The financial crisis troubled Zhou Shaojin.

In her previous life, she had spent most of her time at home, rarely used silver, and had no such worries. The only time she’d been short of silver was when she ran away from the Cheng family and encountered a great blizzard in Tongzhou, being delayed for several days until her silver ran out. But Fan Liushi quickly pawned the Fan family’s ancestral bracelet and brought her to find her sister. Later, after marrying Lin Shisheng, she had her own dowry and Ma Ci to help manage things. Her major expenditure was donating incense money at temples. She could buy whatever she wanted and never lacked silver.

But who would have thought that reborn as a person, she would actually have no money!

Zhou Shaojin sat in the Buddhist hall of Hanbi Mountain House, growing more distressed the more she thought about it, ruining two characters in succession.

She simply set down her brush, deciding to calm her mind first, when she heard Xiao Tan, who was sitting at the door making tassels, say to Shi Xiang, “…turned Liuting Studio upside down before finding that Xianyang basin Second Master Shi mentioned.”

Liuting Studio was the residence of Second Branch’s Cheng Shi.

Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but listen attentively.

Shi Xiang said, “Xianyang basin? Is Second Master Shi raising narcissus? That’s nothing rare, is it? We have several in our courtyard. Every year at this time, they’re brought out to display narcissus for the eldest miss and second miss.” As she spoke, she exclaimed “Aiya!” and said, “If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have forgotten—I’ve been so busy these past few days that I forgot to tell the woman at the hothouse to save a few good narcissus plants for our eldest miss and second miss. Last year we asked too late, and all the better narcissus plants were picked over.”

Xiao Tan said, “Last year the narcissus in our courtyard bloomed beautifully. Even Madam Gu came to pay New Year’s respects and praised them.”

Shi Xiang laughed, “When have things in your courtyard ever been anything but good?”

“That’s also true.” Xiao Tan smiled and said, “But Sister Zhenzhu in our courtyard knows how to cultivate flowers. The narcissus in our courtyard all have their stems carved by Sister Zhenzhu herself. Sister Zhenzhu says that Xianyang basin Second Master Shi mentioned is trapezoidal—nine times out of ten, Second Master Shi wants to arrange narcissus in the style of ‘Successful Graduate.’ Unlike our ordinary Xianyang basins that are either round or square, or come with purple sandalwood stands—to arrange them in the style of ‘Successful Graduate’ takes considerable effort. Second Master Shi is most likely sending it as a gift!”

“As a gift?” Shi Xiang said curiously. “Who could make Second Master Shi put in so much effort?”

“I don’t know.” Xiao Tan smiled. “Second Master Shi and Second Madam Shi both enjoy socializing with people. See, Second Madam Shi hasn’t even completed her full month yet, but she’s already preparing to invite relatives and friends to the house for Laba porridge at the Laba Festival.”

Shi Xiang knew about this matter and laughed, “Speaking of which, Second Madam Shi is truly a good person. Since marrying into the Cheng family, every year she personally cooks Laba porridge and sends it to each branch.”

Hearing this, Xiao Tan pursed her lips and said, “So what if she’s virtuous? Our eldest master is the legitimate eldest grandson. Our eldest master’s wife is the clan matron.”

Only then did Shi Xiang realize she’d misspoken and hastily smiled, “Of course! I was just saying. Don’t take it to heart.”

Xiao Tan had been getting along with Shi Xiang like sisters these past days. Hearing this, she suddenly felt her words had been too harsh and couldn’t help but secretly regret it. She explained, “I only said that because I can’t stand Second Branch’s way of fawning over the powerful and trampling the weak. Sister, you don’t know—that Young Master Min’s elder brother is the top scholar from the renchen year examination, isn’t he? Our branch’s Fourth Master also passed the imperial examination that year, but ranked twelfth in the second tier. Second Master Shi single-mindedly flatters Young Master Min, as if flattering Young Master Min means flattering the top scholar and trampling our branch’s Fourth Master underfoot.”

Zhou Shaojin was not surprised.

But Shi Xiang said in astonishment, “Such a thing happened?”

Xiao Tan, half angry and half trying to mend the rift that had just formed between her and Shi Xiang, said indignantly, “More than that! Last time when Young Master Min and the eldest master went to visit the Gu family on Plum Blossom Lane, Second Master Shi somehow found out and insisted on following along.

“After arriving, the Gu family held a banquet to entertain Young Master Min and brought out their treasured wine collection to serve the guest. Young Master Min joked at the time, saying ‘What a pity to have no chance to see a luminous cup.’ Second Master Shi then frantically obtained a so-called ‘luminous cup’ from somewhere and presented it to Young Master Min.

“Unfortunately, Young Master Min looked down on Second Master Shi. Not only did he return that ‘luminous cup’ to Second Master Shi, he also told him something about ‘friendship between gentlemen is as pure as water,’ embarrassing Second Master Shi terribly.

“We felt so vindicated when we heard about it.

“Second Master Shi, relying on being older than the eldest master, always likes to boss him around. But what does it matter if he’s older than the eldest master? In the future, the one who will manage the Cheng family will still be our eldest master.”

Shi Xiang repeatedly agreed.

But Zhou Shaojin pondered in her heart: Yuan Shi wants to marry a Min family daughter, and Min Jianxing is a guest at the house. With such a good opportunity, she has no reason not to make good use of it, right? For Min Jianxing to so offend Cheng Shi—could he have learned something? And he also has a very good impression of Cheng Xu, wanting Cheng Xu to be his brother-in-law?

She stood up and took a sip of hot tea.

No matter what, it had nothing to do with her. She only prayed to Buddha for blessings, to let her spend these two years peacefully and calmly. As for who Cheng Xu would marry? What would become of Cheng Lu? All of it had nothing to do with her.

※※※

Over at Lixue Studio, the huge courtyard was so quiet there wasn’t a single human voice. Though the cold air hadn’t yet arrived, a brazier as large as a peck measure had already been placed before the study desk. Premium silver frost charcoal burned red, illuminating the entire room.

The bookshelves in the room stood empty, yet ledgers, books, and albums were strewn all over the floor—a scene of chaos.

Cheng Chi stood tall and elegant, wearing a bright indigo blue fine cotton lined robe, standing before the brazier. His straight posture was like a white birch tree on the northern plains, his calm face like an eternal statue. He would periodically open the ledgers on the desk to glance at them briefly before tossing them into the brazier.

Flames swiftly leaped up, devouring the ledgers he threw into the brazier.

Huai Shan walked in carrying a large stack of ledgers. Seeing the scene before him, he paused slightly and said hesitantly, “Fourth Master, are we burning all of these?”

“Burn them all.” Cheng Chi didn’t move his eyes or brows even slightly, continuing to toss ledgers into the brazier.

Huai Shan placed the ledgers he was carrying on the large desk. After hesitating for a long while, he still said, “Fourth Master, these are decades of household ledgers. Once burned, they’ll be gone forever. In the future, if we want to look anything up, there will be nowhere to check.”

The firelight illuminated Cheng Chi’s face, making his brow seem somewhat cold. “Even if I leave the ledgers for them, would they understand them?”

Huai Shan was at a loss for words.

Cheng Chi threw another ledger into the brazier and said indifferently, “What did Fang Xintong say?”

Huai Shan said, “He says he alone can’t handle two thousand looms and asks if he could find a few colleagues to join…”

The vein at Cheng Chi’s temple twitched.

Huai Shan’s expression changed slightly.

Fourth Master’s mood seemed very poor.

Had something happened after he left the study?

He lowered his eyelids, and Cheng Chi’s voice, still sounding quite gentle, reached his ears: “If this richest man of Jiaxing can’t handle my two thousand looms, I imagine others would be even less capable… How about this—wasn’t there someone called Zheng Si or something last time who wanted to take on some work from us? I thought he seemed rather sensible. Go ask him if he has the courage to take all my two thousand looms and three hundred skilled weavers. I won’t ask him for a single coin now—settle in full after two years. But I have one requirement: during these two years, he must help me pull Fang Xintong down. I don’t like him being Jiaxing’s richest man.”

“Yes!” Huai Shan said, drenched in sweat.

“Anyway, the silver the Thirteen Hongs owe me won’t be settled for another two years. Might as well make use of idle time.” Cheng Chi threw another ledger into the brazier. The silver frost charcoal seemed unable to withstand the force of the ledger and scattered with a “peng” sound, dust flying everywhere, about to land on Cheng Chi.

But Huai Shan’s sleeve flashed like lightning in an arc, and all the dust, as if hitting an invisible net, fell into the brazier.

Cheng Chi threw another ledger in.

This time the ledger landed gently and cleverly in the brazier, obediently catching fire.

Huai Shan breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Fourth Master, regarding the matter you had me investigate about the Zhou family’s second young miss…”

“How did it go?” Cheng Chi casually flipped through a ledger.

“From when the Zhou family’s second miss entered the household at six months old until now, she has never traveled far. One could even say that until March twenty-fourth of this year, she had never gone out alone.” Huai Shan said. “After March, she went out several times—once in April, before the Dragon Boat Festival, when she and her sister returned to the Zhou ancestral home to pay respects to their ancestors; once when someone from the Zhuang family who had previously served her grandfather sought her favor…” He reported in detail everything Zhou Shaojin had done since March and added, “Fourth Master, I can confirm she truly is Prefect Zhou’s daughter, the second young miss of the Fourth Branch.”

Cheng Chi asked, “Any news from the capital?”

“Yes.” Huai Shan said. “That young servant is very clever. When the Ji family sent him to the capital, they lost track of him in no time. He hired a traveling merchant from another region, claiming to be his uncle going to Tianjin to collect goods, and lodged himself at Shangqing Temple near Cunren Ward…” Perhaps because everyone likes clever children, at this point Huai Shan showed a faint smile, his voice becoming more animated. “The person watching him says that on the surface he appears idle every day—either listening to opera, dining at restaurants, or strolling the streets. He even got involved with a young Taoist priest at Shangqing Temple and helped him pay off twenty copper coins owed for pastries. But in reality, each day he deliberately or inadvertently passes through an alley in Cunren Ward and Hu Minister’s Lane, chatting with the neighborhood residents. The ones he asks about most are the Lin family in one alley and the Mu family in Hu Minister’s Lane…”

Cheng Chi was also somewhat surprised and said, “Is there something special about these two families?”

A trace of confusion flashed through Huai Shan’s eyes. “The Lin family holds hereditary rank as third-rank Commander. The Mu family, though scholars, serve as Imperial Censors in the Censorate. The two families are related by marriage… Though not exactly well-matched, the Lin family and Mu family are old neighbors and family friends. The Lin family’s son is handsome and talented, his character praised by all. He’s of similar age to the Mu family’s daughter, childhood sweethearts—it barely counts as a good match… We still don’t know why the Zhou family’s second young miss had that young servant inquire about the Lin and Mu families.” After finishing, he added, “That young servant is called Fan Qi, the second young miss of the Zhou family’s milk brother.”