Huguo Temple is located in the west of Yanjing City. There is a temple fair on the seventh and eighth day of every month. Although it is not a temple fair today, there are still many tourists and pilgrims. Many people take carriages or ride donkeys to the temple to burn incense.

When Eleventh Lady got off the car with Tenth Lady, she saw a row of small stalls in front of the mountain gate, with blue and white cloth tents, selling food, jade, silk fans, teacups and other daily necessities, a dazzling array of everything. It was very similar to the scenic spots she had visited before.

Luo Zhenxing and his classmate Mr. Qian were walking in front, surrounded by maids, old women and tall and strong guards. It was obvious that they were either rich or noble, so ordinary people naturally did not dare to approach them.

They quickly went to the main hall to burn incense, and were then invited by the abbot to rest in the mountain house behind the temple.

Wu Niang and Shi Niang were very excited, looking around with their veils on. After entering the mountain house, they ran to the window to look out. The eldest wife looked at Shiyi Niang who looked calm and composed, and nodded slightly.

Luo Zhenxing accompanied Master Qian in to pay respects to the first wife.

Wu Niang and the others hurriedly retreated to the inner room.

Mr. Qian was a very talkative person. After a few simple greetings, he started chatting with the first wife: "... There are wooden combs for sale, of all kinds of materials. I once bought an authentic ox horn comb for only ten cents. There is a shoe upper seller in the west, with a full range of patterns and colors. Although it cannot be compared with the Su style in the south of the Yangtze River, it is also quite distinctive. You can send your mother to have a look later. There is a tea soup stall called "Nian Gao Li" in the south, which specializes in selling steamed cakes, jelly, fried sausage, and stewed meatballs. It has authentic Yanjing flavor. You must try it! Have you heard of fried sausage? It is filled with white flour, red yeast water, cloves, and cardamom. It is very exquisite..." He talked endlessly, and the topic was as wild as a fantasy, which made the first wife and the fifth and tenth wives in the room laugh. Eleventh wife felt that this man talked too much, often exaggerated, and was a bit frivolous. But the first wife liked it very much, and even sent someone to buy food from that Nian Gao Li.

Eleventh Lady saw something that looked like glutinous rice cake but was called sausage, so she didn't dare to eat a single bite. But Tenth Lady ate it with gusto.

Because of this episode, the relationship between the first wife and Mr. Qian became less polite and more intimate.

Mr. Qian asked his first wife, "There is a teahouse called Shundezhuang next to the Huguo Temple. There is a troupe that specializes in singing Yuhang dialect there. Do you want to go and listen?"

The first wife smiled and said, "No need. We'll just sit for a while and then go."

As he was speaking, a woman's voice came from outside: "Are you the women of the Luo family in Yuhang? Our lady is the wife of Lord Jiang, the prefect of Taiyuan."

Eleventh Lady’s body stiffened when she heard this.

She was puzzled when she heard that they were going to Huguo Temple, but now she finally understood!

Wu Niang and Shi Niang, who were standing by, seemed to be unaware of the situation. They sat on the east and west sides, and did not behave any differently because of the upcoming appearance of Madam Jiang.

She heard Master Qian exclaim "Eh!" and asked curiously, "Could it be Master Jiang from the Le'an Jiang family?"

"That's right." The eldest wife responded with a smile, and then Master Qian smiled and said, "In that case, Brother Zhenxing and I will step aside for the time being." As he spoke, there was the sound of footsteps outside the house.

When Wu Niang saw Shiyi Niang listening to the noise outside, she ran over and said with a smile, "What are you listening to, Eleventh Sister?" She was much more affectionate than usual.

Shiyi Niang knew that she was trying to win her over and isolate Shi Niang. She found it very boring and smiled at Shi Niang, but replied to Wu Niang's words: "Mother seems to have met an acquaintance."

Wu Niang had also heard the noise before, and now after hearing what Shiyi Niang said, she also calmed down and listened to the noise outside.

Amid the rustling sound of dresses, a strange but enthusiastic female voice was heard: "Madam Luo, this is really fate. I came back to Yanjing by chance, and didn't expect to meet you here. Although this is the first time we meet, Yuanniang and I are like sisters, so I came to visit you. I hope you can forgive me if I am impolite." The words were very polite and enthusiastic.

"Mrs. Jiang, you are too polite." The eldest wife exchanged greetings with Mrs. Jiang, and they sat down as host and guest.

Madam Jiang said, "Why don't I see the young ladies from your family? I heard from Yuan Niang that they are all as beautiful as fairies!"

"That's Yuanniang praising her own sister!" The eldest wife said modestly, and asked Mama Xu to call Wuniang and the other two out to meet the guests.

Mrs. Jiang was in her thirties, with long eyebrows and very beautiful, but her eyes were very sharp. When her eyes fell on Shiyi Niang, Shiyi Niang felt like she was being hit by a searchlight and felt very uncomfortable.

"They are all really as beautiful as fairies." Mrs. Jiang looked at the three sisters who saluted her and praised them. She gave each of them a string of sandalwood beads and a pearl hairpin.

The eldest wife was modest.

Mrs. Jiang asked the sisters how old they were, how good were their needlework, and whether they could read.

Although he was asking the three sisters, his gaze stayed on Wu Niang for a little longer.

They responded to Madam Jiang's questions one by one, and then Madam Jiang stood up to say goodbye: "...My mother has been a vegetarian for many years, and she doesn't take care of the family affairs. She has handed them over to the mothers in charge. It is inevitable that things are a bit messy, and I have to go back to my mother's house to take care of them." Then she sighed, "It would be great when my younger brother gets married. I don't have to run back and forth like this."

"You are the aunt, so even if you marry your brother's wife, you are still the most important." The eldest wife said politely, "I'm afraid you can't let go of this burden!"

Madam Jiang laughed and said, "When the time comes, it will just be a matter of paying some money. As for the housekeeper, I won't be able to take care of him."

The two chatted and laughed. The first wife personally escorted Madam Jiang to the door, and then told her to go home: "Let's go to the third wife's house for dinner."

Such a good mood!

Eleventh Lady couldn't help but murmur in her heart. But judging from the expression of Madam Jiang today, she was probably more satisfied with the oldest Fifth Lady. It can also be inferred that the Prince Wang was either quite old, or his family was eager for him to marry a wife and have children to expand the Wang family.

* * * * * *

On the way, Master Qian asked Luo Zhenxing: "How did your family know the people from the Le'an Jiang family?"

Luo Zhenxing smiled and said, "We are not familiar with each other. But he seems to be very familiar with my eldest sister."

Master Qian nodded, a trace of envy flashing in his eyes: "It's so good to be like you, you have friends and relatives wherever you go."

Luo Zhenxing smiled.

Master Qian added: "Come to think of it, your uncle and two uncles are all waiting for vacancies, right? Doesn't the king's uncle take care of it?" His eyes flickered.

Luo Zhenxing was slightly stunned, and it took him a moment to react that the uncle-in-law that Mr. Qian was referring to was his brother-in-law, Xu Lingyi, Marquis of Yongping.

He looked at Master Qian who seemed eager to know the answer and smiled faintly: "Brother-in-law told Dad not to be anxious."

Master Qian nodded thoughtfully, and then asked Luo Zhenxing: "Do you often go to the Marquis's house? How does he treat you? I heard that he has a very gentle temper, is that true?"

"I don't go there often!" Luo Zhenxing said with a smile, "I don't have much contact with him..."

There was a hint of disappointment in Mr. Qian's eyes.

Luo Zhenxing saw it clearly and added, "But he treated me well. I heard from the chief priest that my brother-in-law had made a special trip to him to ask about my studies and asked him to take good care of me. I was quite surprised to hear that. Just the day before the chief priest said this, he specially invited me to Chunxi Tower for a drink. Although he asked me about my studies, he did not mention that he had visited the chief priest. I think he was afraid that I would become complacent and delay my studies."

Master Qian was cheered up after hearing this and said with a smile, "Does your brother-in-law also like to drink at Chunxi Tower? I like it too. I wonder what he likes to eat? Shad, pufferfish, aquatic delicacies or venison."

Herring and pufferfish are available in April and May, fresh seafood in summer, and venison in autumn and winter...

Luo Zhenxing was very impressed by Mr. Qian.

He was good at studying and was good at scheming...for a moment, he wanted to make friends with her.

"He has all the things you mentioned in his house, so why would he go to Chunxi Tower on purpose?" Luo Zhenxing paid attention to Master Qian's expression.

Mr. Qian's smile was a little unnatural: "That's right, he is the uncle of the emperor and the Marquis of Yongping. No matter how good Chunxi Tower is, it can't compare to the royal banquet. It's nothing special."

This is the second time that Marquis Yongping is mentioned as the emperor's uncle.

Luo Zhenxing felt somewhat certain.

He smiled and said, "I don't know what my brother-in-law likes to eat, but my third aunt likes the roast suckling pig from Chunxilou the most..." At this point, he said, "Oh, how could I forget? I should order one from Chunxilou to bring back and make my third aunt happy."

Master Qian hurriedly asked, "The Third Aunt you are talking about is the daughter of Liuge's family, right?"

Luo Zhenxing nodded: "Master Liu has retired and returned home."

Master Qian smiled and said, "Even so, I heard that Lord Li has a lot of difficulties with the new tea tax!"

Luo Zhenxing laughed: "We are visiting relatives today, let's not talk about this, let's not talk about this!"

Master Qian smiled and said, "That's right!" He added, "In that case, I can't go there empty-handed to get something for free. So, I'll hurry up and go to Chunxilou to order a suckling pig to be sent to Third Uncle's house."

From Lord Luo to "Third Uncle"...

Luo Zhenxing looked at him with a smile: "No, no. I won't let you spend money."

"If you keep talking, we're no longer brothers." Master Qian was very straightforward. Without waiting for Luo Zhenxing to answer, he whipped the horse and rode away.

* * * * * *

Before the Luo family arrived at Qiantang Hutong, Master Qian had already prepared the roast suckling pig and was waiting at the gate of Luo Huayi with two waiters from Chunxi Tower.

Luo Zhenxing was stunned, and then he found that the mutton-fat jade pendant with a picture of rising step by step carved on it that Master Qian had been wearing around his waist was missing.

He nodded secretly and knocked on his uncle's door.

When the third wife saw them, she was overjoyed. She quickly called the third master out to entertain the guests and personally prepared dinner.

The eldest wife stopped her and said, "There's a roast suckling pig outside. It was bought by Xingge. Just ask the kitchen to make a few side dishes. Let's sit down and have a good chat."

The third wife was even more delighted when she heard this. She asked the mothers to take the roast suckling pig to the kitchen, and took the hand of the first wife to go to the main room of the main house.

After everyone sat down, the eldest wife asked about the fifth and sixth uncles.

"I went to school." The third wife smiled reluctantly. "The master is trapped in Yanjing, and we can't delay the children's studies! It just so happens that the family school of Zhongshan Marquis's Mansion is just across the alley from here, so I put the children there."

The eldest wife was quite surprised: "Are you familiar with the Tang family of Zhongshan Marquis Mansion?"

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Don’t wait at night, wake up and watch it tomorrow morning!