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

"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's Zhong generation depends on him and my younger brother."

Grandma Lin’s parents’ home is in Cangzhou.

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

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

Grandma Lin knew it very well.

No matter how good her nephew is, he is 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 the courage to say such a thing. Thinking of this, her desire to be a matchmaker faded a little.

"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 it 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 old lady had mentioned a long time ago that she would hold a grand coming-of-age ceremony for her. She didn't really care about it. But the old lady had this intention, and she felt warm in her heart when she thought about it. But since then, the old lady never mentioned this matter again. These days, she often asked Mother Du to do this and that, and she also went out to visit several people, as if she was entertaining guests, and seemed very mysterious. She 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 greeted her, "If it was the Mid-Autumn Festival, it would be a headache."

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

Eleventh Lady smiled and nodded: "Thinking about it this way, there are still some benefits."

Grandma Lin covered her sleeves and smiled.

Mrs. Zhuo is here.

Grandma Lin took the opportunity to say goodbye.

This time, Madam Zhuo sent some melons: "…sent by our master's old subordinates. They are different from the melons in Yanjing. I brought them here specially for Madam Tai and Madam to taste."

Eleventh Lady thanked her and exchanged greetings with Madam Zhuo. She then 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 packing the red lacquered and gold-painted box that Grandma Lin had brought over.

Eleventh Lady smiled and said, "It is said that Huijie made a gold-painted Sichuan fan for Zhenjie. You can help Huijie deliver it!" As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Amber's hand slip, and the box fell to the ground, and the five fans scattered on the ground in a mess.

"Madam!" Amber's face turned pale.

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

The fan ribs are lacquered in gold, the surface is made of black silk, and the detailed painting of peonies and chicks is extremely gorgeous.

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

The bright colors and charming mood surprised her.

"I didn't expect Sister Hui to have such good painting skills."

Amber beside her also praised: "So beautiful!"

Eleventh Lady smiled and nodded, and she and Amber admired and cleaned up at the same time.

A picture of a jade hairpin on a moonlit night, a picture of a crabapple tree sleeping in spring, a picture of lotus flowers in the sun, and a picture of orchids on stone.

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

A bunch of bright white hosta flowers bloom in front of you, with occasional white space between the deep and light green leaves, like the clear light 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 hosta is flawless and fragrant, and is a common and popular flower. When ordinary people paint hostas, they often draw their cuteness. In this painting, the hosta blooms in the moonlight, but it has the elegance of a narcissus. What is even more rare is that this elegance is not from its arrogant posture, but is revealed from every flower and 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 romantic 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.

Amber noticed that she was a little flustered in her behavior, and her heart was in turmoil, so she quickly followed her.

I saw Eleventh Lady opening all five fans and placing 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 looked up and said calmly, "I just think these fans are really beautiful and I want to take a good look at them."

Her expression was still so kind, 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 gently fanned herself: "Miss, what are you doing?" she asked word by word.

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

"Please invite the eldest lady in." Eleventh Lady put the fan into the box, "Just tell her that 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.

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

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

Eleventh Lady looked up, there was no more coldness in her eyes, only tenderness like the spring sunshine in March.

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

Eleventh Lady looked at the red gold jade hairpin earplugs on her ears and smiled softly, "Sister Hui has brought you something."

"Really!" Her black eyes sparkled like sparkling gems.

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

"How beautiful!" Zhen Jieer looked at the gold-painted Sichuan fan, her face as bright as a flower. "Mother." She opened one of them and came close to Shiyi Niang, "Look, these steps with crabapple flowers are the steps that Hui Jieer used to retreat to the back of her house - there is 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!"

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

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

"Yeah!" Zhen Jie'er smiled happily, "I like lilies the most." She looked at Shiyi Niang with shining eyes, "Hui Jie'er doesn't like lilies, 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 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 call the maid for even the smallest thing, but 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 lily painted on it and said, "I like this fan, too!" She looked at Zhen Jie'er with a smile.

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

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

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

Eleventh Lady smiled, opened the fan and fanned herself gently.

Zhen Jie'er smiled and held the box and was about to leave.

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

Zhen Jie'er thought about it, smiled and agreed, then 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.

Zhen Jie'er sat at the desk, her expression calm and steady. She wrote without hesitation and quickly finished the letter. Then she told the maid, "Send someone to deliver it to the eldest lady of the Lin family in Weibei Marquis's Mansion."

The little maid replied in a low voice, took some fine white gauze and sprinkled it on the Chengxin paper - fine sand absorbs ink, so the ink can dry earlier. She didn't shy away from anything.

Eleventh Lady nodded secretly in her heart.

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

Eleventh Lady looked up at Zhen Jie'er.

Zhen Jie'er looked at her with a smile, her eyes clear and transparent.

Eleventh Lady suddenly laughed and pushed open 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: "Mother, just use it. At worst, I can ask Hui Jie'er to make a few more for me."

Eleventh Lady's eyes moved slightly, and she said, "How about we go to Weibei Marquis's Mansion tomorrow! Grandma Lin sent us some peaches today, so why don't we pick a few embroidery pieces as a gift in return? Let's go see Sister Hui on the way."

"Okay! Okay!" Sister Zhen was a little excited, "I haven't seen Sister Hui for some time!"

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

Sister Zhen was slightly embarrassed.

Eleventh Lady asked her in a low voice: "Do you like Sister Hui very much?"

"Mother, don't you like it?" Sister Zhen looked at Eleventh Lady worriedly when she heard that.

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

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

Does it mean Hui Jieer is very lively and good at playing?

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

Eleventh Lady smiled and patted her hands. She reported to the Dowager Dowager in the evening 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 Eleventh Lady's first time here, she felt very cordial and familiar.

After hearing the report, Grandma Lin brought Hui Jie'er to greet them at the gate with hanging flowers.

After greeting each other, the two adults exchanged a few polite words, while the two children held hands and whispered to each other.

※

There will be a meeting tomorrow, and I have been doing a whole day of preparation today... Let's take a look at the draft first, I'll catch any bugs right away!

⊙﹏⊙bSweat!