The elders stepped in to handle the affairs of the Duke of Liang's Mansion, and Zhou Shaojin slept soundly that night.
When she woke up the next morning, she felt refreshed and lighter than ever before.
"Shixiang," she said to her maid with a smile as she sat in front of the mirror, "after breakfast, light up the iron. When I come back from paying my respects to my grandmother, we'll quickly iron my father and stepmother's clothes. If my father can make it back for the Mid-Autumn Festival, he won't be here for many days. I have to go to Hanbi Mountain House to copy scriptures in the afternoon!"
Shi Xiang responded with a smile, helped Zhou Shaojin put on the pearl flower, and told the maid to prepare breakfast.
Zhou Shaojin had just picked up the chopsticks when Cheng Ji came over.
She was wearing a silver-red burnt cloth vest and looked a little tired.
Zhou Shaojin hurriedly asked her to sit down and asked her if she had had breakfast.
Cheng Ji shook his head dejectedly.
Shi Xiang was quick to help Cheng Ji bring in the dishes and chopsticks.
Cheng Ji glanced at the table and said disdainfully, "Why do you drink plain porridge every day? Can't you try something else?"
"Porridge is good!" Zhou Shaojin said with a smile, "Porridge nourishes the stomach."
"Do you have stomach problems or are you too old?" Cheng Ji curled his lips in disapproval, "You eat like an old lady."
Zhou Shaojin was slightly stunned.
Cheng Ji was right about this.
After her rebirth, she seemed to have retained her original living habits...
Zhou Shaojin sneered.
Cheng Ji had already told Shi Xiang: "Give me a bowl of soy milk and three soup dumplings, no, five. I want to have a big meal."
Shi Xiang smiled and stepped back.
Zhou Shaojin teased her: "Are you going to the fields to harvest the crops?"
"What crops are you harvesting!" Cheng Ji said angrily, "I'm just eating so I can quarrel with my mother."
Zhou Shaojin guessed that something went wrong with Zhu Pengju.
She was confused and asked, "Cousin..."
"No!" Cheng Ji said, his eyes red. "My brother said that we should wait and see. The Duke of Liang's Mansion didn't mention the name of the prince and didn't send it to me specifically. Even if they have some ulterior motives, we don't know whether they are interested in you or me. We are so anxious, like we are guarding against thieves, which makes people laugh. I think what my brother said makes sense. Anyway, as long as we don't agree, we can cover the water with earth and deal with the soldiers with generals. Nothing will happen in the end. But my mother seemed to be blinded by lard. Early in the morning, she actually sent someone to inquire about the Duke of Liang's Mansion. She also told my aunt who taught me the rules to pay attention and teach me well, and she would reward her with 100 taels of silver. That aunt is so cunning. She originally just made me walk with a book on my head, but now I walk with a bowl instead of a book... I was too lazy to pay attention to her, so I just ran to you."
Zhou Shaojin sighed.
Fortunately, she was not born in the third room, and fortunately her father did not marry Cheng Xian!
The two of them had breakfast quietly, and Zhou Shaojin went to pay his respects to Old Madam Guan.
Cheng Ji took her arm and said, "I'll go with you!"
Zhou Shaojin thought it was a good idea, so he went to his sister's place with Cheng Ji. After Zhou Chujin had packed up, the three of them went to Jiashu Hall.
At the door, they met Cheng Gao and Cheng Yi, who had just greeted Old Madam Guan.
Seeing Cheng Ju, both of them were quite surprised. After everyone greeted each other, Cheng Gao's eyes fell on Zhou Shaojin, but Cheng Yi teased Cheng Ju: "You came to my grandmother so early in the morning to show your courtesy, do you have something to ask for?"
Cheng Ji was moved when he heard this and said with a smile: "Why, you come to greet me and I am filial, but I come to greet you and I have ulterior motives, what's the logic behind this?"
"I didn't say you had ulterior motives." Cheng Yi and Cheng Ji were arguing, "You said that yourself..."
Cheng Gao turned his back on Zhou Chujin and gave Zhou Shaojin a look, pointing to the century-old locust tree at the gate of Jiashu Hall, and then pulled his brother: "It's so early in the morning, I don't see you reciting lessons but you know you're arguing with others. Come to the school with me quickly, or you'll be punished by the teacher for being late. How many times have you been punished by the teacher to stand this month?"
"Brother, brother." Cheng Yi begged for mercy, "My sisters are all here, please give me some face."
Several people burst into laughter.
After hearing this, Old Lady Guan in the room couldn't help but laugh.
When Zhou Shaojin and others came in to pay their respects to her, she took Cheng Ji's hand and asked her about her daily life these days with great interest.
Zhou Shaojin was thinking about the appointment with Cheng Gao, so he sat for a while and came out of the banquet room on the pretext of going to the official room.
Cheng Gao was waiting for her under the tree.
She ran over breathlessly and asked, "What do you want from me, cousin?"
Cheng Gao was silent for a moment, then said, "The news that my uncle was transferred to Baoding has spread all over the family. Did you know about it?"
Zhou Shaojin nodded in confusion.
Cheng Gao pondered and said, "It has spread throughout the clan school, and someone even wrote an article about which positions are more likely to lead to promotion to the capital. If someone tries to get close to you in the future, be careful and don't trust them so much."
"Who is so boring!" Zhou Shaojin didn't like people who were always thinking about how to get ahead. She frowned and said, "Don't worry, cousin Gao, I will pay attention." However, since Cheng Gao specifically told her this, things must not be just as he said, and someone would try to get close to her. She said directly, "Cousin Gao, is there something wrong in the clan school? You'd better tell me directly! Otherwise, I will hear some distorted words from other people's hearsay."
Cheng Gao was surprised and laughed, saying, "Second cousin, you have changed a lot. You even dare to ask me a direct question!"
So you don’t even dare to say this
Zhou Shaojin blushed.
Cheng Gao smiled and said, "Some things are just my own guesses... Xiangqing has been acting strange these days... He is fine when he is with Jiashan, but he is always unhappy when he is alone. When others ask him questions, he doesn't tell them what's in his heart like he used to, but instead says something depressing with a sad smile..."
"What did you talk about?" Regarding Cheng Lu, Zhou Shaojin asked cautiously.
Cheng Gao looked at her and thought she was worried about Cheng Lu. He hesitated for a long time before he made up his mind and said, "Sometimes people have to give in. A real man should not be successful. A beautiful wife and concubine are just flowers in the mirror and the moon in the water... I also heard rumors that Jiashan protects you very much. For you, he once embarrassed Xiangqing. Fortunately, Xiangqing was quick-witted and knowledgeable. Not only was he not embarrassed by Jiashan, but he also made Jiashan admire him and became good friends with Jiashan..."
Zhou Shaojin was stunned.
Could it be that she had become a two-timing femme fatale, and together with the bullying Cheng Xu, she had contributed to Cheng Lu's good reputation
She was so angry that her face turned red and she was shaking all over.
Cheng Gao felt sorry for them and said hurriedly, "But don't take these words to heart. The most important thing now is to ignore them. Qin Zi'an, um, is a classmate of mine in the clan school. He once told me quietly that Xiang Qing told him that Jiashan's mother wanted to find a girl from a family of officials for Jiashan, so as to help Jiashan in his official career..."
"How did he know?" Zhou Shaojin's heart sank.
She thought that only someone like her who had been reborn and had experienced Yuan's hysteria would understand Yuan's stubbornness and persistence.
"The prime minister told him privately." Cheng Gao's expression was a little more serious, and he whispered, "I always feel that these things are a bit strange... Everyone knows that you are my cousin, but you told me these things. It's as if we are rushing to get close to the eldest house..." He carefully looked at Zhou Shaojin's expression and said softly, "I feel like he wanted me to pass this on to you... And this was spread after my uncle was transferred to Baoding as the prefect... Qin Zian said that everyone knew it, but I tried to ask a few classmates, I don't know if they kept it from me or what, everyone is very confused..."
Cheng Lu, despicable villain!
Zhou Shaojin knew who did it without asking!
This is how he treated himself in his previous life.
Her eyes turned red, and she said, "Cousin Gao, don't worry about this. Grandmother said that my father might come back to worship the ancestors and celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. I will tell my father then."
"No, no, no." Cheng Gao said with embarrassment, "Some of these are just my guesses. If my uncle asks, I can't produce any evidence. I just want to tell you that since this matter has become like this, the best way is for you to ignore anyone..."
He tactfully advised Zhou Shaojin not to marry either of them.
Zhou Shaojin heard the hidden meaning in his words and said, "Cousin Gao, I understand. I will ignore both of them."
Cheng Gao's expression relaxed and he said, "It's a pity that there is no suitable person, otherwise you would have been engaged and the matter would have been over."
Since Cheng Lu wanted to harm her, would he let her go even if she was engaged? He might even go further and make things worse.
Zhou Shaojin once again made up her mind that she would leave Jinling City as soon as her sister got married. She would never return to Jinling to visit her relatives unless Cheng Lu got married and had children. But she couldn't let Cheng Lu talk nonsense like that. Whoever caused the trouble should solve it.
She suggested: "Cousin Gao, can you tell Cousin Xu these words as you did to me? Cheng Lu's words make it seem as if there is something going on between me and Cousin Xu, which not only ruins my reputation, but also ruins Cousin Xu's reputation..."
Cheng Gao smiled bitterly and said, "I have told my cousin Jiashan about this, but he doesn't believe me. What can I do?"
With Cheng Xu's intelligence, even Cheng Gao could see that there was a problem, so it was impossible for Cheng Xu not to see it.
Why would he let things go on like this
Zhou Shaojin couldn't figure it out.
She couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
If Uncle Chi knew about this, he would definitely be able to figure out the cause and effect in a snap... Unfortunately, Uncle Chi has helped her many times, how can she have the nerve to go to Uncle Chi again. Besides, when it comes to asking for help, once or twice, others will help you out of face, but if you keep asking for help, no matter whether it is a big thing or a small thing, even the best-tempered people will find it troublesome. She also wants to save the favor for Cheng Chi to warn Cheng Jing! You can't use favors for this.
Zhou Shaojin had no choice but to say, "Then we'll have to wait until my father comes back!"
Cheng Gao wanted to say something but stopped.
Zhou Shaojin said angrily: "It's already this time, what are you still worried about, cousin?"
Cheng Gao smiled sheepishly and said, "I was thinking, what if my uncle doesn't come back? What should we do? Tell my father? Or tell my grandmother?"
What would be the use even if I told the two elders
Zhou Shaojin was silent for a while, then said, "What if my father doesn't come back..." She made up her mind, "I will tell Madam Yuan..."
She just didn't believe that Mrs. Yuan would remain indifferent after hearing it!
※
Sisters, today is Christmas Eve, what activities do you have
… Woohoo… I’m writing at home…
※(To be continued)