Chapter 407: Desire (Part 2)

Eleventh Lady is in a trance every day. Her first priority is eating, and her second priority is sleeping. She has no time to care about anything else.

The lady discussed with Mrs. Du: "I think we should not have opera this year. We should invite some female teachers to tell stories at home. This will avoid scaring the children."

"Madam, this is a good idea." Mother Du was worried, "But if the Fourth Madam doesn't show up, I'll have to think of an excuse."

"What's the problem?" The lady smiled. "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 opens the door, everyone will come to Dianchun Hall. She can still rest as usual, it won't be a problem."

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

"Yes!" The lady nodded with a smile, and talked about Eleventh Lady. "I didn't expect her appearance to be so bad. You should go to her place more often whenever you have time. Ask Madam Song to prepare more sweet and sour things." She added, "Call Madam Tian and Madam Wan in. They will have 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 the lady directing the box and cage with a hemp towel.

"I'm counting the days until autumn." The lady pointed to 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 few pieces are not enough. I'll ask 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 pieces to make swaddles and diapers for the unborn child...

But seeing that the lady was in high spirits, although she couldn't pour cold water on him directly, she still smiled and said, "I think it's better to make small clothes than quilts..."

Before Mother Du could say anything, the Lady Dowager waved her hand and said, "All the little girls' clothes should be made of the lake silk from Sukang...

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

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

Mother Du saw a large dark blue ring of cotton, a brocade silk from Tangqi, a Wangdian silk from Wangdian, and painted silk... all of them were made of pure white silk, and felt finer than eggs in her hands. She couldn't help but worry secretly, fearing that Shiyi Niang had misdiagnosed her this time, or that she had given birth to a girl...

With a smile on his face, he said, "At least leave a few for yourself."

"I receive awards 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 pack them 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 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 must answer, "This is the dowry from my parents." The material for underwear is made into innerwear and underwear, and no matter how good it is, no one will ask about it.

After all, the eldest wife was the legal mother of Eleventh Lady. Madam Du was not sure what to say. She smiled and said, "I see you found a lot of things. Do you want me to tell them to pack them in boxes and send them over when they have 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 cotton trousers, 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 Madam Du to pack out some of the plum blossom cakes that had been presented in the palace 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 the old things, appreciate what should be appreciated, and share what should be shared among you."

The Fifth Lady smiled and held onto the Lady's arm and sat down: "Would you like to buy a piece of bright red silk to make a war tent for our Xinjie?"

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

Madam Wu tilted her head and giggled.

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

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

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

The Fifth Lady 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 wore royal blue robes with purple floral patterns. Compared to when he left Beijing, the seventeen-year-old Xu Siqin had become much stronger, and his expression was more stable. The fourteen-year-old Xu Sijian was almost as tall as Xu Siqin, but his expression was still lively and his eyes were still bright.

The two of them came 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.

"Zhe Ge'er is also in Yanjing. Now you can go up to the roof and tear down the tiles again."

Xu Siqin just smiled 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 out laughing.

Xu Sijian saw a little girl in pink and jade ornaments in the Fifth Lady's arms and realized 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 put her hands in 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 elder sister in front of your grandmother!"

Xu Sijian didn't take it seriously and just laughed at his brother.

The Fifth Lady coaxed Xin Jie'er to call for help. Xin Jie'er refused to raise her head 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 Jinji that the maid brought 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 loved by the people, and had a very good relationship with the higher-ups; the Third Wife opened a rice shop, and had some losses and some profits over the years, but it was very hard work, 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. They should then go into the inner room to greet their grandmother, aunt, and aunt. But Chief Steward 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. It was not easy to go directly to Shiyi Niang, so they came to the old lady first. When the old lady asked about it, Xu Siqin was afraid that the old lady would know that Xu Lingyi was with Shiyi Niang in broad daylight, so he could only give a vague reply.

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

Xu Lingyi had told the Madam Dowager about the children's return and had made arrangements, but this was after all a matter for men, and the Madam Dowager could not interfere. She instructed Madam Du, "You accompany the two young masters to meet the Marquis!" She said to the two 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 Eleventh Lady.

Xu Lingyi put Shiyi Niang on the bedding and she 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 a long way, I must see them anyway."

Xu Lingyi looked hesitant.

Eleventh Lady smiled and said, "Just sit in the east 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 Shiyi Niang comb her hair.

The brothers Xu Siqin and Xu Sijian came in and saluted 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 a few years, you've grown up." She then looked at Xu Sijian, "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 surprised to see Eleventh Lady sitting on the big pillow on the kang, smiling but looking tired. Xu Sijian was thinking about how lively Eleventh Lady was when she teased him, so he didn't care about being polite and asked anxiously, "Fourth Lady, 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 Lady.

Xu Siqin was afraid that Xu Sijian would say something inappropriate again, so he glared at Xu Sijian, signaling him to stop talking 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 Sizhen'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 Shiyi Niang served them tea with a smile.

"After my brother and my brother get out of school, I will come to see you."

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