Zhou Shaojin sat upright on the rose chair in the flower hall of Jiashu Hall, seemingly listening to Old Lady Guan and Madam Wu talking with a smile on his face, but in fact, out of the corner of his eye he was looking at the pomegranate tree outside the window that was sprouting new buds.
Mrs. Mian had said she would come back after the Lantern Festival, but her schedule was postponed again and again. Now it was mid-April and she still hadn't come. If Mrs. Mian was at home, she wouldn't have to accompany Mrs. Guan to meet guests.
She remembered that in her previous life, Mrs. Mian came back after the Lantern Festival, and then went back to Pukou again in April, and the marriage between her cousin Gao and the eldest daughter of the He family was settled.
Is there something unexpected this time
She was very grateful to her cousin's wife.
Not only is she beautiful, gentle and generous, but she is also very kind to her cousin Gao.
After the fourth room was affected by her affairs, it was thanks to her that she stepped in to take care of the family affairs, otherwise the fourth room's situation would have been even more difficult.
Zhou Shaojin was thinking about whether to write a letter to test her aunt's attitude, when she suddenly felt someone gently push her from behind. She calmed down a little, and when she looked up, she saw everyone in the hall looking at her with a smile.
What happened
She couldn't help sweating, and she heard the sound of a mosquito in the Spring Festival Gala: "The eldest lady of the Wu family invites you to the Wu Mansion to appreciate the flowers."
Zhou Shaojin suddenly became furious.
In her previous life, Wu Baozhang had invited her to his mansion to enjoy the flowers at this time. At that time, she and Cheng Jia had a very good relationship. Cheng Jia liked to go out and about, and Wu Baozhang was flattering Cheng Jia, so the cousins went to Wu's mansion together. As a result, they met Wu Baozhang's brother Wu Taicheng at Wu's mansion, who had also invited Cheng Yi and Cheng Nuo and Cheng Ju from the fifth room to enjoy the flowers at Wu's mansion. Wu Baozhang said that they were all relatives, and it was a rare spring day, so they should not be so rigid and go out together.
Although she felt it was not good, she had no choice but to follow Cheng Ji to the back garden because he agreed.
Wu Taicheng stared at her straight in the eyes, but he entertained Cheng Ji attentively. Then there was Cheng Ju, who kept calling her "sister" and praising her beauty. Cheng Yi, that idiot, was only concerned with fishing with Cheng Nuo and didn't care about anything else... She was ashamed and angry, and left in anger.
Cheng Ji caught up.
The two parted unhappily.
Although Cheng Ji finally followed her back to Jiuru Lane, he ignored her for a long time, leaving her aside and having fun with Wu Baozhang. It was at that time that Wu Baozhang won the favor of the second wife's grandmother, Shi Da Niang, and it was also at that time that Wu Qincheng started to interact with Cheng Shi and Cheng Zheng.
"I'm busy." Zhou Shaojin refused without thinking.
Mrs. Wu's face looked a little grim.
Wu Baohua also frowned.
Old Mrs. Guan was very surprised.
Over the past year, Zhou Shaojin has almost never spoken in such a stiff manner as before. How come he suddenly...
She couldn't help feeling a little suspicious.
Zhou Shaojin understood immediately, secretly blamed himself for his recklessness, and smiled warmly: "I have to go to Hanbi Mountain House to copy scriptures every day. I really envy Miss Wu for being able to go out and visit guests."
Mrs. Wu's face brightened slightly, and she smiled and asked, "How is the copying of the scriptures by my second cousin going? It's been almost a year, why hasn't she finished it yet?"
"I should be able to finish copying the scriptures by September." Zhou Shaojin said with a smile, "I'll have to wait until I finish copying the scriptures before inviting the three Miss Wus to my home for a visit!"
She could have finished copying it earlier, but after Cheng Chi moved to Hanbi Mountain House, she changed her mind.
But if she still couldn't get in touch with Cheng Chi in September, she felt that she might never be able to talk to Cheng Chi again, and then she would have to think of another way.
There is no point in staying in Hanbi Mountain House!
Mrs. Wu sighed, "My second cousin is really strong-willed. If it were someone else, I'm afraid someone else would have to copy the sutra!"
Old Mrs. Guan smiled and nodded, and it was obvious that she was very happy.
Mrs. Wu smiled and said, "I'm telling you some old stories, and I'm afraid the girls can't sit still any longer. I think Miss Second Cousin should take them for a walk in the garden."
This is something I want to say to Old Mrs. Guan.
Zhou Shaojin took Wu Baozhang and her sister to the garden.
On the way, she smiled at Wu Baohua and whispered to him, "Last time I heard that your sister was going to get engaged to the third master of the Liu Mansion. What's going on? Hasn't the wedding date been set yet? I saw your sister still going out with Madam Wu to visit guests. Is the wedding date still a long way off?"
On the forest paths in spring, the birds’ chirping can be heard from far away.
The Wu sisters were stunned.
Although the matter was quickly suppressed by the Wu and Liu families, everyone in Jinling City who had a bit of dignity knew about it. Did Zhou Shaojin ask so bluntly because she was in seclusion and no one had told her about this? Or was it to humiliate the Wu family
Wu Baohua quickly denied the latter.
Given the current relationship between the Cheng and Wu families, Zhou Shaojin shouldn't have done this. And if Zhou Shaojin wanted to humiliate the Wu family, he could have asked about this matter in another setting or asked Wu Baozhang loudly, but she chose to whisper to her...
Wu Baozhang was so angry that her blood boiled. She had decided to forget what happened at the second house old man's birthday party last time, but she didn't expect Zhou Shaojin to still hold on to her.
She couldn't help but look around.
Wu Baozhi walked behind her, Zhou Shaojin and Wu Baohua walked in front, and the maids and wives who served them followed at a distance.
She suppressed her anger and said coldly, "Second cousin, this is the parents' order and the matchmaker's words. I don't know where you heard these rumors from. My parents didn't tell me about this marriage. Second cousin, you are too talkative."
Zhou Shaojin's eyes widened in surprise. He hesitated for a while before saying, "Then let's go sit in the pavilion by the lake. The view over there is nice."
The loophole of the fifth room was plugged. Without Cheng Xu, the Cheng family was still a safe place for her.
Wu Baohua and others certainly had no objection.
The group went towards the water pavilion.
Wu Baohua looked at Wu Baozhang, whose face was ashen, and his heart moved. He apologized to Zhou Shaojin in a low voice: "My sister has been in a bad mood these days. If I said anything wrong, please don't take it to heart, second cousin."
Zhou Shaojin discovered that Wu Baohua was a wonderful person.
Look how well said this is.
When Wu Baozhang denied the marriage, Wu Baohua said she was in a bad mood.
What could make her feel bad
That's really something to think about.
Zhou Shaojin hated Wu Baozhang very much. This hatred was not only because of what Wu Baozhang did in his previous life, but more because every time Wu Baozhang appeared and did something, it would trigger her memories of the bad things in her previous life, as if he were a ghost haunting her, making her depressed.
She hoped that Wu Baozhang would get married soon, stay away from her, and never appear in her life again.
Zhou Shaojin decided to test Wu Baohua.
She whispered, "Did something happen? I really didn't mean it." As she spoke, she glanced at Wu Baozhang.
Usually, the person who was talking at this time would say a few words to comfort Zhou Shaojin and change the subject. But Wu Baohua smiled bitterly and said, "Second cousin may not know yet? The Liu family proposed marriage to our family. My eldest sister didn't say anything, but my eldest brother despised the other party because he was a widower. He didn't even tell my father and beat him up..."
"Second sister, what are you talking about?" Wu Baozhang's face turned pale when she heard this. She never dreamed that Wu Baohua, who always said "put the overall situation first", would say such a thing. She jumped up and pulled Wu Baohua's arm.
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Wu Baohua took two big steps forward, just avoiding Wu Baozhang, and said, "Sister, there is no one else here. Besides, this matter has spread all over Jinling City. Even if I don't say it, my second cousin will know it sooner or later. Instead of letting my second cousin hear those exaggerated words from others, it is better for us to tell her directly. If someone gossips about us in front of my second cousin one day, my second cousin can defend us..."
After hearing this, Wu Baozhang was like a rat in a pot, and he wanted to tear Wu Baohua to pieces.
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but glance at Wu Baohua.
Wu Baohua happened to look at her.
Their eyes met and they smiled knowingly.
It turns out that the second cousin of the Cheng family was targeting Wu Baozhang.
Although I don't know why, this situation is always in my favor.
Wu Baohua pondered.
It seems that my memory of the previous life was not wrong. Wu Baohua and Wu Baozhang were like water and fire, and there was no possibility for them to be together.
Zhou Shaojin thought.
The two of them simultaneously dispersed, one to the right and the other to the left, as if to draw a clear line between them, and kept a distance between them.
※
After seeing Mrs. Wu off, Mrs. Mian returned.
This is really the case of speaking of Cao Cao and he will appear.
Mrs. Miao said in her last letter that she would not be back until after the Dragon Boat Festival.
Zhou Shaojin was surprised and happy and followed his sister to greet them.
Mrs. Mian got off the sedan chair with the help of Cheng Gao. Although her face was full of fatigue, she could not hide the joy between her brows.
The marriage should be settled, right
Zhou Shaojin guessed secretly.
She pricked up her ears to listen when Mrs. Mian and Mrs. Guan were talking.
However, after Mrs. Mian gave Zhou Shaojin and her sister the earthenware gifts, Mrs. Guan let them go back to their room to rest.
Zhou Shaojin wailed, and early the next morning he took his sister to pay his respects to Old Lady Guan.
Old Mrs. Guan told them with a smile that Cheng Gao was about to get engaged to the eldest daughter of the He family.
Zhou Shaojin already knew the result, which was a bit better. However, Zhou Chujin asked nervously, "Aunt should have met the eldest daughter of the He family, right? What is the eldest daughter of the He family like? Is she good-looking? What did cousin Gao say?"
Old Lady Guan was very happy that her eldest grandson was going to marry. She said with a smile, "The reason why your aunt lived in Pukou for such a long time was that she wanted to get a good look at the temperament of the eldest daughter of the He family. This marriage was decided by the old man of the He family. He considered your cousin's knowledge before agreeing. It's really a perfect marriage!"
Zhou Chujin breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhou Shaojin looked at it and smiled.
Just then Mrs. Mian came in.
Looking at Zhou Shaojin's beautiful smile, I felt so happy.
The eldest son supports the family, and the eldest daughter of the He family is dignified and virtuous. In two years, when Cheng Yi marries Shao Jin, she can stay at home and enjoy her grandchildren!
She held Zhou Chujin's hand and said to Zhou Shaojin, "I have been keeping an eye on the eldest daughter of the He family for a long time. She is a sensible child and will definitely get along well with you once she enters the family."
※
Sisters, today's extra update.
It's a rough draft, I'll correct the typos right away.
※(To be continued)