The squirrel fish is sweet and sour, the Longjing shrimp is light in color, the honey sauce is sweet and salty, and the fried bell is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside... In the best private room in Fuchun River, the large round table made of pear wood is filled with dishes, and the taste of each dish is just right. Li and others are full of praise for the food.
Zhou Shaojin held the chopsticks, but was a little absent-minded.
Uncle Chi said he wanted to marry her...
Her face was slightly flushed.
But there was a huge chasm between her and Uncle Chi, and it was not easy for them to get married.
Uncle Chi should know this too, right
Not to mention two years, even if it was a lifetime, she would be willing to wait.
I'm afraid that what she is waiting for is not a happy marriage, but overwhelming accusations and insults.
If it were just herself, she would have nothing to fear.
The fear was that Uncle Chi would be harmed. As long as he proposed to the Cheng family that he wanted to marry her, it would definitely cause an uproar in the Cheng family. With Uncle Chi's personality, he must have planned it in advance. If Uncle Chi succeeded, he would most likely pay a heavy price; if Uncle Chi failed, he might even be expelled from the Cheng family.
It's not enough to just be alive.
Need friends, need wealth, need social status.
If Uncle Chi had nothing, would he feel happy
How could she let him risk his life for her just because she liked him
Zhou Shaojin looked towards where Cheng Chi was.
The agarwood screen carved with a playful picture blocked her view, and she couldn't even see a shadow of Cheng Chi.
She thought of Cheng Chi's seemingly calm yet determined eyes and expression when he said he wanted to marry her, and she felt shy and sweet in her heart.
She was just stupid. How could she think that Uncle Chi was just attracted by her good looks
Although she is beautiful, she is not irreplaceable.
With Uncle Chi's experience, if he just wanted to find a prettier woman, why did he not even have a concubine until today
Uncle Chi has always been honest and sincere to her.
Thinking of this, she bit her lip and made a decision secretly.
With a "pop", something fell in front of her.
She was startled and looked carefully, only to find that the braised peanuts Zhou Youjin was holding with chopsticks had slipped onto the table and jumped into her bowl.
Zhou Shaojin laughed and rubbed Zhou Youjin's hair.
It's rare to show emotion like this.
Zhou Youjin hid in Li's arms embarrassedly.
Li smiled and apologized to Zhou Shaojin.
Zhou Shaojin felt a little emotional.
If it was her younger sister, Li probably wouldn't have apologized to her like this.
For some things, yes is yes and no is no, and no one has any control over them.
She smiled and said to Li: "We are one family and we don't talk about our two families. Madam is too polite."
Li smiled slightly.
This matter has been exposed.
But Zhou Shaojin couldn't calm down.
After she returned, she personally stewed ginseng soup and brought it to the study in the outer courtyard.
Cheng Chi heard the noise and sat behind the desk waiting for her to come over. He smiled and said, "You've been running around all day. Aren't you tired? Just let the little maid do this kind of thing. Go back to your room and rest!"
This was the first time Zhou Shaojin had done something like this in his two lifetimes, so he couldn't help feeling nervous and shy.
She was afraid that Uncle Chi would become especially close to her because of this.
It seemed as if she couldn't wait.
So Cheng Chi’s attitude is just right.
Although Zhou Shaojin's face was red, he looked much more relaxed.
She pointed at the large desk in front of Cheng Chi and said with a smile, "Isn't the Fourth Master busy too?"
Fourth Master?!
Cheng Chi raised his eyebrows.
Zhou Shaojin's face turned red as he jumped to the ground.
Cheng Chi's smile couldn't stop overflowing from his eyes, illuminating his face.
Zhou Shaojin was so embarrassed that he couldn't even raise his head and ran away with the tray.
Cheng Chi smiled silently, picked up the stew pot and took a sip carefully.
When Zhou Shaojin was about to run out of the yard, he remembered the purpose of his visit.
She turned around and went to look for Huaishan again.
Huaishan was very surprised to hear what she said, and asked for confirmation: "You said that if the Fourth Master had a conflict with the elders in the family, he must tell you?"
Zhou Shaojin nodded.
The blush still remained on her face as she said, "Just tell me. I'm afraid Uncle Chi will suffer."
If it really comes to that, she won't let Uncle Chi bear it alone.
At worst, she'll come out and admit it!
In her previous life, she was able to marry and live alone, so naturally she can also live a secluded life in this life.
Think about it, if Uncle Chi hadn't made this clear, wouldn't she have also planned to become a nun
This is the outcome anyway, why should she be afraid
Zhou Shaojin felt relieved.
The next day, she cooked a few dishes and sent them to the study. She also opened the box to find some suitable cloth to help Cheng Chi make some winter clothes.
Thanks to Cheng Chi, Li also ate the dishes Zhou Shaojin cooked. Knowing that Zhou Shaojin was going to make clothes for Cheng Chi, she came in and asked her, "Do you have anything suitable? If not, you can ask the people at Fu Rui Fang to send some fabrics over. That's my mother's family's silk and satin shop. If you buy anything, you can also ask them to send it."
Zhou Shaojin thought that Li would stop her, so she was a little surprised.
Li smiled and said, "I am not blind. The fourth master gave the inner courtyard to us and lived in the back seat... Just because he values us so much, we should treat him like a guest of honor."
Ever since returning from the Buddha's Bathing Festival, her affection for Cheng Chi has been growing.
He has strategies, methods, abilities, and is also knowledgeable, interesting, and not rigid... Even a small outing for the Buddha's Birthday was arranged so well and thoughtfully, making people feel at ease and comfortable everywhere. The most precious thing is his respect for them, which made her feel flattered and grateful.
No wonder he can be in charge of the general affairs of Jiuru Lane. Only after getting to know him, you will find that he has such a gentle temperament and treats people like a spring breeze, which makes people feel good about him.
Zhou Shaojin could feel Li's attitude towards Cheng Chi.
She smiled.
Does Cheng Chi's behavior count as bribing Li
She generously helped Cheng Chi pick out the fabric for the clothes and went to help Cheng Chi measure the clothes.
Cheng Chi stood there and let her pull him this way and that, and never mentioned the fact that she changed her name.
Huaishan was thoughtful after hearing this. He really wanted to tell Zhou Shaojin that if she was interested, she could just take an old piece of Fourth Master's clothes and cut it according to the pattern. But seeing that they were willing to fight and be beaten, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
Zhou Shaojin sat down and wrote down Cheng Chi's size.
Cheng Chi thought about it and finally did not mention what she had told Huaishan - if she felt uneasy, just let her be at ease.
He signaled Huaishan that he didn't need to hide it from Zhou Shaojin.
Zhou Shaojin tilted his head and looked at the scribblings on his desk and asked curiously, "What is this?"
Cheng Chi walked over.
Huaishan helped them close the study door.
Cheng Chi whispered, "I got in touch with Shi Kuan, and later investigated the Fourth Prince. I found out that the Fourth Prince's biological mother was a maidservant of the Empress, and she was not given a title after giving birth to the Fourth Prince. Before the Crown Prince was born, she was raised in Kunning Palace, and was almost registered under the name of the Empress. After the Crown Prince was born, his biological mother was given a title of seventh-rank concubine, and she moved out of Kunning Palace not long after."
"Is there such a thing?" It was the first time Zhou Shaojin heard of it.
The royal heir is chosen by the legitimate wife and the most virtuous.
The legitimate wife is ranked before the virtuous wife.
Children raised by the queen have more advantages than children born to other concubines when choosing the crown prince.
She hesitated and asked, "Do you suspect the Fourth Prince?"
Cheng Chi smiled and said, "It's hard to say now. Let's find out what we need to know first and then make plans."
Zhou Shaojin said with shame: "I said I would help you, but in the end I was of no help at all."
"I can't really help you at all." Cheng Chi smiled and whispered in her ear, "How about I send my wife to take care of my aunt, and you can accompany me to climb the mountain at Daxiangguo Temple in a few days? I've been very busy these days!"
The ambiguous tone made Zhou Shaojin's heart flutter, and she ran away with a blushing face.
Cheng Chi couldn't help laughing.
Zhou Shaojin didn't come to his senses until he stepped into the hanging flower gate, and couldn't help but complain in his heart.
These past few days, my wife was busy arranging local ceremonies for my father, his staff, my boss’ wife, and others, and had no time to visit my sister. He said something like this... Really... She didn’t know what to say!
However, although Uncle Chi hugged her that day, he just held her like that and did nothing else.
Why is she panicking
Uncle Chi has been teasing her for a long time...
Zhou Shaojin returned to the house.
A woman's figure flashed in the mirror.
Her facial features were extremely beautiful, and her eyes and eyebrows were smiling tenderly.
Is this her
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but turn around and stand in front of the mirror.
Who else could it be but her that shy and timid look
There was a hint of embarrassment in Zhou Shaojin's brows.
Zhou Chujin sent someone to tell them that Mrs. Liao would arrive in Beijing on April 28th.
Li no longer cared about the local rituals and asked Zhou Shaojin to prepare for the welcome party for Mrs. Liao.
Zhou Shaojin had dealt with Mrs. Liao in his previous life. He brought the set of red porcelain tableware with a pattern of rich flowers to entertain Mrs. Liao, and went to the yard at the back to see the flowers she planted.
Li saw that only the roses and hollyhocks were in full bloom in the flower garden, and she said worriedly, "I'm afraid this won't work?"
Indeed, it doesn't work.
Mrs. Liao was a typical young lady from a wealthy family, and she was particular about everything.
The set of red porcelain tableware Uncle Chi gave was a new product from the official kiln this year. Although it was gorgeous, Mrs. Liao had never seen it before. She could earn some face by showing it out. I had to put more thought into the decoration of this room.
She went to Cheng Chi.
Cheng Chi is talking to someone.
Zhou Shaojin waited for him in the ear room, and found that the person who came out of his room was Mr. Wu, the aide of Cheng Shao, the second old man of the Cheng family.
She entered the study room suspiciously and found that Cheng Chi's expression was a little solemn.
"Did something happen?" Zhou Shaojin asked carefully.
Cheng Chi didn't want to hide it from her.
This girl is always very sensitive and aware of her emotions.
Rather than hiding it from her and making her worry, it is better to tell her the truth.
"We don't know yet." Cheng Chi said, "We found out that the Fourth Prince has a very good relationship with Chen Li, the chief eunuch of the Qianqing Palace."
Chen Li, the Chen Li who had been by the emperor’s side and served him all his life when the emperor was still in the palace
Zhou Shaojin opened his mouth wide.
Cheng Chi hugged her shoulders and said with a smile: "Don't worry, this is normal. Who doesn't want to make friends with a few people in the palace to help see what's going on? Even me, am I not also good friends with Liu Yong?"
That's different.
Zhou Shaojin thought intuitively.
Although the imperial court had rules that princes were not allowed to make friends with court officials, it was also expressly forbidden for princes to make friends with eunuchs.
The Fourth Prince knowingly committed the crime and even handed it over to Chen Li, the eunuch in charge of the Qianqing Palace!
She felt something was wrong.
The Fourth Prince might not be as innocent and harmless as she saw in her previous life.
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Sisters and brothers, catching up on yesterday’s update.
I have a meeting today, so I can only update once, around 10pm.
O(∩_∩)O~
※(To be continued)