Zhou Zhen was quite surprised. The sincerity revealed in Cheng Chi’s words made him feel favorable toward him.
His expression softened involuntarily as he asked, “Does Old Madam know about this matter?”
Cheng Chi immediately knew his opportunity had come.
At this moment, every word he spoke became critically important—it could mean success or failure, depending entirely on how he responded.
“After my mother came to the capital, I already informed her clearly.” Cheng Chi said, “It’s just that at that time the family was in the midst of dividing the lineage. Mother’s view was that we couldn’t let Second Miss become a target for everyone at such a time, so this matter was temporarily not raised. When I came to Baoding Prefecture this time, I also reported it to my mother in advance—she knows about it!”
Zhou Zhen inexplicably felt relieved.
Perhaps in his view, a marriage between children without parental blessing was equivalent to elopement. And matters in the Cheng family without Old Madam Guo’s approval usually didn’t have good outcomes.
Zhou Zhen picked up his tea cup and slowly took a sip, examining Cheng Chi carefully.
The composed and dignified bearing of a young master from an established family, the confident and carefree manner of one whose belly was full of poetry and books… No matter how one looked at it, Cheng Chi was an exceptionally handsome man, one in ten thousand.
Just as Li Shi had said, aside from his age, he truly was an ideal son-in-law.
Perhaps there was no such thing as perfection in this world!
Zhou Zhen felt his heart become somewhat more at ease.
He asked Cheng Chi, “What arrangements do you have regarding Cheng Jiashan?”
Cheng Chi smiled and said, “My mother already purchased a residence for me near Chaoyang Gate. I will live there in the future.”
The area around Apricot Forest Lane was the Cheng family’s ancestral home, which naturally went to Cheng Jing as the eldest son.
Cheng Chi continued, “So when I return from Jining, I may still be posted elsewhere. At that time I can bring Shaojin with me to my posting.”
Thus husband and wife would not need to be separated.
Being a younger son had its advantages too.
Only now did Zhou Zhen begin seriously considering the possibility of this marriage.
He nodded slightly and asked, “Why did you think of helping Yang Shoushan control the Yellow River?”
Cheng Chi then told him about being skilled with numbers since childhood, how he wanted to study water-related geographical texts whenever he encountered them, how he met Old Master Song, how to calculate water levels, how to take water samples from the middle of rivers… He told Zhou Zhen everything in detail.
Zhou Zhen was very interested and asked carefully about calculating water levels.
Baoding Prefecture also had more drought than rain. If river water could be diverted for irrigation, farmers wouldn’t need to live such harsh lives.
Cheng Chi answered every question.
Gradually, both men’s expressions became somewhat serious as they discussed diverting water for field irrigation.
Outside the reception hall, Li Shi quietly asked Nanny Li, who was listening intently with her ear pressed close, “How is it? Did you hear what Fourth Master and Master said? Did Master and Fourth Master quarrel?”
Nanny Li shook her head repeatedly.
Li Shi breathed a sigh of relief.
The two men didn’t emerge from the study until lunchtime. Even after coming out, following a brief silence at the dinner table, the two went to the study and continued discussing farmland irrigation.
Li Shi’s eyebrows rose with joy.
Eldest Master Li arrived in a cloud of dust and hurriedly said, “What happened? You summoned me so urgently. I still have wine to send to the capital!”
Since doing business with the Imperial Household, the Li family had become the wealthiest in Jiangxi. Eldest Master Li’s face glowed with health, and even his fatigue couldn’t hide his proud ambition.
But Li Shi complained, “Why are you only coming now? If I’d known, I wouldn’t have sent you a message. By the time you arrived, the day lilies would be cold!”
Eldest Master Li didn’t take it to heart.
The siblings bantered back and forth.
In the capital, Old Madam Guo was busily distributing invitations.
The ninth day of the ninth month was her birthday.
Cheng Jing also intended to celebrate the old madam’s birthday.
This was the first family banquet they were holding since dividing the lineage—a perfect opportunity to gather those relatives and friends who had helped them during the division.
Old Madam Guo specifically sent invitations to the Zhou sisters and instructed Nanny Lü, “Take some nourishing medicinal ingredients to the Liao family. Deliver all three invitations to First Madam of the Liao family together. The nourishing medicinal ingredients should be divided—one portion for First Young Madam of the Liao family and one portion for Second Miss Zhou.”
In the Fang family matter, First Madam Liao had exerted considerable effort behind the scenes.
She would certainly come.
And with the Zhou sisters’ invitations delivered to her hands, even if Zhou Chujin intended to prevent Zhou Shaojin from attending, First Madam Liao probably wouldn’t agree.
As for the Fang family, even without an invitation they would likely come.
Nanny Lü smiled and said “Yes,” then delivered the invitations to Elm Tree Lane.
Though she had received this courtesy through the Zhou sisters’ connections, First Madam Liao was still very pleased that Old Madam Guo’s most trusted nanny had come personally to deliver her invitation.
Zhou Chujin, however, silently cursed Cheng Chi’s cunning.
He definitely wanted to use this method to see Shaojin!
She still didn’t know Cheng Chi had already gone to Baoding.
Zhou Chujin couldn’t very well not attend—otherwise First Madam Liao would certainly think she and the Cheng family had developed a rift. If that were investigated and it happened to expose her sister’s situation, that would be bad.