Zhen Jieer stood up with a face full of shame: "Mother, you are busy, I will leave first."

Eleventh Lady didn't keep her and sent her out with a smile: "What have you been busy with these days?"

"Second Aunt is testing her homework!"

"Have you told your second aunt about the Spring Banquet? You'll have to take a break from studying."

There was a hint of hesitation in Zhen Jie'er's eyes: "I'll tell my second aunt later!" There was even some fear in her eyes.

Eleventh Lady thought of the Second Madam's cold and aloof look, and told her, "Tell her as soon as possible. Otherwise, she will feel uncomfortable if she hears about it from other people."

Zhen Jie'er nodded repeatedly and said goodbye to her.

Eleventh Lady and Amber went to the warehouse where the dowry was kept.

Zhu Xiang and Yan Rong were cleaning up with a few maids. When they saw them coming, they came forward and greeted them.

All the items in the library and who is responsible for which are recorded in the book.

Seeing that everything was arranged in an orderly manner, Eleventh Lady nodded slightly and asked about the concubines.

"Madam Qin said she would move at 11:00 on the morning of the sixth day of the first lunar month," said Amber. "Madam Wen said she didn't have much stuff and would move whenever she was free. She also asked if you needed any help. Madam Qiao didn't ask for anything, she just asked when you would let her move. She said everything was up to you!"

Eleventh Lady was a little surprised.

Qiao Lianfang has been very cooperative during this period.

From one extreme to another, it inevitably gives people a weird feeling.

I hope I'm just overthinking it!

Eleventh Lady and Amber turned around and went back to the house.

On the way, he told her, "Go to Aunt Qin's place in person. She moved in at dawn, and the sky was just getting light. She has placed a Buddha statue in her house, and it's very particular. Take Fangxi with you to ask clearly, so that you won't be in a rush when the time comes."

Amber responded and left.

Mother Du from the lady's side came to invite Eleventh Lady over.

Eleventh Lady asked Mother Du to sit outside, and went in to change her clothes, and then went with Mother Du to the Madam's place. Along the way, she talked to her about romantic things, without a single probing word.

Mother Du couldn't help but laugh and said, "Madam Tai has something to discuss with Madam?"

Eleventh Lady didn't know what Mother Du meant by this, so she chose a safer answer: "Mother is the elder, there is no need to discuss it. Just tell me if you have anything to say."

This is also the truth. I took over the affairs of this big family. If there are any problems, I will naturally have to solve them myself. Being the head of the family is not an easy thing. There are rights, but also obligations.

Mother Du nodded secretly in her heart, said nothing more, and accompanied her to the lady's place.

The Fifth Lady was also there, talking to the Dowager Lady. When she saw Eleventh Lady come in, she stopped talking and walked forward to greet Eleventh Lady.

The old lady said to the fifth lady, "You can handle this matter yourself! However, that Jining nun is very close to the Yang family. Some things should be avoided!"

Upon hearing this, the Fifth Lady was overjoyed. She knelt down to thank the Lady Dowager, exchanged a few words with the Eleventh Lady, and then stood up to say goodbye.

The lady pointed to the seat opposite her and asked Shiyi Niang to sit down. She said, "Danyang said that Xin Jie'er had not been sleeping well at night these days. She went to Jining to ask for a copy of the prescription and burned it, and she felt much better. She wanted Jining to come to the mansion to perform rituals for a few days. I agreed."

It seems that everyone has concealed the fact that Xinjie was frightened from the Madam.

Did the lady ask me to come here for this matter?

Eleventh Lady had a flash of thought and said with a smile, "I wonder how long the ritual will last? I see that Dianchun Hall is spacious, close to where Fifth Brother's wife lives, and there are wing rooms to accommodate the masters who perform the ritual. What do you think, where should Master Jining rest when the time comes?"

The lady nodded repeatedly: "You are very thoughtful. Let's arrange it this way when the time comes!"

As they were talking, a maid served them tea.

The lady asked her to taste it: "This is the new tea presented as tribute this year."

Eleventh Lady picked it up and took a sip.

It is emerald green in color and has a strong aroma. It is the best West Lake Longjing before the Qingming Festival.

"Good tea!" she said with a smile, "Rich aroma, fresh and natural."

The lady smiled and told Madam Du, "When the fourth lady returns later, have the maid take all the tea back."

"How can this be good!" Eleventh Lady hurriedly said, "Just give me a taste of something new."

"I'm old, not as old as you young people." The lady gestured to Madam Du to get some tea leaves, "I still prefer Minghou tea!"

The tea before the Qingming Festival has a strong flavor, while the tea after the Qingming Festival has a light flavor. The tea before the Qingming Festival is indeed not suitable for young people. The words of the old lady make a lot of sense. But Eleventh Lady still said, "You should keep some for the guests? And for the second sister-in-law and the fifth brother's wife - I will help you send some to them when the time comes?"

The lady said "OK" repeatedly, and told Madam Du, "Just leave five taels for the guests."

Mother Du left immediately, and the lady-in-waiting and Eleventh Lady started talking about other matters.

"I heard that the mother in your room hasn't settled down yet?"

Not only has the mother who manages Eleventh Lady's room not been found, but even the position left by Gan Laoquan after his departure has remained vacant, and is temporarily filled by the people who used to work for Gan Laoquan.

"Hearing is believing, seeing is believing." She said, "I am not very familiar with the people in my family, so it is really difficult to make a decision at the moment. I just want to ask mother to help me with some advice!"

The lady was not polite after hearing this and said with a smile: "I came to you because I want to recommend someone to you?"

"Mom, please tell me!" Eleventh Lady believed in the Dowager's judgment.

"It belongs to comprador Song in the outer courtyard."

The comprador Song who helped Yuanniang get the palace powder from the Ministry of Internal Affairs?

Eleventh Lady was slightly surprised.

The Madam said, "We have an unwritten rule in our house. The wife of the outer courtyard manager cannot be the manager in the Madam's room. But this Song the Comprador's daughter-in-law was the only daughter of the chief steward when your father-in-law was alive. She was smart and clever since she was a child. She used to be a maid in my room. Later, we invited Song the Comprador to live in our house. Song the Comprador worked in the house. She stayed at home. I think she is the most suitable person!"

Since the Madam recommended someone to her, she had naturally weighed the matter in her mind. The person must be capable. It was just that the rules of the mansion...

She said tactfully, "Thank you for your kindness, mother. Comprador Song is from the outer courtyard. I would be terrified if my matter delayed the Marquis's business."

"Rules are dead, but people are alive." The lady laughed and said, "It's fine as long as you think it's good. I will talk to the fourth brother about this matter."

What the lady said makes sense.

She didn't dwell on it too much, for fear that the lady would think that she was not satisfied with the person she recommended.

But the lady asked her about moving.

"Amber and Luyun are in charge of the things in my room, Zhuxiang and Yanrong are in charge of the things in the warehouse. Concubine Qin and Concubine Wen are in charge of Fangxi and Xiulan. Only Concubine Qiao, who just came out of confinement, I asked Hongxiu to help her move." Eleventh Lady told the lady in detail the order of moving, the time limit for moving each room, and the route to be moved.

Seeing that everything was arranged in an orderly manner without any fault, the lady was very happy. She smiled with relief and urged her to hurry up: "...Hurry up and settle it. Invite a few tables of wine. Let's have some fun."

Eleventh Lady smiled and said "yes", chatted with the lady for a few words, then got up and went back to the house.

When Xu Lingyi came back in the evening, she specially brewed the Longjing tea that the lady had given her: "You called me over to ask about the housekeeper's mother, and gave me this tea as a reward. How does your lordship taste it?"

Xu Lingyi took a sip and said, "Not bad. Top-quality West Lake Longjing tea. Rich and fragrant." Then he naturally told her about the matter, "Mom asked me to talk about it this afternoon. I think it's a good idea, too. Let's just settle it!"

Eleventh Lady nodded and said with a smile: "My mother recommended it, and the Marquis also thinks it is good, so it is certainly not wrong. It's just that I'm afraid of breaking the rules of the mansion..."

If other people encountered such an exception, they would be so happy. But Xu Lingyi saw that Shiyi Niang's eyebrows were slightly frowned, her eyes were filled with sorrow, and she looked worried... He pinched her nose as if possessed by a ghost, and teased: "My mother and I have made an exception for you, and you are still not happy!"

As soon as the words fell, both of them were shocked.

One thinks his words are frivolous, the other thinks the consequences are serious.

The former was a little embarrassed, and the latter hurriedly said, "Without rules, there can be no order. If you make an exception for me, it is the goodwill of mother and the Marquis. But if I, as the head of the family, accept it, everyone will follow suit and find reasons to make exceptions." His tone was soft but firm, "My Lord, Mother Song is someone you and mother both like, and I really want her to come to my room. Can you think of other ways?"

"Speaking of which, Comprador Song has been in the warehouse for ten years." Xu Lingyi said seriously, "I think he is doing a good job. It just so happens that the store in Nanjing is in need of a second manager. I think it would be better to let him go and hone his skills. In this way, it will be legitimate for his wife to work in your house. Besides, being able to be a manager is also a respect for him and his deceased father-in-law."

"My Lord, this is a good idea!" Eleventh Lady breathed a sigh of relief. Speaking of the candidate to replace Song the Comprador, "...Originally, my eldest sister kept a man named Yang Huizu. I asked him to help with shopping and he seems to be good at his job. If my Lord has not made up his mind yet, why not consider him!"

Xu Lingyi was slightly surprised.

Eleventh Lady never took the initiative to inquire about the affairs of the outer courtyard, let alone recommend someone to him like this.

"I have no other choice!" He saw his wife sighing, "That Wanxiang, ganging up on others, fighting against the familiar and stealing the new, I think it's a bit outrageous." Then after Gan Laoquan left, Shiyi Niang asked the person who originally helped Gan Laoquan to manage things to temporarily replace Gan Laoquan. Wanxiang not only turned her face to others, but also embarrassed others by picking on the people in the kitchen, "... She was originally in charge of the kitchen. After Gan Laoquan left, I also had this intention. It's just because I just took over and the situation is unclear, so it's inconvenient to change it immediately, so I temporarily appointed that person. Even if she is dissatisfied, this is what I meant after all. In this way, it's not easy to keep her. I'm afraid it's like killing a chicken to scare the monkey. I'm also worried that it will chill the hearts of those who originally followed my eldest sister. If I can change hands to scratch the itch, I will be more confident in my actions."

"Okay!" Xu Lingyi nodded. "Then let that Yang Huizu go to see Manager Bai the day after tomorrow!" But he did not mention whether there was any alternative candidate for the vacant position of Comprador Song.

※

There was a power outage at home, but luckily the company generated electricity. Otherwise, it would be another tragedy...