The news that Fifth Aunt was pregnant made the small study lively.

Master Luo even showed some pride.

Qian Ming looked at it and shouted for a drink: "... Today is the official day for us sons-in-law, so it doesn't count. We need to arrange another day."

Xu Lingyi has always been a man of few words. Luo Zhenxing and Luo Zhensheng are his juniors, and the three of them just smiled on the side.

Master Luo straightened his back and waved his hand: "Whenever you say, it's whatever time you say. How many days you say, it's whatever number you say. I guarantee you'll drink to your heart's content!" He was very generous.

Qian Ming's eyes fell on Xu Lingyi. Seeing that he was sitting upright with a serious look on his face, he paused, changed his tone, and said with a smile: "My words alone don't count. Why don't we wait for the tenth brother-in-law to come and discuss it properly."

After hearing this, the smile on Mr. Luo's face faded a little.

Although Xu Lingyi came less often, he was always respectful and polite. Qian Ming, needless to say, would run to the Luo family whenever there was any trouble. He was kind and humorous, and everyone in the Luo family didn't like him. Only Wang Lang, not only was he sarcastic, but he also looked down on others with an arrogant attitude, which was really annoying.

Thinking that he had never come to visit the first wife after she fell ill, Master Luo felt a little disappointed, so he simply ordered Luo Zhensheng: "Go and see if the tenth uncle has come. If he hasn't come yet, we won't wait. Tell your eldest sister-in-law to serve the meal! We can't let the Marquis and your fifth brother-in-law wait like this."

Luo Zhensheng responded and left.

Qian Ming felt that he should be polite, but when he saw Xu Lingyi sitting there motionless, he swallowed his words.

At the same time, the fifth wife of the Sun family returned to Hongdeng Hutong and sent her husband to her mother, but blocked the old Marquis Sun in the study.

"Dad, tell me the truth, is that child Xu Lingkuan's?"

Old Marquis Sun raised his eyebrows and asked, "What do you think?" He threw the question back to the Fifth Madam.

The Fifth Lady was startled.

Old Marquis Sun said earnestly, "Danyang, we are close friends with the Xu family, and you and Lingkuan can be considered childhood sweethearts. No one knows Lingkuan's character better than you. You are always smart. If you always focus on these details, you will be the second Luo Yuanniang. Sometimes, you should learn from your second sister-in-law Xiang. Have a longer vision and a broader mind."

The Fifth Lady's face turned pale.

The answer is obvious.

Old Marquis Sun saw it clearly, but he didn't want to protect his daughter in this matter. His daughter had a strong temper and she didn't have any brothers to support her. He was still alive and could help her. If he was gone one day, his son-in-law would be his daughter's only support. There were some things that he couldn't let her do whatever she wanted. His mind changed, and his eyes were as sharp as a hawk: "Why aren't you talking?"

The tone is aggressive.

The Fifth Lady looked at her father and her face became even paler.

What do you want her to say?

She said that she thought she was smart and thought she had her husband under control, but in fact her husband himself kept the truth from her.

He said that he was not afraid of the high stage when watching a play, but he himself became the scenery in the eyes of others.

Am I a failure as a person, or are others too smart?

She is restless and irritable.

"Since you can't say it out loud, then bury it in your heart forever. Then pour a bucket of boiling hot water on it to scald it to death along with the roots." Old Marquis Sun looked solemn and told the Fifth Madam the rumors outside one by one. "... At this critical moment, even if you can't do anything to help the family, don't cause trouble for the family. Otherwise, you will be worse than the wife of Marquis Yongping who was born a concubine." He said with a warning.

If you were to ask who the Fifth Lady trusted the most in the world, it would be her father, Marquis Dingnan. You know, not everyone can survive the turbulent court life in the late emperor's later years without getting hurt. So even though she was choked by these words and remained silent for a long time, she still showed a thoughtful expression.

Old Marquis Sun nodded secretly as he looked at her, and advised his daughter: "This matter is not a big deal, but it is not a small matter either. But you have to think about what the Marquis will think at this time? What will the Madam think? What will Ling Kuan think? What will your fourth sister-in-law think? You have to know that only by making plans before taking action can you be invincible."

The Fifth Lady sat quietly in the warm room of the study, in a daze.

Old Marquis Sun did not rush him, but held the tea and drank it slowly.

Yes, what would the Marquis think when something like this happened? Naturally, he would find a way to calm the situation down, so he would acknowledge everything he should acknowledge, and even those he shouldn't acknowledge. Those who noticed this would only praise the Marquis for his kindness, and those who didn't notice this would envy the Marquis for his romanticism. But privately, the Marquis would probably feel a little guilty towards Eleventh Lady who acknowledged the child without saying a word as soon as he saw the child. As for the Lady Dowager. The palm of the hand is flesh, and the hand is also flesh. The more angry she is, the more she will feel sorry for the Marquis, and the more she will like the well-behaved and obedient Eleventh Lady.

Thinking of this, Mrs. Wu became a little restless.

Xu Lingkuan, this white chimney, never uses his brain when doing things. He kept it a secret from me, making myself a joke, which was more embarrassing than admitting the child. But I was still teasing the child without knowing why. If those who knew the inside story saw it, they would have laughed their heads off. But with Xu Lingkuan's personality, he would not only be grateful to the Marquis who helped him clean up the mess, but also to Shiyi Niang who helped him raise the child.

Realizing this, she couldn't help but get very angry.

How much does it cost to raise a child? At most, it costs only a hundred taels of silver a year.

You are so good, Eleventh Lady. You used a hundred taels of silver to please both the Marquis and the Dowager, and you even showed off in front of my husband. You are really calculating!

I played dumb and you thought I was easy to bully. This time, if I don't show you some color, you really think I'm afraid of you.

The more Madam Wu thought about it, the angrier she became, and her expression became more and more unsightly.

Old Marquis Sun, who had been paying attention to his daughter's expression, couldn't help but sigh secretly.

My daughter was ultimately harmed by the vanity of the "County Princess"... I can't stand being wronged!

"Think about Xiang Yizhen." Lord Sun said, hinting, "And think about the deceased Luo Yuanniang!"

Madam Wu pursed her lips tightly and said nothing.

If I don’t resolve this matter today, who knows what my daughter might do when she returns home!

Old Marquis Sun advised his daughter, "You still have a long life ahead of you! You'll have plenty of opportunities to rely on me in the future. Besides, I know what's good for you. If you lose something in one place, you'll gain something in another. You took a step back this time, but maybe you'll take a step forward next time." As he spoke, Old Marquis Sun thought of Xu Lingyi's expression when he called Eleventh Lady a "green onion" during their meeting... His tone became a little stern, "A harmonious family is the foundation of everything. You are the legitimate daughter of our Sun family, so don't do anything that would bring disgrace to our family tradition, or I won't be able to hold my head up when I meet Old Marquis Xu a hundred years from now!"

"Dad..." The Fifth Madam looked unwilling and said angrily, "That Eleventh Lady..."

"Shut up!" Sun Laohou's face darkened, and he interrupted his daughter without hesitation, "Did you call Eleventh Lady? I just said something, but you ignored it all." Then he said sternly, "Don't forget what is the most important thing to you now?"

When Mrs. Wu was yelled at by her father, she stood there in a daze as if struck by lightning, and could not help but touch her slightly bulging belly.

My mind gradually became clearer.

I was really confused. The child was the most important thing! I had to give birth to a son quickly, pull my husband to my side, make the lady more satisfied with me, and make my position in the family more stable. This was the most important thing.

You know your partner best. If Xu Lingkuan feels that you have been wronged or suffered because of him, he will feel guilty and give in a little. On the contrary, if he feels that you have deceived him, he will be as hard as stone and will not change his mind no matter how much you cry. So for Xu Lingkuan, you can only use gentleness to overcome hardness.

The second is the Marquis. To be honest, he is very magnanimous and kind to others. As long as you don't overdo it, he will usually turn a blind eye. So as long as Xu Lingkuan is the Marquis's brother, she doesn't have to worry, and he is the easiest to deal with.

Then there is the lady.

She has been through many hardships and has seen many people die before her. At her age, she naturally doesn't want to cause any more trouble. She would rather be a muddleheaded old man and just watch the family live in harmony. But she is not an ordinary woman after all. She is resolute and strong in her bones. I'm afraid there is nothing that can be hidden from her about the family. So in front of her, it is best to be gentle, respectful, frugal, and act magnanimous.

Seeing his daughter's sudden realization, Lord Sun's face lightened up and he slowed down his voice: "Think about it carefully!" Then he stood up and left the study, and ordered the servant, "Go, call Mother Shi for me." Some things are better to be prevented. With Mother Shi watching over her, nothing serious would happen.

The fifth lady, who was alone in the small study, let out a long breath.

Yes, we must not be confused now. You know, there is no regret medicine in this world.

Seeing that Shiyi Niang accepted the child with a face that showed a loss, she stood firm on the word "reason". She could not argue with her openly. Otherwise, not only would she not achieve her goal, but she would also disgust the Marquis, the Lady Dowager, and Xu Lingkuan, and become the second Luo Yuanniang.

While she was thinking, a little maid timidly invited her to the flower hall for lunch.

The Fifth Lady came out of the study and met Xu Lingkuan on the way.

"Why did you take so long?" He looked worried. "Are you okay?" Then he carefully helped her up.

"I haven't seen my father for a long time. I want to have a good talk with him." Mrs. Wu looked at her husband carefully. "What are you worried about?" There was something else in her words.

"Your belly is getting bigger and bigger, how can I not be worried?" Xu Lingkuan's eyes and words were sincere, and he didn't hear her hidden meaning at all.

Madam Wu was moved. She said coquettishly, "You say you are worried about me, but you are just trying to cheer me up. If you are really worried about me, buy me some Ma's fish jerky."

Xu Lingkuan was stunned.

Every family can make fish jerky, but the Ma's fish jerky restaurant in Maqi Lane, Xidajie, is known as the best in Yanjing. They only sell 100 plates a day, and they won't wait for more than the required amount. Not to mention that even if you want to eat it normally, you have to send a servant to queue up. Today is the second day of the Chinese New Year, and Ma's fish jerky restaurant has already closed. Where can I buy it?

Looking at his wife's pouting red lips and thinking about the secret he had kept from her, he made up his mind and said, "Then wait. I'll go buy it for you."

There was a glimmer of surprise in the Fifth Lady's eyes.

Although Xu Lingkuan had been good to her in the past, he had never been good to her to this extent. He did something he knew was impossible...

In a flash of lightning, she suddenly realized and made a decision.

There is no such thing as a free lunch. Since he is so uneasy, why should I point it out?

As she thought about it, the corners of her mouth curled up.

"Fifth Master, please stay!" Madam Wu stepped forward and took her husband's arm. "I was just joking, why did you take it seriously? The water freezes instantly, and it's New Year's Day, where can we buy Ma's fish jerky..." She spoke softly, smiling like a flower, and took her husband's arm to the flower hall.

※

There will be an update at the usual time today, don't wait any longer. Read it tomorrow morning...O(∩_∩)O~