Chapter 598: Pampering (Part 2)

It rained the morning before Xu Sizhen's banquet.

In the middle of the night, the rain stopped. The next morning, the leaves washed by the rain were greener than usual, and the air was fresher than usual. When the sun rose, the lotus flowers "crackled" and bloomed, filling the yard with fragrance, which made people feel refreshed.

"What a great day!" The lady looked out the window, then turned and asked Eleventh Lady with a smile, "Have all the guests invited by Brother Zhuo arrived?"

"They are all here!" Lady Eleven took the teacup from the maid and presented it to the Madam. "There are Lord Wang Li's son, Young Master Wang Yun, and Master Mo Ge's son, Young Master Dou Shan..." She explained to the Madam in detail, "They are arranged in Chuilun Shuigao. It's cool there, suitable for lotus viewing and fishing. Brother Zhuan invited Brother He to entertain the guests together. I asked the kitchen to prepare a banquet of eight dishes and twelve bowls. In addition to chicken, duck, fish and meat, I also asked someone to rush from Nanjing to get fresh 'Eight Immortals of Water'. They were served directly after being chilled. They are refreshing and delicious."

The lady was silent for a moment and said, "Would you like to invite another boy to entertain the guests together?" There was a hint of disapproval in her tone.

Eleventh Lady said hurriedly, "They have been good friends since they were young, and Brother Zhe kept begging me. I thought that if the two brothers were together, they would be able to take care of each other, so I agreed."

The lady smiled faintly and hugged the boy who was sitting beside her and listening to the adults' conversation. "Fourth brother is hosting a banquet in the back garden today. Do you want to go?"

Jiangeer shook his head and said, "I want to grow insects!"

"Growing insects!" The lady looked at Eleventh Lady suspiciously.

Eleventh Lady hurriedly told the lady-in-waiting about the earthworms.

The Madam always believed that children should be brought up in a rough environment. Children who grow up in this way are not only tough but also strong-willed and will not be unable to withstand the storms when encountering difficulties. Xu Lingyi and his brother also grew up in this way when they were young.

The old man smiled and nodded, looking much happier. He kissed his brother on the face and said, "Our brother is really smart. He even knows how to plant insects!"

Jiange'er pursed his lips and smiled.

The lady then whispered to Eleventh Lady, "Remember to have someone put the 'Water Eight Fresh' on a crystal dish. It should be crystal clear and have a nice taste." She then added, "The dish you use to hold things should also be exquisite."

Shiyi Niang felt that the lady's words were suggestive. She quickly went over the conversation in her mind and couldn't help but guess: Is it referring to Ge'er? Does she think it's inappropriate for him to go out with Ge'er to socialize? Or is she afraid that Ge'er has never experienced such a thing and will be impolite and lose Ge'er's face?

But it was not easy to ask directly, so she smiled and said "yes", and followed the instructions of the old lady. After the old lady left, she immediately sent Zhu Xiang to the Chuilun Waterside Pavilion to inquire: "...see if there is anything missing there? Are the servants attentive? What is the fifth young master doing?"

Zhu Xiang immediately took off her silk gown.

Shiyi Niang carried Jiange'er back to the house and first corrected his statement of "planting bugs". Then she asked Qiuyu and a few others to find a few unused or discarded pots with cracks and give them to Huang Xiaomao. She asked Huang Xiaomao and Liu Erwu to accompany Jiange'er to dig the soil in the garden and look for earth dragons.

Jiang'er ran away happily with the two servants.

Zhu Xiang smiled and replied, "Ge Jin brought Biluo and Yuhua from the Fourth Young Master's house to serve in the waterside pavilion. Everyone was having a great time. Young Master Wang also painted a picture, and Young Master Li composed a five-line quatrain. When I went there, the Fifth Young Master was holding rice paper and showing it to everyone!"

Eleventh Lady asked, "What does the Fifth Young Master look like?"

Zhu Xiang recalled: "It was fine! He was happily talking to Master Dou next to him!"

Eleventh Lady thought for a moment and said, "Send a little maid to check on Fifth Young Master every now and then. This is his first time entertaining guests. Even though Fourth Young Master is with him, I'm still a little worried."

Xian Xiang responded with a smile, turned around and assigned a clever little maid.

A little maid came in with a smile and said, "Madam, the Gaoqing Zhu family sent a steward to deliver the wedding invitation to the Marquis. Madam Zhu specially sent her personal mother to accompany the carriage. She wanted to come in to greet the Madam, you and the Fifth Madam."

Eleventh Lady had a happy smile on her face. Counting the days, Seventh Lady was about to give birth. "Can you please invite those mothers in?"

The little maid replied "yes" respectfully and brought in Qinnan's personal mother.

The mother was neatly dressed and looked as if she had been taken to wash and groom herself.

"Congratulations, madam. Congratulations, madam." She knelt in front of Eleventh Lady, her face flushed and her brows flashing with excitement that could not be concealed. "Thanks to you and Fifth Lady, our wife gave birth to a big fat boy."

After giving birth to a son, Qi Niang finally gained a foothold in the Zhu family.

Eleventh Lady was happy for Seventh Lady. She rewarded the mother and asked about Seventh Lady's condition in detail. Knowing that although there were some setbacks in the birth, both the adults and the children were safe, she took the mother to the Taifu Lady first, and then to the Fifth Lady.

Upon hearing this, the Fifth Lady immediately burst into laughter. She rewarded the mother with silver and asked someone to take her away to rest. Then she couldn't help laughing again: "It's a pity that it's not easy to ask the mother about the specific situation. I guess Zhu Anping and his mother's expressions must be very interesting. Especially his mother, I want to see how she ends up this time." After that, Gao Sheng Hexiang helped her prepare pen and ink, "I want to write a letter and let the mother take it over to ask about the situation over there." She looked excited and eager to try.

Eleventh Lady had more or less understood Fifth Lady's temper during the years they had lived together. She also wanted to know more, so she couldn't help but smile. The two of them discussed and decided to write a letter to Gao Qing.

When I returned to the house, Jiange'er had already returned. He was busy and sweating under the eaves, stuffing the ground dragon into the soil in the pot. He was very busy.

When he saw Eleventh Lady, he looked up and called her "Mom", then continued to work with his head down, having a great time.

Eleventh Lady walked into the house with a smile.

After a while, she heard Jiang'er's loud voice calling "Dad", and knew that Xu Lingyi had returned. She told the maid to prepare lunch and went out to greet him.

Xu Lingyi knelt beside Jiange'er, looking at him tenderly, listening attentively to Jiange'er's clear voice about how he "raised insects". Huang Xiaomao and Liu Erwu stood far away, leaning against the wall with their hands hanging down.

Looking at the father and son leaning against each other, Eleventh Lady couldn't help but stop, the corners of her mouth curled up assertively, and her eyes were filled with warmth and tenderness like spring water.

Xu Lingyi understood what his son was going to do, and he burst into laughter. There was a hint of amusement in his eyes, like an adult looking at an ignorant child.

Jiang'er held the small shovel tightly in his hand and stared at Xu Lingyi with wide eyes, as if he was very dissatisfied with his smile.

Xu Lingyi found it even more interesting and went to hug Jian Ge'er.

However, Jiang'er took a few steps back to avoid his embrace and looked at Xu Lingyi with a gloomy face.

Eleventh Lady secretly cried out in dismay.

Sometimes what adults find funny is the most important thing in the eyes of children. She quickly stepped forward to help the two people out.

Xu Lingyi thought it was funny for a child to act like an adult, but when he saw the expression on his son's face, he immediately realized that his attitude had hurt his son. He quickly put away his smile and said, "You can't just keep it in the basin like this. What if the bug crawls away?"

Eleventh Lady breathed a sigh of relief and stopped.

Jiange'er was not a child with a bad temper. He was immediately attracted by Xu Lingyi's words. After thinking for a while, he ran into the house.

Xu Lingyi then noticed Shiyi Niang, smiled and stood up, and asked her softly, "Are you hot?"

"I have been in the house all the time, it's not hot." Eleventh Lady bowed, "Master, please go in and have a rest! I will fetch some water for you to wash your face!"

As he was speaking, Jiange'er ran out of the house.

He took a tall fruit plate and placed it on the pot where the dragon was raised. Then he clapped his hands and looked at Xu Lingyi with a smug look on his face: "This way it won't run away!"

Xu Lingyi couldn't help laughing: "Even though he won't run away, he will be suffocated to death!"

Jiang'er looked at the basin, then at Xu Lingyi, and finally his gaze fell on Shiyi Niang.

Eleventh Lady didn't know whether the earth dragon would suffocate to death, but thinking that it was a possibility and that it was Xu Lingyi who said it, she nodded gently to Jiang'er.

Jiange'er pouted in frustration.

Xu Lingyi immediately went forward and hugged his son: "Okay, let's ask your mother to find a piece of fine ramie cloth to cover it!"

Jiange'er glanced at her, then turned to look at Shiyi Niang: "Mom, please find me a piece of fine gauze, otherwise all my earth dragons will run away!"

Eleventh Lady lovingly wiped the sweat off her son's forehead with a handkerchief, followed Xu Lingyi into the hall, and said with a smile, "Okay! I'll find you a piece of fine gauze."

As Jiang Ge'er struggled to get down, Huang Xiaomao and Liu Erwu said, "You guys stay by the side and don't let my earth dragon get out!"

Xu Lingyi stopped walking.

The two servants looked at Xu Lingyi with some fear and answered "yes" in unison.

Jiange'er stopped struggling, and Xu Lingyi then carried Jiange'er into the house.

Eleventh Lady called in a maid to help her father and daughter wash and change clothes. She found a piece of fine gauze and went under the eaves with the washed and dressed Qing'er.

Huang Xiaomao and Liu Erwu have been guarding there the whole time.

Jiang'er and the other two hurriedly covered the flowerpot with gauze, then went back to have lunch with satisfaction.

After lunch, he ran to check on his earth dragon: "Xiao Mao, Er Wu, count and see if the earth dragon has run away!"

The two little ones really had to pour out the soil in the pot to dig out the ground dragon.

Shiyi Niang hurriedly stopped him: "Look at Ji Ting's wife planting flowers. She just throws the seeds into the soil and sprinkles some water. Then after a few days, it sprouts by itself. How can the earth dragon grow well if you keep turning it over and over like this!"

Jianger nodded, and although he gave up the idea of ​​pouring out the soil and counting the earth dragons, he instructed Huang Xiaomao and Liu Erwu: "Remember to water the earth dragons every morning.

My son is so cute!

Shiyi Niang smiled and gave her son a big kiss on the cheek, then took her son to take a nap.

In the afternoon, Shiyi Niang told stories to Jiang'er.

After telling a story, Jiang Ge'er ran out to check on the earth dragon he kept under the eaves, and asked Huang Xiaomao and Liu Erwu who were watching nearby: "Has it grown yet?"

Huang Xiaomao and Liu Erwu shook their heads. Huang Xiaomao even said, "How can it be that fast? It will take at least four or five days!"

Jiange'er was a little disappointed and sat quietly in Shiyi Niang's arms listening to the story.

Zhu Xiang came in and winked at Shiyi Niang: "Madam, the Fifth Young Master just returned to his own courtyard!"