Eleventh Lady felt relieved and hurried to greet her: "Why did Fourth Sister come at such a late hour?" Seeing that she only brought a little maid, she asked curiously, "Why didn't you bring Brother Qi?"

The third son of Si Niang was named Yu Qi.

"The child is too young," Si Niang said with a smile, "I'm afraid he will make noises. I'll bring him over to visit after a few days when you've finished your work here." Seeing that a large table was set up in the hall and the things for the first birthday celebration were all in place, she said, "It's going to be the first birthday celebration soon, right? Don't worry about me, just go and do your own thing."

As they were talking, the Lady Dowager and Madam Huang had already walked to the large desk and stood still, ready to watch Jing'er's one-year-old birth ceremony.

Eleventh Lady didn’t have time to talk to Fourth Lady. She hurriedly said, “I’ll go over first,” and went to the big case with Jin Ge’er in her arms.

Twelve Niang took Si Niang's arm, called her "Fourth Sister" affectionately, and said, "Mother-in-law has taken the medicine that Fourth Sister sent, and her eyesight has improved a lot. I must thank Fourth Sister for letting me meet her."

"We are sisters, why are you saying these things?" The fourth sister said with a smile, "As long as the medicine is effective, it's good. It's not a rare thing, it's just the right way. If it's gone, just go to the fourth sister to get it."

"How can I let Fourth Sister help me prepare the medicine?" Twelve Niang said, "Fourth Sister, why don't you tell me where the medicine is prepared? Then you don't have to go to the pharmacy specially for this matter."

"Okay!" Si Niang said readily, "That shop has a secret recipe for eye treatment passed down from generation to generation. It would be better if you take your mother-in-law there to check her pulse." Then she told her the location of the pharmacy.

Twelve Niang took note of it silently.

Si Niang looked into the hall and asked, "Why don't I see Wu Niang?"

"He was there just now." Twelve Niang followed Four Niang's gaze and looked into the hall, "He was talking to the fourth wife of the Tang family in front of the main hall. Where did he go now?" Before she finished speaking, a burst of laughter came from the large case surrounded by three layers of people inside and outside. Someone said, "Our Brother Jin has caught the general's helmet."

The two of them had no time to talk about Wu Niang. They walked over quickly and stood on tiptoe to look inside.

Jing'er, who was only wearing a small red silk jacket and a red gold locket necklace with the inscription "Everything Goes Well", threw away his general's helmet, twisted his body and grabbed the drinking chips in the box beside him.

"Oh, it's a drinking game." Someone laughed, and someone immediately said something auspicious: "Long sleeves and good dancing, friends all over the world."

Twelve Niang saw Jing'er sitting there happily biting the drinking order, as if to test whether it was strong or not. She couldn't help laughing and said, "Fourth sister, I didn't expect Jing'er to catch a drinking order."

Si Niang also found Jing'er's expression interesting. She was a smart woman and knew that there were skills in grasping the week-old. She did not believe that what a person grasped during the grasping of the week-old would determine what would happen in the future. She laughed and said, "That drinking order was so beautiful. It's no wonder that Jing'er wanted to grasp it."

The Anyatang drinking order is engraved on a token made of cloisonné enamel with a royal blue background. It is gorgeous and luxurious. Not to mention children, even adults would not be able to resist touching it and taking a look at it.

Twelve Lady felt that what Four Lady said made sense: "The general's helmet is also very beautiful! It is golden and decorated with a bright red tassel..."

As she spoke, the lady smiled and hugged Jing'er, "Okay, okay, okay, our Jing'er will be a Mengchang Jun in the future!"

Everyone congratulated him.

The third lady laughed loudly and said, "Ladies, please take your seats and eat our birthday noodles!"

Everyone dispersed with smiles on their faces.

The mother in charge was busy putting away the things for the one-year-old celebration.

The Third Lady straightened her body and whispered to Fang, "Jin'er caught a drinking game!" There was a hint of gloating in her tone.

Fang frowned slightly and did not answer.

The third wife felt that her daughter-in-law was good in every way except that she spoke too little. She never responded to anything she said, which made people feel like a heavy punch hitting cotton, always making them feel uncomfortable.

Thinking of this, she decided not to argue with her daughter-in-law - talking less has its advantages. At least she wouldn't gossip about what happened in her room and tell Shiyi Niang or Danyang about it.

The smile returned to her face, even brighter. The Third Lady instructed the housekeeper beside her: "Tell the maids and daughters-in-law to be more efficient. Once the banquet is over, we will move to Dianchun Hall to listen to opera and drink tea."

The housekeeper said hurriedly, "Don't worry, when the eighth dish is served, I will arrange for some maids and wives to go over there to clean up."

The Third Lady nodded arrogantly and her eyes fell on the Fifth Lady who was sitting and whispering with Mrs. Tang Si.

This Wu Niang was also a very busybody. As soon as she entered the house, she stuck together with Mrs. Tang Si and discussed some tea business...

Thinking of this, she hurriedly said to Fang: "Did you see the woman wearing a royal blue jacket with gourds and treasure bottles and gold sleeves sitting on the east and west tables? She is the fourth wife of the Zhongshan Marquis's family. Their family is the most snobbish, and they speak human words to people and devil words to devils. If you meet them in the future, you must be very careful. Do you understand?"

Fang said "yes" respectfully. While the Third Madam was chatting with others, she directed the maids to serve tea and snacks, helped Madam Huang and others arrange a place to play cards, and checked the dishes for the dinner...

Eleventh Lady was afraid that the show would scare Jin Ge'er when the gong started, so she carried him around for a while and then took him back to the main room.

Si Niang followed and took out a box and handed it to Shiyi Niang: "This is what Qi Niang gave to Jing'er."

Eleventh Lady thanked her and sat on the big kang next to the window with Fourth Lady. "What has Seventh Sister been busy with these days? I wrote her one letter, and Fifth Brother's wife wrote her three letters, all asking her to come to Beijing to play for a while. She replied that she was busy with something at home and would leave when she was done. In the end, we waited until today and still didn't see her."

Si Niang listened and hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "Qi Niang arrived in Yanjing last month!"

Eleventh Lady was shocked: "Since you are here, why don't you come to my place to rest for a while?" Then she thought that she was a lively and active person. It was completely contrary to her personality that she had not come to visit the Xu family for such a long time in Beijing. She also thought that she had never given birth. Without waiting for Fourth Lady to answer, she hurriedly asked: "Fourth Sister, has Seventh Sister had any problem?"

Among the sisters, Eleventh Lady is the most calm and steady, and she married a rich husband. She told Eleventh Lady this because she wanted to discuss some ideas with her.

"It's all about the child." She said in a deep voice, "The Zhu family has opened an ancestral hall and asked the seventh brother-in-law to make the decision. Either divorce his wife, take a concubine, or adopt a child."

"What did Seventh Brother-in-law say?" Eleventh Lady's heart began to beat fast when she heard this.

"Seventh brother-in-law agreed to adopt me."

Eleventh Lady let out a long sigh.

"But the old lady of the Zhu family disagreed." Si Niang said, "There was a commotion first. Seventh brother-in-law finally calmed it down. Then the Zhu family started making a fuss again about the adoption."

Although Zhu Anping was a wealthy man, this society placed more emphasis on bloodline and offspring. Those with a clean background might not necessarily be willing to let their children be adopted. Those with greed often had concerns about the children's behavior, and were even more worried that the children would be instigated by their biological parents when they grew up, causing unrest in the family.

Eleventh Lady asked, "Is it for the selection of the adopted son?"

Si Niang nodded, "The matter of the old lady of the Zhu family is easy to deal with, after all, we are a family. But this time, it is a family matter. Zhu Anping was in a state of panic, and he was in a dilemma. Qi Niang had her own thoughts. So she came to Yanjing. I was going to persuade her to come to Jin'er's first birthday ceremony, but she said that she was in such a state that she would be laughed at if she came, and she refused to come. I tried to persuade her for a long time but she still refused. I had no choice but to leave Qi'er to her and come alone."

To the outside world, they were Luo's daughters. To the inside, they were the first and second wives. Otherwise, Qi Niang would not have found Si Niang first at this critical moment involving her own interests - after all, they were siblings. Now that Si Niang had deliberately told her about Qi Niang's predicament, she had a vague understanding in her heart.

"Seventh sister has her own thoughts?" Eleventh Lady asked, "What does Seventh sister mean?"

There was a hint of relief in Si Niang's eyes.

It's really straightforward to talk to a smart person like Shiyi Niang.

"Qiniang means that adoption is fine, but it must be someone she chooses. Otherwise, she would rather divorce."

Qi Niang is probably afraid that the adopted child won’t be able to support the family!

She pondered and said, "Seventh brother-in-law disagrees?"

"Seventh brother-in-law means the same thing. But as for the choice of person..." Si Niang said, hesitating.

Eleventh Lady just looked at her quietly.

She pondered for a long time, and said solemnly: "Qiniang wants to adopt our Qi Ge'er."

"The Zhu family will definitely not agree." Eleventh Lady said in a lost voice, "What about Fourth Brother-in-law? Does Fourth Brother-in-law agree?"

"It's easy to talk to your fourth brother-in-law." Si Niang's eyes flickered. "If it comes to that, let Dad and Mom come to persuade your fourth brother-in-law. As for the Zhu family, your brother-in-law agrees, but the Zhu family won't agree no matter what."

The Second Master and the Second Wife had given Yu Yiqing a second life. If the two elders spoke up, even if Yu Yiqing was reluctant, she would have to think carefully about it. This might not be impossible. But if the Zhu family disagreed...even the government had no right to interfere in matters decided by the clan. Could Xu Lingyi use the authority of the government to threaten the Zhu family? If so, Yu Yiqing could do it, and Xu Lingyi didn't have to come forward!

A thought flashed through her mind, and Eleventh Lady asked, "What does Fourth Sister mean?"

Si Niang smiled bitterly: "If things come to that point, I can only say that it is your seventh brother-in-law's opinion. You can't even mention anything that the Zhu family disagrees with. As for convincing the Zhu family, I have to ask the Marquis to come forward!"

"This matter is of great importance." Eleventh Lady said solemnly, "Let me first test the Marquis's attitude!"

Si Niang was very grateful that Shiyi Niang agreed to speak in front of Xu Lingyi. She thanked him repeatedly. Shiyi Niang was thinking about another thing.

"Fourth sister," she said, "If this thing succeeds, Brother Qi..."

Si Niang's tears fell without warning: "I just thought that this child was born for Seventh Sister!" But she couldn't help but cover her face and cry.

Eleventh Lady looked at Fourth Lady in silence for a long while.

When she went to bed with Xu Lingyi at night, she felt conflicted - if she told Xu Lingyi, this might work, but if she didn't, it would definitely not work. On one hand, there was Qi Niang's future, and on the other hand, there was Xu Lingyi's dilemma... She knew which was more important, but she couldn't speak.

※

O(∩_∩)O~

PS: Keep asking for pink votes...