Zhou Shaojin asked, "Does Dad know about this? What does he say?"
Zhou Chujin said, "Dad already knew about it. He asked Ma Fushan to tell me. He said he was afraid that we two sisters would not know the seriousness of the matter and thought we could still flatter Cheng Lu but he would bite us back. He told us to stay away from him. As for the rest, he didn't say anything."
Zhou Shaojin said: "Sister, what do you think about finding a way to get rid of Cheng Lu's fame?"
"Besides Cheng Lu's fame?" Zhou Chujin murmured, thinking for a while, and then said, "Do you think he can be content except for his fame?"
How is that possible!
If he had been contented after being stripped of his fame, he would not have gone to such great lengths to find her in his previous life and coax her into elopement with him, without caring at all about his father-in-law who had helped him and his wife who had given birth to his children.
"This can only be said to be the first step." Zhou Shaojin said, "Without his fame, he can only rely on the Cheng family, and then we can slowly deal with him. But if he is allowed to obtain the status of a juren, given his character, he will only do something more cruel. By then, it may not be as simple as ordering someone to poison someone to death."
Zhou Chujin said, "Then let's ask Ma Fushan to go to Baoding Prefecture. He can pick up his wife and give us an excuse if anyone asks about it."
Zhou Shaojin agreed very much and handed the glass hairpin to his sister, saying, "This is for you to take to the Liao family as a reward."
"You should keep it for yourself!" Zhou Chujin insisted.
The two sisters pushed and shoved for a long time before Zhou Chujin accepted it with a smile.
Afterwards, the two sisters slept in the same bed. Zhou Shaojin told them some details about their trip to Putuo Mountain, such as how clever Wang, the shopkeeper of Yutai Ningbo branch, was, how shrewd the shopkeeper of Hangzhou branch was, how majestic the Jinshan Temple was, and how clear and fragrant the Taiping Monkey King tea brewed with Zhongling spring water was... Every little detail was about how kind Madam Guo and Cheng Chi were to her.
Zhou Chujin listened, smiled and touched Zhou Shaojin's black hair. The two sisters made less and less noises and gradually fell asleep. When they were woken up by the Spring Festival Gala the next day, they didn't know when they fell asleep.
The two sisters quickly washed up and went to Jiashu Hall with rewards for Old Lady Guan, Madam Mian and the servants.
Cheng Yi was still in Pukou, so Cheng Mian specially brought Cheng Gao here early. After meeting Zhou Shaojin and asking her questions and knowing that she had a safe journey, he took Cheng Gao to the outer courtyard.
Old Madam Guan smiled and explained to Zhou Shaojin: "Now he occasionally follows your uncle Mian to learn some household chores."
Cheng Gao's wedding date was set for September of next year. Regardless of whether he achieved the title of scholar or not, the marriage had to be held successfully.
Zhou Shaojin comforted Mrs. Guan: "Don't worry, cousin Gao will definitely have double happiness."
In his previous life, Cheng Gao did pass the examination and become a scholar.
Old Lady Guan smiled and said, "Then I'll borrow your good words."
Zhou Shaojin smiled and took out the gift.
Everyone liked the comb and the glass hairpin, but the red coral jewelry made Old Lady Guan and Mrs. Mian hesitate: "Such a good quality is really rare, you should keep it for yourself to wear later!"
People who have a daughter usually start saving a dowry for her from the moment she is born.
Zhou Shaojin's mother died of illness before she was one year old, and she later lived in Jiuru Lane. Although Mrs. Guan treated her well, they were blood relatives, so it was difficult for her to make decisions for her. When she found out Zhou Zhen's true feelings and started to prepare a dowry for Zhou Shaojin, which happened in the past two or three years, she was not as good as Zhou Chujin. Zhuang had been helping Zhou Chujin prepare a dowry since she married into the Zhou family. The most difficult thing about preparing a dowry is that sometimes you can't buy what you want even if you have money.
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "This is the first time I've gone out since I was a child, so just accept it. If I come across such a good thing again in the future, I will definitely keep it and not let you know!"
Old Madam Guan laughed and said, "Why don't you send it to Old Madam Guo? You can go out with me this time, thanks to Old Madam Guo."
"I bought this for you and my aunt," Zhou Shaojin said with a smile, "I'll find a way to repay Madam Guo later."
Seeing her firm attitude, Old Lady Guan winked at Mrs. Miao and said, "Then we will accept it."
Zhou Shaojin nodded with a smile. After giving the comb, glass beads and flowers to Si'er and the others, she stood up and said goodbye: "Although Madam Song has Madam Guo to entertain her, I have been with her on the boat for these days. She came to Jiuru Lane as a guest. I can't fulfill my hospitality as a host. I must go and say hello."
"That's right, that's right." Old Lady Guan was very supportive and said, "You can handle it yourself with Madam Song. If you want to invite her to your home, just send me a note and I'll be there to accompany you. The money will also come from the public funds. Don't worry about losing your manners and making people think you're petty."
Zhou Shaojin thanked his grandmother and invited Zhou Chujin to go with him. He said, "Mrs. Song has taken good care of me along the way. I don't know how Mrs. Guo has arranged it, so I can't ask my aunt to go with me. Sister, you have to go out and thank Mrs. Song for me."
Madam Song is the wife of the elder, who wouldn't want to curry favor with her? But she is a guest of the eldest house after all, and who can talk to her is up to the eldest house. If the eldest house doesn't agree, she will bring Mrs. Mian to pay her respects to Madam Song, which will inevitably be suspected of trying to steal the eldest house's girlfriend. But Zhou Chujin is different. First, she is Zhou Shaojin's sister, and second, she is just an unmarried girl, with little influence, and Madam Song will not take her seriously.
Old Madam Guan and Madam Mian both understood this principle. Not only did they not blame Zhou Shaojin, they also felt that he was very thoughtful. They personally asked the kitchen to prepare a few of the fourth room's specialty snacks and asked Zhou Chujin to take them to the guest room where Madam Song was resting.
When Mrs. Song heard that Zhou Shaojin and her sister had brought snacks to see her, she hurriedly told the maid to invite them in.
In her opinion, Zhou Shaojin was the junior whom Mrs. Guo cared about. In addition, she liked Zhou Shaojin very much and felt that Zhou Shaojin was her only acquaintance in this unfamiliar place of Jiuru Lane. Not only did she happily keep the snacks they brought, but she also praised Zhou Shaojin a lot when Zhou Chujin thanked her.
Zhou Chujin was naturally overjoyed to see Zhou Shaojin being praised. The more he looked at Madam Song, the more he felt that she was amiable. He flattered Madam Song and made her laugh from beginning to end. Finally, he asked Zhou Shaojin, "I heard from Madam Lu beside Madam Guo that Madam Guo decided to go to Jiming Temple for a vegetarian meal tomorrow. Will you go too?"
"I don't know if I can go with you." Zhou Shaojin said with a smile, "I was originally planning to greet the old lady before coming to visit you, but my sister insisted on coming over to say 'thank you' to you, so I brought my sister here first. I haven't greeted the old lady yet!"
"Then go ask them." Mrs. Song said with a smile, "Brother Sen told me last night that he thought he could see you every day after arriving at your house, but who knew you lived so far away, it's not as convenient as when you were on the boat!"
Zhou Shaojin laughed.
A maid came to report that Biyu was coming.
Everyone was a little surprised, and Mrs. Song asked the maid to bring her in.
When Biyu saw Zhou Shaojin, she cried out "Ouch!" and said, "I finally found you! If I hadn't met Madam Miao, my legs would have been worn out by running. As soon as the old lady opened her eyes, she told me to go and invite my second cousin. I went to Wanxiangju, but she said you went to Jiashu Hall. I hurried to Jiashu Hall, but Mrs. An had already started her morning lessons. The maids only knew that you came to the main house, but didn't know which courtyard you went to. I hurried back to Hanbi Shanfang, but they said you had never been there. I had no choice but to go to Jiashu Hall again. Fortunately, I met Madam Miao, otherwise I would still be waiting outside Mrs. An's small Buddhist hall!" After that, she stepped forward to bow to Madam Song and said, "I was anxious for a moment and made a fool of myself."
It turns out that the second young lady of the Zhou family is favored by Old Madam Guo.
Mrs. Song thought to herself and said with a smile, "Miss Biyu, you don't have to be polite. Second cousin, please follow Miss Biyu to see the old lady. Maybe the old lady has something urgent to ask you!"
Zhou Shaojin hurriedly said goodbye to Mrs. Song and went to Mrs. Guo.
Mrs. Guo was about to have breakfast and asked with a smile, "Have you eaten yet? The kitchen made chrysanthemum porridge today. Would you like some?"
Zhou Shaojin politely declined.
Madam Guo did not force it, and told Zhou Shaojin about the arrangement of inviting Madam Song to a banquet at Tingyu Pavilion today and inviting Madam Song to visit Jiming Mountain tomorrow, and said, "… You are familiar with Madam Song. Tell your grandmother that you will stay with Madam Song during the few days she is in Jinling City."
Zhou Shaojin agreed with a smile and told Mrs. Guo that he was taking his sister to thank Mrs. Song.
When Mrs. Guo heard that Zhou Chujin and Mrs. Song got along well, she smiled and said, "Let your sister stay with Mrs. Song. Although your sister doesn't talk much, she talks more than you."
Zhou Shaojin smiled awkwardly and went back to report to Old Lady Guan.
Old Mrs. Guan was overjoyed.
The two maids from their fourth room helped Madam Guo to entertain the wife of Lord Song. What an honor! It also showed that the two maids from their fourth room were of a certain level in dealing with people and socializing.
She hurriedly called Mrs. Mian over and asked Zhou Shaojin if he wanted some new clothes to be made.
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "It's too late to make clothes now, and my sister and I still have a lot of new clothes that we haven't worn yet!"
Old Madam Guan asked about Madam Song's hobbies, taboos and so on, and she talked on for more than half an hour. If the maid from the main house hadn't come to remind Old Madam Guan that the banquet at Tingyuxuan was about to begin, she would have continued asking.
Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin stepped forward to help Old Lady Guan change her clothes.
Old Mrs. Guan shook her hands repeatedly, saying "no need", and asked them to go back and wash up and go to Tingyuxuan with her.
The Zhou sisters had no choice but to return to Wanxiangju.
Mrs. Miao smiled and said, "You sent the two sisters away, but do you have anything to tell me?"
"You are so smart." Old Lady Guan said with a smile, "I was thinking that we should keep the red coral jewelry for Shaojin first, and then give her a box when she gets married. This way, we won't let the child down, and it will also be a token of our love."
"You and I think alike." Mrs. Miao said with a smile, "Not only that, I think we should also start preparing Shao Jin's dowry. Regarding her marriage, do you think we should give the old master a heads-up?"
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Today's update, sisters.
Please give me a pink vote... O(∩_∩)O~
※(To be continued)