Zhou Shaojin asked Cheng Yi: "Then do you know who else is around Uncle Chi?"
"How should I know!" Cheng Yi continued to grab Zhou Shaojin's wolf-hair brush and said disapprovingly, "Uncle Chi is the elder, how can we have any say in his affairs!"
That’s true!
Zhou Shaojin's plan failed.
She had no choice but to ponder it in her mind.
Cheng Wen's brain wasn't completely broken after all.
After making a fuss for more than half a month, he ran to Hanbi Mountain House and knelt in front of Old Madam Guo, crying and sneezing: "… You are the only person who understands Jiuru Lane. My nephew has a bad fate and is unlucky to marry such an evil woman, but that was my parents' order and the matchmaker's words. I can't let the two old people lose face! I beg my aunt to help me clean up the inner courtyard for the sake of our common bloodline."
Everyone was shocked.
Even Mrs. Guo herself didn't expect this.
She declined politely, "I am old and no longer care about worldly affairs. I think you should entrust the affairs of the inner court to someone else!"
Cheng Wen knelt for a long time and could not get up.
Madam Guo asked someone to invite Cheng Chi over: "Go and tell the old ancestor what he means."
Cheng Chi went to Zelan Courtyard where Cheng Xu lived, and soon turned back, saying, "The ancestor said that this matter is entirely up to mother!"
Mrs. Guo thought about it and asked Biyu to call Yuan over to talk.
"This matter is too outrageous. Since the old ancestor has agreed, you can go to the fifth room on my behalf!" Old Madam Guo solemnly instructed Yuan, "Put away your little thoughts for the time being, and don't think this is none of your business. The fifth room is next to the West Group Room, and across the river from the fourth room. It takes only half an hour to get from Jing'an Zhai to my place, and only one hour to get to Yunzhen Hall where you live. They are all in the hinterland of the inner courtyard. If someone really sneaks in, they are all women and children who are powerless. If something happens, the reputation of the Cheng family for hundreds of years will be ruined. Even if Cheng Wen didn't come to me today, I would take the initiative to take over this matter in a few days."
Yuan was not a person without vision. Upon hearing this, she immediately assured Madam Guo, "Don't worry, I know the importance of this matter. A thousand-mile dam can be breached by an ant hole. The Fifth House is now like that mosquito hole. If we don't repair it now, we will all suffer in the future. Since you have made up your mind to let me go, I will not be soft-hearted. I will first go to Uncle Wen Wu to get the Fifth House's counterpart, and make three rules with him. Those who should be driven out will be driven out, and those who should be sold will be sold. No matter what, I will clean up the Fifth House and create a new situation."
Mrs. Guo nodded with satisfaction and asked Nanny Shi to see Yuan out.
When Zhou Shaojin heard about this, he rushed over to see what was happening.
Cheng Chi had already left, and Yuan was leaving Hanbi Villa surrounded by seven or eight maids.
Her shoulders slumped a little.
Biyu smiled and said, "What happened to the Second Miss?"
Zhou Shaojin smiled awkwardly and said, "I didn't see the excitement!"
Biyu couldn't help laughing and said, "Our Hanbi Mountain House is the quietest. If Miss Second wants to see more fun, there are plenty of houses in the third and fifth houses."
Of course Zhou Shaojin would not discuss these with her. He listened with a smile and turned back to the Buddhist hall.
Feicui pulled Jasper's sleeve and said, "Why are you talking to the Second Miss about this? Be careful that others may hear it."
Biyu smiled and said, "I think the second young lady is a nice person. She can gossip when she has nothing to do. I don't think the second young lady will take it seriously."
I won’t take it seriously.
I just don't know when it will be taken seriously.
Feicui was a little scared of Zhou Shaojin from the bottom of her heart, so when she met her, she was not as casual and friendly as before.
But Biyu likes Zhou Shaojin very much.
When Zhou Shaojin invited Biyu to the Buddhist temple to share the watermelon that Old Lady Guo had given him, Biyu said to her, "… After something like this, how can Madam Wen have the face to show up? She hides in the house and pretends to be deaf and dumb, and the affairs of the Fifth House are all in the hands of our Madam. Except for the two second-class maids who served Madam Wen, most of the people on duty in the Fifth House have been replaced. Even Madam Wen's wet nurse and personal maid, one was driven out, and the other was taken out and married off. When they left, it was said that they were not allowed to take anything with them except a few sets of clothes... Now Master Wenwu is very proud. He has the final say in everything inside and outside the house. Everyone in the fifth room follows his lead. Others say that our wife is making wedding clothes for Master Wenwu. But our old lady also said that even if she made wedding clothes for Master Wenwu, it is not so easy to wear. If anything happens in the fifth room in the future, it will all be Master Wenwu’s responsibility. If Master Wenwu can’t even take care of these trivial matters at home, it’s better to open an ancestral hall and separate the fifth room to set up their own business.
"When Master Wenwu heard about this, his face turned pale with fear. He stopped going out to drink, play cards, and look for prostitutes these days. He went home to rest every night, and sometimes even got up in the middle of the night to patrol!
"It's just that the people from the second and third houses got a bargain. The fifth house changed people and tried their best to squeeze in more people. Now the people in the fifth house are either from the second house or the third house."
Wouldn’t the fifth room be like a sieve
Is the eldest son's family helping or harming the fifth son's family
Zhou Shaojin chuckled.
Biyu knew that she understood, so she winked at her.
Zhou Shaojin's heart moved, and he really wanted to ask her about Cheng Chi. However, the words came to his lips several times, but he felt that it was a bit inappropriate. He was afraid of arousing Biyu's suspicion, so he did not ask in the end.
Despite this, she was still in a good mood and happily copied scriptures in the Buddhist hall.
Mrs. Guo accidentally passed by the Buddhist temple and saw this. She couldn't help laughing and said to her personal attendant, Nanny Shi: "This child is really heartless and calm."
Nanny Shi didn't know Zhou Shaojin very well, but she followed what Old Lady Guo said and said with a smile, "That's because the Second Miss has a long history of blessings and a kind heart."
Mrs. Guo said nothing. She stood outside the window and looked at Zhou Shaojin for a long time. Then she left quietly without letting Zhou Shaojin know.
Zhou Shaojin returned to Jiashu Hall happily.
Who knew that Cheng Ju's mother, Mrs. Yu, was talking to Old Mrs. Guan.
Zhou Shaojin hid in the tea room nearby and waited until Mrs. Yu left before going to greet Mrs. Guan.
Old Lady Guan looked a little surprised, but when she saw Zhou Shaojin, she smiled a little. She asked her about copying the scriptures, and then let her go back to her room to rest.
Zhou Shaojin felt strange and asked his sister quietly.
Zhou Chujin smiled and said, "Don't worry about it!" But he couldn't help but tell her the whole story, "Isn't the cousin Xun from the second old master's side of the eldest house gone? I don't know who instigated Madam Yu to come to my grandmother and want to send one of her cousins to the second old master's side in the capital to serve Uncle Fen..."
Zhou Shaojin was stunned.
Cheng Fen is the only son of Cheng Xun, the second old man in the eldest house.
These people are really bold!
She found that the more she understood the Cheng family, the more complicated they seemed to her.
In her previous life, how come she had lived in the Cheng family for more than ten years in a daze
"What did grandma say?" Zhou Shaojin asked his sister.
"Why would my grandmother go and speak for her?" Zhou Chujin also despised Cheng Ju's mother's behavior and spoke very impolitely, "Old Madam Guo and Madam Yuan from the head house didn't say anything, so why should we meddle in other people's business!"
Zhou Shaojin deeply agreed with this.
Suddenly I feel that if the fifth room was divided out, it would be a good thing!
Time flies and it is June. Zhou Zhen's birthday is approaching.
Zhou Shaojin took two pieces of clothing he had made for his father, two pairs of socks, a fan case, a mirror case, and two purses, as well as a skirt he had made for his stepmother Li, and other birthday gifts he and Zhou Chujin had prepared and had Ma Fushan's family send them to Zhou Zhen's post in Nanchang.
Less than half a month after the items were sent, Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin received a reply letter from their father Zhou Zhen.
In the letter, Zhou Zhen not only reminded the sisters to be filial to their elders, be careful and safe, and not to get angry with their cousins, but also mentioned that the clothes Zhou Shaojin sent were very suitable and Li liked them very much. Finally, he sent a silver note for two hundred taels to each of the sisters Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin, saying that it was Li's personal money given to the sisters to buy rouge and powder.
It can be seen that it is not that difficult to live in peace with your stepmother.
Zhou Shaojin put the banknotes into the box.
Zhou Chujin felt distressed. She put her arm around Zhou Shaojin's shoulders and said, "If you don't want to, you don't have to do this! We are from Jinling, so we should marry from Jinling."
Although this was Zhou Shaojin's plan at the beginning, the past few months after her rebirth gave her a different feeling.
She said, "Sister, making a skirt is just a piece of cake for me, but it can make father happy, isn't that great?"
Zhou Chujin was stunned, then her eyes became moist. She touched Zhou Shaojin's head, smiled at her, and said, "Since it's a piece of cake, then make me a skirt. I want the crabapple, auspicious, double butterflies, round flowers, and longevity pattern you drew last time..."
"Ouch!" Zhou Shaojin jumped up. "That's for embroidering garters. How can it be embroidered on a skirt? Wouldn't it blind people?"
"Didn't you say it was easy? Why? You refused to do it when I asked you to do it?"
"Then I'll embroider a colorful cloud brocade flower for you, it's also very beautiful..."
"I don't want any of the others, I just want the one with the Haitang Ruyi pattern..."
"Sister, isn't this forcing me?"
The two sisters pushed and shoved each other in the room with laughter.
Zhou Shaojin was puzzled.
Logically speaking, Cheng Chi had not yet married, so his mother, Mrs. Guo, should be in charge of sewing in his house. But why did he never see his maids come to Mrs. Guo to get a pattern or a tailor
Could it be that I didn't pay attention to it in normal times
Zhou Shaojin became more cautious.
However, he found that not only had Cheng Chi never had any contact with Hanbi Mountain House regarding these trivial matters of life, but even his daily necessities were not taken care of by Hanbi Mountain House.
If she hadn't known about Cheng Chi, she would have thought that Madam Guo only gave birth to two brothers, Cheng Jing and Cheng Wei.
Zhou Shaojin recalled the last time he saw Cheng Chi and Old Madam Guo together.
Whose mother and son don't talk about family matters and ask about each other's well-being when they meet? Instead, they sat together and played Go...
There's something so weird between Madam Guo and Uncle Chi!
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Tomorrow's update will still be at the same time...
O(∩_∩)O~
※(To be continued)