Chapter 208: Celebrating the Festival (Part 1)
It was already the first hour of the twelfth lunar month when Xu Lingyi and Shiyi Niang returned to the lotus garden. They quickly changed their clothes, washed up, and went to see the lady.
The yard was quiet, but the laughter of Xu Sijian and his brother Xu Sizhen could be heard from far away. Once inside the house, it became even more lively.
Xu Sijian and Zhege were playing shuttlecock kicking in the middle of the hall. Xu Siqin was counting for Zhege, and Xu Siyu was counting for Xu Sijian.
The Third Master sat on the first armchair on the west side, watching with a smile, and occasionally saying "be careful" or "kick too high" to add to the fun. The Third Lady sat below her husband, and although she smiled at Xu Sijian and Zhe Ge like her husband, her eyes were wandering, and she seemed a little absent-minded.
Fifth Master Xu Lingkuan wore a raven-blue silk robe with a dark pattern of exotic flowers and sat on the first armchair in the east. He pursed his lips tightly and looked a little serious. Compared with usual, he was less lively and more calm. Fifth Madam, who sat below him, was the exact opposite of him. She smiled at Xu Sijian and Zhege and turned back to talk to her husband from time to time. Her expression was lively and playful.
When he saw Xu Lingyi and Shiyi Niang coming in, he stood up suddenly, startling the Fifth Madam who turned around to talk to him.
"What's wrong with you?" she asked, following his gaze towards the door.
Everyone looked towards the door.
The noise in the room suddenly quieted down.
Xu Siqin and Xu Siyu stopped counting at the same time, while Xu Sijian and Zhege stood there awkwardly.
"It turns out that the Marquis and the Fourth Sister-in-law are back!" The Fifth Lady stood up with a big belly. She greeted Xu Lingyi and Eleventh Lady with a bright smile. Her cheerful tone broke the silence in the room.
"Fourth brother! Fourth sister-in-law!" Xu Lingkuan murmured, but his eyes looking at Xu Lingyi were filled with the determination of "the strong man will never come back".
Xu Lingyi didn't even look at him, but bowed to the Third Master: "Third Brother!"
"You're back!" The third master smiled and stood up and saluted as a return gesture. "Everyone is waiting for you to come back for dinner!"
"Yes, yes!" The Third Lady immediately smiled and took over her husband's words, "Everyone is waiting for the Marquis to come back for dinner!" She changed her previous listlessness, and her eyes rolled around and stared at Eleventh Lady, with a bit of curiosity and a bit of probing, as if Eleventh Lady had suddenly become different from everyone else.
It seems that the third lady has heard the rumors about the child.
I just don't know if Madam Wu has heard about it...
Eleventh Lady pondered over it and returned the gift to Third Lady, but her eyes couldn't help but glance at Fifth Lady.
The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, and she was looking at him with a smile.
I think you've heard about this...
Eleventh Lady's mind flashed, and their eyes met.
The Fifth Lady's lips curled up deeply, and her smile immediately became bright and cheerful: "Fourth sister-in-law!"
She called Eleventh Lady affectionately.
It was as if the indifferent smile just now disappeared completely like water passing by without a trace.
As expected of him, he was appointed county lord by the previous emperor... Look at his ability to change his expression, he is indeed one of the best in the noble family.
Eleventh Lady smiled and nodded to her. Xu Siqin, Xu Siyu, Xu Sijian, and Zhe Ge came forward one after another to pay their respects.
She collected her thoughts and greeted the children with a cheerful face.
Xu Lingyi nodded calmly and looked into the inner room: "Where's mom?"
Yes! Everyone was there, except the lady.
Eleventh Lady also looked towards the inner room.
The third master's mouth twitched slightly, and he was about to answer, but the third lady interrupted him and said, "Mother is in the Buddhist temple. She said she would wait for the master to come back and have dinner together."
Xu Lingyi's expression faltered as he listened. He glanced at Shiyi Niang and said, "I'll go and invite you to dinner."
He first went to Gongxian Hutong, and then to Hongdeng Hutong. What was the situation like? What did the relatives say? He should discuss it with the lady.
Eleventh Lady nodded slightly towards Xu Lingyi, indicating that she understood. Then she smiled and said to the Third and Fifth Madams, "It's all our fault for being late. Let the maids serve the meal!"
Xu Lingyi went to the Buddhist temple with peace of mind.
The Third Lady looked at Xu Lingyi's back, pursed her lips and smiled before looking back at Eleventh Lady: "Where have you been during the New Year?" She did not immediately call the maid to serve the meal.
Eleventh Lady glanced at Xu Lingkuan and the Fifth Lady.
Xu Lingkuan's expression tensed, but the Fifth Lady's eyes flickered slightly and she pricked up her ears.
She smiled slightly and said, "I went back to Gongxian Hutong with the Marquis." She didn't say more.
There was a glimmer of disappointment in the eyes of the Third Lady, but the Fifth Lady smiled, looking calm and composed, as if to say, "I understand even without you saying it."
The third master, who saw all this, frowned and told his wife, "Hurry up and prepare the meal! The children are hungry!"
The third wife couldn't help but feel angry after hearing this. She rolled her eyes at her husband and reluctantly went to order the meal to be served.
The Third Master pretended not to see anything and said to Eleventh Lady with a smile, "It's so cold, Fourth Sister-in-law, please come to the east room and warm up!" He showed his concern.
Eleventh Lady was very grateful and smiled as she thanked Third Master. Thinking that Xu Lingyi and Madam Tai might not come out for a while, she asked Third Master for his opinion: "...How about we all sit down in the east room first?"
The Third Master thought for a moment and said with a smile: "Let's wait here!" Then he sat back on the armchair.
Seeing this, others also took their seats.
The Third Master had a smile on his face and looked tolerant; the Fifth Master sat upright, not looking sideways; the Fifth Lady smiled broadly and looked contented; the Eleventh Lady smiled, lowered her head and said nothing; Xu Siyu sat upright, as if thinking about something; only Xu Sijian and Zhege, their little heads huddled together, chattering about something, causing Xu Siqin to glare at his brother from time to time, signaling him to be quiet. Unfortunately, Xu Sijian was so absorbed in talking to Zhege that he didn't notice Xu Siqin's gaze at all, and he spoke louder and louder, and finally giggled.
"Heir!" The third master couldn't bear it any longer and called his son. Although his voice was reproachful, it was gentle.
After hearing this, Xu Sijian immediately sat up straight.
"How can you sit still, little kid?" Mrs. Wu looked at him and laughed, "We are all family members, Uncle San, there is no need to be so reserved."
The third master laughed twice after hearing this: "If you don't carve jade, it won't become a useful object. If you don't take care of it when it's a child, it will become a habit when it grows up and you can't control it anymore."
As he was talking, the third lady came in, listened to half of the conversation, and asked with a smile, "Who can't control it?"
Just as the Third Master was about to speak, the Fifth Lady said, "Third Uncle said he was worried that he would not be able to control Brother Jian when he grew up."
Her eyes moved around, giving people a feeling that there was something else behind her words.
The Third Madam's face darkened as she listened. She was about to say something when she saw Xu Lingyi walking in with the Madam Tai.
She suppressed her breath and greeted him with a smile: "Mom, you are here!"
Everyone stood up and greeted the lady.
The old lady nodded and told the third lady calmly, "Let's eat!" Then she went straight to the east room.
The third lady knelt down and said "yes", and asked the maid to serve the meal. The others followed the lady into the east room and sat down one by one.
Xu Lingyi gave Shiyi Niang a look that said "everything is fine".
…
After dinner, everyone gathered around the lady and went to the west room as usual.
This time, the lady sat on the big kang by the window, while Xu Lingyi stood on her left side.
The Third Master and the Third Madam exchanged a tacit look, and then they stood silently to the right of the Madam.
The Fifth Lady looked at him and smiled slightly, then pulled on the corner of Xu Lingkuan's clothes and stood side by side with the Eleventh Lady who was standing behind Xu Lingyi.
Xu Lingkuan hesitated for a moment and stood next to Xu Lingyi.
The children looked at each other.
Xu Siqin and Xu Sijian stood next to their mother, while Xu Siyu took his son Zhe Ge'er to stand next to Xu Lingkuan.
The maids who came in to serve tea looked trembling with fear. They put down the teacups very quietly and left.
The lady took the teacup and sipped the tea slowly.
You could hear a pin drop in the room.
After a long while, she put down the teacup, looked at her son, daughter-in-law, and grandson standing beside her, and then said slowly: "A few days ago, the Marquis had a dream. He dreamed of Aunt Tong. She said that she is now alone and helpless, without even a candle to offer, wandering around and unable to reincarnate, very pitiful. Please ask the Marquis to consider that she has served the Marquis since she was a child, let the Marquis raise a child under her name, offer candles to her, and let her reincarnate. When the Marquis woke up, he felt very uneasy. The next day, he went to the charity and prepared to bring a child back to raise under Aunt Tong's name. It was also a coincidence that there happened to be a child with the same phoenix eyes as our Xu family. The Marquis thought of Aunt Tong's dream and felt that this was simply God's will. "As he said, he glanced at Shiyi Niang, "Then I discussed with Shiyi Niang, the people of the Luo family and me, and decided to bring the child back and raise it under Aunt Tong's name, which was considered complete..."
Before the lady finished her words, Xu Lingkuan suddenly stepped forward and said, "Mother..."
Everyone's eyes fell on him.
"This matter..."
He had just said three words when, with a "pa" sound, the lady slapped the table with her hand, interrupting him.
"Lingkuan." Xu Lingyi's face was sullen, and he looked at Xu Lingkuan with a gaze as cold as frost and snow. "Mother is talking, and a son has no right to interrupt. Stand aside and listen carefully."
Xu Lingkuan's face was as pale as a sheet, and he shrank for a moment, but quickly stood up straight, meeting Xu Lingyi's gaze, and looked back at his brother with a firm look.
Eleventh Lady thought of Xu Lingkuan's expression when they entered the room, and then thought of his current appearance, and she secretly thought that it was bad - only people with firm beliefs in their hearts will face difficulties head-on without fear of danger.
He wouldn't want to tell the truth and take the blame alone, right?
Sure enough, the lady-in-waiting also had the same idea as Eleventh Lady.
Before Xu Lingkuan could even open his mouth, she shouted, "Xu Lingkuan! I dote on you. But you are so arrogant that you dare to interrupt me when I am talking to you brothers about serious matters. Have you seen that your father is gone, so you don't take me, your mother, seriously?"
The lady directly accused Xu Lingkuan of being unfilial.
This is a very serious statement.
Xu Lingkuan's expression changed drastically, and he knelt down as if he was pushing a jade mountain or overturning a golden pillar: "Kuan'er dare not..."