Chapter 8, Teasing

Xiao Chan's smile quickly faded as she glanced at Run'er and shook her head, saying: "It's not too good. My lady misses Zong Zhi and Run'er very much. When she wakes up in the morning, her pillow is soaked with tears, and she dreams of crying."

Xiao Chan and Qing Zhi were beaming with smiles, squatting down with their legs bent as they held onto Run Er and Zong Zhi's hands, looking them up and down with genuine affection.

Run'er giggled and said, "Ugly Uncle also calls Little Chan Sister, how amusing!"

Upon seeing Lady Li, the mother of Chen, the two maidservants fell to the ground together, greeting their mistress with respect.

Xiao Chan and Qing Zhi are two maids of Ding Youwei. They followed Ding Youwei when she married into the Chen family in Chenjiawu and have lived here for six years, becoming very familiar with everything. Chen's mother, Li, is kind and gentle, which has made Xiao Chan and Qing Zhi quite attached to the Chen family in the West Building, and they are especially fond of Zong Zhi and Run Er.

Qing Zhi, accompanied by Zong Zhi, and Xiao Chan, with Run Er, each rode in a bullock cart. The wheels rumbled, the path twisted and turned, and gradually they moved farther away from Chen Jia Wu and from Jiu Yao Mountain

Xiao Chan could not help but think: "In terms of demeanor and eloquence, it seems that his elder brother Chen Qingzhi was not as good as him back in the day"

Run'er said: "Uncle Chou is quite formidable now, climbing Mount Jiuyao every day. Moreover, he needs to eat three large bowls of wheat rice at each meal."

At a quarter past noon, three ox carts departed from Chen's home in the north direction. One of the carts was driven by Laifu, and Chen's mother, Li, instructed Laifu to also make a trip to the county. The Chen family in the west building has a large amount of land, but not enough tenants. Laifu's purpose for this trip is to hire two more tenant farmers.

Madam Chen, of the Li family, understood that they could not afford to delay, as there were still nearly 40 li to travel on the return journey. She immediately instructed Zeng Yuhuan to prepare lunch to entertain the two tenants from the Ding family and the young ladies, Xiaochan and Qingzhi. After they had eaten their fill, they set off on their journey.

Chen Caozhi held Run'er’s small hand and said: "Run'er, mother does not like it when you cry, she prefers a well-behaved Run'er, a Run'er who can recite the Analects, a Run'er who can write the Declaration. By the way, when you visited mother last year, could you recite the Analects?"

Xiao Chan wrinkled her nose and said: "You ugly uncle, I used to play with someone your size, why don't you call me sister? — Come up quickly, there's enough space to sit, Run'er is such a small person." At the same time, she ordered the tenant to stop the car.

Chen Cao brought Zong Zhi and Run Er in. Run Er, with her sweet voice, immediately exclaimed: "You are Sister Xiao Chan, you are Sister Qing Zhi, Run Er did not recognize you incorrectly, right?"

Accompanying them was Laide, who was not accustomed to riding in a vehicle and chose to walk alongside the ox cart.

The carriage was narrow, and Chen Caozhi could not avoid being twisted. He felt quite ashamed, yet also found it very endearing. Among his sister-in-law Ding Youwei's four maids, Sister Xiaochan treated him the best. However, considering his age in his previous life, he was twenty-seven, while the twenty-one-year-old Xiaochan was merely a little sister. It was truly amusing to be teased and have his face twisted by her.

Xiao Chan only twisted it once and did not twist it again, because Chen Caozhi's profound gaze made her feel that the young man before her was no longer a child, but had the charm of an adult man, and she needed to be more mindful of her words and actions

Oh! The afternoon sun slants dazzlingly, and Xiao Chan squints her eyes, staring at Chen Caozhi, who wears a delicate gauze crown and a loose hemp robe. Chen Caozhi walks with composure, showing no signs of breathlessness. His complexion is no longer the pale, bluish hue it once was, but instead has a faint blush. He has a tall and slender figure, an elegant demeanor, and his gaze is particularly expressive, difficult to describe; in short, he is very charming.

Chen Cao initially walked, frequently looking back as he walked. His elderly mother, with her white hair, leaned against the door and gazed, determined not to stop until she could no longer see the ox cart.

During the Wei and Jin dynasties, the servants referred to the daughters of their masters either as "madam" or "young madam," or simply as "young lady." At that time, the term "miss" was not in use.

"Young Master, come, get in the car, and ride with us," Xiao Chan called out.

This sentence made Run'er cry, with small tears streaming down like "drip drop," while calling out, "Mother—"

Run'er, this clever little one, teased: "Uncle Chou often twists Run'er's face, and Sister Xiaochan helps Run'er twist it back"

Run'er was distracted and finally stopped her sorrowful cries, saying: "Last year, Run'er was only five years old, and I couldn't recite a single line from the Analects"

As Chen Caozhi spoke with Run'er, Xiao Chan leaned quietly against the carriage wall, observing Chen Caozhi. She felt that this young man was truly different from before. Previously, he had a somewhat endearing foolishness, but now, while he remained charming, that foolishness had vanished, replaced by a kind of elegance and grace that Xiao Chan could not quite articulate.

Chen Cao asked, "Sister Xia Chan, how is sister-in-law doing?"

Although the two tenants of Ding's residence endured the hardship of a long journey with their ox cart, they were in good spirits. Chen's mother, Li, has never been stingy, and this time she rewarded each of them with a piece of silk worth five zhu, equivalent to five hundred wen.

Xiao Chan has a petite figure, a round face, and very lively eyes. Although she no longer pinches Chen Caozhi's cheeks, her eyes do not miss a single detail of him, closely examining him from top to bottom. She nods and says: "Young Master Caozhi has really grown a lot. When my wife sees him later, she will surely be very surprised, as it has already been two years since we last met"

Madam Chen, of the Li family, instructed Ying Gu to summon Cao Zhi and the others, while inquiring about the recent circumstances of You Wei

Chen Cao's Way: "When Run'er sees mother later, if he recites the Analects to her, will she be very surprised and very happy?"

On April 25, close to noon, two ox carts stopped in front of the gate of Chenjiawu Fort. Two maidservants got down and greeted the Chen tenants outside the fort in a familiar manner, then entered and headed towards the west building

Xiao Chan learned that Chen Caozhi would also be going this time, and she was very pleased. She said to Chen Caozhi: "Caozhi, young lord, this is how it should be. My lady often thinks of you. Last year, when you didn't go, my lady felt very upset and even shed tears."

Xiao Chan arrived at Chenjiawu when she was only twelve years old. At that time, Chen Caozhi was six. She often took Chen Caozhi to play and was very fond of this handsome child. Now, Chen Caozhi changes every year, becoming more and more handsome as he grows up. When he came last year, he was not as tall as her, but now he is noticeably taller than her.

Upon seeing them, Laifu joyfully said: "Xiao Chan, Qing Zhi, you have arrived. Quickly go and greet the mistress; everyone has been looking forward to your arrival." He then had Zeng Yuhuan take Xiao Chan and Qing Zhi upstairs

Run'er struggled to suppress her sobs, yet the small tears could not be contained. Even those with hearts of iron and stone would feel a pang of sorrow upon witnessing her choked sobs.

Run'er squinted her eyes with a smile and said, "It will definitely happen!"

Chen Cao said: "Can you sit down, Sister Xiaochan? I got tired from walking, so I took Laifu's car to sit down."

Chen Caozhi sat down next to Xiao Chan in the carriage, while Xiao Chan held Run'er in her arms. Her sparkling eyes fixed on Chen Caozhi without blinking, remaining silent and still. After a while, she suddenly burst into laughter, pointing at Chen Caozhi and saying, "Hahaha, the young lord's face has turned red. Caozhi, the young lord, actually knows how to blush, hahaha." As she laughed, she reached out to pinch Chen Caozhi's cheek, a gesture she had been accustomed to in the past. When they were children, Chen Caozhi's face was soft and tender, and she loved to pinch his little face, despite being scolded by Ding Youwei, she never changed her ways.

The sides of the ox cart's compartment are windowless, and the top is covered with a finely woven bamboo mat, coated with tung oil, ensuring it does not leak rain. The front of the compartment has a cover, and the back has a flap; both the cover and the flap are similar to doors, also draped with cloth curtains. Xiao Chan has been lifting the curtain at the back of the cart, smiling as she watches Chen Caozhi walking. She turns to her companion Run'er and says, "Let's see how soon your ugly uncle calls out that he is tired. It should be very soon; your ugly uncle is quite weak."

Xiao Chan quickly hugged her and comforted her: "Run'er, don't cry. If your mother finds out that Xiao Chan made you cry, she will punish Xiao Chan. You don't want your sister Xiao Chan to be punished, do you? Stop crying."