Chapter 19 Decision (Part 2)

Shiyi Niang took out the longevity painting embroidered by Master Jian from her purse and spread it on the table. She then looked at the half-finished work on the embroidery frame and sighed softly.

"Miss, should we continue embroidering?" Dong Qing asked hesitantly.

"Of course I have to continue embroidering." Shiyi Niang smiled, "Although my embroidery skills and speed are inferior to those of Master Jian, have you noticed that the "Shou" character I embroidered now is much better than the one I embroidered at the beginning?"

Dong Qing held the light, looked at it carefully for a while, nodded and said, "It is different from before. I feel that your stitches are smoother and finer than before..."

Eleventh Lady nodded and smiled: "So, this is also an opportunity to hone your embroidery skills!"

Dong Qing smiled and said, "Then Miss, go to bed early today. With this longevity painting embroidered by Master Jian, you will have something to hand in when the time comes."

During this period, I stared at a square meter of space day and night, and my eyes began to hurt. No wonder many embroiderers go blind after they are over 30, this is really a job that only young people can do. Like Master Jian, teaching embroidery to wealthy families is a good way out, but the requirements for embroidery skills are also very high...

Eleventh Lady thought about it and said with a smile: "Let's go to bed early today. After all, it's the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. While others are out partying, let's take a break!"

Dong Qing covered her mouth and smiled. She arranged Zhu Xiang to keep watch at night and personally helped Shiyi Niang to sleep. Then she returned to her own residence.

After Amber came, Dongqing and Binju gave her the room next to the window. Amber was reluctant to accept the offer, but Dongqing and Binju were used to living together and were still a little wary of Amber, so they refused and squeezed in with Qiuju and Zhuxiang.

When she entered the room, Binju and Qiuju were both awake. They were lying on Binju's bed, looking at the patterns she had picked and discussing what kind of embroidery would be good for Chunchang's embroidered skirt next year.

Seeing Dong Qing coming in, Qiu Ju immediately jumped out of bed and greeted her: "Miss, please go to bed!"

Holly nodded.

Qiu Ju poured her some water to wash her face and asked, "What did Master Jian give Miss?"

Dong Qing smiled and said, "I just wrote a letter to say hello, Miss."

Qiu Ju's eyes were filled with envy: "The young lady and Master Jian have such a good relationship!"

"Of course." Dong Qing said with a smile, "Otherwise, with so many people learning from her, why did she only pass on the unique skill of "double-sided embroidery" to our young lady?"

Qiu Ju nodded and said, "Sister Dongqing, tell me, if I serve the young lady well and ask her to pass on this unique skill to me, will the young lady agree?"

"I can't say for sure!" Dong Qing said with a smile, "But normally, if anyone in the mansion comes to ask for needlework advice, Miss will do her best to help. If you are really interested, why not ask Miss one day!"

Qiuju nodded and was about to say something, but Binju beside her smiled and said, "It's getting late. Sister Dongqing has to help the young lady embroider a folding screen early tomorrow morning. Let's talk less and take a break!" As she said this, she started to pluck up the scattered patterns on the bed.

Qiuju responded with a "yes", and the three of them fell silent.

At 3:00 pm the next day, before the sky was bright, Mother Xin and Mother Tang had already gotten up and went to the small kitchen next to the chamber to boil water. At 3:30 pm, Shiyi Niang got up and Binju helped her to wash. Qiuju had already cooked porridge. Shiyi Niang ate half a bowl of porridge with a dish of bamboo shoots and a dish of pickled cucumber, then sat down in front of the embroidery frame and began to embroider.

As the sky outside the window gradually brightened, a maid came to report: "Miss Eleven, the eldest lady wants you to go to Zhiyun Pavilion now."

Eleventh Lady was stunned.

At this time, what did the eldest wife ask her to do?

Although she was confused, she did not dare to slow down even a little. She let Dongqing give the maid a handful of silk candy, went into the house to change her clothes, and took Amber to the eldest lady's place.

When she walked under the eaves, she heard Wu Niang's cheerful laughter.

It seems that the eldest wife is in a good mood.

Eleventh Lady was relieved when the maidservant beside her lifted the curtain and said, "Miss Eleven is here!"

The people in the room stopped laughing, and Eleventh Lady entered the room.

The eldest wife was wearing a lilac-colored blouse with butterfly and grape patterns, and was sitting on the Luohan bed in the main hall with a smile on her face. The fifth wife was wearing a moon-white blouse with bamboo patterns, and was standing on the bed step as gracefully as a willow in the wind. The smile on her face had not yet faded, and the corners of her mouth and eyebrows were filled with joy.

Seeing Shiyi Niang coming in, she hid her sleeves and smiled: "Just when I was talking about my sister, she came!"

Eleventh Lady smiled and walked forward to salute the First Lady.

The first wife pointed to a stool beside the bed and said, "Sit down!"

Eleventh Lady smiled and sat on the golden stool.

Wu Niang smiled impatiently and said, "Eleventh sister, mother wants to take us to Yanjing to see our eldest sister."

Eleventh Lady looked at the First Wife in surprise.

The eldest wife was very satisfied with Eleventh Lady's surprise, and nodded with a smile: "Years ago, your eldest sister sent a nanny to pay her respects to me. She said that your grandfather and mother had passed away, and if the eldest master was a marquis in Yanjing, your eldest brother would go to the Imperial College to study. Taking this opportunity, I also went to Yanjing for a family reunion." As she spoke, the eldest wife sighed, "Speaking of which, since your eldest sister got married, , I haven't seen her for more than ten years. I had a strange thought in my heart. After hearing her say that, I really thought about it. But your eldest sister was afraid that I couldn't leave these people and things at home, so she wrote to me frequently to urge me to go to Yanjing. I thought that it was just in April when the Xu family's madam was celebrating her birthday, so it would be nice for me to go and pay my respects to her. I thought it would be meaningless to go alone, so I wanted to take you two with me to see the world."

What was supposed to come finally came...

Eleventh Lady felt calm instead.

"Eleventh sister," Wu Niang said with a smile on her face, "We are so lucky."

Eleventh Lady showed hesitation on her face and murmured, "The screen is not finished yet..."

The first wife smiled and said, "I originally planned to send only gifts, but now that I have brought you to celebrate the birthday, the birthday gifts I prepared before are a bit shabby. Let's put the screen aside for now!"

Eleventh Lady replied respectfully, "Yes."

"We'll set off after the New Year." The first wife said with a smile, "You go downstairs and pack up! If there's anything you want to add or subtract, let Madam Xu help you with it."

Eleventh Lady stood up and smiled: "Mother has given me a lot of gifts on weekdays. In my opinion, there is nothing to buy. But I am a little cautious, so I want to ask Mother Xu to go to my room and see if there is anything inappropriate. After all, we are going to my eldest sister's house to celebrate her mother-in-law's birthday, so we still have to take care of the decent things!"

The eldest wife nodded repeatedly after hearing this: "My son, you are right. This is not just a matter for you two. Your eldest sister's dignity is also at stake." Then she called in Mother Xu and said, "Call the shopkeeper of Old Jixiang to buy some head ornaments for the two young ladies."

Mother Xu smiled and ordered.

Eleventh Lady asked about some matters that should be paid attention to when going to Beijing. Seeing that Fifth Lady was getting impatient, she stood up and said goodbye and returned to Luyun Tower. As soon as she stepped into the door, Wu Xiaoquan's family followed her.

She also held a small jar in her hand.

"Miss Eleven, I have something to ask Amber."

Eleventh Lady naturally would not hold back and said with a smile: "If mom has any instructions, just tell her to do it."

"Nothing else." Wu Xiaoquan pointed to the small jar in his hand, "Knowing that you are going to Beijing, I want Amber to help bring this jar of fermented fish to the eldest lady's chambermaid Lu Yonggui."

Eleventh Lady looked troubled: "I don't know what the eldest wife has arranged..."

Before she could finish her words, Wu Xiaoquan's family said with a smile: "The eldest wife will take Madam Xu with her, the affairs of the inner courtyard will be entrusted to Madam Yao, and the affairs of the outer courtyard will be entrusted to my husband. Lian Xuan is sick, so he will stay at home. Luo Xuan and Shan Hu will all go. You and the fifth lady, each take two big maids, two small maids, and two rough servants..."

Eleventh Lady smiled bitterly in her heart.

She had three big maids in her room, but Amber was the eldest lady's gift, so she had to be brought along. No wonder Wu Xiaoquan's family came to ask Amber to help carry things.

"In that case, let Amber help make the trip!" Wu Xiaoquan's family has already said this. If we refuse, I'm afraid Wu Xiaoquan's family will have some ideas. "But I don't know how we will find Lu Yonggui when the time comes? You know, we are women after all, and we are visiting the Luo family..."

"Don't worry, young lady. I won't do such a foolish thing." Wu Jiaxiao said with a smile, "Lu Yonggui helps my aunt manage the dowry business. He usually runs around outside and stays less at home. It will take you more than 20 days to get to Yanjing. By the time you arrive, it will be spring. I'm afraid he has already left. You can ask Dongqing to give this to Lu Yonggui's younger brother Lu Yongfu. Lu Yonggui's father was the chief accountant. My wife was very lucky to have him take care of her, so the two families are very close. The last time Lu Yonggui went back to Yuhang, he said he owed him some pickled fish. I originally promised to give him some pickled fish, but Yanjing is far away and I have no one to take with me. Because you are going with me, I came up with this idea."

Why is it so tortuous...

Eleventh Lady laughed and said, "Then how do we find Lu Yongfu?"

Wu Xiaoquan's family laughed and said, "He is now working as a small steward in the stables of the Yongping Marquis's mansion. That is the outer courtyard. You can ask a servant and you will know."

Shiyi Niang agreed with a smile and asked Dongqing to take the things.

Bin Ju joked with Wu Xiaoquan's family: "If we can't find the person, we won't return the things."

Wu Xiaoquan's family laughed and said, "Girls, just eat. I have plenty more here."

Everyone burst into laughter.

By the afternoon, the news spread that Wu Niang and Shiyi Niang would accompany the First Lady to Yanjing.

The atmosphere in Eleventh Lady's room was somewhat depressing.

Take two big maids, two small maids, and two old women who do the rough work... The small maids and the old women who do the rough work are easy to deal with, but who should I take with me as for the big maid?

Eleventh Lady decided to go to the First Lady.

After all, these words only came from Wu Xiaoquan's family... Even if the eldest wife really has this plan, there is still a chance to fight for a place for her family before she announces it.

Having made up her mind, Eleventh Lady stood up. The curtain in front of the door was suddenly lifted without warning, and Tenth Lady's face, which showed both anger and joy, appeared in front of Eleventh Lady.

"Okay, okay, okay." She walked in slowly with an angry smile on her face, "You are really good! Going to Yanjing..."