Cheng Xu went to Hangzhou Prefecture, Cheng Lu went to Yuelu Academy, and Zhou Shaojin felt that the sky was a little bluer.
She hummed an unknown tune intermittently while making clothes for her father and stepmother Li.
Chun Wan ran in happily: "Second Miss, Second Miss, someone came from the master's place and said that the master and his wife will arrive in two days."
"Really!" Zhou Shaojin was overjoyed, dropped the needle and thread in his hand, and asked, "Who is coming? Where is he? Does my sister know?"
"The one who came was an attendant of the master, named Li Changgui. The master was questioning him in the study! The master had someone report to Old An and said he would go to greet Old An later. The eldest mistress also sent someone to report the news, and the eldest lady should have known about it."
"Let's go," Zhou Shaojin hastily straightened his clothes and said with a smile, "Let's go take a look too."
Chun Wan said "hmm" and accompanied Zhou Shaojin to Jiashu Hall.
Zhou Chujin and Mian Dafu had not arrived yet. Old Madam Guan was changing her clothes. When she saw Zhou Shaojin, she smiled and said, "You came at the right time. I was just about to ask someone to call you. Your father will arrive in Jinling City in two days. You will know the specific arrangements when your uncle comes."
Zhou Shaojin responded with a smile and went forward to help the maid who was helping her grandmother change clothes.
After a while, Mrs. Mian and Zhou Chujin came over.
Mrs. Miao didn't wait for Mrs. Guan to speak, and couldn't help but said, "I heard that the old master will be back in two days?"
Old Madam Guan ordered the maid to serve tea and snacks, and said with a smile: "We will know when the eldest master comes."
As he was talking, a little maid came in and reported, "The master is here."
Everyone hurried to the banquet room.
Li Changgui kowtowed three times to Old Lady Guan at the gate of the courtyard, which was considered as a greeting.
Old Lady Guan had someone reward Li Changgui with five taels of silver, and the fourth room's chief steward sent Li Changgui out.
Only then did everyone in the banquet room sit down.
Cheng Mian smiled and said, "My brother-in-law said that they will enter the city on the morning of the second day of the New Year, and will come to pay their respects to you after changing clothes. They will probably have lunch with us. In the afternoon, he will pick up Sister Chu Jin and take her back. They will worship their ancestors the next morning, and leave for Baoding on the seventh day of the New Year."
Everyone was surprised.
Old Lady Guan asked, "Aren't you going to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival at home? Didn't you say you can take up your post by the end of August?"
"It seems something happened in Baoding." Cheng Chi smiled, "Li Changgui couldn't explain the details. I thought my brother-in-law would be back in two days, so I didn't ask any more questions."
Everyone was disappointed.
Old Madam Guan said, "At least I can come back to see him. I was worried that I couldn't come back before. But we won't celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future." The old lady instructed Cheng Mian and Madam Mian, "Prepare well for the lunch on the second day of the New Year." She added, "Have you tried to find out from Li Changgui whether the old master wants to come over for a simple meal or to visit the Cheng family. If he just wants to come over for a simple meal, the old master must have already prepared the local rituals for the first, second, third and fifth houses. We can just go over and tell them in advance. If he comes to visit the Cheng family, I'm afraid we have to invite the masters of several houses to accompany him."
Cheng Chi smiled and said, "I have asked. Li Changgui said that my brother-in-law said that he hasn't seen Chu Jin and her sister for a long time. You have raised them for him over the years, and your kindness is as great as a mountain. He came here mainly to kowtow to you. After lunch, it won't be too late for him to visit the ancestors and several masters."
"In that case, you should arrange dinner!" Mrs. Guan pondered, "Wait until they have dinner before going back."
Cheng Mian agreed with a smile.
Zhou Shaojin and his sister held hands and couldn't stop laughing.
Old Mrs. Guan said angrily, "You two silly girls, why don't you hurry up and pack your luggage? Do you have to wait until your father comes before packing your boxes?" As she spoke, tears glistened in her eyes.
Zhou Shaojin suddenly had an idea and said with a smile, "We are only staying at home for a few days and will be back soon. We don't need to pack so many things. It doesn't matter if we pack them a few days later."
Old Lady Guan loved hearing this, she hugged Zhou Shaojin in her arms and called him "darling", saying: "No wonder people say that daughters are their mothers' little cotton-padded jackets. I am getting old now, and I have two more little cotton-padded jackets."
Everyone laughed.
But after returning to Wanxiangju, Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin couldn't wait to start packing their luggage.
The scented soap he made himself, Yu Ji's rouge, Xie Fuxiang's powder... He wanted to take everything with him, but at the same time he felt that he didn't need to take anything back. Only then did Zhou Shaojin realize that he had left countless traces in this little house.
No wonder Lin Shisheng said in her previous life that whenever she recalled the past, it was all related to the Cheng family. She was happiest during the days in the Cheng family.
Zhou Shaojin stroked Xie Fuxiang's eight-treasure glazed powder box, and after a while he asked someone to open the box where she kept her embroidery.
She took out several sets of children's clothes. They were all made of the finest silk and satin, including clothes, shoes, socks, skirts, cloaks... every piece was embroidered with auspicious clouds, rice grass, or playing babies, and was very exquisite.
As far as she can remember, her younger sister Zhou Youjin was born at the end of this year.
At this time, Li should have been four months pregnant.
My father was very disappointed, and it wasn't until March that he wrote back a letter saying a few words.
Neither she nor her sister had the chance to meet this younger sister.
This time, she hopes to keep her sister.
Perhaps it would not be so easy for his father to accept Tinglan, and Li would not have resorted to such drastic measures, causing his father's disgust and eventually becoming enemies with Li.
Shi Xiang saw her holding the child's clothes and standing by the box, looking at them. She asked curiously, "Aren't these made for the second aunt in the eldest house? Are they going to be sent to her now?"
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "She just asked me to embroider a swaddling cloth for Cousin Xiao. I have other uses for these."
She put the things back into the box.
Cheng Ji ran over and said, "Shao Jin, Shao Jin, I heard that your father is coming back. He will take you and your sisters back to stay for a few days. Are you happy? Can I come to visit you then?"
Zhou Shaojin didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
This Cheng Ji always wants to play.
She smiled and said, "Are you not worried about the Duke of Liang's Mansion?"
Two days ago, the Duke of Liang’s Mansion sent them some more things.
Cheng Jia got a pair of glazed enamel lanterns that revolved around a carousel, Zhou Miaojin got a pair of rabbit lanterns that could be dragged, and Zhou Chujin got a pair of gauze five-bead lanterns. They were said to be gifts for the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Zhou Shaojin accepted it generously.
Cheng Ji and Zhou Shaojin whispered, "I heard what you said, and thought about it for several days. Then I went to Liuting Pavilion on the pretext of something and told Sister Shi Cong about it." She blinked proudly, "So, Brother Shi Cong went to talk to my father for a long time, and then my father said that he would marry me to anyone but the Duke of Liang's mansion as a concubine. You also know that my father has never kept his word, but this time my father was determined and said that if anyone dared to disobey him, he would ask the ancestors to come forward and drive them out."
Zhou Shaojin was very surprised.
In her mind, Cheng Lu, Cheng Ji's father, was timid and weak, and could be completely ignored. She didn't expect that he would have such courage in Cheng Ji's matter.
Or maybe, in her previous life, the reason why Cheng Ji was able to marry Li Jing was also because of Cheng Lu's decision
But Zhou Shaojin was still very happy that Cheng Ji was able to find a way out of the predicament with her advice.
Cheng Ji told her: "Anyway, no matter what my mother thinks, I can't marry into the Duke of Liang's mansion now. However, I think we should pretend that we don't know and give Ah Zhu a gift in return." She chattered, "Send lanterns? She has already given us lanterns, and it would be too careless for us to give lanterns as a return gift. Giving gold and silver jewelry is too vulgar... Giving fans, writing brushes, etc., seems inappropriate..."
"I plan to give Ah Zhu a pair of handkerchiefs that she embroidered herself." Zhou Shaojin said.
Cheng Ji pouted in dissatisfaction and said, "You are so disloyal. How can you only care about yourself? Then what should I give you?"
Zhou Shaojin gave her an idea: "I gave her a handkerchief, you can give her a purse? You can also put a jade pendant or something in the purse, which is both valuable and inconspicuous..."
Cheng Ji went to slap Zhou Shaojin: "You clearly know that I can't embroider anything, but you still asked me to give a purse to Ah Zhu..."
Zhou Shaojin giggled and dodged sideways.
The two were laughing and joking in the room.
Zhou Shaojin waited for the second day of August in this warm and quiet environment.
Although they knew their father would not arrive until noon, the Zhou sisters still got up at dawn, combed their hair, washed their faces, and changed their clothes. It took them twice as long as usual. When the two sisters met, Zhou Chujin asked Zhou Shaojin if she had packed her things, then asked if she had brought the crabapple tea tray that Dongwan mentioned yesterday, and then asked if the money that Chixiang gave as a reward had been packed... She looked very nervous.
Zhou Shaojin was more looking forward to it.
In her previous life, she was ignorant and did not take good care of her father. Now she hopes to make it up to her father.
She held her sister's hand.
My sister's palms were sweaty and damp.
Zhou Shaojin felt at ease.
After breakfast, they went to Jiashu Hall together.
Every corner of Jiashu Hall was spotless; even the leaves of the flowers and trees were greener than before. It was obvious that the whole place had been carefully cleaned inside and out.
Zhou Shaojin and his sister accompanied Old Lady Guan to burn incense.
There were many old women coming to report.
"The eldest master has already received the aunt master!"
"The eldest master accompanied the young master to Pingqiao Street!"
"The eldest master and the uncle are coming this way!"
Zhou Shaojin exchanged glances with his sister, and the joy in his heart couldn't be suppressed.
The last one to report was Si'er, she panted and said: "Mrs. An, the first wife, the eldest lady, the second lady, the eldest master and the two masters are here with the old master."
Mrs. Guan, who was originally sitting on the Hu bed, suddenly became excited and could no longer sit still. She stood up and walked out. As she walked, she said, "Chu Jin, Shao Jin, follow me to welcome him."
Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin supported Old Lady Guan from the left and right and walked out quickly.
Cheng Mian was coming this way with a tall man.
He looked to be no more than twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, wearing a royal blue silk gown with a silk sash tied around his waist. He had fair skin, handsome features, a warm expression, and a calm gaze.
Brothers Cheng Gao and Cheng Yi followed the two men respectfully.
Zhou Shaojin was stunned.
Is this her father
Where was the beard in her memory
※
Today's update, sisters.
O(∩_∩)o
※(To be continued)