Zhou Shaojin watched helplessly as Cheng Chi quietly departed with Huai Shan and the others. She couldn’t very well shout out loud, and just then Old Madam Guo was leading Madam Song and everyone in exchanging greetings. She cast several meaningful glances at Old Madam Guo, but the old lady didn’t notice. Growing increasingly anxious, Zhou Shaojin turned to chase after them, but Cheng Jia grabbed her arm and said miserably, “You’ve finally come back! You have no idea what kind of days I’ve endured these past few months while you were gone…”

Cheng Jia was the type of girl who would go on and on about having peach blossoms in her vase when the pear blossoms were blooming. Though she looked quite upset, Zhou Shaojin wasn’t worried. She replied perfunctorily, “Come to my room later and we’ll have a proper talk. Right now I have something…” But when she turned around, where was any trace of Cheng Chi and the others?

Zhou Shaojin grew extremely anxious, but Cheng Jia beside her suddenly began to cry silently while clutching her hand.

Cheng Jia could fly into a rage, could be furiously angry, could mock and ridicule coldly, but she had never before set aside her dignity and pride to weep in front of a crowd.

Zhou Shaojin was greatly startled.

She quickly pulled Cheng Jia aside and asked in a low voice, “What happened?”

Cheng Jia stopped her tears, took out her handkerchief to wipe her reddened eyes, and said quietly, “It’s nothing, I just felt emotional for a moment.” Then, without waiting for Zhou Shaojin to say anything, she turned and returned to Jiang Shi’s side, assuming a gentle and obedient appearance as she lightly supported her mother while listening to the elders exchange pleasant greetings with Madam Song.

Jiang Shi looked at her daughter with satisfaction and pushed Cheng Jia forward to Madam Song. “This is our girl. Among the five branches of the Cheng family, there are only four young ladies—not even one per household—so she’s been somewhat indulged. Fortunately, this child is obedient and hasn’t been spoiled. Her needlework is quite good, and she can understand account books and contracts.” She then instructed Cheng Jia, “Hurry and greet Madam Song properly.”

Cheng Jia obediently stepped forward to pay her respects.

Madam Song took a purse from the servant woman beside her to give as a reward.

Jiang Shi declined repeatedly.

Cheng Jia simply stood there with her head lowered, looking shy.

Finally Old Madam Guo said with a laugh, “This isn’t a proper place for conversation. Shall we all go sit in the Listening to Rain Pavilion?”

Everyone smiled and agreed, then surrounded Madam Song as they entered the flower hall.

Zhou Shaojin was utterly shocked.

Cheng Jia’s manner was clearly that of someone who had given up hope.

What on earth had happened during her absence from home?

Could Cheng Jia be treating her as a lifeline, while she herself had carelessly pushed her away without a second thought…

Zhou Shaojin pulled her sister aside and asked quietly, “Has something happened to Cousin Jia?”

Zhou Chujin glanced around, then said calmly in a low voice, “We’ll talk when we get back.”

Zhou Shaojin nodded. She sat through the socializing in the flower hall as if on pins and needles, finally waiting until Old Madam Guo announced that since Madam Song had been traveling by boat for many days and was quite tired, today’s welcome banquet would be postponed until tomorrow to let Madam Song rest properly for the night. The day after tomorrow they would take Madam Song to tour around Jinling City.

Only then did the various branches disperse.

Perhaps because of how Cheng Chi had left, Zhou Shaojin felt quite uncomfortable, and her joy at returning home had greatly diminished.

Upon returning to Jiashu Hall, she didn’t excitedly open her trunks and distribute the gifts she’d brought back from her travels to everyone as she’d imagined. After Old Madam Guan and Madam Mian pulled her by the hand to ask a few questions about what she’d seen and heard on the road, she showed signs of fatigue and said she felt very tired.

Old Madam Guan and Madam Mian immediately let her return to Wanxiang Residence to rest, saying, “Whatever it is, we can talk tomorrow. Today you should get a good night’s sleep.”

Zhou Shaojin didn’t stand on ceremony. She walked back to Wanxiang Residence arm in arm with her sister.

After several months, Snowball still remembered her.

Even before entering the door, Snowball came bounding toward her with excited barks.

Zhou Shaojin picked up Snowball.

Zhou Chujin quickly said, “Put it down, put it down—it was just running on the ground.”

The little maid who watched over Snowball said apologetically, “I was going to hold it and wait inside, but it suddenly jumped out of my arms and ran outside desperately. I couldn’t even catch up…”

“It’s fine, it’s fine.” Looking at this unfamiliar-faced little maid, Zhou Shaojin knew that Shi Xiang must have already married. She couldn’t help feeling somewhat melancholy. She handed Snowball to the little maid and asked her, “What’s your name?”

The little maid replied respectfully, “This servant is called Xue Tao. My parents are both at the Zhou family estate. Manager Ma sent me in.”

In other words, she was a hereditary servant of the Zhou family.

Zhou Shaojin smiled at her, instructed her to take good care of Snowball, rewarded her with two silver ingots, and then entered the room with her sister.

Zhou Chujin only had the kitchen prepare plain congee and a few small dishes for her, saying, “I heard that traveling by boat for a long time causes chest tightness and shortness of breath. I was afraid you’d be uncomfortable, so I specially had them make these light dishes. Tomorrow I’ll have the kitchen prepare things you like to eat.”

Zhou Shaojin nodded with a smile. While Chi Xiang was setting out the meal, she asked about Shi Xiang.

“Don’t worry!” Zhou Chujin said with a smile. “She wasn’t wronged. Besides the customary gift from the household, you and I gave rewards, and Father, Grandmother, and even Old Madam Guo all gave her gifts. On her wedding day, Ma Fushan’s wife personally went to see her off. Her husband’s family was quite nervous about it, so they certainly won’t mistreat her in the future. She also said that after you returned, she would bring her husband to kowtow to you.”

In her previous life, after Shi Xiang married, she never came back.

“That’s good then.” Zhou Shaojin felt relieved and had dinner with her sister.

Perhaps it was the familiar taste of home cooking, but she felt even the plain congee tasted better than anything she’d eaten while traveling. Zhou Chujin only ate half a bowl of congee, then simply watched her sister eat, occasionally helping her to dishes, which warmed Zhou Shaojin’s heart.

After dinner, the sisters went to the inner room to drink tea.

Reclining against the large welcoming pillow on the arhat bed, Zhou Shaojin asked about Cheng Jia.

Zhou Chujin sighed and said, “Not long after you all left, Duke Liangguo and the Duke’s heir returned from the capital. The Duke’s heir personally asked Lord Shen Qingyun to come propose marriage. Although Aunt Mian didn’t agree, she spread the news to raise Cousin Jia’s value.

“You may not know, but some time ago when we went to Pukou to arrange Cousin Gao’s betrothal, Madam He—Cousin Gao’s mother-in-law—had intended to betroth Cousin Jia to her own nephew. When this news got out, Madam He was so angry her lungs nearly burst. She said that the third branch had been in business so long they acted exactly like merchant families in everything they did. No wonder for several generations they could only study up to the level of provincial graduate and no further—it turned out they always wanted to take shortcuts in everything, even buying and selling reputation. She said finding such in-laws was worse than finding an illiterate farmer, because at least farmers are honest and dutiful, unlike Aunt Mian who was single-mindedly determined to climb up by stepping on others, yet still had the shamelessness not to think she’d done anything wrong…

“In short, she said some truly awful things! Everyone of any standing in Jinling City knows about it. Forget about anyone proposing marriage to Cousin Jia—for several府gatherings like flower-viewing parties and crab-tasting parties, Cousin Jia didn’t receive any invitations.

“Even some major Jiangnan merchants asked acquaintances to sound out Uncle Mian, wanting to marry Cousin Jia as their eldest daughter-in-law. Uncle Mian was so furious he cursed out the messenger, and in front of the servants he severely scolded Aunt Mian, saying he’d send her to the family temple for some quiet reflection.

“If Cousin Jia hadn’t pleaded for her, and if Old Madam Li hadn’t intervened on Aunt Mian’s behalf, when you returned you’d only be able to see Aunt Mian at the family temple.”

Zhou Shaojin had guessed something like this beforehand, but she hadn’t expected the He family’s reaction to be so intense, causing such a scene.

However, judging by Jiang Shi’s appearance today, she didn’t look like someone who’d been reprimanded.

She said with some worry, “Then won’t the third branch resent our branch as well? And Duke Liangguo’s household—I’m afraid they won’t let this matter rest either!”

“Exactly.” Zhou Chujin said bitterly, “We never imagined Madam He would be so angry, and that she’d say everything without leaving any face. Her temperament is far too strong! I wonder if Cousin Gao’s wife will have the same temperament as her mother.”

This might not necessarily be a bad thing!

In her previous life, Cousin Gao deeply respected his mother-in-law precisely because after the fourth branch fell on hard times, not only did Madam He not show Cousin Gao a cold face, she actually had her daughter take out her personal savings to help support the household, saying, “People are what matter—without people, what use is having lots of money?” She also did everything she could to help the fourth branch.

Zhou Shaojin quickly asked, “Does Grandmother think the same way about Cousin Gao’s wife?”

“Though she hasn’t said so, I imagine she must be somewhat worried?” Zhou Chujin said.

This incident hadn’t happened in her previous life, so He Fengping’s marriage had gone smoothly without any problems.

She couldn’t let He Fengping leave a bad impression on Grandmother.

Zhou Shaojin said, “Tomorrow when I go pay my respects to Grandmother, I’ll talk to her about it.”

“That’s good!” Zhou Chujin said. “Harmony at home brings prosperity to all. But we absolutely can’t let the third branch’s affairs disturb our peace as well.”

Zhou Shaojin then said, “So now Cousin Jia’s marriage has become a difficult matter, hasn’t it?”

“More than difficult,” Zhou Chujin said. “It’s become a laughingstock. Who in Jinling City isn’t saying that Aunt Mian is trying to sell her daughter?”

If it were herself in that position, she’d probably be even more heartbroken than Cheng Jia.

Zhou Shaojin said somewhat guiltily, “If I’d known it would turn out like this, I should have listened to what Cousin Jia wanted to tell me!”

“Now that you’re back,” Zhou Chujin consoled her, “you can go to Ruyi Hall anytime. There’s no rush. The third branch now feels that Cousin Jia’s situation is entirely caused by Madam He…”

Sister was afraid she’d be bullied by the third branch, wasn’t she?

Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, “I brought back many good things for everyone. When I deliver gifts to her, I’ll have a maid pass along a message—if they found me disagreeable when I went to the third branch before, surely it’s acceptable if she comes here instead?” At this point, she remembered the pair of red coral hairpins and hair ornaments. She jumped down from the arhat bed and said to Zhou Chujin, “Wait a moment!” Then she personally went to open the trunk, took out all the red coral jewelry, laid it out on the arhat bed, and asked her sister with a smile, “Aren’t they beautiful? These are for you, Grandmother, and Aunt. You pick one, and I’ll take the rest to Grandmother and Aunt.”