When Zhou Shaojin returned from Bihan Mountain Villa, the tailor that Mian’s wife had sent for was waiting for her.

Her elder sister teased, “They say we’re going to Pukou for the betrothal ceremony, and we can’t lose face for the Cheng family, so we need to make several beautiful outfits.”

The tailor was a woman in her forties who frequently worked for the Cheng family and was quite familiar with the Zhou sisters. Hearing Zhou Chujin’s words, she quickly laughed ingratiatingly, then took out a soft measuring tape while sizing up Zhou Shaojin from head to toe, saying, “I see Second Young Miss seems to have grown a bit taller since last year. I’m afraid the new clothes made last year won’t fit anymore.”

Tailors always wished you would make new clothes every day.

Zhou Shaojin showed the tailor the sleeves of her spring shirt, saying, “I’m afraid I can still wear them for another year next year.”

“They’re still a bit short.” The tailor smiled, “The young misses at the Mei residence make new clothes the moment theirs are even a bit short. Second Young Miss is so beautiful, you should make more clothes. It’s more respectable when going out for banquets.”

Zhou Chujin was tempted.

Zhou Shaojin quickly said, “I don’t like going out for banquets anyway. This is fine.” Worried that this woman would use her silver tongue to persuade her elder sister, she pointed at the few bolts of fabric the tailor had brought and said, “Are these all this year’s new patterns? Why are they all either red or green? Don’t you have any in more elegant colors?”

This tailor had made clothes for the Zhou sisters before and understood their preferences somewhat. She quickly smiled and explained, “I heard the two young misses are going to attend the betrothal ceremony for the eldest young master, so I brought a few bolts with festive patterns.”

Zhou Shaojin said, “That day is our sister-in-law’s great joyous occasion. As younger sisters-in-law, we can’t steal the spotlight! I think it’s better to wear something more elegant.”

The tailor was somewhat troubled.

She had only brought these few bolts of fabric.

“Second Young Miss, how about I measure your height first, and tomorrow I’ll bring a few more bolts for you to choose from?”

“That’s too much trouble. We asked you to come make clothes because we want them quickly. Otherwise, we could just cut them ourselves.” Zhou Shaojin consulted with her elder sister, “Let’s just use fabric from our own storeroom!”

Zhou Chujin also found it troublesome.

If the fabric the tailor brought tomorrow still didn’t satisfy them, would they have to wait until the day after?

The sisters went to the storeroom. Zhou Chujin chose a piece of pink Hangzhou silk with auspicious cloud patterns, and Zhou Shaojin chose a piece of lake blue Hangzhou silk with arched wall orchid patterns to give to the tailor. Only then did they have their evening meal.

After a few days, the tailor delivered the clothes.

Cheng Chi and the eldest master of the Gu family also returned from Pukou. It was said that the eldest master of the Gu family had spoken eloquently, turning what was already a settled marriage into something miraculous, as if the marriage between Miss He and Cheng Gao was heaven-ordained, as if the He family’s daughter couldn’t possibly be happy if she didn’t marry into the Cheng family, and if the Cheng family didn’t marry the He family’s daughter, they simply couldn’t have good days ahead. The entire He household from top to bottom was so delighted they couldn’t stop grinning.

Xiao Tan, who relayed this news, finally said, “Everyone said they never expected the eldest master of the Gu family to have such talent. They say your Old Madam has good judgment and chose the right matchmaker. Master Gao and Miss He’s marriage will definitely go smoothly.”

Since Zhou Shaojin had decided to slow down her scripture copying, they were currently having tea in the Buddhist shrine.

Hearing this, she quickly asked, “What about Uncle Chi?”

Xiao Tan covered her mouth and laughed, saying, “Our Fourth Master only said two sentences from beginning to end.”

“Which two sentences?” Even Biyu couldn’t help but ask.

“One was ‘Not at all, not at all. To form a marriage alliance with the He family is our Cheng family’s good fortune,’ and the other was ‘Then we’ll take our leave now.'” After saying this, Xiao Tan doubled over with laughter.

Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but smile either.

Chun Wan and the others also laughed uncontrollably.

Biyu simply made fun of her, laughing, “This silly girl—Fourth Master clearly said five sentences. How did it become two sentences?”

Zhou Shaojin thought carefully—it was indeed five sentences.

She couldn’t help but burst out laughing again with a “pfft.”

As soon as she returned to Wanxiang Residence, she couldn’t wait to tell her elder sister about this.

Zhou Chujin also laughed heartily.

Zhou Shaojin asked, “On the day of the betrothal ceremony, Uncle Chi and the others should go too, right?”

“Yes!” Zhou Chujin knew more about these procedures than Zhou Shaojin. She smiled, “But that day the focus will mainly be on Aunt Lu. Uncle Chi and the others are just going to make an appearance.”

Would there be a chance to say a few words to Uncle Chi?

Zhou Shaojin pondered this in her heart.

When the day of the betrothal ceremony arrived, she and her elder sister got up early. After breakfast, they groomed themselves and went to Jiashu Hall.

Jiang Shi and Cheng Jia had already arrived and were having breakfast accompanied by Mian’s wife.

Seeing the two sisters, Mian’s wife quickly asked if they had eaten breakfast. Jiang Shi, however, sighed quietly.

Mian’s wife intended to arrange a match for Cheng Jia. The other party was also from an official family—the father served as a supervising secretary in the Ministry of Revenue. She was quite moved by this and had specially made Cheng Jia an onion-green embroidered jacket and adorned her with gold-inlaid jewelry set with precious stones. With her daughter’s bright eyes and white teeth, she looked as radiant as pearls and jade. The more she looked, the more pleased she was, thinking that even if she couldn’t compare to Zhou Shaojin, she should at least surpass Zhou Chujin. Who knew that today Zhou Chujin would only wear a pink Hangzhou silk jacket with auspicious cloud patterns and an oil-green horse-face skirt with trimmed borders, yet she had styled her hair in a qing ji hairstyle, wore a large hairpin of red gold inlaid with emerald green, and inserted a comb decorated with precious stones. She looked dignified yet lively, refined yet playful. Zhou Shaojin dressed even more simply—a lake blue jacket with arched wall orchid patterns, a dark blue pleated skirt, her hair styled in a flat bun, wearing South Sea pearl hairpins. But that lake blue jacket made her skin look like snow, and the lustrous South Sea pearls highlighted her eyes like black lacquer, giving her even more color than usual. Forget about Zhou Shaojin—even standing next to Zhou Chujin, Cheng Jia could only be compared to spring orchids and autumn chrysanthemums, each with their own merits.

Their branch’s problem was that none of the men had entered officialdom!

Would Madam He mistakenly think Cheng Jia’s appearance was quite ordinary?

Jiang Shi shook her head. After exchanging pleasantries with the Zhou sisters for a few moments, seeing that it was getting late, she took leave of Old Madam Guan, went outside and boarded a sedan chair, then took a boat from Jiangbei Bridge toward Pukou.

Zhou Shaojin sat in the boat cabin, watching the various boats shuttling back and forth across the lake surface like a woven tapestry, and couldn’t help but smile.

Back then, she and Ji Ying had taken advantage of New Year’s Eve when no one was around to run and see Jiangbei Bridge. They didn’t see the bridge but saw Uncle Chi and that Xiao Zhenhai instead. Now she could sit openly on the boat enjoying the boats of all sizes on Jiangbei Lake. When she went back to tell Ji Ying about it, she wondered if Ji Ying would jump up and down with envy and jealousy.

As she thought this, her gaze drifted toward the bow.

Due to her viewing angle, she could only see a few feet—some wearing double-faced shoes, some wearing fortune-head shoes, some wearing fat-face shoes…

Was Uncle Chi at the bow or in the cabin?

As she was guessing, she saw Langyue walking over.

Zhou Shaojin’s heart leaped with joy as she waved to Langyue.

Langyue also saw her and immediately ran over happily, “Second Young Miss, I heard you were also on the boat. I didn’t expect to actually meet you!”

Then Uncle Chi must also know she was on the boat!

Zhou Shaojin craned her neck to look outside and asked, “Where’s Uncle Chi?”

Langyue pointed at the cabin and smiled, “Fourth Master said the wind outside is strong. He wants to read in the cabin for a while.”

Could he read with the boat rocking back and forth?

Zhou Shaojin glanced at Cheng Jia, who was lying on the bed moaning from seasickness.

Both were traveling by water for the first time. She was perfectly fine, but Cheng Jia had started feeling dizzy shortly after boarding.

Perhaps while she would get dizzy reading on the boat, Uncle Chi could read without any problems!

But this way, she had no excuse to approach Uncle Chi—she couldn’t very well go knock on Uncle Chi’s cabin door, could she?

Langyue smiled, “The eldest master of the Gu family and several stewards are at the bow, saying they want to eat small fish and shrimp from the river for lunch. The stewards are instructing the boatmen to catch fish and shrimp.”

“There are fish and shrimp in this river?” The two weren’t speaking very loudly, yet somehow Cheng Jia, lying on the bed, heard them and called out, “We want fish and shrimp for lunch too!”

Zhou Shaojin, Zhou Chujin, Langyue, and the servants in the room all laughed. Langyue said even more obediently, “I’ll go tell the kitchen right away.” Then, after greeting Zhou Shaojin, she went to the bow.

Since Uncle Chi wasn’t at the bow, Zhou Shaojin stopped paying attention to it. After watching the scenery for a while and chatting nonsense with Cheng Jia for a few moments, it was time for lunch.

They really did serve a bowl of small fish and shrimp for lunch.

But Cheng Jia was like a blanched bean sprout—wilted and not wanting to eat anything.

Zhou Shaojin brewed her a cup of tea and had Cui Huan help her lie down to sleep.

In just over an hour they arrived at Pukou. Zhou Chujin was called away by Mian’s wife and Jiang Shi to discuss the betrothal ceremony. Zhou Shaojin sat alone in the cabin for a while. Along the way there were either green rice paddies or deep gray houses—after seeing them so much, they weren’t fresh anymore.

She looked toward the bow and listened carefully—there seemed to be no movement.

Everyone was either having lunch or taking an afternoon rest at this time.

Zhou Shaojin considered this, took a cloak, and went to the bow.

Standing at the bow was truly different from watching the scenery from inside the cabin.

The wind blowing on her face was warm and gentle. The lake surface was vast, sparkling with rippling waves like fish scales. The laughter of children playing on the shore was as crisp as silver bells.

Zhou Shaojin leaned against the ship’s rail, her smile overflowing unstoppably from her eyes.

Cheng Chi stood at the rail on the other side, watching Zhou Shaojin smile with her eyes curved like a seven or eight-year-old child, and suddenly thought of the Mu and Lin families in the capital.

What was Zhou Shaojin’s purpose in sending Fan Qi to the capital?

He thought for a moment and walked over from the other side of the rail.

“Un-Uncle Chi!” Zhou Shaojin, hearing movement, turned around and saw Cheng Chi wearing a sapphire blue Hangzhou silk plain robe. “You, you’re here?”

Didn’t Langyue say he was reading in the cabin?

“After lunch, I came out for some fresh air.” Cheng Chi smiled faintly as he walked over, following her gaze toward the shore. “Did you see something interesting? I heard you laughing?”

Had she been laughing?

And she’d even disturbed Uncle Chi.

Zhou Shaojin watched as Cheng Chi drew nearer, her mind somewhat refusing to cooperate.

Despite having lived two lives, Zhou Shaojin’s face hadn’t thickened much. This completely unexpected encounter, combined with her ongoing ulterior motives regarding Cheng Chi, made her feel quite guilty inside, leaving her momentarily at a loss.

Cheng Chi, however, was completely unaffected and smiled, “Is this your first time traveling by water?”

Riding a boat and traveling by water were different.

Riding a boat was just sitting on a boat for a little while. Traveling by water meant spending a long time only in a cramped cabin—many people would get seasick because of this.