The sun gradually slanted westward.

Zhou Shaojin had copied six pages in one breath.

She rubbed her somewhat sore and swollen shoulders. Biyu walked in carrying a melon: “Xiao Tan said you came over. I didn’t believe it, but I didn’t expect you were really in the Buddhist hall copying scriptures. I saw you copying with such concentration that I didn’t disturb you. This is freshly cut melon. The Old Madam specially kept this one without chilling it in well water. Try it!”

After several months together, the people at Hanbi Mountain Lodge already knew Zhou Shaojin’s habits.

Zhou Shaojin smiled and thanked her, taking the opportunity to observe Biyu’s expression.

She was smiling and cheerful, no different from usual.

Had the maids at Hanbi Mountain Lodge all mastered the ability to remain impassive, or did she simply not know what had happened in the main room?

Zhou Shaojin wondered to herself as Chun Wan helped her wash her hands and face, then invited Biyu to eat melon together.

“No, thank you.” Biyu smiled and politely declined. “Instructor Lin’s wife has come, and the Old Madam’s quarters still need someone to serve!”

Zhou Shaojin was somewhat surprised.

Ever since Instructor Lin’s wife had spoken up for Cheng Xu at the second branch’s old ancestor Cheng Xu’s birthday celebration, she and Madam Guo had grown closer. In just three or four months, Instructor Lin’s wife had already visited Madam Guo three times—almost once a month.

Biyu smiled and said: “Instructor Lin’s wife came for her younger brother from her natal family—her brother and Fourth Master are classmates. He passed the examination to become a court scholar and is observing politics at the Ministry of Works. This year was his evaluation period. By rights, he should have been sent out to a posting in June, but her brother is still stuck at the Hanlin Academy, so she wants to seek help from First Master to see if he can arrange some position for her brother.”

Official matters were intricately intertwined. Sometimes you simply couldn’t figure out who had what relationship with whom.

Back then, quite a few people had helped save her brother-in-law Liao Shaotang. She was already accustomed to such matters.

Since Madam Guo knew she was copying scriptures in the Buddhist hall, after eating the melon, Zhou Shaojin sat for a while longer, estimating that Instructor Lin’s wife should have taken her leave. She went to the main room to bid farewell to Madam Guo.

Instructor Lin’s wife had indeed already returned home. Madam Guo’s expression was calm, showing no sign that she had lost her temper so badly at noon.

Zhou Shaojin smiled and said: “The weather is too hot. My heart was restless, so I came over to copy scriptures.”

Madam Guo smiled and said: “This shows you are a person with spiritual wisdom.” Then she added, “If you want to come over, just come. Don’t have any reservations. In any case, I’ve entrusted all those scriptures to you. When you finish copying them, we’ll go to Mount Putuo and present them to Fayu Temple.”

Mount Putuo was near Zhoushan.

Zhou Shaojin was stunned and said: “Are you going to Hangzhou Prefecture?”

Zhoushan belonged to Hangzhou Prefecture.

Madam Guo smiled and said: “Not just me—us. When the time comes, I’ll take you along.”

Zhou Shaojin was astonished.

Madam Guo laughed heartily and said: “Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. When I was your age, I accompanied my father and traveled throughout all of Jiangnan. Now you people… many agree with ‘for a woman, lack of talent is virtue.’ Some hereditary official families don’t even let girls study and read, and I don’t know if that’s good or bad…”

Zhou Shaojin, having lived two lives, had truly never traveled this far from home.

She immediately became excited and said: “Old Madam, can I, can I really go along?”

“So do you want to go or not?” Madam Guo seemed to be in a very good mood, asking her with a smile.

Zhou Shaojin nodded repeatedly: “I want to go, I want to go. I’ve long heard people say that people from Hangzhou Prefecture go to Mount Putuo to worship Buddha every first and fifteenth of the month… I never imagined that in my lifetime I could also go once…”

“You’re just a child. How old are you to dare say ‘in my lifetime’?” Madam Guo laughed. “Then work hard to finish copying the scriptures this year, and we’ll go early next spring.”

Zhou Shaojin’s smile couldn’t help but flow from the depths of her eyes.

This was different from her usual smiles that carried some constraint or social courtesy. It was brilliant, bright, and carried some anticipation and sweetness, just like a child suddenly receiving candy they had been longing for.

Madam Guo couldn’t help but sigh.

This child was also pitiable!

She had Biyu pack a tiered box for Zhou Shaojin: “Take this back and eat it slowly!”

Zhou Shaojin felt somewhat embarrassed.

The tiered box was full of sweets.

But she could better feel Madam Guo’s sincere care.

She curtsied and seriously performed a courtesy to Madam Guo before carrying the tiered box back to Wanxiang Residence.

Although it was just a tiered box, it was after all a gift from Madam Guo, and also demonstrated Madam Guo’s satisfaction with Zhou Shaojin. Madam Guan was very pleased. She opened the tiered box to look, and seeing it also contained almond cakes and pea flour cakes bestowed from the palace, she beamed with joy and had Zhou Shaojin put the tiered box away, saying: “If you have time, make a forehead wrap like mine for the Old Madam too.”

“The Cheng family has a specialized needlework room…” Zhou Shaojin said hesitantly. “I’m afraid of showing off before an expert!”

“Nonsense.” Madam Guan smiled and chided. “Such bright and beautiful work—even I feel reluctant to wear it and plan to save it for the New Year season. The Old Madam will certainly like it too.”

Each showing their own thoughtfulness.

Zhou Shaojin agreed and told Madam Guan about Madam Guo saying they would go to Mount Putuo to worship Buddha.

Listening, Madam Guan’s smile gradually faded. She slowly frowned and didn’t speak for a long while.

Zhou Shaojin didn’t know what had happened and waited quietly and attentively.

After a good while, Madam Guan seemed to come back to herself and smiled, saying to her: “Since that’s the case, copy your scriptures well and strive to go out with the Old Madam next year to broaden your horizons.”

Zhou Shaojin smiled and answered “Yes,” then asked: “Should we tell my father about this matter?”

“Of course we should tell your father.” Madam Guan smiled. “But there’s no rush right now. Wait until the first branch has decided on a specific date, then it won’t be too late to write to your father at his posting.”

Zhou Shaojin took the opportunity to mention returning to the Zhou family ancestral home during the Dragon Boat Festival: “…If I hadn’t encountered the nanny who used to serve my mother, I still wouldn’t know that the Zhuang family had an ancestral mansion on Official Street next door to Cousin Lu’s house, and that it was sold to Cousin Lu.”

Madam Guan was somewhat surprised, and a trace of confusion even flashed across her expression. She said: “There’s such a thing? How come I never heard of it? Does the Cheng family know this is the Zhuang family’s ancestral mansion? Was it bought during Old Master Bai’s time? Does your father know?”

So Grandmother knew nothing at all.

No wonder Cheng Lu could succeed in her previous life!

Zhou Shaojin decided not to tell Grandmother for now.

Some matters she wanted to resolve with her own hands. If she couldn’t resolve them, it wouldn’t be too late to seek help from adults.

“I just felt this matter was quite coincidental,” she said with a smile. “So I told Grandmother about it.”

Si’er came in to ask where to set up the meal.

The topic was interrupted.

Afterward, neither Madam Guan nor Zhou Shaojin mentioned this matter again.

After the evening meal, Madam Guan invited Cheng Mian over to talk: “…Today Shaojin told me that the Old Madam of the first branch wants to go to Mount Putuo to worship Buddha. She’s becoming more and more devoted to these things. I’m afraid the first branch and second branch will have an open rupture. Inventory the family’s assets, buy more sacrificial fields, and for outside businesses, let go of what can be let go. Don’t be greedy and bite off more than you can chew.”

Cheng Mian carefully agreed, his expression somewhat grave.

But Zhou Shaojin returned to her room to write a letter to her father.

This was the first time in her two lifetimes combined that she personally wrote a letter to her father alone.

In the letter, she first thanked Li Shi for the private silver. Then she told Father she planned to make him a few more winter garments and asked if he had any favorite colors or fabrics. Then, as if joking, she told Father about Cheng Lu buying the mansion on Official Street…

Early the next morning, Ma Fushan’s wife entered the mansion and took the letter out.

Zhou Shaojin watched Ma Fushan’s wife’s departing figure and let out a long breath, feeling that the heart that had been suspended these past days had finally settled down.

Cheng Jia came looking for Zhou Shaojin: “You said you could make Pan Qing lose face—how exactly do you plan to do it?”

She had removed her outer robe and wore only a single Hangzhou silk garment, lying on the cool bed in the room having Cui Huan fan her.

Zhou Shaojin said: “I see she’s very concerned about appearances and sometimes can’t help losing her temper.” This could be seen from how she dealt with Wu Baozhang—as half a host, when Zhou Shaojin pushed matters onto her, she should have been more magnanimous and left Wu Baozhang some face. But because she looked down on Wu Baozhang from the bottom of her heart, she couldn’t help trampling Wu Baozhang underfoot, forcing her into an impossible position. “If at that time tea is spilled on her, or the seating arrangement is poor… with her temper, she might endure it once, but not necessarily twice. As long as she loses control, the elders will see it. With her pride, she definitely won’t be able to stay in the Cheng family… especially with Madam Yuan present…”

Listening, Cheng Jia’s spirits lifted greatly. She suddenly sat up with a “whoosh” and clapped her hands: “That’s a great idea! We’ll act according to circumstances. No matter what, we must let her ‘perform’ in front of First Aunt…” She giggled as if already seeing Pan Qing losing face. “To attend the Old Madam’s birthday, she’s been running around preparing clothes and jewelry these past days… When she can’t wear her carefully prepared clothes, I don’t believe she can hold it in…”

“But what if she does hold it in?” Zhou Shaojin left Cheng Jia room to maneuver. “The several madams might praise her magnanimity. You can’t foolishly lose your temper—that would be digging a pit for yourself.”

Cheng Jia rubbed her fists together and guaranteed: “If I get scolded by my mother, Pan Qing would be so happy inside! Don’t worry, I will never gladden enemies and sadden allies!”

Zhou Shaojin looked at her and couldn’t help laughing.

Cheng Jia thought nothing of it and came every day to discuss various “accidental incidents” with Zhou Shaojin.

Zhou Shaojin felt that even if Pan Qing didn’t want to lose her temper then, being provoked again and again by such small matters, she probably wouldn’t have a pleasant expression.

By the fifth day of the seventh month, Madam Zhuang’s birthday, before dawn had broken, Zhou Shaojin and her sister both put on the new clothes Zhou Shaojin had sewn right after her rebirth. Dressed fresh and neat, they went to Jiashu Hall.

Madam Guan had just gotten up. Mian Grand Madam, Cheng Gao, and Cheng Yi had all already arrived.

Seeing Zhou Shaojin wearing a light ivory plain robe with two grotesque rocks, a cluster of orchids, and two butterflies embroidered in the lower right corner of the front panel—the rocks craggy, the orchids sparse and elegant, the butterflies fluttering—forming a rare orchid painting, Cheng Gao couldn’t help but look twice more.

But Mian Grand Madam’s gaze fell on Zhou Chujin.

She wore a willow-yellow robe and oil-green horse-face skirt. The robe was plain, but the horse-face skirt had a foot-wide decorative border embroidered with pink lotus, white honeysuckle, mauve hibiscus, and willow-yellow Persian flowers. The colors were extremely bright yet not vulgar, instead having a magnificent and noble quality that made Zhou Chujin appear even more dignified and beautiful.

Mian Grand Madam said hesitantly: “This, this was made by Shaojin?”