"Rest assured, there's nothing major. Your granduncle and third uncle won't be visiting the manor," Gu Sinian said, seeing Qi Zhenzhen's silence. He assumed she was worried about how to deal with those two branches of the family.
"Mm, I understand," Qi Zhenzhen came back to her senses, nodded, and said, "It's quite late. You should go back and rest."
The next morning, the Qi residence was bustling with activity.
Before dawn, the Lin family's eldest and second uncles, along with young Madam Zhang and her brother and sister-in-law, arrived with Zhang Fangcao.
According to young Madam Zhang's wishes, Zhang Fangcao was to cook a few of her specialty dishes for Gu Sinian.
When Qi Zhenzhen entered the kitchen, Erxi and Feixu were standing by. Young Madam Zhang was gesticulating animatedly, directing Feixu and Erxi on what to do. The two maids remained still, watching young Madam Zhang with cold eyes.
What was she so proud of? As long as Fangcao could get close to the young lord, her good days would arrive. By then, if these two maids were displeasing, she could simply dismiss them.
"Who is this?" Qi Zhenzhen's voice was clear and cool as she spoke softly.
"Oh, Zhenzhen, why are you up so early?" Young Madam Zhang said with a face full of smiles. "It's still early, you should go back and lie down for a while longer. Don't worry about the cooking. This is my niece from my maiden family. She's a skilled cook. I thought since the young lord hasn't been willing to eat your cooking these past few meals, it would be better to have someone else cook for him. Perhaps he'll like it, and if he likes it, he won't find fault with you or make things difficult for you."
Her words implied she was acting for Qi Zhenzhen's benefit.
"Your second maternal aunt's niece from her maiden family? Second maternal aunt, look at what you've done. Guests should be treated as guests. How can you ask her to do work? Feixu, Erxi, why are you two standing there? Quickly take over the work from Miss Zhang and escort her to the main hall. Serve her good tea and pastries. Second maternal aunt, please don't be angry. It's my fault for not disciplining my maids properly. I'll punish them later." Qi Zhenzhen spoke with a show of guilt.
Afterward, she pulled young Madam Zhang aside and apologized profusely, saying she had neglected the Zhang family and would make amends later.
Erxi and Feixu stepped forward and took Zhang Fangcao. Only then did Qi Zhenzhen get a clear look at the newcomer.
It was true that nieces often resembled their aunts. This Miss Zhang was essentially a younger version of young Madam Zhang. Her eyes were clear, lacking the calculating look in young Madam Zhang's eyes. She seemed quite pleasant.
Zhang Fangcao was also observing Qi Zhenzhen. The clothes this young lady was wearing were truly beautiful, and the hair ornaments on her head were also lovely. She knew her aunt's in-laws had taken in a distinguished godchild, and that godchild's daughter was now a lady of a prominent family in the capital. This must be her.
"Come, Miss Zhang, let me take you out. The kitchen is full of oil fumes, which can be uncomfortable. Young ladies should take good care of their complexions," Qi Zhenzhen stepped forward, took Zhang Fangcao's hand, and said with a smile.
Zhang Fangcao already felt it was improper to enter the kitchen to cook upon arriving at someone's home, but her aunt and parents insisted she do so. She didn't know why. Now that the hostess said it wasn't necessary, she decided it was better to follow the hostess's wishes.
So, Zhang Fangcao obediently followed Qi Zhenzhen out, and young Madam Zhang couldn't stop them.
"Miss Zhang, how old are you this year?" Qi Zhenzhen asked.
"Fifteen," Zhang Fangcao replied somewhat shyly.
"I'm fourteen, a year younger than you. I should call you elder sister," Qi Zhenzhen said softly. "Don't be nervous. We're practically relatives, you know. Come, I'll take you to my room for a chat."
The Qi family's residence was clean and bright, meticulously tidy, and the furnishings were different from those in ordinary rural homes. Zhang Fangcao had noticed this upon arrival. Now, entering Qi Zhenzhen's room, she couldn't help but be surprised. It was very unique, yet it felt very comfortable.
"Please sit, Sister Zhang. This is a small token of my affection for our first meeting," Qi Zhenzhen handed a sachet to Zhang Fangcao.
At Qi Zhenzhen's gesture, Zhang Fangcao opened the sachet. It contained a pair of pearl earrings. They were a pale pink, with a lustrous sheen, and were exceptionally beautiful.
"This is too precious. I, I can't accept it." Suppressing the admiration in her eyes, Zhang Fangcao put the pearl earrings back and handed them to Qi Zhenzhen.
"Please accept them, Sister." Qi Zhenzhen pushed the sachet back into Zhang Fangcao's hand. "Sister's complexion is fair and clear. These pearl earrings are as if tailor-made for you."
Which girl didn't love beautiful jewelry?
Affection overcame reason, and Zhang Fangcao accepted the pearl earrings.
"You call me sister, so I should give you a meeting gift. I don't have anything good, but here, take this." She pulled a wooden hairpin from her hair and handed it to Qi Zhenzhen. "I carved this myself. Please don't dislike it."
It felt heavy in her hand, not quite like wood. The top of the hairpin was a cluster of plum blossoms, which looked quite exquisite.
"I like it very much. Thank you, Sister Zhang."
After chatting for a while, Qi Zhenzhen concluded that Zhang Fangcao knew nothing. She simply thought she was visiting relatives and got along very well with Qi Zhenzhen, even sharing a little secret. Her parents were currently arranging a marriage for her, and she was curious about who she would eventually marry, feeling a bit apprehensive about what her future husband would be like.
In return, Qi Zhenzhen naturally told Zhang Fangcao about her own engagement and that her fiancé was also in the residence.
Zhang Fangcao covered her mouth and laughed. "My sister is so wonderful, that person must be no ordinary person, right? Yes, he certainly must be. Otherwise, how could my sister fancy him?"
Qi Zhenzhen didn't answer. Instead, she asked Zhang Fangcao, "What kind of person do you like, Sister Zhang?"
A shy smile appeared on Zhang Fangcao's face. "I haven't really thought about it. I just feel that he should look pleasant, be able to endure hardship, and be capable. Hmm, his parents should be reasonable and understanding. That's about it, I suppose?"
"You don't want to marry into a prominent family, do you? To have delicious food and spicy drinks, and lots of beautiful clothes and jewelry," Qi Zhenzhen asked subtly.
Zhang Fangcao giggled. After she finished laughing, she said, "I like beautiful clothes and beautiful jewelry. But I also know my own limitations. I'm just a village girl. How can I have such unrealistic ideas? Besides, are prominent families necessarily good? There was a sister in our village who worked as a maid in a prominent family. Later, she was favored by the master of the house and became a concubine. Her parents and brothers enjoyed a period of prosperity, eating well, drinking well, and even buying servants. But later, that sister made a mistake and was beaten to death by the main wife. She was only nineteen when she died. A perfectly healthy person was gone just like that. Her parents regretted it, but what good was regret? There's no medicine for regret in this world!"
She paused, then continued, "From this incident, one can see that when marrying, matching social status is very important. I'm a village girl, and I can't hope for unrealistic things. Finding a family that matches ours, and having a harmonious family, is better than anything."
Qi Zhenzhen was very surprised. She hadn't expected Zhang Fangcao to have such thoughts. After all, she had met young Madam Zhang's brother and sister-in-law before. They were even more unscrupulous and calculating than young Madam Zhang. It was truly astonishing that such parents could raise a daughter with such sound values.