Eleventh Lady was shocked when she heard this: "What happened?"

Among the children who came to visit, the oldest was fourteen years old and the youngest was only ten years old. They all came from prominent families and were the descendants carefully nurtured by the family. Not only did they receive a good education, but they also lived in Yanjing with their fathers who were officials. They were more knowledgeable than ordinary children. Even when Xu Lingyi mentioned it, he would praise them. "When three people walk together, there must be one who can be my teacher." This is also one of the reasons why Eleventh Lady encouraged Xu Sizhun to interact more with them, hoping that Xu Sizhun could learn from them the strengths of being a person and dealing with things. With their cultivation, they would not make a fuss when they came to visit their home, even if there was something unpleasant. What's more, Xu Sizhun has always protected Xu Sijie. If something really happened, Xu Sizhun would not sit idly by!

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but look stern.

"At first, everything was fine." Zhu Xiang said, "Everyone was talking and laughing. Master Zhuo even borrowed the fourth young master's zither and played a song. The fifth young master listened, then took out his flute and played the second half of the song with Master Zhuo..."

Before she could finish, Eleventh Lady's face darkened slightly, and she asked, "Did Young Master Zhuo invite Fifth Young Master to play together? Or did Fifth Young Master want to play together with Master Zhuo?"

"It was Master Wu who took out the flute and played with Master Zhuo." Zhu Xiang's face changed slightly as he spoke. Then he said thoughtfully, "But later, Master Wang improvised a painting. When Master Dou saw it, he said that it was a pity to have a painting without a poem, just like having good tea without spring water, so he volunteered to write a poem. Who knew that when he finished writing, he dropped some ink on the rice paper."

Eleventh Lady's expression gradually became solemn.

"Mr. Dou cried out in surprise, and with a face full of shame, he bowed and apologized. Although the other young masters felt sorry, they also laughed and teased Mr. Dou for his carelessness in losing Jingzhou. Mr. Zhuo even suggested that the drop of ink falling on the lotus leaf should be painted with two goldfish, which would be the finishing touch. Mr. Wang came forward to take a look, but Mr. Dou said that since he had caused the trouble, it was natural for him to clean up the mess. Then he took out a name card and asked the fifth young master to help send someone to Duobao Pavilion. , and asked the master of Duobao Pavilion to frame it and send it over immediately. Young Master Wang felt a little embarrassed. He said that it was just a clumsy painting, so how could he trouble the master of Duobao Pavilion to help frame it. Master Dou said, you should at least give me a chance to redeem myself. Seeing this, the fourth young master smiled and called Wang Shu, asking Wang Shu to take it. Master Dou looked embarrassed and asked Wang Shu if he knew how to get to Duobao Pavilion. The fifth young master took the painting and said, "It's better to go there yourself, so that Wang Shu won't be delayed."

"So, everyone is just going to let the Fifth Young Master deliver the painting?" Eleventh Lady pondered.

"The fourth young master wanted to stop him, but the fifth young master said that he had nothing to do anyway. Duobao Pavilion has always prided itself on being noble, so it is indeed inappropriate to let Wang Shu go. It would be better for him to send a steward to take it." Zhu Xiang said, "No matter what the fourth young master said, the fifth young master turned around and left. He gave the painting to the chief steward Bai, but did not return to Chui Lun Waterside Pavilion, but returned to the courtyard alone. I asked Xier, and Xier said that the fifth young master closed the door as soon as he returned to the room, saying that the weather was hot and he was a little tired and wanted to rest. If someone came, he would stop them. He also instructed that when the painting was framed, he should be informed immediately so that he could deliver it to Chui Lun Waterside Pavilion in time. If it was late, it would be bad for others to misunderstand that the Xu family could not do things!"

Eleventh Lady listened for a long while before saying, "Don't make a fuss about this matter. Let's see what happens first."

Zhu Xiang responded respectfully, and after dinner, she reported, "The painting has been brought back. The Fifth Young Master immediately sent it to the Chui Lun Waterside Pavilion. The Fifth Young Master thanked the Fifth Young Master and said that he did not expect the Fifth Young Master to be so thorough. In the future, if there are such trivial matters, he will consult the Fifth Young Master more, and he hopes that the Fifth Young Master will not refuse."

Eleventh Lady frowned: "What did the Fifth Young Master say?"

"Fifth Young Master just smiled." Zhu Xiang looked at him with a slightly dim expression, "Help to serve dinner, serve tea, and see the guests off..."

As he was speaking, a little maid came to report: "The fourth and fifth young masters are here!"

Eleventh Lady winked at Zhu Xiang, signaling her to stop talking, and stood up to put on her shoes.

Xu Lingyi held Jing'er in his arms and sat on the big kang by the window in the west room, telling Jing'er to draw a little chicken. When Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie came in, Jing'er jumped up from Xu Lingyi's arms with a brush in his hand, shouting "fourth brother" and "fifth brother" loudly, as if he was about to get off the kang. Xu Lingyi pressed Jing'er's shoulder and said, "Finish this one", then raised his head and looked at his two sons standing in front of him with their hands down: "Have the guests left?"

Jing'er sat back in Xu Lingyi's arms feeling aggrieved, and lowered his head to continue sketching.

Xu Sizhun hurriedly said, "They have all left. Dou Jing also invited us to visit his home in a few days."

Xu Lingyi nodded in agreement and said, "It's hot, and I can't concentrate on reading. I might as well take this opportunity to hang out with my friends..."

"Dad, I've finished!" Before he could finish his words, Jing'er stood up again. His movements were quick and agile, and Xu Lingyi didn't notice. If Xu Lingyi hadn't reacted quickly and raised his chin immediately, Jing'er's head would have hit Xu Lingyi's chin.

He smiled and patted his son's butt, then looked towards the table on the kang.

Originally, the chicken's feet should have been drawn with three long strokes and one short stroke, but Jing'er was lazy and pressed a lump of ink on it with his brush.

Xu Lingyi couldn't help but laugh: "Is this a chicken's foot?"

"Yes!" Jing'er looked at him seriously and pointed at the ink with his chubby fingers. "This is what happened when a chicken stepped into a mud pond. If daddy doesn't believe me, you can ask Xiaomao. This is what happened when our Huajin stepped into a mud pond!"

Huajin is a golden pheasant raised by Jing'er.

Looking at his son's serious yet innocent expression, Xu Lingyi couldn't help but burst out laughing.

The voice was filled with an unmistakable joy.

Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie couldn't help but stare at Xu Lingyi with their eyes wide open.

Only then did Xu Lingyi realize that he had lost his composure.

He slowly stopped smiling.

Jing'er had already pulled his sleeve: "Daddy, Daddy, I've finished painting, can I get off the kang now?" He twisted his little body and looked at him expectantly.

Xu Lingyi's heart softened, how could he refuse him? He touched his head and asked, "What are you going to do?"

"I want to go and see my bugs, to see if they have grown up."

Xu Lingyi smiled and put him on the ground: "Let Ah Jin take you there. It's getting dark now, don't run around alone, or you might bump your knee like last time."

Jing'er said "hmm" perfunctorily and immediately ran away.

Xu Sizhun couldn't help but look up and out the window.

The sky was full of rosy clouds, as bright as a shawl spread across the sky, illuminating the entire house with red light.

Is this late?

The thought flashed through his mind, and he saw Eleventh Lady walking out of the inner room with a smile.

"Where has Jing'er gone again?" There was a hint of doting in his tone.

"Let's go see the insects he raises!" Xu Lingyi smiled.

"My Lord, you are such a fool." Eleventh Lady frowned slightly, and spoke with a bit of coquettishness in her tone, "I was about to go and pay my respects to the Madam, but I got covered in mud and dirt from playing around, and it will take me a long time to clean up, so I'm late."

Xu Lingyi remained silent, tacitly accepting Shiyi Niang's blame.

In front of the children, Shiyi Niang couldn't say much. She ordered Zhu Xiang to find Jing'er, and then asked Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie with a smile: "How is it? Is the banquet lively today?"

"It's quite lively!" Xu Sizhun, who usually loves to chat with her, was concise at this time, and seemed a little bored, "Everyone is having a great time."

Eleventh Lady looked towards Xu Sijie.

Xu Sijie hurriedly said: "Mr. Dou is very knowledgeable and very kind to others..." His voice was slightly higher than usual, as if he was hiding something.

Eleventh Lady understood everything clearly. Thinking that Xu Lingyi was still sitting nearby, she did not ask any more questions. Instead, she smiled and told the two of them, "Wait until Jing'er washes his hands and then we'll go pay our respects to the lady dowager." Then she turned around and went out, personally brought Jing'er back, packed up, and went to the lady dowager.

The lady was also very concerned about this banquet and smiled as she pulled Xu Sizhun aside to ask about it.

Xu Sizhun told the lady in detail, while Xu Sijie sat silently by the side.

The next morning, Xu Sizhun and Xu Sijie went to greet Shiyi Niang. Shiyi Niang asked Xu Sijie to stay and ask, "Why did you suddenly return to your own courtyard yesterday?"

Her straightforwardness made Xu Sijie blush, and he usually answered every question from Eleventh Lady, so he lowered his head: "Mr. Dou and the others are all very smart... and very powerful... The things they said are things I have never heard of. And I don't even know those people... When something went wrong, I took the name card to Duobao Pavilion, and they immediately sent the most skilled master to help fix the problem. The repair was so complete that you can't even tell..." His voice got smaller and smaller, and there was something unnatural in his tone.

Eleventh Lady couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

She knew there was a difference between legitimate and illegitimate children, but she hadn't expected that there was such a clear distinction in the world of children.

The reality is cruel. She thought some things were too simple.

Eleventh Lady fell into deep thought.

Xu Sijie was a little sad.

Fourth Brother said that his friends were easy to get along with, but in his opinion, that was not the case.

When everyone saw him, they nodded politely, unlike their fourth brother, who would pat him on the shoulder and tease him with slang. It seemed rough, but it was intimate. He envied them and wanted to be as close to them as his fourth brother. When they talked, he tried his best to respond. When he saw Master Zhuo playing the piano, he thought of everyone praising his flute playing, so he took out his flute and played with Master Zhuo... But the more he tried to please them, the colder they looked at him. The more he wanted to show his strengths, the colder they treated him. As soon as he opened his mouth to speak, they all stopped and watched him talk alone. His voice seemed so abrupt in the quiet waterside pavilion, which made him feel very embarrassed... Later, Master Dou even ordered him around like a servant...

He had done his best to please them, so why didn't they like him?

Seeing his mother sitting there without saying a word, Xu Sijie immediately suppressed his unhappiness.

"Mother." He stepped forward lightly, "I will study hard. I will learn to paint and write poetry from Mr. Zhao. When I go out with my fourth brother in the future, people won't laugh at me anymore!"

Eleventh Lady looked at his serious expression and felt a pang in her heart.

Some things cannot be solved by learning to paint or write poetry.

The respect and acceptance of others cannot be achieved by flattering and conforming.

However, it would not be a bad thing if he could, like Xu Siyu, rely on his own character and ability to secure a place for himself!

She smiled and stretched out her hand: "This is what our Jie Geer said. Let's high-five to swear an oath."

Xu Sijie laughed and clapped his hands with Shiyi Niang three times: "Don't worry, mother. I will definitely study hard in the future."

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

PS: There was a sudden power outage today, so the update is late, sorry!

O(∩_∩)O~