Chapter 528: Gap (Part 2)

Xu Lingyi saw that Shiyi Niang was a little depressed, but he misunderstood that she was talking about the one-year-old Jian Ge'er. He put his arm around her shoulders and comforted her: "Knowledge of the world is knowledge, and understanding of human nature is writing. There are many people in the army with superb martial arts who eventually became lieutenant generals, and there are many people who can't even tie a chicken with their hands who became generals. The key is whether the person is skilled in doing things. Since our Jian Ge'er has won the drinking order, he will definitely be a person who likes to make friends in the future. A person with friends to help him is not afraid of doing anything!"

Looking at his concerned eyes, Eleventh Lady felt a little depressed.

Si Niang came to her just to ask Xu Lingyi to put pressure on the government and not to interfere in the issue of the succession of the Zhu family. However, interfering in the affairs of another family would also affect Xu Lingyi's reputation.

She put her arm around Xu Lingyi's waist and made a decision.

"Qiniang is in Yanjing!"

Xu Lingyi was a little surprised: "Argued with Zhu Anping again?"

"There were many guests at the time, so Si Niang couldn't explain it very clearly." Shiyi Niang said.

"I want to go see her tomorrow."

Xu Lingyi nodded: "Do you want me to help persuade Zhu Anping?"

"Let's see how the situation develops!" said Eleventh Lady, "Things between husband and wife are the most unpredictable. Sometimes advice is like timely assistance, and sometimes it is like adding fuel to the fire." Xu Lingyi always thought that Qi Niang was self-willed and Zhu Anping was open-minded. Subconsciously, he felt that this time it was probably Qi Niang who caused the trouble again. He didn't ask too much, chatted with Eleventh Lady for a few words, and then stopped talking about it.

The next day, Shiyi Niang just said that she wanted to go see Si Niang, and took Zhu Xiang to Si Niang's place.

Yu Yiqing was not at home. Si Niang was very surprised to see Shiyi Niang coming to her house. She only said

"You are here," he said, and led her to a chamber at the eastern end of the back room. The chamber was clean and tidy, and the decoration was simple and elegant. Eleventh Lady stared at the skinny and dazed woman sitting on the kang by the window for a long time before she called out softly, "Seventh Sister."

Qi Niang looked at her and smiled self-deprecatingly: "I no longer look like a human being. Didn't you recognize me at first?"

Eleventh Lady didn't want to lie with her eyes open, so she remained silent.

Qi Niang pointed at the kang opposite and said, "Sit down and talk! We still need your help this time!" Her tone was very cold, even with a hint of arrogance.

Si Niang looked at her apologetically and whispered, "She has been a little dazed. Sister Shiyi, please be more tolerant for my sake!"

Eleventh Lady gave Four Lady a look that said "I know" and sat down opposite Seventh Lady. There was no one serving in the room. Four Lady went to make tea for Eleventh Lady. Seventh Lady had already murmured, "He promised me that if it didn't work out, he would adopt one of our sisters' sons. Now that he wants to adopt a son, he should adopt one from us sisters."

Eleventh Lady suddenly realized.

If Zhu Anping agreed, why did Qi Niang repeatedly emphasize the promise she made that year? She did not say anything, but took the tea handed to her by Si Niang and took a sip, then she said softly:

"Didn't the Seventh Brother-in-law come with you?"

Qi Niang pursed her lips and said stiffly "No", but Si Niang beside her answered "Yes", and the two of them said it at the same time, making people wonder whether Zhu Anping came or not.

Si Niang glanced at Qi Niang and said hurriedly, "I stayed here for two days. Something happened at home, so I hurried back to Gaoqing County. I said I would come back to pick Qi Niang up in two days." It seemed like she was trying to whitewash the situation for Qi Niang.

There are some questions that no longer need to be asked.

Eleventh Lady nodded and said something like "Offspring are a big deal, Seventh Sister, don't be anxious, take your time," then stood up and left.

Qi Niang nodded reluctantly and let Si Niang escort Shiyi Niang out.

The two of them went to Si Niang's inner room and sat on the big kang by the window.

"Why don't you see Kai'er?" Shiyi Niang smiled and took out a purse from her sleeve. "I asked for the amulet when I went to Ciyuan Temple to release Jing'er last time. Jing'er and Kai'er each have one."

Si Niang took it quickly, thanked him, and put it in a box beside her: "Nurse, take it with you!" Then she called a little maid in, "Bring the Third Young Master here to greet his aunt!"

Eleventh Lady then asked the two brothers Yu Cheng and Yu Li, "Have you gone to school?"

Si Niang nodded: "Your brother-in-law wants Cheng to give it a try tomorrow. He has been studying very hard these days!"

As they were talking, the wet nurse came in holding the half-year-old Qi Ge'er.

"Oh my!" Eleventh Lady hugged him, "He's chubby and looks so good!"

Then he looked at Qi Ge'er, and then at Si Niang, "Look at this nose and eyes, they are exactly the same as Si Jie's."

Si Niang smiled modestly. She tugged at her son's collar and said, "Some say he looks like me, some say he looks like your brother-in-law. The child is still young, and it's hard to tell who he looks like!"

Eleventh Lady took the rattle beside her and played with Qi Ge'er.

"It's a pity that our son Jian looks like Houye." She laughed, "But that's the way it is. When I think of him as the child of my hard work and ten months of pregnancy, I feel happy from the bottom of my heart." Then she asked Si Niang, "Si Jie, do you think all mothers are like this?"

Seeing that she was asking in a childish way, Si Niang smiled and said, "Mothers are naturally like this!"

Eleventh Lady smiled and said, "I think, among the three children, Fourth Sister must like Qi Ge'er the most!"

Si Niang laughed and said, "Why do you say that?"

"I was thinking," Eleventh Lady said with a smile, "Qi Ge'er looks so much like Fourth Sister. When he grows up and gets married, he might give birth to a grandson who looks like Fourth Sister, and then the grandson will give birth to a great-grandson who looks like Fourth Sister... Fourth Sister will be so unhappy when she sees the child who looks like her own that she will wake up laughing even in her sleep." Then she emphasized, "If it were me, I would definitely wake up laughing."

Si Niang was amused by her and laughed.

Eleventh Lady, however, put away her smile and looked at Fourth Lady solemnly: "Fourth Sister, how could you bear to give Qi'er away!"

Si Niang's smile froze on her face.

Eleventh Lady sighed quietly, "Fourth sister is the most opinionated one among us sisters. If it were me, I would definitely not be able to do it."

Tears fell from Si Niang's eyes without hesitation. She turned her face to the side and lowered her head to wipe away the tears.

"Fourth sister, you have to think this through." Eleventh Lady's voice was filled with some regret, "Once Qi'er is sent to Gaoqing, he will no longer be your son. Moreover, I think the situation of the Zhu family is complicated. It would be good if Seventh sister can always be in charge of the Zhu family. But if something goes wrong... the child will be left in the Zhu family.

What should Fourth Sister do then..."

But before she could finish her words, she was interrupted by Si Niang.

"Don't say anything!" She said resolutely, "I can't just watch Qi Niang being trampled under the feet of the Zhu family like this..."

"Fourth sister," Eleventh Lady looked at Fourth Lady solemnly, "Seventh sister is in charge of the Zhu family's financial support, has filial sons and daughters-in-law, and will be welcomed into the Zhu family's ancestral hall a hundred years later. This is Seventh sister's victory. It's not about who should be the heir."

"Of course I don't know!" Si Niang's expression slowed down, "But this day belongs to Qi Niang, and she has to be willing."

Eleventh Lady looked at Fourth Lady steadily and said, "We all don't help each other. After a while, Seventh Sister will figure it out."

Si Niang's face turned purple.

The implication of Shiyi Niang's words was clearly that she was blaming her for being unreasonable and allowing Qi Niang to make such a fuss.

"I told her that after a divorce, a woman can only reunite. She said she would rather reunite.

I chased her out, and she ran to the temple to tie her hair." Si Niang wiped her tears, "Dad and Mom are not in Yanjing, how can I, as the eldest sister, watch her do such a stupid thing." She added, "Zhu Anping promised to adopt an adopted son among us sisters. Qi Niang is simple-minded, and now the Zhu family has opened the ancestral hall without asking, how can she feel!"

After all, they are sisters from the same mother. Even though they knew that Qiniang was wrong, they still protected her.

Eleventh Lady smiled bitterly and said softly, "Fourth sister, have you ever thought about why the Zhu family acted so hastily and turbulently this time, leaving us the Luo family no way out?"

Si Niang consulted with Shiyi Niang because Shiyi Niang was the one with more ideas among the sisters. Si Niang had not intended to hide it. When Shiyi Niang asked, she answered frankly: "Qiniang goes back to her parents' home every now and then, and the people in the Zhu family feel ashamed. Especially when she came all the way from Shandong to Beijing last time, people in Shandong said that Zhu Anping was unfair to Qi Niang, which made the old lady of the Zhu family very angry. She would say bad things about Qi Niang to everyone she met. Qi Niang is also a proud person. The more the old lady of the Zhu family said so, the more she ignored them. As time went on, others felt that Qi Niang was eccentric and stubborn. In addition, they had no children, and the people of the Zhu family were jealous of the family property. They persuaded the old lady of the Zhu family, and then the trouble started." As she spoke, her expression changed. Zheng, "Now that things have come to this, it is no longer the time to discuss right and wrong. We, the girls of the Luo family, must not let others bully us like this. Third brother is timid, so you can't count on him. I have already told my eldest brother, and he agrees with me - you will negotiate with the Zhu family, and you just need to convince the Marquis to say hello to the government and ask them not to interfere in this matter." When she said this, her eyes became as cold as frost and snow, "We must not let the Zhu family establish an heir like this. Otherwise, even if Qi Niang becomes the mistress of the Zhu family, she will be nothing more than a puppet. It is better not to establish an heir!"

Shi Niang looked at Si Niang, who had a sullen look on her face, and knew that this route was no longer feasible.

She went back home.

The sound of horse hooves tapping on the bluestone was heard, and Shiyi Niang's mind was racing.

I have already told Luo Zhensheng... Even if I don't tell Xu Lingyi, when the time comes, Luo Zhensheng will definitely ask Xu Lingyi to come forward... Since she married into the Xu family, Xu Lingyi has never refused the Xu family's request... Thinking of this, her brows were tightly locked.

The carriage stopped.

"Madam, we are home!" A voice respectfully reported to the coachman from outside the curtain.

Eleventh Lady absentmindedly held Mother Song's shoulders and got out of the car.

Several maids came over here, talking and laughing in low voices with their faces dancing with joy. When they saw Shiyi Niang, they quickly stood against the wall, holding their breath and lowering their hands.

Eleventh Lady just stood there in a daze.

"Madam!" Mother Song whispered cautiously, "Do you have any instructions?"

Eleventh Lady's expression brightened up, and she told Mother Song: "Let's go to Gongxian Hutong!"

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