When Cheng Chi walked into Fucui Pavilion, he saw boxes and cages all over the yard.
He stood under the still lush camphor tree and suddenly found it difficult to breathe.
After what happened, it would be inappropriate and unreasonable for Shao Jin to stay in Jiuru Lane any longer.
He knew it very well.
But when they were in the flower hall, he considered everything for her, but didn't think about this problem at all.
In his opinion, Zhou Shaojin was still young. Even if she had some feelings, given her timidity, it would take her some time to muster up the courage to tell him... It might be winter when she left.
But what he never expected was that she started packing her luggage almost as soon as she returned to Hanbi Mountain Villa.
Cheng Chi's eyes fell on the pot of black chrysanthemums that was previously placed in the corner by Zhou Shaojin but was now moved to the veranda by the maids.
Shao Jin obviously wanted to take it away!
She loves flowers and plants, and old things she has used, and she carries them with her wherever she goes.
He thought of the scene when she first moved to Fucui Pavilion.
When watering the flowers, she would occasionally mutter to herself while looking at the pots of camellia she had planted, “We’ve moved to a new place, are you guys used to it?”…
Cheng Chi's eyes felt like they were pierced by thousands of tiny needles, causing a stinging pain.
Shao Jin is really like a floating duckweed, from Wanxiangju to Fucui Pavilion, from Fucui Pavilion to Pingqiao Street, from Pingqiao Street to Baoding Prefecture... probably no place has ever been her home!
So she only grows flowers in pots and never plants trees in the yard!
That's fine.
Zhou Dacheng is her father after all.
Didn’t someone say that home is where your parents are
She returned to her father and finally had a home!
Cheng Chi left Fucui Pavilion quietly, just like when he came, and went to the upper room.
Cheng Xu had already fallen asleep, and Old Madam Guo was sitting at the head of his bed with her eyes closed, chanting sutras for Cheng Xu.
Hearing the noise, Mrs. Guo opened her eyes, and said softly, "You're back," without any surprise, then stood up.
Cheng Chi went forward to help Madam Guo, and the two of them sat down in the banquet room. After the maids served tea and snacks, everyone left. Madam Guo then asked, "Have you finished your business outside?"
"It's done!" Cheng Chi said softly, "I've set up a few small traps to make the second and third houses suspicious of each other and feel anxious. We'll deal with them when we need them."
Although his eyes were still clear and his expression was still warm, he somehow made people feel that he was a little depressed.
Madam Guo hesitated and asked, "Zichuan, are you very dissatisfied with Jiashan?"
Otherwise, why would he allow Jiying to beat Jiashan
Cheng Chi did not comment, and said lazily: "Don't worry about Jiying's matter. If the sister-in-law asks, just say that I have sold her out. Shut her up."
Madam Guo nodded, not wanting to dwell on this question any further, and said, "Shao Jin, I want to go back to Baoding Prefecture..."
Cheng Chi froze and said, "I heard that Liao Shaotang wanted to go to Beijing to study. I'll write a letter to my second uncle and ask him to give Liao Shaotang some advice! Then I'll see if there are any good farms and buy one and register it under Zhou Shaojin's name."
Mrs. Guo heaved a long sigh and said, "It is our Cheng family who has let her down. Please help take care of her more!" Then she changed the subject with a melancholy look, "What happened to Jiashan in the end?"
Cheng Chi said: "What else can I say - Jiashan was drugged and unconscious, and mistook Jiying for Shaojin, and wanted to bring Jiying to you. Jiying thought Jiashan was flirting with her while drunk, so she accidentally hit Jiashan..."
He told Mrs. Guo what had happened in a concise manner.
Madam Guo immediately followed Cheng Chi's train of thought and said thoughtfully, "Then the most urgent thing to do is to find out who drugged Jiashan? From the chef in the kitchen to the maids serving tea and wine in the hall, everyone is a suspect... Why not take the opportunity to let a group of people out? Especially the people around the second house ancestor, who have served for a long time and are inevitably a little slippery. Although such people are easy to use, they also like to take advantage of the power of others and corrupt the atmosphere in the courtyard. I think that when the servants around Cheng Shi are involved, the second house should not object."
In this way, we can take the opportunity to place people in each room.
Cheng Chi was obviously not interested in these things and said, "Just arrange it for you."
The mother and son talked for a long time. Cheng Chi went in again to take a look at the sleeping Cheng Xu, and then returned to Tingli Pavilion.
After practicing calligraphy for a while, it's time to take a break.
But he was not sleepy at all, so he took out the chess manual and played the remaining chess game according to the instructions. He played with his left hand and right hand for a long time until Huaishan came in to urge him. He dawdled for a long time before going to bed.
The next day, after breakfast, Cheng Chi was talking to Qin Ziping about the Thirteenth Line when Qingfeng came in and reported, "Fourth Master, the Zhou residence's chief steward Ma is here and wants to take the second cousin back to Pingqiao Street to stay for a few days."
Cheng Chi straightened his sleeves.
Huaishan was shocked.
Whenever Cheng Chi did something like this, he was in a very bad mood.
He couldn't help but persuade him, "Fourth Master, it was Master Xu who was too reckless about the cave incident. You should talk to him in a nice way. As for the Second Miss of the Zhou family, she has suffered such a great injustice, why don't you compensate the Second Cousin!"
Cheng Chi listened, glanced at him with a smile, and said, "According to you, how should we compensate the second cousin?"
Huaishan felt his scalp tingling, and he had no time to think carefully, so he said: "Madam Zhou of Baoding Prefecture is the stepmother of my second cousin. I heard that stepmothers and stepchildren are natural enemies. Even if they are very close, it is just for face. I think you should let Jiying go with my second cousin. First, Jiying will have a place to stay, second, my second cousin will have a companion, and third, if Madam Zhou treats my second cousin disrespectfully, Jiying can help her resist for a while. At most in two years, my second cousin should be married, and by then Jiying can have accomplished her career and return to Cangzhou."
Cheng Chi touched his chin and actually started to think about this matter seriously.
Huaishan wiped his forehead when Cheng Chi wasn't paying attention.
Qin Ziping lowered his head with a dazed look on his face.
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Zhou Shaojin went to say goodbye to Old Madam Guan, Madam Mian and the newly-married Madam Gao.
Old Lady Guan and Madam Mian knew the inside story, and they sighed and shed tears. They stuffed a red envelope into her hand, saying it was pocket money for her, and told her to send someone to tell them when she was scheduled to go to Baoding Mansion, so that they could see her off. Only Grandma Nuo didn't know what happened. She thought that Cheng Xu was drugged and flirted with Jiying and was caught by Zhou Shaojin. In order not to embarrass the eldest house, she decided to go to Baoding Mansion to visit Zhou Zhen.
She held Zhou Shaojin's hand and said with regret: "On the first day I got married, your cousin Gao told me to treat you like my own sister. I thought of the exquisite jade-carving person I saw when I went to the Cheng family for a small meeting, and I liked her a little bit. I was thinking about how to have a good intimate relationship with my second cousin, but who knew that before I could have a good talk with you, you had to go to Baoding Prefecture..."
Zhou Shaojin comforted her, "I just haven't seen my father for a long time, and I want to spend the New Year with him. I'll go to Zhenjiang to visit my sister."
Madam Guan hurriedly said, "Shao Jin, you want to go see your sister? Bring me something for your sister!"
Zhou Shaojin agreed with a smile.
Old Mrs. Guan asked her to stay for lunch before leaving.
Zhou Shaojin politely declined: "I'm just going back to stay for a few days. Maybe I'll come to see you again in a few days!"
Old Mrs. Guan did not force her and personally escorted her to the corridor.
Grandma Gao sent Zhou Shaojin out on behalf of Grandma Guan.
Old Lady Guan looked at the two girls' flower-like figures disappearing into the green trees and said with emotion, "It's all Cheng Jiashan's fault!"
Mrs. Miao didn't say anything, but she thought in her heart: If only Shao Jin had been left in Jiashu Hall!
When Zhou Shaojin returned to Fucui Pavilion, the boxes had almost been packed.
She stood on the steps of the main house, looking at Tingli Pavilion, hesitated for a long time, and finally decided to say goodbye to Cheng Chi.
Just this once!
She took one last look at him!
I will keep him in my heart from now on.
If she had the chance to meet him again, she would definitely treat him like her own uncle and never have any more random thoughts.
If she never had the chance to meet him again, she would recall what kind of clothes Uncle Chi wore, what kind of incense he used, what he said to her, what his expression was... it would be enough for her to remember for the rest of her life!
Zhou Shaojin changed into a pink Hangzhou silk jacket embroidered with broken branches and flowers, a plain oil green Xiang skirt, and a pink gauze jacket on the outside. She combed her hair into a bun, wore a pair of green bean-sized South Pearl ears, and went to Cheng Chi.
Cheng Chi pointed at the gauze jacket she was wearing and asked, "Is this a fashionable style?"
Zhou Shaojin smiled and nodded, thinking that she didn't know when they would meet again, and she didn't know if others had laughed at her because of her embarrassment, so she boldly asked, "Does it look good?"
"Not bad!" Cheng Chi took another look and said, "It looks like it's covered with smoke. It's pretty good."
Zhou Shaojin just smiled.
Cheng Chi said, "You came at the right time. You can stay in Baoding Prefecture for a while. I don't know what kind of personality Li has. If she bullies you, you won't have anyone to talk to. I originally wanted to let Ji Ying go with you to Baoding Prefecture, but she did a good job this time. I also promised to let her go back to Cangzhou. Now you won't have anyone to use... I'll let Nanny Shang stay with you in Baoding Prefecture for a few days. If you have anything in the future, you can discuss it with her!"
"Madame Shang?" Zhou Shaojin was stunned and asked, "Doesn't that mean you don't even have anyone to serve you?"
"Don't we have Huaishan and Nanping?" Cheng Chi said indifferently, "Madame Shang is older and can handle things better. She is more suitable than Jiying."
Zhou Shaojin lowered his head, tears welling up in his eyes.
After all, Li was her mother in name. Uncle Chi was afraid that Li would suffer and Ji Ying's hot temper would be uncontrollable, so he sent Nanny Shang to accompany her to Baoding Prefecture, right
Why is Uncle Chi so nice to her
It made her sad and upset...
Seeing that she was looking down and not very happy, Cheng Chi could not help but walk up to her from behind the desk and said softly, "What's wrong? Do you want Ji Ying to accompany you back? How about I let Xiao Tan go with you to Baoding Prefecture? With her by your side, you'll have someone to talk to..."
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Sisters and brothers, today’s update.
Corrected typos.
O(∩_∩)O~
※(To be continued)