After the fifteenth of the eighth month, Duke Liangguo’s manor held the funeral.
The Cheng family also set up a roadside memorial on the street.
Zhou Shaojin felt somewhat melancholy and sat quietly by the window embroidering forehead bands for Old Madam Guo.
Cheng Jia came to find her. Unlike her usual chatter, she just sat there watching Zhou Shaojin do needlework.
After a few days, both their moods improved somewhat.
Zhou Shaojin settled her mind to copy scriptures.
Someone was observing her from outside the Buddha hall.
Zhou Shaojin looked up and saw Ji Ying standing in the center of the courtyard.
She smiled at Ji Ying.
Ji Ying thought for a moment, walked over, and asked her through the window lattice, “You just copy scriptures like this every afternoon?”
“Yes!” Zhou Shaojin smiled. Her smile was quiet and composed like gentle lake water.
Ji Ying was somewhat surprised and said, “It seems you truly like it, not pretending.”
In her previous life, many people thought Zhou Shaojin’s quietness was forced and didn’t take it seriously.
Zhou Shaojin smiled faintly, not wanting to argue about this with Ji Ying. She asked, “Why did you come over? Has Uncle Chi returned?”
Last time she had sent Shi Xiang to deliver mooncakes to Xiaoshan Conggui Courtyard, but Qingfeng told Shi Xiang that Cheng Chi had gone to Huai’an and hadn’t returned yet. During Mid-Autumn Festival when the family held a lantern festival, there was no sign of Cheng Chi either.
Hearing her mention Cheng Chi, Ji Ying pursed her lips and said, “Fourth Master hasn’t returned yet. I came with Nan Ping. Old Madam kept Nan Ping to talk, and I was bored with nothing to do, so I walked around and ended up here.”
Zhou Shaojin asked curiously, “What does Old Madam want with Sister Nan Ping?”
Ji Ying said, “Who knows! Nine times out of ten it’s about Fourth Master. Apart from that, I can’t think of anything else.”
“Doesn’t Old Madam not interfere with Uncle Chi’s household affairs?” Zhou Shaojin asked.
“Although she says she doesn’t interfere,” Ji Ying looked unwilling to discuss it further and said, “she still calls Nan Ping over to ask questions sometimes.”
Zhou Shaojin didn’t feel right asking more.
Ji Ying said, “I heard the mooncakes you sent last time were made by you personally?”
“My sister and I made them together.” Zhou Shaojin said honestly. “The woman in my kitchen helped knead the dough, Sister made the fillings, and I just helped wrap them.”
Ji Ying nodded slightly and commented, “Those mooncakes were quite good.”
Zhou Shaojin had thought that since Cheng Chi was a man, he probably didn’t like sweet things, so she had specially packed more mooncakes with preserved vegetable sesame filling. Unexpectedly, everyone found the preserved vegetable sesame mooncakes delicious, but unfortunately Uncle Chi hadn’t tried them.
As they were talking, a young maid came to invite Ji Ying: “…Miss Nan Ping says it’s time to return.”
Ji Ying took her leave.
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help wondering.
When would Uncle Chi return?
A few days later, Ji Ying came looking for her.
She came very suddenly. Zhou Shaojin was doing needlework when she asked through the window lattice, “I heard your needlework is very good?”
Zhou Shaojin didn’t react at first.
When she did react, she first looked around.
Ji Ying had come without anyone announcing her.
Shi Xiang and Chun Wan were both absent, and the young maid on duty was sitting on the threshold dozing off.
How could she be dozing off so early in the morning?
Zhou Shaojin grumbled inwardly, feeling somewhat embarrassed as she stood up and invited her in for tea.
“No need.” A trace of awkwardness flashed in Ji Ying’s eyes. “I have something I’d like to ask you to help make. I don’t know if you have time?”
Zhou Shaojin was astonished.
She glanced at the fabric scraps in her wicker basket and said, “I don’t know what you want to make? If you’re not in a hurry it’s fine, but if it’s urgent, I’m afraid I won’t be able to do it right away.”
Zhou Shaojin sensed that Ji Ying seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Although her expression was still somewhat cold, her whole person seemed much lighter than before she asked.
“It’s not urgent.” She spoke and pulled out a piece of moon-white Songjiang fine cloth, saying, “Just help me make two pairs of men’s socks. No embroidery needed, no edging, just simple ones.”
“Ah?!” Zhou Shaojin’s eyes widened.
“Oh!” Ji Ying realized and quickly said, “I’m not making them privately for someone else. This is work Nan Ping assigned to me, for your Uncle Chi.”
Zhou Shaojin’s eyes opened even wider.
Ji Ying had to explain: “Autumn has begun, hasn’t it? All the branches are rushing to make winter clothes. Your Uncle Chi’s winter clothes are Nan Ping’s responsibility, and every year she assigns me some small tasks.
“I originally wanted to have some young maids do it, but Nan Ping said your uncle hasn’t had new fur-lined robes for two years. This year we received some good fur and need to rush to make two fur-lined robes for your uncle.
“All those cotton-padded jackets, robes and such were assigned to those young maids. When I went to the needlework room, they were also busy rushing work.
“Besides the Second Branch’s winter clothes, they’ve added things for Miss Xiao and First Master Shi’s children, and it’s all embroidery work. The needlework room hasn’t had a day off in two months.
“I said I’d pay to have it done outside, but Nan Ping disagreed, as if I was secretly giving your Uncle Chi’s things to others. I had no choice but to bring it to you…” As she spoke, her gaze swept over the wicker basket in front of Zhou Shaojin. “I know you’re quite busy too, probably rushing to make birthday gifts for Old Madam Guo. You don’t need to do it yourself—just hand it to any young maid with decent needlework skills. When the time comes, I’ll take you to the livestock market to eat something good.”