"Ask me to be the matchmaker?" Xu Lingyi was a little surprised, then smiled and said, "Sure! Let Yiqing treat me to a drink first."

Eleventh Lady rarely saw Xu Lingyi being so naughty, so she smiled and asked someone to reply to Fourth Lady. As a result, early the next morning, Yu Yiqing sent a message to invite Xu Lingyi to Chunxi Tower for a drink, and invited Wang Li and Jin Hanlin to accompany him.

Xu Lingyi came back and said, "I never thought that Yiqing had some family wealth. She was actually planning to spend five thousand taels of silver as a betrothal gift for her eldest son's marriage."

Eleventh Lady laughed and teased him: "I'll teach you to look down on my family!"

Xu Lingyi laughed.

He sat down on the kang, helped her brush the strands of black hair that were brushing against her cheeks behind her ears, and asked softly, "How was your day?"

"Not bad!" Eleventh Lady looked at the maids Amber and Luyun who stood aside with their heads down and smiled, pretending to see nothing, and felt a little embarrassed. "I just felt a little uncomfortable this morning. I talked and did needlework with Amber and the others in the afternoon, so I'm fine."

Xu Lingyi thought for a moment and said, "Then when you have nothing to do, find a few more people to talk to. If you don't think about it, maybe it will be better."

Eleventh Lady nodded and talked about what happened after Xu Lingyi left: "Mother asked Mama Du to send two boxes of silk fabrics, saying that they were for making small clothes and diapers for the children. I saw that they were whole rolls of painted silk and large ring cotton..." She hesitated, not knowing what to do.

"Since it's given to you, just keep it first." Xu Lingyi said with a smile, "Mom is old and loves children. Two days ago, I gave Xinjie a red peony-shaped silk and a rose-red crabapple-shaped silk."

When she heard that everyone had one, Shiyi Niang breathed a sigh of relief. However, she still felt that it was too extravagant to make these for a child, so she decided to save them for later use.

A maid came in and said, "My Lord, Madam, the Madam sent some yam and jujube paste cakes."

Eleventh Lady hurriedly asked the maid to bring it in.

Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie finished school.

When they saw the yam and date paste cake, their eyes lit up. Then, when they saw Xu Lingyi with a serious look on his face, they bowed their heads respectfully again.

Eleventh Lady looked at them with amusement and told them, "Go wash your hands quickly and enjoy the cake!"

The two of them immediately started laughing and rushed to wash their hands.

Xu Lingyi looked at him and hesitated to speak.

Eleventh Lady disagreed and ordered Amber to use a small gold-plated dish to prepare yam and date paste cake for the two of them to eat.

There wasn't much to begin with, and the two of them ate with gusto and soon finished it all.

Xu Sizhun said, "Mother, can you make Fuling cake for us tomorrow?"

"The toon biscuits are delicious." Xu Sijie had a different opinion, "The toon biscuits made by my mother are better than the Fuling cakes!"

Eleventh Lady helped Xu Sijie wipe the corners of his mouth and said with a smile, "Do both. Tomorrow we will make both Fuling cake and Chunxiang cake." Then she asked them, "Did the eldest brother and the third brother go to class with you today?"

Xu Sijie nodded: "Mr. Zhao taught the Great Learning to my eldest and third brothers, and taught us the Primary School."

Xu Sizhun, who was standing by, interrupted and said, "Brother said that Mr. Zhao is very knowledgeable!"

Xu Sijie said, "Eldest brother didn't come with us. He said he wanted to come with second brother. Third brother followed him after hearing that."

The two of them talked to each other, and they had some complaints about Xu Siqin and Xu Sijian, who had studied with them but ended up leaving them to go find Xu Siyu.

Eleventh Lady smiled and said, "Big Brother, Second Brother, and Third Brother are about the same age, so they like to play together. You and Fourth Brother are about the same age, don't you often play together?"

Xu Sijie thought about it, tilted his head and said to Shiyi Niang: "Then mother should give birth to a brother! If she gives birth to a sister, she will definitely play with the second sister, not with us!"

Everyone in the room burst into laughter.

Xu Siqin, Xu Siyu and Xu Sijian came over to greet them.

Xu Lingyi asked Xu Siqin and Xu Sijian about their class today.

Sister Zhen is here.

There were boys all over the room, and she leaned on Eleventh Lady.

Eleventh Lady smiled and took her hand, and listened together to Xu Lingyi asking Xu Siyu about his homework.

It can be seen that Xu Siyu is very serious in his studies. Not only does he speak fluently, but his brows also reveal a strong confidence that he has never had before, making him shine like a pearl. The brothers Xu Siqin, Xu Sijian, Xu Sizhun, and Xu Sijie, who were standing by, held their breath and looked at him with eyes full of admiration.

Xu Lingyi was very satisfied. Seeing that it was getting late, he gave a few instructions such as studying hard with Mr. Jiang, then got up and went to the lady dowager.

Eleventh Lady saw them out.

Sister Zhen hurriedly and carefully supported her.

Xu Lingyi looked at it and said, "Just take a rest in the room! Don't move around."

"I lie on the kang every day and want to get out and walk around." Eleventh Lady felt that pregnant women also needed moderate exercise, so she insisted on sending them out.

When I looked up, I saw Aunt Qin standing under the eaves.

Everyone was a little weird.

Aunt Qin came over to pay her respects in a panic, and murmured, "I thought the Marquis had left... He said he was talking to some young masters, so I didn't dare to disturb him, so I waited here for a while..."

Xu Lingyi glanced at Xu Siyu and asked in a gentle voice, "What's the matter?"

Xu Siyu lowered his eyes and stood quietly beside the brothers Xu Siqin and Xu Sijian, without the radiance he had just had.

"No, nothing!" Aunt Qin said, looking at Shiyi Niang for help, "I just came to see Madam!"

Eleventh Lady smiled slightly and said, "The Marquis is in a hurry to go to the Madam's place, please sit in the aunt's room!"

Xu Lingyi listened and said to Shiyi Niang, "Go into the house quickly," and then took the children to the lady's place.

Eleventh Lady smiled and nodded, watching Xu Lingyi and the others leave, then smiled and said to Aunt Qin: "Let's talk about it in our room!"

Aunt Qin followed Eleventh Lady into the house with her head lowered and her eyes submissive.

"Madam!" She took out a triangular piece of yellow paper from her bosom, "This is the amulet I asked for you. Hang it at the door to keep you safe and sound."

Hang it on the door! Isn't it in a waist pouch or under the pillow?

Eleventh Lady smiled and let Amber answer the phone.

Aunt Qin saw that Shiyi Niang was a little careless, and hurriedly said, "I asked Master Jining to bless this for me!"

Eleventh Lady's eyes flickered slightly, and she said, "I wonder if there are any other special requirements for this thing?"

"No!" Aunt Qin laughed, "Just put it where people hang out!"

Eleventh Lady nodded and brought the tea.

Aunt Qin stood up and said goodbye.

Eleventh Lady instructed Amber: "Take this to ask Jining Nun Tai. She said it was given by Concubine Qin and she doesn't know how to use it. Ask her to give some pointers."

Amber responded and left.

Luyun came in and asked where the dinner was.

"Let's eat in the hall!"

Eleventh Lady now has a keen sense of smell. Whenever she eats in her sleeping place, she always smells the smell of cooking oil lingering for a long time.

Luyun instructed the maid to serve the dishes.

Cold-mixed pea sprouts, stir-fried Chinese cabbage, peanuts mixed with pine nuts, bean sprouts mixed with mung bean sprouts, stir-fried yuba with black fungus... Although it is a table full of vegetarian dishes, the colors are bright and make people feel refreshed just by looking at them.

Eleventh Lady had just sat down and picked up her chopsticks when Amber came in with a plate of steaming yam and jujube paste cake with a smile on her face: "Madam, the Marquis asked Lin Bo to bring it here."

Her chopsticks paused in mid-air for a while before gently landing on the red yam and date paste cake.

Seeing that Shiyi Niang had eaten two pieces in a row, Amber thought it was evening and was afraid that she would not be able to digest it later, so she smiled and said, "If Madam likes, I will ask the kitchen to steam it in the steamer, and you can take it out and eat it when you want to eat it later."

Eleventh Lady nodded, ate two bowls of bean sprouts with chopsticks, and asked someone to clear the table.

Amber came in with fresh orange juice.

Eleventh Lady took a sip, and Madam Wen and Lady Yang came over to pay their respects.

Knowing that Shiyi Niang was pregnant, she smiled and congratulated her. She gave her a red gold necklace with a wish-fulfilling lock, a pair of red gold bracelets with monkey climbing poles, and a pair of red gold bracelets with bells as gifts. She chatted with her for a long time, and then she was just like before, except for greeting her in the morning and evening, and asking for advice on Zhen Jie'er's affairs, she rarely showed up at other times. Shiyi Niang was inevitably curious, and after asking around, she found out that she was learning needlework from Qiu Hong in the room.

Eleventh Lady smiled and asked someone to bring a brocade stool for them to sit on, but she glanced behind her.

Madam Wen was a shrewd person and knew that Eleventh Lady was looking at Yang.

Ever since Eleventh Lady became pregnant, Yang has been a little listless. These past few days, her eyes have been bloodshot and she looks extremely tired.

Although Shiyi Niang handed Yang to her, she didn't want to get too close to Yang. Seeing Yang like this, she didn't say a word of courtesy, pretending not to see it. This time, she smiled and talked about her needlework: "... I embroidered a few grapes, but I'm short of purple thread. I want to ask Madam for some."

Shiyi Niang asked Zhu Xiang to help her find some real purple embroidery threads: "Just tell me if you need anything."

Madam Wen responded with a smile, and Qiao Lianfang came over to greet her.

Unlike her previous arrogance, she was now somewhat withdrawn and kept to herself, not socializing much with the other concubines. But when she saw Concubine Wen, she still nodded politely.

Eleventh Lady asked her to sit down, but she politely declined: "If Madam has no other instructions, I will go back first."

She did not force Qiao Lianfang, and asked Amber to see her out the door. Then she exchanged a few words with Madam Wen and Madam Yang and served them tea.

The two aunts said goodbye.

Eleventh Lady washed up and prepared to rest.

Amber, who was serving beside her, whispered, "I heard from the maids that Aunt Yang seemed to be embroidering something, and sometimes the lights in the room were on all night long."

"Mrs. Yang is good at embroidery," said Eleventh Lady calmly, "Maybe she is embroidering something large." Then she changed the subject, "In a few days it will be the anniversary of the death of the eldest sister, and the ancestral hall should have made arrangements. You can go and see how they are preparing!"

Amber replied respectfully, "Yes," and went to ask the ancestral hall the next day.

The steward of the ancestral hall smiled and said, "The old lady also sent someone to ask about it a few days ago. I said that according to custom, five hundred gold and silver paper ingots, five hundred paper money, three sacrificial animals, and three tables of feasts are required. But no one from the old lady has replied. So it's hard for me to make the decision."

Eleventh Lady pondered for a moment and said, "Then go ask Mother Du! Maybe she was busy and forgot to tell her."

Amber went to Mother Du's place and came back to report: "Madam Tai said that you are afraid of the noise here and are hesitant about whether to invite a water and land ceremony. So the worship has not been instructed yet!"

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It’s too late today, I’ll make up for the extra chapters tomorrow!

(*^__^*) Hehehe…