The geese from Hengyang thousands of miles away often return here.
When the piano reached its climax, Zhou Shaojin burst into tears.
The wild geese have a place to land, but where does she belong
Such sadness lingered in her heart for a long time. When she came to her senses, she found that she was not the only one who was listening attentively - Cheng Ji was sitting at the round table in the pavilion with his elbows supporting his chin, his eyes slightly closed, listening attentively; Pan Qing was leaning on the beauty's backrest, staring at Cheng Shi outside the curtain with full concentration, her eyes full of amazement; only her sister was like her, with tears in the corners of her eyes and a sad expression, she lowered her head and wiped her eyes with a handkerchief.
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but sneer.
It can be seen that different experiences will lead to different feelings.
After all, she is still closest to her sister.
Zhou Shaojin wiped away his tears.
The lingering sound of the song ended and everyone woke up.
There were constant clapping and praises outside the pavilion.
Zhou Chujin also sighed: "I have lived in the mansion for a few years, but I didn't know that my cousin was an expert in recognizing my cousin!"
Cheng Ji felt sorry for his brother Cheng Zheng and said, "What's the big deal? There are many talented people in our family! My brother plays the zither very well. If you don't believe me, I'll let him play a piece later. I guarantee that he will amaze everyone."
"You're amazing!" Pan Qing laughed. "Does playing the piano require skills? Then you'd be a technician! Playing the piano requires artistic conception. Once you have the artistic conception, the skills are just supplementary and not that important anymore..."
Cheng Ji couldn't bear to hear her talking, so she interrupted Pan Qing and asked Zhou Chujin with a smile, "Sister, do you know the nickname of Brother Shi Cong?"
Zhou Chujin shook his head.
Cheng Ji smiled slyly and said, "My cousin's nickname is 'Lianhua Jushi'..."
Zhou Shaojin and others were a little dazed.
After a while, Pan Qing said angrily, "Cousin Ji, why are you always making up stories and never being serious? Can you shout out your cousin's nickname?"
Cheng Ji laughed and said, "Brother Shi's favorite thing is to grow flowers. The chrysanthemums he grows are all as big as bowls. The crabapples he grows can bloom until mid-spring, so he got the nickname 'Flower-loving Layman'... What is cousin Qing thinking about?"
Pan Qing's face flushed, and he argued: "How do you know what I'm thinking? You are the one who got it wrong, but you put the blame on others..."
The Zhou sisters didn't want to get involved.
Zhou Chujin looked at the two of them with a smile, while Zhou Shaojin's gaze turned to Cheng Shi and Cheng Zheng outside Yucui Pavilion.
Both of them are tall, handsome and elegant, the difference is that Cheng Shi has a more bookish air, and is quite suave, like a young man from an aristocratic family; while Cheng Zheng is more steady and prudent, and appears mature and capable, like a young man from a family that has been farming and studying for generations, with a bit of simplicity.
The two were whispering something, with bright smiles, sincere expressions, and frank looks, just like a pair of good friends who have known each other for many years.
But in reality, no one knows what they are thinking in their hearts.
Zhou Shaojin turned his head.
I saw Cheng Xu out of the corner of my eye.
He was staring at Yuchi Pavilion.
Zhou Shaojin frowned.
Cheng Xu withdrew his gaze and started chatting and laughing with Cheng Gao and Pan Zhuo beside him.
After a while, a servant came over with a zither. Cheng Xu sat on the ground and began to tune the instrument.
Pan Qing's voice suddenly came to Zhou Shaojin's ears: "I wonder what song Cousin Xu will play later? With the example of knowing your cousin before, I wonder if Cousin Xu will be nervous?"
There was an inexplicable emotion in her voice, which Zhou Shaojin disliked very much. She smiled faintly and said, "Cousin Qing, do you know what songs Cousin Xu is good at playing? I don't know!"
Pan Qing smiled.
No one knew what Pan Zhuo said, but Cheng Gao and the others looked towards Yucuiting with surprise, and then they started laughing, as if they had seen something interesting.
Zhou Shaojin left the bamboo curtain.
A little maid ran in and laughed loudly, "The masters said that we can't let them have the most glory. We'd like to ask the young ladies to play a few songs and let everyone comment on each other."
This is the piano duel!
Cheng Ji was horrified and asked, "Whose idea was this?"
The little maid dared not speak.
Pan Qing smiled and helped the little maid out: "She is just here to pass on a message. What's the point of getting angry at her?" Then he said softly, "Who said that?"
The little maid looked at Pan Qing gratefully and said, "The masters all said so..."
Cheng Ji was so angry that he jumped up and down.
Cheng Shi's hearty laughter could be heard from outside the Yuicui Pavilion: "If that's the case, how dare I disobey?"
Zhou Shaojin and others looked in the direction of the sound.
Pan Zhuo stood beside Cheng Shi and Cheng Zheng without knowing when. Cheng Shi was untying the jade pendant on his waist and said, "This jade was given by my great-grandfather. It's a lucky charm!" After saying that, he patted his forehead in regret and said, "Look at me. If my sisters win the first prize, this jade pendant will not be suitable..." He thought for a while, called Cheng Xu's name "Jiashan", and said, "I remember you have a few good zithers. Take one out and give it to my sisters as a lucky charm when the time comes."
Cheng Xu laughed heartily and said, "Brother Da Cun has spoken, how dare I disobey!" He loudly ordered Huanxi, "Go and get my 'Phoenix Cry'."
Cheng Shi smiled and said, "Jiashan is really careful and thoughtful. The Phoenix Sound is light and has a clear sound. It is the best instrument for girls."
Cheng Ji wanted to go up and poke her brother Cheng Zheng hard: "What kind of brother is he? I think about him all the time. But he sold me out in the blink of an eye. If I don't complain to my grandmother and make him kneel down, I am not the 'Master of Ruyixuan'..."
She gave herself the nickname "Master of Ruyixuan".
Pan Qing was displeased and said, "It was just a joke between siblings, but you really have to criticize your cousin like this?"
"I'm talking about my brother, what does it have to do with you?"
The two started arguing again.
Zhou Chujin glanced at Zhou Shaojin.
Zhou Shaojin said nothing.
She stood up slowly.
Pan Qing and others looked at her in surprise.
A little maid ran in, panting as she bowed to Zhou Chujin and Zhou Shaojin, saying, "Second Miss, Sister Biyu said she wants to see you. Please move to Furong Pavilion."
Cheng Xian was hosting a banquet in Furong Pavilion. All the important female members of the family were there, and Biyu was serving Madam Guo.
Zhou Chujin asked the little maid: "What happened?"
The little maid shook her head and looked at Zhou Shaojin timidly.
Zhou Shaojin did not explain anything. He comforted his sister, "It's okay, I'll be back soon." Then he took Chunwan and went straight out of Yucui Pavilion.
Biyu was waiting for her in the pavilion next to Hibiscus Pavilion.
Seeing Zhou Shaojin, she walked forward with a smile and asked, "What happened? Do you want a maid to bring me a letter so that I can find you halfway?"
"It's just that some people are hideous and I don't want to see them." Zhou Shaojin said vaguely, pulling Biyu's hand, "Good sister, thank you very much this time. I will definitely treat you to a drink tomorrow."
Originally, she went to Yuicui Pavilion only out of courtesy, but that didn't mean she had to sit there in discomfort!
"Forget about drinking." Biyu smiled and looked at her slender figure, and said, "You will fall down if the wind blows. When the time comes, you will just coax us to drink. You just watch from the side."
The two of them giggled.
Biyu said, "I still have to serve the old lady, so I won't talk to you anymore. Where are you going later?"
"Just sit here for a while." Zhou Shaojin said, "After the banquet is over, I will go back to Furong Pavilion directly."
Biyu smiled and took the little maid away.
Mandarin ducks were swimming under the pavilion and koi were in groups. Zhou Shaojin broke off a willow branch and sat on the Taihu stone pier outside the pavilion to play with the fish.
Chun Wan watched the sun gradually rise and people began to sit down at Furong Pavilion, so he discussed with Zhou Shaojin: "Second Miss, can I go to the kitchen to get some food?"
It was almost noon, and Zhou Shaojin had only eaten half a bowl of white porridge in the morning. The faint smell of food wafted over from Furong Pavilion, and she felt a little hungry.
"Then be careful," she warned Chunwan, "Don't let anyone see the flaws."
Chunwan knew that she wanted to avoid the Cheng family's banquet, so he smiled and nodded, then walked lightly to the kitchen.
Zhou Shaojin threw away the willow branch, sat by the lake with his knees hugged, squinting his eyes and thinking about his worries.
But some things are just too coincidental.
Pan Zhuo passed the examination for the title of scholar, Cheng Xian invited guests... The fact that the Fourth House and Cheng Lu had fallen out, with the loyalty of Uncle Mian and others, would definitely not be told to others. Without the Fourth House as a backing, Cheng Lu wanted to make further progress with the Cheng family. No matter which house it was, they would carefully weigh the grudges between him and the Fourth House, so Cheng Lu would not tell anyone. Everyone didn’t know about this at this time, but Cheng Lu, who was also a new scholar, was not invited... Cheng Shi and others came to the garden to hold a piano party, all of them were family members, and all of them were family members of Pan Qing and Cheng Jia... Old Lady Li agreed... They went to Yuicui Pavilion... She and her sister became the foils of some people...
Zhou Shaojin thought of Pan Qing's sarcastic attitude towards him.
She and her sister may not just be supporting roles, they may even be pawns of others.
Zhou Shaojin sneered.
Someone walked by the stones of Taishi Lake and whispered, "… Miss really won the first prize. It's worth it that our Miss has worked hard to select songs and practice secretly in the past two days!"
Zhou Shaojin stood up.
I saw two slender figures, red and green, walking towards Hibiscus Pavilion.
This is where the third room belongs. These two maids are either from the third room or from the Pan family.
Is this to announce the good news to Cheng Xian or Li Laoan
It seems that Pan Qing is determined to marry into the Cheng family.
But if she wants to use herself or her sister as a stepping stone, it may not be that easy!
Zhou Shaojin twisted his fingers.
Cheng Shi is the uncle of the second house. What role does he play here
When Zhou Shaojin returned to Furong Pavilion, everyone was discussing the piano competition at Yuicui Pavilion: "... Mr. Xu won the first prize over there. Miss Qing won the first prize over here... Several masters also wrote poems, and Mr. Shi said he would publish a collection... It's a pity for the eldest lady of the Zhou family. Miss Qing played "Plum Blossom Introduction", and the eldest lady of the Zhou family chose "Qingping Diao". Although she played well, the song was too simple... Otherwise, the eldest lady of the Zhou family would have won the first prize this time..."
No one mentioned Cheng Jia, and no one mentioned Zhou Shaojin. It seemed that the unbearable situation of the two of them was expected.
Cheng Ji gnashed his teeth in hatred, but Zhou Shaojin remained calm.
She thought of an idea, which might help her find out the relationship between the Zhuang and Cheng families back then.
※
Sisters, I haven't been in good shape these past two days. After the update yesterday, I read the article carefully and revised Chapter 65 and Chapter 66. Some of the situations are not consistent. Please go back and take a look. Mobile phone users can just refresh the page.
We apologize for any inconvenience caused.
Today’s update.
The update may be around midnight, so everyone should get up and check it out tomorrow morning!
※(To be continued)