After seeing Mrs. Gao off, the Second Lady lay on the Drunkard's chair in the study with her eyes closed, holding a white jade arm ring in her hand and rubbing it carefully, as if all her thoughts were focused on the uneven cloud patterns on her fingertips.

Jiexiang walked in with a red lacquered crabapple flower tray carrying a bowl of autumn pear paste served on white sweet porcelain. When she saw the Second Madam's expression, she showed some hesitation.

Whenever the Second Lady encountered something difficult to decide, she would lie on the Drunkard's Chair and rub the white jade arm ring from the previous dynasty that was left by the Second Master and was used as a paperweight.

Come to think of it, she hadn't seen the Second Madam like this in some years!

Jie Xiang hesitated whether to disturb the Second Madam, but the Second Madam had already opened her eyes: "It's Jie Xiang!"

Since the Second Madam had already noticed her coming in, it would be unnecessary for her to leave.

Jie Xiang smiled and said "yes", then walked over with the autumn pear paste.

The second lady took a few bites and put it down, laughing softly, "The taste today is a little special! It seems that hawthorn has been added to it."

"You tasted it!" Jie Xiang laughed, "I only put a little bit - I learned this from the Fourth Madam. The Sixth Young Master hasn't been eating well these days, so the Fourth Madam came up with this idea. She was afraid that too much would dry out the stomach, so she only put three hawthorns in each pear. I saw that you didn't have a good appetite these days, so I followed the Fourth Madam's example and made some."

The second wife smiled and put half a bowl of autumn pear paste on the tray.

"It doesn't taste good?" Jiexiang wondered whether she should add rock sugar like before.

"It's delicious!" The second lady laughed, "but I don't want to eat it now. You can take it and eat it!"

Jie Xiang responded and lowered her head to collect the bowls and spoons. Seeing that the Second Madam had closed her eyes and lay down in the Drunkard's Chair again, she thought for a moment and said, "Madam, did Madam Gao come and say something?"

The second lady opened her eyes and saw Jiexiang’s face full of worry, and her heart warmed.

She thought of what Mrs. Gao said before she left.

"I also know that your sister-in-law broke her promise and went too far. But now she regrets it a little. Otherwise, I wouldn't have rashly come to see you. Adults' affairs are adults' affairs. It's not good to implicate the children! The Double Ninth Festival is in two days. Your sister-in-law wants to hold a banquet at home to entertain the old lady and the fourth lady. I want to take this opportunity to apologize to the old lady and the fourth lady."

He pointed to the small stool next to him and said, "Let's sit down and talk."

Jiexiang's heart was in suspense.

The second wife is not the kind of person who likes to talk to people around her no matter what.

"Mrs. Gao came here to ask me to help re-propose the marriage between Roune and Yu'er..." The Second Lady looked at Chen Cheng, who was wearing a green background with blue squares, and her expression seemed a little melancholy.

Jiexiang knew everything that happened back then.

"Great!" She couldn't help but jump for joy when she heard that. The marriage between the eldest son of the Xiang family and the second daughter had gradually become a concern for the second wife. "This way, we can make up for your regrets!" She said with longing, "The second daughter has a gentle personality and is very good at needlework. She will definitely please her mother-in-law if she marries here."

The second wife said nothing, but a hint of bitterness appeared on her face.

Jie Xiang was stunned and couldn't help thinking seriously. After a while, she said carefully: "Are you afraid that the fourth lady will not agree?"

The Second Madam shook her head gently and sighed, "I originally didn't want to bother with this matter anymore. But when I think of Roune, I always feel a little uneasy. But my eldest sister-in-law broke her promise back then, how can I mention this matter to the Fourth Madam again!"

What I mean is that I still want to mention it in front of the Fourth Madam!

Otherwise, why would he be so worried and anxious, and look like he couldn't make a decision?

Jiexiang gave the second lady some advice: "How about talking to the old lady? Didn't the old lady also want to get married? And the old lady treats you..."

Before she finished her words, she was opposed by the Second Madam: "After all, the Grand Madam is the grandmother. How can she decide Yu'er's marriage without the permission of the Marquis and the Fourth Madam? Even if the Fourth Madam agreed to the marriage out of filial piety, it is against etiquette and it makes the Grand Madam embarrassed! Moreover, since the Fourth Madam's health gradually improved, the Grand Madam has never interfered in the affairs of the inner court. First, the Fourth Madam has the ability to manage the household affairs, and second, she also wants to make the family affairs legitimate. You know, we are all elders now. If the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked. This thing must not be done!"

Jiexiang couldn't help but get anxious: "Then, can the second young lady's marriage be called off like this?" She always felt it was a pity.

The second lady was silent for a while.

"Let me think about it carefully..." His voice sounded quite helpless.

But the next day, on her way back from paying her respects to the lady-in-waiting, she unknowingly walked to the gate of Eleventh Lady's courtyard.

The maidservant hurriedly reported to the inside, and Eleventh Lady also came out to greet her: "Second sister-in-law, how come you have time to come and sit with me! Please come in!"

Little Jing'er followed his mother like a tail, sticking his head out and looking at the Second Madam curiously.

The second wife couldn't help but smile knowingly, and her mood became much brighter.

She reached out her hand to touch Jing'er's head, but Jing'er dodged and hid behind his mother.

"Please sit in the second sister-in-law's room!" Eleventh Lady said apologetically, "He is a little naughty."

I don’t know why, but Jing’er seems to be a little afraid of the second lady, and always feels a little reserved when he sees her.

"Children are all like this!" The Second Lady smiled faintly and went into the house with Eleventh Lady.

The two of them were drinking tea, and the second wife talked about the execution of Wang Jiubao, and she sighed with emotion.

Zhu Xiang, who was serving on the side, looked a little strange.

As a woman, why do you have to talk about these things when there are so many other things to say?

Fortunately, Eleventh Lady often discussed state affairs with others before, so she didn't find it strange. She just secretly guessed the Second Lady's intention in her heart. But she didn't hear it until the Second Lady left.

In the evening, I talked about this with Xu Lingyi: "Tell me, why did my second sister-in-law think of telling me all this? I don't think she knows anything about the child!" As I said this, I glanced at Xu Lingyi.

Xu Lingyi pinched her nose and said, "It's enough to have you worrying about me. Why would I drag my second sister-in-law into this?"

"So I'm the hardworking one!" Eleventh Lady and Xu Lingyi joked.

"Who asked you to marry me?" Xu Lingyi smiled and hugged Shiyi Niang in his arms, "You can only work hard with me!"

Eleventh Lady leaned in his arms and laughed.

Xu Lingyi said, "My second sister-in-law has lofty ambitions, but unfortunately she is a woman and my second brother has passed away. She lives in a remote corner and is inevitably a little lonely. If she wants to talk to you, just listen, whether you like it or not."

"I know!" Eleventh Lady nestled in Xu Lingyi's arms, "I just think it's a little weird."

Xu Lingyi started talking about Xu Siyu: "...How can the county school compare to the Jinxi Academy? After sending the full-moon gift to Zhenjie'er, let Yu'er go back to Le'an. Try to participate in the provincial examination next year. You can use these days to arrange his marriage. After he gets married, he can study peacefully, and we can also prepare for Zhun'er's marriage wholeheartedly!"

"There are so many people looking for marriage proposals, but it's hard to pick a satisfactory one..." Eleventh Lady and Xu Lingyi whispered to each other, temporarily putting aside the Second Lady's visit.

* * * * * *

The Second Lady couldn't help feeling a little regretful when she returned to Shaohua Courtyard. She wanted to find an opportunity to visit Eleventh Lady again, but who knew that Mrs. Xiang's invitation arrived first.

The lady took one look and handed the red invitation to Shiyi Niang: "You decide! I'm old, let me be lazy!" Then she smiled at Jin Ge'er who was painting on the mirror-like blue bricks in the inner room with painting powder and Chen Ge'er who was clumsily following behind Jin Ge'er and said, "I will stay at home with these two precious kids. You can go out and play as you please!"

Eleventh Lady originally thought that the Dowager Lady treated the Second Lady differently from other mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and that the Dowager Lady would most likely attend the Xiang family's banquet, so she took the invitation to the Dowager Lady for review. She was somewhat surprised when she heard this, and said, "The Marquis is going to visit Dou Ge Lao and others that day, and he wants me to help prepare things. I'm afraid I won't be free. Otherwise, let the Fifth Brother's wife accompany the Second Sister-in-law?"

The lady nodded.

When the fifth lady came to greet him, he said this.

Madam Wu was embarrassed: "I promised Daddy to take the child back with me!"

The old lady is about the same age as Marquis Sun, and can understand that Marquis Sun feels that he does not have much time left and wants to see more of his daughter, son-in-law, grandchildren and granddaughters in his lifetime. Therefore, she is particularly tolerant towards the Fifth Lady in this regard.

"Go, go!" The lady said with a smile, "The commander of Zhejiang is the old marquis's former follower. He must have sent some plump crabs this time. When you come back, remember to bring two baskets for us to taste."

The Fifth Lady happily agreed and asked Eleventh Lady, "What does Fourth Sister-in-law want? My father has a subordinate who is a lieutenant general in Jinhua, and he sends us the best Jinhua wine every year. Can I bring a few jars back for Fourth Sister-in-law? You can eat it yourself or give it to others. It's all good!"

"Then I won't be polite!" Eleventh Lady smiled, but she was worried in her heart. Could she really let the Second Lady go to the banquet alone?

She had no choice but to ask Zhu Xiang to prepare clothes. On the Double Ninth Festival, she got up early to pack Xu Lingyi's things, then took Jing'er to the lady's place: "I'll be back after lunch!"

"It's okay, it's okay!" The lady smiled, "Maybe I have to go out for a while, drink some wine, and appreciate the chrysanthemums. It doesn't matter if I come back after dinner. Our Jing'er is having fun with grandma, isn't it, Jing'er?"

Jin Ge'er has been obsessed with painting on the floor of the Madam's inner room these days. Shiyi Niang sometimes tells him to go to her room if he wants to paint. But the Madam doesn't care. She sends a maid to wipe the paint powder with a handkerchief to ensure that Jin Ge'er always has a place to paint. She also discusses changing the floor of the porch to this kind of blue brick so that Jin Ge'er can paint. Jin Ge'er gets more and more excited. When he hears his grandmother asking him, he nods immediately: "I want to play with grandma!" He hopes that Shiyi Niang will leave soon.

Eleventh Lady was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, and went to Xiang's house with the Second Lady.

As soon as she got off the carriage, she saw Mrs. Xiang and Mrs. Gao standing in front of the hanging flower gate with smiles on their faces.

"I've been waiting for you!" She stepped forward enthusiastically and took Eleventh Lady's hand, then stretched her neck to look behind her, "Where's the Madam?" Seeing that there was only one carriage behind, and the maid accompanying the carriage was helping the Second Madam get off, she was slightly startled and asked, "Why, didn't the Madam come with you?"

"Mother is old, and the weather is hot today." Eleventh Lady smiled, "The Marquis stopped her at home."

"It's too hot today!" Mrs. Gao smiled and invited Eleventh Lady and Second Lady to come in. Neither the aunt nor the sister-in-law was unhappy about the absence of the old lady.

Eleventh Lady was secretly puzzled.

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Post a draft first!

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