Xu Yunci gave him a long, meaningful look.

Today is the Double Ninth Festival, so we shouldn't waste the whole day on other things. The Double Ninth Festival is all about climbing mountains and making Double Ninth cakes.

After the family finished their dinner, they gathered in Qingji Hall, with people from the three courtyards sitting inside and outside. However, on such an occasion, Xiangzhi, as one of the young master's concubines, was not qualified to appear. Madam Zhou was most unwilling to let a concubine trample on the reputation of the fourth branch of the family and act arrogantly.

When Zhou came out with her two children, she heard a clattering sound coming from Xiangzhi's room. Who cared about her right now? Zhou sat down next to Xu Huailou with a smile and said, "I don't have anything good. I just got this pair of blood jade bracelets. I'm so eager to get them. I'm afraid they'll break when there are a lot of guests coming and going on Yan Yan's birthday."

"I thought I'd bring it along today because I came to pay my respects to my mother."

As Zhou spoke, the old woman behind her stepped forward with the brocade box in her hand, walked to Li Shiyue's right side, and handed it to her.

The brocade box had been opened, and as Zhou had said, it contained a pair of exquisite blood jade bracelets. They were not inlaid with any ornaments, and the pure jade felt warm, smooth, and delicate to the touch. The red blush on them was as alluring as fresh blood.

"Oh, that's quite a lot of money, isn't it? Sister-in-law, you're really generous." Madam Wei sat on the wooden chair next to her husband, Xu Huaiting, stretched her neck, and smiled.

Since Xu Yunbo returned home, her spirits have improved, and Xu Huaiting, seeing his eldest son's success, also holds her, his mistress, in high esteem. Today, she is wearing a bright red jacket, with dark fur trim on the cuffs covering her hands, but the subtle feather patterns on the bright red jacket are still visible.

All eyes turned to her, and Madam Zhou, unable to hide her joy, humbly waved her hand, saying, "It's not much. After all, it's Yan Yan's first birthday since entering the manor, so I thought I should put in extra effort."

"I only have one son and one daughter, one who practices martial arts and the other who loves literature. They're both like little idiots. I took a liking to Yan Yan the first time I saw her. If she's willing, I'll naturally treat her as my own daughter."

After Xu Yunyao took a concubine, although Old Madam Xu did not say it explicitly, none of the traditional marriage rites were performed. In addition, Zhou Shi had been trying to figure out Old Madam Xu's thoughts, so she gave up the idea of ​​marrying Li Shiyue to her foolish son.

However, some polite words still need to be said. Although the family has been divided into separate branches, the fourth branch is different from the second branch. Her two children have not even been removed from the family genealogy of the Duke's mansion. In this respect, the fourth branch will never be inferior.

Even if they can't be husband and wife, if the siblings have a deep bond, she's not afraid that the fourth branch of the family will gradually decline.

With a smile, Madam Xu took Li Shiyue's hand and pointed to Zhou Shi with a smile: "Your aunt is right. When Yan Yan gets married in the future, she won't have to worry about not having her family to support her."

These words elicited various reactions from the crowd.

Putting aside how important the Duke's Mansion regards Li Shiyue now, the fact that she is a county princess personally appointed by the Emperor is enough to make many families covet her.

Madam Wei sat upright, glanced at Old Madam Xu, then at Li Shiyue, her eyes darting around as she was about to say something. Suddenly, her sleeve was tugged, and she turned to see her own son.

Just as Madam Wei was about to speak, Xu Yunbo interrupted her, saying, "Grandmother, I also have something to give you."

He stood up without looking at Wei Shi, walked to the center, took something out of his pocket, opened his palm, and saw that it was white and sharp, like the teeth of some animal.

"This is the wolf king's fang, which my grandson pulled out himself. General Cheng said that there is a saying in the border region that giving one's elder a wolf king's fang will bring lasting blessings."

"This was specially left by your grandson for his grandmother. May she be blessed with good fortune, peace, and health."

The sharp teeth had been cleaned by Xu Yunbo beforehand, strung up, and hung on the tassel of the sachet, making them somewhat conspicuous.

Madam Xu had never seen this before, so she became interested, reached out and took it. After examining it carefully, she couldn't hide her satisfaction: "You've put your heart into this. It seems that your second brother was right to send you to General Cheng's command back then."

The pride in her eyes was undisguised. She raised her hand and said, "Granny Chang, go and hang the sachet by my bedside. Don't take it down. It's a token of my grandson's affection."

Granny Chang smiled and accepted, "Yes."

Under everyone's gaze, he took the sachet in both hands and went into the inner room, hung it above the bed, and then came out again.

“The military camp is bitterly cold. This child looks even darker and thinner than last time he came back. He is so sensible, but he has earned it through hardship. I wish he could be as carefree as before.” Madam Wei looked distressed, but she didn’t realize that she had said the wrong thing.

Li Shiyue looked up at the old lady Xu, who was shaking her head and sighing, and didn't know what to say. Looking up, she saw that the Duke of Rong and Madam Yang's expressions remained unchanged, as if they were detached from the matter. As for the fourth couple, they seemed to have heard nothing and looked away.

Xu Huaiting hadn't spoken a word until he saw the old lady's expression. He turned and scolded her, "What nonsense are you spouting? If you're too full, go for a walk instead of saying such rubbish and ruining everyone's mood."

Wei's lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she lowered her head, and even her straight back gradually bent down, just like before.

“Mother, you’re wrong. If I were still the same pleasure-seeking man I used to be, what could I accomplish? What good bride could I find for you?” Xu Yunbo immediately captured Wei’s heart. He was helpless against Wei’s simple-mindedness.

Madam Wei looked up at Li Shiyue, about to speak. Xu Yunbo noticed the frown on Madam Xu's face first and quickly stopped Madam Wei: "But we can't rush this. I can only be home for half a year before I have to go back to the military camp. There are some things that General Cheng hasn't taught me yet. I'm just trying to finish what I started."

“If we get married now and leave the bride alone at home, you’ll be anxious about the grandson, and we, the young couple, will be anxious too. So this matter can’t be rushed, really can’t be rushed. It will be fine when I come back next time and don’t need to leave the house.”

"That's well said." Duke Rongguo laughed heartily and patted the armchair beside him.

“Yes, young master, you should start a family and establish a career, but that shouldn’t be all you do. Sanlang will be twenty next year. If he wants to go out and make his way in the world, let him go. Even if things don’t go well, with the Duke and the Third Master around, what could possibly happen to a young master like him?” Madam Yang smiled, unaffected by Madam Wei’s words.

Xu Yunbo smiled and touched his nose. This was a scene he never dared to imagine before, and people didn't sigh when they mentioned him.

The atmosphere was harmonious. Lianchun lifted the heavy curtain and walked in. After looking around, she finally lowered her head and said, "The servant from the front courtyard has come to report that Second Master... Lord Xu and his family have come to pay their respects to the Old Madam and the Duke."