Chapter 421: The Surge (Part 1)

Nan Yong's wife hurried forward to persuade him: "Fourth Young Master, Fifth Young Master, take a break before playing again!"

The two were really tired, so they followed Nan Yong's wife to sit in the pavilion nearby. Chaxiang and Xiu'er came forward to serve them, pouring warm water for them to moisten their throats or using handkerchiefs to wipe their backs.

Xu Sizhen wanted to urinate.

The Pure Room is right next to the flower wall. To get there from Biyi Gate, you have to walk through a bluestone path lined with towering trees that are as thick as a man's embrace.

A little maid ran over and lit two orchid-scented incense sticks, and the tea fragrance accompanied her to the purification room.

Xu Sizhe was sitting on the toilet and could hear the rustling sound of sweeping the floor gradually approaching outside.

The two women were chatting idly.

"...So, except for Ji Ting's wife, everyone else went!"

"Yes!" another person responded, "It was Mama Yu who was in charge of the warehouse who started it."

"Really!" The tone of her voice was full of surprise. "Hasn't she always been arrogant? Why did she take the initiative to invite everyone to celebrate the Fourth Madam's birthday this time?"

"She is not arrogant, she is just looking at the food." Another laughed, "Now that the Fourth Madam is pregnant, she has legitimately sent Mother Tao to the farm. How dare she be arrogant in front of the Fourth Madam?" At this point, he praised, "Among the maids, young wives, and housekeepers in this mansion, the one I admire most is Ji Ting's wife. In the past, everyone swarmed around the Second Madam. While doing this, someone suggested to Ji Ting's wife that she should take advantage of the fact that the Second Madam liked flowers and plants to find a way to help Ji Ting find a job as a manager. She was not impatient and said that Ji Ting only knew how to grow flowers, and he couldn't do anything else well. As a result, she didn't say a word from beginning to end. Later, the deceased Fourth Madam took charge of the family, and everyone lived with the deceased Fourth Madam. She was also neither humble nor arrogant, and did what she had to do..."

It was as if a thousand bees were buzzing in his ears. Xu Sizhen had trouble concentrating and had no memory of what the two women said afterwards.

"Sister Chaxiang!" He pulled Chaxiang's hand, "Is what they said true?"

Chaxiang was a second-class maidservant beside the Madam, who was specially assigned to serve Xu Sizhen. Hearing Xu Sizhen's question, she hurriedly said, "How can this be true? Fourth Young Master, don't listen to their nonsense. Didn't we say that Tao Cheng broke his leg and Mother Tao is going to take care of him for a while..."

"No!" Cha Xiang's answer was so fluent that Xu Sizhen instinctively felt that it was a bit flashy and not down-to-earth. "One winter, Tao Cheng fell into the river and almost drowned. Tao's mother scolded him in the house, but she didn't say she would take care of him..." His eyes were full of confusion, "Why do I have to take care of Tao Cheng this time?"

Cha Xiang was startled and said, "We work in the mansion, so we are its people. How can we let family matters delay the affairs of the mansion? Now the Fourth Madam has given special treatment to Madam Tao because she once served the late Fourth Madam, and has allowed her to go back to see her son..."

Xu Sizhen frowned after hearing this: "When mother was alive, she treated Mother Tao very well. She even asked me to call Mother Tao 'Mom'..."

Chaxiang had not expected that Xu Sizhen, who was usually very talkative, would keep on talking about this topic. Before Xu Sizhen finished speaking, she smiled and said, "So the Fourth Madam also particularly respects Madam Tao." Fearing that he would ask questions that she could not answer, she hurriedly changed the subject, "Fourth Young Master, shall we return to Biyi Gate as soon as possible? The Fifth Young Master is still waiting there! In this April weather, the weather gets cold as soon as the sun sets, and you are only wearing a jacket, and your cloak is still with the Fourth Madam!"

Xu Sizhen remained unmoved. He listened carefully again, but outside there was only the rustling of wind through the treetops. He could not hear any other sound.

He was a little disappointed, so he packed up his things and slowly went to Biyi Zha with Chaxiang.

The pavilion was empty except for the scarlet cushions and the mess on the stone table. The servants who served Xu Siqi had long since disappeared, and the originally deserted space was now surrounded by maids, daughters-in-law, and old women. As the colorful Cuju balls were thrown high in the air, cheers could be heard from time to time, making the game much more lively than before.

Xu Si was surprised.

Chaxiang has seen a tall figure.

"Fourth Master, it's Fifth Master." Her eyes were filled with joy, "It's Fifth Master playing Cuju!"

Holding his hand, we squeezed into the crowd.

When Da Yi saw that they were master and servant, he made way for them.

Xu Sinian saw Xu Lingkuan using his head to lift the Cuju high up. Then he looked at Xu Siqi, who was staring at Xu Lingkuan in amazement, his face full of shock.

Xu Lingkuan heard the noise and glanced over. Seeing that it was Xu Sizhen, he threw the Cuju into the air and waved at Xu Sizhen: "Come, I'll show you how to play."

If it were any other time, Xu Sizhen would have happily run over, but this time, he was still thinking about the gossip he had just heard, and hesitated for a moment before walking over.

Xu Lingkuan stretched out his hand and lightly hooked it, catching the Cuju that fell from mid-air.

"What's wrong?" He bent down and looked at Xu Sizhen with a smile, "You seem a little unhappy today?"

"No!" Xu Sizhen felt uncomfortable lying to his parents, "I'm a little tired today!"

Xu Lingkuan didn't dare to force him, and smiled as he threw the ball to the servant beside him: "Then go back and rest early! Fifth uncle will take you to play tomorrow."

Xu Sizhen responded with a forced smile, then took Xu Sizhen to Shiyi Niang's room.

The onlookers naturally dispersed.

Xu Siqi was still thinking about what he had just seen: "Fourth brother, shall we play Cuju tomorrow? Fifth uncle is amazing. You were not here just now, and I saw him bend his elbow and the Cuju flew high into the air..."

Xu Sizhen responded absentmindedly and went into the yard with Xu Sizhen.

The mothers who were in charge were coming out of the main house in twos and threes. When they saw the two brothers, they all greeted them with smiles.

Xu Sizhen looked at their faces with dim eyes, and ran towards the main house with a crackling sound.

Everyone was shocked.

Someone laughed and said, "They are still children after all!"

Some people also responded: "It will take at least eight or ten years to settle down!"

Everyone walked out of the yard chatting and laughing.

Eleventh Lady asked the maid to open all the windows in the house.

Some of the mothers in charge smoked cigarettes and there was always a smell on their bodies.

Xu Sizhen rushed in: "Mother, let's bring Mother Tao back!"

"What?" Eleventh Lady was stunned. "Why did you suddenly think of bringing Mother Tao back?"

"I miss Mother Tao!" Xu Sizhen said, "Mother Tao is alone at the farm, so she can't eat the eight-treasure rice dumplings in the mansion!"

Eleventh Lady smiled and said, "She is at the farm, and the farm also knows how to make eight-treasure rice dumplings..." She covered her mouth before she finished her sentence.

Lu Yun and the others were busy taking basins or pouring warm water, serving Shiyi Niang busily but calmly.

Xu Sizhen felt that he had a lot to say, but no one who came and went noticed him.

He retreated quietly.

He ran into Xu Siqi and asked, "Fourth brother, fourth brother, where are you going?"

If you are wronged, you must report it to the Madam and the Marquis and they will take care of it for you...

For some reason, Xu Sizhen suddenly recalled what Mother Tao said before she left.

"I'm going to find my grandmother!"

"Oh!" Xu Siqi scratched his head, "I, I haven't greeted my mother yet. Brother, please wait for me for a while!"

Normally at this time, the two of them would go together to pay their respects to Eleventh Lady, and then go to the Lady Dowager's place for dinner.

Xu Sizhen nodded randomly.

Xu Siqi ran to greet Eleventh Lady.

Eleventh Lady is not feeling well.

Xu Siqi stood aside worriedly, not daring to breathe a single word.

Xu Sizhen waited outside for a while, feeling extremely anxious. He said something to Xu Sizhen's maid Xiu'er and hurried to the lady's place.

"Grandma! Let's bring Mama Tao back home!" He threw himself into the madam's arms and acted coquettishly as usual, "I miss her!"

The lady laughed and said, "When Tao Cheng gets better, it won't be too late to bring Mother Tao back. Think about it, the Dragon Boat Festival is coming soon, so we should let Mother Tao and Tao Cheng celebrate the festival together!"

"Then after the Dragon Boat Festival, will Mother Tao be able to come back?" Xu Sinian looked at the lady with a pair of clear eyes like mirrors.

The lady's expression froze for a moment, and she said, "You can come back only after Tao Cheng's leg is healed!"

"Grandma, grandma, please send someone to bring Madam Tao back!" Xu Sizhen begged the lady, "If you want her to come back, she won't dare not come back!"

Upon hearing this, the lady frowned slightly and then quickly relaxed her brows: "What's wrong with you, brother? Why don't you even listen to grandma?" Her tone unconsciously became a little stern, "Mother Tao has to wait until Tao Cheng recovers before entering the mansion. Now that you have been enlightened and entered the school, you are not like before, you should act more calmly."

Xu Sizhen had never heard such a tone and admonition before.

He looked a little stunned.

Did someone say something in front of Brother Zhe? We need to call Chaxiang to ask her!

The lady thought about it and coaxed Xu Sizhen: "Okay, go wash your hands quickly, we will eat crispy duck later!"

A clever maidservant came forward and half-pushed and half-persuaded Xu Sizhen to wash his hands.

After pouring clean water into the royal blue enamel basin painted with hundreds of flowers, the lilies, honeysuckle and hosta flowers that were previously not very clear suddenly became clear.

Xu Sizhen gently clenched his hands in the wash basin, and all the flowers turned into fragments, slowly drifting away.

Should I tell my father?

He was a little hesitant.

My father's stern face and cold eyes appeared before my eyes...

Xu Sizhe couldn't help but shudder, and his lips were tightly pursed into a slit.

After washing her hands, the lady was still talking to Chaxiang. Yuban and the others did not dare to take Xu Sizhen to the inner room, so they took the tumbling rope and wanted to sit on the big kang by the window in the east room with Xu Sizhen to play tumbling rope.

Xu Sizhen shook his head and said, "I went to see why my fifth brother hasn't come yet."

He ran out with a bang.

Biluo, Yuhua and several other maids who were serving beside them trotted after them.

Yuban looked at the big red silk ribbon in his hand and asked, "What happened to the Fourth Young Master today?"

Xu Sizhen ran all the way to the door of Yuanniang's former residence before stopping.

He took a few deep breaths, and when his breathing became even, he slowly walked towards Yuanniang's inner room.