Yuan was the eldest daughter-in-law of the eldest son's family, and Zhou Shaojin was living in the eldest son's family. Yuan must have known about this. But this knowledge made Zhou Shaojin feel uncomfortable.
She asked Chunwan to put away the pair of pearl hairpins that Yuan gave her, preparing to give them as a reward or as a gift to someone else.
Because the girls of the Gu family were of similar age and Cheng Yi was not young either, the Cheng and Gu families quickly invited matchmakers, compared their birth dates, and began to discuss the engagement.
Mrs. Miao took Zhou Shaojin to see the new house prepared for Cheng Gao's wedding, and pointed to the several messy small rooms in Cheng Gao's new house and said, "The dividends from Yutai Bank have been generous in the past two years. Your uncle and I have discussed renovating that place and making it a new house for Yi'er. This way, our family won't have to do any major renovations for at least fifty years." After that, she said with emotion, "I hope the brothers can work together to revive the family business."
She now treated Zhou Shaojin as her daughter, which made Zhou Shaojin feel uneasy. He thought that he should be filial to Madam Mian and Madam Guan in the future, so he came to accompany Madam Mian and Madam Guan from time to time.
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "Of course they will. The Seventeenth Aunt of the Gu Family has a good temper, and Sister Gao is a girl from the He Family in Pukou. Both families are well-educated and well-mannered, so they will definitely get along well. Aunt, just wait and enjoy the good life!"
These words made Mrs. Miao smile, and she said, "I hope it's as you said. I've been married to the Cheng family for so many years, and I've always been very close to your grandmother. I hope they can be very close to me, too." After that, she said, "Shao Jin, the Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon. Is there any preparation in the eldest house? Your grandmother wants to take you back to Jiashu Hall to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. She asked me to ask you. If you have other plans, then we will set up a banquet one day in advance, and the family will have a good gathering. When your first and second cousins-in-law come into the family next Mid-Autumn Festival, it will be another lively occasion."
Although my daughter-in-law is good, she hasn't entered the family yet and we haven't gotten to know each other yet. How can she compare to Zhou Shaojin, who grew up by my side
Zhou Shaojin thanked him again and again, and said, "Old Madam Guo wanted Cousin Xu to come back for the Mid-Autumn Festival, but Uncle Chi said that the Mid-Autumn Festival is common but time is not, so let Cousin Xu make his own decision. According to Cousin Xu, he will stay in Zaoyuan during the Mid-Autumn Festival and will not come. Old Madam Guo has not seen Cousin Xu for a long time, so she wants to go to Zaoyuan to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival and accompany Cousin Xu. Uncle Chi did not make a decision, and there is still no definite news. I am afraid that they are worried about me, and I want to discuss with my aunt to accompany you and grandmother for the Mid-Autumn Festival..."
Mrs. Miao was overjoyed and said, "I'll go tell your grandmother right away. She will be very happy if she knows."
Zhou Shaojin hurriedly stopped him and said, "I haven't told the old lady and Uncle Chi about this yet! After I greet the old lady and Uncle Chi, it won't be too late for you to tell your grandmother."
"I save myself the trouble!" Mrs. Miao said with a smile, "I have asked someone to order crabs and abalone from Hai Ji, the largest restaurant in Beimenqiao City. You are weak and cannot eat crabs, but you can eat abalone..." Then she took her to Cheng Gao's new house and looked at it for a long time, and kept her in Hanqiu Pavilion for lunch before letting her go back.
Zhou Shaojin was thinking about the Mid-Autumn Festival, so he went to talk to Mrs. Guo in the afternoon.
Who knew that Mrs. Guo smiled and said, "Your Uncle Chi asked me to go to Zaoyuan to accompany Jiashan, and he stayed at home to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. But how can I leave your Uncle Chi alone in Hanbi Mountain House? Besides, Jiashan is about to die, and it is really not the time to disturb him. After thinking about it, I decided to stay and celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with your Uncle Chi. Since your grandmother took you there to celebrate the festival, I think it would be better for our two families to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival together. I will invite your grandmother and the others, and everyone will have a lively and festive time!"
Mrs. Guo used to like quietness very much.
The reason why I stayed in Jiuru Lane to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival this time was mostly because of her!
Zhou Shaojin was very grateful and went to tell Grandma Guan.
Old Madam Guan was open-minded and said with a smile: "I think it would be better if we all come to Jiashu Hall on August 14th, and on August 15th we all go to Hanbi Mountain House. We can have a good time for two days!"
Zhou Shaojin was naturally very happy.
Cheng Chi didn't say anything either.
This is how the matter was settled.
On August 14, they went to Jiashu Hall. Zhou Shaojin chatted with Old Madam Guo, Old Madam Guan, and Madam Mian, while Cheng Mian, Cheng Chi, Cheng Gao, and Cheng Yi sat at another table and commented on current affairs.
At first Zhou Shaojin was worried that Cheng Chi would make the audience feel bored, but unexpectedly Cheng Chi was full of witty remarks and humor, which made everyone laugh.
At first she laughed until tears came out, but then she felt a little silent.
Uncle Chi is such a good man, but he is destined not to be with her.
But he is destined to be someone she would rather humble herself in the dust and watch from afar.
The next day, people from the fourth room came to the first room to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. When everyone was sitting in the yard guessing riddles, admiring the moon and eating moon cakes, they somehow started talking about Cheng Gao's marriage.
Cheng Chi smiled and said, "It's time for Shaojin to learn how to manage the household. Marriage is a complicated matter with many things to deal with. I think it's better to let Shaojin help you. You can also learn something from him."
Everyone gave a thumbs up.
Zhou Shaojin looked at Cheng Chi gratefully.
In this way, when Cheng Xu finishes the exam, she can avoid Cheng Xu with a legitimate reason.
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After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Cheng family went to the Gu family to propose marriage.
Zhou Shaojin also went with them and joked with the Eighteenth and Twentieth Aunts and the Seventeenth Aunt Gu for a long time. But when he returned to Hanbi Villa, he found that Yuan had returned and was talking to Old Madam Guo with the door closed.
She quietly returned to Fucui Pavilion.
She waited until Biyu came to invite her to dinner before she went to the upper room.
Yuan looked more energetic than when she was in Jiuru Lane. She wore a plain light blue Hangzhou bodice, a bean green eight-panel Xiang skirt, her black hair was tied into a peony bun, with lotus seed-sized South China pearls inserted in her hair, and a hairpin with a ruby the size of a pigeon and a chicken in her mouth.
Seeing Zhou Shaojin, she immediately revealed a joyful smile and said, "It's been over a year since I last saw you. Shaojin has become even more beautiful."
Zhou Shaojin smiled slightly and walked forward to salute Yuan.
Yuan smiled and turned to Madam Guo and said, "But you still talk so little!"
Madam Guo said calmly, "You little girl, chirping like a sparrow all day long, you are too frivolous. It's better for you to say less."
Yuan's face felt hot.
Mrs. Guo stood up and said to Zhenzhu, "Tell the maid to set the table!"
Pearl retreated in response.
Zhou Shaojin stepped forward to help Madam Guo out of habit, but unexpectedly, Yuan also went to help. The two of them were on the left and the right, but there was no conflict.
Madam Guo put her hand on Zhou Shaojin's arm and said to Yuan: "You will soon be a mother-in-law, so let the young girls do these little things!"
Yuan's face turned red and white, and she replied respectfully, "Yes", and walked behind Madam Guo.
The rule of Hanbi Mountain House is to arrange the dishes five days in advance. If you want to have something cooked by the kitchen during the meal, you need to inform the kitchen one to two hours in advance, otherwise you have to wait until the next meal. However, the dishes on their table were still the original ones, and not even a vegetable was added. She couldn't help but glanced at Mrs. Guo quickly.
Mrs. Guo, however, sat at the table calmly.
It turned out that Mrs. Guo did not instruct the kitchen to add more dishes.
Seeing that Yuan was treated so coldly, Zhou Shaojin felt happy with a sense of schadenfreude.
The three of them finished their meal in silence. Yuan served Old Madam Guo tea, then stood up to say goodbye, saying, "I want to go to Zaoyuan this afternoon and stay there for a few days."
Mrs. Guo nodded, without asking her how she was going or how many days she would stay.
Yuan suddenly felt a little embarrassed. She hurriedly bowed to Madam Guo and left.
After seeing Yuan off, Madam Lu came back and murmured to Madam Guo: "Madam, you are doing this for the young master's own good... Others can't even think of it! If it weren't for Madam, we wouldn't be able to get the articles written by the chief examiner and the deputy examiner, and the collections they published..."
Madam Guo sneered and said, "Be a good person first, then do things. If you are so opportunistic, can you go far on this road?"
Nanny Lu didn't dare to say anything and winked at Zhou Shaojin.
After all, Zhou Shaojin came from a family of officials, so he understood after listening to a few words.
She stepped forward to help Old Madam Guo refill her cup of tea and said with a smile, "Old Madam, please don't be angry. Cousin Xu studies very hard. But there is no first in literature and no second in martial arts. Aunt Jing did this just to be safe. If you think this is not good, wait until Cousin Xu finishes his exams and then you can give him a good lesson."
It would be best if he could be punished by kneeling in the ancestral hall.
Zhou Shaojin's words were actually pale and weak, but when Mrs. Guo saw her eyes full of concern, her heart softened, and she couldn't help but sighed and said, "I know that! I just don't think he is like your Uncle Chi... The chief examiner at the time was the father of your Uncle Wei, who was the same age as you. Your Uncle Jing and your Uncle Wei spent almost two months helping your Uncle Chi organize the case, but your Uncle Chi didn't even look at it. In his words, you can tell what kind of article a person will write by looking at his character. If you don't even have this kind of vision, how can you get along in the officialdom? It's better to rest at home as soon as possible.
"Your cousin Xu doesn't have the courage like your uncle Chi!
"I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to be appointed as a prime minister in the future!"
I guess most people don’t have such ability and courage!
Zhou Shaojin pondered over it, with no intention of speaking up for Cheng Xu.
But the noises from Zaoyuan still reached Mrs. Guo’s ears from time to time. She also listened to the general situation and knew that in order to let Cheng Xu get a good ranking, Yuan asked Cheng Wei to help write three pages of test questions for the examiner when she was in the capital... She knew that Cheng Xu almost got a heat stroke because he studied every day... There were many Zaoyuan gardens, and Yuan was afraid that the cicadas would disturb Cheng Xu’s mood, so she asked Huanxi and others to catch cicadas. Now there is not even a cicada in Zaoyuan... Yuan personally prepared soup in the kitchen every day, and made whatever Cheng Xu wanted to eat for him...
Zhou Shaojin was silent.
When the autumn chrysanthemums were in full bloom, Cheng Xu entered the Imperial Examination Hall.
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Sisters and brothers, please update the story about the spirit beast egg of the immortal from outer space!
O(∩_∩)O~
PS: I discovered a lot of typos when I was catching bugs, thank you for your hard work...
※(To be continued)