The next day, Shiyi Niang went to Sixiang Hutong with eight colorful gifts.

Wu Niang was directing the family to pack up boxes and crates. When she saw her coming, she asked Zhuo Tao to tidy up the big kang in the east room and sat there to talk.

"...I was planning to send someone to tell you this afternoon. I didn't expect you to come here first. I just have a few things to entrust to you." Then he called in the honest-looking couple opposite him, "Qian Ercai and his wife. They are the master's cousins. After we leave, this house will be handed over to them to look after. If there is anything that we are far away from and cannot make a decision at the moment, let Qian Ercai's family inform you. You can also come and check on us every now and then." He added, "I was planning to entrust it to my eldest brother, but my eldest sister-in-law is not here. I am worried about Aunt Wang. I also ask my eleventh sister to help."

Wu Niang was just afraid that someone would take her money.

"I'll tell the housekeeper at home." Eleventh Lady said with a smile, "Tell them to come over often."

Wu Niang nodded, pulled her to the inner room, discussed what to bring over, and invited her to have lunch. Only then did Shiyi Niang return to the lotus garden.

The lady was not at home.

Eleventh Lady was a little surprised.

She was fine when she left in the morning, so how could she just leave like that?

"Didn't the Madam leave any instructions when she went out?" Eleventh Lady asked Yuban.

Yuban shook his head slightly: "Madam Tai was chanting sutras in the Buddhist temple as usual, but when she came out, she suddenly said she wanted to go to Hongdeng Hutong to see Old Marquis Sun. She also left me and Zhihong at home, and only brought Madam Du to serve her."

Why go to see Fifth Madam's father for no reason?

Eleventh Lady returned to the house, full of confusion. Before she could sit down, the little maid came in: "Madam, the eldest young lady from Sanjing Hutong is here!"

"Third brother's matter is all thanks to the care of fourth and fifth uncles." Fang said respectfully, half sitting on the armchair, "I came here on the orders of my father-in-law to thank the two aunts." As she spoke, she had someone bring up the gift box, and then took out two silk clothes, "This is for sixth uncle. The needlework is not good, please don't dislike it, fourth aunt."

Shiyi Niang smiled and asked Zhu Xiang to take it, and then asked about what was happening in Sanjing Hutong.

"My father-in-law and mother-in-law are very happy." Fang smiled, "My mother-in-law wanted to come in person to thank me, but my uncle and his family heard the news and came to congratulate me today. My father-in-law and Fifth Master had to go to the Ministry of War to handle some formalities, so they sent me here." She added, "My third uncle was going to come with him, but my mother-in-law said that he is already fifteen years old now, and if he continues to run around the inner courtyard like this, she is afraid that people will say he is frivolous, so she kept him at home."

What I said yesterday, the people in the Gan family know today?

This was not an excuse to shirk responsibility, but the Third Lady could not help but send someone to report to the Gan family overnight.

Eleventh Lady smiled slightly and asked Fang: "Have you been to Fifth Madam's place?"

Fang was a little uneasy and explained, "When I first came to Fourth Aunt's place, she said that Fourth Aunt had gone to Sixiang Hutong. So I went to Fifth Aunt's place first..."

Eleventh Lady smiled and nodded, saying, "You should also go to your second aunt's place. I heard that she copied a copy of the Jingzhou Divination and gave it to the Imperial Observatory."

Fang was stunned.

Eleventh Lady had already brought the tea with a smile: "I just came back from outside, and you also have your mother-in-law's instructions. I won't keep you here. Come and play another day!"

Fang hurriedly stood up and said goodbye.

Eleventh Lady thought that Fang would go to see the Second Lady after hearing her hint, but Fang did not respond. She could not help but wonder if her words were too subtle and Fang did not understand them at all!

A few days passed like this. Today the lady went to see Mrs. Lin, Marquis of Weibei, and tomorrow she went to see Mrs. Huang, Marquis of Yongchang. One day she also went to see Mrs. Tang, Marquis of Zhongshan, which made Eleventh Lady very confused for a while.

Xu Siyu came to say goodbye to Xu Lingyi and Shiyi Niang.

"I have sorted out the things that the master asked me to do." He stood straight in front of Xu Lingyi, smiling gently and brightly. "I haven't heard the master's teachings for more than a year. I want to go back to Le'an as soon as possible."

Xu Lingyi was very pleased with Xu Siyu's proactive attitude: "Then I'll rush back in September. I'll send Zhen Jie'er to Cangzhou then."

Xu Siyu bowed and replied "yes".

When he left, Xu Lingyi asked Xu Sizhun to take Xu Sijie and Jing'er to see Xu Siyu off.

Xu Siqin and Xu Sijian also came to see him off.

"Have someone write us a letter when you get there." Xu Siqin reminded him. Xu Sijian was immersed in the excitement of going to work for the Imperial Guards Flag Bearer Guard. He patted his chest generously and said, "Next time my second brother comes back, I will hold a banquet for you at Chunxi Tower."

Xu Siyu laughed and touched Jing'er's head.

Jing'er was ignorant and did not understand the sadness of parting. As soon as Xu Siyu left, he asked Xu Sijie to play Cuju with him.

After Xu Siqin and Xu Sijian escorted Xu Siyu out of the city, Xu Sizhun smiled and invited Xu Sijie and Jing'er to his courtyard: "... our place is spacious. The servant Wang Shu, who was given by father, is also good at playing Cuju."

Xu Sijie hadn't visited Xu Sizhun for some time, so he naturally agreed.

When the group went to where Xu Sizhun lived, they saw Manager Zhao holding a name card and hurried to the academy. When he saw Xu Sizhun and others, he hurriedly bowed respectfully.

Xu Sizun smiled and asked him, "Who is coming?"

Manager Zhao said, "Master Fang from Huzhou is here!"

"Who is Master Fang from Huzhou?" Xu Sijie looked at Xu Sizhun blankly.

"It's my sister-in-law's family!" Xu Sizhun said, and then asked Manager Zhao, "I just don't know who this Mr. Fang is to my sister-in-law?"

"He is the eldest young lady's uncle." Manager Zhao said with a smile, "He used to be an imperial censor. Later he resigned and returned to Huzhou. This time he brought Fang Tanhua to visit the Marquis."

As he spoke, Jinger was already impatient: "Cuju, Cuju!"

Xu Sizhun hurriedly dismissed Manager Zhao and took his two younger brothers back to his own courtyard.

After returning, Xu Sijie told Eleventh Lady about it.

Shiyi Niang secretly calculated the days. It would take more than 20 days to get here from Huzhou. It seemed that the Fang family had been prepared. However, the fact that Master Fang came in person still surprised Shiyi Niang a little.

When it was time for dinner, Xu Lingyi sent someone to inform Shiyi Niang that he would be hosting a banquet to entertain the eldest master of the Fang family and would not be back for dinner.

After dinner, Eleventh Lady took her children to pay her respects to the lady-in-waiting.

The lady was a little absent-minded. When she heard the news, she just said "hmm" indifferently, kissed Jin'er, asked about Xu Sizun's homework, and then served tea.

When Eleventh Lady took the children out, she happened to meet Mother Du.

She had just come out from the east room, holding an imperial calendar in her hand.

Eleventh Lady laughed and said, "What are you doing?"

Mother Du smiled and said, "The Madam said she wanted to see what auspicious days there are these days."

There are auspicious days for traveling and for getting married. Which auspicious day does the lady want to choose?

When Shiyi Niang returned to the room, Xu Sijie was practicing calligraphy on the table on the kang, so she sat beside him and told Jing'er a story. After sending Xu Sijie away and coaxing Jing'er to sleep, Xu Lingyi came back.

"This Master Fang can really drink!" His face turned red.

Eleventh Lady hurriedly drew some cold water for him to wash his face: "What did you say?"

"I apologized with gifts." Xu Lingyi wiped his face and felt much better. "I also gave you some gifts."

"Go report to mother tomorrow morning!" Eleventh Lady smiled and helped him get some clean clothes. "As for Third Sister-in-law, I'm afraid mother will have to speak up first!"

Xu Lingyi nodded, finished washing up, and gave her the gift from the Fang family - a narcissus hairpin carved from Hetian jade. Not only was the stem of the hairpin as thin as a hair, but the flower was also exquisite and lifelike, and it was obvious at first glance that it was an extraordinary product.

"So valuable?" Eleventh Lady was very surprised.

"What's that?" Xu Lingyi smiled and got on the bed. "Do you know what the Fang family gave my second sister-in-law?"

It sounds very unusual.

Eleventh Lady's heart moved: "What is the gift for Second Sister-in-law?"

"It's a book called Kaiyuan Zhanjing." Xu Lingyi said, "I didn't know what it was about at first. After reading it, I found out that it was a book about astrology. The Fang family gave my second sister-in-law only three of them. However, Mr. Yu said that these three books are extremely precious and priceless." Then he pondered, "Tell me, why did the Fang family suddenly think of giving my second sister-in-law a book like this? It's a bit too expensive!"

Did Fang not follow her advice and visit the Second Madam because she didn't have something suitable to thank her? Or did she think it was better to thank the Second Madam in this way?

Eleventh Lady smiled and said, "A sword is given to a hero, and rouge is given to a beauty. Perhaps the Fang family thinks that such things can only be put to good use if they are given to someone like Second Sister-in-law who understands their value!"

"That's right!" Xu Lingyi did not dispel his confusion, but he could not find the reason. He smiled and chatted with Shiyi Niang, "If you gave it to me, I would have no idea what it was, and I might just put it away casually."

Eleventh Lady nodded: "Perhaps the Fang family wants to show their sincerity in this way?"

"I didn't see the sincerity." Xu Lingyi laughed, "The Fang family gave Madam Tai a foot-high black jade statue of the God of Longevity, gave me a Longquan sword, gave Xiaowu a zither made by Zhang Leixiao, and gave my fifth brother's wife a bamboo jade plaque made of mutton-fat jade... We know nothing about the Fang family, but they know us very well. It was expected that we would be passive and beaten everywhere. If the Fang family didn't want to divorce at all, who knows how it would turn out."

The Fang family had already made all the necessary preparations.

Eleventh Lady didn't want to say more, for fear of causing Xu Lingyi to resent the Fang family and making things become complicated.

"Who should I talk to mother about it tomorrow, or should the Marquis talk to her?" She changed the subject.

"Go and talk to mother." Xu Lingyi said, "I entrusted this matter to you in the beginning!"

"Okay then." Eleventh Lady smiled, "I'll go tell mother after breakfast tomorrow!"

The old lady seemed a little dazed. When she heard that the eldest master of the Fang family had come with Fang Ji to admit his fault, she just nodded. When Eleventh Lady took out the gifts from the Fang family, the old lady took a look at the black jade birthday god lying in the red velvet box, and asked Yuban to put it away. Then, without waiting for Eleventh Lady to speak, she said, "Don't pay attention to the third son's wife. I have my own ideas."

Eleventh Lady thought about the abnormal behavior of the lady in the past few days and responded respectfully.

The lady asked about going to Yunju Temple: "...How are the preparations going? In Sanjing Hutong, just invite the Qin brothers and their wife and Jian brother!"

※

Sisters who have pink tickets, please give your support!

Thanks!

PS: I’ll post this as a draft first and correct any typos later!

O(∩_∩)O~