Qiu Hong whispered, "It is said that the young lady's parrot can talk!"

"Pah!" Aunt Wen laughed, "If it can't talk, is it still a parrot?"

“But it can recite poetry!”

"Reciting poetry?"

Madam Wen was startled.

"Yes! It's reciting poems." Qiuhong nodded. "Xiaoli said that the parrot recited 'I slept through the spring and heard birds singing everywhere' a few days ago, and it recited 'The water of Peach Blossom Pond is a thousand feet deep, but not as deep as the love Wang Lun gave me' these days."

Madam Wen was stunned.

Qiuhong said, "When the parrot first came, it recited 'Two orioles sing in the green willows, a line of egrets fly in the blue sky'!"

Aunt Wen wiped the sweat from her forehead and said, "Then, does the lady know?"

"I know!" Qiu Hong said with a smile, "Madam said that the parrot only speaks Cangzhou dialect. She asked Miss to teach it to speak Yanjing dialect. Miss's face turned red. She hasn't fed the parrot for several days!"

"It's good that Madam knows. It's good that Madam knows." Madam Wen breathed a sigh of relief.

At this moment, the lady was looking at Xu Siyu, who behaved gracefully and appropriately, and nodded slightly.

"Have you seen your father?"

"I have met you." Xu Siyu stood straight in front of the lady, speaking in a gentle tone.

The lady asked about his situation in Le'an.

Xu Siyu answered them one by one. His voice was neither high nor low, neither fast nor slow, with the calmness and composure that is unique to a young master from an aristocratic family.

The lady nodded slightly again.

Xu Siyu asked Wenzhu to bring in a boxwood cane: "My grandson made this in his spare time in Le'an."

Mother Du hurried forward to take it and handed it to the lady.

The lady touched her crutches, a pleased smile on her face, and told Wei Zi to set the table.

Xu Siyu thanked him and asked about the lady's health.

The old lady chatted with him cheerfully, and when the little maid came back with "the meal is ready", Xu Siyu stepped forward and helped the old lady to the east room.

Eleventh Lady sighed quietly in her heart.

However, in just a few months, Xu Siyu's smile became more reserved and he treated others more humbly. Although he was only a twelve-year-old boy, he had the maturity of an adult, like a long-absent guest rather than a child who had returned home.

However, Xu Lingyi was very satisfied with Xu Siyu's condition: "After going out, he has become much more sensible. It seems that sending him out was the right decision."

Men and women rarely see things from the same perspective.

Eleventh Lady did not comment.

Xu Lingyi asked about Xu Siyu's whereabouts: "Have you been to see Aunt Qin?"

"I went there." Eleventh Lady said, "I drank a cup of tea, talked for a while, and then went to the Second Madam's place."

Xu Lingyi nodded slightly. The next day, when Xu Siyu came to greet him, he reminded him: "Mr. Jiang wrote to say that he left you some homework, which will be very helpful for you to participate in the Tongshi. Although it is the New Year, don't fall behind in your homework. Don't let Mr. Jiang down!"

Xu Siyu replied "yes" respectfully, and went back to study hard behind closed doors. During the Spring Festival, except for visiting the Madam and Eleventh Lady in the morning and evening, he did not leave the courtyard.

Eleventh Lady, out of filial piety, took Xu Sijie home during the Spring Festival to learn to read, jump rope or play cat's tumble. Occasionally, she would go to the kitchen to make some sweets for Xu Sijie. Xu Sijie was so happy that he would jump and skip as he walked.

Xu Sizhun was brought by Xu Lingyi to entertain guests. He was very excited at first, and when he came to pay his respects to Shiyi Niang in the evening, he excitedly told about who he met, what he said, and what was particularly interesting. But after a few days, he felt tired. In the first month of the year, he simply ran to Shiyi Niang's place to eat lunch and take a nap, and then he was reluctant to leave, saying that he wanted to teach Xu Sijie to read.

Shiyi Niang originally felt that it was inappropriate for Xu Sizhun to do adult things at such a young age, so she stepped forward to keep Xu Sizhun several times. Xu Lingyi saw that Xu Sizhun was full of energy when he came to Shiyi Niang's room, but he was like a frosted eggplant when he went out with him. How could he not see it? He said to Shiyi Niang a few words, "A loving mother often spoils her son," but she let him do what he wanted. Xu Sizhun had more and more fun. He came early in the morning every day and left at night when the lights were turned on. He either jumped the rope with Xu Sijie or went to the backyard with Xu Sijie to set off fireworks. He also asked Shiyi Niang to make him abalone with bones to eat. When he was happy, he would rest at Xu Sijie's place.

Seeing that he always had a rosy complexion and smiling eyes when he came back from Eleventh Lady, the lady turned a blind eye.

Aunt Qin looked at it and whispered to Eleventh Lady, "It's Chinese New Year, how can the Second Young Master endure being locked up at home studying so hard every day? He should also take a break from time to time and visit relatives and friends!"

Ever since Xu Lingyi got angry because of her nagging about no one serving Xu Siyu, Aunt Qin never dared to mention Xu Siyu in front of Xu Lingyi again, and started nagging about him in front of Shiyi Niang instead.

Eleventh Lady pretended not to hear. But after a long time, she could not stand her saying it every day. She had to say: "Second Young Master is studying hard for a bright future and honor. Aunt Qin is fine if she doesn't want to encourage Second Young Master, but why does she say such things? Isn't it holding Second Young Master back? Besides, this is also what the Marquis wants. Are you asking Second Young Master to betray his father?"

Qin Yi Niang couldn't bear such a big hat from Shiyi Niang, so she knelt on the ground and kowtowed: "I am an uneducated person and don't understand these great principles. Please forgive my ignorance, Madam."

Since you don’t understand these principles, why are you so scared that you kneel on the ground and beg for mercy?

Eleventh Lady didn't want to talk to her any more. She asked Luyun to help her up and said, "After the Lantern Festival, the weather is getting warmer. These days, I've been busy with the New Year's preparations and the wedding shop, so I've been a little careless about the children's clothes, shoes and socks. I think the shoes Aunt Qin made for me last time were pretty good, so please make a dozen pairs of shoes and socks for Brother Jie! He can wear them for an outing when the dragon raises its head on February 2."

I told her the number of shoes and socks and the time to hand them in. In this way, she wouldn't have time to think about it every day, right?

A trace of surprise flashed across Aunt Qin's face, and she quickly bowed her head and said "yes".

Eleventh Lady brought the tea.

The three concubines all retreated.

Aunt Qin pulled Aunt Wen's hand and said, "Although these are children's things, they can be sewn into soles and embroidered into uppers, just like adults'. But it takes more than a month to make ten pairs of shoes and socks. I know Yu'er in your room is good at sewing, why don't you help me make a few pairs." Then she bowed and said, "I'm very grateful."

How could Madam Wen get involved in this?

She was embarrassed: "Sister, you don't know. Madam gave me the shoes, socks and spring clothes for the eldest lady a year ago. I have never been good at sewing, and I was worried that I would not be able to complete the task by then, so I wanted to borrow Cui'er from sister's room to help! I didn't expect that Madam gave you the shoes and socks for the fifth young master..."

Aunt Qin listened with a look of disappointment on her face, and her eyes couldn't help but look towards Qiao Lianfang.

Qiao Lianfang had already led her maid into the alley next to the ear room.

Madam Wen looked away, pulled Madam Qin aside, and said in a low voice, "How about we pay some money and let someone who does needlework help?"

Aunt Qin's eyes lit up when she heard this, but then dimmed again: "This, this is not good, right? If the Madam knew about this, wouldn't she think I'm disrespectful to her?"

"That's right," Madam Wen said with a smile, "I think, sister, you should do it while looking for someone to help you. Everything will work out when the time comes."

Aunt Qin had no better idea. She nodded somewhat dejectedly and returned to the house with the little maid.

Just as I sat down, Cui'er came back.

He was holding a big red food box with gold decoration in his hand.

Aunt Qin looked at him and became more energetic: "How is it?"

A trace of helplessness flashed in Cui'er's eyes, but she put on a smile: "Second Young Master said that the cheese and shortbread mixed with pigeon made by Auntie is delicious. But he has to study hard now and has no time to eat these snacks. Ask Auntie not to send him anything in the future. Wait until he passes the examination for the children's degree."

Aunt Qin heaved a sigh of relief after hearing this, and said with a smile on her face: "You tell him, I will listen to him. Tell him not to worry. If he fails the exam, then tell the Marquis. It's the same if he takes the Yin En."

Cui'er nodded and handed the food box to the maid beside her.

Aunt Qin had already opened the box and took the key to the trunk and waved at her: "Go open my trunk and find the white jade belt - Madam asked me to make socks for the fifth young master."

Cui Er was shocked when she heard this: "That's a tribute. It was originally given to you by the Marquis, but you never wanted to use it. The Fifth Young Master is only five years old this year, isn't it a bit too extravagant... Why don't you keep it to make socks for the Second Young Master!"

"Since it's Madam's order," Qin Yi Niang's round face showed a hint of incongruous sneer, "of course we have to make the best things. Besides, our Fifth Young Master is now being raised by Madam, and the Marquis will only be happy when he sees it!"

Even so, the Fifth Young Master was a lowly person who was registered under the name of Aunt Tong and didn't even know who his biological mother was. If he was treated like this, if the lady had her own biological child, wouldn't the Fifth Young Master be like the Second Young Master, neither up nor down... But Cui'er saw that Aunt Qin had lowered her head to find bright paper in the sewing basket to draw the uppers of the shoes, so she didn't say much, and said "yes" softly, and took the key to open the box.

It took two days to get a pair of shoes and socks delivered to him, and they fit Xu Sijie perfectly.

"Mrs. Qin's needlework is really good." Shiyi Niang smiled as she looked at Xu Sijie, who was walking around on the kang in his new shoes and socks. She praised Mrs. Qin in front of Xu Lingyi, "From now on, Mrs. Qin will take care of Mr. Jie'er's shoes and socks."

"I don't deserve your compliment, Madam." Aunt Qin lowered her eyebrows, but she looked at Xu Lingyi out of the corner of her eye, "As long as the Fifth Young Master is well dressed!"

Xu Lingyi was looking at Xu Sijie, who was proudly raising his feet to show off his new shoes and socks in front of Xu Sizhun, and smiling slightly.

Aunt Qin felt a little disappointed when she saw this.

She still remembered that when Xu Siyu was little, she made a pair of socks for him with deep red, which was also a tribute. The Marquis just frowned when he saw it. He also told her not to do that in the future... Why did she say nothing when it came to Xu Sijie?

While thinking, Aunt Qin heard Eleventh Lady's gentle voice: "It's just that for a child, it's easy for his feet to slip when he wears these silk socks. Aunt Qin should use fine cotton cloth to make socks for Brother Jie in the future!"

She came back to her senses and was about to whisper "yes" when she saw Xu Lingyi instruct the maid to pass a message to Lin Bo: "...Tell him to tell Chief Steward Bai that I remember the palace gave us a few pieces of Jiading twill cloth a year ago. It was woven into the shape of 'Shui Lang Sheng Zi' and it's pretty good. Bring it in and make socks for Brother Jie!"

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Add more at the same time...O(∩_∩)O~