After hearing what Fan Qi said, Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat, and some doubts arose in his mind.
She sent Fan Qi away and went to Hanqiu Pavilion impatiently.
Zhou Chujin was helping Mrs. Mian with the Dragon Boat Festival gift list. They were both very surprised to see Zhou Shaojin.
Mrs. Miao asked hurriedly, "But what happened?"
"It's nothing serious." Zhou Shaojin said, glancing at his sister, "I just came to see what you are doing."
At this time, Zhou Shaojin should go to Hanbi Mountain House to copy scriptures.
Upon hearing this, Madam Mian understood what was going on and ordered the maid to serve tea and snacks. She made the excuse that she was going to Curry to check out the festival gifts and left the banquet room to the Zhou sisters.
Zhou Shaojin pulled Zhou Chujin aside and asked quietly, "Sister, do you still remember that year when the Zhuang family's aunt came to visit... I pushed the aunt to you to deal with..."
"Remember!" Zhou Chujin said vigilantly, "What? Are they looking for you again? Don't pay any attention to them, just let them come to me! My father has sent the document of the government verdict to me, so we are not afraid even if they want to make trouble this time."
"It's not about this." Zhou Shaojin hesitated, "I just suddenly remembered and wanted to ask how the original incident was handled?"
My sister is growing up and has her own feelings. What's more, the Zhuang family is her blood-related family, so perhaps she can't let go.
Zhou Chujin guessed and thought about it, but finally suppressed the words of advice in his heart and said with a smile: "At that time, the official in Jinling City was my father's classmate. I wrote a letter to my father and Ma Zongguan took my father's name card and asked the government to intervene. This scared my uncle Zhuang."
Zhou Shaojin asked: "So, has the Zhuang family's old house been sold?"
"I don't know about that." Zhou Chujin was a little puzzled, and said tactfully, "Whether it was sold or not, those were distributed to Uncle Zhuang. They are Uncle Zhuang's things, and we can't interfere even if we don't want to. Did someone say something in front of you? Do you want to know about mother's past? You don't have to worry about that. Everything that mother used was taken back by my father. Now it is placed in the ancestral home of the Zhou family. My father has a list, and Ma Zongguan has a list. There is also a list here with my grandmother. When you get married, my father said that they will be dealt with by you. If you want to take it away, take it all. If you don't like it, leave it to my father. When my father is a hundred years old, my father and my biological mother's coffins will be buried together according to the ritual, and my mother's things will be placed in my father's coffin as my father's burial objects. My father has explained all these."
As Zhou Shaojin listened, he suddenly felt a pang in his heart and his eyes became moist.
My father treated my mother better than my sister's biological mother... The things she did in her previous life must have broken my father's heart...
Her tears couldn't stop falling.
Zhou Chujin took a handkerchief to wipe her tears and said gently, "What's wrong? Do you miss mother? Father actually loves us very much, he just can't bring us with him. Don't blame him. Although father is also a fourth-rank official, the Cheng family has been officials for generations since the previous dynasty. The granddaughter of the Cheng family has an official father, so her status is prominent enough..."
"I know!" Zhou Shaojin took the handkerchief from his sister and wiped his eyes roughly. "I don't blame my father. I still have a sister! I'm just a little sad."
Zhou Chujin sometimes feels sad.
But she chose not to think too much about it.
"Yes!" She hugged her sister, "You still have me, and I still have you!"
The two sisters were sad for a while, and Zhou Shaojin suggested going to the Zhou family's ancestral home someday: "... I just want to know what my mother left for me?"
In her previous life, her father also sent someone to deliver her mother's belongings to the capital, but they were all antiques, calligraphy and paintings. There was not a single piece of gold and silver jewelry she had worn, or a dressing box or musical instrument she had used. The person who delivered the things unloaded them and left, and she did not dare to ask. In this life, she wanted to see her mother's belongings.
Zhou Chujin said: "Don't worry, I will arrange it."
Their grandmother and aunt both raised them. If they think about their kindness every day, what would their grandmother and aunt think
Zhou Chujin paid great attention to these details. He tried not to mention his parents on weekdays, and rarely mentioned the Zhou family.
Zhou Shaojin knew this, and she said, "I can go anytime, sister, you don't have to force me."
"I don't need to." Zhou Chujin said, "If we can spare the time, we can go together then."
In fact, she hadn't been back to the Zhou family's ancestral home for at least twenty years in her past and present lives. Of course, it would be best if she could go with her sister.
Zhou Shaojin smiled and nodded, and the two sisters talked for a while before the maids came in and served tea and snacks. When Madam Mian came over, Zhou Shaojin got up and said goodbye and went to Hanbi Mountain House.
After all, she had something on her mind, so she spent the entire afternoon that day but only copied half of the scriptures she usually copied.
Madam Guo said nothing. When she returned to the fourth room, she called Xiao Tan over and asked, "Do you know why the second young lady is so upset?"
"I don't know." Xiao Tan lowered her head and said respectfully, "The Second Miss usually doesn't talk much. She doesn't ask anyone else to help her grind ink or spread paper. I just stand by the door and report, or help the Second Miss run errands and get some things."
Madam Guo didn't ask any more questions. She asked Xiao Tan to leave and told Feicui, "Be careful."
Feicui responded respectfully, but her heart was in turmoil.
Who is the old lady? Only Miss Sheng and Mr. Xu can get such attention from her. When did the second cousin of the Zhou family also catch the old lady's eye
She thought of what Cheng Xu had done… The old lady had only spared the master from unconsciousness.
Could it be that the old lady has some other intention
Ever since the second branch’s ancestor’s birthday, Feicui has been avoiding Zhou Shaojin.
At this moment she couldn't help but smile bitterly.
How should I treat the second cousin of the Zhou family in the future
Feicui returned to the main room with a heavy heart.
Zhou Shaojin knew nothing about this.
When the Dragon Boat Festival gifts were delivered to Zhou Town, the Zhou sisters finally found an opportunity to return to the Zhou family's ancestral home.
Old Madam Guan kept reminding them, "No one has lived there for a long time, so there must be a lot of mosquitoes. Stand on the high ground in the yard and watch the maids clean the house. Then come back. I'll be waiting for you two sisters to have dinner."
As for ancestor worship, since the Zhou sisters are girls, it is not their turn yet.
"Don't worry." Zhou Chujin said with a smile, "With Ma Fushan's family following us, nothing will happen."
That’s how it was. Old Mrs. Guan still sent the two sisters to the door.
The Zhou family's ancestral home is located on Pingqiao Street, Taipingfang, in the south of Jinling City. It covers only four or five acres, but it has small bridges and flowing water, winding paths, pavilions, towers, lush flowers and trees, and a very beautiful scenery. From Jiuru Lane, you have to take a sedan chair through Jinling City and walk for half an hour to get there.
Outside the sedan, there were constant noises of hawking, asking prices, shouting, talking, etc.
Zhou Shaojin sat in the sedan chair. If it were in the past, she would have lifted the curtain and looked in curiously. But now, not only was she not in the mood, but she also felt timid as if she were in another world.
If everything goes as she expected, what should she do
Zhou Shaojin twisted her handkerchief until the sedan chair stopped in the courtyard of the Zhou family's ancestral home. She heard Ma Fushan's respectful voice and then she came to her senses and got off the sedan chair with the help of Shi Xiang.
The bluestone slabs at the entrance are smooth but uneven, the six black lattice doors in the front hall are inlaid with transparent glazed tiles, and the crowns of the old locust trees on both sides are like umbrellas, blocking most of the view of the room, and the sunlight at 10 o'clock in the morning cannot shine in. The black lacquered incense table, armchairs, and coffee table in the hall are not very clear. Instead, the picture of an immortal pointing the way hanging in the middle hall becomes a conspicuous object in the room because there are too many blank spaces.
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but take a long breath.
The fragrance of roses wafts through the yard.
Her heart inexplicably became at ease and happy.
This is her home, what does she have to be afraid of!
Zhou Shaojin followed behind her sister, listening to Ma Fushan respectfully but attentively telling her sister about the family's income in recent days, the distribution of Dragon Boat Festival gifts, the instructions in his father's letter, and the sewing of summer and autumn clothes by the maids... But his eyes kept looking around, as if he was here for the first time.
Zhou Chujin was amused by her appearance. He was afraid that she would be impatient because he had something to tell Ma Fushan. He also wanted to let her look at Zhuang's relics alone, so he told Ma Fushan's family: "You accompany the second young lady to look in her mother's storehouse. The second young lady wants to find a few things. I will go to the accounting office to talk with Ma Zongguan."
Ma Fushan and his wife responded respectfully, one accompanied Zhou Chujin to the accounting office, and the other accompanied Zhou Shaojin to the warehouse.
The three spacious side rooms were connected, and boxes, tables, chairs, screens, etc. were stacked neatly and orderly.
Ma Fushan's wife led Zhou Shaojin to the pile of boxes in the west: "These are left by the madam." She pointed to the red paper on the boxes, "This is the fur coat and skirt left by the madam... This is the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone left by the madam, as well as a zither... This is the calligraphy and paintings and antiques that the madam brought from her parents' home..." Finally, she took out a bunch of keys from her bosom, "I will keep the gold and silver jewelry left by the madam, I will give them to the young lady right away.
"No need." Zhou Shaojin didn't come here to see these things. She said, "I can take care of these things slowly by myself. Is there any elderly person in the family who has taken care of my mother? I want to ask about my mother's life."
When children grow up, they will naturally come back to trace their roots.
Ma Fushan's wife did not suspect anything and said, "Yes. She used to serve in the Madam's room. After the Madam passed away, the master showed mercy and let all those who had served the Madam go. She had nowhere to go, so she stayed. Because her husband's surname is Yu, we all call her Yu Ma. Now she takes care of the flowers and plants in the house. Her ears and eyes are not deaf, and her speech is clear. I'll go and call her over now."
Zhou Shaojin nodded.
Ma Fushan's family turned around and led in an old woman wearing a blue coarse cloth jacket.
The old woman wanted to kowtow to Zhou Shaojin, but Zhou Shaojin quickly took her aside and said, "You have served my mother before, so please don't embarrass me." Then he told Shi Xiang to prepare a seat for Yu Mama, "I just came to see you while my sister has something to discuss with Madam Ma. Please don't be polite with me!"
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I’m already behind on several updates... Sisters, the evening update will be around 8pm.
PS: Keep asking for pink votes...
※(To be continued)