Who would have known that as soon as Zhou Shaojin finished speaking, Ji Ying let out a cold “hmph” and said, “You’re just teasing me, aren’t you? How old are you this year? If one cross-stitch method took you three months to learn, learning a whole set of needlework techniques would take you seven or eight years, wouldn’t it? Look at what you make now—it’s practically on par with Nan Ping…” As she spoke, she held up what she had embroidered and examined it carefully for a few moments, then said with some pride, “However, considering the time I’ve spent learning needlework, I think I’m doing quite well!”
Zhou Shaojin didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Ji Ying urged her, “Hurry up and cut out a pair of socks for me to try making!”
Zhou Shaojin didn’t stand on ceremony with her and said, “You still need to practice for a while before you can do that.”
“I can’t even make myself a pair of socks?”
“You can!” Zhou Shaojin said with a smile. “As long as you can bring yourself to wear them.”
“Why wouldn’t I be able to wear them?” Ji Ying said dismissively. “It’s not as if anyone is going to look at my feet.”
Zhou Shaojin giggled and cut out a pair of socks for her.
Ji Ying very seriously lowered her head to do needlework.
Zhou Shaojin also sat down with a smile to embroider the birthday gift for Old Madam Guo. With a turn of her head, she could see Snowball obediently lying in the basket, gazing at her with its big, glistening black eyes.
She felt nothing but warmth in her heart, and the smile never left her face.
Seeing her like this, Zhou Chujin knew she had reconciled with Ji Ying and was secretly happy for her younger sister.
Ji Ying had a straightforward personality—with such a companion, her younger sister’s temperament should become more cheerful.
She even specially chose a day when Ji Ying was visiting to go to Zhou Shaojin’s side chamber. She chatted with Ji Ying for a while and rewarded her with many candies and pastries.
Ji Ying was thoroughly polite and smiled charmingly, but somehow, Zhou Shaojin intuitively felt that Ji Ying didn’t much like her older sister. After her sister left, she asked Ji Ying, “What’s the matter with you? Did my older sister do something wrong?”
“No!” Ji Ying shrugged her shoulders and said helplessly, “Your older sister is very nice. But I always feel your sister is quite similar to Nan Ping. Both are too proper and rule-bound. I generally don’t get along well with people like that.”
“What kind of nonsense is this?” Zhou Shaojin glared at her and said, “Am I not proper then?”
Right in front of Zhou Shaojin, Ji Ying tore open the box of pastries that Zhou Chujin had just rewarded her, took a piece of crispy candy and stuffed it in her mouth, saying, “What you have isn’t propriety—it’s foolishness!”
Zhou Shaojin was extremely annoyed.
Ji Ying laughed heartily and said, “Haven’t you heard the saying ‘foolishness has its own blessings’? I’m complimenting you on being blessed!”
If she were blessed, how could she have been harmed so miserably in her previous life!
Zhou Shaojin felt awkward.
Ji Ying said carefully, “Are you angry?”
“No!” Zhou Shaojin said despondently. “I just thought of some things from the past and felt a bit emotional.”
Ji Ying pursed her lips dismissively and said, “Let me tell you a story.” Then, without waiting for Zhou Shaojin to speak, she continued on her own, “There was a child sitting sadly on some steps. A passerby saw him and asked, ‘What’s wrong with you?’ Guess what the child answered? The child let out a long sigh and said, ‘I’m thinking about things from when I was little.'”
What kind of story was this?
It took Zhou Shaojin quite a while to catch on.
So Ji Ying was making fun of her!
She couldn’t help pushing Ji Ying’s shoulder and saying, “How dare you! You’re actually making fun of me. I’ll never have the kitchen make those potstickers you like again.”
Ji Ying laughed heartily and said, “Your reaction is really too slow. When Cheng Zichuan told me this story back then, I caught on immediately… I say you’re foolish, and you still won’t admit it.”
Zhou Shaojin was stunned and said, “So this story was told to you by Uncle Chi. But why did Uncle Chi tell you this story?”
She couldn’t imagine what Uncle Chi looked like when telling stories.
At these words, Ji Ying’s face actually turned red. She coughed lightly and said, “Cheng Zichuan is someone who likes to jab at people at every turn. How would I remember it so clearly?”
Zhou Shaojin didn’t believe it at all.
If she didn’t remember clearly, how could she have used this story to make fun of her?
However, Ji Ying must have been quite embarrassed at that time.
Zhou Shaojin wasn’t the type who liked to expose people’s wounds, so she didn’t press further and just smiled with pursed lips.
Ji Ying let out a gentle sigh, touched Zhou Shaojin’s head, and said, “You really have such a good temperament. I wonder which young master will be blessed enough to marry you.”
Zhou Shaojin didn’t want to talk about this and changed the subject: “Uncle Chi should have returned from Huai’an by now, right? Did things go smoothly there?”
“When Cheng Zichuan personally handles something, how could it not go smoothly?” Ji Ying said carelessly, handing the sock she had sewn for about an inch to Zhou Shaojin to look at. “How is it? Not bad, right?”
Although the stitches were still uneven, they at least looked presentable.
Zhou Shaojin exclaimed, “You learn so quickly!”
“Of course.” Ji Ying said immodestly, “In the past… my hands were very steady, so learning these things is effortless for me!”
“Really!” Zhou Shaojin covered her forehead.
She really wanted to ask what had happened in the past that made her hands so steady, but after thinking about it, she still didn’t ask.
Ji Ying said, “Tomorrow I’ll bring you some tea rings to eat.”
Zhou Shaojin asked, “What are tea rings?”
“A snack from Huai’an.” Ji Ying said with a smile. “I think they’re quite good.”
Zhou Shaojin said with a smile, “Did Uncle Chi bring them back?”
Ji Ying curled her lip and said, “Do you think your Uncle Chi is the type to do that sort of thing?”