Nanny Shang could only cough twice, then walked in with a cup of tea and said with a smile, "It's so cold, Fourth Master, have a cup of tea to cool off."
Cheng Chi sat on the big kang by the window, while Zhou Shaojin stood beside him, as if he was the owner of the house.
Nanny Shang couldn't help but glance at Zhou Shaojin.
Zhou Shaojin, however, was unaware of this. He asked Cheng Chi with a smile, "Have you had dinner yet? When did you arrive in Baoding Prefecture? Did Huaishan come with you? I'll have someone fetch you some water and change your clothes, and have the maids clean up the guest room." He then apologized, "Everyone went out to visit the Lantern Festival today, so I'm afraid it will take some time."
Cheng Chi smiled and pointed to the kang opposite him, saying, "Sit down and talk! I just arrived in Baoding Prefecture and came to see if you are home. I am a little tired after riding a horse all day and don't want to eat anything for the time being. Didn't you just say that you have some water chestnut cakes? Have someone bring a small plate over so that I can eat a few, and then make a pot of Laojunmei. I will take a rest before dinner. There is no need to clean up the guest room. I will not stay here this time. I will stay at a friend's house - I have some business dealings with him. After all, this is the prefectural government office, and it is not very convenient to go in and out. I will visit Mr. Zhou after I have almost finished my business."
Zhou Shaojin only heard him say that he was tired and wanted to eat water chestnut cake.
She hurriedly called the maid to fetch it, and asked Nanny Shang to make another pot of tea. Then she sat down and said, "Have you found Xiao Zhenhai? Otherwise, why don't you stay in the government office?"
"Xiao Zhenhai is no longer in Baoding Prefecture," Cheng Chi said, "I don't know when he ran away. I came here this time just for this matter. Just listen to it, don't tell Lord Zhou, lest he worry too." He added, "Who are you making this dress for?"
The sleeves are small, only three inches long.
Zhou Shaojin's eyes suddenly became gentle as water, and he said, "It's made for my sister's unborn baby."
If Shao Jin became a mother, she would be a gentle and good mother!
Cheng Chi smiled slightly and said, "Since you are obedient and stayed at home during such a lively lantern festival, I will give you a small gift."
Zhou Shaojin was embarrassed.
Didn’t he tell me not to go anywhere
She listened to him and didn't go anywhere, but he spoke to her like this as if she was very disobedient.
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but pout.
Cheng Chi turned around and brought in a lotus glass lamp the size of a bowl.
The silver-carved ginkgo leaf pole and the transparent glazed petals shine brightly under the candlelight.
"It's so beautiful!" Zhou Shaojin exclaimed, taking the lotus lantern and asking, "Where did you buy it from?"
"I had someone do it." Cheng Chi said with a smile, "Hang it on the head of the bed."
Zhou Shaojin nodded continuously.
This lantern is obviously not the ones bought on the street.
She asked curiously, "Uncle Chi, do you know anyone who makes lanterns?"
Cheng Chi smiled and said, "Don't forget that I am a businessman."
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "He is a Confucian businessman."
Cheng Chi smiled.
Nanny Shang and the maid brought in tea and snacks.
Both of them looked surprised and kept looking at the lanterns. The little maid almost dropped the plate on the ground.
Zhou Shaojin held back his laughter and personally took the tea from Nanny Shang and placed it in front of Cheng Chi.
Cheng Chi just didn't want to make Zhou Shaojin worry, so he washed his hands, ate two water chestnut cakes, drank two sips of tea, and then stood up to say goodbye: "I have something else to do, I will come to visit your father in two days."
Zhou Shaojin knew that he had something important to do, so he naturally didn't dare to keep him. He asked someone to pack up the remaining water chestnut cakes for him to take away, saying, "If you are hungry at night, you can fill your stomach with this." He added, "It's always inconvenient to live in someone else's house. If you want to eat or drink something, just send someone to bring a letter and I'll ask the kitchen to make it for you."
Cheng Chi nodded slightly and left Zhou Shaojin's residence with big strides.
Zhou Shaojin stood in the corridor until Cheng Chi's figure disappeared for a long time. He felt a little cold, and then he went back to the house at the urging of Nanny Shang.
But when she returned to the room, she had no mood to do needlework. She held the lamp and looked at it, as if there was a flower embroidered on it and she wanted to count the number of stitches. Not until Zhou Zhen, Li and others came back did she tell Nanny Shang to hang the lamp on the bedside and go to greet Zhou Zhen and Li.
Zhou Zhen bought her a gauze carousel lantern with the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea, and Li bought her a rabbit lantern.
Zhou Shaojin thanked him with a smile, feeling that none of them were as beautiful as the lotus lantern that Cheng Chi had given her.
She told Zhou Zhen the news that Cheng Chi had come.
Although Zhou Zhen was a little surprised, he was not shocked.
Hearing that Cheng Chi was staying at his friend's house, he thought for a moment and asked, "Did your uncle Chi tell him what his friend does?"
"No." Zhou Shaojin knew that the personnel around Cheng Chi were somewhat complicated, so if he didn't tell her, she would never ask, for fear that she would ask something she shouldn't ask and make Cheng Chi unhappy.
Zhou Zhen didn't ask any more questions.
Zhou Shaojin was a little uneasy, and asked, "Dad, is there something wrong with Uncle Chi?"
"It's hard to say." Zhou Zhen said, "Last year, the weather in Xi'an Prefecture was bad and the grain production decreased. Some grain was transferred from Huguang to ensure the supply of the nine borders. Now it is the spring plowing season, but Xi'an Prefecture has a problem of insufficient grain. If your uncle Chi's friend is engaged in grain production, I'm afraid they want to transport some grain from here."
Zhou Shaojin asked: "Is the grain production in Baoding Prefecture good?"
"Not bad." Zhou Zhen said, "Baoding Prefecture has had good weather and good harvests in recent years."
Food is the most important thing for people.
The people had no worries about food and clothing, and my father's job as an official was going more smoothly.
Zhou Zhen said: "Then do you know where your uncle Chi lives?"
Zhou Shaojin shook his head and said embarrassedly: "I forgot to ask."
Zhou Zhen smiled and said, "That doesn't matter. Let's talk about it when he comes to visit me. If he is really doing this business, I can introduce a few people to him so that he won't have to go the wrong way."
The father and daughter chatted for a while before going their separate ways.
But when Zhou Shaojin returned to the room, she saw Chunwan and the others gathered around the lotus lantern hanging above her bed, talking in amazement.
Zhou Shaojin smiled sweetly and sent them off to sleep. She curled up in her quilt, staring at the lotus lantern and laughing so hard that she couldn't fall asleep. She woke up Bi Tao who was on duty in her room and said, "Go ask Xiao Que if the two orioles Uncle Chi gave me are okay."
Xiaoque was the servant that Cheng Chi sent to her to raise birds. Now he also helps her raise Snowball that Jiying gave her.
Bi Tao rubbed her eyes, yawned and stood up, saying, "I just went to see the two birds. Xiao Que served them very attentively."
But Zhou Shaojin still felt relieved to go and have a look.
Bi Tao helped her put on her clothes and went to see the two birds. Only then did she lie down peacefully.
Cheng Chi lived in an inn not far from Baoding Yamen.
Since five to six out of ten officials traveling south or north had to pass through Baoding Prefecture, this inn not far from Baoding Prefecture was not big but was decorated simply and elegantly, with mostly small courtyards.
Cheng Chi stood by the steps of the main house, looking towards the direction of the Baoding city wall, and asked in a serious tone: "Are you sure Xiao Zhenhai is still in Baoding?"
"I'm sure of it!" The man who answered him was about 25 or 26 years old. He was wearing a short brown jacket made of coarse cloth. He looked very ordinary, but his eyes were as bright as cold stars. "I am personally leading people to guard outside the city. Even if a bird flies out of Baoding Prefecture, it can't escape our eyes."
Cheng Chi sneered and said, "How many birds have flown out of Baoding Prefecture these days?"
The man said seriously, "Because it was winter, a total of 654 birds flew out of Baoding Prefecture. Because of the distance, it was impossible to tell what kind of birds they were. Fifty-eight dogs came out from the city wall, but we caught and ate them all..."
Huaishan was speechless.
Cheng Chi laughed and said, "Okay, I'll wait for your good news."
The young man bowed and retreated.
Huaishan said: "Xu Mu of the Jinsha Gang has unlimited potential."
Cheng Chi smiled but said nothing.
※
The next day, everyone in the government office was talking about the lantern festival last night, and the Zhou family was no exception. The maids who didn't go were even more envious. Fortunately, the lantern festival didn't end until the 17th day of the first lunar month, so Li simply asked the maids to change shifts so that everyone could go out and have fun.
All the servants in Zhou's family were overjoyed and praised Li for her virtue and generosity.
Mrs. Tan brought some homemade Yuanxiao to visit Li and asked about Zhou Shaojin: "Why didn't I see your second young lady go to the Lantern Festival yesterday?"
Whenever someone asked about Zhou Shaojin's whereabouts, Li would put up a shield in her heart and said hurriedly, "Our second young lady doesn't like to join in the fun. She said that she often went to watch the lanterns in Jinling City and was very tired every time. This time, let her rest at home. Our master agreed, so I can't say anything."
Mrs. Tan smiled and said, "Your second young lady is really good-tempered. Unlike our two maids, they can't sit still when they hear there are fun things to do and food to eat."
Li knew that Mrs. Tan had two daughters, both of whom were still unmarried. When they met yesterday while watching the lanterns, Mrs. Tan's words implied that she wanted her two daughters to get closer to Zhou Shaojin.
If it weren't for Mr. Miao's incident, Li might have asked Zhou Shaojin about his wishes, but now, Li seemed not to understand and avoided the question.
Mrs. Tan couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.
After sitting for a while, he stood up and said goodbye.
Mrs. Li sent Mrs. Tan to the door of the house.
A little maid ran over and said breathlessly, "Madam, Madam, the eldest brother-in-law and eldest aunt are here. The carriage is parked outside the door. Please go and have a look!"
That tone seemed to be saying "Oh no!"
Li didn't care about Mrs. Tan anymore, and said in a panic, "Go and invite the master back." She also told Li Ma, "Hurry up and clean up the guest room. Tell the second young lady..." and walked out in a hurry. After a few words, she stopped as if she remembered something and turned around and said to Li Ma, "You also need to tell the kitchen to quickly prepare a table of food. If it's too late, go and order a table of food from outside... Forget it, forget it, this restaurant hasn't opened yet, you guys find a way to prepare a table of food..."
Nanny Li nodded repeatedly.
Li half-ran out of the yard.
Mrs. Tan couldn't help but curl her lips.
The New Year hasn't even ended yet, and the eldest aunt of Mr. Zhou's family, who married to Zhenjiang, and her eldest brother-in-law have returned to her parents' home. Who knows what happened
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Sisters, today's extra update.
O(∩_∩)O~
Update, everyone can check it out tomorrow morning!
※(To be continued)