Zhou Shaojin slept wonderfully. The next day she rose in high spirits, carefully styling her hair in a hanging chignon, wearing a pure gold hair circlet and jeweled hairpins inlaid with precious stones.

Shi Xiang couldn’t help but praise: “Second Miss looks truly beautiful like this! You should have dressed up nicely like this every day long ago.”

The brilliant gems made Zhou Shaojin’s skin appear luminous as snow, her bright eyes radiant.

“That’s so much trouble!” She smoothed her sleeves, her fingers resting on the pink silk jacket with its subtle pattern of swastika and lotus flowers, making them appear even more fair and delicate. “Just this hairstyle took nearly half an hour, and when I nap at noon, I’ll have to take it down and redo it. With that time, I’d rather go to the garden to see which flowers have bloomed—I plan to make several bottles of floral essence once I finish embroidering Sister’s and my summer clothes. Perhaps I can even finish in time for Grandmother’s birthday.”

“Wonderful!” Shi Xiang loved seeing Zhou Shaojin like this—like the first flower blooming in the morning mist, not only beautiful but full of an inspiring vitality that lightened the entire atmosphere of the room. “When the time comes, this servant will assist Second Miss. Whatever you tell me to do, I’ll do it. I guarantee I won’t delay your work.”

Chun Wan, who was bringing in shoes, didn’t even wait for Zhou Shaojin to select today’s footwear before eagerly asking: “Second Miss, to make floral essence, don’t we need a craftsman to build that barrel you drew the other day? I wonder if Steward Ma can find a highly skilled carpenter?”

“That barrel isn’t difficult,” Zhou Shaojin examined the shoes in Chun Wan’s hands and selected a pair of plain platform shoes in deep blue trimmed with silver-red edging. “It’s similar to the steaming baskets they use for making steamed buns in the north. Most craftsmen could make it well. The difficulty lies in the glass bottles. Fragrant essence disperses with the wind—to seal the fragrance in bottles, I’d need a tinsmith to make lids for the glass bottles. That’s real skilled work. If the lid is too thin, it will break after a few uses. If it’s too thick, it will weigh down the glass bottle, making it look top-heavy and unattractive. And as for glass bottles, I don’t even know where one could order custom ones.”

She fretted over this while Chun Wan’s eyes shone with fascination at her description. Shamelessly, she asked: “Second Miss, when ordering the glass bottles, could we also order some glass beads? Then we could mount them on hairpins. Just the other day I saw a woman on the street wearing a hairpin mounted with glass beads. When the sun shone on them, they sparkled more beautifully than gemstones…”

“I didn’t know Chun Wan liked glass beads,” Zhou Shaojin asked Shi Xiang. “Do you like them? Why don’t we order more beads when the time comes and share them with all the sisters in the courtyard?”

“Wonderful, wonderful!” Chun Wan clapped her hands in delight.

Zhou Shaojin’s room was filled with laughter and joy.

Zhou Chujin, however, had only fallen asleep in the latter half of the night and rose somewhat late. Hearing occasional laughter from her sister’s side, she thought for a moment and instructed Dong Wan: “Go tell Second Miss that I have business with First Aunt this morning. Tell her to go pay respects to Grandmother at three-quarters past the hour of chen. I’ll wait for her there.”

Dong Wan went with a smile to deliver the message to Zhou Shaojin.

Zhou Chujin hastily finished breakfast and went to Heming Hall.

Old Madam Guan had just finished offering incense. Seeing Zhou Chujin alone, she asked curiously: “Where’s Shaojin? Was she exhausted yesterday? Is she unwell?”

“No!” Zhou Chujin took the teacup from a maid’s hands and placed it before Old Madam Guan, hesitating as if wanting to speak.

Old Madam Guan took a sip of tea, dismissed the servants in the room, and asked gravely: “What has happened?”

Zhou Chujin told Old Madam Guan everything that had occurred between Zhou Shaojin and Wu Baozhang yesterday in complete detail.

Old Madam Guan listened with furrowed brows, but as Zhou Chujin’s account progressed, her expression gradually relaxed. By the time Zhou Chujin finished speaking, she was smiling gently: “What are you worried about? That others will think Shaojin’s scheming runs too deep and won’t like her?”

Zhou Chujin nodded.

Old Madam Guan smiled: “But look at yesterday—did Shaojin come to any harm?”

Zhou Chujin said quietly: “That was just fortunate… dragging all the branches into it…”

“People plan, Heaven decides. If she was fortunate enough to extricate herself, that’s also her blessing.” Old Madam Guan smiled and patted the brocade cushion beside her, signaling Zhou Chujin to sit down. “Given Shaojin’s situation at the time, that Miss Wu clearly harbored malicious intent. Fortunately she was quick-witted and made a fuss while all the branches’ old madams were present. If it had been a different setting, she might not have been so lucky. This shows that though Shaojin usually appears meek and submissive, at critical moments she knows how to protect herself. That’s great fortune—you needn’t worry.”

Zhou Chujin sat down beside her grandmother and said haltingly: “There’s one more matter… Miss Wu said those things because she saw Cheng Xu chasing after Shaojin…” She told Old Madam Guan about Cheng Xu.

Old Madam Guan was so shocked her jaw nearly dropped. Holding her teacup, she didn’t know whether to drink or set it down. After a long while she said: “Are, are you certain of this?”

“I’m telling you exactly what Shaojin told me,” Zhou Chujin said. “Not a single word added or omitted!”

Old Madam Guan stood and paced the room twice before her emotions gradually calmed.

Zhou Chujin said: “If this is truly the case, should we temporarily stop going to Hanbi Mountain Villa?”

“Absolutely not!” Old Madam Guan said without hesitation. “If Shaojin stops going to Hanbi Mountain Villa just because of a few words from Miss Wu, in the eyes of those with ulterior motives, it would be like ‘protesting too much.’ Shaojin must not only continue going, she must behave exactly as before.” At this point, the old madam changed her tone: “However, your concern is reasonable. I’ll send someone to Hanbi Mountain Villa to inquire. There’s no smoke without fire. Given Old Madam Guo’s shrewdness and worldliness, she should know about this by now. By rights, she should admonish Cheng Xu. But she always keeps matters close to her chest—I truly can’t predict what she’ll do.”

This was Zhou Chujin’s purpose in coming to see her grandmother alone.

She nodded repeatedly.

Old Madam Guan had Si’er summon Nanny Wang. After giving Nanny Wang quiet instructions, Nanny Wang departed for Hanbi Mountain Villa.

At Hanbi Mountain Villa, Yuan Shi stood with lowered brows and obedient eyes behind Old Madam Guo, who sat on a carved red lacquer arhat bed with plum blossom patterns, slowly eating blood glutinous rice congee. Cheng Xu knelt on the stone floor, his knees aching painfully. He stole a glance at his mother and grandmother, quietly shifting his position.

Like a thunderclap on level ground, Grandmother’s cold snort filled the room.

Cheng Xu quickly straightened his kneeling posture, but couldn’t help stealing a glance at his mother from the corner of his eye.

Yuan Shi felt as if her heart were being cut with knives.

The flesh that had fallen from her own body had grown this large without ever suffering such grievance.

When all was said and done, it was all Wu Baozhang’s fault for spreading rumors, and Zhou Shaojin’s—she could have let it pass with a few words, but instead had to make it known to everyone. Not exactly discreet and prudent.

She looked up toward her mother-in-law.

Seeing her mother-in-law set down the congee bowl and pick up a steamed bun, Yuan Shi quickly offered a small dish and gently reminded her: “Mother, look—it’s nearly the hour of chen. Dalang has been kneeling for almost half an hour. He still has to attend clan school…”

“He needs to attend school!” Old Madam Guo set down the small dish and said in a soft, slow voice: “The clan school teaches the sages’ teachings. He’s been listening there for nearly ten years, hasn’t he? Yet he hasn’t absorbed a single word—so what’s the point of going to clan school? To be a shadow standing there? Or to earn that eight taels monthly stipend for ink and brushes from the clan?”

Though her words came out softly, they were extremely caustic.

Yuan Shi trembled with anger, her fingertips shaking.

How could Mother-in-law say such things about Dalang? What did this have to do with Dalang…

Cheng Xu’s face flushed so red it seemed blood could drip from it.

He called out loudly “Grandmother” and looked up, only to meet Old Madam Guo’s stern, sharp gaze.

Cheng Xu froze.

He had last seen Grandmother like this when he was very young. Back then, it was Father kneeling on the ground. Though he was still young, he knew Grandmother loved her younger generation most and felt no fear, only curiosity.

Now, the person kneeling here had become him, and he could finally understand his father’s humiliation at that time.

Cheng Xu swallowed all his protests, lowered his head, and knelt even more upright.

Only then did Old Madam Guo’s expression soften slightly as she began eating her steamed bun.

The room fell silent. The slight sounds of porcelain clinking and chewing made the atmosphere somewhat oppressive.

Yuan Shi looked anxiously at her son kneeling on the ground.

Old Madam Guo acted as if she didn’t see, and only after finishing her breakfast, washing her hands, and picking up her teacup did she say: “Go to school. From now on, you’re excused from morning and evening attendance.”

“Mother!”

“Grandmother!”

Yuan Shi and Cheng Xu simultaneously looked at Old Madam Guo, their faces full of shock.

Old Madam Guo heavily set her teacup down on the table, creating a series of clinking sounds.

She demanded of Cheng Xu: “What? Can I no longer command you?”

“No, no!” Cheng Xu said urgently, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead. “I, I just didn’t expect…”

“Didn’t expect—there are many things you didn’t expect!” Old Madam Guo said coldly with a laugh. “I raised three sons, but not one was like you. When your father was your age, he already knew to attend to your grandfather in the study…”

Next should come the question of whom Dalang’s temperament resembled, shouldn’t it?

Yuan Shi’s heart felt gripped by something, unable to catch her breath.

Cheng Xu lowered his head in shame.

But contrary to Yuan Shi’s expectations, Old Madam Guo’s words stopped there. She didn’t continue, but instead waved dismissively at Cheng Xu and said indifferently: “You may withdraw!”

Cheng Xu dared not linger. Supporting himself on his knees, he rose.

Seeing her son stumble, Yuan Shi felt immense heartache and wanted to step forward to help Cheng Xu, but Old Madam Guo’s cold glance frightened her back.

Cheng Xu limped out the door. His personal servant Huanxi quickly approached.

“Young Master, what happened to you…” he asked while supporting Cheng Xu.

Cheng Xu rubbed his numb legs, which could barely be lifted, and said gloomily: “Don’t mention it! Grandmother gave me a severe scolding.”

Huanxi dared not ask further questions and helped Cheng Xu walk slowly outward.

Da Su followed silently behind them.

Why is this person so wooden?

Huanxi grumbled inwardly and called to Da Su: “Come help support the Young Master!”

Da Su stepped forward wordlessly, but Cheng Xu waved his hand: “No need! I don’t need your service here. Go ask for leave from clan school for me!”

“Young Master!” Both exclaimed in unison.

If Madam found out about this, wouldn’t she break their legs!