Early in the morning on the second day of the first lunar month, people from the Cheng family arrived to pick up the Zhou sisters.
Zhou Shaojin and her sister had already packed their things. They gave a tip to the housekeeper who came to pick them up, and then they took the sedan chair back to Jiuru Lane.
The sisters went to Jiashu Hall first.
The main room was filled with boxes and crates. Madam Mian, wearing only a padded jacket, was directing the maids and servants to clean up.
Seeing Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin, Mrs. Miao immediately laughed: "You are finally here. Old Mrs. An has been talking about you several times since you got up this morning. Have you had breakfast? Go and see her quickly, so that she won't worry about you." Then, without waiting for the two sisters to greet her, she asked her maid to fetch two purses and said, "This is your New Year's money!"
Zhou Shaojin and his sister took it with a smile, wished a happy new year to Mrs. Mian, and then went to meet Mrs. Guan.
Old Lady Guan was playing mahjong with a few people. When she saw the Zhou sisters coming in, she waved to Zhou Chujin as if she had seen her savior. "You're finally back. I've lost several taels of silver. Come over and help me take care of the money."
It was as if the sisters had never left.
Zhou Chujin and Zhou Shaojin smiled and said "Happy New Year" to Grandma Guan and the others. Zhou Chujin then sat down next to Grandma Guan, took the cards from her hand and looked at them carefully.
Mrs. Guan then cried out, "Ouch!" and said, "I forgot to give Chu Jin and Shao Jin New Year's money."
Zhou Shaojin laughed and said, "I haven't forgotten - if you don't say anything, I'll ask for it."
"This little devil." Old Lady Guan tapped Zhou Shaojin's forehead lovingly, opened the box beside her herself, took out the purse that had been prepared long ago and gave it to Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin.
The purse is heavier than in previous years.
Zhou Shaojin put it in her pocket calmly. Seeing that Old Lady Guan and her sister had put their heads together, she said something to them and went to the hall.
"Aunt, what are you doing?" She obediently brought a cup of tea to Mrs. Mian and asked, "Is there anything I can help you with?"
"No, no." Mrs. Miao smiled, "Aren't I going back to my parents' home for a few days? I thought that I might not be back until after the Lantern Festival, and it would be spring by then. I have to prepare your grandmother's clothes and jewelry. Otherwise, the maids will be flustered and don't know what to do." At this point, she pondered, "Shaojin, if you are free, come and accompany your grandmother more often? When your cousin and I are not at home, your grandmother's place will be lonely."
"Don't worry, aunt," Zhou Shaojin said hurriedly, "I will accompany grandma before you come back. If it's after the Lantern Festival, I will go and tell Madam Guo. Madam Guo looks cold, but she is kind at heart. She is cold on the outside but warm on the inside. I think it's nothing serious."
Mrs. Mian nodded with satisfaction after hearing this.
Since you want to keep Shaojin at home, you have to slowly let this child do some things.
Mrs. Miao said, "I'm old, and I feel a little dizzy after looking for things with my head down for so long. Please help me clean out the clothes and jewelry that your grandmother will wear in the spring. Put half of the winter clothes and jewelry in, and leave the other half out, in case there is a late spring cold."
Zhou Shaojin agreed and helped Old Lady Guan organize the boxes together with the maids.
She hadn't imagined that Old Lady Guan also had a necklace inlaid with snow-white rabbit fur and decorated with bright red gems like the necklace worn by the Bodhisattva in the mural.
Mrs. Miao said tactfully: "Although the old man is old, he still likes these bright things."
Zhou Shaojin nodded in acceptance.
In the afternoon, I went to Mrs. Guo to pay New Year's greetings.
Mrs. Guo is playing chess with Cheng Chi.
Cheng Chi was wearing a royal blue plain brocade robe, which made his face look more gentle and elegant.
He smiled faintly and imitated Old Lady Guan in giving two purses to Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin.
As soon as Zhou Shaojin returned to Wanxiangju, he couldn't wait to open the purse given by Cheng Chi.
It turned out to be two ten-liang silver notes.
Zhou Shaojin was a little discouraged.
Uncle Chi is too perfunctory in giving out New Year’s money like this.
However, what Mrs. Guo gave her were gold ingots, five gold ingots that meant everything would go well for her.
She liked it very much and placed it in a sandalwood box covered with maroon velvet.
Zhou Chujin laughed at her and said, "What a little money-grubber."
Zhou Shaojin didn't care. He smiled and put the box into the cage with his own hands.
These were gifts from her elders, and she hopes to keep them forever, or even pass them on to her descendants.
After seeing off Mrs. Mian on the fourth day of the New Year, she and her sister spent every day either playing cards with old lady Guan, chatting with her, or walking around the yard with her. The days passed in the blink of an eye.
On the twelfth day of the first lunar month, Mrs. Mian wrote a letter back from Pukou, saying that she would stay at her parents' home for a few more days. Cheng Gao was kept by Old Master He to test his knowledge, while Cheng Yi would stay to study with Old Master He.
This is the best news for the fourth room.
Mrs. Guan dictated to Zhou Shaojin to write a letter back to Mrs. Mian, asking her to stay in Pukou for a few more days and asking if she wanted to send money over. When would Cheng Gao come back? With the confirmed news, we could send warm and cold clothes for the two of them, and the servants would also go with them.
By the time Mrs. Mian wrote again, it was already the Lantern Festival.
Mrs. Miao wrote in the letter that she would return to Jinling on the first day of February, and Cheng Gao would come back with her, while Cheng Yi would stay at the He family. She only needed to ask the steward to deliver Cheng Yi's clothes and his usual writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone. The old master of the He family advocated simplicity, so there was no need for servants. The He family had a maid to wash clothes for the disciples, but for the rest, they had to do it themselves.
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help laughing out loud when he thought about it.
Cheng Yi thought he was going there for fun, but unexpectedly he got himself into a pit and couldn't get out.
Although the fourth house was strict in disciplining them, they never skimped on their food, clothing and other expenses. Cheng Yi suddenly lived a life of extreme poverty, and his face must have been wrinkled like a pickled apricot.
She helped Cheng Yi pack his things.
San Bao kept wiping away tears and choked up, "Second Master, you won't abandon me, right? What should I do then?"
In Zhou Shaojin's impression, Sanbao has always followed Cheng Yi.
She smiled and comforted him: "Second Master is not at home, but his things are still here. As long as you take good care of Second Master's things, the eldest master and the mistress will not treat you badly."
Sanbao's eyes lit up and his hands and feet became much lighter.
After Cheng Yi's things were packed into boxes and locked, Sanbao lingered in front of Zhou Shaojin and refused to leave.
Zhou Shaojin laughed and said, "Just say whatever you want to say."
Sanbao chuckled a few times and said flatteringly, "Second cousin, I heard that Fan Qi will go to Baoding Prefecture after the Lantern Festival? You see, I have nothing to do now, how about I go with Fan Qi? With one more person on the road, we will be braver!"
Fan Qi would have to go to the capital after the New Year. He couldn't just go to look at land like he did last time, right? Thinking that Li should have given birth and would have brought back news, she spread the word that she had made some small clothes for the unborn brother or sister, and wanted Fan Qi to take them to Baoding Prefecture and say hello to his father and stepmother.
I didn't expect the news to spread so quickly.
Maybe it’s because some maids have never traveled far in their lives
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "That won't work. Fan Qi is going with others, and if we bring one more person, I'm afraid others won't agree."
Sanbao couldn't say anything else, so he assured Zhou Shaojin, "Second cousin, I will definitely take good care of the family for you, Second Master."
Zhou Shaojin nodded and rewarded Sanbao with one or two ounces of silver.
When she returned to Wanxiangju, she indeed received a letter from Baoding Prefecture.
Just like in her previous life, Mrs. Li gave birth to a daughter.
Zhou Zhen was very disappointed, but still named the newborn child "Youjin" according to his daughter's order.
Zhou Chujin felt that it was unnecessary to let Fan Qi personally deliver the gift to Li: "We should just do our respective duties. Getting too close may not be a good thing."
Just because Li gave Lan Ting to Zhou Shaojin for disposal, she couldn't like this stepmother.
"I want him to go see his father." Zhou Shaojin said with a smile, "My father must be a little sad at this time."
That's true.
Zhou Chujin said nothing more. On the day before Fan Qi left, he called Fan Qi over, handed him a thick envelope, and said, "This is for Madam. Remember, if you can't give it to Madam in person, give it to Madam Li by her side. If anyone asks, just say I said it."
Fan Qi agreed respectfully, and this time he left Jinling City openly.
Zhou Shaojin asked his sister what she gave to Li.
Zhou Chujin sighed and said, "I asked my aunt in Shanghai for the recipe for having a child."
Zhou Shaojin was very surprised.
Zhou Chujin said: "Although I don't like her, I won't deliberately embarrass her."
My sister is very kind to others and has her own likes and dislikes. I wish I could be like her one day.
Zhou Shaojin hugged Zhou Chujin's arm tightly.
Zhou Chujin told her sister about Ma Ci: "… He made the first contribution in capturing Xinlan this time. I have already told my father to keep him with us sisters as a servant. Fan Qi is good, but he is too young after all. I think we should let Ma Ci take Fan Qi to help you run errands."
Zhou Shaojin was stunned.
In her previous life, Ma Ci was her sister’s roommate.
She was reborn, but her sister still left all the good things to her like before.
Zhou Shaojin shook his head and said, "Sister, it's better to let Ma Ci follow you. You can't ask Ma Fushan's family for help on every trivial matter, right? Just like I told you, I asked you to find a way to send a message to your brother-in-law and tell him that the scholars of the Cheng family are studying Hu Zhuoran's "A New Interpretation of the Analects", and you have no one to use - let's arrange your sister's affairs first, and my affairs can wait for a few years."
My sister is getting married in April next year.
Zhou Chujin's face turned slightly red, and he did not insist.
Zhou Shaojin breathed a sigh of relief.
Wouldn't it be a mess if Ma Ci was left for her to use
Cheng Chi received news that the Ji family would be waiting for Fan Qi in Baoding Prefecture and would send Fan Qi to the capital.
He frowned and ordered Huaishan: "Have someone watch him! Don't let him slip away like the people from the Ji family did."
Huaishan smiled and said, "Our people are already on the way."
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Today's update, sisters.
I originally wanted to hold on and write three more chapters, but a friend came over and I can only write two chapters.
~~~~(>_