After returning to Wanxiang Residence, Zhou Shaojin didn’t close her eyes all night.
She carefully paid attention to any commotion outside, but there was no sound at all, as if everything she had experienced was merely a dream.
The next morning, she had dark circles under both eyes for the first time ever.
Shi Xiang and Chun Wan, who served her during her washing and grooming, weren’t much better off. Fan Liushi, who wasn’t on duty, came over early like someone joining the excitement, helping Shi Xiang and Chun Wan pass towels and the mirror stand… bustling about, her gaze falling on Zhou Shaojin several times only to move away hesitantly each time.
No matter how slow Zhou Shaojin was, she could tell Fan Liushi had something to say to her.
She simply dismissed the other servants in the room and asked Fan Liushi, “What does Nanny have to say?”
Upon hearing this, Fan Liushi exchanged glances with Shi Xiang and Chun Wan. The three of them knelt together before Zhou Shaojin and said in low voices, “Second Young Miss, after we returned yesterday, we thought it over repeatedly. The matter of encountering Fourth Master Chi can only be treated as if it never happened, buried in our stomachs. In the future, no matter what happens, no matter who asks, we cannot speak of it…”
As she spoke, she gazed earnestly at Zhou Shaojin, as if she needed Zhou Shaojin to give her a response before she could feel at ease.
Zhou Shaojin suddenly understood.
For inner courtyard servants like Fan Liushi who attended closely to their masters, keeping their masters’ secrets was the most basic principle of survival. They were afraid she would speak of this matter, especially tell her older sister Zhou Chujin…
Of course she had to keep the secret!
Otherwise, wouldn’t it implicate Uncle Chi!
However, if Uncle Chi needed her to speak out, she would definitely do so.
But at this moment, there was no need to worry Fan Liushi and the others…
Zhou Shaojin gestured for Fan Liushi and the others to rise quickly and said, “You’ve considered things more thoroughly than I have—I forgot to mention this to you. It’s excellent that you think this way. You surely heard what Uncle Chi said yesterday. He’s already cleaned up this mess for us. If we still drag him into it, that would be terribly unconscionable. This matter must never be mentioned again!”
Upon hearing this, all three breathed sighs of relief and stood up happily.
Fan Liushi went down to arrange Zhou Shaojin’s breakfast. Chun Wan directed the young maids to pour the washing water and tidy the bed. Shi Xiang helped Zhou Shaojin change clothes. The room was again filled with a lively and harmonious atmosphere.
Zhou Chujin sent Dong Wan over to ask Zhou Shaojin, “The Fifth Branch had a fire last night. The eldest young miss asks if the second young miss was frightened?”
Only then did Zhou Shaojin feel a wave of belated fear.
It turned out that when the Fourth Branch saw the firelight from the Fifth Branch side and began beating gongs and drums, Qiuhan Pavilion received the news. Fearing people might take advantage of the chaos to cause trouble, they immediately issued a prohibition: people from all branches must remain behind closed doors. If there was urgent business, two people must travel together; otherwise, anyone caught would be beaten with clubs indiscriminately, with no concern for life or death.
The Cheng family was a virtuous household—how could they beat and scold servants at will?
Such a prohibition hadn’t been issued in several years.
No one dared violate it.
That was why they could safely return to Wanxiang Residence without drawing attention.
Otherwise, with her sister’s concern for her, she would have come to check on her as soon as the Fifth Branch discovered the fire, and she would have been exposed at that time…
This kind of high-difficulty task really wasn’t something she could handle!
Zhou Shaojin thought somewhat painfully, smiling as she had Dong Wan relay the message back: “Yesterday I heard the commotion and didn’t know what happened. The Fifth Branch had a fire—is there any serious damage?”
Everyone at Wanxiang Residence knew Zhou Shaojin was carefree. Dong Wan didn’t become suspicious either, smiling as she said, “It’s said that Fifth Branch’s Master Nuo brought people home to gamble and accidentally set fire to the trees by the water pavilion. Fortunately our Fourth Branch arrived promptly and immediately extinguished the fire. Our eldest master was summoned early this morning by the Second Branch’s Old Ancestor to be questioned about this matter!”
Her face showed pride at being associated with glory.
But Zhou Shaojin secretly rejoiced in her heart.
If the responsibility for the fire was attributed to “Cheng Nuo bringing people home to gamble,” Cheng Yi’s responsibility would be relatively much less, wouldn’t it?
If matters were ultimately determined this way, the Fourth Branch would owe Uncle Chi an enormous debt of gratitude.
However, she hoped that after this incident, Cheng Yi would learn his lesson and stop treating others’ words as wind past his ears.
By the time they went to pay respects to Old Madam Guan, the news had spread everywhere.
Old Madam Guan was trembling with anger.
Before Cheng Mian could return from the Second Branch’s Old Ancestor Cheng Xu, she sent someone to bring Cheng Yi back from the Fifth Branch.
“You really bring honor to your parents!” Old Madam Guan made Cheng Yi kneel in the middle of Jiashu Hall’s courtyard and instructed Nanny Wang to take a switch and question him from the side.
“Who told you to gamble?”
“How is the Cheng family’s household rules written?”
“Are you or aren’t you a descendant of the Cheng family?”
“Where have all your studies gone?”
With each question, she struck him with the switch.
Under the sunlight, Cheng Yi’s thin, pale back showed blue and purple welts—shocking and unbearable to look at directly.
Cheng Yi lay sprawled on the spring stool, screaming like a pig being slaughtered.
Mian First Madam hid in the tea room covering her face and crying softly, yet never said a word of pleading for her son.
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help viewing her eldest aunt with new respect.
She went forward to embrace Mian First Madam, continuously comforting her: “Jade must be carved to become an implement. Grandmother is doing this for Cousin Yi’s own good. Elder sister has already sent for a physician. Nanny Wang knows her limits—nothing serious will happen.”
Mian First Madam nodded through tear-filled eyes, tightly gripping Zhou Shaojin’s hand.
But Cheng Mian was not satisfied with this punishment. Not only did he summon Cheng Yi to his study to scold him, he also had Cheng Gao supervise him in copying the Spring and Autumn Annals ten times.
Cheng Yi wailed incessantly, thereafter plunging into a mountain of texts and sea of ink.