Si Niang was an insightful person. When she saw this, she smiled and said, "I'll go see if your fourth brother-in-law is drunk again." As she said that, she was about to get off the kang.

How could Eleventh Lady let the pregnant Fourth Lady avoid her?

She smiled and said, "Fourth sister, you should rest here for a while! If you are worried about fourth brother-in-law, I will ask Amber to go check it out." She added, "Fifth sister and I will go check out the excitement and will be back soon."

Si Niang didn't bother to be polite with them. She smiled and nodded, watching them leave.

Wu Niang pulled Shiyi Niang to an empty side room.

"Do you know why brother didn't come?" she said straight to the point.

Eleventh Lady thought of Fourth Lady Luo's hesitation to speak, and thought of Luo Zhensheng being Fifth Lady's brother... She smiled and said, "I heard from Fourth Sister-in-law that Big Brother has something to do."

Wu Niang sneered: "Let me tell you! Big Brother is going to deal with the property in Fujian!"

Fujian!

Eleventh Lady's heart moved.

Wu Niang said, "When father was in office, mother and others started a tea plantation together. Later, father was in mourning and the tea plantation business went downhill. The partners wanted to break up with father. It was not until you married into the Yongping Marquis's mansion that things started to improve. Now Fujian is in chaos. Although the tea plantation has improved in recent years, it is not as good as before. Father wanted to sell the tea plantation to the partners. Otherwise, how could my twelfth sister have so much dowry when she got married?"

Eleventh Lady was secretly shocked, but she said vaguely: "Fujian is too far away, it would be better to sell the tea plantation."

Wu Niang listened with a twinkle in her eyes: "Do you know how much silver the tea plantation took in total?"

Eleventh Lady's heart was filled with alarm bells, and she shook her head slightly: "No matter how much money is collected, it is all the family's property. What does it have to do with us?"

"You are stupid!" Wu Niang cried out, "When Twelve Niang got married, she had a dowry of five thousand taels of silver. How much did we get when we got married? Didn't mother say that marrying off three daughters in a row would make money too tight? Now that the family has money, they should give us some more or less!"

"To supplement the dowry?" Eleventh Lady stared at Fifth Lady in amazement.

"Yes!" Wu Niang said confidently, "I checked and there were precedents like this in the past. When the mother's family got rich, they gave the daughter a dowry when she got married."

Eleventh Lady sneered in her heart.

Why did she drag me to talk about it? She just wanted to borrow my name to negotiate terms with Luo Zhenxing!

"I think it's better for Fifth Sister to talk to Big Brother about this matter!" Eleventh Lady said, "My mother spent money when I got married. Anyone of you can go and ask for it, but it would be a bit unreasonable for me to go." Not wanting to say more to her, she opened the lattice door and said, "I don't know who is holding the curtain, but I hope you can get a red envelope today." After that, she walked out of the door without waiting for Fifth Lady to say anything.

* * * * * *

The next day was the wedding day. Xu Lingyi and Shiyi Niang left Jing'er at home, and Xu Sizhun, Xu Sijie and Zhen Jie'er all went to Gongxian Hutong to attend the wedding banquet. Cheng Ge and Li Ge from Si Niang's family also came. Yu Cheng is thirteen years old this year, and Yu Li is eleven years old this year. Yu Cheng is older and seems a little reserved. Yu Li and Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie quickly became friends. When they came back from the wedding, Xu Sizhun was still thinking about Yu Li and asked if he could visit Si Niang's house.

"After eating Laba porridge, it will be the New Year." Eleventh Lady advised, "If you go at this time, every household will be busy celebrating the New Year, and others will have to entertain you, which will cause trouble to others. I think it's better to wait until after the New Year to go."

Xu Sizhun nodded reluctantly.

A maid came in and reported: "The person sent to Luoye Mountain came back and said that the second young master would be returning home early on the 24th."

The New Year is approaching, and Eleventh Lady sends someone to pick up Xu Siyu.

Eleventh Lady ordered Amber to go to the courtyard where Xu Siyu lived and take a look: "Tell them to light the floor dragon and prepare everything. Add what needs to be added and replace what needs to be replaced."

Amber smiled and replied, Doctor Liu is here.

"Madam is recovering very well." After giving her acupuncture, he quickly retreated outside the tent. "From now on, I will come to give her acupuncture every ten days or half a month."

Xu Lingyi wanted to ask for clarification: "Is it ten days or half a month?" As he spoke, he laughed, "I think I am right to choose ten days. I am afraid that choosing half a month is not bad either!"

Eleventh Lady thought of what Doctor Liu said when he first treated her: "It's best to rest for seven or eight days. If you can rest for ten days or half a month, it would be even better. At the very least, you should rest for four or five days." She burst out laughing.

Xu Lingyi turned around and glared at her as she was putting on her clothes in the tent.

Eleventh Lady hurriedly lowered her head.

Doctor Liu couldn't help but say: "Madam, you should mainly use decoctions and supplement with acupuncture. There is no need to stick to these."

Xu Lingyi sent Doctor Liu out. When he came back, half of the curtains were still unrolled, and Shiyi Niang was sleeping with the quilt wrapped around her. Her fair face had a faint pink color, and her expression was peaceful, like a water lily.

"You're getting braver!" he murmured, stroking her forehead.

Eleventh Lady's sleep was disturbed. She uttered a moan, frowned and turned her face to the side, as if trying to avoid his hand.

Xu Lingyi smiled and let go of her hand, pulling the quilt for her, but he couldn't bear to leave immediately. He sat quietly for a while, leaned down and pecked her colorless lips gently, then got up and went to the outer courtyard.

Eleventh Lady opened her eyes and stared at the mirror-like terrazzo tiles in a daze.

* * * * * *

Soon it was mid-December. The housekeepers, maids, and old women were busy sweeping the house, pasting up peach charms, and arranging decorations for the occasion. Eleventh Lady was busy preparing her New Year costumes - she would have a family reunion dinner on New Year's Eve, go to the palace to wish a happy new year on the first day of the first lunar month, and go to various mansions with Xu Lingyi to pay New Year's greetings from the fifth to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month...

Zhen Jie'er was sitting on the big kang by the window holding Jing'er in her arms, and from time to time she would say things like "This red dress looks good" and "I think purple is better, purple is more dignified".

Eleventh Lady just felt tired.

I sat down opposite Sister Zhen and drank some hot tea.

"I was originally looking forward to the New Year so I could get a red envelope. Then I wrapped it in a handkerchief and put it in a box, and I felt more at ease." After saying this, she was stunned at first.

These days, my memories of Yuhang are becoming clearer and clearer, while my memories of my previous life seem to be becoming more and more vague.

Will there be a day when the memories of past lives become just a hazy shadow?

Zhen Jieer chuckled after hearing this: "No wonder mother and aunt are so close. Aunt also said something like this. She said that if you put the banknotes under your pillow, you will sleep more peacefully."

Eleventh Lady did not stop Zhen Jie'er and Madam Wen from interacting, and gradually, the two of them would say a word or two.

She quickly calmed down after hearing this, and took Jing'er from Zhen'er's arms, and saw her son's big black eyes staring at her without blinking. She smiled and kissed her son, saying, "Why haven't you slept yet? Do you want to eavesdrop on mother and sister talking?" Before she finished speaking, she saw Jing'er smiled a little.

"Sister Zhen, look, look!" Eleventh Lady was very excited, "He can laugh!"

Zhen Jie'er hurried over, but Jing'er's smile had disappeared. He was bending his arms hard, trying to put his white and tender little fist into his mouth.

That’s it, Eleventh Lady also thinks her son is very cute.

She touched her son's head, helped him put on a small hat tied with a handkerchief, and said with a smile: "Yesterday I put him on the kang and helped him put on his clothes. He actually raised his head as if he wanted to get up. I didn't pick him up, and he started crying loudly, as if he couldn't bear it for a moment. He has a terrible temper."

"Sixth brother doesn't like to lie down." Zhen Jieer nodded, "He likes to be held upright and looked at everywhere."

Eleventh Lady also noticed: "Don't they say that a child's head can only stand up after a hundred days? How come he does it so early?"

"Should we ask Mother Tian?" Zhen Jie'er didn't know either, so she gave Shiyi Niang some advice.

Eleventh Lady nodded and was about to ask the maid to call Madam Tian in when a maid reported through the curtain: "Madam, the second young master is back!"

It was just past noon, and she thought Xu Siyu would arrive in the afternoon or evening.

"Please come in!" Eleventh Lady smiled, and Zhen Jie'er had already gotten off the kang.

Xu Siyu walked in wearing a lake green plain Hangzhou silk brocade robe.

Compared to half a year ago, he has not grown taller, but he has become stronger and has a more handsome appearance.

"Mother," he bowed to Eleventh Lady respectfully, called out "Big Sister" with a smile, and his eyes fell on Jing'er in Eleventh Lady's arms.

"I got you a statue of a smiling Buddha, but you haven't seen it." When Eleventh Lady saw it, she smiled and held Jing'er in her arms to show Xu Siyu, "This is your sixth brother."

Xu Siyu smiled and looked at Jing'er: "Sixth brother is the same as fifth brother, with double phoenix eyes."

Jing'er's eyebrows and eyes grew bigger, and the shape of his eyes gradually emerged.

Xu Siyu didn't say the same thing as himself, nor did he take a step forward.

Eleventh Lady knew that he was worried and did not force him. She looked at her son with a smile and said, "I think his eyes look a bit like Jie'er's." Just as she finished speaking, Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie came.

After Laba, Mr. Zhao closed his studio and returned to his hometown, and Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie had a holiday. Every morning, after practicing calligraphy in Xu Sijie's room, they would go to Shiyi Niang's room to see Jing'er. If Jing'er fell asleep, they would go back to their room to take a nap and come back. If Jing'er was awake, they would tease him for a while.

Seeing Xu Siyu, the two brothers hurriedly bowed and their joyful expressions subsided.

Xu Siyu returned the greeting and asked the two in a gentle voice, "I heard that Mr. Zhao returned to his hometown and left you with a lot of homework?"

Xu Sizhun replied, "Yes," "Mr. Zhao said that the museum will be open after the Lantern Festival. He will check the homework at that time. Those who have not finished will plant ten trees in the garden." At this point, he couldn't help but feel a little proud: "My fifth brother and I have almost finished our homework. There are only a hundred pages of large characters left to write."

Xu Sijie kept nodding his head, as if to confirm that Xu Sizhun was right.

Xu Siyu smiled faintly.

Xu Sijie ran to Eleventh Lady and said, "Mother, mother, my fourth brother and I have brought some good things for my sixth brother." As he spoke, he held Jing'er's chubby little hand.

Eleventh Lady did not stop him, but looked at him with a smile: "What did you bring?"

Xu Siyu looked at it with a hint of surprise in his eyes. Then he saw Xu Sizhun took out a toy of a chicken pecking at rice from his sleeve, and said, "Sixth brother, look what this is" while demonstrating the toy.

Jing'er was immediately attracted by the "bang bang bang" sound of the chickens pecking at rice, and he shouted "ah" at Xu Sizhun.

※

I got up at three o'clock in the morning to write, and it was indeed a little faster than usual!

O(∩_∩)O~

While reading this article, don’t forget to cast your pink vote!