Eleventh Lady had also heard about Magistrate Fang's resignation, but it was the first time she had heard that Madam Fang had brought her son north to visit Fang. She was a little surprised when she heard this: "The eldest young lady's due date is at the end of September or the beginning of October. Why is Madam Fang going north at this time? The weather is so hot. If she gets heatstroke, it's no joke!"

Madam Wu smiled and said, "Now Sanjing Hutong is run by the third sister-in-law. The eldest young lady is now concentrating on taking care of her pregnancy at home. The Gan family is getting married in May. I heard that the third lady sent a glass screen as a gift. Some people saw that it was exactly the same as the one that the eldest young lady brought as a dowry. I calculated the date and the news should have spread to Huzhou. Madam Fang came at the right time!"

Eleventh Lady frowned slightly: "No matter how foolish Third Sister-in-law is, she can't be this foolish. Who is stirring up trouble here?"

"No matter who spread this rumor, our eldest young lady has been married to Yanjing for two years. It is normal for her family to miss her and come to visit her." Seeing what the Fang family did in the matter of Fang's husband killing, the Fifth Madam felt that Madam Fang's arrival would definitely cause a stir in Sanjing Hutong. "I'm just thinking about Madam Tian. I wonder if she will be able to come back when I give birth?"

It turned out to be because of this matter.

The due dates of the Fifth Lady and Fang were only two or three months apart, and the first three months of care for the baby was the most important. If Mother Tian had to come back, it was okay, but since she had been sent there, it was a bit cold to just ask her to come back at the drop of a hat. But this person was sent by Eleventh Lady, so if the Fifth Lady wanted someone, she naturally had to ask Eleventh Lady for him.

"What do you think of my wife Wan San?" Eleventh Lady said tactfully, "She is the daughter-in-law of Wan Mama, and is very good at taking care of children. You can see it from our brother Jin!" She added, "Fifth sister-in-law knows more about the things in Sanjing Hutong than I do, and she is a smart person. She knows the reason why mother sent Mama Tian over there, otherwise, she would not have agreed to send Mama Tian over there. Since mother wants to protect the eldest young lady, she has to wait until the child is one year old..."

The five wives also understood. Madam Wan and Madam Tian were both getting older, and things like holding the baby and changing diapers were all done by the wet nurse and the maids who served them. Madam Wan was just watching from the side, and it didn't matter whether Madam Tian came back or not. She just wanted someone else to serve her - when the daughter-in-law in the family was pregnant, the lady always sent two people to serve her. Now that Eleventh Lady was in charge, the lady treated Jin Ge'er like a treasure, and these women and servants became more humble and servile in front of them and their son. If she had only one person to serve her when she was pregnant with her second son this time, those people would definitely make wild guesses and create some trouble.

Seeing that her goal had been achieved, the Fifth Lady smiled and said, "How could I not know how difficult it is for Fourth Sister-in-law? It's just that Brother Chen hasn't been weaned yet, and I'm pregnant again. I'm worried about both, and I just hope to have as many suitable people around me as possible. Since Fourth Sister-in-law is willing to give up, I won't be polite!"

As long as Madam Five agrees!

"We are sisters-in-law, living under the same roof, it's not nice to say these things!" Eleventh Lady was being polite to her, and she saw the figure of a little maid passing by outside the curtain of Concubine Xiang. She didn't care and continued to talk to the Fifth Lady.

The little maid's figure shook twice.

She had guests here, and it was not a serious matter, so the maid didn't dare to do so.

Just as Eleventh Lady was about to call the maid in to ask, Fifth Lady stood up to say goodbye. Eleventh Lady asked her to rest in the room for a while: "The sun is too strong, it won't be too late to go back later!"

Madam Wu smiled and said, "I came out while Brother Chen was taking a nap. If he wakes up and doesn't see me, he'll cry again!"

I don't know who inherited this from, but Xin Jie'er was like this when she was little, and she would cry her eyes out when she didn't see the Fifth Madam. When she turned four, this habit was inexplicably gone. Now Chen Ge'er is like this too...

Eleventh Lady sent him to the gate of the courtyard before turning back and asking Qiu Yu, who was on duty, "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"It was Mo Jing, the maidservant beside Jing'er." Qiu Yu said with a smile, "Mother Gu probably asked her to come and see when the Sixth Young Master will wake up!"

As she was talking, Madam Gu came in: "I know Madam Wu is here, but she didn't let the little maid come over!"

Qiuyu's face darkened and he went to call Cha Jing to ask.

Mo Jing was a low-ranking maidservant beside Jing Ge'er. She mostly served outside. When she entered the inner room, she was trembling with fear: "Sui Feng asked me to come and see..."

Why is Suifeng involved again?

Just as Eleventh Lady was about to ask in detail, a little maid came in: "Madam, Suifeng wants to see you!"

Suifeng is only twelve years old, with an ordinary appearance, but his eyes are very lively and his silence reveals some alertness.

He bowed to Eleventh Lady and said, "A few days ago, Madam Tai gave Sixth Young Master a pair of orioles. Sixth Young Master likes them very much and feeds them every day. Every morning he asks me to carry the bird cage to the back garden to walk the birds..."

Eleventh Lady knew about this.

Since the last time Suifeng had the peacock spread its feathers, although he was still Xu Lingyi's servant, he was in charge of Jing'er's pets. The Madam gave Jing'er a pair of orioles, and he immediately asked the woman who was in charge of flowers and birds around the Madam how to feed the birds. Not only did he quickly understand the habits of the orioles, he also took the birdcage to walk the birds every day.

"Two days ago, I met the second young lady who was picking flowers in the greenhouse." He lowered his eyelids. "The second young lady liked the oriole's melodious singing very much and asked me to give the bird to her. The sisters around the second young lady saw that I was the one carrying the bird cage and tried to persuade her for a long time. The second young lady was very unhappy and left the garden with a stern face. I thought about the sixth young master playing with the orioles every day, and that the sixth young master gave the pair of cats awarded by the lady to the second young lady. I was afraid that the sixth young master and the second young lady would have some misunderstandings about the birds. After thinking about it again and again, I came to ask to see the lady. But the sisters said that the lady was talking to the fifth lady... At this point, his tone paused slightly, looking at Eleventh Lady, he seemed to be hesitant to speak.

But Eleventh Lady understood.

Just like last time, Xin Jieer took a fancy to Jing'er's pets again. The difference was that Jing'er didn't like the cat she chose last time, but she liked the oriole she chose this time. Suifeng saw that the Fifth Lady came to visit her at this time and misunderstood that the Fifth Lady came to ask for the orioles for Xin Jieer, and was afraid that Jing'er would not give them to her, so a rift between the two families arose.

She couldn't help but look at Suifeng carefully.

Qiuyu and the others stood respectfully with their hands hanging down, not daring to make a sound.

To put it in a positive light, Suifeng's behavior was due to his worry that Huangli's matter would make Xinjie'er and Jinge'er unhappy. But if you think more deeply about it, he was interfering in the affairs between the fourth and fifth rooms, which was even more presumptuous!

For a moment, you could hear a pin drop in the room.

Suifeng felt a little breathless due to this peaceful atmosphere.

There was some timidity on his face.

Eleventh Lady asked him softly, "Who else is there in your family? What do they do?"

Talking can relieve people's stress.

Sui Feng's expression relaxed slightly, and he said hurriedly, "Madam, my father was a farmer, but he died when I was three years old. My mother raised me and my sister. The steward took pity on my poor family and introduced me to work in the mansion. I have been in the mansion for four years."

"Oh!" Eleventh Lady was a little surprised, "You have a younger sister!"

Sui Feng said respectfully: "She was not yet born when my father passed away."

Eleventh Lady was silent for a moment and said, "I know what you are talking about. Please leave!"

It did not say how the matter should be handled.

The wind is a bit urgent.

What should he do if the second young lady comes to ask for it?

There were some things he didn't dare say in front of his wife.

When the Second Miss left, she said that if the Sixth Young Master didn't give it to her, she would ask the Fifth Lady to ask for it!

But they all knew the Sixth Young Master's temper. If his things were given to others, he would cry like crazy. When the Madam saw this, she would definitely think of ways to stop the Sixth Young Master from crying. Just like last time, she even called the Marquis to give him a lesson. What's more, he was a servant who specialized in birds and beasts.

I’m afraid I’ll suffer the consequences!

No wonder people say that wealth and honor are achieved through risk.

People outside see that the stewards of the Xu family are all dressed in fine clothes, but they don't know that one wrong word can cause them to fall from the clouds to the mud.

His expression was gloomy, he bowed silently and retreated.

* * * * * *

On the other side, the Fifth Lady raised a full cup of tea and poured it on Xin Jie'er's maid Bi Bo.

"I asked you to serve the young lady, and this is how you serve her." The weather was hot, and the smallest things would make her irritable. "The bird was given to the Sixth Young Master by the Madam. It is a gift from an elder, and I dare not refuse it. You didn't persuade her properly, and actually let the Second Young Lady say such a thing!"

Bibo had already knelt on the ground trembling with fear, and kowtowed his head "dong dong".

The fair forehead soon turned red.

Sister Xin, who was crying beside her, saw it and sobbed, "It's grandma's, not Jing'er's..."

The Fifth Lady glared fiercely at Xin Jie'er's wet nurse.

"What grandma gave to Jing'er is Jing'er's. For example, if I gave you a red gold collar, it would be yours. Why didn't I see anyone else taking it?" Then he held back his anger and hugged Xin Jie'er, whispering to her, "Don't you like the target mirror that grandma gave you the most? What would you do if Jing'er saw it and wanted it too?"

After hearing this, Xin Jieer hurriedly said, "That's mine!"

"That's right!" Madam Wu took the opportunity to teach her daughter a lesson, "That bird belongs to Jing'er. How could you take Jing'er's things?"

Xin Jie lowered her head. But when she thought of the oriole's beautiful voice and beautiful color, which was prettier than the orioles hanging under her grandfather's eaves, the desire in her heart surged up uncontrollably.

"Mom, just ask Jing'er to give it to me!" She said capriciously, "Then it will be mine!"

"Nonsense!" Madam Wu scolded, "A gentleman does not take away what others like. How can you want Jing'er's things!"

Seeing that her mother not only did not help her but also scolded her loudly, she became stubborn and said, "I want the orioles. I want them..."

"No!" Madam Wu was very determined, "We can't take other people's things!"

"Mom!" Xin Jie'er burst into tears, "I want an oriole, too. I want an oriole, too..."

"If I say no, then it's no!" Madam Wu ran out of patience.

She ordered Xin Jie'er's nurse: "Take her down!"

When Xin Jieer heard this, she immediately hugged Madam Wu's thighs and said, "Mother, I want an oriole, I want an oriole..."

The maids and mothers gathered around, trying to persuade and coax her, but no one dared to hug Xin Jie'er by force.

When Xin Jie'er saw this, she cried even louder.

The Fifth Lady's face turned red with anger.

Just as the chaos was going on, Xu Lingkuan walked in.

"Oh my, what happened!"

Upon hearing this, Xin Jie'er immediately left her mother and ran into her father's arms: "Daddy, Daddy, I want the oriole!"

"What's the matter?" Xu Lingkuan saw his daughter's face full of tears and hurriedly asked, "Don't you just want a pair of orioles? Is it worth crying for?" Then he said, "Daddy will buy you a pair." He added, "Buy the best!"

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