Eleventh Lady knew there was something fishy going on, but seeing Fourth Lady Luo's expression, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to get anything out of her, so she simply stopped asking and chatted with her about daily life: "Is Fifth Lady okay?"

Luo Zhensheng is not valued at home, so it would be better for him to wait until Luo Zhensheng comes to Yanjing to talk to Shiyi Niang in person about some things.

Fourth Grandma Luo didn't want to talk to Eleventh Lady either, so she smiled and changed the subject, "Auntie is very good. She takes care of Sixth Brother at home every day, does needlework, and occasionally goes to the temple with Sixth Auntie to worship the Buddha." At this point, she said, "Oh, I was so happy to see Jin'er that I forgot about this matter." She handed Jin'er to Madam Gu who was serving on the side, took out a small rose-red crabapple purse and handed it to Eleventh Lady, "Fifth Auntie asked for the amulet at Ci'an Temple, and asked me to bring it to you. May you and the child be safe and sound." She smiled again, "Although this amulet came a little late, at least it was delivered, and it's a thoughtful gesture."

Eleventh Lady thanked him with a smile and took it.

The petals of the crabapple tree are stacked one on top of another, with clear meridians and lifelike appearance.

She solemnly placed the purse under her pillow and asked about the situation at home.

"Dad got to know a Taoist this spring. Somehow, he came to believe in the Taoist teachings. In the summer, he moved to the farm and started making elixirs there. He ignored all the family affairs. My eldest brother tried to persuade him several times but it was useless. He had no choice but to follow Dad. My third aunt was afraid that Dad would have no one to take care of him at the farm, so she followed him. My sixth aunt stayed behind to help my fifth aunt take care of my seventh brother. I hired a needlework master to supervise my twelfth sister's needlework at home. The responsibility of managing the household fell entirely on my eldest sister-in-law."

Twelve Niang, who had been sitting next to them without saying anything, blushed slightly after hearing this, and lowered her head shyly to sip her tea.

Seeing her shy look like a little girl, Eleventh Lady couldn't help but smile.

"Your fourth brother is not a good student, so your eldest brother asked him to follow the steward Wu to take care of the household affairs." Grandma Luo smiled and said, "You also know your fourth brother's character. He is loyal and honest. He dare not be careless in the tasks assigned by your eldest brother. In the past two years, there have been no mistakes. I can also take care of Yingniang at home peacefully." As she spoke, her eyes fell softly on Yingniang, who was sitting on a small stool eating pastries.

Yingniang looks like someone from the Luo family, with fair skin and big almond eyes. She bears some resemblance to Shi Er Niang who is sitting next to her.

Eleventh Lady smiled and asked her, "Are the shortbreads delicious?"

Yingniang nodded: "Delicious!" Her voice was cheerful, but like that of Grandma Luo Si.

Eleventh Lady laughed.

Grandma Luo Si was a little embarrassed and said, "She is used to being wild at home. I asked her to lower her voice, but she just couldn't change it."

Eleventh Lady, however, liked it very much: "It's better for girls to have a cheerful temperament." The daughters of the Luo family were all very depressed.

"The aunt is one of our own, so it's natural for her to say that." Grandma Luo said angrily, "She will get married in the future. Which mother-in-law would like such an excited temper?"

"She's still young, just teach her slowly. She won't become fat in one bite."

As they were talking, a little maid came in and said, "Madam, the eldest lady is here!"

Twelve Niang's eyes lit up when she heard this.

The days in Yanjing added a touch of bright color to her dull and gloomy life, and changed her life and destiny from then on... She would never forget those people and events.

She couldn't help but stand up.

Then I saw the curtain lifted, and Zhen Jie'er walked in with a smile on her face.

"As soon as I heard that my fourth aunt and twelfth aunt were here, I rushed over."

After paying respects to Fourth Grandma Luo and Twelve Niang, she immediately took Twelve Niang's hand and asked, "When did you and Fourth Aunt come here? How was your journey? Are Grandfather, Big Uncle, Big Aunt, and Little Uncles all well?" She then saw Ying Niang and smiled, "Is this my eldest cousin? She's so pretty!"

She said a lot of things in a row, which made people wonder where to start, but her enthusiasm was revealed.

Twelve Niang's smile became bright and sincere: "I arrived yesterday. I came to see Eleventh Sister early this morning. Everyone in the family is doing well." Then she called Ying Niang: "Come and meet your eldest cousin."

Yingniang tilted her head and looked up at Zhenjie, saying in amazement, "You are so tall!"

Everyone was amused by her appearance and burst into laughter.

Zhen Jie'er blushed slightly, untied a piece of mutton-fat jade from her waist and handed it to Ying Niang: "This is a gift for you."

Yingniang didn't dare to take it. She looked at Fourth Grandma Luo. After Fourth Grandma Luo nodded slightly, she smiled, took the jade pendant and thanked Zhen Jie'er.

The jade tablet beside the old lady came over and said, "Fourth Madam, the old lady knows that the grandmother-in-law is here. Please ask the grandmother-in-law, the young lady in-law, and the eldest cousin to come over and talk."

Eleventh Lady was not convenient, so she smiled and told Zhen Jie'er: "You can go with Fourth Aunt and Ying Niang!" She then said to Fourth Grandma Luo, "Come over for lunch later!"

Grandma Luo Si agreed with a smile and went to see the lady.

After giving the children gifts, reminiscing about the past, and chatting until almost noon, Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie left school.

The lady called the two brothers over and said, "Come and meet your fourth aunt, twelfth aunt, and eldest cousin." Then she said to Yingniang, "These are your fourth and fifth cousins."

Xu Sizhun still remembered Luo Si's grandmother and Shi Er Niang, but it was the first time he saw Ying Niang; Xu Sijie had no impression of her at all. In comparison, Ying Niang, who was younger than himself, became the focus of his attention. The two brothers' eyes fell on Ying Niang at the same time.

She had her hair tied up in a bun and was wearing a small red jacket embroidered with peony flowers. She had a red gold ruyi necklace around her neck and a red gold longevity lock bracelet on her hand. Her round face was as white and delicate as the petals of a lily of the valley, and her big almond eyes were as bright and clear as water. She was very adorable.

Yingniang was not afraid of strangers. Seeing Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie looking at her, she smiled and shouted loudly, "Fourth cousin, fifth cousin." The clear and loud voice made the two brothers a little embarrassed, but they also felt happy in their hearts, and they both smiled with a little embarrassment.

The lady invited Luo Si Nainai and others to have dinner, and said with a smile: "I also know that Eleventh Lady must have invited you to have dinner. I will ask someone to tell her that you can stay with me at noon and go to her place in the evening."

I dare not refuse the gift from my elders. Besides, the lady is honoring the Luo family.

Grandma Luo smiled and said "yes", and had lunch in the lady's room.

Yingniang took the spoon herself, not a single grain of rice fell on the table, and she ate both vegetables and meat, which was in stark contrast to Xinjie'er's pampered behavior.

Xu Sizhun looked at her with interest.

After dinner, Xu Sizun and Xu Sijie stayed in the lady’s room to take a nap, while Fourth Lady Luo and the others went to Eleventh Lady’s place.

Yingniang's upper and lower eyelids were fighting with each other, and she fell drowsy on her wet nurse's body.

Eleventh Lady asked Mother Gu to take Yingniang to the warm room to rest, and arranged for Fourth Madam Luo to rest in the west wing.

"It's not summer, and I'm not a child." Grandma Luo smiled, "It's rare for us to meet, so let me talk to you!"

This time, Grandma Luo and others came to Beijing mainly for Twelve Niang's marriage. Luo Zhenxing also asked her to help take care of some things. Grandma Luo must have something to discuss with her.

Eleventh Lady smiled and nodded.

Zhen Jieer pulled Twelve Niang to her room and said, "I have just embroidered a peony screen, and I want Twelve Aunt to come and see it!"

You want to talk together!

Eleventh Lady smiled and nodded: "Remember to come over for dinner!"

Zhen Jie'er and Twelve Niang responded with a smile and walked out of the house hand in hand.

After the maid served tea and snacks, Eleventh Lady sent the servants away.

Fourth Aunt Luo told her about Twelve Sister's marriage: "...Eldest brother gave us a silver note of five thousand taels of silver, so that we can prepare for Twelve Sister's marriage. Although Twelve Uncle's family is poor, it is a big family after all, and we have never experienced this before. We don't have much money, how should we use the money? What should we use it for? What should we buy? What can we save? I want to ask Eleventh Aunt, so that your fourth brother can help with the preparations! Otherwise, it will be out of place and embarrass Twelve Sister."

So generous!

Eleventh Lady was quite emotional.

Thinking back to when the eldest wife married them... it really couldn't be compared! However, five thousand taels of silver, considering the custom of marrying a daughter off with a grand ceremony in Jiangnan, was considered a lot... But in the Wang family, with the uncles and aunts, it wasn't much... but it wasn't too little either.

Eleventh Lady thought, "I don't have much experience in this matter. It's hard to say for the time being. How about this, I'll find out carefully and give you a definite answer in the next two days. Then we can discuss what to do. What do you think, Fourth Sister-in-law?"

Fourth Grandma Luo said, "Then I'll wait for Eleventh Aunt's reply." After a slight hesitation, she said, "There is one more thing..." as if she didn't know how to start.

Eleventh Lady thought for a moment and said, "Does Fourth Sister-in-law have anything for me to do?"

Fourth Aunt Luo smiled awkwardly and said, "It's really a difficult matter..." Then she explained the cause and effect, "...According to eldest brother's opinion, Twelve Aunt's dowry should be similar to that of Fifth Aunt and Tenth Aunt, because she is the youngest sister, so it is a little more generous, and it is the same if we, as brothers and sisters-in-law, give a little more. But Sixth Aunt disagreed. She used you as an example. She said that since they are both marrying girls, your dowry is more generous. Although Twelve Sister dare not compare with you, she can't compare with Fifth Aunt either." As she spoke, her face flushed slightly and her voice became a few degrees lower, "In front of Dad... Dad called eldest brother in the morning the next day and decided on a dowry of five thousand taels of silver."

Eleventh Lady was ashamed.

"Big brother, it's hard to refute it." Grandma Luo said, "Sixth Aunt also said that the twelfth sister married far away, and the land and acres in Jiangnan can't be used, and people need to be sent to look after them. Can we let the twelfth uncle send people to Jiangnan every year to collect rent? This way, there will be no harvest even in a good year, and if there is a bad year, I'm afraid we will have to pay money. Big brother must take out five thousand taels of silver notes! But Daddy is on the side of Sixth Aunt... So he took out the five thousand taels of silver notes. As a result, Sixth Aunt said that the uncle's family is poor, what's the point of buying so many tables and chairs, take out one thousand taels of silver to buy things, and give the rest to the twelfth sister as a dowry."

Dowry money is not included in the gift list.

If the Sixth Aunt's idea was followed, in the eyes of others, the Luo family would only have spent one thousand taels of silver to marry off their daughter.

"Big brother will definitely not agree?" Eleventh Lady vaguely understood.

Fourth Madam Luo nodded: "Not only did she disagree, she was so angry that she scolded Sixth Aunt."

But the Sixth Aunt still followed him to Beijing, which means that Luo Zhenxing was ultimately unable to defeat the Sixth Aunt.

※

It’s a bit late to add more!

O(∩_∩)O~

Let’s watch it again tomorrow morning!

PS: Draft…