Zhou Shaojin was worrying about how to strike up a conversation with Cheng Chi when Cheng Chi came to Hanbi Mountain Lodge to visit Old Madam Guo. Zhou Shaojin’s heart filled with delight.
Wouldn’t this mean she would have opportunities to encounter Uncle Chi at Hanbi Mountain Lodge in the future?
Out of habit, Zhou Shaojin stood up, preparing to withdraw. But just as she rose, she felt something was amiss. If she avoided him every time Uncle Chi came, how could she ever get a chance to speak with him? Yet if she didn’t withdraw, it seemed somewhat improper.
She hesitated for a moment.
Old Madam Guo, however, didn’t think so much about it. She quickly instructed Feicui, “Go invite Fourth Master in at once!”
Feicui smiled and replied “Yes,” then left the retiring room.
Old Madam Guo let out a long sigh of relief before noticing that Zhou Shaojin was still standing beside her.
She had originally intended to have Zhou Shaojin withdraw, but seeing Zhou Shaojin’s somewhat bewildered expression, she decided to let her stay—after all, she was only a twelve-year-old child. When an elder suddenly visited and she herself hadn’t given clear instructions, it was natural for the girl not to know what to do. As for the matter of propriety between men and women, since they were separated by generational rank and age difference, and were relatives besides, there was no need to be so formal.
“Sit down and talk!” Old Madam Guo beckoned to Zhou Shaojin, smiling. “It’s not a stranger coming, it’s your Uncle Chi. The Fourth Master from the main branch.”
Zhou Shaojin breathed a sigh of relief, smiled, and sat down obediently.
If Old Madam Guo had told her to withdraw… she really wouldn’t have had any good way to stay.
Before long, Feicui lifted the curtain and Cheng Chi walked in.
Today he wore a pale moon-white fine kudzu cloth dao robe, a green bamboo hairpin, stone-blue fine cloth shoes, with a string of one hundred and eight rosewood prayer beads hanging from his hand. The faint elegant fragrance of “Thus Have I Heard” incense wafted over from him, its presence subtle yet distinct, carrying an air of nobility within his refined bearing. His demeanor was dignified and graceful.
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but stand up.
Cheng Chi smiled at her, then stepped forward to pay his respects to Old Madam Guo.
Before he could bow, Old Madam Guo came forward and took his arm, saying warmly, “These past few days have grown increasingly hot. Are you eating well? Sleeping soundly?”
Cheng Chi didn’t insist on the formality and stood up naturally, smiling. “My place has thick shade from green trees and is near Clear Stream Lake, so it’s quite cool. It’s you, Mother, who should walk by the lotus pond morning and evening—first to escape the heat, and second to strengthen your health.” As he spoke, he thought for a moment and said, “Why not come stay at Zao Garden for a few days? The lake and mountain scenery there is even better.”
“No need.” Old Madam Guo chuckled and sat down at the round table with Cheng Chi, one on each side. “Going out is too much trouble. I’m used to living here—whatever I need from any nook or corner, I can find it readily. But there I would have to make do. I’m better off staying at Hanbi Mountain Lodge. However, as you say, I should indeed walk by the lotus pond morning and evening.”
A young maid brought tea and refreshments.
Zhou Shaojin cleverly helped arrange the snacks.
Cheng Chi smiled and glanced at her again.
Seeing this, Old Madam Guo remembered and said with a smile, “When one gets old, the memory gets worse and worse. This is Second Miss from the fourth branch’s Zhou family. I’ve invited her over to copy scriptures for me.”
Zhou Shaojin acted as if she didn’t know him and performed a curtsy.
Cheng Chi smiled and nodded, saying, “A guest is a guest. Since Mother and I need to talk here, you needn’t serve us.”
Ah!
Like a bolt from the blue.
Zhou Shaojin stood there speechless.
She had thought that the obstacle to speaking with Cheng Chi would come from Old Madam Guo or from conventional propriety, but she never imagined that Cheng Chi himself would avoid her.
How could she possibly get a chance to speak with Cheng Chi now?
Zhou Shaojin was stunned for quite a while.
Cheng Chi watched her dazed and foolish expression, like an abandoned puppy staring with dark, moist, wide eyes. The corners of his mouth couldn’t help but curve upward.
The first time, he had let her pretend to be a maid and pour tea for him as a way to help her save face. The second time, seeing her scurrying around anxiously like a little mouse, he had jokingly asked her to pour tea as he did at their first meeting… He hadn’t expected this little girl to take it seriously and actually act like a proper little maid whenever she saw him.
He smiled, his tone becoming even gentler. “You may go! The maids here can serve us. Go quickly and copy your scriptures!”
Zhou Shaojin’s face turned bright red.
To be dismissed like this… how could she have the face to continue staying here!
Zhou Shaojin hurriedly performed a curtsy, left Madam Guo’s retiring room, but couldn’t stop her eyes from moistening.
Just like Cheng Jia often nagged—it was truly too embarrassing!
Feicui hadn’t noticed at first, but seeing her come out, quickly came over and asked in a low voice, “What are Old Madam and Fourth Master doing? Do we need to go in to add tea or water? Or do they have any other instructions?”
“No.” Zhou Shaojin blinked, trying hard to restore the clarity to her vision. “Old Madam and Fourth Master have things to discuss… That’s why I came out!”
“That’s good then.” Feicui smiled, but couldn’t help feeling suspicious.
Second Miss’s eyes were moist, as if she was about to cry—could she have been scolded by Old Madam Guo or Fourth Master?
She wasn’t as close to Zhou Shaojin as Biyu was, so she pretended not to notice and continued standing outside the curtain with her ears perked, attentively listening for any movements inside.
Zhou Shaojin went to the Buddhist hall.
Shi Xiang was grinding ink while Xiao Tan was lighting mugwort incense.
After copying a page, Zhou Shaojin’s mood gradually calmed down.
Uncle Chi’s behavior just now was perfectly normal. It was just that she had never been in a position of asking others for favors before, so being suddenly rejected was hard to accept… If it were peacetime, smooth sailing all the way, this would be nothing—at worst, she simply wouldn’t bother with Uncle Chi anymore. But ten years from now, the Cheng family would be exterminated, and when she was reborn, she had vowed to change her previous life’s fate. She couldn’t be like before, unable to bear even the slightest grievance. Thinking of her sister—such an outstanding person—when she first married into the Liao family, things hadn’t gone smoothly either. But later, as her brother-in-law gradually came to understand what kind of person her sister was, he became very respectful toward her, and she was accepted by the Liao family and integrated into it. She should learn from her sister, not just think about her own feelings when encountering matters, but also consider what she truly wanted.
Didn’t books also say that when heaven is about to confer a great responsibility on someone, it must first make their sinews and bones toil, their heart and will suffer… She should consider this as heaven testing her—otherwise, why would heaven allow her to be reborn?
Thinking this way, Zhou Shaojin’s mood improved again. She felt that the future might not be as bleak as she had imagined.
She called Xiao Tan over and quietly instructed her, “Go help me see if Uncle Chi has left yet. What did he come to see Old Madam about?”
Xiao Tan looked stunned and hesitated, showing an expression of not daring to go inquire.