A better choice?

Dong Qing shook her head, looking somewhat bewildered: "Originally, I was thinking wholeheartedly about how not to marry Yao Mama's nephew...what plans did I have?"

"Then just follow Madam's arrangements!" Zhu Xiang's voice was filled with consolation, "Madam won't harm you, will she?"

Dongqing thought of how Eleventh Lady had dealt with Mother Yao for her.

"Yes." She nodded heavily, "Madam treats me very well."

Zhu Xiang thought of the rumors that someone had whispered in her ear, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Besides, my sister is old. Instead of being randomly assigned to be a servant, it's better for her to marry Wan Daxian. At least he knows her background well."

Dongqing didn't expect this.

He sat there for a while before returning to the house.

The next day, he replied to Amber: "It's all up to Madam."

Eleventh Lady was confused: "Why did you change your mind so suddenly?" She added, "This is a lifelong thing. If she doesn't want to, I can find her a satisfactory one from the outer courtyard. No need to force it."

Amber smiled and said, "Of course I don't want to. I just don't want to leave my wife. Nothing outside can compare to the mansion. And I have to be someone else's daughter-in-law. After having to look after my parents-in-law, I have to look after my uncle and aunt."

Eleventh Lady laughed and said, "Can I let her go back with Wan Yizong to farm? Not to mention that she is with me in the mansion now, even in the Luo family, there was no reason for her to work in the fields." Then she asked Amber to call Dongqing, "I will naturally find a job for her in the mansion in the future."

Holly's face turned red with shame and she came here shyly.

Eleventh Lady felt relieved when she saw that it didn't seem like she was doing it reluctantly.

"Although you are from our family, your mother and father also gave birth to you. If you are going to get married, you should also inform them. There is no date this year. We can only wait until February 5th next year after your wife gives birth and then choose an auspicious day to hold the wedding!"

Dongqing's face turned red enough to look like blood dripping out, and she responded "yes" in a mosquito-like voice.

As she was talking, a little maid came in and said, "Madam, the eldest lady is here."

Seeing that Dong Qing was very embarrassed, Eleventh Lady said with a smile, "You can go down and have a rest first!" Then she asked the maid to invite Zhen Jie'er in.

The two of them bumped into each other head-on. Dongqing hastily bowed to Zhen Jie'er and hurriedly retreated.

Zhen Jie'er looked at her in surprise: "What's going on?" Dong Qing was usually cautious and was very respectful when he saw her.

"It's okay, it's okay." Eleventh Lady smiled and changed the subject, "You have packed all your things."

Zhen Jieer stepped forward and bowed to Shiyi Niang: "Everything is packed. I came here specially to say goodbye to mother."

Seeing that there was only Eleventh Lady in the room, she really wanted to ask, "Where is Daddy?" But when she thought of the concubines at home, she swallowed the words and did not mention Xu Lingyi at all.

Eleventh Lady didn't expect Zhen Jie'er to come so early - Xu Lingyi hadn't come yet. Then she remembered something and asked her, "Did you send someone to tell Hui Jie'er?"

We are all neighbors and will visit each other during the Chinese New Year. Since Zhen Jie'er is good friends with Hui Jie'er, she should say hello to Hui Jie'er when she goes out. This shows respect to Hui Jie'er and is also the way of friendship.

This matter had to be decided urgently, and Zhen Jie'er had no chance or right to send anyone to Weibei Marquis' Mansion, so she got up early to see Shiyi Niang.

"I was just about to ask my mother to send someone over to tell her."

Eleventh Lady asked Amber to take the pair of cards and asked Lvyun to call Mother Tao: "... ask her to go to Weibei Marquis's Mansion."

When Zhen Jieer saw this, she said hurriedly, "Please ask Madam Tao to take a message to Hui Jieer and ask her whether she likes the scent of jasmine or lily of the valley. I will bring her some perfume when I come back."

The Second Madam is good at making these things, so when Zhen Jieer goes there, she can naturally get whatever she wants.

It is easiest to change the meaning of a message through a person like this. Eleventh Lady simply said, "Sister Zhen, why don't you write a letter and let Mother Tao take it over."

Zhen Jie'er thought it was very good.

Shiyi Niang asked Hongxiu to help Zhen Jie'er go to the east room to write a letter. She told Hubo to find someone and said, "... she said Zhen Jie'er has come and will not return until after the Lantern Festival. We will leave for the lady later." She meant that she wanted him to come quickly so that Zhen Jie'er could say goodbye to him.

Amber responded and left.

Eleventh Lady waited for a while, and Amber came in and reported: "Aunt Qiao said that the Marquis is not with her. I asked the night watchman, and he said that the Marquis went out before dawn."

"Is she in Banyuepan?" Eleventh Lady asked in confusion, "Let's go look for her. We can't let Zhenjie go like this."

Amber nodded and went out to find Xu Lingyi.

Zhen Jie'er had already written the letter and had told Mother Tao everything she needed to know. Eleventh Lady also chatted with Zhen Jie'er for a while. Seeing that it was getting late and Amber had not returned yet, she could not wait any longer and had to go to the Lady Dowager with Zhen Jie'er.

The lady was counting the large and small bags on the kang with Mama Du. When she saw them come in, she pointed at the bags and said, "... these are candies, these are candied fruits, these are sundries..." They were all food. She also said, "If you want to eat anything, send someone back to let me know and I'll have someone prepare it and send it over right away."

Zhen Jie'er's eyes turned red as she looked at him: "Grandma..."

This is the first time she has not spent the New Year at home since she was born...

Before he finished speaking, Xu Siqin, Xu Siyu and Xu Sijian walked in smiling - they came to see Zhen Jie'er off, and Zhun Ge's wet nurse brought Zhun Ge over too. The Third Madam and the Fifth Madam met each other halfway and walked in together. Everyone was talking and laughing, and the scene was even more lively, which made Zhen Jie'er forget the slight sadness that had just emerged.

When the maid came in and said, "The carriage is ready," the old lady wanted to personally escort Zhen Jie'er to the Chuihua Gate. Everyone did not dare to neglect her, and surrounded the old lady and Zhen Jie'er, who was supporting her, and walked all the way to the Chuihua Gate.

I met Xu Lingyi at the gate of Chuihua.

Everyone was stunned.

Eleventh Lady was even more surprised—Xu Lingyi was not in the inner courtyard.

I don’t know what he is doing in the outer courtyard so early in the morning?

But it was not appropriate to ask these questions in front of so many people, so she smiled and stepped forward to greet Xu Lingyi: "My Lord, we are just about to send Sister Zhen to Xishan."

Xu Lingyi nodded slightly, stepped forward and saluted the lady, looked at Zhen Jie'er with a faint expression and instructed, "Listen to your second aunt when you get there."

Sister Zhen seemed very touched, with tears glistening in the corners of her eyes.

She half-knelt down respectfully and bowed to Xu Lingyi: "I respectfully follow your teachings! Please take good care of yourself!"

Xu Lingyi nodded calmly, and Xu Siqin and others came forward and saluted Xu Lingyi.

The big chestnut horse, with its reins pulled by the servant, pawed its front hooves impatiently.

The lady told Zhen Jie'er, "Go ahead. I'll send someone to pick you up early in the morning on the 18th day of the first lunar month."

The maid accompanying the carriage hurriedly put away the footstool after hearing this. Zhen Jie'er looked at her with tears in her eyes, and the lady also took out a handkerchief from her sleeve and wiped her eyes.

The Third Lady stepped forward and said, "It's getting late. Sister Zhen should get on the car early. Someone from the Second Sister-in-law's side went to report the news early in the morning. I'm afraid they are calculating the time and waiting for the eldest daughter to go. If you are late, who knows how worried they will be!"

After hearing this, Zhen Jieer nodded repeatedly and saluted to the lady-in-waiting: "Grandma, Sizhen is no longer here to serve you. You must take good care of yourself!"

The lady smiled and nodded: "I have your mother, third aunt, and fifth aunt to serve you. You can just go to Xishan and accompany your second aunt without any worries."

Zhen Jie'er bowed to everyone, said "Then I'll go," and then was helped by Xiaoli to get into the carriage.

The maid who was following the carriage quickly put away the footstool, bowed to the lady, and jumped onto the shaft of the carriage, telling the servant, "Let's go!"

The servant nodded and led the horse out.

The curtain of the car window was lifted, and through the green gauze window, one could see Zhen Jie'er's reluctant face.

Everyone watched her leave, and she took a small oil cart with green curtains to the old lady's room. After a long period of persuasion, the old lady finally regained her spirits and asked Xu Lingyi, "What are you doing so early in the morning?"

"Oh!" he said casually, "Fan Weigang sent someone to deliver a letter to me. He asked what happened to my leg?"

In that case, why not just lie down in bed, but go to the outer courtyard to meet the messenger in person...

Eleventh Lady was full of doubts.

There was also a hint of confusion in the lady's eyes.

But neither of them asked. The old lady even changed the subject and asked the third lady, "Have you prepared the house cleaning? Have you prepared the spring couplets and peach charms?"

The Third Lady smiled and said, "Don't worry, everything is ready! You just need to prepare the New Year's money!"

The lady was amused and burst into laughter.

A maid came in and reported, "Madam San, flowers have been sent from Fengtai."

The weather is particularly cold this year, and there are not enough flowers in the greenhouse at home, so I ordered some from Fengtai.

The Third Lady stood up and said, "I'll go take a look!" Then she turned back to Eleventh Lady and said, "Fourth Sister-in-law, come with me and take a look! You should know what flowers should be placed in what place."

Eleventh Lady looked at the Lady Dowager.

The lady nodded slightly: "Go!"

Only then did Eleventh Lady follow the Third Lady in kneeling and bowing to the Lady Dowager, and then went to the place where the matter had happened.

Only Xu Lingyi, the uncle, and Fifth Madam, the sister-in-law, were left in the room. Fifth Madam didn't want to stay any longer, so she put her hands on her hips and said goodbye to the Madam: "...I want to go back and lie down."

The lady-in-waiting was not in a position to keep her, so she asked Madam Du to see the Fifth Madam out, and asked Wei Zi to take a few younger people to the east room, while she herself started a private conversation with Xu Lingyi.

Mrs. Wu returned to the room and started a private conversation with Mother Shi.

"How is it? Is there any news from Aunt Yi from the third room?"

Mother Shi lowered her voice and said, "Aunt Yi doesn't know the details either. However, the Third Madam has been packing up these days, as if she is going to move out."

"Move out?" The Fifth Madam stopped in her tracks, confusion flickering in her eyes. "The Madam is still here, so it's impossible for the family to split up?"

"So this is something strange." Mother Shi was also puzzled. "Look at how the Third Madam treats the Fourth Madam... It's as if she is telling her housekeeper sincerely."

Madam Five nodded, her face a little serious: "I feel a little uneasy. I always feel like something is going to happen."

When Mother Shi heard this, she said, "Oh!" and said, "Now that you mention it, there really is something going on!"

The Fifth Lady perked up: "What's the matter?"

"I heard from Aunt Yi that yesterday, Third Madam heard that Sister Xian had worshipped the Goddess of Smallpox, so she brought the eldest young master to greet her. But she was stopped outside by the maid in the room of the eldest grandmother of the Gan family, who said that the eldest grandmother had to take care of Sister Xian and could not meet guests. But she let the eldest young master of the Zhennan Marquis Wang family, who had followed her to visit the patient, in... Third Madam was too embarrassed to bear it, and hurried back without even saying a word."

The Third House always liked to bluff, but the Fifth Madam didn't take it seriously. Instead, she was interested in another matter: "The eldest son of the Wang family, the Marquis of Zhennan? Sister Zhou's nephew?"

Mother Shi nodded and said with a smile, "That's right."

The Fifth Lady covered her sleeves and laughed.