Cheng Gao’s bride, He Fengping, was marrying out from Pukou. The Cheng family needed to go to Pukou to receive the bride, so the day before, the Cheng family had carried the bridal sedan to Pukou. The auspicious time for the ceremony was set for the you hour (Note: around six o’clock in the afternoon). It was inconvenient for the widowed old madams to observe the ceremony, so they would disperse once the bride entered the bridal chamber. The next morning, after the bride paid respects to the ancestors in the ancestral hall and acknowledged the relatives in the main hall, she would then go pay respects to each old madam one by one.
Zhou Shaojin only needed to stay with Old Madam Guo.
This made her feel very secure.
However, Grand Madam Mian found it somewhat strange. Taking advantage of the fact that the bride’s sedan chair hadn’t yet arrived, she pulled Zhou Shaojin aside and quietly asked: “Did Old Madam Guo say something?”
In recent days, Zhou Shaojin had been enthusiastically helping her prepare for Cheng Gao’s wedding. Why now, on the actual day, was she acting like a guest and no longer involving herself in the fourth branch’s affairs?
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t mention Cheng Xu’s matter, so she explained: “Everything at home has been arranged. With grandmother presiding and you watching over things, plus Nanny Wang and others helping, there’s nothing for me to do. But Old Madam Guo can only stay in the retiring room—during Fifth Branch’s Cousin Nuo’s wedding some time ago, Old Madam Guo didn’t go at all… I just wanted to stay by her side and keep her company.”
Grand Madam Mian nodded repeatedly and said with gratification: “Shaojin, though you’re young, you’re gentle and considerate. I wonder which family has ancestral tombs so well-placed that they’ll be able to marry you!” Speaking thus, she couldn’t help but sigh.
Sometimes what you can’t have seems best!
Zhou Shaojin was afraid Grand Madam Mian would develop prejudice against Miss Gu Shiqi because of her, so she quickly smiled and said: “I grew up at your knee. You treat me like your own daughter, so naturally you think your own child is better than other people’s children!”
Grand Madam Mian was stunned, then thinking about it, felt what she said made great sense. She laughed ruefully and said no more, only instructing her to “keep Old Madam Guo good company. When you leave, there’s no need to make a special trip to bid me farewell. Even if you’re not present, your red envelope from your new sister-in-law Gao will be saved for you.”
Zhou Shaojin put on a childish expression and thanked Grand Madam Mian happily.
Grand Madam Mian gently hugged Zhou Shaojin, then turned and busied herself elsewhere.
Cheng Jia appeared from somewhere and said enviously: “Why are people around you all so good to you?”
These past few days, Cheng Jia had been following Old Madam Li, so she and Zhou Shaojin had often come and gone together.
Zhou Shaojin smiled: “You have Li Jing yet you’re still so greedy for more?”
Cheng Jia’s face reddened. She pushed Zhou Shaojin lightly and said: “When did you learn to have such a loose tongue?”
Zhou Shaojin blinked and said: “Isn’t it ‘those who stay near vermilion turn red, those near ink turn black’?”
Cheng Jia looked embarrassed, then revealed a somewhat inevitable expression: “Li Jing said once we have a child, we’ll bring them back to show my father and mother. Then my father and mother won’t be angry with us anymore.”
Jiang Shi had been ignoring Cheng Jia all along. Cheng Jia was also afraid of somehow offending Jiang Shi and causing new complications in her marriage to Li Jing, so she didn’t dare approach Jiang Shi. For Cheng Gao’s wedding, she had told Zhou Shaojin early on that she wanted to watch the excitement, but because of Jiang Shi, she couldn’t go to the front and instead served the old madams in the retiring room, making small talk.
Zhou Shaojin’s face flushed bright red with embarrassment: “Li Jing actually talks to you about such things. And you… you can even say such things out loud… you two are truly a heaven-made pair!”
Cheng Jia snorted disdainfully: “Food and sex are human nature. Even the sages said so. Why can’t we speak of it?”
Zhou Shaojin was afraid of her and quickly said: “Fine, fine, fine, it’s all my fault. Please stop talking, alright!”
Cheng Jia giggled and whispered in her ear: “Hey, after the old madams all leave later, shall we go to the bridal chamber to see the new sister-in-law?”
Zhou Shaojin shook her head repeatedly.
By that time she would be alone—wouldn’t that give Cheng Xu an opportunity to take advantage?
Cheng Jia wasn’t disappointed and smiled: “I knew you’d be like this—you’ve always been the most obedient to the elders. Then I’ll go watch the excitement by myself later!”
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but caution her: “Be careful and bring more attendants with you. Although it’s the inner courtyard, there are outside guests today. It wouldn’t be good if you accidentally ran into someone.”
Cheng Jia nodded with a smile: “Li Jing said the same thing.”
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but tease her: “What else did Li Jing say? You might as well say it all at once. With every other sentence being ‘Li Jing said,’ people who don’t know might think you’ve already married Li Jing!”
Cheng Jia didn’t mind and said: “Stop being like sour grapes because you can’t have them. When you have someone in your heart, you’ll naturally understand.” Speaking to this point, Cheng Jia became somewhat worried for Zhou Shaojin. “With your temperament, your marriage will most likely follow the elders’ arrangements. Whether you can marry someone who cherishes you is truly like gambling. Shaojin, if you’re ever discussing marriage in the future, you absolutely mustn’t agree casually. You must write to tell me, and I’ll have Li Jing help you investigate the other party’s family conduct and character. Li Jing goes out and about—he’s much better at judging people than women confined to inner chambers!”
She spoke very sincerely. Zhou Shaojin was very grateful: “Thank you! If that day comes, I’ll definitely tell you.”
Cheng Jia said with displeasure: “What do you mean ‘if that day comes’? That day will definitely come. You must tell me…”
As she was speaking, a little maid ran in breathlessly and said happily: “Old Madam, Old Madams, the bride’s sedan has passed Jinling Prefecture’s government office.”
In other words, it wasn’t far from Jiuru Lane.
“I’m going to look!” Before Old Madam Li could speak, Cheng Jia lifted her skirts and ran out.
The old madams laughed kindly.
Cheng Jia didn’t return even after the bride entered the bridal chamber.
She must have gone to see the new bride!
Zhou Shaojin smiled and accompanied Old Madam Guo back to Hanbi Mountain House.
Hearing the news, Madam Yuan breathed a great sigh of relief.
She knew her own son—given the slightest opportunity, he would definitely seek out Zhou Shaojin. Although by the time she learned of yesterday’s incident Zhou Shaojin had already left, it still hadn’t escaped the notice of people she had planted around Cheng Xu.
She just didn’t know what her son and Zhou Shaojin had said to each other.
If Zhou Shaojin also fancied Jiashan, that would be troublesome!
Last night she had specifically had the kitchen stew ginseng soup and sent it to her son, wanting to tell him that the Cheng and Min families had already exchanged birth characters and asked the Bureau of Astronomy to help select an auspicious date. Who would have thought Cheng Jiashan wouldn’t engage—no matter how she tried to steer the conversation in that direction, he could quickly change the subject.
This was completely different from his previous attitude toward this matter—before, whenever her words touched on this topic, he would ingratiatingly hold her arm and try to convince her how wonderful Zhou Shaojin was.
This made Madam Yuan vaguely worried.
She felt her son seemed to have some plan, and once this matter was set in motion, it would surely cause tremendous upheaval and make things uncontrollable…
So Madam Yuan kept watching Zhou Shaojin.
She felt that regardless of what plan Cheng Xu was scheming, without Zhou Shaojin, it would all come to nothing!
Fortunately, Zhou Shaojin had stayed by Old Madam Guo’s side all along. The entire day had been calm and peaceful without any abnormalities.
Madam Yuan recited “Amitabha” in her heart, then began worrying about tomorrow.
Tomorrow when the bride acknowledged the new relatives, all the Cheng family’s close and distant kin would gather in the main hall. If Cheng Xu made a scene then, it would be fatal.
Madam Yuan pondered briefly and quietly instructed her personal maid: “Go see what the young master is doing.”
The maid smilingly responded “Yes.” After half an incense stick’s time, she returned to report: “The young master is drinking wine with Young Master Shi of the second branch and Young Master Zheng of the third branch!”
Madam Yuan still wasn’t reassured: “Only the three brothers? Who is attending the young master?”
The maid smiled: “Only the young master, Young Master Shi, and Young Master Zheng. Several young servants are attending on the side. The young master’s Huanxi and Da Su are both there.”
Madam Yuan instructed the maid: “Watch over the young master more carefully. He only knew how to study before—how would he know about drinking and socializing? If he doesn’t know his limits and gets plied with wine by Young Master Shi and Young Master Zheng, becoming drunk and losing his composure, what would we do? With so many guests at home, that would be a huge loss of face!”
The maid quickly said: “Madam, rest assured. This servant will personally watch over him.”
Madam Yuan nodded with satisfaction.
Old Madam Guo returned to her room and retired early. She said these past few days of daily drinking at Jiashu Hall had tired her out. She told Zhou Shaojin to return early to rest and instructed Nanny Lü: “Everyone is happy these past few days, playing cards and drinking, not stopping until midnight. Go tell Yunzhen Hall that Madam and the young master needn’t come to Hanbi Mountain House for morning and evening attendance these next few days, so I can also have some peace.”
Nanny Lü withdrew with a smile.
But Zhou Shaojin knew this was for her sake.
That evening, she sat with her head lowered under the lamp, knotting a fan handle with plum blossom patterns.
Chun Wan, thinking that the new bride would come tomorrow to acknowledge relatives, urged her to sleep early: “…Although she may not come until noon, this is after all the first time Madam Gao acts in her official capacity. You need to be in good spirits to properly receive Madam Gao.”
“You don’t need to tell me that!” Zhou Shaojin smiled and pointed to the clothes rack: “Look, I’ve already prepared the clothes I’ll wear tomorrow.”
She couldn’t sleep.
With things having come to this point, it was no longer appropriate for her to stay in the main branch.
Could she really watch Uncle Chi marry and take a wife?
Zhou Shaojin’s tears welled up in her eyes.
After seeing Cheng Jia off when she married out, she should leave too.
But before leaving, she wanted to knot a few fan handles for Uncle Chi—it would be a token of her feelings.
Zhou Shaojin asked Chun Wan: “How about you become my head housekeeper in the future?”
Chun Wan’s face went pale.
Thinking of the words she had accidentally overheard this morning—”Young Master Xu of the main branch admires Second Miss Zhou of the fourth branch”—her heart pounded like a drum. She smiled and said: “I follow Miss. Whatever you ask me to do, I’ll do it!”
Zhou Shaojin smiled.
But that smile appeared very forced.
She said softly: “Chun Wan, slowly pack away the things that should be packed. We’re going to Baoding Prefecture.”
That would be for the best!
Though Jiuru Lane was good, it ultimately wasn’t her own home.
If she became entangled with Young Master Xu of the main branch, regardless of the final outcome, it would be disadvantageous for Miss.
Chun Wan said steadily: “I understand. Second Miss, rest assured!”
Zhou Shaojin slowly nodded, stood up, and went into the courtyard.
The September wind blowing on her body already carried a chill. The hosta flowers she had planted in the courtyard after moving in had withered, and the canna lilies’ leaves had yellowed. Only the pomegranate tree, though past its flowering season, still grew lush and verdant, like midsummer’s scenery.
This showed that some things that are yours are yours; what isn’t yours, you cannot keep even if you try.
Zhou Shaojin gazed at the sparse, scattered stars at the edge of the sky, her elbows hugged tightly to her chest.