Although she was mentally prepared, Eleventh Lady was still a little surprised when the news came.

“It’s gone so soon…”

"I've already met the person I was supposed to meet." Mother Song whispered, "I can naturally feel at ease."

As she was speaking, the lady sent the jade tablet beside her to invite her over to talk.

"…He died of illness and his body was put in a state of rest. I think the funeral should be held there!"

Eleventh Lady agreed and went back to call Mother Song to discuss how to arrange the funeral.

"…After all, she is a concubine who is listed in the family tree and gave birth to a son. Other families may not care, but the three relatives and six relatives must be informed." Mother Song said the customary etiquette, "There are also the dowager and the marquis above. I think the eight people should raise their heads and ask the monks from Ciyuan Temple to help chant the "Rebirth Mantra". After the first seven days, the burial can be carried out. What do you think?"

Eleventh Lady nodded slightly.

Mother Song added, "As for the mourning period, according to the law, since the late Madam is gone, the Second Young Master should observe the mourning period for three years. But you can also observe the mourning period for one year. As for the Fourth Young Master, the Fifth Young Master, and the Eldest Miss... It all depends on how the family arranges it."

Eleventh Lady asked someone to pass a message to Xu Lingyi in the outer courtyard.

Lin Bo replied: "The Marquis said that the Second Young Master should observe a one-year mourning period!"

Eleventh Lady was pregnant, so she couldn't attend these directly. She asked Madam Wen to help her go to Luoye Mountain: "...Yu Ge is just a half-grown boy anyway. There are some things that need the help of the elders to deal with."

Madam Wen and Madam Qin had lived in the same courtyard for more than ten years, and there had never been any direct conflict. Now that someone had died, they were inevitably a little sad. She sighed and nodded, changed into plain clothes, and took Xu Sijie, the concubine's son, and Zhen Jie'er, the concubine's daughter, to pay their respects in front of the coffin.

Xu Siyu was keeping vigil over there. Although life in the mansion was not affected at all, everyone was in a low mood due to the lack of one person.

After mourning, chanting sutras, and holding a funeral, after the seventh day, Xu Siyu returned home wearing plain clothes.

"...I have sent a letter to Mr. Jiang." He has lost a lot of weight, but his eyes look more calm. "I told Mr. Jiang about my family's situation and asked him to write a list of books for me. I want to live in Luoye Mountain to mourn for my aunt, and I can take this opportunity to read some books."

Xu Lingyi looked at the face that was similar to his own and whose features were becoming more angular, sighed softly, and nodded in response.

Xu Siyu bowed respectfully to his father and went to the inner courtyard.

He first went to see Shiyi Niang and told her that he was going to build a house and study in Luoye Mountain.

Successful people all have strong willpower. Studying at home for a year was also a test for Xu Siyu.

Eleventh Lady nodded slightly, looking at his young face, and couldn't help but admonish him: "Since you have made a decision, when you encounter difficulties in the future, don't forget your original intention."

Xu Siyu's eyes flickered, he nodded slightly, and sat there quietly drinking tea with his head down.

The air in the room seemed a little stuffy.

Eleventh Lady always felt that Xu Siyu was like a maze, winding and full of secrets. She herself was such a person, but she didn't like people with the same personality. She preferred the gentle and simple Xu Sizhun and the sincere and cheerful Xu Sijie.

She broke the silence with a smile: "I heard that no one has lived in Luoye Mountain for a long time. I haven't been there either. I don't know what the situation is like. Although you will only stay there for a year, you can't be careless. If there are any new things to buy, just send someone to tell me."

Xu Siyu listened and thought for a while, then said, "I really have something to ask you!"

Eleventh Lady listened carefully.

"I think we should take two servants, two maids, two old women, and two young men with us." Xu Siyu said slowly, "It would be best if the old woman and the young men are a couple, so it will be simpler." He did not mention any names, and his tone was as if he was asking Eleventh Lady to make new arrangements.

Eleventh Lady thought of Lian Jiao and Xiao Luzi... and she vaguely understood something.

"I want to take Wenzhu with me from my old room. She has served me the longest and has been with me in Anle. She is also the most familiar with the things in my room. With her, there will be someone to supervise the maids, servants, and old women, and I can also concentrate on studying."

That’s fine, let’s start over!

Eleventh Lady nodded: "I understand."

She saw Xu Siyu let out a long sigh of relief.

The two talked for a few more words, and Xu Siyu stood up and said goodbye.

Eleventh Lady accompanied her to the Lady Dowager's place.

The lady knew that he was going to build a hut in Luoye Mountain, so she nodded and told him, "You must tell your second aunt."

Xu Siyu agreed and went to the second lady.

The Madam asked Shiyi Niang to stay and talk: "... Then let's replace the maids and old women before Yu Ge'er goes to Luoye Mountain! New people, new atmosphere, there are some things in the corners that need to be cleaned up!"

Eleventh Lady agreed and asked Zhen Jie'er and Song Mama to help choose maids for each room.

Mother Song knew that Shiyi Niang wanted Zhen Jie'er to practice, so she carefully guided her and spent four or five days selecting a dozen maids and assigning them to different rooms. She also arranged for some older maids to take over, and some were sent to farms, some died of illness, or had accidents, which were all later stories.

Xu Siyu named the new maid Xiangzhu after Wenzhu, and the two servants were named "Mozhu" and "Sizhu" respectively.

"I hope you can be like the asparagus fern, which survives the snow without withering and becomes greener in the cold."

The fathers and mothers of these three people were just low-ranking servants in the mansion. They were delighted to be chosen and all of them said “yes” with happy faces.

Xu Siyu stared at the three people for a while, then leaned back on the big kang by the window and picked up a book to start reading.

Wen Zhu hurriedly led the newcomers back out.

Xu Siyu put the book down and stared at the lush camphor tree outside the window in a daze.

It was very painful when my aunt passed away.

She moaned all night, vomited blood, and kept shouting his name...

He didn't dare to delve into it.

Is it because my aunt is terminally ill or for some other reason that she is vomiting blood?

I could only hug my aunt tightly and let the tears fall down.

Xu Siyu closed his eyes.

The words of the Second Madam echoed in his mind: "People talk about fate. You and Auntie, maybe your fate is only for these few years. Just like Xiao Luzi, I sent him to you because I thought you had something to do, and someone also informed me. Who knew that he would get himself into trouble. This is also the reason why there is no master-servant fate between you. You don't have to take it to heart. Everything in the world has its own reincarnation. Just like flowers blooming and falling. There is a time to bloom, and there is also a time to wither. It's just that some flowers bloom for a long time, and some bloom for a short time..."

Xiao Luzi is the person closest to him, so what if he knew those things?

If he had not been working for me, but for my father, or for my fifth uncle, the result would probably have been different, right?

Thinking of this, he felt a little upset.

Someone walked in quietly: "Second Young Master, the First Young Master and the Third Young Master are here to see you!"

"Please let them in!" Xu Siyu turned his head away, secretly wiped the corners of his eyes, and then sat up.

"Why do we have to go to Luoye Mountain?" Xu Sijian was as straightforward as ever. "Isn't it the same at home? Why do we have to stick to this formality?"

"I just want to have some peace and quiet." Xu Siyu pointed at the teacup in front of them and asked them to drink some tea. "I also want to calm down and think about what to do next."

"You are worrying for no reason." Xu Sijian disagreed. "If you are still worried, what should we do?" He sighed. "Gan Laoquan returned to Yanjing on Daddy's orders to prepare for the sacrifice to the old uncle of the Marquis of Zhongqin. From what he said, Daddy's situation is very difficult now. Mom asked him to take a letter to Grandpa and Uncle, asking them to help buy a small house in Yanjing and prepare to transport some valuable things back home, so as not to forget things when the time comes."

Xu Siyu was slightly stunned: "Is it that serious?"

Xu Sijian sighed: "I don't know either."

Both of them looked at the older Xu Siqin.

Xu Siqin didn't want to talk about this, and smiled, "Mom is always careful, and this time she's just worried." Then he changed the subject and asked Xu Siyu, "Is Luoye Mountain convenient? Can we visit you more often in the future?"

"Convenient!" Xu Siyu and Xu Siqin always had a tacit understanding, so he could naturally see what he was thinking and followed his words. "And it's very remote, a good place to study." He paused and said, "I'm fourteen years old this year. If I go out of filial piety for one year, I'll be fifteen... I don't want to end up like this when I'm old enough to know my destiny."

Since you have embarked on this path, it will be impossible to start your own business without passing the imperial examination.

Xu Siqin understood what Xu Siyu meant and said, "That's fine. We have too many social events to attend to at home." He also thought about how his brother Xu Sijian always spoke casually. He was afraid that if he said anything more serious, Xu Sijian might accidentally tell others about it and someone with ulterior motives might use it to make a fuss and embarrass Xu Siyu. So he said, "When are you leaving? We two brothers will see you off then!"

"The master from Ciyuan Temple will go over on the 'second seventh' to chant the 'Rebirth Mantra' for my aunt for a day. I will go over tomorrow."

As he was talking, Sister Zhen came over.

"That place is very remote, I think there must be a lot of mosquitoes." She brought a few boxes of insect repellent incense, as well as clothes, shoes and socks, "Second brother, just use it. If it's good, I'll help you make it."

Xu Siyu was very grateful, but because of the difference between the inner and outer courtyards, he only allowed Zhen Jie'er to have a cup of tea.

Xu Siqin enthusiastically saw Zhen Jie'er off.

"I heard that my eldest sister has been helping Fourth Aunt with household affairs these days?"

Zhen Jie'er smiled and said, "It's not really a matter of 'control'. It's just that mother has been in poor spirits these days and Madam Song is a servant, so she is just borrowing my name to do some work." Her tone was very humble.

Xu Siqin nodded absentmindedly and said, "Then, does the eldest sister still often go out with Fourth Aunt?"

Sister Zhen was stunned.

Xu Siqin said, "I mean, did your elder sister go with your fourth aunt to see Madam Gan?"

Sister Zhen had heard vaguely about some things.

Xu Siqin's grandfather had a very unpleasant quarrel with the current Uncle Zhongqin over the division of property, and the relationship between the two families is now not as good as that between neighbors next door.

When Zhen Jieer heard him ask this, she thought of what happened yesterday in Shiyi Niang's room, when Shiyi Niang and Master Jian were talking about how the old uncle of the Gan family would be leaving mourning next month, and that Uncle Zhongqin and his wife were arguing about the dowry of the third aunt Cao'e and the dowry of the eldest daughter Xian Jie'er...

She said tactfully, "My mother hasn't left the house since she got pregnant. However, I heard from Master Jian that the Gan family plans to marry the third aunt first, and then the eldest daughter. I'm afraid Yuanjie's wedding will have to wait until the beginning of next spring."

Xu Siqin nodded thoughtfully and did not say another word until he sent Zhen Jie'er to the Chuihua Gate.

※

The update is a bit late.

O(∩_∩)O~

Let’s watch it again tomorrow morning!