The Luo Mansion has a custom arrangement, and the keys to each room are released at the beginning of the day of the dog day.

Luo Qiao returned to Zhiyunyuan at the end of the You period.

The maids hurried forward to take the umbrella, squatted down to take off her wooden shoes, and welcomed her into the house.

Another maidservant handed over a hand warmer.

She shook her head and ordered, "Bring me some water to wash my face. I still have to go to the first lady to answer questions."

The maids did not dare to delay and hurriedly got her clean clothes for her to change into, ran hot water for her to wash her face, and re-combed her hair. Luo Qiao watched as everything was cleaned up, picked up the hot hand warmer beside her and warmed it for a while before going to the eldest lady's room.

The Third Aunt was doing needlework with a few maids around the brazier in the main hall. When she saw Luo Qiao, she smiled and asked, "Have they dispersed over there? Why are you back so early?"

Luo Qiao smiled and said, "They haven't left yet. Shanhu and the others are drinking happily!" As she spoke, she stepped forward to look at the work in Third Aunt's hands, "This carp is embroidered so vividly. Is it for Fifth Miss?"

Aunt Ke's eyes showed a hint of tenderness: "I have nothing to do, so I made her a skirt. It will be perfect for her to wear next spring."

Luo Qiao talked to Aunt Ke for a few words, then got up and went upstairs to the eldest wife's bedroom: "... Go and pay your respects to the eldest wife!"

"The eldest lady is talking to Madam Xu!" Aunt Ke didn't even raise her head as she embroidered the carp in her hand. "She said she has something to ask and will wait a moment!"

The original words were "I won't see anyone"!

Luo Qiao laughed at herself in her heart, but the smile on her face was very bright: "There must be a little maid waiting next to me. I'll go and show my face. If the eldest lady asks, she won't think that I went there and had so much fun that I didn't know whether it was day or night!"

Aunt Ke looked up and smiled, "That's right." Then she lowered her head again to do the work in her hands.

Luoqiao went upstairs quietly.

It was quiet upstairs, with only a little maid sitting by the stairs with a hand warmer in her hand, around a brazier. The dim light from the east bedroom curtain was stretched out long, reflecting on the dark brown wooden floor, creating a lonely silence.

Hearing the light footsteps, the little maid suddenly raised her head, and when she saw Luo Chi, she smiled.

Luo Qiao didn't wait for her to speak and ordered, "Go and report it! The eldest wife is waiting for my reply!"

The little maid hesitated for a moment, then walked slowly to the front of the curtain and reported.

"Let her in!" The eldest wife's voice was filled with undisguised fatigue.

Luo Qiao tugged at the corner of her clothes and then walked in.

All the maids and old women who usually served in the house had disappeared. Only an octagonal palace lantern was lit on the cupboard on the porch above the eight-step bed. The bean-sized light shone on the bright red embroidered shoes with five bats holding a symbol of longevity on the footstep in front of the bed. The red lacquered tall cabinets placed around had now turned into dark shadows that pounced towards the light, as frightening as man-eating beasts.

"She's back!" The eldest wife leaned on the big pillow at the head of the bed, her fair face half hidden and half visible beside the big red silk curtain, looking very blurry, "Mother Xu, give her a seat."

Mother Xu, who was sitting beside the bed, got up with a smile and brought a small stool to the bedside.

Luo Qiao bent his knees and bowed to thank the eldest lady, then sat down on a small stool.

"What's the situation over there?"

The eldest wife sat up straight, her sharp eyes sparkling in the darkness.

Luo Qiao paused, then said carefully: "When I went there, I met Wu Xiaoquan's family..." She glanced at the eldest wife, trying to see her expression, but she didn't know whether it was because the light was too dim or the eldest wife didn't show anything unusual, so Luo Qiao found nothing. "There are also Coral, Jade, Hawksbill, Azalea and Du Wei in our room. Yutong, Yuhuai, Baizhu and Jinzhu in Miss Twelve's room. Dongqing from Miss Eleven's room sat at the same table with Wu Xiaoquan's family, Amber and Coral, and Binju, Qiuju and Zhuxiang served on the side. A total of four condiments, four cold dishes, four hot dishes, ten main dishes and one soup were prepared. I came back before the banquet was over. I wonder what the staple food is?"

"Is there no noise in Wu Niang and Shi Niang's rooms?" The eldest wife's voice was a little cold.

Luo Qiao said hurriedly, "I heard that Miss Five sent Ziwei from her room to bring two packets of Xinyang Maojian tea as a gift; Miss Ten sent Baizhi from her room to bring a purse and a hand towel."

The eldest wife was silent for a while, then said, "You can leave now!"

Luo Qiao stood up, lowered his head and walked out with his hands hanging.

The first wife asked Mother Xu, "What do you think?"

"Madam, you are clear-headed." Madam Xu smiled gently, "Why do you need me to interrupt?"

The eldest wife sighed and patted Mother Xu's hand: "In the end, it's still just the two of us left, master and servant."

Mother Xu was moved, with a twinkle in the corner of her eyes: "Madam, you are saying discouraging words again. You have a big family, a large family, and many children and grandchildren. There is no one in Yuhang who is more blessed than you."

The first wife sighed, collapsed dejectedly, and leaned on the big pillow: "I don't know if it's useful or not?"

Mother Xu stood up, leaned over, supported the eldest wife's back, pulled out the pillow she was leaning on, and slowly let the eldest wife lie down.

"There are no unusable people in this world. It just depends on how you use them!" Her voice was gentle, unhurried, and calm, with a kind of calmness that reassured people. "The eldest lady is the smartest person I have ever met in this world. She must have thought of what you have thought of, and she must have thought of what you have not thought of. You are the one who gave birth to her and raised her, and I watched her grow up. At this time, if we don't help her, who will? Even if you don't believe in your own eyes, you must believe in the eldest lady's eyes. What's more, the eldest lady has been in Beijing for the past few years, and the people who come and go are such a group of wealthy people, and their vision has long been different. You, just put your heart back to where it was, and live a comfortable life in peace." As she spoke, she had tucked in the corners of the quilt.

"Dongqing, sleep with me today!" The eldest wife smiled, "We haven't talked like this for a long time."

Mother Xu laughed and said, "I haven't slept at the foot of the eldest lady's bed for many years. I miss it very much." After saying that, she went out and asked the maid to roll up the bedding and come in.

*

At this time, the warm room was bustling with activity. Dongqing winked at Binju and quietly returned to Lujun Building.

"…The first wife received the letter from the eldest master after taking a nap. Less than a cup of tea later, the third wife of the West Mansion came to discuss the first wife's field sacrifice. It was Du Wei who went in to report." Dong Qing and Shiyi Niang sat around the brazier. "It was a north wind that day. I don't know who opened the window frame behind the stairwell. When she entered, the curtain hit the door frame, making a loud clang. The first wife threw a teacup at her, and it almost hit Du Wei on the head."

The Luo family was once divided under the old master. The old master got the East Courtyard of the original Luo Mansion, and one of the old master's cousins ​​got the West Courtyard of the Luo Mansion. Everyone called them the East Courtyard and the West Courtyard.

Eleventh Lady used tongs to pull out the red-hot silver frost charcoal in the brazier.

In other words, after receiving the letter from the eldest master, the eldest wife was so angry that she took her anger out on the maid who lifted the curtain.

"I received the letter from Master after dinner." Dong Qing sorted out the news he had heard, "Because the first wife had a tantrum in the afternoon, everyone was trembling with fear. Feicui was serving at the side at the time. After receiving the letter, the first wife held the letter in her hand and said nothing. She got up and walked around the room a few times, then asked someone to invite Madam Xu to come. The two of them talked alone in the room for most of the night."

Eleventh Lady was stunned.

Could it be that the eldest wife was the type of person who would become calmer when faced with a big event? Or, had she guessed wrong? No, even if she had guessed wrong, could it be that the eldest and second aunts had guessed wrong as well? Could it be that Wu Xiaoquan's family had guessed wrong as well?

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but stand up and pace around the room.

This banquet was originally a touchstone. The attitudes of Wu Niang, Shi Niang, and Shier Niang were the same as usual. What was unusual was Wu Xiaoquan's family and Luo Qiao - both of them were too enthusiastic, and they were the ones who could best guess the eldest wife's thoughts. Especially Wu Xiaoquan's family, she walked around the inner courtyard and was on good terms with every room. Her husband was the chief steward of the Luo family, in charge of all the external affairs of the Luo family. If there was anything, she should be the most informed...

Eleventh Lady couldn't help but stop.

"Where's Mother Wu? Did Mother Wu do anything special? Or did she say anything strange?"

Dong Qing was slightly startled, lowered her head and thought for a while, then hesitated and said, "Mother Wu has been listening to us..." When she said this, she was suddenly shocked, "By the way, halfway through the wine, Mother Wu asked me to accompany her to the bathroom. She pouted and said something very strange to me."

Eleventh Lady couldn't help but walk over and sit next to Dongqing.

"What did you say?"

Seeing that Eleventh Lady looked nervous and took Wu Xiaoquan's family's words so seriously, Dong Qing thought for a while and repeated Wu Xiaoquan's family's words verbatim: "She said: I'm still happier here. When I return home, I'm often alone and lonely. My husband is busy tearing down the east wall to repair the west wall every day, and he doesn't even have time to look at me. It just happens that when he pleases this one, he offends that one. When he pleases that one, he offends this one again. He is not a good person inside and outside. Look, Luo Qiao sent him to the eldest wife early this morning. He has been frowning since he came back. Unlike Lu Yonggui who followed the eldest lady to Beijing, he bought a house in Beijing after not seeing him for a few years and lived the life of a Beijinger. He is really a seventh-rank official of the prime minister's doorman! I am too lazy to see his face, so I take this opportunity to have some fun outside. Otherwise, he will think that I have nowhere to play when I stay in the inner house."

Taking money from one pocket to pay for another… It’s hard to be a good person… Being summoned by Luo Qiao to see the eldest wife… After coming back, she was frowning… Unlike Lu Yonggui who followed the eldest daughter to Yanjing… I don’t want to see her face… Taking this opportunity to have fun outside…

What exactly do Wu Xiaoquan's family want to express?

The two of them are the eldest wife’s confidants!

What else was there that was worth her risking offending the first wife by stepping forward to hint at her?

Eleventh Lady fell into deep thought.

"Later, when we returned to the warm room, Luoqiao had already left. Feicui was arranging Lianqiao."

"Oh!" Eleventh Lady came back to her senses, "What did she say?"

Dong Qing smiled and said, "You know, they have always been at odds with each other. It seems that Lian Qiao made a mistake while on duty and was slapped by Mother Xu, leaving a mark on her face. She can't show her face in public these days - Feicui seems to be gloating over other people's misfortunes."

Eleventh Lady fell into deep thought again.

(Hongbao came to see me, I was so happy! We went out to eat together...)