Zhou Shaojin’s face immediately flushed crimson.

How did Uncle Chi get here?

Wasn’t he inside studying a game of chess?

Zhou Shaojin quickly used her skirt to cover her feet. Not daring to put on her shoes, she walked barefoot toward Cheng Chi just like that.

Cheng Chi was attentive. Seeing snail shells washed up by the tide at the edge of the embankment, he smiled and said, “Don’t come over—there are snail shells here. Be careful not to cut your feet.”

Uncle Chi must have seen her running around barefoot on the beach…

Zhou Shaojin’s face grew even redder. She stood there at a loss, not knowing whether to go left or right.

Cheng Chi had no intention of making things difficult for her. After thinking for a moment, he walked down from the embankment and said, “My mother is talking with Madam Song. That Madam Song talks far too much—asking about this and that. I simply came out for a walk. I didn’t expect that while walking, I’d end up here.” He asked Zhou Shaojin, “Is it fun here?”

“Mm!” Zhou Shaojin nodded shyly.

Both their gazes unconsciously looked into the distance.

The residual force of the Qiantang tidal bore remained. White-capped waves rolled across the river surface wave after wave, like playful children swimming freely in the water. The river water surged and retreated, constantly lapping at the beach.

Ji Ying and Chun Wan chased the waves on the beach, while Bitao and the others continued building walls with sand, playing tirelessly.

Cheng Chi said, “The water of the Qiantang River is quite turbid, unlike seawater. Next time if there’s an opportunity, I’ll take you to the North Sea in Fujian. The sand on the beaches there is white—when the sun shines on the beach, it sparkles like silver, very beautiful. The beaches near Linyu are golden—when the sun shines on the beach, it glitters like gold. People of that time all called it ‘Golden Bay’… Weizhou Island in Guangxi is different again. The beaches there are all rocky—sheer cliffs and precipices, strange jagged rocks. From time to time, birds fly over your head, waterfowl swim past you. It’s desolate, yet inexplicably makes you feel a surging vitality… The water and sky merge as one, the vista magnificent…” As he spoke, his voice gradually grew quieter, his gaze becoming distant, as if he had immersed himself in the beautiful scenery of Weizhou Island.

Zhou Shaojin was filled with envy. She gazed at Cheng Chi with wide eyes and couldn’t help but say softly, “Uncle Chi has been to so many places!”

If only she could be like Uncle Chi—how wonderful that would be!

Zhou Shaojin’s envious voice brought Cheng Chi back from his memories.

He looked at her unconcealed gaze and couldn’t help but smile wryly, saying, “You’re still young. In the future, you’ll also go to many places. No need to envy me.”

Zhou Shaojin said, “Even if I go to many more places, I could never see as many beautiful landscapes as Uncle Chi.” As she spoke, she smiled with pursed lips and said contentedly, “This time, being able to follow Old Madam to Mount Putuo to offer incense, being able to follow Uncle Chi to witness the Qiantang River’s tidal bore—my life is complete. I have no more regrets.”

Her voice was very sincere, allowing one to sense the earnestness of her words.

Cheng Chi suddenly felt this young girl Zhou Shaojin was quite pitiful.

Her birth mother had passed away while she was still in swaddling clothes. She followed her stepsister to live with her maternal grandmother, who had no blood relation to her. Like a shadow, she had lived silently and invisibly in the Fourth Branch until she was twelve years old. By chance, his mother had encountered her and asked her to help copy sutras. Even though she so disliked Cheng Jiashan, she still had to patiently go to Hanbi Mountain Lodge every day. Even when being pursued by Cheng Jiashan, she didn’t dare loudly rebuke him, but instead fled like a panicked fawn, preferring to seek help from strangers rather than risk the Cheng family elders knowing and favoring Cheng Jiashan, leaving her with a reputation for “not knowing how to value herself”… In her twelve years at the Cheng household, how many such grievances had she endured? How many such humiliations had she suffered?

For the first time, Cheng Chi examined this young girl before him so carefully.

Besides a delicate, flawless face, she also had legs more slender than most girls. Though she was of medium height, this made her appear quite tall.

No wonder she walked with such lightness.

When she grew a bit older, she would probably become even more beautiful.

Cheng Chi smiled slightly.

If not for fortuitous circumstances—her encountering his mother—he might never have known throughout his entire life that in some corner of the Cheng household there was such a young girl. Though very timid, with a gentle nature and not particularly clever, she was also cheerful and lively, occasionally showing a little girl’s slyness. Like a small cat—normally when looking at you, she only knew how to “meow” and please you, but if she acted coquettishly, she would extend her claws to scratch you a couple of times. If you lost your temper and put on a stern face, she would scamper away in a flash, hiding behind the door to observe you. When you weren’t angry anymore, she would cautiously run over to crouch before you, tilting her head and watching you motionlessly until you showed a smile…

He couldn’t help but laugh.

Zhou Shaojin thought Cheng Chi was laughing at her for being too inexperienced. Embarrassed until even her ears turned red, she murmured, “I, I really do feel that being able to go to Mount Putuo, being able to come to the Qiantang River is already very good. Many people like me never leave Jinling City their entire lives!”

Cheng Chi’s gaze sharpened slightly.

He thought of Lin Shisheng in the capital.

He had heard that with his father-in-law’s covert support, Lin had obtained an actual position as Centurion in the Dragon Cavalry Guard.

Did Zhou Shaojin have any connection to this person?

He suddenly felt his interest waning.

“I’ll head back first!” Cheng Chi smiled. “You all play for a while longer, then return as well. It’s getting late—the river water is quite cold at night. Be careful not to catch a chill. We’ll be departing for Suzhou in a couple of days. Getting sick would be very unpleasant.”

Zhou Shaojin nodded repeatedly, saying, “We’ll go back right away!” But her heart felt somewhat anxious.

She hadn’t said anything—why had Uncle Chi suddenly become unhappy?

Should she apologize to Uncle Chi?

The problem was, even if she wanted to apologize, she didn’t know what she had done wrong or how to make amends!

Zhou Shaojin pressed her lips together. When she looked up again, she discovered Cheng Chi was already striding toward the embankment, already more than a zhang away from her.

Better forget it!

Zhou Shaojin hesitated, thinking she’d find another opportunity to ask Uncle Chi about it.

As she pondered, her shoulder was suddenly patted.

Zhou Shaojin jumped in fright. Behind her came Ji Ying’s voice. “What did Fourth Master come over for? I’m most afraid of his lectures. Seeing him talking with you, I pretended not to see him and didn’t come over…”

“Couldn’t you call out to me first?” Zhou Shaojin clutched her chest, still startled, and said reproachfully, “Scaring people—you could scare someone to death!”

“Alright, alright, it’s my fault,” Ji Ying apologized without much sincerity. “What did Fourth Master say to you? When he left, his expression didn’t look too good.”

Ji Ying had also noticed Uncle Chi was in a bad mood. So it wasn’t just her imagination.

When she had said she had no regrets in life being able to follow Old Madam Guo to Mount Putuo to offer incense and follow him to watch the tidal bore at the Qiantang River, he had smiled at her. But when she said it a second time, he had turned cold… Why exactly?

Zhou Shaojin felt her head was about to explode. Yet Ji Ying kept pressing her unhappily, “What did Fourth Master say? Why are you standing there dazed like you’ve seen a ghost?”

“You’re the one who’s seen a ghost!” Zhou Shaojin retorted irritably.

Who knew Ji Ying would laugh twice and say, “What’s the difference between encountering Fourth Master and running into a ghost? Am I wrong?”

Zhou Shaojin didn’t even have the energy to speak anymore. She said listlessly, “Uncle Chi told us to return early, saying if it gets later the river water will be too cold and we’ll catch a chill. When that happens, getting sick and suffering will only be our own problem.”

“I knew he would threaten us like this!” Ji Ying muttered, but still followed Cheng Chi’s suggestion, calling to Chun Wan and the others, “Let’s go back! It’s getting late.”

Chun Wan and the others reluctantly put on their shoes and socks. Each one of them damp all over, they returned to the Zong family villa.

The servant women busily heated water for them to wash.

After Zhou Shaojin and the others had freshened up and redressed, they went to the main hall to pay their respects to Old Madam Guo.

Old Madam Guo was still talking with Madam Song, but it was evident that Old Madam Guo’s eyes already showed barely perceptible perfunctoriness, while Madam Song was speaking with great animation, in full swing.

Only then did Zhou Shaojin understand why Cheng Chi had gone to the riverside.

She quickly said, “I’ll go draw a pattern for Madam right away. Would Madam like to watch from the side? If there’s a particular design you especially like, I can try to incorporate it.”

Madam Song was very interested.

Old Madam Guo’s brow furrowed slightly. She was about to speak to stop this.

But Zhou Shaojin gently shook her head at Old Madam Guo and smiled as she invited Madam Song to the reception hall.

Rather than have Madam Song bother Old Madam Guo, it was better to let her prattle on to herself.

By the time Song Min and the others returned from Xiaoshan, it was already lamplight time. Zhou Shaojin and the others had already eaten their evening meal. Madam Song had also obtained brand new patterns.

Song Min naturally thanked them profusely.

Cheng Chi came forward to handle the social niceties, keeping Song Min and Huang Yijun for dinner and inviting them to stay the night. “…At this hour, returning to the city, the city gates will already be closed. Moreover, young master is exhausted. The few inns outside the city gates are mostly for traveling merchants who missed their lodging or porters seeking cheap accommodation. Though elder sir might make do, Madam Song cannot. Please don’t stand on ceremony with me.”

Song Min also had a forthright temperament. He agreed readily and said, “When you come to the capital someday, remember to find me. I’ll treat you to drinks at the capital’s best restaurant.”

Cheng Chi laughed heartily and said, “Does your venerable self know which is the capital’s best restaurant? Where it is? How to get there?”

Song Min said quite candidly, “I don’t know, but surely my son’s carriage driver knows? In any case, you won’t miss out on your drinks!”

Cheng Chi laughed again and instructed Qin Ziping to fetch burning knife liquor. “I’m not accustomed to drinking that Jinhua wine. I wonder if elder sir can drink it?”

Song Min smiled and said, “Though Lian Po is old, can he still eat?”

“Excellent!” Cheng Chi smiled. “Today we’ll drink that burning knife liquor.”

Huang Yijun’s expression stiffened slightly.

Song Min simply sent him away. “Take Fifth Brother to his mother. He’s been running around with us all day—he must be tired.”

Huang Yijun breathed a sigh of relief. After Song Sen paid his respects to Song Min and Cheng Chi, he withdrew.

Cheng Chi poured a bowl of wine for Song Min.

Song Min smelled it, closed his eyes in rapture, and said, “It’s been so many years since I’ve drunk such fine wine. How did you think of staying at Old Master Zong’s villa? Had I known, I should have asked to borrow his villa too. Perhaps we would have met even earlier.”

Cheng Chi smiled. “Then how did elder sir find this place?”

Song Min paused.

Then the two men looked at each other and smiled.

In unison, they said, “The River Chart and Luo Script!”