Upon mention of Lady Zhuang, both Madam Yuan and Mian Grand Madam suddenly understood.

The Old Madam also remembered.

“I knew it—I was wondering why this young lady looked so familiar!” The old woman said in a tone of mild reproach. “You all said I mistook her for someone else. I didn’t mistake her at all. She’s Miss Zhuang from the Zhuang family. I remember clearly! Back then, Old Master Zhuang even wanted to marry Miss Zhuang into our family! But Fifteenth Master and Sixteenth Master were already betrothed, and Seventeenth Master and Eighteenth Master were too young, so later Twelfth Master acted as matchmaker… Who did she marry? I think it was someone with the same surname as Emperor Ji…”

Nanny Miao then reminded her at the Old Madam’s ear: “Surname Zhou!”

“Right, surname Zhou, that’s right, surname Zhou.” The Old Madam said. “At the time I even gave a pair of peace vases to Miss Zhuang to add to her trousseau… Such a pity about our Nineteenth Maiden. She played so well with Miss Zhuang. Miss Zhuang married smoothly and successfully, but right before her wedding she contracted consumption and ended up alone with no one to tend her incense offerings…”

“That was so long ago.” Nanny Miao quickly said. “Why do you keep bringing these things up? The old master will be sad again!”

“Ah!” The Old Madam sighed. “I won’t mention it anymore, I won’t mention it anymore.”

“That’s better.” Nanny Miao smiled and gave the Old Madam a piece of lotus seed cake. “You have one too. This is Fourth Master Cheng’s sincere gesture! Knowing you like them, he specially had someone bring them back from the capital.”

“Good, good, good.” The Old Madam became cheerful again.

“I apologize!” Nanny Miao said quietly with an apologetic tone. “The Old Madam is advanced in years and loves to talk about the past.”

“At seventy, one follows one’s heart’s desires without transgressing.” Madam Yuan quickly said. “The Old Madam has a childlike heart. We’re too busy being happy for her and for your Gu family to possibly take offense.”

“I have to speak up.” Seventh Young Madam Gu, who had been silent all along, suddenly said. “Old Master Zhuang—that’s the old gentleman who loved woodworking so much… When I first married in, the old gentleman gave our Dalang a kite he made with his own hands. To this day it still hangs in our Dalang’s room. No other kite can fly as high or as far as it does. Our Dalang treasures it like a precious thing and won’t let anyone touch it.” As she spoke, she revealed the excitement of meeting an old friend in a distant land and grasped Zhou Shaojin’s hand. “So you’re Old Master Zhuang’s granddaughter… We’re all family!”

That her maternal grandfather had such a hobby… Zhou Shaojin didn’t know.

She wanted to go see the kite her maternal grandfather made.

But today was not the appropriate occasion.

“Indeed, indeed.” Mian Grand Madam had never imagined that the Zhuang family and Gu family were old family friends. She smiled and said: “This shows that our Shaojin also has affinity with your family!”

“Precisely, precisely.” Seventh Young Madam Gu said with a beaming smile.

The Old Madam asked Zhou Shaojin: “Your given name is Shaojin, so is your sister called Yuanjin or Chujin?”

“Old Madam, you’re truly amazing.” Zhou Shaojin flattered the old lady. “My sister is named Chujin.”

The Old Madam smiled proudly and said to Zhou Chujin: “Come over here, let me have a look at you!”

Zhou Chujin walked over.

The Old Madam examined her carefully for a while, then smiled and said to Madam Yuan, Seventh Young Madam Gu and the others: “This young lady is also quite pretty. She should be about eighteen, right? Has she been promised to anyone? Our Twenty-first Master is about the same age as her…”

This old lady!

Mian Grand Madam said: “She’s been promised, she’s been promised. To the Liao family of Zhenjiang. The Liao family’s old madam passed away, and once the mourning period ends, she’ll be married.”

The Old Madam nodded and said: “So she’s been promised to the Liao family of Zhenjiang. I think someone from our family married into their family…”

Nanny Miao then said: “It’s Fifteenth Maiden.”

“Right. It’s Fifteenth Maiden…”

In the blink of an eye, the Old Madam had found Zhou Chujin a sister-in-law from the same family.

Zhou Shaojin felt that neither she nor her sister had made this trip in vain.

In her previous life, the Fourth Branch had no contact with the Gu family. She had nowhere to inquire about news of her birth mother, and her sister had married into the Liao family without knowing a single person. Now with this Fifteenth Maiden of the Gu family, her sister would have a fellow townsperson before even marrying in. Her days in the Liao family in the future would certainly be easier than in her previous life.

After the group had sat in the Old Madam’s room for quite a while, the Gu family’s Seventeenth Miss arrived.

She was fifteen or sixteen years old, of medium height, wearing a lake-green plain Hu-Hang vest. Her skin was fair and delicate, with a peach-shaped face and almond eyes. She still had some baby fat and though not exceptionally beautiful, she was amiable and approachable, making one instantly feel favorably disposed toward her.

Seventh Young Madam Gu took this opportunity to take their leave: “…The guests in the reception hall should be mostly arrived by now. After we’ve had our midday meal, we’ll come back to chat with you!”

“No need.” The Old Madam said. “I know that after you drink wine you’ll go play cards, and I need my afternoon nap. You don’t need to come. Silang said when he has time, he’ll come see me.”

Everyone felt awkward.

Nanny Miao quietly apologized.

Madam Yuan exchanged a few courteous words, and everyone left the main room together to head to the reception hall.

On the way, Madam Yuan and Mian Grand Madam walked in front accompanied by Seventh Young Madam Gu, while the Gu family’s Seventeenth Miss accompanied Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin walking behind, quietly chatting with them: “Is this your first time visiting the Gu family? Previously when guests came, it was always Fifteenth Sister and Sixteenth Sister who helped receive them. This is my first time helping my sisters-in-law entertain guests. If there’s anything lacking in my hospitality, please be understanding!”

As before, Zhou Chujin spoke on behalf of the sisters: “This is the first time for both my sister and me. Your mansion is truly beautiful! I heard that Sixteenth Miss’s wedding date is set for the sixteenth of September?”

This was what Mian Grand Madam had told them last night.

Seventeenth Miss Gu nodded and smiled: “Sixteenth Sister’s father-in-law passed the imperial examination three years ago and became a Shujishi. This June he completed his probation period and was appointed as Assistant Administrator of the Court of Judicial Review. He wrote a letter back asking his mother to bring them to reside in the capital, so that’s why the wedding date was set so urgently.”

The three chatted and laughed together, quickly arriving at the reception hall.

A pozi came forward smiling: “Seventh Young Madam, the wife of Magistrate Wu of Jinling has arrived.”

Zhou Shaojin saw Seventh Young Madam Gu’s brows furrow almost imperceptibly, then she nodded with a smile and continued unhurriedly accompanying them to the reception hall.

Seventeenth Miss Gu said quietly to Zhou Chujin: “Our family has many brothers and sisters. Apart from relatives, friends, and neighbors, we generally don’t send invitations randomly…”

The implication was that they hadn’t sent an invitation to the Wu family.

Zhou Chujin smiled and said: “After all, Magistrate Wu is the parent official of Jinling. When a prominent family in his jurisdiction has a joyous occasion, how could he not come!”

Seventeenth Miss Gu said nothing.

Everyone entered the reception hall together.

Madam Wu was talking with someone. Hearing the commotion, she turned around, immediately broke off her conversation and walked over: “Madam Yuan, I didn’t expect to meet you here. Mian Grand Madam, we last met at the Second Branch’s Old Ancestress’s birthday celebration. Are you well? How is my aunt?”

She chatted with them as if they were old acquaintances, with her biological daughter Wu Baohua still standing beside her.

But when Zhou Shaojin looked up, she saw Wu Baozhang standing by a flower stand near the central hall.

She wore her hair in double coiled buns, with a pearl headband, wearing a bright red gauze vest that made her skin appear as white as frost and snow—dignified and beautiful.

Why would Wu Baozhang appear at the Gu family’s Sixteenth Miss’s betrothal banquet?

Zhou Shaojin was quite surprised but held back from showing it. Instead, she smiled and looked away, as if she hadn’t seen Wu Baozhang at all.

Wu Baozhang was somewhat taken aback.

She bit her lip but ultimately didn’t come over.

After exchanging pleasantries with Madam Wu for a moment, Madam Yuan excused herself saying she saw an acquaintance and led Zhou Shaojin and the others toward the small hall to the east.

Unexpectedly, Madam Wu followed them the entire way. When they entered the small hall and Madam Yuan saw a beautiful woman in her forties and introduced her to Mian Grand Madam as Madam Liu of the Mei Mansion on Official Street, Madam Wu shamelessly went forward and introduced herself.

Madam Liu appeared good-tempered and kept smiling without saying anything. But when it came time to be seated, she unobtrusively sat next to Madam Yuan. Seeing no empty seats at the table, Madam Wu awkwardly went to the next table.

Zhou Shaojin saw a flash of cold light in Wu Baohua’s eyes.

Her heart skipped a beat.

She felt that everyone in the Wu family was difficult to deal with and it was best to keep her distance.

But after the midday meal, when the Sixteenth Miss’s in-laws inserted hairpins for her and the elders like Madam Yuan were invited to Sixteenth Miss’s boudoir, while young ladies like Zhou Shaojin were left in the courtyard.

These young ladies inevitably clustered together.

Having married Lin Shisheng with the full three letters and six ceremonies, Zhou Shaojin wasn’t as interested in betrothal ceremonies as the other young ladies, so she stood under the pomegranate tree in the courtyard waiting for Mian Grand Madam.

Nearby, two young ladies were whispering: “Did you see? That’s the eldest miss of the Wu family. I heard she made a laughingstock of herself at the Cheng family last time. Why is she out socializing again after just a few days? Is this proper?”

“What’s improper about it?” Another person said with a mocking tone. “The Wu family isn’t some family that follows proper rules. You might not know this, but she’s the only one in the Wu family with any beauty. Magistrate Wu has put out word that he wants to find her a husband in Jinling. And he doesn’t care about age or family status—whoever has talent can be his son-in-law. Think about it—not caring about age or family status means he’s looking for officials, right? As long as they’re officials, whether they’re widowers or of poor character. How is this choosing a son-in-law? This is selecting colleagues!”

Zhou Shaojin was quite surprised.

Was Wu Baozhang in this situation because of the Cheng family incident, or had Magistrate Wu long planned to use Wu Baozhang for a marriage alliance?

No wonder Madam Wu brought Wu Baozhang out for social engagements again—she probably wanted to quickly find her a husband and marry her off.

Someone else had also heard the two young ladies’ conversation and said: “I didn’t realize she was so pitiful!”

Someone countered: “Pitiful? This is her fate. Who told her to have such a father!”

Someone gently tugged at Zhou Shaojin’s sleeve.

Zhou Shaojin turned around and saw a fair, clean face.

She was somewhat puzzled.

The person said: “Second Miss Zhou, don’t you recognize me?”

Her voice was thin and carried a timid quality. Zhou Shaojin felt that her way of speaking resembled her own manner in her previous life, but she really couldn’t remember who this young lady was.

The young lady looked very disappointed and said: “I, I’m from Minister Sun’s family…”

Zhou Shaojin remembered.

She was the young lady who had been talking with Wu Baozhang in the wing room at the Cheng family.

The young lady who had run away later when she and Wu Baozhang started arguing.