“How could I do such a thing?” Cheng Chi said with a smile. “Every household has a large family to support. In doing business, you can’t just make noise without making money, right? They don’t trust the Second Branch and are unwilling to deposit their silver at Yutai Bank—that’s their decision after careful consideration. What does it have to do with me?”
Zhou Shaojin smiled with her eyes narrowed.
This man—he did something bad but won’t admit it!
She said, “Yes, yes, it has nothing to do with you! But Yutai Bank was established by your hands. Aside from you, they don’t trust anyone else. Poor Second Branch thought Yutai Bank was a treasure bowl and schemed to take it from your hands, not knowing it was actually a death curse that would only make them sink deeper and deeper.” Having said this, she couldn’t help but sigh. “Tracing it to the root, it’s all just the character for ‘greed’ causing trouble!”
If they hadn’t been greedy, if they had disbanded the Seven Stars Hall in the early years, how would the First Branch and Second Branch have become what they are today!
She couldn’t help but tightly embrace Cheng Chi and bury her head in his chest.
Cheng Chi smiled slightly and held Zhou Shaojin even tighter.
He kissed her forehead, thinking about the affairs of Jiuru Lane.
Because those who had previously deposited money at Yutai Bank were all cashing out, and the Second Branch couldn’t find people to deposit money, if they wanted Yutai Bank to operate normally, they had to take out their own silver for working capital. Unfortunately, the Second Branch had no one skilled in business. Silver sitting at home wouldn’t generate more silver on its own. The feeling of sitting idle and eating through their fortune made the Second Branch people feel crisis-ridden. Blinded by profit, they changed his previously established rule of quarterly dividends to the same year-end dividends as other merchants. Once this news spread, it would only make people think Yutai Bank’s operations had problems, making them unwilling to deposit silver at Yutai Bank and even more unwilling to exchange silver for Yutai Bank notes. Over time, Yutai would lose not just customers but also reputation. And once a merchant lost its reputation, it wouldn’t be far from closing down. Those banks cooperating with Yutai weren’t pushovers either—they would certainly find ways to legally and properly swallow up that silver used to honor the banknotes.
When that time came, the Second Branch’s losses wouldn’t be just these three hundred thousand taels of silver.
Thinking of this, he sneered inwardly.
Cheng Xu had truly misjudged him.
He thought that because he left home at a young age, he would miss home and cherish so-called “family affection,” using Yutai Bank to threaten him and prevent him from agreeing to the branch separation.
But how could a mere Yutai Bank compare to the importance of his life?
Without Yutai Bank, he could create another Yutai Bank. Making him watch helplessly as his little girl married someone else, speaking gently with another man, bearing children with another man… just thinking about it made his heart feel like it was being cut by knives.
Cheng Chi couldn’t help but kiss Zhou Shaojin’s forehead again and said hoarsely, “After the New Year, shall we have a child?”
Could such things be controlled?
Zhou Shaojin’s face turned red.
She also wanted a child.
And she had always believed in and followed Cheng Chi. Since he said this, she nodded and murmured in agreement, “Alright.”
Cheng Chi held her even tighter.
After the New Year, his little girl would be another year older. She should be more fully developed, shouldn’t she?
His gaze involuntarily fell on her undulating curves.
Just looking at this figure, who would think she had only just come of age?
In a few more years, who knew how stunning she would be!
Yet she also had an incomparably elegant face. Her eyes, clear as spring water, were even more limpid and pure, like mountain spring water untouched by the mortal world, making people unable to resist wanting to see what she would look like falling into the mundane world…
Cheng Chi sighed.
Fortunately, his little girl had a quiet temperament and didn’t like going out to socialize, saving a lot of trouble. Otherwise, once this beautiful reputation spread, their doorstep would surely be trampled three inches lower by those troublesome women with nothing better to do.
Then his little girl would surely be quite distressed.
Thinking of that scene, he couldn’t help but smile. “Tomorrow, do you want to play leaf cards with Chun Wan and the others?”
To pass the boredom of the journey.
Zhou Shaojin shook her head.
If she played leaf cards with Chun Wan and the others, Cheng Chi would have to sit in another carriage, and she would have to be separated from Cheng Chi… She wanted to be with Cheng Chi. Even if they didn’t say a word, as long as she could see him, feel his presence, and know he was by her side, she was content.
But Cheng Chi couldn’t let her just sleep drowsily all day like this, or else in a few days she would become listless and spiritless.
After drinking chicken soup with Zhou Shaojin, he retired early. The next day, he wrapped her up in a small quilt into a bundle, held her in his arms, lifted the window curtain, and watched the scenery outside with her.
Baoding Prefecture was a necessary passage south from the capital. Although it was ice and snow everywhere and nearly New Year’s, there were still many pedestrians on the road, most of them hurrying home for the New Year.
Cheng Chi said to Zhou Shaojin, “This year’s Spring Festival is the first one after our marriage. I’m afraid we’ll have to go to Xinglin Alley for the reunion dinner then.”
Now that she had married Cheng Chi and was a daughter-in-law of the Cheng family, it was impossible to completely avoid Xinglin Alley.
Cheng Chi had done so much for her—she also wanted to do things that would make him happy.
Zhou Shaojin grasped Cheng Chi’s little finger, took a deep breath, and said, “It’s fine. When the time comes, we’ll just go to Xinglin Alley for the reunion dinner.”
As if this way she could absorb some courage from Cheng Chi’s body, that dependent tenderness made Cheng Chi’s heart flutter.
He held Zhou Shaojin’s hand and said with a low laugh, “Trust me, I won’t let anything happen to you!”
Zhou Shaojin naturally believed him—otherwise she wouldn’t dare go to Xinglin Alley either.
After all, she was still a bit timid.
Zhou Shaojin’s eyes curved as she responded “Alright,” unspeakably obedient.
Cheng Chi was so pleased.
He felt he hadn’t seen her this lighthearted in quite some time.
The two chatted intermittently, and in just two or three days, they arrived at Baoding Prefecture.
Zhou Zhen had already received word and early in the morning urged people to wait at the city gate. When Li Changgui sent someone to tell him that Zhou Shaojin and Cheng Chi had entered the city, he could no longer sit still. He abandoned the documents covering his desk and went to the inner quarters.
Lady Li had only recently become pregnant. Her figure didn’t show yet, but she didn’t dare move carelessly. She sat on a grand tutor’s chair padded with thick cushions, listening to a servant woman from the kitchen report today’s menu. Seeing Zhou Zhen enter, she quickly stood up.
“Sit down quickly!” Zhou Zhen was also afraid something might happen to Lady Li and hurriedly said, “Whatever needs doing, just instruct Nanny Li. Shaojin has always been thoughtful—even if there’s some breach of etiquette, she won’t take it to heart.” Then he asked, “Have the heated floor channels all been warmed up? Have the bedding in the rooms all been changed to new? How are the lunch preparations?”
What they were both worried about was Cheng Chi.
Back at Jiuru Lane, Cheng Chi had not been easy to serve.
As the old saying goes, rivers and mountains may change, but human nature is hard to alter.
Zhou Zhen and Lady Li didn’t want any conflict between Cheng Chi and Zhou Shaojin because of them.
Lady Li acknowledged and said, “The floor heating was started last night. We also placed some orange peel and Buddha’s hand fruit in offering dishes. I just went in to check—when you walk into the room, you’re greeted with a refreshing fragrance. I specifically took out the bedding a few days ago to warm it. It’s cozy and warm—guaranteed to be comfortable to sleep in.” After speaking, she had the servant woman hand the menu to Zhou Zhen and said, “I’m just a woman from the inner quarters who hasn’t seen much of the world. Master, please help check if there’s anything that needs to be added or removed.”
Zhou Zhen glanced at it quickly and said, “Replace that ‘Number One Fresh’ mutton hotpot with a milder soup. After their long journey by carriage and horse, having just arrived, how could they have the appetite for such greasy soup? Save this soup for tonight when Zichuan and I drink wine.”
Lady Li immediately ordered the servant woman to change the dish, but couldn’t help sighing inwardly—when had Master ever concerned himself with such matters? This truly proved the saying that the crying child gets the milk.
The eldest young lady and her husband were a young married couple of similar age. The eldest young lady was also sensible. When she and her husband came to visit, Master steadily maintained his dignity as father-in-law, sitting there lecturing the son-in-law. The second young lady had married a two-time examination graduate more than ten years her senior and had a childlike temperament. Master was afraid the second young lady would suffer at her husband’s hands, so he brought out twelve parts of spirit to handle it.
May the second young lady and her husband live harmoniously and beautifully for their entire lives, otherwise who knew how distressed Master would be!
In just the time it takes to burn an incense stick, Zhou Shaojin and Cheng Chi’s carriage stopped at the second gate of the inner quarters.
Cheng Chi helped Zhou Shaojin down from the carriage.
Not far away, Madam Huang was watching from beyond the flower wall.
Having long heard that the Cheng family’s second young lady was making her return visit today, she was very curious about the person who had married Zhou Shaojin.
That tall and jade-like figure, elegant bearing, handsome features, especially that confident and composed expression—even the somewhat curious Madam Huang had to admit after seeing him that this second son-in-law of the Zhou family, whether in birth or appearance, learning or demeanor, was far superior to Scholar Chang. No wonder even though the son-in-law was several years older than the second young lady, the Zhou family had immediately agreed.
The Zhou family’s second young lady looked as delicate as a flower, much more beautiful than when she left.
She turned and instructed her personal nurse standing behind her, “Go tell Scholar Chang to give up this hope! The Zhou family’s second son-in-law is a talented and handsome man who matches the second young lady perfectly. Tell him to stop pining and properly arrange a marriage for himself as soon as possible!”
The nurse smiled and left to comply.
Zhou Shaojin, supported by Cheng Chi, had already entered the second gate.
Zhou Zhen and Lady Li both came out to greet them.
Zhou Shaojin’s tears inexplicably fell. She lifted her skirt to kowtow to Zhou Zhen.
Zhou Zhen took two steps in three strides forward to help her up, saying with a smile, “You child, why are you so earnest? Even if you want to kowtow, you should do it in the hall, on the floor with heated channels underneath! Kneeling down like this—won’t your knees hurt?”
Zhou Shaojin didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. The slight sorrow that had welled up upon seeing her father and Lady Li instantly dissipated. She twisted her handkerchief and laughed. It was Cheng Chi who stepped forward and respectfully called out “Father-in-law” and “Mother-in-law.”
Looking at Cheng Chi’s calm and composed face, Zhou Zhen coughed somewhat uncomfortably and said, “Good that you’ve come. Come inside for tea!”
The family entered the hall.
Zhou Shaojin and Cheng Chi knelt down and performed the grand ceremony for Zhou Zhen.
Zhou Zhen quickly had someone help them up, said some words about how husband and wife should be considerate of each other, yield to each other, care for each other, and grow old together, then sent them off to change clothes.
Zhou Shaojin was surprised and whispered to Cheng Chi, “Why did Father let us go so quickly? Elder Sister said that when she and Brother-in-law made their return visit, Father lectured them for a full half hour. If there hadn’t been urgent business from the yamen requiring his attention, he probably would have continued even longer.”