Chapter 325 Dragon Boat Festival (Part 2)

"To be a matchmaker for Zhen Jie'er?" Eleventh Lady was shocked.

"Yes!" Grandma Lin smiled, "He is a nephew from my mother's side. He is sixteen years old this year. Although he is not from the same family as me, his grandfather was once the deputy general of Guangxi. Not only is he handsome, but he is also good at both civil and military affairs. He is already a military scholar at a young age. My eldest brother often said that the future of our Shao family depends on him and my younger brother."

Grandma Lin’s parents’ home is in Cangzhou.

Not to mention the Madam and Xu Lingyi, even I myself would probably have some reservations when thinking about Zhen Jie'er marrying far away, right?

She smiled and said, "You know my situation. Zhen Jie'er has been raised by the Taifu since she was a child, and the Marquis has only one daughter. I'm afraid I have to discuss this matter with the Marquis and the Taifu."

How could Grandma Lin not know this?

No matter how good her nephew was, he was still far away in Cangzhou. If her brother hadn't begged her several times, and if she hadn't seen people like the Zhuo family coming to ask for marriage, she wouldn't have had the courage to say such a thing. Thinking of this, she lost interest in being a matchmaker.

"When I think of your Zhenjie and our Zhongran, I feel like they are a perfect match." Grandma Lin said a few polite words, then stopped talking about this matter and changed the subject to ask about Eleventh Lady's Dragon Boat Festival. "...The lady herself sent an invitation to my mother-in-law, saying that day was your coming-of-age ceremony, and asked her to come early in the morning to celebrate."

The Madam had mentioned long ago that she would hold a grand coming-of-age ceremony for her. She didn't really care about it. But the Madam had this intention, and she felt warm at the thought. But since then, the Madam never mentioned it again. These days, she often asked Madam Du to do this and that, and she even went out to visit several people, as if she was entertaining guests, and seemed very mysterious. She just pretended not to know.

"It just happened to be the Dragon Boat Festival birthday." Eleventh Lady laughed, "It made everyone restless!"

"Fortunately it's the Dragon Boat Festival," Grandma Lin said to her, "If it was the Mid-Autumn Festival, it would be a headache."

The custom of the Dragon Boat Festival is to have fun, while the custom of the Mid-Autumn Festival is to get together. It is okay for everyone to go out and walk around during the Dragon Boat Festival, but if every family gets together during the Mid-Autumn Festival and you hold a banquet, it would be embarrassing for others.

Eleventh Lady smiled and nodded: "There are still some benefits to imagining it this way."

Grandma Lin covered her sleeves and smiled.

Mrs. Zhuo is here.

Grandma Lin took the opportunity to leave.

Mrs. Zhuo sent some melons this time: "…sent by our master's companion. They are different from the melons in Beijing. I brought them here specially for you and Madam to taste."

Eleventh Lady thanked her, exchanged greetings with Madam Zhuo, took her to pay her respects to the Madam Dowager, and sent her out of the Chuihua Gate.

When I returned to the house, I saw Amber putting away the red lacquered and gold-painted box that she had brought back for Grandma Dalin.

Eleventh Lady smiled and said, "It is said that Sister Hui made a gold-painted Sichuan fan for Sister Zhen. You can help Sister Hui deliver it!" As soon as the voice fell, Amber's hand slipped, and the box fell to the ground, and five fans fell to the ground with a clatter, making a mess.

"Madam!" Amber's face turned pale.

"It's okay, it's okay." Eleventh Lady comforted her and stepped forward to help pick up the fan.

The fan has gold lacquer ribs, a black silk surface, and detailed paintings of peonies and chicks, making it extremely gorgeous.

Eleventh Lady couldn't help but unfold it and look.

The bright colors and charming artistic conception surprised her.

"I didn't expect Hui Jie'er to have such good writing skills.

Amber beside her also praised: "It's so beautiful!"

Shiyi Niang smiled and nodded, and she and Amber admired and cleaned up at the same time.

One is a picture of jade hairpin on a moonlit night, one is a picture of crabapple sleeping in spring, one is a picture of lotus in the sun, and one is a picture of orchid on the rocks.

Not only are the paintings of the artist's works superb, but the concept behind the painting of a jade hairpin on a moonlit night is also very novel.

A cluster of bright white hosta flowers bloom in front of you, with occasional white spots between the deep and light green leaves, like the pure brilliance of moonlight - although there is no moonlight, it is the magnificent scene of hosta flowers blooming under the moon.

Eleventh Lady was greatly impressed.

The white and pure white lily of the valley, with a fragrant scent, is a common and popular flower. When ordinary people paint lily of the valley, they often draw attention to its cuteness. In this painting, the lily of the valley blooms in the moonlight, but it has the elegance of a narcissus. What is even more rare is that this elegance is not drawn from its arrogant posture, but is revealed from every flower and every stamen. Like a person, the noble character is hidden in the bones, which makes people feel respectable, which is completely different from the delicate and frivolous expression of the rooster.

The thought flashed through her mind, and Shiyi Niang was startled. Then she picked up a few fans and hurried to the east room.

Seeing that her movements were somewhat flustered, Amber felt very confused and quickly followed her.

I saw Eleventh Lady open all five fans and place them side by side on the large desk, looking at them carefully with a serious expression.

"Madam!" she said softly, "Is there anything wrong?"

"No!" Eleventh Lady raised her head and said calmly, "I just think these fans are really beautiful and want to take a good look at them."

Her expression was still so friendly, her eyes were still so gentle, but for some reason, Amber, who was familiar with her, felt that something was wrong. It was like the foreshadowing of a storm, calm but depressing.

Eleventh Lady fanned herself gently: "Miss, what am I doing?" she asked word by word.

Amber said hurriedly: "I am embroidering flowers with Sister Binju!"

"Please invite the eldest lady in." Eleventh Lady put the fan into the box, "Just tell her I have something to talk to her about." She then instructed, "Don't say anything else."

Amber's eyes flashed with surprise, and she responded respectfully and left.

Eleventh Lady looked at the closed red and gold-painted box, her eyes gradually becoming cold and gloomy.

"Mother, you're looking for me!" Sister Zhen's voice, as clear and cheerful as a lark, rang out.

When Eleventh Lady looked up, there was no longer any coldness in her eyes, only the tenderness of spring in March.

The twelve-year-old Zhen Jie'er wore a scarlet hemp shirt and was already half a head taller than Shiyi Niang.

Eleventh Lady looked at her ears, the gold and silver earplugs she was wearing, and smiled faintly, "Sister Hui has brought you something."

"Really!" Her dark eyes sparkled like shining gems.

Eleventh Lady smiled and pointed to the big red gold-painted box on the desk.

"How beautiful!" Sister Zhen smiled as she looked at the gold-painted Sichuan fan. "Mother." She opened one of the fans and walked over to Shiyi Niang. "Look, the steps bordered by the crabapple flowers are the steps that Hui Jie used to walk down behind her house. There's a tiger head carved on one end of the steps!"

Eleventh Lady took a look and smiled as she opened the fan with the lily of the valley painted on it: "I think this is the best painting!"

Sister Zhen looked over and immediately opened her eyes wide: "Hosta flower!"

"Do you like lilies of the valley very much?" Eleventh Lady narrowed her eyes.

"Yes!" Zhen Jie'er smiled happily, "I like lilies of the valley the most." She looked at Shiyi Niang with shining eyes, "Hui Jie'er doesn't like lilies of the valley, she must have painted it specially for me." Then she took the fan from Shiyi Niang's hand and looked at it carefully, "It's lilies of the valley under the moonlight..." She exclaimed in a low voice, "Could it be that Hui Jie'er got up in the middle of the night to paint?" She smiled happily again, "She is the laziest. She has to ask the maid for every little thing. She actually gets up in the middle of the night to paint..." A touch of emotion flashed in her eyes, "I should write a letter to thank her properly." She put the fan into the box.

Eleventh Lady suddenly picked up the fan with the moonlit jade hairpin painted on it and said, "I like this fan too!" She looked at Sister Zhen with a smile.

Zhen Jie'er was a little surprised, but then she showed joy: "Does mother like it too? Please take it and use it!"

"A gentleman does not take away the love of others..." Eleventh Lady looked at Zhen Jie'er.

Sister Zhen pointed to the remaining four fans and said, "I still have this many!"

Eleventh Lady smiled, opened the fan and fanned gently.

Sister Zhen smiled and held the box and tried to leave.

Eleventh Lady quickly put away her fan and said with a smile, "Let's write the letter here - it's too sunny outside, so we don't have to go back to Shaohua Courtyard."

Zhen Jie'er thought about it, smiled and agreed, and sat down to grind ink.

Eleventh Lady called the maid to come in and serve her, while she sat on an embroidered cushion beside her and admired the fan in her hand.

Sister Zhen sat at her desk, her face calm and her hands steady, and she quickly finished writing the letter. She told the maid, "Send someone to deliver it to Miss Lin of the Weibei Marquisate."

The little maid replied "yes" in a low voice, and took some fine white gauze and sprinkled it on the Chengxin paper - the fine sand absorbs the ink, so the ink can dry earlier.

He stood up and saw that Shiyi Niang was holding the fan. After thinking for a while, he walked over with the opened red lacquer and gold-painted box in his hand, and smiled as he presented the box to Shiyi Niang: "If mother likes it, why not pick a few more?"

Eleventh Lady looked up at Zhen Jie'er.

She looked at Eleventh Lady with clear and transparent eyes.

Eleventh Lady suddenly laughed and opened the box: "No need, this one is fine!"

Seeing that she seemed to relax suddenly, Zhen Jie'er's eyes flashed with confusion, and she advised: "Just use it, mother. At worst, I can ask Hui Jie'er to make a few more for me."

Eleventh Lady's eyes moved slightly, and she said, "Why don't we go to Weibei Marquis's Mansion tomorrow! Grandma Lin sent us some peaches today, so why don't we pick out a few embroideries to give back. We can also go and see Hui Jie'er while we're at it."

"Great! Great!" Sister Zhen was a little excited, "I haven't seen Sister Hui for a while!"

"Didn't we go boating together on March 3rd?" Eleventh Lady smiled. "It's only been less than two months."

Sister Zhen blushed slightly.

Shiyi Niang whispered to her, "Do you like Hui Jie'er very much?"

"Doesn't mother like it?" Upon hearing this, Sister Zhen looked at Shiyi Niang worriedly.

"No." Eleventh Lady smiled, "I just saw that you seemed particularly happy."

Zhen Jieer was a little embarrassed. "Hui Jieer knows a lot of things..." Unlike me, who only knows how to play the piano.

Does it mean that Hui Jie'er is lively and good at playing?

A girl with this kind of personality must be particularly attractive to a reserved and somewhat shy girl like Zhen Jie'er, right?

Eleventh Lady smiled and patted her hands. In the evening, she said goodbye to the lady-in-waiting and said that she wanted to return the gift. She picked out a few small embroidery pieces and took Zhen Jie'er to the Weibei Marquis' Mansion the next day.

The Weibei Marquis Mansion is like a smaller version of the Yongping Marquis Mansion.

Although it was Shiyi Niang's first time here, she felt it was very friendly and familiar.

Grandma Lin heard the news and went to greet them at the gate with Hui Jie'er.

After greeting each other, the two adults exchanged a few polite words, while the two children, arm in arm, whispered to each other.