"Fourth aunt," Xu Siqin said as he entered the room, "We are here to ask for a bowl of longevity noodles."

"Welcome, welcome." Eleventh Lady smiled and invited them to sit on the armchair, and asked the maid to tell the kitchen to cook noodles.

Xu Siqin hurriedly stopped her, "Aunt Four, I was just joking with you. We have already had breakfast." Then he smiled and said, "We are here to celebrate the birth of our second brother."

Eleventh Lady guessed so and asked them to stay: “Come here for lunch later!”

Xu Siqin was stunned, and replied with a smile, "Okay, sorry to bother you, auntie," but his eyes were looking towards Xu Siyu.

Xu Siyu shook his head gently.

Xu Siqin looked anxious and winked at Xu Siyu.

However, Xu Siyu lowered his eyelids and showed a gesture of rejection.

Eleventh Lady sees it clearly.

Boys aged fifteen or sixteen already have their own world.

She secretly laughed, and simply let go, jokingly saying, "Okay, okay, stop making eyes at each other. If you have an appointment to go somewhere, just go. But I asked the kitchen to make birthday peaches for lunch, so don't complain about not getting to eat them when the time comes."

"No!" Xu Siyu said hurriedly.

Xu Siqin was delighted and said, "Thank you, Fourth Aunt."

The two said in unison and couldn't help but look at each other.

Xu Siyu looked at Xu Siqin and said, "We don't have any plans. We will stay here with mother to eat birthday peaches at noon."

Putting aside some personal feelings, Xu Siyu is still a sensible, considerate and careful boy.

"The peaches haven't been put into the pot yet," Eleventh Lady said with a smile, "I'll ask the kitchen to make them for supper tonight. You don't have to come over to greet me in the evening. I'll tell your father. Today is your birthday, go out and have fun for a day!"

Xu Siyu wanted to say something, but Xu Siqin explained, "Aunt, we didn't go out. We just invited my second brother to my place for a drink. I just got married, and it's my second brother's birthday..."

"I understand, I understand." Eleventh Lady interrupted him with a smile, "You will feel uncomfortable with us elders around." Then she reminded him, "Wine can harm your body, just remember not to drink too much!"

Xu Siyu didn't expect Eleventh Lady to be so insightful. It would be hypocritical to refuse after hearing what had happened. He quickly assured her, "Don't worry, mother. We won't do anything reckless."

"I know that you two brothers are both sensible people." Eleventh Lady nodded with a smile and asked Fang: "Don't let them get drunk!" Then she asked Zhen Jie'er to send them out.

Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie both looked longing.

Eleventh Lady smiled slightly.

But Xu Siqin did not invite the two younger ones, and she didn't want to let them go together.

Let Jing'er play on the kang and continue talking to Xu Sizun: "Did you meet Mr. Jiang on the day of the mountain climbing? Besides Mr. Jiang, who else did you meet?"

Xu Sizun was not the kind of willful child. When he saw Shiyi Niang asking him questions, he gradually calmed down and answered Shiyi Niang seriously: "There are also Lord Dou, Lord Wang, Lord Li, Lord Chen..."

Eleventh Lady asked the adults what positions they held, what they looked like, and how they treated others...

"Mr. Dou is the Grand Secretary of Wenhua Palace. He is tall and always smiling..." Xu Sizun answered one by one.

Xu Sijie sat quietly on the armchair in front of the kang and listened, while Jing'er dragged a large ink-sprinkled pillow and walked to the head and then the end of the kang. He took out a rattle from under the kang table and showed it to Zhen'er. He shook the rattle "dong dong dong", threw away the rattle, and went to pluck the big red camellia flowers in the tin vase on the windowsill. There was never a moment of silence.

Ever since Jing'er passed away, the furnishings in Shiyi Niang's room had changed completely. She tried not to put vases, flower vases, and the like, but if she had to put them, she used a tin kettle, just in case Jing'er broke the porcelain and got scratched.

Zhen Jie'er was afraid that he would knock over the tin kettle, so she hurriedly held it up.

Jing'er successfully pulled out the flower, and immediately ran to Shiyi Niang and put the flower on her head.

Sister Zhen couldn't stop laughing.

Xu Sizun and Xu Sijie were also attracted by him. One of them spoke absentmindedly, while the other smiled with pursed lips.

Seeing that this was not a big deal, Eleventh Lady simply stopped asking questions and said with a smile, "I stay in the inner courtyard every day and never knew that there are such interesting things outside. Zhun'er, if you go out for social events again in the future, remember to come back and tell me about it so that I can also broaden my horizons."

Xu Sizhun replied respectfully, "Yes." Xu Sijie ran to the kang with a smile, calling "Sixth brother, sixth brother," and shook Jing'er's little hand.

Jing'er thought Xu Sijie wanted the flowers in his hand, so he twisted his body and put the flowers under the table beside him, then spread his hands towards Xu Sijie, indicating that the flowers were gone.

Everyone was laughing so hard that they were bent over, but Jing'er just stood there with a look of suspicion on his face, looking at them at a loss... Several people were laughing so hard that they couldn't straighten their backs.

Xu Lingyi suddenly walked in: "What's going on?"

"The Marquis is back!" Eleventh Lady brought her children to pay their respects to Xu Lingyi. The couple sat down in their respective seats. Zhen Jie'er took the teacup held by the little maid and offered it to her father. Eleventh Lady then recounted what had happened.

Xu Lingyi couldn't help but burst out laughing when he heard this, and hugged Jing'er: "You have really become what my grandmother said, 'plucking feathers from a passing goose' - once something has passed through your hands, no one else can ever take it back!"

The loving smile, the doting expression... seemed to have infinite patience and infinite joy for Jin Ge'er, which made Xu Sizhun slightly startled, and then he heard his father ask his second brother: "...Why aren't you in the room?"

"Qin'er specially prepared a banquet for him." Shiyi Niang took Jing'er with a smile, "Let's go and play."

Xu Lingyi said "hmm" and did not ask any other questions. Instead, he kissed Jin'er on the cheek and handed him to Mother Gu: "The weather is good today, take the Sixth Young Master to the yard to bask in the sun." All the heartfelt words she had prepared before were silenced.

However, Jing'er grabbed Xu Lingyi's sleeve and refused to let go.

Xu Lingyi patted Jing'er's head and said with a smile, "Be good, go play with Mama Gu! I'm going to teach your fourth brother how to ride a horse!"

Since the beginning of autumn, Xu Lingyi found a master to teach Xu Sizhun riding and archery, with lessons lasting two hours every five days. Occasionally, he would also act as a guest teacher.

Xu Sizun was a boy after all. Although he was thin and could only ride on a horse and have someone lead the horse around the stable for a few laps, and pull the string of a special small bow, he still seemed very excited when there were horseback archery classes.

When Xu Sijie heard that his father was going to teach his brother how to ride a horse, he looked at Xu Sizhun and Xu Lingyi with envy. When Jinger saw his father stand up to leave, he pouted and tears welled up in his eyes.

A hint of hesitation flashed across Xu Lingyi's eyes.

Eleventh Lady immediately said, "Sir, please take care. I will take the children to the Madam's place!"

Xu Lingyi knew that the lady-in-waiting really liked Shiyi Niang taking Jing'er out to play.

He hardened his heart and took Xu Sizhun to the front yard.

Jing'er chased after his father and cried.

After Eleventh Lady, Zhen Jie'er and Jie Ge'er coaxed him for a long time, he finally stopped crying angrily.

The child's temper is getting worse and worse, which is related to the fact that he is getting older and more sensible, and also to the fact that he is loved by everyone.

Eleventh Lady couldn't help but feel a headache.

The Queen Mother summoned her into the palace and awarded her a silver-gilt hairpin inlaid with South pearls and flowers, saying that it was for Zhen Jie'er to use when she came of age.

With the reward from the Queen Mother, the coming-of-age ceremony was perfect.

Eleventh Lady thanked him. When she left Kunning Palace, she met the eunuch beside Fang Jie'er again, who handed her a red lacquer and gold-painted box: "It is said that the eldest daughter of Yongping Marquis is coming of age, and I cannot go to celebrate. This tooth comb is the favorite of the Crown Princess, and I am giving it to Miss Xu as a gift."

Eleventh Lady accepted it respectfully, rewarded the eunuch, and asked if she could thank the Crown Princess in person.

The eunuch smiled and said, "The Crown Prince is having lunch with the Crown Princess. Madam Yongping Marquis can come another day!"

Eleventh Lady responded with a smile and returned to the Yongping Marquis' Mansion.

The Madam Dowager was naturally very happy when she knew that the Empress and Sister Fang had given gifts. She discussed with Eleventh Lady and invited Madam Zhou as the main guest, Fourth Lady as the official, and Fang as the sponsor. Madam Zhou and Fourth Lady both happily agreed, but when they went to invite Fang, Fang was surprised and humbly declined.

Eleventh Lady was very surprised. She told Fang that it was the Madam's intention, but she couldn't change her mind. She had no choice but to report to the Madam.

The lady was also surprised. After thinking for a while, she said, "Since they are unwilling, we should not force them. I think we should ask the third lady of the Lin family to be the sponsor for Zhen Jie'er!"

The person who acts as the sponsor is usually the sister of the bride. Xin Jie'er is too young to be suitable; Fang Shi is of the right age but is unwilling to do so.

Eleventh Lady nodded and went to the Lin family again.

Grandma Lin readily agreed and said with a smile: "My sister-in-law from my mother's family has been looking forward to this day day and night!"

Eleventh Lady laughed.

On the day of Zhen Jie'er's coming of age, not only did people from Gongxian Hutong come, but also people from Hongdeng Hutong and Zhongqin Bo's Mansion. Eleventh Lady also invited Concubine Wen to watch the ceremony.

Xu Lingyi presided over the coming-of-age ceremony.

The third young lady of the Lin family inserted the hairpin awarded by the Queen into Zhen Jie'er's hair.

At that moment, Sister Zhen smiled and shed tears.

* * * * * *

After the ceremony, everyone moved to the flower hall next to Dianchun Hall for lunch.

Eleventh Lady now had the opportunity to ask Lan Ting: "The Third Aunt should have given birth, right? I wonder if she gave birth to Qianjin or a young master?"

Lan Ting laughed softly and said, "I just got the news last night that she gave birth to a baby boy weighing more than five kilograms!"

"Congratulations to her." Eleventh Lady said sincerely, "Now she has someone to accompany her in the future!"

Lan Ting nodded: "I also advise Third Sister this way - now that you have Sui Ge'er, just let your brother-in-law do whatever he wants! Do you think he dares to favor his concubine over his wife?"

While the two were talking here, Qi Niang and Wu Madam were talking in the small courtyard next to Dianchun Hall.

"I heard from my fourth sister-in-law that Zhu Anping knelt down to you?"

"Don't kneel down to me." Qi Niang said with a smile, "Kneel down to my fourth sister." After saying that, she smiled, with a hint of pride in her brows.

Madam Wu frowned slightly, seeming to want to say something but stopping herself.

If it weren't for the Fifth Lady this time, how could she have reconciled with Zhu Anping - she felt very uncomfortable every time they quarreled.

"What do you want to say?" Qi Niang pulled the Fifth Lady's sleeve, "Given our friendship, can't you just speak frankly?"

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