Chapter 456: Throwing Stones (Part 1)

"Ask the needlework room to embroider white cranes with dark blue brocade satin for the curtains?" Yang stopped sewing and looked at Mother Yang with a serious look.

"Yes!" Mother Yang nodded repeatedly, "Now the people in the sewing room have stopped their work, even the small blouse that the Fifth Madam asked Xin Jie to make, and are in a hurry to make the curtains for Madam.

I heard that the pattern of the curtains was drawn by the fourth lady herself."

Mrs. Yang often did needlework. Whenever she was inconvenienced, her mother would go to the needlework room to borrow embroidery thread, embroidery needles, top hoops and other things. After going there several times, she became familiar with the people in the needlework room.

"I heard from the sewing room that the lady moved a black lacquered and mica-inlaid bunk bed to the delivery room," Mother Yang continued, "and she matched it with a stone-blue curtain, but she felt it was too monotonous, so she had someone embroider a row of white cranes on the curtain."

Yang couldn't help but pursed her lips: "Does the Marquis know?"

"I know." Mother Yang's voice couldn't help but lower. "I heard that the Marquis also asked Ji Ting to move a few pots of famous chrysanthemums and put them on the windowsill."

Yang looked down at the half-embroidered child's bellyband in her hands without saying a word.

In a few days, Luo will be a mother. She may even give birth to a legitimate son... If that happens, the lady and the marquis will be delighted. Even if it is a daughter, it is a happy thing for the marquis who has always had few children. By then, the marquis will probably love Luo even more. And with Luo's skills and beauty, no one will be able to match her in the next three to five years.

She is only five months younger than Roche.

Thinking of this, Yang's mind appeared Xiulian's pretty face and Yumei's bright big eyes.

After three or five years, she will be an old maid.

If Luo still left her alone, what would she do as she was fading away? Even if she softened Luo's heart and let her sleep with him, she had neither the grace to take care of the Marquis' parents nor the affection to bear children with him. She was just serving him with her beauty. It was still unclear whether she could keep the Marquis, let alone give birth to a boy or a girl.

Yang thought of her deceased concubine Qin.

With her situation, if she hadn't been lucky enough to give birth to a eldest son, how could she have been on equal footing with the shrewd and capable Madam Wen in the past decade or so?

Thinking of this, she threw away the bellyband in her hand in annoyance.

Young, pretty, good at singing and dancing, and gifted by the Queen Mother, if she were in Luo's position, I'm afraid she would have tried every means to leave her out for a few years, waiting for the flower to wither before letting her get some rain and dew. By then, the flower would not be able to bear fruit, and her reputation would be intact. Killing two birds with one stone, why not do it?

Mother Yang, who was doing needlework with her, saw that Yang's face was unhappy and called her "Auntie" cautiously, her eyes full of worry.

Ever since the aunt presented the swaddling clothes that she had prepared day and night to the lady and the lady remained unmoved, the aunt's mood became more and more agitated, and she no longer had the calm and composure of the past.

"Some things can't be rushed." Mother Yang thought for a moment and advised Yang clumsily, "The Queen Mother didn't tell Madam at the time and gave the person to the Marquis directly. As the principal wife, it's understandable that she is unhappy. The Marquis has some rifts with our Marquis, so he will not help you. You told me these words when I first entered the mansion. Do you still remember?"

Yang was stunned.

Mother Yang said, "I don't know how to talk about big principles. But I think people are made of flesh and blood. Since you entered the Xu family, you have been following the rules, being respectful and modest. After a while, the lady will know what kind of person you are. Then, she will naturally become close to you. Otherwise, look at Madam Wen! She has given the accounts of the inner courtyard to her, and she has raised her eldest sister as her own. Not only has she found a good family for her, but she has also helped the eldest daughter to ask the Marquis for a dowry, and she also said that girls are different from boys. Boys are particular about To build a career and support the family, you don't need money from your parents. If a girl marries into another family, she can neither show her face nor take care of household affairs. She has no private money and depends on her husband. She has to look at other people's eyes everywhere. How can she live with her head held high? After hearing this, the Marquis gave the eldest daughter an additional 10,000 taels of silver as a dowry. This is of course because Madam Wen is very cautious in front of Madam, and also because of Madam's friendship with Madam Wen. Madam, please rest assured. When Madam knows what kind of person you are, she will only treat you better than Madam Wen."

Yang knew that her mother was an honest person and that there were some things that she would not understand even if she was told. So she simply nodded and asked her to pour her a cup of tea. She herself stared at the still lush leaves in the yard in a daze.

In a few days, these leaves will turn yellow, wither, and fall...then be stepped on, and after the autumn rain, they will rot in the soil.

…The big kang by the window was covered with a stone-blue brocade cushion, and on the windowsill were two pots of chrysanthemums, one red and one yellow. Against the wall was a six-poster bed with a stone-blue curtain hung on it. A row of white cranes were embroidered on the curtain, and on both sides of the curtain were hanging hooks with silver-gilt crabapple flowers. Opposite the bed were two armchairs, and on one side was a screen. Behind the screen was a small quiet room.

Eleventh Lady nodded and pointed to the white wall between the big kang and the bed: "Hang a four-panel porcelain screen, take a flower table, place a pot of Milan, and place a few holly trees next to the flower table. Add a few brocade stools, so that when people come to visit, they will have a place to sit."

Ji Ting's wife smiled and replied "yes", and led the maid to move the rice flowers and holly tree.

Zhu Xiang took the little maid to the storehouse to get the porcelain screen, flower table and brocade stool.

Eleventh Lady and Mother Song went to the main house.

The two midwives from the palace and the two midwives hired by the lady said that her belly had already swelled and she would be pregnant in the next few days. She looked in the mirror for a long time but could not see any difference.

Helped by Mother Song, she sat on the kang and asked about Luyun's marriage.

"From your tone, you seem to be from a well-off family."

Mother Song personally served her a cup of tea and said with a smile, "If it's not good, I dare not mention it to Madam."

Eleventh Lady smiled and said, "Then call Lvyun's parents to discuss it."

Mother Song smiled and agreed. A little maid came in and said, "Madam, Aunt Yang is here to see you!"

These days, Yang came to her place very frequently and chatted with her whenever she came.

At first, it was limited to the gossips about the family, but in the past few days, Yang often mentioned how poor her family was when she was a child, and how her mother loved her younger brother.

A lot had happened at home in those days, and she simply could not resonate with Yang's "tragic" experience. After listening to a few words, she served her tea and sent her away.

Master Jian and Qiu Ju came over.

Each of them was carrying two large bags.

"We have more than fifty embroiderers in our shop. Do you really want a pregnant woman like you to make clothes by yourself?" Master Jian said, and asked Qiuju to open her bag. The kang was full of children's clothes. Not only were they finely made, but they were also colorful and gorgeous, which dazzled the eyes.

"You can wear it until you are five years old." Qiuju smiled and covered her mouth.

Qiuju has grown a lot taller, and there is no longer the timidity she had when she was a maid, and she looks very cheerful.

She was about to propose marriage. The other party was a good friend of Master Jian in Jiangnan, whose family owned a small embroidery shop in Huzhou. The two were considered a good match. Master Jian proposed that the other party should pay a dowry, but the family was a little hesitant, so the matter was shelved.

Eleventh Lady was shocked when she heard this, and said with a smile, "You wouldn't have given up your business to focus on these little things, would you?"

Master Jian smiled and said, "Qiu Ju helped me make all these things." A hint of pride appeared between his brows. "Maybe we can specialize in making children's clothes in the future."

Everyone laughed when they heard it.

Master Jian's words may come true in a few centuries, but not now.

Those who can afford it have their own sewing rooms, while those who can’t afford it just pass the older ones down to the younger ones. Not to mention the saying “A seventeen or eighteen-year-old knows how to dress up, but a baby in confinement doesn’t.”

Zhu Xiang asked Qiu Yu to bring in two boxes to hold the small clothes.

Master Jian asked about Shiyi Niang's situation with a smile, and talked about some things in the shop. Seeing that it was getting late, he said that he still had work to do in the shop and said goodbye to Qiuju.

Master Jian rarely used needlework now, but all the embroidery in the shop had to be inspected by her before it was sold. At this time, it was time to inspect the embroidery, and Shiyi Niang did not keep her and asked Zhu

Xiang was sent to the Chuihua Gate, and she called Qiuyu, Xiulian and Yumei to come over to help clean up.

After a while, Sister Zhen came over to greet them.

As a little girl, who doesn’t like these little things?

She was amazed and helped Qiuyu to stack some clothes.

Xu Sizhen and Xu Siyi finished school. They watched with great interest. Xu Siyi asked Shiyi Niang in a serious tone: "My brother is not born yet, what if he is born young?"

Eleventh Lady really had a hard time answering. As she was thinking, Xu Sizhen said, "That's why we have done so many things, big and small. This is called being prepared for any eventuality."

Xu Siqi listened and nodded seriously: "Fourth brother is very smart."

Shiyi Niang and the others laughed so hard that they fell over and tears came out.

When they went to have dinner at the old lady's house, Zhen Jie'er told the story to her again, which made her and the fifth lady laugh so hard that even the second lady showed a brilliant smile.

Time passed quickly and it was early October. Everyone in the family became nervous. The lady even went to Ciyuen Temple to burn the first incense stick on the morning of the first day of the new year.

I don’t know if it’s because of her approaching due date or the attitude of the people around her, but Shiyi Niang is starting to feel a little uneasy.

In the middle of the night, Xu Lingyi was awakened by Eleventh Lady tossing and turning, and he held her in his arms: "What's wrong?"

Eleventh Lady didn't know what to say.

She said she was worried that her child would be born with missing arms and legs, or that she was afraid that her child would be mentally retarded due to lack of oxygen during birth…” None of these were auspicious. But these thoughts kept circling in her mind.

It was especially touching when the midwife from the palace asked Mother Song to prepare a new pair of scissors. She had read in a book that many babies died in the past because their umbilical cords were cut with scissors, which caused the umbilical cords to become infected.

Seeing that she didn't say anything, Xu Lingyi remained silent and just held her quietly, kissing her forehead and comforting her.

The warm embrace made Shiyi Niang fall asleep gradually.