Granny Shen led them through the courtyard gate and then through a passageway. Directly opposite the passageway was a pink screen wall. Beyond this screen wall was the main room where the old lady lived. Several maids in uniform stood in front of the red-lacquered pillars. When they saw Granny Shen leading people over, two of the maids quickly lifted the curtain.

After the curtain was lifted, Xu Bai felt that he had finally witnessed the grandeur of a noble family.

Behind the curtain was a four-panel screen carved from rosewood, more than two meters high. Behind the screen was where the old lady entertained guests. After being carried by his mother and turned around the screen, Xu Bai saw a kind-faced old lady with a full head of silver hair and a nimble figure. She was being held by a maid and had already walked to the screen.

Upon seeing the old lady, Zhang Zhaoci immediately knelt down, called out "Old Lady!" and then choked up.

The old lady quickly helped him up, saying, "Oh dear, good child, you're finally back. Get up quickly, get up quickly, let me see our Bai-ge'er first."

Xu Zhi also knelt down before the old lady, following Zhang Zhaoci. The old lady took Xu Zhi's hand and pulled her up from the ground, saying, "You've come all this way, you must be very tired. Don't rush to kowtow to me, let me see how much you've grown. And where is our Di Ge'er? I haven't seen Di Ge'er."

Zhang Zhaoci said with a smile, "Di Ge'er went to the Marquis's place first, and he will probably come over with the Marquis soon. Madam, we came to see you here without even washing up."

Hearing this, the old lady looked at Xu Bai and Xu Zhi with a smile and said, "You know I've been waiting for you all this time. You still have a conscience. Oh my, our Bai-ge'er is handsome no matter how you look at him."

This was the first time Xu Bai had met one of the biggest bosses in the mansion. He wanted to curry favor with the boss, so he could only try his best to act cute. Unfortunately, the old lady felt that she was too old and was afraid that she would not be able to hold the child properly and would drop him. So she just stood next to Zhang Zhaoci and touched Xu Bai's little hand.

When Zhang Zhaoci's family returned, the old lady eagerly awaited their arrival. Lady Wu, the wife of the heir apparent (also known as Lady Ning), Lady Zhu, the wife of the second master Xu Qi (the younger brother of the Marquis Xu Zhen), and Lady Zhu's two daughters-in-law, along with several young girls of Xu Zhi's generation, were all waiting in the old lady's room.

Seeing the old lady being so affectionate with Zhang Zhaoci, Yao, the wife of Xu Quan, the second son of the Marquis of Yongning, smiled and came over to help the old lady, saying, "Old lady, let's sit down first and let my second sister-in-law put our seventh young master down so he can rest his arms. Even if we're being affectionate, it doesn't have to be for a moment, do you think?"

Although Xu Quan's wife, Yao, did not come from a particularly illustrious family, her father was the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, so she was considered to come from a scholarly family. Yao was well-educated, and most importantly, she was very tactful and charming. She could joke with the elders in the household and got along very well with the younger generation. She was a very popular figure in the household, unlike Ning, who, as the matriarch of the family, always had to be reserved.

Upon hearing this, the old lady said, "Oh dear, that's really true. Quickly, sit down and rest for a while."

Madam Yao said with a smile, "Look, look, our old lady always says that she likes me the most. But when she sees my second sister-in-law, all she can think about is my second sister-in-law. It seems that all the time when the old lady says she likes me is just to tease me."

Upon hearing this, the old lady laughed and pinched Yao's cheek, saying, "If I didn't like you, would I let you take my things and leave? Who was it that saw how delicious the osmanthus cake was last night and took the whole plate with them? Let me tell you, that plate is part of a set; it was part of my dowry back then. You have to give it back to me."

As Yao helped the old lady walk toward the inner banquet area, she said, "Why are you so stingy? It's just a plate. If you're worried that the set won't be complete without one plate, why don't you give me the ones you have here? I've been coming here all day to serve you and take care of you, and you can't even part with a few plates."

Upon hearing this, the old lady laughed heartily and said to Madam Wu and Madam Zhu, "See? Our Fourth Madam is quite the money-grubber."

Madam Yao was truly a master at coaxing people and lightening the mood. She had a good relationship with Madam Wu and Madam Zhu, as well as with her sisters-in-law. The old lady's teasing made everyone laugh.

Xu Bai was a little unhappy that his limelight had been stolen by one of his elders. After everyone was seated, the old lady naturally sat on the daybed. Wu and Zhu sat on the left, while Ning, Yao, and Zhu's two daughters-in-law sat on the other side. The young girls of Xu Zhi's generation stood behind these elders. Zhang Zhaoci, on the other hand, had just returned and was pulled by the old lady to sit on the daybed, with Xu Zhi standing next to her.

Zhang Zhaoci placed Xu Bai on the daybed, on which was a small kang table. On the kang table, besides teacups, there was a jade ornament in the shape of a lotus flower, which was the old lady's favorite item, which she would usually hold and play with.

Xu Bai can sit quite well now. He sits at the right height in front of the kang table, where he can see the lotus flower ornament.

Looking at Xu Bai sitting upright, the old lady said, "Brother Bai must be almost eight months old, right? He's sitting so well."

Zhang Zhaoci said with a smile, "Yes, he will be eight months old in a few days. He usually likes to be carried to the street to play. In our border town, raising children is quite rough. Bai Ge'er eats well and can sit up quite steadily at five months old. Now, holding his arm, he can even take a few steps."

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