The Zhou sisters naturally had no idea what had transpired in the main residence.

The two of them happily returned to Wanxiang Residence.

Zhou Chujin rummaged through chests and cabinets looking for clothing and accessories for her younger sister.

Zhou Shaojin didn’t think it necessary, saying, “It’s just receiving a guest—Sister needn’t act as if facing a great enemy, surely?”

“My younger sister is so beautiful—how could we not dress you up properly?” Zhou Chujin remained enthusiastic.

In Zhou Shaojin’s view, her sister with “autumn waters for grace and plum blossoms for backbone” was the one who was truly beautiful. Her face flushed as she pushed at her sister, saying, “Sister should also take care with her grooming.”

“Grooming?” Zhou Chujin didn’t understand.

“Grooming” was a northern dialect word.

“Oh, it means to dress up.” Zhou Shaojin realized her slip of the tongue and, as if to cover it up, casually picked up a hairpin and quickly smiled, saying, “Does this hairpin look nice?”

Zhou Chujin saw that the gold hairpin was about three inches long, with three purple lilac blossoms stacked at the head, the stamens inlaid with ruby stones the size of rice grains. Though not extremely precious, it was exquisitely crafted and quite lovely.

“Who gave this to you?” she asked curiously. “How have I never seen it before?”

Zhou Shaojin froze, lowered her head for a closer look, and couldn’t help breaking out in a cold sweat.

If she remembered correctly, this gold hairpin had been given to her by Cheng Lu on her birthday last year.

Of all things to pick up, she had to choose this gold hairpin.

Her expression immediately became somewhat awkward.

Zhou Chujin glanced at her meaningfully and said, “You’re still young—it’s too early for you to wear gold hairpins. You’d better change to a different accessory!”

Zhou Shaojin nodded repeatedly like a pecking chicken: “I’ll listen to Sister.” Then she immediately called Shi Xiang in and said, “Put this gold hairpin away separately. Remember to help me find it when there’s an occasion requiring gifts for social obligations.”

Shi Xiang didn’t understand the reason but obediently nodded, saying “Yes,” and withdrew with the gold hairpin.

Zhou Chujin’s expression cleared completely. Smiling, she selected for Zhou Shaojin a pair of ivory-carved jasmine flower hair hoops, a crabapple-red jacket with hidden patterns of hibiscus, camellia, and gardenia, and a Xiang-style skirt with bamboo-green base embroidered with dark green honeysuckle pattern borders.

Chun Wan took the clothing down to iron it, and Shi Xiang put the accessories away.

Zhou Chujin chatted idly with Zhou Shaojin for a few moments before returning to her room to rest.

Early the next morning, Zhou Shaojin arranged her hair in a three-bun style and changed into the clothing and accessories her sister had selected for her.

Shi Xiang looked at Zhou Shaojin’s clear eyes and tender cheeks in the mirror and couldn’t help but praise, “Eldest Miss has such good taste! Second Miss dressed up like this is not only beautiful but also full of spirit. The old madam will surely be delighted to see you.”

Zhou Shaojin thought about how she had always known that elderly people liked festive colors, but had always felt that bright reds and greens were too vulgar. She had preferred to pretend not to know and insisted on wearing only pale willows, whites, and lake greens. There had been a few times when she was going to meet outside guests and had even provoked her grandmother’s complaints. She felt her face grow hot, stood up, and said, “I’ll go see how Sister is getting ready.”

Wanxiang Residence had formerly been the fourth branch’s old master’s study. Because it was adjacent to Jiashu Hall, as Cheng Gao and the others gradually grew up and the Zhou sisters needed to avoid suspicion with their male cousins, Old Madam Guan had settled the sisters here. The small courtyard was typical Jiangnan architecture—small bridges over flowing water, winding paths leading to secluded spots, lush vegetation, and clusters of blooming flowers. Zhou Chujin had given the three best-positioned southern wing rooms to Zhou Shaojin and chosen the three eastern wing rooms for herself.

Passing through a grove of ginkgo trees, one could look up and see two tea trees as tall as the eaves—that was where Zhou Chujin’s eastern wing rooms were located.

Zhou Shaojin walked in with light steps.

Zhou Chujin was having her morning meal. Seeing her, she smiled and said, “You came over so early? Have you had breakfast yet? Would you like to have some more here?” Then she instructed Dong Wan, “Have the kitchen add a few dishes for Second Miss!”

Because Zhou Shaojin was excused from morning and evening attendance due to illness, Zhou Chujin hadn’t had breakfast with her younger sister these past days.

Dong Wan smiled and left the hall, but Zhou Shaojin saw that on the table there was only a bowl of white rice porridge and ordinary side dishes. Thinking of the just-marketed water celery and bolting vegetables that appeared on her own table, she couldn’t help but fall silent for a moment.

The household’s circumstances had always been good, and Father cherished the two sisters. Beyond daily expenses, he privately supplemented them with two to three hundred taels of silver annually for cosmetics and powder money. She had never paid attention to these details… Even after her troubles, when Father stopped managing her affairs, it was her brother-in-law who helped arrange the marriage match with the Lin family.

When Sister married, she had the dowry her birth mother had brought in a ten-li-long red procession, plus additional trousseau from Grandmother, Great Aunt, and others. But she herself had nothing. After Sister married her brother-in-law, Sister divided half her dowry to give to her. Though brother-in-law was the heir of the Liao family, the money belonged to the public purse. He lived only on a modest public allowance and official salary, with little private funds. He had even borrowed one thousand taels from a classmate to scrape together three thousand taels, all of which he gave her as dowry money… Though later Lin Shisheng had pulled brother-in-law into a business deal that made up for this money, she ultimately owed Sister and brother-in-law an enormous debt of gratitude…

Her eyes grew moist as she called out to Dong Wan: “No need. Just serve me half a bowl of porridge.”

Dong Wan was caught in a dilemma.

Zhou Chujin had always known her younger sister was very sensitive and realized she was overthinking again. She couldn’t help but smile and ask Zhou Shaojin, “What are you thinking about now? I’m only avoiding those vegetables because they haven’t yet appeared on Grandmother’s table. But you’re different—you’re recovering from illness and have no appetite. Eating some fresh vegetables to nourish your body isn’t excessive!”

Zhou Shaojin no longer believed her.

She stared wide-eyed at her sister with a very serious expression and said, “My illness is already better. Whatever Sister eats, I’ll eat!”

Zhou Chujin wanted to persuade her further, but then thought that in two years her younger sister would reach the age for marriage discussions. At home, naturally no one would criticize her for anything, but after marrying, paying attention to such small details so that others couldn’t find fault would ultimately be better. She wanted to speak but stopped, yet still couldn’t help instructing Dong Wan: “Have the kitchen make Second Miss a bowl of assorted tofu stew.”

Dong Wan left the hall with a smile.

Zhou Shaojin smiled and thanked her sister, then sat down at the round table.

After finishing breakfast, when Zhou Chujin had washed and dressed, she took Zhou Shaojin’s hand as usual, preparing to go together to Old Madam Guan’s quarters.

Zhou Shaojin felt somewhat strange inside.

She had grown accustomed to the dignified and noble Zhou Chujin. Looking at her sister’s face, still only eighteen years old and bearing some youthful tenderness, she truly couldn’t summon feelings of awe or conviction.

Zhou Shaojin took a deep breath before extending her hand to grasp her sister’s hand, walking shoulder to shoulder with Zhou Chujin to Jiashu Hall.

As long as the weather was good, Old Madam Guan would take a few turns around the courtyard after rising in the morning.

When they arrived, Old Madam Guan had just returned from her walk and was bathing and changing clothes. Si’er was arranging breakfast in the hall with several young maids.

Zhou Chujin stepped forward to help.

Zhou Shaojin hesitated for a moment.

It seemed she had never set out chopsticks for anyone before… This thought flashed by, and she obediently followed, learning by imitation and helping set out bowls and dishes for Grandmother.

The old lady emerged from the inner chamber and was very pleased to see the sisters. She asked the same question she had asked Zhou Shaojin: “Why did you come so early? Have you had breakfast?” She also asked Zhou Shaojin, “Looking at your complexion, your illness must be much better?”

“Thank you for Grandmother’s concern.” Zhou Shaojin smiled and stepped forward to support Grandmother lightly, saying, “I’m almost completely recovered, so I thought I’d come pay my respects to Grandmother. Sister and I came a bit early—we’ve already had breakfast.”

Old Madam Guan smiled and nodded, entering the side room that had been arranged as a small Buddhist chapel.

Zhou Shaojin stepped forward with practiced movements to prepare incense for Grandmother.

Old Madam Guan was quite surprised and smiled, saying, “I didn’t expect our Shaojin to know how to do these things!”

Zhou Shaojin was also somewhat absent-minded.

In her recollection, every morning after rising she would offer three sticks of incense to Buddha and the deities… Those habits seemed already carved into her bones, always revealing themselves inadvertently.

Just as when she saw Cheng Yi, she would think of his melancholy and unhappy appearance after coming of age, and when she saw her sister, she would always think of her dignified demeanor in middle age…

She shook her head, pushing these thoughts to the back of her mind. After Old Madam Guan kowtowed, she helped the old lady rise and placed the incense for her.

Old Madam Guan took Zhou Shaojin’s arm and left the small Buddhist chapel.

Breakfast had already been set out. Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin accompanied Old Madam Guan in eating a piece of rice cake.

Everyone moved to the sitting room.

Old Madam Guan said to Zhou Shaojin, “In a few days it will be the Buddha Bathing Festival. You can help me copy a few pages of sutras to offer to the Bodhisattva!”

Though the old lady came from an official family, she was from Jingzhou Prefecture in Jiangbei and didn’t know many characters. She could manage to read household account books, but anything else was rather difficult. Though Great Madam Mian was skilled in calligraphy and painting, she managed the household’s domestic affairs—there were too many trivial matters, plus she had to manage the children, so she couldn’t possibly spare the time. Tasks like copying sutras usually fell to Zhou Chujin. However, this was the first time the old lady had asked Zhou Shaojin to help copy sutras.

Both Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin were quite surprised.

Old Madam Guan smiled and said, “There are many matters at home. Chujin, you need to help your aunt bear more of the burden. The task of copying sutras can be entrusted to Shaojin.”

Zhou Shaojin suddenly understood.

After the Buddha Bathing Festival on the eighth day of the fourth month came the birthday of the second branch’s ancestor Cheng Xu, and then they would need to begin preparing gifts for the Dragon Boat Festival. Zhou Chujin was an unmarried young lady of marriageable age—this was an excellent opportunity for her to learn household management, so naturally she would have no free time.

Zhou Chujin also understood.

Her face flushed as she lowered her eyelids.

Zhou Shaojin giggled and responded loudly with “Yes.”

Everyone serving in the room looked at Zhou Chujin with kind smiles.

Great Madam Mian arrived. She discussed with Old Madam Guan the matter of entertaining Madam Wu. They had only exchanged a few words when the brothers Cheng Gao and Cheng Yi came to pay their respects to the old madam.

Old Madam Guan thought for a moment, then smiled at the Zhou sisters and said, “You two go wait for me in the inner chamber.”

Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin assumed Old Madam Guan had something to discuss privately with Great Madam Mian and her sons, so they smiled and went to the inner chamber.

Soon, soft laughter emanated from the sitting room, and one could faintly hear words like “younger female cousin” and “older female cousin.”

Zhou Chujin smiled and reminded Zhou Shaojin, “Cousin Gao has asked about you several times. If you have the opportunity to encounter Cousin Gao, remember to thank him.”

Zhou Shaojin agreed.

About a quarter hour later, Old Madam Guan returned to the inner chamber surrounded by Si’er and the others.