Old Lady Guan came out to smooth things over, saying with a smile: “Everyone sit down and eat! Today is New Year’s Eve. Gao’er, later you’ll take your Shaojin younger sister to set off firecrackers!”
In previous years, Cheng Yi had always rushed to do this.
Zhou Shaojin glanced at Cheng Yi, and sure enough, he looked miserable. Zhou Shaojin’s mood improved greatly. She smiled and agreed, and after everyone sat down together in a circle, she went with Cheng Gao to set off firecrackers.
They said “together,” but actually it was Cheng Gao’s young servant Wu’er carrying the bamboo pole, Cheng Gao lighting the firecrackers, while Zhou Shaojin stood under the covered corridor with her ears covered, hiding behind Si’er.
After a series of crackling firecracker sounds, the courtyard filled with smoke.
In the distance, waves of firecracker sounds rose and fell—who knew which household’s New Year’s Eve dinner had begun.
Only then did Zhou Shaojin deeply feel that the New Year was approaching, and she would soon welcome the nineteenth year of the Zhide era.
She hoped that next year Concubine Mu could smoothly marry Lin Shisheng, and that she could successfully make contact with Uncle Chi.
She gazed at the red lights in the distance like stars and silently made wishes to the Bodhisattva.
Cheng Gao laughed and patted her shoulder, saying: “Let’s go, let’s head back! There’s too much smoke here, be careful not to choke.”
Zhou Shaojin smiled and entered the house with Cheng Gao.
Cheng Yi sat in a round-backed armchair padded with thick brocade cushions, coldly refusing to look at Zhou Shaojin even once.
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t be bothered with him either and sat down beside her sister.
The young maids began serving cold dishes, and Cheng Mian began to speak.
He first offered Old Lady Guan a few words of blessing, then spoke about the Zhou sisters: “After returning home, keep your doors and windows properly closed. If anything happens, immediately send someone to tell your uncle. On the second day of the new year, early in the morning, I’ll have the steward come to bring you sisters back to the mansion.” When speaking to Cheng Gao and Cheng Yi, he said: “…Starting today, close the doors and study. Properly review the lessons your teachers taught before. What you know, you know; what you don’t know, you don’t know. Your aunt will return to Pukou on the fifth day to visit her family. You two will go to Pukou with your mother on the third day. First, to pay respects to your aunt; second, to kowtow to Old Master He; and third, you’re not young anymore. You should visit your He family cousins more often.”
Whether he had received advance notice or not, Cheng Gao calmly acknowledged with a sound, his expression appearing somewhat grave. But upon hearing this, Cheng Yi’s eyes lit up, and he looked eagerly toward Mian Madam.
A mother knows her own child. Mian Madam glanced at her husband, and seeing his gentle expression, she said meaningfully in a low voice to Cheng Yi: “This time Mother will take you along too, but you must behave. Otherwise, don’t expect me to take you out again.”
Even after being beaten, he still got to go!
Cheng Yi was overjoyed, loudly agreeing and unable to contain his happiness.
Cheng Mian glanced at Cheng Yi.
Cheng Yi immediately sat properly with eyes on nose, nose on heart.
A trace of satisfaction flashed in Cheng Mian’s eyes. He turned his head and asked Old Lady Guan warmly: “Mother, do you have anything to say?”
“No, no,” Old Lady Guan said with a smile. “Everyone has been safe and smooth this year, and next year will be the same—peaceful and healthy!”
“We’ll take your auspicious words to heart, Old Madam!” Mian Madam said with a smile, and Zhou Shaojin and the others also laughed cheerfully.
The young maids began serving hot dishes.
Cheng Mian personally poured a cup of wine for Old Lady Guan, saying with a smile: “This is Wujia Jinhua wine I specially had someone bring back from Hangzhou Prefecture. Try it.”
Old Lady Guan watched her son pour wine for her with a beaming smile, saying: “Pour your wife a full cup too. She’s worked hard managing the household this year.”
Mian Madam’s face flushed red. She quickly stood up, repeatedly saying “You’re too kind to this daughter-in-law.”
“Not excessive, not excessive,” Old Lady Guan said. Cheng Mian poured a cup of wine for Mian Madam.
Mian Madam seemed intoxicated before even drinking.
Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin both covered their mouths and laughed on the side.
Mian Madam then said: “You two sisters should also drink some, especially Shaojin. You’re already a grown young lady—you should gradually learn to drink wine.”
In her previous life, until she left the Cheng household, no elder had thought she was old enough to drink wine.
Zhou Shaojin blushed as a young maid poured wine for her.
Cheng Mian then raised his wine cup.
Except for Old Lady Guan, everyone stood up with smiles.
Before Cheng Yi was tea—he had to support himself on the round-backed armchair twice before managing to stand.
After drinking a small sip of wine, the New Year’s Eve dinner officially began.
Unlike the usual silence during meals, everyone was more relaxed than usual. By the time the hot pot was served, Old Lady Guan was already discussing in a low voice with Mian Madam whether they had forgotten anyone’s gift for Pukou, while Cheng Mian spoke with Cheng Yi about the recently popular “New Interpretations of the Analects” circulating throughout the Great River region: “It’s the posthumous work of the late Grand Secretary Hu Zhuoran. I hear His Majesty values it highly and intends to make it one of the annotated texts for the imperial examinations. Old Master He and Hu Zhuoran only met once, but they were kindred spirits in scholarship. When you go this time, you must properly seek Old Master He’s guidance…”
Zhou Chujin was extremely well-read and interested in examination essays and current affairs, so she listened with great interest.
Zhou Shaojin didn’t know whether Old Master He had a good relationship with this Hu Zhuoran, but she did know that Old Master He would pass away from illness in three years. Because He Fengping was a year older than Cheng Gao, in order not to delay He Fengping and Cheng Gao’s marriage, as soon as Old Master He fell ill, Madam He married He Fengping off. And this “New Interpretations of the Analects” written by Hu Zhuoran became one of the annotated texts for the imperial examinations six years later.
Since Uncle Mian had mentioned this matter, she felt she should also give her brother-in-law Liao Shaotang a heads-up—Liao Shaotang’s eldest paternal aunt Liao Yingzhang had married into the He family.
However, Uncle Mian was currently talking with Gao cousin—this wasn’t the right moment. She must remember this matter when she returned later.
Zhou Shaojin was pondering this in her heart when someone leaned over and said in a low voice: “Did you know my mother was taking us brothers to Pukou?”
There were only these few people in the room total—she didn’t need to look up to know who was speaking to her.
Zhou Shaojin grunted in acknowledgment.
Cheng Yi was quite angry: “Then why didn’t you give me a heads-up just now? If I hadn’t come, wouldn’t I have missed going to Pukou?”
This past year he had been confined to the house repeatedly, time and again—he was about to grow mold.
Zhou Shaojin said indifferently: “Didn’t you say you’d have nothing to do with me until death? Why would I tell you?”
Cheng Yi was speechless with anger.
Zhou Shaojin then leisurely ladled herself a bowl of chicken soup to drink.
So she didn’t see Old Lady Guan and Mian Madam sitting across from her exchange a smiling glance.
※※※
At the Zhou family ancestral home on Pingqiao Street, the dust had been swept away, the peach wood charms had been pasted up, and the Kitchen God had been welcomed. When Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin returned home with no one managing them, they truly could sleep until they woke naturally, eat whenever they wanted, and eat whatever they wanted. But after just two days, Zhou Shaojin began having trouble sleeping at night and trouble getting up during the day.
The self-disciplined Zhou Chujin quickly said: “We can’t go on like this. When we return to Jiuru Lane in a few days, won’t people criticize us?”
“Let’s just pretend we’re visiting relatives!” Zhou Shaojin placed an arhat bed by the window, just like at the Daxing estate. She lit braziers all around, wrapped herself in a gray squirrel fur robe, and leaned against a scarlet velvet welcoming pillow, reading a story book called “The Jade Hairpin.” As she read, she commented: “…Who is this Green Pavilion Master who wrote this book? How could anyone be so foolish? Just because someone has a jade hairpin, they suspect it was given by their wife, without even investigating what actually happened…”
“If it’s not good, why keep reading?” Zhou Chujin said with a smile. “I see you’re not reading—you’re torturing yourself, and it’s self-inflicted at that!”
Zhou Shaojin giggled and said: “I’m just bored, aren’t I?”
Who would have thought that as soon as she finished speaking, Chun Wan ran in: “Second Miss, Second Miss, Miss Ji Ying has come!”
“What did you say?” Zhou Shaojin sat up at once. “Ji Ying? How did she get here? Who brought her? Where is she?”
She fired off questions like a string of firecrackers. Chun Wan finally waited for her to finish before saying with a smile: “Steward Qin brought Miss Ji Ying over. She’s right outside the door…”
“Quickly let her in, quickly let her in.” Before Chun Wan could finish, Zhou Shaojin had already gotten off the bed to put on her shoes. She wouldn’t even let Chun Wan help her put them on, just urged her to bring the person in.
Zhou Chujin watched and shook her head with a smile, then returned to her room.
Before long, Chun Wan brought Ji Ying in.
Ji Ying had her hair coiled on top of her head in a bun, wearing a peachwood hairpin, dressed in a celadon brocade robe worn by men, with a sapphire blue lambskin cloak over it. Although dressed as a man, one could tell at a glance she was female.
Zhou Shaojin’s mouth hung open for a long time without closing.
Ji Ying smiled: “How is it? This outfit isn’t bad, right?”
Zhou Shaojin said: “Qin Ziping brought you here?”
Ji Ying nodded: “He came out on business for Cheng Zichuan. I said I wanted to come see you, so I mentioned it to Cheng Zichuan and came out with him.”
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help looking her up and down, saying: “Uncle Chi agreed to let you come see me?”
“I’m not doing anything bad. Why wouldn’t he agree?” Ji Ying said with a smile.
That’s true!
Zhou Shaojin quickly invited her into the room.
When Ji Ying saw the arhat bed placed by the window, she let out a small cry. She walked over in two or three steps and sat down, even hugging the fluffy welcoming pillow in her arms, saying: “Second Miss, I knew coming to your place would be much more interesting than staying at Hanbi Mountain House! I really love this arhat bed, and I love this welcoming pillow too.”
Because they’re all from the north!
Zhou Shaojin said: “If you like them, I’ll give you this arhat bed and these welcoming pillows!”
“Great, great!” Ji Ying said happily. “The arhat bed isn’t necessary—Hanbi Mountain House has several. But I’ll shamelessly accept these welcoming pillows!”
Zhou Shaojin laughed: “Now you’re showing off your literary skills with me!”
Ji Ying smiled with pursed lips and asked her: “What have you been doing at home? Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve—your family’s New Year goods should all be prepared, right? Do you want to go out with me for a walk? I heard that at this time, all the people making a living under Jiangbei Bridge stop working, and boats of all sizes are lined up one after another, stretching all the way to the middle of the river. It’s supposed to be quite spectacular. I’ve always wanted to see it but never had the chance… Let’s go see it together?”
“At this time? Go to Jiangbei Bridge?” Zhou Shaojin thought this idea was… somewhat fantastical.
“Yes!” But Ji Ying couldn’t be more serious. “We should go at this time. Otherwise, once New Year’s Day arrives and everyone starts paying New Year visits, the roads will be crowded again, and it won’t be convenient to go!”