Zhou Zhen frowned at first, but when Zhou Shaojin talked about Cheng Chi pushing Ji Ying out, his brows relaxed and he laughed, saying, "This trick of removing the firewood from under the cauldron is a good one!"
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but smile with his eyes curved, and said, "Uncle Chi always has a lot of ideas."
Zhou Zhen sighed, "It's a pity to just take care of the chores at home like this."
Zhou Shaojin didn't know what to say for a moment.
Fortunately, Zhou Zhen just sighed for a while and changed the topic to the cave: "In other words, when you came here, you still hadn't found out who gave you the drug?"
Zhou Shaojin defended Cheng Chi, "It's not that easy to find out. At that time, everyone was only concerned with investigating Jiying's beating of Cheng Jiashan. By the time they came to their senses, the person who drugged her had probably already disappeared and cleaned up the mess. Moreover, it involves the Second House, and there is an old ancestor in the Second House. How can it be easily investigated?"
Zhou Zhen couldn't help but look at Zhou Shaojin for a second longer, and said with a smile: "You are such a generous kid, you don't rush or rush when things happen to you."
Zhou Shaojin felt guilty and said hurriedly, "Although Cheng Jiashan has bad intentions towards me, Madam Guo and Uncle Chi treat me well. I can't vent my anger on the eldest house and Jiuru Lane just because of Cheng Jiashan, right? Everyone has their own consequences. If I want to hate someone, I should hate Cheng Jiashan."
Zhou Zhen's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he said, "Our Shaojin has finally grown up."
Zhou Shaojin blushed.
Zhou Zhen laughed loudly and said, "Since you are in Baoding Prefecture, let Madam take you around and have some fun."
After the new year, I will find a good marriage for Shaojin, and he will have nothing to worry about.
Zhou Zhen said to Zhou Shaojin, "You don't need to tell your wife about this, lest she think too much about it."
This would also prevent her from feeling that Shao Jin had done something wrong or neglected her.
This is not a good thing!
Zhou Shaojin nodded and said with a smile: "Don't worry, father, I won't have to worry about it."
Zhou Zhen naturally trusted Zhou Shaojin and asked about Zhou Chujin's situation.
Zhou Shaojin answered them one by one.
Knowing that Zhou Chujin was living well in the Liao family, Zhou Zhen's expression finally relaxed and became gentler.
The father and daughter lingered in the study for nearly an hour, until Zhou Shaojin's stomach growled with hunger. Zhou Zhen then came to his senses and hurriedly asked the maid to serve the meal.
Li personally helped them arrange the chopsticks.
Zhou Shaojin immediately stood up and said, "Madam, please sit with us!"
Li was about to postpone it, but Zhou Zhen smiled and said to her, "Let's sit together! There's no need for family members to be so estranged. Shao Jin will stay here for a few more days."
Mrs. Li then sat down and said, "I don't know what the second young lady likes to eat. I asked Madam Fan. Some of the ingredients are available in the kitchen, but some are not. The second young lady should make do with what she likes first, and I will slowly go shopping."
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "Madam, just call me Shaojin. I am also used to northern food. My favorites are lamb rib soup and cabbage dumplings. I also like noodles."
These are very common dishes in the north and can be made in the kitchen at any time.
"Oh," Li said in surprise, "Why didn't Second Miss tell me earlier? I'll have someone do it right away."
"No, no." Zhou Shaojin held Li and said, "I saw Madam had someone make pork ribs and yam soup today, which I also like. Let's talk about what Madam wants to make tomorrow."
"That's fine." Li thought for a moment and said with a smile, "There's a lot of time to come. Second Miss is used to the flavors of both the north and south. She can cook something different every day, and it doesn't matter if it's just one or two days."
Zhou Zhen had no suspicion.
Madam Guo had lived in the capital for more than ten years, and Cheng Chi also grew up in the capital. Zhou Shaojin was born in the eldest son's family, so his diet had changed accordingly.
He smiled slightly and said, "Let's eat!"
Zhou Shaojin nodded sweetly and said nothing more.
Li secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The master was indeed very happy that she was nice to Zhou Shaojin.
Looking at the pretty, gentle and obedient Zhou Shaojin, she felt very happy.
Fortunately, it was she who came back to live here. If it was Zhou Chujin, she would probably be fried in oil every day.
Zhou Shaojin had never sat in a carriage for such a long time in her two lives, so she had no appetite at all. But seeing that Li had prepared such a full table of dishes, she still forced herself to eat a few more bites, but at the same time she felt a little depressed.
Unless Uncle Chi traveled by land, he would have very few opportunities to pass by Baoding Prefecture. And every time Uncle Chi traveled by land, he was in a hurry. Even if he came to visit their family, he could only pass by in a hurry, let alone stay here for a few days.
After coming to Baoding, her fate with Uncle Chi ended!
I wonder what would happen if I shamelessly stayed in Jiuru Lane like I did in my previous life
The thought flashed through his mind, and Zhou Shaojin immediately suppressed it in his heart.
How could I be so useless? I said I would never think about Uncle Chi again, so I must keep my word. If I go back on my words, what is the difference between me and my previous life!
Zhou Shaojin secretly made up his mind that he would never go back to Jinling City no matter what.
The three of them had dinner quietly and went to the banquet room to drink tea.
The wet nurse brought Zhou Youjin, who was over one year old, over.
She grabbed Li's sleeve and secretly looked at Zhou Shaojin, looking so cute.
Zhou Shaojin held her in his arms. At first, she kept looking at Li and her wet nurse, and then she started to play with Zhou Shaojin's jewelry.
Li slapped her hand and said, "Don't mess up my sister's hair."
Zhou Shaojin hurriedly said: "It's okay, it's okay. Let her play." Then he gave her the hairpin with kingfisher feathers and phoenix tail and auspicious clouds on her head to play with.
Zhou Youjin's nurse was shocked and said hurriedly, "Second Miss, you can't do that. Third Miss will hold it in her mouth."
Zhou Shaojin blushed and quickly handed the hairpin to Chunwan.
Li smiled and tried to smooth things over: "It's okay, it's okay, we are all watching from the side!"
Zhou Shaojin felt a little embarrassed and stopped stuffing things for Zhou Youjin to play with.
Zhou Zhen instructed Li to take Zhou Shaojin around Baoding Prefecture in the next two days. If it was not fun, they could go to the capital to stay for a few days and buy some clothes and jewelry to celebrate the New Year.
Li responded with a smile.
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "Sister is due in February next year, so we need to buy some things for her baby. And Youjin is going to be an aunt, so she needs to dress up well, too."
Zhou Zhen and Li laughed, and Zhou Zhen even teased You Jin, "Did you hear what your second sister said? You are going to be an aunt, so you have to behave yourself."
Zhou Youjin grinned, revealing his little front teeth.
Everyone burst into laughter.
Zhou Youjin was at a loss as to what to do.
Everyone laughed even harder.
A little maid came in and reported, "Mrs. Huang is here."
Li was slightly stunned and asked, "Why is she here at this time?"
It was rare that Zhou Zhen was so happy and the atmosphere was so good, she didn't want anyone to ruin it.
Zhou Zhen smiled and said, "I'm afraid I have something to talk to you about. I'll go to the study first."
Li was angry that Mrs. Huang was tactless, but she didn't show it on her face. She smiled and sent Zhou Zhen out of the banquet room. Then she asked the maid to invite Mrs. Huang in and explained to Zhou Shaojin, "This Mrs. Huang is a member of the family."
Zhou Shaojin understood.
The prefectural yamen was composed of the Futang, the Lijingsi, the Zhaomosi and the Siyusi.
In other words, the wife of one of his father's subordinates came to visit Li.
And at this time, he was probably living in the yamen.
Zhou Shaojin stood up and said, "Then I'll go back to my room first."
Li thought that she had returned to Nanjing twice since she followed Zhou Zhen to take office, and she was busy having children. She hardly attended any social events in Baoding Prefecture, and she had no private relationships with these ladies who lived in the yamen.
Why did you show up at this time!
She felt even more suffocated, nodded, and was about to see Zhou Shaojin out when Mrs. Huang walked in in two steps at a time.
"Is this the second young lady of your mansion?" She saw Zhou Shaojin's surprised expression and said in a familiar voice, "I heard a few days ago that your second young lady was coming. I didn't expect that she would be such a beautiful person made of jade. Not to mention Baoding Prefecture, I think there are few girls in the whole northern Zhili who can compare with the second young lady!"
Her words were exaggerated but sincere, with the simplicity of a country woman, and were not annoying.
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but look at her intently.
Mrs. Huang was a woman in her forties, with slightly dark skin, a plump figure, a rosy complexion, a round face, a bright smile, a parrot green Lu silk jacket, and golden stirrup rings on her short, plump fingers.
Zhou Shaojin pursed his lips and smiled.
The housekeeper of the outer courtyard of Jiuru Lane usually dresses like this in winter.
She bowed and called out "Mrs. Huang".
Mrs. Huang quickly stepped aside and said with a smile, "How dare you accept the gift from the Second Young Lady? This is really embarrassing for me."
Speaks like that too.
Mrs. Li invited Mrs. Huang to sit down.
Mrs. Huang said some compliments again, and Zhou Shaojin heard about it. It turned out that Mrs. Huang heard that she was coming, so she specially made some snacks from her hometown Songjiang and invited Zhou Shaojin to her home for dinner tomorrow.
Li didn't dare to let Zhou Shaojin eat anything she wanted, so she said politely, "... The master asked me to accompany the second young lady to go shopping these few days."
The word "Second Miss" choked Mrs. Huang, but it also made her mind clear again.
"When will Madam go out?" She asked attentively, "I have been in Baoding Prefecture for seven or eight years. I like to travel a lot, so I have visited all the places in Baoding Prefecture. If you want to know where the most popular incense is in Baoding Prefecture, there is no other place except Daci Pavilion, and there is also a Guandi Temple behind Daci Pavilion... To the south of Daci Pavilion is Kui Tower, which is what we often call Wenchang Pavilion. It is the most effective..."
She talked endlessly about the customs and culture of Baoding, implying that she could accompany Li and Zhou Shaojin to visit Baoding Prefecture.
Seeing that Zhou Shaojin was listening with great interest and Mrs. Huang was good at speaking and could respond to whatever was said, Li was moved for a moment and thought it would be nice to have Mrs. Huang accompany him.
She winked at Zhou Shaojin while Mrs. Huang was drinking tea.
Zhou Shaojin felt empty inside. Although Mrs. Huang talked a lot, it was just the right amount of time for her to stop thinking about anything. She nodded almost imperceptibly.
Li knew her feelings and invited Mrs. Huang to visit Baoding Prefecture in a few days.
Mrs. Huang couldn't help herself.
Everyone knew that Zhou Zhen's first wife was Cheng Jing's cousin, but no one was sure whether the two families were close or whether Cheng Jing would give face to his former brother-in-law.
When Huang Futang heard that Zhou Zhen's second daughter, who grew up in Jiuru Lane, had come to Baoding, he could no longer sit still, and that's why Mrs. Huang came uninvited.
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Sisters and brothers, today’s extra update.
PS: I can get off work normally today and should be able to complete today's update around 12 o'clock.
O(∩_∩)O~
※(To be continued)