The vermicelli noodles were chewy and resilient, the carrots crisp and fresh. The sweet and sour vegetarian meatballs that resulted were crispy, fragrant, and utterly delicious. The lily bulbs were delicately fragrant, the water celery sweet and crunchy—the stir-fried celery with lily was refreshingly clean on the palate. The vegetarian dishes that Ganquan Temple had pulled out all the stops to prepare not only had Cheng Jia eating with great relish, even the usually particular Pan Qing was satisfied enough to eat an extra half bowl of rice. Only Zhou Shaojin found it all tasteless as chewing wax.
Cheng Xun had died young. By rights, the elders should not be attending his memorial, but it truly exemplified the saying “The poor in busy markets are ignored, while the rich in distant mountains have visiting relatives.” The first branch had risen to prominence, so not only had Jiang Shi and the others come to Ganquan Temple following Old Madam Guo, even the fifth branch and the collateral relatives who were closer to Jiuru Lane—the Cheng Yu and Cheng Lu families—had also come.
Had she known it would be like this, she wouldn’t have agreed to come to Ganquan Temple with Old Madam Guo.
Perhaps because she had jabbed at Dong Shi with a few remarks that day, or perhaps because Old Madam Guo had been keeping her close by her side, Dong Shi didn’t pull her aside to chat affectionately as usual. This made Zhou Shaojin feel much better.
She could only hope not to run into Cheng Lu… or Cheng Xu…
But things rarely go as one wishes.
After lunch, everyone returned to their rooms to rest for a moment before reconvening in the side hall to attend the prayer ceremony for Cheng Xun.
Cheng Lu walked in.
Since her rebirth, this was Zhou Shaojin’s first encounter with Cheng Lu.
At this time, Cheng Lu was only a sixteen-year-old youth—slender and upright as bamboo, with delicate features, his shyness tinged with a touch of bashfulness, as approachable as a neighborhood older brother.
Who would have thought he would later become a handsome, dashing scoundrel full of lies?
He had come looking for Dong Shi.
Mother and son huddled together in the corner of the hall, whispering about something unknown. Suddenly, Great Madam Wen, standing before the incense table, spoke to Dong Shi in a sarcastic tone: “I hear Brother Lu will be sitting for the examinations in June. A xiucai degree should be easy as plucking it from his hand.”
“Hardly!” Dong Shi replied with a somewhat forced smile. “There are many scholarly candidates in Jiangnan. Until the public results are posted, no one knows what the outcome will be.”
Cheng Lu didn’t even glance at Great Madam Wen. He spoke to Zhou Shaojin instead: “I heard that Second Cousin from the Zhou family was ill some days ago? Is she feeling better now? If there’s anything I can help with, Second Cousin Zhou shouldn’t be shy—just tell my mother.”
It seemed as though he disdained speaking with Great Madam Wen. His greeting came very naturally.
Zhou Shaojin felt a moment of disorientation.
The Cheng Lu before her eyes… was so unfamiliar.
As if the person she had killed with her own hands had no connection to him whatsoever.
How could a person change so drastically?
She smiled and nodded at Cheng Lu.
Great Madam Wen’s expression darkened. She said: “Who doesn’t know that your family’s Brother Lu is destined for scholarly success, and will later become the son-in-law of some high official? Why is Great Madam Bai being so polite with me? Are you afraid that once Brother Lu becomes illustrious, we poor relatives will come seeking favors? Rest assured, even if the Cheng family is a rotten boat, it still has three pounds of iron. Even if we’re reduced to begging, we won’t beg at your door.”
Dong Shi’s face flushed bright red.
The other female relatives of the Cheng family had no idea what madness had seized Great Madam Wen this time.
But Cheng Lu’s face remained perfectly calm. He respectfully bid farewell to Old Madam Guo and the others, then said to Zhou Shaojin: “I heard that Second Cousin has several Baoruixiang kites at her place. I’d like to borrow them to see how they’re made. Would Second Cousin be willing to grant this convenience?”
In her previous life, every interaction Cheng Lu had with her had been so righteous and forthright, as open and clear as wind and moon, so Zhou Shaojin had never suspected anything. In this life, hearing such words again, Zhou Shaojin only found them laughable.
Cheng Lu, such a cautious and careful person—from using the fifth branch’s name to get recommended by the fourth branch to study at the clan school, to becoming someone everyone at the clan school vied to befriend—how could he possibly not understand the proper boundaries between men and women? How could he make such an error?
If she remembered correctly, those kites had all been given to her by Cheng Lu previously.
Now he was openly asking for them back, and would probably openly give them to her again in a few days.
Only what might be different about them this time, that was impossible to know.
She had no intention of testing Cheng Lu.
“Baoruixiang is in Cunyi District, and Brother Lu also seems to live in Cunyi District,” Zhou Shaojin said coolly. “Rather than borrowing kites from me, Brother Lu might as well visit Baoruixiang. When Cousin Yi gave me the kites, he mentioned that behind Baoruixiang’s courtyard is their kite-making workshop. If Brother Lu goes there, he might even discover some secrets of kite-making.”
She was playing dumb while fully aware, claiming the kites were gifts from Cheng Yi. This way, even if Cheng Lu wanted to play some trick later, in front of so many elders he wouldn’t dare openly claim the kites were from him, nor would he be able to use those kites to create trouble in the future.
After speaking, Zhou Shaojin felt that letting Cheng Lu off so easily was too lenient, so she added: “We cousin siblings are all grown now. We can’t play together in a group like when we were children. I’m afraid it wouldn’t be convenient to lend the kites to Brother Lu. Please forgive me, Brother Lu.”
A flash of satisfied approval flickered in Old Madam Guo’s eyes.
Cheng Lu’s face turned bright red. He bowed his head, made his obeisance, and left.
Zhou Shaojin breathed a sigh of relief, turned, and knelt on the meditation cushion, preparing to chant sutras with the temple monks. But her heart was roiling like boiling water.
Perhaps because she had not only stabbed him that one time, but also set a trap for Cheng Lu to fall into, the hatred from her previous life had been repaid. Seeing Cheng Lu again, she no longer felt that bone-deep hatred, yet she once again confirmed that everything Cheng Lu did was intentional.
Making others misunderstand that things between them were different from others.
Why did Cheng Lu do this?
Although her grandmother and Uncle Mian would certainly stand up for her, relying on others was not as good as relying on herself. Zhou Shaojin decided to secretly investigate this matter.
Only by knowing Cheng Lu’s purpose could she possibly avoid the tragedy of her previous life.
Otherwise, with calculation against innocence, even if she avoided this trap, she might not avoid the next.
If only she had a loyal and devoted servant!
Zhou Shaojin pondered this, and when the prayer ceremony reached its halfway break, she left the side hall and had someone fetch Shi Xiang, instructing her to find Cheng Yi: “Tell him I have urgent business with him!”
Shi Xiang acknowledged and departed.
Zhou Shaojin stood waiting under the corridor of the side hall.
Looking up, she saw two people sitting in the pavilion halfway up the mountain, drinking tea.
One wore monk’s robes, the other Daoist robes. Both carried themselves casually, though they were somewhat far away, making it difficult to see clearly.
Just then, a young novice monk passed by. Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but pull him aside to ask: “Do you know who’s sitting there?”
The young novice glanced at the pavilion, unsurprised. He said: “That’s your esteemed family’s Fourth Master and our Sutra Repository Master discussing scriptures.”
Cheng Xun had just passed away, yet Uncle Chi had the leisure to discuss scriptures with Ganquan Temple’s monk?
Wasn’t he worried about the second branch’s matter of heirs and succession?
Zhou Shaojin increasingly felt that this Uncle Chi’s temperament was truly quite strange.
Before long, Cheng Yi came running over, asking breathlessly: “What do you need me for? They’re still waiting for me to hang the eternal lamp for Cousin Xun. Can’t whatever it is wait until we’re home?”
Zhou Shaojin hadn’t realized how busy the main hall was. Feeling guilty, she quickly said: “I just wanted to ask—why did Brother Lu suddenly come looking for his mother… The female relatives were all there, and guests too. It was quite strange for him to do that!”
“There was such a thing?” Cheng Yi’s brow furrowed. He said, “Brother Lu has been in the side hall the whole time… He only left once to use the privy, and even told us about it. Was he actually going to find his mother? But when he returned to the main hall, he didn’t say anything…”
Zhou Shaojin felt reassured. She smiled and said: “Perhaps there was something he couldn’t speak of openly. Don’t go making a fuss about it when you return, lest Brother Lu lose face.”
Cheng Yi’s side was busy lighting eternal lamps. Hearing this, he didn’t ask further questions and scurried off.
Zhou Shaojin stood under the corridor for a long while before turning back into the side hall.
After that, she remained very quiet.
When the ceremony ended, Old Madam Guo called her over to support her as they walked to the main hall. After offering incense to the Buddha, they would head home.
On the way, Old Madam Guo gently patted Zhou Shaojin’s hand and said: “Rest tomorrow, and the day after, come back to the Buddha hall to copy scriptures. Be careful not to exhaust yourself.”
Zhou Shaojin did indeed feel tired. She quietly agreed, and after helping Old Madam Guo into the carriage, she leaned on her sister’s shoulder and slept all the way home.
Fan Liu Shi was waiting for her in the tea room with her sons Fan Lu and Fan Qi.
Seeing the Zhou sisters, the mother and two sons quickly came forward to pay their respects.
Zhou Chujin had someone help Fan Liu Shi to her feet, smiling as she said: “From your expression, the family matters have been settled.”
“All settled, all settled.” Fan Liu Shi’s face was full of smiles. “His uncle has returned the fields to us, and says he’ll look after Lu’er from now on.”
Fan Lu appeared both honest and slow-witted, merely nodding at the side.
But Fan Qi snorted and said: “Mother is really something, actually agreeing to give Uncle five hundred wen each year, saying it’s respect for all the years he’s looked after us!”
Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin froze.
“Qi’er!” Fan Liu Shi’s face darkened. She scolded: “You’ve been working in the mansion for a few days now—when the First Young Lady and Second Young Lady are speaking with me, where is it your turn to interrupt? Quickly apologize to the First Young Lady and Second Young Lady!”
Fan Qi pouted, knelt down, and kowtowed to the Zhou sisters.
Zhou Shaojin asked Fan Liu Shi: “What exactly is going on here?”
“Distant relatives are not as good as close neighbors,” Fan Liu Shi said with an apologetic smile. “Moreover, his uncle is both family and neighbor. If the two families are at odds and others see it, they’ll only bully the Fan family for having no one to rely on. Better to turn big problems into small ones and small ones into nothing—buy ourselves some peace.”
Zhou Shaojin listened thoughtfully.
But Zhou Chujin said: “That’s fine then. After all, they’re relatives. Harboring resentment is never a good thing.”
Fan Liu Shi thought about how her own kin were less helpful than the Zhou sisters she had served. Her eyes reddened, and she choked out: “Thank you, First Young Lady and Second Young Lady. Without you both, we orphans and widows probably couldn’t even have kept a tile over our heads…” As she spoke, she and her two children made to kowtow to the Zhou sisters again.
Zhou Shaojin quickly stepped forward to support Fan Liu Shi.
Zhou Chujin also said: “You were her wet nurse, and Fan Lu and Fan Qi are her milk brothers. You should be like family. Don’t stand on such ceremony in the future.”
Fan Liu Shi nodded repeatedly.
Zhou Chujin knew Fan Lu had come specifically to express his gratitude. She had a side room prepared for him to stay overnight, and when Fan Lu left the next day, she rewarded him with twenty taels of silver.
Fan Lu kowtowed to Zhou Chujin and Zhou Shaojin until his forehead was bruised. If Chun Wan hadn’t pulled him back, he would have continued kowtowing.
After seeing Fan Lu off, Zhou Shaojin called for Fan Qi.