Nanny Shang had no choice but to cough lightly a couple of times and entered with a smile, carrying tea. “In such cold weather, Fourth Master should drink a cup of tea to ward off the chill.”

Cheng Chi sat down on the large kang by the window, while Zhou Shaojin stood to the side instead, as if he were the master of this residence.

Nanny Shang couldn’t help but glance at Zhou Shaojin.

Yet Zhou Shaojin seemed completely oblivious, asking Cheng Chi with a beaming smile: “Have you had your evening meal yet? When did you arrive in Baoding Prefecture? Did Huai Shan come with you? I’ll have someone bring water for you to wash and change, and tell the servants to prepare the guest room.” She added apologetically, “Everyone went out to the lantern festival today, so it might take a bit longer.”

Cheng Chi smiled and pointed to the kang opposite him. “Sit down and talk! I just arrived in Baoding Prefecture and came by to see if you were home. I’ve been riding all day and am a bit tired, so I don’t particularly want to eat anything right now. Didn’t you mention some water chestnut cakes earlier? Just have someone bring a small plate for me to have a few, and brew a pot of Laojun Eyebrow tea. I’ll rest a bit before having my evening meal. No need to prepare the guest room—I’m not staying here this time. I’m staying at a friend’s place. I have some business dealings with him, and it’s not very convenient to come and go from the prefectural yamen. Once I’ve more or less finished my affairs, I’ll come visit Magistrate Zhou.”

Zhou Shaojin only heard him say he was tired and wanted water chestnut cakes.

She hurriedly called a young maid to fetch them and had Nanny Shang brew a fresh pot of tea before sitting down. “Has Xiao Zhenhai been found yet? Otherwise, you should still stay at the yamen, shouldn’t you?”

“Xiao Zhenhai is no longer in Baoding Prefecture,” Cheng Chi said. “I don’t know when he slipped away. I came this time precisely because of this matter. Just keep this to yourself and don’t tell Magistrate Zhou, so he won’t worry as well.” He then asked, “Who are you making clothes for?”

The sleeves were quite small, no more than three feet long.

Zhou Shaojin’s eyes immediately became as gentle as water. “They’re for my elder sister’s unborn baby.”

If Shaojin became a mother, she would surely be a gentle and good mother too!

Cheng Chi smiled slightly. “Since you’ve been so obedient, staying home so nicely instead of going out to such a lively lantern festival, I’ll give you a small gift.”

Zhou Shaojin blushed.

Hadn’t he been the one who told her not to go anywhere?

She had listened to him and stayed home, yet he was saying this to her, as if she were very disobedient.

Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but pout.

But Cheng Chi turned around and brought in a lotus-shaped glazed lantern the size of a sea bowl.

The hanging rod was carved with silver ginkgo leaves. The transparent glazed petals scattered brilliant light under the candlelight, shimmering radiantly.

“It’s truly beautiful!” Zhou Shaojin exclaimed in admiration. She took the lotus lantern. “Where did you buy it?”

“I had it made,” Cheng Chi said with a smile. “Hang it by your bed.”

Zhou Shaojin nodded repeatedly.

This lantern was clearly not one of those bought on the street.

She asked curiously, “Uncle Chi even knows people who make lanterns?”

Cheng Chi smiled. “Don’t forget I’m a merchant.”

Zhou Shaojin smiled with pursed lips. “A scholarly merchant.”

Cheng Chi smiled warmly.

Nanny Shang and the young maid brought in tea and refreshments.

Both showed surprise on their faces, continually examining the lantern. The young maid nearly dropped her plate on the floor.

Zhou Shaojin suppressed her laughter and personally took the tea from Nanny Shang’s hands, placing it before Cheng Chi.

Cheng Chi simply didn’t want Zhou Shaojin to worry. After washing his hands and eating two water chestnut cakes and drinking a couple sips of tea, he stood up to take his leave. “I still have some matters to attend to. In a few days I’ll come visit your father.”

Zhou Shaojin knew he had important business and naturally didn’t dare detain him. She had someone wrap up the remaining water chestnut cakes for him to take. “If you get hungry at night, you can use these to tide yourself over.” She added, “Staying at someone else’s home is always inconvenient. If you want to eat anything or need anything, just send word and I’ll have the kitchen prepare it for you.”

Cheng Chi nodded slightly and strode away from Zhou Shaojin’s residence.

Zhou Shaojin stood in the corridor until Cheng Chi’s figure had disappeared for quite some time. Only when her body began to feel cold did she return to her room at Nanny Shang’s urging.

But back in her room, she had no heart for needlework. She held up that lantern, examining it from every angle, as if there were an embroidered flower on it and she needed to count every single stitch. It wasn’t until Zhou Zhen and Lady Li returned that she finally instructed Nanny Shang to hang the lantern by her bed and went to greet Zhou Zhen and Lady Li.

Zhou Zhen had bought her a silk gauze revolving lantern depicting the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea, while Lady Li had bought her a rabbit lantern.

Zhou Shaojin smiled and expressed her thanks, though she felt neither was as beautiful as the lotus lantern Cheng Chi had given her.

She informed Zhou Zhen of Cheng Chi’s visit.

Though Zhou Zhen was somewhat surprised, he wasn’t astonished.

Hearing that Cheng Chi was staying at a friend’s place, he thought for a moment and asked, “Did your Uncle Chi mention what his friend does?”

“No.” Zhou Shaojin knew the people around Cheng Chi involved complicated matters, so when he didn’t speak of something, she never asked, fearing she might inquire about something she shouldn’t and displease Cheng Chi.

Zhou Zhen didn’t ask further.

But Zhou Shaojin felt somewhat uneasy. “Father, is there something improper about Uncle Chi’s situation?”

“That’s hard to say.” Zhou Zhen said, “Last year the weather in Xi’an Prefecture wasn’t good and grain production decreased. They had to transfer some grain from Huguang to maintain supplies for the Nine Border Garrisons. Now it’s spring plowing season, yet Xi’an Prefecture is experiencing a shortage of seed grain. If your Uncle Chi’s friend is in the grain business, they’re probably hoping to transport some seed grain from here.”

Zhou Shaojin asked, “Is grain production in Baoding Prefecture very good?”

“Not bad.” Zhou Zhen said, “Baoding Prefecture has had favorable weather these past few years.”

For the people, food was paramount.

When the common people had sufficient food and clothing, Father’s position went more smoothly as well.

Zhou Zhen asked, “Do you know where your Uncle Chi is staying?”

Zhou Shaojin shook her head, saying apologetically, “I forgot to ask.”

Zhou Zhen smiled. “That’s no matter. We’ll discuss it when he comes to visit me. If he’s truly in this business, I could introduce him to a few people to save him from making wasted trips.”

The father and daughter chatted for a while before each retiring.

But when Zhou Shaojin returned to her room, she saw Chun Wan and the others all gathered around the lotus lantern hanging by her bed, exclaiming in admiration all at once.

Zhou Shaojin smiled radiantly, shooed them off to sleep, then nestled in her bedding gazing at that lotus lantern with a smile, unable to fall asleep. She woke Bitao, who was on duty in her room, saying, “Go ask Xiao Que if the two orioles Uncle Chi sent me are still doing well.”

Xiao Que was the young servant Cheng Chi had originally sent to help her raise the birds, and now he also helped her care for the Snowball that Ji Ying had given her.

Bitao rubbed her eyes, yawning as she got up. “I just went to see those two birds earlier. Xiao Que is taking excellent care of them.”

But Zhou Shaojin still felt she should go check to be at ease.

Bitao helped her dress, and after seeing the two birds, only then did she lie down contentedly.

Cheng Chi was staying at an inn not far from Baoding Yamen.

Since five or six out of every ten officials traveling south or north had to pass through Baoding Prefecture, this inn near Baoding Prefecture, though not large, was decorated simply and elegantly, with many individual small courtyards.

Cheng Chi stood by the steps of the main hall, gazing toward the direction of Baoding Prefecture’s city walls. He said solemnly, “Are you certain Xiao Zhenhai is still in Baoding Prefecture?”

“Absolutely certain!” The one answering him was a man of about twenty-five or twenty-six, wearing a coarse short brown jacket. His appearance was quite ordinary, but his eyes were as bright as cold stars. “I personally led people to guard outside the city. Not even a bird could fly out of Baoding Prefecture without escaping our eyes.”

Hearing this, Cheng Chi laughed mockingly. “Then how many birds have flown out of Baoding Prefecture these past days?”

The man said seriously, “Since it’s winter, a total of six hundred fifty-four birds have flown out of Baoding Prefecture. Because of varying distances, there was no way to distinguish what kinds of birds they were. Fifty-eight dogs crawled out from the city walls, but we caught and ate them all…”

Huai Shan was speechless.

Cheng Chi laughed heartily. “Good, I’ll await your good news.”

The young man bowed respectfully and withdrew.

Huai Shan said, “Xu Mu of the Golden Sands Gang has immeasurable potential.”

Cheng Chi smiled without speaking.

※※※

The next day, everyone at the prefectural yamen was discussing last night’s lantern festival, and the Zhou household was no exception. Those servants who hadn’t been able to go were particularly envious as they listened. Fortunately, the lantern festival would continue until the seventeenth day of the first month, so Lady Li simply arranged for the servants to rotate shifts so everyone could go out and enjoy themselves.

All the Zhou household servants were overjoyed, praising Lady Li for being virtuous and generous.

Madam Tan brought homemade sweet dumplings to visit Lady Li and inquired about Zhou Shaojin. “Why didn’t I see your Second Young Miss at the lantern festival yesterday?”

Now, whenever anyone asked about Zhou Shaojin’s whereabouts, Lady Li first erected a shield in her heart. She quickly said, “Our Second Young Miss doesn’t much enjoy crowds. She said that when she was in Jinling, she often went to view lanterns and always got exhausted, so this time she wanted to rest at home. Our master agreed, so I couldn’t very well say anything.”

Madam Tan smiled. “Your Second Young Miss truly has a good temperament. Not like our two girls—the moment they hear about anything fun to eat or do, they can’t contain themselves.”

Lady Li knew Madam Tan’s household had two daughters, both still unmarried. Yesterday at the lantern viewing, Madam Tan had hinted in her conversation that she wanted her two daughters to become closer to Zhou Shaojin.

If not for the matter with Young Master Miao, Lady Li might have asked Zhou Shaojin’s wishes, but now Lady Li acted as though she hadn’t understood, steering the conversation away.

Madam Tan was inevitably disappointed.

After sitting a while, she rose to take her leave.

Lady Li saw Madam Tan to the doorway.

A young maid came running over breathlessly. “Madam, Madam, Eldest Son-in-law and Eldest Young Madam have arrived! The carriage is stopped outside the gate—you should go quickly and see!”

Her tone made it sound as if she were crying out “disaster!”

Lady Li couldn’t concern herself with Madam Tan any longer. She said anxiously, “Quickly go ask the master to return home.” She also instructed Nanny Li, “You hurry and prepare the guest room. Tell Second Young Miss…” She walked hurriedly outside. After taking a few steps, she stopped as if remembering something, turned back and said to Nanny Li, “You must also tell the kitchen to quickly prepare a full table of dishes. If there isn’t time, then order a full table from outside… No, no, the restaurants aren’t open for business yet. You find a way to prepare a full table of dishes…”

Nanny Li responded repeatedly.

Lady Li half-ran out of the courtyard.

Madam Tan couldn’t help but purse her lips.

The year wasn’t even over yet, and Magistrate Zhou’s eldest daughter who had married into Zhenjiang and her son-in-law had already returned to her natal home—who knew what had happened?