Zhou Shaojin's hands were tangled together again.
She said worriedly: "But what about Aunt Lu..."
Cheng Chi had to hold back his brow and said, "That also requires Cheng Zheng's consent!"
Cheng Zheng agreed
Why didn't he agree
Zhou Shaojin suddenly understood.
Cheng Zheng is a scholar. Scholars take the imperial examination to get into the government, so what's the point of getting close to the emperor's relatives? Can you still expect your relatives to help you in your career? The emperor is most averse to the involvement of the emperor's relatives in government affairs, so the princes-in-law can only play at home with their official positions...
"Yes! Why didn't I think of that!" Her eyes were bright and her face was glowing. "The third house is still counting on cousin Zheng to pass the imperial examination and bring honor to the family! If Cheng Jia marries Zhu Pengju as a concubine, the spit of the censors alone will drown cousin Zheng..." Thinking of this, she felt relieved and jumped up excitedly, "I'll go tell cousin Jia... Anyway, no matter who Zhu Pengju likes, he can't marry her!" As she spoke, she became a little uncertain and asked Cheng Chi hesitantly, "Uncle Chi, I, my father will definitely not agree, right?"
Even if her father agreed, her fourth grandmother and aunt would not agree, right
What if, what if, they all agreed, could she ask Uncle Chi to ruin this matter
She didn't dare to ask the latter question, fearing that she would be too formal and get the exact opposite answer.
How could he be sure of such a thing
But looking at Zhou Shaojin's cautious look, he felt a little sour in his heart, and he didn't want to hit her, so he smiled and said, "I don't think so!"
Zhou Shaojin started laughing.
She smiled with her eyes curved, knelt down and bowed to him, saying: "Uncle Chi, I'll be leaving first. I'll come back to thank you another day!" Then she left Xiao Qingyin Pavilion with light steps like a happy little bird.
Cheng Chi was stunned.
Just left like that... Did she believe in what he said so firmly
Cheng Chi looked confused as he stared at the distant green mountains and trees, not saying anything for a long while.
Huaishan lowered his head, his lips tightly pursed into a slit, but his shoulders shrugged slightly twice.
※
Zhou Shaojin went east and went to Ruyixuan.
Cheng Ji was flipping through the menu sent from the third room's kitchenette. Seeing Zhou Shaojin coming over, she happily welcomed her to the inner room and sat her down. She pushed the menu in front of Zhou Shaojin and asked her, "Why don't you stay here for dinner? I'll ask Cuihuan to go to Jiashu Hall and tell them. What do you want to eat? Today the kitchen has crystal shrimps, steamed flounder, three-cup chicken, squirrel fish... I asked Cuihuan to go to the kitchen and see if it's like last time, when we ordered a plate of crystal shrimps, but it turned out that the shrimps were not even as big as river snails..." she muttered.
The third room was different from the fourth room. The third room had the menu served by the kitchen every day and the dishes ordered in each room, while the fourth room had a unified arrangement. For example, Zhou Shaojin and her sister and Mrs. Mian had four dishes and one soup, Cheng Gao and his brother had six dishes and one soup, and old lady Guan had three dishes and one soup. Zhou Shaojin and her sister and Mrs. Mian dined together, and Cheng Gao and his brother were boys with big appetites, while the old lady ate less, so they would reduce one dish and there would be no waste at all.
The eldest house seemed different. At least when she ate at Hanbi Mountain House that time, not only were the meat and vegetables well matched, but the chef's skills seemed to be particularly different. There were a lot of dishes, and they were probably very delicate.
Zhou Shaojin thought about it randomly, nodded, and said, "I really have something to tell you today. I will stay here for dinner. Please ask Cuihuan to tell her."
They used to eat together often, but Zhou Shaojin stayed at Ruyixuan to eat more often, while Cheng Ji went to Wanxiangju to eat less often - the dishes for the fourth room were ordered long ago, but the dishes for the third room could be ordered on the spot, so Ruyixuan seemed more free and easy.
Cuihuan smiled and replied "yes", then retreated without Cheng Ji's instructions.
Cheng Ji pulled Zhou Shaojin onto the bed and asked her quietly, "What do you want to tell me?"
Zhou Shaojin told Cheng Ji about the time she gave the purse to test Ah Zhu, but she hid the fact that she was looking for Cheng Chi. She felt uneasy as she always felt that the relationships between the first, second and third houses were complicated, so she tried not to mention Cheng Chi if possible.
Cheng Ji was shocked and asked, "Are you telling the truth?"
After asking, there was a moment of trance in his expression, with happiness at one moment and worry at another.
Zhou Shaojin looked very worried.
I'm afraid most of the girls in Jinling City want to marry into the Duke of Liang's Mansion and become the first lady of Jinling City.
But she had no say in this matter.
If Cheng Ji also thought so, she would try to keep Cheng Ji, but Cheng Ji might even feel that she had ruined her happiness.
Her tone slowed down, and she said slowly, "Why would I lie to you? No matter what the Duke of Liang's Mansion is planning, I have made up my mind. I will discuss it with my grandmother when I get back... Just think about it, just because the Crown Prince's wife didn't give birth to a child, for the sake of future offspring, the Duke of Liang's Mansion won't give her a title. I won't marry into such a family, no matter how prominent it is! Not to mention becoming someone's second wife."
Cheng Ji didn't understand.
Zhou Shaojin explained to her: "If you don't ask for a title, you can't be included in the family tree. In the future, if your successor wife gives birth to a child, he will be the legitimate eldest son."
Cheng Ji shuddered and said hurriedly, "I, I don't want to marry him either." After saying that, she frowned and said worriedly, "But if it's really me, my mother..."
Her eyes were clear, no longer dazed.
Zhou Shaojin breathed a sigh of relief and felt warm in his heart.
This is my good sister.
Don't be blinded by the powerful.
She couldn't help but change direction, sitting next to Cheng Ji, and talking about Cheng Zheng: "... He wants to pursue a career in politics, so he may not think this is a good thing."
Speaking of the farming and reading family, Cheng Ji understood without Zhou Shaojin saying much.
She couldn't help but hug Zhou Shaojin tightly and said with a smile: "Shaojin, you are still my sister. When did you become so powerful? You make me look like a straw bag!"
Zhou Shaojin's face felt hot when he heard this.
Would Uncle Chi think of her the same way
He sent someone to talk to her, and she even went to ask twice in person before she figured it out... In Uncle Chi's eyes, I'm afraid I'm just a fool...
※
After dinner, Zhou Shaojin returned to Jiashu Hall.
Aunt Miao and sister were still talking and drinking tea with Old Madam Guan.
After she greeted the elders, her sister pulled her to sit next to her and scolded her, "Since you were staying at Ruyi Pavilion for dinner, why didn't you tell me earlier? The meal was already served, and you suddenly sent Cuihuan away to say you wouldn't be coming back for dinner!"
In her previous life, her elder sister had also nagged her like this, and she only felt terrified. But when she heard it again in this life, she realized that there was another deeper meaning behind it. - Her elder sister had preemptively reprimanded her, so her grandmother and aunt could no longer be angry with her.
She took her sister's arm and giggled, saying coquettishly, "I have something urgent to discuss with my cousin Jia!"
Mrs. Miao looked at her cute appearance and said with a smile: "What urgent matter could a little girl have? Are you still discussing something? I think you are just playing mischief together, right?"
Her aunt had never joked with her like this before.
Zhou Shaojin's eyes were slightly moist. He told everyone in the room how he was collecting things at home and found two suitable purses, how he asked Fan Liu to send them to the Duke of Liang's Mansion, and how he reported it when he came back... He said that Cheng Chi's warnings were all his own discoveries and told them all at once to everyone in the room.
Several people were surprised and happy. They were surprised that the prince of Liangguo had confirmed their suspicions, and they were happy that they had kept it a secret from Zhou Shaojin, but Zhou Shaojin was able to guess the prince's intentions through some clues.
Old Lady Guan took Zhou Shaojin's hand and said to Zhou Chujin with emotion: "Now you can rest assured! Even if you are not watching over her everywhere in the future, Shaojin will not be unable to survive! She is just simple-minded and does not think about some things that way, but she is not stupid!"
Zhou Chujin nodded repeatedly, tears glistening in her eyes.
Zhou Shaojin's heart skipped a beat when he heard this, and he wished he could take back everything he had said.
She knew her own business. Even if she lived another ten years, she would never be as smart and capable as her sister... If her sister really stopped caring about her, what would she do
Zhou Shaojin subconsciously pulled his sister's sleeve.
But when she held the soft silk in her hands, her heart tightened again.
When I was reborn, I swore that I would never cause trouble to my sister again. I would protect my sister, be filial to my grandmother, aunt, uncle, and father... How could I have forgotten it in the blink of an eye!
Even if her elder sister doesn't care about her in the future, she still has two years. Her elder sister won't get married until two years later. In two years, she will definitely be able to take care of her own affairs!
Zhou Shaojin clenched his fists secretly.
Old Lady Guan asked her, "…what did the little girl say?"
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "After dinner, cousin Jia went to find cousin Zheng. She said that instead of alerting the enemy and talking to aunt Lu until she was dry-mouthed, it would be better to discuss it with cousin Zheng. If that doesn't work, then tell cousin Shi from the second room about it. Cousin Shi will definitely not want his younger sister to marry into the Duke of Liang's mansion as a concubine."
Old Madam Guan nodded and said to Madam Mian with a smile, "Don't mention it, these two kids actually came up with a rule! This is a good idea. Our Cheng family can't afford to lose face like this."
Mrs. Miao nodded with a smile and replied "yes" meekly.
Zhou Shaojin hurriedly said: "Grandma, then, then will my father..."
Before she finished her words, Mrs. Guan's face darkened and she shouted, "He dares! I will break his legs."
Zhou Zhen is a father after all. Mrs. Miao was afraid that what Mrs. Guan said would make Zhou Shaojin and her sister embarrassed, so she smiled and said, "Don't worry, your father respects your grandmother the most. Since your grandmother has spoken, he will not disobey her." She added, "Shaojin, don't worry about this matter. Just pretend you don't know. Your grandmother and your uncle Miao will make the decision for you."
Only at this moment did Zhou Shaojin feel relieved.
Then she thought to herself: It's better to stay at home in the future. She went to Gu's house and met Ah Zhu. She met Ah Zhu and provoked Zhu Pengju. Fortunately, the elders in her family were sensible. If she met someone who wanted to curry favor with the rich and powerful, she would cry until her eyes were blind.
She was terrified.
Then I thought, Uncle Chi is still the best.
If it weren't for him, I would probably still be kept in the dark, being sold and having to pay others for it.
If I have the chance, I must repay Uncle Chi well.
※
Sisters, today’s update.
PS: I found that I am quite hardworking... O(∩_∩)o haha
※(To be continued)