Chapter 34: Means (Part 1)
"Later, you kept an eye on what was happening at my eldest sister's house, and I thought you were laughing at me... That's why I spoke coldly to you." Wu Niang pulled Shiyi Niang's hand, "My dear sister, don't take it to heart. It's all my fault, and I'm here to apologize to you."
"Sister, please stop being like this." Eleventh Lady said sincerely, "As the saying goes, it takes a hundred years to be able to ride the same boat together. You and I are sisters, and we don't even know how many lifetimes it took us to be together. Since it was a misunderstanding, let's just talk it out now."
Wu Niang nodded and whispered to Shiyi Niang: "Don't tell anyone about this for now... You know, my eldest sister is still..."
Eleventh Lady nodded repeatedly: "I know, I know. Don't worry, you told me the truth, I will never tell anyone else."
Wu Niang looked a little shy: "Mother once asked me which of the sisters I would be best with. I said that it would be best with the eleventh sister... Don't worry. If that day comes, I will take care of your marriage... You will also have the fourth master to support you as your aunt... You will not be at a disadvantage."
"What are you talking about, sister?" Eleventh Lady shook off Fifth Lady's hand with a coquettish look.
Wu Niang looked at it and laughed softly.
The two sisters quarreled for a while, and Eleventh Lady stood up and said goodbye: "...Sister always makes fun of me."
Wu Niang did not keep anyone, she covered her sleeves and smiled, and sent Shiyi Niang to the door.
Turning back, Ziwei said worriedly: "Miss, what if the first wife wants to find someone among the sisters to be a concubine? After all, the Yongping Marquis's family is noble..."
"No." Wu Niang shook her head, her eyes bright as if there was a fire burning in them. "I heard from the elders in Jiaoyuan that the eldest sister looks calm and composed, but she is actually very strong-willed. As long as she feels that she is not as good as others, she will find ways to catch up and never show weakness. If what these people said is true, with the eldest sister's personality, it is possible when she is in good health. Now that she is not in good health, she will never send her younger sister to be a concubine and let the future successor wife ride on the head of the Luo family and act tyrannically..." As she said this, she smiled faintly, "So, she can only look for a successor wife among her younger sisters!"
Ziwei nodded and said, "Fifth Miss, I have heard the news you asked me to find out."
Wu Niang raised her eyebrows and asked, "What?"
Ziwei's voice was low: "You guessed it right!"
Wu Niang smiled slightly.
"After coming to Yanjing, the elder master was given free time at home. He said there was no vacancy. But the Ministry of Personnel released a governor of Yunnan ten days ago...Now Elder Liu Ge has retired again...I'm afraid the elder master has only the path of Yongping Marquis to go."
While Wu Niang and Ziwei were whispering, Shiyi Niang and Amber were talking in the warm room behind the bed.
"…The eldest master goes out to meet friends every now and then. From what Xinglin said, the one thousand taels of silver that the eldest lady gave us when she came here have long been used up. Now our daily expenses are all paid for by the eldest lady's own money!"
It seems that the boss's own way didn't work!
Eleventh Lady pondered secretly, and answered Amber absentmindedly: "That's possible! The prices in Yanjing are high, and they will add this and that after they come. However, the eldest wife is a strong-willed person. Even if she doesn't have it, she won't let her daughter-in-law down for this."
"Young lady, you have understood the character of the first lady." Amber smiled and flattered Shiyi Niang, but was scolded by Shiyi Niang: "...Don't say similar things in the future. It's not good for others to hear."
Amber's heart sank, and she said quickly, "I was wrong. I will never say such things again."
Eleventh Lady didn't want to embarrass Amber, so after she admitted her fault, she smiled and changed the subject: "How close is the Yongping Marquis' Mansion to this place?"
Amber said hurriedly, "Xinglin said that the eldest aunt would send some things over every now and then. When the eldest master entered the Imperial College, he took the name card of the marquis. The marquis came twice in person. Once was the second day of the eldest master's arrival in Yanjing. He invited the eldest master and the eldest master to have dinner at the most famous Tingli Pavilion in Yanjing; and once was on the third day of the New Year. He brought half a car of things, talked with the eldest master for a long time, and stayed for dinner before leaving."
Eleventh Lady listened and nodded.
It's good that Yongping Hou is close to this place!
Otherwise, if the eldest master's career is not going well, they will not have a good life either.
But in this case, no matter how the Luo family considers it, they cannot afford to lose the marriage with the Xu family...
I really hope this matter can be settled soon. If it keeps dragging on like this, it will make people feel restless!
Eleventh Lady decided not to think about this problem for the time being.
It takes two to tango. If the Xu family doesn't agree, the Luo family can only think about it. Let's go to the Xu family tomorrow to see the situation and then make plans!
Having made up her mind, she felt much better. She asked Amber about sending the fermented rice: "I asked you to find someone who is familiar with Brother Lu Yonggui. Did you find one?"
Amber smiled and said, "During this period, whatever happened in our house, it was Hang Mama's son Hang Liu who ran errands. I tried to ask him, and he said he didn't know Lu Yonggui, but he was very good with Lu Yongfu, and they even drank together before."
"Then you should get this done as soon as possible, so we can put our minds at ease!"
Amber responded and left.
Dong Qing looked at the somewhat exhausted Eleventh Lady and said with a smile, "Miss, do you want to rest for a while? You didn't fall asleep until midnight last night and got up early this morning... You can't keep going like this, or you'll get sick."
"I know." Eleventh Lady smiled, and she really felt a little dizzy. "I'll lie down with my clothes on. The sun is pretty good today. Send someone to do needlework under the eaves. If anyone comes, wake me up immediately."
"Don't worry and take a rest." Dong Qing said with a smile, "I'll be standing by the window. If anyone outside coughs, I'll pull you up."
Eleventh Lady smiled and lay down on the bed with her clothes on, muttering "What a trouble".
I don’t know when I can live a life where I can sleep and eat whenever I want… I don’t blame Wu Niang for fighting. With Yuan Niang’s status, at least I can be free in that courtyard…
Just as she lay down, Dong Qing came in hurriedly: "Miss, Sixth Aunt is here!"
Eleventh Lady was a little surprised.
What is she doing here?
When they were in Yuhang, they never interacted with each other. Occasionally, when I met her visiting Shi Er Niang, she would just nod and say hello and leave...
Eleventh Lady thought carefully about what had happened in the past few days.
There's nothing special!
Or, was he delivering a message for the eldest wife? No, that was not right. The eldest wife had never liked the concubines and concubines to have too much contact. Or, was he asking me to bring something to Twelve Lady? No, they had just arrived and had not set a date to return to Yuhang...
The thought just flashed through my mind.
If she can't get an answer, she usually won't dwell on it, because sometimes, when you give up completely and look at it from another angle, you will make new discoveries.
She smiled and stood up: "Aunt, please go to the banquet area and sit down!"
Dongqing left immediately. Shiyi Niang stroked her temples, tugged at her clothes, and went to the banquet hall.
The Sixth Aunt sat in front of the big kang by the window, her expression somewhat dull, unlike her usual smile that always made her look happy.
Such seriousness...
Eleventh Lady thought about it and walked over with a smile: "Auntie is here!"
The Sixth Aunt stared at her without saying a word. She looked her over from head to toe, and from toe to head, with an extremely serious look in her eyes.
What is this about?
Eleventh Lady stood there smiling, letting her see her with ease.
"I want to say a few words to you." Liu Yiniang spoke slowly, but as soon as she opened her mouth, she asked others to avoid her.
What happened today? Everyone wants to have a private conversation with me!
Eleventh Lady gave Dong Qing a wink. After Dong Qing served tea to Sixth Lady, he immediately led the servants in the room to retreat.
The Sixth Aunt took up the tea lid and gently brushed the floating leaves in the teacup, smiling, "The Fifth Aunt knew that Yao Ma wanted to marry Dong Qing to her nephew, so she cried in front of me and said, Dong Qing is the most capable person around you, and Yao Ma chose her when she could have chosen anyone else. How are you going to live in the future!"
Eleventh Lady was quite surprised.
She never knew that the Fifth Aunt had actually cried to the Sixth Aunt...
"Fifth Aunt came to consult me." Sixth Aunt smiled cordially, "Fifth Aunt and I discussed for a long time but couldn't come up with a good solution. I was just worried, but who knew that you said, "Mother Yao said that her nephew looked for girls all over the yard and chose Dongqing. I am with Dongqing every day, and I don't know where his nephew saw Dongqing." That's how you made the first wife change her mind. I was thinking at the time that Dongqing is really blessed to be able to serve a master like you. I don't know if our Twelveth Aunt has her blessing and can also get your protection in the future!"
Eleventh Lady was stunned.
The Sixth Aunt had stopped smiling: "Miss Eleven, to be honest, the Fifth Aunt and I have lived in the same house for many years and have been as close as sisters. The Fifth Aunt has only you as her child, and I have only the Twelveth Aunt as my child. Knowing that you two have moved into the Lvyun Tower together, the Fifth Aunt and I are so happy. I hope you can be as close as we are, and have such close feelings as sisters, so that you can take care of each other in the future." As she spoke, she sighed, "You also know that. In the past, when we were in Yuhang, neither the Fifth Aunt nor I dared to go to the Lvyun Tower. But our love for you has not diminished at all. Otherwise, I would not have risked coming to warn you!"
Eleventh Lady was stunned.
"Actually, it was the eldest aunt's idea that the first wife brought you and Wu Niang to Yanjing." The sixth aunt's voice was indifferent, giving people a kind of chill that penetrated into the heart. "The eldest aunt's health is not good, and she wants to find a sister who is easy to control to take care of brother. With your intelligence, you must have guessed this."
Eleventh Lady lowered her head and took a sip of tea, neither denying nor acknowledging it.
"But there is one more thing you definitely don't know." Sixth Aunt said calmly, "I also just heard about it last night."
Eleventh Lady listened to her quietly.
The Sixth Aunt's eyes were already filled with undisguised mockery: "Yuan Niang also wants to choose one of her sisters to marry Wang Lang, the only son of Wang Xin, the Duke of Mao."