“Lady Cheng!”
Chen Dan-niang, dressed in a floral-patterned dress, ran down the steps with a bright smile.
“Slow down, Shi’jiu-niang,” a maid said with a smile, bending her knees slightly and reaching out as if to steady her.
But Chen Dan-niang had already grabbed Cheng Jiao-niang’s hand.
“Lady Cheng, are you really treating us to a meal?” Chen Dan-niang asked eagerly, tilting her face up.
“It’s not treating us, it’s treating Grandfather,” Chen Shi’ba-niang said as she caught up, naturally looping her arm through Cheng Jiao-niang’s. As she did, she gave Cheng Jiao-niang a curious once-over.
“Huh? I could’ve sworn you weren’t as tall as me before — how come after just a few days, you seem a bit taller?”
“Lady Cheng is taller than you,” Chen Dan-niang chimed in.
The courtyard of Old Master Chen was lush with thick branches and leaves. In the early summer light, dappled sunbeams fell across the young girls, their radiant smiles bright and dazzling.
Old Master Chen watched the scene before him, a soft smile on his face, as if admiring a painting come to life.
The three girls, having taken off their wooden clogs and clad in white socks, stepped into the main hall. Old Master Chen accepted their formal greetings with a cheerful laugh.
“Since recovering from my illness, it’s been no small thing to have you visit me,” he said with a chuckle.
Cheng Jiao-niang offered a faint smile.
“Though I no longer have to avoid people, I still prefer to be cautious,” she replied.
Old Master Chen nodded, his gaze lingering thoughtfully on the girl before him, who was about the same age as his granddaughters, his expression complicated.
She carried herself with measured grace, neither sorrowful nor joyful, without resentment or fear. No matter how lively the gathering, she always seemed apart, like an island unto herself.
Perhaps it was because she had once had no one to rely on — and so now, she relied on no one.
“I came today especially to offer my thanks,” Cheng Jiao-niang said, bowing once more in formal salute.
Chen Shi’ba-niang and Chen Dan-niang looked at her, puzzled.
“Is it because my mother gave you some clothes?” Chen Dan-niang asked.
Chen Shi’ba-niang shot her a glare — that wouldn’t warrant coming to thank Grandfather.
Then what could it be?
She felt a bit confused, but there were too many things in the world that went unexplained.
Not everything needed to be asked aloud; doggedly demanding answers was something only young children did when first learning about the world.
She turned her gaze back to her grandfather.
Old Master Chen’s expression remained calm, with a faint smile, clearly aware of what this young lady was referring to.
Thanks?
Both the giver and the receiver seemed to know the reason — only the onlookers were left in the dark.
Lady Cheng had only met Grandfather once before, during a follow-up consultation. Could it be that she had asked him for some favor back then? But lately, nothing had happened that seemed related to her. If it were something still unresolved, she wouldn’t be coming here now to give thanks.
“Lady Cheng, you’re being too formal,” Old Master Chen said with a smile. “You saved my life, after all.”
“I wouldn’t dare claim a life-saving grace,” Cheng Jiao-niang replied, also smiling. “It was simply the duty of a physician. Besides, you paid the full consultation fee — we’re square.”
“In that case,” Old Master Chen chuckled, “it seems I didn’t help much this time either. You saved yourself.”
Cheng Jiao-niang smiled lightly at him.
“The world is a harsh place,” she said. “Sometimes, for someone like me, just having someone willing to stand there — without needing to say or do anything — is already the greatest help.”
Old Master Chen let out a hearty laugh, a hint of admiration hidden in it.
In truth, he hadn’t expected things to turn out this way. Back then, he had only intended to give a few words of advice, encourage her to build a name for herself.
Who would have thought that within days, Tai Ping Residence would end up with a dead body?
He’d only heard the news five days after it happened, when the old monk from Puxiu Temple knocked on his door to quietly tip him off — and while he was at it, managed to walk away with a fine piece of his good tea.
The moment he heard, Old Master Chen had broken out in a cold sweat and silently thanked his stars.
Thankfully, he had spoken up for her that day at Puxiu Temple in front of the old monk.
Otherwise, by the time someone came looking for help after the fact, it would’ve been far too late to do anything.
The killer was one of the shopkeepers, but still — she was the true owner behind the shop.
And this was no trivial matter — a man had truly died.
Had she been frightened by it?
He studied the young lady before him. Her face was calm and expressionless, with not the slightest hint of fear.
Could it be… she had expected the bloodshed all along?
Or worse — had she been the one to order the killing herself? A clean, ruthless act, with a chilling show of force.
Murder!
Old Master Chen’s brow twitched involuntarily.
On the side, Chen Dan-niang said something to Cheng Jiao-niang, and then, before even finishing, broke into a soft giggle while clinging to Cheng Jiao-niang’s arm.
Cheng Jiao-niang also showed a slight smile, then turned a little to listen to Chen Shi’ba-niang whispering beside her.
Since the New Year, the young girl had grown even more — still slender, but her fair, jade-like face had gained a healthy flush.
When she smiled, her features seemed almost translucent, and there was now a sparkle and liveliness in her eyes, the kind that young girls should have.
Old Master Chen shook his head with a sigh — after all, she was still just a child, a child out there in the world with no one to rely on.
“Lady Cheng, where are you taking us to eat?” Chen Dan-niang asked. Without waiting for an answer, she added, “I want to eat Tai Ping Tofu!”
“It’s not you she’s treating,” Chen Shi’ba-niang said, laughing.
“Old Master still needs to rest and recover,” Cheng Jiao-niang said with a soft smile. As she spoke, she reached out and slowly began to roll up her sleeves.
“Since I’m hosting,” she continued, “it should be done with sincerity. So, I would like to personally cook for the Old Master and prepare the meal with my own hands.”
At these words, everyone inside the room looked a little surprised.
“Lady Cheng, you’re going to cook yourself?” Chen Dan-niang asked in amazement. “Isn’t Ban Qin supposed to do it?”
Before, the snacks they ate were all said to be made by Cheng Jiao-niang — but since the maids belonged to the mistress, whatever they made counted as the mistress’s work too.
No one had thought Cheng Jiao-niang would actually get hands-on herself.
Wasn’t she supposed to be… well, slow-witted… or still recovering from illness?
Wasn’t she someone who needed to be waited on, fed and cared for?
Ban Qin, who had been quietly kneeling by the door all along, now stepped forward and bowed.
“It was my mistress who taught me,” she said with a smile.
Old Master Chen felt a bit dazed hearing these words.
“This is so delicious — what’s it called?”
“This is red bean roll.”
“Your hands are truly skillful.”
“It was my mistress who taught me,” Ban Qin answered.
Ah, so it was indeed like that…
Old Master Chen nodded and smiled.
“Very well,” he said, “then I shall gladly accept.”
When Chen Shao stepped through the door, he first saw a few maids chattering and laughing as they ran about, which made him frown. His attendant quickly stepped forward and reprimanded them.
“What are you doing?” the attendant barked in a low voice. “Such poor manners.”
The maids timidly bowed.
“Master,” one of them piped up, “Lady Cheng is cooking, and we… we all wanted to sneak a look.”
Lady Cheng?
Chen Shao’s expression froze for a moment, and his displeasure faded.
“Lady Cheng is here today?” he asked.
As expected, whenever Lady Cheng was mentioned, the master would never lose his temper. The Chen family was strict with their children, but Lady Cheng, though treated with the same care and affection as the family’s own daughters, was not required to follow the same rules.
The three maids lowered their heads, secretly sticking out their tongues in mischievous delight.
“Yes, she came specially to visit the Old Master, and now she’s cooking in the kitchen for him,” they chirped excitedly.
Cooking?
This young lady…
Chen Shao shook his head, but his eyes were full of laughter. The maids exchanged glances, giggling and tiptoeing away.
“I know,”
Inside the hall, Madam Chen said with a smile as she helped her husband arrange his robe.
“She’s no longer treating us as outsiders,” she said. “The way she acts now is even better than formally coming to offer thanks.”
“Don’t you think she’s a little strange?” Chen Shao asked with a chuckle.
Madam Chen shot him a playful glare.
“You get used to it after seeing her enough,” she replied.
Chen Shao laughed, sitting down and leisurely taking the tea a maid presented to him.
“At first, she did seem a bit odd, and a little distant, but now that I’ve seen her more, I’ve come to really like her,” Madam Chen said with a touch of emotion as she sat down as well. “She’s quiet, never meddles, knows her manners, and understands what’s proper. Being around someone like her is truly comfortable and easy. No wonder Shi’jiu-niang always loves to play with her — children always know best who is genuinely good.”
“Yes,” Chen Shao said, “once you see her goodness, you can’t help but find her good.”
At this time, in the Cheng family of Jiang-zhou, summer was in full swing. A light misty rain fell, and the newly renovated lotus pond, fresh from early spring, appeared even more enchanting and pleasing to the eye.
The ladies of the household had all moved back to the residences by the lotus pond, and on rainy days, the sisters would gather to play chess and amuse themselves, enjoying a leisurely and carefree time.
The clatter of wooden clogs echoed from outside. Cheng Qi-niang, dressed in a raincoat made of straw, ran inside, climbed the steps onto the veranda, and kicked off her clogs. The maids sitting under the veranda hurried to their feet; even as they helped her out of her raincoat, Cheng Qi-niang dragged them inside with her.
“Qi-niang, you got my rug wet!” Cheng Liu-;niang shouted. “That rug was a fine one my father just bought — all the way from the South Seas!”
Cheng Qi-niang gave a snort; instead of stepping aside, she deliberately stomped twice more on the rug.
Seeing that the two sisters were about to quarrel again, the maids quickly stepped in to smooth things over.
“Enough about that. I have big news!” Cheng Qi-niang said, plopping herself down in front of her sisters, her eyes sparkling.
“What big news could you possibly have?” Cheng Liu-niang said, lifting her chin with a hint of disdain.
Meanwhile, Cheng Wu-niang and Cheng Si-niang laughed and tried to mediate.
“We were wondering why you hadn’t come to play — turns out you were off chasing after some big news,” they said, smiling.
Cheng Qi-niang waved her hand dramatically.
“I’m serious!” she said, scooting closer, looking at the three older sisters. “That fool — she’s getting married!”
