Cheng Chi smiled, shook his head, and went to make tea.

Old Madam Guo couldn’t help but laugh heartily.

Zhou Shaojin quickly followed him, saying, “Uncle Chi, let me do it instead!”

“You just sit.” Cheng Chi smiled as he poured Zhongling Spring water into the iron kettle. “If I don’t listen to her and make you all a pot of tea, my mother will find who knows what ways to torment me. You’d better not get involved.”

Zhou Shaojin had no choice but to sit down beside Old Madam Guo.

Cheng Chi’s tea-making differed from Zhou Shaojin’s. Not only was it clean, efficient, and elegant in manner, but it also possessed an indescribable dexterity and agility.

For a moment Zhou Shaojin watched somewhat mesmerized. If Cheng Chi hadn’t made a gesture inviting them to taste the tea, she would have continued staring at his hands without stopping.

Fortunately, the tea she had brewed didn’t differ much from Uncle Chi’s.

Zhou Shaojin breathed a long sigh of relief.

However, Old Madam Guo deliberately found fault, saying, “Shaojin’s tea is still better. Your tea is brewed too harshly.”

Cheng Chi laughed heartily, his bright eyes like stars in the night sky.

But somehow, Zhou Shaojin felt his smile was somewhat exaggerated, as if concealing something.

Could he be unhappy staying at Minister Shen’s residence?

Zhou Shaojin speculated. Biyu entered and reported, “Old Madam, Madam Song requests an audience.”

Cheng Chi rose to take his leave.

Old Madam Guo asked him gently, “Will you be staying at the Shen residence again tonight?”

Cheng Chi shook his head. “Elder Song will remain there. The Seventh Master of the Wei branch has passed away. With no one to manage the business operations of the Wei branch, they may call back the First Master who manages the money exchange. The business on the Yutai side will likely be affected. I need to hurry back to Jinling.”

Though he spoke of peril, Old Madam Guo wasn’t worried. She smiled and reminded her son, “Then come for the evening meal? I had them pickle goose feet. They should be ready to eat.”

Cheng Chi smiled his agreement and left the cabin.

Zhou Shaojin asked Old Madam Guo with some concern in a low voice, “Will Yutai be all right?”

“What could happen?” Old Madam Guo smiled. “It’s just a business venture. At worst we close it down and stop doing it. Your Uncle Chi can properly accompany me for two years and do things he enjoys.”

Zhou Shaojin hadn’t expected Old Madam Guo to be so enlightened. She couldn’t help saying, “But what if Uncle Chi is like Elder Song?”

“That’s nothing either.” Old Madam Guo smiled. “At the very least he has the title of successful examination candidate. He can make a living somehow.” As she spoke, she sighed and said to her with considerable earnestness, “Shaojin, at my age, my body has grown old. Nothing I eat tastes good. No matter what I wear, I can’t compare to those seventeen or eighteen-year-old young ladies. These things no longer hold any attraction for me. If there’s anything I can’t let go of, it’s the children. I both hope they can all be safe and sound, and hope they live well and happily. But the most difficult thing in this world is those two words: ‘happy.’ A colleague gets promoted but I’m not included—unhappy. A friend’s son passes the palace examination, but my son is still burning the midnight oil studying for the provincial examination—unhappy. Someone else’s family moved into a large new compound today, but I’m financially strapped and can only live in the old residence I’ve occupied for twenty years—unhappy…”

What Old Madam Guo said was absolutely right.

Zhou Shaojin nodded repeatedly.

Old Madam Guo smiled gently. “If your Uncle Chi is like Elder Song, not seeking official promotion or wealth, not seeking a worthy wife or filial sons, feeling happy in his heart as long as he can repair rivers and build dikes, why would I stop him? I’m his mother. I’ll die before him. I can manage him for a time, but can I manage him for a lifetime? Why should I make him unhappy his whole life because of me?”

“Old Madam, you’re truly wonderful!” Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration, her gaze toward Old Madam Guo full of respect.

Both Cheng Jing and Cheng Wei loved helping people, and Uncle Chi treated people very well too. They must have been influenced by Old Madam Guo.

How was it that Cheng Xu wasn’t like his father’s generation or grandfather’s generation?

She could only hope that after going to the capital he could learn some principles of conduct from Uncle Jing.

Zhou Shaojin shook her head inwardly.

Madam Song entered holding Song Sen’s hand, following a junior maid.

She had come to bid farewell to Old Madam Guo and Zhou Shaojin.

“Father-in-law says he and Minister Shen still have matters to handle. We’ll be staying in Zhenjiang for half a month.” She said with a face full of apology, “We’ve even borrowed a residence from Minister Shen’s relative. We won’t be heading north for the time being.”

This Elder Song truly gave people headaches, always coming up with new ideas on the spot.

Old Madam Guo said sympathetically, “We’ll be departing for Jinling in the next day or two. It only takes one day and night to travel by boat from Zhenjiang to Jinling. Why don’t you come with me to Jinling and stay as a guest for a few days?”

Madam Song was extremely moved upon hearing this. She could barely sit still and stood up ready to go back and discuss it with Elder Song.

Old Madam Guo smiled. “Don’t rush, don’t rush. Wait for me to write you a note. After you have it, sit down properly and taste the tea our Second Girl brewed. This water was drawn from the Zhongling Spring in the river water by Golden Mountain!”

“Oh my, this is really a thing!” Madam Song exclaimed in amazement. “Last time when I accompanied you to visit Golden Mountain Temple, I heard the guest prefect in the temple introduce it. I thought he was boasting. I never imagined I’d actually get to see it with my own eyes.” As she spoke, she walked over to look at the water in the small jar. “It does seem clearer than other water.”

Old Madam Guo smiled and had Zhou Shaojin brew a fresh pot of tea.

After Madam Song drank it, she praised it endlessly. As for exactly how good it was, she couldn’t articulate it, and everyone wasn’t sure whether she had actually tasted the difference. However, after returning to the capital she would at least have something to boast about.

As for Song Sen, young as he was, he said, “Sister Zhou’s tea tastes refreshingly fragrant—even clearer than the pre-Qingming Dragon Well tea Grandfather brewed a few days ago.”

Being able to perceive that sense of “clarity” showed he had grasped three-tenths of the essence.

Both Old Madam Guo and Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but look at this child with new respect.

After drinking tea and chatting with Old Madam Guo for a few sentences, Madam Song took Song Sen and departed.

Old Madam Guo had Zhou Shaojin go to the kitchen to check on tonight’s evening meal. “Your Uncle Chi doesn’t eat fish, so tell them not to serve fish.”

Zhou Shaojin smiled and went to the kitchen.

Nanny Lü said, “Shouldn’t we tell Second Young Miss about the Liao family matter?”

“What’s there to tell about that?” Old Madam Guo’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. “Madam Fang just wants someone from the Cheng family to give their First Master some guidance on examination essays when he participates in the spring examinations. Even if I didn’t agree, if she asked Madam Yuan, Madam Yuan would agree too. I’m merely going with the flow.”

But your word carries far more weight than Madam Yuan’s could!

This thought Nanny Lü could only bury in her heart. She became even more respectful toward Zhou Shaojin. When Nanny Zhong came the next day requesting to see Zhou Shaojin, she instructed a junior maid to inform Zhou Shaojin without waiting for Old Madam Guo’s signal.

Nanny Zhong saw this. After thinking it over, she still tucked the prepared purse into Nanny Lü’s hand and smiled, saying, “Our First Madam originally didn’t know Second Miss Zhou was also on the boat. Since we’ve encountered each other, we naturally must pay a special visit.” As she spoke, she pointed to the food box the servant woman behind her was carrying. “Look, First Madam had the kitchen prepare some food for me to deliver.”

These words were reasonable, and her actions were thoughtful and appropriate.

Nanny Lü smiled and made small talk with her. Only when Chun Wan, the maid attending Zhou Shaojin, came out with a smile did she take her leave.

For her sister’s sake, Zhou Shaojin wouldn’t neglect this Nanny Zhong.

She used pre-Qingming Dragon Well tea to receive Nanny Zhong.

Nanny Zhong was quite surprised and repeatedly praised the tea.

Chun Wan, however, deliberately championed Zhou Chujin’s cause, wanting to deflate this nanny’s arrogance somewhat. She smiled and said, “Yesterday when our Second Young Miss brewed tea for Old Madam and Fourth Master, both Old Madam and Fourth Master praised it endlessly. Our Second Young Miss thought that since you’re a respectable person attending First Madam Liao, she originally wanted to invite you to taste it too. Unfortunately, Madam Song came to take flower patterns and took away more than half of it. Later, after using the evening meal at Old Madam’s quarters, Old Madam and Fourth Master played chess while our Second Young Miss brewed tea, and they used up what remained…” Her face was full of regret.

However, Nanny Zhong knew these were merely polite words—the young lady was using this matter to put her in her place!

She looked at the calm-faced Zhou Shaojin and felt that this Second Miss Zhou wasn’t as soft and harmless as her outward appearance suggested. She was probably someone quite formidable too. This made it take her considerable effort to articulate her purpose clearly.

Zhou Shaojin’s heart pounded wildly.

Though a collateral branch of the Liao family had overshadowed the direct line, they stubbornly refused to split off as a separate clan. In her previous life, though her sister had only shared good news and concealed troubles from her, when she deliberately sought to know, how could her sister hide it from her?

In her previous life, her brother-in-law and sister had only come to know and accompany each other after many hardships.

If Madam Fang could do as she promised and let her sister go directly to live with her brother-in-law in the capital after marriage, how much tribulation would her sister be spared! Moreover, her sister and brother-in-law had been devoted to each other in the previous life. If in this life they could receive the blessing of their elders, wouldn’t that be even more perfect?

Before Nanny Zhong finished speaking, Zhou Shaojin had already decided in her heart to petition Old Madam Guo on behalf of her brother-in-law Liao Shaotang.

In her previous life, her brother-in-law had done so much for her, yet she had never repaid him. If in this life she could do something for him, even if it meant climbing mountains of knives or descending into seas of fire, she would find a way to accomplish it.

However, she also knew that her sister’s mother-in-law Madam Fang was a formidable person. If she agreed too readily, Madam Fang might think she was easy to manipulate.

She waited for Nanny Zhong to finish speaking. Then, imitating Old Madam Guo’s manner, she held her tea cup and gently brushed the floating leaves on the water’s surface with the lid for a long while. She lightly sipped, set down the cup, dabbed the corners of her lips with a handkerchief, and only then said unhurriedly, “I understand what you’ve said, Nanny. However, this is a major matter—not something a young unmarried girl like me can decide. I should first return and consult my sister, then consult my father before giving First Madam a reply. Would that be acceptable?”

Nanny Zhong, watching Zhou Shaojin drink her tea, became even more convinced that Zhou Shaojin was no ordinary young lady. Zhou Shaojin’s words made her feel that it wasn’t that Zhou Shaojin couldn’t accomplish this matter, but that she needed her family’s opinion before deciding whether to do it. Combined with Nanny Lü’s earlier behavior, her heart sank, and when facing Zhou Shaojin she added a measure of trepidation.

She lowered her eyes submissively, just as she did before Madam Fang, and said softly, “This servant is merely a messenger. How could I deserve such words from Miss? I’ll relay what you’ve said to our First Madam.”

Zhou Shaojin felt quite satisfied.

In her previous life, she had endured no small amount of being stared at by this Nanny Zhong’s cold gaze.

She became even more composed and serene, having Chun Wan see the guest out.