Jinger shook his head, looked at Xiner squirming in the arms of the lady, and said unhappily, "It's mine!"

Xu Siyu was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. As soon as the sound came out, he realized something was wrong, and hurriedly held his breath, and it took a long time before he could speak.

"Then let's take it back, okay?" He lowered his voice, his eyes sparkling with a hint of cunning.

After hearing this, Jing'er was excited: "Okay, okay!" His little face glowed faintly.

Xu Siyu thought for a moment and whispered to Jin Ge'er, "When Xin Jie'er comes to me later, you run over. Got it?"

Jing'er nodded repeatedly.

Xu Siyu put Jing'er on the ground, walked a few steps forward to the four-door window with plum blossoms inscribed on it, looked around for a few times, and said, "Oh!" Then he turned around and smiled at Xu Sijian who was sitting next to the lady, "In this season, there are actually lotus flowers... There must be lotus pods as well. Why don't we row the boat over to take a look!"

Xu Sijian had just been rowing the boat obediently out of consideration for his brother and Jin, but he secretly felt it was a pity that he finally had such an opportunity to go out and play, but he couldn't enjoy it to the fullest. After hearing what Xu Siyu said, he couldn't sit still any longer, and he quickly came to Xu Siyu's side: "Where are the lotus flowers? Where are the lotus flowers?"

While rowing, Jin tightly grasped Xu Sijian's clothes. Xu Siyu thought that she lived in Sanjing Hutong and that the people on Shiyi Niang's boat were either women or children who were ignorant of the world, so he took the initiative to exchange boats with Jin. But his heart was always tense, afraid of any accidents. When they were racing and splashing water, he not only paid attention to the people on the boat, but also looked around. The flowers, plants and trees beside the waterside pavilion were all reflected in his mind.

Xu Siyu pointed to a small lotus pond to the east of the waterside pavilion: "See it? There!"

The lotus flowers in July are already blooming late, but the lotus pods are just in season.

"There really are lotus flowers!" Xu Sijian shouted excitedly, making Jin, who was sitting next to the lady, feel itchy. She sat up straight and stretched her neck to look over there.

When Xin Jieer saw this, she couldn't help herself. She jumped down from the lady's arms and ran over: "Second brother, second brother, where are the lotus pods?"

Xu Siyu turned around and looked at Jing'er with burning eyes.

Jing'er was smarter than he thought. He immediately rushed to the side of the lady...but he didn't throw himself into her arms. Instead, he grabbed the duckweed that Xin'er had just shown her to her like a treasure.

Xu Siyu was stunned.

Jing'er gave him a smile as bright as summer.

While rowing, Shiyi Niang saw some duckweed floating on the lake, so she picked one up and told Jing Ge'er to identify it. Xin Jie'er liked it, so Shiyi Niang gave it to Xin Jie'er.

I didn't expect that this was what he was thinking about.

Xu Siyu also laughed.

The smile grew deeper and deeper, reaching into the eyes and the heart.

He stood there straight, the rising sun shining in from behind him, coating his figure with a layer of gold and making his face blurry.

Xin Jie'er shook Xu Siyu's hand: "Second brother, second brother..."

Xu Siyu came back to his senses.

He took a step forward, bent down and hugged Sister Xin.

The sunlight faded from him, and his handsome face and relaxed brows made him look so pleasing to the eye.

"Look," he pointed out the window, "over there! Are there lotus flowers?"

Xin Jie'er struggled to slip out of his arms and onto the ground. She ran to the Fifth Madam and said, "Mother, mother, I want to pick lotus pods!"

Before the Fifth Lady could speak, the Grand Lady said, "Why pick lotus pods? The sun has risen and it's very hot on the lake." Then she waved to Xin Jie'er, "Come, play cards with grandma!" She turned around and told Mother Du, "Take out the jade cards. They sound so nice when they jingle!"

Want to entertain the kids?

Mother Du went to get the cards with a smile on her face.

Xin Jieer refused and pulled her mother's sleeve and said coquettishly: "I don't want to play cards, I want to pick lotus pods, I want to pick lotus pods!"

"Be obedient!" Madam Wu coaxed Xin Jie'er, "It's too hot on the lake!"

Sister Xin pouted: "I want to pick lotus pods, I want to pick lotus pods..."

The Fifth Lady frowned.

This child is so noisy that he doesn't care about the occasion!

The whole family is here. What will everyone think if you don’t listen to advice?

Those who are more lenient would think that the child is too young and ignorant, while those who are more strict would probably blame her and think that she did not educate the child well.

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but glance at the Second Madam.

The second lady was talking to the first lady and didn't seem to notice the situation here.

She felt relieved and looked towards Eleventh Lady.

Jinger sat in Shiyi Niang's arms, with his chubby little hands spread out in front of her, mumbling something. Shiyi Niang looked at Jinger with a smile. When Jinger said something, she nodded...she looked very happy.

The Fifth Lady was furious.

"Why are you so disobedient!" She scolded Xin Jie'er in a low voice, "Look at Jing'er, he's younger than you, why doesn't he make a fuss like you and ask to do this or that..." She glanced at her daughter with a stern look.

When Xin Jieer heard this, she started crying.

Jin, who had been sitting quietly beside them, watched the whole scene. Seeing that the Fifth Madam was angry, she hurriedly stood up and hugged Xin Jie'er in her arms: "Aunt Fifth, let me take my second sister outside to pick flowers and play!"

Madam Wu was just worrying about not having a way out, so she forced a smile upon hearing this: "Thank you for your help!"

"No trouble, no trouble!" Jin smiled as sweet as candy.

Sister Xin kicked her legs in her arms: "I don't want to pick flowers, I want to pick lotus pods!"

Jin couldn't hold her and almost dropped her to the ground.

The Fifth Madam's expression changed drastically. She stood up suddenly and was about to scold her daughter when she heard the leisurely and soothing voice of the Madam Tai: "Brother Jian's daughter-in-law, come and bring Sister Xin to me!"

Jin didn't expect Xin Jie'er to be stubborn. She held her with difficulty, not knowing what to do. The lady's words were no less than the words of Buddha. She felt relieved and happily responded "yes", then held Xin Jie'er to the lady's side.

"Okay, okay, why cry over such a small thing!" The lady coaxed Xin Jie'er, "The sun is strong now, let's wait until it goes down and then go pick lotus pods. The lotus pods grow in the lake in our home, can they grow legs and run away?" As she said that, she took out a handkerchief and wiped Xin Jie'er's face.

Sister Xin sobbed and said, "Someone else picked it and ran away..."

"No, no." The lady said with a smile, and looked up and told Mother Du, "Spread my words, no one is allowed to pick lotus pods in the lake." Then she lowered her head and smiled at Sister Xin, "How do you think this is okay?"

Sister Xin burst into laughter.

The lady hugged Xin Jie'er and said, "That's it! Crying over such a small matter is not the way of our family." After that, she looked up and ordered Yuban, "Set up the card table, and let's play cards!"

The maids and old women started to move, smiling.

There was an immediate cheerful atmosphere in the room.

* * * * * *

The sound of the jade pendant is clear and pleasant, like mountain spring water. Listening to it can calm one's mind on this hot summer afternoon.

While shuffling the cards, Fang looked up at Xu Siqin, who was leaning against the window and talking to Xu Siyu, and a look of relief appeared in her eyes.

Although her husband had no talent for reading, he was kind and honest. The Xu family had already paved the way for Xu Siyu, and Xu Siyu was also on this path. He could befriend Xu Siyu and be influenced by the atmosphere of the literati, which would only bring him benefits, not harm.

She couldn't help but touch her bulging belly.

My brother is right. She can’t teach her husband, but she can teach her son.

Thinking of this, she smiled with a hint of anticipation and gently punched out a "ninety thousand" card.

Zhiyu, who was sitting next to the lady, hurriedly said "bang".

There were three sentences of ten thousand words in front of the lady.

Madam Wu couldn't help but groan, "Do you know how to play cards?" She said, hitting a cake and went out, then turned to Eleventh Lady who was playing cards with her child and said with a smile, "The one who gave money left, and here comes another one with more money."

Fang's face suddenly turned red.

Eleventh Lady didn't take it seriously, and casually played a leaf card and said with a smile: "If you have the money, just take it. Why bother about whose money it is!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the second wife had already turned over the cards: "It's a tie! All the same color!"

Madam Five jumped up and said, "How can it be all the same? Not a single word has been played!"

The second wife said leisurely: "Can't we play all the same color without making any moves?"

"No, no, I want to change someone!" The Fifth Lady said coquettishly, trying to make the Lady Dowager happy.

The lady laughed: "Eleventh Lady, you think she is not good enough, and you think Qin's daughter-in-law is not good enough either. Who else are you going to change?"

The Fifth Lady's eyes turned and she pointed at Jin, who was playing cards with the child with Eleventh Lady: "Let's change Jian's daughter-in-law!"

"I!" Jin was stunned and waved her hands, "I can't do it, I can't do it!" Then she looked at Fang for help: "Sister-in-law, you know I can't play cards..."

The Madam nodded slightly and looked at the Fifth Madam: "Do you want to change someone?"

Madam Wu sighed helplessly and earnestly reminded Fang: "There are nine Suo, nine Wan, and nine Bing... When you play cards, do the math in your mind... When you see someone play two cards, think about whether they are all the same color, or whether they are a pair..."

Fang nodded continuously.

Eleventh Lady looked at him with a smile, then turned around and concentrated on playing with the children.

"Thirty thousand!"

Jin Ge'er looked at the cards in his hand, then looked at the thirty thousand that Shiyi Niang threw on the table. He looked a little nervous. After thinking for a long time, he hesitantly played a "four cakes".

Eleventh Lady kissed her son on the face and said, "Our brother Jin is really smart. He knows that four is three!"

Jing'er laughed.

The eyes are curved like crescent moon.

He drew out another "Four of Tubes" from his hand, and then stared at his mother with his big phoenix eyes.

Eleventh Lady kissed her son on the face again: "This is also four, take care of three!"

Jing'er immediately smiled.

Sister Xin also drew a "four-tube" and threw it on the table: "Aunt Four, mine, mine!"

Eleventh Lady also kissed Sister Xin: "Our Sister Xin is also very smart."

After hearing this, Xin Jie'er looked at Jing Ge'er with a smug look.

Jin found it really funny and started giggling.

Xu Sijian, who was fishing with Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie by the waterside pavilion, heard the familiar laughter and stretched his neck to look over here. Seeing Jin Shi sitting beside Shiyi Niang, he turned his head and continued to pay attention to his fishing float.

Qiu Yu tiptoed to the side of Shiyi Niang and said, "Madam, the Marquis asked you to go back!"

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The update is a bit late, please get up tomorrow morning and read it!

(*^__^*) Hehehe…