“Nonsense!” Old Madam Guan rebuked sternly with a grave expression. “You’re just a child who doesn’t know the weight of your words. Splitting off to live separately—do you think it’s such a simple matter…” Her words suddenly stopped abruptly, as if her tongue had frozen, and her face revealed a hint of panic.
Mian Daitai hurriedly said: “Mother, what’s wrong?” Fearing that Zhou Shaojin’s words had angered the old lady, she quickly pushed Zhou Shaojin. “Hurry and apologize to your maternal grandmother.” Yet her protective intent overflowed in her words as she also consoled Old Madam Guan: “Mother, please don’t be angry. Didn’t you say so yourself? She’s just a child who doesn’t know the weight of her words. In another two years when she’s older, she’ll improve. Please don’t be angry—she didn’t mean any harm…”
Perhaps it was because when she didn’t know how to save the Cheng family, this thought had flashed through her mind, so in her moment of urgency, Zhou Shaojin had blurted it out.
She couldn’t help feeling both ashamed and guilty.
The five branches had already divided their households. The First Branch could still take out a portion of their income to support the Fourth Branch, allowing them to maintain their livelihood after Old Master Quan passed away. Later, they had helped the Fourth Branch acquire shares in Yutai Bank, and only then did the Fourth Branch’s days improve. Speaking of it, the First Branch’s kindness to the Fourth Branch could be considered as weighty as mountains… Now that the Cheng family was about to face calamity, yet she was advising the Fourth Branch to leave the Cheng family… Wasn’t this the same as being able to share hardship but not prosperity?
She hastily apologized to Old Madam Guan: “Maternal Grandmother, it’s my fault. I’ll never think this way again…”
Zhou Shaojin secretly thought to herself: After she told the First Branch about the Cheng family’s impending house raid and clan extermination, it wouldn’t be too late to discuss household division.
But Old Madam Guan seemed not to have heard what they were saying at all, murmuring: “So that’s how it is! So that’s how it is!”
Zhou Shaojin and the others couldn’t help but exchange bewildered glances.
The Zhou sisters gave Mian Daitai a meaningful look.
Mian Daitai hesitated slightly, then said softly: “Mother, what are you saying? I don’t understand.”
Old Madam Guan seemed to awaken from a great dream. She stared at Mian Daitai with a blank expression for quite a while before her spirits revived. With a grave expression, she glanced at the three people in the room and said in a heavy voice: “The matter of household division—none of you are permitted to mention it again. Not only can you not mention it, you’re not even allowed to think about it. Back when your great-grandfather passed away, he once asked your grandfather and me, saying that we and the First Branch, Second Branch, and Third Branch had already passed five degrees of mourning, and if we wanted to separate and live independently, we should bring it up while he was still alive. We wouldn’t need to go behind his back.
“If we were greedy to enjoy the shade under a big tree and hoped to receive protection from the First and Second Branches, then from then on we must share good fortune together and bear hardships together. No matter what happened, even if it meant family destruction and clan extermination, we could never do anything to betray Jiuru Lane and could never regret it. You must know that if you enjoyed the family’s provisions, you had to contribute to the family…
“Looking at it now, what your great-grandfather spoke of was probably this very income. I’m afraid this income has questionable origins and will lead to family chaos…” As she spoke to this point, Old Madam Guan’s expression revealed a rare panic. She instructed Mian Daitai: “None of you are allowed to reveal a single word of this matter to anyone else. This concerns the very survival of Jiuru Lane. Quickly go summon the Great Master. He only thought the situation between the First and Second Branches was somewhat strange—he doesn’t yet know how perilous it truly is!”
How could Mian Daitai remain seated any longer? She lifted her skirt and headed out.
Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin—one went to support Old Madam Guan, the other went to brew her a fresh cup of hot tea.
After Old Madam Guan drank her tea and caught her breath, she said: “You’re both good children. For now, don’t tell your cousin Gao or cousin Yi about this matter. Wait until your maternal uncle and I have discussed a plan. Your maternal uncle will be coming shortly—you should return to Wanxiang Residence first!” Then, after a slight pause in her tone, she added: “Regarding your father… if you want to tell him, remember not to write a letter. Send a trusted person to relay the message in person.”
The sisters both answered “Yes” and left Jiashu Hall.
Zhou Chujin pulled Zhou Shaojin to talk under the camphor tree beside the covered walkway.
“Do you think we should tell Father about this or not?” Her feelings were conflicted. “If we tell Father, he definitely won’t be able to stand by and do nothing. But this is ultimately the Cheng family’s matter—how can Father interfere? If we don’t tell Father, and something happens to the Fourth Branch, how could we face Maternal Grandmother, Uncle, Aunt, and our two cousins?”
But Zhou Shaojin’s heart leaped with joy.
After her rebirth, she had been obsessed with helping the Cheng family escape disaster. But she was young and lowly positioned—the several great masters were like Mount Tai and the Five Sacred Mountains to her. Who knew that inadvertently she had moved this cornerstone?
With the elders’ involvement, perhaps she wouldn’t even need to reveal her past life for the Cheng family to avoid this calamity!
“Of course we must tell Father,” she said with utter certainty. “Father is, after all, a son-in-law of the Cheng family. If something happens to the Cheng family, even if Father isn’t implicated, he probably won’t have good days ahead.”
How could Zhou Chujin not understand this? But unlike Zhou Shaojin, she didn’t know what would happen in the future. When making decisions, especially regarding matters concerning family interests and survival, she would inevitably feel some hesitation and uncertainty. Her sister’s decisive tone greatly encouraged her. She took a breath and said: “I’ll send Ma Fushan to deliver a verbal message to Father. We sisters can decide what to do after seeing what Father says!”
This was the best course of action.
Zhou Chujin hurriedly summoned Ma Fushan to the mansion.
When Old Madam Guan received word, her heart eased greatly. She said quietly to Mian Daitai: “All my wholehearted care in raising those sisters wasn’t in vain.”
Mian Daitai knew Old Madam Guan’s heart wasn’t feeling well, so she smiled and teased her: “I’ve long treated them like my own daughters. Who knew you still distinguished between us and them!”
Old Madam Guan laughed heartily and sighed: “If you all can be like this, even if something goes wrong with the First or Second Branch, I feel we need not fear—when people are of one mind, their strength can cut through metal!”
Mian Daitai nodded continuously.
That afternoon, Zhou Shaojin still went to Hanbei Mountain House to copy scriptures as usual, only she appeared much more silent than normal.
Xiao Tan quietly asked Chun Wan: “Is Second Miss in a bad mood?”
Chun Wan glanced at Zhou Shaojin and said in a low voice: “Perhaps it’s because Sister Shi Xiang is leaving the mansion. Sister Shi Xiang has been serving Second Miss since she was eight years old.”
“No wonder!” Xiao Tan responded, then turned to tell Biyu: “Sister Shi Xiang is leaving the mansion. Should we give her something as a keepsake?”
Zhou Shaojin had been copying scriptures at Hanbei Mountain House for several months, and Shi Xiang had been serving there for several months. With her easygoing nature, she got along extremely well with Biyu and Xiao Tan.
“Naturally!” Biyu went to ask Feicui, Zhenzhu, and Manao. All three said they should give something. When others at the mountain house learned of it, they all decided to pool together to give Shi Xiang something. This coming and going eventually alarmed Old Madam Guo. Old Madam Guo smiled and said: “If Shi Xiang is leaving the mansion, she’s certainly going to marry. Biyu, help me wrap twenty taels of silver to reward Shi Xiang. Say it’s my personal gift to her.”
Biyu smiled and agreed, then sent it to Wanxiang Residence along with the gold earrings and silver ingots they had pooled together to make for Shi Xiang.
Shi Xiang was deeply moved.
Zhou Shaojin naturally had to take her to kowtow in gratitude to Old Madam Guo.
Old Madam Guo smiled and said: “A hundred years of cultivation earns you passage on the same boat. That you could serve your miss and come and go at Hanbei Mountain House means you’re a person of affinity.” She also instructed her that after returning home, she must honor her parents, conduct herself properly, and not bring shame to the Cheng family, and so on.
Listening from the side, Zhou Shaojin felt a stirring in her heart.
That she could be reborn, and reborn at age twelve before her relationship with Cheng Lu had become clear—wasn’t her connection with the Cheng family also a kind of destiny?
To pursue who was right and who was wrong was actually completely meaningless.
She only needed to do what she should do.
As for the outcome, at worst she would repay the Cheng family with this life.
After all, in her previous life, she had only lived to twenty-five.
Zhou Shaojin suddenly felt relieved.
She went smiling to find Cheng Chi: “Uncle Chi, do you still want me to accompany you in a game of chess?”
Cheng Chi was lazily reclining in a lounge chair under the corridor of the main room, gazing blankly at the sky.
Hearing her, he smiled: “Not today. Come play chess with me again in a couple of days!” Then he asked: “Have you still been learning chess from Madam Shen these past few days? Have you made progress?”
Zhou Shaojin smiled awkwardly and said: “Madam Shen says I can start studying chess manuals now.”
Cheng Chi said: “Then you’re learning quite quickly! Next time let’s play go, shall we?”
Zhou Shaojin laughed sheepishly and said: “Let’s still play five-in-a-row! I need to study go a bit more.”
Cheng Chi nodded solemnly.
Zhou Shaojin slipped away.
Cheng Chi couldn’t help but laugh.
Huai Shan reported in a low voice: “Fourth Master, the Great Master of the Fourth Branch is investigating our properties along with the Second and Third Branches.”
“What did he discover?” Cheng Chi said indifferently.
“Nothing.” Huai Shan was somewhat worried. “After all, he’s family—he might know more than outsiders.”
“Let him know.” Cheng Chi said dismissively. “Spread the word—if they want to live separately, the Yutai shares can be bought and sold freely.”
Huai Shan was stunned: “Wouldn’t that be giving the Second Branch an advantage?”
Cheng Chi sneered coldly: “Hasn’t he been looking everywhere for people lately, wanting to start a bank? Perfect—I’ll give him this opportunity!”
Huai Shan’s eyes shifted as understanding dawned.
The Second Branch didn’t have much property themselves. Their silver was all deposited at Yongfu Sheng. With just their daily expenses, even several generations couldn’t use it all. The best way to get the Second Branch to bring out their silver was to have them do business. Only through business could there be major losses. Once the Second Branch suffered major losses, with no one capable of supporting the household, they would certainly panic. Once panicked, mistakes come easily. Once mistakes were made, they’d be easy to exploit… It was practically a vicious cycle.
He couldn’t help but reveal a smile: “Fourth Master, this is an excellent plan.”
Cheng Chi scoffed: “Rest assured, Cheng Xu isn’t that foolish.”
Huai Shan laughed awkwardly.
Who knew Cheng Chi would suddenly change tack: “However, though Cheng Xu isn’t foolish, he can’t withstand others being foolish. Fortunately, this silver won’t benefit outsiders.”
Indeed—if the Fourth and Fifth Branches both sold their shares, they could certainly extract a large sum of silver from the Second Branch.