow up someday and learn these worship rituals. Letting her practice now meant she wouldn’t be unfamiliar with them later.
He listened carefully to Zhou Shaojin’s words.
Zhou Shaojin felt even more that New Year preparations were an interesting matter.
News came from Yushu Alley that Zhou Chujin had given birth to a second son. Grand Madam Liao was extremely pleased and gave him the name “Yan Ge’er.” Upon hearing the news, Grand Master Liao, far away in Zhenjiang, was also very happy and wrote saying he wanted to come to the capital to preside over his grandson’s hundred-day celebration. Grand Madam Liao was furious upon hearing this and wrote back telling him to “stay home properly and not come to the capital to embarrass his son—after all, his son is now a seventh-rank official with a flourishing career.” It was said that after receiving the letter, Grand Master Liao couldn’t contain himself and tore the letter to shreds, sending a young servant to scold Grand Madam Liao for “not observing wifely virtues”… But how would that servant dare truly scold her? He stammered for ages without clearly explaining what Grand Master Liao had actually done…
When Yan Ge’er reached his one-month celebration, Zhou Chujin quietly told Zhou Shaojin about these household matters, saying with distress, “…What if my father-in-law comes to the capital and they start arguing—that would be troublesome!”
As a daughter-in-law, she couldn’t take either side.
Ignoring it would be even worse.
Zhou Shaojin didn’t think this was really an issue at all.
While gently patting Yan Ge’er in her arms and examining his features, she said, “As a daughter-in-law, one hand is for your natal family and one is for your husband’s family. As a son, isn’t it the same—if Grand Master Liao and Grand Madam Liao quarrel severely, surely brother-in-law would also lose face. Even if you don’t step in to mediate, brother-in-law will surely intervene to smooth things over, won’t he?”
Zhou Chujin’s eyes lit up upon hearing this. She couldn’t help but smile as she looked Zhou Shaojin up and down. “You’ve truly grown up and can help your sister figure things out now.”
If there was one regret Zhou Shaojin had from living two lives, it was not being able to help her sister much. Hearing her sister say this, she felt sweeter than if she’d eaten honey and couldn’t help but nestle close to her sister’s side, asking coquettishly if it was “really true.”
Zhou Chujin laughed heartily and teased her, “Just now I thought you’d grown up, but looking more carefully, you’re still just a little girl.”
This provoked Zhou Shaojin into playful indignation.
※※※
After eating Laba porridge, worshipping the Kitchen God, sweeping away dust, changing door gods, and posting spring couplets, the Spring Festival arrived.
The New Year’s Eve dinner on the thirtieth was held at Chaoyang Gate. After the dinner, everyone went together to Xingling Alley to worship their ancestors. Early on New Year’s Day, they dressed in full formal attire according to their ranks and went to the palace to pay New Year respects. Upon returning home, Zhou Shaojin and the other women had a good sleep, while Cheng Chi and Cheng Jing still had to visit their superiors’ or colleagues’ homes to pay New Year calls.
Fortunately, everyone’s situation was the same—no household had the energy to receive guests one by one, so the so-called New Year visits merely involved writing a calling card and submitting it to each household’s gatehouse.
Chaoyang Gate received twice as many calling cards this year as last year.
Even though Zhou Shaojin didn’t inquire about outside affairs, she could sense that Cheng Chi was gradually gaining influence.
On the second day, Zhou Shaojin didn’t need to visit her natal family, so she stayed home to receive Cheng Xiao and the others who were returning for their visit.
On the third day, Zhou Shaojin and Cheng Chi visited Zhou Chujin at Yushu Alley. On the fourth day, Earl Pengcheng invited their family for spring wine. On the fifth day, Cheng Chi hosted Gu Jiunie and Yuan Bieyun… With this back and forth of visits, they stayed busy until the Lantern Festival concluded and the lanterns were put away, and only then did Zhou Shaojin catch her breath.
At this time, they received a letter from Fourth Branch’s Old Madam Guan, saying that after spring began, they planned to send Cheng Gao to the capital to study, hoping to participate in the next examination cycle to see if he could achieve something.
In the previous life, Cheng Gao had passed the imperial examination despite such difficult conditions, let alone this life when he could receive guidance from Cheng Shao and Cheng Chi.
Zhou Shaojin naturally welcomed this warmly. Not only did she write back asking about specific travel plans, she also calculated the days and had Qin Ziji send someone to the Tongzhou dock to meet them.
Seeing the weather gradually warming and Yun Ge’er wearing fewer and fewer layers, Ji Ying took him daily to run around everywhere in the garden.
Snowball followed behind Yun Ge’er like a little tail every day. Sometimes when Zhou Shaojin called it, it would bark “woof woof woof” at Zhou Shaojin a few times, come over for a turn, then quickly follow back to Yun Ge’er’s feet to rub against his legs. It had clearly become Yun Ge’er’s dog.
Seeing this, Old Madam Guo just laughed, saying, “This little dog is like a child. Whoever feeds it and treats it well is who it follows.”
Zhou Shaojin chuckled.
Thinking that Cheng Gao would be staying at her home, she busily had the guest rooms redecorated.
Jasmines and winter jasmines were hastily planted. The three-bay residence had inner chambers on the east side and a study on the west side, with the main room as the hall. The east side room was a washroom, and the west side room housed a young manservant. The back steps housed the steward and attendants, with a side door connecting to the rear courtyard path.
Zhou Shaojin still wasn’t reassured and personally directed the maids and servants in papering windows and hanging curtains.
Fan Liushi came in with hot tea, smiling. “Madam should rest! I’m watching over things here! I guarantee everything will be done properly and comfortably for Young Master Gao when he arrives, just like being at home.”
Hearing this, Zhou Shaojin laughed with a “pfft.”
After Cheng Gao married, his first child was indeed a girl called “Yuanyuan,” and Gu Shiqi’s wife also gave birth to a daughter who was called “Fangfang” following Yuanyuan’s pattern… If they had another girl, would she be called “Lengleng”?
As this thought flashed through her mind, her chest tightened. She opened her mouth wanting to vomit, her head felt heavy and dizzy, and her vision darkened.
Seeing her face change color and sway unsteadily, Fan Liushi took two steps as one to support Zhou Shaojin, repeatedly asking, “Madam, what’s wrong?”
Zhou Shaojin sat down with Fan Liushi’s support and said “I’m fine,” but the depression in her heart grew heavier and heavier, weighing heavily on her chest, making it hard to breathe.
Fan Liushi broke into a full sweat and quickly said, “Madam, I’ll have someone fetch a physician for you.”
Zhou Shaojin covered her chest, taking quite a while to come to her senses.
Chun Wan had her wedding date set and was rushing to prepare her dowry. Hearing the news, she ran over at a trot. Fan Liushi had already helped Zhou Shaojin lie down and rest for a while on the drunken lord’s chair in the room.
“Perhaps I’ve been too tired these past few days.” Besides this, Zhou Shaojin couldn’t think of why she felt unwell. She sat up, and that feeling of chest tightness and shortness of breath disappeared again. She smiled. “It’s fine, it’s fine. Don’t be nervous.” She also instructed, “Don’t say anything in front of Old Madam, understand?” Lest the elderly lady worry for no reason.
Everyone responded in unison.
Imperial Physician Cao arrived.
Zhou Shaojin was quite surprised and asked Fan Liushi, “How did the physician arrive so quickly?”
The young servant who came with Imperial Physician Cao smiled. “Our master happened to be at home, preparing to go out for a stroll. Your manor’s steward came just then, and our master had me take the medicine box and come directly over.”
Zhou Shaojin had someone give him a reward. Thinking that Imperial Physician Cao was usually difficult to summon, since he was here, taking a reassuring pulse reading would be good. She had everyone in the room step aside, placed a handkerchief over her hand, and hid behind the curtain to have Imperial Physician Cao examine her pulse.
As soon as Imperial Physician Cao’s hand touched her wrist, he smiled. After examining the left hand, he said with certainty, “Congratulations, Madam. This is the pulse of pregnancy.”
Zhou Shaojin was stunned.
From the twelfth month until now, nine out of ten days Cheng Chi had been leaving early and returning late without seeing each other. Who knew she would actually be with child?
“Quickly, quickly invite Imperial Physician Cao to the flower hall for tea,” Zhou Shaojin said excitedly.
Fan Liushi ran out even faster, saying, “I’m going to report the happy news to Old Madam.”