Having Lan Ting deliver oriental pearls to the sisters was just a pretense—the real purpose was to have her elder sister arrange a position for Lan Ting!
Zhou Shaojin poured the entire box of oriental pearls onto the bright red brocade quilt embroidered with phoenixes facing the sun.
The oriental pearls, the size of lotus seeds, were lustrous and round. Reflecting the dawn-like brilliance of the brocade, they were mesmerizing.
Zhou Chujin sat down by the bed, gathered the pearls together, and smiled, “You’re so grown up and still like playing with these things. Put them away quickly, or if you lose one, poor Shi Xiang will have to search everywhere for it.”
Zhou Shaojin giggled and put the pearls back in the box.
Zhou Chujin then asked her, “Are you really not coming with me to see Lan Ting?”
“Really not going!” Zhou Shaojin fiddled with the pearls in the box, making them clatter, and smiled, “Whatever you need to say to her, Sister, you can say it.”
In her previous life, Lan Ting had been sold by Li Shi to a passing merchant.
Before she was sold, she might have had a premonition and had written to her elder sister for help.
But her sister had ignored her.
At that time, Zhou Shaojin had been too preoccupied with her own troubles to know about this matter. By the time she learned of it, Zhou Zhen and Li Shi had become completely estranged.
She had asked her sister what had happened.
Her sister told her, “Mother left her to take care of you. Although later we were taken into the household by Grandmother, after Father’s mourning period ended, she followed Father to his official post. If she had felt even the slightest gratitude for Mother’s kindness, she should have followed us into the household during Father’s mourning period.”
She didn’t know how her sister had learned about this.
But she trusted her sister.
Since her sister hadn’t been deceived by Lan Ting in the previous life, she believed her sister would see through Lan Ting’s character in this life as well.
Zhou Shaojin had more important matters to attend to.
In her previous life, she had married Lin Shisheng when she was sixteen. At that time, the Mu family had already been in trouble for over a year. Calculating the time, in at most three years, Concubine Mu’s family would have their property confiscated and names struck from the registry. Three years would pass in the blink of an eye, leaving Zhou Shaojin little time. Yet she still hadn’t found a good way to help Concubine Mu escape this calamity.
So when she heard Ji Ying say her hometown was Cangzhou, a vague idea had formed in her mind. But before she could find an opportunity to discuss this matter with Ji Ying, Ji Ying had been confined by Uncle Chi.
Not to be released until she finished copying the Admonitions for Women five hundred times… When would that be?
Then there was Uncle Chi. She had expended so much effort just to see him, but he either refused to see her or dismissed her with just a few words. She had thought that the more she understood, the better able she would be to get close to Uncle Chi, but when she actually learned bits and pieces, her heart only became more confused.
How could she get Uncle Chi to actually talk with her?
Zhou Shaojin shut herself in the study.
Shi Xiang couldn’t help but worry and said to Fan Liushi, “What’s wrong with Second Miss? Ever since she fell in March, she’s either been doing needlework in her room or copying scriptures at Cold Emerald Mountain Lodge. This is the first time she’s stayed in the study for several hours at a stretch. Should we send someone to tell First Miss?”
“Don’t say anything for now,” Fan Liushi was also somewhat worried. She said, “As you said, Second Miss hasn’t been like this for a long time. Perhaps Second Miss just had a sudden impulse and wants to be alone in the study to think quietly?”
Both Shi Xiang and Fan Liushi preferred the current Zhou Shaojin.
It wasn’t that the former Zhou Shaojin had been bad, but the former Zhou Shaojin hadn’t talked much and liked to ponder things in her own mind. Unlike the current Zhou Shaojin, who not only laughed and chatted with them but also discussed family gossip, making people feel much closer to her.
Shi Xiang posted a young maid at the door, saying, “Call me immediately when Second Miss comes out.”
The young maid sat on the study steps the whole time.
Zhou Shaojin didn’t emerge from the study until lunch. After eating, she again closed the study door and stayed inside alone for a long time, so that she arrived at Cold Emerald Mountain Lodge two quarters of an hour later than usual.
Cold Emerald Mountain Lodge was very quiet. The maids on duty all stood with lowered hands in respectful attendance, while occasional bursts of cheerful laughter came from the banquet chamber.
Biyu quietly told her, “It’s Young Master Min from the Fujian Min family, a friend First Master made when he went to Hangzhou Prefecture. He came to visit First Master and specifically came to pay his respects to the Old Madam.”
That must be Min Jianxing.
Zhou Shaojin took a detour and went straight to the Buddhist hall.
That evening, Cheng Xu hosted a banquet to entertain Min Jianxing. The old patriarch of the second branch, Cheng Xu, made a rare appearance at the banquet.
Zhou Chujin asked curiously, “Is the Fujian Min family very influential? Why would the old patriarch show such courtesy to that Young Master Min?”
Min Jianxing was only a provincial graduate.
But if Cheng Xu intended to pave the way and build connections for Cheng Shi, everything would make sense.
Zhou Shaojin smiled.
The next day, she went to Small Mountain Osmanthus Grove Courtyard.
Qingfeng was on duty.
Qingfeng’s expression was still unpleasant, but he didn’t leave her waiting as he had last time. He said in a deep voice, “Please wait a moment,” then turned to make the announcement.
Soon he returned, and with him came Nan Ping.
“Second Young Miss,” she said with a face full of apology, “I’m truly sorry! Ji Ying hasn’t finished copying the Admonitions for Women yet. I can only trouble you to make this trip.”
By etiquette, Ji Ying should have come to see her.
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, “I came specifically to see her. I can have tea in her room.”
Nan Ping accompanied her to Ji Ying’s quarters.
Ji Ying cheerfully welcomed Zhou Shaojin inside, personally served her tea and snacks, and pointed to the pastries in a red lacquered crabapple-patterned tiered box, saying, “Try these—they’re from Mi’s.”
Zhou Shaojin was startled, then burst out laughing.
Ji Ying’s eyes widened.
Zhou Shaojin rarely laughed like this.
“Yesterday at Cold Emerald Mountain Lodge, I was having tea with Biyu and the others…” She recounted the situation to Ji Ying. “We even talked about Mi’s crispy cakes and fried pastries, and I never expected to be eating them today. Your first branch really knows how to eat well.”
Ji Ying also laughed and said proudly, “Of course! People living in this world must have some hobbies. My hobby is eating!”
Zhou Shaojin nodded with a smile and said, “Aren’t you confined? Who bought the pastries for you?”
“I’m only confined to my quarters, not forbidden to eat,” Ji Ying said unconcernedly with a smile. “Qin Ziping bought them.”
This was already the third time Zhou Shaojin had heard Qin Ziping’s name, and each time it was related to food. She couldn’t help but smile and ask, “Does Qin Ziping also love eating?”
“Not really!” Ji Ying smiled. “It’s mainly that he’s convenient—Cheng Zichuan has been drilling him these days, so he’s out running around almost every day.”
Zhou Shaojin tried a piece of pastry.
It was indeed crispy and delicious.
She asked Ji Ying, “How’s your copying of the Admonitions for Women coming along?”
At these words, Ji Ying’s shoulders immediately slumped. She said, “Not well…” Before her words had even finished, her eyes suddenly lit up. She leaned close to Zhou Shaojin and said, “How about you help me copy a few times too?”
Zhou Shaojin pushed her away and said, “Don’t even think about it! I have to go to Cold Emerald Mountain Lodge every day to copy scriptures. How would I have time to help you? Do your own work yourself.” She added, “Besides, our handwriting is different. Aren’t you afraid Uncle Chi will punish you by making you copy it five hundred more times?”
Hearing this, Ji Ying jumped up joyfully, reached out to pat Zhou Shaojin’s head, and said, “You’re so clever! Why didn’t I think of that? Cheng Zichuan only told me to copy the Admonitions for Women five hundred times. He didn’t say I had to copy it myself. I’ll go find Qin Ziping for help right now and have him hire someone to copy it five hundred times!”
“That can work?” Zhou Shaojin was dumbfounded.
“Whether it works or not, I have to try,” Ji Ying said with the attitude of someone already heavily in debt. She said carelessly, “At worst, he’ll punish me by making me copy it five hundred more times.”
Zhou Shaojin broke out in a cold sweat.
Ji Ying said, “How come you have time to visit me today? Have you finished your needlework?”
“There’s never a time when needlework is finished,” Zhou Shaojin thought for a moment and said, “Actually, I came today because I have something to ask of you…” She asked, “Does Uncle Chi allow you to contact your family?”
“I don’t know,” Ji Ying said. “Since I came here, I haven’t contacted my family at all. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to resist and would secretly run back…”
Then she couldn’t ask Ji Ying for help.
Zhou Shaojin said, “Then, could you have Qin Ziping help me… However, this matter must be kept secret.”
Ji Ying listened and pondered briefly, then said, “Are you trying to send something somewhere? Or send someone somewhere?”
Zhou Shaojin hadn’t expected that after saying just a few words, Ji Ying would see through her thoughts.
She smiled sheepishly and said, “I want to send someone to the capital, then safely bring him back.”
“You don’t want your family to know?”
Zhou Shaojin nodded and said, “This matter is very important to me. It would be best if it were done without anyone knowing.”
Ji Ying smiled and said, “Qin Ziping is your Uncle Chi’s man. If he helps you with something, how could your Uncle Chi not know?”
Put that way, it wouldn’t work again!
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t hide her disappointment.
Ji Ying smiled and said, “Why are you giving up so quickly? If not Qin Ziping, don’t you still have me?”
Zhou Shaojin waved her hand, “Forget it. I’ll think of another way.”
“What other way could you think of?” Ji Ying looked at her askance. “I still don’t understand your nature? If you weren’t at your wit’s end, how would you come to me for help? Don’t worry. Although I haven’t contacted my family for a long time, my father is still quite worried about me. He told me that if I need anything, I should have someone deliver a letter to Mao’s Rice Shop by East River Bridge in Jinling. Whatever you need, I’ll have them handle it.”
This sounded a bit off somehow!
Zhou Shaojin said, “But won’t that implicate you or Uncle Chi?”
Ji Ying pinched Zhou Shaojin’s cheek and said, “So the story I told you was wasted—why do you care about others? Just get your own matters done first.”
“You can’t say it like that…” Zhou Shaojin tried to dodge Ji Ying but couldn’t avoid her and still got her cheek pinched. She muttered, “You can’t just think of yourself…”
Ji Ying glared fiercely at her.
Zhou Shaojin quickly dropped the subject.
Ji Ying nodded with satisfaction and said, “Tell me quickly, what do you need to do?”
Zhou Shaojin instinctively trusted Ji Ying. She said, “I have a friend living in Hu the Great Official’s Alley in the capital. I want my servant to deliver a letter to her. Have your people take my servant to the capital, then after he finishes my business, bring him back. That’s all.”
“And you need to keep it from your family?”
Zhou Shaojin smiled awkwardly.
“All right!” Ji Ying said generously. “Just wait for my news.”
Zhou Shaojin was very grateful, “Thank you, thank you!”
“What’s there to thank me for?” Ji Ying sighed and said, “If it were like before, I would personally go help you with this matter.”
Personally?
That wouldn’t be necessary.
Zhou Shaojin quickly said, “This way is already very good.”