Early on the morning of the second day of the first month, people from the Cheng household arrived to fetch the Zhou sisters.

Zhou Shaojin and her sister had already packed. After rewarding the steward servant woman who came to fetch them, they took sedan chairs back to Jiuru Lane.

The sisters first went to Jiashu Hall.

The main hall was filled with trunks and boxes everywhere. Mian Madam was wearing only a lined jacket, directing maids and servant women to sort through things.

Seeing Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin, Mian Madam immediately brightened: “You’ve finally arrived. Since getting up this morning, Old Madam has mentioned you several times already. Have you had breakfast? Quickly go see her, so she won’t worry.” Then, without waiting for the sisters to pay their respects, she had her personal maid fetch two pouches and said: “These are your New Year’s money!”

Zhou Shaojin and her sister accepted them with beaming smiles, wished Mian Madam a happy new year, and then went to see Old Lady Guan.

Old Lady Guan was playing leaf cards with Si’er and the others. Seeing the Zhou sisters enter, she seemed to see her saviors and quickly beckoned to Zhou Chujin: “Finally back! I’ve already lost several taels of silver. Come quickly and help me keep an eye on things.”

As if the sisters had never left.

Zhou Chujin and Zhou Shaojin wished Old Lady Guan and the others a cheerful “Happy New Year.” Only then did Zhou Chujin sit beside Old Lady Guan and take the cards from her hand to look at them carefully.

Only then did Old Lady Guan exclaim “Oh my!” and say: “I forgot to give Chujin and Shaojin their New Year’s money.”

Zhou Shaojin giggled and said: “I didn’t forget—if you hadn’t spoken up, I was about to ask for it.”

“This mischievous girl,” Old Lady Guan said affectionately, tapping Zhou Shaojin’s forehead. She personally opened the box beside her and took out the pouches she had prepared early for Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin.

The pouches were heavier than in previous years.

Zhou Shaojin discreetly put hers in her pocket. Seeing that Old Lady Guan and her sister had already put their heads together, she told Old Lady Guan and her sister she was leaving and went to the main hall.

“Uncle’s wife, what are you doing?” She obediently brought Mian Madam a cup of tea and said: “Is there anything I can help with?”

“No, no,” Mian Madam said with a smile. “I’m going back to my family home for a few days, aren’t I? I was thinking that once I leave, I won’t be back until after the Lantern Festival. By then spring will have started, so I need to prepare your grandmother’s clothes and jewelry properly, to prevent the maids from being flustered and not knowing what to do.” At this point, she pondered and said: “Shaojin, if you have time, please come keep your grandmother company often. When your cousin and I aren’t home, it will be quite lonely for your grandmother.”

“Uncle’s wife, don’t worry,” Zhou Shaojin quickly said. “Before you return, I’ll keep Grandmother company first. If it’s after the Lantern Festival, I’ll just speak with Old Madam Guo. Old Madam Guo appears stern, but she has a good heart—she’s cold on the outside but warm inside. I’m sure it won’t be a problem.”

Mian Madam nodded with relief upon hearing this.

Since she intended to keep Shaojin in the household, she needed to gradually let this child handle certain matters.

Mian Madam then said: “I’m getting old. After bending over looking for things all this time, my head is a bit dizzy. Help me sort out the clothes and jewelry your grandmother will wear in early spring. Put half of the winter clothes and jewelry away, and leave half out, in case there’s a late spring cold.”

Zhou Shaojin agreed and helped Old Lady Guan organize the trunks together with the young maids.

She hadn’t expected that Old Lady Guan still had a rabbit fur collar adorned with snow-white rabbit fur, and bright red gemstone ornaments like the necklaces worn by Bodhisattvas in murals.

Mian Madam said subtly: “Although the old lady is getting on in years, she still likes these bright and colorful things.”

Zhou Shaojin nodded with understanding.

In the afternoon, they went to pay New Year respects to Old Madam Guo.

Old Madam Guo was playing chess with Cheng Chi.

Cheng Chi wore a sapphire blue plain brocade robe, which made his face appear even more refined and elegant.

He smiled faintly and, imitating Old Lady Guan, gave Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin two pouches each.

As soon as Zhou Shaojin returned to Wanxiang Residence, she somewhat impatiently opened the pouch Cheng Chi had given her.

It actually contained two ten-tael bank notes.

Zhou Shaojin felt a bit deflated.

Uncle Chi giving New Year’s money like this was too perfunctory.

However, Old Madam Guo had given her gold ingots—five gold ingots engraved with “may all go as you wish.”

She really liked them and displayed them in a sandalwood box lined with maroon velvet.

Zhou Chujin laughed at her: “What a little money lover.”

Zhou Shaojin didn’t mind and placed the box into a trunk with a beaming smile.

These were all gifts from her elders. She hoped to keep them forever, even to pass them down to her descendants.

After seeing Mian Madam off on the fourth day, she and her sister spent every day either playing cards with Old Lady Guan, chatting idly, or accompanying her for walks in the courtyard. The days passed in the blink of an eye.

On the twelfth day of the first month, Mian Madam sent a letter from Pukou saying she would stay at her family home a few more days. Cheng Gao had been kept by Old Master He to test his learning, while Cheng Yi would remain to study under Old Master He.

This was excellent news for the Fourth Household.

Old Lady Guan dictated a reply for Zhou Shaojin to write to Mian Madam, telling her to stay peacefully in Pukou as long as she wished, asking whether they should send silver over, and when Cheng Gao would return. Once they had definite word, they could send warm and cool seasonal clothing for both of them, along with serving young servants.

By the time Mian Madam wrote again, it was already the Lantern Festival.

In her letter, Mian Madam wrote that she would return to Jinling on the first day of the second month, and Cheng Gao would return with her. Cheng Yi would remain at the He household—they should just have a steward deliver Cheng Yi’s clothes and his customary writing materials. Old Master He advocated simplicity, so young servants were unnecessary. The He household had servant women to wash clothes for disciples, but everything else they had to do themselves.

Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help laughing whenever she thought about it.

Cheng Yi had thought he was going to play, but unexpectedly ended up throwing himself into a pit he couldn’t climb out of.

Although the Fourth Household was strict in disciplining the brothers, they never skimped on their food, clothing, and daily necessities. With Cheng Yi suddenly living such an austere life, his face must have wrinkled up like a pickled apricot.

She helped pack Cheng Yi’s things.

Sanbao kept wiping away tears, choking out: “Will Second Young Master not want me anymore? What will I do then?”

In Zhou Shaojin’s recollection, Sanbao had always stayed with Cheng Yi.

She comforted him with a smile: “Second Young Master isn’t home, but his belongings are still here. As long as you take good care of Second Young Master’s things, the master and madam won’t treat you unfairly.”

Sanbao’s eyes lit up, and his hands and feet became much more nimble.

After all of Cheng Yi’s belongings were packed in trunks and locked, Sanbao lingered before Zhou Shaojin, reluctant to leave.

Zhou Shaojin said with a laugh: “If you have something to say, just say it.”

Sanbao chuckled a few times and said ingratiatingly: “Second Cousin Miss, I heard that after the Lantern Festival, Fan Qi is going to Baoding Prefecture. Since I don’t have much to do now, why don’t I accompany Fan Qi? Having one more person on the road makes it safer!”

After the New Year, Fan Qi still needed to go to the capital—they couldn’t use the excuse of looking at land again like last time. Thinking that Li Shi should have given birth by now and sent word back, she had spread word that she’d made some baby clothes for her yet-unborn younger brother or sister. She wanted Fan Qi to take them to Baoding Prefecture and also pay respects to her father and stepmother.

She hadn’t expected the news to spread so quickly.

Probably because some servant women had never traveled far from home in their entire lives?

Zhou Shaojin said with a smile: “That won’t work. Fan Qi is also traveling with others. Taking another person along—the others probably wouldn’t agree.”

Sanbao couldn’t say more and promised Zhou Shaojin: “Second Cousin Miss, I’ll definitely watch the house well for Second Young Master.”

Zhou Shaojin nodded and rewarded Sanbao with one tael of broken silver.

Returning to Wanxiang Residence, she indeed received a letter from Baoding Prefecture.

Just as in her previous life, Li Shi had given birth to a daughter.

Zhou Zhen was quite disappointed, but still named the newborn child “Youjin” following the daughters’ naming order.

Zhou Chujin felt there was no need to have Fan Qi personally deliver things to Li Shi: “We just need to fulfill our duties. Getting too close may not be a good thing.”

Just based on Li Shi handing Lanting over to Zhou Shaojin to deal with, she couldn’t bring herself to like this stepmother.

“I want him to go see Father,” Zhou Shaojin said with a smile. “Father must be feeling a bit sad right now.”

That was true.

Zhou Chujin said no more, but on the day Fan Qi was leaving, she called him over and gave him a thick envelope, saying: “This is for Madam. Remember—if you can’t deliver it to Madam personally, then give it personally to Nanny Li who serves by Madam’s side. If anyone asks, say it was from me.”

Fan Qi respectfully acknowledged and this time left Jinling City openly.

Zhou Shaojin asked her sister what she had given Li Shi.

Zhou Chujin sighed: “It’s a fertility remedy I asked Uncle Hu’s wife for.”

Zhou Shaojin was quite surprised.

Zhou Chujin said: “Although I don’t like her, I won’t deliberately make things difficult for her either.”

Her sister treated people well while having her own likes and dislikes. When would she herself be able to be like her sister?

Zhou Shaojin hugged Zhou Chujin’s arm tightly.

Zhou Chujin then told her younger sister about Ma Ci: “…This time in catching Xinlan, he achieved first merit. I’ve already told Father to keep him serving by our sisters’ side. Although Fan Qi is good, he’s ultimately too young. I think we should have Ma Ci lead Fan Qi and help you run errands.”

Zhou Shaojin was stunned.

In her previous life, Ma Ci had been her sister’s dowry servant.

She had been reborn, but her sister still gave her all the good things just as before.

Zhou Shaojin shook her head: “Sister, it’s better to have Ma Ci follow you. You can’t ask the Ma Fushan household for every little thing, can you? Just like when I told you to find a way to send word to brother-in-law, telling him that the scholars at the Cheng family school are all studying Hu Zhuoran’s ‘New Interpretations of the Analects,’ you had no one you could use—we should arrange Sister’s matters first. My affairs can wait a few more years.”

Sister would be married next April.

Zhou Chujin’s face flushed slightly, and she didn’t insist.

Zhou Shaojin breathed a sigh of relief.

If they left Ma Ci for her to use, wouldn’t that mess everything up?

Cheng Chi received word that people from the Ji family would wait for Fan Qi in Baoding Prefecture and escort him to the capital.

His brows furrowed slightly as he instructed Huai Shan: “Have someone watch him! Don’t let him slip away like the Ji family’s people did.”

Huai Shan smiled and said: “Our people are already on the road.”