Zhou Shaojin didn't expect Cheng Chi to ask her this question. She was stunned for a moment before she said, "He didn't do anything to offend me. I just don't like the way he behaves..." She tried to explain, "It's a good thing, but as long as it's related to him, everyone's attention is focused on it. It seems that everything I do will be under the public eye, which makes me very uneasy..."
Cheng Jiashan is the dream son-in-law of many families, and Cheng Chi believes that Zhou Shaojin is also very clear about it.
This reason is not enough to make a girl avoid Cheng Jiashan like the plague!
But Cheng Chi did not ask any further questions.
For some things, haste makes waste.
He was very sure that Zhou Shaojin had a secret, but whether this secret would affect his plan remained to be discussed, and it was too early to find out whether it was worth it for him to find out.
Cheng Chi smiled and nodded, saying, "Some people really don't like living under the gaze of others. Cheng Jiashan is the eldest son and grandson of the Cheng family, so it's inevitable that he will be noticed. It's normal that you're not used to it."
Zhou Shaojin felt relieved, took a long breath, and smiled gratefully at Cheng Chi.
Cheng Chi said: "If I have nothing important to do in the capital, I will tell you. If your grandmother and sister agree that you can go with me, I will take you to the capital!"
"Really!" Zhou Shaojin's eyes lit up, as bright as the stars in the night sky.
Cheng Chi shook his head secretly in his heart.
No wonder Cheng Jiashan was so shameless chasing after this little girl. This little girl is indeed very pretty.
He said, "I left Master Gu alone in the cabin, and I have to go back to check. You stand on the bow and take a look, but you should go back to your room early! The wind is cold at night, be careful not to get sick. It's getting dark, and there's nothing to see. When we're almost in Jinling, I'll ask the maid to call you. There are many boats moored at Beijiang Bridge. At night, red lanterns are hung on the masts, some with dozens, and some with only one or two, lighting up the lake red. The scenery is quite special. You seldom go out, so it's worth seeing."
The words were thoughtful and considerate, making Zhou Shaojin feel warm inside.
She sincerely thanked Cheng Chi, and when Cheng Chi's figure disappeared at the stern, she returned to the cabin.
Zhou Chujin had been paying attention to his sister's movements. When he heard the noise, he sat up and said, "Shaojin, are you back?"
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said "yes", sat down beside her sister's bed, and told her about meeting Cheng Chi at the bow. Of course, she naturally didn't tell her sister a word about Cheng Chi asking her about Cheng Xu.
Zhou Chujin said angrily, "You too, if you want to go to Baoding Prefecture to see your father, just tell me. You will always find a chance. Why bother Uncle Chi? Although I have only met Uncle Chi a few times, I have heard from you that Uncle Chi is a gentleman who keeps his promises. If he really asks you to go to Baoding with him, will you go or not?"
If Cheng Xu was still in the capital, she would definitely not go. If Cheng Xu returned to her hometown, she would go to the capital no matter how hard she tried, even if she had to risk being punished.
But she couldn't tell this to her sister, so she smiled and fooled her sister.
When they arrived at Beijiang Bridge at night, Zhou Shaojin looked at the big red lanterns reflected on the lake like stars and couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.
Zhou Chujin, who was huddled in front of a window with her sister, was also fascinated by the scene and asked Zhou Shaojin, "How did you know there were lanterns to watch at night?"
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "Uncle Chi said so."
Cheng Ji on the other side pouted in dissatisfaction and said, "I also met Uncle Chi today. Why didn't he tell me?"
"That's because you didn't talk to him!" Zhou Shaojin looked at the big red lanterns that passed by their boat and said, "Uncle Chi is a very good person and is willing to help others, but he looks a little cold."
"It's more than just a little cold." Cheng Ji turned around and looked at the dozens of big red lanterns lit up on a government ship in the distance, muttering, "I think he's very cold..." As she spoke, she suddenly shouted, "Look, over there, over there, there's a pleasure boat."
Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin both looked in the direction she pointed.
There really is a pleasure boat.
The exquisite glazed windows, the brightly lit lanterns, the figures that appear and disappear from time to time, the faint sounds of stringed instruments... attracted many people near Jiangbei Building.
"I wonder whose pleasure boat this is?" Cheng Ji said enviously, "If I could take a cruise on Mochou Lake, my life would be worthwhile."
She made it sound as if she was about to die.
Zhou Chujin hurriedly bowed to Xitian and said, "Children's words should be kept in mind, children's words should be kept in mind! Bodhisattva, please don't listen to her nonsense."
Zhou Shaojin and Cheng Ji couldn't help but burst into laughter.
After getting off the boat, they got into a carriage.
It was already midnight, and Zhou Shaojin was a little worried about the curfew.
When she reached the city gate, she lifted the curtain and looked out.
The one walking in front was Qin Ziping, riding on a tall chestnut horse, and next to him was a black lacquered flat-top carriage like theirs.
There was a hanging basket hanging from the city wall. Qin Ziping took out a token-like object from his arms and placed it in the basket.
The guards on the city wall watched the commotion.
After about an incense stick of time, the side door next to the city gate opened.
The carriage next to Qin Ziping entered the city first and sped away.
Following closely behind was the carriage carrying Jiang and his party, and then the carriage carrying Zhou Shaojin.
When the carriage entered the city, Zhou Shaojin saw Qin Ziping and the little flag that came to open the door for them talking and smiling. They looked very familiar.
Since the Cheng family had such a token, how come no one was able to escape before the imperial court issued an order
Could it be that Uncle Chi left the Cheng family and took this token with him
Zhou Shaojin pondered in his heart. When he returned to Jiuru Lane, he found that Mrs. Guan and Mrs. Mian were still awake, waiting for them to ask about going to Pukou to get a small engagement.
After seeing off the eldest wife of the Gu family, Jiang was still in high spirits after a day of running around. She talked endlessly about what she saw and heard in the He family: "... The eldest daughter of the He family is indeed the one chosen by my sister-in-law. Not only is she beautiful, but her personality is also good... After all, the wife of the He family lives in the capital. She is a person who has seen the world and is generous in her actions... We went to make the appointment, but she didn't say anything. She was very straightforward... This marriage is really a good one..."
Zhou Shaojin and the others were almost sleepy listening to what was going on. After waiting for a long time, Mrs. Jiang finally finished talking. Mrs. Guan and Mrs. Mian were so happy to see that things were going very smoothly. They wanted to invite Jiang to spend the night before going back. Fortunately, Jiang was thinking about Cheng Lu, so she declined for a long time but couldn't refuse. They invited her to a thank-you banquet tomorrow, and Mrs. Guan and Mrs. Mian sent Jiang out.
After all the trouble, it was almost Yinshi (three o'clock in the morning) when Zhou Shaojin went to bed. As a result, she slept until noon the next day.
She kept shouting "Oh no", asking Chunwan, who heard the noise and came in to help her wash up, to bring some water quickly.
Chun Wan smiled and said, "The eldest lady told us this morning that the eldest and second young ladies had worked hard yesterday, and asked us not to wake them up." Fearing that Zhou Shaojin would be upset, she said, "The eldest young lady hasn't woken up yet!"
Zhou Shaojin let out a long sigh and lay down again.
She recalled the scene when she was on the boat with Uncle Chi yesterday.
Although it is unclear whether Uncle Chi has a good impression of her, but since he talked to her and saw her smiling gently, he should not hate her, right
This is a good start.
But what should she do next
Zhou Shaojin had no idea at all.
She got up from bed mumbling something, and Cheng Ji ran over and asked, "Where are the two purses you promised me?"
Why are you still thinking about this
Zhou Shaojin said: "It's fine for me to embroider a purse for you, but you have to tell me who it's for. I can't embroider a purse for a girl that will make her a marquis, right?"
"I don't know who to give it to." Cheng Ji said angrily, "My mother only asked me to embroider two purses for her so that she could give them to others. The rest was all about embroidering purses. I wanted to ask someone to buy two at a high price, but my mother insisted that I do it myself. I said, otherwise I will come to you. My mother just scolded me, but didn't say that you can't help me. I wondered if my mother wanted to show off in front of someone, so she wanted me to take your embroidery to pretend..."
"You agree to this!" Zhou Shaojin was convinced by her and said, "I'll let Shi Xiang help you embroider it. When the time comes, you can say that it was me who embroidered it. Your mother won't be able to do anything to you."
She was a little suspicious that this matter was related to the matchmaking that He Fengping's mother had done for Cheng Ji.
Cheng Ji hesitated and asked, "Will this work?"
"What's wrong with that?" Zhou Shaojin said fearlessly, "You just asked me to make a purse, but you didn't ask me to make it for you myself!"
Cheng Ji laughed out loud.
Zhou Shaojin said: "This is tit-for-tat."
"You have a strong desire for revenge!"
The two joked about it and quickly put the matter behind them.
Zhou Shaojin still copied scriptures in the Bihan Mountain House every afternoon, and went to pay respects at noon and in the evening.
After Cheng Gao's wedding date was set, Zhou Shaojin suddenly had more opportunities to see Cheng Chi in Hanbi Villa - sometimes Cheng Chi was playing chess with his mother; sometimes Cheng Chi was practicing Tai Chi sword in the bamboo forest behind the main house; sometimes they just passed by.
Zhou Shaojin was like a hungry person, looking at the braised pork in front of him but unable to pick up his chopsticks.
She wasted so many good opportunities.
She sighed in her heart, but she didn't know that as long as Cheng Chi was there, she would stay a little longer intentionally or unintentionally.
When she went to say goodbye to Madam Guo that day, she saw Cheng Chi playing Go with Madam Guo again.
He played chess easily and drank tea leisurely.
Mrs. Guo's face was very solemn. It was a bright spring day, but it felt like summer, with sweat breaking out on her forehead from time to time.
Although Zhou Shaojin didn't know Go, he could tell the difference in skill from the expressions of the two men.
She didn't dare to disturb her, so she stood aside and waited for Mrs. Guo to finish her game of chess or to look up and see her by accident.
Cheng Chi looked at Zhou Shaojin with a slightly tense expression, and suddenly asked him, "Do you know how to play Go?"
Zhou Shaojin shook his head.
Cheng Chi was slightly surprised.
Zhou Shaojin's face turned red.
Go requires two people to play, and no matter in her past life or this life, she usually plays alone. So she doesn't know how to play games with two or more people.
She didn't want Cheng Chi to misunderstand that she was stupid.
But before she could speak, Mrs. Guo had already waved her hand at Zhou Shaojin with a frown on her face, saying, "Stop making noise!"
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Today's update, sisters.
It's the end of the month, please give me the guaranteed pink ticket... ~~~~(>_