But Zhou Shaojin hadn’t forgotten.
After returning to her room and dismissing the servants around her, she spoke intimately with Chun Wan: “…If she wants to show off, let her show off, but she always likes to step on others to show off. She and I have no grudges or enmities, and I’m not competing with her for anything. Why should I be her stepping stone? After you go this time, be extra vigilant and watch her personally make those ten pounds of rice into rice cakes. If she tries to be clever, remind her that you’ll come back and tell me.”
Ever since Zhou Shaojin learned that Wu Baozhang and Cheng Lu had long been entangled together, she suspected that in her previous life, when she was unaware, these two had already been involved. The grievances suffered in her previous life constantly circled in her mind. She could no longer treat Wu Baozhang with equanimity.
And the Zhou Shaojin of her previous life—of course Wu Baozhang needn’t fear her.
But in this life, she’d moved to live at Hanbi Mountain Lodge. Wu Baozhang couldn’t possibly not be wary of her.
Only now did Chun Wan understand.
So the eldest mistress of Nuo had already had grievances with Second Young Miss when she was still unmarried. No wonder Second Young Miss had her learn rice cake making with the eldest mistress of Nuo this time—it turned out she wanted to torment her.
She assured: “Second Young Miss, I know what to do! In any case, if the eldest mistress of Nuo shows off in front of you like this again, we’ll make her suffer the consequences of her own actions without being able to utter a word of complaint.”
Chun Wan was indeed her senior maid!
Zhou Shaojin smiled with narrowed eyes and nodded, having her take ten taels of silver from her trunk, saying: “Money makes the devil push the millstone. Take this to win over the people around the eldest mistress of Nuo.”
“I understand!” Chun Wan accepted the silver.
Zhou Shaojin further instructed her: “Wu Baozhang is someone who’s accustomed to being cunning and slippery. Tomorrow morning, take eight-colored gift boxes to pay respects to Grand Madam Wen. Say you want to thank the eldest mistress of Nuo for teaching you to make rice cakes. Make this matter public so Grand Madam Wen knows, leaving her no way to shirk.”
Chun Wan was more experienced at such things than Zhou Shaojin. She suggested: “This servant is lowly after all. I think it would be better to have Mian Grand Madam take me. Given Grand Madam Wen’s temperament, if there’s such an opportunity to show off, she’ll certainly keep watch over the eldest mistress of Nuo.”
“Your idea is good!” Zhou Shaojin said. “But I don’t want to involve the elders. What do you think about quietly asking Nanny Shang to go?”
“That would be better—have Nanny Shang mention it to Nanny Er,” Chun Wan said.
The two whispered together in the room for quite a while. Seeing it was getting late and needing to send someone to buy eight-colored gift boxes, they finally stopped their conversation. One went to the outer courtyard while the other paced excitedly back and forth in the room.
This time, she must make Wu Baozhang suffer!
Just thinking about it made Zhou Shaojin’s mood soar. She very much wanted to find someone to talk to, to share her joy.
She immediately thought of Cheng Chi!
She hadn’t seen Uncle Chi for several days.
She stood pouting in the middle of the room, hesitating for quite a while, but ultimately couldn’t control her feet and went to Tingli Pavilion.
※※※
Cheng Chi was calculating accounts when he looked up to see Zhou Shaojin poking half her head in.
He couldn’t help but smile wryly.
When had this little girl arrived? How long had she been here? Why wasn’t she coming in?
He recalled how previously, when he and Wei Dongting and others were discussing serious business, she could barge in with complete confidence… Then he thought of Zhou Shaojin’s rabbit-like temperament… Could it be that he’d been too cold to her recently and frightened her?
Cheng Chi’s expression involuntarily softened. He smiled at her warmly and gently said: “You didn’t get into some trouble, did you?”
Seeing that he treated her as warmly and kindly as always, Zhou Shaojin recalled what Nanny Shang had just told her: “How can anyone be happy every day and always wear a smiling face? These past days, Fourth Master was so busy that even in his sleep he was calculating accounts with the Li family. If those accounts were off even a little, it wouldn’t be a matter of dozens or hundreds of taels, but thousands or tens of thousands of taels. How could Fourth Master have the energy to show everyone a pleasant face?” Her courage grew again, and she walked in with a smile on her lips.
Cheng Chi put down the account book in his hands, trying to make himself appear more gentle: “What happened?”
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help becoming animated with excitement, telling Cheng Chi how Wu Baozhang had tried to please Old Madam Guan and Mian Grand Madam, and how she herself planned to scheme against Wu Baozhang.
Seeing pride showing in the corners of her eyes and brows, her whole person gaining several degrees of liveliness, Cheng Chi also felt happy and laughed: “Do you need my help?”
“No need, no need.” Zhou Shaojin waved her hand, full of confidence: “I can handle it myself!”
Cheng Chi chuckled.
Zhou Shaojin thought of Cheng Chi’s capabilities and began to feel somewhat hesitant again: “Does Uncle Chi have a better way?”