Zhou Shaojin followed her sister Zhou Chujin obediently, but Cheng Ji took advantage of the time when Jiang and the eldest wife of the He family were being polite to quietly pull Zhou Shaojin's sleeve and whispered, "Did you hear that just now... Everyone in the He family praised you for being beautiful. When you go back, you have to help me embroider two purses."
"The people in the He family also praised your jewelry." Zhou Shaojin sat upright, but murmured with a smile, "Then do you have to give me two pieces of jewelry when you go back?"
"Okay!" Cheng Ji's eyes flickered as he said, "I can give you two pieces of jewelry, but you have to make me two purses!"
How could I forget that Cheng Ji is a local rich man!
Zhou Shaojin secretly regretted it and asked curiously, "Who are you going to give the purse to? Isn't Cuihuan's needlework pretty good?"
"Don't worry about it." Cheng Ji refused to tell Zhou Shaojin, saying, "Just remember that you owe me two purses."
How can one be so domineering
Zhou Shaojin wanted to say a few words to Cheng Ji, but Jiang, who had been watching Cheng Ji out of the corner of her eye, glanced over at him.
Cheng Ji and Zhou Shaojin quickly dropped the topic and sat up straight.
The He family's matchmaker invited Mrs. Gu to help insert the hairpin.
Jiang held the box containing the hairpins, and the people from the Cheng family followed Mrs. Gu to the room of He family's eldest daughter, He Fengping.
He Fengping's room was already full of people, including her aunts, cousins, and young ladies who were on good terms with her. There were quite a lot of people in the room.
As soon as Zhou Shaojin and his friends entered, they won everyone's astonished gazes.
Jiang couldn't help feeling a little proud, and her eyes fell on a woman in the room who was wearing a fourth-grade formal dress.
She knew that it should be the sister-in-law of Mrs. Miao's family, and the one who was going to see Cheng Ji.
Jiang looked at her daughter and was relieved to see Cheng Ji standing obediently beside Zhou Shaojin.
The three girls from the Cheng family were of different ages, and He Fengping's mother immediately told who was who.
She couldn't help feeling a little regretful.
In terms of looks, the second daughter of the Zhou family is too thin, not as good as the fourth daughter of the Cheng family. But the father of the second daughter of the Zhou family is a Jinshi from the two lists, a prefect of the fourth rank, young and strong, with an immeasurable future... No wonder the aunt-in-law took a fancy to this girl. However, there is no perfect thing in this world. He Fengping's mother just sighed a little in her heart.
She sat there reservedly and only stood up when the matchmaker introduced her.
Jiang took He Fengping's mother's hand with particular enthusiasm and complimented her on giving birth to a good daughter.
He Fengping, who was sitting in the inner room, was wearing a bright red embroidered jacket. In order to put a hairpin in it, she tied all her jet-black hair into a double bun at the back of her head, revealing her smooth forehead. She was not wearing any jewelry, her face was flushed, and she lowered her head, not daring to glance around.
Zhou Shaojin found it very interesting.
In her previous life, she had only seen the dignified, beautiful and graceful He Fengping, and had never seen the shy and timid He Fengping.
Maybe it was because of their different status at that time, He Fengping had to have the bearing of an eldest sister-in-law
Zhou Shaojin pursed his lips and smiled.
Cheng Ji whispered in her ear: "The eldest lady of the He family is quite pretty!"
"Of course." Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but feel proud, and said, "Look at who chose the daughter-in-law."
Cheng Ji laughed softly.
He Fengping suddenly raised her head and looked at them, then quickly lowered her head.
Zhou Shaojin and Cheng Ji both laughed.
He Fengping's mother had already finished greeting Jiang. The He family's matchmaker looked at the time and shouted with a smile, "The auspicious time has arrived."
All the noises in the room suddenly stopped.
Jiang opened the box, and Mrs. Gu took out the Ruyi gold hairpin weighing six taels and six qian and inlaid with auspicious cloud patterns from the box and inserted it on He Fengping's head.
As if something had suddenly erupted, the room was filled with all kinds of exclamations, noisy and lively.
He Fengping's face turned even redder.
The eldest wife of the He family smiled and invited the people from the Cheng family to sit in the flower hall.
Cheng Ji said disappointedly: "Is this the end?"
"So what are you going to do?" Zhou Shaojin said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, "If you want to see the fun, come along when the wedding comes. That's the real fun!"
Cheng Ji knew that was impossible, sighed in disappointment, and went to the flower hall taking Zhou Shaojin's arm.
The two families were formal relatives, and He Fengping's mother treated Jiang and others with less courtesy and more intimacy. She praised Zhou Shaojin and others, and then asked about Cheng Ji's daily life.
Cheng Ji knew nothing and answered easily as if he were an ordinary elder.
Zhou Shaojin seemed to be thinking about something.
She calculated in her mind that He Fengping was the eldest daughter in the family, her eldest brother should be only twelve years old at this time, and her youngest brother should be nine years old. It was impossible for her to have any relationship with Cheng Ji...
On the way back, she tested Jiang: "Sister-in-law He's mother seems to like cousin Jia very much."
Jiang just smiled and said nothing.
Cheng Ji muttered, "Why don't I know?"
Zhou Shaojin could only sigh in his heart.
This range is too wide, Li Jing can only hope for the best!
It was dark when they were halfway through the journey. Cheng Ji was seasick and had already fallen into a deep sleep. Zhou Chujin and Zhou Shaojin did look at the scenery for a while, but the tension before arriving at Pukou and the fatigue after the successful engagement made her look tired soon.
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "Sister, go and rest for a while! I'll go ask Aunt Lu how long it will take to return. What about dinner tonight?"
The He family invited them to have dinner, but they did not want to spend the night in Pukou, so they insisted on leaving.
This wasn't something she had to worry about, but she wanted to go out for some fresh air and walk around.
Zhou Chujin was indeed tired. He smiled and nodded, then fell asleep while Chixiang took care of him.
Zhou Shaojin left the cabin and went to where Jiang was resting.
Someone said at the bow: "… The return trip will take about two hours. I have already told the boatman to go faster. It depends on whether we can just have a simple dinner or ask the boatman to cook a meal."
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but walk over.
The speaker turned around.
In the twilight, she saw Cheng Chi's face, quiet and solemn, cold and profound.
Zhou Shaojin was stunned.
This was a Cheng Chi she had never seen before.
But in just a moment, a faint smile appeared on that face. His eyes were still cold, but his face was a little warmer, just like a spring breeze blowing across the earth, warming the air.
"Second Miss," he said gently, "what can I do for you?"
The people around her stared at her with eyes like cold swords.
Only then did Zhou Shaojin realize that the person talking to Cheng Chi was Qin Zian, and there were only the two of them at the bow.
She explained hurriedly, "My sister and cousin Jia have both gone to bed, so I came out to ask when we can get to Jinling? And then, what about dinner?"
Cheng Chi pondered for a moment and said to Qin Zian, "There are women on board, and the food of boatmen is usually very rough. I think we should find a place to order a table and a banquet."
Qin Zian responded respectfully, "Yes", stepped back, and passed by Zhou Shaojin.
Zhou Shaojin felt that Qin Zian seemed to have some opinion of her, so she instinctively turned sideways and gave the way to Qin Zian.
Qin Zian whispered "thank you" and went to the stern.
Cheng Chi smiled and said, "We will arrive at Jinling Prefecture in about two hours. Do you want to go back to the cabin and rest for a while?"
Is Uncle Chi trying to drive me away
Zhou Shaojin thought for a moment and said, "I just came here because I heard what Qin Zongguan said... Uncle Chi, do you want to stay alone at the bow for a while? Then I'll go back to the cabin first."
This was Zhou Shaojin's first time traveling by water in her two lifetimes, and she was also surprised that she didn't get seasick.
Thinking that she would have to sit there alone and daydream after returning to the cabin, her expression darkened.
Cheng Chi looked at it and felt something in his heart. He guessed that the people who came were tired and rested. Zhou Shaojin, who was not seasick, didn't even have anyone to accompany him, so he had to run around vigorously.
What a kid!
He smiled and said, "I am just out for a walk. I remember your father was an official in Nanchang. Have you ever visited your father?"
Zhou Shaojin looked ashamed and whispered, "No!"
"Oh!" Cheng Chi said nonchalantly, "Many people have never been to their father's post. It's too far and the road is not easy to travel. You are too young and it's easy to get sick due to the unfamiliar climate."
Zhou Shaojin had never thought about serving as his father before.
She felt that she and her sister were doing well in Jinling.
But this time, she saw her father whom she had not seen for a long time, and so many things happened. She felt that she should not be so distant from her father. Although her father was an official in another place, he was still thinking about her and her sister.
Hearing Cheng Chi making excuses for her, she was very grateful in her heart. A thought flashed through her mind, and she said as if possessed by a ghost: "Does Uncle Chi often go on long trips? Will you go to Baoding Prefecture? If you go to Baoding Prefecture, can you take me with you? I really want to visit my father!"
Baoding Prefecture is only a few days away from the capital.
She might have a chance to go to the capital.
But then she thought of Cheng Xu in the capital, and suddenly she lost the motivation to go to the capital and became a little bored.
Cheng Chi's eyes flickered slightly, and he asked, "Do you really want to go to the capital?"
Zhou Shaojin nodded.
In Jinling, she was a young girl waiting to be married. She had never been to any place except Ganquan Temple. In Beijing, she was a woman in charge of household affairs. She could go anywhere she wanted. Compared with Jinling, she was more familiar with Beijing.
Cheng Chi smiled and said, "What are you going to do there?"
Zhou Shaojin said: "I just want to go and take a look!"
Her tone sounded somewhat melancholy, but it sounded different to Cheng Chi's ears.
Many people wanted to visit the capital, but Zhou Shaojin's father, Zhou Zhen, was in Baoding.
He did not mention Baoding but asked directly about the capital. Zhou Shaojin took the opportunity to say that she wanted to visit the capital.
People like places that are familiar to them, whether it is a person or a thing.
Shouldn't she mention Baoding Prefecture first and then the capital
Cheng Chi smiled slightly and said, "Okay! If I go to the capital, I'll take you there to have a look!"
Zhou Shaojin was so excited that she almost jumped up. But when she thought of Cheng Xu, her heart seemed to sink to the bottom of the lake and her eyes became bitter.
"Thank you, Uncle Chi!" She said insincerely, "It's so far, I'm afraid my grandmother and sister won't want me to go far away."
Cheng Chi thought for a moment and said, "Don't you want to see Jiashan?"
Zhou Shaojin nodded awkwardly.
Cheng Chi smiled and said, "I actually never understood you little girls. Jiashan is willing to be humble in front of you, why do you still hate him so much? Did he do something you don't like?"
※
Sisters, today’s extra update!
O(∩_∩)O
It’s the end of the month, please give me a pink ticket…
PS: Sisters, when the update is doubled, the additional update will be around 2pm, and the update will be around 9pm. This way, I will have less pressure...
※(To be continued)