"Did you go to your eldest sister's old residence?" Eleventh Lady lay on the kang unhappily, feeling a little annoyed.
Yan Rong nodded gently: "The jade tablet beside the Madam will be brought back to the Fourth Young Master later."
Eleventh Lady nodded slightly: "If the Fourth Young Master accompanies the Fifth Young Master over later, just call me."
Yanrong responded.
Eleventh Lady lay down tiredly and soon fell asleep.
When Xu Sijie came back in the evening, Yan Rong asked him with a smile: "Where is the fourth young master? Why didn't you send the fifth young master back?"
Xu Sijie smiled and said, "Fourth brother said he was a little tired and only ate half a bowl of white porridge in the evening."
Yan Rong smiled as she sent Xu Sijie back to his room to rest. She wanted to go and tell Shiyi Niang a message. When she entered the east room, there was only a small melon-shaped palace lantern flickering with a bean-sized light. Shiyi Niang was sleeping soundly. She thought for a moment and quietly left.
The next day, Xu Sizun came to greet Eleventh Lady, and his expression had returned to his former elegance.
Thinking about what he had asked about Mother Tao yesterday, Eleventh Lady smiled and asked him, "Mother Tao can't spend the Dragon Boat Festival at home, do you want to send someone to deliver some eight-treasure rice dumplings to the farm? That would also help you feel better."
Xu Sizhun listened and smiled happily: "Okay!" Then he said to Biluo impatiently, "Take Yuhua to the farm to give rice dumplings to Mother Tao."
Biluo smiled and said "yes", but Shiyi Niang said, "Let Chaxiang and Yuhua go! She is the eldest maid and older."
Xu Sizhun didn't care and nodded with a smile. At noon, he came back and asked Chaxiang, "Are the dumplings ready?"
"The fourth young master treats Madam Tao so well!" Cha Xiang laughed, "Madam asked Manager Cao to take us to the farm early tomorrow morning. The mother in the kitchen said that they will start steaming the rice dumplings at 11:00 a.m. The rice dumplings will still be hot when we get to the farm!"
Xu Sizhun was very satisfied. He first ran to Yuanniang's image and talked for a long time, and then went to take a nap.
The lady sighed when she found out, "It's hard for Eleventh Lady to be so thoughtful!" She asked about Eleventh Lady's health, "Are you still vomiting a lot?"
Mother Du smiled and said, "She just vomited a little in the morning and evening. She's much better than before." She added, "Thank goodness she's the Fourth Madam. No matter how uncomfortable she is, she still eats what she needs to eat. If it were anyone else, she would have collapsed long ago."
The lady nodded and asked Mother Du to send the remaining boxes of blood swallows in the warehouse to Eleventh Lady.
"You are an elderly person, so you should keep some for yourself!" Mother Du advised the lady with a smile.
"These are all warming and nourishing things. You need to take a little bit every day. If you don't take them, it's the same as not eating them at all." The lady shook her head, "Send them all over!" Then she ordered, "You also keep an eye on them. If the food is running out, come and tell me, and I will sacrifice my old face to help her ask for it from the palace."
Mother Du covered her sleeves with her hands and smiled, and finally left a few taels for the lady in case of emergency.
Chaxiang sent the rice dumplings to the farm. Mother Tao was surprised and grateful. She immediately asked the maid to light the fire and made the Five Poison Cakes by herself for Chaxiang to take back.
Yanrong tasted one without waiting for Shiyi Niang's instructions.
“It’s fragrant and crispy, and even better than the ones sold outside.”
Eleventh Lady asked Chaxiang to give the tea to Xu Sizun.
Xu Sizhun cheered and sent tea to Xu Siqin and Xu Sijian. He also invited Xu Sijie to eat and rewarded the maids and servants in the house. Thinking that he had not yet reported this to his mother, he took Xu Sijie to Yuanniang's portrait and offered cakes.
Eleventh Lady secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Everyone celebrated the Dragon Boat Festival happily.
The Yu family began to discuss marriage with Madam Gan's family. When Madam Wen saw that Xu Lingyi was not at home, she often found excuses to sit in Shiyi Niang's room. Mother Du would also come over to talk to Shiyi Niang whenever she had time.
Eleventh Lady went to Amber to talk in private: "...It is very hard for a woman to support the family. You need to think carefully."
"What's good about me?" Amber lowered her head slightly. "Others beg me for help only because of my wife. I've thought it through very clearly. As long as my wife is here, I'll be here. Instead of being a wedding dress for others and servicing them humbly, it's better for me to show my face and be a mother who manages things for my wife, free and unfettered, without having to look at men's eyes."
Eleventh Lady always respects other people's choices.
"Well then!" She smiled at Amber and took a long breath, "I'll find you one that you can use as you wish."
Amber blushed.
Eleventh Lady asked Mother Song to tell Mother Du, "... I want to keep Amber by my side. Hongxiu has her mother and father, and will be sent out of the house in a few days. I think Qiuhong is good, if they like her, let Qiuhong marry them."
Mother Du responded immediately, "Everything is up to you, Madam." She mentioned another person, "Butler Bai said there's a man called Guan Qing in the warehouse, he's 22 years old this year, when he was three years old there was a flood in his home, all his parents and brothers were gone. His uncle had no children, so he adopted him and brought him to the mansion. If Madam thinks he's a good person, bring him to you one day."
Eleventh Lady was a little surprised and told Madam Wen about Qiuhong first.
Madam Wen got what she wanted, and she was naturally overjoyed. She thanked Eleventh Lady again and again, but she was also afraid that if the news got out, there would be some twists and turns, so she kept pestering Eleventh Lady, hoping that she could make a deal right away. But Madam Qin suddenly became very attentive, and every time Madam Wen sat down, she would appear. She either brought some baby socks she made, or brought some baby hats or clothes she made, saying that they were made for the unborn Sixth Young Master.
Madam Wen couldn't help but feel secretly surprised.
If Aunt Qin had any intention of competing for favor, Xu Lingyi would have left with her as soon as he came back; if she had no intention of competing for favor, these needleworks would not have been completed in a day or two! Since she had done so much, why didn't she take them all at once, and not do one piece today or one piece tomorrow...
Aunt Qin had no idea what Aunt Wen was thinking. Every time she came, she would ask Eleventh Lady, "How is Madam feeling these days? Is the Sixth Young Master still as naughty as before?"
Looks very concerned.
Anyone who is about to become a mother is interested in such topics.
Madam Wen didn't dare to interrupt and could only listen on pins and needles.
"Not bad!" Eleventh Lady said indifferently, "With Mama Tian and Mama Wan taking care of me, I feel much better!" Then she asked Madam Wen, "How is your sewing going?" She didn't seem to be very enthusiastic about what Madam Qin said.
Madam Wen was glad that Shiyi Niang took the initiative to change the subject, so she took the opportunity to talk about her own affairs: "You have seen my needlework, I just embroider for fun in private, just to kill time. How can it be put on the stage." As she spoke, she leaned forward slightly and said meaningfully: "Madam, do you think it's too early for me to go to the wedding shop to order the dowry these two days?"
Eleventh Lady thought that she should keep her head down to marry a wife and raise her head to marry her daughter, and she should be more reserved about Qiuhong and postpone the discussion until autumn. She never thought that Madam Wen would be so anxious.
If you think about it carefully, you will understand.
She smiled and said, "Not too late, not too late. You can order the items in the next two days. The embroiderers will need some time. It will be just in time for the goods to arrive in the fall."
Aunt Wen was delighted when she heard this: "Then I will do as Madam orders!"
The news spread.
Everyone says that Madam Wen is a good person.
Xiu Li found an opportunity to tell Qiao Lianfang about it.
Qiao Lianfang was stunned for a while, then lowered her head and continued copying her Buddhist scriptures.
Xiu Li sighed, turned around and found the gilded agate hairpin inlaid that Qiao Lianfang had given her before and gave it to Qiuhong as a gift.
When the engagement was finalized, Madam Wen was so overjoyed that she returned eight sets of clothes as a gift to the man.
Eleventh Lady joked with her: "You are deliberately trying to ruin my show."
Hongxiu has been taken back by her parents, and the only one left by her side is Amber, who is of the right age.
Madam Wen bowed to Eleventh Lady again and again and said, "I will take care of Miss Amber's dowry!"
She was the one who arranged Zhen Jie'er's dowry, and now she has Qiu Hong and Hu Bo's dowry. Shiyi Niang laughed and said, "I think you should just take care of these things at home from now on!"
"If Madam is at ease, I dare to take care of it." Madam Wen was very straightforward.
As he was speaking, Manager Bai made a list of the places in the house on Goldfish Lane that needed repair and asked Guan Qing to send it over to Eleventh Lady for review.
Madam Wen was surprised to see that the visitor was a young man in his early twenties, with a fair, delicate appearance, shy and gentle manner. When she saw Eleventh Lady looking at him carefully, she finally understood what was going on. She followed Eleventh Lady in looking Guan Qing up and down, which made Guan Qing blush and at a loss.
"Madam, I will ask around for you." After Guan Qing left, Madam Wen said attentively, "I will never let Miss Amber suffer any loss."
Eleventh Lady was also afraid that Amber had entrusted the wrong person to someone else, so she thought that Madam Wen was always well-informed, so she carefully told Madam Wen to find out something...
As a result, when Xu Lingyi came back, he saw Eleventh Lady whispering with Madam Wen, with smiles on their faces.
"What are you so happy about?" At night, Xu Lingyi lay on his side with his elbows supported, touched her belly as usual, and asked her with a smile.
The warm palm against her belly made her feel lazy and a little sleepy: "Because of Amber..." She yawned and told Xu Lingyi what had happened.
"There's no rush." Xu Lingyi touched her forehead, "It won't be too late to talk about it when you feel better in a few days."
"I won't feel at ease until this matter is settled." Eleventh Lady responded and asked Xu Lingyi, "Has the date for Cheng'er's wedding been decided?"
"It's settled!" Xu Lingyi said with a smile, "It's scheduled for May 14th. Fourth Aunt came to me specifically to ask about you, and wanted you to go and join in the fun. I didn't dare agree. You haven't been out since the first month of the year. The weather is good these days, why not take this opportunity to go out for a walk. Yiqing's place is not another family, so you can bring a few more maids and old women, and Fourth Aunt has two children. If you have any problems, she will know how to take care of you... What do you think?"
There is no sound from that end.
Xu Lingyi looked over in surprise.
But he saw Eleventh Lady’s sleeping face.
He couldn't help but laugh.
He gently tucked in the corner of the quilt for her, hesitated for a moment, kissed her temples, and then blew out the light and went to bed.
* * * * * *
Eleventh Lady didn't know that Xu Lingyi had once proposed that they go together to attend the engagement ceremony of Fourth Lady's son. Her attention was focused on investigating Guan Qing's character and temperament.
Madam Wen is very concerned about this.
She always felt that only if Amber had a good home, Qiuhong could marry peacefully and happily.
Originally, the two of them seldom met except for the morning and evening visits, but now they have to see each other several times a day, which makes people feel uneasy.
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PS: Post a draft first!