Zhou Shaojin was just worrying about how he could not get in touch with Cheng Chi, when Cheng Chi came to Hanbi Villa to meet Old Madam Guo. Zhou Shaojin was delighted.
Wouldn’t she have a chance to meet Uncle Chi at Hanbi Mountain Villa in the future
Zhou Shaojin stood up habitually, ready to avoid him. But as soon as she stood up, she felt something was wrong. If she avoided Uncle Chi every time he came, how could she talk to him? But if she didn't avoid him, it would be a bit unkind.
She hesitated for a moment.
Madam Guo didn't think too much about it. She quickly ordered Feicui: "Quickly invite the fourth master in!"
Feicui smiled and said "yes", then left the banquet room.
Mrs. Guo let out a long sigh and then realized that Zhou Shaojin was still standing next to her.
She originally wanted Zhou Shaojin to leave, but seeing Zhou Shaojin's bewildered look, she decided to let him stay - after all, he was only a twelve-year-old child, and it was normal for her to not know what to do when an elder suddenly came to visit without her clear instructions. As for the separation of men and women, the two of them were not only of different generations, but also of different ages, and they were relatives, so there was no need to be so restrained.
"Sit down and talk!" Old Madam Guo greeted Zhou Shaojin and said with a smile, "The one who came is none other than your Uncle Chi, the fourth master of the eldest house."
Zhou Shaojin breathed a sigh of relief, smiled, and sat down obediently.
If Madam Guo asked her to stay away... she really had no good way to stay.
After a while, the jade curtain opened and Cheng Chi walked in.
Today he was wearing a moon-white gauze Taoist robe, a green bamboo hairpin, stone-blue fine cloth shoes, and on his hand hung a string of 108 red sandalwood Buddhist beads. A faint elegant fragrance of "Thus have I heard" wafted from his body, and he was elegant and noble with a graceful demeanor.
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but stand up.
Cheng Chi smiled at her and walked forward to pay his respects to Mrs. Guo.
Madam Guo came forward and took Cheng Chi with her before he bent down, and said in a gentle voice: "It's getting hotter these days. Did you eat well? Did you sleep well?"
Cheng Chi did not force it, and stood up, smiling, "My side is shaded by green trees and close to Qingxi Lake, so it's very cool. Mother, you should go to the lotus pond more often in the morning and evening to avoid the heat and strengthen your body." He thought for a moment and said, "How about you stay in Zaoyuan for a few days? The scenery over there is even better with lakes and mountains."
"No need." Madam Guo laughed and sat at the round table with Cheng Chi on either side. "It's too troublesome to go out. I'm used to living here. I can find everything I need in every corner. But when I get there, I can only make do with it. It's better for me to live in Hanbi Mountain House. But, as you said, I should go for a walk by the lotus pond sooner or later."
The maid brought up some tea and snacks.
Zhou Shaojin cleverly helped to arrange the snacks.
Cheng Chi smiled and looked at her again.
When Mrs. Guo saw this, she remembered and said with a smile, "As we get older, our memory gets worse. This is the second daughter of the Zhou family, the fourth branch. I asked her to copy the scriptures for me."
Zhou Shaojin bent his knees, squatted down and bowed, as if he didn't know him.
Cheng Chi smiled and nodded, saying, "He is a guest. I am talking to my mother here, so you don't need to serve me."
ah!
It was like a bolt from the blue.
Zhou Shaojin was speechless.
She originally thought that the resistance to her trying to talk to Cheng Chi came from Old Madam Guo or secular ethics, but she didn't expect Cheng Chi to avoid her.
Then how could she talk to Cheng Chi
Zhou Shaojin didn't react for a long time.
Cheng Chi looked at her stupidly, with her big dark and moist eyes wide open like an abandoned puppy, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up.
The first time, he wanted to help her out, so he asked her to pretend to be a maid and pour tea for him. The second time, he saw her running around everywhere in fear like a little mouse, so he jokingly asked her to pour tea for him like he did when they first met... He didn't expect that the little girl actually took it seriously and acted like a maid seriously when she saw him.
He smiled, and his tone became gentler: "Go down! There are maids to serve you here. Go and copy the scriptures!"
Zhou Shaojin's face suddenly turned red.
Being chased away like this... How could she have the face to continue staying here!
Zhou Shaojin bowed hastily and left Mrs. Guo's banquet room, but his eyes couldn't help but become moist.
As Cheng Ji often complained: It's so embarrassing!
Feicui didn't pay attention at first, but when she saw her come out, she hurried over and whispered, "What are the old lady and the fourth master doing? Do you need us to go in and get some tea? Or do you have any other instructions?"
"No." Zhou Shaojin blinked his eyes, trying to restore his vision to its original clarity, "The old lady and the fourth master had something to say... I just came out!"
"That's good." Jade smiled, but she couldn't help feeling suspicious.
The Second Miss's eyes were wet, as if she was about to cry. Could it be that she was scolded by Old Madam Guo or the Fourth Master
She and Zhou Shaojin did not walk as close as Biyu, so they pretended not to see anything and continued to stand outside the curtain, listening attentively to what was happening in the room.
Zhou Shaojin went to the Buddhist temple.
Shi Xiang was grinding ink, and Xiao Tan was lighting mugwort incense.
Zhou Shaojin copied a page of paper before his mood gradually calmed down.
Uncle Chi's behavior just now was very common, but I had never bowed my head to beg anyone, and I couldn't stand being rejected suddenly... If it was a peaceful and prosperous time, it wouldn't be a big deal. At most, I would never talk to Uncle Chi again. But ten years later, the Cheng family will be exterminated. When I was reborn, I vowed to change the fate of my previous life. Then I can't be like before, and I can't stand even the slightest grievance. Think about my sister, such an outstanding person, she didn't have a smooth time when she first married into the Liao family, but later, my brother-in-law slowly understood what kind of person my sister was, and he respected her very much. My sister was also accepted by the Liao family and integrated into the Liao family. I should learn from my sister. When encountering things, I can't just think about my own feelings, but also think about what I really want.
Doesn't the book say that when God gives a man a great responsibility, he must first make him work hard and suffer in his heart? I should regard it as a test from God, otherwise how could he allow me to be reborn
Thinking of this, Zhou Shaojin's mood improved again, and he felt that the future might not be as bleak as he had imagined.
She called Xiao Tan and whispered to her, "Please help me check if Uncle Chi has left. What did he come to see the old lady for?"
Xiao Tan was stunned and hesitated, looking as if she didn't dare to ask.
Zhou Shaojin couldn't help but sigh.
After all, she was from Hanbi Mountain House, so it was a bit difficult for her to do this. But it would be even more inappropriate for anyone else to ask about it except Xiao Tan.
She smiled and said, "I'm just very curious. You don't have to find out everything. Just go and ask. I originally thought that I would only stay in Hanbi Mountain House for three or four months at most, but the old lady said that this sutra would be offered to Mount Putuo, and she might take me with her. I wanted to copy a copy of the Amitabha Sutra for myself to offer to the Bodhisattva, and I wanted to talk to the old lady about this. I know what's going on in the upper house, so I can find a chance to tell her about it."
After all, Zhou Shaojin entered Hanbi Mountain House under the pretext of copying scriptures for Mrs. Guo.
Moreover, when people go to an unfamiliar place, they always like to find out about the things around them. It doesn't necessarily mean to gossip about the pros and cons, but it is more about making people feel at ease.
Xiao Tan understood what Zhou Shaojin said, responded with a smile, and went to the upper room.
Shi Xiang was surprised and said, "Miss, since you want to use it yourself, you can go back and copy it! When autumn comes and the weather turns cooler, it will be very cold to go back and forth like this every day."
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "Since it is a book dedicated to the Buddha, the appearance is also very important. Hanbi Shanfang uses red ribbed paper. I have asked and found out that this paper is from ten years ago. You can't find the same pattern on paper now. Wouldn't it be better if Madam Guo agreed to let me use this paper to copy a sutra? I will return some more paper to Madam Guo when the time comes."
Shi Xiang felt that Zhou Shaojin's words were a bit far-fetched, but when she saw that Zhou Shaojin had made up his mind, she had no choice but to swallow her words of comfort.
About two sticks of incense later, Xiao Tan came back and said, "The old lady called the fourth master over. She wanted to ask about the Gu family's ghost marriage, but she didn't expect that you, young lady, knew everything. So the old lady talked to the fourth master about the family affairs, and then played chess with him. The chess game hasn't even ended yet! The old lady invited the fourth master to have dinner."
Playing chess again...
Zhou Shaojin no longer found it strange.
Maybe the way mother and son get along is by playing chess.
Just like my grandmother and uncle, they always talk about the chores at home...
She thanked Xiao Tan with a smile, and started copying the scriptures with peace of mind.
Shi Xiang and Xiao Tan sat at the door of the Buddhist hall and began to separate the lines based on the light from outside.
When she gets home in the evening, Zhou Shaojin still has to do some needlework.
As the sun set, a cloud rose in the west. At this time in previous years, they would have been on their way home, but today, Zhou Shaojin had not stopped writing.
Shi Xiang's eyes were already straining, so she had to carefully tidy up the thread.
Feicui came over and said, "The old lady said that the second young lady should have dinner before leaving."
In the past, Zhou Shaojin would always feel uncomfortable and go back to the fourth room for dinner.
Shi Xiang was about to help Zhou Shaojin politely refuse, but Zhou Shaojin smiled and said "OK", and asked Feicui, "I wonder if there are any other special requirements for dinner here?"
Feicui obviously didn't expect Zhou Shaojin to agree. She was stunned for a moment before she smiled and said, "It's nothing special. It's just that the old lady doesn't eat meat and the fourth master doesn't eat fish."
One doesn’t eat meat, the other doesn’t eat fish… isn’t that considered particular
Zhou Shaojin said "Hey", and asked Feicui to send someone back to tell the fourth room so that they wouldn't have to wait for him for dinner.
Jadeite walked out of the temple with a smile.
Shi Xiang whispered, "How about we stay in Hanbi Mountain House for dinner?"
In the past, it was Zhou Shaojin who said it was not very good.
"It's not good to stay for dinner often." Zhou Shaojin said calmly, "Occasionally it's okay." He added, "It's not good to always refuse the old lady."
Shi Xiang thought about it and it made sense.
He helped Zhou Shaojin put away her writing materials, and then helped her wash her hands and face, and simply tidied her hair and clothes, then followed her to the upper room.
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Sisters, today’s update.
Asking for pink votes...
(*^__^*) Hehehe
※(To be continued)