Qi Zheng’s eyes lit up, “Does Miss Ji like them too?”
“I’ve heard that Master Ziyu’s flower and bird paintings are very lively. I’ve always wanted to see them. Unable to find original works, I thought I could learn about Master Ziyu’s composition from this copied manual,” Ji Cheng explained.
Qi Zheng said, “Others can’t truly capture the master’s style through copying. I haven’t seen the master in a long time and miss him greatly, which is why I came to buy the manual.”
Ji Cheng lifted her veil a bit more, “Does Young Master know Master Ziyu personally?”
Qi Zheng smiled shyly, “I once studied painting under Master Ziyu. Later, when the master’s health declined, he missed his southern hometown and left.”
Ji Cheng smiled and cupped her hands in jest, “So Young Master is Master Ziyu’s accomplished student. My apologies for not realizing this earlier.”
Qi Zheng laughed, “Do you also study painting? May I ask who your teacher is?”
Ji Cheng, not wanting to mention the famous name of San He Ju Shi, simply said, “I study under Madam Yu.”
Qi Zheng paused, then hesitantly asked, “Could it be Madam Yu from the Lin household?”
Ji Cheng immediately understood that Qi Zheng knew Madam Yu was San He Ju Shi.
“That’s correct,” Ji Cheng nodded.
Qi Zheng immediately smiled and cupped his hands towards Ji Cheng, “I should be the one showing respect to Miss Ji. Madam Yu hasn’t taken disciples for many years. I didn’t expect Miss Ji to be under her tutelage.”
Ji Cheng humbly replied, “I was merely introduced by someone.”
“When Master Ziyu was in the capital, he took me to visit Madam Yu twice. Madam Yu’s paintings are serene and insightful. I greatly admire her,” Qi Zheng, now talking about his interest, became much more talkative.
After they complimented each other’s teachers, Qi Zheng belatedly said, “You can have this painting manual. I still have several drafts from when the master taught me to paint. You can…” At this point, Qi Zheng suddenly realized that this might be seen as an improper interaction between them, so he quickly changed his words, “If Miss Ji comes to visit Qi Hua, you can come to my study and ask her to show them to you.”
Ji Cheng thanked Qi Zheng. They had been standing and chatting for quite a while, and people had begun to glance at them discreetly. Ji Cheng took the painting manual from the shopkeeper, thanked Qi Zheng again, and then turned to leave.
In the carriage on the way back, Yumian’er winked mischievously at Ji Cheng, “Miss, is Young Master Qi the kind of gentle and refined scholar they talk about in storybooks?”
Although Ji Cheng was mentally prepared, being asked so suddenly by Yumian’er still made her blush.
Liuye’er, hearing this, immediately changed her expression and poked Yumian’er’s forehead hard, “You little girl, talking nonsense at such a young age. Aren’t you ashamed? Miss is kind and hasn’t scolded you, but think about it, is this something you should say? If others heard this, what would happen to Miss?”
Yumian’er had been with Ji Cheng since Ji Cheng was still naive and carefree. Even after the great changes Ji Cheng had experienced, Yumian’er’s personality hadn’t changed much. She still said whatever came to mind in front of Ji Cheng. Ji Cheng cherished her innocence and didn’t usually restrain her, which made her even bolder in private conversations.
Yumian’er pouted and complained, “I understand all this, Sister Liuye. I only said it in private. I just wanted to tease Miss a bit. Isn’t that right, Miss?”
Before Ji Cheng could answer, Liuye’er, fearing that Ji Cheng might get angry at Yumian’er due to embarrassment, quickly scolded again, “What nonsense are you talking about? Is this teasing? Miss is already suffering enough…”
Ji Cheng glanced at Liuye’er, surprised that she thought she was suffering.
However, this was understandable. Although Western influences had spread, and young ladies were no longer always confined to their boudoirs, it still wasn’t proper for a well-bred young lady to actively engage in conversation with young men. Those young ladies from noble families didn’t need to worry about marriage arrangements; their elders would handle everything. By the time they came of age, matchmakers and suitors would already be frequent visitors. Ladies like Shen Yuan and Fourth Miss Wang didn’t need to worry about actively seeking out conversations with young men.
But then again, Fourth Miss Wang, wanting to marry the Shen family’s second young master, still had to rack her brains to make an impression on Shen Che. So everything required effort.
Ji Cheng didn’t feel she was suffering. She looked at Liuye’er and said, “Don’t scold Yumian’er. It’s fine to say such things in private, but Yumian’er, you need to be more careful in the future.”
Yumian’er nodded quickly and complained on Ji Cheng’s behalf, “I know Miss is suffering. Back in our Jin region, with Master and Madam making decisions, which family wouldn’t want to marry into ours with Miss’s talents and beauty? Even that young master from the Tan family kept finding ways to talk to Miss. These people in the capital have their noses in the air. I think none of those young ladies can compare to you, Miss.”
Ji Cheng couldn’t help but smile. No wonder she was fond of Yumian’er; this little girl was excellent at flattery. “I’m not suffering. When one has aspirations, one can’t complain about hardships. You need to change your mindset too. This is the capital, not the Jin region anymore. We might have been big fish in a small pond back in Jin, but here we’re small fish in a big sea. I’m not some grand young lady anymore. We need to be clear about our status. If we just stay at home waiting for elders to make decisions, we’ll only end up at others’ mercy.”
Liuye’er asked, “Miss, is there no hope with Aunt?”
Ji Cheng replied, “Aunt has her plans. We can’t rely on her. This isn’t so bad. Parental arrangements and matchmakers’ words aren’t necessarily good. Getting engaged without even knowing what kind of person the other party is, marrying blindly, how many end up happy? Many young ladies pass away at a young age. My current situation is better. Father has allowed me to choose my husband. I can observe their character, which will lead to a better life in the future.”
Hearing this, Yumian’er thought it made perfect sense. However, Liuye’er still felt that Ji Cheng was suffering and that these words were just to comfort them. Liuye’er thought Ji Cheng shouldn’t actively talk to those young men, as it seemed a bit undignified.
Ji Cheng continued, “The same goes for you two. If you wait for me to choose husbands for you in the future, who knows if they might be pockmarked men? If you see someone decent, you can tell me. I’ll certainly decide for you.”
“Miss!” Liuye’er’s face turned red, and she turned away, unable to bear it. “Miss shouldn’t say such things.”
Ji Cheng and Yumian’er exchanged smiles. Yumian’er said, “I’ll listen to whatever Miss says.”
Liuye’er angrily said, “You’re just thick-skinned and shameless.”
Yumian’er puffed up her cheeks and said, “I’m not ashamed. You be ashamed and marry a pockmarked man in the future.”
Liuye’er was so angry she reached out to pinch Yumian’er’s face, “You little troublemaker.”
Ji Cheng watched their playful banter with a smile, but her thoughts had already turned to Qi Zheng. At present, she couldn’t fully gauge Qi Zheng’s character, but he seemed good in all aspects. If he had ambition, that would be even better. Ji Cheng thought that even if she couldn’t help him become a first-rank official, with the Ji family’s wealth as backing, a third-rank official position should be attainable.
Ji Cheng hadn’t noticed that at her young age, she was considering her future husband without the slightest hint of blushing or shyness.
In Ji Cheng’s mind, the future was a path paved with interests. She would use the Ji family’s wealth and her support in exchange for her husband’s success and protection. This was merely an exchange of interests, a model she had long grown accustomed to.
As the carriage entered the side gate of the Shen mansion, unnoticed by everyone, a shadow flashed out from under the carriage and disappeared into the buildings.
Ji Cheng had no idea that their private conversation in the carriage had been overheard. It was purely coincidental; no one would normally hide under a young lady’s carriage to eavesdrop.
Tired from the day’s activities, Ji Cheng prepared to retire early that evening.
Liuye’er was in the room helping Ji Cheng brush her hair. Ji Cheng brushed her hair hundreds of times every night. She used a special comb with large, numerous teeth made from a particular fragrant wood. This hair care method was taught by Ji Cheng’s mother, Yun Niang.
Yun Niang’s reputation as a beautiful “tofu beauty” wasn’t unfounded. Even at her current age, she remained stunningly beautiful with a cloud of lustrous hair like a waterfall of silk. The reason for her diminished attraction to Ji Qing was simply that the novelty had worn off.
As Ji Cheng was combing the ends of her hair with a rhinoceros horn comb in front of the mirror, Yumian’er, who had been out gallivanting somewhere, rushed in excitedly. Liuye’er stopped combing and pointed at Yumian’er, saying, “Where have you been? I wanted to call you earlier to find the black hair cream we made in spring, but couldn’t find you anywhere.”
Yumian’er shrugged and grinned, “I was playing with Juan’er and Duan’er from the Old Matriarch’s quarters.”
Hearing this, Ji Cheng glanced at Yumian’er. Although this girl was playful and mischievous, she was quite selective about her playmates. Despite her young age and seemingly carefree attitude, she was quite cunning.
“Miss, guess where Miss Su went today?” Yumian’er leaned in and asked.
Liuye’er was puzzled why Yumian’er suddenly brought up Su Jun, but Ji Cheng’s quick mind had already grasped the situation. “Did she go out with the Old Matriarch?”
“Nothing can be hidden from Miss,” Yumian’er felt that Ji Cheng was no fun at all, always guessing her riddles correctly. “She went to Jishi Nunnery with Old Madam Su and the Old Matriarch.”
The abbess of Jishi Nunnery, Master Jingyu, was a close friend of the Old Matriarch. This Master Jingyu was quite remarkable. She had been a disciple of Master Wushi since childhood. Later, when Master Wushi passed away, she made a grand vow to build a statue for Master Wushi. She traveled eight thousand li east and west, collecting donations, and finally built Jishi Nunnery in the capital.
The Old Matriarch of the Shen family would visit Jishi Nunnery every month to offer incense and donate some money. This was known to many. Master Jingyu enjoyed tranquility, so Old Madam Shen usually went alone, rarely bringing younger family members.
“Which family’s young master are they considering for Sister Jun?” Ji Cheng asked.