Chapter 1

Zhou Dawu's family timely added a remark: "This is a sign that those who survive great calamities will surely have future blessings"

The old lady called out, laughing: "I heard from the Zhou family that you would be coming today, so get up quickly. You are Yu Fang, right? I remember seeing you a few years ago when I went back to my hometown to pay respects at the grave."

"Da Ya, Ji Da Ya." This name sounds unremarkable in everyday use, but within the Chu residence, it comes across as rather coarse. As a result, Ji Da Ya shyly lowered her head, while her other hand continued to tightly grasp the hem of her garment

Zhou Dawu gave Yu Fang a glance and repeated the old lady's words, "The old lady asks you, how did you come to Beijing"

Yu Fang nodded and said: "Thanks to your kindness, old lady, for donating money to our village for the reconstruction of the houses. The villagers have also erected a longevity tablet for you, hoping that you will live a long and prosperous life"

The reason why Old Lady Ji remembers Yu Fang is because of her straightforwardness, "Please sit down, how did you come to Beijing?"

Not only the old lady, but at this moment, everyone present in the hall, upon seeing Ji Daya lift her head, could hardly believe that such a beautiful young girl could be born of a rural background. The several young ladies of the Chu family were all considered beauties in the capital, yet at the same age as Ji Daya, they were far inferior to her freshness and charm

The old lady's words are not false; given her status, there is no need for her to flatter Miss Ji. Back in their hometown, Miss Ji was the most beautiful girl in the surrounding villages, and during the sacrificial ceremonies, she even dressed as the jade maiden before the Bodhisattva.

Naming is not a difficult task for the old lady, especially since Ji Housheng is her maternal nephew. Although they are five generations apart, they still share the same surname, Ji

After a while, Yulian came out again and said: "The old lady has invited you in"

Zhou Dawu's family then led Yu Fang and Ji Daya inside

Ji Daya stood still, and Yu Fang hurriedly pushed her from behind, "Hurry up." She was worried that the child might not understand and cause trouble for the old lady.

Is this not yet named?" The old lady turned to ask Yu Fang. Although it is common for girls in the countryside to be named late and often given unflattering names, Ji Daya is already eight years old. In two or three years, she will be eligible for marriage, and if a name is not given soon, it will be somewhat late.

Ji Daya is still young, only eight years old this year, standing at the threshold of understanding and innocence. Hearing Zhou Dawu say that it is normal, she merely considers her dreams to be quite ordinary, even if the Chu residence in her dreams is exactly the same as this one, down to the missing corner of the roof tile.

Who wouldn't wish to live a long life? Although doing good deeds is not done for the sake of recognition, the gratitude of those villagers naturally brings some joy to Elderly Lady Ji

The old lady actually does not like overly formal individuals, as it can be exhausting to speak in such a manner. However, seeing Yu Fang's anxious and fearful demeanor, she can only accommodate her.

The Way of the Zhou Family: "The old lady simply adores young girls who resemble flower buds, as their eyes are pleasing to behold"

Yu Fang quickly replied: "A year ago, the head of my family came to the capital to do business. I was worried that he would have no one to take care of him, so I came along."

When they reached the Jialetang in front of the old lady, Yu Fang quickly smoothed the creases on her clothes and brushed off the nonexistent dust from Ji Daya's body. Only then did she deliberately lighten her footsteps and pull Ji Daya inside.

Yu Fang noticed that the old lady was in a good mood, so she immediately took the opportunity to say: "You know, old lady, neither my husband nor I have received an education. When Hou Sheng was around, he doted on Da Ya the most. He wanted to invite a scholar to give Da Ya a name, but it got delayed. I never expected that... sigh, do you think it would be possible for Da Ya to benefit from your good fortune and have you give her a name?"

The old lady loves children; she has held at least fifty infants, if not a hundred, so how could she possibly remember the little baby from eight years ago? Even if she did remember, she would not recognize them. Considering the age, at that time, Ji Daya was still in swaddling clothes. However, Yu Fang repeated the character "Ji" several times, so how could the old lady not understand her meaning

The little girl, with her innocent and carefree words, made the Zhou Dawu family laugh, "So it turns out you have been here in a dream."

As soon as Yulian left, Yufang let out a sigh of relief and said to Zhou Dawu's family, "Sister Zhou, I truly did not expect that even a girl who is just hanging curtains in the old lady's room could be so well-groomed." Although she spoke these words, her heart was filled with anxiety, as she was uncertain whether the plan this time would succeed.

After a brief contemplation, the elderly lady said: "This child has beautiful eyes, clear and bright. Why not name her 'Ling'? There is a line in ancient poetry that goes, 'On the seven-stringed zither, the sound is clear, quietly listening to the cold wind through the pines,' which is quite beautiful."

The design of this garden was also personally drawn by the old master, and the most renowned garden designer at that time, Hou Xianwen, was invited to create it. You may not know Hou Xianwen, but have you heard of Hou Zude? The most famous garden designer today, the Royal Heqing Garden, was created by him. He is the grandson of Master Hou Xianwen, and all his skills were learned from his grandfather.

When Yu Fang heard the old lady's question, she began to wipe her tears with a handkerchief, not daring to cry out loud for fear of bringing bad luck to the old lady. "Da Ya is a pitiful girl. Her father loved her the most during his lifetime and was reluctant to give her a name casually. The year before last, my brother-in-law was about to invite a scholar from the village to name Da Ya, but then a great flood occurred. Her grandparents, parents, and younger brother were all swept away by the water, and she was the only one who got stuck in a tree, managing to survive. A kind-hearted person brought her to my home, and she has been living with us ever since." Her father loved her the most during his lifetime and was reluctant to give her a name casually. The year before last, my brother-in-law was about to invite a scholar from the village to name Da Ya, but then a great flood occurred. Her grandparents, parents, and younger brother were all swept away by the water, and she was the only one who got stuck in a tree, managing to survive. A kind-hearted person brought her to my home, and she has been living with us ever since.

As Yu Fang entered the hall, she did not see the old lady immediately. Instead, she followed Zhou Dawu to the eastern side room where the old lady usually resided, and there she saw an elderly woman sitting on a Luohan couch under the window. The old lady was dressed in a deep purple robe adorned with a pattern of cranes and longevity, and she wore a headpiece inlaid with a thumb-sized yellow jade. This was the matriarch of the Chu family, Lady Ji.

Yu Fang quickly pushed Ji Daya forward, "No, I only gave birth to two sons. This is my brother-in-law Ji Housheng's daughter, Ji Daya. The old lady even held her when she returned to her hometown to pay respects to her ancestors. I wonder if the old lady still remembers her"

Ji Daya was captivated by the sight, and Yu Fang had to tug at her little hand with some force, leaning down to whisper: "Daya, stop looking, let’s hurry and go, or the old lady will be taking her afternoon rest soon"

Ji Daya raised her head, her pair of distinctly black and white, crystal-clear and dazzling eyes sparkling as she said: "Aunt, I feel like I have been to this house before." She raised her hand and pointed to the corner of the missing roof tile, "This, I remember it very clearly, it is exactly the same as the piece that was missing in my dream."

Ji Daya is not unwilling to move; rather, she is completely stunned by everything before her. Everything in front of her is truly identical to what she dreamed of yesterday, even the patterns on the clothes worn by the old lady today are exactly the same. One might say that thoughts during the day lead to dreams at night, but since she has never seen Old Lady Ji, how could she dream of her appearance?

The old lady nodded and said, "I also heard about the great flood two years ago"

This kneeling is truly sincere, the floor tiles are as hard as they come, kneeling down must be painful. The maid beside the old lady was holding two cushions, originally prepared for them to kneel on, but Yu Fang was too anxious and ended up kneeling on the tiles.

The early autumn sunlight spills onto the ligustrum tree in the corner of the courtyard, reflecting specks of golden green. Looking up along the ligustrum tree, one can see that a small corner of the auspicious cloud-patterned eaves tile under the roof is missing.

Oh. Yulian looked up and down at Yufang and Ji Daya before saying: "Sister-in-law, please wait a moment, I will go in and inform them." The old lady, as she aged, became increasingly nostalgic and took good care of her relatives from her maternal family. Every now and then, someone would come to visit and seek favors. The old lady was kind-hearted and never refused. Upon hearing that they were relatives of the old lady, Yulian felt somewhat disdainful, yet she could not avoid going in to inform them.

Yu Fang sighed and said, "Ah, this child"

Dayan felt a bit nervous as she was led by Yufang, with one hand tightly gripping the hem of her clothes. She climbed the three small steps with her short legs and finally arrived at the entrance of Jialetang

"What is your name?" the old lady asked

At the end, Yu Fang lowered her head and tugged at Ji Daya, who was still slowly looking around. In a tone filled with frustration, she whispered in Ji Daya's ear: "Daya, stop looking around, it's embarrassing." Although she came from the countryside, she understood that country folks are often more polite than city dwellers. When visiting someone else's home, they would not look around indiscriminately, fearing ridicule from city people. Ji Daya was not like this before; perhaps it was because it was her first time visiting such a wealthy family that she was dazzled. But in reality, country people are more respectful than city people, and when they visit others' homes, they do not look around carelessly, fearing mockery from city dwellers. Ji Daya was not like this before; perhaps it was because it was her first time visiting such a wealthy family that she was dazzled.

When Zhou Dawu starts to show off, he cannot stop talking. He does not even consider that Yu Fang, a rural woman, is unaware of not only Hou Xianwen and Hou Zude, but even the Emperor's Heqing Garden.

Old Lady Ji nodded and then looked at Ji Dayan, who was standing quietly beside Yu Fang, and said: "Is this your daughter?"

After Yu Fang pushed Ji Daya, Ji Daya finally came to her senses and gently walked up to the old lady. Old Lady Ji took her hand and looked her up and down, exclaiming, "What a beautiful girl."

Zhou Dawu's family stepped forward and said: "The relatives from the old lady's maternal side."

"So it turns out to be a girl from the Hou Sheng family, come over and let me take a look at you," the old lady beckoned to Ji Dayi.

Yu Fang quickly pulled Ji Daya forward a couple of steps, knelt down, and said, "May the old lady have long life."

Having said that, Yu Fang raised her head and apologetically addressed Zhou Dawu, who had led them in: "I must apologize for the embarrassment; the children, having never seen much of the world, are overwhelmed on their first visit to your home, and their eyes are not enough to take it all in."

Yu Fang got up from the ground and said with a bright smile, "The old lady has a really good memory; that was eight years ago. The old lady looks even more spirited than she did back then."

Zhou Dawu's family member slightly raised his chin and smiled, saying: "Don't even mention the children; even adults, when they first enter, find their eyes insufficient. This residence was personally supervised by the old master after his retirement; every brick and tile was chosen and drawn by him. The stones used for the artificial hills in the garden are all Taihu stones that were used by some emperor of the previous dynasty. That emperor, indulging in pleasure, disregarded the lives of the common people, which ultimately led to the downfall of the country. As soon as our founding ancestor entered, he demolished the mountain that had been built at the expense of the people. The stones that were taken down were all awarded to the meritorious officials below, and our old master received the very first share."

Only Yu Fang entered the mansion without bringing her own two sons, but specifically brought along a very delicate and well-groomed young girl. It was evident that she had received some news. The old lady cast a glance at the Zhou family, and the Zhou family lowered their heads.

The maid Yulian, who was hanging the curtains, saw Zhou Dawu's family leading a country woman with a child and smiled, saying: "Sister Zhou, who have you brought along?"

This is certainly also due to the fact that the rural people do not understand the rules

The old lady scrutinized Ji Daya for a while and found that the young girl was not only beautiful but also lively. However, there was one drawback, which was that she appeared somewhat frail. The old lady preferred a more rounded figure, believing that it was a sign of good fortune.

The Way of the Zhou Family: "One thinks during the day and dreams at night. Knowing that today we are to visit the residence of our esteemed elder, it is only natural for the children to be excited, and dreaming about it is perfectly normal"

However, Yu Fang still enthusiastically remarked: "It's so beautiful, just like a house where immortals live"

The girl next to Yu Fang brought over a small stool, but Yu Fang did not dare to sit down, saying, "No, no, no, there is no place for us younger generations to sit in front of the old lady."