Zhou Shaojin feared her sister would suffer a loss and quickly followed.

Dong Shi was kneeling and clutching Old Lady Guan’s legs, crying with tears and snot running down her face. Old Lady Guan sat on the arhat bed, looking at Dong Shi with a mixture of helplessness and displeasure, appearing quite troubled.

Zhou Shaojin’s anger flared at the sight. But before she could speak, Zhou Chujin had already called out “Grand Lady Bai” with a half-smile and said, “When did you arrive? We sisters never expected to encounter you when coming to pay our respects to Grandmother! What unfortunate matter has befallen you to make you cry until your makeup is ruined, your eyes are red, and your hair is in complete disarray?” As she spoke, she stepped forward to help Dong Shi up while saying to Si’er who had followed them in with displeasure, “Sister Si’er, really! With Grand Lady Bai in this state, why didn’t you have the junior maids bring water to help Grand Lady Bai wash her face!” Then she pulled Dong Shi along and said, “What could you possibly have to say that you can’t tell my elder aunt? Why must you come cry before Old Lady? With the New Year approaching, how inauspicious! Those who know would say you and my grandmother are as close as mother and daughter, that you tell Grandmother everything without worrying about vulgar etiquette. Those who don’t know might think someone in your family died or there was a fire…”

Cursing their family with death and fire—when Cheng Lu was still on his way home for New Year and hadn’t safely arrived yet, and right before the New Year no less—and Zhou Chujin was a junior! How could Dong Shi endure this? She jumped up and said, “What are you saying, girl? You know the New Year is approaching—death and fire, are these things that should be mentioned…”

Before Dong Shi’s words had fully fallen, Zhou Chujin smiled and said, “I didn’t mean it. I heard the junior maids outside all discussing it this way, and thought something had truly happened in your household. I misspoke for a moment. Please be magnanimous and forgive me this once. Since everyone in your household, adults and children, are all safe, why are you crying so heartbroken? You’re making everyone outside gossip endlessly…”

Dong Shi was speechless. She saw Zhou Shaojin.

Her old face couldn’t help but flush red.

In front of Zhou Shaojin, she had always been dignified, composed, reserved, and solemn…

Dong Shi glared hatefully at Zhou Chujin.

Cheng Bai had committed such shameful and disgraceful acts—she could cry like this so everyone would know, letting others gossip behind her back about Cheng Bai’s heartlessness and injustice. But she couldn’t publicly admit it. Both in principle and sentiment, she and her son should come apologize to the Zhou sisters and the Zhou family. Wouldn’t that confirm Cheng Bai’s disgraceful acts? How could her son hold his head up in the future bearing this stigma? How could he find a match and marry?

She had thought this over repeatedly at home, feeling that she was at least one generation senior to the Zhou sisters. Old Lady Guan had always pitied her for the difficulty of raising a child alone. If she cried and expressed her shame thoroughly before Old Lady Guan, perhaps Old Lady Guan’s heart would soften and let this matter pass. When Cheng Lu returned, they could prepare generous gifts to apologize to Cheng Mian. Could Cheng Mian possibly defy Old Lady Guan? Everyone would tacitly agree not to mention it again.

If the fourth branch didn’t pursue it, what right did the other branches have to gossip!

As for the Zhou family, if Old Lady Guan didn’t pursue it, and Cheng Bai had been dead for so many years, speaking of it wouldn’t benefit Zhuang Shi either. She would compensate the Zhou family with those thirty mu of prime farmland at the foot of Zhongshan Mountain. For the Cheng family’s sake, the Zhou family presumably wouldn’t pursue this matter further either.

But she never expected that this time Old Lady Guan would be iron-hearted and refuse to relent. Over and over she only said this was a matter between the Cheng and Zhou families, that as a former mother-in-law, she couldn’t exploit her position just because she had raised two children for the Zhou family… Only then had she resorted to crying.

Now that Zhou Shaojin had caught her in this state, it would probably be difficult to maintain that elder’s dignity in front of her in the future.

Seeing her sister being glared at, Zhou Shaojin felt even more uncomfortable.

To think she had formerly considered Dong Shi an amiable and kind elder!

Her fate in her previous life truly couldn’t be blamed on others!

Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but say, “You needn’t glare at my sister. Anyone seeing you crying and making a scene like this would think something major had happened in your household! My sister is concerned about you. If it were someone else, my sister would have pretended not to know anything and turned away long ago. After all, your affairs are Grandmother’s concern. Surely you haven’t come to trouble us sisters?”

Dong Shi had always known Zhou Chujin was sharp and capable. That earlier speech with needles hidden in cotton had already made her somewhat wary of Zhou Chujin. Now Zhou Shaojin interjected, and she recalled Zhou Shaojin’s disrespect at the second branch patriarch’s birthday celebration. She also thought of how her son had wanted to seek her hand in marriage but she hadn’t appreciated the honor. She immediately felt both embarrassed and angry. Thinking she couldn’t handle Zhou Chujin but could easily deal with Zhou Shaojin, she opened her mouth without much thought and said, “Shaojin, when did you learn to be so sharp-tongued from others? Our Xiangqing used to praise you constantly in front of me, saying you were virtuous and gentle, mild and kind, a rare good girl…”

Zhou Shaojin trembled with fury upon hearing her mention Cheng Lu.

No wonder this mother and son hadn’t taken her seriously in her previous life—they had felt she was kind-hearted and easy to bully!

With her temper flaring, she no longer cared about seniority and hierarchy. She coldly interrupted Dong Shi: “What are you saying? I am an unmarried young lady—how could Cousin Lu privately discuss me with you? I’ve always seen Cousin Lu as an upright gentleman, respectful and courteous to his brothers, and caring toward us cousin sisters. How is it that from your mouth, he seems like a completely different person? Could it be we’ve all misjudged Cousin Lu, and he’s actually someone who enjoys gossiping about others in private…”

Dong Shi was so angry she felt dizzy.

With Zhou Shaojin putting one big hat after another on him, how could her son face people in the future!

The key was she didn’t believe these words came from Zhou Shaojin.

Zhou Shaojin had always been weak and incapable. Someone must be backing her up for her to dare oppose her like this.

“Shaojin, where is your bearing as a young lady of a great house?” Dong Shi widened her eyes and said with anguished sincerity, “Stop talking. If others heard this, they’d think you enjoy stirring up trouble and showing off your eloquence…”

Zhou Chujin, hearing this, stepped forward to argue with Dong Shi.

Zhou Shaojin understood in her heart that people liked to squeeze soft persimmons, and she had been that soft persimmon in the past—naturally Dong Shi would squeeze her. Unless she wanted to hide behind her sister forever as in her previous life, she had to stand up and deal with Dong Shi herself, letting Dong Shi know that while her temper was good, she wasn’t without principles or bottom lines.

“Grand Lady Bai, I cannot agree with those words.” She grabbed her sister’s hand and interrupted Dong Shi. “Above me is my grandmother, below is my elder aunt. Neither my grandmother nor my elder aunt have spoken—I don’t know when my upbringing and virtue became yours to manage? Or do you think that because you raised a son who passed the xiucai examination, you’re somehow more respectable than my grandmother or my elder aunt? If you truly want that respectability, I advise you to first manage your own household affairs before speaking! Lest you stand at others’ doors pointing and gesturing about their business while the grape arbor in your own backyard has collapsed, inviting ridicule.”

Dong Shi had just told Old Lady Guan she knew nothing of Cheng Bai’s actions, and now Zhou Shaojin was mocking her as confused and incompetent. Both ashamed and angry, her face flushed bright red. She opened her mouth to argue with Zhou Shaojin, but Old Lady Guan loudly called out “Shaojin!” and said, “Quickly apologize to Grand Lady Bai! Are the affairs of elders for you juniors to discuss?” Without waiting for Zhou Shaojin to apologize to Dong Shi, she smiled at Dong Shi and said, “Children don’t understand things. As the elder, don’t lower yourself to her level.” Then she scolded Zhou Shaojin, “Why are you still standing there? Don’t you need to go to Hanbi Mountain Lodge this afternoon to copy scriptures? Since Old Lady Guo thinks so highly of you, you must strive to be worthy. I don’t ask you to be fearful and trembling, but at least be punctual and follow the rules…”

This wasn’t Old Lady Guo scolding Zhou Shaojin at all—this was clearly protecting Zhou Shaojin.

Dong Shi could tell, and so could the Zhou sisters.

Zhou Chujin quickly pulled her sister and withdrew.

Dong Shi’s face turned purple with rage. But thinking of how Old Lady Guan had just threatened her with mentions of “Hanbi Mountain Lodge” and “Old Lady Guo,” her liver hurt.

Zhou Chujin and Zhou Shaojin covered their mouths and laughed in the tea room. Especially Zhou Shaojin—this was the first time she had spoken her mind so freely, and her heart felt incredibly unburdened. She suddenly recalled the story Ji Ying had told her that day.

Should she keep her head bowed and tongue subdued for a lifetime, only seeking posthumous honors? Or should she follow her heart, seeking only to not waste her years doing what she loved?

Zhou Shaojin was in a daze until Old Lady Guan sent Dong Shi away and summoned the sisters. Only then did she come back to herself.

“Shaojin now knows to defend your grandmother,” Old Lady Guan said, holding Zhou Shaojin’s hand and gently patting the back of it, quite moved.

Zhou Chujin was related to her by blood. Zhou Shaojin was only her granddaughter in name, so she dared to manage Zhou Chujin but didn’t quite dare to discipline Zhou Shaojin as she did Zhou Chujin. Yet she never expected this child Zhou Shaojin to be so understanding, to one day defend her like her own granddaughter. She felt all her years of effort raising Zhou Shaojin had been worthwhile.

Old Lady Guan couldn’t help but say, “In the future, don’t engage in verbal battles with people. No matter what, Grand Lady Bai is your elder. If others see it, they’ll always feel you’re intolerant and in the wrong. If you encounter such situations in the future, just cry loudly. If she continues to rebuke you, then she’s the one in the wrong.”

Zhou Shaojin’s eyes filled with tears.

These were words from the heart.

In her previous life, she had longed for this but couldn’t obtain it. In this life, it had so easily fallen into her hands.

She said with a tearful smile, “I only did this because we were in your room with no outsiders present! If we were outside, I definitely wouldn’t speak to her like that.”

Old Lady Guan could see her emotion and felt Zhou Shaojin was even more like Zhuang Shi—knowing how to be grateful and repay kindness. Her heart grew even fonder of her, and she smiled, “Remember this—never clash directly with people. Even if you win, you’ve offended them. As the saying goes, better to offend a gentleman than a petty person. Since you don’t know whether someone is a gentleman or petty person, it’s best to always be cautious and careful in all matters.”

Zhou Shaojin nodded repeatedly.

Old Lady Guan laughed a few times and said, “Alright, I won’t make myself unwelcome here. I should only be responsible for keeping you happy—disciplining you is your elder aunt’s job!”

Zhou Shaojin smiled with pursed lips.

Zhou Chujin said coquettishly, “Grandmother is shirking responsibility again!”

Old Lady Guan laughed heartily.

Everyone serving in the room also laughed.