This is how the matter was settled.
Mrs. Guo was naturally happy to have grandchildren around her, but Zhou Shaojin was too busy to keep his feet on the ground - he posted notes, decided on the menu, sent people to clean the water pavilion, opened the storehouse to get bowls, plates and chopsticks for the banquet, and because he wanted to go to the water pavilion to row a boat, he had to call in maids and old women who could swim to serve him.
Cheng Chi whispered to Zhou Shaojin, "Let me help you post the invitations and decide the menu." He had to ask the maid in charge for everything else, so he couldn't do it for her.
"How can that be possible?" Zhou Shaojin blushed, "I've seen my mother do it before, so I know how to do it."
"I know you can do it." Cheng Chi smiled and touched Zhou Shaojin's head, "It's just that this decision was made too suddenly, and time is a bit tight." As he spoke, he picked up the pen and wrote a few words on the rice paper, saying, "What do you think of my handwriting?"
As soft as a weeping willow, beautiful and graceful.
Zhou Shaojin was surprised.
This is clearly her handwriting!
Cheng Chi smiled and said, "Now you believe I can help you write the invitation, right?"
"Uncle Chi!" Zhou Shaojin threw himself into Cheng Chi's arms.
Cheng Chi bit her ear and asked, "Do you miss me?"
Or maybe it was because in Zhou Shaojin's heart, Cheng Chi would always be the Uncle Chi who protected her, took care of her, and kept her in mind, and she would occasionally involuntarily call Cheng Chi "Uncle Chi" as she did before, especially when she was absent-minded in bed, and was prone to timid and incoherent talk.
Zhou Shaojin's face suddenly turned red and he ran away.
Cheng Chi laughed, used Zhou Shaojin's handwriting to help her post the message, decide on the menu, and then went to Mrs. Guo's place.
Mrs. Guo was playing with Yun'er. When she saw Cheng Chi coming in, she hurriedly said, "Look, look, our Yun'er can stand up now."
Cheng Chi followed the reputation and went there.
Yun'er was lying on a Zhangrong mat decorated with rich flowers on the kang by the window. Old Madam Guo was shaking a rattle in front of him, so he tried hard to raise his head and grab the rattle with his hands.
Cheng Chi came back when the child was more than two months old. At that time, Yun Ge'er was already being carried around by someone with his neck on his shoulders. He couldn't tell the difference.
Mrs. Guo said angrily, "A child can only lift his head after a hundred days, but he can only lift it with difficulty. Look at our Yun'er, he could lift his head after two months, and his head could stand upright after a hundred days. He even knew to grab a rattle. This child is really well taken care of." Then she thought of Zhou Shaojin who was pregnant with Yun'er, and sighed, "I was afraid that the child she gave birth to would be as difficult to raise as a kitten. Who knew that although she was small, the child she gave birth to was not small at all, and he was raised so strong. It can be seen that she suffered a lot when she was pregnant with Yun'er. You must treat her better in the future."
"Okay!" Cheng Chi agreed with a smile, and without saying much, he took the rattle from Mrs. Guo's hand and amused Yun'er.
Who would have thought that after trying for a long time to catch the rattle without success, Yunger actually got angry. He didn't look up, and didn't want the rattle anymore. He laid his little face on the Zhangvelvet mat and used his white and tender little hands to pick at the red flowers on the Zhangvelvet mat.
Cheng Chi teased him for a long time, but he just ignored him. He thought Yun Ge'er was tired at first, but then he saw Yun Ge'er lying there quietly without any movement, so he wanted to pick Yun Ge'er up and put down the rattle, only to find that Yun Ge'er was playing with the small flower.
He was a little amused and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He picked up Yun'er and held him on his shoulder in the posture that Yun'er liked most. But Yun'er burst into tears.
Cheng Chi was puzzled.
Madam Guo was anxious and asked Cheng Chi, "What did you do to him? He was fine and having fun just now. What did you do?"
Cheng Chi was sweating profusely.
This was the first time in his life that Mrs. Guo had questioned him without asking any questions.
Cheng Chi thought for a moment and said, "He might blame me for picking him up." Then he told Mrs. Guo about Yun'er picking at Xiaohua just now.
But before he could finish his words, Mrs. Guo had already taken Yun'er from his arms and hugged him, doting on him, saying: "It's all your father's fault. Our Yun'er was having fun, but he came to make trouble. We ignored him. Does our Yun'er want to pick the little flowers? It's okay, it's okay, grandma will let us pick the little flowers right away." After saying that, she put Yun'er on the Zhangrong mat as before.
However, Yun Ge'er no longer had the same interest as before.
He also cried even when he was placed on a Zhangrong mat.
Mrs. Guo walked around on the ground holding Yun'er in her arms, saying as she walked, "Our Yun'er, stop crying. If you keep crying, your eyes will be damaged. What does Yun'er want to do? Do you want flowers?" As she spoke, she opened the mirror case on the mirror stand and looked around. Not seeing anything suitable, she glanced at the maids and servants in the room, pointed at Chenxiang and said, "Go find some silk flowers that you haven't worn before."
Cheng Chi immediately realized what Madam Guo was going to do and couldn't help but shout "Mom". But before he could say anything, Madam Guo said unhappily: "Which one of you wasn't raised by me when you were young? Three sons, three Jinshi. Which one of you has grown up crooked? Besides, he is still young and naive. You have to teach him until he is sensible. If you just scold him with a stern face and make him tremble with fear and cry, then that is teaching a child?"
As he spoke, Chenxiang hurried out of the inner room and brought in a few new silk flowers that he had never worn before.
Mrs. Guo picked a bright red pomegranate flower and waved it in front of Yun'er: "Yun'er, look, this pomegranate flower, isn't it beautiful? Yun'er, take it and keep it for your wife to wear in the future, okay?"
Yun'er opened his eyes wide and stared at the pomegranate flower in Mrs. Guo's hand, as if he wanted to see clearly what the flower was. After a while, he reached out his hand and poked the petals, then stretched out his little hand and grabbed the flower.
Mrs. Guo laughed and picked up another goose yellow rose.
Yun Ge'er stretched out his other hand and grasped it in his palm.
Mrs. Guo found it interesting and picked up another purple lilac flower.
Yun'er looked at his own hands but ignored them.
"Oh my!" Mrs. Guo was so happy that she said to Cheng Chi, "He even knows what kind of flowers he likes."
It should be anything with bright colors, right
Cheng Chi muttered to himself, and seeing his mother's excited expression, he swallowed the words wisely and decided not to have any conflict with his mother on the issue of the child - his mother had rarely been so happy since he was appointed as the head of the Seven Stars Hall.
He had originally planned to take care of Yun'er, so that his mother would be fine and would definitely ask about tomorrow's banquet, and then he could help Shaojin. But now it seems that he should go and see how the banquet is prepared!
Cheng Chi chatted with Madam Guo for a few words, and then Madam Guo drove Cheng Chi away: "Go and help Shao Jin! Yun'er will sleep with me tonight. He is not young anymore, and he can't always follow his mother. If he does, he will grow up to be timid and cowardly..."
A quarter of an hour ago, the mother said that Yun'er was too young, and a quarter of an hour later, Yun'er had grown up and had to learn to live away from his mother.
For the first time in his life, Cheng Chi felt at a loss for words.
As soon as the child is over three years old, you should start to educate him and bring him up personally. You cannot let Yun'er grow up in the hands of a woman!
Cheng Chi made up his mind again and went to the porch that Zhou Shaojin had pointed out.
Zhou Shaojin wore a pink silk jacket with dark patterns and a yellow skirt. Her black hair was tied into a simple bun with two lilac flowers. She looked as tender as spring flowers in the cold autumn weather. Her gentle and soft face was a bit peaceful. She didn't have the aura of a housewife, but she was gentle and approachable. The housekeepers and maids spoke to her in a gentler tone.
Cheng Chi smiled slightly.
Different people have different qualities. Although Shao Jin is weak, he is not necessarily cowardly. It's just that everyone has different ways of doing things.
He left the porch happily.
Zhou Shaojin came back a little late. After taking a shower and going to bed, she snuggled into the arms of Cheng Chi who was reading a book. She hugged Cheng Chi's waist and put her face on his chest. Listening to his strong heartbeat, she felt her whole body relax.
"Silang," she called Cheng Chi softly, "After I sent away the housekeeper and the maid, Chunwan told me that the invitations had been sent out and the menu had been prepared... Thank you very much! I am so happy."
"Really!" Cheng Chi liked her being so soft and boneless around him. He put down the book in his hand and talked to Zhou Shaojin absentmindedly while smoothing her hairband and letting her hair down. "My housekeeper's methods are pretty good, aren't they?"
Zhou Shaojin knew that he liked her with her hair down, but having her hair down like this would require washing it frequently, and secondly, she would have to comb it all over again in the morning, which would waste time... But Cheng Chi liked it, so she followed his preference and hugged him while he let her hair down.
"Yeah!" she said softly, "You are so capable. You can do everything!"
Cheng Chi laughed softly, bit Zhou Shaojin's ear, and slid his hand down along the exquisite curves...
Zhou Shaojin was a little hesitant.
There will be guests at home tomorrow, and she is afraid she won’t be able to get up…
Cheng Chi whispered to her: "Just do it once tonight."
Zhou Shaojin blushed and lay in his arms.
※
The next day, Cheng Sheng was the first to arrive.
After greeting Madam Guo, Cheng Sheng's husband Peng Zao followed Cheng Chi to the flower hall. Rui Ge'er stayed with Madam Guo, crawling around on the kang, and from time to time he picked up one of Yun Ge'er's toys and handed it to Yun Ge'er who was sitting on the kang in the arms of his wet nurse, having a lot of fun.
Mrs. Guo's eyes were curved with smile.
Cheng Sheng pulled Zhou Shaojin aside and whispered, "How come you are getting prettier after giving birth to a child, but I have become a yellow-faced woman? If you have any secret recipe, take it out quickly, or when the second and eldest sisters arrive, be careful and we will criticize you together!"
"How am I getting prettier?" Zhou Shaojin said embarrassedly, thinking carefully about his daily life, "Does it count if I drink a small cup of bird's nest every day?"
"Who hasn't drunk bird's nest?" Cheng Sheng refused, "Apart from this, what else is there?"
Zhou Shaojin shook his head and said with a smile: "I don't eat anything else except this. I used to go to bed early and get up early, but now that I have Yun Ge'er, I just follow him. I sleep when he goes to bed and wake up when he goes to bed..."
Cheng Sheng didn't believe it at all.
As the two were talking, people from Xinglin Hutong arrived.
※
Dear friends, I will update the book "Spiritual Contract" for you.
O(∩_∩)O~
PS: There is no way to determine the update time in the evening, so please bear with us.
※(To be continued)