Cheng Chi looked at Zhou Shaojin walking away and muttered to himself.
This little girl was not polite at all. She took the two hundred taels of silver from him without even saying a polite word.
But, forget it. We will have to get along with each other in the future, so I won’t bother with her about it.
He turned around and prepared to go back to Tingli Pavilion.
Feicui ran over breathlessly: "Fourth Master, the old lady wants you to come over and talk."
Cheng Chi asked curiously, "Doesn't the old lady have guests?"
Feicui smiled and said, "I don't know either. The old lady asked me to pass on a message, so I came to pass on the message."
Cheng Chi thought about it and went to see Mrs. Guo.
Old Madam Guo changed into a dark-colored jacket with a crane pattern. She combed her hair into a bun again and put on a flawless white Hetian jade hairpin. She sat upright on the Luohan bed drinking tea, while Zhenzhu led a few maids to pack up the goggles and handkerchiefs.
The old man pointed to the opposite side of him and said, "Sit down and talk. What tea would you like?"
That's what a long talk means.
Cheng Chi smiled and said, "Aren't the two ladies of the Gu family waiting for you? Why don't you go meet the guests first?"
Mrs. Guo glanced at her son with a half-smile and said, "Guests are not as important as you! I didn't even know you were cleaning up your own little niece."
Cheng Chi glanced at the people in the room, lifted his robe, and sat down leisurely opposite Old Man Guo, and told Zhenzhu: "Then make me a cup of Biluochun. It's spring now, and it's best to drink some green tea to cool down."
Zhenzhu served tea and snacks with a smile, then led the maidservants out of the room.
Madam Guo stood up, turned around, picked up a jade ruyi from the Duobao Pavilion, and hit Cheng Chi: "What have you done? You scared the little girl so much that she ran to me for help! Hmm!"
Cheng Chi dodged sideways, and the jade ruyi fell on his shoulder.
"Mom, I'm already this old, why are you still like this? You beat your own child when something happens, without asking any questions!" He grinned and rubbed his shoulders, saying, "She is my niece, what can I do to her?" He then asked, "Did she ask you for help? How did she ask you for help?"
Zhou Shaojin was with him from beginning to end, unless she had made preparations before coming.
When he thought of this possibility, the fire in Cheng Chi's heart started to rise again.
He hadn't come to settle the score with her yet, but she had already brought the case to his mother.
This little girl, if she is not taught a lesson, she will definitely go crazy in the future!
Mrs. Guo had beaten her son, and her anger had subsided. She sat down and asked, "What happened?"
Cheng Chi had no intention of telling anyone about Zhou Shaojin's affairs, including his mother, Mrs. Guo.
He also knew that the highest level of lying is to tell ten true sentences and one false one. Moreover, he had something to ask his mother, so he immediately came up with an excuse: "Last time, big brother and Huang Li were fighting for the position of Minister of Rites. I sent a letter to big brother. You should know about this matter."
Mrs. Guo nodded.
Cheng Chi said: "The message was passed on by Shao Jin, but the person who received the letter was Zhou Dacheng."
Dacheng is Zhou Zhen's name.
Madam Guo's expression became serious, she sat up straighter, and asked seriously, "What does Zhou Dacheng mean?"
Cheng Chi said, "When I came back, I heard from the maid that you were going to Pingqiao Street with Fourth Aunt to add boxes to the eldest daughter of the Zhou family in a few days. I thought about how Shaojin accompanied us all the way to Putuo Mountain, and later when the Hangzhou branch sent her something, she also asked my opinion before doing anything. She was quite well-behaved and sensible, so I thought about giving her a gift in private. But I didn't know why Zhou Zhen asked Shaojin to pass this message to me, so I took the opportunity to call Shaojin over. I originally wanted to test her, but I didn't expect to ask about some old things and made her cry."
At this point, he said in annoyance: "I see she is not a child anymore, why does she cry like a child? It makes me so embarrassed. But you gave me a Ruyi as soon as I came in. Fortunately, I am in Hanbi Mountain House. If I were in another place, I don't know what would be spread!"
Madam Guo was still a little suspicious and asked, "Why did Shao Jin's maid come to me?"
"I told you that you are suspicious, but you still don't admit it." Cheng Chi was so angry that the blood rushed to his head, but in front of his mother, he didn't dare to show any abnormality, and said, "Isn't it because I am afraid of others misunderstanding? So I asked Feicui and Nanny Shang beside you to go and invite Shao Jin. If her maid doesn't come to you, will she come to me? If I had known this, I shouldn't have avoided suspicion. Anyway, I am her cousin, what can I ask her about?"
Mrs. Guo looked at her youngest son suspiciously and asked, "Really?"
"If you don't believe me, you can ask Zhou Shaojin now." Cheng Chi said confidently, "I meant well but ended up doing something bad!"
"You are right." Madam Guo agreed, "I can't hear a single word of truth from you. I can only ask Shao Jin someday."
Cheng Chi broke out in a cold sweat.
That little girl is so stupid that she will definitely reveal a lot of flaws if asked this question!
It didn't matter if there were flaws, the important thing was that the favor she gave him to Zhou Dacheng for free would be gone - even with this favor, she was worried that she wouldn't be able to gain a foothold in the eldest house!
It looks like I have to send someone to deliver a message to Zhou Shaojin, so as not to let the secret slip.
Cheng Chi pondered in his heart, and said to Madam Guo: "Mother, I have something to discuss with you - I want you to come forward and raise Shao Jin in your house."
Mrs. Guo frowned slightly.
This is an extremely difficult thing to do.
Not to mention that Zhou Shaojin grew up in the fourth room. If she took Zhou Shaojin from the fourth room to Hanbi Mountain House, it would be suspected of stealing someone else's favor. Others would inevitably say that she was taking advantage of her position. If Zhou Shaojin agreed to come to her room, it would be even more troublesome. Others would say that she was ungrateful and had no conscience.
But her son was not the kind of person who would speak without thinking. She said, "Tell me the reason first, and I'll think about it carefully."
After Cheng Chi believed Zhou Shaojin's experience, he made this decision.
Zhou Shaojin's character was too weak, and he was really worried about leaving her out like this.
At least, we should protect her until she grows up and marries her to a stable husband.
As for the reason, Cheng Chi had already thought of it.
He said, "Mother, think about it, why did Zhou Dacheng use Shaojin to tell us about Huang Li and my elder brother's competition for the position of Minister of Rites? I'm afraid he was worried about the fourth house. Zhou Dacheng and the fourth house have a very harmonious relationship. What is his intention? I always feel that this matter is not simple. You also know my character. Instead of passively taking a beating, it is better to take the initiative. We might as well show our goodwill to Zhou Dacheng first and take Shaojin over legitimately. When we talk to Zhou Dacheng, we will have more confidence. Otherwise, I always feel a little uneasy in my heart after receiving such a great favor from him for nothing. I feel like something big is going to happen!"
Madam Guo was a little unhappy when she heard this and said, "Silang, I think you have been a little too active these few years outside. No matter what Zhou Dacheng's intention is, since we accepted it in the first place, we should bear the corresponding obligations in the future, otherwise we should refuse others! How can you hold someone else's daughter hostage like this? I don't agree!"
"Mom!" Cheng Chi knew this would happen and said with a smile, "Can you please let me finish what I'm saying?"
Mrs. Guo pricked up her ears.
Cheng Chi said, "Actually, I am a little selfish. Shaojin is a well-behaved, sensible, lively and lovely girl. Since Sheng went to the capital, you have no one to accompany you. Sheng's wedding is scheduled for May this year. She is marrying the son of the Peng family in Liaocheng, Shandong. I am afraid it will be difficult for you to see her in the future. When I asked this girl today, didn't she cry? From the tone, it seems that she learned from her stepmother that after her sister got married, her father wanted her to stay in the Cheng family. She felt a little sad when she thought about it. I wanted to ask the little girl what happened, but she said nothing except crying. I didn't ask too much. When I was at a loss, you asked someone to invite her. Otherwise, I don't know how to get away!"
Madam Guo really liked Zhou Shaojin. Upon hearing this, she asked, "Do you suspect that someone has made that little girl angry?"
Cheng Chi smiled and said, "In a family like ours, there are many people who are good at reading people's expressions, and there are also many people who like to flatter the powerful and bully the weak. No matter what, Shao Jin is fostered in the fourth house. We have produced many second-rank, third-rank, and even first-rank officials in our family. Some people may think that a fourth-rank prefect is nothing great."
Old Madam Guo thought of her husband's death. Her two sons had already become Jinshi at that time. However, because of the mourning period at home, the second branch fanned the flames. Some people were short-sighted and thought that their branch would be like this. They did a lot of things to hinder her, not to mention that Zhou Shaojin was a little girl, living in a large house in the inner courtyard, surrounded by a group of illiterate women and children...
"That's fine!" Madam Guo made a decision immediately. "Let's postpone Yi'er's marriage. First, take Shao Jin here, and then talk about Yi'er's marriage."
Cheng Chi already understood what his mother was going to do, but he thought it would be better to praise his mother a few words. This way, his mother might be more positive about this matter, and she might like Zhou Shaojin better after he moved in.
He asked confusedly, "What do you mean?"
"Didn't your fourth aunt want to keep Shao Jin at home?" Old Madam Guo said, "This is a strange situation. What was originally nothing has become something. But if Shao Jin is sent to Baoding Prefecture, your fourth aunt will definitely not feel comfortable leaving Shao Jin to Li to raise. If she is allowed to go back to Zhou's house, it would be better for her to go to Baoding Prefecture with Li. At least in Baoding Prefecture there are elders to take care of her, but she will be all alone in Pingqiao Street. As long as I tell your fourth aunt that I am willing to raise Shao Jin, she will definitely be overjoyed to send him to me."
Cheng Chi smiled and said, "You are really good at this inner house thing! I was just thinking that this matter might embarrass you, but I didn't expect you to come up with an idea in such a short time. It's a pity that my sister-in-law is too stubborn. If she had followed you and learned from you, Jiashan wouldn't have become what it is today!"
Madam Guo was puzzled and said, "I usually say Jiashan is not good, but you still speak for him, don't you? Why did you change your mind today? Did Jiashan do something inappropriate? Or did your sister-in-law get carried away and do something bad? You can't hide it from me!"
Yuan, who was far away in the capital, sneezed for no apparent reason.
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Sisters and brothers, today’s extra update.
Updated around midnight.
PS: Please give me a pink vote!
※(To be continued)