"Yes!" Zhou Shaojin said confidently, "Let's go there now and come back before the dinner."
After this act, it will be time for dinner.
Shi Xiang thought about it and didn't dare to delay, so she went to Xiaoshan Congguiyuan with Zhou Shaojin.
Compared with the hustle and bustle of Hanbi Mountain Villa, Xiaoshan Conggui Courtyard is quiet and cold, even a little lonely.
The person on duty at the door is Lang Yue.
He saw Zhou Shaojin's face light up with joy, and asked, "Why is Second Cousin here? I heard that there is an opera at Hancui Mountain House. Doesn't Second Cousin like to listen to opera?"
"Not bad." Zhou Shaojin had no intention of telling her hobbies to someone she didn't know well. She smiled and asked, "Is Miss Jiying back?"
"I'm back." Lang Yue said with a smile, "I came back with the Fourth Master. Did Second Cousin come here to look for Sister Jiying? Do you want me to let her know?"
Uncle Chi didn’t punish Jiying
This made Zhou Shaojin feel relieved, and he smiled and said, "Then please go and tell them."
"Please wait a moment, Second Miss." Lang Yue smiled and invited Zhou Shaojin to sit in the pavilion, made a cup of wine, and then left.
Shi Xiang smiled and said, "This bright moon is much more enthusiastic towards people than the gentle breeze."
Zhou Shaojin smiled and nodded.
After finishing the tea, Lang Yue also came over: "Second cousin, Miss Ji Ying wants you to go to her room and have a seat!"
Shi Xiang was surprised.
According to etiquette, if Zhou Shaojin wanted to see Jiying, he would tell the housekeeper, and the housekeeper would take Jiying to Wanxiangju. The reason why the second young lady respected Jiying so much was that she was on good terms with her, and also because she was a servant of the fourth master. Now that Zhou Shaojin had arrived at the door, she not only did not greet him in person, but also asked him to sit in her room.
How disgraceful!
Shi Xiang was about to persuade Zhou Shaojin, but Zhou Shaojin said, "Okay! But I don't know where Jiying lives, so I'd like to trouble you to show me the way!"
Lang Yue readily agreed and took them around Xiuqi Hall to the back wing. On the way, he told her: "The highest one is Qingyin Pavilion, where you can not only see the whole view of Jiuru Lane, but also the streets outside Jiuru Lane. However, it is not the highest in the mansion. The highest one in the mansion is Feibai Pavilion, which is owned by the second ancestor. It is said that you can even see the whole Jinling City. Behind Xiuqi House is Lixuezhai. Sister Jiying and Sister Nanping live behind Lixuezhai..."
Zhou Shaojin guessed: "Is Lixuezhai the fourth master's study?"
"Yeah!" Lang Yue said with a smile, "The fourth master is also resting there."
Seeing that he was very lively, Zhou Shaojin asked him with a smile: "Why do you always wear Taoist robes? Is it because the fourth master is a Taoist monk?"
"No!" Lang Yue smiled, "Because it's simple to wear."
Zhou Shaojin chuckled twice and said, "Are your family hereditary servants? When did you enter the mansion?"
"I'm not a hereditary servant." Lang Yue said, his expression slightly gloomy, "I was fished out of the Yongding River by the fourth master when the river flooded that year." He paused, "Qingfeng was also fished out. Qingfeng was fished out first, and I was fished out later. The fourth master said that our two villages should be not far apart."
Zhou Shaojin was surprised.
The Yongding River is in the north, and even if it floods, it is not as impressive to the people in the south as the wedding of a daughter next door. If she had not lived in the capital, where many servants sold themselves to become servants that year, she would not have remembered that the Yongding River had burst its dike in the 15th year of Zhide.
That year, Uncle Chi happened to go to Beijing to take the imperial examination.
It might be Qingfeng Langyue who was rescued at that time.
Zhou Shaojin pondered over it, then smiled and comforted him, "Those who survive a great disaster will surely be blessed in the future. You will definitely be safe and sound in the future."
"I think so too." Lang Yue was very optimistic. "We are now well fed and well dressed, and we can also learn to read and write with Uncle Huaishan. Maybe in the future we can become the steward of Jiuru Lane like Steward Qin!"
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "You can definitely do it."
As the two were talking, they soon arrived at the yard where Jiying lived.
The two-story building has red-painted pillars, green-painted window frames, and is covered with white Korean paper. The soft curtains that have just been replaced are embroidered with patterns of Baoxiang flowers. On the veranda, a row of chrysanthemums in white porcelain pots are about to bloom. The two banana trees in the corner of the wall are as tall as the eaves.
"Second Miss!" Ji Ying stood inside the doorway, lifting the curtain and smiling at Zhou Shaojin, saying, "Are you afraid that I will be punished by your Uncle Chi?"
"No." Zhou Shaojin said a little embarrassedly, "I just came to see you."
"I know, I know." Ji Ying smiled with narrowed eyes and beckoned her, "Come in and sit down... Your uncle Chi has confined me to my room and I cannot step out of this door. I also have to write "The Instructions for Women" five hundred times."
"Ah?!" Zhou Shaojin opened his eyes wide.
"It's nothing." Ji Ying smiled, "I write pretty fast. Come in and sit down."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Shaojin hurriedly took Shi Xiang into the house.
The furniture was all black lacquer, with cushions embroidered with five bats holding longevity flowers in autumn fragrance color. On the long table was a large double-branched plum vase from the official kiln. The table screen was made of rosewood and inlaid with a Suzhou embroidery of blooming peonies. To the east was the inner room of the Ruyi Gate, and to the west was a study separated by a floor-length shade, with a little maid serving tea and water.
Shi Xiang was shocked.
This Jiying not only doesn't behave like a maid, but also doesn't eat, dress or use things like a maid.
I wonder if all the maids in Xiaoshan Conggui Courtyard are like this? Or is it just Jiying
She pondered.
Zhou Shaojin also looked at the furnishings in the room and said, "This is really nice!"
Better than Xiuqitang.
It’s not that the things on display have to be good... It’s just that Xiuqitang gives people a cold feeling, while the place where Jiying lives is full of harmony.
She saw a low couch with grape and peony branches placed by the window in the study, and in the middle of the couch there was a sofa table with Peng Yaxiang's cloud pattern.
Zhou Shaojin was slightly startled, then he walked forward and touched the ivory carvings on the couch, and asked Jiying: "Are you from the north?"
"Hey!" Ji Ying personally placed the fruit plate brought in by the little maid on the couch, and smiled as she asked her to sit on the short couch, "How did you know?"
Zhou Shaojin said vaguely: "I heard that people in the north put their kangs under the windows. I see the short couch in your room is placed here."
"You are so thoughtful." Ji Ying smiled and pointed at the fruit plate, saying, "Try it, these are newly-released pomegranates, brought back by Qin Ziping." Then she added, "My family is from Cangzhou, have you heard of me?"
Zhou Shaojin's heart skipped a beat.
Of course she had heard of Cangzhou.
Very close to the capital.
Many security guards in the capital are from Cangzhou.
"I've read about it in a book." Zhou Shaojin said calmly, "But I've never been there!"
Ji Ying listened and smiled, then washed her hands and helped Zhou Shaojin peel the pomegranate.
Only then did Zhou Shaojin discover that there was a sword hanging on the opposite wall.
It was three feet long, with green shark skin and red tassels. It looked simple and elegant, unlike those swords used to protect houses, which were inlaid with gems or bagua.
She asked, “What is this?”
Ji Ying smiled and said, "I brought it from home. It's specially used to suppress villains!"
Zhou Shaojin didn’t think so, but since Jiying didn’t say anything, she didn’t ask any more questions.
Jiying invited Shixiang to come over and eat pomegranates together.
Shi Xiang glanced at Zhou Shaojin and seeing that she didn't look strange, she smiled and thanked him, then brought a small stool and sat down in front of the couch.
Zhou Shaojin asked Jiying: "Is Uncle Chi very angry? In addition to grounding you and making you copy the "Nujie" 500 times, did he punish you in any other way?"
"No." Ji Ying puffed her cheeks and said, "Your Uncle Chi is not that stingy... But," she chuckled twice and said, "Your Uncle Chi will definitely have a hard time in the future... No, even if he is safe and sound, he will have to go through some troubles - tomorrow, Lao An from the Guo family will invite your Uncle Chi to dinner, and your Uncle Chi has already agreed. I wonder how he will escape this time?"
Zhou Shaojin asked: "How did you know?"
"The Fourth Master agreed to this in front of everyone, how could I not know?" Ji Ying said with a smile, "Although the young ladies from the Guo family are not very old, they are of the same generation as your Uncle Chi. In the past, the old An from the Guo family could not catch him, but since she met him this time and invited your Uncle Chi to dinner, she must be making persistent efforts and continue to act as a matchmaker for your Uncle Chi."
How come she doesn't know
Zhou Shaojin was stunned and suddenly felt a little sympathy for Cheng Chi.
Cheng Zheng and Cheng Xiao were able to choose someone they liked when they got married, but when it came to Uncle Chi, he had to force them to drink water...
After a while, Nanping came over.
She brought some snacks and smiled as she responded to Zhou Shaojin: "I didn't know that my second cousin was coming, so I asked the kitchen to hastily make some snacks. It's not respectful. I don't know if it suits my second cousin's taste." She added, "I heard from Madam the other day that the painting of a baby playing with my second cousin that she drew for Aunt Xiao won high praise from the Yuan family. I regret it so much. I should have gone to the needlework room to take a look earlier."
Such politeness made Zhou Shaojin feel a little restrained, and he felt not as comfortable as when he was with Ji Ying.
She exchanged a few words with Nanping, and seeing that Jiying had nothing to do, she stood up and said goodbye.
Nanping personally sent Zhou Shaojin off.
Zhou Shaojin refused again and again, and finally got her to stop at the door.
But after taking a few steps, she stopped to think, then turned and walked towards Xiuqitang.
Shi Xiang hurriedly asked, "Second Miss, where are you going?"
"I'm going to go see Uncle Chi." Zhou Shaojin walked into Xiuqitang without looking back.
I guess Uncle Chi is feeling bad about what happened today.
Who wants to be persecuted
And all the arrangements were messed up by Jiying... I don't know how he is doing now
Zhou Shaojin's pace was getting faster and faster.
Xiuqitang was still closed, and there was no one around.
Zhou Shaojin went to the open hall at the back.
The door of the great room was open.
Zhou Shaojin stood in the corridor and shouted, "Is there anyone in the room?"
Before she finished her words, Huaishan came out.
Seeing Zhou Shaojin, he did not show any surprise, but asked her calmly: "Who is the second cousin looking for?"
Zhou Shaojin's ears felt slightly hot, and he said, "I'm looking for Uncle Chi. Is he here?"
Huaishan hesitated for a moment and said, "The fourth master is in Lixuezhai... Second cousin, come in and have a cup of tea. I will go and inform you right away."
Zhou Shaojin, his ears burning, sat down in the main room of the open hall.
Huaishan personally poured her a cup of tea before going to invite Cheng Chi.
Shi Xiang whispered, "Second Miss, why is the Xiaoshan Conggui Courtyard so deserted? There's not even a maid or servant to be seen."
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Thank you for the spirit beast egg from the heavenly fairy O(∩_∩)o
PS: The update will be a bit late, so please get up tomorrow morning and read it!
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※(To be continued)