Gu Shiqi stood there stunned, unable to recover her senses for quite some time.

When she finally did, she couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

The Gu family was a great clan of privilege and wealth, with several generations living together. Children who grew up in such families learned from an early age to read expressions and act with reservation in all things. The relatives around them, the friends they made, the families they associated with—even those who hated each other enough to stab one another in the back would still drink wine together and call each other brothers to their faces. When had she ever met anyone as straightforward as Zhou Shaojin? What’s more, Zhou Shaojin’s expression was serious and her manner sincere, so that even if you wanted to be angry, you didn’t know at whom to be angry, and even if you wanted to find fault, you couldn’t come up with a presentable reason to do so.

This was what they called “subduing the enemy without fighting,” wasn’t it?

Gu Shiqi couldn’t stop laughing.

Zhou Shaojin was astonished and said anxiously, “Did I say something wrong?”

“No, no.” Gu Shiqi smiled as she put her arm around Zhou Shaojin’s shoulder and said, “What you said was absolutely right.” Then she added, “If Old Madam Guo and Fourth Uncle Cheng agree, you must tell me why Old Madam Guo came?”

Zhou Shaojin nodded repeatedly.

Perhaps it was her straightforwardness and honesty that made Gu Shiqi feel she was steady and reliable. Suddenly feeling an urge to confide in her, with a gradually more serious expression, she said, “Shaojin, you should already know from seeing where I live—although the Gu family has a great reputation outside, our daily lives are quite cramped. It’s not that the Gu family has no money, but rather that the Gu family has rules. Of the family’s wealth, only one-third may be distributed among the various households. My father ranks fifth in the family and only passed the xiucai examination at twenty-seven. The family provides for scholars from the clan fund, but the monthly stipends are fixed—ten taels for xiucai, forty taels for juren, and eighty taels for jinshi. If one has no degree, it’s only one tael before marriage and two taels after marriage.”

Zhou Shaojin listened in stunned silence.

Even the capable managing nannies beside Old Madam Guo received two taels of silver per month…

“Your ancestors established such rules to motivate the younger generation to study, didn’t they?” she couldn’t help but say.

Gu Shiqi nodded and said, “The Gu family has an enormous reputation outside. Therefore, Gu family women are not permitted to show their faces in public to engage in any business. So our household’s expenses first relied on my mother’s dowry, and later on aid from my maternal family. Fortunately, when the brothers and sisters in the family reach the age for education, they move out according to their order. Otherwise, even with my maternal family’s support, if we sisters wanted to buy a flower to wear, we probably wouldn’t have the money.”

The Gu family’s food and seasonal clothing should be provided by the public fund.

However, since it was provided by the public fund, there certainly couldn’t be too many choices. At most, it would just feed you and keep you from freezing.

But the Gu family associated with the great families of Jinling City, so one could imagine what Gu Shiqi’s life was like.

Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but say, “Elder Sister, if you don’t mind, I have several bolts of good fabric. In a few days, I’ll have them sent over for Elder Sister to make a few autumn outfits.”

By autumn, Gu Shiqi would be coming out of mourning.

She couldn’t help but add, “Has Elder Sister made a marriage match yet?”

The forthright Gu Shiqi rarely blushed, saying, “Not yet!”

Zhou Shaojin smiled with pursed lips.

This would be perfect timing to make a few outfits for people to see.

However, Gu Shiqi said with a bitter smile, “Which great family in Jinling City doesn’t know about this rule in our Gu family? Even if I wore carved silk, no one would consider me equal to Twentieth Miss.”

Gu Family’s Twentieth Miss was the daughter of Second Master Gu.

Second Master Gu passed the juren examination at twenty-one and married the daughter of a famous Jinling City gentry family. Her dowry alone consisted of one hundred and twenty-four carrying loads.

Zhou Shaojin didn’t know how to comfort her.

However, Gu Shiqi had an open personality and was even more carefree than Zhou Shaojin. She smiled and said, “My situation is half up to heaven and half to fate. Don’t worry about me just because I said all this. Although we sisters get along well, there are some things that are difficult to discuss. Today, talking to you like this has made me feel much better.”

Zhou Shaojin quickly said, “If Elder Sister has anything troubling in the future, just come find me to talk about it.”

Gu Shiqi said, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll make you unhappy?”

“No, no.” Zhou Shaojin shook her head embarrassedly.

Gu Shiqi then invited her to eat wisteria cakes, saying, “I can make them too, just not as well as Eighteenth Sister. If you like them, I’ll ask her for some for you to take back later.”

That would probably make her indebted to Gu Shiba. Then Gu Shiqi would have to repay this favor with something else.

Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, “I’m just trying something new. I prefer eating softer things.”

Hearing this, Gu Shiqi laughed and said, “Speaking of this, I do have something to ask of you. Last time when we visited Nine Fortunes Lane, the pea pudding your family’s cook made was truly delicious. Could you pass a message to Cheng Jia and have her send a few boxes in her name? After my eldest aunt ate it, she couldn’t stop praising it when she returned. I’m thinking that in a while it will be my turn to discuss marriage. I want to win her favor so she’ll help keep an eye out for good prospects.”

Hearing this, Zhou Shaojin felt only heartache. She knew that the Fifth Household probably had little status in the Gu family, and if Gu Shiqi wanted to marry into a good family, she still needed Madam Gu to step forward and help evaluate potential in-laws.

She immediately said, “Besides pea pudding, what else does your eldest aunt like to eat? How about I speak to Cousin Jia and have them send over an assortment of all their pastries in an assorted box? It would look good and be presentable.”

“That works!” Gu Shiqi smiled and said, “I just want to borrow the Cheng family’s influence, not really after the Cheng family’s pastries.”

Zhou Shaojin nodded repeatedly, thinking she should go back and discuss with Uncle Chi. Rather than sending them in Cheng Jia’s name, it would be better to send them in the name of Old Madam Guo from the First Household. With Old Madam Guo’s disposition, once she learned of Gu Shiqi’s little scheme, she would certainly be happy to help bring it to fruition.

Afterward, the two talked about needlework. Zhou Shaojin even taught Gu Shiqi how to make a plum blossom cluster knot cord, and they both had a pleasant time.

On Cheng Chi’s side, being accompanied by Fifth Master Gu was somewhat vexing.

Fifth Master Gu had tested for over a decade before passing the xiucai examination, and had been striving for juren ever since. Before Cheng Chi, who had taken only three years to advance steadily and obtain his jinshi title, he was trembling with nervousness, not daring to breathe loudly, sitting there constrained and mumbling words no one could quite understand.

Not only did Cheng Chi have to find topics to discuss with him, he also had to listen carefully to understand what he was saying.

If he had known it would be like this, he might as well have gone to Gu Jiu Nie’s room to look at his collection of ancient inscriptions.

Cheng Chi was grumbling internally when Gu Jiu Nie hurried back.

Fifth Master Gu breathed a sigh of relief, and so did Cheng Chi.

Without even looking, Gu Jiu Nie knew how awkward the two had been together. After seeing off Fifth Master Gu, he hastily explained to Cheng Chi, finally saying with a laugh, “Fortunately, Fifth Brother’s son and daughter don’t have his temperament.”

However, Cheng Chi’s heart stirred upon hearing this. He said, “Which number is your Fifth Brother’s daughter?”

Fifth Master Gu was Gu Jiu Nie’s full brother.

Gu Jiu Nie laughed and said, “Why are you asking about this? Don’t tell me you want to arrange a match for my Fifth Brother’s daughter?”

Ever since Cheng Chi had arranged a ghost marriage for Nineteenth Miss Gu, the several old masters and masters of the Gu and Guo families would occasionally tease him about this matter.

Cheng Chi smiled and said, “I might really be able to arrange a match for your niece!”

Gu Jiu Nie knew Cheng Chi never spoke idly. He said seriously, “At most, I can only supplement Seventeenth Miss with three hundred taels of silver for her dowry chest.”

Cheng Chi smiled and said, “When I’m marrying off my niece, would I let her dowry chest be lacking?”

Hearing this, Gu Jiu Nie was overjoyed and said with interest, “Quick, tell me—which family’s young master is it? To catch your eye, he must be quite good.”

“He is quite good!” Cheng Chi said teasingly. “However, this matter may require hiring another matchmaker.”

Gu Jiu Nie sat up straight with an attentive listening posture.

Who knew Cheng Chi would smile and say, “Let me first sound out the other party’s intentions before I tell you.”

Gu Jiu Nie was exasperated and punched Cheng Chi’s shoulder hard.

Cheng Chi smiled and took it.

That silly girl Shaojin treated the Fourth Household like her maiden family. Since they were choosing from among the Gu family’s young ladies, they should at least find one she liked. That way the sisters-in-law would get along well in the future. As for Fifth Master Gu’s Seventeenth Miss, if not Cheng Yi, there were Li Yi, Liu Yi, Wu Yi. Since he had already promised Jiu Nie, he wouldn’t fail to also casually resolve Gu Shiqi’s marriage matter.

When they returned that evening, Zhou Shaojin saw that Old Madam Guo seemed to have something to say to Cheng Chi. After helping Old Madam Guo change clothes, she excused herself saying she also needed to return to her room to wash up, and took her leave.

Old Madam Guo didn’t keep her but instead came out of the inner chamber and said to Cheng Chi, “The several madams of the Gu family all agree to follow the Cheng family’s example—dividing property but not residence. In a while, they’ll probably invite you over to discuss it.”

In Cheng Chi’s view, this wasn’t anything significant.

After comforting Old Madam Guo with a few words, he returned to his room.

Old Madam Guo had worked hard all day and retired early.

Zhou Shaojin, however, rummaged through trunks and boxes for half the day looking at clothes and jewelry before finally deciding to casually pin up her hair in a simple style, wear a moon-white silver-striped gauze small-sleeved front-fastening jacket with pearl buttons, and a blue eight-panel Xiang skirt embroidered with apricot-red and goose-yellow honeysuckle flowers, which set off her slender waist, graceful and swaying like a willow in the wind.

She stood in front of the mirror and pursed her lips, putting on a pair of South Sea pearl earrings the size of lotus seeds.

Chun Wan said, “Second Young Miss, where are you going? The night wind is a bit cool. If you’re wearing a summer outfit at this hour, you should add an outer garment.”

Zhou Shaojin’s face flushed. She went to find an apricot-red shawl embroidered with goose-yellow auspicious cloud patterns and said, “I haven’t finished dressing up yet! Why are you rushing me!”

Chun Wan just smiled.

It was rare for the Second Young Miss to be in such a mood, so clearly she had a pleasant time at the Gu family today.

She directed the little maids to prepare bath water, letting Zhou Shaojin dress herself up in the room.

Zhou Shaojin walked a few steps and felt the shawl was somewhat cumbersome, so she changed to a goose-yellow plain vest instead.

But paired with moon-white, apricot-red looked better.

She couldn’t remember if she had an apricot-red vest.

She instructed Bitao to look for it.

Bitao led several little maids in searching for quite a while before finding it.

Because it was summer clothing, it had been pressed at the bottom of a trunk. They had to heat an iron to press the garment. By the time the moon rose above the willow branches, Zhou Shaojin finally went to Listening to Orioles Pavilion.

When Zhou Shaojin didn’t come, Cheng Chi called in Qin Ziping and said, “Make a trip to the capital. Go ask my eldest brother about next year’s spring examinations. Fourth Young Master Li will be taking the examination next year. If we can buy him some goodwill, that would be good. You can also probe the Second Household’s situation. I keep feeling the Second Household should also have some response.”

Qin Ziping understood, but said hesitantly, “I’m afraid the Eldest Master won’t agree—if the Second Household can produce a jinshi, it would also benefit the Cheng family.”