When Old Madam Guo criticized Cheng Jing and Yuan Shi, how could Nanny Lü dare say much?

She pretended not to have heard and asked with a smile, “Then shall tonight’s New Year’s Eve dinner still be set up in the main hall?”

According to the Cheng family’s rules, on Little New Year each branch held their reunion dinner in their own quarters, while on New Year’s Eve everyone ate the reunion dinner together at Listening to Rain Pavilion. The New Year’s Eve dinner Nanny Lü mentioned referred to the Little New Year’s Eve dinner.

Old Madam Guo wouldn’t let the topic drop and said, “Here it’s just Fourth Son and me for New Year’s, so we can set it up anywhere. As for the eldest madam’s side, send someone to tell her that since affairs in the capital are so numerous and the eldest master is counting on her help to manage them, she should just stay in the capital. As for each family’s New Year’s gifts, we’ll also trouble her to take extra care and send them all together! We’ll just manage the few old relatives here in Jinling City ourselves.”

Nanny Lü respectfully agreed and waited for Old Madam Guo to continue. Who knew that Old Madam Guo would pick up her tea cup and take a sip, saying, “I heard that after spring begins, Madam Zhou will be coming from Baoding? Go find out when she’ll arrive. When the time comes, we’ll certainly need to invite Madam Zhou over for a simple meal.”

Madam Zhou?

After thinking for a moment, Nanny Lü realized that the person Old Madam was referring to was Zhou Shaojin’s stepmother, Li Shi.

This was truly rare honor indeed!

Even when people from Second Madam Hong Shi’s maternal family came, Old Madam had never received them in this manner.

She couldn’t help but perk up and responded with a smile, “Alright.”

Old Madam Guo put down her tea cup and said, “Then go busy yourself! If there’s nothing important, you don’t need to come report to me. It’s always the same few matters anyway when you do.”

Nanny Lü had no choice but to withdraw.

Conveying the message to Madam Yuan was easy enough, but Old Madam hadn’t mentioned a single word about the silver for the New Year’s gifts.

Should it come from the public funds, or was she deliberately making things difficult for Madam Yuan by having her figure it out herself… If she misunderstood this, she wouldn’t be doing well by either side!

This was truly like immortals fighting while little devils suffered!

She was practically worried to the point of turning white-haired.

On Zhou Shaojin’s side, she was happily helping Old Madam Guan tidy up the room—Cheng Yi would be returning tomorrow.

After reading with Old Master He for some time, according to Old Madam Guan, he had “matured considerably.”

Zhou Shaojin was very doubtful.

In her previous life, the fourth branch had faced such hardships, yet Cheng Yi had remained quite optimistic. In this life, when nothing had happened yet, how could he have “matured”!

However, she was still very happy that Cheng Yi could return.

The household would certainly be livelier.

Si’er came over to ask Old Madam Guan for instructions, “Do you think we should hang this multicolored brocade curtain or that blue fine cloth curtain?”

Old Madam Guan smiled and said, “You’ll have to ask Shaojin about this. Young people have different tastes from us. Otherwise, when Brother Yi returns and isn’t satisfied, he’ll complain about it in private.”

Zhou Shaojin joked with Old Madam, saying reproachfully, “I see you want to push this responsibility onto me. If Cousin Yi comes back and isn’t satisfied with how the room is arranged, you can conveniently push me out and say I helped arrange it.”

“Exactly,” Old Madam Guan chuckled. “You’d better be careful, or Brother Yi will scold you.”

Zhou Shaojin smiled with pursed lips and instructed Si’er, “Hang the multicolored brocade curtain then. It’s the New Year after all, so it should be more festive.”

Si’er withdrew with a smile.

A junior maid came running in and reported with a smile, “Old Madam, Second Young Miss, people from the Liao family in Zhenjiang have come to deliver New Year’s gifts. Accompanying them is their head steward, saying they want to set the eldest young miss’s wedding date before the New Year. The accompanying nanny has already entered the main courtyard and is paying respects to the old madams, madams, and young madams of each branch!”

Old Madam Guan calculated the days and said, “They’ve come quite early today. We haven’t even drunk the Laba porridge yet!” Then she said to Zhou Shaojin, “You go back first and change your clothes. Come along later to meet the Liao family’s nanny and see if they have anything else to say.”

Old Madam Guan had sent people to re-match the birth characters for several dates the Liao family had considered. They were all said to be good days. Old Madam Guan had written to Zhou Zhen about these results. Zhou Zhen had written back saying that everything was up to Old Madam Guan to decide. So Old Madam Guan had chosen the ninth day of the third month.

In Zhou Shaojin’s memory, in her previous life, Old Madam Guan had also chosen this date.

It was said to be because she feared being too close to the autumn examination date and worried that Liao Shaotang, as a newlywed, might be distracted.

But for some reason, the Liao family had favored the eighteenth day of the fifth month instead.

In the end, after much discussion, both families compromised and set Zhou Shaojin’s wedding date for the twenty-fourth day of the fourth month.

Later, when Liao Shaotang failed the examination, the Liao family felt they should have let Liao Shaotang marry after the autumn examination. Old Madam Guan didn’t back down and said, “I said from the beginning it should be set on the ninth day of the third month. That was a date our Cheng family specifically had a Taoist priest from Longhu Mountain examine. You were the ones who insisted on setting the wedding date on the twenty-fourth day of the fourth month. What do you mean by saying these things now?” This finally suppressed the Liao family’s people.

At the time, she had thought it was normal, but looking at it now, the Liao family hadn’t been sincere enough.

She didn’t know if in this life the Liao family would still choose the eighteenth day of the fifth month.

Zhou Shaojin was somewhat distracted as she changed into a brand new peach-pink cotton vest with green trim and wore the South Sea pearl hairpin that Cheng Chi had given her last time before going to Old Madam Guan’s room.

Old Madam Guan had just finished washing up and was having Ni’er insert her hairpins.

Nanny Wang, who was attending on the side, quickly invited Zhou Shaojin to sit down with a smile, her expression very affectionate and loving, looking at her as if she were looking at her own granddaughter.

Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but secretly marvel.

Nanny Wang was proper in her conduct and therefore rather rigid. To show such emotional expression was the first time she had seen it.

Could it be because Cousin Yi was coming back?

Zhou Shaojin speculated.

Before long, the women from the Liao family arrived.

Two women came—one was Nanny Zhong, and the other was a woman about the same age as Nanny Zhong. She looked like a submissive and honest sort who barely dared to speak. Any discerning person could see that Nanny Zhong would take the lead in dealing with the Cheng family.

The two stepped forward to pay their respects to Old Madam Guan and Zhou Shaojin. After mutual inquiries about the elders in each family, Nanny Zhong sent the accompanying nanny out, “…Go fetch that box of donkey-hide gelatin that Madam specially instructed to be brought for Old Madam when we came.”

That nanny murmured her agreement and withdrew.

Nanny Zhong then smiled apologetically, “There’s no help for it. The household has been turning upside down these days preparing for the young master’s wedding, and on top of that, it’s New Year’s. So I had no choice but to bring her along. If there are any improprieties, please forgive us, Old Madam and Second Miss!”

When elders were present, Zhou Shaojin never spoke much.

Old Madam Guan, however, could see that this Nanny Zhong had come with a purpose. After exchanging a few pleasantries with her, the two tacitly entered into the main topic.

“Our madam said that since Old Madam has had someone examine the dates and the ninth day of the third month is best, then the wedding date should be set for the ninth day of the third month. In a moment, our head steward will settle the wedding date with the matchmaker based on this date.”

Old Madam Guan was very satisfied.

Zhou Shaojin was somewhat surprised.

It seemed that in her previous life, some things she didn’t know about had happened.

She listened silently and saw Nanny Zhong glance at her before mentioning that Fang Shi had used her own dowry to buy a small courtyard with two entrances in the capital for Liao Shaotang, saying, “Our madam said this is specifically for the young master. When our madam passes away in the future and the dowry is divided equally, the young master will have his share too. Moreover, the furniture, furnishings, maids, and coachmen in the capital residence are all fully equipped. As soon as the young master marries, he can take his family to the capital to study.”

The Liao family of Zhenjiang was a large household. In terms of population, all five branches of the Cheng family at Jiuruxiang combined didn’t match even one branch of theirs. To be able to live separately with her husband after marriage, without those trivial matters to disturb them, the couple’s affection would surely grow by leaps and bounds.

Old Madam Guan was overjoyed.

Zhou Shaojin understood perfectly well.

This must be the condition Fang Shi had proposed.

As long as she could get her brother-in-law to receive guidance from Cheng Jing or Cheng Wei, her sister would receive the protection of Fang Shi as her mother-in-law.

Zhou Shaojin smiled and nodded at her.

Nanny Zhong, being perceptive, said no more and instead described in detail how many guests the Liao family planned to invite for Zhou Shaojin’s wedding, how many tables of food would be prepared, how much monthly allowance Liao Shaotang would have after marriage, and so on.

Old Madam Guan became happier and happier as she listened. When Nanny Zhong finally rose to take her leave, she even stood up to see her off part of the way.

Nanny Zhong repeatedly said, “I wouldn’t dare.”

Zhou Shaojin smiled and volunteered to see Nanny Zhong out on behalf of Old Madam Guan.

Seeing no one around, Nanny Zhong quickly smiled and said, “If Second Miss has any other concerns, please speak freely. I’ll take the message to our madam right away.”

Zhou Shaojin conveyed Zhou Chujin’s meaning.

Of course, she didn’t say this was her sister’s idea, only that it was the result of discussion with her father.

Nanny Zhong was somewhat disappointed but also felt that Zhou Shaojin’s words made sense.

Some favors diminished the more they were used.

She thanked her with a smile and, accompanied by Nanny Wang, went to the fifth branch to pay respects to Madam Wen.

Zhou Shaojin had thought that her sister’s wedding date would still have some twists and turns as in her previous life.

Who knew that after Laba Festival, formal news came from the Liao family that Zhou Chujin and Liao Shaotang’s wedding date was set for the ninth day of the third month.

Zhou Shaojin was initially delighted, but then thinking that her brother-in-law would fail the autumn examination next year, she broke out in a cold sweat.

If her brother-in-law didn’t pass the provincial examination like in her previous life, wouldn’t the Liao family push the blame onto her sister! And Grandmother wouldn’t have any excuse to defend her sister.

Should she suggest to the Liao family to set the wedding date in May instead?

But that would still be the Cheng family’s idea. If the Liao family wanted to make things difficult for her sister, they would have no recourse either!

As Zhou Shaojin walked along, she found herself at Cold Jade Mountain House.

Biyu and the others were dusting. They quickly invited Zhou Shaojin to sit inside, “Be careful of the dust getting on you.”

Zhou Shaojin smiled weakly.

Qingfeng walked in from outside with a stern face, “Second Young Miss, are you looking for Fourth Master? Fourth Master is doing accounts in his room! Fourth Master said that when he’s doing accounts, no one is allowed to disturb him—even Uncle Huaishan is now attending him outside the room!”

“Oh!” Zhou Shaojin responded.

She hadn’t been planning to look for Uncle Chi anyway.

She couldn’t explain this kind of matter clearly to Uncle Chi. In just a few exchanges, Uncle Chi might see through everything. Going to talk to Uncle Chi about it—wouldn’t that be asking for trouble?

Besides, when Uncle Chi was doing accounts, she shouldn’t disturb him in the first place. Last time, she didn’t know and had accidentally barged in…

Zhou Shaojin stood in the courtyard of Cold Jade Mountain House watching Biyu and the others dust for a while, then rose to take her leave.

Biyu said curiously, “What did Second Young Miss come here for?”

Since Cheng Chi had moved to Cold Jade Mountain House, no additional staff had been added there. Everyone was busy running around, and no one paid attention to Biyu’s question.