It was a young lady about the same age as Wu Baohua, wearing a madder-red gauze vest and a fine white cloth embroidered skirt. Her features were delicate, but she wore a red-gold necklace set with precious stones on her chest that gleamed brilliantly, very eye-catching.
Seeing them look over, the young lady not only didn’t avoid their gaze but smiled at them quite openly.
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but be astonished.
A commotion arose in the courtyard—the Gu family’s Grand Madam and Sixteenth Miss Gu’s in-laws left the courtyard. Seventh Young Madam Gu called everyone to the reception hall to play cards and listen to a female storyteller.
Zhou Shaojin saw Mian Grand Madam standing on the steps looking for her.
She asked Miss Sun: “Are you coming with me to the reception hall, or waiting here for your grandmother?”
“I’d better wait here for my grandmother.” Miss Sun said gently.
Zhou Shaojin nodded toward Wu Baozhang, then quickly walked toward Mian Grand Madam and joined up with Madam Yuan and her sister.
The group headed to the reception hall.
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but look back toward where that young lady had been standing.
The young lady had already disappeared.
The Gu family had many marriage connections. In her previous life, Zhou Shaojin had rarely gone out to socialize. Even in this life she didn’t know many people. She simply found that young lady particularly forthright, which is why she had looked a few more times. Since the other person had already left, she didn’t dwell on it further.
The female guests divided into two groups—one to play cards, one to listen to the female storyteller.
Madam Yuan and Mian Grand Madam originally wanted to listen to the storytelling, but were pulled away to play cards. Seeing Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin left alone, Seventh Young Madam Gu called over Seventeenth Miss Gu to keep them company.
Seventeenth Miss asked them: “Where shall we go? How about listening to the storytelling too?”
Zhou Chujin didn’t mind either way. Zhou Shaojin saw Wu Baohua accompanying Madam Wu playing cards in the reception hall, while Wu Baozhang stood in the covered corridor with a girl she didn’t recognize listening to the storytelling. She thought for a moment and smiled: “Could we walk around the courtyard?”
“Sure!” Seventeenth Miss smiled. “Not far from here is our family’s waterside pavilion. The breeze there is especially refreshing.”
Zhou Shaojin informed Madam Yuan and Mian Grand Madam, then followed Seventeenth Miss to the waterside pavilion.
Though created from artificial hills and waterways, it still had lake and mountain scenery that was quite pleasing to the eye.
The Zhou sisters and Seventeenth Miss sat on the beauty’s couches in the pavilion chatting: “…Nineteenth Maiden, was she your aunt?”
Seventeenth Miss nodded and smiled: “In the generation above us, everyone is called ‘Maiden.’ In our generation, everyone is called ‘Miss.’ My given name is Seventeenth Miss.”
Zhou Shaojin was shocked.
Seventeenth Miss laughed heartily, very cheerfully, saying: “Our family has too many people. Without this ranking system, we simply couldn’t tell who was who.”
Someone outside the pavilion said: “Seventeenth Miss, is that you? The voice sounds just like you!”
Seventeenth Miss jumped up, stuck her head out and called: “Ah Zhu! My Sixteenth Sister was still asking about you before the hairpin insertion ceremony, wondering why you hadn’t come. When did you arrive? Where were you earlier? How come I didn’t see you?”
Zhou Shaojin followed Seventeenth Miss’s gaze.
She saw a jeweled necklace gleaming with pearls and gems.
It was that young lady who had laughed at Wu Baozhang.
They had run into each other again unexpectedly.
Judging by the tone, this young lady called “Ah Zhu” was quite familiar with the young ladies of the Gu family.
The bamboo curtain was lifted. Ah Zhu entered with a beaming smile, accompanied by a maidservant about forty years old: “I came with my mother early this morning, but ended up being held up by your Grand Madam talking for ages. I finally escaped, but by then Sixteenth Sister’s in-laws had already arrived. I could only peek through the window for quite a while.” As she spoke, she said proudly: “I knew Sixteenth Sister would ask about me, so after the people inserting hairpins left, I ran in and talked with her for a bit. Later I heard you were here, so I came over with Nanny Gong.” She greeted Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin familiarly: “These must be the Zhou sisters, right? You’re both so beautiful! Everyone was saying the Gu family had two great beauties visiting. I searched for ages and couldn’t find you two. Good thing I’m clever and thought of Seventeenth Sister.” She introduced herself: “My given name is Zhu Zhu. I’m twelve this year, probably younger than both of you. Just call me Ah Zhu. That’s what everyone in my family calls me.”
Both Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin had relatively quiet personalities. Ah Zhu’s cheerful, lively, enthusiastic and generous nature made them both quite fond of her. Zhou Shaojin and Zhou Chujin came forward and exchanged courtesies with Zhu Zhu. Zhou Chujin smiled: “I am indeed older than you, so I’ll presume on my seniority and call you Ah Zhu! Ah Zhu, my sister is also twelve this year, but she was born in winter, so she should be younger than you!”
“Really!” Ah Zhu immediately beamed with delight, saying: “I was born in April, so I’m the older sister!” She had Zhou Shaojin address her as elder sister and said: “An older sister should give her younger sister a meeting gift.”
Zhou Shaojin felt awkward.
Nanny Gong, who had entered with Ah Zhu, cleared her throat and said warmly: “This is your first meeting, and you haven’t prepared a meeting gift, Eldest Miss. Perhaps save it for next time!”
“That’s true!” Ah Zhu’s eyes curved into crescent moons as she smiled. “This is my first time being someone’s older sister. I should prepare a proper meeting gift.” As she spoke, she took Zhou Shaojin’s hand. “When you have time, come visit my home.”