Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help asking, “Uncle Chi, do you have business that prevents you from accompanying us?”

Cheng Chi smiled and said, “Zheng Si and Fang Xintong are still following us like tails. I can’t very well let them keep following us all the way back to Jinling, can I?”

That was true.

Zhou Shaojin didn’t ask further.

However, Madam Guo’s gaze flickered slightly.

This son of hers never explained himself to others when doing things. For him to explain like this, there was only one possibility—he had something to hide from them, so he was using Zheng Si and Fang Xintong as an excuse.

She smiled and beckoned to Zhou Shaojin, saying gently, “Shaojin, I want to select something for your maternal grandmother. Come help me see what would be suitable.”

Zhou Shaojin acknowledged and went over to nominally support Madam Guo.

From the corner of his eye, Cheng Chi saw Huai Shan enter, hands tucked in his sleeves, quietly selecting a corner to stand.

He walked over unobtrusively.

Huai Shan said softly, “Fourth Master, we’ve verified it. Xiao Haishan came to find Jiang Qin.”

Jiang Qin was one of the three chief leaders of the Canal Gang, stationed year-round in Hangzhou Prefecture.

Cheng Chi nodded slightly.

Huai Shan silently exited the general goods store again.

After using the noon meal at Fuyuan House, Madam Guo decided to browse some more.

In the afternoon, Zhou Shaojin and the others bought a pile of small items, spending less than ten taels of silver in total, yet each of the accompanying young servants and maids carried items on their shoulders or in their hands, as if they’d moved the entire street back.

Madam Guo watched and chuckled, urging Cheng Chi to go to Fuyuan House to host his guests, while she herself took Zhou Shaojin back to the Ningbo branch of Taiyu Exchange.

The exchange’s dinner was again set up under the osmanthus trees—a full table. However, Zhou Shaojin and the others had sampled quite a bit while buying small pastries that afternoon. Everyone was still full, so they only tasted each dish before putting down their chopsticks.

Madam Guo smiled and said, “Later you’ll all accompany me for a walk around the courtyard to aid digestion. Otherwise someone will definitely have a stomachache tonight.”

Zhenzhu had received Cheng Chi’s prescription and had stayed on shore for two days at Mount Putuo. Now fully recovered, she valued this health regimen even more. Hearing Madam Guo’s words, she quickly smiled and said, “Old Madam, Second Cousin Miss, let me brew you a pot of Laojun Mei tea. It’s light and refreshing—best to drink after meals.”

“Excellent!” Madam Guo smiled. “After drinking tea, we’ll walk around the rear courtyard.”

Everyone smiled in agreement, some brewing tea, others clearing the table—all hands busy yet filled with laughter, the atmosphere cheerful.

Ji Ying emerged from the wing room yawning.

Biyu, sharp-eyed, was the first to notice and quickly smiled in greeting.

Ji Ying had just woken up and was still groggy. When she came to her senses and saw the courtyard full of people with Madam Guo present, she couldn’t help feeling somewhat embarrassed. She smiled awkwardly and stepped forward to pay her respects to Madam Guo.

Zhou Shaojin had stayed at Hanbi Mountain Lodge for some time and knew that though Madam Guo treated those around her with utmost kindness, she also greatly valued propriety. As long as you followed the rules, even small mistakes would only earn a scolding. But if you disregarded the rules, no matter how clever and capable you were, you wouldn’t be tolerated. Ji Ying sleeping until mid-morning and coming out with disheveled hair was one of Madam Guo’s great taboos.

She quickly smoothed things over for Ji Ying, saying, “I sent someone to invite you shopping this morning. You said you weren’t feeling well. Are you better now? We weren’t home—did you eat lunch? Don’t you have junior maids attending you in your room? Coming out right after waking—do you need water or tea?”

In the Cheng household, respectable senior maids all had several junior maids attending them. First, it provided opportunities to train the junior maids so they’d be experienced and make no mistakes when serving their masters later. Second, it helped share the senior maids’ duties, giving them more time to serve their masters.

But Ji Ying didn’t catch on immediately.

Chun Wan had indeed sent someone to invite her shopping. Her response at the time had been “Not interested, you all go ahead,” but coming from Zhou Shaojin’s mouth, it was a completely different story.

She couldn’t help looking stunned.

Watching this, Madam Guo couldn’t help but smile. She said warmly to Ji Ying, “Did you sleep well? I heard from Silang that these past days you’ve been leading some rough-work matrons on night patrols for the women’s quarters. Thank you for your hard work. I bought some small things at Fuyuan Street. I’ll have Nanny Lu send them to you later…”

Zhou Shaojin quickly closed her mouth.

Fine!

Her flattery had backfired and exposed the truth!

But why had Uncle Chi arranged for Ji Ying to lead the rough-work matrons on night patrols?

Zhou Shaojin thought of the sword hanging on Ji Ying’s chamber wall and the scene when she first met Ji Ying.

Could Ji Ying know martial arts?

She looked at Ji Ying with brightened eyes, thinking she must find an opportunity to ask. She hadn’t yet met a woman who knew martial arts!

Zhou Shaojin’s little scheme couldn’t fool Madam Guo, but Madam Guo felt Zhou Shaojin’s approach was quite good.

Though maids and servants were subordinates, they were also one’s closest attendants. If even those closest to you maintained respectful distance or harbored resentment, how could you expect them to serve you with loyal dedication?

Though Zhou Shaojin’s nature was gentle, she also knew what to do and what not to do.

As long as she was clear-headed about important matters, tolerance in small things would actually make people feel she was pure-hearted and easy to get along with.

Back in the room, Madam Guo kept only Zhou Shaojin to talk.

She handed Zhou Shaojin a small sandalwood box, smiling, “I originally planned to give this to you after we returned, but as you know, I don’t know how many people will be watching me when I get back. So I’m giving you this thing in advance. Keep it well, and when you marry in the future, use it as part of your dowry—at least it adds another piece of jewelry.”

Normally in such situations, one would demur back and forth before reluctantly accepting, then look at what it was after returning to one’s room. But Madam Guo’s words made Zhou Shaojin suddenly think of the diamonds Madam Guo had bought at the jewelry shop today. She remembered the shop assistant quoting eight thousand taels of silver… Even after discounts, it was still a very large sum!

Zhou Shaojin said, “What are you giving me? If it’s diamonds, I cannot accept! You’ve already been too good to me. If I accept these things, I’ll feel terribly uneasy! I cannot take them.”

“Silly child.” Madam Guo smiled. “This is my gift to you. Just keep it. At my age, I just want someone to remember me. Later when you wear it, you’ll remember this was something I gave you. When your daughter marries or your son takes a wife and you take it out to reward someone, won’t you also think of me and tell them about me… Keep it! I always wanted to give birth to a daughter, but ended up with three sons instead. Fathers teach sons, mothers teach daughters. The first two sons from a young age were just like their father—so serious they couldn’t even crack a joke. Finally I had your Uncle Chi, and I thought, this son doesn’t need to maintain the family standing or manage the household—I’ll raise him myself! Who would have thought…” As she spoke, she suddenly stopped. Her eyes instantly reddened.

Zhou Shaojin quickly pulled out a handkerchief to wipe Madam Guo’s tears.

Madam Guo took the handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes, smiling. “Enough, let’s not speak of this. Just remember, what I give you, you keep well. Later if you think of my kindness, bring your children to burn incense for me and offer some paper money…” It sounded like final instructions.

Zhou Shaojin felt an inexplicable sourness in her heart. Tears streamed down her face as she said, “Nothing will happen to you. You’ll surely live to a hundred! Uncle Chi isn’t married yet. You still need to help him raise grandchildren!”

Seeing her cry so earnestly, Madam Guo’s eyes couldn’t help reddening again. She held her hand and sighed softly.

***

Taiyu had been built up by Cheng Chi single-handedly. The current head managers had all worked alongside Cheng Chi in the past. Though Cheng Chi had stopped managing affairs these past two years, handing Taiyu’s business over to Third Master Li of the Wei firm, his word still carried absolute authority—no one dared contradict him. He also never patronized pleasure houses, so the Ningbo branch people were naturally cautious and deferential before him, not daring to overstep. Thus the banquet proceeded properly and ended quickly.

Nanny Shang told him, “The old madam spoke with Second Cousin Miss about something. When Second Cousin Miss came out of the old madam’s room carrying a box, her eyes were swollen from crying.”

Cheng Chi smiled and said, “Most likely my mother rewarded her with one of the diamonds bought today.”

Nanny Shang was astonished and wanted to ask how Cheng Chi had guessed, but he had already stepped into the room. She could only swallow her words and instruct the young servants to help Cheng Chi change clothes.

Cheng Chi was absorbed in his own thoughts.

Mother had bought all seven diamonds of the finest quality. Certainly the three brothers would each receive one. Cheng Zheng, Cheng Xiao, and Cheng Sheng were married daughters, and Mother always felt that married daughters had hard lives, so she’d probably give them each one. The remaining one should have been bought for that girl Zhou Shaojin.

Mother liked Zhou Shaojin so much—should he have eldest brother adopt her as a goddaughter?

That way, after he left, she could keep Mother company. At least Mother wouldn’t be so heartbroken as to have no one to dote on at her knees…

Or perhaps keep Zhou Shaojin at the Cheng household to be filial to Mother. Though Mother valued eldest sister-in-law’s household management abilities, she always felt eldest sister-in-law placed too much importance on reputation and status, with a restless heart. Second sister-in-law was like a lump of dough—if not for the two families being old friends and second brother’s determination to marry her, Mother might not have agreed to the match, with the result that Cheng Rang also took after second sister-in-law’s temperament… Unfortunately, Zhou Shaojin was also gentle by nature. If she married Cheng Rang, it would be fine if nothing happened, but if something did, she probably couldn’t handle it…

His thoughts wandered chaotically. After washing up and lying in bed, he pushed all these trivial matters aside and carefully contemplated the matter of Xiao Zhenhai and Jiang Qin.

If he hadn’t guessed wrong, Xiao Zhenhai had come to find Jiang Qin about the dock at Beitang in Tianjin.

The Canal Gang had been wanting a shipyard these past years to build their own ship factory and escape his stranglehold.

If nothing unexpected happened, Jiang Qin would definitely agree to cooperate with Xiao Zhenhai.

Though the Xiao family was called the wealthiest family beyond the passes, how could they compare to the Canal Gang’s deep pockets? Jiang Qin had always been resourceful and strategic. When the time came, the Xiao family would either be dragged down by this bottomless pit or retreat beyond the passes with severely damaged vitality… The Xiao family’s hereditary martial arts were known for their domineering style. The men in the family were all tall and imposing—good candidates for estate guards… Should he take this opportunity to raid the Xiao family’s home base?

To be honest, he still hadn’t decided where to settle in the future!