"What's the use of being kind and compassionate!" The first wife smiled bitterly, "After all, the child is not your own..."
Mother Xu seemed to want to say something but stopped herself from saying anything.
The two were silent for a while. The eldest wife sighed and pulled herself together: "Okay, maybe it was just a false alarm! Let's wait until we get to Yanjing. By the way, Wu Xiaoquan has prepared everything I asked him to prepare!"
Mother Xu hesitated for a moment and said, "A total of 96,400 taels of silver."
The eldest wife's face changed slightly.
Mother Xu said anxiously: "I checked the account book... The master took out 50,000 taels of silver with him before he left..."
Before she could finish her words, with a loud "clang", the cloisonné enamel teacup with three gentlemen that the eldest lady had been holding in her hand was smashed to pieces.
For a moment, there was complete silence inside and outside the main house of Zhiyun Pavilion.
Mother Xu's eyes turned red, and she quickly lifted the curtain and told the people outside: "It's okay, the eldest wife accidentally dropped a teacup, one of you come and clean it up."
Daimao walked in, wrapped her hands with a handkerchief, picked up all the fragments on the ground and put them into a small box, then retreated quietly.
During this period, there was silence in the main room of Zhiyun Pavilion.
"Oh!" The eldest wife sighed softly, "My temper is getting worse and worse."
"Even a clay Buddha still has some earthiness in him," said Mother Xu with a smile, "Besides, this time the master went too far."
The eldest wife stared at the tea stains still on her feet. "I've been married for so many years, and he doesn't care about anything. He can spend whatever I earn. I won't say anything about that, because we make money to spend. But he is just...keeping prostitutes outside...and complaining that I'm nagging...and saying that if it weren't for my 'three years of mourning', he would have long since given up on me..."
"Madam," Madam Xu interrupted her complaints, "when a couple quarrels, they just pick up whatever words hurt each other. Why should you take the master's angry words to heart?"
"How can I not take it to heart?" The eldest wife lowered her voice but her expression was excited. "If he scolded me for my poor parenting or poor management of the household, I would have nothing to say. But look at what he did. He actually fell in love with my daughter-in-law's personal maid. It's a double mourning for the country and the family. If I agree, how can my son and daughter-in-law put their faces? How can I face my in-laws? He actually has such an idea. How can he still be a human being!"
Mother Xu couldn't help but let the tears fall from her eyes.
She felt sorry for the first wife...but at this moment, even if she had a million grievances, she couldn't reveal even a little bit in front of the first wife, so as not to add fuel to the fire!
"You and the eldest master have been married for so many years, and you don't know the eldest master's character." Mother Xu advised, "The eldest master is a person who is kind and gentle to women... He just had a few quarrels with the sisters in the room, but he actually ran to the small garden in the outer courtyard to cry. Everyone can see that the little bitch has bad intentions. Even if the eldest lady knew about it, wouldn't she be blushing and send the little bitch back to her parents' home that night. Madam, everyone can see who is right and who is wrong at a glance..."
"Bah!" The eldest wife's eyes were sharp. "Even flies and mosquitoes don't bite eggs without cracks. That little kid is crying there, why doesn't the eldest master go there to persuade him? Why doesn't the third master go there to persuade him? But he went there..."
Mother Xu was about to say something, but the eldest wife had already shaken her hand, "You don't have to say anymore. I know it all in my heart! In terms of talent and learning, he was a Jinshi and a Shujishi in the 39th year of Jianwu. In terms of ability, he was rated 'excellent' in the performance evaluation of the Ministry of Personnel for five consecutive years... But you see, he has been in Fujian for nine years. Why can't he be promoted even with the old man's previous official power? It's because of his misconduct and he has been impeached by the censor many times..." As she spoke, the eldest wife pulled Mother Xu's hand and tears welled up in her eyes, "If he was a good guy, I would have let him take you in long ago, and you wouldn't have to marry Xu Decheng and end up being a young widow... Why are both of our lives so miserable!"
Thinking of her husband who died in a horse-riding fall three months after their marriage, Mother Xu could no longer hold back her tears, covering her mouth with her hands.
*
After the two cried, they both felt calmer. Mother Xu fetched water and helped the mistress to dress up again. She also brought hot tea to the first wife and talked about something she had been worried about: "You leave the family to the Fourth Master, Mother Yao will be in charge of the inner courtyard, and Wu Xiaoquan will be in charge of the outer courtyard. We'll be gone for more than half a year, I'm afraid..."
The eldest wife smiled coldly: "I just want to give them a chance to see what they can do."
Mother Xu's eyebrows twitched when she heard this.
Fourth Master Luo Zhensheng is already sixteen years old this year. He has been raised by the first wife like a frog in a well, and he doesn't know how high the sky is and how deep the earth is. He always thinks he is very talented and well-educated. He once said to the maidservant beside him: "If it weren't for the three-year mourning period, I would be able to pass the examination to become a scholar easily."
The eldest wife asked him to be the housekeeper, which was like asking a child to tease a tiger - even if he had the ability, he probably didn't have the strength. If he was not careful, he would get himself involved. As for Mother Yao, the eldest wife was already very dissatisfied when she threatened to marry Dong Qing, who was by the side of the eleventh lady, to her nephew. Now she has handed over the affairs of the inner courtyard to her. There are five concubines and two young ladies in the family, and she is a servant. To put it mildly, she is guilty of the above crimes, and to put it mildly, she is afraid that she can't control them... As for Wu Xiaoquan, the eldest wife promoted him to be the chief steward, and he is fine. He gives whatever the eldest master wants. It is more convenient than when Niu Anli was here...
It looks like the eldest wife is going to deal with these people.
As she was thinking, a little maid outside came tremblingly, "Madam, Miss Eleven is here!"
The first wife and Mrs. Xu were slightly stunned.
"What is she doing here?" The eldest wife frowned. "Is she here to complain?"
"That shouldn't be the case!" Mother Xu said with a smile, "How about letting her come in and talk about it?"
The eldest wife nodded and smiled peacefully and kindly again.
Mother Xu asked the maid to bring Eleventh Lady in.
Eleventh Lady paid her respects to the First Lady.
The eldest wife asked her to sit down and asked her, "Did you forget to buy anything?"
"No." Eleventh Lady smiled, "Mom helped me check the things in the room, and I felt relieved. I was thinking about packing up the boxes and crates, so as not to delay everyone's journey because of my slowness. So I came here to ask mother for advice, which people in my room should I take with me?"
The eldest wife smiled and asked her, "Who do you want to take with you?"
"My daughter just doesn't have any ideas, so I want to ask mother for some advice." Eleventh Lady smiled shyly, "Although I lived with my father in Fujian for a period of time, I was young at that time and I don't remember many things. This time I am not only going on a long journey, but also going to Yanjing. I don't know what to do. Naturally, I hope that everyone around me will go. But I also think, if everyone is like me, wishing that everyone around me would go, how many cars and boats would it take!"
The eldest wife smiled and nodded: "You and Wu Niang each take two big maids, two small maids, and two rough servants!"
Eleventh Lady was very disappointed, but she smiled and responded to the eldest wife's words: "Amber used to serve our mother, so she is naturally more open-minded than Dongqing and the others. She will go... Dongqing is the oldest and has her own ideas, so she will also go... Then let Binju stay at home to look after the house! She has a gentle and careful temperament. When we are gone for more than half a year, all the bottles and jars in the house will have to be kept by someone..."
The eldest wife laughed at what she said: "This child is really thoughtful."
"Who says it's not true!" Mother Xu flattered, "It's clear who is strong and who is weak, and who can do what!"
Eleventh Lady felt a little embarrassed by the compliment, she lowered her head slightly, stood up and said goodbye: "Then I will go back to pack my boxes."
The eldest wife nodded and said with a smile, "Go!"
Eleventh Lady bowed and retreated.
Amber outside followed Eleventh Lady back to Lujun Tower without saying a word.
Regardless of whether Miss Eleven succeeded in begging the First Lady or not, the whole thing was caused by herself - if she had not been suddenly pulled into Miss Eleven's room, why would she be so embarrassed?
But she also has her own grievances - and it's not something she can decide.
*
Bin Ju knew she was left behind, but she wasn't unhappy. She just smiled and said, "Miss, don't forget to bring me the peas and donkey rolls from Yanjing when you come back."
Dong Qing was afraid that the atmosphere would be bad, so he smiled and said, "What's so good about 'Lv Da Gun'? It's just the 'Mian Gao' we have here."
"How did you know, sister? Did you go to Yanjing? Or did you steal the young lady's book to read?"
"Everyone is so dishonest when it comes to you." Dong Qing pretended to be angry and said, "I heard it from Miss Seven - she grew up in Yanjing since she was a child."
Bin Ju asked Eleventh Lady: "Miss, will you be able to see Seventh Miss when you go to Yanjing this time?"
"It should be possible!" They have been together for more than three years. Now they are separated, and it may be that they will never come back. No one is willing to let go. They are just trying to hold back their laughter. Eleventh Lady will naturally not ruin the atmosphere and chat with them. "We can also meet the Fifth Master and the Sixth Master from the Third Master's family."
The eldest uncle Luo Zhenxing passed the imperial examination at a young age, which shocked the rest of the Luo family. The third wife was no exception and was very strict with her two sons. During the period of mourning in her hometown, she asked her father to invite a teacher from Yanjing to teach her two sons. But the two children were still young and naughty. They often sneaked into the back garden to pick flowers and catch birds, and after a while, they got to know Shiyi Niang.
Shiyi Niang neither nagged them like their mother nor made a fuss about their behavior like the maids and mothers around them. Sometimes when they hid in her room to play, Shiyi Niang would have someone make sour plum soup or shortbread to entertain them, and then ask someone to call the maids and mothers around them instead of sending anyone to tell the Third Madam. Therefore, the two of them were very close to the maids and mothers in Shiyi Niang's room.
When everyone heard Eleventh Lady mention Luo Zhenkai and Luo Zhenyu, they all laughed.
"Miss, why don't you bring some of our homemade rose jam so that you can make soft cakes for Master Liu!"
"Binju's idea is good!" Eleventh Lady said with a smile, "We should also bring some green plum wine. The Third Madam once said it tastes good."
"Miss, don't forget the eldest master and the eldest mistress, as well as the third master, the third young mistress, and the seventh young lady from the second wife's side!"
"Okay." Eleventh Lady looked very excited. "Let's think about what to bring to Yanjing... It doesn't have to be a lot, and it doesn't have to be expensive. The first wife must have prepared something, but we can't go empty-handed."
Everyone nodded and offered suggestions at once.
For a moment, they were all smiling and temporarily forgot the sadness of parting.
(Finally I can add more...)