Xu Siyu couldn't help laughing either.

Only then did everyone have time to pay attention to him.

"Have you gone to ask after your mother?" The lady looked her grandson up and down, nodded with satisfaction, "He is much stronger than when I left last year. It seems that Wenzhu, the maid, is quite dedicated."

"My fifth aunt came to visit my mother, and I just bowed and came over." Xu Siyu smiled and said, "You picked the bamboo yourself. It was your grace to say the least."

The old lady laughed when she heard this, and turned to the second lady who was sitting beside her and said, "This child also knows how to coax people!"

The second wife looked at Xu Siyu with a smile and said nothing, but there was a kind of intimacy with her, like a mother-in-law looking at her son-in-law and liking him more the more she looks.

Jing'er jumped out when he saw it.

"Second brother." He pulled Xu Siyu's sleeve, "You didn't bring me anything when you came back!" He questioned Xu Siyu very righteously.

The Madam Tai and the Second Madam couldn't help laughing, and Xu Siyu also laughed: "I brought it, I brought it. The things were placed in the box, and I didn't have time to clean it up yesterday. I'll send it to you later, okay?"

Jing'er narrowed his eyes and smiled, revealing a satisfied look of "this is good enough", which made the three people in the room laugh again.

The second wife said to Xu Siyu, "Your mother has been busy with your marriage since the Dragon Boat Festival. You should thank her."

Xu Siyu blushed slightly and replied "yes" shyly.

Jing'er looked at Xu Siyu with wide eyes, as if he was confused by his performance.

A maid came in and reported, "Madam, the fourth lady is here with Madam Qian and Master Qian!"

The lady smiled and said, "Please come in," and Jing'er ran to the lady's front, hugged her arm, and leaned his little head on her arm.

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid!" The lady looked at him and went to hug Jin'er.

Jin Ge'er was no longer a child, and the lady could no longer hold him. He immediately kicked off his shoes and swiftly climbed onto the kang.

The lady immediately hugged him in her arms: "Our Jing'er has done nothing wrong... Grandmother will take care of everything!" As she spoke, she gently patted Jing'er on the back.

Jin Ge'er nodded continuously, but his body shrank into the arms of the lady, and his expression did not relax.

Xu Siyu couldn't help but marvel in amazement.

Mother is a very gentle person, and she always speaks softly to the maids. Why does Sixth Brother look so scared?

While he was thinking, Shiyi Niang came in with Wu Qian and Xin Ge'er.

Brother Xin is a month younger than Sister Xin. He looks like Qian Ming and is very delicate. When everyone is talking, he sits there quietly, but his eyes are rolling around, and his face is always eager to try. At first glance, he is a very naughty child who can't sit still.

After looking around the room, his eyes fell on a small lotus leaf ball-shaped object the size of a baby's fist made of jade and water jade on the kang table.

Green lotus leaves and white balls. From where Xin Ge'er was sitting, the lotus leaves were lush green and round, and the crystal clear balls were scattered on the lotus leaves, lifelike, as if they had just been picked from the lotus pond.

He glanced at his mother.

Wu Niang was talking to the lady with a smile: "...At least we have lived up to the emperor's grace and nothing serious has happened. But it is a bit remote and poor. Xin'er is at the age of enlightenment and Dian'er is still young. It would be great if we could move to another place..." and she did not notice him.

He looked towards his aunt.

His aunt sat on the armchair with a gentle smile. His cousin, who was two years younger than him but as tall as him, stood obediently beside him, listening attentively to what his mother and the lady were saying.

He looked again at the woman his mother called "Second Madam".

She and the lady sat at the table across from each other.

Xin Ge'er sat there bored.

Mother was still talking: "... the master said that he had spent a lot of effort to repair the old canal, and he saw that the harvest would double next year, so he wanted to keep him for another term..."

Xin'er's eyes turned and his gaze fell again on the kang table behind the Second Madam where the lotus leaf and ball jade artifacts were placed.

He quietly slipped down from the armchair, touched the bird's eyes carved on the armchair, then touched the orchid leaves on the flower table beside the kang, walked to the second wife, and reached out to grab the lotus leaf ball in his hand.

It feels slightly heavy and cool to the touch.

He looked left and right, and tried hard to pick the dewdrops on the lotus leaves.

Suddenly, Jing'er's loud and somewhat angry voice was heard in the room: "That's mine! Don't touch it!"

Everyone was talking excitedly, but was interrupted by his sudden remark. Everyone's eyes involuntarily fell on Xin Ge'er.

Xin Ge'er was biting a lotus leaf with his teeth.

The first and second wives were all surprised.

Eleventh Lady felt very embarrassed and her face was burning.

Xin Ge'er was very active since he was young. He broke things or ran around in the banquet without knowing the occasion when he was with Wu Niang. Wu Niang never changed her ways, so she rarely took her son out. This time, it was because her daughter Dian Jie'er's wet nurse suddenly fell ill, and Zhuo Tao had to take care of Dian Jie'er. She wanted to send over the gift for Xu Siyu's wedding, and also wanted Xin Ge'er and Jin Ge'er to move around more, so she brought her son with her.

"Xin'er!" Wu Niang yelled, looking a little embarrassed, "Put it down quickly..."

Before she finished her words, she saw a small shadow running past her.

"Mine, mine." Jing'er rushed forward and grabbed Xing'er's wrist, and with his other hand pried Xing'er's fingers that were tightly holding the lotus leaf ball.

"I just wanted to take a look!" Xin pushed Jing, "I didn't take it away."

"This is mine!" Jing'er staggered after being pushed and bit Xing'er's wrist with his mouth.

Xin'er felt the pain, let out a loud cry, and let go of his hand, then hit Jing'er on the head.

Jing'er immediately bent his back, and Xing'er's fist landed on his back. He rushed into Xing'er's arms and pushed Xing'er to the edge of the kang. In front of his chest was Jing'er, who was using all his strength, and behind him was the kang. Xing'er's eyes turned white, and he shouted "Mom" in a shrill voice, and then burst into tears.

Everyone was stunned.

The second lady who was closest to them reacted quickly. She immediately stood up, pulled Jing'er behind her, and asked Jing'er, "Are you okay?"

Wu Niang, who was heartbroken by her son's cry of "Mom", finally reacted. She trotted over and hugged Xin'er in her arms: "My son, where do you feel uncomfortable?" While asking, she pulled up Xin'er's sleeve to look at the place where he was bitten by Jing'er.

Xin Ge'er lay in his mother's arms, sobbing and crying, "He bit me, he bit me!"

Jin Ge'er, who was being held behind the second wife, angrily retorted, "You were the one who took my things first."

Eleventh Lady, who had rushed over, glared at her son and told Xu Siyu to "go and call a doctor," while bending down to look at Xin'er's arm: "Fifth sister, how is your injury?"

Wu Niang didn't bother to answer. She tremblingly pulled up her son's sleeve. His delicate arm was red and swollen, with several teeth marks.

Fortunately, the skin is not broken!

Eleventh Lady couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and asked Zhu Xiang to get some cooling oil: "…Let's get rid of the swelling first!"

Wu Niang nodded.

After being glared at by Eleventh Lady, Jing'er first hid behind the Second Lady. Then, seeing that everyone was surrounding Xin'er and that Eleventh Lady didn't control him anymore, he looked at Xin'er curiously, and when he saw that Xin'er's arm was swollen, he couldn't help feeling guilty and said loudly, "He stole my things!"

The old lady who had been sitting silently on the kang immediately pulled Jing'er to her side upon hearing this. As soon as she gave her grandson a look that said "be quiet", everyone in the room looked at Jing'er. Especially Eleventh Lady, who had a sullen face and a stern expression. Jing'er shrank back and held the old lady's hand tightly.

The lady's face immediately darkened and she scolded Jing'er: "It was wrong for Xin'er to steal your things, but it was your fault for biting Xin'er. Why don't you apologize to your cousin Xin?"

Wu Niang blushed and said hastily, "Our Xin Ge'er was also wrong in this matter..."

Hearing his mother's tone of voice that seemed to be trying to settle the matter peacefully, Xin Ge'er immediately burst into tears: "I didn't steal his things, I just wanted to take a look..."

Regardless, Jing'er bit someone.

Eleventh Lady ordered her son: "You bit me, why don't you apologize to your cousin Xin now!"

Jinger said nothing, pursed his lips and stood there, but there was a gleam of light in the corners of his eyes. He was stubborn and fragile, which made the lady feel anxious.

"Okay, okay, it's just a fight between kids, how can we tell right from wrong?" Tai Huiren laughed and asked Xin Ge'er, "Do you like that lotus leaf ball roller?"

Children are best at observing people’s facial expressions.

Xin'er stopped crying when he heard that, and glanced at Jing'er. His face, still with tears on it, now showed a smug look.

He nodded and said "like" loudly.

Jing'er held the lotus leaf ball tightly in his hand, a look of vigilance on his face.

"Mother Du," the old lady shouted, "Go, have someone break off the lotus leaf with the beads carved on it from the lotus pot in the Duobao Pavilion and give it to Xin'er."

"How dare I accept this!" Wu Niang hurriedly stopped Mother Du, "You are so embarrassed!"

"They are just kids, just having fun." The lady said indifferently, "As long as they are happy!" Then she winked at Madam Du. Madam Du smiled and walked around Madam Wu to move the jade bonsai.

Eleventh Lady has never been as hesitant as she is now.

One thing is one thing. It was wrong for Jing'er to bite someone. He should apologize when he should apologize. But he should not be forced to compromise just because Xin'er cried. This is unfair to Jing'er.

But if the Madam was allowed to pay the gift on behalf of Jing'er to Xin'er, would Jing'er feel that he was right and become even more willful? But if the Madam was prevented from paying the gift on behalf of Jing'er, would Wu Niang think that her son was being bullied? Moreover, as a daughter-in-law, she could not accept watching her mother-in-law using her own things to appease her nephew from her mother's family emotionally!

While hesitating, the aggrieved voice of Jin Ge'er suddenly rang out in the room: "Grandma, I won't break your things. I'll give the lotus leaf ball to cousin Xin!"

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It took a long time to edit and delete, so the update is a bit late. Sorry!

O(∩_∩)O~

PS: I’ll post a draft first and catch bugs later!