Early the next morning, Gu Jin Rong came to Qingtong Courtyard to pay respects to Jin Chao.

This brother rarely came to her place. Jin Chao first invited him to sit and drink tea, then personally went to prepare snacks.

Gu Jin Rong said, “How can Elder Sister personally do these things? Just let the maids and servants handle it.”

Jin Chao smiled and said, “You’ve been in Qifang Hutong for over half a year and haven’t eaten our family’s pastries. These are newly learned by my sister. I made them for you to eat. It won’t take long. If you find it boring, there are some books in my study you can read.”

Gu Jin Rong was momentarily taken aback. He didn’t know Jin Chao could make pastries, much less that she also read books.

He had always thought she was just as the outside rumors described: a beautiful but empty-headed girl who only knew how to display a young lady’s temper.

But then he thought that having books displayed doesn’t necessarily mean one reads them—perhaps it was just to show off one’s learning.

When Gu Jin Rong entered Jin Chao’s study, he saw bookshelves full of books and momentarily felt sorry for these books, wondering if their owner truly appreciated them!

Liu Xiang, who served at her side, said, “The Young Miss often reads books. These were just sent from Jizhou recently.”

The study contained a purple sandalwood desk with blue-and-white porcelain brush washers, brush holders, and a fine clay inkstone. Near the window was a daybed. Through the half-open window, one could see the snowy scene in the courtyard. Beside it stood only a white porcelain vase with a few winter plum blossoms, their fragrance subtle and lingering. On the wall hung not famous calligraphy or paintings, but an ink bamboo with an inscription: “Several paths reveal jade-like color, morning and evening divide the emerald mist. Sounds break the dream at the cold window, and roots penetrate green moss patterns. Gradually encircling the sun at the railing, about to obstruct clouds entering the curtain. If not a guest from Shanyin, who would love this gentleman?”

This was a poem by the Old Man of Lesser Slopes!

The tense and urgent emotions in Gu Jin Rong’s heart eased considerably. This poem calmed the heart.

Qing Pu was also startled by her mistress—she was going to cook with her own hands!

While kneading dough, Jin Chao said to her, “It’s nothing extraordinary. I watched the cook do it several days ago and found it not difficult.” Her kneading technique showed some skill, though her strength seemed somewhat insufficient. Seeing this, Qing Pu felt somewhat reassured.

In her heart, Jin Chao thought that truly, living in comfort for too long had weakened her hands. She remembered that back in the small courtyard, she could lift the large water vat by herself. She had learned cooking then, with nothing to do, always needing to find something to occupy herself. Shi Ye and Wan Su, one from Sichuan and one from Shaanxi, had taught her dishes from both south and north, and she had become quite good at it.

Thinking about it made her smile—the things she had once disdained learning were precisely what she had later learned most thoroughly and well. Her original talents in zither and calligraphy had been somewhat neglected. But she should find more time to practice; they couldn’t be entirely abandoned…

Qing Pu didn’t understand: “Why do you want to make these things with your own hands?”

Jin Chao thought for a moment. She was typically the type of person who disliked explaining herself, believing that when the results of her actions became apparent, others would naturally see. But if she wanted to become closer to Qing Pu, it would be better to help her understand her behavior more.

“I’m not entirely unaware of what people say outside,” she said, rolling the dough thin and adding a layer of roasted and ground black sesame seeds, crushed peanuts, and a layer of white sugar. “The young master has been studying outside and has surely heard plenty of such talk. Add to that certain restless people at home… In his heart, I fear I’m just a spoiled, ignorant legitimate daughter—perhaps even worse. If I want him to feel closer to me, I must first change his impression of me.”

Jin Chao didn’t want to concern herself with what others said; hadn’t she endured enough rumors and slander in her previous life?

She recalled how Gu Jin Rong had come to see her once in the future. Not long after their father had died, he had appeared quite destitute. He had come to see her but said little, finally saying: “Elder Sister, I’ve wronged you. You’re better off living well in the Chen family than returning to the Gu family…” His smile had been completely numb.

When he left, he had given her two thousand taels of silver.

Jin Chao didn’t understand his circumstances then, only later learning about Song Concubine and Gu Lan’s doings. She thought that at that time, two thousand taels was probably all the money he could muster. Yet he had given it all to her, to the elder sister he had always despised and not wanted to see. Perhaps blood truly was thicker than water; in the end, he had still cared for her.

Thinking of that tall but so destitute man whose back had become hunched, Jin Chao couldn’t bear to neglect Jin Rong now.

Qing Pu and Madam Li served the young mistress as she made pastries, occasionally handing over rolling pins, ingredients, and the like.

Jin Chao made thousand-layer pastries with alternating thin layers of skin and red bean paste, fried in warm oil until golden and crisp, crumbly on the surface, and sprinkled with sesame seeds and white sugar. She steamed a plate of cloud-patterned reed-leaf rice cakes, using crushed reed leaves mixed with glutinous rice flour, coated with a layer of powdered sugar. She also made a stack of savory pastries in the shape of lamb horns, filled with fresh egg yolks and with a pepper-salt crust.

Qing Pu watched with interest; she had never seen the savory pastries before.

Jin Chao washed her hands and had the food sent to the study, saying she would follow shortly.

Gu Jin Rong hadn’t been reading in Jin Chao’s study but had been sitting in the armchair waiting quietly. Soon Rain Tong and Rain Zhu entered carrying trays and setting out plates and chopsticks. The three plates of pastries were placed on blue-and-white porcelain dishes, steaming hot and looking very appetizing.

Gu Jin Rong felt somewhat uncomfortable—eating in a study… he had never done that before.

Jin Chao soon entered, smiling as she said, “Not using your chopsticks? Do you dislike sister’s cooking skills?”

Her tone was intimate. Gu Jin Rong looked up at her. Jin Chao wore plain, clean clothes, with only a wooden hairpin carved with magnolia flowers in her jet-black hair. He remembered that whenever he saw Jin Chao before, she always appeared extremely gorgeous with a head full of jewelry. Yet now she was dressed so simply…

“Mother loves these. She’s ill and can’t eat heavily flavored foods. This plate of cloud-patterned reed-leaf cakes is sweet and soft,” Jin Chao personally picked up a piece and placed it on his plate.

Gu Jin Rong tasted it. Indeed, it was sweet but not cloying, with a faint fragrance of reed leaves. Though coated with powdered sugar, the sweetness was just right.

“Elder Sister’s pastry-making skills are truly excellent,” he sincerely praised.

Yet in his heart lingered faint doubts. Looking carefully at Jin Chao, she smiled gently and picked up a savory pastry for him: “…This pastry is uncommon in Beijing. Try something new.”

Gu Jin Rong put down his chopsticks, hesitating for a moment. “Eating is secondary… I heard recently that the Elder Sister took someone from the Second Sister. Is this true?” His tone was full of doubt.

Jin Chao looked up at him, her heart suddenly growing cold. She didn’t need to mind yesterday’s incident, after all, he had grown up with Gu Lan, and it was natural they were closer. But she was disappointed that Gu Jin Rong could be so easily swayed by others’ provocative words!

Heard? Who could have told him if not Gu Lan? Who else would tell him about such a minor matter as taking a maid? Presumably in Gu Lan’s narrative, she was that ignorant legitimate daughter who used her status to oppress concubine-born daughters. Though Gu Jin Rong was still young, he was old enough to understand the reason. Yet he believed whatever Gu Lan said and eagerly came to question her, impatient to seek justice for his second sister!

Though annoyed in her heart, Jin Chao’s expression remained very calm as she answered lightly, “Indeed, that’s true.”

Gu Jin Rong remembered Gu Lan’s forbearing appearance and recalled her usual gentle nature and dislike of conflict, yet she had been bullied by Jin Chao to such an extent. For a moment, he forgot everything else and said coldly, “How can Elder Sister take Second Sister’s people as she pleases! Although you are the legitimate eldest daughter, there’s no justification for oppressing concubine-born daughters this way. If siblings don’t maintain harmony and respect, wouldn’t it shame our father and mother when word gets out? I think you should return the maid to Second Sister. You already have so many maids, why do you need Second Sisters!”

These words revealed how deep the grievances between them had become.

Jin Chao calmly looked at him and said, “Harmony and respect between siblings? Jin Rong, you say this, but have you achieved it yourself? I am also your sister. An elder sister is like a mother. You show such disrespect to your sister—have you maintained harmony and respect? You’ve studied the classics at Qifang Academy for so long, don’t you understand this?

“You say I took someone from your Second Sister. Did you first inquire who this person was, whether she was important to your Second Sister, or whether she was willing? Rushing here to question me, did you consider that if you took that maid back, where would my face be? And if you couldn’t take her back, where would your face be? You’re twelve years old now, not so young anymore. Why do you still act like a child, doing whatever comes to mind!”

The last sentence came out suddenly cold.

Gu Jin Rong was momentarily stunned. He had originally thought that if he came to confront her and Jin Chao didn’t care, he could immediately take the maid away. If she did care, they would at worst argue or make a scene—after all, he had been dissatisfied with Jin Chao for a long time!

He hadn’t expected Jin Chao’s words to be so relentless, leaving him momentarily speechless.

He hadn’t known Jin Chao was so eloquent!