The lady nodded and said, "Tomorrow is the day when uncle goes to visit. Let Shiyi Niang take Yu Ge, Zhun Ge and Jie Ge to go and argue with uncle!" She also asked Madam Du to give her twenty taels of silver, "... This is from me. Let Auntie buy some snacks."
Eleventh Lady knelt down hurriedly to thank the lady.
The lady smiled and nodded. A servant came in and reported, "My Lord, Master Ma Zuowen from the Xingren Division is here. He said he has something urgent to see you about."
The Xingren Division is equivalent to the emperor's secretariat. Ma Zuowen and Xu Lingyi have a personal relationship. When he came at this time, everyone couldn't help but think about the child. For a moment, everyone's eyes fell on Xu Sijie.
Xu Sijie didn't know what was going on and hid timidly behind Shiyi Niang.
The Fifth Lady looked at Xu Lingkuan's expression.
Xu Lingkuan's face turned stern and he said, "Fourth brother, I'll go with you." He didn't even look at the child.
Only then did Mrs. Wu feel relieved.
Seeing that Xu Lingkuan was so concerned, Xu Lingyi thought about it, nodded in agreement, and went to the outer courtyard with him.
The two men walked forward, and the Third Master and the Third Madam came back with the brothers Xu Siqin and Xu Sijian.
The Third Master and Xu Sijian were no different from usual, smiling and happy. Xu Sijian even ran to compete with Zhun Ge'er to see who got more red envelopes. Zhun Ge saw that Xu Sijian got more red envelopes than him, and he was so anxious that he jumped up and down. The Third Madam and Xu Siqin looked a little unhappy, and their smiles were forced. Xu Siqin also frequently winked at Xu Siyu.
Eleventh Lady saw it all and took it to heart. After returning to the room, she ordered Amber: "Send someone to check on the Second Young Master to see what happened to the First Young Master." She then said, "It turns out that the aunt is pregnant. I was worried for nothing."
Amber smiled and said, "Your worries are not in vain..." Then she told Eleventh Lady that Sixth Lady had all the power in the house and that the First Lady only asked Third Lady to handle things. "Even the maidservant beside the Lady was sent away by Sixth Lady."
Eleventh Lady listened carefully and said with a smile, "Fortunately, Auntie doesn't argue about these things. What others may think is a hardship is actually a good thing for her."
Amber thought that Fifth Aunt was cowardly and agreed with Eleventh Lady's words.
"However, you should come back to Gongxian Hutong with me tomorrow," Shiyi Niang pondered, "There are some things that I should explain to you."
Amber smiled and said "yes", then turned around and sent someone to Xu Siyu.
Eleventh Lady took out the purse given by the lady from under her pillow.
There was actually a bag full of golden beans inside.
Eleventh Lady asked Lu Yun to weigh it, and Lu Yun came and said, "It is fifty-five taels in total."
Fifty-five taels of gold could be exchanged for five hundred and fifty taels of silver, or four hundred and forty taels of silver. She was worried about the heavy snow this year, and next spring she would have to repair the house on the farm, and prepare seeds and oxen for spring plowing, but she had no money. This was really a case of someone who was sleepy meeting a pillow.
Amber, who had returned, was also very happy when she saw it: "Now Madam doesn't have to worry anymore."
Eleventh Lady nodded with a smile and gave the golden beans to Amber, who then helped her wash and change her clothes.
Xu Lingyi hasn't come back yet.
Eleventh Lady and Amber discussed matters concerning the fields after the spring: "... let Chang Jiuhe help find out how much silver it will cost in total. Once we have an idea, it will be easier to make arrangements." As she spoke, she thought of Jiang Bingzheng and her brows furrowed.
Ask him to help find out what business there is to do in Yanjing. He either took a fancy to someone else's shop and encouraged her to take it over, or he told her how respectable the steward of the Xu family was outside, asking her to help find a job in the Xu family, so that he could report any disturbance in the outer courtyard in the future. It was obvious that he was not a useful person. But after all, he was her companion, and it was difficult for her to deal with him for the time being.
Amber thought that Eleventh Lady was worried about the Second Young Master, so she whispered to comfort her, "Madam, don't worry. Whether it's Fang Ting from the First Young Master's side or Wen Zhu from the Second Young Master's side, they often visit us and are very close." She said with a bit of pride, "Even Xiao Lu Zi, I have someone watching him."
Eleventh Lady laughed when she heard this: "You are so scared of everything!"
Amber blushed and murmured, "Isn't this just a precaution?"
The master and servant talked for a long time. When it was time to go to bed, Xu Lingyi had not returned yet. Shiyi Niang couldn't help but get worried. She asked Humber to send someone to the outer courtyard to check. Humber went for a long time before returning.
"Madam, there is news from the second young master." She smiled, "It is said that Fang Ting leaked it. Today, the third lady went back to her parents' home and mentioned the eldest young master's marriage. The eldest wife of the Gan family wanted to marry the third daughter of the Gan family's eldest house to the eldest young master. In the end, the third lady refused."
The third lady was thinking of the eldest daughter of the Gan family, Xian Jie'er. The third daughter of the eldest house of the Gan family was a concubine's daughter. The eldest wife of the Gan family said this, which was equivalent to rejecting the third lady's proposal. The third lady and Xu Siqin must be unhappy about this. And Xu Siqin was willing to talk about such things with Xu Siyu, and the relationship between the two seemed to be very close.
Eleventh Lady was thinking about it, Xu Lingyi came back.
She hurried to meet him.
A few snowflakes hung on the black mink cloak.
"It's snowing outside again?" Eleventh Lady asked with a smile as she helped him take off his cloak.
Xu Lingyi nodded: "This year the snow will never stop." Then he went into the inner room.
Eleventh Lady personally brewed tea and served it, and asked with concern: "What did Master Ma say?"
"I'm worried that tomorrow the imperial censor will impeach me for the children's matter." Xu Lingyi didn't care. "Go to bed early! You still have to take the children back to Gongxian Hutong tomorrow."
All that needs to be arranged has already been arranged, and all the countermeasures that need to be thought of have been thought of. Man proposes, God disposes. We can only act according to circumstances when the time comes. There is no point in worrying.
"Yeah." Eleventh Lady responded and made the bed. The couple went to bed and didn't say anything more.
Early the next morning, Shiyi Niang took her children to Gongxian Hutong.
A maid had already arrived at the Luo family to report the news before them. When they arrived, Brother Xiu was waiting at the door with the steward and the servant.
The cousins were very cordial when they met. They first paid their respects to the eldest master and the eldest wife, and then to Luo Zhenxing and Luo Zhensheng. The children were taken to play with Brother Xiu, while the eldest grandmother sat with Eleventh Lady at the eldest wife's place.
Eleventh Lady asked about the health of the First Lady, and then suggested going to see Fifth Lady: "...Although the grace of giving birth is not as good as the grace of raising. But after all, it was you who carried me for ten months, and the Madam also rewarded me with twenty taels of silver for me to bring to Fifth Lady."
She didn't want to quarrel with the first wife unless it was absolutely necessary, so she spoke very tactfully.
When the eldest wife listened, her eyes flashed and the corners of her mouth twitched slightly.
Mother Xu leaned over to her ear. After a while, she stood up and smiled, "The eldest lady said that it would be good if the eleventh aunt could remember that 'the grace of raising a child is not as good as the grace of giving birth to him'."
"I've always remembered mother's kindness!" Eleventh Lady replied with a smile, "I'll also do my best to take care of Zhun Ge."
She used both soft and hard tactics.
The eldest wife said nothing.
The room suddenly became quiet.
The eldest grandmother looked at the busyness and smiled, "Then I will accompany the eleventh aunt to visit the fifth aunt!"
She had talked about this with her husband last night, and her husband thought the same as she did. He thought it was a good thing for Fifth Aunt to have a child, which would make Eleventh Lady's heart more inclined towards her natal family. So she was very proactive today.
The eldest wife shook her head gently and looked at the fourth grandmother.
Fourth Grandma immediately smiled and said, "Sister-in-law has to take care of several cousins, and I have nothing to do. I'd better accompany Eleventh Aunt to Fifth Aunt's place!"
The eldest wife nodded slightly.
The eldest grandmother naturally would not go against her mother-in-law's wishes. She smiled and sent Eleventh Lady and Fourth Lady to the door, then turned back and asked, "Does mother have any instructions?"
Then I heard the eldest wife say with difficulty: "If you can't raise... a family... you have to be careful."
The grandmother disagreed.
Since my mother-in-law fell ill, she has not been as energetic as before, and her actions are not as clear as before.
Close relatives are close relatives, and distant relatives are distant relatives. If you insist on raising distant relatives as close relatives, you will naturally be disappointed. You should know that it is good enough to be truly respected by concubines' children. If you insist on having them treat you as their own mother, unless you have other purposes, otherwise, it is simply impossible.
But how could she say this in front of her mother-in-law who was so angry that she was sick? Naturally, she smiled and said "yes": "I will remember everything you said in my heart!"
At this moment, Eleventh Lady was talking affectionately to Fourth Lady, who was accompanying her to Fifth Lady's place: "Are you getting used to life in Yanjing, Fourth Lady?"
"Thank you, Eleventh Aunt, for your concern." Fourth Grandma smiled brightly, "Everything else is fine, but the weather is too cold. I'm a little uncomfortable with it."
"I also feel that the weather is too cold, and I'm not used to it." Eleventh Lady sighed slightly after hearing this, "Fortunately, Fourth Sister-in-law is just living in Yanjing. But I..." Before she finished her sentence, she lowered her eyes and drooped her eyelids, with a look of melancholy on her face.
Fourth Grandma was stunned.
Eleventh Lady raised her head and forced a smile. "Don't blame me, Fourth Sister-in-law. I just feel sad when I think about the day when my father returns to Yuhang, and we will be thousands of miles apart and it will be hard for us to see each other, leaving me all alone in Yanjing."
Fourth Madam was a person with a quick mind. She was slightly surprised when she heard what Eleventh Lady said: "Has the father-in-law decided to return to Yuhang?"
After she got married, she soon found out the situation. Her husband was born out of wedlock and had no ability, so he had no status in the family. If there was anything, her father-in-law would rather discuss it with the manager than with her husband, and people from top to bottom did not take Luo Zhensheng seriously. If her father-in-law decided to return to Yuhang, he might not even tell them.
"No." Eleventh Lady shook her head gently. "The ancestors are worshipping in Yuhang. Previously, my father came to Yanjing to resume his post and visited my eldest sister on the way. Now my father is unemployed at home, my eldest sister passed away, and the prices in Yanjing are high. When my mother's illness gets better, I will return to Yuhang sooner or later."
Fourth Grandma thought the same thing. So she didn't bring too many things with her when she came to Yanjing this time.
"Besides, the Marquis asked my eldest brother a few days ago what his plans were. Was he willing to stay in the six ministries after the Scholars' Academy was disbanded? But my eldest brother said he wanted to be sent away. The Marquis advised him to stay in Yanjing..." Eleventh Lady said as she looked at the Fourth Lady carefully.
No one in the Luo family took Luo Zhensheng seriously, and certainly not Fourth Grandma. She wanted to tell Fourth Grandma that even Luo Zhenxing, who was regarded as the future hope of the Luo family, would consult her husband, Yongping Hou, when something happened. She wanted to remind her and make her realize how big the distance between Luo Zhensheng and Xu Lingyi was.
She didn't believe that Wu Niang had dragged Fourth Grandma to Third Aunt's place that day, not to see the small clothes Third Aunt made for Wu Niang's unborn child. She also didn't believe that a daughter-in-law who dared to confront her mother-in-law as soon as she entered the house would be a person without desires.
In this way, Eleventh Lady told Fourth Grandma that instead of conspiring with Fifth Lady, Luo Zhensheng and others, it would be better for them to join forces with her.
※
I will update it in the evening, it may be late, everyone please get up in the morning and read it...O(∩_∩)O~