In Jiashu Hall, Mian Daitai was speaking with Old Madam Guan: “…When the Master came out, he brushed past Great Master Wen from the Fifth Branch. Great Master Wen was grinning and asked him what he was doing. He looked around evasively and wouldn’t say. The Master guesses he probably also went to discuss the shares matter. As for the Third Branch, there’s been no movement at all—they’ve neither approached the First Branch nor had contact with the Second Branch, as if they don’t know about this at all. The Master has already had people keep watch. As soon as there’s news from that side, we’ll know.”

Old Madam Guan said: “I’m just afraid that at this time, the Third Branch has decided to stand with the Second Branch.”

The Fourth and Fifth Branches had always been weak. If the Third Branch joined forces with the Second Branch, it wouldn’t be so easy for the First Branch to act as they pleased.

The room fell into thoughtful silence for a moment.

Old Madam Guan said: “No matter what, integrity is fundamental in being human. We cannot be ungrateful.”

Mian Daitai nodded.

A young maid reported through the curtain that Zhou Shaojin had returned.

The two immediately stopped their discussion. Old Madam Guan even gave Mian Daitai a meaningful look and said in a lowered voice: “The children are still young. It’s enough that they know the matter is serious—no need to explain everything in such detail. Be careful not to frighten them.”

Mian Daitai nodded repeatedly, then smiled as she welcomed Zhou Shaojin in.

Zhou Shaojin felt the atmosphere in the room was a bit strange and guessed that Maternal Grandmother and Maternal Aunt had just been discussing something important. She was hesitating whether to tell Old Madam Guan about going to Mount Putuo—after all, Old Madam Guo would come to call on Old Madam Guan tomorrow anyway, and even if she didn’t say anything, Old Madam Guan would find out. But Old Madam Guan was already smiling and saying: “You’re in such a rush—did something happen?”

The serious, tense atmosphere was immediately diffused.

Unable to contain her excitement, Zhou Shaojin smiled as she told her maternal grandmother and maternal aunt what had happened.

Old Madam Guan and Mian Daitai were both happy for her. Mian Daitai even took Zhou Shaojin’s hand and looked her up and down, saying: “Then we must hurry to make several new outfits. And regarding the servants who’ll attend you—we must not only choose those who are steady and loyal, but also select someone who knows how to deal with people. Going to Mount Putuo requires passing through Hangzhou Prefecture, then from Hangzhou Prefecture to Zhoushan, and then boarding the island from Zhoushan. A round trip takes over a month—we can’t be careless.”

“Shaojin is going with Old Madam Guo. Naturally, the First Branch will worry about matters on the road.” Old Madam Guan interrupted her daughter-in-law and smiled. “You just need to prepare reward silver for her, select a few servant women to attend her, and have someone come in to make a few new outfits. Don’t go on and on endlessly.”

Both Mian Daitai and Zhou Shaojin laughed.

Zhou Shaojin took the opportunity to ask if she could go with her sister.

Old Madam Guan immediately rejected Zhou Shaojin’s suggestion: “You helped Old Madam Guo copy scriptures and gained her favor. Going with Old Madam Guo to Mount Putuo to offer incense is your good fortune. But we cannot be insatiable. Don’t propose going to Mount Putuo to offer incense together with Old Madam Guo.”

Zhou Shaojin was quite disappointed but had to admit her maternal grandmother’s words made sense.

Old Madam Guan consoled her: “Don’t be so dejected. I know you mean well. When your cousins Gao and Yi have both married, I can peacefully become an old dowager. Then your maternal aunt and I will go to Mount Putuo to offer incense together, and we’ll leave you at home to watch the house.”

Zhou Shaojin didn’t catch the flaw in this statement at all. She laughed cheerfully and repeatedly said “Good.”

Old Madam Guan urged her to finish copying the scriptures quickly: “Now it all depends on you. Whenever you finish copying the scriptures, that’s when Old Madam Guo will depart. If you don’t finish, they’ll all have to wait.”

This responsibility was truly too weighty!

Zhou Shaojin immediately felt as if a mountain had been pressed onto her back. Not daring to say more to Old Madam Guan, she returned to the Buddhist hall and focused wholeheartedly on copying scriptures.

When Zhou Shaojin came to take her leave, Old Madam Guo looked at her and laughed: “Silly girl, have you ever seen anyone traveling in the dog days of summer? Just copy slowly. Even if we depart, it won’t be until autumn.”

But Zhou Shaojin still felt embarrassed.

If she hadn’t slowed down her pace, how could she still not be finished now?

She hastily said: “Please rest assured, I will copy carefully. This is to be offered to the Bodhisattva—it’s a token of our devotion.”

Old Madam Guo was very satisfied and rewarded her with a basket of mulberries.

Zhou Shaojin took them back for the people at Jiashu Hall to taste.

Old Madam Guan had someone send a small dish to Cheng Gao, send a small dish to Hanqiu Pavilion, kept one dish for herself, and let Zhou Shaojin take the rest back to Wanxiang Residence.

Zhou Shaojin then sent a dish each to Cheng Jia and Ji Ying.

That evening, while eating mulberries chilled in well water, she enjoyed the cool evening air with her sister in the courtyard.

She said to her sister somewhat apologetically: “I originally wanted to go with you, but Maternal Grandmother said it wasn’t appropriate. Later, we sisters can go to Mount Putuo to offer incense together.”

Zhou Chujin had already heard about this. She said reproachfully: “It wasn’t appropriate to begin with—you shouldn’t have even mentioned it. However, your idea is good. Later on, we sisters can go to Mount Putuo to offer incense together. This time, consider yourself the advance scout getting familiar with the place, so next time we go, we won’t be completely lost.”

Zhou Shaojin smiled sheepishly and asked her sister: “Is there anything you want me to bring back?”

She had never been to Putuo and didn’t know what special things were there.

Zhou Chujin didn’t know either. She smiled: “Just remember to bring something back for Maternal Grandmother and Maternal Aunt and the others. You can skip me. Traveling far isn’t easy—if you have to spend energy bringing things back for me, we sisters don’t need such formalities between us.”

Zhou Shaojin smiled: “Then I’ll see what I can find!”

Zhou Chujin then told Zhou Shaojin about their father Zhou Zhen’s reply: “…We received it this afternoon. Father says he’ll pay attention to this matter. As for whether to help and how to help, he’ll write to Maternal Uncle Mian. If we learn anything, we should remember to write and tell him. He’s afraid Maternal Uncle Mian will hold back out of consideration and say nothing, which would delay matters instead.”

The Fourth Branch had shown great kindness to their sisters and was as close as blood relatives. The Zhou family couldn’t stand by and do nothing.

Thinking of what Old Madam Guan had said earlier, Zhou Shaojin said: “Have you told Maternal Grandmother about this? Looking at her expression, she seems to really hope Father can help the Fourth Branch!”

Zhou Chujin smiled: “I plan to tell Maternal Grandmother tomorrow morning when we pay our respects. Just now you were all excitedly discussing going to Mount Putuo—it wasn’t convenient for me to interrupt.”

Zhou Shaojin smiled embarrassedly and began discussing the Mount Putuo trip with her sister again: “I’ve heard that Mount Putuo is the ‘Buddhist Kingdom on the Sea.’ All the temples on the island enshrine Guanyin Bodhisattva. Every year on the second month’s nineteenth day, sixth month’s nineteenth day, and ninth month’s nineteenth day—the three great incense festivals commemorating Guanyin Bodhisattva’s birth, ordination, and enlightenment—the island is crowded with people, temple incense smoke curls everywhere, and being there is like walking into the Western Paradise. But Old Madam Guo said no one travels during the dog days of summer. I wonder if we’ll be able to encounter the ninth month’s nineteenth day incense festival…”

She chattered on and on. Zhou Chujin tried several times to change the subject but couldn’t succeed, so she simply stopped trying to interrupt and just occasionally interjected with “mm” and “ah” in agreement.

As a result, Zhou Shaojin kept talking until the moon reached mid-heaven, and the next day both sisters overslept.

Zhou Shaojin’s face flushed bright red. Thinking that Jing’an Study was more leniently managed and at worst she’d be punished with extra calligraphy for being late, but her sister had to help Maternal Aunt manage the household—being late wouldn’t look good. Without bothering to wash up, she helped her sister arrange breakfast.

While the two sisters were busy, Ma Fushan’s wife requested an audience.

Shi Xiang was set to leave the mansion on the tenth day of the ninth month and marry on the fourth day of the tenth month. Zhou Shaojin had asked Ma Fushan’s wife to help order two camphorwood trunks and a tall cabinet for Shi Xiang as gifts. Thinking Ma Fushan’s wife had come to report back, before Zhou Chujin could speak, she already instructed a young maid: “Tell her to wait—we’re busy right now!”

The young maid smiled and withdrew, but soon returned, saying: “First Miss, Second Miss, Ma Fushan’s wife says she has urgent matters to report…”

Both sisters were startled.

Yesterday, Father Zhou’s letter had been delivered by Ma Fushan’s wife, and she hadn’t mentioned having matters then, which showed the situation was truly urgent!

Zhou Chujin said: “Then invite her in.”

The young maid acknowledged and immediately brought Ma Fushan’s wife inside.

“First Miss, Second Miss.” Ma Fushan’s wife’s expression was rather grim. After calling out to them, she just stood there.

Zhou Shaojin understood and dismissed the servants in the room.

Ma Fushan’s wife went to check at the door, then took two or three steps at once to reach the Zhou sisters and said quietly: “Word came from the yamen saying that Lanting and Xinlan suddenly died in prison last night…”

Both sisters’ hearts jumped, and their faces immediately paled.

Zhou Chujin hastily asked: “What exactly happened?”

Ma Fushan’s wife’s voice dropped even lower: “No one can say for certain. The jailers thought we had bribed people in the prison, while those in the prison thought the jailers had acted… This matter has some suspicious elements. The yamen doesn’t dare investigate deeply. They sent word to my husband saying we should bury them quickly to avoid stirring up trouble unnecessarily.”

Zhou Chujin thought for a moment, then had Zhou Shaojin fetch a hundred-tael banknote for Ma Fushan’s wife. She then said to her: “Tell Ma Fushan to find a way to have the coroner investigate clearly how those two died, then follow that lead to try to find out who did it… Those two were locked in prison—there can’t be many people who could have acted. If we’re careful, we’ll certainly find some clues. Take this silver to bribe the jailers. If it’s not enough, come tell me again.”

Ma Fushan’s wife tucked away the banknote and left Jiuru Lane.

Zhou Chujin anxiously took a sip of tea.

Inexplicably, Zhou Shaojin thought of Cheng Lu.

They hadn’t concealed what happened that year from those at Cunren Ward, but when Cheng Lu came to pay New Year respects to the Fourth Branch, he hadn’t mentioned it once from beginning to end.

If he knew about this matter, what would he do?

After seeing her sister off, Zhou Shaojin instructed Chun Wan: “Relay a message to Ma Fushan—have him investigate Zhao Dahai who serves by Great Master Lu’s side. See what he’s been doing these days?”

If this matter was related to Cheng Lu, the person who actually carried it out must be his trusted confidant Zhao Dahai.

Several days later, Ma Fushan personally requested an audience with the Zhou sisters.