After the fifteenth of the eighth month, Duke Liangguo’s manor held the funeral.

The Cheng family also set up a roadside memorial on the street.

Zhou Shaojin felt somewhat melancholy and sat quietly by the window embroidering forehead bands for Old Madam Guo.

Cheng Jia came to find her. Unlike her usual chatter, she just sat there watching Zhou Shaojin do needlework.

After a few days, both their moods improved somewhat.

Zhou Shaojin settled her mind to copy scriptures.

Someone was observing her from outside the Buddha hall.

Zhou Shaojin looked up and saw Ji Ying standing in the center of the courtyard.

She smiled at Ji Ying.

Ji Ying thought for a moment, walked over, and asked her through the window lattice, “You just copy scriptures like this every afternoon?”

“Yes!” Zhou Shaojin smiled. Her smile was quiet and composed like gentle lake water.

Ji Ying was somewhat surprised and said, “It seems you truly like it, not pretending.”

In her previous life, many people thought Zhou Shaojin’s quietness was forced and didn’t take it seriously.

Zhou Shaojin smiled faintly, not wanting to argue about this with Ji Ying. She asked, “Why did you come over? Has Uncle Chi returned?”

Last time she had sent Shi Xiang to deliver mooncakes to Xiaoshan Conggui Courtyard, but Qingfeng told Shi Xiang that Cheng Chi had gone to Huai’an and hadn’t returned yet. During Mid-Autumn Festival when the family held a lantern festival, there was no sign of Cheng Chi either.

Hearing her mention Cheng Chi, Ji Ying pursed her lips and said, “Fourth Master hasn’t returned yet. I came with Nan Ping. Old Madam kept Nan Ping to talk, and I was bored with nothing to do, so I walked around and ended up here.”

Zhou Shaojin asked curiously, “What does Old Madam want with Sister Nan Ping?”

Ji Ying said, “Who knows! Nine times out of ten it’s about Fourth Master. Apart from that, I can’t think of anything else.”

“Doesn’t Old Madam not interfere with Uncle Chi’s household affairs?” Zhou Shaojin asked.

“Although she says she doesn’t interfere,” Ji Ying looked unwilling to discuss it further and said, “she still calls Nan Ping over to ask questions sometimes.”

Zhou Shaojin didn’t feel right asking more.

Ji Ying said, “I heard the mooncakes you sent last time were made by you personally?”

“My sister and I made them together.” Zhou Shaojin said honestly. “The woman in my kitchen helped knead the dough, Sister made the fillings, and I just helped wrap them.”

Ji Ying nodded slightly and commented, “Those mooncakes were quite good.”

Zhou Shaojin had thought that since Cheng Chi was a man, he probably didn’t like sweet things, so she had specially packed more mooncakes with preserved vegetable sesame filling. Unexpectedly, everyone found the preserved vegetable sesame mooncakes delicious, but unfortunately Uncle Chi hadn’t tried them.

As they were talking, a young maid came to invite Ji Ying: “…Miss Nan Ping says it’s time to return.”

Ji Ying took her leave.

Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help wondering.

When would Uncle Chi return?

A few days later, Ji Ying came looking for her.

She came very suddenly. Zhou Shaojin was doing needlework when she asked through the window lattice, “I heard your needlework is very good?”

Zhou Shaojin didn’t react at first.

When she did react, she first looked around.

Ji Ying had come without anyone announcing her.

Shi Xiang and Chun Wan were both absent, and the young maid on duty was sitting on the threshold dozing off.

How could she be dozing off so early in the morning?

Zhou Shaojin grumbled inwardly, feeling somewhat embarrassed as she stood up and invited her in for tea.

“No need.” A trace of awkwardness flashed in Ji Ying’s eyes. “I have something I’d like to ask you to help make. I don’t know if you have time?”

Zhou Shaojin was astonished.

She glanced at the fabric scraps in her wicker basket and said, “I don’t know what you want to make? If you’re not in a hurry it’s fine, but if it’s urgent, I’m afraid I won’t be able to do it right away.”

Zhou Shaojin sensed that Ji Ying seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Although her expression was still somewhat cold, her whole person seemed much lighter than before she asked.

“It’s not urgent.” She spoke and pulled out a piece of moon-white Songjiang fine cloth, saying, “Just help me make two pairs of men’s socks. No embroidery needed, no edging, just simple ones.”

“Ah?!” Zhou Shaojin’s eyes widened.

“Oh!” Ji Ying realized and quickly said, “I’m not making them privately for someone else. This is work Nan Ping assigned to me, for your Uncle Chi.”

Zhou Shaojin’s eyes opened even wider.

Ji Ying had to explain: “Autumn has begun, hasn’t it? All the branches are rushing to make winter clothes. Your Uncle Chi’s winter clothes are Nan Ping’s responsibility, and every year she assigns me some small tasks.

“I originally wanted to have some young maids do it, but Nan Ping said your uncle hasn’t had new fur-lined robes for two years. This year we received some good fur and need to rush to make two fur-lined robes for your uncle.

“All those cotton-padded jackets, robes and such were assigned to those young maids. When I went to the needlework room, they were also busy rushing work.

“Besides the Second Branch’s winter clothes, they’ve added things for Miss Xiao and First Master Shi’s children, and it’s all embroidery work. The needlework room hasn’t had a day off in two months.

“I said I’d pay to have it done outside, but Nan Ping disagreed, as if I was secretly giving your Uncle Chi’s things to others. I had no choice but to bring it to you…” As she spoke, her gaze swept over the wicker basket in front of Zhou Shaojin. “I know you’re quite busy too, probably rushing to make birthday gifts for Old Madam Guo. You don’t need to do it yourself—just hand it to any young maid with decent needlework skills. When the time comes, I’ll take you to the livestock market to eat something good.”

It took Zhou Shaojin a long while to sort out what Ji Ying had said.

“How can we just casually find a young maid to make socks for Uncle Chi?” She stared at Ji Ying uncomprehendingly. “Don’t you know needlework? If Miss Nan Ping knows you can’t do needlework, why would she insist you make socks for Uncle Chi? Miss Nan Ping doesn’t seem like the type to make things difficult for people.”

Hearing this, Ji Ying snorted coldly and said, “Why are you just like Nan Ping? Is Cheng Zichuan the emperor? Why must his socks be made by those who serve him closely? If others make them and he wears them, will it make him itchy?”

Zhou Shaojin’s face flushed red upon hearing this. She quickly said, “We don’t mean that… it’s just that having intimate items made by strangers seems improper…”

“He’s not a woman!” Ji Ying dismissively interrupted Zhou Shaojin. “I think Cheng Zichuan has been spoiled by you people. Won’t eat this, won’t drink that—not manly at all!”

Is this how a maid should talk about her master?

Zhou Shaojin was left speechless.

Seeing this, Ji Ying coughed lightly and said, “I’m just saying this about your Uncle Chi privately, no other meaning.”

“Oh!” Zhou Shaojin felt this definitely wasn’t the first time she’d privately spoken of Uncle Chi this way.

Under the gaze of Zhou Shaojin’s clear eyes that seemed to reflect her image, Ji Ying felt somewhat uncomfortable and coughed lightly again, saying, “Then let’s agree on this. You just help your Uncle Chi make four pairs of socks. Have them done before New Year’s.” As she spoke, she dropped the cloth in her hand and was about to leave.

Zhou Shaojin quickly called out to stop her, saying, “Why won’t you help make them for Uncle Chi? If your needlework isn’t good, I can teach you! You can’t keep passing Uncle Chi’s things from one person to another like this. If Old Madam Guo finds out, how heartbroken she’ll be. The Biyu and Feicui on her side have excellent needlework. It’s just a few pairs of socks. The old madam entrusted Uncle Chi to your care, yet you can’t even find someone to make a pair of socks…”

Ji Ying’s departing body paused. She slowly turned around and said, “What did you just say?”

Seeing her eyes burning, Zhou Shaojin’s heart jumped. She said haltingly, “I said, Old Madam Guo entrusted Uncle Chi to your care…”

“No, no.” Ji Ying shook her head. “You said you could teach me to make…” As she spoke, she clapped her hands together and actually laughed. “Not bad, not bad, this is a good idea. Starting tomorrow, I’ll come to you to learn needlework. Then let’s see what Nan Ping has to say!”

But wouldn’t this draw her into the conflict between Nan Ping and Ji Ying?

Zhou Shaojin waved her hands repeatedly and said, “I think you’d better tell Nan Ping! Just because you can’t make socks for Uncle Chi doesn’t mean others can’t…”

But Ji Ying completely ignored what she said and continued on her own: “Then it’s decided. You go to Hanbi Mountain Lodge to copy scriptures every afternoon, right? Then I’ll come over every day at the hour of the snake (note: nine in the morning). Your sister should be at Hanqiu Hall by then too.” As she spoke, she clapped her hands. “This matter is settled!” She turned and left.

What, what kind of situation was this?

Zhou Shaojin chased after her.

Ji Ying had already disappeared.

She looked at the moon-white Songjiang fine cloth Ji Ying had left behind, feeling like it was a hot potato.

When Zhou Chujin returned, she quickly told her sister about this. But fearing her sister would be angry at Ji Ying, she didn’t dare give details, simply saying that Ji Ying wanted to learn needlework from her so she could make socks for Uncle Chi.

Zhou Chujin was very surprised and said, “The maids serving Uncle Chi don’t know needlework?”

“I don’t know either!” Zhou Shaojin recalled that last time at the needlework room she had encountered Ming He from Uncle Chi’s household asking Master Zhang to help make summer socks. “Perhaps they really don’t know how.”

It wasn’t a bad thing anyway. Perhaps it could win Old Madam Guo’s favor. Zhou Chujin thought for a moment and said, “Then just teach her.”

If she didn’t teach Ji Ying, would Ji Ying not come?

Zhou Shaojin nodded.

When she got into bed, she couldn’t help pondering what kind of socks to make for Uncle Chi.

Looking at the kind of person Uncle Chi was, he was extremely particular. No embroidery, no edging—this probably wasn’t Ji Ying being lazy but rather Uncle Chi’s preference… Then they’d need to be well-fitted and comfortable to wear. But to make them well-fitted and comfortable, she’d need to measure his feet…

Thinking of this, Zhou Shaojin suddenly sat up.

She couldn’t very well go measure Uncle Chi’s feet, could she?

How could she have forgotten to ask Ji Ying to bring an old pair of socks to use as a pattern?

As the thought flashed through her mind, she laughed despite herself.

Since Ji Ying needed to make socks for Uncle Chi, she must have Uncle Chi’s measurements. Wasn’t Nan Ping from Uncle Chi’s household an expert in needlework? Even if Ji Ying forgot, Nan Ping should remember.

Having figured this out, Zhou Shaojin lay back down.

The next morning, Ji Ying indeed came as agreed.

She brought several steamers of shrimp dumplings for Zhou Shaojin: “Try these. They were made this morning with fresh shrimp sent from Xinqiao. Everyone gets a share.” The last sentence was directed at Shi Xiang and the others.

Shi Xiang looked at Zhou Shaojin awkwardly.

Zhou Shaojin saw that the shrimp dumplings were crystal clear with the red color of the shrimp faintly visible, very tempting. She simply instructed Shi Xiang, “Put them on plates and have everyone try some.”

Shi Xiang withdrew carrying the food box.

A faint smile appeared in Ji Ying’s eyes.