Zhou Shaojin felt that Nanping was too polite.
She smiled and said, "It's okay. Miss Jiying just asked me to tell her how to make socks. It's not really a bother."
Nan Ping seemed to be relieved after hearing this, and said: "The Second Miss has also dealt with Ji Ying. She is good in every way, but her temper is too straightforward and she can't stand any grievances. But how can people go smoothly in this world? That's why I asked her to help the Fourth Master with needlework, and I can also take the opportunity to detain her so that she won't run around - the Fourth Master went to Huai'an and hasn't come back yet!"
Zhou Shaojin believed Nanping's words, otherwise he would not have only asked Jiying to make four pairs of socks for Cheng Chi.
For someone who doesn't know how to sew, it's difficult to make four pairs of socks, but for someone who knows how to sew, it only takes a day.
Zhou Shaojin didn't know what the rift between Nanping and Jiying was, but she was a little worried that Cheng Chi would quarrel since he hadn't come back yet. She thought for a moment and said, "Why don't you let Jiying learn needlework from me for a few days? It won't be too late for you to teach her when Uncle Chi comes back."
Nan Ping knew that he couldn't control Ji Ying, so after thinking for a while, he thanked Zhou Shao Jin gratefully and said, "Then I'll trouble you for the next few days, Second Miss. Fourth Master will be back in three days at most."
Zhou Shaojin smiled and nodded, then sent Nanping away.
When I returned to the house, Jiying was practicing with needle and thread.
Zhou Shaojin looked very happy and thought that although Jiying was arrogant, he was a man who took things seriously.
Jiying asked her, "Is Nanping gone?"
"Yes!" Zhou Shaojin sat down and continued to sew socks, saying, "She said that you were disturbing me by learning needlework from me here, so she came here specially to thank me."
Ji Ying snorted coldly, dropped the needle and thread in her hand, and said, "I just can't stand her behavior. It seems that she is the only one who is loyal to your uncle Chi, and everyone else is treacherous."
Zhou Shaojin thought about it carefully and realized that Nanping and Jiying were really two different people. Perhaps this was the main reason for the conflict between them.
She started sewing a sock, and seeing Jiying still in a daze, she couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong with you? Is there something wrong with your hand?"
"Oh!" Ji Ying came back to her senses and said, "There's nothing inconvenient about it, I just am not used to it." As she spoke, she picked up the needle and thread, and slowly sewed two pieces of scrap cloth according to what Zhou Shaojin had just taught her.
Zhou Shaojin smiled and quickly sewed the other sock.
She picked it up, looked at it carefully, and smiled with satisfaction.
Ji Ying came closer and said, "I really can't tell. With just this small change, the socks look much better." She added, "You really like needlework, right? My father said that only when you like something can you do it well."
Zhou Shaojin was a little surprised and said with a smile: "Your father is quite knowledgeable."
"That's it!" Ji Ying straightened her back with some pride and said, "My father traveled to many places when he was young, and even went out to sea to look for the Penglai Island. But he didn't find it..." As she spoke, she smiled lightly, as playful as a little girl, without any arrogance at all.
Zhou Shaojin also laughed and became even more curious about Jiying's background.
She put the socks aside and said, "Practice first. When you are almost there, I will tell you how to do the cross stitch."
Jiying said: "I haven't even learned the most basic flat stitch yet!"
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "Something may seem the simplest, but it is actually the most difficult to do well. Why do you think we chose the cross needle to sew socks for Uncle Chi? It's because the cross needle has a tangle that is not very visible, which is just right for people like you."
"Really?" Jiying was a little unconvinced, but did not refute. She lowered her head and continued to practice sewing.
Zhou Shaojin took out the unfinished forehead handkerchief and started embroidering it.
Ji Ying asked her, "Is this for Mrs. Guo? It looks like a Baoxiang flower to me...but others use bright red, bright green, and royal blue, why do you use lilac, yellow, rattan, and dark blue?"
"The color should also be suitable for the person's age." Zhou Shaojin said with a smile, "Look at Madam Guo. Do you think she would like a forehead scarf embroidered with bright red, bright green, and royal blue?"
Ji Ying smiled, her expression becoming less cold and more gentle.
Zhou Shaojin asked her, "Why didn't you see Miss Minghe?" She told him about the last time she met Minghe in the needlework room, and said, "I went to Xiaoshan Congguiyuan two or three times but didn't meet her."
Ji Ying said, "She's going to be a bride soon, so she's been hiding in the house doing needlework these days!"
Zhou Shaojin was very surprised and asked, "Is Minghe getting married? Why haven't I heard anyone in Hanbi Mountain House talk about it? Who is she marrying? Where does she work?"
"She is a maid in Xiaoshan Congguiyuan. Your uncle Chi will decide if she wants to get married. Why are you making a fuss about it?" Jiying said, "Your uncle Chi betrothed her to a constable named Shen in Huzhou. The Shen family has been constables for generations, and their family has some assets. It should be pretty good, right? I haven't seen it." She continued to complain, "If Lian Minghe hadn't been busy, I wouldn't be so embarrassed!"
Zhou Shaojin was sweating.
Why does Jiying want to see Minghe’s husband
She always felt that the more she interacted with Jiying, the more she felt that Jiying's words and actions were a bit strange.
But Uncle Chi actually married Ming He to a constable... That's weird enough!
The two talked about some gossips about family matters. Sometimes Zhou Shaojin only asked one question, but Jiying talked a lot. Sometimes Zhou Shaojin asked for a long time, but Jiying dismissed her with just one sentence. But no matter who talked more and who talked less, after a few times, Zhou Shaojin felt that there was no burden in getting along with Jiying, and his impression of Jiying became better and better.
Ji Ying's temper became worse and worse. She dropped the rag in her hand and said, "I want to take a break!"
Zhou Shaojin smiled, asked Shi Xiang to make her another cup of tea, and said gently: "Then have some tea!"
Ji Ying said “hmm” coldly.
Zhou Shaojin continued to embroider her forehead scarf.
Jiying said: "Sew a few more stitches for me to see!"
Zhou Shaojin put down the forehead scarf in his hand, picked up the cut cloth, and quickly sewed the soles of the feet. As long as he sewed the socks on, it would be another pair of socks. After a little hesitation, he sewed the socks on, and then handed it to Jiying and said, "Did you see it clearly?"
"Look carefully!" Jiying said, picking up the fabric of the other sock and starting to sew.
Zhou Shaojin hurriedly stopped her and said, "You can sew another one - it's just a habit, the tightness when sewing is different, and the other one... I'll sew it for you."
Jiying nodded, didn't bother to be polite with her, took another pair of socks and started sewing.
Zhou Shaojin finished sewing the other sock.
Jiying had just started, and the stitches were crooked and ugly, but the order of the stitches was correct.
Zhou Shaojin encouraged her: "Not bad! Keep working hard and you'll be able to make a pair of top-notch shoes in a few days."
Ji Ying looked at the needle and thread in her hand, nodded with satisfaction, and said confidently: "I think so too."
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but smile.
Ji Ying stood up and said, "It's getting late. You still have to go to Hanbi Mountain House to copy scriptures in the afternoon. I'm leaving now. I won't bother you again tomorrow." After that, she raised the socks in her hand and said, "I'll take this back first. I'll practice it well in the evening and try to get the hang of it as soon as possible."
Zhou Shaojin nodded with a smile and sent Jiying out.
At noon, she and her sister were having lunch with Old Madam Guan when they heard news from the second house that Grandma Zheng had given birth to a son, weighing 6.6 jin, and both mother and child were safe.
Wasn't he born when he was eating crabs in his previous life? How come he was born a few days earlier in this life
Zhou Shaojin muttered to himself.
Old Madam Guan was extremely happy and kept saying "yes". She told Madam Miao to visit Grandma Shi after lunch: "… Our Cheng family has always had few descendants. In your generation, only you and Grandma Hong gave birth to sons. Now Grandma Shi has set a good example. In the future, the Cheng family will definitely be prosperous."
Mrs. Miao smiled and replied “yes” and said she would take the Zhou sisters to see the newborn baby.
Zhou Shaojin felt that the second and third houses were very hypocritical and didn't want to have much contact with them, so he politely declined and went to Hanbi Mountain House.
However, Zhou Chujin wanted to go and take a look, so he followed Mrs. Miao to the second room.
The maids Zhou Shaojin met along the way were all overjoyed. Two of them even whispered about how the second house would reward them when the second young master was one month old. Their joy could be felt from afar. It was just that time had passed so long that she couldn't remember what the second house rewarded the maids when Zheng gave birth to her first child. But when she arrived at Hanbi Shanfang, the yard was quiet. No one talked about Zheng giving birth. Everyone looked calm and continued to do what they were supposed to do. When they met Zhou Shaojin, they just nodded and smiled as usual, as if they didn't know about Zheng giving birth.
I didn't expect that the relationship between the first and second houses had reached such a tense point that they were unwilling to even hide the matter of face.
But it’s better this way, Uncle Chi won’t be fooled by the second branch’s ancestor.
Zhou Shaojin walked into the Buddhist hall with a smile, washed his hands, and began to copy scriptures.
But she hadn't copied two pages when Xiao Tan ran in happily and said, "Second cousin, Miss Xiao, oh, it's the second aunt, she gave birth to a son, the Yuan family came to announce the good news, and they were still talking to Madam Yuan, and someone had already come to tell the old lady the news."
ah?!
The two families received the good news on the same day.
Before Zhou Shaojin could say anything, footsteps were heard outside.
Xiao Tan hurried out, then quickly came back and said, "Second cousin, the madam is here."
Zhou Shaojin smiled at her.
No matter whose family gave birth to a son, it had little to do with her. At most, she would say congratulations to Mrs. Guo when she said goodbye, and when the eldest son of the family sent someone to give a full-month gift to Xiao's son, she would take out a set of children's clothes from the bottom of the box as a gift...
She dipped the brush in ink and continued copying the scriptures.
But before she could say goodbye to Madam Guo, the main house became bustling with activity.
Yuan gave five taels of silver to all the important stewards and maids in the eldest house, three to one tael of silver to the maids of high rank, and five hundred coins to the ordinary maids and servants. The servants from other houses who came to congratulate her were each given four hundred coins.
Not long after, news came from the second house that the reward was the same as that of the first house.
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Sisters, my Weibo account was hacked this afternoon, and a lot of spam ads were posted, which made me so mad... ~~~~(>_