Hearing her sister mention Cheng Xu, Zhou Shaojin appeared somewhat silent.

Only then did Zhou Chujin realize she had misspoken. She quickly said, “Shaojin, what I meant was that you should choose someone you like…”

Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but mutter quietly, “Uncle Chi is the person I like!”

Zhou Chujin truly wanted to point at Cheng Chi’s nose and give him a thorough scolding.

“At your young age, what do you know about liking or not liking?” She lectured her sister. “Buying you things, joking and laughing with you, acting humble before you… none of this is real affection! Anyone could do such things, couldn’t they? He’s merely trying to win your favor to take advantage of you. Can he marry you? Can he publicly declare he likes you? Can he give you a proper status? Can he let you stand by his side openly and honorably? Shaojin, just listen to this one thing from your sister. What use is it that you like him? Does he like you? If he liked you, would he be sneaking around with you? You’d better forget such a person quickly. He’s our elder, more than ten years older than you!”

“Elder Sister!” Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help defending Cheng Chi. “Uncle Chi said that he, he will marry me. You don’t need to worry…”

Hearing these words made Zhou Chujin even more furious. “Just because he says he’ll marry you means he can marry you? Why don’t you use your head? What is he to us? You were just calling him Uncle Chi moments ago, weren’t you? As an elder, he does such things to you—his character and morals are questionable. How much of what he says can be true!”

“I believe he’s sincere!” Zhou Shaojin, seeing her sister’s expression was very poor, didn’t dare talk back to her, but argued quietly, “Uncle Chi won’t deceive me! Elder Sister, please just believe me this once, won’t you?”

She very much wanted to tell her sister that Old Madam Guo already knew about this matter, but she feared that after speaking, her sister would even blame Old Madam Guo.

Zhou Shaojin had the appearance of someone who had fallen into a love trap and couldn’t extricate herself. Zhou Chujin was so angry her eyes turned red.

But could this be blamed on Shaojin?

She was still a child!

If not for Cheng Chi seducing her, would she be so defiant toward her?

Thinking back, when Shaojin spoke with her, there had never been a time when she even raised her voice.

Zhou Chujin was so angry her liver hurt.

She paced back and forth in the room several times. With great difficulty, her mood calmed somewhat, and she decided to gently and patiently counsel Zhou Shaojin. But who knew that when she turned around, she would see Zhou Shaojin looking at her with teary eyes, like a child who had been severely bullied.

An inexplicable anger flared up in Zhou Chujin’s heart again.

She couldn’t suppress her fury and said, “You stay here properly. In a few days, I’ll send you back to Baoding Prefecture. Those things Cheng Zichuan gave you, I’ll have Chun Wan…” Speaking to this point, she only then remembered that both Chun Wan and Fan Liushi served Zhou Shaojin intimately. Looking at Zhou Shaojin and Cheng Chi’s situation, it clearly wasn’t something that developed overnight—they couldn’t possibly not know… Yet these two people had never revealed the slightest trace in front of her… Zhou Chujin’s expression turned cold and stern. She called out loudly for “Chi Xiang” and said, “Has Chun Wan arrived? Send someone to call Fan Liushi over as well…”

Zhou Shaojin suddenly thought of her previous life when the incident occurred—Old Madam Guan had also summoned Chun Wan and Fan Liushi in this same manner.

She jumped up and grabbed Zhou Chujin’s sleeve: “Elder Sister, no! You can’t!”

Zhou Chujin took two deep breaths and said, “Shaojin, I’m just calling them over to ask some questions. During these days you’re staying here, you can’t possibly have no one serving you. Nanny Shang and Xiao Tan are both from the main branch. I think it would be better to have them return to serve in the main branch.”

The more she spoke to Zhou Shaojin in this light, casual tone, the more uneasy Zhou Shaojin felt.

Zhou Shaojin tightly clutched her sister’s sleeve and wouldn’t let go, her eyes showing a pleading expression.

Zhou Chujin steeled her heart and refused to look at her.

Zhou Shaojin’s tears were about to fall, yet she didn’t know what to say.

On one side was her sister who had treated her with kindness as heavy as mountains; on the other were servants who had been utterly loyal to her.

She neither wanted to offend her sister nor wanted to hurt Chun Wan and Fan Liushi.

Seeing Zhou Shaojin’s distressed appearance, Zhou Chujin also felt uncomfortable. Thinking of Zhou Shaojin’s stubbornness just now, she said thoughtfully, “Not punishing Chun Wan and Fan Liushi is also acceptable—before I send you back to Baoding Prefecture, you must stay here properly and not go anywhere. Can you do that?”

Zhou Shaojin couldn’t do it.

She knew that if her sister didn’t relent, even if she took Chun Wan and Fan Liushi back to Baoding Prefecture, Chun Wan and Fan Liushi wouldn’t have a good outcome.

Zhou Shaojin said, “Elder Sister, please just let Chun Wan and Fan Liushi stay in Elm Coin Alley. You have so many maids here—you can just assign any two people to serve me. Please let Chun Wan and Fan Liushi remain in the capital.”

Zhou Chujin naturally couldn’t agree.

For Chun Wan and Fan Liushi to have allowed Cheng Zichuan to defile Zhou Shaojin—no punishment would be too severe. Moreover, even for the sake of Zhou Shaojin’s reputation, these two people couldn’t be kept.

The sisters remained at an impasse.

A young maid ran in and said, “Young Madam, Nanny Shang from Elm Coin Alley has come, saying she’s here to deliver Second Miss’s change of clothes.”

Wasn’t Chun Wan supposed to deliver the clothes?

Zhou Chujin was quite surprised.

Zhou Shaojin, however, let out a long breath, her expression relaxing.

It must be that Uncle Chi, knowing Chun Wan and Fan Liushi were her personal servants, feared they would be punished by her sister if they came, so he simply had the skilled Nanny Shang come help deliver the clothes instead.

Zhou Chujin, however, furrowed her brow.

Without Chun Wan and Fan Liushi outside, Shaojin would have no attachments, making it even harder to force her to stop associating with Cheng Zichuan.

The young maid who came to report, seeing that Zhou Chujin hadn’t given instructions after quite a while, and thinking of the two cartloads of trunks at the inner gate and Nanny Shang chatting intimately with Nanny Zhong, who was closest to Grand Madam Liao, couldn’t help but say quietly, “Young Madam, Nanny Zhong is keeping Nanny Shang company in conversation…”

Zhou Chujin’s heart trembled.

How could she have forgotten that her mother-in-law was still residing in the mansion…

Not even a whisper of Shaojin’s matter could be allowed to leak out.

She quickly said, “Then go and invite Nanny Shang in!”

The young maid acknowledged and left. Before long, she brought Nanny Shang in.

Nanny Shang first looked toward Zhou Shaojin. Seeing that Zhou Shaojin was completely intact, only with red, swollen eyes as if she had been crying, she first breathed a sigh of relief. Only then did she smile and step forward to pay respects to Zhou Chujin, saying, “Second Miss left in a hurry. Miss Chun Wan is Second Miss’s most trusted person—she manages all the jewelry and valuables. She also had to deal with the clerks from the grain, oil, rice, and flour shops who came for payment, and had to direct the maids and servants to pack Second Miss’s commonly used items into trunks to send over. Miss Chun Wan was simply too busy, so she sent me to deliver Second Miss’s trunks first, lest when evening comes, Second Miss would have to borrow even bedding and pillows from Young Madam. I also thought that since Second Miss is staying for some days and although Young Madam’s household doesn’t lack personal attendants, with Grand Madam still here and the Liao family relatives constantly coming and going, we couldn’t let people think Second Miss lacked proper etiquette. With all the close attendants being Liao family maids and servants, I’ve brought Xiao Tan and Bitao, whom Miss is accustomed to…”

Zhou Chujin looked toward Zhou Shaojin.

At some point, a trace of a smile had appeared at the corners of Zhou Shaojin’s mouth.

How could Zhou Chujin not understand?

This Nanny Shang hadn’t come to deliver things at all—she had clearly come to support Zhou Shaojin.

Using her mother-in-law, Grand Madam Liao, to pressure her no less.

How could a mere servant have such audacity?

Wasn’t it all at the instigation of her former master, Cheng Chi?

Zhou Chujin was so angry she laughed.

Zhou Shaojin was her sister—she treasured and cherished her more than anyone. What right did Cheng Chi have to interfere?

She wouldn’t give Cheng Chi another opportunity to approach her sister.

Zhou Chujin couldn’t help but sneer coldly. “Gifts from elders cannot be declined. But we needn’t trouble Miss Xiao Tan. I think it would be better to have Miss Xiao Tan stay in Elm Tree Alley to instruct the household maids and servants in proper etiquette, so they don’t lose their manners!”

You want to have Xiao Tan serve by Shaojin’s side?

Fine, I’ll keep her here and place her by my side to respectfully attend to. Once a maid enters my room, can Cheng Chi possibly manage affairs in my room?

Nanny Shang said politely, “Young Madam was born into a distinguished family—how would Xiao Tan dare show off her skills before you! However, Second Miss is generous and kind. Letting her help pour tea and water by her side would be sufficient!”

Second Miss was generous and kind, so she was mean and bitter?

Zhou Chujin’s anger flared, and she wanted to admonish Nanny Shang a few more times when Nanny Zhong’s voice sounded from beyond the curtain: “Young Madam, Young Madam, Grand Madam heard that Second Miss came to visit and specially sent this old servant to invite Second Miss over to talk. She also asked this old servant to tell Young Madam to instruct the kitchen to prepare several more dishes Second Miss likes—today Second Miss will be kept to dine in the upper chambers.”

This way, Zhou Chujin had no possibility of confining Zhou Shaojin.

Zhou Chujin’s face was as dark as water.

What did Cheng Zichuan mean by this?

Was he afraid she would beat and scold Zhou Shaojin?

Or did he still want to meet Zhou Shaojin in secret?

Nanny Shang’s heart was pounding.

Fourth Master, fearing Second Miss would be punished by the eldest miss, had sent her over.

But Young Madam was after all Second Miss’s sister, and Second Miss had always respected Young Madam. If they truly offended Young Madam completely, Second Miss would probably also feel uncomfortable.

She quickly said, “Young Madam, masters are like flowers, and we are like leaves. Masters are like clouds, and we are like earth. If Second Miss wants to embroider, someone must help separate the threads; if Second Miss wants to prune branches and trim leaves, someone must help hand her a cloth to wipe her hands… We servants only attend by her side.”

The implication was that they would only protect Zhou Shaojin and would not concern themselves with anything else.

Zhou Chujin sneered coldly.

Zhou Shaojin, however, shed tears.

In her previous life, Cheng Xu had said repeatedly that he liked her, yet allowed Yuan Shi to torment her. In this life, Uncle Chi always liked to tease her, but he always kept her in his heart, afraid she would suffer even the slightest grievance. Even when her sister, who was like both mother and sister, confined her, he still had to send someone to accompany her to feel at ease.

Her sister also said that if a man only buys you things, makes you happy, is willing to humble himself before you, but is unwilling to marry you and give you proper status, he isn’t trustworthy and isn’t a good man.

Didn’t that mean Uncle Chi was the best man in the world!

Zhou Shaojin embraced her sister’s arm and said with reddened eyes, “Elder Sister, I’ll listen to you in everything. Please let Nanny Shang and Xiao Tan and the others stay by my side to serve me!”

Don’t punish Chun Wan and Fan Liushi.

She believed Uncle Chi would prove that he hadn’t deceived her.