“Yes!” Zhou Shaojin said with certainty. “We’ll go now and come back before the evening banquet.”
After this opera scene finished, it should be time for the evening banquet.
Shi Xiang thought about it and didn’t dare delay. She went with Zhou Shaojin to the Xiaoshan Conggui Courtyard.
Compared to the liveliness of the Hanbei Mountain Lodge, the Xiaoshan Conggui Courtyard was quiet and cold, even carrying a hint of loneliness.
The person on duty at the gate was Langyue.
Seeing Zhou Shaojin, his face lit up with delight. “How did Second Cousin Miss come over? I heard they’re performing opera at the Hanbei Mountain Lodge. Doesn’t Second Cousin Miss like watching opera?”
“It’s all right.” Zhou Shaojin had no intention of telling someone she wasn’t familiar with about her preferences. She smiled and said, “Has Miss Ji Ying returned?”
“She’s back,” Langyue smiled. “She came back with Fourth Master. Did Second Cousin Miss come to see Sister Ji Ying? Should I announce you?”
Uncle Chi didn’t punish Ji Ying?
This made Zhou Shaojin’s heart ease. She smiled and said, “Then I’ll trouble you to let her know.”
“Second Miss, please wait a moment.” Langyue smiled and invited Zhou Shaojin to sit in the pavilion, brought over a cup of tea, then withdrew.
Shi Xiang smiled and said, “This Langyue is much warmer toward people than Qingfeng.”
Zhou Shaojin nodded with a smile.
After finishing the tea, Langyue returned: “Second Cousin Miss, Miss Ji Ying invites you to sit in her room!”
Shi Xiang was astonished.
According to propriety, if Zhou Shaojin wanted to see Ji Ying, she would inform the supervising matron, who would bring Ji Ying to the Wanxiang Residence. That Second Miss showed Ji Ying such respect was firstly because she was on good terms with her, and secondly because she served Fourth Master. Now that Zhou Shaojin had already arrived at the gate, not only did Ji Ying not come out to greet her personally, she was asking Zhou Shaojin to come to her room.
What kind of propriety was this!
Just as Shi Xiang was about to advise Zhou Shaojin, Zhou Shaojin said, “That’s fine! It’s just that I don’t know where Ji Ying lives. I’ll have to trouble you to show the way!”
Langyue readily agreed and led them around the Xiuqi Hall toward the side rooms at the back. Along the way, he told her, “The highest building is the Qingyin Pavilion. Not only can you see the entire view of Jiuru Lane from there, you can also see the streets outside Jiuru Lane. However, it’s not the highest in the mansion. The highest in the mansion is the Feibai Pavilion on the old ancestor’s side in the second branch. They say you can see all of Jinling from there. Behind the Xiuqi House is the Lixue Study. Sister Ji Ying and Sister Nan Ping live behind the Lixue Study…”
Zhou Shaojin guessed, “Is the Lixue Study Fourth Master’s study?”
“Yes!” Langyue smiled. “Fourth Master also rests there.”
Seeing how lively he was, Zhou Shaojin smiled and asked him, “Why do you always wear Taoist robes? Is it because Fourth Master is a Taoist lay practitioner?”
“No!” Langyue laughed. “It’s because it’s simple to wear them this way.”
Zhou Shaojin chuckled twice and said, “Is your family hereditary servants? When did you enter the mansion?”
“I’m not a hereditary servant,” Langyue said, his expression dimming slightly. “I was pulled out of the river by Fourth Master when the Yongding River flooded that year.” He paused in his speech. “So was Qingfeng. Qingfeng was pulled out first, I was pulled out after. Fourth Master said our two villages should have been not far from each other.”
Zhou Shaojin was astonished.
The Yongding River was in the north. Even if it flooded severely, for the common people of Jiangnan, it wouldn’t leave as deep an impression as a neighbor’s daughter getting married. If she hadn’t lived in the capital, where many servants were those who had sold themselves into service that year, she wouldn’t remember that the Yongding River had broken its banks in the fifteenth year of the Zhide reign.
That year, Uncle Chi had gone to the capital for the imperial examinations.
He probably saved Qingfeng and Langyue then.
Zhou Shaojin pondered this and smiled to comfort him, “Surviving a great disaster means you’ll have good fortune later. You’ll definitely be safe and sound in the future.”
“I think so too,” Langyue was very optimistic. “Now we have enough to eat, warm clothes to wear, and we can follow Uncle Huai Shan to read and write. Maybe in the future we can become stewards of Jiuru Lane like Steward Qin!”
Zhou Shaojin smiled sweetly and said, “You’ll definitely succeed.”
As the two talked, they soon arrived at the courtyard where Ji Ying lived.
A two-story small building with red lacquered pillars and green painted window frames papered with white Korean paper. The newly replaced soft curtains were embroidered with precious flower patterns. Along the covered walkway was a row of white porcelain pots with chrysanthemums about to bloom. The two banana trees in the corner had already grown as high as the eaves.
“Second Miss!” Ji Ying stood inside the door holding up the curtain, smiling at Zhou Shaojin. “Were you afraid I’d be punished by your Uncle Chi?”
“No,” Zhou Shaojin said somewhat embarrassed. “I just came to see you.”
“I know, I know,” Ji Ying said with eyes crinkled in a smile, beckoning her. “Come in quickly and sit… Your Uncle Chi has confined me. I can’t step outside this threshold. I also have to copy the ‘Admonitions for Women’ five hundred times.”
“What?!” Zhou Shaojin’s eyes widened.
“It’s nothing,” Ji Ying smiled. “I write quite fast. Come in quickly and sit.”
Hearing this, Zhou Shaojin hurried inside with Shi Xiang.
The furniture was all black lacquer, with autumn-scented colored cushions embroidered with five bats around a longevity medallion. On the long table stood an official kiln double-stem large plum blossom vase. The table screen was rosewood, inlaid with Suzhou embroidery of blooming peonies. To the east was an interior room with a ruyi door, to the west was a study partitioned by a floor-to-ceiling screen, and there was even a little maid to serve tea and water.
Shi Xiang was greatly startled.
This Ji Ying—not only did her conduct and manner not resemble a maid’s, even her living standards weren’t like a maid’s.
She wondered whether all the maids in the Xiaoshan Conggui Courtyard were like this, or if only Ji Ying was special?
She pondered this.
Zhou Shaojin also examined the furnishings in the room and said, “This is really quite nice!”
Even better than the Xiuqi Hall.
It wasn’t that the items were necessarily better… it was just that the Xiuqi Hall gave one a cold feeling, whereas Ji Ying’s place was full of warmth.
She saw a low couch with grape and peony vine patterns placed by the window in the study, with a small table featuring auspicious cloud patterns in the center.
Zhou Shaojin paused slightly, stepped forward to touch the ivory carving inlaid in the small table, and asked Ji Ying, “You’re from the north?”
“Oh!” Ji Ying personally placed the fruit plate brought in by the little maid on the small table, smiling as she invited her to sit on the low couch. “How did you know?”
Zhou Shaojin said vaguely, “I heard people say that northerners’ heated beds are all built under the windows. I saw your low couch placed here in the room.”
“You’re very observant,” Ji Ying said with a smile, pointing at the fruit plate. “Try some—freshly marketed pomegranates. Qin Ziping brought them back.” She added, “My family is from Cangzhou. Have you heard of it?”
Zhou Shaojin’s heart jumped.
Cangzhou. Of course she’d heard of it.
Very close to the capital.
Many of the capital’s guards were from Cangzhou.
“I’ve seen it in books,” Zhou Shaojin said calmly. “But I’ve never been there!”
Hearing this, Ji Ying smiled. She washed her hands and helped Zhou Shaojin peel the pomegranate.
Only then did Zhou Shaojin notice a sword hanging on the opposite wall.
Three feet long, with green sharkskin scabbard and red tassels—it looked simple and dignified, not like those swords used to suppress evil spirits that were decorated with gems or trigrams.
She asked, “What’s this?”
Ji Ying smiled and said, “I brought it from home. It’s specifically for warding off petty people!”
Zhou Shaojin thought it didn’t look like that, but since Ji Ying didn’t elaborate, she didn’t press further.
Ji Ying invited Shi Xiang to come eat pomegranates together.
Shi Xiang glanced at Zhou Shaojin and, seeing no objection in her expression, smiled and thanked her before pulling over a small stool to sit in front of the couch.
Zhou Shaojin asked Ji Ying, “Is Uncle Chi very angry? Besides confining you and making you copy the ‘Admonitions for Women’ five hundred times, did he punish you in any other way?”
“No,” Ji Ying said, her cheeks puffed out. “Your Uncle Chi isn’t so petty as that… However,” she chuckled twice, “your Uncle Chi’s days ahead will definitely be somewhat difficult… No, even if he manages to stay safe, he’ll still have to go through some trouble—tomorrow, Old Madam Guo will invite your Uncle Chi over for a meal. Your Uncle Chi has already agreed. I’d like to see how he escapes this time!”
Zhou Shaojin said, “How do you know?”
“Fourth Master agreed to this in front of everyone. How would I not know?” Ji Ying smiled. “Although the several young ladies from the Guo family who came this time aren’t very old, they’re of the same generation as your Uncle Chi. Previously, Old Madam Guo couldn’t catch him, but this time since they’ve run into each other and she’s invited your Uncle Chi for a meal, she’s definitely going to continue making matches for your Uncle Chi with renewed vigor.”
How come she didn’t know about this?
Zhou Shaojin was astonished and suddenly felt somewhat sympathetic toward Cheng Chi.
When Cheng Zheng and Cheng Xiao married, they could choose someone suitable, but when it came to Uncle Chi, it was like forcing an ox’s head down to drink water…
Before long, Nan Ping came over.
She brought some tea snacks and smiled as she exchanged pleasantries with Zhou Shaojin: “I didn’t know Second Cousin Miss had come. I had the kitchen hurriedly make some pastries—it’s not much, and I don’t know if they suit Second Cousin Miss’s taste.” She added, “A few days ago I heard Madam say that the painting of children at play that Second Cousin Miss drew for Aunt Xiao received endless praise from the Yuan family. I really regret not going to the needlework room to have a look.”
Such formality instead made Zhou Shaojin somewhat constrained, feeling less comfortable than when she was alone with Ji Ying.
She exchanged a few pleasantries with Nan Ping, and seeing that Ji Ying had no particular business, she rose to take her leave.
Nan Ping personally escorted Zhou Shaojin out.
Zhou Shaojin declined repeatedly and with great difficulty got her to stop at the main gate.
But after walking just a few steps, she stopped to think, then turned around and headed toward the Xiuqi Hall.
Shi Xiang quickly said, “Second Miss, where are you going?”
“I’m going to see Uncle Chi.” Zhou Shaojin entered the Xiuqi Hall without looking back.
After today’s events, Uncle Chi’s heart probably wasn’t feeling well either.
Who would want to be forced?
And the arrangements he’d made had been disrupted by Ji Ying… she wondered how he was now?
Zhou Shaojin’s steps quickened.
The Xiuqi Hall was still closed, with not a person in sight around it.
Zhou Shaojin went to the open hall at the back.
The door to the open hall was open.
Zhou Shaojin stood in the corridor and called out, “Is anyone inside?”
Before her words had finished, Huai Shan emerged.
Seeing Zhou Shaojin, he showed no surprise but calmly asked her, “Who is Second Cousin Miss looking for?”
Zhou Shaojin’s ears grew slightly warm as she said, “I’m looking for Uncle Chi. Is he here?”
Huai Shan hesitated for a moment and said, “Fourth Master is at the Lixue Study… Second Cousin Miss, please come in for some tea. I’ll go announce you right away.”
Zhou Shaojin’s ears burned as she sat down in the central room of the open hall.
Huai Shan personally poured her a cup of tea before going to fetch Cheng Chi.
Shi Xiang said in a low voice, “Second Miss, why is the Xiaoshan Conggui Courtyard so quiet? We haven’t seen a single maid or servant.”