Fang Jieer smiled softly: "Even if Hui Jieer didn't tell me, I would know. It must be someone from the Shao family who wants to take someone from the Lin family back..."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Hui Jie'er went to grab Fang Jie'er, "It's for my fifth aunt..."

Fang Jieer clapped her hands after hearing this: "Isn't that the answer to the question?" Then she pressed Zhen Jieer, "Go ahead, it's your turn to speak."

Hui Jie Er pulled Fang Jie Er's arm and said, "Zhen Jie Er, don't tell her. Let her guess."

Fang Jie'er rolled her eyes and said, "If you don't want to tell me, then don't tell me. I'll go ask the Fourth Madam!" After saying that, she turned around and was about to leave.

Sister Zhen felt a little unnatural.

Hui Jie'er saw it clearly, and thinking that Zhen Jie'er was a concubine's daughter...she pulled Fang Jie'er and said with a smile: "You always like to play tricks like this. If you continue like this, I won't play with you anymore!" and winked at her.

Fang Jieer understood immediately. She smiled and joked to herself, "I just like to bluff people. How dare I really complain?" She had nothing to say for a while, so she asked Hui Jieer's aunt Lin Mingyuan, "Is your fifth aunt going to get married this time?"

Hui Jie'er didn't want to say it, but if she didn't say it, she would definitely ask Zhen Jie'er.

"I don't know." She thought for a moment and said, "Anyway, she is not satisfied with this or that. However, this time my grandmother said that this matter is not up to Fifth Aunt. Whether she is willing or not, the marriage must be settled this year."

Fang Jie'er felt very bored. She leaned on the chaise longue in the warm pavilion, propped her chin on her elbow and sighed, "It's never fun to be married!"

For a moment, the three of them looked a little dazed.

There were chirping sounds of birds outside.

Zhen Jie Er came back to her senses and said with a smile, "Let's go sit by the lake! Otherwise, we can leave Xian Jie Er alone there."

They both nodded.

There was no more joy in her expression as before she came, and she walked to the lake with a faint smile.

Xian Jieer sat there watching the fish floating on the water. When she saw them approaching, she waved: "I've already caught seven or eight fish."

The three of them looked over and saw the fish jumping around in the bamboo basket.

"The fish here are well-fed." Fang Jie'er sat down in front of her fishing rod: "They will bite the spoon as long as I put the bait. Catching seven or eight fish is nothing. Just watch me!" She looked eager to try.

Hui Jie'er just sat there and looked at Twelve Lady and Miss Li boating on the lake without saying a word. The Xu family's maid reminded her quietly that the fish had been caught, but she said casually, "It's just to kill time. It doesn't matter if I catch anything or not."

Seeing that she had a scholarly demeanor, the mother was afraid that she would lose her foundation, so she kept silent about fishing and just helped her to set the bait.

Zhen Jie'er, who was sitting next to her, felt that she looked worried, so she whispered, "Do you want to go to the warm pavilion to rest?"

Hui Jie'er looked at Fang Jie'er who was happily pulling the rod next to her and shook her head gently, "Be careful not to provoke her again." She sighed softly, "I wanted to talk to you!"

Zhen Jieer listened and moved the armchair, asked the servants around her to step back a few steps, and said softly: "It will be the same if we keep our voices down."

Hui Jieer bit her lip and said, "My mother wants to marry me to Cangzhou!"

Zhen Jie'er was shocked: "How could this happen?"

Hui Jie'er was very depressed: "Mother said that I have a bad temper. I married to Cangzhou with the reputation of Weibei Marquis Mansion. With my grandfather and uncle to help take care of me, their family will definitely treat me with respect and not dare to be careless..."

"Has it been decided?" Zhen Jie'er's eyes dimmed.

"Eight or nine out of ten!" Hui Jie'er said dejectedly, "Yesterday I saw my father write my birth date on a bright red card sprinkled with gold... My mother also urged my grandmother to let my fifth aunt get married quickly." She sighed, "I don't want to marry to Cangzhou. I don't know anyone there. It's cold there. There are no Ma Pozi's pastries, no Duobao Pavilion, Jinshizhai..." Her voice was very melancholy.

Sister Zhen was silent.

Fang Jie'er suddenly jumped out: "What are you two talking about? You sound so happy!"

Seeing her heartless appearance, Hui Jieer glared at her and said, "When are you going to get married?"

Fang Jie Er laughed out loud after hearing this: "This is really a case of trying to cover up one's own guilt."

Hui Jie'er knew that these words could not calm her down, so she simply changed the subject: "Come to my house on the ninth day of the third lunar month to play! I will hold a spring banquet at home."

"What's so fun about your house?" Fang Jie'er disagreed. "Your uncles are afraid that your grandfather will only give the family wealth to your father, so they all stay at home. It's so crowded that there's no place to stand..."

Hui Jieer glared at Fang Jieer and asked, "Are you going or not?"

Sister Zhen, however, knew a little about what Sister Hui was thinking.

If I really marry to Cangzhou, I’ll enjoy every day I can in Yanjing.

He hurriedly said, "Of course everyone will go!"

Fang Jie'er was just joking. Seeing her stern face, she felt that Hui Jie'er was not in the right mood. She smiled and said, "Of course I have to go. Otherwise, you won't play with me!" Then she joked, "But I can go, but I have to order the fish lips from Chunxi Tower. Otherwise, I won't go."

Hui Jie'er was a little sad at first, but she couldn't help laughing when she heard this: "I'm just thinking about eating."

Fang Jie'er was not annoyed, she turned around and asked Xian Jie'er: "Hui Jie'er is holding a spring banquet on the ninth day of the first lunar month, are you going?"

"Sister Hui, please send me a message when the time comes!" Sister Xian was also generous.

"Post a message? Post what message?"

Several people turned their heads.

At some point, Miss Li and Twelve Niang had already reached the shore.

Fang Jie'er curled her lips and turned to go fishing.

Sister Zhen didn't know how to answer.

Hui Jie'er was thinking about the saying "Meeting is fate" and said with a smile: "I will hold a spring banquet on the ninth day of the first lunar month. Miss Li and Aunt Twelve should also come to my house to join in the fun!"

Miss Li nodded repeatedly in approval. Twelve Niang smiled but did not give a clear answer.

Madam Wen saw that it was getting late, so she invited the young ladies to have dinner in the flower hall.

Everyone was led up the corridor, out of the back garden, and to the flower hall, with smiles on their faces.

It was already dusk, and the big red lanterns on the eaves had been lit, shining down on the bluestone floor tiles, glowing bright red and full of festive atmosphere.

Eleventh Lady was standing on the steps at the entrance of the flower hall, talking to the housekeeper's mother. She had a ginkgo flower hairpin on her head. Unlike the usual hairpins that only had one ginkgo flower on the head, this one had small ginkgo flowers hanging down one after another, overlapping and clustering together to form a ginkgo flower the size of a wine cup. Her movements were trembling like the wind blowing through the flowers, very beautiful.

"Mrs. Xu is very good at dressing up." Xianjie looked at her and sighed.

Sister Fang's suppressed curiosity was rekindled.

She pulled Zhen Jie'er aside and said, "I promise not to tell anyone - what happened when you went to pay your respects to the fourth aunt of the Xu family?"

The title changed from Mrs. Xu to Aunt Xu.

Zhen Jie'er was pestered by her and whispered, "One time when I went to pay my respects, my mother was clearing out boxes and boxes. She took out some old clothes and gave them away as gifts. Among them was a black coarse cloth jacket with twenty-six pairs of colorful bat-shaped buttons. From a distance, it looked like colorful flowers. I wonder how beautiful it was."

"Oh my, using colorful bats as buttons!" Fang Jie'er exclaimed, "What an idea!"

As they talked, a group of little girls over there quietly listened.

"That's right." Zhen Jieer smiled, "I don't know how much effort it took. I thought it would be a pity to give it to a maid, so I asked mother for it. But mother said that this bat was originally a button she made when she was practicing knitting. If I like it, she will make me another one."

Twelve Niang lowered her head.

She knew that little jacket.

The dark coarse cloth was used to wrap silk when the shop gave away materials for spring clothes. In the end, it was taken by Shiyi Niang and made into a small jacket to wear next to the body. Bin Ju also complained that the small jacket was so beautiful that it dyed the lining of the jacket...

Fang Jie'er was very interested: "Really, really! Show me the jacket later. I'll make one just like you."

Sister Zhen pursed her lips and smiled.

Fang Jie'er ate a few bites quickly and then pulled Zhen Jie'er to her room, then returned to the flower hall in a mysterious manner.

The next day, he got up early and urged Mrs. Zhou to go to Xu's house to listen to the opera. Mrs. Zhou was confused: "The opera will not start until after lunch."

Fang Jie'er rolled her eyes and said, "Didn't you say that it's really boring for everyone to bring their daughters to visit our house? We can go earlier to avoid running into those people. We can also show some respect to the wife of the Marquis of Yongping. Why not do this, it's a win-win situation?"

Mrs. Zhou laughed when she heard this: "You are looking at Hui girl there, and you want to make trouble with her in the Heavenly Palace!"

"How could that be?" Fang Jie'er said seriously, "Zhen Jie'er is very gentle and shy, we are too embarrassed to tease her."

The eldest prince was going to choose a concubine, and everyone showed off their talents. Madam Zhou was also afraid of those who came to her for connections. She had already planned to go to Xu's house earlier, and just in accordance with her daughter's wishes, the mother and daughter arrived before Madam Huang and became the first guests to arrive.

Eleventh Lady apologized to Madam Zhou: "...Today is the third day of Fifth Sister's baby's birth. I can only drink with Sister tonight."

Mrs. Zhou smiled and said, "You said you would drink with me when the time comes."

Jinhua wine has a low alcohol content. Shiyi Niang has tried it before and has a rough idea of ​​her alcohol tolerance.

"As long as my sister doesn't mind."

The two of them chatted and laughed as they walked towards the lady.

Fang Jie'er's eyes were always on Shiyi Niang.

Eleventh Lady didn't understand.

Coming out of the lady's room, she asked with a smile, "Sister Fang, do you have anything to say to me?"

"No, no!" Fang Jieer denied it repeatedly, but she felt a little petty after saying it, so she smiled and said, "It's just to see Fourth Aunt's clothes."

Eleventh Lady smiled and said, "Sister Fang is also dressed very beautifully!"

Fang Jie'er was wearing a plum red jacket with gold all over it today, but for some reason, it made her look a little bulky.

Eleventh Lady naturally couldn't say anything.

Fang Jie'er had already stepped forward and took her arm: "Aunt Fourth, I think the ginkgo flower hairpin you wore yesterday was also very beautiful. I wonder which craftsman made it?"

Eleventh Lady was a little surprised.

This was only the second time she and Fang Jie'er had met, but Fang Jie'er seemed very friendly to her. Seeing that Mrs. Zhou was silent, she thought that she had received instructions from Mrs. Zhou, so she smiled and replied, "Ask Master Huang, the master of Old Jixiang, to make it. His craftsmanship is pretty good."

Fang Jie'er frowned slightly.

She knew all the masters who were well-known in Lao Jixiang, but she had never heard of anyone with the surname Huang.

Mrs. Zhou was secretly amazed.

The Zhou family had married three princesses. The men were gentle, but the ladies were a bit hot-tempered. This daughter of hers was the favorite of Princess Fucheng. Although she was smart, she acted in a rather superficial way. Why did she suddenly become so intimate with Shiyi Niang?

Just as I was thinking about it, Mrs. Huang and Grandma Huang San came.

Eleventh Lady smiled and asked Fang Jie'er if she wanted to go to Zhen Jie'er's place first.

Fang Jie'er knew that she had to entertain guests, so she smiled and nodded, saying, "Fourth Aunt, you go about your business. I know the way. Just ask a sister to take me there."

Eleventh Lady asked Amber to take Fang Jie'er to Zhen Jie'er.

Fang Jieer heaved a long sigh and took off her jacket, revealing a black and colorful bat-patterned coarse cloth jacket underneath: "I asked the aunt from the Shanggong Bureau to help make an identical one."

Zhen Jie'er hurriedly helped her take off her jacket: "If it's not mother's, I can give it to you."

She was taller than Shiyi Niang at the time, so she couldn't wear it. But it fit Fang Jie'er perfectly.

The two were putting away their little jackets when Hui Jieer arrived.