Faced with Old Madam Guo’s genuine concern, Zhou Shaojin felt both moved and guilty. Her face slightly flushed as she thanked Old Madam Guo, then took Wet Nurse Fan Liushi and the others to the Fourth Branch, leaving Xiao Tan at Fucui Pavilion to watch the house.
Wife Lu had just finished washing and grooming and was preparing to go to Jiashu Hall to pay respects to Old Lady Guan when she heard Zhou Shaojin had arrived. She came out the door with a smile.
Zhou Shaojin hurried to greet Wife Lu.
But before Zhou Shaojin could curtsy, Wife Lu stepped forward and took her hand, excitedly saying: “No need for formalities! We’re family—we don’t stand on ceremony.” She added, “Last night when you sent someone to tell me you wanted to come see Old Madam and me today, we were absolutely delighted. Old Madam even gave overnight instructions to the kitchen to make your favorite crystal cake and assorted tofu delight. I laughed at Old Madam, saying you would surely stay there to have breakfast with Old Madam Guo before coming over, so why make assorted tofu delight? Old Madam said she didn’t know how you were doing at the First Branch, and it was better to be prepared—if you’d already eaten breakfast, it could serve as an afternoon snack just as well. I didn’t expect you to come so early. You haven’t had breakfast yet, have you? When Old Madam sees you now, she’ll probably be so happy she won’t be able to stop smiling.”
Zhou Shaojin smiled bashfully.
Wife Lu loved this demeanor of hers—usually docile and quiet, yet decisive at key moments. The more she looked, the more satisfied she became. Taking her hand, she went to Jiashu Hall.
Meanwhile, at Old Madam Guo’s side, just after seeing Zhou Shaojin off, Cheng Xu appeared from who knows where.
Upon entering, he called out loudly “Grandmother!” and smiled: “I came especially to have breakfast with you.”
Old Madam Guo chuckled and took his hand, looking him up and down before saying: “A few days ago, Huanxi gossiped to Biyu, saying your Fourth Uncle assigned you twelve essays all at once. Every page was circled with corrections, and you had to do each topic at least three times before barely passing. You’ve lost a whole circle of weight. But looking at you today, not only haven’t you lost weight, you’re even fairer than the day you returned. You have a bit of the bearing of a Jiangnan scholar now. So tell me, having Huanxi bring me a message—what are you trying to do behind your Fourth Uncle’s back?”
Cheng Xu knew he couldn’t hide anything from Grandmother. But since Grandmother knew he’d sent Huanxi with a message yet didn’t plead his case, he knew this approach wouldn’t work. He might as well say nothing and instead sidled up to Old Madam Guo, saying: “I just wanted to act spoiled with Grandmother!”
Old Madam Guo laughed and slapped his palm twice hard, saying: “Such a grown man still acting spoiled. In a couple years when your wife enters the door, what will that look like!”
Cheng Xu’s heart jumped, but he didn’t dare ask more. With a fawning smile he said: “Even when I have great-grandchildren, I’m still a junior before Grandmother and can act spoiled, can’t I?”
“Then wouldn’t I have lived to become a spirit?” Old Madam Guo joked with her eldest grandson, her expression pleased.
She had thought Cheng Chi’s statement about guiding Cheng Xu in essay writing was just talk, but unexpectedly Cheng Chi actually personally corrected Cheng Xu’s essays. Seeing Cheng Chi teach Cheng Xu so attentively, just thinking about it made her feel comforted and happy.
Cheng Xu helped Old Madam Guo to the hall where breakfast was laid out.
Old Madam Guo pointed to a small bamboo steamer placed among the full table of bowls and dishes, smiling: “Your favorite soup dumplings—I had them make a steamer. You used to love them most. After two years in the capital, I wonder if your tastes have changed.”
Seeing only two sets of bowls and chopsticks on the table, Cheng Xu’s heart instantly felt as if doused with cold water—chilled through. Not only couldn’t he show the slightest bit of this on his face, he had to muster his spirits and say happily: “What are you saying! During my two years in the capital, I constantly thought about the soup dumplings at home. Sometimes I’d even dream about them. A few times when studying until midnight, I’d crave the soup dumplings from home so much my mouth would water, and no matter how full I was, I’d still feel hungry.
“The day I returned, I ate seven steamers of soup dumplings in one go before my heart felt better.
“Grandmother still dotes on me most, knowing I love these.”
He said with a playful smile.
Old Madam Guo laughed and patted his hand again, saying: “You just talk nonsense here! What do you mean seven steamers of soup dumplings? It was clearly four steamers…”
“So Grandmother knows everything?” Cheng Xu said petulantly.
Why wouldn’t she speak up for him in front of Fourth Uncle?
He said: “Four steamers is still quite a lot. I thought then that if I ever went to the capital again, I’d have to bring a chef from home. You don’t know—those buns in the capital are made with thick skin and solid filling. After eating one, your whole meal is settled. At first it seemed quite interesting, but after a while, I couldn’t stand it anymore…”
As they spoke, Cheng Xu and Old Madam Guo sat down in order of precedence, and the maids brought hot towels for them to wipe their hands.
Seeing Cheng Xu still going on, Old Madam Guo smiled and interrupted him: “As if Grandmother has never been to the capital! Hurry and eat! You still have to leave the city later, don’t you?”
Cheng Xu had no choice but to pick up his chopsticks and drop the topic.
Biyu served Old Madam Guo white rice porridge.
Zhenzhu asked Cheng Xu with a cheerful smile: “Today the kitchen also cooked Job’s tears and black bean porridge and lily lotus seed porridge, made duck blood vermicelli soup, chicken noodles, fried sauce noodles, and dan dan noodles. What would Young Master like? Should we have the kitchen make something else?”
Cheng Xu couldn’t help saying: “How does our family have fried sauce noodles and dan dan noodles? What I love most is duck blood vermicelli soup!”
Zhenzhu said: “These were ordered by Fourth Master. He said Young Master is filial and would definitely come early this morning to have breakfast with Old Madam before departing for Zao Garden. He was worried that after two years in the capital, Young Master might have grown fond of fried sauce noodles, so he specifically had Sister Feicui tell the small kitchen. Our small kitchen staff didn’t make it very authentically, so they invited the head chef from the outer courtyard kitchen to help make the fried sauce. The dan dan noodles are what Fourth Master loves to eat.”
Hearing this made Cheng Xu’s heart pound.
When he was young, Fourth Uncle lived in the capital with Second Great-Uncle, so he had virtually no impression of Fourth Uncle. Later, when Fourth Uncle returned to manage household affairs, he would bring back fun things like pinwheels and pulleys whenever he went out. Cheng Xu immediately took a liking to Fourth Uncle.
But Fourth Uncle had a strange temperament and somehow later grew cold toward him.
At that time, his studies were getting increasingly demanding with less and less time for play. Understanding the difference between studying and not studying, the two of them gradually grew distant.
Just when he thought this unlettered Fourth Uncle would fade into obscurity and become a country gentleman dependent on the family, Fourth Uncle, as if accumulating strength for a breakthrough, advanced one step each year. In the end, he actually passed the imperial examination and became a presented scholar.
He was stunned.
He couldn’t help but feel admiration for this Fourth Uncle of his.
This wasn’t something just anyone could do!
Especially since he had just passed the county examination and was preparing for the next year’s prefectural examination, knowing many things about examination halls and understanding how difficult the imperial examinations were.
Passing the first examination might be diligence, passing the second might be luck. But passing three examinations consecutively, especially the final palace examination, held once every three years with only about three hundred selected—that wasn’t just diligence and luck… Like a child suddenly discovering a hero, he began to feel drawn to Fourth Uncle.
Yet Fourth Uncle grew increasingly cold toward him.
But he couldn’t figure out why!
He wanted to discuss it with Father but didn’t know how to broach the subject.
Although Fourth Uncle didn’t interact much with him, the red envelopes at holidays and daily necessities were never withheld. To say he treated him poorly wouldn’t be accurate. But to say he treated him well—when his father’s peers and colleagues spoke of Fourth Uncle, they all said Fourth Uncle had solid foundations and extensive knowledge, yet Fourth Uncle had never concerned himself with his studies, never guided him as an elder should.
Like now, Fourth Uncle’s actions all seemed to be for his benefit, but in his view, they were building an invisible fence between him and Zhou Shaojin, separating them.
Was Fourth Uncle doing this intentionally or unintentionally?
Had he noticed something or was it accidental?
Cheng Xu very much wanted to ask Cheng Chi.
He asked Old Madam Guo: “Grandmother, won’t Fourth Uncle eat breakfast with us?”
Old Madam Guo said kindly: “Your Fourth Uncle calculated accounts all night yesterday and only rested at daybreak. I instructed the people in his room not to disturb him. Let’s eat first. When your Fourth Uncle wakes, I’ll have them prepare fresh food for him.”
Cheng Xu thought for a moment and asked unwillingly: “What about Second Young Miss Zhou? Doesn’t she usually have breakfast with you?”
“She usually accompanies me,” Old Madam Guo said. “Today something came up at Jiashu Hall, so she went over there.”
“This early?” Cheng Xu was quite skeptical.
Old Madam Guo smiled: “Perhaps it was something urgent. Last night after I’d already retired, she sent a woman over with the message.”
Cheng Xu’s hand holding the chopsticks tightened.
He knew he wouldn’t get to see Zhou Shaojin again this time.
He dejectedly bid farewell to Old Madam Guo and was escorted by Qin Ziping to Zao Garden.
※※※
At Jiashu Hall, after finishing breakfast, Zhou Shaojin was sitting with Wife Lu around the arhat couch, accompanying Old Lady Guan in conversation.
Old Lady Guan said: “This weather is clearly getting hotter day by day. I discussed with your uncle, and we’re planning to buy land near Qinglong Mountain to build a residence for summer retreat. When the time comes, you should come stay with us for a few days!”
When the weather gradually cooled, they would send Shaojin to Baoding.
This way they would both account to the First Branch and pull Shaojin out of that quagmire.
Zhou Shaojin was greatly surprised: “Grandmother, why did you suddenly think of buying land at Qinglong Mountain to build a residence?”
Old Lady Guan and Wife Lu exchanged a glance. She said seriously: “Shaojin, even if you hadn’t come to see us today, I was planning to send a message for you to come. The First and Second Branches are now like fire and water. The Fourth Branch has received kindness from both the First Branch and the Second Branch—it’s difficult for us to take either side.
“But as you saw a few days ago, Old Lady Li from the Third Branch sat at my place and insisted I go to Old Madam Guo’s to mediate for the Second Branch. If I didn’t go, she made it clear she would sit there and not leave, and would tell the Second Branch.
“A gentleman may be deceived by propriety. Old Madam Guo is a gentleman, but the Third Branch are petty people. Although I went in the end, my heart wasn’t comfortable.
“I’ve thought it over and discussed with your eldest uncle and eldest aunt. We’ve decided to use the hot weather as an excuse to temporarily move out for a while. We’ll return for the Spring Festival.
“I don’t want you caught up in this. When the time comes, you should go with us for the summer retreat!”
Zhou Shaojin vaguely felt something wasn’t right but couldn’t say exactly what. She hesitated: “How about discussing this with Father? He’s an official in government circles. Whether the Fourth Branch should avoid this or make a choice—Father is an outsider and might see more clearly.”