Cheng Chi looked at the empty table and laughed.
Zhou Shaojin's ears were still burning even after he entered the tea room.
She hoped that when she went in again later, Uncle Chi would have forgotten about this matter.
Zhou Shaojin walked to the stove with a flushed face, and did not notice Qingfeng and Langyue who were sitting in the corner eating fried broad beans.
Qingfeng and Langyue were very surprised to see Zhou Shaojin, and they couldn't help but exchange glances - Zhou Shaojin's eyes were red, and it was obvious that he had been crying.
Langyue nudged Qingfeng with his elbow.
Qingfeng snorted coldly and turned away.
Lang Yue had no choice but to smile helplessly, then took out some fried broad beans from his pocket and handed them to Zhou Shaojin.
"Miss Second Cousin," he said with a smile, "please eat some beans."
Zhou Shaojin had been fond of delicious food since she was a child, and her taste was soft. She usually didn't eat hard food like fried broad beans. But she still smiled and thanked him, took the fried broad beans and put them in her pocket, and naturally saw Qingfeng sitting on the small stool in the corner.
She smiled and nodded at Qingfeng.
Qingfeng had a blank expression on his face.
Zhou Shaojin was too lazy to pay attention to him and picked up the kettle to fill it with water.
Lang Feng hurriedly said, "Second Miss, I'll do it, I'll do it."
"No thanks." Zhou Shaojin refused with a smile.
She now needed to do something to make herself forget the embarrassment just now.
Zhou Shaojin fetched some water, put the kettle on the stove, picked up a palm-leaf fan, sat on a small stool in front of the stove and fanned the fire.
"Second cousin, let me do it!" Lang Yue took the palm-leaf fan from Zhou Shaojin's hand and said, "Our fourth master is very particular. He makes tea for others and boils water for others. Please don't be polite with me. What if the charcoal dust gets your hands dirty? You'd better sit aside and wait for me to boil the water and call you!"
"Really?" Zhou Shaojin hesitated.
The last time she met Uncle Chi at Sanzhixuan, it seemed that she was the one who boiled the water and brewed the tea... Uncle Chi didn't say anything!
Was he trying to help her out
As she was thinking, she saw burnt ash from the stove floating out and landing on her hand, so she handed the palm-leaf fan to Langyue.
Lang Yue smiled and pointed to a copper basin beside her, saying, "Second cousin, go wash your hands! There is a small stool over there. Sister Nanping likes to have some snacks when she drinks tea. There are plums, olives and other snacks in the cupboard over there. Please feel free to eat whatever you like. I will call you to make tea after I boil the water." After that, he called "Qingfeng" and said, "Go and get a snack box and see what Second cousin likes to eat. Put it in the snack box."
Qingfeng silently took out a box from the cupboard that Langyue mentioned, and asked Zhou Shaojin in a deep voice, "Second cousin, what would you like to eat?"
Zhou Shaojin didn't want to eat anything, she just hoped that Cheng Chi would forget what happened just now.
"Don't worry about me." She declined politely, "If I want any refreshments, I'll just tell you."
As the two were talking, Nanping walked in.
Her jet-black hair was tied into a bun with a jade hairpin inserted in it. She wore a water-green silk boa and had a smile on her face, looking gentle and demure.
"Second cousin, you're here." She smiled and bowed to Zhou Shaojin, saying, "The smell of charcoal is strong here, you'd better sit on the veranda for a while! When the water boils, Qingfeng can come and call the second cousin."
Seeing that Nanping was sincere, Zhou Shaojin didn't want to insist, so he left the tea room with Nanping.
Nanping saw that her eyelids were red but her face was snow-white. She didn't look embarrassed at all. Instead, she looked fragile and delicate.
She couldn't help but admire secretly.
This second cousin from the fourth room is so beautiful!
She is not only beautiful, but also has a kind of soft and delicate beauty in her eyes, eyebrows, gestures and movements that makes people feel pity, as if she is a flower that will be broken if you apply the slightest force.
No wonder she cried and the Fourth Master couldn't scold her loudly.
I don’t know which boy will be lucky enough to marry her in the future.
These thoughts just flashed through Nanping's mind.
She smiled and greeted Zhou Shaojin: "Do you still do needlework when you are free these days? The last time I went there, I saw you making a woman's skirt. If I am not mistaken, it seems to be a Yuehua skirt. I didn't expect that the second young lady's needlework is so good that she can even make a Yuehua skirt."
Zhou Shaojin said modestly: "It's just that I can see it, but it can't compare to the superb skills of the masters in the sewing room."
"They are good at making a living," Nanping said with a smile, "If they are worse than us, that would be terrible."
As the two were talking, Lang Yue poked her head out and said, "Second cousin, the tea is ready."
Zhou Shaojin responded with a smile, went to the tea room to get some tea, and said to Nanping, "We'll talk about it later."
Nanping smiled and watched Zhou Shaojin enter the open hall.
Huaishan appeared from nowhere and whispered, "Is Miss Zhou Er okay?"
"It's okay." Nan Ping smiled, "I think Miss Zhou Er is quite sensible..."
The implication is how can I cry.
Huaishan said, "I don't know either... She suddenly started crying..." He touched his chin and said quietly, "But, I haven't seen anyone dare to cry in front of the Fourth Master for a few years... I was also shocked..."
Nanping's words are condensed.
Zhou Shaojin pretended to be nonchalant and placed the teacup next to Cheng Chi's hand. He called him "Uncle Chi" sweetly and said, "Have some tea."
Cheng Chi looked at her with her curved eyebrows and eyes. If she had a wagging tail behind her, she would look just like a Persian cat trying to please its owner.
He smiled, said "hmm", picked up the teacup and took a sip.
Zhou Shaojin felt relieved.
Just drink her tea and forget about the bygones!
Zhou Shaojin sat on the armchair below Cheng Chi.
Cheng Chi asked her: "Do you have anything to ask me?"
While Zhou Shaojin was making tea, he thought about it. Since she didn't come to him about Cheng Xiangqing's matter, nor did she come to him about Cheng Jiashan's matter, there was only one possibility. Just like last time, she came to ask him because she encountered something she couldn't figure out.
How could Zhou Shaojin speak directly about the matter of the second house's ancestor? Aren't rumors always the last to be known by the person involved? Uncle Chi is powerful, but if the second house's ancestor did it very secretly and Uncle Chi respected him as an elder and didn't notice it at all, if she said it directly like this, Uncle Chi would definitely not believe it.
Instead of going through the trouble of explaining, it is better to remind Uncle Chi tactfully and he will check it out himself.
"No!" Zhou Shaojin said what he had thought of long ago, "Didn't the ancestor of the second branch host a banquet for our family when my father came back last time? I was in the inner courtyard at the time, and after I went back, I heard from my father that you went to Huai'an, and that there was a problem with a batch of goods at home, and you went to Huai'an to deal with it. I was a little worried, and thinking that I still had to send you tea, I came here on the way, and wanted to ask Miss Nanping how your business was going? I didn't expect to meet Qingfeng, who said that you had returned..."
In that case, the tea has been delivered and she has seen him, why should she be so determined to stay
Cheng Chi didn't believe her.
I always feel like she has something else going on.
As expected, Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "Uncle Chi, have you dealt with the matter in Huai'an? I don't know what it is that requires you to go there in person? My father was always regretful when he left, saying that Uncle Chi was knowledgeable and well-spoken. He had only met you twice before for the imperial examination. Now he has the opportunity to have a long talk with you, but you were too busy and were called away by the stewards after a few words. He thought he would see you at the banquet, but he didn't expect you to go to Huai'an. As a result, the ancestor of the second house called him to the study to play chess, and also called cousin Shi to go there, asking him to serve tea and water on the side..." She said, laughing, as if she was watching Cheng Shi's joke, and said, "My father also said that he didn't expect that Aunt Hong's maternal family was actually the Saiyang Huang family. Uncle Chi, is the Saiyang Huang family very famous? Is it more famous than Jiuru Lane? My father said that Jiuru Lane is the number one family in Jinling. Is it true?"
Cheng Chi's heart was slightly shaken.
Is this little girl here to warn him to be careful of the ancestor of the second house
Does she even know what she is talking about
How could a little girl like her get involved in such things
Cheng Chi smiled and said, "Jinling City is the ancient capital of six dynasties, with many hidden talents. How can Jiuru Lane be considered the number one family in Jinling? And where does the Gu family in Meihua Lane stand? And there is also the Guo family in Shitou Lane, which one is not more well-established than our Cheng family. Don't say this outside."
"I know!" Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "I was just saying it in front of Uncle Chi."
She was very anxious.
Did Uncle Chi understand what I said
Should she be more blunt
Zhou Shaojin was a little undecided.
Cheng Chi found that her left hand was holding her right hand, and her fingers seemed to be twisted together again.
I wonder if anyone else has noticed this problem of hers
Fortunately, she is just a girl who stays at home. If she were to act outside, she would be easily tricked by others.
However, even if she is a girl who stays in seclusion, after she gets married, she still has to deal with her mother-in-law and sisters-in-law, and it is still easy for people to find out her true feelings.
He couldn't help but ask, "Do you know that your fingers get twisted together when something happens to you?"
"Ah?!" Zhou Shaojin opened his eyes wide.
Aren't you talking about him? Why are you suddenly talking about her
She was a little overwhelmed.
Cheng Chiyi asked: "Has anyone told you that you have this problem?"
Is this a problem
Zhou Shaojin came back to her senses after a while and said, "My sister told me about it, but I just couldn't change it..." She lowered her head in shame, "Then I tried to go out less and stay at home..."
The room was quiet for a moment, without a sound.
Uncle Chi, you won’t be angry because of this, right
Zhou Shaojin looked up at Cheng Chi anxiously.
Cheng Chi frowned slightly, as if he was thinking about something.
Zhou Shaojin didn't know what was going on, so he could only sit there quietly, trying to make his breathing as quiet as possible so as not to disturb him.
After a few breaths, Cheng Chi suddenly said, "When you sit, can you develop the habit of holding your hands tightly together? No matter what time it is, hold your hands tightly together." He said, his eyes fell on her hands, "Don't let people know that you are nervous, but let people think that you behave like this."
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Sisters, today is the last day of 2014... Do you still have pink votes? Please give me pink votes... O(∩_∩)O
※(To be continued)