Chapter 17: Entanglement

Isn't there a poem that goes "We are of the same roots, why are we so anxious to hurt each other?" Seriously speaking, compared to Miss Ten, they are just one step higher from the ground to the bamboo mat. That's why Miss Eleven tolerates Miss Ten so much. Who knew that Amber was the troublemaker, disturbing everyone.

Binju went to Eleventh Lady with resentment, and happened to see Amber talking to Eleventh Lady about making clothes: "...I'll help you and Fifth Lady first, and Tenth Lady hasn't started yet. I just don't know if Twelfth Lady will follow you to make clothes, or will follow Tenth Lady to make clothes?"

Shiyi Niang's eyes were bright and she just smiled. Binju's face turned pale, and the good impression she had for Amber at the banquet in the warm pavilion that night immediately disappeared.

Dongqing saw that something was not right, so she found a job for Binju: "I want to help the young lady divide the thread and make purses. You go to Aunt Xu's place. The young lady is embroidering the screen overnight. She needs a lot of silver frost charcoal. Ask her to pull some more for us."

Binju had no choice but to nod and leave.

Eleventh Lady picked up the needle and thread, indicating that she was going to start embroidering.

Amber pretended not to see it, picked up the fire tongs and pulled out the charcoal in the brazier, and said with a smile: "I also heard that the tenth lady has been copying Buddhist scriptures for the first wife these days. She said that she wanted to finish it before the New Year so that the first wife can take it to Ci'an Temple to offer to Guanyin Bodhisattva on the ninth day of the first lunar month, the birthday of Guanyin Bodhisattva!"

Eleventh Lady was slightly startled when she heard this: "What about the eldest aunt..."

"I heard from Sister Shanhu that it was because the eldest aunt asked Miss Ten to copy Buddhist scriptures that Miss Ten remembered that the eldest wife was also a Buddhist." Amber smiled, "Miss Ten also said that when she was young, the eldest wife doted on her and she didn't know it. Now that she has grown up and studied with the teacher, she knows how good the eldest wife is. When the eldest wife heard this, she said, "People learn to be good from books." Now Miss Ten also knows what is good and what is bad!"

Eleventh Lady's eyes flashed with surprise: "She said this in front of the first wife?"

Amber added two pieces of charcoal to the brazier and said with a smile, "Of course I said this in front of the first wife. At that time, Sister Coral was serving beside us!"

Unexpectedly, Shi Niang actually began to bow her head to flatter the first wife. However, isn't it too late to try to please the Buddha at the last minute?

Eleventh Lady was thinking about it, and Amber said, "Speaking of which, the Madam's place has been really lively these days. Fifth Miss has been with the Madam from morning till night, Tenth Miss has been visiting from time to time, and even Twelfth Miss has been visiting more often than usual. After visiting her in the morning and evening, she often chats with her two sisters, making the Madam laugh so hard that she can't stop."

Eleventh Lady was stunned, then smiled bitterly.

Is it still a delicious bun like this?

Amber carefully observed Eleventh Lady's expression, but she kept talking: "It's getting late, I'll go see if Qiuju's meal has been brought back. The young lady has worked so hard, she must get something delicious. I'll go to Liu's sister-in-law's place in the afternoon to see when they will make clothes for the tenth young lady... so that we can be prepared!"

Eleventh Lady laughed and said, "Yes, we should be prepared."

Amber's eyes lit up when she heard this, as bright as the stars in the summer night: "Miss, I'll go get ready!"

Eleventh Lady nodded.

Amber walked out lightly, and Zhu Xiang came.

She knelt down and said, "Miss, the Fifth Aunt is here!"

Eleventh Lady was very surprised.

Thinking back, not long after she woke up, she was suddenly awakened by a burst of crying one night. When she opened her eyes, she saw a stunning woman in a long white dress sitting in front of her bed, wiping her tears. She was stunned at the time. She thought she had encountered something unbelievable again and was so scared that she dared not move. After hearing the conversation between Dong Qing and her, she realized that the woman was actually her biological mother in this life, Lu.

Seeing that she only dared to express her concern for her daughter secretly, Shiyi Niang immediately felt sympathy for this poor woman who seemed to be pitied by her.

Later, she saw Fifth Aunt cut her gold jewelry into small pieces and gave them to Dong Qing, asking Dong Qing to buy her precious medicinal herbs such as ginseng and bird's nest to nourish her body. She was even more moved.

Therefore, after she understood her situation and the character of the First Wife, she kept a certain distance from the Fifth Aunt.

She didn't want to anger the first wife and implicate this weak and floating woman. As for the fifth concubine, since she felt the estrangement of the eleventh lady, although she looked sad, she still cooperated with her decision without complaint - she would never visit the eleventh lady unless there was something wrong.

She came here, so there must be something?

"Please ask Auntie to come in!" Although Eleventh Lady was very anxious in her heart, she did not show it on her face and instructed Zhu Xiang with a smile.

Zhu Xiang hurriedly invited the fifth aunt in.

Dong Qing came forward to salute her. She nodded absentmindedly and asked Shiyi Niang, "How long will it take you to finish embroidering this folding screen?"

Seeing her worried look, Shiyi Niang was startled and asked, "Aunt, what kind of embroidery do you want me to help you do?"

"No, no!" Wu Niang denied it hastily, and then looked as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Eleventh Lady winked at Dong Qing.

Dong Qing smiled and led Zhu Xiang back out: "I'll go make a cup of tea for Auntie."

The Fifth Aunt nodded randomly, and when the two of them retreated, before the Eleventh Lady could speak, she said, "You are just too honest, and you always suffer losses."

Eleventh Lady was a little confused after listening to this.

"You spend every day at home embroidering this screen, while the Fifth and Tenth Misses are staying with the First Mistress... You should be more careful!"

When it comes to intelligence, I'm afraid there are few in this mansion who are more dull than the Fifth Aunt!

Eleventh Lady couldn't help laughing.

Unexpectedly, even the usually indifferent Fifth Aunt knew that Fifth Aunt and Tenth Aunt were very popular with the First Mistress during this period, and she became anxious for her...

The Fifth Aunt looked at her and smiled, then scolded her, "Don't ignore my words. I'm doing this for your own good." As she spoke, her eyes turned red, "To be honest, it's all my fault. You're such a smart person, but you happened to be in my belly..."

It’s not your choice!

Eleventh Lady quickly took out her handkerchief to wipe Fifth Aunt's tears, and then comforted her: "Look at what Aunt said. If I hadn't been in your belly, I wouldn't have such a good life today. Don't cry. I know what you said. After all, embroidering a folding screen is also a way of showing filial piety. The first wife is a wise person, she will definitely understand my painstaking efforts."

After hearing this, the Fifth Aunt felt much better. She said, "That's right. The First Madam's mind is as clear as a mirror. She knows clearly what is good and what is bad, what is wrong and what is right."

The biological mother always spoke highly of the stepmother, and Shiyi Niang was used to it. She consoled the fifth aunt with a few words and drank the hot tea from the holly. The fifth aunt felt much better and stood up to say goodbye.

Eleventh Lady personally escorted Fifth Aunt out of Luyun Tower. When she looked up, she saw Binju and Qiuju standing in an octagonal pavilion with twelve steps outside Luyun Tower, talking about something - Qiuju's expression was a little disdainful, while Binju's expression was very serious.

Didn't Amber say she was going to urge Qiuju to bring food? Why was Qiuju here talking to Binju?

She couldn't help but look up at the sky.

Large dark clouds were floating in the sky like torn cotton, making the light somewhat dim and it was impossible to tell what time it was!

The two of them also saw Eleventh Lady and came over to pay their respects to Fifth Lady.

The Fifth Aunt chatted with the two of them for a few words and then returned with the help of the little maid. Qiuju also left Binju: "I'll go get the lunch box!"

Binju winked at Shiyi Niang and said to Qiuju: "Go quickly!"

Qiuju left immediately, and Binju helped Shiyi Niang to go to Lujun Tower.

"Didn't Amber tell Qiuju to fetch the food?"

"I have given you instructions." Bin Ju said, "You just met me and chatted for a while."

After hearing her frank answer, Eleventh Lady couldn't help but nod slightly.

Binju is cheerful, considerate, generous, and upright. The longer you spend with her, the more you like her.

"Miss, I have something to tell you."

Her eyes sparkled with joy, which delighted Shiyi Niang. She couldn't help but whisper, "Is it Auntie..."

Binju nodded.

The two of them left the Luyun Tower again and stood in the pavilion where Binju and Qiuju had just talked - the view here was wide, and anyone coming could be seen at a glance, so eavesdropping was not allowed.

"Qiu Ju went back and asked her mother." Bin Ju said seriously, "Her mother said that the eldest aunt was born in the family, but her parents died early, and she lived with an uncle. Later, her uncle married an aunt and couldn't tolerate her, so she found ways to work in the mansion. Because she was beautiful and gentle, she was placed in the eldest master's house by the deceased old lady. Everyone in the family liked her very much. The second aunt fled to us when the flood happened that year. She sold herself as a slave and entered the mansion. She first worked as a sweeper in the outer courtyard, and somehow she hooked up with the nephew of the former chief steward Niu Anli, who worked as a clerk in the accounting office. With the help of the chief steward Niu, she was transferred from the outer courtyard to the inner courtyard's flower room, where she was in charge of the flowers in the greenhouse. A few days later, she took the opportunity to send flowers to the old lady and won her favor, so she was transferred to the eldest master's room. The two stayed in the eldest master's room for five or six years, from the third-class maid to the first-class maid. After the eldest lady came in, she took the initiative to take the two into her room. "

Niu Anli was Xu Xiaoquan's predecessor. After Xu Xiaoquan became the general manager, he asked to leave and moved his family to Yangzhou. However, although Niu Anli had left the Luo family for more than ten years, the maids of the Luo family occasionally mentioned him in a friendly tone. It can be seen that he has a good relationship with people in the Luo family.

Eleventh Lady frowned slightly as she listened.

It seems that the eldest aunt is a bit honest, and the second aunt is a bit scheming. No matter which type it is, there is never a shortage of such people in the Luo Mansion.

It's quite normal!

"Miss, there is one more thing!" Binju lowered her voice, "Qiuju said that her mother was very contemptuous when she talked about the second aunt."

Eleventh Lady was perked up after hearing this: "Do you know why you despise me?"

"They say that the Second Aunt is a vixen who killed the nephew of Chief Steward Niu!"

Eleventh Lady looked at Binju in surprise.

"The nephew of Chief Steward Niu had been waiting for the Second Aunt to be released, but in the end, the Second Aunt was taken in by the First Master. In a rage, the nephew of Chief Steward Niu jumped into the well! Qiuju's mother also said that Chief Steward Niu's departure was also related to this incident!"