Cheng Chi naturally hadn’t thought about Zhou Shaojin at all.

Since his mother had sent someone to summon Zhou Shaojin, it would be inappropriate for him to keep her any longer.

He said to Zhou Shaojin, “Can you fix your clothing and appearance yourself? Should I have Nan Ping come help you?”

Zhou Shaojin’s face flushed red.

She had just been crying and making a fuss, so her clothing and appearance were surely disheveled by now. If she went out like this and those servants and attendants saw her, wouldn’t they point and gossip about her?

“I can manage on my own!” Zhou Shaojin said hurriedly.

Cheng Chi breathed a sigh of relief.

The fewer people who knew about Zhou Shaojin’s situation, the better.

He patted her head as if coaxing a small child and said gently, “An ordinary man is not guilty, but possessing a jade makes him guilty. What you told me today is best kept from everyone. If anyone asks, just say you lost at chess and were scolded by me a few times, so you felt upset. There are all kinds of people in this world, and with your extraordinary experience, if you’re targeted by someone with ulterior motives, being used would be the least of your worries. What’s truly frightening is if someone narrow-minded wants you all to himself and locks you away where we can’t find you. That would be real trouble.”

The matter of her rebirth weighed on Zhou Shaojin’s chest like a huge stone. She was terrified of being discovered and treated as a monster, but she hadn’t expected that in Uncle Chi’s eyes, her experience could rival the He Shi Bi jade disc.

Zhou Shaojin suddenly felt her circumstances weren’t so terrible after all.

She nodded repeatedly, “I won’t tell anyone.”

Seeing her looking as if she didn’t fully grasp the seriousness, Cheng Chi still felt uneasy and continued to frighten her, “If you get captured because of this, I won’t care about you anymore. Understand?”

Zhou Shaojin’s face burned hot.

Uncle Chi really was treating her like a child.

However, being treated like a child this way… actually felt quite good.

She quickly promised, “Besides Uncle Chi, I definitely won’t tell anyone.”

Only then did Cheng Chi feel somewhat reassured. He pointed to the inner room and said, “Go tidy your appearance. We’ll go to the Old Madam’s place right away.”

Zhou Shaojin entered the inner room with some curiosity.

The inner room was a small resting chamber. Against the wall was a small lacquered bed with white fine cloth curtains hanging from it. By the window stood a large desk with not only the four treasures of the study but also a potted clivia in a Xianyang bowl. The curio shelf held either books or various scrolls of different sizes.

She wondered whether those scrolls contained paintings or the maps Uncle Chi had mentioned on the boat.

Zhou Shaojin very much wanted to open them and look.

She glanced back toward the outer room and happened to see the corner of Cheng Chi’s blue-gray plain Hangzhou silk robe.

Zhou Shaojin sighed in disappointment.

Turning back, she saw the mirror stand by the bed.

The mirror stand was made of rosewood. In the center was mounted a Western mirror the size of a round fan, reflecting every detail clearly.

Zhou Shaojin pouted.

Uncle Chi was so extravagant.

The mirror stand actually had a Western mirror mounted on it.

She stood before the Western mirror, examining her face from left to right.

Her skin was smooth as jade, without any pimples or scars, though her eyes were red and slightly swollen.

Zhou Shaojin smiled bashfully at herself, rearranged her appearance in the mirror, and emerged from the inner room.

Cheng Chi had somehow changed into a bamboo-green fine cloth Daoist robe with wide sleeves and a flowing form, giving him quite an air of transcendent elegance.

Zhou Shaojin said softly, “Uncle Chi, did you really offer the first incense at Longhu Mountain that year? Doesn’t that mean you didn’t spend New Year’s at home?”

“Indeed!” Cheng Chi smiled nonchalantly. “Didn’t you say you hardly saw me before? I’m constantly traveling around outside.” As he spoke, he pushed open the study door.

Zhou Shaojin hurried to follow.

Nanny Shang and Biyu were both waiting outside.

Biyu was fine—she had merely come at the Old Madam’s command to summon Zhou Shaojin. But Nanny Shang had vaguely heard some commotion. Seeing Zhou Shaojin emerge whole and intact with a smile on her face, she couldn’t help but breathe a long sigh of relief.

As Cheng Chi followed Biyu toward the main hall, he asked her, “What is the Old Madam doing?”

Biyu smiled, “The Old Madam is taking inventory of her old jewelry! She says there are some pieces even she herself doesn’t remember. Since the weather has been good these past few days, she’s taking them out to look at.”

Zhou Shaojin was speechless.

Other people aired books and clothes, but the Old Madam aired jewelry…

Cheng Chi had apparently thought the same thing. He said, “I remember the temple airs scriptures—what month is that? You might as well accompany the Old Madam out for a walk.”

Biyu smiled, “Books are aired on the sixth day of the sixth month. That’s still quite early.”

Seeing her speak steadily and neither humbly nor arrogantly, Cheng Chi gave her an additional glance.

Biyu quickly lowered her head respectfully.

A flash of satisfaction crossed Cheng Chi’s face as he entered the main hall where Old Madam Guo lived.

Old Madam Guo was indeed airing jewelry.

The arhat bed by the window, the windowsill, the tea table, and the grand armchairs were all covered with various jewelry boxes, with some even piled on the floor. The room was filled with lustrous pearls and precious stones, resplendent with gold and jade.

Seeing Zhou Shaojin and Cheng Chi enter, Old Madam Guo beckoned to them with a smile, “You’ve come at just the right time. Help me look and see which pieces of jewelry are attractive and which aren’t.”

Zhou Shaojin asked curiously, “Are you having new jewelry made?”

Old Madam Guo smiled, “First I’ll pick out the unattractive and outdated pieces to set aside. I haven’t decided yet whether to give them away as rewards or have them remade!”

Zhou Shaojin saw an open box nearby containing a pure gold long hairpin with a peach design symbolizing longevity. She asked, “You don’t want this one either?”

“Don’t want it,” Old Madam Guo said. “It’s a style from decades ago. Aside from the gold being of good quality, both the workmanship and design are outdated.”

Zhou Shaojin saw that the hairpin was finely carved, with the few leaves accompanying the peach showing clear veining, very lifelike. She felt it was rather a pity and picked it up to examine it.

These years, gold-inlaid jade and filigree work were popular. That hairpin was solid, heavy to wear, and indeed outdated.

Old Madam Guo smiled, “Do you like it very much?”

Zhou Shaojin quickly said, “I don’t really like this kind of heavy jewelry.”

She had personally experienced Old Madam Guo’s generosity and feared the Old Madam might impulsively give her this hairpin as a gift.

Old Madam Guo nodded, “You young ladies indeed don’t much care for this type of jewelry.” After thinking, she instructed Manao, “Go find my ‘Moon Over the Western Tower’ fenxin hairpin and give it to Second Cousin Miss.”

Zhou Shaojin was greatly startled. She wanted to refuse but feared Old Madam Guo only meant to show it to her and that she was being presumptuous. She could only smile and say, “Is it one of your treasured pieces?”

“Treasured is too strong a word,” Old Madam Guo said. “Though it’s also an old piece from years ago, it came from the palace. I haven’t seen a second one like it in all these years.”

As she spoke, Manao entered carrying a red lacquered box with gold-painted roses.

Old Madam Guo opened the box and said to Zhou Shaojin, “Look!”

Zhou Shaojin was greatly amazed.

The Moon Over the Western Tower fenxin hairpin was crafted from pure gold, weighing at least twelve or thirteen taels. The center of the hairpin featured palace buildings layered one upon another like jade towers and pavilions. Behind the palaces was a half-moon. On the left was a cassia tree with a small rabbit crouched beneath it. The rabbit need not be mentioned—its expression was lifelike, as if real. But the cassia tree’s leaves were thin as foil paper, hanging piece by piece from the branches. With the slightest movement, the leaves rustled, radiating brilliant light—exquisitely beautiful beyond compare.

“It’s truly beautiful!” she praised.

Old Madam Guo pressed the box into her hands, saying, “Since you find it beautiful, take it and enjoy it!”

“How can I accept this!” Zhou Shaojin said. “I’ve just arrived and I’m taking what you love…”

“This isn’t particularly special to me,” Old Madam Guo smiled. “Only you young ladies like these things.” Then she added, “Don’t be polite with me. I have even better things that I’m keeping to bring out only when I’m about to close my eyes, so you young girls will all think of them. When you hear I’m not doing well, you’ll come rushing back preparing to divide up my things.”

Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but laugh and accepted the Moon Over the Western Tower fenxin hairpin.

Cheng Chi then said, “Mother, could you give me a place to sit?”

Zhenzhu and the others hurried in to tidy things up.

But Old Madam Guo waved her hand, “Better that I move elsewhere. If you tidy up, I won’t remember where everything was put.”

Zhou Shaojin lightly supported Old Madam Guo as they went to the adjacent sitting room.

Old Madam Guo asked Zhou Shaojin, “How did you come over?”

Zhou Shaojin answered as Cheng Chi had instructed, “I came to play chess with Uncle Chi.”

Old Madam Guo drew out a long “Oh.”

Zhou Shaojin felt quite guilty and lowered her eyelids slightly.

Cheng Chi didn’t know what to say.

How could this little slip of a girl be clever enough to discern whether he was angry or happy, yet so foolish as to answer whatever people asked her?

When she came to play chess with him, proper etiquette required her to first pay respects to his mother. She hadn’t greeted his mother before going to his Tingli Pavilion—wasn’t that clearly telling his mother that he had summoned her? Answering this way—wasn’t it obviously trying to cover up while only making things more obvious, like trying to hide three hundred taels of silver?

Even if his mother hadn’t suspected anything, she would suspect now.

He rubbed his forehead.

But Old Madam Guo acted as if she hadn’t noticed anything and smiled as she spoke of other matters. “How are preparations at home coming along? Have the Liao family members arrived? Last time we talked about holding a welcoming banquet for your stepmother but couldn’t manage it. When you return, tell your stepmother that when she’s finished with this busy period, I’ll invite her to the house to listen to storytelling.”

Zhou Shaojin smiled and thanked her on behalf of Madam Li.

Biyu entered with a smile and said, “Old Madam, the First Madam and Ninth Madam from the Gu family have arrived.”

The Ninth Madam of the Gu family referred to Gu Qinghe’s wife.

Her mother and Old Madam Guo were cousins.

Old Madam Guo said to Zhou Shaojin and Cheng Chi, “You two go play chess. Don’t bother saying goodbye to me later either. I suspect the First Madam and Ninth Madam from the Gu family have come on urgent business.”

Cheng Chi and Zhou Shaojin withdrew.

Old Madam Guo instructed Biyu, “Please show the First Madam and Ninth Madam from the Gu family to the flower hall.”

The flower hall of Hanbi Mountain Lodge and Cheng Chi’s Tingli Pavilion were on opposite sides, north and south. Even if they took a wrong turn, the Gu family’s female relatives couldn’t possibly encounter Zhou Shaojin and Cheng Chi.

Cheng Chi then took out a banknote and gave it to Zhou Shaojin, saying, “This is my congratulatory gift for your older sister. You’ll also have an excuse when you return.”

Zhou Shaojin opened it to see—two hundred taels.

Ordinary people gave gifts of at most twenty or thirty taels, at least a few taels.

Wasn’t this a bit much?

However, giving it to her so casually meant he must have just thought of it.

Zhou Shaojin hummed inwardly. Thinking of the Western mirror mounted on the mirror stand in Cheng Chi’s room, she smiled sweetly as she tucked the banknote into her purse and said, “Then I’ll thank Uncle Chi on behalf of my older sister!”

She then curtsied to Cheng Chi and returned to Pingqiao Street with Chun Wan.