Xu Lanyin took out the fifty taels of silver that Xu Qingyan and his wife had given to the old couple, and the gifts given to them, the eldest wife, and Xu Zhiniang, and also took out the gifts he had given to them and Xu Zhiniang.
The gifts she gave were basically products from the palace, including snacks made in the imperial kitchen, various small accessories made by the Imperial Household Department, and a few pieces of tribute satin.
The Xu family was very happy with these royal items and said they would take them home to worship them as they were reluctant to use them.
After dinner, we sent the Xu family away, but the Wen brothers had not returned yet.
Xu Lanyin asked someone to call in He Dong, who had returned in the afternoon.
He Dong came in and said with a smile, "After hearing about that, Su Qing burst into tears of joy and said that she would personally bring Gu Qian here in a few days to thank Grandma Wen..."
Xu Lanyin nodded and asked Zhangqi to take He Dong to clean up the other side of the yard, which was actually to give them a chance to be alone together.
Ho Tung, already 21, had fallen in love with Zhang Qi. These two men, both liked and trusted by Wen Zhuoan and Xu Lanyin, helped them to clarify their relationship and arranged for them to get married early next year.
He Xi was favored by a steward of the Princess Nanyang's mansion, who promised his daughter to him and they will get married at the end of this year.
Xu Lanyin was short on manpower, so she bought four maids in the capital and assigned them to Nanny Wei for training. She also bought several servants to serve alongside Uncle Lin and his wife at the Marquis of Xiqing's mansion.
Wen Zhuoan came back at the beginning of the night.
He said he'd invited the Fujian residents over that evening, and they'd all had a good time drinking. Wen Zhuofeng and Qin Hongyu were set to marry on October 1st of this year. The Qin family had a separate courtyard in the capital, and Qin Hongyu would be there to get married in mid-September. Wen Zhuofeng still had to deal with grave repairs and his court appearance, so he'd be back in Beijing tomorrow...
The next day, after seeing Wen Zhuofeng off, Xu Lanyin invited the Qin and Hu families over for another day of fun. Min Nan had already gone to the capital to get married, so she and Madam Min were not there.
After that, Qin Hongyu and Hu Yi came to the Wen family almost every day, and the two brides-to-be were extremely happy.
Xu Lan was experiencing some pregnancy symptoms, so when she felt better, she would tell them about her cousin and uncle's situation. When she felt worse, she would just rest. The two girls then told each other about their respective dowry preparations, not feeling neglected at all.
Five days later, Su Qing came with Gu Qian and He's wife.
Su Qing's health was still not good. Her face was sallow and she was so thin that she could be blown down by a gust of wind. However, the joy on her face still made her look more lively.
Gu Qian was already one year and one month old. He was a strikingly handsome little fellow, with a fair face, slightly upturned peach blossom eyes, a straight nose, and thin, angular lips. He bore a striking resemblance to Gu Wangchen. He staggered forward a few steps, then, at his mother's command, bowed politely to Xu Lanyin, calling her "Auntie Xu." He was clearly a brilliant child.
Xu Lanyin disliked this appearance, but when she saw the child's clear eyes and his flattering smile, her heart softened. She pulled him over, wiped his saliva, and said, "Good boy, your mother has had a hard time. You must listen to her, study hard, and be a good person."
Gu Qian agreed very readily, "Study hard... and be a good person... a great scholar, not an official."
Su Qing was deeply hurt by Gu Wangchen's "ambition" and ruthlessness. She lost her previous edge and ambition and continued to teach her children in this way.
Xu Lanyin looked at Su Qing with a higher regard. It was not easy for a reborn girl to settle down and live a peaceful life, breaking away from all the vanity of the past.
Xu Lanyin smiled and said, "You are such a smart boy. You can talk so much and you know about great scholars." She asked someone to bring him a set of fine writing brushes, inkstones and inkstones that had been prepared in advance. She smiled and said, "Study hard. If you need Aunt Xu's help, you can come to the capital to find me."
The little fellow bowed again and said, "Thank you, I like it."
Su Qing still couldn't help but express her concern for Gu Wangchen.
Xu Lanyin told the truth. Although Gu Wangchen was a magistrate and Zhou Zimei had given him a daughter, his life was not easy. The Zhou family was not satisfied with this son-in-law, believing that he had behaved improperly and seduced the Zhou family girl, so he would not be of much help in his official career.
Su Qing nodded. She thought to herself, now that Xu Lanyin had become the Empress Dowager's granddaughter-in-law, and Gu Wangchen had hurt her in the past, the Zhou family would certainly not help him just because of Xu Lanyin.
Thinking of Gu Wangchen, who would do anything for his own selfish interests, Su Qing felt a little sad. Is it worth it to hurt the people closest to you for an uncertain future?
Xu Lan asked Su Qing and the other two to stay at home for lunch, and at the end of the afternoon she called a mule cart to take them away.
After Wen Zhuoan finished dealing with his official and personal affairs, he made a special trip to visit Monk Jie Chi, Coroner Wen, and Captain He. It was also the beginning of June, and he had to rush back to Beijing to attend the court.
Mrs. Qin and Old Lady Xu wanted Wen Zhuo'an to go back first, and Xu Lanyin to return to Beijing after the baby was three months pregnant. Neither Wen Zhuo'an nor Xu Lanyin wanted to go, believing that a boat ride was more stable than a carriage, so they insisted on going together.
On the third day of the Lunar New Year, the family went to the pier outside the city to take a boat.
The day before, many relatives and friends sent gifts. Old Mrs. Xu held Xu Lanyin in her arms and cried, telling her to go back and tell Xu Qingyan to take time to visit them more often, as they missed their son and grandson. Old Man Xu knew he had thoroughly offended the Chai family, and he was even more afraid of the Nanyang Princess's punishment. Even though he was desperate, he didn't dare mention the idea of going to the capital with them to enjoy life.
Min Hu, Min Can, Qin Ru, the Xu Dashi brothers, Xu Yuan, Hu Wan, Wu Zhanggui and others, as well as some officials who had a good relationship with Wen Zhuoan, kept sending them on board.
Sitting by the window and looking at the mountains and rivers gradually disappearing into the distance, Xu Lanyin knew that it would be difficult for her to come back in the future.
Wen Zhuoan noticed Xu Lanyin's sadness, pulled her into his arms and said, "This place is only about 500 miles away from the capital. If you miss this place and Xiaozao Village, I'll come back with you to play for a few days."
On the evening of the fifth day of the sixth lunar month, Xu Lanyin returned to the Wen residence and began to feel unwell. She asked the imperial physician to take her pulse, who said she had a fetal shock and told her to stay in bed for a month.
Wen Zhuoan only then realized that the pot was made of iron and that he could not be willful in many things. He was so scared that his face turned pale and he regretted letting Xu Lanyin come back with him.
The next day, Chai brought Xu Lanyue to the Wen Mansion to visit her.
Chai said that there were two happy events in the Princess Nanyang's Mansion. One was that Princess Ping of Prince Chai Jingjing gave birth to a son, and the other was that Ma was pregnant again.
He continued, "I heard from the Princess that Ma was pregnant because of something you said. The Princess said she was grateful for your kindness."
In the afternoon, the Queen Mother gave Xu Lanyin many tonics and told her to have a good rest. She also asked Chai to take Wen Mingxi to the Cining Palace tomorrow, as she wanted to have a grandson again.
Xu Lanyin ate and slept, slept and ate, living a life like a parasite. Soon more than a month passed, and it was mid-July.
Xu Lanyin was able to get up and move around freely, and the fetus was three months old and sitting firmly. However, this time the baby was obviously bigger than the last time.
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