After distributing winter clothes, Shiyi Niang cleared out Xu Lingyi's silk clothes, and then ordered the servants to send the flowers and trees that were usually placed on the desk for viewing to the warm room for the winter, and then replaced them with some cold-resistant plants such as holly and asparagus fern. When Chief Steward Bai sent the "Nine-Nine Poems and Pictures to Eliminate the Cold" produced by the Ministry of Rites, the one hundred days of mourning were over.
Or maybe everyone was cautious before, and now that they let go, they started playing even crazier than usual.
Not to mention the young masters' hunting with hawks, even the women in the mansion, today you have an appointment to go to the Zen temple to burn incense, tomorrow she has an appointment to have a banquet at home, it's very lively. Eleventh Lady first mourned her mother and then mourned the country, and she hasn't been out for more than a year. Everyone thought that she would be dressed in unique clothes every time she appeared, and the first person they thought of was her. Banquet invitations flew like pieces of paper. Eleventh Lady made clothes and jewelry, which added a lot of things to her work. When she came back late from socializing, she saw Xu Sijie leaning on Nan Yong's wife's shoulder, yawning and waiting for her, and she gradually felt a little guilty... She simply said she was sick and stayed at home to refuse the guests.
Mrs. Zhou heard about it and came to visit her specially.
Seeing the rosy complexion of Eleventh Lady in her casual blue, green and gold jacket, she was slightly startled.
"I go out every day and put aside all the things at home." Eleventh Lady simply told her the truth.
Mrs. Zhou laughed when she heard this, but she was less cheerful than usual.
Only then did Eleventh Lady realize that Mrs. Zhou, who was wearing a bright red silk jacket with long sleeves, looked a little depressed.
"Sister, what's wrong?" She invited Mrs. Zhou to sit on the big kang by the window in the banquet room.
The maids served tea and snacks and retreated quietly.
Mrs. Zhou shook her head slightly, sat crookedly on the big kang, and asked her weakly, "How is your husband?"
Eleventh Lady vaguely felt that something was happening.
She handed the cloisonné enamel flower and bird pattern heater to Mrs. Zhou and said, "Except for visiting relatives every morning and evening, I just do needlework in the house."
Mrs. Zhou smiled bitterly and said, "The one in our family has been taken away as a roommate."
Eleventh Lady thought of what Madam Zhou had said before and sighed softly.
"When I look at her like that, I feel sick as if I swallowed a fly." Madam Zhou's tone was full of disdain. "But our master doesn't think so. A few days ago, Prince Shun invited the master to go hunting, and he brought Yang with him. I heard that he even asked her to sing "Deer Calling" and do some colorful dance... He doesn't think it's embarrassing, but I do!"
No matter what, after all, she was a concubine, not a singer kept at home. It would be too frivolous for her to perform in such an occasion!
Eleventh Lady pondered and said, "Then what about Princess Fucheng..."
Madam Zhou listened and shook her head: "Do I need the princess to help manage the people in my house? What would I become then?"
There is some truth to this.
Eleventh Lady didn't know what to say, so she asked her softly, "So what are your plans, sister?"
"We'll have to wait until the novelty wears off!" Mrs. Zhou said, sighing softly, "Fortunately I'm prepared, so I'm not afraid of her causing any trouble."
Madam Zhou didn't say anything specific about her preparations, and Eleventh Lady didn't ask too much. She smiled and changed the subject, telling her about Fang Jie'er: "...I went to the palace to pay my respects to the Empress the other day and met her there. She looked very well."
When Mrs. Zhou heard Eleventh Lady mention her most proud daughter, her worried look disappeared and her face was full of smiles: "I don't know who she took after. She is neither sleepy nor nauseous, and she is just fine."
"It must be that the people around her are taking good care of her." Eleventh Lady said with a smile, "Sister, you can rest assured now."
This was originally just a polite remark, but it caused Madam Zhou to sigh: "That's right. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince looks serious, but he is very considerate to the Crown Princess. When I went to the palace to pay my respects to the Queen Mother on the first day of the new year, the Crown Princess was there too. It was snowing, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince specially sent someone to deliver a hand warmer. He was afraid that the elders would see it and be suspicious, so he asked the eunuchs to wait outside the Cining Palace..." Joy was flying between her eyebrows.
Shiyi Niang knew that she was here to complain, so she just said it out loud. She tried to follow her words, and in less than half an hour, Madam Zhou was already smiling happily, and she had dinner at her place before going back.
Afterwards, Eleventh Lady began to check the account books of the wedding shop with Master Jian and Madam Gan.
At the end of the year, they made a profit of 334.7 taels of silver.
All three of them were very happy.
Eleventh Lady suggested booking a few tables at Chunxi Tower and inviting the people in the shop to have a meal before closing the business.
"I'll pay for the money." Mrs. Gan said with a smile.
"Just pay for it from the shop!" Master Jian said with a smile, "It's a token of our appreciation."
Madam Gan nodded repeatedly. On the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, Master Jian, on behalf of Eleventh Lady and Madam Gan, had a reunion dinner with the embroiderers, the shopkeepers, and the servants. He gave them Feng Hong and left two servants to look after the shop. The others officially closed their shops and went back to prepare for the New Year.
Eleventh Lady discussed with Xu Lingyi: "I'm afraid we should send someone to check on Aunt Qiao. We can't let her spend the New Year in the temple, right?" She spoke slowly. "I promised Aunt Qiao to copy the "Legal Instructions" three hundred times as a punishment," Eleventh Lady said, "What if she gets angry and doesn't copy the "Legal Instructions" at all or doesn't finish copying it? If I don't take her back, it will be a bit bad to let her be alone and lonely; if I take her back, wouldn't I be breaking my promise and destroying my own destiny?"
"I think you are punishing yourself." Xu Lingyi laughed. "Only the punished person worries that he hasn't finished writing. How can the punisher worry that the punished person hasn't finished writing?" He added, "If she hasn't finished copying the "Instructions for Women" 300 times, you might as well ask the person who goes to pick up Qiao to tell her to pick her up next year during the Dragon Boat Festival. I think Qiao will find a way to finish copying before the New Year."
Shiyi Niang was ashamed. A few days later, she sent Song Mama and Yan Rong to pick up Qiao Lianfang. They returned in the evening.
The three concubines were greeting Eleventh Lady in her room. Upon hearing what she said, they calmed down with their eyes and nose, and then their nose and heart.
Mother Song and Yanrong came in with a woman wearing an official green Lu silk jacket.
Her hair was black and neatly combed into a bun, without a single strand of hair falling down; her skin was white and flawless, but without luster, like a dead jade; her facial features were beautiful and graceful, but her eyes were dull and her expression was stiff, like a dried flower, which still retained its original shape and color, but because it had lost its vitality, it always made people feel dull.
"Qiao, Aunt Qiao..." Yang stammered, her eyes wide open, her face full of shock.
Qiao Lianfang was unaware of this. She bent her knees slightly and gave Shiyi Niang a very standard blessing. Then she stood there silently, as if waiting for Shiyi Niang to scold her.
Eleventh Lady's hand holding the teacup trembled slightly.
Reciting "The Commandments for Women" three hundred times will never turn a person into this state.
What exactly did Qiao Lianfang encounter in Dajue Temple?
The thought of this made her feel very confused.
"Madam," Yan Rong had already placed a thick stack of paper in front of Shiyi Niang while thinking, "This is the 300 copies of "Instructions for Women" copied by Aunt Qiao. The master in the temple has already counted it, and it is exactly 300 times."
Eleventh Lady collected her thoughts, nodded calmly, and said in a deep voice: "Mrs. Qiao has been traveling a long way, go down and rest early!"
Qiao Lianfang murmured "yes" and stepped back.
Eleventh Lady served tea: "All the aunts should go to bed early!"
The three concubines knelt in response and left the banquet room one after another.
Eleventh Lady stood up immediately: "Yanrong, how did Aunt Qiao become like this?"
* * * * * *
Xiu Yuan hugged Qiao Lian Fang and burst into tears: "Auntie, Auntie, how could you become like this?"
Qiao Lianfang's somewhat confused eyes gradually brightened up.
"Xiu Li?" She hesitantly put her hand on the shoulder of Xiu Li, who was crying on her knees.
Xiu Li raised her tearful face and held Qiao Lianfang's hand: "Aunt, it's me. It's Xiu Li!"
Warm palms, familiar face... After a while, Qiao Lianfang's tears rolled down.
"Xiu Li." She held Xiu Li's hand tightly, "Xiu Li..."
* * * * * *
"...The masters didn't beat or scold me, they just made me stand under the eaves." Yan Rong whispered, "I didn't give me food or water, and I wasn't allowed to go to the bathroom, let alone sleep." As she spoke, she showed reluctance on her face, "After a few days, even a strong man couldn't stand it."
Eleventh Lady was silent for a long time, and then she told Amber: "Let Xiuyuan take good care of her!"
I told Xu Lingyi about this at night: "...I suffered a lot!"
"If she can correct herself after suffering, then it will not be in vain." Xu Lingyi said, "I am afraid that she will forget the pain after the scar has healed, and then all the suffering will be in vain."
Eleventh Lady nodded slightly.
* * * * * *
Xiu Li dropped some lily of the valley dew into clean water and used it to clean Qiao Lianfang's hair. Then she helped her sit on the kang and moved the brazier over to dry her hair.
"Madam has not reduced our food, clothing and other expenses. It is still the same as before." She told Qiao Lianfang in detail what had happened in the past few days. "Now the most favored one in front of Madam is Yang Yi Niang. She often helps Madam to draw patterns for weddings. Madam Wen, who used to be in front of Madam, rarely shows up in front of Madam. She only helps the eldest daughter to buy dowry. Madam Qin is still the same as before. She does whatever Madam Wen does. She burns incense and worships Buddha in the house every day, making the whole yard full of smoke. The Marquis is very unhappy. When it's her turn, she won't even enter her courtyard." She looked confused, "In the past, Aunt Qin was a little cautious. When the Marquis came, she would clean the house inside and out and sprinkle some flower dew or something. But these days, she seems to be unscrupulous." As she spoke, she paused with her hand shaking her hair, "I heard the maids say privately that Aunt Qin seemed to be worshipping some Bodhisattva again. I just can't figure it out. You said, isn't worshipping the Bodhisattva to win the Marquis' heart? But she pushed the Marquis out because of this, so why does she still worship the Bodhisattva?"
The room was silent, with only the occasional crackling sound from the burning silver frost charcoal.
Xiu Li lowered her head and saw that Qiao Lianfang's eyes were closed. She didn't know when she had fallen into a deep sleep.
She gently helped Qiao Lianfang put on a thin quilt.
※
Make up for the extra update on February 26th!
O(∩_∩)O~