While the Cheng family men in the flower hall discussed topics of interest to them, the female relatives in the western side room started playing mahjong.
Old Madam Guo, Yuan Shi, Qiu Shi, and Cheng Zheng sat at one table. Cheng Xiao sat behind Yuan Shi, occasionally glancing at the children playing happily in the courtyard. Cheng Sheng sat behind Old Madam Guo, helping her watch the tiles.
Zhou Shaojin was in the tea room preparing almond milk for them, with the newly married Xie Shi following closely behind her, step by step.
“We don’t have such rules in our family,” Zhou Shaojin said to Xie Shi with a smile, her expression extremely gentle. “You can go watch your mother-in-law play mahjong. I can manage here.”
Xie Shi liked Zhou Shaojin very much.
When the Cheng family had come to deliver the betrothal gifts, Zhou Shaojin had personally placed the hairpin in her hair. Moreover, Zhou Shaojin’s gaze was kind and full of goodwill when looking at people, making her—who had just married into the Cheng family and understood nothing—naturally gravitate toward Zhou Shaojin.
“I don’t know how to play mahjong,” Xie Shi said with a flushed face, murmuring bashfully. “I’d rather learn from Auntie how to make almond milk! I noticed that Grandmother and Mother-in-law both seem to enjoy drinking it very much… Sister-in-law and the three aunts also like it…”
“It’s nothing difficult,” Zhou Shaojin patiently taught her. “Soak the almonds overnight, then grind them into a paste with a millstone, filter through fine gauze, cook over low heat, and add rock sugar. The key is that my filtering cloth must be fine—filter it several times. When cooking the almond milk, use low heat, stir constantly with a spoon on the side, and remove from heat once the rock sugar dissolves. Just remember not to add sugar to Old Madam’s and your eldest aunt’s portions.”
Xie Shi thanked her gratefully.
Zhou Shaojin then handed the spoon for stirring the almond milk to Xie Shi, having her practice stirring as she did: “Everyone in the family likes hot almond milk, so we drink it when the weather still has a chill. After a while, when spring arrives and the weather warms up, once new tea comes to market, we’ll start drinking green tea. When the weather gets even hotter, we occasionally brew mulberry tea to beat the heat. In autumn, we drink snow pear syrup. Our family makes the purest-tasting snow pear syrup—when autumn comes, I’ll teach you how to make it.”
Xie Shi nodded repeatedly.
Although both families had already acknowledged the relationship, this was truly the first proper conversation they’d had.
Zhou Shaojin then asked with a smile, “What do you usually do at home when you have free time?”
Xie Shi said softly, “Needlework.” She spoke, her tone pausing slightly, then continued, “I also study reading and writing with my eldest sister-in-law.”
Zhou Shaojin understood.
The Xie family’s circumstances were modest—they couldn’t possibly hire many servants. Minister Xie’s and Young Master Xie’s outer garments could perhaps be purchased from ready-made clothing shops outside, but intimate garments for young ladies like Miss Xie could only be made by her own hands. With four seasons in a year, the number of clothes, shoes, and socks was no small matter. After learning needlework, aside from making things for herself, she would occasionally need to show filial piety to her sisters, grandmother, mother, father, and brothers. Calculated this way, where would there be time to play? As for reading, it was probably just learning enough characters to manage the household.
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, “When I’m idle at home, I often do needlework too. If you don’t mind, bring over your commonly used patterns for me to see someday. Spring is approaching, and it’s time to start making autumn clothes.”
Hearing this, Xie Shi felt relieved and revealed a bright smile: “Yes, yes! Mother-in-law treats me very well. Apart from morning and evening greetings, there are no other rules. When I was at home, I used to read Buddhist scriptures to Grandmother for an hour every afternoon. Now that I don’t need to read scriptures anymore, I’m actually a bit unaccustomed to it and have quite a lot of idle time. If Auntie has any needlework for me to do, just send a maid to let me know.” At this point, her face suddenly flushed crimson, and her voice lowered a few degrees as she said, “Auntie, let me make a few autumn outfits for Yun Ge’er! Come to think of it, I haven’t made anything for him yet!”
She had forgotten about this matter.
Zhou Shaojin had also been a new bride herself, so she naturally understood Xie Shi’s feelings. She quickly said with delight, “That would be wonderful! Thank you for your thoughtfulness. He’s a small child and grows fast, so autumn clothes aren’t urgent. But summer is coming soon, and I’d like to make a few belly bands for Yun Ge’er to wear in summer, so his stomach won’t get cold while sleeping. If you have time, could you help make two belly bands for Yun Ge’er? Also for Abao and Ren’a—I wonder if they need any?”
Seeing Zhou Shaojin guiding her once again, Xie Shi felt even more warmly toward her, feeling that staying by Zhou Shaojin’s side to help was absolutely the right thing to do.
Drawing inferences from one instance, she immediately said, “I’ll also ask the aunts later to see if they want belly bands made for Ning Ge’er and the others!”
Zhou Shaojin nodded with a smile.
This child was both clever and genuinely simple—Second Sister-in-law had found herself a good daughter-in-law.
Zhou Shaojin ladled the cooked almond milk into small bowls of crimson porcelain.
The milk-yellow almond milk served in the bright red bowls created a striking color contrast that whetted one’s appetite just by looking at it.
Xie Shi thought of the spring outing painting of palace ladies she had seen hanging in the side room when she first entered, and silently committed it to memory.
It seemed the Cheng family truly had deep cultural foundations as Father had said—not only were their food, clothing, and daily necessities refined, but even their furnishings and vessels were appropriate to the season and month, extremely particular.
No wonder Grandmother had worried she wouldn’t adapt after marrying in.
Fortunately, Little Auntie was easy to get along with, Mother-in-law treated her very kindly, and even Sister-in-law, who seemed somewhat proud of her talents, was pleasant and amiable toward her… They all had excellent upbringing. If she was sincere and earnest, she would certainly do well!
Xie Shi secretly steeled her resolve, took a breath, and carried the large red tray with gold-painted crabapple flowers filled with almond milk, following Zhou Shaojin to the side room.
Cheng Sheng quickly rose to help Xie Shi serve the almond milk.
Zhou Shaojin then called the children playing in the garden to come drink almond milk.
The little children rushed in like a swarm, then suddenly quieted down and respectfully greeted their elders.
Everyone laughed warmly.
Maids and servants quickly brought in warm water for them to wash their hands, and their wet nurses attended them while they drank the almond milk.
Zhou Shaojin also took a spoon to feed Yun Ge’er.
After half a mouthful, Yun Ge’er spat it out and refused to drink more.
Zhou Shaojin coaxed him for a long time, but he simply wouldn’t drink, even biting the spoon tightly with his baby teeth, preventing Zhou Shaojin from feeding him.
Old Madam Guo watched and laughed, handing her empty bowl to Zhenzhu. She wiped the corner of her mouth and said with a smile, “Our Yun Ge’er is just so clever. If he doesn’t like it, don’t force him.”
Hearing this, a flash of disagreement passed quickly through Yuan Shi’s eyes.
Every family’s children were like this, but in the Old Madam’s eyes, this Yun Ge’er was decidedly cleverer than other children… How biased her heart truly was!
Zhou Shaojin had no choice but to give up and had Chun Wan bring in warm boiled water to feed Yun Ge’er.
After drinking a few sips, Yun Ge’er stopped drinking.
The children also couldn’t sit still anymore. They looked at each other, all wanting to go out and play.
Old Madam Guo smiled lovingly and said, “Go play, go play! But don’t run around wildly—be careful not to bump into anything or get hurt.”
The children cheered and ran out.
Old Madam Guo and the others started playing mahjong again.
Cheng Zheng wanted to let Zhou Shaojin take her place.
Zhou Shaojin waved her hands repeatedly, saying, “You can’t just run away after winning! Even if I agreed, your grandmother wouldn’t!”
Today she was the hostess—she needed to make the guests feel at home. How could she run off to play herself!
Old Madam Guo nodded secretly to herself. Thinking that after Cheng Zheng went to Taiyuan, who knew when she would return, she also followed Zhou Shaojin’s words and said with a smile, “Your auntie is right. An aunt visiting home is an honored guest. You rarely come back—spend time with us playing mahjong properly, don’t look around everywhere. You’re making it impossible for me to recoup my losses—I’ve already lost nearly twenty taels of silver!”
Everyone laughed again.
Zhou Shaojin then noticed her maid Bitao standing at the doorway, looking into the room.
She calmly helped Old Madam Guo and the others refill their tea, watched the game for a while, then walked out and quietly asked Bitao, who stood under the covered corridor, “What is it?”
Bitao said in a low voice, “Master Wen from the West Zhimen area suddenly came with three young masters to visit Fourth Master, saying they are his sons…”
Had that mistress already been brought over? Were the sons born outside now also going to be legitimized?
Zhou Shaojin frowned and asked, “What did Fourth Master say?”
“Fourth Master went to see Elder Master Wen, originally planning to just have a cup of tea and send him away. But Elder Master Wen said since Fourth Master was entertaining the Elder Master and others at home, why hadn’t he been notified? He even had people bring in gift boxes and insisted on entering the second courtyard to visit the Elder Master,” Bitao said. “Fourth Master politely declined, but Elder Master Wen wouldn’t relent and insisted on seeing the Elder Master. So Fourth Master summoned the Elder Master and then ran off himself. Now Master Wen is pestering the Elder Master, saying he wants to bring the three children in to pay respects to Old Madam. The Elder Master had no choice and asked me to inform you. But Fourth Master also said not to bother with them…”
“Then don’t bother with them.” Since Cheng Chi had said so, she would certainly do as he said.
Bitao said worriedly, “But Elder Master Wen…”
“Elder Master will deal with it,” Zhou Shaojin said with a smile. “If it really doesn’t work out, isn’t there still Fourth Master?”
Bitao felt relieved and left the courtyard with a smile.
Zhou Shaojin was genuinely afraid Cheng Wen would cause a scene here. After thinking it over, she still told Old Madam Guo about it.
Old Madam Guo was furious, saying, “He still has the face to come! Listen well, all of you—if you encounter him in the future, avoid him completely to save yourself the embarrassment!” These last few words were directed at Yuan Shi and the others in the room.
Zhou Shaojin and the others all acknowledged with flushed faces, “Yes.”
Cheng Jing was fairly clear-headed and ultimately didn’t allow Cheng Wen to bring his three illegitimate sons into the mansion to pay respects to Old Madam Guo.
As for Cheng Xu, after returning from Chaoyang Gate, he began studying behind closed doors. Apart from visiting Peng Xiang a few times, he went nowhere else. On the ninth day of the third month, before dawn broke over Xinglin Alley, lights in each room lit up one after another.
Cheng Jing and Cheng Xu both changed into brand new blue Hangzhou silk lined robes. Cheng Jing’s was embroidered with purple five-bat circular patterns, while Cheng Xu’s was plain, embroidered only at the robe’s corner with a monkey on horseback—symbolizing the auspicious omens of immediate conferment of nobility and success in the imperial examination.
The father and son went to pay respects to their ancestors, and Cheng Jing personally escorted Cheng Xu to the examination grounds.
One session per day, three sessions total, with two rest days in between, but even using the toilet had to be done within the examination grounds.
After nine days, the examinees all emerged looking wilted like frost-bitten eggplants.
Cheng Jing personally picked up Cheng Xu, and on the road couldn’t help but ask, “How did it go? Recite the examination essays you wrote for me to hear.”
Cheng Xu had no choice but to recite the examination essays he had written.
Cheng Jing listened but couldn’t quite make up his mind. Right then, he instructed the driver to turn around and head to Shuangyu Alley where Cheng Shao lived.