Zhou Shaojin was suddenly lifted up and couldn’t help but let out a small cry of alarm. She tightly grabbed Cheng Chi’s arms as his warm lips pressed against hers.
She said in panic, “Put me down quickly!”
Cheng Chi wouldn’t let go.
He found it quite interesting to have Zhou Shaojin depend on him so completely.
Zhou Shaojin was furious beyond measure.
Cheng Chi then smilingly placed her on the kang and sat down himself as well, beginning to prepare tea anew.
Zhou Shaojin straightened her collar and hair ornaments, her expression somewhat hesitant.
Cheng Chi smiled with the corners of his mouth turned up, saying warmly, “What’s wrong?”
Zhou Shaojin thought for a moment before saying, “Must the clan be divided?”
Must the clan be divided for him to marry her?
A married daughter was like spilled water.
The family genealogy only recorded her birth date and wedding date.
Once married, only the husband’s status mattered!
However, because she had grown up in Jiuru Lane from childhood, if she married Uncle Chi, Uncle Chi would be easily attacked by others. If Uncle Chi pursued an official career, he especially couldn’t afford to make such a mistake.
It seemed that matters in this world were difficult to have both ways.
If she hadn’t grown up in Jiuru Lane, she couldn’t possibly have met Uncle Chi. But having grown up in Jiuru Lane had become an obstacle to marrying Uncle Chi.
Zhou Shaojin felt extremely downcast.
Cheng Chi stroked her head and said, “Dividing the clan is for the best… Would you rather go back with me to Jiuru Lane every year to worship the ancestors?”
He truly understood her thoughts best.
Perhaps because the memories of her previous life were too vivid, what she feared most was being under everyone’s scrutiny, becoming fodder for others’ gossip. Whether they spoke well or ill of her, she didn’t like to hear it.
Zhou Shaojin murmured, “I just feel uneasy in my heart… Originally there was no need to divide the clan… I always feel it’s because of me that Jiuru Lane is being torn apart… If the Old Master and Old Ancestors knew in the afterlife, they would surely blame me…”
“Shaojin!” Cheng Chi called her name affectionately, sighing as he embraced her.
Zhou Shaojin liked this kind of embrace—quiet and still, where she could hear Cheng Chi’s heartbeat, as if she were resting on his heart.
She didn’t struggle and obediently nestled in his arms.
He kissed the top of her head and said softly, “Second Brother just came to see me. He agrees to dividing the clan…”
Zhou Shaojin looked up in surprise, her lips brushing against his.
Her face flushed slightly.
But Cheng Chi took advantage of the moment to pursue, cupping her face as their lips and tongues became entangled.
The window frame was set with transparent glass.
From the corner of her eye, Zhou Shaojin could see Qin Fang playing with Song Ming in the courtyard.
She widened her eyes and struggled to push Cheng Chi away.
Cheng Chi immediately released her.
She panted, saying, “Outside, outside… there are people…”
Not rejecting him like before, but worried there were people outside!
A warmth flashed in Cheng Chi’s smile that even he himself hadn’t noticed. He smiled as he held her and leaned back against the large welcoming pillow.
Zhou Shaojin breathed a sigh of relief.
Thinking of how he had proactively helped arrange her clothing before others entered earlier, and how he immediately released her whenever she struggled… her heart suddenly felt both soft and secure.
Actually, Uncle Chi had never changed.
He always protected her no matter when.
Even excessive jokes were only in private.
He had never let her be laughed at by others.
She had been afraid for so long that she hadn’t felt his kindness toward her.
Thinking this way, her originally somewhat stiff body softened… She nestled compliantly in his arms.
Having soft fragrance in his embrace, and moreover the woman he loved—there was nothing more pleasant than this.
Cheng Chi idly stroked Zhou Shaojin’s hair, saying, “My second brother’s meaning is that he wants to take this opportunity to hand over the Seven Star Hall…”
Zhou Shaojin immediately sat up in delight, feeling an unprecedented favorable impression of Cheng Wei, whom she had never had much impression of before. She clapped her hands saying, “Exactly, exactly! I think Second Master Wei makes sense. Dividing the clan is a small matter—finding a way to throw out the Seven Star Hall is what’s truly important.”
Cheng Chi, seeing her eyes sparkling with joy, smiled as he pulled her back into his arms and said unhurriedly, “But we still haven’t investigated why the Cheng family was raided. If we throw out the Seven Star Hall, where will we get people to help us investigate these matters?”
“Oh yes!” Zhou Shaojin’s gaze dimmed again. “Who knows when we’ll be able to investigate the truth? It’s all my fault—all day long I only focus on my own little patch of ground, not knowing to care more about the Cheng family’s affairs. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be so passive now!”
Cheng Chi laughed and said, “When the Cheng family had problems, what did Sister Zheng do?”
That’s right!
Cheng Zheng was much more capable than her, yet was equally helpless and couldn’t figure out what had really happened!
Zhou Shaojin felt better.
Cheng Chi added, “Didn’t your brother-in-law also fail to figure out why the Cheng family was raided?”
Zhou Shaojin kept nodding.
Cheng Chi kissed her cheek again and said, “It’s fortunate you know nothing. If you had heard some fragmentary words and speculated about them before telling me, I’m afraid I’d never want to know about the Cheng family’s raid in this lifetime!”
Zhou Shaojin smiled slightly, her eyebrows curved like crescent moons.
Cheng Chi stroked her face and said softly, “However, if in the end I still can’t prevent the Cheng family from being raided…”
Zhou Shaojin had never worried about this matter.
She always felt that if Cheng Chi put his mind to it, he could definitely escape.
As for herself…
Zhou Shaojin smiled gently, “In my previous life, I only lived to twenty-five.”
In this life, meeting him—even if she only lived to twenty-five, being able to accompany him for ten years would leave her with no regrets.
Cheng Chi pressed his lips to Zhou Shaojin’s forehead, kissing her for a long time.
There had never been another woman who valued him like Shaojin did… She made him feel precious himself!
“Shaojin, rest assured, the clan division will go smoothly.” Cheng Chi whispered to her, “Madam Yuan values the relationship with the Min family highly. This includes both the desire for the Min and Cheng families to look after each other, and the vanity of not being willing to be outdone by the Min family. I’ve already hinted to Madam Yuan that if the Min family learns about Jiashan’s matter, it would inevitably be degrading. And once degraded, we’d certainly lose momentum. Even if Jiashan has a smooth official career in the future and needs the Min family’s support, I’m afraid the Min family would have to carefully consider first—one must first be a good person before doing good work. If one can’t even be a good person, how can one do good work?
“Madam Yuan isn’t competing with the second branch’s old ancestor now.
“The second branch’s old ancestor also knows Madam Yuan is just making a fuss.
“Everyone is merely probing to see where the other’s bottom line is.
“You know Mother’s temperament—she certainly disdains arguing with the second branch people. She’ll just let Madam Yuan make a fuss with them. Moreover, the Yuan family’s maternal uncle brought three legal secretaries, which will certainly make the second branch’s old ancestor flustered when the time comes.”
Speaking to this point, Cheng Chi laughed coldly.
Zhou Shaojin said hesitantly, “What if the second branch’s old ancestor gains the upper hand? Would we really have to give them three million taels of silver? Does the family have that much silver?”
She always felt the second branch’s old ancestor wouldn’t agree to dividing the clan so easily.
Cheng Chi liked hearing her say “we” and “the family.”
He teased Zhou Shaojin, “What? Can’t bear to part with the silver?”
“What nonsense!” Zhou Shaojin said displeased. “Three hundred thousand taels of silver is no small amount. The first branch people don’t farm. This three hundred thousand taels would ultimately have to be repaid by you. How long would it take you to pay it off? That would be too hard!”
But Cheng Chi smiled, “This is the first branch’s affair—surely they can’t expect me alone to produce the silver. Moreover, the second branch has opened their mouth so wide that under duress, the first branch will inevitably pawn what can be pawned and sell what can be sold, letting all of Jinling City know what hardships the first branch suffered for the sake of dividing the clan…”
Zhou Shaojin’s eyes lit up as she said, “This is a wonderful idea—then everyone in Jinling City will know what price the first branch paid… Then others will certainly think that the first branch would rather pay such a large sum of silver to draw a clear line with the second and third branches… It shows that the first branch wanting to divide the clan isn’t necessarily because Uncle Jing became Grand Secretary and looks down on the other branches…” Just thinking of Cheng Xu from the second branch’s angry face upon hearing this news made her laugh immediately, feeling the person who thought of this idea was very clever. She asked Cheng Chi, “Who thought of this idea? They’re truly smart! Even when dividing the clan, they make the second branch uncomfortable…”
Cheng Chi laughed directly and said, “Then how do you plan to reward the person who thought of this idea?”
“Hmm?!” Zhou Shaojin didn’t understand.
Cheng Chi laughed softly, “I thought of this idea…”
Zhou Shaojin’s eyes widened.
Cheng Chi had already bent down to capture her lips… That warm breath enveloped her, making her feel dizzy as if suffocating, yet she thought, why does Uncle Chi like to kiss her so much…
The two dallied on the kang for quite a while.
Apart from holding Zhou Shaojin in his arms and kissing her, Cheng Chi didn’t make any other inappropriate moves.
He restrained himself greatly.
Zhou Shaojin, however, felt completely satisfied.
She felt this way… was always better than Cheng Chi acting recklessly…
Only after returning to Yuqian Alley did Zhou Shaojin remember she hadn’t asked Cheng Chi why he liked her… This seemed rather important now…
But as soon as she entered through the hanging flower gate, she saw Snowball barking “woof woof woof” and running over like a white shadow.
Zhou Shaojin immediately forgot everything else. She scooped up Snowball who was pouncing toward her, asking Jixiang who was on duty at home with surprise and delight, “How did Snowball get here?”
Little Sparrow had already trotted over, saying, “Second Young Miss, Fourth Master mentioned it to Master when passing through Baoding Prefecture, saying you were very bored here and asked Fourth Master to help bring Snowball, Little Yellow, and Little Green over. Fourth Master came by fast horse. The servants just arrived a moment ago.”
Snowball had stayed in Baoding Prefecture for some time. Everyone up and down knew this was Zhou Shaojin’s pet, were extremely friendly to it, and quite fond of it. Children especially loved these little creatures. Before Zhou Shaojin could speak, Zhou Chujin, being held by her wet nurse and following Li Shi inside, was already happily calling “Snowball,” “Snowball.”
Snowball also liked playing with Zhou Chujin. Barking “woof woof woof,” it ran over and circled around Zhou Chujin.
Zhou Chujin giggled with laughter, struggled to get down, and squatted on the ground hugging Snowball.
Zhou Shaojin felt even the air had become lively.
Nanny Li quietly smiled to Li Shi, “Why don’t you also raise a dog for Third Young Miss?”
Li Shi gave her a look and said, “Wouldn’t that be making Second Young Miss compete? Let it be for now. If Second Young Miss gets married and takes Snowball with her, then we can raise a dog for Third Young Miss.”
Just as they were speaking, a young servant ran in to report, “Madam, the maternal uncle from Jiujiang, Jiangxi has sent someone with a calling card. They’ll arrive in the capital tomorrow.”