Zhou Shaojin hurriedly stepped forward to pay her respects.
But Old Mistress Guo showed a surprised expression: “Who is this?”
“This is my younger granddaughter Zhou Shaojin,” Old Madam Guan said with a smile. “She doesn’t like to talk much normally, so relatives don’t really know her well. Since we’ve encountered you today, I had her come greet you.”
Old Mistress Guo paused, only then remembering who this so-called “younger granddaughter” was.
She nodded at Zhou Shaojin with a slight smile and praised, “What a beautiful young lady!”
Zhou Shaojin naturally wouldn’t take these polite social pleasantries seriously, but such a peaceful meeting was something she hadn’t expected.
She let out a breath.
“You flatter her too much,” Old Madam Guan said in a modest tone, though her expression couldn’t hide her delight.
Seeing this, Old Mistress Guo pondered for a moment, then removed the ring from her finger: “It’s an old piece—young ladies may not necessarily like it, but fortunately the quality is quite good. If it’s remade into a pendant or something, it would still look presentable.” As she spoke, she handed the ring to Zhou Shaojin. “Consider it a meeting gift.”
Zhou Shaojin was astonished and didn’t dare accept: “The item is too valuable.”
“It’s fine,” Old Mistress Guo said with a smile. “When an elder gives you something, just accept it.”
Zhou Shaojin hesitated briefly, then curtsied gracefully, thanked Old Mistress Guo generously, and accepted the ring.
“That’s right,” Old Mistress Guo said with a smile, her tone very gentle.
Zhou Shaojin breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that she wasn’t as nervous as before.
Old Madam Guan and Old Mistress Guo entered the reception room and sat down on the low couch, one on the left and one on the right.
Si’er led the young maids in bringing tea and refreshments.
Zhou Shaojin stood without moving.
Old Madam Guan gave her a meaningful look.
Only after a while did Zhou Shaojin understand—her grandmother was telling her to be more attentive in front of her elders.
Her face grew hot.
Before marriage, she had wallowed in self-pity and never paid attention to others. After marriage, she had hidden away at the Daxing estate considering herself superior, never interacting with outsiders. Others had always flattered her—when had she ever flattered anyone else?
But now that she had decided to save the Cheng family, she couldn’t be the same as in her previous life.
Zhou Shaojin carefully recalled how Shi Xiang and the others served her tea and water, and learned from their example as she served tea to Old Mistress Guo and Old Madam Guan.
Old Madam Guan was very pleased to see her being obedient and sensible.
Old Mistress Guo didn’t think much of it.
Her sons, daughters-in-law, grandsons, and granddaughters were all filial, and she never lacked people to attend to her. In her view, this was only natural.
However, Zhou Shaojin was gentle and soft, revealing grace and docility in every movement—very comfortable to watch. This made Old Mistress Guo feel favorable toward her. After Zhou Shaojin finished serving tea, she said with a smile as she picked up her teacup, “Those trivial tasks can be handled by the young maids. You may sit down as well.”
This time Zhou Shaojin responded softly and stood behind Old Madam Guan.
Looking at her, Old Mistress Guo was reminded of her third granddaughter Cheng Sheng—if that spoiled girl were here, she would certainly engage in a verbal display of her accomplishments and wouldn’t stop until she received praise… One was too quiet, the other too clamorous. After all, it was because their backgrounds and circumstances were different.
These thoughts passed in a flash.
Old Mistress Guo brought up the actual business: “…I was thinking that we should still attend the dharma assembly on the eighth day—the Old Ancestor’s birthday is the gentlemen’s affair. What could we do even if we stayed home?”
So this was why she had come.
The second branch probably didn’t see it this way!
Zhou Shaojin listened attentively.
The Zhou family women went to Ganquan Temple to offer incense every year during the Buddha Bathing Festival, but this year on the twelfth of the fourth month was the second branch’s Old Ancestor’s birthday banquet. The second branch had long announced they would hold a grand celebration for the Old Ancestor. Logically, since the Buddha Bathing Festival and the twelfth of the fourth month were so close together, all branches of the Cheng family should go to the second branch to help.
But everything waxes and wanes.
In the past, when the second branch’s Old Ancestor Cheng Xu served in the capital as Grand Secretary of the Hall of Military Valor and Minister of Personnel, while the main branch’s Old Ancestor managed household affairs at home, naturally the second branch was most prominent and everything followed the second branch’s lead. But after the second branch’s old master Cheng Li died young and the main branch’s old masters Cheng Xun and Cheng Shao successively passed the imperial examinations, the Cheng family saw a different scene. Now the second branch’s Old Ancestor Cheng Xu had long retired, and the eldest master Cheng Yi was just a schoolteacher, while the main branch had three successful examination graduates and even produced a fifteen-year-old top candidate—the situation had become somewhat different.
But no matter what, the fourth branch had never been in charge and didn’t compete for this prestige, nor could they compete for it.
Old Madam Guan smoothed things over: “I’ll follow your lead.”
The fourth branch, consisting of orphans and widows, hadn’t had it easy to reach where they were today. Having received favors from the main branch and also receiving protection from the second branch, it wouldn’t be good to side with either. It was best not to get involved.
Old Mistress Guo had never feared anyone even when the second branch was at the height of their power, much less now when all three of her sons had passed both levels of the imperial examinations. She said this not to instigate anything between Old Madam Guan and the second branch, but because among the several old sisters-in-law, only Old Madam Guan was generous, reasonable, and principled—quite compatible with her. She wanted to invite Old Madam Guan to attend the dharma assembly together so they would have company on the journey.
“Then it’s settled,” Old Mistress Guo said, very pleased that Old Madam Guan had agreed. “You don’t need to prepare incense or candles or anything—Miss Zheng specially sent me twenty jin of ghalewood incense from the capital. I had Fourth Son exchange it for two hundred taels worth of copper coins for us, all Yongchang Tongbao coins, each one this big and this thick.”
Fourth Son… who was that?
Zhou Shaojin looked at Old Mistress Guo’s gestures with some confusion.
Old Madam Guan instructed Si’er to send one hundred taels in banknotes to Hanbi Mountain Lodge later.
Old Mistress Guo was displeased: “Why are you settling accounts so clearly with me?”
“Before the Bodhisattva, each shows their own sincerity,” Old Madam Guan insisted firmly.
Even blood brothers should settle accounts clearly—this way they stay close. Old Madam Guan never took advantage of such things. This was also why, even though the fourth branch’s old master had died young, the main branch, second branch, and third branch all treated the fourth branch with great respect.
Old Mistress Guo didn’t insist.
Old Madam Guan then pulled her over to look at the Buddhist sutras she had Zhou Shaojin copy: “Originally I was worried they wouldn’t be good enough to offer to the Bodhisattva, but now it seems we need to copy faster.”