A day of boat travel and sedan chair riding had exhausted everyone in the Zhou household from top to bottom. After the evening meal, they all returned to their rooms to rest.
The next morning, the Zhou sisters woke at the usual hour of mao zheng (six o’clock in the morning). Before they could get up, Chi Xiang, who had been on night watch, heard the sounds and came in, smiling as she said: “First Miss, Second Miss, just now the master sent Ma Fushan’s wife over to relay a message, saying that both young ladies worked hard yesterday and should rest well today—there’s no need to pay your morning respects to the master and madam.”
In other words, they could sleep in today.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Shaojin’s eyes curved with delight as she said: “Home really is the best!”
Seeing her looking as charming and innocent as a crabapple blossom, Zhou Chujin smiled and pinched her nose, saying: “What do you mean ‘home is the best’? Once in a while is fine. But if it were like this every day, I’m afraid you’d be spoiled rotten with no sense of propriety.”
Zhou Shaojin giggled and lay back down to catch some more sleep.
Zhou Chujin asked Chi Xiang: “What about the madam?”
Chi Xiang, worthy of being Zhou Chujin’s trusted confidante, smiled and said: “The madam hasn’t gotten up either.”
Only then did Zhou Chujin relax. She yawned and went back to sleep.
By the time the sisters opened their eyes again, the red sun was already high overhead.
“Oh no!” Zhou Chujin hurriedly urged her sister to get up, asking the attending Chi Xiang: “Did anyone from the study come to ask about us?”
“No.” Chi Xiang deftly hung up the bed curtains while smiling and saying: “The master went out—several of his old classmates learned that he’d returned and dragged him out to drink.”
“Ah!” Zhou Chujin was somewhat dumbfounded.
Didn’t that mean they would have to face Li Shi alone?
Zhou Chujin couldn’t help but furrow her brow, her expression hesitant as she looked toward Zhou Shaojin.
Zhou Shaojin, however, didn’t mind. She whispered in her sister’s ear: “Who knows, maybe she’s just as worried about it!”
Zhou Chujin laughed and put her arm around Zhou Shaojin’s shoulder, saying: “No wonder Father says you’re a clever little imp!”
Zhou Shaojin smiled with pursed lips.
The sisters took their time washing up and getting dressed, then had their breakfast before going to pay their respects to Li Shi.
Li Shi was extremely enthusiastic and kept the sisters to talk.
Only then did Zhou Chujin learn that the Li family was originally the wealthiest family in Jiangxi. Li Shi was the youngest daughter in the family, with four older brothers. All had married daughters from merchant families. Among them, the eldest brother was the most steady and helped their father manage the family business, while the third brother was the boldest and had opened his own kiln to specialize in firing blue and white porcelain. She even laughed and said: “…When you get married, I’ll have my third brother fire a set of bridal porcelain for you.”
Bridal porcelain, depending on family wealth, ranged from one pair to one hundred and eight pairs. The special feature was that everything came in matching pairs, and all the designs carried meanings of many children and longevity or marital harmony.
Zhou Chujin’s face flushed slightly, but she felt somewhat displeased in her heart, thinking that Li Shi, coming from a merchant background, only knew how to try to win people over with small favors and benefits.
What might be considered a kindness to others felt somewhat jarring to Zhou Chujin, who came from Jiuru Lane.
She smiled somewhat perfunctorily and said: “Well, thank you very much, Madam.”
Li Shi wasn’t someone lacking in perceptiveness. On the contrary, though she was the youngest in her family, with her mother advanced in years and her eldest sister-in-law running the household, she knew she would need her brothers and sisters-in-law to support her even after marriage, so she had become very good at reading people’s expressions.
The disdain that subtly flowed from Zhou Chujin’s very bones made her heart clench painfully.
With her husband not at home, she had calculated that this would be a perfect opportunity to curry favor with her two stepdaughters. That’s why Li Shi had kept the sisters to talk. Who would have thought that instead of winning them over, she would be looked down upon?
Li Shi’s face flushed red.
Zhou Shaojin hoped their father could enjoy his later years in comfort.
She and her sister would eventually marry out. Father’s later years would still depend on Li Shi’s care.
She quickly smiled and said: “Madam, I like famille rose porcelain. Could I have Third Uncle from the Li family fire me a set of one hundred and eight pairs of famille rose?”
Li Shi was taken aback, but her heart immediately warmed.
No wonder Old Madam Cheng liked Zhou Shaojin so much—this child was truly obedient, beautiful, and thoughtful.
She quickly smiled and said: “Good, good, good! My third brother is in this line of work. Even if his kiln doesn’t fire it, he can find master craftsmen. When the time comes, I’ll have them bring design samples for you to choose from. I’ll definitely have them fire you the very best set of bridal porcelain that can be passed down to your children and grandchildren.”
Zhou Chujin also saw her sister’s intention. She sighed quietly to herself and lowered her head to drink her tea.
Seeing that Zhou Shaojin was innocent and lively while Zhou Chujin was shrewd and formidable, Li Shi’s instinct for self-preservation made her reluctant to say much more to Zhou Chujin. She devoted all her attention to chatting with Zhou Shaojin.
Zhou Shaojin wasn’t naturally skilled at such social exchanges. After just a few exchanges, she too began to find it quite taxing.
She cast a pleading look toward her sister.
Seeing her chatting so warmly with Li Shi, Zhou Chujin felt displeased and pretended not to notice.
Zhou Shaojin had no choice but to steel herself and continue rambling on with Li Shi. Just as they seemed to have exhausted their topics and an awkward silence fell, Zhou Shaojin’s peripheral vision swept past the rattan basket on the flower stand. She noticed it contained a half-finished children’s garment. Her eyes lit up, and she pointed at the rattan basket, saying: “Is this a garment Madam is making for younger brother?”
Though she knew this child would be a daughter, in her previous life Li Shi had dreamed of having a son. She didn’t want to be the one to shatter this beautiful dream.
Upon hearing this, Li Shi indeed smiled happily, her voice softening by three degrees as she said: “Yes! It’s a little shirt.”
Zhou Shaojin walked over to look.
Li Shi also got up and came over.
The two talked about embroidery and tailoring until finally it was time for the midday meal.
After eating lunch with Li Shi, Zhou Shaojin returned to the main room with her sister.
As soon as Zhou Chujin entered, she pointed a finger at Zhou Shaojin’s forehead and chided: “You little ungrateful wretch! Mother worked so hard to give birth to you, yet you chat so warmly with that woman. Are you even Mother’s biological daughter?”
So elder sister couldn’t accept another woman as their mother!
Zhou Shaojin felt embarrassed.