After much discussion, Qi Niang and Wu Madam finally decided on Zhen Jie'er's Lijingxuan as the venue.

There were many flowers and trees there, and it was neither too remote nor too noisy, so it was indeed a good place. Although they were elders, they were both lively people, so it was just right for them to take Zhenjie out to play.

Eleventh Lady smiled and helped them prepare the items for the day's worship.

Zhen Jie'er followed Qi Niang and the Fifth Lady, sometimes going to the greenhouse to choose flowers, sometimes going to the Second Lady to choose incense, so that the Fourth Lady came to the mansion in person to pick up Qi Niang.

"...They are so unruly when playing. They showed up at my place and then disappeared." She sat upright on the armchair in front of the Madam's kang, smiling reservedly and gently, "I only understood it when I saw the lively scene here."

"She likes it here. I am so happy." Seeing Si Niang's quiet demeanor and the demeanor of a noble family, the old lady thought that the daughters of the Luo family were all good. "You don't have to worry. Just let her play here for a few days."

Si Niang didn't really want to drag Qi Niang back. Even if she did, she would still sneak out. She just wanted to make this trip because she was afraid that the lady would think Qi Niang was unruly.

After a few polite words, the lady served them tea and let the young people go and play by themselves.

Eleventh Lady invited Fourth Lady to sit in her room, and Seventh Lady and Fifth Lady, who had heard the news, arrived shortly afterwards.

When Si Niang saw two strands of green grass stuck on Qi Niang's skirt, she didn't know where to start.

Qi Niang held her elder sister's hand and said coquettishly: "If the yard is big, but there are only me and Zhu Anping, we will be bored to death."

The Fifth Lady also said, "Fourth sister, it's just right for us to be together."

Si Niang was not an unreasonable person. She gave her a few instructions and did not mention asking her to go back.

Qi Niang and Wu Furen both showed cheerful smiles, like young girls waiting to be married. They did not have the calmness of a wife or mother at all, which was more in line with their age.

Si Niang stayed at Luo's house for lunch and was about to go back. Shiyi Niang knew that she was going back to take medicine, so she sent her to Chuihua Gate. However, Si Niang was not in a hurry to get on the carriage.

"Let Qiniang stay here for a few days, and then you can persuade her to go back!" She whispered, "She was angry with her mother-in-law when she came out this time."

Eleventh Lady was a little surprised.

She never had a chance to talk to Qiniang alone.

Si Niang nodded slightly: "No matter what, she is her mother-in-law after all, she has to give her a way out."

"I understand." Eleventh Lady said, "I'll persuade her to go back in two days."

Si Niang sighed softly and got on the carriage.

Qi Niang had been avoiding Shiyi Niang, and Shiyi Niang also felt that such a matter could not be rushed. Instead of letting Qi Niang go back with resentment, it was better to let her relax and change her mood. She told Song Mama to arrange for the kitchen to make snacks for the Qixi Festival, and asked Amber to go to the warehouse to pick out a square table with black lacquer and inlaid plum blossom patterns for them to worship, and also picked out a plate with blue and white sea water patterns to hold the sacrifices, and a small tripod with cloisonné enamel and gold painting to burn incense. On the morning of the sixth day of the seventh month, she ordered people to move to Lijingxuan. In the evening, after having dinner at the lady's house, there were large bowls of clear water everywhere under the eaves, which were used for needle throwing at noon on the Qixi Festival tomorrow.

"Which one is yours?" Xu Lingyi thought of the scene at the old lady's place just now.

The Qixi Festival hadn't passed yet, but Xu Lingkuan and Qi Niang had already started thinking about how to celebrate the Zhongyuan Festival. But they didn't see any movement from Shiyi Niang.

"I'm not ready yet!"

Actually, I'm not very interested in it.

The water has been exposed in the courtyard for one night. If you drop a small embroidery needle into the water, it will most likely float on the surface due to its density.

Xu Lingyi didn't ask any more questions and went into the house with Shiyi Niang.

The next morning, after paying her respects to the old lady, she said goodbye to Qi Niang, the Fifth Lady, the Second Lady and others who were chatting happily with the old lady, and returned to the main hall first.

Several mothers in charge were already standing under the eaves.

After talking about the business first, Eleventh Lady smiled and told Amber to get the boxes of snacks: "...two boxes for each person, a small gift. Let's celebrate the festival." She added, "Set up two tables of banquets behind Dianchun Hall, and let Mother Song accompany everyone to have fun."

The mothers stood up one after another to express their gratitude, with happy smiles on their faces, and the festive atmosphere was in the air.

Eleventh Lady smiled and went to the lady's house to have lunch.

Along the way, we often saw maids and old women drying their hair in the sun.

Back in the house, except for Amber who went to have dinner with the housekeeper, Zhu Xiang, Lu Yun, Hong Xiu, Yan Rong and others all gathered together to play needlework.

When they saw Eleventh Lady come in, everyone dispersed immediately.

"Whose needle sank? Whose needle floated?" Eleventh Lady asked with a disapproving smile.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. A little maid who didn't usually have much contact with Eleventh Lady said with a smile, "Sister Zhuxiang and Sister Yanrong sank, while Sister Luyun and Sister Hongxiu are floating."

"Oh!" Eleventh Lady laughed, "What did you see?"

The little maid laughed and said, "Sister Luyun's looks like a lotus, and Sister Hongxiu's looks like a dogtail flower."

Hong Xiu blushed as she listened, "Madam, don't listen to her nonsense. Mine doesn't look like a dogtail horse flower, it's clearly Impatiens. She doesn't understand and is talking nonsense."

Everybody laughed.

The lively atmosphere always infects people. At this moment, Shiyi Niang regretted that she should have put out a bowl of water to test whether her needle floated on the water or sank to the bottom of the bowl. However, this is also a common problem of modern people, who have long lost interest in traditional festivals.

She entered the house with a smile, so that everyone wouldn't be too reserved in her presence.

After waking up from a nap, the little maids were still immersed in the joy of needle throwing, and the atmosphere in the room became cheerful.

Eleventh Lady embroidered for a while, and seeing that it was getting late, she washed up and prepared to go to the lady's place.

A servant from the outer courtyard asked to see me.

"Madam, the Marquis said that he will go to West Street with Master Wu and Master Zhu later, so we don't have to wait for them for dinner."

Eleventh Lady nodded and went to report to the lady dowager.

"They play theirs, and we play ours." The old lady didn't care and talked about the needle throwing incident between the second lady and Zhen Jie'er at noon: "Yi Zhen sank, and Zhen Jie'er floated. It looked like a step-shaking ornament, very beautiful. It's a pity that you were not here."

As they were talking, the Fifth Lady and Qi Niang came in arm in arm. The topic turned to the scene of the Fifth Lady throwing needles in her room, and stopped when the little maid came in to report where the dinner was.

A few people had a quick dinner and went to Lijingxuan.

At night, the night breeze is blowing, the crescent moon is hanging in the west, the lights are bright, and it shines like a starry sky. The sky and the earth are reflected in each other, creating a prosperous scene of peace and prosperity.

Everyone was eating fruits and telling jokes, and at noon they were threading a needle under the moon, but Eleventh Lady won first place.

The lady took off the red gold twisted wire bracelet on her hand and put it on her: "This is the first prize."

The Fifth Lady and the Seventh Lady were shouting "biased". The Lady Dowager was so annoyed by the two people's quarrel that she smiled and took off the two gold rings on Mother Du's hands and said, "Pick two from my dressing table later." Then she handed them to the Fifth Lady and the Seventh Lady, and only then was she at peace.

Mother Du also joined in the fun: "Then it's up to me to choose."

"It's your choice, it's your choice!"

This caused laughter in the whole yard, which lasted until the beginning of the second month.

Xu Lingyi just came back too.

He handed her a small square wooden box painted red and painted with gold.

"What is it?" Eleventh Lady wanted to open the box, but was stopped by Xu Lingyi: "Let's come and see it together tomorrow." Then he placed the box on the kang table next to the window.

Maybe it was some gadget I bought on West Street.

Although Eleventh Lady was curious, she still played along with him and only opened the box early the next morning.

There was actually a spider with a web inside.

Eleventh Lady was very surprised.

Xu Lingyi was being helped to dress by a maid, and asked her nonchalantly, "Is the Xizi net woven densely?"

Spiders are commonly known as spiders.

"Secret." The corners of Eleventh Lady's mouth curled up into a happy arc, "There are many coincidences this year."

Xu Lingyi nodded indifferently and said, "I will go to Prince Shun's Mansion with Zhu Anping later. I'm afraid I will be back a little late. You don't have to wait for me."

Why did you suddenly think of taking Zhu Anping to visit Prince Shun?

Eleventh Lady was a little surprised.

Xu Lingyi simply said, "The Queen Mother fainted again last night. I'll put Zhu Anping and Prince Shun in touch, so that if anything happens in the future, everyone can take care of each other."

"Don't you dislike your family members doing business with the Imperial Household Department?" Eleventh Lady couldn't help but ask.

"I don't like to eat from the bowl while looking at the pot." Xu Lingyi said with feeling, "In life, you can only eat three meals a day and sleep three feet. You must remember the principle that when the water is full, it will overflow."

Eleventh Lady nodded and sent Xu Lingyi out.

I was thinking about talking to Qiniang.

Who knew that before she could go find her, Qi Niang came to her door on her own initiative.

"Don't worry, Eleventh Sister." She said calmly, "My mother-in-law is always complaining about my infertility. I have no children, which is already a guarantee. If I dare to do anything unfilial again, even if Zhu Anping protects me, I will be drowned by the spit of the world. I'm coming to Yanjing to visit relatives and will be back before August 15th."

Eleventh Lady smiled and said, "I've been worrying about you for nothing."

Qi Niang glared at her and said, "Although you have been acting like an old woman since you were a child, I am your elder sister after all, and I know as much as you do."

Eleventh Lady found this both amusing and confusing.

Qi Niang begged her, "I want to go to the river with Madam Wu on the Ghost Festival. Please help me speak to Madam Tai when the time comes!"

Eleventh Lady deliberately pestered her: "Why do you want me to speak for you? Why don't you speak for me and invite me to go with you to release river lanterns."

Qi Niang smiled awkwardly: "If you go, who will help take care of Xin Jie'er?"

If you want to have a relationship, you have to help take care of the child yourself!

Eleventh Lady didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She deliberately said, "Xin Jie'er is the fifth brother's wife's treasure and the apple of her eye. If anything goes wrong with her, I can't bear the responsibility. No way!"

"Oh," Qi Niang knew that her request was a bit excessive, but she didn't know if she would have such an opportunity again in the future, so she could only beg Shiyi Niang shamelessly: "So Danyang doesn't trust anyone but you!"

Eleventh Lady was stunned: "Did Danyang ask you to say that?"

"No!" Qi Niang was a little embarrassed and stammered, "After all, it's the 15th day of the seventh lunar month. She was afraid that Xin Jie'er would be scared at home alone. She didn't want to go... I asked her to help take care of Xin Jie'er. That's why she didn't insist." As she spoke, she said in a half-forcing and half-coquettish tone, "Can't you just do it for my sake?"

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I've settled down in the past few days. I'll make up for the three updates I owed in February sporadically.

Please read today’s update tomorrow morning, it may be a little late.

O(∩_∩)O~