"Aunt Qin said that Zhun Ge died? The fourth lady had a miscarriage?" The lady glanced at Mama Du.

Mother Du stood aside with a smile on her face, without moving her eyes or eyebrows.

Lian Jiao nodded timidly, but glanced at Shiyi Niang who was standing beside her with her eyelids drooping: "Aunt, Aunt, that's what she said."

"It seems that Aunt Qin is really confused." The lady sighed, asked Lianjiao to leave, and asked Mother Du: "Where is Yu'er now?"

Yesterday at noon, Xu Siyu rushed back from Le'an, greeted his elders at home and went to Luoye Mountain. He just came back from Luoye Mountain this afternoon, and the lady called Lianjiao to question him.

Mother Du smiled and said, "The Marquis is talking to the Second Young Master in the study!"

The lady nodded and said to Eleventh Lady, who had remained silent, "It's rare for father and son to meet each other. It looks like they can't finish talking for a while, so we won't wait any longer." After that, she told the maid to serve the meal.

Eleventh Lady agreed, and went to the east room with the lady dowager. After eating something quickly, she took Xu Sijie back to her own courtyard.

Along the way, Xu Sijie carefully looked at Shiyi Niang's expression from time to time.

Eleventh Lady smiled and asked him, "What's wrong?"

Xu Sijie hesitated for a while before saying, "Mother, are you unhappy?"

Eleventh Lady was a little surprised.

Seeing her silence, Xu Sijie was more certain that he had guessed correctly, and hurriedly said, "Mother, can I play the flute for you? I feel very happy when I play the flute. You will be happy too."

Eleventh Lady was very touched, and the unhappiness she had just felt faded a lot.

She touched Xu Sijie's cheek and said with a smile, "Okay!"

Xu Sijie became happy, took Shiyi Niang's hand and ran forward: "Then let's go home quickly!"

Nan Yong's wife was so frightened that she hurriedly stopped him: "Fifth Master, please be careful, please be careful. Your wife is still pregnant!"

Xu Sijie quickly let go of Shiyi Niang's hand and asked nervously, "Mother, mother, did I hold you?"

"It's okay!" Since her morning sickness inexplicably healed that morning, Shiyi Niang was able to eat and sleep well. Although her movements were not as flexible as before, they were not clumsy either. Seeing Xu Sijie's worry, she held his hand and said, "I'm fine!"

Xu Sijie felt relieved, and skipped back to the house with Shiyi Niang, and played several songs for her.

Eleventh Lady was a little surprised.

These days she was busy with Xu Sizhun's affairs and hadn't listened carefully to Xu Sijie's flute playing for some time. Unexpectedly, he had learned several new pieces.

Eleventh Lady couldn't help feeling a little guilty, and hugged Xu Sijie in her arms: "Jie'er is making great progress!"

Xu Sijie smiled proudly: "The teacher also said that I am very good. Others take a month to learn, but I only need three or four days to learn. And he will teach me to play the piano in two days." He paused and said, "But the teacher said that this matter needs my father's consent."

"Are you talking about learning to play the piano?" Eleventh Lady was a little puzzled - when Xu Sizun and Xu Sijie followed him to learn the flute, they were not so serious.

"Yes!" Xu Sijie said, "The teacher asked me if I would like to learn to play the piano from him. I said yes. He was very happy, touched my head, and said that he would discuss it with my father first."

Is it the kind of formal apprenticeship that emphasizes inheritance?

Eleventh Lady became a little curious.

This Mr. Zhao seems to be not only knowledgeable but also versatile.

As they were talking, Xu Lingyi came back.

His face was a little solemn, but when he saw Xu Sijie leaning on Shiyi Niang's arms and talking, his expression eased a lot. He also saw Xu Sijie holding a flute in his hand, thinking that he had just been practicing playing the flute, so he reminded him a few words like "Don't play so late in the future", and then asked Nan Yong's wife to take him downstairs to rest.

After Xu Lingyi finished washing up, the couple leaned against the head of the bed and talked.

"Did the Marquis go to ask after mother?"

“I’m going!”

In other words, he already knew about Aunt Qin's situation. So there was no need to say more.

Eleventh Lady pondered and said, "What did Yu-ge-er say?"

Xu Lingyi was silent for a moment, and whispered, "He asked me directly whether Qin used witchcraft to curse Zhun Ge!"

This child, who used to be just very smart, is now very sharp.

"Then, what does the Lord say?

"Since he had guessed it, I did not hide it from him." Xu Lingyi said, "He sat there in silence with his head down for a while, and then asked me how to tell others about this matter. I saw that he was clear-headed, so I picked out some important things and told him. After listening to me, he knelt down and kowtowed three times, begging me to allow him to go to Luoye Mountain to serve Aunt Qin." As he spoke, he sighed with regret, "He spoke and acted calmly like an adult."

Compared with Xu Sizhun, who is the crown prince but still acts like a child, how can Xu Lingyi not feel disappointed?

* * * * * *

Xu Siyu felt that his clothes were completely wet.

For the first time, he took the initiative to talk to his father. It was also the first time that his father looked at him with appreciation instead of satisfaction!

He fell on his back on the bed, Aunt Qin's face flashing in his mind, and his eyes immediately became wet.

Wenzhu tiptoed forward to take off Xu Siyu's shoes. Seeing that Xu Siyu had his eyes closed and looked tired, she hesitated for a while and gently covered Xu Siyu with a thin blanket.

Xu Siyu suddenly said, "Go pack up. I'm going to Luoye Mountain early tomorrow morning." He then said, "Let Lianjiao go with me."

Lian Jiao knew so much, her life would definitely be in danger. Instead of involving anyone else, it would be better to just let her be.

Wen Zhu was slightly stunned, and replied "yes" in a low voice, then asked with concern: "Second Young Master, have you had dinner? I asked the kitchen for some new wheat flour yesterday, how about I make you a bowl of noodles..."

"No need." Xu Siyu interrupted Wen Zhu, "I'm eating with my father in the outer courtyard!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Xiang came in: "Second Young Master, the eldest lady is here!

At this time?

Xu Siyu sat up in surprise, and asked Qinxiang to invite Zhen Jie'er to sit in the hall. He asked Wenzhu to help him wash and change his clothes, and then he went to see Zhen Jie'er.

After not seeing her for a few months, Zhen Jie'er looks even fairer.

"I heard that the second brother is back," Zhen Jieer said with a faint smile, "Bring some black watermelons from Pangge Village to help the second brother cool down."

Xu Siyu thanked him and asked Wenzhu to fetch some well water to soak the melons. He then pulled himself together and entertained Zhen Jieer: "Don't be in a hurry to leave, big sister. I'm here to offer you some watermelon."

"Okay!" Zhen Jieer responded readily and asked Aunt Qin: "...Is everything okay?"

"Not bad!" Apart from this sentence, Xu Siyu didn't know how to answer. He felt confused and didn't want to talk more.

"That's good!" Zhen Jie nodded with a smile, and talked to Xu Siyu about Le'an: "...Have you met the ninth daughter of the Jiang family? She should have grown taller? Has she studied with Mr. Jiang? Or learned needlework from Aunt Jiang? Where do you usually go to play with your classmates?" A lot of questions.

Xu Siyu was socializing with her: "I met her several times when I asked Mr. Jiang for advice on homework. I didn't look closely, so I don't know if she has grown taller. She didn't study with Mr. Jiang, but with the teacher's wife." At this point, he remembered something and said, "Once, the teacher's wife specifically called me to ask if my mother's needlework was very good. She also said that when she was in Yanjing, she often heard people talk about my mother's needlework, which was known as the best in Yanjing."

"No. 1 in Yanjing?" Zhen Jieer laughed, "This is the first time I've heard of it."

"I have never heard of it." Xu Siyu recalled the scene at that time, and there was a little smile in his eyes. "I exaggerated to Master's wife. But Master's wife was a little worried, so she invited the most famous embroiderer in Le'an to tell Miss Nine about needlework at home."

Wenzhu brought up the watermelon.

The brother and sister ate two pieces of watermelon. Zhen Jie'er asked, and Xu Siyu said that they talked about some things in Le'an. Zhen Jie'er saw that it was getting late, so she got up and said goodbye.

Xu Siyu walked Zhen Jie'er to the door.

Sister Zhen never mentioned the purpose of her visit, as if she really came here just to give two watermelons.

He couldn't help but feel secretly strange.

When I returned to the house, I saw Wenzhu and Qinxiang packing up boxes - luckily they had just returned and hadn't taken out all the things in the boxes, so they just needed to tidy them up.

It seems like this every time I come back. I am not in a hurry to clean the boxes and cages, because I always feel that I will have to go back to Le'an in a few days, and then I will have to pack my things again.

For some reason, Xu Siyu felt much better.

Then he was stunned.

Why do I feel so much better?

Xu Siyu thought about what happened just now. He always talked a lot, and Zhen Jie'er just listened quietly most of the time.

Did Sister Zhen come here just to comfort him?

How much does Sister Zhen know?

Xu Siyu stayed there.

* * * * * *

The next day, Xu Siyu went to Luoye Mountain.

Mother Yang couldn't help but say, "It's good to have a son. When you get sick, there's someone to take care of you!"

Yang looked at the satin that could be completed with two more children embroidering it, and smiled faintly.

In another half month, this embroidery can be sent out!

Qiao Lianfang just nodded slightly after hearing this. She discussed with Xiu Li, "How about I go and ask Butler Bai again. Madam Du doesn't know those young servants, but Butler Bai should know them, right?"

It’s not that they don’t know him, they just don’t want to get involved in this matter!

Xiu Li said tactfully, "I heard that the Madam's house in Goldfish Lane is about to be completed, and Manager Bai is busy. He doesn't have time to take care of these things. I think, forget it!" Then she reminded Qiao Lianfang, "Do you think we should send some gifts?"

"It's not a housewarming, so why send a gift?" Qiao Lianfang immediately rejected it. "She has Madam Wen to join in the fun. Let's forget about it." As she spoke, an idea suddenly occurred to her. "How about, why don't we go talk to Madam Wen? There are so many managers in the Wen family. Can't we find a suitable one?" As she spoke, she went to Madam Wen's place.

Madam Wen was thinking about Madam Qin's affairs.

It has been more than a month, and the Second Young Master has returned. Aunt Qin probably won't live for many more days...

When she heard that Aunt Qiao was coming to see her, she gathered her thoughts and went to the hall.

After knowing Qiao Lianfang's purpose of coming, Madam Wen felt a little embarrassed.

If it was a few years ago, what would this be? Helping Aunt Qiao would also be considered making a friend. But in the past two years, the Wen family hated her for not helping, and even the business she opened in Jinan Prefecture was affected a lot... But if she directly rejected Qiao Lianfang, Qiao Lianfang would definitely think that she was unwilling to help.

She could only smile and say, "I'll go ask for a letter in a couple of days! Whether it works or not, I'll give Aunt Qiao a reply in two or three days."

Aunt Qiao smiled, thanked her and left.

Two days later, news came from Luoye Mountain that Aunt Qin had died of illness!

※

I'll post a draft first and finish it tomorrow.

PS: May Day is coming soon. In order to avoid the female channel's activity of doubling the pink tickets at the end of the month, friends who have pink tickets are requested to save their pink tickets until the end of the month!

Thank you everyone!

I will try my best to add more!

O(∩_∩)O~