As soon as Zhou Shaojin entered, Biyu came forward with a smile and said, “This morning Zhenzhu and the others played five-in-a-row and there were winners and losers. They sent a servant to Qifang Studio to buy pastries. Later, would Second Young Miss and Miss Shi Xiang come join us for tea?”

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Wherever one goes, one must follow the local customs. Since she was a guest at Cold Emerald Mountain Lodge, she should get along well with Biyu and the others. Moreover, Zhou Shaojin and Biyu got along very well and their temperaments matched.

She readily agreed, smiling and asking, “Who won?”

Biyu covered her mouth and laughed, “Everyone except Feicui is a winner.”

Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, “Doesn’t that mean she lost a lot of money?”

Biyu held up one hand, “Nearly five taels of silver.”

Shi Xiang gasped, “Miss Feicui is truly extravagant.”

“Extravagant what!” Biyu laughed. “She lost most of half a year’s wages. It pained her so much that she barely ate lunch.”

The group chatted and laughed as they headed toward the Buddhist hall.

A young maid came to ask Biyu for instructions, “…Three carts of silver frost charcoal and two carts of firewood have arrived. In previous years, they were all stacked in the storage room in the back. But last winter was warm, and snow only fell around the Minor New Year. The storage room still has half a room full of charcoal. I’m afraid it won’t fit. Nanny Wang sent me to ask Sister what to do?”

After the Double Ninth Festival on the ninth day of the ninth month, each household would begin preparing charcoal for winter. The fourth branch hadn’t started yet, but unexpectedly the first branch had already begun distributing charcoal.

Zhou Shaojin quickly said, “You go take care of it. Shi Xiang can accompany me.”

Biyu hesitated somewhat.

Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, “Just remember to call us when the pastries from Qifang Studio arrive.”

Biyu had spent this much time with her and knew her character to some extent. After thinking it over, she cheerfully said, “All right then! I won’t accompany you there, but I’ll treat you to pastries later.”

Zhou Shaojin nodded and went to the Buddhist hall with Shi Xiang.

The bright red apples and golden Buddha’s hand citrons on the offering table gave off the unique fresh fragrance of fruit, diluting the scent of incense and invigorating the spirit.

Zhou Shaojin washed her hands, calmed her mind, and began copying scriptures.

Before long, Biyu came over, “How many more scriptures do you have to copy? The pastries have been brought in. They’re still piping hot. Besides the most famous water chestnut cakes and cloud slices, that servant also bought some of Qifang Studio’s newly released sugar-roasted chestnuts, walnut pastries, and hawthorn slices.”

After Zhou Shaojin went to the capital, she had fallen in love with candied hawthorn skewers, which were made by stringing hawthorns together.

Hearing this, she was delighted. She set down her brush and said, “When did Qifang Studio start making hawthorn slices? How did I not know?”

Biyu smiled and said, “According to what the servant said, a pastry shop called Mi’s has recently opened in Jinling City, and their crispy cakes and fried pastries are especially delicious. They say it’s stolen quite a bit of business from Qifang Studio. This year, Qifang Studio invited a master from the north, and this hawthorn slice technique is what that northern master brought over.”

The two chatted as they tidied up their things and went to the tea room.

Zhenzhu and the others were already waiting there. Several young maids were all familiar faces from their usual interactions. Seeing them enter, they all curtsied and offered seats. Xiao Tan even produced from somewhere a pink octagonal cup with a butterfly and flower pattern and handed it to Zhou Shaojin, “Second Young Miss, use this to drink your tea!”

Zhou Shaojin repeatedly thanked her and sat down.

Biyu and several other senior maids all sat around Zhou Shaojin, with only Feicui sitting on the outermost edge, farthest from Zhou Shaojin.

No one paid any attention to this.

Manao began brewing tea with skillful and elegant movements.

Zhou Shaojin nodded approvingly to herself. She noticed that the tea liquid was clear green and transparent, with an orchid fragrance. When she drank it, the aftertaste lingered. She couldn’t help but smile and say, “What tea are you brewing? It tastes wonderful!”

“It’s Taiping Houkui,” Manao smiled. “It’s tea that the Old Madam rewarded Sister Biyu with.”

“Good tea!” Zhou Shaojin praised. “Your tea is also well brewed. The two complement each other perfectly.”

Manao’s face flushed slightly. She said modestly, “How is it that I brew tea well? Second Young Miss is being generous.”

Everyone then talked over each other praising how well Manao brewed tea.

Seeing that Feicui’s smile was somewhat forced, Biyu quickly came out with a smile to smooth things over, saying, “The Old Madam’s tea is good, and Manao’s skill is also good. Second Young Miss speaks reasonably. However, these pastries have all gone cold. Don’t any of you say later that Qifang Studio’s food isn’t tasty!”

Everyone laughed heartily. Those drinking tea drank tea, those eating pastries ate pastries. There was even a young maid who took this opportunity to ask Biyu, “Sister, when will the winter clothes from the household come back? I’m counting on the household’s winter clothes to get through the winter!”

A sharp-tongued young maid said, “Who told you to send all your old padded jackets home? I heard my godmother say that last winter was short. By rights, this winter will be very long. You’d better hurry and think of another solution.”

The young maid said with a bitter face, “You all know that my father now only has eyes for my stepmother. How would he care about my two younger sisters? If I don’t have someone take the old padded jackets back, either my father will sell one of my sisters or they’ll freeze.” At this point, she asked Biyu, “Sister, I heard that Sister Heming from Fourth Master’s quarters is getting married. Can you let my younger sister enter the household?”

A young maid said, “You’re dreaming! What kind of place is Small Mountain Osmanthus Grove Courtyard? Your sister can’t read a single character and hasn’t learned a day’s worth of etiquette. How could she possibly serve in Fourth Master’s quarters?”

“I didn’t say I wanted my sister to serve in Fourth Master’s quarters,” that young maid immediately retorted. “I was thinking that after Sister Heming marries out, no matter which sister takes over Sister Heming’s position, there will always be an opening. As long as my sister can enter the household, even if she’s sweeping floors in the outer courtyard, it’s better than staying at home! At least she’ll have food to eat…”

Zhou Shaojin was listening when someone came to refill her tea, saying, “Second Young Miss, please don’t take offense! They rarely get to see Sister Biyu on ordinary days, so they can’t help being a bit noisy.”

She looked up and saw Zhenzhu’s eyes, rippling with light.

Zhou Shaojin hadn’t interacted much with Zhenzhu.

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” she quickly smiled. “I think you’re all like sisters. This is very good!”

Zhenzhu smiled and said, “A hundred years of cultivation to cross the river in the same boat. For us to be like this is also fate. We help each other when we can.”

Zhou Shaojin nodded repeatedly.

A young maid ran in, out of breath, saying, “Sister Biyu, the Old Madam and Fourth Master have returned.”

The room immediately fell into chaos.

“Didn’t they say they’d return at the hour of you?” Biyu asked while checking the water clock on the window lattice. “It’s barely past the beginning of the hour of shen.”

“I don’t know,” the young maid said breathlessly. “According to Pozi Wang at the second gate, the Old Madam’s expression doesn’t look too good. She told us to be careful.”

Several maids became even more flustered.

Zhou Shaojin quickly said, “From the second gate to here takes at least half an hour. You leave two people here to clear the tea cups. The rest of you do whatever you’re supposed to do. Don’t panic.”

After the brief moment of panic, Zhenzhu and the others also calmed down.

They thought the same as Zhou Shaojin. Zhenzhu then said, “Follow Second Young Miss’s arrangements. Xiao Tan, you stay. Everyone else inform those on duty and return to your rooms to rest. Come back to change shifts at the hour of you.”

With someone taking charge, the others immediately quieted down and began acting according to Zhenzhu’s words.

Biyu said apologetically to Zhou Shaojin, “Second Young Miss, I’m truly sorry. I originally wanted to let you rest, but I never expected to encounter such a situation…”

Zhou Shaojin could understand Biyu’s feelings. She quickly said, “What are you saying? I’ve had tea and eaten pastries. What could be better than this? All of you just tend to your duties. When you have time, we can gather together for tea again.”

Biyu nodded and saw Zhou Shaojin out.

Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, “Don’t worry about me. It’s not like I don’t know the way back to the Buddhist hall…” But before she finished speaking, she saw Old Madam Guo walking in furiously, followed by Cheng Chi at an unhurried pace.

So quickly!

Both Zhou Shaojin and Biyu were greatly startled. Zhou Shaojin instinctively ducked into the tea room.

Biyu wanted to speak but hesitated.

Zhou Shaojin was different from them. They were servants. Although they were off duty, eating and drinking when the master wasn’t home was somewhat improper. Zhou Shaojin was a guest at Cold Emerald Mountain Lodge. She could have openly gone forward to greet the Old Madam, saying she had come to the tea room to see if there was any good tea, and that would have smoothed over the matter… However, Second Miss Zhou was still young and probably inexperienced, and feeling somewhat guilty, which was why she had hidden in the tea room.

She too had no choice but to retreat into the tea room.

Zhou Shaojin, having entered the tea room, secretly regretted it.

Today was different from the past.

She should have gone forward calmly and with dignity to greet Old Madam Guo. Why had she hidden in here?

This wouldn’t do! She had to change this cowardly bad habit.

Thinking of this, Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but take a deep breath. She straightened her back and walked out.

A loud “clang” rang out in the courtyard.

Zhou Shaojin looked in the direction of the sound and saw the curtain board of the main hall banging against the threshold. It nearly struck Cheng Chi, who stood at the door with an expression of some embarrassment.

What had happened?

Zhou Shaojin was wondering whether she should avoid the situation when Cheng Chi had already lifted the curtain and entered the main hall.

She breathed a sigh of relief and said to Biyu in a low voice, “Then I’ll return to the Buddhist hall first.”

Biyu didn’t dare breathe a word and nodded vigorously.

Zhou Shaojin had just lifted her foot when a roaring voice came from Old Madam Guo’s inner chamber to the east, “…What exactly do you want? First you said to wait until you had achieved official rank before discussing marriage, so you could find a better wife’s family. I agreed to that. Later you said you didn’t want to constantly quarrel like the fifth branch, and wanted to find a gentle and demure young lady. I also agreed to that. And now? You say you’re too old and can’t relate to these young ladies… I’m already so old, how many more days do I have to live? Can’t you just turn a blind eye for your mother’s sake? Do you want me to die with my eyes open? I don’t care what you think—this year you must marry, and next year I must hold a grandchild!”

She quickly drew back the foot she had stepped forward.

Those on duty in the courtyard had all disappeared without a trace.

Cheng Chi’s gentle voice came from the inner chamber, but unfortunately it was too far away to hear clearly what he said. Zhou Shaojin only heard that after Cheng Chi’s voice fell, Old Madam Guo began crying bitterly. As she cried, she also said, “Are you still blaming your father? This was all my idea. If you’re going to blame someone, blame me. Even if I have to stake this old life of mine and give up this vast family fortune, I won’t let that old scoundrel have his way”…

Cheng Chi spoke in gentle low tones.

Old Madam Guo’s sobbing gradually subsided.

Zhou Shaojin gazed at the carved window lattice of Old Madam Guo’s inner chamber, feeling very confused.

What on earth had happened?