“Don’t stand on ceremony, don’t stand on ceremony!” Nanny Yu said woodenly, her eyes staring directly at Zhou Shaojin.

Zhou Shaojin recalled that when she was still six years old and Father had brought his second wife Li Shi back to their hometown to worship their ancestors, they had stayed at the ancestral residence for a few days. She could understand this old woman’s curiosity and smiled as she invited her to sit down and talk.

Nanny Yu repeatedly claimed she didn’t dare. Zhou Shaojin said: “You just said ‘don’t stand on ceremony,’ so how is it that you’re being ceremonious with me again in the blink of an eye!”

These words made Nanny Yu shed tears. She choked out: “Second Young Lady not only looks like the Madam, even your character resembles the Madam—so gentle and kind…”

Zhou Shaojin rarely thought about her mother.

She was afraid she couldn’t help feeling wronged, sad, and distressed.

Nanny Yu’s tears were like a flood that suddenly broke down the fence she had forcefully erected, causing Zhou Shaojin’s tears to fall as well.

Shi Xiang, who came in carrying a tea tray, said to Nanny Yu with displeasure: “You, Nanny! Second Young Lady kindly asked you here to talk, and instead of saying things to make our Young Lady happy, you’ve made our Young Lady cry…”

“It’s all my fault, it’s all my fault!” Nanny Yu apologized profusely, pulling up her sleeve to wipe her eyes. “Second Young Lady, please don’t blame me.”

Shi Xiang also brought over a handkerchief to wipe Zhou Shaojin’s tears.

It took Zhou Shaojin quite a while to stop feeling sad. She said: “I’ve made Nanny laugh at me!”

“How could this be a laughing matter?” Nanny Yu sounded somewhat agitated. “When children think of their mother, it’s natural. Second Young Lady is a kind-hearted person. The Bodhisattva will bless you to find a good husband, have a house full of children and grandchildren, and enjoy both fortune and longevity.”

Find a good husband!

Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but mock herself inwardly.

She no longer hoped for a good husband—she only wished not to walk the same old path as her previous life in this lifetime.

Zhou Shaojin drank two mouthfuls of tea before her emotions gradually calmed.

She dismissed Shi Xiang and asked Nanny Yu: “Do you know about my maternal grandfather’s Zhuang family affairs?”

“You mean Uncle from the Zhuang family?” Before Zhou Shaojin’s words had even finished, Nanny Yu’s face was already full of indignation. “He really brought such honor to the Madam! When the Madam was alive, he came every two or three days asking for this and that. At first, the Master still thought of family ties and told the Madam not to argue with Uncle Zhuang, to help him out when possible. But Uncle Zhuang pushed his luck further and further, opening his mouth wider and wider. But he wouldn’t engage in any proper business—he’d take the Madam’s silver and go eat, drink… well, gamble. Over time, the Madam saw this wasn’t right and was unwilling to subsidize him anymore. She even asked the Master to intervene. When Uncle saw he couldn’t get silver from here anymore, he was so angry his nose wasn’t a nose and his eyes weren’t eyes. He even shouted about making the Madam regret it or something, not caring about the Madam’s reputation at all. The Madam was so upset about this that she cried several times. If not for the Master’s consolation, the Madam might have even wanted to end her life…”

Even the emperor has three poor relatives who come begging. Even so, there’s no need to seek death over it!

Zhou Shaojin felt Nanny Yu’s words were somewhat exaggerated, but she didn’t interrupt and quietly listened to her talk for a long time. Only when her words paused did she say: “I heard from others that the Zhuang family used to have some modest property, which was later all gambled away by Uncle Zhuang. Is this true?”

“Yes, yes, yes.” Nanny Yu became agitated again. “The Zhuang family’s property was all lost by him in gambling. He even stole a calligraphy painting from somewhere, claiming it was passed down from the Zhuang ancestors. He sold one painting to two families and even got into a lawsuit over it…”

Zhou Shaojin said: “Do you still remember where my mother lived when she was alive? I’d like to go see it.”

Nanny Yu, who had been quite indignant just moments ago, suddenly became like an eggplant hit by frost, mumbling: “There aren’t… many residences. By the time it came to Old Master Zhuang, some had already been sold…”

She seemed unwilling to talk about it, as if trying to whitewash the situation for the Zhuang family.

Zhou Shaojin sighed quietly to herself.

She was probably afraid of embarrassing Mother, wasn’t she?

“A son doesn’t despise his mother’s homeliness, a dog doesn’t despise its family’s poverty,” Zhou Shaojin could only say. “Mother was a sheltered young lady. How could family affairs be her concern? I just want to see my maternal grandfather’s home. Nanny needn’t feel burdened.”

“Yes, yes.” Nanny Yu seemed relieved and smiled. “Young Lady is truly perceptive—you’ve spoken to my heart. Old Master Zhuang didn’t engage in productive work, had no one to care for him in the house, had no son under his knee, so naturally he wouldn’t be so careful with silver…”

Zhou Shaojin knew about this matter.

Ever since her birth grandmother passed away, her maternal grandfather never remarried. All household affairs were managed by her great-grandmother.

“I heard from the Madam’s former dowry maid,” Nanny Yu said, “that originally the Madam lived in the Zhuang family ancestral residence on Lower Street. When the Madam was ten years old, half of a wing of the Lower Street ancestral residence was crushed by snow. Old Master Zhuang was visiting friends in Wuxi and hadn’t returned. The old ancestor had no choice but to take the Madam and move into the residence on Official Street that was part of her dowry…”

Official Street!

Zhou Shaojin felt her breathing slow several beats.

She interrupted Nanny Yu’s words, asking tensely: “Official Street—is it the Official Street in Cunyi District? The one where Mei Mansion is located?”

Nanny Yu had no idea what she had said and smiled: “How many Official Streets are there in Jinling City? It got that name because several yamen are located there. The Madam lived there with the old ancestor until she married…”

Cunyi District!

Cheng Lu also lived in Cunyi District!

Why had he never mentioned this to her?

She still remembered how spirited he looked when talking to her about his plans for the future: “Within fifteen years, I’ll pass the jinshi examination. Then I can take my family members to my posting. If we live in the county yamen, I’ll plant a magnolia tree in the courtyard and sit under it drinking tea every evening after dinner. If not in the yamen, I’ll buy a small residence with green stone pavement, build a grape arbor in the courtyard, and raise a tank of ornamental carp beneath it…”

What ultimately moved her and made her yearn for Cheng Lu was nothing more than that one magnolia tree and one grape arbor he described.

Zhou Shaojin felt her vision blur.

So, she had thought he told her everything, but in reality, he had told her nothing.

What he gave her was always nothing more than an empty promise.

Uncle Zhuang had caused so many public scandals. As neighbors, even if Cheng Lu was solely devoted to studying the classics and knew nothing, surely Dong Shi would have known? Even if Cheng Lu didn’t know at first, they were about to become engaged. With his meticulous and cautious nature, could he really not have known?

Zhou Shaojin’s fingers twisted tightly together. The thought that had been lurking in her heart jumped out once again.

Could it be that there was some old grudge between the Cheng and Zhuang families?

So that’s why Cheng Lu changed his mind midway?

So that’s why Cheng Lu could watch her being bullied with clear eyes?

So that’s why he would risk his reputation to abandon her?

So that’s why even when her beauty was gone, he still wanted to trick her into eloping with him?

Zhou Shaojin began to have difficulty breathing.

Just like that final moment in her previous life, when Cheng Lu had strangled her by the throat.

She took several deep breaths before asking Nanny Yu: “Do you know where all of my mother’s dowry servants went back then?”

Nanny Yu said quietly: “When the Madam married over, she only brought one maid and one servant woman. The maid had served her since childhood. When she came of age, she was released to marry—I think he was an itinerant merchant dealing in cotton. There was still news of them a couple years ago, but later there was no more word. The servant woman was bought from a broker just before the Madam’s wedding. The Master saw that the servant woman was clumsy, so he quickly resold her. I don’t know where she was sold to. Later, those serving at the Madam’s side were all Zhou family hereditary servants. Like the wife of the farm steward—she used to be a senior maid by the Madam’s side…”

This didn’t make sense!

If Father respected Mother so much, why would he marry off the only dowry servant Mother brought from her natal family to an outsider, an itinerant merchant no less, rather than to one of the family’s hereditary servants?

What exactly had happened back then?

Truly one wave had not settled before another arose!

Zhou Shaojin’s temples throbbed.

Fan Qi was too young. He didn’t yet have the ability to inquire about those old matters from years past.

Who could she ask?

Zhou Shaojin thought it over and over. The only one who could resolve her doubts seemed to be that scoundrel Uncle Zhuang!

But she truly feared being contaminated by Uncle Zhuang.

She still remembered the scene when she first met Uncle Zhuang as a child—he was plump and white, but with disheveled hair, wearing a beggar’s patched coat, holding a broken bowl. He rolled around on the floor of the Cheng family’s gatehouse while crying and shouting “My dear departed sister”… Even in a household with strict rules like the Cheng family, onlookers surrounded him three layers deep… At the time she wished there was a hole in the ground to crawl into…

Zhou Shaojin rubbed her temples, feeling her head hurt even more.

Seeing that she had asked about everything she needed to, Zhou Shaojin called Shi Xiang in and gave the fifty taels of silver she had sealed earlier as a reward to Nanny Yu.

Nanny Yu insisted on refusing it, saying: “If not for the Madam, this old servant wouldn’t even know where her bones would be.”

Shi Xiang said: “This is Second Young Lady remembering that you once served the Madam. That’s why she’s rewarding you. If you’re grateful, in the future remember to offer incense to the Madam during Qingming and Dragon Boat Festival. That will be repaying Second Young Lady’s kindness.”

“I go offer incense to the Madam every year,” Nanny Yu said quickly. “I’ll continue to offer incense to the Madam in the future.”

Zhou Shaojin smiled and nodded.

Under Shi Xiang’s urging, Nanny Yu finally accepted the reward silver. But when Zhou Shaojin was leaving, she brought over two pots of camellias. “These were left from when the Madam was here. By now they’ve been divided into over ten pots. Second Young Lady can take them back as mementos.”

Zhou Shaojin saw one pot was winter-flowering camellia and one was Champion Red. Though not yet in bloom, both were plump and lovely, clearly carefully tended. She smiled her thanks and had the accompanying servant woman take them. Then she and her sister returned to Jiuru Lane.

The sisters first returned to Wanxiang Residence to wash and change clothes.

Zhou Shaojin said to her sister: “Shall we keep one pot in your room?”

Zhou Chujin didn’t stand on ceremony and smiled: “Good! When they bloom, you can come to my room to admire the flowers.” She didn’t ask what Zhou Shaojin and Nanny Yu had discussed.

Zhou Shaojin was very grateful for her sister’s thoughtfulness, wishing she could do something for her sister in return.

That afternoon she went to Hanbi Mountain House to copy scriptures. Though she tried hard to restrain herself, she still couldn’t help but let her mind wander.

Xiao Tan, who had been serving outside the whole time, tiptoed in and asked Shi Xiang quietly: “Sister, what’s wrong with Second Young Lady?”

Shi Xiang said vaguely: “Probably drowsy now that summer has arrived.”

Xiao Tan nodded seriously and brewed Zhou Shaojin a pot of strong Longjing tea, saying: “Second Young Lady won’t feel drowsy after drinking this.”

Zhou Shaojin smiled and patted Xiao Tan’s head. Her gloomy mood brightened.