Zhou Shaojin was confused and helped Mrs. Guo back to the upper room.
Madam Guo discussed with Madam Lu about going to the temple tomorrow: "… We usually go to Ganquan Temple, so let's go to Ganquan Temple this time. Although there are some things to do, it's not too difficult. We will set off at dawn, have a vegetarian meal there at noon, and then come back." She also asked Madam Lu to go to the fourth room to see if Madam Guan and Madam Mian wanted to go out for a walk.
Nanny Lu smiled and replied “yes” and personally delivered the letter to the fourth room.
The weather was very hot these days, and some of the craftsmen who were repairing Cheng Gao's new house almost got heatstroke, so Cheng Mian stopped the craftsmen from working. Old Madam Guan had nothing to do, but Madam Mian was busy buying maids and servants. Upon hearing this, she sent someone to reply to Madam Guo: "… Old An is more than happy to have you, but Madam Mian is busy with Master Gao's wedding and can't leave."
Mrs. Guo rewarded the old woman and made an appointment with Mrs. Guan.
Zhou Shaojin just thought of it as going out for fun. Although he wanted to go out, because Cheng Chi was not there, he always felt like something was missing and he lost some of the joy of going out.
After she accompanied Mrs. Guo in chanting sutras in the Buddhist temple, she began to copy the scriptures.
Since we are asking the Bodhisattva to bless Cheng Chi with safe travels, it would be better to copy a few more copies of the scriptures to show our sincerity.
Mrs. Guo nodded secretly.
This child is well-behaved, sensible, sincere and polite... What a pity!
She sighed, told Biyu to serve Zhou Shaojin, and went back to her room to lie down, letting the little maid massage her legs while she thought about something.
In the afternoon, Cuihuan came to see Zhou Shaojin and said that she was ordered by Cheng Ji to invite Zhou Shaojin to visit her tomorrow.
Zhou Shaojin knew that this was Cheng Ji's way of thanking her for sending the letter to Li Jing, so she smiled and refused: "... I will accompany the old lady to the temple to burn incense tomorrow!"
Cuihuan was very disappointed.
Cheng Ji went through a lot of trouble to invite Zhou Shaojin, but he didn't expect it to clash with Madam Guo's affairs. What a pity.
She left Hanbi Mountain House reluctantly.
Zhou Shaojin didn't take this matter to heart, thinking it wouldn't be too late to go see Cheng Ji when he was free in a couple of days.
Who would have thought that before the sun went down, Mrs. Li came in person and said that she wanted to go to Ganquan Temple to burn incense with Mrs. Guo tomorrow.
Mrs. Guo was very surprised.
Li Laoan said embarrassedly, "This is also because of Jia girl. Jiang Shi quarreled with that girl every other day. The girl was forced to no end and ran to me and cried for an entire afternoon. I thought it wouldn't work if it kept going like this. I happened to hear that you were going to Ganquan Temple to worship Buddha, so I thought of taking that girl out to relax and talk to Shaojin."
Anyway, it was a hot summer day and there was nothing else to do, so Mrs. Guo agreed to the job casually.
Li Laoan complained to Jiang and then went back.
Madam Guo raised her eyebrows disapprovingly and said, "After all, he is her nephew from her mother's family. She is embarrassed to follow Jiang's insistence, so she brought Cheng Jia with us to the temple to burn incense!"
Who would respond to such a statement
Biyu was still bold and smiled and changed the subject: "Madam, the old lady from the third room will most likely take a carriage with Miss Jia. Will you take a carriage with the second cousin tomorrow or with the old lady Guan?"
Madam Guo smiled and said, "I'd better take a carriage with Mrs. Guan! Tomorrow there will be a girl named Jiao, and who knows how naughty she will be, and she won't even say anything about squeezing into the same carriage with Shao Jin."
It's not impossible!
Jade pursed her lips and smiled.
The next day at the hour of Mao, everyone met at the second gate. Old Madam Guo and Old Madam Guan took a carriage, Old Lady Li and Cheng Ji took another carriage, but Zhou Shaojin was left alone.
Not to mention Zhou Shaojin, even Old Madam Guo was very surprised and said, "Jiao girl is much more sensible today!"
Cheng Jiaxu supported Mrs. Li Laoan and said with a dignified manner and a red face, "It's a rare opportunity for me to accompany my grandmother, so please don't laugh at me, old lady."
Mrs. Guo nodded kindly, and with the help of Zhou Shaojin, she got on the carriage and went to Ganquan Temple.
The abbot of Ganquan Temple, Master Shi Hui, personally greeted him in front of the Main Hall.
The Cheng family's steward had come yesterday to arrange for their food and lodging. Master Shi Hui also knew the purpose of their visit. When Zhou Shaojin took out the transcribed scriptures, he couldn't help but smile and said, "Second cousin's handwriting has become more and more dignified and beautiful. In a few years, she will be able to teach students."
The young ladies from prominent families in Jiangnan are usually educated by their aunts or sisters-in-law, and being able to teach students is a high compliment.
Zhou Shaojin was not used to such social interactions, and she blushed as she said a few humble words.
Because on the Buddha's Bathing Festival that year, Mrs. Guo offered the scriptures copied by Zhou Shaojin, which left a deep impression on Master Shi Hui. In the past two years, Zhou Shaojin was always with Mrs. Guo when she came to worship Buddha. He was deeply impressed by Zhou Shaojin and exchanged a few words with Zhou Shaojin carefully without making any expression. Then he greeted Mrs. Guo and others.
Zhou Shaojin felt very strange when she saw Cheng Ji standing respectfully and docilely opposite her.
Cheng Jia has always been impatient to listen to these things, why is he so quiet this time
She winked at Cheng Ji.
Cheng Ji, however, acted as if he saw nothing and stayed with Li Laoan the whole time.
Zhou Shaojin always felt that something was wrong, thinking about Cheng Ji asking her to help find out about Li Jing... Could it be that the truth had been revealed? But if the truth had been revealed, why would Li Laoan bring her to Ganquan Temple to worship Buddha
She asked Xiao Tan to find out.
When it was almost time for lunch, Xiao Tan whispered to her, "It was said that someone came to propose to Miss Jia, and Mrs. Lu was very satisfied. The matchmaker will come to the house in a few days. Miss Jia knelt in front of Mrs. Li Laoan and cried and made a fuss. Mrs. Li Laoan felt sorry for Miss Jia, so she took Miss Jia out to relax."
Zhou Shaojin was shocked and whispered, "Do you know who proposed to cousin Ji?"
"It is said that he is the eldest son of the magistrate of Jinhua County," Xiao Tan said, "and the matchmaker was the wife of Minister Sun. Although he was born in a poor family, the eldest son was very good at studying. He passed the examination for a scholar at the age of sixteen and a juren at the age of twenty."
This is exactly the son-in-law that the third wife likes.
The uncle of the third house, Pan Zhi, also had a similar background.
Zhou Shaojin felt a little sad for Cheng Ji.
There is no greater sorrow than a dead heart.
Cheng Ji is probably heartbroken.
When sitting down to have the vegetarian meal, Zhou Shaojin deliberately sat with Cheng Ji.
However, Cheng Ji avoided him, as if he had some conflict with Zhou Shaojin.
The old ladies naturally wouldn't care.
Zhou Shaojin had the vegetarian meal awkwardly.
Master Shi Hui asked them to rest for a while before leaving: "The weather is too hot, it won't be too late to return after noon."
Looking at the scorching sun, Mrs. Guo decided to return to Jiuru Lane after noon.
Shi Hui hurriedly instructed the young monk to tidy up the yard that was specially reserved for the women of the Cheng family, while he himself continued to talk with the three old ladies.
Cheng Ji couldn't bear it any longer, so he whispered a few words to Li Laoan and left the room.
Old Madam Li could only let her do as she pleased.
After a cup of tea, the young monk came over to report that the yard had been cleaned up.
Shi Hui personally escorted them to the gate of the courtyard, said a few polite words, and then turned and left.
Cheng Ji accompanied Li Laoan to the west wing. Zhou Shaojin followed Madam Guo to the east wing. After instructing the maid to wait on Madam Guo and Madam Guan, she also yawned and fell asleep.
In a daze, Zhou Shaojin felt as if someone was pushing her.
She opened her eyes and found that Mrs. Guo and Mrs. Guan were surrounding her, looking at her with concern.
Zhou Shaojin woke up with a start, sat up suddenly, and said, "What happened? Is it..."
Is there something wrong with Uncle Chi
Fortunately, Zhou Shaojin stopped himself in time and swallowed these words.
Madam Guo and Madam Guan didn't notice anything unusual about her. When they saw her wake up, they said straight to the point, "Jiao girl is missing, and Cuihuan is also missing. Did she tell you anything?"
Zhou Shaojin was so frightened that he came to his senses after a while and said, "What did you say? Cousin Jia is missing? What do you mean missing?"
The Cheng family's guards surrounded the yard tightly, so how come Cheng Ji disappeared
After hearing this, Mrs. Guan glanced at Mrs. Guo.
Madam Guo looked slightly displeased and said, "I told you Shao Jin had nothing to do with this matter, but you just didn't believe me!"
Old Madam Guan said awkwardly, "I just saw that Shao Jin and Jia Yatou usually get along very well. I wanted to see if there was any news about Shao Jin!"
Zhou Shaojin understood, and she hurriedly said, "Old Madam, Grandma, what is going on?"
Mrs. Guo said nothing.
Mrs. Guan thought for a moment and said, "Just now, Mrs. Li came over and said that she didn't see Jia Yatou when she woke up from her nap. She thought Jia Ya had gone out to play. When she was dressed and ready to come to us to greet us, Cheng Jia hadn't been found yet. And according to the maids and servants around Mrs. Li, they didn't see Jia Yatou come out. Later, we found a stepping stone at the back window... Mrs. Li cried so hard that her eyes were swollen. She just shouted that if Jia Yatou disappeared, she would not live either..."
Did Cheng Ji and Li Jing eloped
Zhou Shaojin felt uneasy when he thought that he was an insider.
Old Madam Guan was quite strict with people, so naturally she didn't dare to look at her and glanced at Old Madam Guo.
Madam Guo looked normal, but she said to Madam Guan, "Please go and tell my third brother's wife. It gives me a headache just looking at her like that."
Old Mrs. Guan shook her head and went to see Old Mrs. Li.
Things won’t get easier until later!
Zhou Shaojin told Mrs. Guo everything about Cheng Ji and Li Jing.
Madam Guo's expression gradually became serious as she listened, but she never scolded Zhou Shaojin. Instead, she asked, "Does the third house know about this?"
"They should know!" Zhou Shaojin said guiltily, "But I don't know if the third house knows about cousin Ju's meeting with Li Jing in Qingyan Tower and asking me to bring a letter to Li Jing!"
Madam Guo thought for a moment and said, "Just pretend you don't know about this. No matter who asks you, just say you are the younger sister and don't know. I will take care of Mrs. Li. You should stay in your room and don't come out. We, the eldest and fourth houses, can't help Jia girl to take the blame, so we have to invite Mr. Lu and Mrs. Lu from the third house to come over." Then she said, "I'm afraid we can't go back today. Fortunately, we are in the temple, so it's okay for us to stay for a night or two."
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Sisters and brothers, today’s update.
I will correct the typo later.
※(To be continued)