Eleventh Lady was in a trance every day. The first thing she did was to eat, and the second thing she did was to sleep. She had no time to think about other things. The Lady and Madam Du discussed: "I think we should not have opera this year. We should invite a few female teachers to tell stories at home. This will prevent the children from being frightened."

"Madam, this is a good idea." Mother Du had other concerns, "But if I don't show up at the Fourth Madam's place, I'll have to think of an excuse."

"What's the problem?" The lady smiled and said, "We will only invite a few families who visit frequently. When the time comes, just say that Eleventh Lady is not feeling well. If they want to go and take a look, when the storyteller starts the gong, everyone will come to Dianchun Hall. She can still rest, it won't be a problem."

Mother Du smiled and said, "Then we will only have the banquet on the third day of the third lunar month. We will have dinner in the flower hall first, then listen to the story, and then we will go home when the lights are turned on."

"Yes!" The lady nodded with a smile, and talked about Eleventh Lady. "I didn't expect that she was pregnant like this. You should go to her place more often. Ask Madam Song to prepare more sweet and sour things." She added, "Call Madam Tian and Madam Wan in. You will have to ask them to serve for a few days when the time comes."

Mother Du smiled and agreed, and went to arrange everything. When she came back to talk, she saw that the lady was directing Ge Jin to clean the boxes.

"I'm counting the days until autumn." The lady pointed at a few pieces of Songjiang three-saw cloth that were as white as jade, "Then make two small quilts. If there are more, make a few diapers. They are delicate and warm." She added, "I'm afraid these pieces are not enough. I asked Yuban to open my warehouse."

Mother Du didn't know what to say for a moment.

This was a tribute from the palace, a whole piece of cloth, cut into swaddles and diapers for unborn children...

But seeing that the lady was in high spirits, although she couldn't pour cold water on her directly, she still smiled and said, "I think, making a quilt is worse than making small clothes..."

Before Madam Du could say anything, Madam Tai waved her hand and said, "The little girl's clothes should all be made of silk from Suzhou and Hangzhou...

As she was speaking, Yuban came in with four or five maids holding various fabrics.

The lady called Madam Du over to take a look: "What do you think?"

Mother Du saw the dark blue large ring cotton, Tangqi cotton silk, Wangdian silk, and painted silk... all of them were clean and smoother than eggs in the hand. She couldn't help but worry secretly, fearing that Shiyi Niang had misdiagnosed this time, and fearing that Shiyi Niang had given birth to a daughter... But she smiled and said, "Please leave a few for yourself."

"I get rewards every year." The lady laughed, "How can I wear them all?" After saying that, she turned and went into the inner room, leaving several maids there to tidy up.

Mother Du hurriedly followed, and the lady said in a low voice: "I looked carefully when Eleventh Lady came in. The things that the eldest lady gave her looked colorful and dazzling, but they were all materials for outerwear. There was not a single piece of good underwear material. I must take this opportunity to prepare some for her."

Since it is the material for outerwear, it must be made into outerwear, and it must look good. When others ask about it, they have to answer "it is the dowry from my parents' home." The material for underwear is used to make innerwear and undergarments, and no matter how good it is, no one will ask about it.

After all, the eldest wife was Eleventh Lady's biological mother, so Mother Du was reluctant to agree. She smiled and said, "I see you found a lot of them. Do you want me to tell them to pack them in boxes and send them over when they get the confirmation?"

"I've already told Yuban." The lady sat on the kang, "We need to pick a few people who are skillful and careful with needlework to start making small clothes. Especially the cotton pants, we need to make a few more pairs."

Mother Du smiled and agreed, took the pillow and placed it behind the lady, poured tea and brought it up: "I will go and pick someone tomorrow."

The Fifth Lady and Sister Xin are here.

The lady smiled and held Xin Jie'er in her arms, and asked Mama Du to pack out some of the plum blossom cakes that the palace had given as rewards two days ago.

Madam Wu looked at the maids running around outside and said with a smile, "What are you doing? Are you moving house?"

The lady broke off a piece of plum blossom cake and put it in Xin Jie'er's mouth, then said with a smile: "Clear out some of the old things, give away those who deserve rewards, and share those that deserve distribution."

The Fifth Lady smiled and sat down, holding onto the Lady's arm. "Would you please give me a piece of bright red silk to make a cape for our Xinjie?"

"It's only spring, and you're already thinking about winter." The lady smiled and tapped her forehead with her finger.

The Fifth Lady tilted her head and giggled.

Sister Xin, who was eating cake, also laughed when she saw this.

A little maid came in: "Madam, the eldest and third young masters are back!"

"Let him in, let him in!" The lady was overjoyed. "Didn't they say it would arrive in mid-March? How come it's already here in late February?"

Madam Wu smiled and said, "If the wind and the water go smoothly, we will arrive faster."

As soon as she finished speaking, Xu Siqin and Xu Sijian walked in through the curtain.

Both of them were wearing royal blue silk robes with purple floral patterns. Compared to when he left Beijing, the seventeen-year-old Xu Siqin was much stronger, and his expression was more calm. The fourteen-year-old Xu Sijian was almost as tall as Xu Siqin, but his expression was still lively and his eyes were still active.

The two of them stepped forward and bowed. Xu Sijian immediately ran to the old lady and pulled her sleeve: "Grandma, how are you? I miss you so much!"

The lady was so amused that she burst into laughter.

"Brother Yu is also in Yanjing. Now you can go up to the roof and tear off the tiles again."

Xu Siqin just laughed while standing aside. Xu Sijian said seriously: "I am grown up now, how can I do such a thing. If my second brother wants to climb up the roof and tear off the tiles, I will definitely persuade him not to be so naughty."

Everyone in the room burst into laughter.

Xu Sijian saw a little girl in pink and jade ornaments in the Fifth Madam's arms and knew that she was the Fifth Uncle's precious daughter. He pointed at Xin Jie'er and said with a smile, "Is this the second sister?"

When Xin Jie'er saw the stranger, she hid in her mother's arms and looked at him secretly.

When the Fifth Lady saw this, she smiled and told Xin Jie'er, "Call Third Brother!"

Sister Xin hurriedly called out "Third Brother" and buried her head in the arms of the Fifth Lady.

Xu Sijian found it amusing, so he pulled Xin Jie'er's finger and pointed at Xu Siqin: "This is my eldest brother!"

Xin Jie'er was so scared that she pulled her hands into her mother's arms, buried her head and ignored him.

Seeing that the Fifth Lady did not force him to greet her, Xu Siqin knew that she doted on her younger sister, so he quickly scolded her brother, "You are so old, but you still have no respect for your grandmother!"

Xu Sijian disagreed and laughed at his brother.

The Fifth Lady coaxed Xin Jie'er to call for help. Xin Jie'er refused to look up and called out "Big Brother" in a muffled voice.

Xu Siqin didn't want to embarrass the adults, so he responded with a smile.

The lady pointed at the brocade stool brought by the maid and said, "You two should sit down and talk too!"

The two brothers sat down, and the maids served them tea. The lady asked about the third master and the third lady.

Xu Siqin answered them one by one. He said that the Third Master was an honest official in Shanyang, and was well-loved by the people, and had a very good relationship with his superiors; the Third Madam opened a rice shop, which had both losses and profits over the years, but was very hard-working, so she closed the shop before the New Year; Gan Laoquan sent them back to Yanjing, holding Xu Lingyi's name card, and they had a safe and smooth journey and arrived in Yanjing ahead of time...

The lady nodded as she listened and asked them, "Have you met your fourth uncle?"

Xu Siqin said respectfully, "I just got off the carriage and came to greet my grandmother. I haven't seen my fourth uncle yet."

Logically, they should greet Xu Lingyi in the outer courtyard first, and Xu Lingyi would tell them about the arrangements for them. Then they went into the inner room to greet their grandmother, aunt, and aunt. But Manager Bai said that Shiyi Niang was ill these days, and Xu Lingyi had been in the inner courtyard. They were no longer three-foot-tall children, and they didn't know what disease Shiyi Niang had, so it was not easy to go directly to Shiyi Niang, so they came to the old lady first. When the old lady asked, Xu Siqin was afraid that the old lady would know that Xu Lingyi was at Shiyi Niang's place in broad daylight, so he could only give a vague reply.

In other words, I haven’t seen it yet!

Xu Lingyi had told Madam Tai about the children's return and had made some arrangements, but this was after all a matter for men, and Madam Tai could not interfere. She told Madam Du, "You accompany the two young masters to meet the Marquis!" She said to the brothers Xu Siqin and Xu Sijian, "Since you are back, go and greet your fourth uncle and fourth aunt. Come to my place for dinner later."

The two brothers bowed and said "yes", then followed Mother Du to Shiyi Niang.

As soon as Xu Lingyi moved, Eleventh Lady, who was sleeping next to him, woke up.

"Brother Qin and Brother Jian are back!" Xu Lingyi stroked Shiyi Niang's forehead and whispered, "I'll go take a look and be back soon."

Eleventh Lady stood up and said, "The children have come from far away, I must see them no matter what."

Xu Lingyi looked hesitant.

Eleventh Lady smiled and said, "Just sit in the east side room and let the children greet me!"

Xu Lingyi thought about it and nodded. After Shiyi Niang put on a small jacket, he carried her to the big kang in the east room and asked her to sit on it. Then he went to the living room.

Amber and a few others came forward to help Eleventh Lady comb her hair.

The brothers Xu Siqin and Xu Sijian came in and paid their respects to Eleventh Lady.

"I've been waiting for you to come back!" Eleventh Lady looked at the two brothers with a smile, "I haven't seen you for two years, and you've grown up." She looked at Xu Sijian again, "It's a pity that your fourth and fifth brothers have gone to school, otherwise, I don't know how happy they would be!"

The two brothers were a little surprised to see Eleventh Lady leaning on the big pillow on the kang, smiling but tired. Xu Sijian thought of the lively look when Eleventh Lady teased him, and said hurriedly, "Fourth Aunt, what's wrong with you?"

Eleventh Lady couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed. She smiled and said, "I've been feeling a little unwell these days," then changed the subject and asked about the Third Master and the Third Madam.

Xu Siqin was afraid that Xu Sijian would say something inappropriate again, so he glared at Xu Sijian, signaling him not to talk nonsense, and started to greet Shiyi Niang.

Eleventh Lady couldn't help but sigh.

Xu Sijian had not changed much, but Xu Siqin was more knowledgeable about worldly affairs than before.

For some reason, she thought of Xu Siyu's changes.

The two chatted for a while and found out that everything was fine in Shanyang. The lady had invited them to dinner, so Eleventh Lady served them tea with a smile.

"I'll come to see you guys after Zhun and Jie finish school."

The two brothers didn't want to stay any longer, so they got up and said goodbye.

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Post a draft first!

PS: The update is a bit late, please read it tomorrow!

O(∩_∩)O~