Since Grand Madam Liao was rushing to the capital to hold the hundredth-day celebration for Guan Ge’er, the full-month ceremony couldn’t be too grand. After consulting with Zhou Chujin, Liao Shaotang decided that for Guan Ge’er’s full month, they would only invite relatives for a meal, and wait until the hundredth-day celebration to send invitations to marriage relatives and friends.
Li Shi and Zhou Shaojin busied themselves with Guan Ge’er’s full-month celebration.
Cheng Gao suddenly arrived in the capital and checked into Gaosheng Inn next to Elm Tree Alley.
Zhou Shaojin was greatly startled and hurriedly instructed a steward to move Cheng Gao’s luggage over, saying reproachfully: “Cousin Gao came to the capital—how could you stay at an inn? Just because we sisters left Nine Graces Alley, must Cousin Gao be so distant from us?”
Seeing she was still as gentle and graceful as before, Cheng Gao’s anxious heart finally settled.
“I didn’t even know you could manage the household at Elm Tree Alley,” he teased Zhou Shaojin. “I came to help with Guan Ge’er’s full month, but who knew you would decide to do the hundredth-day celebration instead. I can’t stay that long—next month Cousin Yi is getting married, and I still have to rush back to help!”
Cheng Gao was Zhou Chujin’s cousin, but Li Shi was not Cheng Gao’s aunt. When Cheng Gao visited, Li Shi naturally had to avoid him, so the task of receiving the guest fell to Zhou Shaojin.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Shaojin said apologetically: “Guan Ge’er’s full month and Cousin Yi’s wedding date are too close together. We originally didn’t expect anyone from Jinling to come, so the letter wasn’t sent in time. Making Cousin Gao make this trip—I’m truly sorry! How about tomorrow I have a steward accompany Cousin Gao to walk around, and Cousin Gao can stay in the capital a few more days before going back?”
Cheng Gao smiled: “Just now, who was the one who got upset with me as soon as they heard I’d checked into an inn? Now being so polite, wanting me to stay two more days… Where’s the resemblance to cousins? You should be having me leave the full-month gift and hurry back!”
Zhou Shaojin laughed heartily.
Cheng Gao gazed at her with smiling eyes, his expression pleased, and said in a low voice: “Shaojin, just stay in the capital longer. Forget about past matters and live your own life well. You don’t owe the Cheng family anything. You don’t need to mind those people in the Cheng family.”
Zhou Shaojin’s tears nearly fell.
That Cheng Gao came to the capital but didn’t stay at Apricot Forest Alley and instead checked into an inn—this in itself represented the fourth branch’s attitude toward the mountain cave incident.
What more could she ask for?
Zhou Shaojin said sincerely: “Cousin Gao, I’m fine. I grew up in the Cheng family. Although Cheng Xu hurt me, I also remember the kindness the Cheng family showed me. Moreover, I don’t feel I did anything wrong. Why shouldn’t I associate with people from the Cheng family? Not only will I associate with those Cheng family members who are good to me, I will associate with them openly and confidently.” As she spoke, she felt her tone was too severe and smiled teasingly: “Cousin Gao wouldn’t be thinking of not associating with me from now on, would he?”
Seeing she harbored no resentment about past matters, Cheng Gao laughed and said sincerely: “It seems I’ve been judging a gentleman’s heart with a petty person’s mind—my perspective was too narrow. You’re right. We haven’t done anything wrong. If anyone should hide, it should be those who did wrong. If anyone should feel guilty, it should be those who did wrong.”
Zhou Shaojin nodded with a smile.
Only then did Cheng Gao tell her: “Cousin Xu has already become engaged to the eldest Miss Min. Madam Yuan and the others may come to the capital in April to prepare for the wedding with Miss Min.”
Cousin Gao was worried she would feel uncomfortable if she encountered Cheng Xu in the capital, wasn’t he?
The Cheng and Zhou families were marriage relatives after all, with social exchanges between them. The possibility of running into each other was high.
Warmth filled Zhou Shaojin’s heart as she said: “Will Old Madam Guo come too? I thought the Cheng family would welcome the bride in Jinling.”
“Old Madam Guo won’t come,” Cheng Gao said. “According to Grandmother, the bride’s family is in Fujian—too far away. They’re planning for her to marry from the capital. Madam Yuan is being considerate of the in-laws, so she’s decided to welcome the bride in the capital. The wedding date is set for this September. After the bride’s return visit, they’ll bring her back to worship the ancestors and pay respects to the elders.”
This was good.
At least the bride and those seeing her off wouldn’t hear any gossip. It would also show the Cheng family’s consideration for the Min family.
It was just hard on the bride, having to travel between both places.
Zhou Shaojin nodded.
Before, she had been quite curious about what kind of person the eldest Miss Min was, but now she had no interest whatsoever in Cheng Xu’s affairs—not even this bit of curiosity remained.
Cheng Gao then mentioned Cheng Lu’s matter: “…Did you know about this?”
“I know,” Zhou Shaojin said. “My brother-in-law told me about it.”
Cheng Gao gave a bitter smile and sighed deeply: “I used to greatly admire Xiangqing. Although he lost his father early, I felt he had a peaceful mentality, was diligent in his studies, and was someone who could accomplish great things. So seeing he treated you well, I thought that wasn’t bad either… Who knew I misjudged him… I can understand him selling family assets to bribe the provincial academy, but abandoning his birth mother—I truly cannot fathom it…”
Zhou Shaojin comforted him: “Cousin Gao is a purely filial person, so naturally you cannot understand such beastly behavior from him!”
Cheng Gao was still somewhat saddened and told her: “His mother was a household mistress for many years after all. After staying in the nunnery for a few months, she couldn’t bear it anymore and came to beg the family elders several times, hoping Nine Graces Alley would provide relief for her to get by. None of the elders from the branches paid her any mind, only sending a steward’s wife to dismiss her with a few taels of silver. I heard she stayed at her maiden home for a few days but was driven out by her several nephews’ wives. The silver was coaxed out of her by her nephews to subsidize them, so she had no choice but to return to the nunnery. The family elders have already decided to expel Cheng Lu from the clan. Before I came, they had already reported to the ancestors. By now they should have reported it to the authorities.”
Just like in her previous life.
She just didn’t know if in this life Cheng Lu would still encounter that benefactor who would marry his daughter to him and help him establish his own household.
Zhou Shaojin sighed briefly and let it pass. She led Cheng Gao to see Guan Ge’er.
Zhou Chujin still couldn’t be exposed to drafts, so the wet nurse brought the child out to show him.
The plump, fair baby delighted Cheng Gao so much he couldn’t put him down, making Zhou Youjin, who had also come to see Guan Ge’er, pace anxiously in circles: “Uncle Gao, Uncle Gao, I want to see too! I want to see too!”
Cheng Gao smiled and placed the child on the heated platform.
Zhou Youjin squatted beside him, staring at Guan Ge’er without blinking, and told Cheng Gao: “You can’t poke his face. It will hurt him.”
Cheng Gao couldn’t stop laughing: “That’s what your mother told you yesterday, isn’t it?”
Zhou Youjin didn’t understand what he was saying and stared at him with wide, confused eyes.
Cheng Gao was absolutely delighted. He picked up Zhou Youjin and said to Zhou Shaojin: “This little sister of yours is really interesting!”
Zhou Shaojin said somewhat helplessly: “Madam kept telling her to speak, but she just wouldn’t speak. Who would have thought that as soon as she saw Guan Ge’er, she started talking, and when she did, it was in complete sentences. We were all startled.”
“You were like that when you were little too,” Cheng Gao recalled. “Back then we thought you were mute. Grandmother was so worried she didn’t sleep well for several days and nights.”
Zhou Shaojin just laughed.
The wet nurse carried the child back to the inner chamber, and Zhou Youjin followed into the inner chamber as well.
Zhou Shaojin saw Cheng Gao out of the main room.
They ran straight into Liao Shaotang, who had received word and hurried back.
Liao Shaotang warmly pulled Cheng Gao away to drink.
Zhou Shaojin prepared a meal for them.
That evening, she heard news of Cheng Chi’s return to the capital.
More than a month earlier than the time Cheng Chi had mentioned.
Zhou Chujin smiled and guessed: “Could it be he rushed back to attend our Guan Ge’er’s full month?”
Zhou Shaojin didn’t think so. She smiled: “Maybe the matters outside were settled?”
“That’s also possible,” Zhou Chujin smiled. “Either way, we should go visit Uncle Chi. But I’m still in confinement and it’s not convenient to go out. You’d better make the trip for us. After I’m out of confinement, it won’t be too late for me to go thank Uncle Chi.”
Zhou Shaojin sent a calling card to Elm Money Alley.
They quickly received a reply, inviting her to visit the next day.
The weather was gradually warming up. Zhou Shaojin carefully selected a lotus root-colored plain Hangzhou silk jacket and a green horse-face skirt edged with a foot-wide precious floral border. She hung a bright red agate grape pendant at her waist, arranged her jet-black hair in a bun at the back of her head, wore a gold-and-jade inlaid flower crown, and took a sedan chair to Elm Money Alley.
All along the way, she lifted the sedan curtain to observe the route to Elm Money Alley.
Elm Money Alley was really very close to Elm Tree Alley.
The two alleys were only separated by one main road—by sedan chair it took only the time to burn a stick of incense.
Like the place where Liao Shaotang and Zhou Shaojin lived in Elm Tree Alley, Cheng Chi’s residence in Elm Money Alley was also just a single-courtyard small house. Upon entering was a blue stone screen wall carved with a large inverted character for “fortune.” The ground was uniformly paved with polished bricks, and two osmanthus trees were planted before the hanging flower gate. Pink and white walls, bright red floor-to-ceiling pillars, green gauze windows. In the middle of the courtyard was a grape arbor, beneath which were stone stools and stone chairs. Beside them was a large blue-and-white porcelain fish tank—one didn’t need to look to know there were a few goldfish inside.
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but purse her lips.
Uncle Chi was such a particular person—why was he so indifferent about where he lived?
Could this also be just a temporary place for him to stay?
Huai Shan came to greet her.
He said somewhat uneasily: “Second Miss, Fourth Master was originally waiting for you to come, but unexpectedly Old Master Song suddenly came over. He’s pulling Fourth Master to look at some hydrological maps in the study. I can only trouble you to wait in the reception room for now.”
Zhou Shaojin didn’t mind.
On the boat to Mount Putuo, she had already learned how obsessed Cheng Chi and Old Master Song were with such matters.
She smiled and followed Huai Shan to the reception room. Huai Shan personally poured her a cup of tea.
Zhou Shaojin looked around the reception room.
A large heated platform by the window, black lacquered furniture, a curio shelf with a few ornamental items arranged in staggered fashion on the compartments—it looked conventional and uninspired.
Perhaps sensing Zhou Shaojin’s “disdain,” Huai Shan said: “Fourth Master originally bought a residence near Chaoyang Gate—four courtyards, five sections wide. It was the former residence of Minister Shi, the Zhejiang Salt Transport Commissioner. Fourth Master even had people renovate it extensively, spending quite a bit of effort. But who knew that just before coming to the capital, Fourth Master changed his mind and bought a new small residence here instead. It’s close to Second Miss’s side, but the house hasn’t had time to be properly arranged. Most things were left by the previous owner—all odds and ends. Fourth Master hasn’t given the word, so Ziping doesn’t feel it’s appropriate to add furnishings either. I hope Second Cousin Miss will excuse it.”
Zhou Shaojin’s face immediately flushed hot.
To be closer to Second Miss… was it for this reason that he temporarily bought a residence in Elm Money Alley?
Her heart pounded wildly, and for a long while she couldn’t calm down.