After catching her breath, Li Shi thought more and more that something was wrong with this matter.

When she and Zhou Zhen were stationed in Nanchang in Jiangnan, she had also lived at the official residence and was neighbors with the wives of various assistant magistrates. Although everyone came from different backgrounds—some believing in Buddhism, others in Taoism—and occasionally nuns or Taoist priestesses would come to the door seeking incense money, no one had ever dared to openly claim they specialized in pediatrics and gynecology. For Madam Huang to say such things—wasn’t that too bold?

Li Shi recalled what Cheng Chi had said. After considering it over and over, she told Zhou Zhen about this matter.

Zhou Zhen’s expression changed slightly. Seeing Li Shi looking at him expectantly and thinking of her background and understanding, he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly and said, “Madam, you handled this matter very well. Children are ordained by heaven. If I only have three daughters, that is also the will of the Buddha. One must not make a fuss and cause trouble. If this damages fortune and longevity or ruins the family estate, that would be putting the cart before the horse.”

The implication was that even if Li Shi could bear no more children, he would not take concubines to seek sons because of it.

“Master!” Li Shi became emotional all at once, her eyes brimming with tears, unable to speak for a long while.

Zhou Zhen said, “The New Year is approaching, and there’s still a pile of things to do at home. If you’re too busy, you can have Shaojin help. She grew up in Nine-Ru Lane from childhood. Even though she’s never been the household manager, she’s observed the elders. It’s also a good opportunity to let her learn household management and accounting—she’ll need it eventually.”

Previously he had hoped Old Madam Guo could arrange a good match for his second daughter, but now that was impossible. He also needed to plan ahead.

But families like the Miao and Qian families, who had only held one official position, with sons who showed no promise—in a few more years it would be strange if they didn’t fall into decline! They were even inferior to the Zhou family, so how could they protect Shaojin?

This marriage alliance could only be sought in the capital.

But having been away from the capital for many years, he didn’t know many people. Even if he did know people, he might not necessarily be able to arrange a match like his eldest daughter’s marriage to Master Liao.

Thinking of all this, Zhou Zhen felt a headache coming on.

Li Shi saw Zhou Zhen’s grave expression and knew he must be worried about the inner residence matters. Feeling ashamed in her heart, she didn’t dare say more. She took her leave from Zhou Zhen and left the back hall, but raised her head to see Zhou Zhen’s study.

She couldn’t help but enter the study and search out Madam Zhuang’s portrait, examining it carefully for a long time.

After seeing Zhou Shaojin, she realized the portrait was somewhat inaccurate.

It was said that Zhou Shaojin only resembled her mother by seventy or eighty percent, and that Madam Zhuang had been even more beautiful than Zhou Shaojin.

Though the figure in this portrait was beautiful, she didn’t match eighty percent of Zhou Shaojin.

Yet those eyes were like water, completely lifelike. Perhaps she had often looked at Zhou Zhen with such a gaze, and when Zhou Zhen painted her, this gaze had left the deepest impression…

Li Shi’s heart ached.

She thought this Madam Zhuang truly had been a beauty with an unfortunate fate.

Having married such a good husband as Zhou Zhen, she had died early, leaving behind a motherless daughter…

She wiped Madam Zhuang’s portrait with a handkerchief and gently put it back.

She felt she no longer had the jealousy she’d felt before.

When she returned, she invited Zhou Shaojin to come help manage household affairs together.

Although she had lived two lives, Zhou Shaojin had never truly managed such matters—when she first married Lin Shisheng, Lady Lin was there and it wasn’t her turn, and she had been heartbroken with no mind for such things. Later at the estate, Lin Shisheng handled external affairs while Nanny Zheng handled internal ones, so she still managed nothing. Now listening to the servants report to Li Shi about how much fish cost per catty and how much it had increased compared to usual, how much meat cost per catty and how much more expensive it was than normal, how many catties of fish and meat the household needed to prepare, plus purchasing pepper, salt and other items—she found it very interesting and listened with great interest.

Though most of those servants were Li Shi’s dowry servants, they were perceptive people. Seeing Zhou Shaojin’s interest, they explained even more carefully, even explaining what pepper was and where the household’s salt came from. She thus formally began helping at Li Shi’s side, drafting menus for spring banquets and directing maids and servants to prepare New Year items.

By the twenty-third day of the twelfth month, Zhou Zhen sealed his official seal. The family sat together for a reunion dinner, then Zhou Zhen took his two daughters to play in his study.

It was called playing, but Zhou Shaojin in both her past and present lives was quiet by nature—sitting there with an idle book, she could turn pages for a whole day. Zhou Youjin, however, rarely had her father’s company. With Father being so tall, being held by him let her see far. She clung to Zhou Zhen’s embrace every day, wanting no one else.

Zhou Zhen read the Classic of Filial Piety to Zhou Youjin.

But Zhou Youjin grasped Zhou Zhen’s blue and white porcelain wolf-hair brush and wouldn’t let go.

Zhou Shaojin smiled with pursed lips and said, “Father, you’d better not use this kind of brush. Uncle Chi said, well, this brush handle is too heavy. It’s fine for display, but too laborious for writing.”

Actually Cheng Chi had said only an idiot would use this brush.

Zhou Zhen smiled and said, “They say it’s a new style from Wende Pavilion these past few years. Someone gave it to me.”

Cheng Chi had said Wende Pavilion had nothing better to do—having made their name selling quality writing supplies, now they were trying to buy reputation.

Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, “Then you should keep it to give to others. Why use it yourself?”

Father and daughter were chatting and laughing when a young servant came in to report that Scholar Chang was requesting an audience.

Zhou Zhen’s expression showed slight displeasure, but his voice remained calm as he instructed the young servant, “Tell him I have a guest and ask him to come after the New Year.”

The young servant withdrew.

Zhou Zhen observed Zhou Shaojin. Seeing her brow serene and peaceful, softly speaking with Zhou Youjin, only then did he feel relieved.

Such sordid matters need not be known by his daughter.

When a family has a daughter, a hundred families come seeking—he hadn’t wanted to casually offend others because of this and have his daughter develop a bad reputation that would be unfavorable for future marriage prospects. But now he felt this Scholar Chang simply had water in his brain. If he didn’t teach him a lesson, the man probably thought he was the only clever person in the world and everyone else were fools!

※※※

After the ancestral sacrifices on New Year’s Eve, Zhou Zhen became busy.

Presiding over spring plowing ceremonies, paying New Year calls to Baoding Prefecture’s scholarly elders, attending banquets of literary gatherings, entertaining invitations from subordinate gentry—by the thirteenth of the first month, with Scholar Chang providing money and effort, Baoding Prefecture held a lantern festival.

Lanterns as tall as nine-story pagodas stood on Baoding Prefecture’s most prosperous street, illuminating half the sky.

Li Shi, holding Zhou Youjin, asked Zhou Shaojin again, “Are you really not going to see the lanterns? In past years Baoding Prefecture’s lanterns were never this spectacular. Your father also said we can’t choke on food and stop eating—we can’t stop living because of those petty people…”

But Zhou Shaojin remained unmoved, smiling gently and saying, “It’s too cold outside. I really don’t want to go out.”

Li Shi thought for a moment and said, “Then I’ll stay home to keep you company!”

Zhou Shaojin looked at Zhou Youjin, who was gazing at her with clear, wide eyes, and smiled, saying, “Little Sister has probably never seen such a spectacular lantern festival before, right? You should take Sister to see the lanterns. I’ll just stay home and do some needlework.” At this point, she thought of how Fan Liushi and the others had followed her to Baoding Prefecture but hadn’t really been out much, and said, “Nanny Fan and Chun Wan, you all go too. Just leave Nanny Shang to keep me company.”

Chun Wan and the others naturally didn’t want to leave Zhou Shaojin alone at home.

Zhou Shaojin coaxed and persuaded until Fan Liushi and the others followed Li Shi out the door.

She sat under the lamp doing needlework.

Outside, the sound of firecrackers came intermittently, along with loud cheers and clamor, making the back courtyard of the official residence seem even more quiet and desolate.

Nanny Shang carried lotus seed and red date blood glutinous rice porridge for Zhou Shaojin, looking at Zhou Shaojin sitting alone in the room, her shadow elongated by the lamplight. She felt it was cold and lonely, the chill reaching from her fingertips to her heart.

She couldn’t help but soften her voice, saying, “Second Miss really won’t go out to see the lanterns? If you’re worried about crowds, I’ll accompany you.”

“Really, there’s no need.” Zhou Shaojin raised her head and smiled at her, her smile gentle and soft. “I don’t like walking around outside.”

This face of hers caused too much trouble.

With Uncle Chi not in Baoding, she felt vaguely uneasy.

Seeing her speak so sincerely, though Nanny Shang felt great pity in her heart, she wouldn’t force her. But since she didn’t know how to do needlework, she just sat with Zhou Shaojin, chatting idly with her.

Time passed quickly.

In no time, Zhou Shaojin had finished sewing one sleeve.

Nanny Shang saw the tea had grown cold and got up to brew fresh tea for her.

Zhou Shaojin quickly threaded her needle and began sewing the other sleeve.

Light footsteps sounded in the room, gradually approaching her.

At this time, the only person who would enter her room would be Nanny Shang.

Zhou Shaojin didn’t raise her head, continuing to chat softly with a smile: “…I wonder how Uncle Chi is doing? Last year Jinling Prefecture only put out a few lanterns for show. I don’t know if they’ll hold a lantern festival today? But even if Jinling Prefecture holds a lantern festival, Uncle Chi definitely won’t attend. Well, Old Madam certainly won’t go either.” She sighed and raised her head. Her words stopped abruptly, her almond eyes wide and round, as if struck by lightning.

Cheng Chi, wearing a stone-blue cloth robe, smiled mockingly and said, “What? Just because you haven’t seen me for one Spring Festival, you don’t recognize me?”

“Uncle Chi!” Zhou Shaojin sprang to her feet, stammering, “How are you here?”

But inside, her heart was like a little bird, fluttering and leaping with joy.

Her face flushed with heat as she spoke incoherently: “When did you arrive? Why didn’t you have a servant come tell us beforehand? Have you had dinner? There’s still rock sugar bird’s nest soup stewing in the kitchen, and there should be water chestnut cake too. Won’t you have some? Does Father know you’ve come? I’ll have someone inform Father right away…”

Watching Zhou Shaojin in a fluster, beside herself with joy, Cheng Chi suddenly felt his decision to leave before the New Year was over had been quite good.

He surveyed Zhou Shaojin’s quarters.

Floral cloth toy tigers, paper with drawn patterns, a rosewood frame for stretching embroidery—her little things were everywhere.

Zhou Shaojin was terribly embarrassed and quickly went to gather up the scattered pattern papers, while collecting them she said softly, “I just took these out to use and casually placed them here…”

Cheng Chi picked one up at random and said, “What’s this? It looks like an orchid, but also like a dianthus…”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Shaojin forgot all about collecting the pattern papers and quickly came over, saying, “Really? Does it really look like an orchid and dianthus?”

Cheng Chi said, “To me it looks somewhat like…”

Zhou Shaojin deflated, saying in a low voice, “I, I drew wisteria…”

Eh?!

Cheng Chi said, “Aren’t wisteria flowers in clusters?”

How could this be wisteria?

Zhou Shaojin explained softly, “When clustered together they form strings, but individually they look like this…”

“Is that so?” Cheng Chi examined the pattern more carefully.

Nanny Shang, who had followed Cheng Chi in carrying tea, couldn’t help but mutter in her heart.

Shouldn’t they be discussing how Fourth Master got in at this time? Or at least talking about why Fourth Master had come? How had these two ended up discussing what wisteria and orchids looked like!