Zhou Shaojin looked at the scene before her and thought of her previous life.
At that time, how similar she and Cheng Jia had been—she too had been so foolishly unguarded against Wu Baozhang…
She stepped forward and pulled Cheng Jia, saying in a low voice: “I have something to tell you.”
Cheng Jia immediately abandoned Wu Baozhang and asked curiously: “What is it?”
Zhou Shaojin said: “Those sisters from the same father but different mothers are fighting each other. Last time they nearly dragged me into it. Don’t say I didn’t warn you—be careful yourself. Don’t be sold and still count money for the person who sold you!”
Cheng Jia hated most when people called her foolish.
She immediately took it to heart and stamped her foot, saying: “Don’t think I don’t know she’s trying to ingratiate herself with me. I just didn’t take her seriously—a prefect’s daughter daring to come to the Cheng family to scheme. She really doesn’t know her own worth!”
Zhou Shaojin knew she had planted a thorn in Cheng Jia’s heart. From now on, even if Wu Baozhang treated Cheng Jia well, to avoid Zhou Shaojin’s ridicule, Cheng Jia would keep her distance from Wu Baozhang.
She therefore said nothing more and followed Cheng Jia to pay respects to the elders.
Having put on airs as the elder sister, Cheng Jia immediately became happy. When Wu Baozhang came over to talk to her again, she was cold and indifferent, no longer enthusiastic.
Wu Baozhang frowned secretly.
When the birthday celebration in the outer courtyard concluded, the birthday banquet began.
The banquet for the Grand Dowager of Duke Liangguo and others was set in the open hall behind Siyi Pavilion, while others’ banquets were set in the side rooms of Siyi Pavilion.
As in her previous life, because Cheng Jia had an impatient temperament, although she represented the Cheng family, she couldn’t handle things independently. So the steady and composed Zhou Chujin was asked to take charge of entertaining the visiting young ladies with her, while Zhou Shaojin was arranged to sit at the same table as Cheng Lu’s mother Dong Shi. Pan Qing was seated at a table in the open hall.
Cheng Jia’s expression immediately soured, but she wasn’t someone who didn’t understand priorities. She suppressed her displeasure and entertained the young ladies with Zhou Chujin, Wu Baozhang among them.
At Zhou Shaojin’s table, besides Dong Shi, there was Cheng Ju’s mother Yang Shi and several distant relatives of the Cheng family. As soon as Yang Shi sat down, she pulled Dong Shi into conversation. Zhou Shaojin remembered that in her previous life she had sat shoulder to shoulder facing Dong Shi, so she immediately sat diagonally across from Dong Shi without batting an eye.
Yang Shi’s voice drifted over intermittently: “…slapped her right across the face. I was so startled at the time that I quietly withdrew… Originally wanted to find you, but you weren’t there either, so I came alone… nearly missed paying birthday respects to Old Ancestor… Before I’d only heard them arguing, but this time they actually came to blows. If Old Master and Old Madam were here it would be better—at least there’d be someone to take charge. Now who can she turn to? She can only pretend nothing happened…”
Zhou Shaojin’s heart pounded wildly as she listened.
Had Wen Grand Master struck Wen Grand Madam?
She thought of Wen Grand Madam’s appearance earlier and sighed wistfully.
Dong Shi didn’t want to sit and chat with the gossip-loving Yang Shi, but was still a step too late and was caught by Yang Shi. After barely managing to listen patiently to her finish speaking, she looked up to find Zhou Shaojin was no longer beside her but sitting diagonally across from her.
She couldn’t help but frown.
When the banquet was halfway through, Dong Shi suddenly stood up and said to Zhou Shaojin: “I’m feeling a bit unwell. Come with me outside for a moment.”
Women had many things they couldn’t speak of explicitly to others. Who knew what this “unwell” might refer to?
Everyone’s eyes fell on Dong Shi and Zhou Shaojin.
This was another unexpected incident that hadn’t occurred in her previous life.
Zhou Shaojin was determined not to repeat past mistakes and stood up with a smile, unmoved as a mountain.
Dong Shi waited for her to come help her up—Zhou Shaojin had always been respectful and deferential toward her, and she enjoyed displaying their unusual closeness before others.
But Zhou Shaojin stood there for a long while without moving.
She glanced at Zhou Shaojin.
Zhou Shaojin still stood there smiling, looking as if she would follow wherever Dong Shi led.
Dong Shi recalled her son’s words that “Second Miss is somewhat different from before.” She furrowed her brows, stood up, and left the table.
Zhou Shaojin followed closely behind, hearing people behind her commenting: “That’s the Second Young Miss from the Fourth Branch, isn’t it? She’s truly beautiful! Looking at her appearance, she has a good temperament too. It’s just a pity her birth mother passed away.”
In marriage matters, this had always been a major flaw for her.
Whether in her previous life or this one.
But in this life, would she marry?
Marry whom?
She thought of Lin Shisheng, then suddenly had an inspiration.
If Concubine Mu married Lin Shisheng before trouble befell her at home, they could be husband and wife for life. And even if the Mu family ultimately met with misfortune, Lin Shisheng would have standing to rescue Concubine Mu’s three unmarried younger sisters!
She immediately felt her spirits lift.
She began thinking of sending someone to inquire about the Lin and Mu families’ situations.
But whom should she send?
All roads led back to the same problem—she had no one to use.
For the first time, Zhou Shaojin felt the urge to have a proper talk with her sister.
She wanted to get her dowry into her own hands early and raise a few servants she could command like her own limbs.
But would her sister misunderstand and think she was competing for dowry because she was jealous of Elder Sister’s magnificent ten-li red makeup trousseau?
Zhou Shaojin felt a headache coming on. Absent-mindedly thinking about these matters, she nearly collided with Dong Shi, who had been walking ahead but suddenly stopped.
“Uncle Bai’s wife,” she asked Dong Shi, “what happened?” Her eyes quickly swept the surroundings.
They were standing in the corridor connecting the side rooms and open hall of Siyi Pavilion. To the south were the side rooms, to the north was the open hall, to the northeast was the privy, and to the southwest was Peony Platform.
Zhou Shaojin asked: “Where are you going?”