After laughing, those doubts still linger in my heart.
Zhou Shaojin decided to start the investigation from the Zhuang family’s hometown.
She called Ma Fushan's family in and asked them to pass on a message to Ma Fushan: "... Check where the Zhuang family's old house is in Guan Street? Who owns it now? When was it sold? How much silver was sold for? Can it be bought back?"
If this old house was not in Cunyifang and was not a neighbor of Cheng Lu's family, she would definitely find a way to take it back.
But now, whenever she thought that Cheng Lu lived not far from this old house, she felt uncomfortable.
She said this just to dissuade her sister and Ma Fushan from getting suspicious.
Ma Fushan indeed had no doubts.
A few days later, Ma Fushan's family came to give Zhou Shaojin a reply.
"Second Miss, can you guess where the old house is?" Ma Fushan's face was full of smiles, and Zhou Shaojin suddenly had a bad feeling in his heart.
She asked alertly, "Where is that old house?"
Ma Fushan's family seemed to be waiting for her to say this, and said excitedly: "It turns out that the old house of the Zhuang family is next to the house of Uncle Lu of the Fifth House. Two years ago, Uncle Zhuang sold it to Uncle Lu, and now the house deed is in Uncle Lu's hands. If you want to take it back, it's just a matter of a word!"
It was a hot day, but Zhou Shaojin felt his hands and feet were cold.
After a long while, she said, "You didn't make a mistake, did you?"
"No, no." Ma Fushan's family said hurriedly, "Our boss has always been cautious in doing things. He even pretended to pass by and went in to take a look. Maybe it's because Master Lu's family is simple. After Master Lu bought the house, it has been empty, with only some old things piled up. But the plum tree in the yard is growing very well. I heard from the neighbors next door that it will be full of flowers when it blooms. Our boss said that the beams and pillars of the house are made of cold pine that is as thick as a man's embrace. It was sold for only thirty taels of silver that year. As long as it is slightly repaired, it can be lived in. Even if we add another twenty taels of silver to Master Lu, it is still a good deal."
Zhou Shaojin's vision went dark.
When you go to the government office to change the land deed, it will clearly state who the previous owner is and who the current owner is.
There was no way Cheng Lu didn't know that this was the Zhuang family's old house.
But he never mentioned it from beginning to end.
Zhou Shaojin took a long time to recover, and said to Ma Fushan's family, "Since this house is so good, I'm afraid Master Lu won't sell it for only 20 taels of silver. Let's put this matter aside for now, so that others won't say we're taking advantage of our relatives."
Ma Fushan's family was very surprised, but since Zhou Shaojin had already spoken, she didn't know what to say and just stood up and said goodbye.
Zhou Shaojin turned around and fell on the bed.
If those things that happened in her previous life had not happened, she could still deceive herself and say that Cheng Lu just didn't have the chance to tell her.
But now, it has been two years. If he wanted to tell me, he would have told me long ago.
He was clearly trying to hide it from me.
But why did he hide it from me
Zhou Shaojin wanted to rush to Cheng Lu and question him, but she didn't want to have any contact with Cheng Lu in this life.
It seems that I can only start from Uncle Zhuang!
Zhou Shaojin felt like he was trying to get the skin of a tiger.
The Dragon Boat Festival is coming soon.
As in previous years, the government decided to set off fireworks in the east of the city to celebrate.
Prefect Wu went to the Cheng family in person and asked them to donate 500 taels of silver as they did in previous years to join in the celebration.
The one who received Magistrate Wu was Cheng Chi.
He said, "There's a funeral at home, so it's not appropriate to celebrate. But our Cheng family has always been responsible for government affairs. Moreover, this year is the first Dragon Boat Festival since Lord Wu took office. Our Cheng family will donate 800 taels of silver. I'll ask Chief Steward Qin to deliver it later. But can the government change the place where the fireworks are set off this year?"
Prefect Wu agreed immediately and said, "I'm new here and I don't know where else to set off fireworks. Zichuan, why don't you give me some advice?"
Then the place for setting off the fireworks was decided on Quqing Street in the south of the city.
When Xiao Tan told Zhou Shaojin, Zhou Shaojin had just finished copying scriptures for the day and was washing his hands.
She was surprised to hear this and asked curiously, "How did you know?"
"Of course it came from 'Wen Muxiangxiang'." Xiao Tan said indifferently, "The fourth master and Magistrate Wu didn't avoid anyone when they talked about it. Everyone who served in 'Wen Muxiangxiang' that day knew about it." As she spoke, she sighed sadly and said unhappily, "And Chief Steward Qin also said that there will be no lantern festival this year, and we will eat vegetarian rice dumplings. Cheng's family will not participate in the Dragon Boat Festival... I wonder if the rewards for the Dragon Boat Festival will be reduced this year? I was planning to buy two five-poison velvet flowers for me and my sister to wear after the rewards came in, but I'm afraid it won't work!"
Every year, the Cheng family's several farms would select young and strong men to participate in the dragon boat race organized by the Jinling government. At this time, most of the Cheng family's servants would have a day off and could go to watch the dragon boat race...
All these lively celebrations have been cancelled, which means that everyone in the mansion is in mourning for Cheng Xun... But there are still elderly people in the mansion who are very old, so is this appropriate
Zhou Shaojin told Old Lady Guan about this.
"I got the news, too." Old Lady Guan sighed, "These are matters of the elders, you youngsters should just pretend you don't know anything. Don't say anything, don't ask anything, just celebrate the festival with us."
This probably involves the open and secret struggles between the first and second houses.
Zhou Shaojin understood it, and when he went to Hanbi Mountain House again, he gave Xiaotan a red envelope with 200 coins as a reward: "Whether the reward money is given or not, I will ask you and your sister to wear flowers."
According to the old practice of the Cheng family, during the three festivals of Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival and Spring Festival, the mansion would give out rewards ranging from one or two to fifty coins according to the level of the people.
Xiao Tan blushed, thought for a moment, thanked Zhou Shaojin, and held the baby in her arms.
Zhou Shaojin likes Xiaotan's straightforwardness very much.
But on the first day of May, the rewards for the Dragon Boat Festival were distributed, and the news that vegetarian rice dumplings would be eaten during the festival, the young and middle-aged men in the farm would not participate in the dragon boat race, and there would be no lantern shows spread throughout Jiuru Lane.
When Cheng Yi went to pay his respects to Old Lady Guan, he was very dissatisfied and pouted, saying, "Why should we observe mourning for Cheng Xun? We are all over the fifth mourning period. I don't even recognize him."
Old Lady Guan slapped him on the shoulder and said, "Where have you learned all your books? You don't have any brotherly love! If I hear you say such things again, I will kneel down in the ancestral hall."
Cheng Yi exaggeratedly stroked the shoulder that was hit by Old Lady Guan, grinning and said, "Grandma, you hit my shoulder so hard that it's bruised."
"You deserve it!" Old Mrs. Guan smiled and slapped Cheng Yi again.
All the servants in Old Lady Guan's room laughed.
Standing outside the door, Zhou Shaojin hesitated for a moment.
Since Cheng Yi is here, Cheng Gao must be here too.
She was not the kind of person who lacked vision. Since her rebirth, she had never met Cheng Gao and Cheng Yi every time she came to pay her respects to Old Madam Guan... In the past, they would run into each other every now and then, and would often leave Jiashu Hall together.
This is no accident.
Although he didn't know what his grandmother was thinking or why things turned out like this, Zhou Shaojin decided not to think too much about it.
Since her grandmother didn't want the Cheng Gao brothers to meet her, she just avoided them.
Zhou Shaojin went to the tea room next door. After she saw Cheng Gao and Cheng Yi leaving Jiashu Hall through the gap in the window lattice, she went to greet Old Lady Guan and gave her the Five Poisons Purse she had made.
Old Mrs. Guan hung it happily on the corner of her bed.
Zhou Shaojin watched, and the slight bitterness in his heart quickly disappeared.
When she went to Hanbi Mountain Villa, she also gave Mrs. Guo a Five Poisons Purse.
Many people showed respect to Madam Guo. Her purse was hung on the floor-standing shade of Madam Guo's inner room, and more purses were hung in the banquet room or on the corridor of the upper room. Only Cheng Zheng and Cheng Sheng, who were far away in the capital, and Cheng Xiao, who married in Tongcheng, sent their nanny to deliver the five-poison purse to Madam Guo, which was hung on the corner of her bed.
There is a difference between close and distant relatives.
At this time, Zhou Shaojin was calm.
Back at Jiashutang, she made rice dumplings with her sister.
Although they were vegetarian, they came in dragon boat-shaped, square, diamond-shaped, triangular shapes... They made all kinds of them, and then sent maids to deliver a small basket each to Jiashu Hall, Hanqiu Pavilion, Hanbi Shanfang, and Ruyixuan.
Needless to say, the return gift from Mrs. Guan was a few rolls of brocade fabric, saying that she wanted the sisters to keep it for winter clothes; the return gift from Hanbi Shanfang was two mutton-fat jade arm rings, which were just right for summer use; the return gift from Cheng Jia was a small jar of realgar wine, new-style palace flowers, a purse filled with cinnabar and mugwort, a colorful bracelet, and double-yolk salted duck eggs... There were so many things in total that Zhou Shaojin didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
When the younger generation from the third room came to pay their respects to Old Madam Guan on the Dragon Boat Festival, Cheng Ji specifically asked her, "How is it? Am I good to you? I think of you when I have anything good." After saying that, he raised his eyebrows and glanced at Pan Qing.
Zhou Shaojin felt that if Cheng Ji hadn't glanced at Pan Qing, his words would have been more convincing.
But Pan Qing was still making a fuss, saying, "Shao Jin, since you gave Cheng Jia Zongzi, why didn't you give me one?"
She smiled and spoke a little loudly. Cheng Xian, Jiang and others all looked over.
Cheng Ji couldn't help feeling a little smug.
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "This is my first time making zongzi, and I don't know if I made it well, so I asked my cousin Jia to taste it first. My cousin Jia is generous and filial, and she will definitely ask everyone to taste the zongzi when she gets it. Otherwise, how would my cousin Qing know that I gave zongzi to my cousin Jia? However, if my cousin Qing thinks that my zongzi is delicious, I will make more next year and give one to my cousin Qing as well!"
"You're not sincere!" Pan Qing smiled and said, "If you really want to give me some, you can buy a few later."
If others heard such words, they would most likely say, "I don't know whether I will be in Jinling Prefecture next year."
Pan Qing, you want to marry into the Cheng family, right
Zhou Shaojin sneered in his heart.
The people from the third room left before they had even sat in the fourth room for half an incense stick of time.
The people from the fourth room who went to pay their respects to the fifth room were kept by Mrs. Wen to have lunch.
Old Madam Guan smiled and said, "This is a blessing in disguise. Our Madam Wen is ill 300 out of 365 days a year. When guests come, they have to ask for tea. But Gao and Yi are lucky. They were invited to stay for lunch."
※
The evening update is still at the same time... O(∩_∩)O~
※(To be continued)