The next day, Zhou Shaojin got up late.
She couldn't help but feel secretly relieved.
Fortunately, Mrs. Guo has no habit of setting rules for others, otherwise this incident alone would be enough for her to be criticized.
Zhou Shaojin got up in a hurry, had breakfast and went to the upper room of Hanbi Mountain House.
Mrs. Guo had already gone to the Buddhist temple and was washing her hands in preparation for chanting.
Zhou Shaojin walked in with a red face.
The morning sun shone on her face, making it bright, smooth, and flawless like a piece of jade.
Madam Guo couldn't help but smile at Madam Lu, "It's good to be young! He didn't go to bed until midnight yesterday, and he was full of energy when he got up this morning. Unlike us, we all look like old vines under the light."
Aunt Lu laughed to join in the fun.
Zhou Shaojin shyly stepped forward and called out "Old Madam".
Madam Guo shook her hand and said generously, "It's okay! When I was your age, I was not as good as you! If I had to go out and play all day and get up so early, I wouldn't be able to get up."
Zhou Shaojin was very grateful. He helped Mrs. Guo sit down in front of the Buddha and began to chant sutras with her.
In the afternoon, she received a letter from her sister.
Zhou Chujin was very pleased to see that she was living well in Jiuru Lane, and told her in a letter that during the Dragon Boat Festival, Liao Shaotang used the excuse of visiting friends to secretly take her to watch the dragon boat race.
Zhou Shaojin knew that her sister would be fine after getting married, but she was still very happy when she saw her sister's letter and felt the happiness between the lines. After putting down the letter, she wrote back to her sister, asking her when she would go to the capital. If she went to the capital, remember to bring her some candied fruit, as she really wanted to eat the snacks in the capital. She also picked up some daily interesting things to tell her sister, but as for the troubles of Wu Baozhang and Cheng Lu, she did not mention a word.
But before she could finish writing the letter, Cheng Ji came over.
She brought a basket of cherries and a basket of oranges, and approached Zhou Shaojin with a playful smile and said, "Are you writing a letter to Sister Chujin? What did you write? Is Sister Chujin doing well over there? Does your brother-in-law care about her?" She called Chunwan again, "Share these cherries and oranges."
Zhou Shaojin ignored her and just said to Chunwan: "Remember to send some to the upper room!"
Chunwan smiled and retreated.
Cheng Ji diligently ground ink for Zhou Shaojin and said, "Shaojin, the prince of the Duke of Liang will be getting married on the 15th. I think Zhu Zhu will definitely not be able to go out. I looked at the almanac and decided to invite everyone to come to my house to enjoy the lotus flowers on May 25th. What do you think?"
Zhou Shaojin still had a cold face and said, "You invite people to appreciate the flowers, what does it have to do with me?"
Cheng Ji smiled apologetically and said, "Shao Jin, there are only two girls in the mansion, you and I. How can you not come when I invite you? Besides, these people are your friends. I am just offering my respects to you. How can it be none of your business?"
Zhou Shaojin said nothing, and imitated Cheng Chi, slowly and methodically sprinkling the letter with fine sand.
Cheng Ji was helping on the side. When Zhou Shaojin was waiting for the ink to dry, she said sincerely: "Shaojin, I know I was wrong about this matter. I apologize to you! Don't be angry with me. I went to see Li Jing because... I had no choice!" As she spoke, her cheeks flushed and her voice became a little lower. "I went to ask my grandmother, but she didn't expect her to oppose it. She also said that this was my mother's idea. She felt that my mother was right. Marrying into a merchant family, living habits are different, and there will be a lot of friction. But his shadow has been left in my heart. Whenever I think about marrying someone else, my heart feels like a hole cut by a knife, and it hurts bloody..."
Zhou Shaojin was stunned.
Seeing that she was finally making some moves, Cheng Ji thought that she was a very soft-hearted person. As long as you treat her sincerely, she will treat you better. He couldn't help but talk about his thoughts: "At first, I thought he wanted to take advantage of Jiuru Lane's influence. Later, I found out that he was living well in Luoyang. It's not like there haven't been Jinshi in his family. He was just being polite in front of me. I felt a little guilty... Later, I saw that he regarded my words as an imperial decree. As long as I mentioned something or thought about something, he would go through fire and water to plan it for me, but he never talked about the suffering he had suffered in front of me. In my heart, I could no longer regard him as my cousin... Later, no matter what he did, he put me first... To be honest, even my parents are not as considerate and gentle as him. I gradually couldn't let him go... "As she spoke, her eyes were slightly wet, but a dreamy smile appeared on her face, and her voice was so tender as if it contained honey: "Shaojin, you have never liked anyone. If you have liked someone, you will understand... When you see a good dish while eating, you will think of him, thinking that it would be great if he could also have a bite. When you pass by the garden and see a beautiful flower, you will think of him, thinking that it would be great if he could appreciate it. When talking to others, occasionally mentioning something related to him, you will also think of him, and think about what he is doing at this moment? Will you also think about yourself? Even when you sleep, you are thinking about it... What I think about in my heart and what comes to my mind are all him... I wish that as long as I think that he is still in Jinling City, I feel that I have someone to rely on in my heart, and I feel safe and secure... As long as I can see him, even if I have to sneak around like a thief and do the things I despise and dislike the most, I will be happy with it... This kind of love is the first time I have grown up, and no one has ever had it... There will never be another time in the future...
“So when we were in Qingyan Tower, I knew he was next door, and I couldn’t bear it anymore.
“I thought just one look at him would be enough.
“Just a glance.
“Just a few words.
"I don't have to do anything, just seeing him like this makes me feel happy."
Zhou Shaojin sat there blankly, his hair feeling cold.
Cheng Jia’s words were circling in my mind.
"You don't have to do anything, just take a look, and your heart will be sweet."
"As long as he does the things he despises and dislikes the most, he will do them with pleasure."
"As long as I think of him by my side, I feel like I have someone to rely on, and I feel safe and secure."
"Whether I'm eating, sleeping, walking or talking, I always think of him, what he's doing, and whether he's thinking of me."
"Even my parents don't treat me as well as he does."
“This is the first time I’ve liked someone like this…
Is this what love is
Zhou Shaojin seemed to have all his strength drained away. He sat there paralyzed, unable to move.
But Cheng Ji was still immersed in her own thoughts, and said sweetly: "You don't know, when I ran over, Li Jing was so scared when he saw me that his face turned pale. He dragged me to the private room. It happened that there were several of his friends in the private room, so he had to say that I was a maid beside my mother and came to pass on a message." Maybe she thought of the scene at that time, she chuckled and said, "Then he took me to a secluded small ear room. I was very angry at the time. Others said that the most famous people on the Qinhuai River often had banquets in Qingyan Tower. He was so familiar with the place, he must have been in and out of Qingyan Tower often. But when he asked me nervously what happened, whether I was wronged at home, and comforted me not to be afraid, and to blame him if anything happened, my heart was soft again, and I could only shake my head.
"When he found out that I just wanted to see him, he, who was such a calm man, suddenly became overjoyed and just walked around in front of me, scratching his head and cheeks.
"I suddenly felt that even if I was seen by others and scolded by my mother, it was worth it."
She kept on nagging, and felt that Zhou Shaojin didn't respond to her at all. She couldn't help but stop the topic awkwardly and looked at Zhou Shaojin: "Shaojin, you must look down on me! You think I'm shameless, but I just like him. My heart is in heaven and on earth. If he treats me well, I feel like I'm in heaven. If he treats me badly, I feel like I'm in the ground... Shaojin!" She exclaimed, "You, what's wrong with you?"
Cheng Ji was shocked when he saw Zhou Shaojin, whose face was as pale as paper. He hurried to her and touched her forehead: "What's wrong with you? Speak! Don't scare me!"
There were beads of sweat on Zhou Shaojin's forehead.
Cheng Ji was so frightened that she shouted loudly: "Mother Fan, please come and see Shao Jin, she is not well!"
Zhou Shaojin, who looked a little dazed, seemed to be awakened by her. He grabbed her hand that was touching his forehead and said, "I'm fine! Keep your voice down! Don't alarm the old lady!"
Her voice was tired and fragile, like a gossamer thread, as if it was about to break. Her hands were icy cold, as if they had been frozen. If she wasn't still breathing, Cheng Ji would have suspected that she had fallen into an ice hole in the cold winter...
Could it be that Shao Jin has been possessed by an evil spirit again like he was two years ago
Although Zhou Chujin tried her best to conceal it at first, her mother happened to go to Huiji Temple in the south of the city and saw Zhou Chujin... If she was really possessed by evil again, she really couldn't let everyone know...
Cheng Ji was so frightened that her face turned pale. She wanted to push Zhou Shaojin away, but then she remembered that she was wearing the amulet that Li Jing gave her, which was said to have been blessed by a high monk from Shaolin Temple. She hugged Zhou Shaojin tightly and said in a trembling voice: "Don't scare me, I'm timid! What's wrong with you? I, I'll write a letter to Sister Chu Jin and ask her to come back. Are you feeling unwell? I, I'd better put this amulet on you... Li Jing said it was blessed by a high monk... He only gave me good things, and he wouldn't give me anything that wasn't good... You have to believe him..."
She began to speak incoherently and tremblingly tried to pull out a piece of Hetian jade ornament with the inscription "Peace and Good Luck" hanging around her neck.
Zhou Shaojin held her hand tightly, making it impossible for her to break free.
"I'm fine, I'm fine." She spoke in a whisper, beads of sweat appearing on her forehead, "You said you liked Li Jing... Is liking someone just like what you said... All you think about, all you think about in your mind, is him... As long as you think about him, you feel at ease, and you are willing to do anything you hate..."
Cheng Ji looked at Zhou Shaojin in astonishment and asked, "Why are you asking this?"
"Don't worry about what I do." Zhou Shaojin's eyes, which were always clear and quiet, were now filled with restlessness and anxiety. "Just tell me 'yes' or 'no'!"
Cheng Ji had never seen Zhou Shaojin so furious before, and it was unimaginable.
She hurriedly said, "Of course! If this isn't love, then what is love? Would you think of your father like this? Would you think of Sister Chu Jin like this?"
※
Sisters and brothers, today’s extra update.
We will be working overtime this weekend, so tonight's update will probably be around midnight. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
If there are any special circumstances, I will inform you in time.
O(∩_∩)O~
※(To be continued)